Graduate Student Spotlight | Abigail Swanson
Abigail in University of Utah graduation regalia surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms.
Abigail Swanson, a Latin American Studies master’s student, was drawn to the program because it intersected social sciences and humanities. “I have always been interested in working with both qualitative and quantitative data, and this program has given me the resources and opportunity to do so,” she said. While in this program, Swanson feels that she’s developed a clear academic identity as a researcher and scholar committed to community-engaged, policy-relevant research.
For her thesis project, she studied rural depopulation and land abandonment among traditional ranching communities in Baja California Sur, Mexico. “This project challenged my methodological skills and solidified my identity as a researcher committed to grounded, community-informed, and interdisciplinary work,” Swanson said.
She traveled to Baja California Sur, Mexico, where she conducted ethnographic field research and met people who supported her in her work. “I worked closely with an ecologist to better understand how ecological dynamics intersect with patterns of migration and rural depopulation,” she said. This experience strengthened her ability to situate social processes within environmental contexts and strengthened her appreciation for the rich ecology of Baja California Sur.
In her program, she also was a TA for an undergraduate research lab where she helped students with research design, data analysis, and professional development. Swanson added, “It has been rewarding to see them start their own research projects and collaborate together.”
Her advice to incoming students in this program is to not wait until you feel ready to get involved. Swanson says, “Start asking questions, applying for opportunities, and sharing your work early, even when it feels uncomfortable. It is never too early to start applying yourself.”
After graduation, Swanson wants to continue representing underrepresented populations, and hopefully get her research published in an academic journal. "Success to me looks like never stop learning, whether or not I am in school,” she says.