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Honor Students 2025
Name: Kaela Goldstein
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Weaving Two Worlds: The Next Generations of Ethiopian Jewelry in Israel
Advisor: Dr. Don Seeman
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project is on the next generations of Ethiopian Jews in Israel: how they preserve Ethiopian culture and assimilate into Israeli culture, and the factors that come along with the experience. I was engulfed in the Ethiopian Jewish community last summer, where I volunteered in different organizations and utilized participant observation to learn about the community.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
One of the most exciting things I learned was that although there is much change among the next generations in Israel, there are many things that remain the same, such as respect for the elders.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
The amount of joy and love present in ethnographic research cannot be explained through just scientific findings, but from the heart. My ethnography is not just a paper to inform, but a real and true lived experience, with fears and failure, fun and desire, love and pain. The importance of this research and the vulnerability that has been put into it shows the beauty anthropology can have.
What are you doing next?
My next step is moving to Israel to work with Israeli Arab and Ethiopian Jewish communities in a social justice fellowship.
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Weaving Two Worlds: The Next Generations of Ethiopian Jewelry in Israel
Advisor: Dr. Don Seeman
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project is on the next generations of Ethiopian Jews in Israel: how they preserve Ethiopian culture and assimilate into Israeli culture, and the factors that come along with the experience. I was engulfed in the Ethiopian Jewish community last summer, where I volunteered in different organizations and utilized participant observation to learn about the community.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
One of the most exciting things I learned was that although there is much change among the next generations in Israel, there are many things that remain the same, such as respect for the elders.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
The amount of joy and love present in ethnographic research cannot be explained through just scientific findings, but from the heart. My ethnography is not just a paper to inform, but a real and true lived experience, with fears and failure, fun and desire, love and pain. The importance of this research and the vulnerability that has been put into it shows the beauty anthropology can have.
What are you doing next?
My next step is moving to Israel to work with Israeli Arab and Ethiopian Jewish communities in a social justice fellowship.
Name: Isabella Kaufman
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Identification of long-acting HIV-1 antiviral pairings and analysis of societal implications of shifting patient-care models
Advisor: Dr. Craig Hadley and Dr. Stefan Sarafianos
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project focused on identifying optimal pairings for novel long-acting HIV-1 antivirals in the face of clinically relevant HIV-1 resistance and hypersensitivity mutants. I also looked into the societal implications of this changing patient care model for people living with HIV-1 and how we can help increase equitable access to these emerging medications.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most exciting thing I learned from my research was that our strategy of pairing together HIV-1 inhibitors with complementary resistance and hypersensitivity profiles is truly feasible, and that for the first time we learned that two HIV-1 CA inhibitors can be paired together without antagonism, both of which open the door to future possibilities within ART. It also was really encouraging to see how optimistic patient perspectives seemed to be in reference to these novel long-acting regimens.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Throughout this experience I fine-tuned and expanded various laboratory skills, learned how to write a scientific article, and I was able to gp through the process of analyzing data and making figures that will eventually be used in future publications. I also learned that presenting your research is a great opportunity to receive valuable advice/input on how to improve your project.
What are you doing next?
In lab, I will be continuing my research until graduation, after which I will be pursuing my PhD at Yale University in Microbiology. I plan on continuing to research infectious diseases and contribute towards the improvement and expansion of current antiviral therapies.
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Identification of long-acting HIV-1 antiviral pairings and analysis of societal implications of shifting patient-care models
Advisor: Dr. Craig Hadley and Dr. Stefan Sarafianos
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project focused on identifying optimal pairings for novel long-acting HIV-1 antivirals in the face of clinically relevant HIV-1 resistance and hypersensitivity mutants. I also looked into the societal implications of this changing patient care model for people living with HIV-1 and how we can help increase equitable access to these emerging medications.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most exciting thing I learned from my research was that our strategy of pairing together HIV-1 inhibitors with complementary resistance and hypersensitivity profiles is truly feasible, and that for the first time we learned that two HIV-1 CA inhibitors can be paired together without antagonism, both of which open the door to future possibilities within ART. It also was really encouraging to see how optimistic patient perspectives seemed to be in reference to these novel long-acting regimens.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Throughout this experience I fine-tuned and expanded various laboratory skills, learned how to write a scientific article, and I was able to gp through the process of analyzing data and making figures that will eventually be used in future publications. I also learned that presenting your research is a great opportunity to receive valuable advice/input on how to improve your project.
What are you doing next?
In lab, I will be continuing my research until graduation, after which I will be pursuing my PhD at Yale University in Microbiology. I plan on continuing to research infectious diseases and contribute towards the improvement and expansion of current antiviral therapies.
Name: Zinnia Robinson
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: The Ballroom Masquerade: Gen-Z's Dance with AAE and Intersectional Language
Advisor: Dr. Erica Britt
Tell me a little about your honors project:
Scholarly works have historically treated African American English (AAE) and queer language as two separate entities, while I argue that there is an overlap. The goals of this study were to understand Generation Z’s perception and usage of what I coin as Black Queer Intersectional Language (BQIL) by understanding what terms are included under this umbrella, what makes some user’s performance of the language more authentic and genuine to my Black queer participants, and who has the “right” to BQIL and whether there is a way to reclaim language that has left this niche group.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
N/A
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
My identity and positionality are strengths! I was working directly with a community that I am a part of, meaning I also had a stake in my topic. It was important to acknowledge this, contend with it, and use it to further my research.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: The Ballroom Masquerade: Gen-Z's Dance with AAE and Intersectional Language
Advisor: Dr. Erica Britt
Tell me a little about your honors project:
Scholarly works have historically treated African American English (AAE) and queer language as two separate entities, while I argue that there is an overlap. The goals of this study were to understand Generation Z’s perception and usage of what I coin as Black Queer Intersectional Language (BQIL) by understanding what terms are included under this umbrella, what makes some user’s performance of the language more authentic and genuine to my Black queer participants, and who has the “right” to BQIL and whether there is a way to reclaim language that has left this niche group.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
N/A
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
My identity and positionality are strengths! I was working directly with a community that I am a part of, meaning I also had a stake in my topic. It was important to acknowledge this, contend with it, and use it to further my research.
What are you doing next?
I'll be attending Rollins School of Public Health's Health Policy & Management program to obtain my MPH!
Name: Jada Brown
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Sunshine and Exclusion: The Legacy of Sundown Towns in a Tourist Paradise
Advisor: Dr. Bayo Holsey
Tell me a little about your honors project:
Since the early nineteenth century, Florida has developed an identity in popular imagery as a tourist paradise. Through a vibrant tourist industry, the “Sunshine State” has been able to cement itself as a luxurious haven. This study explores how tourism has served as a form of place making that historically reinforced the existence of sundown towns. Place making here serves as a framework to examine the relationship between tourism and sundown towns in the Florida tourist cities Miami Beach and Palm Beach, primarily around the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through place making, white boosters shaped the popular image of these Florida tourist cities by glamorizing the tourism industry and concealing broader awareness of sundown towns. This study foregrounds the contradictions and deceptions of Florida’s early tourist industry, namely the state’s practice of creating an image of white tourism and leisure while simultaneously obscuring realities of labor exploitation and exclusion for Black communities.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most interesting part of this project was having the ability to examine promotional materials that boosters used to craft Florida's image as a major tourist destination. Some of these materials included a variety of advertisements, guidebooks, pamphlets, and brochures from places like local newspapers or hotels. Redesigning Florida’s image as a tourist destination made it so that ideas of the state were typically associated with images of sunshine and amusement. It was interesting to analyze how marketing tactics encoded discriminatory policies targeted toward excluding Black customers, while promoting symbols of luxury and leisure to encourage the return of white tourists.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
The process of planning, developing, researching, and executing a project of this scale has taught me both personally and professionally how to manage large research projects. I was able to improve my communication skills by corresponding and being in conversation with many groups about my research. I also learned how to effectively convey and support an original argument as well as creatively problem solve when met with challenges during the research process.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Sunshine and Exclusion: The Legacy of Sundown Towns in a Tourist Paradise
Advisor: Dr. Bayo Holsey
Tell me a little about your honors project:
Since the early nineteenth century, Florida has developed an identity in popular imagery as a tourist paradise. Through a vibrant tourist industry, the “Sunshine State” has been able to cement itself as a luxurious haven. This study explores how tourism has served as a form of place making that historically reinforced the existence of sundown towns. Place making here serves as a framework to examine the relationship between tourism and sundown towns in the Florida tourist cities Miami Beach and Palm Beach, primarily around the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through place making, white boosters shaped the popular image of these Florida tourist cities by glamorizing the tourism industry and concealing broader awareness of sundown towns. This study foregrounds the contradictions and deceptions of Florida’s early tourist industry, namely the state’s practice of creating an image of white tourism and leisure while simultaneously obscuring realities of labor exploitation and exclusion for Black communities.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most interesting part of this project was having the ability to examine promotional materials that boosters used to craft Florida's image as a major tourist destination. Some of these materials included a variety of advertisements, guidebooks, pamphlets, and brochures from places like local newspapers or hotels. Redesigning Florida’s image as a tourist destination made it so that ideas of the state were typically associated with images of sunshine and amusement. It was interesting to analyze how marketing tactics encoded discriminatory policies targeted toward excluding Black customers, while promoting symbols of luxury and leisure to encourage the return of white tourists.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
The process of planning, developing, researching, and executing a project of this scale has taught me both personally and professionally how to manage large research projects. I was able to improve my communication skills by corresponding and being in conversation with many groups about my research. I also learned how to effectively convey and support an original argument as well as creatively problem solve when met with challenges during the research process.
What are you doing next?
Applying to internships and considering graduate school.
Name: Fiona Meyer
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: The Intertwined and Independent Predictive Roles of Maternal Age, Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), and Oocyte Quantity during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Advisor: Dr. Alicia Smith
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My thesis aimed to improve our understanding of the deeply intertwined relationship between aging and fertility treatment outcomes through an evaluation of the age-dependent, adjusted, and independent predictive abilities of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), a key biomarker of reproductive aging and ovarian reserve, during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Additionally, my project evaluated the potential predictive role of total oocyte quantity, when adjusting for the confounding effect of maternal age, for clinical pregnancy.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
Data from my project highlighted the importance of distinguishing between normal and abnormal changes in AMH levels during aging among patients undergoing IVF, which I found very interesting.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
This experience taught me a lot about the research process, and allowed me to hone my attention to detail. Additionally, through completing my thesis, I gained invaluable experience learning how to communicate scientific information in a concise and clear way.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: The Intertwined and Independent Predictive Roles of Maternal Age, Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), and Oocyte Quantity during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Advisor: Dr. Alicia Smith
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My thesis aimed to improve our understanding of the deeply intertwined relationship between aging and fertility treatment outcomes through an evaluation of the age-dependent, adjusted, and independent predictive abilities of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), a key biomarker of reproductive aging and ovarian reserve, during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Additionally, my project evaluated the potential predictive role of total oocyte quantity, when adjusting for the confounding effect of maternal age, for clinical pregnancy.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
Data from my project highlighted the importance of distinguishing between normal and abnormal changes in AMH levels during aging among patients undergoing IVF, which I found very interesting.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
This experience taught me a lot about the research process, and allowed me to hone my attention to detail. Additionally, through completing my thesis, I gained invaluable experience learning how to communicate scientific information in a concise and clear way.
What are you doing next?
I will be taking a gap year while applying to medical school.
Name: Neha Bajaj
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Distinct Resting-State Functional Brain Connectivity Profiles in Healthy Aging and Parkinson’s Disease-Driven Neurodegeneration
Advisor: Dr. Madeleine Hackney
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My honors thesis delves into understanding the differences in functional brain connections present at resting state in people with Parkinson's Disease and healthy older adults. We analyzed resting-state functional MRI scans between these two population groups and identified brain regions involved in either an increase or decrease in functional connectivity.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most exciting finding that emerged from my research was that it revealed two new brain regions that appeared to have significant functional connections in people with Parkinson's Disease compared to healthy older adults. These findings bolster existing literature about brain connectivity profiles.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Pursuing an honors thesis revealed to me the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to research. By integrating perspectives from neuroscience, computational modeling, and clinical insights, I gained a deeper understanding of how functional brain networks evolve in both healthy aging and neurodegenerative conditions. Professionally, I gained a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of research. Although this was an independent honors thesis, it would not have been possible without the guidance of data analysts, Parkinson’s disease experts, and other mentors who provided invaluable insights throughout the process. Personally, this experience taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of seeking diverse perspectives to strengthen my work.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Distinct Resting-State Functional Brain Connectivity Profiles in Healthy Aging and Parkinson’s Disease-Driven Neurodegeneration
Advisor: Dr. Madeleine Hackney
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My honors thesis delves into understanding the differences in functional brain connections present at resting state in people with Parkinson's Disease and healthy older adults. We analyzed resting-state functional MRI scans between these two population groups and identified brain regions involved in either an increase or decrease in functional connectivity.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most exciting finding that emerged from my research was that it revealed two new brain regions that appeared to have significant functional connections in people with Parkinson's Disease compared to healthy older adults. These findings bolster existing literature about brain connectivity profiles.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Pursuing an honors thesis revealed to me the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to research. By integrating perspectives from neuroscience, computational modeling, and clinical insights, I gained a deeper understanding of how functional brain networks evolve in both healthy aging and neurodegenerative conditions. Professionally, I gained a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of research. Although this was an independent honors thesis, it would not have been possible without the guidance of data analysts, Parkinson’s disease experts, and other mentors who provided invaluable insights throughout the process. Personally, this experience taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of seeking diverse perspectives to strengthen my work.
What are you doing next?
I am pursuing a gap year ahead of matriculating to medical school!
Name: Maura Dianno
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Implementation of a Routine Screening for Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome in Female Athletes
Advisor: Dr. John Lindo
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I created a screening for surveillance and prevention of Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-s) in female athletes, something that affects 80% of elite female athletes. Additionally, I ran a pilot study of this screening on the Emory Women's track and field team and used the results to make recommendations to the Emory athletic's department.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most important thing that I learned from my research was that the presence of the screening educated the athletes on the risks and warning signs of Relative Energy Deficiency syndrome. I hope the awareness of the screening helps end the stigma surrounding RED-s in female sports.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Personally, I learned that taking on challenges and trying things you thought you couldn't do is the most rewarding experience. I didn't think I was smart enough to take on original research, especially involving so many moving parts such as ethnography, data analysis, and the Institutional Board Review process. Not only did I prove to myself that I could, but I found a passion for research and designing a project I am passionate about.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Implementation of a Routine Screening for Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome in Female Athletes
Advisor: Dr. John Lindo
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I created a screening for surveillance and prevention of Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-s) in female athletes, something that affects 80% of elite female athletes. Additionally, I ran a pilot study of this screening on the Emory Women's track and field team and used the results to make recommendations to the Emory athletic's department.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
The most important thing that I learned from my research was that the presence of the screening educated the athletes on the risks and warning signs of Relative Energy Deficiency syndrome. I hope the awareness of the screening helps end the stigma surrounding RED-s in female sports.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Personally, I learned that taking on challenges and trying things you thought you couldn't do is the most rewarding experience. I didn't think I was smart enough to take on original research, especially involving so many moving parts such as ethnography, data analysis, and the Institutional Board Review process. Not only did I prove to myself that I could, but I found a passion for research and designing a project I am passionate about.
What are you doing next?
I am attending University of North Carolina Gilling's School of Public Health in the fall for my Master's in Public Health. Go Tar Heels!
Name: Rashmi Raveendran
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: What’s Good for the Goose May Not Be Good for the Gander: An Analysis of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Comprehension Amongst South Asian Americans
Advisor: Dr. Craig Hadley
Tell me a little about your honors project:
South Asians face high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and this population's risk is primarily underestimated in existing CVD risk assessment models. While research is ongoing to investigate this health disparity's biological and sociocultural mechanisms, little is known about the population's understanding of this topic. My honors thesis qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed cardiovascular disease risk comprehension among South Asian Americans to provide insights into what a population of South Asians themselves understand about this topic.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I got to learn about the firsthand perspectives of South Asian Americans about their lack of internalization of the risk of CVD and what they found surprising when learning about this health disparity. Learning about their perspectives and creating a space for this population to share their thoughts and feelings was exciting and opened the door for new conversations to occur regarding how to best support South Asian Americans in navigating CVD care.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned an immense amount about organizational management, designing a multi-methods research study, and how to employ thorough data investigation methods. These skills will serve me well in future endeavors and research projects!
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: What’s Good for the Goose May Not Be Good for the Gander: An Analysis of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Comprehension Amongst South Asian Americans
Advisor: Dr. Craig Hadley
Tell me a little about your honors project:
South Asians face high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and this population's risk is primarily underestimated in existing CVD risk assessment models. While research is ongoing to investigate this health disparity's biological and sociocultural mechanisms, little is known about the population's understanding of this topic. My honors thesis qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed cardiovascular disease risk comprehension among South Asian Americans to provide insights into what a population of South Asians themselves understand about this topic.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I got to learn about the firsthand perspectives of South Asian Americans about their lack of internalization of the risk of CVD and what they found surprising when learning about this health disparity. Learning about their perspectives and creating a space for this population to share their thoughts and feelings was exciting and opened the door for new conversations to occur regarding how to best support South Asian Americans in navigating CVD care.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned an immense amount about organizational management, designing a multi-methods research study, and how to employ thorough data investigation methods. These skills will serve me well in future endeavors and research projects!
What are you doing next?
N/A
Name: Julianna Cruz
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Behind the Statistics: Deconstructing the Sociocultural Contexts of The Hispanic Paradox and Undocumented Immigrant Health through Kidney Disease Research
Advisor: Dr. John Lindo
Tell me a little about your honors project:
This project explores how undocumented and under-documented Hispanic immigrants experience healthcare in the U.S., combining data analysis and personal narratives. It takes a critical look at The Hispanic Paradox– the idea that Hispanics are healthier despite social disadvantages– and asks: who’s left out of that story? By focusing on chronic kidney disease and lived experiences, it sheds light on how immigration status and systemic barriers shape access to care.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I appreciated being able to engage with mixed methods! It's not the kind of research that is seen a lot and being able to make it my own through my thesis was something I was excited to tackle from beginning to end.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I enjoyed hearing people's stories, exchanging some of my own, and being able to apply theories I had learned in class/lab while I was writing. I reinforced my passion for interdisciplinary research and may even consider expanding this in grad school!
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Behind the Statistics: Deconstructing the Sociocultural Contexts of The Hispanic Paradox and Undocumented Immigrant Health through Kidney Disease Research
Advisor: Dr. John Lindo
Tell me a little about your honors project:
This project explores how undocumented and under-documented Hispanic immigrants experience healthcare in the U.S., combining data analysis and personal narratives. It takes a critical look at The Hispanic Paradox– the idea that Hispanics are healthier despite social disadvantages– and asks: who’s left out of that story? By focusing on chronic kidney disease and lived experiences, it sheds light on how immigration status and systemic barriers shape access to care.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I appreciated being able to engage with mixed methods! It's not the kind of research that is seen a lot and being able to make it my own through my thesis was something I was excited to tackle from beginning to end.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I enjoyed hearing people's stories, exchanging some of my own, and being able to apply theories I had learned in class/lab while I was writing. I reinforced my passion for interdisciplinary research and may even consider expanding this in grad school!
What are you doing next?
Taking some gap years and continuing on getting this work (hopefully) published!
Name: Grace Cayless
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Effects of Respiratory Outbreaks During Early Life on Lifespan and Survival Probabilities in Wild Eastern Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Gombe National Park, Tanzania
Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Lonsdorf
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I looked at how exposure to respiratory outbreaks throughout early life impacts lifespan and survival probabilities in wild chimpanzees living in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Specifically, I examined the in-utero, infancy, and early adolescent windows and analyzed the relationship between exposure to outbreaks and risk of death.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
Experiencing more fatal respiratory outbreaks after birth seems to decrease risk of death in wild chimpanzees, which is not what I had predicted!
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Results that aren't statistically significant are still interesting, and you should always take the time to examine your figures instead of only using your p-values!
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Effects of Respiratory Outbreaks During Early Life on Lifespan and Survival Probabilities in Wild Eastern Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Gombe National Park, Tanzania
Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Lonsdorf
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I looked at how exposure to respiratory outbreaks throughout early life impacts lifespan and survival probabilities in wild chimpanzees living in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Specifically, I examined the in-utero, infancy, and early adolescent windows and analyzed the relationship between exposure to outbreaks and risk of death.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
Experiencing more fatal respiratory outbreaks after birth seems to decrease risk of death in wild chimpanzees, which is not what I had predicted!
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
Results that aren't statistically significant are still interesting, and you should always take the time to examine your figures instead of only using your p-values!
What are you doing next?
Studying rhesus macaques on the island of Cayo Santiago, doing behavioral observations and collecting biological samples.
Name: Peter Attarian
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: The Margins of Modernity: Off-Grid in the Ouachita Mountains
Advisor: Dr. Kristin Phillips
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I studied voluntary off-gridders living in Oklahoma's Ouachita Mountains to understand why people choose to live without public utilities by choice. I conducted ethnographic fieldwork on-site, living with an off-gridder for over three weeks during the summer and immersing myself in the lifestyle to better understand what daily life off-grid entails.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I learned that living off-grid was not entirely different from life on the grid. Just because a home wasn’t connected to public utilities didn’t mean people couldn’t create their own alternative systems. For instance, renewable energy sources like solar panels allowed many off-gridders to generate their own electricity and access conveniences like WiFi, even if these resources sometimes had to be carefully rationed.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned how to dig a latrine, shoot a gun, drive a UTV, and most importantly how to build rapport in a new community as a researcher.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: The Margins of Modernity: Off-Grid in the Ouachita Mountains
Advisor: Dr. Kristin Phillips
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I studied voluntary off-gridders living in Oklahoma's Ouachita Mountains to understand why people choose to live without public utilities by choice. I conducted ethnographic fieldwork on-site, living with an off-gridder for over three weeks during the summer and immersing myself in the lifestyle to better understand what daily life off-grid entails.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I learned that living off-grid was not entirely different from life on the grid. Just because a home wasn’t connected to public utilities didn’t mean people couldn’t create their own alternative systems. For instance, renewable energy sources like solar panels allowed many off-gridders to generate their own electricity and access conveniences like WiFi, even if these resources sometimes had to be carefully rationed.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned how to dig a latrine, shoot a gun, drive a UTV, and most importantly how to build rapport in a new community as a researcher.
What are you doing next?
Currently looking forward to a rural forestry position with Peace Corps Senegal barring defunding!
Name: Maya Ashe
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Exploring Black Motherhood in the 21st Century: The Impact of Social Media, Virtual Communities, and Modern Child Rearing Practices
Advisor: Dr. Bayo Holsey
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I did some ethnographic work into the experiences of Black mothers on social media. Additionally I was able to draw a history of representations of Black women in the media, tracing a critique of the neoliberal politics of an online motherhood. An overarching topic that I explored was how visibility for Black mothers takes different forms.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
While not the most exciting, I learned to trace the implication of digital motherhoods as it relates to visibility versus representation. While I would love to say that all Black mothers on social media are falling into resistive imagery, through my research I was able to discover the ways in which Black women adhere to a model that doesn't necessarily benefit Black presence online.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned that sometimes, you're going to be on your own! Even when it seems that everyone is against you, you have to be able to stick up for yourself and protect your peace.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Exploring Black Motherhood in the 21st Century: The Impact of Social Media, Virtual Communities, and Modern Child Rearing Practices
Advisor: Dr. Bayo Holsey
Tell me a little about your honors project:
I did some ethnographic work into the experiences of Black mothers on social media. Additionally I was able to draw a history of representations of Black women in the media, tracing a critique of the neoliberal politics of an online motherhood. An overarching topic that I explored was how visibility for Black mothers takes different forms.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
While not the most exciting, I learned to trace the implication of digital motherhoods as it relates to visibility versus representation. While I would love to say that all Black mothers on social media are falling into resistive imagery, through my research I was able to discover the ways in which Black women adhere to a model that doesn't necessarily benefit Black presence online.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned that sometimes, you're going to be on your own! Even when it seems that everyone is against you, you have to be able to stick up for yourself and protect your peace.
What are you doing next?
Hopefully not school for a while.
Name: Lydia King
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Community Perspectives on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Northwestern Tanzania: Insights from One Health Research in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem
Advisor: Dr. Craig Hadley and Tom Gillespie
Tell me a little about your honors project:
As part of my work in the Gillespie Lab, I worked with data from a Mixed Methods Assessment of One Health in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem (GMUE), Tanzania. I did this through a two-pronged approach: using qualitative analysis and text mining techniques, I examined how our focus groups and interviews described community perspectives on water, sanitation, and hygiene. I was also able to incorporate my linguistics knowledge, as the interviews and focus groups were conducted in Kiswahili and later translated into English. Importantly, I highlighted the effect of translation (and mistranslation) in global health research, especially when conducting mixed-methods studies.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
Translation matters! I was able to discover how a mistranslation of the phrase "local beliefs" had affected our results, which was really interesting to see.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
It was really fulfilling to do an honors thesis! In college, it can sometimes feel like you're trudging through your classes: doing the readings and then never using them again. With my honors thesis, I could actually look back and see how I was applying the things I had learned.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Community Perspectives on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Northwestern Tanzania: Insights from One Health Research in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem
Advisor: Dr. Craig Hadley and Tom Gillespie
Tell me a little about your honors project:
As part of my work in the Gillespie Lab, I worked with data from a Mixed Methods Assessment of One Health in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem (GMUE), Tanzania. I did this through a two-pronged approach: using qualitative analysis and text mining techniques, I examined how our focus groups and interviews described community perspectives on water, sanitation, and hygiene. I was also able to incorporate my linguistics knowledge, as the interviews and focus groups were conducted in Kiswahili and later translated into English. Importantly, I highlighted the effect of translation (and mistranslation) in global health research, especially when conducting mixed-methods studies.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
Translation matters! I was able to discover how a mistranslation of the phrase "local beliefs" had affected our results, which was really interesting to see.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
It was really fulfilling to do an honors thesis! In college, it can sometimes feel like you're trudging through your classes: doing the readings and then never using them again. With my honors thesis, I could actually look back and see how I was applying the things I had learned.
What are you doing next?
I will be pursuing my MRes in Social Anthropology, at St Andrews, as a Bobby Jones scholar. I will be working with Dr. Christos Lynteris, who studies anthropological approaches to zoonotic disease transmission.
Name: Ava Coates
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: A Modern People in an Ancient Land: An Archaeological Ethnography of Mythmaking, Landscape, and Living Memory in Selinunte, Sicily
Advisor: Dr. Sandra Blakely
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project is an ethnography about a community who lives next to the Archaeological Park of Selinunte, the ruins of an ancient Greek city in Sicily. My thesis focuses on the living experience of this community as they interact with and live next to the ruins of this ancient city, especially how they might uncover echoes of the past inhabitants of the land through interacting with the city and the landscape surrounding it. My thesis also tackles the economic, political, and cultural realities of this connection with the ancient city, including the lives of employees of the park, archaeologists, restaurant and tourist shop owners, immigrants, and locals whose lives have been in part defined by a connection to the ruins and landscape of this ancient city. It contends with the influence of the mafia, a local love affair with olive trees, bias against southern Italians, a controversy centered around sand dunes, and works to highlight local experience with the landscape as a new avenue for communicating with the past.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I learned that heritage is about the past, but it is also about the present; historical landscapes are often not only museums to the past, but are also places of community, of employment, where modern day people make their own meaning in historical spaces.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I fell in love with community ethnography and with having the privilege to learn from so many people and about so many people's diverse experiences.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: A Modern People in an Ancient Land: An Archaeological Ethnography of Mythmaking, Landscape, and Living Memory in Selinunte, Sicily
Advisor: Dr. Sandra Blakely
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project is an ethnography about a community who lives next to the Archaeological Park of Selinunte, the ruins of an ancient Greek city in Sicily. My thesis focuses on the living experience of this community as they interact with and live next to the ruins of this ancient city, especially how they might uncover echoes of the past inhabitants of the land through interacting with the city and the landscape surrounding it. My thesis also tackles the economic, political, and cultural realities of this connection with the ancient city, including the lives of employees of the park, archaeologists, restaurant and tourist shop owners, immigrants, and locals whose lives have been in part defined by a connection to the ruins and landscape of this ancient city. It contends with the influence of the mafia, a local love affair with olive trees, bias against southern Italians, a controversy centered around sand dunes, and works to highlight local experience with the landscape as a new avenue for communicating with the past.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I learned that heritage is about the past, but it is also about the present; historical landscapes are often not only museums to the past, but are also places of community, of employment, where modern day people make their own meaning in historical spaces.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I fell in love with community ethnography and with having the privilege to learn from so many people and about so many people's diverse experiences.
What are you doing next?
I am pursuing a PhD in Anthropology and the University of Maryland.
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Name: Kylie Taylor
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Exploring Endothelial Cell Sources for Brain Vasculature Modeling in 2D and 3D Cultures
Advisor: Dr. Steven Sloan
Tell me a little about your honors project:
Through this project, I built on past research incorporating endothelial cells, which make up blood vessels, into human brain models. Furthermore, I exposed these vascularized organoids to dynamic conditions through a perfusion pump to recapitulate blood flow in the human brain.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I can do anything I set my mind to.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned how to design a year-long research project, write a substantial research paper, and improve my presentation skills through my honors thesis defense.
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology and Human Biology (BS)
Title of Honors Thesis: Exploring Endothelial Cell Sources for Brain Vasculature Modeling in 2D and 3D Cultures
Advisor: Dr. Steven Sloan
Tell me a little about your honors project:
Through this project, I built on past research incorporating endothelial cells, which make up blood vessels, into human brain models. Furthermore, I exposed these vascularized organoids to dynamic conditions through a perfusion pump to recapitulate blood flow in the human brain.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
I can do anything I set my mind to.
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
I learned how to design a year-long research project, write a substantial research paper, and improve my presentation skills through my honors thesis defense.
What are you doing next?
Taking a gap year hopefully in a research position before medical school.
*Photo not available*
Name: Anna Little
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Do You Know Who I Am?: An Ethnodrama Exploring the Resilience of Identity with Memory Loss
Advisor: Dr. Debra Vidali
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project questions the assumption that memory loss inherently brings about a loss of identity and invites people living with dementia and their caregivers to share their stories and perspectives. I analyzed and presented my findings through a verbatim playscript, which allowed me to make broader ethnographic claims through art and to utilize a form that can incite social change.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
N/A
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
N/A
What are you doing next?
Major: Anthropology (BA)
Title of Honors Thesis: Do You Know Who I Am?: An Ethnodrama Exploring the Resilience of Identity with Memory Loss
Advisor: Dr. Debra Vidali
Tell me a little about your honors project:
My project questions the assumption that memory loss inherently brings about a loss of identity and invites people living with dementia and their caregivers to share their stories and perspectives. I analyzed and presented my findings through a verbatim playscript, which allowed me to make broader ethnographic claims through art and to utilize a form that can incite social change.
What was the most exciting thing you learned from your research?
N/A
What did you learn personally or professionally from this experience?
N/A
What are you doing next?
N/A