Cultivating a Robust Research Environment: A Five-Year Journey at a Private University

Music City Center 

The art and science of research demand a dynamic confluence of curiosity, rigor, and resilience. Over the past five years, I have dedicated my efforts to fostering a thriving research culture at a private university through one-hour presentations known as Research Forum. This endeavor was guided by a commitment to equip students, faculty, and emerging researchers with the tools and confidence needed to excel in their scholarly pursuits. Ten topics a year are presented by myself and invited researchers. Topics have included: writing research questions, sampling methods to increase sample size, critically reading research articles, navigating ethical issues, Imposter Syndrome, survey instruments, reliability, and validity, data visualization, creating APA tables, surviving graduate school as a non-traditional student, and presenting scientific findings. In conclusion, this five-year journey demonstrates the power of a holistic approach to cultivating a research environment. As I hope to present these findings at the Joint Statistical Meeting in 2025, I intend to inspire others to embark on similar journeys, fostering vibrant research cultures within their institutions.

research in higher education

mentoring researchers

statistical consulting

graduate school

imposter syndrome 

Section on Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences