2015 COPLAC Program

1
Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
Host campus:
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Participating campuses:
Eastern Connecticut State University
Keene State College
Mansfield University
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
State University of New York at Geneseo
University of Maine at Farmington
23-24 October 2015

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Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
Fall 2015 Regional Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and
Creative Activity Conference
Friday, 23 October
If time affords, the Ramapo College Rodman Art Gallery, B-wing room B-130 (1st
floor) will be
open for viewing.
3-5 P.M. Registration, Berrie Center Lobby, 1st
floor
Sound and stage check for performers, Berrie Center, Sharp Theater,
Entrance (1st
floor)
5-6 P.M. Art Exhibition, Potter Library Gallery, Main Entrance (off A-Wing 1st
floor)
6-7:30 P.M. Dinner & Opening Remarks, Student Center, Alumni Lounges, rooms
SC-156-8
Peter P. Mercer, President, Ramapo College of New Jersey
Bill Spellman, Director, COPLAC
7:45-7:55 P.M. Group Photo, Berrie Center Lobby (1st
floor)
8-10 P.M. Performances, Berrie Center, Sharp Theater, Entrance (1st
floor)
Saturday, 24 October
The student art exhibit will be available for viewing all day in the Potter Library Gallery.
8-9 A.M. Breakfast, Student Center, Alumni Lounges, Room SC-156-8
Breakfast for Campus Coordinators, Birch Mansion, Room M-204
9-10:15 A.M. Concurrent Paper Session 1, A-Wing
Humanities, Room A-100
Social Sciences, Room A-101
Creative Writing, Room A-102
10:15-10:30 A.M. Break
10:30-11:45A.M. Concurrent Paper Session 2, A-Wing
Humanities, Room A-100
STEM Fields, Room A-101
11:45-12:30 P.M. Lunch, Student Center, Alumni Lounges, Room SC 156-8
12:30-1:45 P.M. Poster Session, Student Center, Friends Hall, room SC-219
2:00-3:00 P.M. Concurrent Paper Session 3, A-Wing
Social Sciences and Architecture, Room A-102
3:00 P.M. Concluding Remarks/ Snack pick-up, Student Center, Alumni Lounges,
room SC-156-8

Art Exhibition, page 5
ART EXHIBITION
Untitled (skateboard) and Adoration of
the Earth
Jonathan Prokopowitz
Faculty mentor: Jacquelyn Skrzynski
Acrylic on Panel
Visual Arts major Jonathan Prokopowitz
grew up in Ringwood, New Jersey. His work
shows his interest in Asian pop culture and
the California "zine scene." He often
upcycles found materials like old
skateboards to add to the mix of high and
low art forms.
How I See Me
Natasha Winslow
Faculty mentor: Lynn Richardson
Keene State College
Sculpture
Natasha Winslow is an Art major from
Keene, New Hampshire. She plans to
pursue an MFA with a focus in Sculpture.
Tightrope Walker. Magician's Hat.
Amanda Coakley
Faculty mentor: Rosemarie Bernardi
Keene State College
Sculpture
Amanda Coakley is an Art Major from
Ossipee, New Hampshire. She plans to
pursue an MFA with a focus in Drawing.
Potter Library Gallery
Mood Organ: Setting 458
J. Curland
Faculty mentor: Imna Arroyo
Intaglio etching with encaustic medium
J. Curland is from New London,
Connecticut. He is a Printmaking major
and plans to travel to Japan after
graduation.
Into the Mystic
Gretta Ingranam
Faculty mentor: Imna Arroyo
Woodcut reduction print
Gretta Ingranam is from Coventry,
Connecticut and studies Printmaking and
Art History. Post-graduation plans include
traveling and exploring her printmaking
concepts.

Performances, page 6
PERFORMANCES Sharp Theater
Pathways
The CantaNOVA vocal ensemble
Faculty mentors: Lisa Lutter & Itay Goren
Choral performance
Through the vision of contemporary composers, this program explores poetry extending from
King Solomon, 9th century Japanese Buddhism and Gaelic legend to musical settings of Yeats,
e.e.cummings, and Kahlil Gibran. The voices of CantaNOVA paint vivid musical landscapes in
works by Michael McGlynn (Ireland), Ola Gjeilo (Norway), Eleanor Daley (Canada), African-
American traditional music arranged by Alice Parker, and Daniel Elder (U.S), all living
composers.
SOPRANO I: Hadar Baron, Lisa French, Julia Montella
SOPRANO II: Michelle Encarnacion, Erica Morel, Rebecca Morel, Alyssa Rabinowitz
ALTO I: Heather Howell, Jessica Perez, Hannah Reasoner, Sarah Zyto
ALTO II: Barbara Carra, Ali Castellucci, Jessica Minzner, Claudia Quitt
TENOR I: Johnathan Fishkin, Jimmy Santos, Jeremy Watson
TENOR II: Braden Bock, Jesse Bastin, Michael Pacheco
Bass I: Billy Butka, Hristo Ganchev, Zachary Olsson
BASS II: Jake Bookbinder, Sam Chapman, Cole Stukane
Pop Goes the Horn Club
Mansfield University Horn Club
Faculty mentor: Rebecca Dodson-Webster
Horn Ensemble
This performance will feature the versatility of the French Horn and Horn Ensemble. The idea
of arranging popular and film music for this ensemble has been an ongoing faculty/student
collaborative project and has resulted in a number of campus and regional public performances.
The group was inspired by the ground-breaking ensemble Genghis Barbie, which the club
brought to campus twice over the past few years. Mansfield University was one of the first
college- or university-featured performances for this group, and in spite of the fact that they have
since performed extensively globally, MU remains a favorite venue. One of the pieces we will
perform on this show is from their first album – an arrangement of “Take On Me” made famous
by the band A-Ha.
Ben Wagner, Dylan Krall, Megan Warriner, Rachael Rice, Caroline Bollinger, Elayna Eldridge,
and Rebecca Dodson-Webster

Oral Presentations, Session 1, page 7
ORAL PRESENTATION
SESSION 1
9:00 to 10:15 am
HUMANITIES Room A-100
Robert Campin’s The Mérode Altarpiece: A Break from Conventional Liturgical Imagery
and Iconography Found in the Art of the Annunciation
Allyson Pereyra
Faculty mentor: Lynette Bosch
This research was conducted for a Renaissance art history course at the State University of New
York at Geneseo. It explores the religious iconography of Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries. The research specifically concentrates on the artistic depictions of the Christ child -
before his actual birth - in the Biblical holy scene known as the "Annunciation," in which the
angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will give birth to Christ. This research
primarily focuses on a widely popular northern European artist, specifically Flemish artist Robert
Campin, who breaks from the conventions of Biblical imagery of his time when he depicts the
Christ child as present when the Virgin was just learning that she will give birth to him. The
research also places into perspective the work of Campin's contemporaries as well as the artists
preceding him.
Allyson Pereyra was born and raised in New York City and is a double major in Communication
and art History. Her post-graduation plans include working at a major museum or art gallery
abroad for at least a year while teaching English to support herself.
Composing in a Minimalist Style
Max Kliegle
Faculty mentor: Heather Gilligan
Keene State College
“Minimalism” is a style of music characterized by repetition of musical ideas in a slowly
evolving harmonic background. The style has been employed by many contemporary composers
within the last fifty years, most notably John Adams, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. Music
written in this style might be considered by non-musical audiences to sound hypnotic or
mesmerizing, but in fact much compositional planning and varied compositional materials are
required to successfully build a minimalist composition. This presentation will address the
compositional techniques that are essential in the creation of minimalist music. I will discuss my
own attempt to write in this style, including the challenges I have faced in trying to draw from
the influences of seasoned minimalist composers while still maintaining my own unique
compositional voice. Previously, my work consisted of mostly short movements which
developed material over the course of two or three minutes. The process of writing in a
minimalist style demands a shift toward large-scale development of material over longer periods
of time. In describing the expansion of my compositional process, I will draw comparisons

between my own minimalist composition for solo piano and works by John Adams. A
demonstration of different minimalist aesthetics and various influences that contribute to this
style of music will be enhanced by sound clips and visual examples drawn directly from the
score.
Max Kliegle is a pianist and guitarist from Exeter, New Hampshire earning duel Bachelor of
Music degrees in Composition and Technology, with an anticipated graduation of December
2015. He plans to attend graduate school in composition and continue teaching, writing, and
performing.
Cultural and Religious Syncretism in Birds Without a Nest by Clorinda Matto de Turner
Benjamin Hockenberry
Faculty mentor: Fanny Arango-Keeth
In this research project, I analyze the representation of cultural and religious syncretism in the
first indigenista novel of the Americas: Aves sin nido by Peruvian Clorinda Matto de Turner
(1852-1909). This novel presents the voice of the Quechuas in Cusco, Peru. Aves sin nido is a
nonexclusive feminist dynamo told from the point of view of a woman in South America in the
nineteenth century. Matto’s specific perspective provides insight into the intercultural
relationships between the native Andean people and the mix of cultures that resulted from the
Spanish invasion.
Ben Hockenberry is a senior at Mansfield University where he studies Spanish and English. He
recently traveled to Peru where he took advanced courses in Spanish language and Andean
culture.
Truth on March: Interpreting the Dreyfus Affair in French History
Zachary Feury
Faculty mentor: Anthony Daly
In 1894, a young Jewish officer on the French General Staff was falsely accused of treason.
Alfred Dreyfus was convicted on the basis of dishonesty and forged documents. Exiled to Devil's
Island in the most inhospitable reaches of French colonial possessions, Dreyfus would become a
martyr, the victim of social injustice and religious persecution in an affair that would consume
French society at all levels. The Dreyfus Affair embodied the issues that preoccupied France
throughout the nineteenth century: the question of national identity, the separation of church and
state, and the struggle between traditionalism and modernity. It would take twelve years before
Dreyfus was finally exonerated.
The Dreyfus Affair became much more than the trial of Dreyfus and his endurance in the face of
injustice—it changed France. This paper will utilize primary and secondary sources to interpret
the significance of the Affair in the politics and society of fin de siècle France. To what degree
did the Dreyfus Affair engender the official separation of church and state in 1905? How much
responsibility can be attributed to the Affair in regard to the political shift from right to left in the

early twentieth century? And how did the denouement of the case against Alfred Dreyfus shape
perceptions of France's national identity, both domestically and abroad?
Zachary Feury is a senior majoring in History and Political Science. He intends to continue
studies in either history or law.
SOCIAL SCIENCES Room A-101
Transgender Identity and the Online TV Revolution: "Transparent" and Beyond
Matthew Searfoss
Faculty mentor: Ruma Sen
This paper addresses transgender identity and the portrayal of the transgender community in the
media, specifically on TV. Additionally it explores the world of online television streaming and
the creative benefits it has to offer writers/producers in telling unique and typically unheard
stories. By analyzing the television series "Transparent" and collecting audience data through
focus group interviews, this paper highlights the effectiveness of its message and the need for
more transgender stories to be told. Through a textual analysis of the show, it was discovered
that each person responds to a transition differently and that no two transitions are exactly alike.
The focus group discussion revealed that while the show may be a step in the right direction,
there is still a great deal of work that must be done before the transgender community can find
themselves accurately portrayed on TV, with more visibility in mainstream media. Online
streaming is leading the way in positive transgender representations due to the personal access
offered to subscribers. Finally, the paper highlights what can be done to move forward
representations of the transgender community, in order to foster tolerance and intercultural
communication between the transgender community and the rest of the country.
Matthew Searfoss is a junior majoring in Communication Arts with a concentration in Global
Communication and Media and minoring in International Business. Matthew is from Green
Brook, New Jersey and after graduation plans on pursuing a career in entertainment public
relations.
And the Award Goes To...Just Who You Thought It Would: The Representations,
Misrepresentations, and Lack of Representation of Racial and Ethnic Minorities at the
Annual Grammy Award Shows
Jenna O'Connor
Faculty mentor: Ingrid Castro
Throughout the years, celebrity performers—no matter the industry—have been presented with
honorable awards for their hard work, determination, veneration, and more recently, the
instituted realization of their racial or ethnic identity. The Annual Grammy Award Show is no
different, televising the show for the public as celebrity musical artists are rewarded for their
compositions, or in most cases, the compositions of someone else. In this paper, I will be
diligently analyzing years of televised Grammy Awards Ceremonies through an interdisciplinary

lens in order to prove a pattern of one of the many forms of systemic inequality that permeate
that variation of entertainment. In order to change the way the Grammy Awards are conducted—
in the decision making of the nominees, performers, attendees, as well as who actually accepts
the golden gramophone at the annual ceremonies—wider discussion pertaining to whiteness, as
well as discourse relating to race and ethnicity must be universally understood and talked about
inside institutions as well as in the general public.
Jenna O’Connor is a senior double-majoring in Sociology and English/Communications with a
concentration in journalism, and minoring in Women's Studies. She grew up in a small town
called Billerica, and being at MCLA has helped her to become the person she is today. After
graduation, she hopes to pursue sociology in graduate school at the PhD level.
An Analysis of Traditional Media Coverage of Sexual Assault on College Campuses
Erin Drouin
Faculty mentor: Nicole Krassas
Sexual assault on college campuses has been covered more in the news media over the past few
years despite evidence suggesting that rates of sexual assault have remained unchanged for a
generation or more. At the same time we have seen a shift in the way the news media decides
which stories to cover and how to cover them. Evidence suggests that social media has helped to
create these shifts. The subject of sexual assault on college campuses has manifested itself on
social media which has potentially caused media attention and the subsequent political response.
This project is a piece of a broader research project that will examine the process by which social
media and traditional media coexist and react to one another to respond to the social issue of
sexual assault on college campuses and whether sexual assault on college campuses has been
gaining media attention due, at least in part, to its presence in social media, particularly Twitter.
The paper will examine news media narratives from October 22, 2013 through October 25, 2014
covering sexual assaults on the University of Connecticut campus. Before analysis of the
interaction between the news and social media can take place, one must first gain an
understanding of the nature of the coverage, what the key narratives were and how they changed
over the course of the coverage.
Erin Drouin is a senior from Stafford Springs, Connecticut majoring in Political Science with
minors in Women’s Studies, Communications, and Writing. She hopes to pursue an advanced
degree in communications research after graduation.
Men’s and Women’s Perceptions of a Politician’s Extramarital Affair
Lindsey Whitney
Faculty mentor: Karol Maybury
Previous research has revealed that perceptions of a politician’s personality traits and personal
life are as important as competence to do the job. The current study examines undergraduates
from the University of Maine at Farmington to see if women perceive a politician’s affair as
more important than men. The method provided participants (17 males, 37 females) with a
scenario about a politician having an affair and asked them to answer eight questions on a Likert

scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Independent samples t-test were conducted on the
dependent variables and supported the hypothesis. Namely, women judged a political candidate
more negatively based on the affair. Results also revealed that women participants asserted that
the affair “matters more” than men. The implications of these findings in real-world political
campaigns are discussed.
Lindsey Whitney is a Psychology major from Lisbon Falls, Maine.
CREATIVE WRITING Room A-102
Sweet Tea Poetry
Katie Glaubitz
Faculty mentor: Jeff McRae
This selection of poems includes two sonnets, two free verse poems, and a pantoum. The poems
are not connected: each one is independent and possesses its own theme. Poems are titled
“Save Me”, “Swept by Toxic Tides”, “Street Corner Conundrum”, “Unripe”, and “Awaken”.
Katie Glaubitz grew up on the North Shore in Rowley, Massachusetts. She is in her senior year,
majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Arts and Culture.
Learning How to Fly
Kimberly Renee Arthurs
Faculty mentor: Patricia O’Donnell
This 1300-word creative nonfiction piece illuminates mystic and surreal elements of the dream
realm in conjunction with realistic hardships of everyday life. This piece examines the narrator’s
escape from reality by lucid dreaming, and focuses on both the serene and frightening
interactions with entities of the dream realm. As the narrator’s consciousness weaves between
fantasy and actuality, she recalls her struggle with grief after her father’s death. Her dreams
grant her emotional relief from the dark void that grief casts, and as she grows as a dreamer
through this period of darkness, she discovers a remedy for overcoming grief’s setbacks. In the
waking world, the narrator observes a caterpillar on the porch which triggers childhood
recollections of saving caterpillars from busy streets and the horrifying discovery one day as
thousands of crushed caterpillar corpses surrounded her middle school during a traumatic
infestation. Her rejection of death echoes throughout the pieces as the narrator is reminded of a
period of emotional struggle and denial in the months following her father’s death. She
considers a caterpillar’s metamorphosis, its isolation in the darkness of its cocoon, and its
questionable consciousness, and parallels this with her own metamorphic journey through grief.
This moment helps her understand the way in which she discovered her wings and learned how
to fly over life’s obstacles, rather than getting caught in them.
Kimberly Renee Arthurs is from Plymouth, Massachusetts and is currently a senior working
towards her BFA in Creative Writing and English. She plans to kickstart a life full of new

opportunities in Los Angeles, where she hopes to be a screenwriter and producer and eventually
begin work on an MFA.
Love, Sex, and Omelets
Paige Kisner
Faculty mentor: Lilace Guignard
I plan to present two of my currently unpublished poems: “Breakfast in Bed” and “Black and
Blue Flowers.” Both poems deal with love in different ways, and both include references to
omelets (hence my presentation title). “Breakfast in Bed” is a comical poem that examines love
as it relates to sexual intimacy, using an extended metaphor of making an omelet to represent a
girl losing her virginity. “Black and Blue Flowers” has a very different feel. This poem looks at
how people’s ideas of love change as they grow older, but their desire never fades. The poem’s
deeper subject addresses abuse in a delicate way, rejecting the notion that love always means
submission and service.
Born and raised in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, Paige Kisner is an English major with a
concentration in Professional Writing and a minor in History. Upon graduating in May of 2017,
Paige hopes to work as a counter-terrorism analyst for the government.
Mother Knows Best
Lindsey Centrella
Faculty mentor: Emily Robins Sharpe
Keene State College
In this completed piece of fiction, a woman struggles with the traditional female roles in post-
World War II American Society. She waits for her husband’s return from fighting in World War
II, still placed with the obligations of a housewife and of a mother. But is everything truly as it
seems?
With this piece, I intended to work with the challenges of conveying a complete plot within the
short story form. I was also interested in creating tension between the narrator and her audience.
Does the audience sympathize with her at first? Does it feel betrayed once it realizes that she
may be seen as an unreliable narrator?
For my protagonist, I wanted to characterize her as an atypical literary mother figure. The
expected role as a mother in literature is parallel to that in society: loving, caring and a role
model for her daughters. Rachel portrays the complete opposite, which ties into two themes that I
wished to explore through this short piece: the possible connection between mental health and
loss.
Lindsey Centrella is from Uxbridge, Massachusetts and studies Elementary Education as well as
English. She is a junior and intends to pursue graduate study in Elementary Education to
become an elementary school teacher.

Sad Little Lobster Gurgles
Nathaniel Duggan
Faculty mentor: Patricia O’Donnell
These four poems are all pretty different, both in terms of style and content, but they all share an
interest in the absurd. Each piece is dedicated to finding crudeness in beauty and beauty in
crudeness. The first piece explains why God prefers fish over unicorns, the second explores a
culture where back-to-school binders and ecstasy are purchased by the same demographic, the
third compares dying to baking bread, and the fourth comments on a country where factories
hang nets outside windows to discourage their workers from suicide and strippers are hired to
perform at funerals.
Born and raised in Scarborough, Maine, Nathaniel Duggan majors in Creative Writing. After
completing his degree, he plans to attend a graduate creative writing program.
Reckless
Kate Begin
Faculty mentor: Lisa Fraustino
This poem is about how relationships fall apart over time due to reckless behaviors and
inconsiderate actions. It is about wishing for no senses so negative actions or words would not be
felt or heard, that way less damage is done. I wrote this poem from the center of my heart.
Kate Begin is a Communication major and Women/Gender Studies minor from East Hampton,
Connecticut. After college she plans to invest herself in writing and editing while working with
women, turning oppression into opportunity.

Oral Presentations Session 2, page 14
SESSION 2
10:30 to 11:45 am
HUMANITIES Room A-100
‘On Ne Peut Pas y Échapper’: Cinematic Space, Time, and Gender Transformation in
“Jeanne Dielman”, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and “Under the Skin”
Gabby Boyle
Faculty mentor: Irina Leimbacher
Keene State College
This paper is situated in the intersection between feminist film theory and queer theory. By
analyzing two seemingly disparate films using a theoretical framework informed by both schools
of thought, I explore the effect of cinematic space and time on gender representation. While the
films in my analysis have been scrutinized for their feminist subtexts before, I compare them
side-by-side and scene-by-scene in order to discover how each film functions as an ideological
text working for/against the dominant gender discourse, and as a model for transgressive
representational practices. On the surface, the films’ differences make a fruitful comparison seem
almost impossible. "Jeanne Dielman" was released in 1976 and since has become somewhat of a
legendary avant-garde feature. "Under the Skin" is a stylish contemporary science fiction movie
directed by someone with a background primarily in commercial work and music video
production. What they have in common, however, is two female protagonists in the process of
becoming and unbecoming women. Both films are structured around the two main characters’
gendered routines as they happen in both determinate and indeterminate space/times. If gender
“is an identity tenuously constituted in time” as Judith Butler maintains in her hallmark gender
performativity theory, then gender is an identity equally as anchored in space. Therefore,
challenging dominant gender discourse must occur through the deconstruction and subversion of
feminine time and space. Where "Jeanne Dielman" succeeds in this, and potentially paves the
way for achieving “gender transformation” through its subversive structure, "Under the Skin"
fails.
Gabby Boyle is a senior from Nashua, New Hampshire. After graduating with a dual degree in
Women’s and Gender studies and Film studies, she hopes to explore the Pacific Northwest.
Literature of the Great War: a Shifting of Time and Identity
Nicole Hazlett
Faculty mentor: Beverly J. Evans
This paper presents a case study of the symbolic use of time in Pierre Drieu la Rochelle’s La
Comédie de Charleroi and R.C. Sheriff’s Journey’s End. In both works, the past and the present
are interwoven almost seamlessly, representing the broken psyche of society. The Great War
had paralyzed society, leaving a generation unable to evolve beyond the horrors of its past. The
main characters in the two works demonstrate a distinct lack of self-development, reflecting
society’s collective inability to forget the war.

Nicole Hazlett is a senior Mathematics and French major hailing from Naples, New York. She is
currently researching and applying to post-graduation programs.
The March on Washington and the Rise of Martin Luther King
Cassandra LaChance
Faculty mentor: Ingrid Castro
The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was characterized and shaped by various leaders,
organizations, and movements. The Civil Rights Movement was mobilized to encompass social
movements in the U.S. to end discrimination and segregation of African Americans ensuring the
legal recognition and protection of their civil rights outlined in the Constitution. Although there
are dozens of people who can be thought of as leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, perhaps
one of the more legendary leaders of the movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. King is one of
the most famous and well known leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, known for his affiliation
with peaceful civil disobedience to bring about the end of discrimination and segregation against
all black Americans. King’s legacy stemmed from the March on Washington, August 28, 1963,
where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Although there were ten other speakers
that day, the words of Martin Luther King are remembered most clearly. Bayard Rustin, the
organizer behind the March on Washington and other key events, helped create an atmosphere
where Martin Luther King, Jr. became recognized as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement,
shaping the movement to how it is known today.
Cassandra LaChance is from Adams, Massachusetts, and is a double major in History and
Sociology with a minor in Women's Studies. Her post-graduation plans are to join CityYear in
Americorps for a year and then go on to graduate school to get a PhD in Sociology.
Lesbian Liberation: An Extension of Women’s Liberation
Jennifer Zgola
Faculty mentor: Stacie Taranto
This paper examines the lesbian liberation movement of the late 1960s, arguing that it was a
result of the compulsory heterosexuality in American society at that time, as much as
homophobia in feminist groups. The women's rights movement of the late 1960s to early 1970s
sought to liberate women from the constraints of a male-dominated society, however, it catered
mostly to heterosexual, middle-class white women. Lesbian-identified women were largely quiet
until the more visible fight for gay rights began in 1969. When lesbian-identified women started
to talk about lesbian issues within feminist circles, they were dismissed and faced homophobia
within both liberal and radical feminist groups. This, in turn, resulted in a theory of lesbian
feminism. Although the liberal and radical wings of feminism sought to liberate women from a
male-dominated society, lesbian-identified women had to have their own movement to work on
lesbian issues. The fact that heterosexuality, a man and woman pairing, was the norm in
American society in the 1960s only compounded this discrimination. The paper describes how
everything in society was seemingly focused on heterosexuality, even movements to expand
oppressed groups' rights. Compulsory heterosexuality was a result of a patriarchal or male-
dominated society. Heterosexuality was idealized in films and literature. Women in society

were defined by their relationships with men, thus pressing heterosexuality on them. In this
system, women and men were not equal, and lesbian-identified women were nearly invisible -
constraints that, as the paper illustrates, shaped the activism they undertook to create change.
Jennifer Zgola is from Keansburg, New Jersey and a History major at Ramapo College. After
graduation Jennifer plans to go to graduate school and study history.
STEM FIELDS Room A-101
A General Class of Unbiased Estimators Using the Multilevel Monte Carlo Method and its
Applications to Option Pricing
Jonathan Couper
Faculty mentor: Duy Nguyen
Consider a Stochastic Differential Equation (SDE) of the form
dX(t)=f(X(t))dt+g(X(t))dW(t), with X(0)=X0
where f(X(t)), and G(X(t)) are given functions, known as the drift and diffusion coefficient,
respectively, and W(t) is the standard Brownian motion. This equation has many applications in
biology, stochastic control theory, and especially in mathematical finance. Numerical methods
must be used to find the approximate solution since the solution is virtually impossible to attain.
Due to its simplicity, Monte Carlo method is often the first choice to find the numerical solution
of the above equation. However, it is shown that the cost of the Monte Carlo method is where the
required accuracy is. In 2008, Giles proposed a remarkable improvement to the approach of
discretizing with a numerical method and applying to standard Monte Carlo method. His
multilevel Monte Carlo method offers a speed up. Hence the computations can run 100 times
more quickly when two digits of accuracy are required. Since then, multilevel Monte Carlo
method has been adopted by a range of researchers and a wealth of practical significant results
has arisen.
In this talk, I will apply a Multilevel Monte Carlo method to options pricing. I consider a general
class of unbiased estimators. The new class generalizes the randomized Monte Carlo Method
proposed by McLeigh (2011), and Rhee and Glynn (2015). Numerical examples will be provided
to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.
Jonathan Couper grew up in West Orange, New Jersey and has always been interested in
mathematics. He is a senior now and is looking forward to using his degree in Mathematical
Finance and Computer Programming.
The Sum of Permutations in Cryptographic Hash Functions
Nicholas Lacasse
Faculty mentor: Lori Koban

With the large scale proliferation of networked devices, the guarantee of secure authentication,
data integrity and confidentiality have become paramount. Cryptographic hash functions have
many applications in information security and are commonly used to verify data authenticity.
Grøstl is an iterative cryptographic hash function and one of the five finalists in the recent NIST
SHA-3 competition. Grøstl’s compression function is built from two distinct permutations,
crucial for preserving its security. Its elegant design and simplicity inspires continued high
interest in the security features of this hash function. A strong cryptographic hash function is
collision-free, meaning it is difficult to find two inputs which map to the same output. This
consideration is made on the scope of the entire hash function. However, the chance for
collisions is greater if the internal cipher is itself producing collisions. The design of many
cryptographic hash functions, including Grøstl, involves the summation of the outputs of two
permutations. Our work aims to find necessary and sufficient conditions for when the sum of
two permutations is itself a permutation thereby avoiding collisions from the internal cipher.
Prior to our research, this question has not been significantly studied. The ultimate goal is to
answer the question for permutations of matrices over Galois fields. Our research has laid the
foundation by examining permutations over finite cyclic groups.
Nicholas Lacasse is from Oxford, Maine and is double majoring in Secondary Education and
Mathematics. After completing his undergraduate work, he plans to attend graduate school and
pursue a PhD in Mathematics.
Potential Impacts of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Induced Tree Mortality on Hemlock Ravine
Lotic Ecosystems
Brandyn Balch
Faculty mentor: James Kernan
The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the potential impacts of Eastern hemlock
(Tsuga canadensis) mortality from hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) on Letchworth
State Park hemlock ravine lotic ecosystems. Three kick net samples were collected along three
Genesee River tributaries and inventoried for benthic macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Water
temperature, dissolved oxygen, flow rate, pH, forest canopy cover, dominant/co-dominant tree
species, and DBH (diameter at breast height) measurements were also taken. Sampling began in
May, and was repeated in July and September. As the project is in the pilot phase, the current
focus is on establishing baseline conditions to which future surveys will be compared.
Brandyn Balch is a Geography major from Ballston Spa, NY. He is planning to attain an MPA
from Syracuse University and a PhD in Geographic Information Science from University of
Colorado at Boulder.
The Potential Role of Feather Linings in Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) Nests
Lauren Pardi
Faculty mentor: Leslie Clifford
Nest architecture can play a key role in the nesting success of birds. Some birds line their nests
with feathers, and various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the adaptive value of

feather linings. I tested the hypothesis that feather linings in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
nests function as insulation for developing eggs and chicks. I removed the feather lining of tree
swallow nests and compared nest cup temperatures to control nests which did not have feather
linings removed, as well as to feather-supplement nests. Nest cup temperatures were recorded
twice, once early in the egg incubation period and once early in the nestling period. If feathers
function to provide insulation, then feather removal nests should experience lower nest cup
temperatures than either control or feather supplemented nests. However, I found that average
nest cup temperatures in nests with feathers removed did not differ significantly from either
control nests or feather-supplemented nests. Feather removal did not appear to affect hatching
success, fledging success, or chick mass prior to fledging. Previous studies have shown that nests
without feathers cool more quickly than nests with feather linings, so incubating adults in my
experiment may have been compensating for the absence of feathers by increasing the amount of
time they spent incubating.
Lauren Pardi, from White Haven, Pennsylvania, is a senior Environmental Biology major. After
graduation she plans to obtain a master’s degree in Biology.
#BlackLivesMatter: A Collaborative Text
Misha Choudhry
Faculty mentor: Todd Barnes
In my paper, I study the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter as a text using structuralist semiotics,
Marxist criticism, critical race theory, and genealogy. From a structuralist semiotic perspective,
my foremost concern is the authorship of #BlackLivesMatter. Since the hashtag is a kind of
collaborative text, it is difficult to reduce its ownership to one author. However, Alicia Garza,
Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi did in fact create the hashtag. Using Michel Foucault's "What
is an Author?" I explore their relation to #BlackLivesMatter, as well as how the hashtag
functions as a classificatory feature.
Marxist criticism also offers some valuable insight into what #BlackLivesMatter does as a text.
Specifically, I used Louis Althusser's "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses" to look at
how #BlackLivesMatter challenges the ideology of colorblindness by explicitly talking about
race.
In order to understand the cultural and historical context of #BlackLivesMatter, I analyzed the
text using critical race theory. Michelle Alexander's “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in
the Age of Colorblindness” sheds light on the legal and historical processes that created the
conditions in which police officers can get away with targeting black people. Understanding this
systematic degradation is crucial if one wishes to understand the grief and frustration that
produced #BlackLivesMatter.
Lastly, genealogy is a helpful framework for understanding #BlackLivesMatter. In "Nietzsche,
Genealogy, History," Michel Foucault writes about the degradation of marginalized bodies and

provides some insight into how #BlackLivesMatter creates a working history that people can
contribute to on their own terms.
Misha Choudhry is a senior from Montville, New Jersey. A Literature major with minors in
Sociology and Spanish, she hopes to pursue her academic interests in graduate school.
Returns to Investment in College Education: Factoring in Rising Student Debt
Emilio Estrella
Faculty mentor: Niti Pandey
Labor economists have long touted the advantages of higher education as a critical factor
determining lifelong earning potential. For decades the cost of a bachelor’s degree was swiftly
rewarded with increased earnings in comparison to those with high school or trades
qualifications. However, rapidly rising education costs, driven by decreasing government
spending in higher education, have led to a student debt crisis. With 40 million college graduates
carrying a student loan debt, the returns to higher education seem to be rapidly diminishing. This
effect is likely compounded by increasing numbers of workers returning to college during the
economic recession. In fact, research has found that approximately 60% of all student debtors are
over the age of 30 and student loan debt saw an 84% jump since the start of the last recession to
$1.2 trillion. This study seeks to examine the potential impact of debt obligations on the lifetime
earnings of those with college degrees. Publicly available debt and earnings data are explored in
order to begin formulating an understanding of the relationship between student debt and
earnings potential. Labor market alternatives to a college degree, such as vocational or trade
education, are discussed.
Emilio Estrella is a Labor Relations and Human Resource Management major. Raised in Puerto
Rico, Emilio is interested in public policy as it relates to issues of labor and employment and
hopes to pursue a law degree after graduation.
The Importance of Community Banks
Bob Parsons and Sage Yudelson
Faculty mentor: Marie Duggan
Keene State College
How did community banks survive the Great Recession better than big corporate banks? How do
the community banks work as members of the community to support local businesses? To
explore these questions, Sage Yudelson interviewed Gary Gray (former CEO of Connecticut
River Bank) who oversaw its 2014 sale to the Mutual Savings Bank, Mascoma. Additionally,
Bob Parsons interviewed Greg Tewksbury at the Savings Bank of Walpole on his relationship
with local businesses.
Community banks offer vital services to localities throughout the United States, including loans,
savings, and financial advising. These services are essential to small businesses throughout the
country. Our research provides insight as to how local Community Banks supported the
manufacturers, the communities, and the people of the Connecticut River Valley. In addition we

draw conclusions as to how manufacturing not only survived but thrived in the Connecticut
River Valley.
Excerpts from Yudelson’s and Parsons’s interviews will be shown to represent key findings, as
well as quantitative data to support the conclusions being drawn.
Bob Parsons, from Windham, New Hampshire, is pursuing a degree in Economics.
Sage Yudelson is a junior from Burlington, Connecticut pursing degrees in Economics and
Business Management.
The U.S. Consumption by Using Regression Analysis
Songyi Paik
Faculty mentor: Mansokku Lee
This presentation analyzes which factors affect consumer consumption by using regression
analysis, and how these components should be considered by the U.S. government to promote
economic growth. Because consumer spending is one of the most important components of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), examining the factors of consumer spending indicates various
ways to improve the economy. While studying the GDP components in macroeconomics, there
was one interesting feature that the United States has the higher marginal propensity to consume
than other countries. Considering consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the U.S.
economic activities, the high marginal propensity to consume in the U.S. contributes to the
development of the U.S. domestic market and economic growth. If the government notices
economic downturn, they can target factors which can increase consumption to activate domestic
economy. There are independent variables to affect consumption expenditures: personal
disposable income, interest rates, oil price and recession. In the Council of Economic Advisers
report, “The Economy in 2014,” it says consumer spending increased because of the consumer
high sentiment with increase in real wages, declining gasoline prices, and employment
expectations. Based on these potential variables, this project examines which factors are useful to
explain the changes in consumer spending. Moreover, it addresses how the U.S. government can
manage them to achieve the continuous economic growth.
Songyi Paik is an international student from Deajeon, South Korea and is studying Economics.
After graduation, she wants to do an internship in an international organization such as the
United Nations Development Programme or World Bank, followed by graduate school for a
Ph.D in Economics.

Poster Session, page 21
POSTER SESSION Friends Hall, room SC-219
1. Inhibition of c-src Activity in Primary Bone Marrow Cells Mimics the Decreased Expression of
the Osteoblast Phenotype Seen in Tumor Cells
Ashley Dinkel
Faculty mentor: Thomas Owen
Deletion of the c-src gene results in decreased osteoclast and increased osteoblast activity. PP2 is
a c-src inhibitor and PP3 is a structurally similar inactive compound. To further investigate the
mechanisms through which c-src inhibition drives differentiation, we tested PP2 and PP3 on
ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells. C-src inhibition by PP2 beginning at plating decreased alkaline
phosphatase (AP) activity at days 4 and 8. In order to address whether this unexpected
observation was due to the tumor-derived nature of ROS cells, primary rat bone marrow cells
(BMC) were also tested. BMCs were treated with a single dose of PP2 or PP3 at plating or at the
first or second media change or the compounds were added beginning at plating or at the first or
second media change and continuing until harvest. BMCs were stained for AP activity and
mineralized nodules on day 25 and showed that treatment with PP2 resulted in less
differentiation. A single dose of PP2 at plating resulted in a 50-70% decrease in AP positive and
mineralized nodule area, whereas a single dose of PP2 at days 3 or 7 had no effect as compared
to PP3-treated cells. With continuous treatment, a similar decrease was seen when cells were
dosed beginning at plating or day 3, however, if dosing was initiated at day 7, a smaller decrease
of ~25% in AP activity was seen. These data suggest that c-src is involved in the commitment of
BMCs to becoming osteoblasts as well as in their initial differentiation.
Ashley Dinkel is from Howell, New Jersey. She is currently majoring in Biology and is planning
to attend medical school after graduation.
2. Maternal Fright Conditioning in Guppies (Poecilia Reticulate)
Amanda LeBarron
Faculty mentor: Justin L Golub
Chemical cues are used to detect predators and avoid danger. Prey can learn predators from
paired alarm cues with predator cues, called dietary cues. It has been previously found that
embryos exposed to dietary cues are able to learn and adapt to help avoid the predator after
hatching. Guppies (Poecilia reticulate) are live-bearing fish, carrying embryos until they hatch,
causing their fry to be independent at “birth.” This is different from egg-laying fish in that
embryos are not exposed directly to environmental cues; instead they experience maternal cues
that can include cortisol stress hormones. We expect that high levels of stress in the mother (due
to predator exposure) will affect the behavioral response of fry to predator cues. Gravid females
were exposed to conspecific alarm cues or a water control. Once fry were born, we observed
their behavioral response to alarm cue or the control. We expect fry born to mothers exposed to
alarm cues to show elevated fright to both alarm cue and water control. This elevated stress-level
response is similar to those seen in patients suffering from PTSD, and could lead to opportunities
to further study and understand this medical condition.

Amanda LeBarron is a senior majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. She is a
Berkshire County resident living in Cheshire, Massachusetts and is planning to pursue a career
in Zoology.
3. Exploring the Genetic Mechanisms of Exfoliation Syndrome and Glaucoma
Annie G. Gagnon
Mentors: Jeffrey M. Harder and Simon W. John, The Jackson Laboratory: The John Laboratory
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and
can cause irreversible blindness. Exfoliation syndrome (XFS), the most common cause of
glaucoma, is characterized by accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, called
exfoliation material, in the anterior segment of the eye. LOXL1 and CACNA1A are genes
associated with XFS that were identified in genome-wide association studies. The pathological
mechanisms involving these genes and the formation of exfoliation material are unknown. Here,
the effect of loss-of-function of these genes was studied in mutant and control mice. Clinical
exams were performed on these mice, at different ages, to observe morphology of the iris and
lens and to detect vascular inflammation in the eye. No abnormalities in lens or iris morphology
were found, however vascular inflammation was observed in the mutant LOXL1 and CACNA1A
mice when compared with controls. In addition, by exome sequencing a large pedigree with
many individuals affected by XFS and a dominant inheritance pattern, we searched for novel
XFS genes.
Annie Gagnon is a Biology major from Seekonk, Massachusetts. After graduation she plans to
attend graduate school for Genetic Counseling.
4. Determination of Colony Structure in Formica pergandei Using Microsatellite Markers
Meghan Barrett
Faculty mentor: Jennifer Apple
Slavemaking ants are social parasites that conduct raids on their host species, stealing their brood
and bringing them back to the slavemakers’ nests to become workers. The Roemer Arboretum
houses two species of slavemaking ants, Formica pergandei and Formica subintegra, which
parasitize the more abundant host, Formica glacialis. F. pergandei is less common than F.
subintegra, and thus not as extensively researched. Colonies in the genus Formica can have one
(monogynous) or multiple (polygynous) queens. This study aims to determine the colony
structure of F. pergandei. In ant colonies with only one queen, workers will share a very high
relatedness coefficient (0.75) due to haplodiploidy. However, if there are multiple queens within
the colony, genetic variation increases and the relatedness coefficient within the colony will
decrease significantly below 0.75. Workers of F. pergandei were collected from the four
colonies in our field site. DNA was extracted and then amplified via PCR using primers
developed for other Formica species. Each ant was genotyped at four microsatellite loci. Using
these genotypes, intra-colony relatedness was estimated and used to determine whether each
colony exhibits monogyny or polygyny. These results contribute to our understanding of the
population biology of this little-known ant species.

Meghan Barrett is a senior earning her B.S. in Biology and Creative Writing and hails from
Penfield, New York. Meghan plans to attend graduate school in the fall of 2016 and hopes to
continue finding time to write amidst all the exciting research opportunities grad school affords.
5. Identification and Antimicrobial Analysis of Bacteria from the Sea Anemone Apitasia
Pallida
Andrea Fachini
Faculty mentor: Ann Billetz
Like human bodies, the bodies of cnidarians harbor populations of resident bacteria called
symbionts. These bacteria maintain close relationships with their hosts, and may keep them
healthy by protecting them from harmful bacteria. The purpose of this study was to identify
symbiont bacteria from the sea anemone Apitasia pallida and test them for antimicrobial
properties. Pure cultures of the bacteria were isolated and maintained on marine agar slants.
DNA harvested from the bacteria was amplified using the 16S rDNA primers 16F and 1542R.
Analysis of the DNA resulted in the identification of twenty-nine samples. Of these samples
fourteen unique bacteria were identified with at least 91% certainty. Antimicrobial assays were
performed testing the newly identified bacteria against several common pathogenic bacteria. To
date, clear inhibition has been observed between H. meridian and pathogen S. marcescens.
Andrea Fachini is a Biology major from North Adams, Massachusetts. After graduation she
plans to attend a physician assistant program.
6. Synthesis of Hydrazones as Antibiotics
Ryan Ludvigsen, Shaun Novoshelski, and Christopher Warren
Faculty mentor: Jay Carreon
Hydrazones are a family of compounds that display a wide spectrum of biological activities
including antibiotic activity. We want to understand how the chemical structure influences the
antibiotic ability of these compounds. A small library of hydrazones from various mixtures of
aromatic benzaldehydes substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing
substituents at the para-position and hydrazines have been synthesized via combinatorial
chemistry and screened for antibiotic activity against Escherichia coli in order to contribute to an
extensive structure-activity relationship study. The synthesis and characterization will be
discussed.
Ryan Ludvigsen is from Wanaque, New Jersey. He is a Biochemistry major with plans to go to
physical therapy school.
Shaun Novoshelski, from Vernon, New Jersey, is in his junior year and is majoring in Biology.
He plans on attending PA school after graduation.
Christopher Warren is a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Substance Abuse. He
plans to apply to medical school in the spring.

7. Aging and Comparing Characteristics of Second-growth Stands within the Huyck
Preserve
Katherine Berdan
Faculty mentor: James Kernan
Second-growth forests are a major part of the landscape of the upper Hudson Valley and
Helderbergs. In these regions, abandoned pasture and farmland have been reclaimed by nature
over the past century, and are now dominated by second-growth forests, crisscrossed by old
roads and stone walls. These second-growth forests are the precursor to old growth stands. Old
growth stands (forests older than 250 years old) have been linked to biodiversity hotspots,
increased woody debris, and greater basal area per hectare. I hypothesized that since these
characteristics are linked to old growth forests, by looking at second growth stands of increasing
ages, one would also see an increase in these characteristics. I conducted a survey within the
Huyck Preserve to determine if this correlation was present. After completing my data collection
and analysis, there were no significant correlations between stand age and biodiversity, downed
woody debris, or basal area to be found with the data I had collected. The lack of relationship can
be attributed primarily to the relatively young age of the majority of stands, but also the
variability of other environmental factors, such as soil pH, light availability, and nutrient levels.
The data did provide a useful insight into the composition of the Huyck Preserve forests and
suggest the impacts of invasives, the diversity of co-dominant vs. dominant stands, and the
intricacies of the gradual aging process that is ongoing within the Huyck Preserve forest stands.
Katherine Berdan is a senior Geography major from Schoharie, New York. Following
graduation this spring, she plans to pursue a career in Biogeography.
8. Uranium in Groundwater Resources of a Typical New England Setting
Joel Hara
Faculty mentor: Meredith Metcalf
Like many metals that are naturally occurring in New England, uranium is common but typically
overlooked in drinking water. When uranium is absorbed into the bloodstream over time, one’s
kidneys are likely to be affected. Although the source of uranium in drinking water wells is well
understood, the variability in the distribution is less so. Therefore, in order to better understand
the occurrence of uranium in drinking water, uranium and additional water quality parameters
were examined for a random distribution of drinking water wells across Lebanon, Connecticut
which is a town that exemplifies the typical hydrogeologic conditions of New England. Results
indicated that thirty percent of the wells tested positive for uranium but less than two percent of
the wells exceeded the drinking water standard of 30 micrograms per liter. Uranium was
prominent in drinking water wells within all rock types. Additional groundwater quality
parameters suggest that uranium was not present in acidic conditions (pH < 7) and an oxic
environment was likely attributing to the leaching of uranium from the rock. As homeowners
begin to test more frequently for this common metal, the human influence on the occurrence of
uranium in drinking water will be evident by the ability to examine the temporal variability of
this naturally occurring pollutant.

Joel Hara is from the small town of Hebron, Connecticut and is currently majoring in
Environmental Earth Science. Upon graduating from Eastern, he plans to pursue a Master’s
degree in the field of Environmental/Civil Engineering.
9. Assessing Alternatives: Chemical Content Analysis of Biodiesel vs. Diesel Fuel Emissions
Ethan Hotchkiss
Faculty mentors: Nora Traviss and James Kraly
Keene State College
With climate change an increasing concern, the push towards alternative energy sources from
fossil fuels is very strong. Biodiesel fuel is one such alternative; however, it is important to
consider that the combustion of biodiesel may contain toxic and harmful organic compounds that
are emitted into the atmosphere. In this study, airborne particulate matter produced from
biodiesel and petroleum diesel engine exhaust was chemically characterized using gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry. Organic compounds were extracted from quartz filter field
samples using sonication, and concentrations of 61 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty acid
methyl esters, hopanes, and steranes were determined using optimized separation methods. The
variability in organic chemical composition of particulate matter as a function of size will also be
investigated, as the impactor used for filter collection separates content into discrete size ranges.
Extraction recovery efficiencies for standards spiked on filters were 106.3 +/- 4.4% for
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 97.6 +/- 5.7% for fatty acid methyl esters, and 97.9 +/- 8.1%
for hopanes and steranes. Results will be presented that compare changes in chemical
concentrations for the two fuels at the two locations. As expected for biodiesel samples fatty acid
methyl esters showed the greatest mass as compared to other compounds classes, and the most
abundant fatty acid methyl ester detected for biodiesel samples was methyl laurate. The analysis
of locally collected samples using analytical instrumentation will provide new data on the
chemical composition of particulate matter produced from two different fuel types.
Ethan Hotchkiss is a senior Chemistry major and Economics minor from Durham, New
Hampshire. Ethan plans to attend medical school after graduating and has interests in oncology
and emergency medicine.
10. Augmented and Mixed Reality Utilized In an Educational Platform
Daniel Heinen
Faculty mentors: Sarah Herrick and Justin Golub
Visualization is a key part of understanding new information. Using new widely available
technology (smart phones, augmented/Virtual reality, 3D scans) we are attempting to
revolutionize the way students interact with and study new information to create a highly
versatile educational platform. Combining augmented reality, smart-devices and virtual reality
we have created a learning technology which allows students to interact with real world objects
in augmented reality as well as artificial learning models that help students visualize information
in a way that is not possible with conventional 2d learning material. The material and software
used to create this platform are readily available and low cost which allow for easy practical uses
and applications in a learning environment. This platform would make it possible to use both

artificial and real 3d objects in an augmented reality or Mixed Reality*environments creating a
way for students to take complex objects (eg a cadaver) wherever they require both in and out of
class.
Daniel Heinen is an undergraduate Biology major, originally from Little Falls, New York. His
dream is to become a PhD/MD and research and develop new innovative medical technologies.
11. An Action Research Qualitative Examination of Microsoft Excel, its Utilization in
Businesses, and Potential Link to Early Career Success
Nicolai Kousholt Soendergaard
Faculty mentor: Alex Citurs
Microsoft Excel is a heavily utilized tool in the business world. In many collegiate academic
settings, Excel is viewed as just another basic computer tool and skill set for students. However,
in a modified action research study based upon eight months of interning in various departments
at LEGO–Americas, direct observations, interviews and work performed suggests that Excel
may help collegiate interns and recent graduates achieve early career success. This internship-
based study, through a qualitative research lens, utilizes observation logs and notes, interviews,
as well as surveys to examine the potential career benefits that could result if certain
analytical/data skill sets in tools such as Excel are acquired. Preliminary results of the study
suggest that a number of closely derived Excel functions were found to be commonly utilized
across numerous different functional areas of LEGO and perceived by multiple key internal
LEGO stakeholders as being critical to substantial portions of core daily and long term
operations of the company. This study also sheds light on the extensive integration of Excel with
many database tools and information systems such as the interfacing with enterprise resource
planning systems like SAP. These findings are being compared with survey and observations
from other Connecticut companies, with the realization that the functions and how they are
utilized may vary between industries and across geographies. These findings suggest that having
well-developed Excel skills can help new professionals achieve early career success and
therefore may warrant additional attention in academic courses by both students and faculty.
Born and raised near the town of Billund, Denmark, Nicolai Kousholt Soendergaard is currently
a senior majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Business Information Systems.
Upon graduation he will be looking to work full-time before going on to graduate school.
12. The Effects of Nightly Gratitude Exercises on Dream and Sleep Quality
Brooke Miller, Regan Parshall, and Mari Rowley
Faculty mentor: Gretchen Sechrist
There is evidence that the positive state of gratitude can affect emotional tone and sleep quality.
In this research, the effects of positive emotionality, induced via manipulation of gratitude, on
dreaming and sleep quality were examined. Forty participants were drawn from General
Psychology classes at Mansfield University (age: 18 to 25, M=19.23; 18 males and 22 females)
and were randomly assigned into a group practicing nightly gratitude exercises (treatment) or a

control condition. Participants were provided with packets that included the Pittsburgh Sleep
Quality Index, the Discrete Emotions Scale, a Dream Diary Checklist, and instructions for the
“Sleep Better” smart phone application. It was hypothesized that gratitude exercises would
influence sleep and dream quality as well as waking emotional state. Independent t-tests and chi-
square analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Testing revealed that treatment and control
groups were statistically equivalent at pre- and post-testing on all demographic and control items,
indicating a successful random assignment. The gratitude group differed from the control group
on measures of sleep quality, dream rate, and for emotional states of jealousy, anxiety, surprise,
distress/sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, fear, shame, shyness, and guilt. The gratitude group
woke up experiencing greater excitement, exhilaration, interest, and enjoyment/joy than did the
control group. The gratitude group tended to fall asleep faster than the control group, but this
difference was not statistically significant. The results suggest that brief gratitude exercises
before bed can improve sleep quality and set a positive emotional tone for the following day.
Brooke Miller is from Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, and is majoring in Psychology with a
concentration in Mind/body Health and Counseling. Her post-graduate plans are to go to
graduate school to study Clinical Psychology.
Regan Parshall is from Athens, Pennsylvania, and is majoring in Psychology with a
concentration in Lifespan Development. Her post-graduate plans involve child care services.
Mari Rowley is from Mackeyville, Pennsylvania, and is majoring in Psychology with a
concentration in Lifespan Development. She plans on attending graduate school to earn her
Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology to become a child psychologist.
13. Gender Differences in Bystander Responses to Risk for Party Rape Perpetrated by a
Friend, Acquaintance, or Stranger
Marisa Motisi
Faculty mentor: Jennifer Katz
Sexual assault is a common problem for college students. Increasingly, prevention efforts
emphasize the role of bystanders in interrupting a situation that may escalate to sexual assault.
However, many factors inhibit bystander action, including the identity of the potential
perpetrator and the gender of the bystander. Overall, bystanders are more inactive with strangers
than friends, and overall, male bystanders are more inactive than female. No research has
investigated whether, as bystanders, men and women respond similarly to pre-assault situations
involving potential perpetrators who are friends, acquaintances, or strangers. Undergraduates (N
= 185) were randomly assigned to one of three party vignettes in which a sober man (identified
as either a friend, acquaintance, or stranger to the bystander) led an intoxicated woman into a
bedroom. The primary dependent variables were risk identification and bystander inaction.
Results showed gender differences in risk identification overall and specifically within the
stranger condition. Women were more likely to identify risk for assault, both overall and in
response to strangers. Results also showed that men were more inactive than women overall, and
men’s inaction did not differ across conditions. In contrast, women were significantly more
inactive in situations involving an acquaintance compared to either a stranger or a friend.

Possibly, women were inhibited from confronting an acquaintance because they do not know
them well but will likely interact with them again. Without relationship closeness, they may not
feel comfortable being accusatory. Bystander education programs that incorporate an emphasis
on relational barriers to intervening may help promote active bystander behavior, particularly for
women.
Marisa Motisi is from West Islip, New York. She is a Psychology Major with a Human
Development and Cognitive Science Minor.
14. Community Involvement’s Influences on Self-Esteem and Academic Achievement
Joelle Dumont
Faculty mentor: Maria Bartini
The objective of this study was to measure academic achievement and self-esteem. We looked at
students’ participation in service learning and community service as well as those who had not
participated. Participants were asked questions about their overall self-esteem, academic
achievement and involvement in community service or service learning. It was hypothesized that
students who participate in service learning and community service will tend to have higher
levels of self-esteem and academic achievement compared to those who do not. Results showed
that students who participated in service learning and community service demonstrated
significantly higher levels of self-esteem in regards to the type of participation provided in
different areas: scholastic competence and global self-esteem in comparison to those who had
not participated in community service. Results also showed that participants reported having
higher extrinsic motivation overall. Implications of this study may show educators that having
students engage in community service or service learning can heighten personal achievement and
self-perceptions.
Joelle Dumont is a Psychology major minoring in Social Work, from Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
After graduation this spring her goal is to enter a graduate program to pursue a Masters in
Social Work.
15. The Relationship of Gender Role Beliefs and Sociosexual Orientation with Rape Myth
Acceptance
Moriah Perrett
Faculty mentor: Anita Cousins
It was hypothesized that men would exhibit higher rape myth acceptance, score higher on the
Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, and more traditionally on the Gender Role Beliefs Scale.
People who have low scores on the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory would have higher levels
of Rape Myth Acceptance than people who have higher scores on the SSOI. People with more
“traditional gender beliefs” would have lower scores on the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale than
those who have higher scores indicative of “feminist” beliefs on the GRB scale. The
Convenience sample of 47 people (N = 47) was recruited through Experimetrix and word of
mouth. 30% men (n=12) and 70% females (n=33). Participants represent age range of 18-27 with

a mean age of 20. Sociosexual orientation scores for men (M=3.87, SD=1.49) was not
significantly different from the sociosexual orientation scores for women (M=3.5,
SD=1.49),t(45)=-.74, p=.46. Scores obtained on the Gender Role Beliefs scale by men (M=5.1,
SD=.81) was not significantly different from the scores obtained by women (M=5.33, SD=.82),
t(450)=.85, p=.4. Men’s scores on the Rape Myth Acceptance scale (M=3.92, SD=.46) was more
so but not significantly lower than women’s scores (M=4.23, SD=.55), t(45)=1.79, p=.08. There
was not a statistically significant relationship between rape myth acceptance and sociosexual
orientation (r(45)=.15, p=.33). There was no significant relationship between gender role beliefs
and sociosexual orientation (r(45)=.27, p=.07). A statistically significant relationship was found
between rape myth acceptance and gender role beliefs(r (45)=.59, p=.00. As rape myth
acceptance increases, traditional gender role beliefs increase.
Moriah Perrett is from Andover, Connecticut and will be graduating with a degree in
Psychology as well as a degree in Music with a concentration in vocal performance. She will
hopefully be pursuing graduate studies.
16. Hear No Evil, See No Evil: The Effect of Auditory and Visual Stimuli on Perceptions of
Violence and Feelings of Aggression
Sydney Hoffman
Faculty mentor: Gretchen Sechrist
Countless studies have demonstrated that exposure to violence increases aggressive behavior.
The present study expanded this research by examining the effects of auditory (hearing) and
visual (seeing) stimuli on perceptions of violence and personal aggression. College students
were exposed to an auditory, visual, or both auditory and visual clip of a violent film. Their
perceptions of violence in the film were then measured using a 30-adjective Likert scale.
Participants also completed a version of the Aggression Provocation Questionnaire comprising
five scenarios in which they were asked to rate their level of anger, frustration, and irritation to
assess participants’ feelings of aggression. Results showed that participants perceived a film clip
to be more violent when they could only hear it, followed by when they could only see it, as
compared to when they could both hear and see it. Participants in the visual and auditory
conditions also reported feeling more aggressive than participants in the auditory-visual
condition. The results of this research suggest that media representations of aggressive behavior
and violent content can influence viewers’ perceptions and feelings of aggression even in the
absence of explicit modeled behaviors. Violent content, even without visual images, is perceived
and can increase an individual’s feelings of aggression.
Sydney Hoffman is from Duncannon, Pennsylvania, and is majoring in Psychology concentrating
in Counseling and Lifespan Development. After graduation she plans to attend graduate school
for school counseling.

17. Comparing Food Knowledge and Diet Habit of College Students in US and China’s
Metropolitan Areas
Brenda Arthur and Stephanie Morfi
Faculty mentors: Yan Xu, Martha Ecker
The earlier young citizens are informed about what is contained in foods, where foods come
from, and how foods affect human body, the sooner they would form a good diet habit, and the
larger the impact they would make on their own healthcare, family, neighborhood and society.
Most kids have gained freedom on choosing what to eat and how to eat since entering College. It
is good timing to examine what they have learned about foods and reveal their typical habit of
dieting and how that might have been affected by social and economic factors. Particularly, we
are interested in comparing college students living in New York (US) versus Shanghai (China)
Metropolitan Areas. A pilot study was done in spring 2015 comparing students at Ramapo
College of New Jersey (RCNJ) and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU). The results showed
that RCNJ and SHNU students had similar patterns on dining spending and milk consumption.
However, we observed different patterns in egg, meat, alcohol and nutritional supplement
consumption. A higher percentage of RCNJ students claimed that they were aware of organic
food and GMO, and have taken a course in college that teaches "healthy eating" concepts. A
higher percentage of SHNU students admitted that they had eaten in secret and their weight
affected the way they felt about themselves. Further studies will be designed to focus on the
discrepancy identified in this pilot study.
Brenda Arthur is from Teaneck, New Jersey. She is studying Biology with the hopes of going to
medical school and ultimately becoming a professor in a medical institution.
Stephanie Morfi is from Ridgefield, New Jersey. She is a senior majoring in Biology and is
working towards becoming a physician.
18. Evaluation of Restorative Circles in a High-Risk School Setting
Derek Guerrette
Faculty mentor: Lilyana Ortèga
Restorative justice (RJ) was introduced into school systems as an alternative to ineffective zero-
tolerance and similar punitive policies as another way of dealing with a wide range of
disciplinary infractions. The subcategory of RJ, restorative circles (RC), allow the offender,
those offended, and those who are affected to come together with the goal of righting wrongs,
and allowing all parties to find a new normalcy, together. Recently, school-based restorative
practices, including restorative circles, have been gaining in popularity within the US, but peer-
reviewed research has been lacking. This project aims to better understand how youth in a high-
violence school experience and perceive restorative programing. Specifically, this study aims to
understand youth’s motivation behind participating in RC and experiences with RC. Data was
collected at an inner-city high school located in the southeastern US. Participants included 125
high-school students. Participants were given a survey to assess their experiences with an RC
program at their school. The current study focused on four open-ended questions from the larger

survey assessment pertaining to their experiences with and perceptions of RC. Responses were
coded using content and thematic analysis. Results revealed the following themes in participant
outcomes: frustration, satisfaction, building skills and discomfort. Themes will be further
explored and illustrative quotes will be provided for each theme. This research is timely given
that empirical school-based restorative justice research is severely lacking. This project aims to
provide some foundational research on restorative circles to inform not only practitioners and
policy makers but also restorative justice researchers.
Derek Guerrette is from Oakland, Maine and is a Psychology major with a minor in Computer
Science. He is fascinated by the profound effect parents can have on children and vice versa,
and is trying to decide between going to school to become a LCSW or going directly into a
doctoral program.
19. Value of Individual Votes in Proportional Systems
Tess Candler and Phillip Hoeps
Faculty mentor: William Salka
Since the publication of Downs’ theory on rational choice in elections (1957) it has been difficult
for researchers to explain voter turnout, since the costs of voting greatly outweigh the likelihood
of casting an influential vote. This study attempts to expand Downs’ model by considering new
variables in order to explain voter turnout. These additional variables are derived from the
theories of instrumental and expressive voting, where the expressive vote value represents the
benefits gained from the act of voting, while the instrumental vote value is the probability of
one’s vote resulting in one’s preferred candidate getting elected. The difference between the
instrumental and expressive vote values is examined by comparing Germany and the
Netherlands, which both have different proportional electoral systems. The former is a mixed-
member proportional system while the latter is a list proportional system. These electoral
differences, combined with differences in governmental organization, change the value of the
individual vote in both countries. To compare the two countries, this study looked at factors
such as the vote seat disproportionality, number of political parties, and their committee systems.
Moreover, this study considers how these factors affect voting behavior for individuals in each
system. The findings indicate that the instrumental vote value is about the same in the two
countries, while a vote has more expressive value in Germany. These differences are essential to
understanding the original model and, when combined with a study of majoritarian electoral
systems, provide the foundation for the model’s universal applicability.
Tess Candler is a Political Science major from Ledyard, Connecticut. After graduation she
plans to pursue a graduate degree in public policy.
Phillip Hoeps is a Political Science and Economics major from Bensheim, Germany. After
graduation he intends to obtain a graduate degree and work for the diplomatic corps.

20. The Immorality of Wrongful Life Litigation
Thomas Harden
Faculty mentor: Lisa Cassidy
“Wrongful life” litigation centers around the idea that a child with a severe genetic defect can sue
(through the child’s parents) the doctor or medical establishment for failing to detect or report
that the child would have such a disability while still in utero, claiming that the doctor is at fault
for the allegedly miserable existence of the child plaintiff. Wrongful life litigation is typically
undertaken by loving parents, who are trying to secure the money necessary to properly care for
their child or to cope with the emotional trauma of having an unexpectedly disabled child. This
ultimately means that the parents do not wish their child was dead, but are using such litigation
to provide for their child. But resorting to wrongful life litigation as a result of unanticipated
medical expenses treats the doctors as a means to an end. Since the doctors have done nothing to
injure the fetus, it makes no sense that they should be punished for its genetic condition.
Wrongful life litigation is immoral no matter how desperate the plaintiff’s situation for the
reason that it demands unwarranted compensation from parties that are blameless. In light of
this, wrongful life litigation cannot operate as a universal law, is not supported by the categorical
imperative, and cannot be a moral action.
Thomas Harden lives in Wayne, New Jersey and is pursuing a Biology major and Chemistry and
Bioinformatics minors. He currently plans to apply to graduate school, and is hoping for a
career in research.
21. Evaluating Instrumental and Expressive Vote Values in Majoritarian Democracies
Kayla Giordano and Christopher Morris
For the past sixty years, political scientists and economists have been attempting to locate the
determinants of voting behavior. Downs’ (1957) model was based on the assumption that
rational political actors will vote for a particular candidate so as to maximize their economic
utility. Salka (2015) revised Downs’ model by arguing that citizens might receive consumptive
benefits from the act of voting and strive to express their political views through elections rather
than voting strictly to get a certain candidate elected. In both models, a potential voter’s
incentive to turn out is largely determined by her country’s system of government and its
electoral rules. This study compares two majoritarian systems—the United States and United
Kingdom—with the aim of determining the conditions under which the individual voter’s
incentive to turn out is maximized. Vote value indicators at the electoral stage include: electoral
districts’ effective thresholds, stringency of ballot access laws, the number of political parties on
the ballot, and measures of vote-seat disproportionality. Vote value indicators at the governing
stage include: division of power, designs of legislative committee systems, presence of party
discipline, and legislative processes. Using data from the 2010 United States House of
Representatives elections and the 2010 United Kingdom parliamentary elections, it is argued that
voters in the United Kingdom would calculate higher instrumental vote values across the

electoral and governing stages than voters in the United States. In the United States, expressive
vote values are estimated to be higher than in the United Kingdom.
Kayla Giordano is a junior from Salem, Connecticut and a member of the Honors Program. She
is a double major in Political Science and Economics and hopes to pursue a graduate degree in
Public Policy.
Christopher Morris is a sophomore Honors student. He lives in Waterford, Connecticut, is
double majoring in History and English, and plans on going to graduate school to pursue a
career in Education.
22. Ping Pong’s Influence on Chinese people and the World
Wilson Tan and Phillip Woo
Faculty Mentor: Jasmine Tang
Ever since the creation of ping pong, the mechanics of the game have been further developed to
enhance both quality and sportsmanship of the game. During 1952, Japanese player Horoi Satoh
introduced the foam rubber paddle. The paddle made the game faster. Spinning the ball also
became a greater factor. Therefore, ping pong requires an incredible sense of coordination and
skills due to the lightning fast pace at which it is played. The highest governing body of ping
pong is the International Table Tennis Foundation (ITTF). The ITTF established rules that
provided fairness to all players and the public who spectated the game. Ping pong can be thought
of as a leisure sport or a competitive game. Although ping pong is thought to be just a sport, it
has also brought people from all over the world together. On April 10th, 1971, Zhuang Zedong
(3 time world champion) met up with American representative, Glenn Cowan to make a
diplomacy for ping pong. This event was known as “the ping heard all around the world.” This
allowed expansion for the sport. In China, ping pong is considered to be a school sport. This
shows how important ping pong is to the Chinese culture.
Wilson Tan is from Elmhurst, New York and is a Business and Physics major. He would like to
attend graduate school.
Phillip Woo is from Flushing, New York and is a Math major. He would like to attend graduate
school after graduation to study computer information systems or computer programming.

SESSION 3
2:00 to 3:00 pm
Reification, Consciousness, and Resistance: Twentieth Century Revisionary Marxism on
Global Capitalism's Effect on the Mind and Body
Janna Nunziato
Faculty mentors: Todd Goehle and Tze-ki Hon
Exploring the symbiotic relationships existent between revisionary Marxist notions of reification,
consciousness, and resistance, this paper discusses how contextual time and space affects the
perception of an individual’s mental and physical place within the twentieth century global
capitalist system. First, I investigate the ways in which the Soviet revolutionary Vladimir Lenin
and Hungarian theorist Georg Lukács described the evolution of a world capitalist system and its
subsequent penetration and reification into the consciousness of the individual. As Marxists after
Lenin and Lukács tried to apply the theories of reification and consciousness to their respective
times and spaces, these theorists drew inspiration from non-Marxist perspectives – Sigmund
Freud particularly – for their unique observations of the human psyche. More specifically, I
locate how Freudian-inspired, Marxist revisions of reification were particularly popular in two
dichotomous spaces of the “Long 1960s:” “First World” and the “Third World.” Thus, I analyze
how and to what extent the Western Marxist theorist Herbert Marcuse in the “First World” and
the Non-Western theorists Aimé Césaire and Frantz Fanon in the “Third World” grafted
Freudian psychoanalysis onto foundational Marxist ideas to understand an emerging, post-
colonial global economy. By cross-examining the Western and Non-Western analyses into the
First World and Third World psyche respectively, I reveal the limits of Marxist thought for the
study of Non-Western experience within the global capitalist system and thus provide possible
explanations for the divergent forms of mental and physical resistance produced by the two
spaces.
Janna Nunziato is a senior History/Adolescent Education major from East Northport, New York.
Janna plans on teaching social studies at the secondary level and pursuing graduate studies in
modern European cultural and intellectual history.
Democratic Elections in the American States: A Case for Reform
Sabreena Croteau
Within the democratic system of the United States, the existence of competitive elections gives
voters the ability to hold representatives accountable and ensure that the will of the people is
being represented. However, there has been criticism over the dominance of the two major
political parties. In many states, this party control starts with a closed primary that leads to
partisan general elections. Closed primaries force voters to choose a party first, which restricts
their access to different candidates and ideas. It can also lead candidates to cater more to the
party who supports them than to the constituents they represent. Therefore, some states have

enacted reforms to open their primary system allowing voters considerably more choice in
nominating candidates. This study will examine the top-two primary system, first adopted in
Washington, which seeks to diminish party control over the nominating process. It is an open
primary where the two candidates receiving the most votes earn the right to appear on the general
election ballot, regardless of party affiliation. The study examines electoral competition in the
Washington state legislature at the district level. The Holbrook and VanDunk Index and OLS
regression are used to compare electoral competition before and after the adoption of the top-two
system. Findings indicate that the top-two system in Washington has increased electoral
competition and gives a greater voice to citizens. The paper concludes with recommendations for
reforms that other states can adopt to enhance the democratic nature of their elections.
Sabreena Croteau is from North Kingstown, Rhode Island, a member of the university's Honors
Program, and currently a double-major in Political Science and History with a minor in
Sociology. She will be graduating in May and hopes to attend graduate school for a Master's in
international relations.
Heteronormative Social Media Culture
Monica Coniglio
Faculty mentor: David Oh
With the rapid advancement of technology over the last two decades, youth across America have
picked up on technological dependencies and addictions to cellular devices. This analysis
focuses on the experience, alongside qualitative research, of a young woman dealing with the
world of social media and dating apps. In addition, the analysis uses a feminist critique of social
media in the author’s reflection of her daily social media usage. There are few existing sources
that explore this subject matter, so this research would contribute to a field of knowledge that
requires more exploration in the near future.
Monica Coniglio is from Paramus, New Jersey, and is a Communication major with a
concentration in Global Communication & Media. Monica plans to potentially take on a junior-
sales position at a pharmaceutical trade publication based in Ridgewood, NJ where she is
currently interning as Project Coordinator.
Microagressions on Campus: Experiences and Effects
Misha Choudhry and Kate Yost
Faculty mentor: Kristin Kenneavy
A predominance of research regarding discrimination and marginalization focuses on blatant or
obvious forms of discrimination. There is a reason for this: obvious discrimination tends to be
the most powerfully hurtful and the easiest to study for this reason. However, subtle forms of
discrimination, such as microaggressions, are also powerful in their effects, but this goes more
easily unnoticed or unobserved. Microaggressions are comments typically stemming from
unconscious bias towards members of marginalized groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities,

LGBTQ people, women, and people with disabilities. For example, pointing out that a black
woman is attractive despite her race is a microaggression because it implies that black women
are inherently unattractive. This subtlety makes microaggressions notoriously difficult to
quantify and presents many challenges in their categorization. However, examining
microaggressions is crucial to fully understanding how certain forms of discrimination - such as
racism, sexism, and homophobia - operate. Discrimination works in a variety of complicated
ways and is not always obvious; understanding the less obvious interactions of discrimination in
people’s daily lives helps to better understand the reality of these forms of discrimination.
College campuses are often heralded as bastions of acceptance and progressive thought;
however, discrimination remains prevalent in these institutions and often takes the form of
microaggressions. Studying microaggressions through the experiences of marginalized students
is necessary in order to understand the full scope of how these students’ identities affect them in
higher education.
Misha Choudhry is a senior from Montville, New Jersey. A Literature major with minors in
Sociology and Spanish, she hopes to pursue her academic interests in graduate school.
Kate Yost is a senior Sociology major from Green Township, NJ, who plans to earn her Master’s
degree in sociology after graduation.
Ecuador's Tenuous Relationship with Oil Resources
Amanda Wagner
Faculty mentor: Karleen West
Ecuador has a long history of controversy regarding natural resource extraction which, while
economically beneficial, does not come without a cost. The extraction of oil, in particular, has
become a point of contention for people throughout Ecuador, as it threatens to disrupt many
important natural areas while simultaneously providing much needed wealth for a historically
poor country. Although some research has been completed regarding some of the immediate
impacts of oil extraction on the environment and indigenous groups, little investigation into the
larger social and political impacts has been completed. This paper will examine the costs and
benefits of oil extraction in the region in an attempt to understand the various ways in which the
area’s resource richness has impacted the political atmosphere of the country. Looking to a wide
range of sources, including academic, governmental, news and social publications, this paper
attempts to provide a cohesive understanding of the interests and demands influencing
Ecuadorian politics. Through this interdisciplinary approach, I argue that the presence of oil
wealth has served to divide the country, as environmental protection and the preservation of
traditional indigenous practices compete with extractive practices and their economic benefits.
Examining the emergence of indigenous and environmental groups, environmental lawsuits,
political contestation and governmental backlash, I demonstrate that the divides generated by the
presence of oil are likely to deepen as the country’s reliance on oil profits continues to grow.
Amanda Wagner is a senior International Relations major from Ithaca, New York, with minors in
Biology and Environmental Studies. She intends to pursue a career in public health following
her graduation in May 2016.

Hybrid Learning and Student Outcomes: A Student’s Perspective
Erin Strickland
Faculty mentor: Sarah Baires
As part of COPLAC’s hybrid learning initiative in Native American studies, supported by the
Teagle Foundation, I participated in a collaborative archaeological excavation on Block Island,
Rhode Island in summer 2015. This course combined online learning with in-the-field
archaeological experience bridging the gap between the online environment and real world
fieldwork. As a student in this class I was not only part of a course to learn about the nuances of
collaborative archaeological excavation with Native American communities and individuals, but
was also directly involved in a salvage archaeological dig where I was able to apply these skills.
In this paper I will discuss the benefits and limitations of online hybrid learning from a student’s
perspective. I will explore how I utilized the knowledge gained in the online classroom and
directly applied it to the archaeological profession in a way not many undergraduates are
afforded. I had several opportunities to interact with the public and be part of a larger discussion
on how to represent the work that archaeologists do while still being respectful of my fellow
First Nations and Native American classmates and peers. From this experience I now have the
opportunity to conduct my own research on some of the excavated materials, continuing my
practical education in archaeological research. Finally I will discuss how this field experience,
and the online hybrid learning model, provided me with a unique opportunity to learn how
archaeology relates to the larger world.
Erin Strickland is from Gales Ferry, Connecticut and is majoring in History-Social Science and
Spanish, and minoring in Anthropology, Asian Studies, and Computer Science. She is planning
on attending graduate school for a PhD in Anthropology, focusing on Archaeology.
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ARCHITECTURE Room A-102
Problem-Based Service-Learning Architectural Design Studio Experience: Designing For
and With a Community Based Organization
Patrick Chabot, Brooke DeYoung, and Rachel Eldridge
Faculty mentor: Bartlomiej K. Sapeta
Keene State College
As a part of the Early Design Studio, an architecture course rooted in the practices of Problem-
Based Service-Learning and augmented by industry practitioners, three students engaged in a re-
design of an aging K-12 dormitory building on the campus of Hampshire Country School in
Rindge, NH. This project included the purposeful integration of collaborative learning strategies
with direct community service at an institution supporting boys of significant intellectual
potential, hampered by the qualities of a traditional schooling environment.
This presentation will:
- explain the implementation process of Service-Learning strategies that consist of “preparation,
action, reflection, celebration, and evaluation“, a methodology popularized by David Payne;
- characterize the variety and quality of interactions among the students, faculty, community
clients, project users, and industry experts assigned to the project;

2015 COPLAC Program

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