Symposium Highlights Student Research, Grit
Over 50 Global Scholars, mentors, KU International Affairs (KUIA) Advisory Board members, and guests attended the Global Scholars Research Symposium on April 27 at the Burge Union. Seven seniors presented on topics including alternative sources of well-being, Chinese foreign policy, the global environmental impact of biodiesel, and water resilience in a rapidly changing world.
“We recognized an exceptionally talented group of students who have persevered to complete international research projects despite several difficult years due to the pandemic,” said Professor Elizabeth MacGonagle, director of the Global Scholars program. “I am impressed with their dedication.”
The Symposium highlights the importance of international and study abroad programs that KU International Affairs Advisory Board members support. For Board Member Richard Paegelow, the Symposium serves as an important touchstone, connecting board members with Global Scholars and current research.
“Coming from various fields, the presentations displayed a wide range of research methodologies and analysis that go way beyond traditional college term papers. It is ever more critical that students and scholars learn proper research techniques that produce results that can be replicated and validated by others,” said Paegelow.
Paegelow, who lives in California where they are aiming to drastically slash pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy, cites Scholar Marah Shulda’s research on the creation of sustainable and lower carbon fuels as particularly memorable. Her presentation sparked a lively discussion among the audience.
Fellow Scholar Dulani Hannadige looked to her home country, Sri Lanka, for her Global Scholars research project. She examined the role of social categories, such as ethnicity and religion, in women’s differential experiences using letters written by Sri Lankan women during the country’s civil war (1983-2009) archived in Herstories.
“It was fulfilling to present my research and accomplish my goal of raising the issue of reconciliation and reconstruction in post-war Sri Lanka alongside my peers and their own incredible research at the Symposium,” said Hannadige, who will start graduate school at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University this fall. “This project allowed me to explore the issues at the intersections of my identity, background, and academic interests and hone my research and communication skills, forming a foundation for further exploration of issues of gender, identity, conflict, and human rights as I move to graduate school."
Hannah Chern (Cohort ’23) attended the Symposium to support the senior cohort and gain ideas for her future presentation. As a double science major (chemistry and biology), Chern was worried about what her Global Scholars research would be. After seeing how creative seniors were with their research projects, she realized she had ample opportunities within her majors.
“Seeing how students integrated their own major such as engineering into their own globally focused research project made me realize that my options for research topics are endless,” said Chern.
Global Scholars presentations
Dulani Hannadige, a global & international studies and sociology major with a minor in women, gender & sexuality studies, was mentored by Brian Lagotte, assistant teaching professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Center for Global & International Studies. Her research presentation was “Women’s Differential Experiences of the Sri Lankan Civil War.”
Virginia Hannahan, a philosophy major, was mentored by Brad Cokelet, associate professor of philosophy. Her research presentation was “Honesty: Confucian Insights for Contemporary Debates.”
Poonam Keshary, a molecular, cellular & developmental biology major on the pre-medicine track, and Miranda McDaniel, a psychology major, were mentored by Dr. Glenn Adams, professor of psychology. Their joint research presentation was “Alternative Sources of Well-being: Evidence from Ghana.”
Jimin Park, a global & international studies and political science major, was also mentored by Professor Lagotte. His research presentation is “Social Identity Theory and Chinese Foreign Policy.”
Emma Russin, a civil engineering major, was also mentored by Professor Adams. Her research presentation was “Defining Water Resilience in a Rapidly Changing Society.”
Marah Shulda, a chemical engineering major with a minor in global & international studies, was mentored by Susan Williams, Charles E. & Mary Jane Spahr Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering. Her research presentation was “Biodiesel Production on an International Scale and Associated Environmental Impacts.”