Ashlee Cordell is a first-year graduate student studying Gerontology at Miami University. She also completed her undergraduate education at Miami, majoring in Biology and Gerontology. Her research is titled, “Design and Pilot Test of Satisfaction Tool in Ohio’s System of Services”.
by Tarah Mason, Student Associate
Do you have a burning desire to work in public policy? Ashlee Cordell certainly did not. That is, not until she was assigned to Dr. Jennifer Kinney’s team during her senior year at Miami. As an undergraduate, Ashlee knew that she wanted to do research. However, the topic she wanted to explore was still a mystery. So she asked to be placed on a team – any team – and found herself working with the State of Ohio to improve services for the elderly.
The face of elderly care is changing as modern society pushes for more in-home care, rather than the traditional institutional care of hospitals and nursing homes. In response, the State of Ohio is working to streamline a process which will make in-home care easier. That is where Ashlee comes in. Now a first-year graduate student, Ashlee is continuing her work with Dr. Kinney’s team and the State. “There is a difference between creating and delivering services,” Ashlee says. Ohio has created the right services, but it is still figuring out how to deliver them.
And she certainly will continue. Even though Ashlee was not originally interested in public policy, the field has grown on her. Ashlee is shaping programs that will ultimately benefit a great many people (the entirety of Ohio’s senior population, present and future, to be exact). For Ashlee, that work is immeasurably rewarding.
When we asked Ashlee for advice to undergraduates who might someday want to be in her shoes, she had this to say: First, approach your faculty about research. Regardless of what you study, there is research in all departments, and the faculty can help you find it. Second, keep an open mind. Ashlee was not initially interested in public policy, but now it is her passion. So even if a field seems boring at first glance, give it a try. It just might surprise you.