Jepson Research Symposium

Sofi Conway
Examining Differences in Information Processing: A Case Study in Higher Education
My project analyzes interviews with university faculty, focusing on the nature of information processing, or the practices by which individuals procure, evaluate, and interpret information. This research examines news consumption, digital engagement, and emotional responses to information about four contemporary issues: climate change, COVID-19, gun control, and policing. Blending leadership studies and qualitative sociological research, this work has implications for higher education and social issue discourses.
Research Advisor: Dr. Bo Yun Park 

Ella Hayes
Divided Discourse: Analyzing Abortion Rhetoric in the 2016 Presidential Debates
My honors thesis analyzes how the political party of the speaker affects the rhetoric used to talk about abortion in the 2016 American presidential election debates. Using computer-assisted qualitative analysis, I argue that Democrats and Republicans utilize different moral systems (either “morality as empathy” or “morality as strength”) to promote rhetorical frameworks and metaphor systems that act as a catalyst and justification for policy action.
Research Advisor: Dr. Bo Yun Park 

 
Shelby Mokricky
Exploring the Impact of Public Health Messaging on Maternal Health Engagement in the US: A Focus on Racial Disparities and Persuasive Evidence
With the current rise of maternal mortality rates in the United States, particularly among Black women, the aim of my project is to understand more about how the content of maternal health campaigns affects participants’ desire to create action and change. The findings indicate that anecdotal evidence has a larger impact than statistical evidence on participants’ demand for change from their leaders and their willingness to donate money toward this issue.
Research Advisor: Dr. Crystal Hoyt

Lauren Oligino
Lifeline: A Reacting Game about Brain Death
My thesis centers around a reacting game that explores the ethical, legal, and social implications of brain death. Reacting games are an instructional tool where students are assigned roles and must achieve their victory objectives to win the game. These games allow students to learn about a new topic in an engaging way, while also teaching them skills in critical thinking, argumentation, and collaboration. In creating the reacting game, I researched brain death — including different definitions and their philosophical basis, history, and policies — as well as game mechanics.
Research Advisor: Dr. Javier Hidalgo

Cameron Peterson
Narrative and Musical Powers in Video Games
Over the past year, I have researched the leadership potential that comes from video games, particularly through the elements of game design and music. By examining game design, looking at specific examples, and using my own in-process game as case studies, I explore how developers can create art that allows players to feel strong emotions and make reasonable decisions, thereby fostering elements of good leadership.
Research Advisor: Dr. Kristin M. S. Bezio

Eve Ridenhour
A Closer Look at the Female Disadvantage and Advantage in Leadership
My research takes a closer look at the effects of dominance and competence for women leaders by exploring boundary conditions on the response to women who display dominant or competent agency. I test the prediction that the extent to which women incur penalties or accolades for engaging in different types of agency depends on perceivers’ egalitarian-related motives and beliefs.
Research Advisor: Dr. Crystal Hoyt

Trevin Stevens
Opioid Policy Solutions: Administrative Law, Legislation, and Constitutional Reform
I have written three separate policy briefs addressing issues in the pharmaceutical industry that allowed for the opioid epidemic to reach the magnitude that it has in the last three decades. I examined policy regarding labeling, drug diversion and misuse, as well as marketing. By studying existing policies, I was able to provide insight into possible reforms, while accounting for potential obstacles to systemic reform, such as constitutional concerns regarding free speech.
Research Advisor: Dr. Jess Flanigan

Kaitlyn Garrett
The Power of Propaganda: Visual Culture as Marketing in the War of the Roses
My thesis examines the use of visual displays, including portraiture, illuminated manuscripts, symbols, and public appearances/court styles, throughout the reigns of Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, and Henry VII, with a primary focus on the swift changes of power during the War of the Roses. By analyzing these monarchs’ marketing and propaganda displays, we are able to understand the power of visual arts as a tool for wielding stability and achieving public support.
Research Advisor: Dr. Kristin M. S. Bezio

Anum Merchant
Politics of Pluralism: Exclusionary Populists and Anti-Pluralism
Through a three-country case study, I explore how anti-pluralism gives rise to exclusionary populists. In analyzing right-wing and left-wing populists, I aim to uncover how populists utilize identity politics and other markers of anti-pluralism to appeal to their voting base. I conclude with an epistemological discussion of voters’ attraction to exclusionary leaders.
Research Advisor: Dr. Guzel Garifullina

Mark Johnson 
Music as a Force of Social Cooperation  
My project explores the unique relationship humans have with music. It discusses our musical proficiency as being an evolutionary adaptation that improves social interactions among humans and functions as an offshoot of language. It also explores the physiological and psychological human response to music and delves into trance music, which serves as a robust example of human social cooperation through music.
Research Advisor: Dr. Kristin M. S. Bezio

Cameron Peterson and Maniha Akram
Religion and Choice in Role-Playing Video Games
Under the guidance of Dr. Bezio, we play selected video games that feature strong components of choice-based narrative, wherein our gameplay decisions impact the progression of the game. Synthesizing this information with the strong religious influences present, we take a look at how religion and choice intersect to form a cohesive, yet dynamic story that allows players to explore the many facets of these games.
Research Advisor: Dr. Kristin M. S. Bezio 

Alafair Cutler
Acknowledging Differences, Upholding Inequalities: The Role of Gender Awareness in Undermining Women in Leadership
The study seeks to understand if a threat to the gender system motivates those who endorse gender awareness to more strongly defend and legitimize the system. We tested this using participants’ naturally occurring gender beliefs, predicting that presenting participants with a message that advocates for the need for more women in leadership will strengthen the relationship between gender-aware beliefs and opposition to policies that diminish the gender hierarchy.
Research Advisor: Dr. Crystal Hoyt

Emma McCauley and Alafair Cutler
The Role of Gender in Shaping Responses to Diversity-Enhancing Hiring in Elite Leadership
We examine an underexplored, potential tightrope that women might have to walk when they are in elite leadership positions within organizations. Do women have the same latitude that men have to hire women and minorities into their top leadership cabinet? We explore how gender ideologies might impact these perceptions, focusing on leadership effectiveness and legitimacy. Specifically, we examine responses to CEOs after they hire either a male or female candidate.
Research Advisor: Dr. Crystal Hoyt

Ellie Favis
From Sane to Insane 
My summer independent research project explored the treatment of women during the 19th century. I focused specifically on how a verdict of female hysteria unjustly landed many women in insane asylums. This research draws upon a few females with experiences relevant to this topic during this time period.
Research Advisor: Dr. Kristin M. S. Bezio 

Clara Kugelman
Unveiling Eugenics: Virginia’s Historical Legacy and Personal Reflections
My project dives into the historical links between the eugenics movement and Virginia, forging a personal bond through my family history. It includes Virginia’s role in eugenics through legislative analysis, in combination with ancestral investigation. My objective is to shed light on eugenics’ societal and individual consequences, emphasized by a notable absence of education on the subject in affected regions.
Research Advisor: Dr. Kristin M. S. Bezio