Research Rookies Student Profiles
Name: Kate Abell
Cohort: Continuing Research Rookie
Major: Operations Management & Information Systems
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Charles Downing & Brian Brim, J.D.
Project Title: Information Systems Requirements Determination: The Case of What Students Want with MyNIU
Overview: There are many different types of students at NIU. Every type has a different need when it comes to their MyNIU homepage. These days, students expect to be able to customize almost everything the way they find the most fitting to their needs. This includes their MyNIU homepage; their central location of everything NIU. I will be surveying NIU students from four different categories in order to bring their specific needs to attention. These categories are First Years, Undergraduates, Graduates, and Law Students. They will all be given the same survey. The data collected from these surveys will go straight to the designers of the new MyNIU system and will be considered in the layoutof the MyNIU homepage. Students know what they want to see and have access to when they login to their MyNIU. I will be giving the students of NIU a voice in what is seen and accessed in their MyNIU. In addition, I will be researching student systems and how these systems have been modified at other universities.
Kate on what being a Research Rookie means: “Being a Research Rookie means that I am leading, learning, and discovering advanced concepts and techniques that, together with my sponsor, will propel me far beyond the superficial, functional knowledge of my chosen discipline, and provide me, not only an opportunity to excel, but to truly understand and contribute meaningful advances to my science.”