Student Spotlight: Chris Handy

02/10/2016

Meet 2016 LSU Discover Scholar Chris Handy

Chris Handy is a Honors College Senior majoring in Political Communication. After his May 2016 graduation, Chris intend to go to law school and get a dual degree Juris Doctor in Law and Master of Political Communication.

 

Chris’s project is titled, Depoliticizing Science: The Effects of Local Crises on Partisan Science Policy. Research by Yale Law Professor Dan Kahan inspired his idea for this project. Kahan’s work on the Cultural Cognition Project and, in particular, political psychology and science communication, motivated Chris to approach this new field of research.

 

Chris’ mentor, Dr. Kathleen Searles, was the professor who assigned Kahan’s research as a reading assignment: “Her class was interesting and I chose her as my mentor,” said Chris. “Throughout the project she has been great with guiding me toward my goals. Her help and input on experimental design has helped to build what I hope will be an effective platform for examining media effects.”

 

Chris believes undergraduate research helps develop critical thinking and research skills that are largely beneficial for those students pursuing graduate education or professional school. He also thinks participating in research helps students forge lasting relationships with other academics.

   

The Manship School is in “the ranks of the country’s strongest programs,” according to a team of outside experts.