In this first-person narrative, undergraduate researcher Ashley Payette tells Nevada Today about her experience working with Assistant Professor Brad A. M. Johnson, Ph.D., exploring policymaking decisions in wildlife laws.
I have always wanted to do research at a university, but the thought of applying was far too intimidating – until I heard about the Pack Research Experience Program (PREP). The PREP is aimed at freshmen and sophomores who want to actively participate in research, especially if they have no prior experience. Although I had little hope I would be accepted, during my freshman fall, I decided to apply. Opening my email over winter break, I was overjoyed to find my acceptance to work with Dr. Brad A. M. Johnson, a faculty member in the political science department. The opportunity was as exciting as it was nerve-wracking. I feared my lack of experience with political science would mean I was underqualified to work alongside faculty. After all, I am majoring in wildlife ecology, and political science was only a side passion I recently began to explore. Upon returning to school in the spring and meeting the PREP program staff, I felt so much more at ease. They understood the fear of tackling research for the first time and were so supportive in the learning process.
Dr. Johnson was especially helpful as he gave me a lot of freedom in deciding what I wanted to research. He prioritized making the PREP program the most beneficial for my professional development and exploring my passions. I explained my interest in political science to Dr. Johnson but informed him that I wasn’t sure where to go with it or how to connect it to wildlife; he was more than happy to help me figure this out. To start, we delved into his ongoing projects – I explored everything from analyzing AI in public comment to the difference in department titles between county governments. What really caught my eye was the way that politics are discussed.
While working on Dr. Johnson’s projects, I became aware that language used by officials is often not accessible to their constituents, discouraging citizens from being involved in local government. This piqued an interest in the way that interactions, perceptions and feelings between citizens and government affect policymaking. When thinking about wildlife, I grew curious about the impact that peoples’ attitudes about wildlife had on the implementation of wildlife laws, and vice versa. Dr. Johnson saw my interest in this and encouraged me to explore it further, so I began literature review on the subject. We noticed that there is not much research on this topic, which excited us even further to explore issues that have not yet been examined. Together, Dr. Johnson and I bridged the gap between my interests in wildlife and political science to propose the research question, ‘How do city councils address wildlife’? Our purpose in the project is to understand how wildlife is discussed on the local government level so we may improve the way officials approach management techniques.
Collaborating with Dr. Johnson has been amazing, and his continued support has always encouraged me to try things on my own, make mistakes and learn from them. The PREP program has taught me a lot about the research process, and more importantly, myself. I love the work that I do so much that I decided to continue it this semester and now plan on declaring a minor in the subject.
I recommend branching out and applying for opportunities even if you don't think you'll get it. I almost didn’t apply to PREP because I was unsure that I would be accepted, but I am so happy that I overcame my doubts and put my best foot forward. I learned that I'm capable of more than I thought, and I feel confident in my skills for future endeavors – everything is a learning opportunity to improve myself. You don’t know what you are capable of until you try!
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Ashley Payette is a second-year University student majoring in wildlife ecology and conservation with a minor in social justice. She is a resident assistant in Great Basin Hall in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources Living Learning Community. Ashley hopes to continue to conduct research and intern for a conservation organization. She plans to attend graduate school to lead a career in wildlife management and policy.
