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Noel Voltz is finishing her degree in African American and African Studies. She is currently writing her Honors Thesis and plans on continuing her research and pursuing a PhD in History.
What advice would you give to current undergraduates who want to get involved in research?
Don’t be afraid to approach your professors and talk about your interests in conducting undergraduate research. While they may seem intimidating, most of them are very nice, incredibly knowledgeable and want to help you. That’s how I got started researching.
What specifically have you researched, and what projects are you currently working on?
My research project/honors thesis is entitled “Black Female Agency and Sexual Exploitation: Quadroon Balls and Plaçage Relationships” and I have been working on it for the past two years. I am conducting historical research that focuses on New Orleans from 1805 to 1860. More specifically, I am studying the relationship choices made by some of these free women of color. It appears that some of these women chose to enter into sexual relationships with white men as a mean of gaining social standing, protection, and money. Until recently, historians have overlooked the lives of Louisiana’s free women of color during the colonial and antebellum eras. This research, therefore, expands historical knowledge about the unique social institution of Quadroon Balls and plaçage relationships in order to give greater breadth to our understanding of free women of color’s sexual and economic choices. Ultimately, I plan to continue this project as my graduate dissertation.
Can you explain how you actually conduct your research?
Historical research is very different from the scientific approach to research. For the most part, all I do is read. This style of research suits me well because I can do it at anytime and any place. I read both primary and secondary source material. One way I was able to get some primary sources was from a research trip to Louisiana. I was given the opportunity to travel to New Orleans and Baton Rouge through a grant provided by College of Arts and Sciences. Conducting archival research was very challenging but also incredibly rewarding. I was able to view first hand a lot of rare and very old primary source documents like court cases and family papers. While I enjoy every part of the research process, reading primary source documents is one of my favorites.
What were the benefits of participating in research?
Conducting undergraduate research has truly enriched my undergraduate experience. There are many benefits to conducting research at the undergraduate level. I have been able to develop some great mentoring relationships with faculty and staff throughout the campus. These mentors have become really helpful as I am preparing for graduate school. Also, another major benefit of undergraduate research is the fact that it looks fantastic on your resume. One of biggest benefits that I have experienced was the opportunity to travel (at the school’s expense) to Louisiana and Brazil. Undergraduate research really can open a lot of doors and provides a great sample for what graduate school is like.
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