DNA, Diets, and Dance: Spring 2016 Honors Presentations

English and World Literatures saw three students giving outstanding presentations. Jo Swenson, ’16, spoke on the topic of “Damning and Brilliant: Power and Young Female Narratives of World War II.” Her work was sponsored by Dr. Martha Sledge, Associate Professor of English and World Literatures. Julianne Jones, ’16, gave a lecture on the topic of “The Diet in the Deity: An Exploration of Spiritual Eating in a Christian Context.” Alex-Quan Pham, ’16, gave a presentation entitled “Writing Yourself into Existence: Indigenous Trans Femmes of Color and Their Memoirs.” Julianne and Alex-Quan were sponsored by Dr. Michael Colvin, Associate Professor of English and World Literatures.

Zane Younger, ’16, gave a richly detailed presentation on the topic of “Investigating the Mechanism of Trans-Lesion Synthesis by Human DNA Polymerase Kappa.”  In this Honors in Biology project, he was guided by Dr. Benedetta A. Sampoli Benitez.

Sophia Gutchinov, ’17, gave a presentation entitled “Art Revealing Violence in Three Civil Rights Movements,” the culmination of her Independent Study project in the College Honors Program. She discussed art from the Black Panther Party, the Civil Rights Movement, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Throughout the semester, she worked under the guidance of Dr. Erin O’Connor, Associate Professor of Sociology.

Finally, as final presentations for their CHP Independent Study projects, Bethany Glover, ’16 (BA in Dance) and Abbey Kowalec, ’16 (BFA in Dance), choreographed and performed a moving presentation inspired by their work in AIP 327: The Body in American Culture. Entitled “Women: Behind the Curtain,” their dance reflected their understanding of the complexities of the nineteenth-century and contemporary woman’s experience. Click here to see the performance. They were both sponsored throughout the semester by Dr. Adrienne Baxter Bell, Associate Professor of Art History. 

We look forward to many more outstanding presentations by students pursuing honors in their major and Independent Study projects in the College Honors Program.