Undergraduate Researcher at the West Virginia Dialect Project
I began working at the West Virginia Dialect Project during my sophomore year at WVU. My position as an undergraduate researcher has no only challenged me, but also taught me to be more self-sufficient by improving my problem-solving.Unlike my other positions which are primarily writing and editing based, being an undergraduate researcher has allowed me to learn a variety of different computer programs that I was otherwise unfamiliar. I had to quickly adapt to a research-based environment and learn how to use programs such as ELAN, N-WAV, Praat, etc. to analyze dialect features in a variety of speakers. This job also taught me the importance of collaboration, as I would often encounter new issues that--if I could not solve myself--I would have to seek help from my fellow fellow researchers and lab manager.
Working as an undergraduate researcher also allowed me to participate in graduate-level work. I proofread grant statements, collaborated on presentations, and analyzed dialect features of people of Appalachia. I also learned how to write analytically and present data to a audience through the use of Excel and PowerPoint presentations. This position provided me with unique experiences and the opportunity to gain a specific onset of skills that I would not have learned otherwise.
