Acclaimed St. Thomas scholar Christopher Ezeude ‘20 was selected for an exclusive INCITE Social Sciences Summer research program at Columbia University in New York City, New York.

Christopher was among 20 students from America and abroad who participated in this summer research program created for driven high school students who wish to conduct social science research and learn more about immigration in the United States from professors that share the same interests as them. Christopher was awarded a full scholarship that included room and board with a weekly stipend.

During the two-week-long Columbia University program, Christopher and his classmates sat in on lectures from esteemed professors and graduate students. From these lectures, the students were able to learn about the different techniques and ways of designing and conducting social science research.

Students also engaged in a multitude of activities that helped them become familiar with various methods of data collection. For example, the students participated in an intense yet exciting scavenger hunt in West Harlem, where they were given a list of landmarks and questions to answer along the way. This experience enabled the students to become accustomed to different social science skills, such as observation and interviewing.

With this knowledge and exposure to social science, the students were divided into groups in which they were tasked with designing and conducting their own research and writing a research paper that summed up their findings. At the conclusion of the program, Christopher and his group had the opportunity to present their findings on generational gaps in immigrant families to Columbia professors and graduate students. The students were evaluated on different aspects of their research, including their design, the execution of their chosen area of study, and the presentation of their findings.

“This program allowed me to interact with people from different backgrounds. I enjoyed conversing with the international students because I learned that my culture shared many similarities with theirs,” Ezeude said. “This program helped me to improve my analytical skills and to analyze data with a more critical eye.”