2009 Brackenridge Fellow Presentations
May 21, 2009
Erin Donnelly
Linguistics and Anthropology
"The Phonetics of 'B' in Two Dialects of African American English"
Faculty Sponsor: Shelome Gooden, Department of Linguistics, School of Arts and Sciences
Christopher Rampolla
History and Philosophy
"A Study in European Identity: The European Untion and the Global Financial Crisis"
Faculty Sponsor: Bernard Hagerty, Department of History, School of Arts and Sciences
Erin Rodriguez
Anthropology
"Identification and Composition of Iroquois Households"
Faculty Sponsor: Kathleen Allen, Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences
May 28, 2009
Lionel Levine
Economics and Philosophy
"Group Premiums and the Public Sector Intervention in Community Health Insurance"
Faculty Sponsor: Sourav Bhattacharya, Department of Economics, School of Arts and Sciences
Greg Bergman
Political Science and History
"Balancing on the Constitutional Fence: The Fourth Amendment and National Security Concerns in the 21st Century"
Faculty Sponsor: Lisa Nelson, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Amber Polk
Classics and Mathematics
"The Logical Structure of Classical Greek Philosophical and Mathematical Argumentation"
Faculty Sponsor: Andrew Miller, Department of Classics, School of Arts and Sciences
June 4, 2009
Laura Pasek
Classics and Religious Studies
"Religious Syncretism in Ancient Egypt: Hathor, Isis, and the Virgin Mary"
Faculty Sponsor: Rebecca Denova, Department of Religious Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
Anita Godse
Finance
"Progression and Evaluation of the Financial Integration of the European Union"
Faculty Sponsor: Josephine Olson, Katz Graduate School of Business
Amelia Johnson
Environmental Studies
"Reconstructing Pittsburgh's Pollution History with Dendrochemistry: An Analysis of Heavy Metal Concentrations in a Schenley Park Red Oak Tree"
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Bain, Department of Geology and Planetary Science, School of Arts and Sciences
June 11, 2009
Allyson Tessin
Environmental Studies, Geology, and History
"A Recent Pollution History of the Macedonian Region in Greece"
Faculty Sponsor: Michael Rosenmeier, Department of Geology and Planetary Science, School of Arts and Sciences
Molly Kane
Geology, Environmental Studies, and Religious Studies
"Documenting the History of incan Precious Metal Production Using Geochemical Techniques from Lake Sediments in the Cuzco Region of Peru"
Faculty Sponsor: Mark Abbott, Department of Geology and Planetary Science, School of Arts and Sciences
Lauren Buches
History and English Writing
"Replacing Religious Beliefs with Civil Religions in Nazi Germany Modern Israel"
Faculty Sponsor: Alexander Orbach, Department of Religious Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
June 18, 2009
Kayloni Olson
Psychology
"SPRINT: Self-Esteem Promotion for Reducing Inactivity and Improving Nutrition in Teens"
Faculty Sponsor: Dana Rofey, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Lewis Lehe
Mathematics-Economics
"Economics and the New Media"
Faculty Sponsor: Katherine Wolfe, Department of Economics, School of Arts and Sciences
Erin Nichols
Biology and History and Philosophy of Science
"Smart Immunosuppressants"
Faculty Sponsor: Steven Little, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering
June 22, 2009. afternoon session
(NOTE: Presentations are at the Johnstown Campus)
Joshua Cannon
Anthropology and Linguistics
"The Socio-Economic Conditions of the Early Bronze Age Anatolian Site Karatas"
Faculty Sponsor: Kathleen Allen, Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences
Austin Deaver
Ecology and Evolution and Philosophy
"Natural Complexity and the Nature of Species"
Faculty Sponsor: Sandra Mitchell, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, School of Arts and Sciences
Bernadette Chepega
Political Science, History, and English Writing
"Union Resistance Movements in Loudon County"
Faculty Sponsor: Van Beck Hall, Department of History, School of Arts and Sciences
June 23, 2009, morning session
(NOTE: Presentations are at the Johnstown Campus)
Emily Pierson
Biology and Environmental Studies
"Creating the Sendero Barrancoli, a Birding Trail in the Dominican Republic"
Faculty Sponsor: Todd Katzner, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences
Elizabeth Van Loon
Nursing
"The Experiences of Malawian Community Health Volunteers"
Faculty Sponsor: Judith Matthews, Department of Health and Community Systems, School of Nursing
Amanda Cohen
History and History of Art and Architecture
"The Symbolic, Theological, and Medical Role of Blood in Medieval Anti-Semetic Blood Myths"
Faculty Sponsor: Janelle Greenberg, Department of History, School of Arts and Sciences
June 23, 2009, afternoon session
(NOTE: Presentations are at the Johnstown Campus)
Jeffrey Reamer
History and Philosophy
"The Pennsylvania 116th: A Social History of Irish Soldiers in the Civil War"
Faculty Sponsor: Van Beck Hall, Department of History, School of Arts and Sciences
Yelena Forrester
Linguistics and Anthropology
"Tradition and Innovation: Iceland's Changing Literary Identity"
Faculty Sponsor: Jona Hammer, Department of Linguistics, School of Arts and Sciences
Michelle Vo
History
"From Mary Magdalene to Modernity: Attitudes Toward Prostitution, Female Sexuality, and the Global Sex Industry"
Faculty Sponsor: Rebecca Denova, Department of Religious Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
June 24, 2009, morning session
(NOTE: Presentations are at the Johnstown Campus)
Melissa Eels
Psychology
"An Assessment of Service Integration on Emotional and Behavioral Strengths of Children in Allegheny County's Deparment of Human Services"
Faculty Sponsor: Amy Herschell, Department of Psychiatry, School of Nursing
Andrew Dilla
History
"Identification and Analysis of Cellular Markers for Adult Lung Stem Cells"
Faculty Sponsor: Peter Di, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health
Lauren Zasadil
Molecular Biology and Linguistics
"The Characteristic of Drosophia Shroom"
Faculty Sponsor: Jeffrey Hildebrand, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences
June 24, 2009, afternoon session
(NOTE: Presentations are at the Johnstown Campus)
Rachel Hutchinson
English Writing and Studio Arts
"Four Corners Project"
Faculty Sponsor: Delanie Jenkins, Department of Studio Arts, School of Arts and Sciences
Patrick Cooper
Physics and Mathematics
"Measurement Theory and the Evolution of the EPR Paradox"
Faculty Sponsor: George Sparling, Department of Mathematics, School of Arts and Sciences
Richard Fiorella
Chemistry and Environmental Studies
"Towards Biologically and Environmentally Compatible Metal-Organic Frameworks"
Faculty Sponsor: Nathaniel Rosi, Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences
June 25, 2009, morning session
(NOTE: Presentations are at the Johnstown Campus)
Julia Morley
Biology and Business
"Vascular Responses to Alterations in Core Body Temperature"
Faculty Sponsor: David Hostler, Department of Emergnecy Medicine, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
John Kraemer
Mathematics and Economics
"Fractals and Antenna Theory: The Effect of Self-Similarity on Radio and Acoustic Wave Propagation"
Faculty Sponsor: Juan Manfredi, Department of Mathematics, School of Arts and Sciences
July 9, 2009
Jen Lue
English Writing and History of Art and Architecture
"The Life of the Body"
Faculty Sponsor: Dave Newman, Department of English, School of Arts and Sciences
Timothy Moreland
Economics and Political Science
"Sweden in the 20th Century: Examining the Growth of Government"
Faculty Sponsor: Steven Husted, Department of Economics, School of Arts and Sciences
Jonathan LaTourelle
History and Philosophy of Science
"Science Education and Technocracy"
Faculty Sponsor: Leslie Hammond, Department of History, School of Arts and Sciences
July 16, 2009
Rebekah Lynn
English Literature, Classics, and Women's Studies
"Representations of Class in Queer Literature"
Faculty Sponsor: Christine Mahady, Department of English, School of Arts and Sciences
Erik Hinton
Philosophy and Film Studies
"Reconstituting the Whole: A Study in the Problems of Religious Unity and Totality"
Faculty Sponsor: Tony Edwards, Department of Religious Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
Shannon Watkins
Political Science and History
"Anthropocentric or Ecocentric?: Arguments for Legal Standing for Natural Entities in Court"
Faculty Sponsor: Steven Bilakovics, Department of Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences
July 23, 2009
Heather Douthitt
Neuroscience and Psychology
"The Role of Dynamin in 'Kiss-and-Run' Vesicle Endocytosis"
Faculty Sponsor: Stephen Meriney, Department of Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences
Nikos Giannopoulos
History of Art and Architecture and French
"Beneath the Soot: Uncovering Architectural Images in Post-Industrial Pittsburgh"
Faculty Sponsor: Gretchen Bender, Department of History of Art and Architecture, School of Arts and Sciences
Trent Cunningham
Music and German
"A New Approach to Music Analysis"
Faculty Sponsor: Ivan Jimenez, Department of Music, School of Arts and Sciences
July 30, 2009
Ranjodh Singh
Neuroscience, History and Philosophy of Science, and Chemistry
"Assessing the Role of the Skeletal Survey in Improving the Diagnosis of Child Abuse"
Faculty Sponsor: Rachel Berger, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Justin Cardinale
Biology and Spanish
"Euskaldun: A Musical Exploration of the Basque Country"
Faculty Sponsor: Roger Zahab, Department of Music, School of Arts and Sciences
Molly Sauter
History and Philosophy of Science
"Interactivity in Literature"
Faculty Sponsor: Michael West, Department of English, School of Arts and Sciences
August 6, 2009
Margaret Krauss
English Writing
"South Africa Today"
Faculty Sponsor: Cynthia Skrzycki, Department of English, School of Arts and Sciences
Scott Perkins
Neuroscience
"Molecular Basis for Recovery from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury"
Faculty Sponsor: Carey Balaban, Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine
Evan Waters
History and Classics
"Reimagining the Agora: Ralph E. Griswold and the Evolution of the Athenian Age"
Faculty Sponsor: Nicholas Jones, Department of Classics, School of Arts and Sciences
August 13, 2009
Omar Ayyash
Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, and Economics
"Paving a Trail Through the Mono-Ubiquitin Pathway"
Faculty Sponsor: Lewis Jacobson, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine
Nathan Zimmerman
Philosophy
"History, Genealogy, Rationality"
Faculty Sponsor: Robert Brandom, Department of Philosophy, School of Arts and Sciences
Benjamin Labe
Philosophy and Mathematics-Economics
"The Liar Now Sleeps: A Semantic Analysis of the Liar Paradox"
Faculty Sponsor: Anil Gupta, Department of Philosophy, School of Arts and Sciences