Justin Brinegar (BSIS '11) has received a $298 travel award from The Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR) to attend the 2011 iConference in Seattle, WA on Friday, Feb. 11. While at the iConference, Brinegar will deliver a 20 minute presentation (plus Q & A) on a paper based on his and postdoctoral fellow and adjunct professor Rob Capra's research titled, "Managing Music Across Multiple Devices and Computers."
Brinegar and Capra began their research because they were interested in investigating how people manage digital music across multiple devices, as well as what backup and recovery methods they use. "Music is relevant in everyday life, and yet the management of personal digital music collections is a surprisingly under-studied area, so it seemed like a good topic to learn more about," said Brinegar. "Under Dr. Capra's direction, determining the methods used to conduct the research has been an incredibly useful experience. Having the opportunity to present the results of our research at a major conference is an added bonus."
The travel funding Brinegar will receive from OUR is based on a commitment by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to support undergraduates interested in doing scholarly research even before they move on to the professional world or graduate school. Established in 1999, the OUR seeks "to expand the opportunities for undergraduates to engage in research and mentored scholarship at UNC-Chapel Hill" and emphasizes in its mission statement that "information alone has a short half-life, but students who have experienced inquiry and discovery are well prepared to address future unsolved problems and to assume important roles as enlightened citizens and leaders."
