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Kelly Aardema
Spring 2012
True Love doesn’t always come in human form… Dr. Allison Scott Has fallen head over thesis in love with education.
Dr. Scott’s red-hot passion for knowledge began in kindergarten when she learned that the highest degree you could earn was a PhD. This created a spark in her that lit the way as she powered through school with high marks. After Scott achieved her childhood goal and received her PhD from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in 2010, she applied to be an Assistant Professor of Communication here at the University of Kentucky. Luckily for us, the university was immediately smitten with her and invited her to come on board as a full time faculty member. When Scott signed on to be a part of the Wildcat Nation, not only did she enter into her dream job, but she also learned quite a few things about what it means to be an Assistant Professor at one of the top communication research schools in the country. A surprising fact that most UK students don’t know is that the vast majority of the professors here at the university spend most of their time doing their own research, not teaching. Dr. Scott knew to expect this, but what she did not expect was just how challenging it would be to carry out the professor portion of her job.
When asked about some of the challenges associated with teaching, Scott mentioned, “It’s a lot of administrative work with emails and giving feedback for students and attending meetings. Doing all of those little things really impacts how much research I can get done… For an hour long class, there are 2 hours of prep work to be done beforehand”. In spite of the challenges, Dr. Scott has thrived at the University of Kentucky for about a year and eight months and plans on continuing the rest of her career right here in the Bluegrass State. A key force in Dr. Scott’s success at the university has been the overwhelmingly positive atmosphere within the College of Communication. She feels that her colleagues actively want to see her succeed and make a mark with the research she is conducting. With everything that this prestigious university has invested in Dr. Scott, the culture within the department has remained incredibly encouraging and the pressure on her and her research is easily manageable. 1
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Kelly Aardema
Dr. Scott’s pervasive zeal for academic success led her to receive the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association Interpersonal Division Dissertation Awards, as well as the G.R. Miller Dissertation Award. Learning about Scott’s educational success is a great reminder to everybody of the wonders a fantastic education can work. Unfortunately many are still in the dark about the myriad of benefits a college education brings. Those who pursue a higher education aren’t only gifted with a fancy piece of paper and an ill-fitting polyester robe. Statistically those who have completed some form of education after high school have higher average salaries, are more likely to have a job, and are even able to slow their mental aging by up to a decade. A profound study done by Brandeis researchers aimed to answer how aging people could improve their mental capabilities or even halt the degeneration of mental performance. After participants conducted a series of complex tasks, the answers were in. Even though most of the results were incredibly varied, the most consistent factor in performance had to do with the people who said, “I do” to education. Researcher Margie E. Lachman summates that up to age 75, “People with college degrees performed on complex tasks like the less educated individuals who were 10 years younger.” In her study, education was also found to increase a person’s life span and decrease the risk of Dementia. Not only are the educated ones going to be mentally sharper as they age, but they’re probably going to be sitting on quite a bit more cash. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2009, the average salary of a high school graduate only was about $30,267 per year.
Spring 2012
Now compare that figure with these: • • •
Bachelor’s Degree à $56,665 /yr Master’s Degree à $73,738 /yr Doctorate Degree à $103,054 /yr
In a Pew Research Center survey of the American public conducted in May of 2011, the benefits people experienced went beyond simply having a sharp mind in the future, or more money in their pockets. Without her Bachelor’s degree, one woman commented that she probably wouldn’t have been . considered for her current job. Another . woman contended, “In college, you . come in thinking one thing . about yourself, and . you leave thinking . in a completely . different way”. . some of the most . important things . students learn from . going to college deal . with personal growth, like ` finding out who you are on the inside, Whether you’d like to remain mentally sharp well in the nursing home, become the only person in your family not living paycheck to paycheck, or just simply learn more about yourself and the world you’re living in, great opportunities will come if you merely choose a higher education as your labor of love. For Dr. Allison Scott, her choice to go through school and earn a PhD allowed her to obtain her dream job here at the University of Kentucky. Those still on the fence of higher education need only understand that people and knowledge are always a match made in heaven.
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