Undergrad Research Profile—Laura Walikainen

Is that an "eh" or a "hey?"

Standing around WalMart sounds pretty lame, but Laura Walikainen had her reasons. In her part of the country, the UP, natives can be heard ending sentences with "eh." Or is it "hey?"

It depends on your age and background, Walikainen found. The senior in social sciences did field research at WalMart, and ended up presenting her results at the North American Undergraduate Linguistics Conference in Ann Arbor.

While social sciences isn't one of Michigan Tech's best-known majors, it has more than tripled in size over the last five years. Walikainen and others find it an excellent preparation for graduate school, law school or other professions.

Michigan Tech social sciences faculty skillfully merge traditional social science fields, like history or archaeology, with the study of the impact of technology. The department's industrial archaeology master's and PhD programs offer a niche to those interested in digging for clues about the nation's technological past.

Create your future at Michigan Tech, eh?

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