Noreen Balos (center) receives the Delaine A. Eastin Fellowship at the 2018 Department of Education award ceremony; with her are department chair Julie Bianchini and GGSE dean Jeffrey Milem
UC Santa Barbara’s Graduate Division, the Graduate Student Association, and the Library will co-sponsor Lunch & Learn featuring Noreen Balos, a doctoral student at the Gevirtz School, on Wednesday, September 5 in Library Room 1312 from 12 noon to 1 pm. Balos will present the talk “Case What? Case as a Study or Case as a Phenomena in Interdisciplinary Research” as one part of the program; the other talk will be presented by Neil Dolinski, a graduate student in Materials, on the topic “Printing with Color: Advancing Additive Manufacturing, One Wavelength at a Time.” The event is free and open to the public and includes lunch; those wishing to attend should RSVP online.
The abstract for Balos’s presentation: One approach to research is to look for patterns in data in order to generalize and test hypothesis or create theory. And when it comes to outliers, they can either be ignored as minimally influential or non-impactful. However, outliers or unique phenomena can provide clues for insights into new directions and strategies for inquiry. This logic, though, is not as easily explainable in interdisciplinary settings, especially between social science and STEM. So how do you choose a case that is understandable to multiple audiences with different epistemologies? Do disciplines comprehend and apply case study the same? This presentation uncovers differing disciplinary perspectives and thoughts to consider when choosing cases or case study. Sample observations will be used to illustrate how or when case study becomes (in)effective and when to possibly redirect research inquiry or design.
Noreen Balos is a doctoral student in the Learning, Culture & Technology research focus area of the Department of Education with an Interdisciplinary Emphasis in Global Studies. With her background in science and professional experience in higher education, her research interests include: STEM Education, Culture in STEM, and Access & Equity in STEM. She has won the Delaine A. Eastin Fellowship and served as the president of the Graduate Student Association in Education.
Lunch & Learn is a monthly informal seminar series that provides grad students with two important things: free lunch and a chance to socialize with and learn from their peers from across the campus. This event will be moderated by Don Lubach, Associate Dean of Students at UCSB, and a Gevirtz School alumnus.