Aika DietzIssue 17: Spring 2022

Aika Dietz was a member of the Interactive Measurement Group for five semesters (Spring 2018 – Spring 2020). During this time, she obtained extensive research experience. When she first joined our lab, she completed workshops on basic computers skills that are essential to our research, including email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and SPSS. She quickly moved on to advanced skills, such as creating online simulations and studies, scoring an open-ended test by hand and with the computer, and advanced data analysis skills such as hierarchical multiple regression and the R statistical program. Aika used these skills to redesign our lab website, write an article for our lab newsletter, and create two conference posters. She also wrote a solo poster that she presented virtually at Hakuoh University.

At the same time, Aika obtained extensive teaching and mentoring experience. She taught several hour-long workshops on how to analyze data in SPSS, create websites and online studies, and score open-ended tests by hand. Seeing how others were struggling before and during the pandemic, Aika created well-researched and well-received presentations on self-care and working remotely. She also mentored several lab members as they wrote newsletter articles, provided feedback on many lab members’ posters and presentations, and helped all lab members manage their workloads. Finally, Aika was the leader for one of her posters, guiding two new lab members in all stages of data analysis, writing, and presenting.

All these experiences have paid off. Aika has now been accepted to her top choice, the Boyd School of Law. Congratulations, Aika!