Emma Hagert

How did you get involved in research?

I got involved in research through initially studying Sociology. I was curious about ethnography and how this method of research intersects with visual storytelling.

How did you meet your mentor?

I met my mentor through a special topics course I took in Boston University’s journalism program called TV Magazine.

What has your UROP experience taught you?

My UROP experience is just beginning but the logistics of my project have required me to learn how to draft media consent forms, research different and new forms of equipment, and how to present my project to potential subjects.

How has this experience helped you with non-research related things at BU?

This experience is equipping me with extensive interviewing, videography and film editing skills.

What does a day in your research life look like?

A day in my research life starts in Chelsea, MA at the Intergenerational Literacy Program (ILP). I follow along with my subjects as they attend their English Second Language (ESL) classes, professions, and daily tasks about their homes. It’s sort of an ethnographic study with a camera.

What advice would you give to someone interested in UROP? Describe your UROP experience in 1-3 sentences.

You never know what you’re capable of until you try, so if there’s a project you’re interested in pursuing – go for it! My UROP experience enables me to explore and create content about the intergenerational immigrant experience in Chelsea, MA. As a journalist student with a focus in documentary filmmaking and social impact stories, I’ve chosen to research how immigration policies are impacting communities on a local level and am allowing the voices of people with lived experiences of displacement to control the narrative.