Organizational Studies Junior Michael Sullivan has had one eventful summer engaged in Barger Leadership Institute research. Michael was an active student member of Assistant Professor Michael Heaney’s faculty-student research team, a project focused on leadership and the antiwar movement in the United States. As a part of this unique research experience, Michael traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to conduct survey research at the 2010 Grassroots Leadership Conference of the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA). While there, Michael not only successfully conducted an astonishing amount of surveys (the highest response rate of any other event where surveys were collected this summer), but was invited by the PDA to author a report summarizing the findings from the surveys. 

Michael’s report was well received. “Because of Michael’s great work, I know in which areas we need to concentrate our efforts most,” said Conor Boylan, national field coordinator for Progressive Democrats of America. “I’ll use this data to help plan our field strategy for the coming year. Clearly, our organization will benefit because of this survey.” When asked about his experience, Michael shares, “I absolutely could not have done any of it without the help of Professor Heaney and the Political Networks Lab Group. Working in research has given me the opportunity to discover something new about the world, and to use that to make my mark on the world.” Congratulations to Michael on this outstanding achievement.

To view Michael's report, click here.