Letter From the Editors

As researchers around the world characterize the COVID-19 pandemic that persists today, student researchers at Georgetown continue to follow their research interests with equal conviction and passion. Their leadership and initiative to share their work serve as an inspiration for us to always reach higher and a reminder of the importance of participating in the scientific community. Georgetown’s vibrant community of student researchers continues to grow as our campus finds its new normal. In publishing GSR Journal’s Fall 2022 Issue, we take pause to reflect on the research community that we have been able to connect with and amplify. We are honored to share the work of such talented students that contribute new findings to the body of scientific knowledge. GSR Journal is approaching its three-year anniversary, and we are astounded by the laudable research that Georgetown’s students conduct. In this issue, we present novel research on topics of long-standing importance. We hope this issue prompts you to reflect on the topics presented, as well as to consider topics that you are most interested in further studying. Included are studies on the dynamic social response to mass shooting events, factors that influence vaccination choices, and new approaches to improving health literacy among medically-underserved populations. We hope this issue provokes new ideas and inspires researchers to build off of the presented findings. At its core, research is a community effort. It is the culmination of many ideas, concepts, and backgrounds that drives scientific progress. Please join us in congratulating the students who committed themselves to their research amidst ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic and worked with gumption to publish their rigorous work in GSR Journal’s Fall 2022 Issue. The research community at Georgetown would not be the same without its driven students that remind us of the value in relentlessly pursuing our ideas.