College of Liberal Arts
Undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts bring bold curiosity and creative expression to real-world projects. Through hands-on learning, collaborative leadership, and imaginative inquiry, they explore ideas beyond the classroom.
What does research look like in the College of Liberal Arts? For undergraduate students, it spans disciplines from anthropology to music to women, gender, and sexuality studies. These projects highlight the many ways CLA students ask questions, create meaning, and put their ideas into action.
MycoLiveAndrew Forbes, UAF Department of Psychology
Psychology student Andrew Forbes has curated an interactive exhibit of living fungi, exploring both scientific classification and cultural significance. Guided by cross-disciplinary mentorship, Andrew leads hands-on cultivation and documentation—melding field research with public engagement.
The SickKevin Carroll, UAF Department of Art
Through 45 drawings, BFA student Kevin Carroll explores addiction in Alaska. His art, informed by community surveys and lived experience, illustrates how undergraduates can drive powerful storytelling and social awareness through creative research.
Bastien und BastienneUAF Department of Music Opera Workshop
The CLA Opera Workshop mounted Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, giving undergraduates a fully immersive performance experience. Directed by faculty and enhanced by masterclasses, students gained leadership on stage and grew artistic confidence at home and abroad.
Ice Box Literary Journal>UAF Department of English
UAF’s student-run journal stands at the intersection of creative practice and editorial research. With each issue, undergraduates coordinate submissions, design layouts, and lead peer review—honing leadership and publishing skills one edition at a time
Chalk the WalkWomen, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Through public chalk art installations, students in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies invite campus and community members into conversation about social justice and identity. This hands-on, visible outreach model lets undergrads lead creative public scholarship in an inclusive way.
These recurring projects offer undergraduates platforms to create, perform, teach, and present research every year.
An evolving showcase of thesis exhibitions by BFA and MFA students in the UAF Department of Art. This digital gallery highlights the creative breadth of undergraduate artists through images, statements, and exhibition documentation.
A dynamic digital collection documenting years of UAF Theatre & Film student productions. The archive preserves performance history with cast lists, photos, posters, and more—celebrating the creative output of undergraduates each semester.
This annual conference provides a platform for students to present original linguistic research. Open to both undergraduate and graduate participants, it fosters academic dialogue and celebrates student-led scholarship in language studies.
Through the UAF Music Community School and other partnerships, undergraduate music students gain hands-on experience by teaching and mentoring in local schools—building musical skills while strengthening community connections.
The URSA (Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Activity) office is an outstanding funding resource that helps students from all disciplines pursue experiential learning through project support, travel funding, internship stipends, and more.
From social science fieldwork to creative arts internships, URSA empowers undergraduates to lead research, apply for financial support, and turn their ideas into real-world experiences.
Natalie Milburn, Psychology
Worker co-operatives are a rising form of organization which are employee-owned and democratically run. We plan to use Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Model as a framework to conduct semi-structured interviews and research the organizational culture within worker co-operatives.
Mentor: Kevin Walters
Mariana Beks (Music), Olivia Buzby (Music Education), Alexia Devine (Music Education), Grace Farrell (Music Performance), Jack Helmericks (Anthropology), & Kevin Clark (Music Performance)
Members of the Celaire voice studio have been invited to the University of Costa Rica to perform in May 2025.
Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
Behavioral Health Professional Intern New Moon Behavioral Health, LLCAuburn, MaineSummer 2025
2025 University Resident Theatre Association AuditionsChicago, IllinoisMentor: Carrie Baker
Pastel Workshop: Susan Kuznitsky's "DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK"Mount Vernon, WashingtonMentor: Jamie Smith
Workshop & Portfolio Reviews: Society for Photographic Education 2025 Annual ConferenceReno, NevadaMentor: J. Jason Lazarus
Music Intensive: Composing in the WildernessDenali National Park- Healy, AlaskaMentor: Sarah McConnell
From Adversity to Healthy Aging: Examining ACEs and Well-Being in Older AlaskansStudents: Kieleigh Williams (Psychology), Jenn Smyth (Psychology), Samantha Nixon (Psychology)
Colton Osowski (Political Science) & Sarah Finney (Geoscience)
We investigate claims that climate change may impact the frequency and intensity of volcanic activity and assess implications this may have for emergency management and response policymakers.Mentors: Amy Lovecraft & Nathan Graham
Congratulations to the 2024 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Marina Barbosa Santos | Honorable Mention: Marina Gonzalez Mazo
Fall Project Award
Marina Barbosa SantosMentor: Dr. Ken Tape & Dr. Justin Cramb
This project utilizes repeat photography to support archeological efforts at the Chena Townsite, and to understand how the landscape has evolved since the town was abandoned. The project endeavors to contribute to the preservation of history, public education, and our understanding of land use changes.
Spring Project Award
Marina Gonzalez MazoMentor: Miho Aoki
Bunnyson is a charm worn as a necklace or an insignia. It is crafted in 14k gold and holds a 0.35 ct diamond with grey coloration and a pearl cut.
The jewel was designed in Blender, a free and open-source software. I then printed the sculpture with the help of the 3D printers in the UAF Makers Space, using Polycast filament. A new plastic filament designed to burn without residue was meant to replace wax in the traditional casting process. I created my 14k gold alloy by mixing gold with copper, following the old Spanish jewelry tradition. This gives the gold a slight pinkish hue.
The design features two bunnies facing each other, holding the diamond together with their paws. They sit on top of a heart shape and have wings on the side. I wanted the jewel to look like a coat of arms inspired by royal and religious insignias. A symbol of status and wealth. It is a soft and whimsical design, almost like it was from a fairytale.
The rabbits make a consistent apparition in my BFA thesis show as I use them as a euphemism for sexuality and devotion. With this piece, I wanted to create an heirloom jewel that would hold my BFA show in a nutshell, a insignia for reaching my commencement as a professional artist.
Does microclimate variation in tundra ecosystem drive microbial community assemblyI will analyze soil samples from a polygonal tundra landscape to study microbial communities and their metabolic activities, focusing on how microclimate variation drives the composition taxa present and their metabolic activity.Mentor: Mario Muscarella
Branding Tea Time in English“Tea Time†in English will emphasize that English majors have a distinct place on campus to come together (to discuss work, to read--whether for class or for pleasure), but also to learn more about research opportunities and thus increase engagement with URSA.Mentor: Sarah Stanley
Andrew Forbes, PsychologyMycoLive will enhance education, society, and art by creating a living library of native Alaskan and bioluminescent fungi for research and creative expression at the UA Museum and a web page. It offers access to cultures, archives, and interactive displays, fostering a unique blend of scientific discovery and creative expression.Mentor: Stefanie Ickert-Bond
Marina Gonzalez Mazo, Art Solo art exhibition for my BFA degree, where I explore how 3D printing and design can be applied to jewelry design and how digital art can be made into products. The art pieces will explore sexuality and the connection to devotion through their formal form and composition.Mentors: Miho Aoki & Patricia Carlson
19th Annual Alaska Association of Teachers of Japanese Alaska Speech Contest Anchorage, AlaskaMentors: Chisato Murakami and David Henry
Student Conference on U.S. Affairs West Point Military AcademyOrange County, New YorkMentor: Brandon Boylan
American Geophysical Union- 2024 Annual Meeting Washington, D.C.Mentor: Erin Trochim
Ted Stevens Legislative InternshipJuneau, AlaskaSpring 2024
Congratulations to the 2023 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Brooke Fisher | Honorable Mention: Meredith McMahon
Brooke FisherMentor: Dr. Brian Hemphill
This project is the continuation of a biodistance analysis started in the Fall of 2022 of an ethnic group called the ‘Bodo’s’ from the Assam region in India through a comparative analysis of another ethnic group residing north of the Brahmaputra Valley, the Nyishis of Arunachal Pradesh.
Meredith McMahonMentor: Dr. Robin Shoaps
This project examines how erotic dancers craft the interactional personae they sell to customers and how these performances respond to power dynamics in their workplace. It will draw from participant-observation ethnography and discourse analysis of interviews with dancers and staff at a local gentlemen's club.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Music Outreach with UAF MusicStudents: Steven Anderson, Marianna Beks, Olivia Buzby, Alexia Devine, Grace Farrell, Ellie Martinson, Lucy McWilliams
Cognitive Cryogenics: Visual Metaphors for Human-Environment RelationshipsStudent: Ayona-Reily Dixon
Student Belonging through Program OrientationStudent Belonging and Community in an online asynchronous program through Program Orientation and an online community hub.Mentor: Dr. Retchenda George-Bettisworth
Understanding Introductory Geometry Through Music, Movement, and ListeningTurley's project, mentored by Dr. Sean Dowgray, centers around the Alaskan public school standard geometry curriculum and integrates percussion instruments into the lesson plan to strengthen students' fundamental understanding of mathematical concepts.Mentor: Dr. Sean Dowgray
Marina Barbosa Santos (Interdisciplinary Studies)
This project utilizes repeat photography to support archeological efforts at the Chena Townsite, and to understand how the landscape has evolved since the town was abandoned. The project endeavors to contribute to the preservation of history, public education, and our understanding of land use changes.Mentor: Dr. Ken Tape & Dr. Justin Cramb
Wetherleigh Griffin (Linguistics)This teacher action research study investigates pedagogical opportunities and challenges as well as language learning outcomes of a 7-week unit engaging university ESL students in creating escape rooms in Minecraft.Mentor: Sabine Siekmann
Brooke Fisher (Anthropology)This project is the continuation of a biodistance analysis started in the Fall of 2022 of an ethnic group called the ‘Bodo’s’ from the Assam region in India through a comparative analysis of another ethnic group residing north of the Brahmaputra Valley, the Nyishis of Arunachal Pradesh.Mentor: Brian Hemphill
Rodolfo Garcia (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, Psychology) This project will tracking stress hormones as the semester progresses, take surveys on mental wellbeing, and correlate these findings with student outcomes.Mentor: Lawrence Duffy
Meredith McMahon (Anthropology)This project examines how erotic dancers craft the interactional personae they sell to customers and how these performances respond to power dynamics in their workplace. It will draw from ethnographic research and discourse analysis of interviews with dancers and staff at a local gentlemen's club.Mentor: Dr. Robin Shoaps
Shaylise Sylvester (Psychology)This study aims to address the questions: Is there a benefit to using ceramic clay, which contains natural earth elements, compared to synthetic clay? Is there a correlation between the medium used and the lowering of cortisol hormone levels after the process of art-making?Mentor: Jen Peterson
18th Alaska State Japanese Speech CompetitionAnchorage, AlaskaMentor: David Henry
InterHarmony Music FestivalPiedmont, ItalyMentor: Jaunelle Celaire
12th International Gender and Language Conference Brisbane, Australia. Mentor: Robin Shoaps
Valdez Theater ConferenceValdez, AlaskaMentor: Carrie Baker
Laval University French Language Intensive and WorkshopQuebec City, CanadaMentor: Yelena Matusevich
Montpellier French Language School Summer Intensive ProgramMontpellier, FranceMentor: Yelena Matusevich
Laval University French Language Intensive ProgramQuebec City, CanadaMentor: Yelena Matusevich
Exploring Equity and Methodological Advancements to Transform Academic Discourse Teaching and Research" Conference Los Angeles, CaliforniaMentor: Eve Ryan
Fairbanks Veterans CourtSummer 2023
Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice InitiativeSummer 2023
Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice InitiativeFall 2023
Congratulations to the 2022 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Colleen File & Sophie Schilling | Honorable Mention: DaeLee Forshaw, Lisa Gilbert & Lainey Lioi
Colleen FileSophie Schilling
Mentor: Christopher Miller
Consist of interviews of young women to find out what they were taught about their own sexuality, specifically sexual gratification and pleasure as women with male partners. The project will compare answers from the U.S. and Germany, a sexually liberal country.
DaeLee ForshawLisa GilbertLainey Lioi
Mentor: Dr. Elaine Drew
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Mentorship in Literary ArtsStudent: Ayden Harris
Micro-pantries to Mitigate Inaccessibility to Anti-Hunger ResourcesThis project will collaborate with Fairbanks organizations to address barriers to local food security resources.Mentor: Christi Kemper, Office of Sustainability
Exploring Shifting Landscapes An art exhibit for the community of Fairbanks in collaboration with Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research Program scientists, to creatively research and explore scientific studies focused on the environment in Alaska and share them with the public.Mentor: Mary Beth Leigh
Solveig Henry (Justice)A research on the typical requirements, outcomes, recidivism rates, and other effects of probation and parole on rural Alaskans.Mentor: Jeffrey May
DaeLee Forshaw, Laine Lioi, and Lisa Gilbert (Anthropology)This project utilizes a qualitative research design to identify and compare lay and prenatal care provider perspectives of adequate prenatal care in Interior Alaska.Mentor: Elaine Drew
Colleen File and Sophie Schilling (Psychology) Consists of interviews of young women to find out what they were taught about their own sexuality, specifically sexual gratification and pleasure as women with male partners. The project will compare answer from the U.S. and Germany, a sexually liberal country.Mentor: Christopher Miller
Stephanie Sutton and Samantha Taylor (Interdisciplinary Studies) This project invites stories from female incarcerated IPV survivors in Alaska to be shared for the purpose of showcasing multiple stories. Researchers will use these stories to assemble a Zine and circulate it at Alaska-based IPV trainings. Mentor: Sarah Stanley
Congratulations to the 2021 Research & Creative Activity Day awardees and participants of CLA!
Dean's Choice: Madeline Andriesen, Jenna Dreydopel, Taylor Hendricks, Lindsay Moisan, Ellie Martinson, Jonathan Langer, & Ariana Lopez
Honorable Mention: Kayli Breuninger
Madeline Andriesen, Jenna Dreydopel, Taylor Hendricks, Lindsay Moisan, Ellie Martinson, Jonathan Langer, Ariana Lopez
UAF’s Opera Workshop program plans to work with many music educators in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to complete this project. This will give us the opportunity to build long lasting relationships with local teachers that will prove to be extremely beneficial in our futures.
Kayli Breuninger
Mentor: Dani Sheppard
The proposed study will explore the relationship between natural light exposure and well-being during winter across latitudes. This survey will assess seasonal changes in mood, attitudes, behavior, health and well-being to identify whether responses to winter are different between Alaska, Oregon, and Texas.
A Tooth Size Apportionment Investigation into Bodo OriginsStudent: Brooke Fisher
Alone but not lonely: Examining isolation and loneliness in Interior Alaska's older adultsStudents: Miranda Lloyd, Zoey Keene, Danai Kiosse, Olivia Kraska, Bethany McCraken, and Leslie Siegfried
Precolonial history of the Yukon Flats, Alaska: Archaeology through the eyes of Athabascan Elders and youthStudent: Kayla Tate
Benjamin Anderson, Madeline Andriesen, Grace Farrell, Ellie Martinson, Mariana Beks, Ariana Lopez, Taylor Hendricks and Arianna Carroll (Music)UAF’s Opera Workshop program plans to work with many music educators in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to complete this project. This will give us the opportunity to build long lasting relationships with local teachers that will prove to be extremely beneficial in our futures.Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
Chares Wolgemuth, Nolan Earnest, and Steven Anderson (Film and Performing Arts) A documentary about a group of college students who are dealing with the trials and tribulations of carrying a disease that causes immortality, and how they manage their lives and their disease in the modern era.Mentor: Carrie Baker
Danasia Cary (Linguistics)Examining the language ideologies of multiple members of one family who, over the course of three generations, has lived overseas at intervals as part of their military assignment.Mentor: Eve Ryan
Lucille Farrell (Linguistics) During in person conversations, people use their voice and body to communicate, but these can be tricky to maintain in virtual spaces. To help compensate for that, emojis and emoticons are used. But interpretation of these can be iffy since the "how" can vary depending on a number of factors.Mentor: Robin Shoaps
Madeline Andriesen, Jenna Dreydopel, Taylor Hendricks, Jonathan Lange, Ariana Lopez, Ellie Martinson and Lindsay Moisan (Music)Musical Theatre Outreach How do people interpret smileys? he outreach will consist of Opera Workshop performances by the UAF Voice Department that will be recorded and edited with Adobe Cloud and sent to high schools in and outside the state of Alaska for outreach & recruiting for the UAF Music Department.Mentor: Jaunelle Celaire
URSA was unable to hold RCA Day in 2020 due to COVID19, so students were asked to provide an extended abstract and their poster (when available).
Reclaiming Traditional Names to Promote Dine' (Navajo) Language and Culture
Kendrick McCabe
Taphonomic Analysis of Caribou from the Croxton Site (Tukuto Lake, Alaska)
Taylor Vollman
Mentor: Dr. Jamie Clark
Finding Home
Sarah ManriquezMentor: Alex Hirsch
Ice Box Literary Journal
Emma Charlton, Shelby Anderson, Abby Bravo, Stanley Rogers, Annie Wenstrup, and Hunter Young Mentor: Joe Holt
Strategies and Tactics In Learning Network Design for Writers Inside and Out of Carceral Spaces
Eleanor Lynch, Lucienne Anderson and Katherine Leinburger Mentor: Sarah Stanley
URTA New York City Graduate School Auditions
Mary Conlin Mentor: Carrie Baker
Two Roads
Kyleigh Huntsman Mentor: Maya Salganek
Participatory Action Research in the Social and Cultural Effects of Gamelan Music and Gamelan Ensemble Playing
Kellie Lynch
Mentor: Dr. Sveta Yamin-Pasternak
The building of a set of Javanese gamelan instruments was a goal of mine since arriving in Fairbanks to finish my bachelor’s degree in the Music Department at University Alaska Fairbanks in 2016. It took a few semesters of reading, listening and emailing other instrument builders before I managed to get enough information and funding to take on such a large project. To construct the instruments the project included collaborations with a carpenter and a blacksmith, consultations with physics faculty and the help of a few volunteers and friends. I relied on the expertise of instrument builders, Jarrad Powell and Stephan Fandrich for instruction on the minute details of tuning the steel bars and plates and resonator acoustics.As an ensemble leader and educator, I reached out across the university and community to acquire skills in participatory action methods in education and collaboration. My mentors and teachers are my collaborators, community members and participants each providing a vital part to my research and education process as I document the process of participatory methods in community music. This project serves as the capstone of my undergraduate interdisciplinary degree in Applied Ethnomusicology by utilizing the skills I have learned in music, Alaska Native cultures and knowledge systems, anthropology and the importance of community involvement.Fairbanks has many community music ensembles and cultural events within the Alaska Native community which celebrate the different music and cultures of the people who live in Fairbanks. In the use of gamelan, I was looking for something that would have no barriers of learning in place such as knowing how to read music or owning a certain instrument to be able to participate. The goal of bringing gamelan music into the community was to share, equally, a musical experience that would require only the participants willingness to learn to create music together as an equivalent.I am continuing to make contacts with other gamelan educators and players in the United States and Indonesia to further my education in both Javanese gamelan and Javanese culture. I intend to spend time with gamelan instructors during a visit to Java over the winter break and bring back more information to my fellow gamelan players to further our collective knowledge in support of our community gamelan ensemble.
UAF Vocal Department Outreach
Madeline Andrieson, Jenna Dreydoppel, Phoenix Williams, Taylor Hendricks, Jonathan Lange, and Lindsay Moisan Mentor - Jaunelle Celaire
Defining Sexual Consent in the State of Alaska
Emily Cohen and Aidan Earnest Mentor: Alex Hirsch
The Relationship Between Social Media Exposure and Loneliness in Older Adults
Rodney Tracht Mentor: Jennifer Peterson
Shedding Light: Factors Related to Well-Being During Winter Across Latitudes (Nature Lab)
Kayli Breuninger and Sara Levy Mentor: Dani Sheppard
Well-Being and Behavior Patterns During Arctic Equinoxes
Hannah Pothast Mentor: Jen Peterson
Investigating the Relationship between Pet Ownership and Healthy Aging in Older Adults
Gabrielle Camp, Maren Dodson, Darcy Hoban, Jezebell Ramirez, Leslie Siegfried, Else Cole and Rodney Tracht Mentor: Jen Peterson
Congratulations to the Research & Creativity Day CLA Dean's Choice Awardees
Buck Barbieri and Naomi Hutchens: Collaborative Animation Production from Students' Perspective: Creating short 3D CG films through international team-work.
Micheal Lorain: Wood Selection for Archaeological Fish Trap Stakes in Southeast Alaska
Kendrick McCabe: Reclaiming Traditional Names to Promote Diné (Navajo) Language and Culture
Eleanor Lynch, Katherine Leinberger, and Lucie Anderson, English Conference on Community Writing Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Strategies And Tactics In Learning Network Design For Writers Inside And Out Of Carceral Spaces
Sarah Manriquez, Art International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage, Alaska Finding Home, solo exhibition
Kendrick McCabe, Anthropology Human Research and Review Board 2019 Bi-Annual Research Conference Window Rock, Arizona Reclaiming Traditional Names to Promote Dine (Navajo) Language and Culture
Jamie Clark, Anthropology Engaging undergraduates in zooarchaelogical research at the Croxton Site (Tukuto Lake, Northern Alaska) Clark, Taylor Vollman and other undergraduates will research materials from a site that is believed to have served as a focal point for hunting/processing during seasonal caribou migration through the Brooks Range. Students will be involved in basic data collection and more specialized analyses; with the goal of creating a series of publications.
Joseph Holt, EnglishIce Box Literary Journal Holt will work with six undergraduate editors (Annie Wenstrup, Emma Charlton, Hunter Young, Stanley Rogers, Shelby Anderson and Abby Bravo) and 15-20 undergraduate writers to create and print the Ice Box Literary Journal for this academic year.
Jen Peterson, Psychology The Cat’s Meow: Does pet ownership contribute to healthy aging? Peterson and her undergraduates (Travis Burrows, Rodney Tracht, Gabrielle Camp, Leslie Siegfried) will investigate the effects of pet ownership on healthy aging by examining the positive influences and challenges faced by elders in our community.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, MusicThis project will bring a number of Girl Scout troops together for informative talks from Music Education students on becoming a musician, life as a professional musician and teacher, and culminate in an Instrumental "Petting Zoo," in which the troops can interact with instruments from the various instrumental families.
Hannah Pothast, Psychology Mentor: Jennifer Peterson This study aims to understand how individuals living in arctic environments are affected by the rapidly changing levels of light during equinox seasons. This study will examine how mood and behavior are affected during these transitional seasons.
Kyleigh Huntsman, Film Studies Mentor: Maya Salganek I will produce an original short dramatic film from script to screen that explores the foster care system and the search for stability and trust in a family unit.
Kellie Lynch Interdisciplinary Studies Mentor: Sveta Yamin-Pasternak This project applies the principles of participatory action research to study the social influences of Gamelan ensembles and their impact on communities. Gamelan music is a traditional music in Indonesia that is played collectively on metallophones and gongs.
Sarah Manrirquez, Art Mentor: Alex Hirsch I am producing a documentary film, and curating an accompanying photography exhibition, about the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman who lives at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. Through film and photography, this project aims to dispel common myths about the causes of homelessness by tracing her journey.
Emily Alvey, JusticeAlaska Evaluation Network 2019 Conference Anchorage, Alaska Exploring the Impact of Local Option Laws in Rural Alaska
Elsbeth Cheyne, Theatre University/Resident Theatre Association 2019 National Unified Auditions New York, New York
Cassidy Kelly, Psychology Western Psychological Association Conference Pasadena, California Doggie Duties: A survey on the feelings toward and functions of domestic dogs in central Alaska
Michael Lorain, Anthropology Northwest Anthropological Conference Kennewick, Washington Wood Selection for Fish Trap Stakes in Southeast Alaska
Emily Ross, Theatre University/Resident Theatre Association 2019 National Unified Auditions New York, New York
Stefan Johnson, History This project will be an analysis of how the Dutch arms trade in the Great Lakes Region impacted the culture, population, and structure of Fort Orange and Beverwyck. This investigation will span from the Mahican-Mohawk War in 1624 to the British seizure of the colony in 1664.
Dillon McIntire and Delaney Reece, Anthropology This mixed-methods research project examines the relationship between gender and space within a university student recreation center. Through direct observations, surveys and interviews, we will identify how patrons constitute and negotiate different spaces as gendered spaces during their physical activity routines.
Congratulations to our 2018 URSA Research Day CLA Dean's Choice Awardees:
Fionna Fadum, Kevin Huo, and Jason Kells
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Music Fairbanks Cello Festival While there are many musicians who converge at UAF's music department, there is rarely an opportunity for players who all play the same instrument to develop instrumental skills and camaraderie as a community. School students of the FNSBSD are leaving music because of a lack of appropriate funding - as such, UAF recruitment becomes more difficult. Adults in the community rarely have the opportunity to play in a large group and meet other like-minded musicians. The implementation of the Fairbanks Cello Festival would aim to bring as many community cellists to UAF as possible, with a series of master classes by two guest artists from Indiana University at UAF's campus, followed by a cello concert which would feature as many cellists from the community, local grade and high schools, after school programs, and UAF students, as possible in a single large cello ensemble. UAF is a hub for musical activity in the region, and a cello celebration such as this will bring people together who all share the same passion for music.
Sarah Manriquez, Art My Home in My Hands I am directing and producing a documentary film, and curating an accompanying photography exhibit, about the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman who lives at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. Homelessness may not be a new issue but homelessness in the Arctic is an often misunderstood, complex and growing problem that deserves to be explored in depth. In particular, through the power of film and photography, my project aims to dispel popular myths about the causes of homelessness by tracing Ms. Cavanaugh’s daily journey of recovery from addiction.
Ariana Horner, Music Education From Alaska to South Africa — Connecting through Music - Lowveld Chamber Music Association Johannesburg, South Africa
Sine Anahita, Sociology Ruth A. M. Schmidt Public Sociology Podcast Project
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Music National Association for Music Education All-Northwest Conference
Chisato Murakami, Japanese Participation of Alaska State Japanese Speech Contest
Craig Chythlook and Kevin Huo, Political Science Model Arctic Council: Rovaniemi, FinlandThe Model Arctic Council (MAC) is an academic program in which students from universities throughout the circumpolar north and beyond actively participate in a collaborative, experiential learning exercise to expand their knowledge of salient challenges and concerns in the Arctic.
Kendrick McCabe, Anthropology While Diné language revitalization efforts are underway, this study seeks to identify whether the reclamation of traditional naming practices could serve as a complementary strategy to promote Diné language and culture. This study will clarify traditional naming practices, examine current trends, and ascertain the feasibility of restoring traditional naming practices.
Buck Barbieri and Naomi Hutchens, Art Collaborative Animation Production from Students' Perspective: Creating short 3D CG films through international team-work. SIGGRAPH 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia
Casey Winkleman, Music Performance- Voice Utah Vocal Arts Academy Summer Opera Festival Principle Artist Program
John Brickley, English This project advances current research at the intersection of English literature and computer science by designing and implementing a novel algorithm for identifying selected English texts' source materials. Sources are identified using searches for rare words and patterns of words ("strings"). Searches are broadened using linguistically sound permutations of strings.
Emily Dreher, Linguistics This project uses critical discourse analysis to compare representations of two sporting events in which human and animal athletes compete together: dog-mushing and horse racing. Social and mass media coverage of significant horse and sled dog races will be examined to see how sport enthusiasts and critics constitute animals-as-athletes
Nicole Lindsay, Psychology The proposed study aims to understand how individuals living in interior Alaska emotionally respond to natural threatening situations. This study is a replication with an extension of the “Fear versus fascination: An exploration of emotional responses to natural threats†conducted by van den Berg and ter Heijne in 2005.
Michael Lorain, Anthropology This project will sample wood stakes from prehistoric fish weirs in southeast Alaska to perform species and radiocarbon analysis. The project aims to understand potential preferences for tree species and begins to ask questions about behavioral reasoning. Samples will be taken from two traps at the archaeological site PET-00748.
Daniel Manley, Linguistics This is a language learning research project comparing learning a language online to learning it in person. In this language learning study I intend to reflect on my language learning processes, and explore the role of motivation and what social interaction looks like in the two contexts.
Patricia Wenstrup, English A Map Shaped Like a Poem is a summer long writing project that interrogates the relationship between geographic place, history and image. This project will be bracketed by craft writing workshops that will inform my writing process.
Didar Baumgartner, Psychology Western Psychological Association 2018 Convention Portland, Oregon
Cassidy Kelly, Psychology Western Psychological Association Convention 2018 Portland, Oregon
Nicole Lindsay, Psychology Western Psychological Association Convention 2018 Portland, Oregon
Colleen Mertes, Anthropology 25th Annual Lavender Linguistics Conference Providence, Rhode Island
Edward Paxson, History 2018 Phi Alpha Theta Northwest Regional Conference Spokane, Washington
Olena Ellis, Art I will be working with internationally acclaimed Gallerist Leslie Ferrin and Sculptor Artist Sergei Isupov in Massachusetts, covering technical aspects of sculpture and also New Mexico artist, Mary Shaffer, who was integral in the American Studio Glass Movement.
Colleen Mertes, Anthropology This project analyzes rugby songs. The songs, notable for bawdy lyrics, are sung at “socials.†I aim to understand how women rugby players negotiate singing phallocentric and misogynistic lyrics. I draw from linguistic anthropology research on swearing; stereotypes about gendered speech and linguistic meaning in communities of practice.
Kellie Bernstein, Theatre and Film University Resident Theatre Association Auditions New York, New York
Owen Fulton, Political Science Model United Nations New York, New York
Chaya Pike, Political Science Model United Nations New York, New York
Congratulations to our 2017 Research and Creative Activity Day CLA Awardee:
Aleksandra Milanovich, Examining roles of boredom proneness, self-determination, intrinsic motivation, gender on persons’ experience of boredom
Maureen Biermann and Sine Anahita, Sociology Understanding LGBTQ Experiences in a Changing Climate
Elaine Drew, Anthropology Promoting Veteran Health, Reintegration, and Quality of Life in Alaska
Brandon Boylan, Political Science UAF Participation in National Model United Nations Conference
Elaine Drew, Anthropology Prenatal Care Perspectives among Alaskan Women
Jen Peterson, Psychology Healthy Aging in the Far North: Perspectives and Prescriptions
Dani Sheppard, Psychology Journey to Western Psychological Association
Sveta Yamin-Pasternak, Anthropology Food Arts of the Bering Strait, a Multimedia Exhibit
Melissa Delgado, Communication The National Communication Association’s 103rd Convention Dallas, Texas
Sarah Manriquez, Art Photo Expo Plus 2017 Portfolio Review New York, New York
Jessica Obermiller, Anthropology National American Anthropology Association’s National Conference Washington, D.C.
Karissa Paschall English Community and Writing Conference Boulder, Colorado
Kathryn Herrod, Psychology The purpose of this proposed study is to use semi-structured interviews with photo prompts to better understand UAF students’ experiences with depression, as well as identify specific facilitators and barriers to dealing with depression on the UAF campus.
Brynne Myers, Psychology Classroom environments, specifically windows and lighting, significantly impact student performance. This project will study the effect of classroom environments through varied window conditions on student attentiveness and cognition, specifically cognitive flexibility and learning retention. Through this study, efficiency of learning and use of windows in classrooms will be improved.
Shaylee Shocklee, Justice This program is the result of 5 years of work on the part of the UAF justice department as well as a number of members of the Fairbanks justice department. When implemented in Fairbanks that uses restorative justice to replace our current punitive system of justice.
Krystina Stobinski, Psychology This project is designed to qualitatively explore the relationship between students with math anxiety, their professors, and university math programs. Outcomes of the projected project will include betterment of University math programs as well as increased student confidence and academic success.
Jacob Harris, Anthropology A comparative study of animal bones from Mughr el-Hamamah in Jordan and Sefunim Cave in Israel. The sites date to 45,000-21,000 years ago. The analysis will focus on the degree of fragmentation, weathering, and burning, which can tell us about human behavior and site formation processes.
Rose Crelli, Music Marrowstone Music Festival Bellingham, Washington
Seth Blohm, Music Alaska Chamber Chorale Tour Italy
Aleksandra Milanovich, Psychology Association for Psychological Science Conference Boston, Massachusetts
Angelina Rotermund, Foreign Languages and Literatures Assisting environmental mercury research at UAF through Spanish-English translation and interpretation
Congratulations to our RCA Day CLA Dean's Choice Award:
Jessica Obermiller, The Headscarf Project: Exposing myself by covering up
Frank Boldt, Justice Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice Initiative
Amy May, Communication and Journalism Testing the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) as a strategy to reduce speech anxiety
Diana Berry, Art Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Conference Salt Lake City, Utah October, 2016
Amanda Casterline, Theatre University Resident Theatre Association Seminar Chicago, Illinois January 2017
Lindsay Klueber, Biology and Art Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, California March 2017
Ashley Blake, Psychology Understanding the factors that impact UAF student veterans' academic and social success
Jenny Dale, Anthropology Intimacy and Devotion: A Secular Inquiry into the Literacy Strategies of a Jews for Jesus Bible Study Group
Aleksandra Milanovich, Psychology Bored out of this world: Factors impacting the experience of boredom
Jessica Obermiller, Linguistics Association of Humanistic Sociology's Annual Conference Denver, Colorado, November 2016
Victoria Leque, Japanese United States - Japanese Council Conference Santa Clara, California, November 2016
Diana Berry, Art W.D. Berry Research – Art History Practicum Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, March 2016
Nathan Feemster, Linguistics International Gender and Language Association Conference Hong Kong, May 2016
Amanda Casterline, Theater Theater Thesis: Costume Design
Montana Goss, Biology and Anthropology Who Are The Shenks Ferry People?
Joshua Pharris, Linguistics Shared Subsistence Terminology between Alutiiq and Neighboring Languages
Congratulations to the 2015 Research and Creative Activity Day CLA Awardee:
Overall First Place:
Leah Hill, Performance of Gender & Identity: Using the Early Photographic Works of Claude Cahun and Cindy Sherman to Demonstrate the Performance Nature of Gender and Identity
Jessica Obermiller Anthropology Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association Denver, Colorado, November 2015
Diana Berry, Art Art History Practicum: The W.D. Berry Collection in Rasmuson Library
Gabriel Cartegena, Psychology Living With HIV/AIDS - Understanding Survivorship Through Photovoice
Candace Kruger, Anthropology Historic and Contemporary Deg Hit’an Basketry
Carl Sage, Theater Antigone: Dramaturgy, Design, and Performance
Alta East, Anthropology Foraging Practices of Military Families in Alaska
Ashley Swedberg, Social Work Measuring the Level of Preparedness for Assisting Human Trafficking Victims in Alaska
Julia Taylor, Journalism and Broadcasting Hartman Justice Project
Sine Anahita, Sociology Digital Man Cave Data Analysis Project
Sarah Stanley, English Travel to the Second Annual Post-Secondary Access and Completion Conference in Anchorage, AK
Ana FochessatoModel United Nations ConferenceBerkeley, California, February 2015
Cassidy Phillips Society for American Archaeology Annual Conference San Francisco, California, April 2015
Tyler Walker Pacific Rim English Conference Anchorage, Alaska March 2015
Claudia Cease, AnthropologyThe Taboo of Mourning: Germany 1939 - 1955 Stormy Fields, AnthropologyA 12,000 year record of ecological change at Blair Lake, Interior Alaska
Sine Anahita, Sociology Purchase of three types of qualitative analysis software
Jim Brashear, Art Purchase of art supplies and materials for outdoor kilns
Sarah Stanley, English 2014 Dartmouth Summer Seminar for Composition Research Hanover, New Hampshire
Sarah Stanley, English Online resource on the Write Alaska website
David Harris, Linguistics Society for Study of Indigenous Languages of the Americas Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon January 2015
JR Ancheta, Journalism and Broadcasting Fairbanksans: Portraits from the Golden Heart City
Lachlan Gillespie, Political Science Perceived Sources of Social Marginalization of Gender Non-conforming Individuals
Daniel Leahy, Political Science Currency and Conflict in Bolivarian Venezuela
Lakeidra Chavis, Journalism Mentor: Lynne Lott Beyond the Single Story: Life in Rural Jamaica
Cassidy Phillips, Anthropology Mentor: Jamie Clark Using GIS to Identify Activity Areas at the Middle Stone Age Site of Sibudu Cave
Grace Amundsen, Matthew Carrick, Mamie Davis & Ana Fochesatto, Political Science Mentor: Brandon Boylan Model United Nations New York Simulation Spring 2014
Kristen Welchel, Social Work Mentor: LaVerne Demientieff Study Abroad: Melbourne, Australia Spring 2014
Kavelina Torres, Film Mentor: Maya Salganek Fieldwork: Bethel, Alaska Spring 2014
Jason Howe, Psychology Mentor: Timothy Lower Utilizing video games to determine human motivation
Crystal Lor, Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez Assessing the impact of an Athabascan Beading Project with an Alaska Native cancer support group
Kara Hoover, Anthropology To create an undergraduate lab training program that will generate a skilled pool of students seeking research lab experience that can be exploited by lab-based faculty in need of trained staff.
Robin Shoaps, Anthropology Travel funds to accompany a student presenting at the International Gender and Language Association Conference in Vancouver, BC.
Jaclyn Bergamino, English To help undergraduate students realize their potential as scholars and creators of knowledge through a new student publication.
Kara Hoover, Anthropology To mentor a student in hands-on research.
Ira Hardy, Journalism Mentor: Charles Mason Subsistence Whaling and Development
Anne Bartholomew, Journalism Mentor: Charles Mason A Soul Community
Teagan White-Nesbitt, College of Liberal Arts Mentor: Derick Burleson Translation of Contemporary German Poetry
Jonathan Quinones, Political Science Mentor: Alexander Hirsch PTSD combat veterans and the requirements for eligibility of the Purple Heart
JR Ancheta, Journalism Mentor: Charles Mason Fairbanksans: Portraits from the Golden Heart City
Kristine de Leon, Anthropology Mentor: Michele Hebert Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference Nashville, Tennessee, Fall 2013
Jacqueline Eisenberg, Helen Shepard, Jenny York, and Brittany Von Sickle, Social Work Mentor: Heidi Brocious Social Work Conference LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Spring 2013
Azara Mohammadi, Anthropology Mentor: David Fazzino American Anthropological Association (AAA) 112th Annual Conference Chicago, Illinois, Fall 2013
Samantha Enters and Adrienne Smythn, English Mentor: Michael Edson 18th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Literature and RhetoricAnchorage, Alaska, Spring 2013
Ann Lewis, English Mentor: Sarah Stanley 18th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Literature and Rhetoric Anchorage, Alaska, Spring 2013
Ethan Sinsabaugh, Anthropology Mentor: David Fazzino American Anthropological Association (AAA) 112th Annual Conference Chicago, Illinois. Fall 2013
Anne Bartholomew, Journalism Mentor: Rob Prince Applications of Multimedia Reporting Within the Fairbanks Winter Sports Community
Ashley Strauch, Psychology Mentor: Monica Skewes Perceptions of Problem Drinking Among Alaskan College Students
Ian Wilkinson, Art Mentor: Todd Paris Spheres of Influence
Ariadne Wattum, Theater Mentor: Bethany Marx Costume Design Thesis Project
Ian Wilkinson, Art Mentor: James Brashear Spheres of Influence
Sean Gueco, Justice Mentor: Jeffrey May
Ashley Strauch, Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez
Charles Allison, History Mentor: Terrence Cole Pacific Northwest Phi Alpha Theta Conference Spokane, Washington, Spring 2012
Ian Wilkinson, Art Mentor: James Brashear National Counsel on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference Seattle, Washington, Spring 2012
Joshua Barry, Film Mentor: Maya Salganek Fieldwork: A Bridge Near Fairbanks. Fall 2012
Mariah Ver Hoef, Anthropology Mentor: Patrick Plattet Fieldwork: Ute Native American Culture in the State of Colorado. Spring 2012
Steven Hall, Art Mentor: Mareca Guthrie Fieldwork: Tok & Anchorage, Alaska Fall 2012
Ashley Strauch, Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez Behavioral Sciences Conference of the North's 28th Annual Meeting Anchorage, Alaska, Fall 2012
Alaina Ctibor, Psychology Mentor: Ellen Lopez Cancer Survivorship
Lisa Guffey, Art History Mentor: Mary Goodwin Provenance of Rockwell Jones Painting
Joel Isaak, Fine Art Mentor: Da-ka-xeen Mehner Alaska Native Art with Animal Skins
Terrence Cole, History To accompany students to present papers at the Phi Alpha Theta Northwest Regional History Conference Spokane, Washington
Leonard Kamerling, English To engage a film student in an ongoing ethnographic film/applied visual anthropology research project that addresses the problem of indigenous urban migration.
Jeffrey May, Justice To attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research Ogden, Utah
