Team receives $5,000 award at Chicago United Changing Color of Leadership Conference
The Richard J. Daley College Student Research Team won the 2009 Chicago United/James W. Compton Research Competition, marking the first time a community college has taken the top award.
The five-member student research team was honored for their paper, “Principles in Action: A Pilot Study of Richard Florida’s Creative Compact operating within Chicago’s South Side business models.”
The research competition is a national program designed to support the research and advocacy work of Chicago United, a group committed to promoting diversity in business. The competition was originally designed for graduate students, but this was the first year it was open to undergraduate students.
“This award and accomplishment by our students speaks volumes about the quality of education available at Daley College,” said Dr. Jose Aybar, Daley College president, who also helped provide guidance to the research team. “I congratulate each team member for their achievement.”
The team members each received a $1,000 award at the 6th Annual Chicago United Changing Color of Leadership Conference held Nov. 6, 2009 at the Chicago Hilton.
To prepare the project, the students each read Richard Florida’s paper Creative Compact, which maintains that the principles of entrepreneurship, creativity, global agenda, education, and diversity are five of the most important factors contributing to the American economy.
From there, students did a literature review and completed an annotated bibliography. Students then organized a survey and contacted South Side business owners to determine if the length of time a business is in operation affects whether Florida’s principles remain relevant.
To finish the project, students collaborated on a 20-page paper reporting their findings.
The paper was then submitted to the Chicago United James W. Compton Research Competition committee, where it was judged by a panel of scholars and business professionals. The paper was judged based on practical significance, methodology applied, and uniqueness of analysis.
“Our students studied the research and made it theirs,” said President Aybar. “They took it to a new level.”
This was the first time a community college entered and won the competition. Past winners have come from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the University of Chicago.
The Richard J. Daley College Research Team consists of Yesenia Ana Arreola (Bilingual Elementary Education), Aurea de Guzman (Nursing), Gladys de Guzman (Network Systems Administration), David Lopez (Applied Science), and Patricia Perez (Science).
“I have learned a lot from this experience,” said Patricia Perez, a second-year student who will be pursing a degree in Medicine at UIC in the fall of 2010.
“Above all I learned how dedicated and helpful people can be. Without the help and encouragement of our team, faculty, administrators, friends and family, we wouldn’t have reached such an arduous goal.”
