Breaking Silos and Making Connections

Roni Reiter-Palmon, Ph.D., is an organizational psychologist interested in creativity and teams. She’s worked at UNO for over 25 years. Down the hall from her, in another department, is Kelly MacArthur, Ph.D., a sociologist who studies the ways in which social networks facilitate well-being and prevent burnout among medical professionals. They had never met one another, but together their expertise is paving the way for an innovative partnership and a new NSF proposal.

Drs. MacArthur and Reiter-Palmon were introduced to each other via the STEM TRAIL Center, and they are part of the inaugural cohort of the STC’s Research Mentor Cohorts. The Research Mentor program is designed to match those interested in taking their research to the next level by matching them with a mentor in or outside of the university, but always outside of their traditional disciplinary silo. “The STC is all about busting down silos,” says Christine Cutucache, Director of STC. She adds, “interdisciplinary research, teaching, and inclusion will help to best prepare the next generation of students, so we’re actively working to support these mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Reiter-Palmon and MacArthur initially met through an STC event and afterward, MacArthur reached out to Reiter-Palmon with a question about a grant. From there, the STC helped create a formal mentor/mentee relationship, which MacArthur says helps her feel freer to ask Reiter-Palmon questions and for advice. “It’s nice having a point person to ask questions and make a mentoring plan with.”

Both professors find value in the STC and the resources it offers. “There’s a slew of information related to grants, such as the formulaic information, and in terms of how helpful that is to faculty that don’t yet have those, that’s a terrific starting point,” says Reiter-Palmon. She also enjoyed the camaraderie hours that took place in the summer, stating the need for a group of people that could just drop in and talk.

When it comes to interdisciplinary research, MacArthur says, “there’s no other way.” Reiter-Palmon agrees, adding, “I learn more, I take into account viewpoints that I didn’t before and it challenges me, and after doing this job for so many years, it’s my peers challenging me on interdisciplinary teams.”

While there are many positives to interdisciplinary research, there are also some obstacles to overcome. “We each have our own technical language, and we use the same words sometimes for very different things,” says Reiter-Palmon.

Ultimately, they both agree, the STC is great at making connections. Reiter-Palmon says, “Connections to me are the big thing—we kind of stay in our own departments, and then we don’t know other people. We can be in the same building, on the same floor, for years, and don’t know one another until the STC and helping to form those connections more organically.”