Since the 1980s, the UTRA program has allowed undergraduate students to obtain valuable paid research and academic skills. Simultaneously, Brown faculty get much needed help developing new courses and conducting research projects.
In summer 2024, Sikk, Lecturer in Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Gamble, Visiting Assistant Professor of the Practice of Gender and Sexuality Studies, worked with UTRA students on two projects. Sikk worked with Jacob Gelman ’25, concentrator in Political Science and Philosophy, to develop a syllabus for her new class on AIDS activism with a specific focus on Rhode Island and Brown University. The course considers mainstream media coverage of the epidemic and queer activist response in publishing, art, film, photography, comics, poetry, and street action. It will be taught as part of the Gender and Sexuality Studies (GNSS) concentration in spring 2025. Working with Gelman was beneficial to Sikk’s syllabus development process. She commented, “Usually working on a syllabus is a rather solitary process for me. I found it extremely helpful to think through ideas with a student who is highly motivated and already has considerable knowledge on the topic.” For his part, Gelman noted that “as a gay man myself, it was personally rewarding to learn more about the history and theory of such a seminal point in queer history” and that the experience has confirmed his interest in an academic career.
Gamble worked with three UTRA students on a community-engaged research project. Originating in the work of the Brown Reproductive Justice Collaborative (a group Gamble facilitates), this project involved conducting qualitative interviews with Brown researchers, student groups, and local community organizations working on some aspect of reproductive justice research and/or policy and advocacy. The three students – Cyntia Roig ’27, Lily Randell ‘25, and Jacqueline Zhang ‘27, interviewed participants, cleaned and coded interview transcripts, and analyzed data for themes. The end result of this project was a database of local researchers, students, and organizations that will make it easier for people working in reproductive justice to find opportunities to contribute to research or advocacy. “The student researchers were invaluable to this project,” Gamble commented. “This is a project that many faculty wanted to see happen, but did not have the funding or time to conduct themselves. The students took the ball and ran with it, engaging deeply in the questions raised by the research process. Their insights and dedication took this project further than I could have ever taken it on my own.”
Reflecting on their experience, Zhang said that “prior to this summer, I had no experience with research. When I thought of ‘research,’ images of test tubes and Bunsen burners filled my mind; With the dominance of STEM in research discussions, I was curious as to what social science or humanities research would be like. This project primarily involved conducting key-informant interviews with the team and identifying common themes among our informants. This was the most rewarding part of the project, as I got to engage face-to-face with community partners and researchers involved in reproductive justice work.”
Randell similarly appreciated the chance to conduct research on and beyond campus. She reflected: “I learned so much from this experience, not just about the reproductive justice movement in Rhode Island, but also about how to conduct research and qualitative interviews. I truly appreciated the chance to further engage with Rhode Island community organizations and loved meeting and building relationships with community members and Brown faculty.”