Student Research
Majors culminate their course of study by writing a research thesis on a topic reflecting a particular area of expertise, developed in close consultation with faculty advisors. Specialists in making connections and drawing together different strands of the American experience, American studies majors have pursued careers in public service, politics, law, education, business, and media and journalism. For a list of recent research projects, see below.
Student Research Symposium
Students in American studies write a senior thesis on a topic of their own choosing. The thesis is the capstone of the major. Students do original research with primary sources and draw on American studies scholarship to develop their own insights and arguments. The range of topics is wide, reflecting the varieties of student interest.
Students write a prospectus in the fall semester and in the spring write their theses. As an aid to their scholarship, the department sponsors a senior symposium in February, where students present their research to an audience of faculty, friends and their peers. The feedback students receive gives them new questions to ask and scholarly discoveries to make.
The 2024 American Studies Senior Symposium will be held Wednesday, Feb 28, 4:30pm in Stern Great Room.
American Studies Research Projects Over the Years
The following list includes current and historic individual student research projects, public presentations from conferences, symposia and exhibitions and peer-reviewed publications. For abstracts on each project see Students as Scholars.
Students can get a list of their projects by going to CLIQ in the Gateway. Under the CLIQ menu, go to Profiles and then My ePortfolio. If you are an alum and would like a copy of your projects, please submit a research project request form.
“Supported by” on Student Conference Presentation records indicates the entity or funding mechanism that supported the student’s participation in the conference, e.g., travel expenses, poster costs. For on-campus conferences, the supporting entity is usually the academic department sponsoring the event.
“Supported by” on Student Research Project records indicates the entity or funding mechanism that supported the student’s research costs, e.g., supplies, materials, equipment, stipends or local or international research travel.
2021
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Emily Elizabeth Benson | Controlling Appearances: Resisting the Male Gaze in Early 1970s Feminist Art Conference: 13th Annual American Studies Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Keshawn Tyriq Bostic | "That's Kween with a K 'Cause I'm a King Too": Masculinity, Femininity, and Gender Performance in Contemporary Hip-Hop Culture Conference: 13th Annual American Studies Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Keyshana Vonshay Edwards | Healing from Ancestral Trauma: The Effects of Black Spirituality Conference: 13th Annual American Studies Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Olivia Ann Riordan | Access and Representation: Early Sesame Street and Social Justice TV Conference: 13th Annual American Studies Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Kate Belden Shepherd | Joy of Cooking:聽White America's Cooking Bible and Guide to Domesticity Conference: 13th Annual American Studies Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Hannah Marguerite Spirt-Jones | Stolen Souls and Stifled Voices: The modern genocide of Indigenous women Conference: 13th Annual American Studies Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
2020
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie R Brown | Athletes Transcending Race Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Esme Cricket Cary-Green | "Whities Aren't Gonna Like That:" Night plus Market, Authenticity, and Ethnic Haute Cuisine Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Susanna Chandlee Fitts | SLACs (Small Liberal Arts Colleges) and Recruiting: Uncovering the Relationships Between Admissions and Diversity on Campus Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Christian James Foley | Victims of the Sunken Place: Contemporary Bare Life in Get Out Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Wallis Norma Jean Grant | What Hate Can Uncover: An Investigation of the Carlisle Unity Celebration Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Caroline Kassas | The Issue With聽GQ's聽New Masculinities: How Magazines Reconstruct and Sell Contemporary Representations of Men Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Claire Cicero MacAulay | Hallmark Movies: Questions of Feminism and Escape in a Modern Era Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Pema Tashi | Crafting Counterculture: How Cartography and Graphic Design Disrupt Systems of US Benevolence Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Makeda A White | "Black Waves Black Days" Black Space: Analyzing Solange's聽"When I Get Home" Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Andrew Ernest Zaccagnino | An All-Digital Future and its Affect on the Video Game Industry and Culture Conference: American Studies Department 12th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
2019
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Keson Torell Bullock-Brown | Does the Dollar Ever Solve the Issue: Examining Black Capitalism as an Insufficient Measure of Freedom Conference: 2019 Annual Eastern American Studies Association Conference Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Keson Torell Bullock-Brown | Does the Dollar Ever Solve the Issue: Examining Black Capitalism as an Insufficient Measure of Freedom Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Leda Jane Kolbowski Fisher | Bad Niggers and Rich Niggas: The Nigger/a as Counter-Hegemonic Figure Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Hannah Guy-Mozenter | Health Food: White Subjectivity and Femininity Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Eleanor Fairbank Kaestner | Vogue, Nike, and New York Fashion Week: The Intersection of Fashion and Politics in the Trumpian Era Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Fiona Emily Keane | Radical Warriors: Activism, Insurrection, and Native American Vietnam Veteran Involvement in the American Indian Movement. Conference: 2019 Annual Eastern American Studies Association Conference Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Fiona Emily Keane | War! What is it Good For?: Activism, Insurrection, and Native American Vietnam Veteran Involvement in the American Indian Movement. Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Heidi Elouise Kim | Understanding #AsianAugust and the Modern Conversation About Asian Representation in Hollywood Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Ali Michele Kramer | YouTube, Mass Culture, and the "Fanopticon": An Examination of Social Media's Effect on the Millennial Trademark Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Killian Kueny | Evacuees, Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons: How Labels Perpetuate Dominant Ideological Hierarchies in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Conference: 2019 Annual Eastern American Studies Association Conference Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Killian Kueny | Hurricane Katrina's Connotative Storm: Exploring the Discrepancies between Labels for American Citizens and their Perpetuation of Institutional Hierarchies Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Tierney A O'Connell | The Destigmatization of Mental Illness as Influenced by the Power of Celebrities Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Julia Eliza Ormond | What's in a Box?: Native American Food Sovereignty and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Lucy Alison Smith | Obscene Queens: Government Rhetoric, Television Regulations, and Nakedness Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Lauren Weickert | Prison Uprisings in the Era of Mass Incarceration: Isolation and Community Building Conference: 2019 Annual Eastern American Studies Association Conference Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
| Lauren Weickert | Prison Uprisings in the Era of Mass Incarceration: Isolation and Community Building Conference: 11th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Nicholle Dragone |
2018
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| D'Andre Battle | Queer Black Representations in Sitcom Media Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Zachary Carson Blumenstein | A Quest for Authenticity: Gangster Rap's Influence on White Mainstream Culture Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Edward Brown | Esther Popel Shaw, Dickinson Housing Policies, and the Origins of Modern Race Relations in America Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Sofia Garcia Canning | Fast Tracking U.S. Citizenship: Kenyan Runners as Olympic Hopefuls and Extracted Resources Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Sydney Brown Collins | Addressing Divided Feminisms: Intersectionality in Reproductive Justice Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Emily Marion Hall | Black Owned, White Controlled: Ebony Magazine and Middle Brow Beauty Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Lillian Karl | Patagonia, Environmentalism, and the Great (White) Outdoors Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Caroline Grace Smiegal | Progress Through Podcasts: A Cultural Analysis of Sex Positive Feminism in Popular Media Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Jade Weiner | Cosmetic Surgery and the Enforcement of the Male Gaze Conference: 10th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
2017
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Erin Louise Andreassi | 'The Talented Tenth vs. 'The Precious Ten': Defining Modern Conceptions of Childhood through Class Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Claire Frances Brigham | Protected by the Turf: Rape Culture on College Campus Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Keson Torell Bullock-Brown | The Resurgence of Scientific Racism in the 1970s Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 weeks | J Cotten Seiler |
| Kellen Christopher Edmondson | Tempering Flavors for American Palates: The Legend of General Tso's and the Deterioration of Authenticity Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Caitlin Jennifer Farrell | Fashion, Feminism, and the Sartorial Power of Coco Chanel Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Mariah B Finkelstein | Steven Universe: Queering the World of Children's Media Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Katherine Schweighofer |
| Colleen Ann Frerichs | Bitch-Boss or Boss-Bitch: Representations of Postfeminist Working Women in Romantic Comedies Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Katherine Schweighofer |
| Gillian Gerli Horn | The Lens of Visual Freedom: Articulation of Freedom of Speech on Instagram Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Katherine Schweighofer |
| Isabel Anne Lang | A Radical Ticket: 'Unbought and Unbossed', Shirley Chisholm and Intersectional Politics in America Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Matthew Reuben Maitland | The War on Athletes in the Neoliberal Turn Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Hanna C Norman | Pixar's Toy Story: Longings for an American Childhood Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Lucille Ruth Richman | Quite the Doll-emma: Race and Gender Representations in American Girl Dolls of Color Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Brian Joseph Thomas | What Makes a Gay Wedding Gay?: The Reconstruction of Gender in White Wedding Rituals Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Sarah Ann Welch | Tan Like Me: Alexander Hamilton and the Spectacle of Raciality Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Matthew Wenz | "To be the man, you Gotta Beat the Man": "Othered" Bodies and Normal Masculinity in WWE Wrestling Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
| Aine Mairead Zaniewski | Whiting Up Through Satire: White Chicks, It's Funny, Isn't It? Conference: 9th Annual American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Eric Vazquez |
2016
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Harper Lindsay Clark | Carlisle Indian Industrial School: Charles Williams Conference: Sports Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Katherine Schweighofer |
| Tyler William Clauson-Wolf | It's Funny Because It's True: Social Commentary in Stand-Up Comedy Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Drew Elizabeth Crowley | Purity Balls: Virginity as a Gendered Construct Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Jason William Denaburg | 21st Century Czar: American Imagination of Russia and Vladimir Putin Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Samuel Nathan Drabkin | 'Wastin' My Life in Altered States': Death Grips and Avant-Garde Rage Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Mariah B Finkelstein | The Perfect Skin: Race, Materiality, and the Spectacular Invention of Visibility Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 6 | Jerry Philogene |
| Peter Ashbridge Hass | Declarations and Incarcerations: Race, Audibility, and Citizenship in the Postwar US Prison System Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Patricia Ann Kotrady | Consuming Authenticity: Deconstructing 'Do-It-Yourself' Punk Rock Ethics in Philadelphia Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Jahmel Martin | What Does a Broken Black Body Mean to You?: Digital Spectatorship of Police Brutality Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Angela Emer Medrano | East Loves West: Mixed Race Identity and the Filipina-American Marriage Market Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
| Catherine Merle Obrecht | Making a Celebrity: Social Media, Feminism, and the Spectacle of Kim Kardashian Conference: 8th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler,Jerry Philogene |
2015
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Heather Leigh Bonello | Keeping up with CoverWorld: CoverGirl, Celebrities, and the Marketing of Diversity in Consumer Culture Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Quinn Amerling Cotter | Fad Men: The Birth and Evolution of the Playboy Consumer in 1950's America Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Katherine Thayer Dilworth | Elite Fitness: Fitbit and the Idealized, Monitored Body Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Samuel Nathan Drabkin | The Socially Dead and the "Improbable Citizen": Cultural Transformations of Haitian Citizenship Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 8 | Jerry Philogene |
| Tyler Martin Drbal | Wham! Pow! Black!: Black Superheroes as an American Studies Lens Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Melissa Ann Fallat | Weight Watchers and the Ideology of Thin Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Johanna Marie Fleming | Project One: Fat Studies Scholarship; Project Two: Girl Scouts of America Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | Amy Farrell |
| Johanna Marie Fleming | Pretty Women and Power Tools Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Gregory Kaliss |
| Hannah Shanis Glick | Digitally Dating: Lusting or Loving in a Digital Age Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Marisol LeBron |
| Fabian Alberto Hernandez | Meztizo Consciousness and the Liminality of Borders Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Celeste Cianna Hippolyte | Reconciling with Voicelessness: Black Twitter as an Emergent Cultural Practice Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Marisol LeBron |
| Aaron Stuart Hock | The Socially Dead and the "Dead Citizen": Cultural Contestations of Haitian Citizenship Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | Jerry Philogene |
| Aaron Stuart Hock | Trans*-scending Drag: How RuPaul's Drag Race Evades the Trans* Politics of Drag Performance Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Lawrence Xavier Jolon | Masculinity and Vulnerability: Men's Memoirs Destigmatizing Anxiety and Expanding Representations of Masculinity Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Gregory Kaliss |
| Suzannah Tallman May | Liked: The Phenomenon of the Food Instagram Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Marisol LeBron |
| Grace Margaret Morelli | Representation of Italian Americans in Film Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Meaghan Patrice Quirin | Anti-Vietnam Protest at 蘑菇视频: An Ethnography Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Sasha Parmet Reagan | Dams and Damnation Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Rebecca Gould Winsor | Tiny Houses: Is America Moving Out of the Home? Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Alexandra Elizabeth Young | Same Position, Different Style: U.S. Women's Soccer Stars and the Gender Binary Conference: 7th Annual Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
2014
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Jenny Catherine Barrett | The Italian-American Self: A Double-Identity Struggle Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Abigail Poore Bowman | Cosmopolitan-isms: The Relationship between Gender, Class, Nationality, Universalism, and Consumerism in American and Indian Cosmopolitan Magazine Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Elizabeth Ayres Bruno | The Rise of a Female Fitness Culture in America: America's Obsession with the "toned" Female Form Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Sarah Jessica Koch | The Great American Memory Lapse: How Dr. King and Mr. Carmichael Saw Alike, 1964-66 Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Dana Kathryn Metcalf | Understanding Invisible Disability: The Gender Divide in American ADHD Culture Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Marisol LeBron |
| Elizabeth Emily Mudge | Narrating Death in a Culture of Denial Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Marisol LeBron |
| Alan Pederson Nick | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Invisible Wounds of War Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Marisol LeBron |
| Zara Eliza O'Brien | The Aesthetic Gaze of a Plastic Surgeon: Their influence on American Conceptions of Beauty Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Alicia Marie Reynolds | The Plus-Size Industry: A Fashion Industry Of Its Own? Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Leah Judith Shafer | A 'Delightfully Incorrigible Ham': The Popularity and Gendered Constructs of Julia Child Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Peter Oskar Shapiro | When Liberal Arts Doesn't Mean Liberal Minds: Offering LGBTQ Support to Students on a College Campus Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Maretta Rose Sonn | Project One: Fat Studies Scholarship; Project Two: Girl Scouts of America Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | Amy Farrell |
| Caroline Takacs Taylor | Michelle Obama and Representations of First Ladies Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
2013
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Laura May Bartell | Who Are We?: A Critical Analysis of the Family in the Display of Bumper Stickers Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Alexandra Michaell Boorse | Miss America: Constructing the American Ideal of Womanhood Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Annina Darrahville Boyd | Large and Not in Charge: A Critical Analysis of "The Biggest Loser" and U.S. Ideas of Bodily Citizenship Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Melissa Alice Canu | From the 'Dream House' to the White House: Barbie, Femininity, and Power in the United States Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Ashley Ann Davis | Cosmopolitan Magazine: The Male Issue Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Giancarlo Daniel Duffy | Visual Cultures of Internet Islamophobia: Transnational Memes and International Politics Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | Perin Gurel |
| Julie Brooke Elias | Radical Laughter?: Bridesmaids and the Limits of Gender Subversion in Film Comedy Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Nasim Fekrat | Visual Cultures of Internet Islamophobia: Transnational Memes and International Politics Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | Perin Gurel |
| Samantha Emily Fertel | Challenging Rape Culture: Can Student Activism Effectively Change a College Campus? Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Laura Catherine Garbarino | Alcoholism and Binge Drinking in Hollywood Films Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Sarah Ann Gray | Queer Women Artists and the Implications of the Gaze: Activism, Sexuality, and the Body Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Ivan Gutierrez | Hegemonic Masculinity: Way of Life or Racial Boundary? Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Andrew C Hill | LeBron James & The Infrapolitics of a Working Class Athlete Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Marcy Cara Isaacson | Patriotic Fervor and the Symbol of the American Flag in a Post-9/11 America Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Alexis Ellyn Kuzma | Empowering or Subjugating?: A Feminist Analysis of the Hot Mom Trend Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Emily Bolotin Magida | Sensationalism in Cable Television News: The Blurred Line Between News and Entertainment Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Thomas M Omalley | Chinese Immigration: Chinatown in New York and San Francisco in the Early 1900s Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Brian William Schwartz | The Power of the News Media Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Connor Edwards Sheehan | The Use of Mental Illness to Safeguard Consent in the Extended 1950s (1947-1963) Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Leah A Silver | A Romanticized Reality: The Fallacy of the American Dream for African Americans in the United States Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Alison Loveland Snyder | Deviant Possession: Hoarding and its Participation in Unveiling the Processes of Capitalism, Consumerism and Citizenship Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Mary Kathryn Sullivan | Tanning Temptations in the United States Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Christopher Jacek Szymanski | Forget Fly, I Am Fashion Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Molly Elizabeth Welch | The Dissemination of Fat Discrimination in America Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department |
2012
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Juliani Acosta | Smoke: Redefining Women in the '20s through Cigarette Consumption Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Jonathan Baez | Community vs. Commodity: Gentrification and Resistance in Spanish Harlem Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Caroline Emily Dukmejian | Ain't We Lucky We Got 'Em? An Analysis of the Situation Comedy Good Times and African American Representation in the 1970s Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Mary Ann Eggers | Visual Cultures of Internet Islamophobia Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | Perin Gurel |
| Alexandra Brynn Gerstley | The History of Imprisonment in Carlisle Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Melissa Kay Gurdon | Rap Musicians as Organic Intellectuals: Re-Educating America from the 1990's to the Present Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Molly McDonald Heus | The Christian Diet Industry: Sin, Morality, and the Perpetuation of Fat Stigma Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Kaitlyn Anne Hoza | Bringing the Battle Home: The Unseen Wounds of PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Laura Mariel Kassen | Oy Vey: Gertrude Berg and Representations of Jewishness on The Goldbergs Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Kathryn Wittman Mersky | Housewife Culture: A Contemporary Look into the Franchise, the Women, and the Viewer Response of Bravo TV's The Real Housewives Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Jossie Munoz | The Inclusion of Minorities in Higher Education Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| William Tyler Perry | Deconstructing the MLB: Neocolonialist Practices and Latino Baseball Players Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Leah Judith Shafer | A Difference That Makes No Difference: Making Race Not Matter in Postwar America Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | J Cotten Seiler |
| Abigail Robyn Sharaf | Dating, Dining, and Dancing: Popular Social Etiquette on College Campuses During the Great Depression Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| David Torres | Social Networking and Privacy Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Gaven Dajay Trinidad | The Millennium Approaches: Mainstream American Theater's Role in the Normalization of HIV/AIDS and Gay and Lesbian Cultures Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Abigail Israel Tufts | Jewish Whiteness: Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, and Assimilation through Sports Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Katharine Joy Weintraub | 'In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 minutes': Andy Warhol and the Commodification of Celebrity Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department |
2011
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Perrin C Allen | The Shift from American Jazz from Low to High Culture Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Sarah Elizabeth Barr | Manuscript revision project: "Home and Other Myths: A Lexicon of Queer Inhabitation" Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 8 | Laura Grappo |
| Trey Terrell Boone | Representations of Lynching: A Visual Phenomenon Deeply Rooted in American History Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Anthony Michael Bush | Silencing an Experience: The Pervasive Notion of No Homo in Hip Hop Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Alyssa Jordan Constad | It's Complicated being Green: The Culture of The Muppets in Postmodernist America Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Kenya Aisha Dyer | Juxtaposition of Natural Disaster and Social Turmoil Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Lucas Truman Garrison | The Reasoning of Rape: How Masculine & Feminine Culture Contribute to the Crisis of Rape Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Helen Kiley Goldstein | Debutante Balls: Perpetuating Female Gender Roles within the Upper Class Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Anisah Khurshid Hashmi | Reclaiming American Islam: The Development of Islamic Feminism in the United States Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Leah Melanie Kaplan | The 1930s Student Movement: A Forgotten History Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Mary Elizabeth Kinman | Digesting Soul: Class Identity and Soul Food in 1940s and 1960s Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Tara Deanne Lieberman | Online Social Networking in the 21st Century: Redefining America's Social Fabric Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Demere Elizabeth Meeker | Unpaid Work: Representations of the 1950's American Housewife Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Aidan Brown O'Shea | Honoring to Control: The Public Memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. & the American Political Right Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Aidan Brown O'Shea | Norwich Humanities, (American studies) Conference: 2010 International Student Research Symposium Supported by: Center for Global Study and Engagement | |
| Amanda Elizabeth Power | Basketball as Choreography Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Timothy William Rahauser | White Power Structures involved in Division I-A College Football Coaching Jobs Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Julia Gray Rosen | Dictated by the Digital: The Dangerous Effects of Digital Manipulation on Women's Body Image Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Michelle Angelina Sanchez | Contemporary Latina Identity Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Jerry Philogene |
| Steven William Seland | The Tohono O'odham & Cultural Revitalization as a Means of Resistance to Colonial Subjugation Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Lindsey Prince Slade | The Demise of Karen Carpenter: A Cultural Analysis of Anorexia Nervosa in the 1970s Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Flosha Tejada | If not "Super[wo]man, then what?" Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Andrew Daniel Wade | Extreme Sports: The Mainstreaming of a Counter Culture Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Elvira Yanez | The Spanglish Dialect in the United States Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department |
2010
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Katharine Victoria Atkins-Pattenson | "How Much Rubber Does a Woman Need to Buy Before She's Been Bought?": Sex Toy Parties in the 21st Century Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Alison Paige Brant | Sex Toys: Accessories for Pleasure and Patriarchy Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Andrew Thomas Ciukurescu | Dear Mr. Fantasy: Fantasy Football and Masculinity in the U.S. Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Remy O'Neill Cook | Hip Hop Response to Hurricane Katrina Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Emerita Lonna Malmsheimer |
| Daron Symmes Dey | American Indian History and Memory: Primitive in the Past or Prevailing in the Present? Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Brett D Friedman | Michael Jordan: Nike's Unclassified American Ideal Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Ariel Fuchs | Historical and Contemporary Representations of African American Step Dancing Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Ryan Abel Koons | Localizing the Global: Dickinson's Mosaic Programs Conference: Oral History Association | Kim Rogers,Susan Rose |
| Samara Michele Lampert | Female Strippers: The Power Struggle Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | J Cotten Seiler |
| Tiffany Mane | The Acquisition of an African and an American Identity through Music: Dominican-Americans and Merengue Hip- Hop Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Tyler Hilton Meade | The Interplay of Christian and Capitalist Ethics at Project Share Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Emerita Lonna Malmsheimer |
| Clarissa Robinson Moorhead | Life Magazine: A Glimpse of the Definitive Gender Roles in Post World War II America Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Margaret Nicholas-Alexander | Deconstructing Fatness: Poverty and Obesity in America Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Elizabeth S Romano | The Marketing and Construction of The Jamaican Tourism Industry For Middle-Class White Americans Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Amy Farrell |
| Erin Elizabeth Schweinsburg | How the U.S. Fails African-American Students Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Emerita Lonna Malmsheimer |
| Gregory Raymond Smart | Bottled Water: Class Signifier in the U.S. Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Damaris Villafana | Looney Tunes and Post-War American Ideology Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Emerita Lonna Malmsheimer |
| Wuji Zeng | Chinese Automobility and U.S. Rhetorics of Identicality Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | J Cotten Seiler |
2009
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Rachel Frances Bradburd | Caffe Americano: Contextualizing Colonialism, Coffee Consumption and Fair Trade Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Alison Paige Brant | Hush, Hush surrounding what makes us go Oh, Oh Conference: ROWS - Research on Women by Students Supported by: Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department | |
| Alyssa K Crowley | The Dove Campaign: An Attempt to Redefine Female Beauty Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Grace Leigh Daniel | Empowering Images: Media Representations of the Female Athlete Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Amanda Lynn Dodson | American Values and the Changing Face of Motherhood: A Case Study of 蘑菇视频's Child Care Center Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Gregg Shattls Freeburn | My Life Through Your Eyes: Facebook and the Creation of Self Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Alexis Damaris Henry | Can You See Me Now? Cultivating a Better Learning Environment for Students of Color Conference: 2009 Senior Research Symposium Supported by: Academic Affairs | Jerry Philogene |
| Justin Edward Melvin | No Corners Left Behind: An Analysis of The Wire in Comparison to Realistic Events in Baltimore Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
| Eric David Rahauser | Muhammad Ali: The Controversial Life of Today's Most Powerful Sports Icon Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Shaka Mali Tafari | Gordy's Blueprint: An Introspective Look at the Black Entrepreneur Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Christina Torres | 'Composites of Two Worlds': The exploration of Puerto Rican identity formation through the work of Judith Oritz Cofer Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department | |
| Yazmin Monet Watkins | Performance Poetry: Activism Through Spoken Word Conference: American Studies Senior Research Symposium Supported by: American Studies Department |
2008
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Catherine Martina Creme-Henry | From Silence to Pink: Deconstructing the Popular Discourse of Breast Cancer Conference: ROWS - Research on Women by Students Supported by: Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department | |
| James Yarnall Watson-Krips | The Impact of Automobility on Chinese Society, 1920-Present Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 13 | J Cotten Seiler |
2007
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Catherine Martina Creme-Henry | The Politics of Pink: The Real and Imaginary Worlds of Breast Cancer Conference: ROWS - Research on Women by Students Supported by: Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department |
2004
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Gretchen Kemp Mielke | Fat America: A Cultural Study of Stigma, Weight Loss and the Fat Acceptance Movement Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 26 | Amy Farrell |
2003
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Jillian Audrey Smith | Republic of Drivers: Automobility and the Formation of the American Self Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 8 | J Cotten Seiler |
| Rebecca Leigh Spiering | Norton Critical Edition of "O Pioneers!" Supported by: R&D Dana Research Assistant Number of Weeks: 8 | Sharon O'Brien |
2002
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Hannah Elizabeth Huber | No Blame: A Mother/Daughter Story of Teenage Pregnancy and Adoption Conference: The 9th Annual Research on Women by Students Symposium (ROWS) Supported by: Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department | Sharon O'Brien |
1992
| Student Name | Project | Faculty/Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| John Edward Costango | Student Co-direction of the Writing Component of the FOCUS program Supported by: A.W. Mellon Foundation Student Faculty Research Endowment Award Number of Weeks: 8 | John Bloom |