Student finds politics research opportunities and mentorship at Centre, wins award at conference
Between serving as Centre College's Student Government Association president and a first-year mentor, Caroline Koenig ‘25 never imagined a class paper would become an award-winning research project.
When she enrolled in his Civil Conflict class, Assistant Professor of Politics Weiss Mehrabi offered to help students who wanted to take their research paper to another level.
“On the first day of class, Professor Mehrabi mentioned that if we wanted to, we could work with him to write a conference paper, and that was just a really unique opportunity for me,” Koenig said.
Opportunities for undergraduate students to present research in the social sciences are less common than in hard sciences like chemistry or biology. But with faculty mentorship — a hallmark of the Centre experience — Centre students are encouraged to expand their work beyond the classroom,
For Mehrabi, encouraging students to do further research on their choice of topic is more than an assignment, but an opportunity to deeply engage with the world.
“When students do original research, they start to see how their ideas can shape the policymaking process,” Mehrabi said. “They learn to think analytically about complex questions that matter, and that prepares them for what comes next, both in their careers and as thoughtful citizens.”
With a busy senior year full of classes and extra-curricular responsibilities, Koenig wasn’t sure if she’d have the time to continue developing a research paper for a conference, yet it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“Research is just such an interesting experience,” she said. “It was something that I never planned on doing, but it ended up being something that I loved. And Dr. Mehrabi is a fantastic mentor.”
Koenig, Mehrabi and six other students attended the Kentucky Political Science Association (KPSA) Annual Meeting at Berea College, where Koenig won the Abdul H. Rifai Award for Best Undergraduate Paper.
Koenig’s research focused on the impact of women’s education when organized violence begins – a topic that has interested her throughout her college career.
“It’s a prestigious award, and it means a lot to students who win it,” Mehrabi said of Koenig’s win of the Abdul H. Rifai Award. “It recognizes undergraduate research that is both theoretically novel and empirically rigorous, and Caroline's work was exactly that. Her win was well deserved.”
Four of the students also attended the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting in Chicago. Awards for this conference will be announced at a later date.
Attending the conference in Kentucky, Koenig felt well-prepared for her presentation, thanks to Mehrabi’s training and Centre’s well-rounded curriculum, which includes the Doctrina Lux Mentis course all first-year students take, focused on building communication and oral speaking skills.
“When we went to KPSA, it was so fun to see how Centre students stand out,” Koenig said. “I can easily say we were some of the best presenters. Professor Mehrabi taught us how to present confidently.”
When looking back at her time at Centre, the mentorship she received from her professors, especially Mehrabi, stands out.
“I imagine that if I went to a school larger than Centre, I wouldn't have had that relationship with my professors where they knew me, they knew what I was capable of or had the time to offer that mentorship,” she said.
This experience is directly helping Koenig, who is currently applying to law schools, some of which require research projects and papers. A year ago, this might have scared Koenig, but now she feels prepared and is excited about future opportunities.
“I am looking closely at professors who I could work with or do research with,” she said. “That's definitely not something that I had in mind, nor did I think was a strength for me. Now I see that as something that could make me a competitive applicant and also just a better, more well-rounded attorney down the line.”
