Chenghui Zhang, assistant professor of sociology, and Finn Caoile, a graduate student studying collaborative piano in the School of Music, were selected as the winners of the 2024 Research Impact Challenge sponsored by the UNLV Libraries.
Zhang specializes in criminology, bias crime, racial/ethnic inequalities, and quantitative methods. Her research explores how social structure influences crime and crime reporting behaviors, with a specific focus on how social inequalities affect perceptions of and reactions to crime and deviant behaviors.
Caoile is currently pursuing a master's degree. His work involves accompanying both undergraduate and graduate students for recitals, auditions, and other events, as well as performing with various UNLV ensembles, including the UNLV Wind Orchestra and Early Music Ensemble. Through his involvement in orchestral settings, Finn has also been able to explore his passion for accordion playing, which has inspired his current research interest in accordion bass mechanism variations. With continued focus and effort, Finn hopes to travel to Castelfidardo, Italy, the world capital of accordion builders, to deepen his knowledge of accordion construction and repair.
The Research Impact Challenge is a week-long event designed to help faculty and graduate students explore to increase the impact and reach of their scholarly output. The challenge is coordinated by Research Impact Librarian Christina Miskey.