Undergraduate Students Present Original Research
April 30
Annual Arizona Undergraduate Research Symposium features pandemic-, social justice-related presentations
Tucson, AZ ― Gregory Redhouse, Ph.D., of Diné College is giving the keynote speech at Pima’s annual symposium featuring the research of undergraduate students from throughout Arizona.
“Naabaahii: The Navajo Warrior Culture” is his keynote for Pima’s virtual 12th Annual Arizona Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 30. Redhouse is a former Pima faculty member and former advisor to its Native American Student Association.
- What: Virtual 12th Annual Arizona Undergraduate Research Symposium
- When: 10 a.m., April 30, 2021
- Online publication: sites.google.com/view/azsymposiumhome; signup deadline to attend the Zoom event has passed.
“During this challenging pandemic, it is inspiring to see so many students who are moving forward in their education, thinking deeply about issues of social justice, and conducting original research, often related to the pandemic,” said Dianna Repp, Ph.D., Pima faculty and symposium founder.
All but one of the students presenting research are current or former Pima students. Northern Arizona University’s Maxwell H. Benning will present Using Zooarchaeology to Reconstruct Ancestral Pueblo Communities’ Hunting Patterns and the Faunal Biogeography of Northern Arizona. Other presentations and presenters include:
- Effect of Pandemic on Interaction and Enrichment of Animals in Captivity, by Alexandria Roan Austin
- The Sexualization of Women Across Social Media and its Impact on Women, by Samantha Barrera
- America's Racial Caste System by Kris Isackson
- Xenotransplantation, by Vini Vyas
- What I Did on My Summer Vacation ― The Kennedy Pharmacy Excavation, by Wolfgang Whitney-Hul
A musical performance will also be featured, and more performances will be shared on the Symposium website.
The symposium, sponsored by Pima Student Life, is a noncompetitive event that allows undergraduate students from Arizona to present original research. It is the only one of its kind in the state. Repp says it is designed to encourage and support students’ research and continued academic success.
Again this year, the symposium includes reflections on lived experience, academic life and conducting research in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Angelina Davidson will present a paper, “ Comparison of Responses Toward Past and Present Pandemics,” and Lauren Kloster will share her research on “Death and Dying during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Niamh Hamill, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland will present Global Perspective through the Narratives of Ireland, about the online Global Perspectives course she helped create to bring the study abroad experience to students who are not able to travel. For the program, she also interviewed Pima student Sylvia Rios.
Coincidently, Rios is giving the symposium’s closing keynote, Sowing Seeds of My Culture: A Corn Mother at Home & Across the Ocean.
The symposium includes a presenters panel discussion and question-answer session.
Proceedings of the symposium, including pre-recorded video presentations, poster presentations and papers will be available at sites.google.com/view/azsymposiumhome.