“Regan is an excellent student with many diverse interests – gender inequality, social psychology, culture, and language. In addition to her excellence in the classroom – and as a researcher – she is the president of the undergraduate student government at the University of Iowa, a challenging and time-consuming role.” – Mary Noonan, Associate Professor, Sociology and Criminology

• Hometown: Coggon, IA
• Faculty mentor/advisor: Professor Mary Noonan
• What is your degree program and expected graduate date? BS Sociology, Minor in Spanish, expected graduation May 2022
• Please describe your research:  My project utilizes the University of Iowa’s 2015 Speak Out Iowa (sexual assault campus climate) survey data to examine the most effective forms of sexual assault prevention educations and trainings offered by the University. To understand effectiveness, I have utilized students’ reported everyday bystander intervention practices and compared three different forms of education and trainings to find which programs had the greatest impact on behaviors.
• In simple terms, why does this research matter?  Understanding which training programs work and why is a critical step in creating a safer campus culture. My research finds that students who completed a bystander intervention course at the University of Iowa are very likely to help someone in danger of sexual assault. A campus with impactful bystanders creates a safer campus for all students.
• How soon after starting at the University of Iowa were you able to participate in research? I started research in my first semester of my junior (third) year
• How has being involved in research made you more successful at the University of Iowa? I was heavily involved outside of the classroom before beginning my research project but researching has helped me bring my passion for advocacy together with skills and knowledge that will shape my career. I have been able to work with some of the most talented faculty in the country on a project that I am deeply passionate about, and I hope that through sharing my findings, I will be able to have a lasting impact on the campus climate.
• What are your career goals and/or plans after graduation? After graduation, I hope to apply to top graduate schools for Sociology programs, and hope to one day serve as a professor and researcher

Banner location: Downtown—Washington Street