Researcher Mentor Interview: Dr. Anne Morris

1.          Please briefly describe your current mentees' research.

I have 3 current mentees. One of my students has just defended her dissertation and is now awaiting URR approval of her final dissertation. Her dissertation was a mixed methods study that evaluated the impact of a positive psychology curriculum in a career college that enrolls nontraditional students in Colorado. She found significant changes in student reports of well-being from pre-to-post assessment, and also integrated rich descriptive data on student reflections about their experiences with the curriculum and the impact that it had on them.

A second student is evaluating the impact of a mindfulness meditation intervention in a community program for survivors of interpersonal violence, and is also employing a mixed methods design with a non-equivalent dependent variable as part of the quantitative component. She is at the proposal stage.

My third student is at the proposal stage and will assess the role of organizational climate in moderating or mediating the association of cumulative exposure to trauma among child services professional to stress and turnover. She will use a quantitative design to address questions about exposure to trauma, stress, and turnover, and how organizational climate may moderate/mediate these relationships.

2.          How did you come to be a mentor?

This was a natural evolution from teaching to mentoring for me. I have had a lot of experience as a researcher in academic, community, and other settings. I realized that I could contribute to the development of a dissertation and that I enjoy working with students in this capacity.

3.          What do like best about mentoring research? 

What I enjoy most is providing guidance and support to a student and helping them to realize their objectives of conducting and completing a dissertation. It is a joy for me when students finish their PhDs. I have had 4 students complete their dissertation to date. Students need support along the way to keep going when there are inevitable setbacks or the goal seems far off on the horizon.

4.          What do you dislike the most about mentoring research?

I wish students would always spell check at a minimum and make use of the Writing Center and the librarians and other Walden resources more often than they do. When a student turns in a draft that is full of typos and does not follow APA format, it detracts from an otherwise good proposal and also reflects poorly on them.

I have also had challenges working with other committee members when we do not align completely on the best approach for concepts or methods. This requires a lot of discussion and back and forth, but I like to have a clear path for the student to follow and this requires that everyone is on the same page about important aspects of the study. I see myself as running interference on behalf of my students to ensure that there is unity within the committee and between the committee and the URR. That takes a lot of work at times, but is essential for the student to have the benefit of a strongly aligned committee, all working toward the same end: the successful completion of the dissertation.

5.          Advice for students to complete their dissertation? 

I always tell students that this is a marathon and not a sprint. You just have to take it step by step and keep going. At times you may be tired, but then you can switch to doing something more pedestrian, like formatting your tables, updating your references, etc. Try to work a little bit each day, even just around the edges. Reach out for help when you need it, don’t spin on your own. Keep your eyes on the prize, and you will get there for sure.