Discovering Research at CLA
Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Activity
The office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Activity (URSA) is 性欲社's resource for the development and promotion of experiential learning activities that engage undergraduate students to support 性欲社's goal to become a leading student-focused research university.
Apply for Funding2025 URSA Awards
- Natalie Milburn, Psychology. Democracy at Work: A Qualitative Study of Organizational Culture in Worker Cooperatives
Worker co-operatives are a rising form of organization which are employee-owned and democratically run. We plan to use Hofstede鈥檚 Cultural Dimensions Model as a framework to conduct semi-structured interviews and research the organizational culture within worker co-operatives.
Mentor: Kevin Walters
- Group Award: Mariana Beks (Music), Olivia Buzby (Music Education), Alexia Devine (Music Education), Grace Farrell (Music Performance), Jack Helmericks (Anthropology), & Kevin Clark (Music Performance), 性欲社 Music Opera Workshop: Costa Rica May 2025.
Members of the Celaire voice studio have been invited to the University of Costa Rica to perform in May 2025.
Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
- Sophie Hertkorn-Haas, Behavioral Health Professional Intern New Moon Behavioral Health, LLC
- Auburn, Maine, Summer 2025
- Hannah Greene, Film and Performing Arts
Mentor: Carrie Baker
2025 University Resident Theatre Association Auditions
Chicago, Illinois
- Kevin Carroll, Art
Mentor: Jamie Smith
Pastel Workshop: Susan Kuznitsky's "DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK"
Mount Vernon, Washington
- David McCain, Art
Mentor: J. Jason Lazarus
Workshop & Portfolio Reviews: Society for Photographic Education 2025 Annual Conference
Reno, Nevada
- Seamus Knight, Film and Performing Arts
Mentor: Sara McConnell
Music Intensive: Composing in the Wilderness
Denali National Park- Healy, Alaska
- Jennifer Peterson, Department Chair & Associate Professor of Psychology
Students: Kieleigh Williams (Psychology), Jenn Smyth (Psychology), Samantha Nixon (Psychology)
From Adversity to Healthy Aging: Examining ACEs and Well-Being in Older Alaskans
Spring 2025
- Sarah Finney & Colton Osowski Geoscience & Political Science Mentors: Nathan Graham & Amy Lovecraft
Investigating the Influence of Climate Change on Volcanic Activity: Mechanisms, Future Projections, and Policy Recommendations
We investigate claims that climate change may impact the frequency and intensity of volcanic activity and assess implications this may have for emergency management and response policymakers.
Congratulations to the 2024 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Marina Barbosa Santos | Honorable Mention: Marina Gonzalez Mazo
Chena Townsite Repeat Photos
Fall Project Award
Marina Barbosa Santos
Mentor: Dr. Ken Tape & Dr. Justin Cramb
This project utilizes repeat photography to support archeological efforts at the Chena Townsite, and to understand how the landscape has evolved since the town was abandoned. The project endeavors to contribute to the preservation of history, public education, and our understanding of land use changes.
H&H
Spring Project Award
Marina Gonzalez Mazo
Mentor: Miho Aoki
Bunnyson is a charm worn as a necklace or an insignia. It is crafted in 14k gold and holds a 0.35 ct diamond with grey coloration and a pearl cut.
The jewel was designed in Blender, a free and open-source software. I then printed the sculpture with the help of the 3D printers in the 性欲社 Makers Space, using Polycast filament. A new plastic filament designed to burn without residue was meant to replace wax in the traditional casting process. I created my 14k gold alloy by mixing gold with copper, following the old Spanish jewelry tradition. This gives the gold a slight pinkish hue.
The design features two bunnies facing each other, holding the diamond together with their paws. They sit on top of a heart shape and have wings on the side. I wanted the jewel to look like a coat of arms inspired by royal and religious insignias. A symbol of status and wealth. It is a soft and whimsical design, almost like it was from a fairytale.
The rabbits make a consistent apparition in my BFA thesis show as I use them as a euphemism for sexuality and devotion. With this piece, I wanted to create an heirloom jewel that would hold my BFA show in a nutshell, a insignia for reaching my commencement as a professional artist.
Participants:
- Steven Anderson, Mari Ana Beks, Olivia Buzby, Alexia Devine, Grace Farrell, Ellie Martinson, and Lucy McWilliams. Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Music Outreach with 性欲社 Music. Mentor: Dr. Jaunelle Celaire
- Reily Dixon. Cognitive Cryogenics: Visual Metaphors for Human-Environment Relationships. Mentor: Sasha Bitzer
- Marina Gonzalez Mazo. H&h. Mentor: Miho Aoki
- Amara Juneau. SoBear Lounge. Mentor: Julia Aikman
- Charles Stark. Student Belonging through Program Orientation. Mentor: Dr. Retchenda George-Bettisworth
- Beatrice Turley. Understanding Introductory Geometry Through Music, Movement, and Listening. Mentor: Dr. Sean Dowgray
2024 URSA Awards
- Alia Berrigan, Psychology. Does microclimate variation in tundra ecosystem drive microbial community assembly. Mentor: Mario Muscarella
- Naomi King, English. Branding Tea Time in English. Mentor: Sarah Stanley
- Andrew Forbes, Psychology. Mycological Living Library (MycoLive). Mentor: Stefanie Ickert-Bond
- Marina Gonzalez Mazo Art Mentors: Miho Aoki & Patricia Carlson
- Group Award
- Students: Paradise Porter, Daniel Kahle, Gavin Brennan, Gavi Ximenez, Chel Boue, Julia Lockwood, Noah Morgan. 19th Annual Alaska Association of Teachers of Japanese Alaska Speech Contest Anchorage, Alaska. Mentors: Chisato Murakami and David Henry
- Cole Osowski, Political Science. Student Conference on U.S. Affairs West Point Military Academy, Orange County, New York. Mentor: Brandon Boylan.
- Tane Timling Digital Journalism Mentor: Erin Trochim American Geophysical Union- 2024 Annual Meeting (Washington, D.C. )
- Paul Menke, Ted Stevens Legislative Internship Juneau, Alaska Spring 2024
Congratulations to the 2023 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Brooke Fisher | Honorable Mention: Meredith McMahon
A Tooth Size Allocation Investigation into Bodo Origins: Revisited
Brooke Fisher
Mentor: Dr. Brian Hemphill
This project is the continuation of a biodistance analysis started in the Fall of 2022 of an ethnic group called the 鈥楤odo鈥檚鈥 from the Assam region in India through a comparative analysis of another ethnic group residing north of the Brahmaputra Valley, the Nyishis of Arunachal Pradesh.
鈥淕irls,鈥 鈥淒ancers鈥 and 鈥淟adies鈥: Language, Gender and Power in a Gentlemen鈥檚 Club
Meredith McMahon
Mentor: Dr. Robin Shoaps
This project examines how erotic dancers craft the interactional personae they sell to customers and how these performances respond to power dynamics in their workplace. It will draw from participant-observation ethnography and discourse analysis of interviews with dancers and staff at a local gentlemen's club.
2023 URSA Awards
Steven Anderson, Mari Ana Beks, Olivia Buzby, Alexia Devine, Grace Farrell, Ellie
Martinson, Lucy McWilliams
Mentor: Dr. Jaunelle Celaire
Our Opera Workshop class performed an Outreach tour to high schools in this area,
including West Valley, North Pole, and Lathrop High Schools.
Reily Dixon
Mentor: Sasha Bitzer
Cognitive Cryogenics: Visual Metaphors for Human-Environment Relationships focuses on gathering information on Alaskan glaciers, and the tendencies of local people to create a visual metaphor between the land and its inhabitants. This project highlights analogies which allow the audience to experience greater awareness and understanding of relationships to their environment.
Amara Juneau
Mentor: Julia Aikman
Charles Stark
Mentor: Dr. Retchenda George-Bettisworth
Student Belonging and Community in an online asynchronous program through Program
Orientation and an online community hub.
Beatrice Turley
Mentor: Dr. Sean Dowgray
Turley's project, mentored by Dr. Sean Dowgray, centers around the Alaskan public
school standard geometry curriculum and integrates percussion instruments into the
lesson plan to strengthen students' fundamental understanding of mathematical concepts.
Marina Barbosa Santos
Mentor: Dr. Ken Tape & Dr. Justin Cramb
This project utilizes repeat photography to support archeological efforts at the Chena Townsite, and to understand how the landscape has evolved since the town was abandoned. The project endeavors to contribute to the preservation of history, public education, and our understanding of land use changes.
Wetherleigh Griffin
Mentor: Dr. Sabine Siekmann
This teacher action research study investigates pedagogical opportunities and challenges
as well as language learning outcomes of a 7-week unit engaging university ESL students
in creating escape rooms in Minecraft.
- Brooke Fisher, Anthropology. A Tooth Size Allocation Investigation into Bodo Origins: Revisited Mentor: Brian Hemphill
- Rodolfo Garcia, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, Psychology. Correlation Between Cortisol Levels in Students at Beginning of Semester and Overall Semester Performance. Mentor: Lawrence Duffy
- Meredith McMahon, 鈥淕irls,鈥 鈥淒ancers鈥 and 鈥淟adies鈥: Language, Gender and Power in a Gentlemen鈥檚 Club. Mentor: Dr. Robin Shoaps
- Shaylise Sylvester, Psychology. Nature Exposure Through Art Medium and Stress Reduction. Mentor: Jen Peterson
- Olivia Buzby, Music Education. InterHarmony Music Festival, Piedmont, Italy. Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
- Ariana Lopez, Music Education. InterHarmony Music Festival, Piedmont, Italy. Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
- Group Award, 18th Alaska State Japanese Speech Competition, Anchorage, Alaska. Mentor: David Henry
- Meredith McMahon, 12th International Gender and Language Conference Brisbane, Australia. Mentor: Robin Shoaps
- T. Womack, Valdez Theater Conference, Valdez, Alaska, Mentor: Carrie Baker
- Aaron Marlow, Laval University French Language Intensive and Workshop, Quebec City, Canada. Mentor: Yelena Matusevich
- Vadim Bledsoe, Montpellier French Language School Summer Intensive Program, Montpellier, France. Mentor: Yelena Matusevich
- Zoe Schneider, Laval University French Language Intensive Program, Quebec City, Canada. Mentor: Yelena Matusevich
- Giovanna Wilde, 鈥淓xploring Equity and Methodological Advancements to Transform Academic Discourse Teaching and Research" Conference Los Angeles, California. Mentor: Eve Ryan
- Jillian McCarley, Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice Initiative, Summer 2023
- Jung Woo Maeng, Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice Initiative, Summer 2023
- Jennie Reynolds, Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice Initiative, Fall 2023
Congratulations to the 2022 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Colleen File & Sophie Schilling | Honorable Mention: DaeLee Forshaw, Lisa Gilbert & Lainey Lioi
Sex Education and Female Pleasure; A Comparison Between the United States and Germany.
Colleen File
Sophie Schilling
Mentor: Christopher Miller
Consist of interviews of young women to find out what they were taught about their own sexuality, specifically sexual gratification and pleasure as women with male partners. The project will compare answers from the U.S. and Germany, a sexually liberal country.
Exploring Lay and Provider Understandings of "Adequate" Prenatal Care in Interior Alaska: An Ongoing Pilot Study
DaeLee Forshaw
Lisa Gilbert
Lainey Lioi
Mentor: Dr. Elaine Drew
2022 URSA Awards
- Mentor: Courtney Skaggs, Student: Ayden Harris, Creative Writing. Mentorship in Literary Arts.
- Aihs Palmer, Psychology. Micro-pantries to Mitigate Inaccessibility to Anti-Hunger Resources. Mentor: Christi Kemper, Office of Sustainability
- Tehya McLeod, Interdisciplinary Studies. Drafting and Design, Mentor: Mary Beth Leigh.
- Solveig Henry, Justice. The Impact of Probation and Parole on Rural Alaskans. Mentor: Jeffrey May
- Group Projects:
- Laine Lioi, and Lisa Gilbert, Anthropology. A qualitative study of lay and provider perspectives of 鈥渁dequate鈥 prenatal care in Interior Alaska. Mentor: Elaine Drew
- Colleen File and Sophie Schilling, Psychology. Sex Education and Female Pleasure; A Comparison Between the United States and Germany. Mentor: Christopher Miller
- Stephanie Sutton and Samantha Taylor, Interdisciplinary. Beyond the Single Story: Domestic Violence Survivors and Incarceration Interdisciplinary Studies. Mentor: Sarah Stanley
What can a blank slate learn about another culture though transcription
Kayla Tate
Mentor: Dougless Skinner, M.A.
Fire and Morchella: Foraging and Learning in the Alaska Burn
Michael Hevezi
Mentor: Dr. Igor Pasternak & Dr. Sveta Yamin-Pastornak
2021 URSA Awards
- Brooke Fisher, Anthropology. A Tooth Size Apportionment Investigation into Bodo Origins, Mentor: Brian Hemphill
- Miranda Lloyd, Zoey Keene, Danai Kiosse, Olivia Kraska, Bethany McCraken and Leslie Siegfried, Psychology. Alone but not lonely: Examining isolation and loneliness in Interior Alaska's older adults. Mentor: Jen Peterson.
- Kayla Tate, Anthropology. Precolonial history of the Yukon Flats, Alaska: Archaeology through the eyes of Athabascan Elders and youth. Mentor: Dougless Skinner.
- Benjamin Anderson, Madeline Andriesen, Grace Farrell, Ellie Martinson, Mariana Beks, Ariana Lopez, Taylor Hendricks and Arianna Carroll, Music. Musical Theatre Outreach. Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
- Chares Wolgemuth, Nolan Earnest and Steven Anderson, Film and Performing Arts. A Case Study of Immortality. Mentor: Carrie Baker
- Danasia Cary, Linguistics. One family, three generations, three countries, multiple language ideologies. Mentor: Eve Ryan
- Lucille Farrell, Linguistics. How do people interpret smileys? Mentor: Robin Shoaps
- Group Project:
- Madeline Andriesen, Jenna Dreydopel, Taylir Hendricks, Jonathan Lange, Ariana Lopez, Ellie Martinson and Lindsay Moisan, Music. Opera Outreach Workshop. Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
Reclaiming Traditional Names to Promote Dine' (Navajo) Language and Culture
Kendrick McCabe
Mentor: Dr. Elaine Drew
The work I have completed for my travel involved attending the Navajo Nation Human Resources and Review Board Bi-Annual Conference. The conference involved the presentation of my project in poster format along with other projects being presented over the course of two days. In those two days between every meeting I stood by my poster presentation and explained my research project to members of other Universities. The Projects presented were interconnected and overlapped in various conference rooms. My project was noticed by a few professors and attendees from other universities for its cultural significance and contribution to language revitalization. Questions regarding my project included: What are you doing this for? What have you found? How did you come up with this idea? What do you plan to do next? The project found a significant positive feedback in the application notion of contemporary language use. Very significant discussion over the continued use of these methods in various other reservations were very helpful among the academics and researchers. The final day of the conference found a few discussions into others name usage as well as reflection of Navajo language use among young Navajo children. Interestingly enough, elders self reflection of their own Navajo names sparked conversation of contemporary use among a select few. Further inquiry of results were asked of this researcher by the members of the board to which positive feedback was found. Further investigation of name usage in churches were discussed and produced results that require a new project protocol involving past name documents among Catholic churches on the reservation. These documents in conjunction with this current project holds significant applications to the revitalization of the language. The presentation of this project produced positive feedback as we as further community inquiry into the continued investigation and work of this researcher.
Taphonomic Analysis of Caribou from the Croxton Site (Tukuto Lake, Alaska)
Taylor Vollman
Mentor: Dr. Jamie Clark
This study assesses taphonomic damage to caribou bones from the Croxton site, with a goal of reconstructing both human butchery and processing behavior and the impacts of carnivores on the assemblage. The Croxton site is located in the Brooks Range and contains both Ipiutak and Denbigh occupations. The connection between Ipiutak peoples living in coastal and interior settings is not well understood. As a large interior site, Croxton has the potential to contribute to the broader understanding of this period. Croxton was excavated by field crews in the early 1980s, with some additional excavations taking place in 2000. All material has been housed at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, where much of it remains to be studied. Beginning in 2016, 性欲社 zooarchaeology students analyzed faunal material from Level 1 of Unit 180S/88W, an Ipiutak occupation layer. For this project, caribou bones were analyzed under a microscope to record cut marks, percussion damage, carnivore damage, and acid etching. Presence/absence data was recorded along with cortical preservation. Cut marks and carnivore damage were draw onto printed templates to match their positioning on the bones as best as possible. Results were compared to other studies conducted on the Croxton fauna. This study found much higher frequencies of cut marks and carnivore damage than previous studies, which may be the result of different analytical methods (primarily the use of a microscope in this study). Drawings of the placement of cut marks were compared to ethnoarchaeological/experimental datasets to determine specific butchery processes. This analysis suggests that all stages of processing were present at Croxton, which indicates hunting took place nearby the site. Elements were grouped into body sections to see if certain areas of the body had higher frequencies of taphonomic damage. This revealed that carnivores had access to all body sections, with no indication that dogs were fed specific elements, something that has been documented in historic period sites in the Brooks Range). These results are critical to our understanding of site formation and disturbance processes at Croxton.
Participatory Action Research in the Social and Cultural Effects of Gamelan Music and Gamelan Ensemble Playing
Kellie Lynch
Mentor: Dr. Sveta Yamin-Pasternak
The building of a set of Javanese gamelan instruments was a goal of mine since arriving
in Fairbanks to finish my bachelor鈥檚 degree in the Music Department at University
Alaska Fairbanks in 2016. It took a few semesters of reading, listening and emailing
other instrument builders before I managed to get enough information and funding to
take on such a large project. To construct the instruments the project included collaborations
with a carpenter and a blacksmith, consultations with physics faculty and the help
of a few volunteers and friends. I relied on the expertise of instrument builders,
Jarrad Powell and Stephan Fandrich for instruction on the minute details of tuning
the steel bars and plates and resonator acoustics.
As an ensemble leader and educator, I reached out across the university and community
to acquire skills in participatory action methods in education and collaboration.
My mentors and teachers are my collaborators, community members and participants each
providing a vital part to my research and education process as I document the process
of participatory methods in community music. This project serves as the capstone of
my undergraduate interdisciplinary degree in Applied Ethnomusicology by utilizing
the skills I have learned in music, Alaska Native cultures and knowledge systems,
anthropology and the importance of community involvement.
Fairbanks has many community music ensembles and cultural events within the Alaska
Native community which celebrate the different music and cultures of the people who
live in Fairbanks. In the use of gamelan, I was looking for something that would have
no barriers of learning in place such as knowing how to read music or owning a certain
instrument to be able to participate. The goal of bringing gamelan music into the
community was to share, equally, a musical experience that would require only the
participants willingness to learn to create music together as an equivalent.
I am continuing to make contacts with other gamelan educators and players in the United
States and Indonesia to further my education in both Javanese gamelan and Javanese
culture. I intend to spend time with gamelan instructors during a visit to Java over
the winter break and bring back more information to my fellow gamelan players to further
our collective knowledge in support of our community gamelan ensemble.
2020 URSA Awards
- Miho Aiko, Art. This is a fellowship for a student to participate in an international collaborative animation project as a practicum. This practicum is the student's capstone project to lead a team of students in lighting design and animation, gain leadership experience in international production, and create artwork for his professional demo reel (portfolio).
Kayli Breuninger
Psychology
Mentor: Dani Sheppard
Presented a poster at the Western Psychological Association virtual conference October 28-31, 2020. TITLE | Shedding Light: Factors Related to Well-Being During Winter Across Latitudes.
Kayli Breuninger
Psychology
Mentor: Dani Sheppard
The proposed study will explore the relationship between natural light exposure and well-being during winter across latitudes. This survey will assess seasonal changes in mood, attitudes, behavior, health and well-being to identify whether responses to winter are different between Alaska, Oregon, and Texas.
- Hailey Baker
Psychology
Mentor: Drew Kelly
I will research the utilization of N6 cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) and 8-sulfa-theophylline (8-SPT) drug combination in order to suppress shivers and seizures during cooling therapy compared to current method of treatment in hospitals (meperidine and buspirone) post-cardiac arrest.
- Michael Hevezi
Anthropology
Mentor: Sveta Yamin-Pasternak
This project is aimed at gathering and analyzing data from local foragers of morel mushrooms in order to assess the affects of dynamic seasonal conditions (fires) on this popular subsistence resource. Morel mushrooms are valued and their fruiting has correlation with areas that have soil disturbed by fires.
- Kaylee Miller
Psychology
Mentor: Cecile Lardon
This study seeks to understand adult perceptions of dogs and human-dog interactions while focusing on situational and environmental factors. The three-phase study will include a literature review, the creation of a survey, and a field study assessing human perceptions of dogs and human-dog interaction.
- Jared Olin
Film and Performing Arts
Mentor: Carrie Baker
This project will entail crafting a performance for a small professional theatre with the intention of connecting theatre companies to counseling facilities. This is in the hopes that Alaska鈥檚 issues surrounding the high statistics of suicide, depression, mental illness, and substance abuse will be more common topics of discussion.
- Madeline Andriesen, Jenna Dreydoppel, Taylor Hendricks, Jonathan Lange, Lindsay Moisan, and Phoenix Williams Music Education and Vocal Performance Mentor - Jaunelle Celaire This outreach will include opera workshop performances by the 性欲社 voice students at various Anchorage middle and high schools. The program will be sung in the original languages.
- Emily Cohen and Aidan Earnest Political Science Mentor - Alex Hirsch Alaska currently faces a sexual violence epidemic, with sexual assault rates three times the national average. Our project will comparatively analyze states鈥 statutory consent laws and the significant impact of these laws on sexual crime rates, ultimately producing a definition of consent to be implemented into Alaska Statute.
- Kellie Lynch Interdisciplinary Studies Mentor - Sveta Yamin-Pasternak This project will apply participatory action methodologies to explore cross cultural comparative music by introducing Gamelan music, an Indonesian music that is played on metallophones and gongs. We will also teach Athabascan fiddling; a transmitted culture from western influence melded with traditional dance that has been integrated into yearly Athabascan gatherings.
- Rodney Tracht Psychology Mentor - Jennifer Peterson This study aims to confirm the relationship between social media use and the amount of loneliness experienced by adults 60 or older. This study will attempt to show a correlation between increased social media use and a lessening of the feelings of loneliness among this group of people.
- Kayli Brueniger, Leslie Seigfried, Rodney Tracht, Sarah Levy, and Maren Dodson Psychology Western Psychological Association Convention (WPA) San Francisco, California Shedding Light: Factors Related to Well-Being During Winter Across Latitudes
- Mary Conlin Film and Performing Arts New York City, New York University Resident Theatre Association 2020 National Unified Auditions
Fall Travel Awards
Eleanor Lynch, Katherine Leinberger, and Lucie Anderson English Conference on Community Writing Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Strategies And Tactics In Learning Network Design For Writers Inside And Out Of Carceral Spaces
Sarah Manriquez Art International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage, Alaska Finding Home, solo exhibition
Kendrick McCabe Anthropology Human Research and Review Board 2019 Bi-Annual Research Conference Window Rock, Arizona Reclaiming Traditional Names to Promote Dine (Navajo) Language and Culture
Mentor Awards
Jamie Clark Anthropology Engaging undergraduates in zooarchaelogical research at the Croxton Site (Tukuto Lake, Northern Alaska) Clark, Taylor Vollman and other undergraduates will research materials from a site that is believed to have served as a focal point for hunting/processing during seasonal caribou migration through the Brooks Range. Students will be involved in basic data collection and more specialized analyses; with the goal of creating a series of publications.
Joseph Holt English Ice Box Literary Journal Holt will work with six undergraduate editors (Annie Wenstrup, Emma Charlton, Hunter Young, Stanley Rogers, Shelby Anderson and Abby Bravo) and 15-20 undergraduate writers to create and print the Ice Box Literary Journal for this academic year.
Jen Peterson Psychology The Cat鈥檚 Meow: Does pet ownership contribute to healthy aging? Peterson and her undergraduates (Travis Burrows, Rodney Tracht, Gabrielle Camp, Leslie Siegfried) will investigate the effects of pet ownership on healthy aging by examining the positive influences and challenges faced by elders in our community.
Community-Engaged Learning Awards
Ryan Fitzpatrick This project will bring a number of Girl Scout troops together for informative talks from Music Education students on becoming a musician, life as a professional musician and teacher, and culminate in an Instrumental "Petting Zoo," in which the troops can interact with instruments from the various instrumental families.
Fall Project Award
Hannah Pothast Psychology Mentor - Jennifer Peterson This study aims to understand how individuals living in arctic environments are affected by the rapidly changing levels of light during equinox seasons. This study will examine how mood and behavior are affected during these transitional seasons.
Summer Project Award
Kyleigh Huntsman Film Studies Mentor - Maya Salganek I will produce an original short dramatic film from script to screen that explores the foster care system and the search for stability and trust in a family unit.
Kellie Lynch Interdisciplinary Studies Mentor - Sveta Yamin-Pasternak This project applies the principles of participatory action research to study the social influences of Gamelan ensembles and their impact on communities. Gamelan music is a traditional music in Indonesia that is played collectively on metallophones and gongs.
Sarah Manrirquez Art Mentor - Alex Hirsch I am producing a documentary film, and curating an accompanying photography exhibition, about the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman who lives at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. Through film and photography, this project aims to dispel common myths about the causes of homelessness by tracing her journey.
Research & Creativity Day CLA Dean's Choice Awards
Buck Barbieri and Naomi Hutchens Collaborative Animation Production from Students' Perspective: Creating short 3D CG films through international team-work.
Micheal Lorain Wood Selection for Archaeological Fish Trap Stakes in Southeast Alaska
Kendrick McCabe Reclaiming Traditional Names to Promote Din茅 (Navajo) Language and Culture
Winter & Spring Individual Travel Awards
Emily Alvey Justice Alaska Evaluation Network 2019 Conference Anchorage, Alaska Exploring the Impact of Local Option Laws in Rural Alaska
Elsbeth Cheyne Theatre University/Resident Theatre Association 2019 National Unified Auditions New York, New York
Cassidy Kelly Psychology Western Psychological Association Conference Pasadena, California Doggie Duties: A survey on the feelings toward and functions of domestic dogs in central Alaska
Michael Lorain Anthropology Northwest Anthropological Conference Kennewick, Washington Wood Selection for Fish Trap Stakes in Southeast Alaska
Emily Ross Theatre University/Resident Theatre Association 2019 National Unified Auditions New York, New York
Spring Project Awards
Stefan Johnson History This project will be an analysis of how the Dutch arms trade in the Great Lakes Region impacted the culture, population, and structure of Fort Orange and Beverwyck. This investigation will span from the Mahican-Mohawk War in 1624 to the British seizure of the colony in 1664.
Dillon McIntire and Delaney Reece Anthropology This mixed-methods research project examines the relationship between gender and space within a university student recreation center. Through direct observations, surveys and interviews, we will identify how patrons constitute and negotiate different spaces as gendered spaces during their physical activity routines.
Community-Engaged Learning Awards
Ryan Fitzpatrick Music Fairbanks Cello Festival While there are many musicians who converge at 性欲社's music department, there is rarely an opportunity for players who all play the same instrument to develop instrumental skills and camaraderie as a community. School students of the FNSBSD are leaving music because of a lack of appropriate funding - as such, 性欲社 recruitment becomes more difficult. Adults in the community rarely have the opportunity to play in a large group and meet other like-minded musicians. The implementation of the Fairbanks Cello Festival would aim to bring as many community cellists to 性欲社 as possible, with a series of master classes by two guest artists from Indiana University at 性欲社's campus, followed by a cello concert which would feature as many cellists from the community, local grade and high schools, after school programs, and 性欲社 students, as possible in a single large cello ensemble. 性欲社 is a hub for musical activity in the region, and a cello celebration such as this will bring people together who all share the same passion for music.
Sarah Manriquez Art My Home in My Hands I am directing and producing a documentary film, and curating an accompanying photography exhibit, about the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman who lives at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. Homelessness may not be a new issue but homelessness in the Arctic is an often misunderstood, complex and growing problem that deserves to be explored in depth. In particular, through the power of film and photography, my project aims to dispel popular myths about the causes of homelessness by tracing Ms. Cavanaugh鈥檚 daily journey of recovery from addiction.
Fall Individual Travel Awards
Ariana Horner Music Education From Alaska to South Africa 鈥 Connecting through Music - Lowveld Chamber Music Association Johannesburg, South Africa
Mentor Awards
Sine Anahita Sociology Ruth A. M. Schmidt Public Sociology Podcast Project
Ryan Fitzpatrick Music National Association for Music Education All-Northwest Conference
Chisato Murakami Japanese Participation of Alaska State Japanese Speech Contest
Fall Group Travel Awards
Craig Chythlook and Kevin Huo Political Science Model Arctic Council The Model Arctic Council (MAC) is an academic program in which students from universities throughout the circumpolar north and beyond actively participate in a collaborative, experiential learning exercise to expand their knowledge of salient challenges and concerns in the Arctic. Rovaniemi, Finland
Fall Project Award
Kendrick McCabe Anthropology While Din茅 language revitalization efforts are underway, this study seeks to identify whether the reclamation of traditional naming practices could serve as a complementary strategy to promote Din茅 language and culture. This study will clarify traditional naming practices, examine current trends, and ascertain the feasibility of restoring traditional naming practices.
Summer Travel Awards
Buck Barbieri and Naomi Hutchens Art Collaborative Animation Production from Students' Perspective: Creating short 3D CG films through international team-work. SIGGRAPH 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia
Casey Winkleman Music Performance - Voice Utah Vocal Arts Academy Summer Opera Festival Principle Artist Program
Summer Project Awards
John Brickley English This project advances current research at the intersection of English literature and computer science by designing and implementing a novel algorithm for identifying selected English texts' source materials. Sources are identified using searches for rare words and patterns of words ("strings"). Searches are broadened using linguistically sound permutations of strings.
Emily Dreher Linguistics This project uses critical discourse analysis to compare representations of two sporting events in which human and animal athletes compete together: dog-mushing and horse racing. Social and mass media coverage of significant horse and sled dog races will be examined to see how sport enthusiasts and critics constitute animals-as-athletes
Nicole Lindsay Psychology The proposed study aims to understand how individuals living in interior Alaska emotionally respond to natural threatening situations. This study is a replication with an extension of the 鈥淔ear versus fascination: An exploration of emotional responses to natural threats鈥 conducted by van den Berg and ter Heijne in 2005.
Michael Lorain Anthropology This project will sample wood stakes from prehistoric fish weirs in southeast Alaska to perform species and radiocarbon analysis. The project aims to understand potential preferences for tree species and begins to ask questions about behavioral reasoning. Samples will be taken from two traps at the archaeological site PET-00748.
Daniel Manley Linguistics This is a language learning research project comparing learning a language online to learning it in person. In this language learning study I intend to reflect on my language learning processes, and explore the role of motivation and what social interaction looks like in the two contexts.
Patricia Wenstrup English A Map Shaped Like a Poem is a summer long writing project that interrogates the relationship between geographic place, history and image. This project will be bracketed by craft writing workshops that will inform my writing process.
Spring Travel Awards
Didar Baumgartner Psychology Western Psychological Association 2018 Convention Portland, Oregon
Cassidy Kelly Psychology The Western Psychological Association Convention 2018 Portland, Oregon
Nicole Lindsay Psychology The Western Psychological Association Convention 2018 Portland, Oregon
Colleen Mertes Anthropology 25th Annual Lavender Linguistics Conference Providence, Rhode Island
Edward Paxson History 2018 Phi Alpha Theta Northwest Regional Conference Spokane, Washington
Spring Project Awards
Olena Ellis Art I will be working with internationally acclaimed Gallerist Leslie Ferrin and Sculptor Artist Sergei Isupov in Massachusetts, covering technical aspects of sculpture and also New Mexico artist, Mary Shaffer, who was integral in the American Studio Glass Movement.
Colleen Mertes Anthropology This project analyzes rugby songs. The songs, notable for bawdy lyrics, are sung at 鈥渟ocials.鈥 I aim to understand how women rugby players negotiate singing phallocentric and misogynistic lyrics. I draw from linguistic anthropology research on swearing; stereotypes about gendered speech and linguistic meaning in communities of practice.
Winter Travel Awards
Kellie Bernstein Theatre and Film University Resident Theatre Association Auditions New York, New York
Owen Fulton Political Science Model United Nations New York, New York
Chaya Pike Political Science Model United Nations New York, New York
Community Engaged Learning Awards
Maureen Biermann and Sine Anahita Sociology Understanding LGBTQ Experiences in a Changing Climate
Elaine Drew Anthropology Promoting Veteran Health, Reintegration, and Quality of Life in Alaska
Mentor Awards
Brandon Boylan Political Science 性欲社 Participation in National Model United Nations Conference
Elaine Drew Anthropology Prenatal Care Perspectives among Alaskan Women
Jen Petersen Psychology Healthy Aging in the Far North: Perspectives and Prescriptions
Dani Sheppard Psychology Journey to Western Psychological Association
Sveta Yamin-Pasternak Anthropology Food Arts of the Bering Strait, a Multimedia Exhibit
Fall Travel Awards
Melissa Delgado Communications The National Communication Association鈥檚 103rd Convention Dallas, Texas
Sarah Manriquez-Trujillo Art Photo Expo Plus 2017 Portfolio Review New York, New York
Jessica Obermiller Anthropology National American Anthropology Association鈥檚 National Conference Washington DC
Karissa Paschall English Community and Writing Conference Boulder, Colorado
Fall Project Awards
Kathryn Herrod Psychology The purpose of this proposed study is to use semi-structured interviews with photo prompts to better understand 性欲社 students鈥 experiences with depression, as well as identify specific facilitators and barriers to dealing with depression on the 性欲社 campus.
Brynne Myers Psychology Classroom environments, specifically windows and lighting, significantly impact student performance. This project will study the effect of classroom environments through varied window conditions on student attentiveness and cognition, specifically cognitive flexibility and learning retention. Through this study, efficiency of learning and use of windows in classrooms will be improved.
Shaylee Shocklee Justice This program is the result of 5 years of work on the part of the 性欲社 justice department as well as a number of members of the Fairbanks justice department. When implemented in Fairbanks that uses restorative justice to replace our current punitive system of justice.
Krystina Stobinski Psychology This project is designed to qualitatively explore the relationship between students with math anxiety, their professors, and university math programs. Outcomes of the projected project will include betterment of University math programs as well as increased student confidence and academic success.
Summer Project Awards
Jacob Harris Anthropology A comparative study of animal bones from Mughr el-Hamamah in Jordan and Sefunim Cave in Israel. The sites date to 45,000-21,000 years ago. The analysis will focus on the degree of fragmentation, weathering, and burning, which can tell us about human behavior and site formation processes.
Summer Travel Awards
Rose Crelli Music Marrowstone Music Festival Bellingham, Washington
Research and Creative Activity Day Awards- CLA
Aleksandra Milanovich Examining roles of boredom proneness, self-determination, intrinsic motivation, gender on persons鈥 experience of boredom
Spring Travel Awards
Seth Blohm Music Alaska Chamber Chorale Tour Italy
Aleksandra Milanovich Psychology Association for Psychological Science Conference Boston, Massachusetts
Spring Project Awards
Angelina Rotermund Foreign Languages and Literatures Assisting environmental mercury research at 性欲社 through Spanish-English translation and interpretation
Mentor Awards
Frank Boldt Justice Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice Initiative
Amy May Communication and Journalism Testing the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) as a strategy to reduce speech anxiety
Fall Travel Awards
Diana Berry Art Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Conference Salt Lake City, Utah October, 2016
Amanda Casterline Theatre University Resident Theatre Association Seminar Chicago, Illinois January 2017
Lindsay Klueber Biology and Art Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, California March 2017
Fall Project Awards
Ashley Blake Psychology Understanding the factors that impact 性欲社 student veterans' academic and social success
Jenny Dale Anthropology Intimacy and Devotion: A Secular Inquiry into the Literacy Strategies of a Jews for Jesus Bible Study Group
Aleksandra Milanovich Psychology Bored out of this world: Factors impacting the experience of boredom
Summer Travel Awards
Jessica Obermiller Linguistics Association of Humanistic Sociology's Annual Conference Denver, Colorado, November 2016
Victoria Leque Japanese United States - Japanese Council Conference Santa Clara, California, November 2016
RCA Day Dean's Choice Award
Jessica Obermiller The Headscarf Project: Exposing myself by covering up
Spring Travel Awards
Diana Berry Art W.D. Berry Research 鈥 Art History Practicum Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, March 2016
Nathan Feemster Linguistics International Gender and Language Association Conference Hong Kong, May 2016
Spring Project Awards
Amanda Casterline Theater Theater Thesis: Costume Design
Montana Goss Biology and Anthropology Who Are The Shenks Ferry People?
Joshua Pharris Linguistics Shared Subsistence Terminology between Alutiiq and Neighboring Languages
Fall Travel Awards
Jessica Obermiller Anthropology Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association Denver, Colorado, November 2015
Fall Project Awards
Diana Berry Art Art History Practicum: The W.D. Berry Collection in Rasmuson Library
Gabriel Cartegena Psychology Living With HIV/AIDS - Understanding Survivorship Through Photovoice
Candace Kruger Anthropology Historic and Contemporary Deg Hit鈥檃n Basketry
Carl Sage Theater Antigone: Dramaturgy, Design, and Performance
Summer Project Awards
Alta East Anthropology Foraging Practices of Military Families in Alaska
Ashley Swedberg Social Work Measuring the Level of Preparedness for Assisting Human Trafficking Victims in Alaska
Julia Taylor Journalism and Broadcasting Hartman Justice Project
Research Day Awards
Overall First Place: Leah Hill Performance of Gender & Identity: Using the Early Photographic Works of Claude Cahun and Cindy Sherman to Demonstrate the Performance Nature of Gender and Identity
Mentor Awards
Sine Anahita Sociology Digital Man Cave Data Analysis Project
Sarah Stanley English Travel to the Second Annual Post-Secondary Access and Completion Conference in Anchorage, AK
Spring Travel Awards
Ana Fochessato Model United Nations Conference Berkeley, California, February 2015
Cassidy Phillips Society for American Archaeology Annual Conference San Francisco, California, April 2015
Tyler Walker Pacific Rim English Conference Anchorage, Alaska March 2015
Mentor Awards
Sine Anahita Sociology Purchase of three types of qualitative analysis software
Jim Brashear Art Purchase of art supplies and materials for outdoor kilns
Sarah Stanley English 2014 Dartmouth Summer Seminar for Composition Research Hanover, New Hampshire
Sarah Stanley English Online resource on the Write Alaska website
Fall Travel Awards
David Harris Linguistics Society for Study of Indigenous Languages of the Americas Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon January 2015
Fall Project Awards
JR Ancheta Journalism and Broadcasting Fairbanksans: Portraits from the Golden Heart City
Lachlan Gillespie Political Science Perceived Sources of Social Marginalization of Gender Non-conforming Individuals
Daniel Leahy Political Science Currency and Conflict in Bolivarian Venezuela
Summer Project Awards
Lakeidra Chavis Journalism Mentor: Lynne Lott Beyond the Single Story: Life in Rural Jamaica
Cassidy Phillips Anthropology Mentor: Jamie Clark Using GIS to Identify Activity Areas at the Middle Stone Age Site of Sibudu Cave
Spring Travel Awards
Grace Amundsen, Matthew Carrick, Mamie Davis & Ana Fochesatto Political Science Mentor: Brandon Boylan Model United Nations New York Simulation Spring 2014
Kristen Welchel Social Work Mentor: LaVerne Demientieff Study Abroad: Melbourne, Australia Spring 2014
Kavelina Torres Film Mentor: Maya Salganek Fieldwork: Bethel, Alaska Spring 2014
Spring Project Awards
Jason Howe Psychology Mentor: Timothy Lower Utilizing video games to determine human motivation
Crystal Lor Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez Assessing the impact of an Athabascan Beading Project with an Alaska Native cancer support group
Mentor Awards
Kara Hoover Anthropology To create an undergraduate lab training program that will generate a skilled pool of students seeking research lab experience that can be exploited by lab-based faculty in need of trained staff.
Robin Shoaps Anthropology Travel funds to accompany a student presenting at the International Gender and Language Association Conference in Vancouver, BC.
Jaclyn Bergamino English To helo undergraduate students realize their potential as scholars and creators of knowledge through a new student publication.
Kara Hoover Anthropology To mentor a student in hands-on research.
Fall Project Awards
Ira Hardy Journalism Mentor: Charles Mason Subsistence Whaling and Development
Anne Bartholomew Journalism Mentor: Charles Mason A Soul Community
Teagan White-Nesbitt College of Liberal Arts Mentor: Derick Burleson Translation of Contemporary German Poetry
Jonathan Quinones Political Science Mentor: Alexander Hirsch PTSD combat veterans and the requirements for eligibility of the Purple Heart
Summer Project Awards
JR Ancheta Journalism Mentor: Charles Mason Fairbanksans: Portraits from the Golden Heart City
Travel Awards
Kristine de Leon Anthropology Mentor: Michele Hebert Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference (Nashville, Tennessee). Fall 2013
Jacqueline Eisenberg, Helen Shepard, Jenny York & Brittany Von Sickle Social Work Mentor: Heidi Brocious Social Work Conference (LaCrosse, Wisconsin). Spring 2013
Azara Mohammadi Anthropology Mentor: David Fazzino American Anthropological Association (AAA) 112th Annual Conference (Chicago, Illinois). Fall 2013
Samantha Enters & Adrienne Smyth English Mentor: Michael Edson 18th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Literature and Rhetoric (Anchorage, Alaska). Spring 2013
Ann Lewis English Mentor: Sarah Stanley 18th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Literature and Rhetoric (Anchorage, Alaska). Spring 2013
Ethan Sinsabaugh Anthropology Mentor: David Fazzino American Anthropological Association (AAA) 112th Annual Conference (Chicago, Illinois). Fall 2013
Spring Project Awards
Anne Bartholomew Journalism Mentor: Rob Prince Applications of Multimedia Reporting Within the Fairbanks Winter Sports Community
Ashley Strauch Psychology Mentor: Monica Skewes Perceptions of Problem Drinking Among Alaskan College Students
Ian Wilkinson Art Mentor: Todd Paris Spheres of Influence
Ariadne Wattum Theater Mentor: Bethany Marx Costume Design Thesis Project
Summer Project Awards
Ian Wilkinson Art Mentor: James Brashear Spheres of Influence
Sean Gueco Justice Mentor: Jeffrey May
Ashley Strauch Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez
Travel Awards
Charles Allison History Mentor: Terrence Cole Pacific Northwest Phi Alpha Theta Conference (Spokane, Washington). Spring 2012
Ian Wilkinson Art Mentor: James Brashear National Counsel on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference (Seattle, Washington). Spring 2012
Joshua Barry Film Mentor: Maya Salganek Fieldwork: A Bridge Near Fairbanks. Fall 2012
Mariah Ver Hoef Anthropology Mentor: Patrick Plattet Fieldwork: Ute Native American Culture in the State of Colorado. Spring 2012
Steven Hall Art Mentor: Mareca Guthrie Fieldwork: Tok & Anchorage, Alaska Fall 2012
Ashley Strauch Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez Behavioral Sciences Conference of the North's 28th Annual Meeting (Anchorage, Alaska). Fall 2012
Spring Project Awards
Alaina Ctibor Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez Cancer Survivorship
Lisa Guffey Art History Mentor: Mary Goodwin Provenance of Rockwell Jones Painting
Joel Isaak Fine Art Mentor: Da-ka-xeen Mehner Alaska Native Art with Animal Skins
Mentor Awards
Terrence Cole History To accompany students to present papers at the Phi Alpha Theta Northwest Regional History Conference in Spokane, Washington
Leonard Kamerling English To engage a film student in an ongoing ethnographic film/applied visual anthropology research project that addresses the problem of indigenous urban migration.
Jeffrey May Justice To attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (Ogden, Utah)
- Fionna Fadum, Kevin Huo, and Jason Kells - Dean's Choice Award, URSA Research Day, Spring 2018
- Claudia Cease - The Taboo of Mourning: Germany 1939 - 1955 (2015 URSA Project Award)
- Stormy Fields - A 12,000 year record of ecological change at Blair Lake, Interior Alaska (2015 URSA Project Award)
- Aidan Barba - Mitochondrial DNA Markers of Ancestry and Migration in early Medieval Moravia (2013 CLA Undergraduate Research and URSA Spring Project cofund)