Divali Legore is a 4th year Public Policy major studying Women and Men in Science and Technology fields with Dr. Mary Frank Fox.

How long have you been an undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech?

I have been an undergraduate researcher since 2022 when I discovered Dr. Fox’s research in the Center for the Study of Women Science and Technology. After that, I began researching with Dr. Shapira for an AI and public values literature review as part of a larger project.

How did you get involved with undergraduate research?

I have been interested in conducting social science research since starting at Georgia Tech. After taking several policy classes with small research projects, I wanted to learn about the opportunities to conduct long-term research. While enrolled in Organizations and Policy with Dr. Fox in the Fall of 2021, I became interested in the social structure and operations of organizations. During the course Dr. Fox mentioned that she was interested in adding another Women, Science, and Technology research partner to the lab. I expressed interest, sent my Curriculum Vita to Dr. Fox, and had a couple of phone interviews where I discussed my curiosity in this research.

What are you working on?

I am currently working on a research project evaluating the emergence of specialties in science. With the research team, I am compiling articles for a literature review and gathering background information. We will be considering the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry. This research will help to demonstrate the efficacy of knowledge production in academia and its application to the industries that need this insight most. In this research role I also conduct interviews with Women, Science, and Technology partners to create profiles for the Center’s website.  

In a recent project working with principal investigator, Dr. Shapira, I presented findings gathered with another undergraduate Public Policy student to the ​Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy at Georgia Tech. We developed a poster displaying our findings on AI biases in patent literature and presented this research to the conference attendees. This research led into a semester-long research project concerning leading manufacturing companies and R&D spending for patent protection. I am interested in further refining this paper to submit to journals. I am continuing to stay up to date on R&D spending in industry and gender disparities in academia to better understand the areas of expansion for my research.

What is your favorite thing about research/researching?

I appreciate the community and encouragement that research offers. Being part of a close-knit team that is invested in conducting meaningful research and presenting important findings is important to me. I value the time that I spend with my collaborators, and I enjoy learning from each of the people in the research group. Everyone is knowledgeable, and willing to share their understanding of various concepts.

What are your future plans and how has research influenced them?

I plan to begin a career in social and technology policy research upon graduation in the Spring. The opportunity to explore new concepts and engage with people that are curious about developments in society prompted me to seek jobs that would allow me to continue to explore and be a life-long learner. Entering Georgia Tech, I was considering law school, but my research involvement changed my interest. While I am still interested in intellectual property and patent law, I have pivoted to an interest in evaluating innovation for social good. I hope to work in a research position before pursuing a master’s degree and potentially a Ph.D. in a social science, city planning, or policy department. Research has allowed me to clarify my interests and determine how I would like to leave an impact through a public service career.