Sociology Senior Spends Summer at Pew Research Center in Washington D.C.

Photo by Bryn Smernoff

Bryn Smernoff, a sociology major and 21-year-old self-proclaimed "emerging adult," spent the summer in Washington, D.C., researching youth and emerging adulthood with Patricia Herzog, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice  in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and co-director of the Center for Social Research.

Smernoff summarizes a definition of emerging adulthood by Jeffrey Arnett, as "a life stage encompassing people ages 18 to 25, characterized by instability, identity exploration, self-focus, feeling in-between, and an age of possibilities."

Smernoff fell in love with sociology and social science research while taking Herzog's Social Research and Emerging Adulthood in America classes last year. Her excellence in those classes prompted Herzog to invite her to participate in the research project this summer in Washington, D.C. The day-to-day research Smernoff conducted at the Pew Research Center built on and expanded her classroom experiences. Smernoff's research consisted of analyzing and synthesizing articles for information that will be used to craft a national survey of teens.

"Having a space to work at the center has given me a taste of working life and been quite a highlight of the experience for me. Having heard and read a lot about Pew prior to my stay, I am so appreciative of the opportunity to see how the Center runs from the inside," Smernoff said. "I can proudly say that this project has been valuable in strengthening and sharpening my social research skills set, and afforded me the chance to grow both as a student and as a person."

Herzog, Smernoff's mentor, said she was an impressive researcher whose contirbutions were of a high value.

"Bryn is one of the best undergraduate student research interns with whom I have had the opportunity to work," Herzog said. "Seeing the Pew Research Center through her eyes enhanced my own experiences there, and it was a tremendous help to know I could count on her capable hands to complete high-quality research on-time and impressively."

Beyond the research experience itself, Smernoff also had the opportunity to network with a group of undergraduate students: some working with Herzog and some working with Joseph Herzog, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics. They had the chance to tour the city together and take in the many cultural sites.

The Herzogs also visited with Jace Motley, a recent University of Arkansas graduate who is now working in U.S. Sen. John Boozman's office and provided a personal tour of the Capitol along with a few other recent alumni. In addition, Smernoff and Herzog toured the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts together while discussing the history of the civil rights movement.

Smernoff's career plans include building on her research around youth and emerging adulthood and supporting students with learning disabilities. She plans to follow her passion once she graduates by securing a job working for a non-profit organization, perhaps in a research capacity.

As Smernoff reflects on the scholarship on meaning-making, purpose, and life direction that she read this summer, she says that it is important to her to pursue meaningful work to support those in need.