Student Research Opportunities

    Students are encouraged to participate in one of the ongoing research projects conducted by faculty members in the department.  The following are some of the research opportunities available at the moment:

    
1.  Dr. Hadjicostandi is conducting a study in which the social history of the African-American community in Odessa and Midland is documented.  Oral histories are collected through in depth interviewing of the elderly community members first and all members eventually. This constitutes the primary source of this research.  Archival search and documentation of personal and community documents and artifacts that enhance the understanding of the history of the community are a secondary source of this study.  Qualified individuals, who are interested in qualitative research, may be able to participate in this research.

2.  The second phase of the above project is on the way and seeks to examine the views of community leaders, members of the Mexican American, Native American and African American communities, on issues of economic development, leadership and immediate change in their communities as well as the wider community. By focusing on the importance of minority integration in the economic development of our region, which supports the national policy on diversification and integration in the economy, this study addresses how the communities themselves view their role in development and offer propositions for concrete future minority involvement in the economy, education and the social services.   Qualified individuals may be able to participate in this project.  

3.  Dr. Hadjicostandi is involved in a study of immigrant women in the Southern European countries of Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. Research on women's involvement in the informal sector of the economy is conducted, by looking at illegal or legal immigrant participation in the labor force and exploring possible human rights abuse.  Qualified and interested individuals are welcome to explore the possibility of participating in the project.

4. Very few studies have been conducted to show the views of minority people on what substance abuse really is and how it affects their families and communities, although connections have often been made between crime and minority involvement in drug trafficking, use and abuse.    Dr. Hadjicostandi is involved in an exploratory study of Latino or Hispanic people's perceptions and attitudes regarding the use and abuse of both licit and illicit substances in Odessa and Midland, Texas.