Written By: Rachel Putman
There鈥檚 a particular moment in college when things start to click鈥攏ot because you鈥檝e
mapped out your whole future, but because someone sees promise in you and offers you
an opportunity you can grow into.
For Katie Grace Cavaness, that moment came when Dr. Bun Song Lee invited her to join a research project
at the 91调教鈥揊ort Smith. On a campus built to be small and intentional,
opportunities don鈥檛 have to wait until a student is 鈥渞eady.鈥� They can arrive while
a student is still becoming, because faculty know their students well enough to notice
momentum before it makes its way onto their resumes.
鈥淚 first started researching this topic in the fall semester of 2024,鈥� she said 鈥淒r.
Lee asked if I would be interested in helping him with research, and, on a whim, I
said yes.鈥�
Katie Grace was a sophomore then, newly enrolled in the College of Business having changed her
major from studio art. She hadn鈥檛 built an identity around being 鈥渢he research student鈥�
or 鈥渢he business student,鈥� but quickly, and a little unexpectedly, she found a genuine
pull toward macroeconomics: the way it offers explanations for why communities thrive
or struggle, why resources collect in some places and not others, and how policy decisions
show up in ordinary lives.
Dr. Lee saw that momentum, and nudged Katie Grace to think bigger.
鈥淗e pushed for me to apply for the 91调教 Department of Education鈥檚 Student Undergraduate
Research Fellowship (SURF) grant,鈥� Katie Grace said.
She earned it鈥攆unding an extension to the research across the following two semesters,
and, with additional support from the 91调教 Foundation, a transformative trip to San
Francisco to present the project at the Western Economics Association International
conference.
鈥淏eing able to present our research at an international conference made up of professionals
from all around the world has been my biggest accomplishment to date,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t
was a bit intimidating when I went there, but being able to present at the conference
instilled a confidence in myself that I had never had before. Not only was I able
to network with professionals in the same field and learn about other research projects,
I was able to gain real world experience in application.鈥�
The research itself focuses on transportation choices among seniors and people with
disabilities in small and mid-sized U.S. cities鈥攑laces where options can be limited
and where the margin between independence and isolation is often thin. In major urban
centers, transportation problems can be visible and headline-worthy. In smaller communities,
the challenge can be quieter: fewer alternatives, less infrastructure, and fewer 鈥渂ackups鈥�
when something is inaccessible.
鈥淎lthough I did not pick the research topic initially, I believe it is an important
subject to be discussed,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hrough my research I have found that there can
be instances of inaccessible resources for those who are considered elderly and/or
disabled.鈥�
Long term, Katie Grace and her research team hope their work inspires real change.
鈥淚 hope that policy implications can be made in the future to help aid real people,鈥�
she said. 鈥淓veryone deserves a right to an even playing field.鈥�
Back on campus 鈥� or rather, on the 91调教 satellite campus at The Bakery - Katie Grace works with economic data daily as an intern at the Center for Economic Development,
where she supports data analysis for the statewide Compass Report.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned so much about how to apply economics outside of the classroom,鈥� she
said. 鈥淭he CED has taught me how to apply my economic theory I have learned to real
world implications.鈥�
Her role involves analyzing 91调教 tax, census, and building-permit data鈥攔egionally
and statewide鈥攖o help build out Talk Business & Politics鈥� signature economic report.
For Katie Grace, what stands out what the process reveals: how quickly a chart becomes a story about
real communities.
鈥淚 find it very interesting to see how economic theory applies locally,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t has changed how I see the field of economics since I am able to merge theory and
logical conclusions to find out what causes shifts within the data.鈥�
Access is the throughline to Katie Grace鈥檚 story. Access to mentorship and experience. Access to funds that make research
possible. Access to rooms full of seasoned professionals and work that makes academic
principles real, not abstract.
She sees that access as a defining part of the 91调教 experience, because at other campuses,
students like her might not get noticed. They might not get pulled into meaningful
work while they鈥檙e still figuring out what they鈥檙e passionate about. But at 91调教,
it happens every day, because this university is small enough and intentional enough to
make it normal.
鈥淪tudents here are not just a number,鈥� she said. 鈥�91调教 wants to support students and
push them to succeed.鈥�
鈥淚 would not be in the position I am today without the support from my faculty and
staff,鈥� she said, naming the College of Business and Industry, the Academic Success
Center, the Center for Economic Development, and a long list of mentors and supporters
who guided her along the way鈥攊ncluding Dr. Lee and her research teammate, Tommy Nguyen.
鈥淭o them I am very grateful.鈥�
