Doctoral student studying medical records systems receives top graduate honor

A doctoral student studying science and technology with a focus on electronic medical records research has received this year’s top graduate student honor at Virginia Tech.  

Roan Parrish was named the Graduate Student of the Year during the Graduate School's March awards reception.

The award recognizes graduate students for their character, service, outstanding contributions, and academic achievements.  

“I was surprised and honored,” Parrish said. “It feels like I have succeeded in giving back to the community that has already given me so much of who I am, so my first reaction was really thinking about how supported I am by my department and community groups. The only reason I'm here is because people thought well enough of me to nominate me, after all.” 

Parrish started at Virginia Tech as an undergraduate studying engineering. But she realized quickly that it was not the right path for her. She switched to neuroscience, which was a new program and was “just starting to get off the ground,” she said.  

After she graduated in 2017 with bachelor's degrees in neuroscience and psychology, Parrish became a lab technician and began taking graduate courses in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society.   

Parrish’s research focuses on the development of electronic medical records systems and why they are difficult to design and implement effectively. 

By looking at two case studies, analyzing archives and documents, and interviewing developers, Parrish is studying how the redistribution of labor between paper and technological systems contributes to burnout, which is “one of the biggest challenges in our medical system,” she said.  

At Virginia Tech, Parrish also has represented graduate students on many department and university committees and as a disability community representative. 

“A core part of disability is also the recognition that my capabilities may fluctuate," she said. "I may have the capacity for a duty at the point that I agree to take it on, only to have my health wane later. I’m lucky to have so much support around me to be able to pick things back up when I can or hand things off to others when I can't.”

Doing research and working with these committees and communities “has been some of my most proud work," she said.

Numerous faculty have supported Parrish consistently. Phil Olson, Lee Vinsel, and Ashley Shew are a few who have helped teach and support her throughout her academic journey.  

Currently, Parrish is writing a dissertation and working as an adjunct instructor in the science, technology, and society program at the University of Maryland. She hopes to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship or a tenure-track professor position in the future.  

“Graduate studies and Virginia Tech’s strong support have given me the tools I need to both seek answers and to make changes. I’m lucky to have so much support around me,” Parrish said. 

Written by Emily Meade