Allison Turner
March 27, 2015
Allison Turner
Colleges: Liberal Arts, Agriculture, Honors College
Majors: Political Science; Natural Resources and Environmental Science
What is your passion and why?
Water & community. I like getting to know more about water resources, but mostly I like getting to work with diverse sets of people on how to make sure we are using our water wisely. Everyone has some connection to water, and water is important for everyone: it’s something that matters. Thus, in order to solve water issues we have to look for a collaborative solution. And I’m big on collaborative solutions!
Why did you choose to graduate with Honors?
I chose to flop from UHP to the Honors College because I wanted to experience undergraduate research. I thought it would be different from the other things I’ve done on campus, plus it would be good prep for graduate school.
What is your thesis/scholarly project?
I study the adoption, maintenance, and diffusion of rain barrels. Basically, we want to understand why people purchase rain barrels, if they still maintain them years after purchasing them, what issues they have with their rain barrels, and if they talk to others about their rain barrels. My thesis looks at rain barrel assessment data and interviews.
How did you get into this research?
I talked to a friend of mine who is a Ph.D. student and is very connected to environmental issues in the Lafayette/West Lafayette community. I wanted to work on something that would directly impact a group, and I knew she would have a good idea for me. Through her work with the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation, she heard about the research on rain barrels. And just like that I had a project, and I was connected to WREC and then to my thesis advisor!
What were some of the highlights during your college career?
There is one time that stands out, but it has a long back story. I would give you the whole back story, but it is pretty lengthy... It’s a little complex. But, the story ends with Catharine Patrone and I going through an inflatable obstacle course at Spring Fest. The back story makes this a bit more complete and meaningful, but traversing a bounce house with Catharine Patrone was sincerely a highlight of my college career. The moral of the story is that Catharine Patrone is wonderful.
Other highlights that fit more easily into snippets: Winning two Udall Scholarships in a row, and traveling to Orientation, spending 8 hours in a tiny room in the Chicago Federal Reserve with Truman Scholarship finalists, exploring Washington, DC with other Purdue students during my internship, exploring Valparaiso while doing my thesis research, interviewing people as part of my thesis research, getting to facilitate and foster collaboration with others on campus, most notably at the Student Sustainability Summit in 2013 and my monthly Student Sustainability Council meetings.
What was your favorite Honors course and why?
[HONR 299] Honors Mentors! Whenever I had class with my students, they would always end up teaching me something—mostly new perspectives and different ways of thinking. Plus, on Fridays, mentor group was unbelievably fun and inspiring and useful.
Tell us about a few of your extra-curricular activities that played significant roles during your time at Purdue.
I am president of the Student Sustainability Council. The SSC is a group that represents and brings together approximately 20 sustainability groups on campus. Most of the people who come to SSC meetings represent other student groups, and are really motivated and involved and willing to help. I have a lot of fun because my duty is to facilitate collaboration; I just help them work with one another, and make progress toward projects they are sincerely interested in working on. I also work at the Office of University Sustainability, where I work on the Eco-Reps residence hall education program, the RecycleMania competition, the tailgate recycling program, and whatever else. Every day is different at OUS, but every day is fun.
What’s next after graduation?
One of two things:
- I stay in the US, pursuing a JD and a Master’s in Environmental Science. The likely US school of choice is Arizona State.
- I pursue a Master’s in Environment & Resource Studies at the University of Waterloo in Canada, with the assistance of a Fulbright fellowship.
What is your favorite study spot on campus?
It's a corner on the second floor of Beering Hall, close to the 2nd Street staircase and most of the Political Science faculty offices. It's usually quiet, but I get occasional interruptions when I chat with the faculty that enter and leave their offices, plus students who sit nearby. It's a fun environment to see and be seen, and also to get work done.
To learn more about Allison's scholarship experience, read her interview on the NISO webpage. To see what she had to say about her experience in HONR299: Honors Mentors, view our mentor program page.
