In this student spotlight, PhD student Sam Wilson shared some comments on his research experience at Illinois, including his work with Professors Scott Poole and Will Barley on the EAGER Germination project. In his own research Sam studies information processing; he is interested in the idea that how we think about things affects what we come to believe, feel, and do.

• Tell me a little about the project you're working on/worked on this summer!

The world (whether professional or academic) increasingly looks to diverse teams to tackle its most pressing problems. These problems require transformative ideas. Our research project looks at the existing research on creativity, diversity, and communication and asks how we can help teams be as creative—and effective—as possible.

We have designed a framework that we believe will help diverse teams manage the benefits—and drawbacks—of diversity when building research projects. We have already run two interventions where we brought together diverse researchers to address problems in science like climate resilience and food and water security. We are planning for our third cohort now. Their challenge? Energy sustainability.

• How has the Department trained you to work on this project?

The Department has prepared me in two ways: through formal training in class and through informal training on my research teams. Seminars in group communication, communication theory, and research methods have obviously done a lot to set me up for work on this project. These have provided me with the knowledge and how-to to start research. Outside of class, the two PIs on my project (Drs. M. Scott Poole and Will Barley) have been mentors and teachers throughout this. This takes the form of readings, discussions, guidance, and feedback through all of our work. I have learned so much since we started.

• What have you learned about doing your own work?

The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is just what a research team looks like. It’s funny: I’m doing research on team science and here I am also learning about team science by doing it firsthand. Research in groups is (or should be) more than just a few meetings every once in a while; it’s also more than a few emails or a few drafts passed around. It is about being present, reliable, and engaged. Dr. Poole and Dr. Barley have been great models for how scholars can collaborate at such a high level.

• What is something exciting you've learned in this work?

Just the sheer amount that a given researcher’s context, institution, or situation can influence their ability to do science. It turns out that people are complex things. Teams? Just as complex. We can pay lip service to diversity in teams and science, but it turns out it’s not as simple as just getting a bunch of people into the same room.

• What advice would you give students who want to conduct their own research one day?

Take good notes! It’s so important to keep a record of your ideas, your methods (how you did things and why you did them), your meetings, and your feedback. There’s no substitute for good note taking—not even a great memory. You’ll be thankful!