Reach: Summer 2009

A J-School freshman, EllieLijewski joined professors in a research project: (left to rightbehind her), Professor Ron Faber, Assistant Professor Marco Yzer,Professor Bruce Cuthbert, and Associate Professor Angus MacDonald.Photo by Rodrigo Zamith.

She wasn't a professor or a Ph.D. student, but a freshman in the School of Journalism.

Last year Ellie Lijewski and 44 other students received CLA Freshman Research Awards that enabled them to work on research projects with faculty and graduate students. CLA hand-matches students and their mentors to create the best possible partnerships.

Lijewski's team includes professors and grad students from advertising, psychology, and marketing. "We have been measuring the perceived and actual effectiveness of anti-drug ads," she explained. "We are also trying to explain the effects of weak ads versus strong ads and why anti-drug ads sometimes are ineffective or even counter-effective." The study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

How valuable is the experience? Says Lijewski, "I'm learning how to work with people who don't even necessarily speak the same academic language, how to solve problems, and how to go about designing and testing unprecedented topics and procedures, all on a deadline. I've discovered that it takes a huge amount of effort to set up studies and recruit volunteers. The most important thing to me, however, is that I am getting this experience so early in my academic career . . . . The relationships and networks I am forging through this experience are priceless. I'm learning more than I thought possible, and it's more rewarding than I ever thought it could be."

Find out more about Ellie Lijewski's research at http://reach.cla.umn.edu/lijewski