The Office of Student Research is proud to feature Kimia Jahangiri in this week’s “Scholar Story”. 

Kimia Jahangiri is a currently a junior at Longwood University and she is earning a degree in chemistry with licensure in secondary education. In the summer of 2020, Kimia participated in Longwood’s PRISM STEM summer research program.  Her research focuses on defining models in high school chemistry lab activities through analysis of published lab manuals.  She decided to become involved with this research because “as a future educator it is important to me to know what my students will be learning during hands-on labs inside a classroom setting. Having this experience not only pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but also provided me with more confidence for my future classroom. ”   

Participating in research has “broadened my understanding of chemistry education for high schoolers. This is something that I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to learn without the structure and independence that this opportunity provided. I also learned a lot about myself though this experience and  it affirmed that being a future educator is in fact, my dream job.” 

Kimia’s favorite part about doing research “was the personalized conversations and guidance I got from my mentor, Dr. Ben Campbell. This independent research experience focuses on a one-to-one ratio of faculty mentor to mentee and allows for the kind of growth as a student that no classroom could provide. “ 

Congratulations to Kimia on her successful research!  

If you would like to have your research featured in a “Scholar Story”, or if you would like to learn more about getting involved in research at Longwood University, please visit Longwood’s Office of Student Research website http://www.longwood.edu/office-of-student-research/ 

or contact Amorette Barber, Director of the Office of Student Research (osr@longwood.edu or barberar@longwood.edu).