2014 Keynote

Dr. Richard Lomax

Dr. Richard Lomax, 2014 Keynote Speaker

Richard G. Lomax is professor of education and human ecology at The Ohio State University, as well as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. As professor he teaches courses in quantitative research methodology. His research primarily focuses on multivariate analysis, specifically structural equation modeling, resulting in numerous articles and statistics textbooks. Dr. Lomax has published both theoretical and applied articles in such diverse journals as Reading Research Quarterly, The American Statistician, Parenting: Science and Practice, The Journal of Negro Education, Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Quarterly, Journal of Experimental Education, The School Community Journal, Journal of Early Adolescence, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Counseling and Development, Violence Against Women, Research in the Teaching of English, and Journal of Educational Measurement. Twice he has served as a Fulbright Scholar and is an AERA Fellow. Dr. Lomax has served in different capacities on numerous funded projects (e.g., IES, US Dept. of Education, NIH, NSF, NIMH, FIPSE, Corporation for Public Broadcasting) and has received several teaching, research, and book awards.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN UNDERGRADUATE and GRADUATE EDUCATION

“Regardless of your career goals, nothing is more important in your education than to garner multiple, substantial research experiences. Whether you are going into academé (ranging from research intensive to teaching intensive institutions), the private sector, or practical work, it is crucial to have both knowledge of research methods (as both a consumer and practitioner of research) and experience in utilizing those methods. Following an overview of personal research experiences as a student, the remainder of the presentation will consist a list of top ten tips on how to achieve that goal. The tips will include suggestions such as (a) taking as many research methodology courses as possible (regardless of paradigm or perspective), (b) getting involved in as many research projects as possible (even if offering your services for free), and (c) attending as many conferences as possible (to present, to network, to interview, to learn about your discipline and explore others, and to hear top scholars present). The conclusion will be an ultimate task, Lomax’s 24-hour challenge.”

Top 8 Tips for Obtaining Research Experiences

  1. ALWAYS be involved in at least one research project (even if your contribution is not funded).
  2.  Take as many research methods courses as you possibly can (and then one more).
  3. Seek out interdisciplinary research opportunities (i.e., students and professors NOT in your program).  This is the new norm.  This will allow you to work & publish in multiple venues, as well as generate more publications than you could by yourself.
  4. In your discipline, find out…
    • about the top journals (and READ them),
    • about the top professional associations (and JOIN them), and
    • about the top professional conferences (and ATTEND them).
  5. Seek out the best possible mentor(s) and WORK CLOSELY with them (and I don’t mean seeing them once a year to decide which courses to take; that is not mentoring).  Be proactive and don’t wait for them.
  6. Show your professors how interested you are in research.  You never know what that can lead to.
  7. Go to as many conferences as you possibly can (international, national, regional, local).  Here you can obtain experiences in:
    • how to present (and how not to!),
    • networking,
    • preliminary job interviews,
    • learn about your field and as well as other fields of interest (go beyond OSU!),
    • hear the top people in the world talk about their research,
    • find out about the latest books, and most importantly,
    • present your own work.
  8. There are incredible research resources available to you right now.  Find out about them and get going.  Beyond those already mentioned, these include: travel funds (D1, OR, E), dissertation grants and fellowships (OR, E), and workshops, brown bags, and training sessions (D, OR, U, E) (which is really professional development).

See Dr. Lomax’s powerpoint presentation slides here: Lomax Research Forum Presentation

Contact: lomax.24@osu.edu