Student Research Symposium

November 19, 2009
4th floor of the Global Education Center
9 am to 2 pm

Each Fall, the Center for Global Initiatives hosts a Research Symposium during which funding recipients present findings from their summer research/work experiences in panel sessions. We are pleased to announce this year's participants:

9-10am

Lauren Brown, School of Public Health, Carolina Undergraduate Health Fellowship
"Combating Malnutrition in Rural Ghana through Community Education and Sustainable Rehabilitation Practices"
As a representative of Project Heal this past summer, Lauren pledged to spearhead an initiative to create a framework for training rural nutrition officers, facilitate the development of a sustainable nutrition rehabilitation program, and expand locally appropriate nutritional education initiatives in collaboration with community partners in Lawra, Ghana. Ultimately, Project Heal is dedicated to utilizing the Lawra initiative as a model for future expansion of nutrition rehabilitation programs throughout rural Ghana. She ran into some unforeseen conflicts, but did her best to push the project forward as much as possible and pursue other initiatives that would benefit the Lawra community.

Zach Smith, Department of History, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship
"Teaching the Nation: Nationalist Discourse and (un)Popular Education in Late Qing China"
The abrogation of the Civil-Service Examination system in 1905 represents a profound break in the history of Late Imperial China, as educational reformers sought to develop new means and methods of educating a broader section of the Chinese public. Zach’s presentation will examine the rhetoric of reformers writing in Jiaoyu zazhi (The Chinese Educational Review)at the very end of Qing dynastic rule in an effort to explore how these authors conceptualized issues of Chinese nationalism and citizenship. A close examination of these sources, based partially on research conducted over the summer at Tsinghua University in Beijing, reveals that although educational reformers often saw themselves as part of a shared project to develop Chinese citizenship, they often did not agree on the specific contents and contours of China's national subject.  Furthermore, an examination of the public reactions to education reform reveals that the forms of national identity espoused in such journals rarely extended beyond the maginations of the reformers themselves. This research project highlights the importance of critical discourse analysis for understanding the social and intellectual forces shaping late Qing China.

Sharon Odametey, Department of Psychology, CV Starr Award
"Female Genital Mutilation: The Psychological Effects and Coping Mechanisms as Proposed by West African Women"
Sharon will present on the history of FGM, why it takes place, who it affects, the psychological effects it has had on those who have undergone it, and the coping mechanisms these women used after experiencing FGM.

10-11am

Josh Weatherman, Department of Economics, International Internship Award
" Microfinance in Ecuador"
Josh’s presentation will focus on his experience as an intern with the Foundation for Cultural and Educational Development (FUDECE), a microfinance program headquartered in Quito, Ecuador.

Erin Pearson, School of Public Health, International Internship Award
"Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): Problems and Prospects in East Singhbhum, Jharkhan"
Maternal and neonatal mortality are significant public health problems in India. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a Government of India cash incentive scheme under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) that aims to increase institutional delivery and thereby reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Jharkhand is one of India’s lowest performing states, with only 14% of deliveries occurring in institutions. This case study was conducted in East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand’s best-performing district, with the goal of highlighting the contributing and limiting factors for the success of JSY in increasing institutional delivery in this district. To reach this goal, the case study employs in-depth interviews with women, government health providers and community volunteers, a costing analysis under multiple delivery scenarios and field observations.

Tehseen Thaver, Department of Religious Studies , CV Starr Award
Qur'anic communities: an ethnographic study of two Sufi groups in Turkey and IranA larger interest in Qur'anic hermeneutics led Tehseen to explore the role of the Qur'an and its interpretation in the divergent landscapes of Turkey and Iran. Focusing on two Sufi groups, one based in Istanbul, Turkey, and the other in Tehran, Iran, his research was directed at examining the different ways the Qur'an is being interpreted, transmitted, taught, and "lived" by the women in these communities.

11-12pm

Sarah Shair-Rosenfield, Department of Political Science, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship
" Institutional Change and Political Competition in New Democracies"
Sarah completed an intensive summer language program in Bahasa Indonesia to prepare for her dissertation fieldwork and research. Her dissertation, "Institutional Change and Political Competition in New Democracies," is a historical case study examining the causes and consequences of institutional reforms on the political party system and political competition in Indonesia in the post-New Order democratic system. The language program enabled her to not only extend her language skills, but also gain a better understanding of daily life in Indonesia and observe the presidential elections in July, seeing the importance of participatory governance to everyday people in the country.

Robin Michler, Department of City and Regional Planning, International Internship Award
" Bicycle Crossing Study: An Analysis of Crossing Behavior in Delft"
In the Netherlands, there are twice as many bicycle accidents at intersections as on road segments. In an effort to improve bicycle safety at crossings, the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management commissioned a study focused on crossing locations. Robin’s component of the project gathered insights on cyclists’ general crossing behavior, with a particular focus on how people choose to behave when they have several options. The two conclusions that can be drawn from this observational study are that, first, route choice at crossings is often guided by the shortest possible distance rather than comfort of the crossing locations. Second, cyclists naturally ride in the direction of traffic if it does not make their distance longer. Research on best crossing infrastructure is ongoing.

12-1pm

Vahini Chundi, Department of Biology, Carolina Undergraduate Health Fellowship
"Maternal Health in Rural India"
The Maternal Health in Rural India project was designed to help lower maternal mortality rates in India. The project helped women in rural villages around the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh using three different approaches: education, activism, and service. One aspect of the project involved teaching women living in rural Indian villages about the importance of proper nutrition, hygiene, and self-diagnosis during pregnancy. In addition to this educational program, Vahini went to a rural women’s free health clinic every week and helped make diagnoses under the supervision of trained medical professionals. Finally, using the information gathered on her fellowship , she assisted in initiating a statewide maternal health awareness campaign with the aid of the NTR memorial trust organization.

Kate Thanel, School of Public Health, International Internship Award
"Data analysis and interpretation to inform the development of HIV prevention interventions with male sex workers (MSW) in La Romana, Dominican Republic (DR)"
In spring 2009, Este Amor implemented a formative study to improve understanding of the social environment and HIV-related service needs of male sex workers in the Eastern region of the Dominican Republic. This qualitative study included social mapping, observations and in-depth interviews. Kate collaborated in the analysis of the formative data and used it to guide the creation of recommendations for Este Amor’s future prevention activities. The study findings include an exhaustive list and descriptions of the variety of places where male sex work occurs in three cities in Eastern DR: La Romana, Higuey and El Seibo. There are six major themes that came out of the analysis of the interviews and observations that are relevant to the understanding of the dynamics of male sex work and the formulation HIV prevention efforts. These themes explored in detail in the report are 1) sex worker identity; 2) the dynamics and organization of selling sex 3) drugs; 4) discrimination and violence; 5) relations with authorities and 6) HIV/AIDS preventive behaviors.

Elizabeth Weinstein, School of Public Health, International Internship Award
"Adolescent health in Cambodia: The perspective & approach of the Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia"
The Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC) implements a Youth Health Program, which covers approximately 520,600 young people in 1,386 villages and 43 schools in 10 provinces. This program communicates with young people in the age group 10 to 24 years, both in-school and out-of-school, on the need to change behavior with regard to HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health. In order to communicate health messages and information to the target population, the project uses a combination of peer educators conducting group learning, one-on-one talks, local theater (Lakhaon)/quiz shows and dance performances, and mobile video shows. The project also implements youth friendly services in eight RHAC clinics and in two government health centers.

1-2pm

Bill Bobbitt- Department of Environmental Science, International Internship Award
"The Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy: Understanding the Chinese Environment with a Modern Mindset"
Bill’s experience this summer with the Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, an NGO in Shanghai, revolved around analyzing the different sectors of the clean energy market, both supply (solar, wind, etc.) and demand (building efficiency, smart grid technology), and developing supply chain models for each. A supply chain model is an outline of the entire market for each sector, taking into account the vertical structure (resource procurement to manufacturing to integration) and the horizontal structure (different subcategories specific to each sector like divisions by technology, timeline, or sustainability feature).

Molly Fitch, School of Public Health, International Internship Award
" STI dynamics in a rural fishing district of Malawi"