2026 Spelman Research Day (Presenting a paper/poster at a conference - 6 points) Alyssa Amaker

 

    This past spring, I presented my research project titled "The Effect of maternal Race on State-level Infant Mortality Rates in the Post-Pandemic United States." I began this project as a participant in the 2025-2026 Spelman Data Science Program under the mentorship of Dr. Tiffany Oliver of the biology department and Dr. Robert Brown of the political science department. This presentation was the culmination of a year long process of data wrangling and analysis in RStudio, where I used public CDC data to examine my research question. 

    I was very nervous to present, but I articulated all of my points far better than I initially thought I would. My audience engaged with my work and asked intriguing questions that challenged me to think of new avenues for future research, as well as the project's strengths and weaknesses. Although I am not a political or computer science major, I thoroughly enjoyed learning interdiscplinary methodologies. In doing so, I developed my ethical research skills and math literacy, which easily translated into my academic performance in all of my classes and subsequent research projects.

    I can't wait to present at 2027 Spelman Research Day this upcoming spring!

- Alyssa Amaker