Kaylin Nolan, a third-year undergraduate student majoring in International Affairs and Modern Languages, was selected to represent Georgia Tech at the 2024 ACC Meeting of the Minds Research Conference.
The annual event celebrates undergraduate excellence in research at the 15 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) universities. She shared her experience at the conference, her research journey at Georgia Tech, and how other students can get involved!
What did you do at the ACC conference?
Five undergraduate students were chosen from each of the ACC universities to present at the conference at the University of Notre Dame in April. I was selected for my research in complex adaptive systems theory with Dr. Brian Woodall in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.
At the conference, I gave an oral presentation on using complex adaptive systems theory to build a theoretical framework that can better address multidisciplinary challenges in the realm of regional science. This opportunity allowed me to highlight my research as a student in the Ivan Allen College and receive valuable feedback from students and professors from peer universities.
My experience with the ACC Conference was offered through the Georgia Tech Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent Georgia Tech in this manner and am excited to further my research in the upcoming semesters!
Kaylin presenting her work at the 2024 ACC Meeting of the Minds Conference.
How did you get involved with undergraduate research at Tech?
I interviewed Dr. Woodall, my future research advisor, for my position on the Ivan Allen College's Student Advisory Board and the topic of his research came up in the conversation.
I was really interested in learning more about the research he does in disaster resilience management so Dr. Woodall sent the paper he was publishing at the time, and we scheduled a follow up meeting to discuss joining his research team!
A year and a half later I'm still working with him and leading my own research project.
What advice do you have for other IAC students interested in pursuing research?
My advice for any student interested in pursuing research is to build relationships with your professors!
If you are interested in the research or specialty of a professor teaching a class you're in, then ask them questions about and express your interest.
Genuine interest shines through conversations and developing relationships with professors can lead to mentorship and other opportunities later in your academic career.
