The highlight of my Eccles Experience was doing undergraduate research with Dr. Elizabeth Tenney in the Department of Management.
Dr. Tenney is an amazing professor and a phenomenal researcher. More than that, she has been the most supportive mentor I have ever had in my undergraduate years. With her support, I was able to receive a full year of funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program to conduct research in order to complete my Honors Thesis for my degree in Management.
My research focuses on the belief that optimism improves performance and whether optimism actually leads to higher performance in China. This research project is derived from Dr. Tenney’s past research on testing the optimism-performance hypothesis in North America. More than simply conducting research, I had the opportunity to present at Research on Capitol Hill as well as the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Without the endless support of Dr. Tenney, I would not have been able to successfully take on this large commitment. I also wouldn’t have had the opportunity to publish my research in the Undergraduate Research Journal without her expertise and guidance.
For those who haven’t had the opportunity to conduct research as a student at the Eccles School, I encourage you to step outside of the norm and go take on a research project. This is unlike any class you have taken, you’ll definitely learn a lot because you get the chance to engage fully with what you are doing. And if you are lucky, you will get to work with some of the most amazing professors like Dr. Tenney.