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Herschel F. Thomas III (Trey)
Senior
Political Science and Bachelor of Philosophy

My primary research interest stems from my work on the Policy Agendas Project and focuses on agenda setting in the U.S. and abroad. I am presently involved in projects that include: describing national association population dynamics, predicting attention to climate change and renewable energy sources, analyzing the "revolving door" network of lobbyists and measuring the impact of Internet censorship on human rights organizations.

How did you get involved in undergraduate research at Penn State?
I applied to be a research assistant with Dr. Frank Baumgartner on the Encyclopedia of Associations Project (a part of the larger Policy Agendas Project) after becoming familiar with the published data I used for a class project. That next Spring semester, I enrolled in a research seminar (Pl Sc/Soc 497 - Research Fellowship in the Social Sciences) offered by Dr. Baumgartner and Dr. John McCarthy where I first studied attention to climate change and developed a foundation of academic research methods. My work in those classes and on the Encyclopedia Project then led to additional research as an independent study last year, involvement in the project at a higher level and my current research projects.

Beyond the results or findings of your research, what have you learned from this experience?
Through my research here at Penn State and in Europe this past Summer, I have had first-hand experiences in many aspects of academic research. Ranging from project planning, database design and data collection to statistical analysis and academic writing, my experiences have helped prepare me for graduate study. By the time I graduate, I will have had experience collaborating with faculty at other campuses and abroad, using software like Stata (statistics) and Pajek (network analysis), and implementing automated learning technology from Information Sciences.

What kind of time commitment is required for your research activities? How do you find the time for research?
I was very involved with extracurricular activities my sophomore and junior years and now devote most of my non-class time to my research activities. I am still involved as the chair of an organization on campus that registers students to vote, but am excited to be more involved with my research. Time management is important, but since I'm planning to attend graduate school my work on research projects is a necessary and welcome transition.

What would you tell a friend who wants to get involved in research?
Undergraduate research allows students to work on projects that extend beyond the typical class schedule and work directly with faculty on topics relevant to discussions in their discipline. Starting early is definitely key, even if it is only working on basic data collection at the beginning. Many professors are in need of dedicated students to work on their projects over the long-term and have openings as new projects start or other students graduate.