Undergraduate Research Symposium Spring 2025

The Office of Undergraduate Research hosts an Undergraduate Research Symposium each semester. For Spring 2025, this session is held in person and the list of Humanities students and students working with Humanities faculty is impressive. Research was presented from across the disciplines at the University of Utah and for many this is their first opportunity to present their research. For other students, this is the culmination of multiple research projects they have been involved in.

Full list of posters and oral presentations.

**Jasmine Aguilar Lopez** (Communication HBS) *Atrapadxs en un Hoyo: Reproductive Justice and Environmental Health of Latina Mothers and Children in Salt Lake City Utah*

Mentor: Leandra Hernandez, Communication

**Jessica Davis** *Ethical Considerations Surrounding Xenotransplantation*

Faculty Mentor: Matt Haber, Philosophy

**Nayra Green** (Middle East Studies BA) *From ʻĀina to Institution: The Carceral Transformation of Waialeʻe*

Mentor: Maile Arvin, History

**Lucas Gunyan** (Classics BA and Religious Studies BA) *Women and the Cult of Isis in Imperial Rome*

Mentor: Margaret Toscano

**Zabrina Le** (Writing and Rhetoric Studies BS) *Cultivating Empathy in the Age of AI: Technical Editing Pedagogy and Ethics of Care*

Mentor: Rachel Bryson, Writing and Rhetoric Studies

**Wen Lee** (Communication BS) *InterSEXionality: Analyzing Media Perpetuation of Feminine Stereotypes Among Women of Color in Romantic Comedies*

Mentor: Leandra Hernandez, Communication

* Wen Lee was also an award winner for this symposium winning the award for **Best Citations and Literature Review**

**Dominika McGurk** (Communication BA and Spanish BA) *Who Gets What?: The Impact HIPS Accessible to Underrepresented Communities Within Higher Institutions*

Mentor: Lepa Marinkovski, Humanities Scholars Director and English

**Brittney Mellin** (International Studies HBA) *Feeling Safety through Friendship and Memory: Crossing (in)between Safe and Non-Safe Spaces within (living) Colonial Institutions*

Mentor: Annie Isabel Fukushima, Ethnic Studies

“To see the room filled with undergraduate researchers all participating in such unique and interesting research is really thrilling. We are so proud of our students and the way the represent Humanities and engage in research that highlights each discipline.”

- Karen Marsh, Director Student Success and Engagement

**Polly Redd** *Nourishing Community: Queer Foodways and Community Building at the Utah AIDS Foundation Food Bank*

Mentor: Elizabeth Clement, History

**Charlese Richins** (History BA) *Investigating the importance of foreign policies on voting decision in U of U students*

Mentor: Lepa Marinkovski, Humanities Scholars Director and English

**Alisha Ruiz** *The Marginalization of Non-Black Women of Color (NBWOC) in Media, Academia, and Professional Spaces*

Mentor: Tracey Daniels-Lerberg, Writing and Rhetoric Studies

**Julia St. Andre** (Communication HBS) *Investigating the Effects of Humorous Climate Communication on Student Emotions and Motivations*

Mentor: Sara Yeo, Communication

**Sara Whitley** *Creating a Burial Shroud – History and Personal Reflection*

Mentor: James Tabery, Philosophy

**Emery Willis** (English HBA) *Abjection and Disability in Survival Horror Video Game Outlast*

Mentor: Angela Smith, English

The 4 students that participated in the writing workshop standind as a group near the Union Ballroom Humanities Students also participated in the Honors Writing Workshop session where they shared works they had written.

Madelyn Foulger (English HBA) Twisted Tongues
Chloe Richards (International Studies HBA and Linguistics HBA) Sins of the Father
Melissa Schmuck (English HBA) In the Light of the Passenger’s Seat
Jonah Stirling (English HBA) Nowhere Bound

“Seeing students excited to showcase their research and planning new directions for their research and interests is really inspiring.”

- Karen Marsh, Director Student Success and Engagement

Three students were selected to present at the symposium but were unable to showcase their work on this day.

Bhavika Malik (International Studies HBS) (Un)Belonging, Mapping Ethnographies of Sanctuaries in Prison
- Mentor: Lepa Marinkovski, Humanities Scholars Director and English

Analise Mullen (English BS) How to Change Minds: The Effects of Emotional Appeals on Partisan Animosity
- Mentor: Lepa Marinkovski, Humanities Scholars Director and English

Rozz Sanchez (Communication BS) Viewing self perceptions of Social Media use and determining the parameters of social media addiction
- Mentor: Lepa Marinkovski, Humanities Scholars Director and English