by Isabelle Zgorzelski
In the middle of my second year at Baylor University, I knew I wanted to become more involved within my academics. I was an avid supporter of taking around sixteen to eighteen hours in academic courses among having both a double major and a double minor, but I wanted to dive deeper into academic possibilities.
Through the Office of Engaged Learning, I found my answer: undergraduate research. Having information from their research department and constructive guidance from Dr. Rizalia Klausmeyer, I found my first steps to this opportunity. I emailed various professors within the Baylor Political Science department not knowing if any of them would respond to me. Only two days after I sent out inquiry emails, I agreed to be an undergraduate research student alongside Dr. Peter Campbell. His research focuses on the development of international security, strategy, and cyber warfare. I have aided him on current projects on the topics of cyber security by researching current world news, recent global developments, and published documents concerning all international cyber warfare.
Since the spring of 2021, I have continued to work alongside Dr. Campbell in his research. This past summer, I was part of the inaugural push to expand Baylor’s B-TRUE Summer Research Fellows and Summer Scholars to include undergraduate students studying within the humanities among undergraduate students in the sciences. B-TRUE stands for Baylor Transdisciplinary Research Undergraduate Experience that accepts 15 students in a cohort. This program is 12 weeks long that includes opportunities for research students to connect and share progress on work, workshops and lectures with campus professors and faculty, and finishes with a student lead panel on current findings.
I have enjoyed my experiences being an undergraduate research student within Baylor’s Political Science Department as it has expanded my knowledge of the world around me while keeping an academic level of involvement. Currently, I continue to engage in research alongside Dr. Campbell and am expanding to aid other current professors in the coming semesters.
Isabelle Zgorzelski (‘23) is a double major in International Studies and Spanish with a double minor in Political Science and Leadership Studies from Ventura County, California. In spring 2022, she will be part of the Baylor in Washington D.C. cohort to continue her studies in foreign affairs, public diplomacy, and the Spanish language. She hopes to work with the U.S. State Department as a U.S. Diplomat in the future to represent the United States for Latin America.