As a biology major, taking non-science classes through the University Honors Program has been an incredibly unique experience and it has enhanced my undergraduate career at GW.
During the Spring 2018 semester, I took a course titled Buddhist Contemplative Practices with Professor Eyal Aviv to learn more about meditation. This resulted in me asking an existential life question in the middle of class one day: “What is our purpose in the world as humans and why does it matter?” Pretty deep, right? With that question came more questions and my interest in the class, aided by Professor Aviv’s enthusiasm, led me to work on a research paper studying science and Buddhism side-by-side. My research project focused on exploring the intersection between science and Buddhism to support the Buddhist notion of non-self by using scientific evidence, such as (1) the evolution of the brain through natural selection and neural plasticity not allowing a single constant self to exist, and (2) the compartmentalization of the brain with individualized functions preventing the existence of one “self”.
My paper was accepted to the Southeast Commission for the Study of Religion (SECSOR) Conference (a regional chapter of the American Academy of Religion) in North Carolina in March 2019. There, I gave a 20 minute presentation to undergraduates, graduate students, and professors. I had the opportunity to listen to experts in their fields who discussed various topics such as Buddhism and Women’s Rights in Thailand, Religion and the World War II Occupation of France, and Depictions of Asian Culture in American Popular Culture. I even received very useful advice for my senior thesis which focuses on the intentionality of consciousness in Advaita Vedānta, Yogācāra Buddhism, and contemporary philosophies.
Writing a paper, presenting at a conference, and answering questions on the spot are all skills I have gained through this experience. I can use these skills when I present at GW Research Days and when I defend my senior thesis for the Enosinian Scholars Program at the end of my senior year. All of this would not have been possible without the SURE Award, as the SURE Award supports Honors students in their research and academic endeavors. The SURE Award funded my travel and stay for the three day conference– giving me the opportunity to learn new skills and continue to become inspired in the field of research.
I highly recommend that students take part in research that they find interesting even if it entails stepping outside of their comfort zone and entering a whole new field of study– just like I did last spring. The University Honors Program gives students the support necessary to conduct exciting interdisciplinary research, and students should definitely take advantage of this!
Category: Research Stories
Congrats to our SURE Award Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of the UHP SURE Award for spring 2019! Students who win the Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement Award use the funds to further their own research under faculty supervision.
These UHPers will be sharing more about their research experiences soon, so keep an eye out to learn more about their work! Snaps for Kelsie Ehalt, Claire Houchen, Mark McKibbin, and Rachel Orey from everyone at the UHP!
Kelsie will investigate how class affected the ritual practices of exorcism and look into archaeological records for more concrete information about Iron Age social structures. She also hopes to create a connection between the ancient Mesopotamian conception of exorcism and later practices, from early Jewish tradition, to Medieval demonology, to the modern portrayals in films.
Since summer 2017, Claire has been working in the lab of Dr. Colin Young at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, studying obesity and metabolic syndrome, with a brain-centric approach. Dr. Young’s lab has shown that “stressing” a certain region of the brain causes fatty liver disease in non-obese mice. This suggests that fatty liver disease may originate not in the liver but in the brain. This led to her current project, which focuses on female mice and fatty liver disease. The working hypothesis is that pre-menopausal female mice (and humans) are protected from fatty liver disease due to the role of estrogen in fat digestion (estrogen is primarily produced in the ovaries). Claire will use her SURE Award funds to present her work at the April 2019 Experimental Biology Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Mark’s research project looks at whether individuals are more likely to vote in elections when they believe their vote “matters.” A key part of political science is figuring out why people decide to vote, and what motivates people to vote. To date, research showing increased turnout associated with the idea that one’s vote “matters” has mainly focused on how the closeness of the race increases turnout. He’ll explore whether people are more likely to vote when they believe the person they vote for will actually be able to make an impact on political decisions that affect their lives.
Rachel’s research will focus on identifying the key factors that ameliorated the success of select smart cities in India, particularly focusing on how some city governments were able to overcome the barriers posed by weak institutions. Additionally, she will analyze cities that have been less successful in implementing the Smart Cities Mission to develop a more detailed understanding of what specific factors (beyond mere institutional weakness) inhibit comprehensive urban reform.
#HonorsProblems: Reflections from a Humble Research Assistant
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Lucy, a sophomore studying international affairs.
Besides “interdisciplinary curricula” and “holistic applicants”, identifying as a “research institution” seemed to be the hottest trend in university marketing when I was touring colleges. You better believe it – some bright-eyed admissions rep would tell the gaggle of students and parents that had just spent probably a few too many hours in the car together – our students, here at [insert name] University, can do original research with faculty as undergraduates.
Like many things schools tell prospective students on tours (“the freshmen dorms are really nice”; “you’ll never get tired of the dining options”; etc.) I assumed that these alleged research opportunities should be taken with a grain of salt. Ok, so undergraduates can do research with faculty – how many students actually do research and what percentage of these students do research outside of the hard sciences? Knowing that I would be pursuing a major in the social sciences, I was fairly apprehensive about the actual amount of opportunities that would present themselves.
Of course this was because I had a completely incorrect understanding of what working with university faculty actually meant. Clearly, I would probably do more damage than good in a lab setting, but it was ridiculous to think that I could only perform original research from behind an Erlenmeyer flask.
Last Spring, I applied on a whim for a research assistant position that had been posted on the honors blog to work with a Professor Harris Mylonas in the Political Science department. Because I was only in my second semester ever at GW, I was mostly expecting a “thanks but no thanks” at best given the fact that I did not have 15 internships immortalized on my resume. However, I was pleasantly proven wrong, and Professor Mylonas invited me to assist him with his research. Professor Mylonas’s work centers largely on diasporas, nation-building, and Southeastern Europe. Since beginning work with him last Spring I have been able to contribute to various papers and articles. I continued working with Professor Mylonas this semester, and most recently, I have been assisting him with updating Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2018 Report for Greece and Cyprus.
It was foolish of me to think that as a social science major I would need to wait for a senior thesis or graduate school to develop a close relationship with a faculty members. Professors are doing research in fields beyond just the hard sciences, and student engagement is feasible in all disciplines. My experience working with Professor Mylonas has been challenging and fulfilling, and I know that I am a stronger student and critical thinker because of this experience.
Boston University Twin Project [Research Assistantship]
Professor: Jody Ganiban
Department: Psychology
Title: Boston University Twin Project
Description: The Boston University Twin Project (BUTP) is a multi-method, multi-situation, longitudinal study of early child temperament and related behaviors. The first phase of this project focused primarily on activity level and comprised over 300 twin pairs assessed in the home and lab at ages 2 and 3. Subject recruitment, sample characteristics, and study procedures are described. A second phase broadens our focus to the development of multiple temperament dimensions and developmental outcomes in a new cohort of 300 twin pairs to be assessed at 3, 4, and 5 years of age.
Duties: Research assistants will be involved in the collection of data through analysis of videos of parent-child dyadic interactions. Each RA will be assigned videos weekly to code. Much of the work would be done independently and on the research assistant’s schedule. One hour each week would be dedicated to a meeting with other research assistants and the supervisor in order to discuss anomalies in videos and necessary modifications to the coding manual and procedures.
Time commitment: 7-9 hours per week (average)
Credit hour option*: 3
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to: ganiban@gwu.edu
*If credit is sought, all registration deadlines and requirements must be met. Students selected to be research assistants should contact Ben Faulkner at benfaulkner@gwu.edu whether they intend to pursue credit or not.
Political Campaigns Meet Fantasy Sports [SURE Stories]
The following blog post was written by UHPer and SURE Award winner Benji Englander.
One of the best things about pursuing individual research is the ability to create your own project focused on the things you find most interesting. As a political communication major moonlighting as a self-proclaimed fantasy sports expert, my thesis allowed me to combine my loves of sports and politics into one academic research project.
By conducting an A/B test that compares two versions of a candidate’s speech – one with local sports team references and one without – in three states known for the loyalty of their sports fans, my research ascertained the political usefulness of sports rhetoric. While not conclusive, the results show that under the right circumstances with the right audience, references to local sports teams can play an important role in political rhetoric and offer unique insights into voter behavior. This project was a substantial undertaking that would not have been possible without the SURE award and support from the UHP. The funding allowed me to gather a representative sample size for my experiment leading to statistically significant results.
If given the opportunity, I would highly recommend that students participate in individual research. Academic research combines all the skills taught throughout college and focuses them on something guaranteed to be interesting because you are in control. The ability to pick the subject matter is rare as an undergraduate and an opportunity one shouldn’t pass up.
2018 Research Showcase Recap
This year’s Honors Research Showcase featured presentations from eleven intellectually omnivorous UHPers. Check out their project titles below.
Benjamin Englander: Rooting for the Home Team: Sports, Politics, and the Rhetoric of Identification
Eliza Goren: The Undergraduate Female Experience: It’s a Man’s World
Elizabeth Hasier: The Streets We Share: A Photographic Study in Transience and Defining Community
Hannah Corn: An Analysis of Chinese Internal Migration to Beijing
Jacqueline Dyer: Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Netrual Lipid Species by Laser Desorption Ionization from Silicon Nanopost Arrays and MALDI
Jacquelyn Veatch: Understanding the City’s Role in Climate Action
Kara Zielinski: Amylin Aggregation Kinetics
Margaret Steiner: HIV-1 Transmission Clusters and Drug Resistance in Washington, D.C.
Quinn Divens: Through Her Eyes: Baya Mahieddine and the Female Form in French Algeria
Rohan Patil: A Multimodal Solution to Workplace Violence in the Hospital
Youmna Sirgi: Understanding Outbound Student Mobility in Lebanon’s Sectarian Environment
Thanks to all who came to show your support! And to our presenters, who did a fantastic job.
Questions or ideas for future UHP research-related events? Please email benfaulkner@gwu.edu.
Spring 2018 Research Showcase
Honors Research Showcase
You are invited to celebrate the research of your UHP peers at the University Honors Program Research Showcase!
Enjoy brief presentations and ask questions Friday, April 27th from 1pm-3pm in the Club Room of the Honors Townhouse. Let your fellow UHPers know how proud we are of their dedication and willingness to take intellectual omnivorous risks!
Please let Ben know ASAP if you’d like to present! (benfaulkner@gwu.edu.)
Honors Research Showcase
You are invited to celebrate the research of your peers at the University Honors Program Research Showcase!
Enjoy brief, casual talks and ask questions Friday, April 28th from 2pm to 5pm in the Club Room of the Honors Townhouse. Let your fellow UHPers know how proud we are of their dedication and willingness to take a risk in order to contribute and disseminate original work as active scholars!
And if you have research you’d like to present, let Catherine know by Monday, April 24th to be included in the program!
Elliott Undergraduate Scholars Research Symposium
All members of the University Honors Program are cordially invited to this years Elliott Undergraduate Scholars Symposium on Wednesday, April 19th!
The Elliott School Undergraduate Scholars program is an enhanced independent research opportunity for outstanding Elliott School juniors and seniors. After months of research and writing, this year’s cohort will be presenting their work April 19th from 10:00am – 2:00pm in Lindner Family Commons. A number of Honors students will be presenting this year, and their names are bolded on the schedule below. We would love for any and all to attend, ask questions, and support them in their presentations!
10:05 am to 11:05 am
Political Participation, Identity, and Power in Asia
Phoebe Bui, Stephanie Gill, Yian Ke, Eun Kyung Na, Dyuti Saunik
Moderated by See-Won Byun, Graduate Student Mentor
11:15 to 11:55 am
Do We Matter? Leveraging Identities in Times of Conflict
Clare Platt, Kaly Moot, Lacy Myrman
Moderated by Luci Prosapio, Graduate Student Mentor
12:00 to 12:30 pm
Transnational Terror in the West
Helen Christy Powell, Seth Harrison
Moderated by Daniel Schwartz, Graduate Student Mentor
12:40 to 1:30 pm
Development, Investment, and the New Economy
Nicholas Johnson, Jiahui Lin (Joyce), Margaret O’Connor, Cindy Zhang
Moderated by Andrew Arveseth, Graduate Student Mentor
Congratulations to our SURE Award Winners!
Congratulations to winners of the UHP SURE Award for the spring 2017 semester! Students who win the Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement Award use the funds to further their own research under faculty supervision.
These UHPers will be sharing more about their research experiences toward the end of the spring semester, so keep an eye out to learn more about their work!
- Scott Barnes, “Collaborative Robotics Optimization,” mechanical engineering
- Danielle Cohen, “Can Women Have It All? An Experiment on the Challenges of Running for Office with Young Children,” political science
- Rose Lieberman, “Mitomycin C affects the migration of Human Corneal Limbal Epithelial Cells,” biology
- Lacy Myrman, “Shared Identities and Displacement: Rwandese Perceptions of Burundian Refugees,” international affairs and Africana studies
- Maggie O’Connor, “Fair Trade: Successes and Shortcomings for Indigenous Peoples,” international affairs
- Emily Richard, “Subclinical Eating Disorder Traits as Correlated with Cortical Structure,” psychology
