Earlier this semester, Roanoke College students Alejandra Carino, Jennifer Engl, Owen Gold, and Gaston Ocampo along with Public Affairs Professor, Dr. Andreea O’keef traveled to Hampden Sydney College to present their research on “Corporate Political Activities in Emerging Markets: Businesses in the Middle East and North Africa” to a panel of undergraduates. Their research concentrated on corporate political activities in Turkey and Tunisia, which are considered to be evolving democracies. The team codded over 150 interviews conducted within the region. Ocampo, a senior International Relations and Business Administration major, has been working with Dr. Mihalache-O’keef on this project since the fall of 2018. The rest of the team joined the duo during the 2019-2020 school year.
The rare opportunity to do research at the undergraduate level was something that Carino, Engl, Gold, and Ocampo all appreciated. “This experience as well as her [Dr. Mihalache-O’keef’s] class has kind of led me towards wanting to do more research,” stated Carino, a junior Political Science major. Engl, International Relations major and junior as well shared similar sentiment– “it gave me a good feeling of being very prepared for grad school.”
The research team shared advice they have for other Roanoke College students interested in research: “maybe they think they have to be an upperclassmen to do research because you need to have so much knowledge,” pondered Ocampo. “But you learn as you go.”
Engl offered complimentary advice, “you are there to learn. It’s a learning experience, just like class; not just for the superbrains, it is for everyone.”
Mady Sale
Contributing writer
Edited by Claire Kivior
