Congratulate Elena Kotanchyan on her 1st Place Win!

Meet Elena the 2021 CSULB Research Competition 1st Place Winner for the Business, Economics, and Public Administration Division. 

 

How does it feel to win 1st place in your division at the CSULB Research Competition? 

I am a very competitive person, so it always feels good to win. I have never won any “smart” contests, only athletics ones. Finally, can prove that athletes are smart. 🙂

 

 

Why did you decide to participate in the competition?

I defended my Econ thesis this past December and already had research ready to be submitted. The application process and requirements were easy to follow, and it was not time-consuming.  

Did you enjoy presenting your research?

It was a very unusual format. I had to record the video and upload it on YouTube. The referees watched it and read my research summary beforehand. Then during the presentation over zoom my video was played once again. I guess the most “presenting” I have done was answering questions. I enjoyed it a lot. I was afraid that Econ research might get too technical, but I was asked very specific and interesting questions about my model specification and control variables. After thesis defense in December, it was a piece of cake. 

Would you recommend other students to participate in the CSULB Research Competition? 

Absolutely! Especially if they already have a research paper or working on one. The guidelines are very easy to follow. All deadlines and important information are clearly communicated over email. It is always nice to show off months’ worth of work, and who knows maybe you can win! 

If you would like to watch Elena’s full presentation please click here.