Emily Fendrick, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Ariadne Herrera, majoring in Psychology and English, presented their research on RAMI, a chatbot project led by Dr. Reginald Lucian, assistant dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College, based on motivation regulation strategy research by Dr. Sang Park, associate professor in the College of Education. (Photo courtesy of Ariadne Herrera)
The USF Humanities Institute (HI) at the USF College of Arts and Sciences sponsored 23 undergraduate students to present original research at the Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium held at Johns Hopkins University in March.
The symposium brought together 150 undergraduate students from across the country to share their humanities research with their peers.
Prior to taking part in this national conference, students completed HI’s annual Undergraduate Humanities Conference on campus before submitting applications to attend the national symposium hosted by Johns Hopkins University.
Students accepted to travel to the national conference received financial support from the HI to cover airfare, hotel, and registration fees, all of which were made possible via the Clara Cooper Endowed Fund for the Humanities Institute.
“Being accepted to present research at a national conference is always prestigious, but to do so as an undergraduate is especially impressive. It gives the students an opportunity to connect with other young scholars from across the country, and it makes them more competitive applicants for graduate school when they enter the workforce,” said Liz Kicak, continuing associate professor in the Department of English and director of the HI.
CAS students featured from left to right: Abigail Emmerson, Kaitlyn Roulet, Robert Vose, and Aaron Carbone. (Photo courtesy of Jade von Weder)
Student research included diverse and interdisciplinary topics such as developing written scripts for a chatbot, the impact of culture on conversations about domestic violence in Western Africa, and an analysis of Reagan-era economic policies in major blockbuster films like Ghostbusters, to name a few.
Aaron Carbone, a senior majoring in history and minoring in philosophy, shared his research on the economic benefits of the alcohol trade for women before the American Revolution.
“Attending the conference enhanced my student experience in more ways than I can list,” Carbone said. “It was wonderful to meet students from all over the country, who are likely going to be the next generation of leading academics, and having the opportunity to present among them at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country is something that I’ll never forget.”
“Attending the Richard Macksey Undergraduate Research Symposium at Johns Hopkins University and representing the University of South Florida was nothing short of a life-changing experience. It allowed me to witness not just how the study of humanities has impacted the collective history of the world, but why those studies matter to build a better tomorrow,” added Dane Clarke, who is majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in film and new media studies. “As a proud member of the Humanities Institute, I enjoy the ability to connect with my fellow peers and the opportunities it provides me to expand my research outside the bounds of the normal university level.”
Kaitlyn Roulet, majoring in World Languages and Cultures, shares her presentation on: “We Ignore the Past at Our Peril: France’s History of Disregarding History.” (Photo courtesy of Jade von Weder)
Undergraduate Dane Clarke’s research centered on the connection between the political project of Reaganomics and its connection to the 1984 film Ghostbusters. (Photo courtesy of Dane Clarke)
Caitlin Coyle, majoring in Environmental Science and Policy, speaks on: “Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Global Coastal Communities.” (Photo courtesy of Jade von Weder)
Kicak said she was impressed with the level of professionalism among the students.
“It’s difficult to stand at a podium, give a presentation to fifty people, and then answer audience questions, but these students made it look like they had been doing it for years. They supported and encouraged each other and were amazing representatives of CAS and USF,” she said.