Category: Community Life

SURE Stories: Hamilton’s Rule in Artificial Families

Community Life, Featured, Student Voices2 Comments on SURE Stories: Hamilton’s Rule in Artificial Families

The following blog post was written by fellow UHPer and Fall 2022 SURE Award recipient, Grace Hallam (Special Interdisciplinary Major, Sociobiology, ’23). Read on about how Grace plans to utilize the SURE Award funding to further expand upon her research experience!

 

For my senior thesis, I knew I wanted to research the topic of altruism in families. As I began to narrow in the topic, it led me to think about who I consider my family. In addition to my mother and two brothers, I have many friends I have made during my college experience that I consider family. Though we are not genetically related, they are just as much a part of my family. My research project explores big-little relationships in Panhellenic Sororities through the biological lens of Hamilton’s rule. Hamilton’s rule argues genetic relatedness is the underpinning factor of whether an individual will engage in altruistic behavior for another. However, family means much more than sharing the same genes in human social structures. In the context of Panhellenic Sororities, the bonds of female friendship are often overlooked. Using perceived closeness as a proxy for genetic relatedness, my research looks at one’s propensity to engage in altruistic behavior when presented with situations of varying cost to oneself and benefit to others. 

Undertaking this project has completely changed my perspective on my studies. It is one thing to take classes; it is another to apply your knowledge to a cumulative project. Along the way, I have faced many unexpected challenges, but through the careful guidance of my advisors and consulting with my peers for assistance, I am confident about my progress. 

The SURE award has allowed me to increase the response rate of my survey by incentivizing its completion. I will also be using this award to fund the presentation of my research at the upcoming GW Research Days this Spring. I look forward to sharing my final research with the GW community, especially with my fellow Panhellenic members.

 

Interested in applying for your own SURE Award funding? Find out more about the application process here!

SURE Stories: Politics, Policy, & Puto: Philippine-Americans’ Political Identity

Community Life, Featured, Student Voices

The following blog post was written by fellow UHPer and Fall 2022 SURE Award recipient, Gabriel Young (Political Science & International Affairs, ’23). Read on about how Gabriel plans to utilize the SURE Award funding to further expand upon his research experience!

 

As the second-largest, fastest-growing Asian American group, 4.2 million Philippine Americans’ growing civic engagement derives from issues such as Asian American Hate Crimes, Affirmative-Action disputes, Data Disaggregation, U.S.-Philippine relations, and Ethnic Studies advocacy. Despite unity around these issues, Philippine Americans remain divided among political and partisan issues, such as the 2020 election with Filipino-American groups dividing into the Biden-Harris and Trump-Pence camps. Philippine American immigration patterns also correlates with civil-unrest in the Philippines, such as Marcos’s Dictatorship, Labor-Export policy creating high emigration rates. This immigration factor depicts immigrants’ belief in the “American Dream,” formulating into their political ideology. 

As a Philippine American, I struggle advocating and developing policy priorities for my community as there’s lacking data regarding where my community stands ideologically and what policies are prominent. Although grassroot organizations and non-profits seek to serve my community, there’s lacking data there as well. Therefore, I seek to conduct the Policy, Politics, & Puto: Philippine Americans’ Political Identity research study to evaluate and assess Philippine American stances. This research will eventually culminate into my Senior Thesis.

My Research plan is to nationally survey, at a minimum with the opportunity to surpass it, 100 Philippine Americans with half of the respondents between the 18-30 age range and the other half being 36+. This study will be conducted over 1 month and after receiving data, I will analyze the data and conclude findings.

When surveying each group, I will ask identity-based questions asking respondents: where they’re located (West or East Coast & city and state), what immigration generation they identify as (i.e. First-Generation or Second-Generation), their party affiliation (i.e. Democrat, Republican, Independent), and from a scale of 1-5 how impactful their identity has been in developing their political beliefs.

After gathering identity data, I will ask stances on political issues that’ll assess where respondents lie on the political spectrum and the correlation presented. Example topics will ask stances on the Marcos Regime, the Duterte Administration, social media’s impact on politics, immigration, gun rights, abortion, affirmative action, police brutality, political violence, and social welfare. Questions would be on sliding scales. Expected outcomes are to be how Philippine American Identity, policies, and generation formulates Philippine American political ideology

With the SURE award, I worked with non-profits and community organizations such as the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), LEAD Filipino, the UC Davis Bulosan Center, and other organizers to create a research survey that’ll be launched in February 2023. The SURE award allows me to incentivize survey-takers and focus group interviewees by providing them compensation for their time. Additionally, the award allowed me to receive more funding and conduct further steps in polling more participants..

Through the SURE award and my current research, I’ve learned that Philippine Americans’ civic engagement is diverse, yet contributes to the rising movement of Asian American civic engagement. My senior thesis will outstandingly contribute to understanding Philippine Americans’ political stances. I plan to contribute my project and Senior Thesis to develop outreach, research, and policy advocacy strategies that’ll provide academics and professionals data to shape policy. 

 

Interested in applying for your own SURE Award funding? Find out more about the application process here!

2023 Dupont Summit on Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy

Community Life, Events, Extracurricular Opportunity, Featured

The Policy Studies Organization is hosting a summit on science and technology! Below is more information pulled from their website:

“The purpose of the Dupont Summit is to promote interdisciplinary conversation about pressing issues related to the politics and policy of science, technology and the environment. The conference mirrors the interest of the PSO and its partners in promoting conversation about current policy concerns. The conference brings together academics, government, business and social leaders from a variety of backgrounds.

Thanks to the kindness of our sponsors, the registration fee is waved, but registration is still important so that seating and other arrangements (such as catering) can be confirmed. For more information, please contact Executive Director of the Policy Studies Organization Daniel Gutierrez at dgutierrezs@ipsonet.org.”

TOPICS:

  • Cybersecurity
  • Energy
  • National Security
  • Information and Telecommunications
  • Environment, Climate Change
  • Biotechnology
  • Intellectual Property
  • Genetics and Stem Cells
  • Resource Management
  • Science Research and Education
  • Innovation
  • Ethical, Legal & Social Implications
  • Health
  • Security and Surveillance

Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be available throughout the day at no cost.

Date: Friday, February 17th
Place: Online, and at the Historic Quaker Meetinghouse, 2111 Florida Ave. NW, Washington DC
Program and RSVP: https://ipsonet.org/conferences/the-dupont-summit/

SURE Stories: The Effect of Education Initiatives on National Identity and the State of Peace in the Taiwan Strait

Community Life, Featured, Research Stories, Student Voices

The following blog post was written by fellow UHPer and Fall 2022 SURE Award recipient, Anais Fang (International Affairs, concentration in Asia Studies, ’23). Read on about how Anais plans to utilize the SURE Award funding to further expand upon her research experience!

 

My research emerged from my long standing desire to marry the disciplines of my undergraduate studies into a comprehensive project. Having studied international affairs, Asia studies, and peace studies separately in the classroom, I wanted to find and explore the real-life intersection of these disparate fields. As a Taiwanese-American, I decided that centering my work around a country I felt connected to made the most sense. That is how my research question was first formulated. I wanted to understand the extent to which education initiatives influenced Taiwanese national identity, and how the shift in national identity altered the state of peace in the Taiwan Strait.

This project aimed to explore cross-Strait relations following the Chinese Civil War (1949-present) from the interdisciplinary perspectives of domestic politics, soft power, and peace studies. It served as a continuation of my work at the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) and expanded on my research in GW’s Peace Studies program, which were centered around identifying the weight of education initiatives on national identity over the course of Taiwan’s democratization process. The project investigated the Sinicized national identity fostered under Taiwan’s one-party state and its evolution into a nativized identity following the nation’s robust democratization efforts. Once a relationship between education and identity was established, I was able to conduct a comparative study to determine the significance of shifting national identities in fostering and maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait.

This project has provided me with the opportunity to advance my research in a professional direction, seamlessly marrying my interests in international affairs and peace work. My academic endeavors have transcended the bounds of the traditional classroom experience and expanded into a robust process that interacts with the Taiwanese community through conducting expert interviews, seeking primary sources, and exploring alternative mediums of information. It has served as an extension of my work at the Global Taiwan Institute and beyond.

I see this project as an active pursuit of knowledge that will prepare me to translate seemingly abstract concepts into tangible Taiwan policy solutions and bridge the information gap for policy makers. As a continuation of this project, I plan on submitting my final manuscript to the International Journal of Taiwan Studies and proposing my work for a panel at the North American Taiwan Studies Association’s Annual Conference. If accepted, I plan on applying the SURE award to supplement travel costs. I am grateful to the SURE grant, as it has provided me with the resources to fully dedicate myself to my research endeavors. I am excited at the prospect of using the research, writing, analytical, and interpersonal skills I have gained from working on this project to navigate post-graduation career development and a future in public policy.

 

Interested in applying for your own SURE Award funding? Find out more about the application process here!

Fall 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Updates

Community Life, Featured, General News

Below is an update on D&I-related goals and outcomes for the program in Fall 2022. This work is ongoing, and we will provide additional updates at the end of Spring 2023.

  • Honors Diversity and Inclusion Committee: The D&I Committee – composed of students, faculty, and staff – met several times in Fall 2022 to discuss programming priorities and possible tasks/initiatives for the year. The Committee welcomes new members at any time and welcomes ideas and suggestions for programming from anyone in the UHP community.   
  • Learning/Training: Diversity and inclusion topics were integrated into our first-year orientation during Fall 2021 and the successful aspects of that orientation were repeated in our Fall 2022 orientation (August 22 & 23). These included a presentation about microaggressions during our first-year student welcome session, topical breakout discussion sections led by Peer Advisors, and a required orientation workshop led by Dr. Jordan West, Associate Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement. Incoming first-year students had the opportunity to self-select which breakout discussion session to attend, with Peer Advisors opening up the space for students to share concerns. In this way, students had the chance to begin building support networks with Peer Advisors and one another. Dr. Jordan West’s interactive workshop focused on building a welcoming community and provided space and time for students to have open and honest conversations with one another as they began the process of developing an Honors community. Additionally, the UHP continues to focus on communicating to students via the NewsFlash, blog, and course syllabi about the various campus offices and resources where students can access on-campus support including but not limited to Title IX, bias reporting, and the Student Code of Conduct. 
  • First-year Student Survey: In Fall 2022, first-year students were asked to complete a short survey related to their experiences within the program and the greater GW community. The results have been considered by UHP staff, peer advisors, and the D&I Committee and help to identify initiatives that have been successful as well as those that could be created or improved upon. A number of concerns related to housing and dining came up in the survey. While the UHP has no jurisdiction in these areas, all student concerns were relayed to the proper authorities in Campus Living and Residential Education. Recently, Roslyn Gowens became the acting director of the Mount Vernon Campus. The UHP has been working closely with her and others in her office to advocate for our first-year students.
  • Programming: In alignment with the UHP’s goal of building and sustaining a welcoming community through various events and programs, the UHP partnered with the Women’s Leadership Program to host a dinner and presentation/conversation on “Dealing with Imposter Syndrome” (October 2022). The UHP chose to focus on this topic because imposter syndrome had been a major concern in the 2021 first-year student survey. The event was facilitated by Dr. Jameta Barlow, a community health psychologist who is an Assistant Professor of Writing in the University Writing Program and a faculty member in the WLP. Dr. Barlow’s research – including her “Saving Our Sisters Project,” utilizes “decolonizing methodologies to disrupt cardiometabolic syndrome and structural policies adversely affecting Black girls’ and women’s health, intergenerational trauma and perinatal mental health” (see her full bio here). The imposter syndrome presentation/discussion was centered around how imposter syndrome can impact students inside of and outside of the classroom. Additional topics such as concerns with confidence, how to combat negative feelings, and resources on campus were presented in an open dialog format allowing anyone to share their experiences and to learn from one another. While a significant number of students RSVPed for the event, less than half of those who RSVPed actually attended. Unfortunately, lack of attendance follow-through from students limits our ability to offer similar programming in the future.       

An additional program that was carried out as a direct result of a student suggestion from the Fall 2022 first-year experience survey was a therapy dog event. Director Kung and the UHP Program Managers hosted this “Therapy Dog Day” immediately before Fall 2022 final exams (December 13). The UHP partnered with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and were able to provide a space for students to spend time with trained therapy dogs to destress before exams began. Unfortunately, one of the dogs was not able to come at the last minute, but the two dogs that did make it were doted upon by a combined 65 UHP students. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future. 

  • Peer Advisor Program: This year, the Peer Advisor Program made intentional efforts to connect UHP first-year students with their Peer Advisors both before and after they arrived on campus. As implemented last year, our standard policy is now to provide incoming students the chance to match with a Peer Advisor based on identity, interests, academic school, and/or major. 

During first-year orientation, the Peer Advisors hosted breakout rooms discussions about topics such as being a first-generation student, balancing academics and social life, queer life at GW, and more. The goal of these discussions was to foster community within the UHP and to assist first-year students in making connections with one another. 

Throughout the semester, Peer Advisors hosted a variety of events on the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon Campuses with the continued goal of fostering community. These events included museum trips, cookie decorating, scavenger hunts, and community visits. Also – for the first time – Peer Advisor held “drop-in office fours” weekly, providing students with the opportunity to stop by with any questions or concerns. 

We are extremely thankful for our Peer Advisors and wanted to recognize their hard work at the end of the semester. First-year students were given the opportunity to share their gratitude by submitting personal shoutouts with our “Peer Advisor appreciation form.” We received responses from 26 students expressing appreciation for the work of their Peer Advisors and passed their kind words along to their Peer Advisors. 

  • Upper-level UHP Courses/Faculty: The program continues to work closely with the GW administration to give excellent faculty from around the University the opportunity to teach a unique seminar within the Honors Program. There are, of course, many faculty who would love to offer a course within the UHP but who cannot be spared by their departments. We are delighted that Dr. Sharon Hill, Associate Professor of Management, will be joining us in Fall 2023 to teach a course focused on preparing students to lead and collaborate in contemporary teams. In the next few semesters, we are hoping to offer courses focused on Africa and Latin America and are also pursuing the possibility of offering an upper-level course taught entirely in Spanish. Our upper-level course substitution option remains available for students interested in course topics that we cannot currently offer within the program. Director Kung will be holding a “focus group” discussion in early Spring 2023 to hear from students about what other topics they would like to learn about.     

 

The American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Program!

Community Life, Extracurricular Opportunity, Featured

Interested in work experience and an educational summer program? AEI is offering a summer honors program! Read the information on their website below:

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The American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program is an intensive, fully-funded educational and professional development opportunity in Washington, DC, for top undergraduate students. Participants in the program have the chance to connect with the ideas, research, and network of AEI, one of America’s preeminent policy think tanks, by participating in an intensive one-week seminar with an AEI scholar or partner instructor.

The program gathers students from diverse ideological backgrounds for substantive dialogue and debate about the most pressing issues facing the country and world. The core feature of the program is a series of discussion-based seminars that offer participants forums to delve deeply into policy areas of their choice. Outside of the seminars, students participate in briefings with distinguished guests, high-level networking opportunities, and site visits in Washington.

The program aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of contemporary public policy challenges, a greater appreciation for substantive dialogue across ideological divides, and the knowledge and networks to pursue a future career in the policy world.

Location: Washington, DC
Dates: Students participate in an one-week course in June 2023.
Funding: This is a fully-funded program. Participants will receive: reimbursement for travel to DC, housing, a $250 stipend, and lunch and dinner on most class days.
Class Size: 12-18 students per class

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You can find more information and apply here!

 

SURE Stories: Pharyngeal Morphology of Invasive Carp Species

Community Life, Featured, Research Stories, Student Voices

The following blog post was written by fellow UHPer and Fall 2022 SURE Award recipient, Caitlin Garrett (Biology, ’23). Read on about how Caitlin’s utilized the SURE Award funding to further expand upon her research experience!

 

Over the winter break, I flew to Austin, Texas to talk about fish, and I loved every second of it! With the support of the SURE Award, I was able to attend the 2023 meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology and present a poster detailing the research I have been working on in the Hernandez Lab here at GW. The main aim of my project is to compare the feeding anatomy of three species of carp and understand how their morphological adaptations help them thrive, causing damage to the habitats they invade and human livelihoods. I’ve spent two semesters and a summer dissecting, working with CT scans, and studying muscles at the microscopic level to figure out exactly what is going on in these fishes’ throats!

Attending SICB 2023 and presenting my poster was an incredible experience. Not only was I able to share my research with experts from the biology community, but I got to soak in four days of lectures, talks, and presentations on brand-new ideas, methods, and findings. The graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other professionals I met were welcoming and more than happy to offer advice, share how their careers developed, and of course, nerd out about our favorite weirdo organisms. I gained familiarity with the professional academic community that I would not have been able to obtain any other way. I left the conference and returned to GW with valuable insights, new connections, and a refreshed excitement to continue my project. Since the finish line for my undergraduate career is just a few months away, I am currently synthesizing all the work I’ve done in the lab into a senior thesis. SICB 2023 was a hugely rewarding experience and a major highlight of my academic career, and I am so thankful to the UHP for helping to make it happen for me!

 

Interested in applying for your own SURE Award funding? Find out more about the application process here!

SURE Award – Spring 2023 Application Now Open!

Community Life, Competitions, Featured

Did you know that Honors students have the opportunity to win up to $500 for their research? How about Honors students may also be considered for an additional $500 in funding? It’s true! Want to know how? 

Apply for the UHP/Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement (SURE) Award!

Any current Honors student who is engaged in research may apply for an individual grant of up to $500 to support their research activities. Honors students may also be considered for an additional $500 through SURE Award at-large university funding. Activities may include (but are not limited to) the purchase of research equipment or supplies; registration and travel expenses for conference presentations; travel to libraries or archives; and videography costs associated with the documentation of performances. The possibilities are endless! 

One former winner shares their story on how they used their SURE funding to study the intersection of science and religion here.

Required application materials:

  1. Student Application
  2. Detailed budget information on how funding will be used
  3. A statement of support from a GW faculty member
  4. Unofficial GW Transcript (no transcripts from GWeb please)

The deadline to apply for funding to be used in Spring or Summer 2023 is Friday, February 3rd. Applications are accepted via the CUFR’s InfoReady portal. Please ensure you indicate on your application that you are a member of the Honors Program for best consideration of funding.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please reach out to Program Manager Tabitha at tabitha.dean@gwu.edu.

The Purpose and Power of Museums, Monuments and Memorials

Community Life, Courses, Featured

As part of Prof Kung’s capstone, “The Purpose and Power of Museums, Monuments and Memorials,” UHP students visited a number of museums and monuments around the city earlier this semester!

Ice cream after a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture

 

Learning to weave at GW’s Textile Museum!

 

Making use of the “Play Work Build” space at the National Building Museum

 

Out and about on a monument walk, including stops at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and World War II Memorials

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