Undergraduate Research Award – Aaron Kinard
By Pamela O ’ Donnell
Communications Librarian , College Library
On Friday , April 23 , 2021 , the Undergraduate Research Award team hosted its second virtual reception and award ceremony . Despite the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic , the committee received sixteen strong applications in 2020 . After much deliberation , the committee , made up of Raina Bloom ( chair ), Kelli Hughes , Jessica Newman , and Carly Sentieri ( along with assistance from UW Archives staff Cat Phan and Katie Nash and Cynthia Bachhuber from the Wisconsin Historical Society ), selected the excellent work of Aaron Kinard to receive this year ’ s award .
Undergraduate students who intend to make creative and intensive use of library resources as part of a semester or year-long research project are encouraged to apply for this research award . The selected student receives $ 2,000 upon completion of the award ’ s requirements , which includes structured library support and a final presentation to library staff .
At the outset , Aaron ’ s study , Examining Blackness and Rurality : Understanding Racialized Experiences in Predominantly White , Rural Schools , sought to capture the experiences of Black students navigating rural , predominantly white institutions . He reported , “ Through semistructured interviews , I hoped to explore how the former students described the racial climate of their former high schools , how racialized experiences in and outside of school impacted their sense of belonging at their former school , and how their experiences shaped their perceptions of Blackness .”
The historical analysis for this study examined Wisconsin from the antebellum period to the 1960s . Then participants from 18 to 24 years of age ( thus , likely attending high school between 2012-2020 ) provided qualitative data . For the study , Aaron followed the definition of rural that the WiRSA ( Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance ) follows , which is based upon a map of rural Wisconsin completed by the
Applied Population Lab at UW – Madison .
As the study continued , its focus evolved . According to Raina Bloom , “ Working with Aaron this year has been an absolute pleasure . Due to external pressures , the pandemic being one of them , Aaron ’ s project has evolved considerably since he submitted his application .” The team was impressed with how Aaron rethought and revised his project in response to these external pressures . Bloom goes on , “ It is a sign of real maturity and skill in a scholar to be flexible , even when it means having to change your plans and approach to a project . Aaron has demonstrated that level of intellectual honesty and sophistication in his meetings with our team , time and time again .”
When sharing his presentation on his research with Libraries staff , Aaron noted his desire to continue his current research focus , even as he prepares for a new chapter in his academic journey . “ The Midwest doesn ’ t necessarily get
14 | Libraries Spring 2021