Honors College junior Luca Coleman is currently working with Dr. David Dickinson, professor in the Department of Economics, on his research sleep study. Dr. Dickinson has taught the Honors seminar, HON 3515: Experience & Behavior Economics, two different semesters in the Honors College, and directed multiple Honors theses. To learn more about Dr. Dickinson’s current grant-funded research study, click to read How does sleep affect your decisions? App State’s Dr. David Dickinson conducts grant-funded studies to find out, a story by Megan Bruffy posted Sep. 29, 2021 in AppalachianToday.
Coleman described their involvement in the research, “Our research has to do with the connection between levels of sleep and decision making when it comes to food choices….I'm responsible for working with the data and organizing it. Sometimes I work with retellings of a story, other times I identify wakeup times, sleep times, and naps, as well as the efficiency of that sleep.”
Through this opportunity, Coleman is developing valuable research skills and exploring ideas for their own Honors thesis research. Coleman is double major in anthropology and economics, who spent the summer of 2021 doing ethnographic fieldwork in Mexico under the direction of Dr. Jon Carter, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology. Coleman applied and was admitted to the Honors College in Spring of 2020 after entering App State in Fall 2019 as a first-year student. With their interest ranging across two departments and colleges, and with a cultural, historic, and geographic focus on Mexico, Coleman’s Honors thesis will become an interdisciplinary project typical of Honors College theses.
With this experience working with Dr. Dickinson, they are gaining practical skills for the job market. Coleman shared, “This position certainly helps me in the future.... Outside of it just looking good…it has been a good experience for understanding what might be expected of me in the professional world.”
Coleman explained how this opportunity came as a call for applications to a select group of students through an email from Dr. Dave Envoy, professor and chair of the Department of Economics. Coleman offers advice to other Honors College students who are interested in getting involved in research. They shared, “My advice would be to do well in class and pay attention to your email…If I didn't apply myself in class and if I ignored my emails, I would have never gotten this position!”
Top photo features Honors junior Luca Coleman (left) with Dr. David Dickinson (right), professor of economics at Appalachian State University. Photo submitted.
