News Plans of Concentration
Sigrid Jane Arvidson Bachelor of Arts SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY PLAN: A study of the relationship between class, race and education in youth culture. PROJECT: An ethnographic study of a special education school in the public education system. Sponsors: Gerald E. Levy, Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Deborah Cohan, Connecticut College
Kelly Marshall Baur Bachelor of Arts ECONOMICS & FILM/VIDEO STUDIES PLAN: A study of film and economics focusing on the political reunification of East and West Germany. PROJECT: A documentary film about contemporary German attitudes toward reunification and the rise of East German nostalgia. Sponsors: Jay Craven, James A. Tober Outside Evaluator: Catherine Plum, Western New England College
Peter John Berard Bachelor of Arts HISTORY & SOCIOLOGY/American Studies PLAN: A study of organized crime in American society from 1880 to the present. PROJECT: An examination of the evolution of organized crime in the context of America’s class structure and political economy. Sponsors: Timothy F. Little, Kathryn E. Ratcliff, Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: Jerome Himmelstein, Amherst College
Rachel Ann Bernfeld Bachelor of Arts THEATER & CLASSICS PLAN: A comparison of classical and Elizabethan ideals through theatrical application. PROJECT: A paper exploring expressions of classical and Elizabethan ideals in Shakespeare’s Othello through theatrical interpretation. Sponsors: Paul D. Nelsen, Timothy F. Little Outside Evaluator: Edward Isser, College of the Holy Cross
Channing Hall Bickford Bachelor of Arts in International Studies ASIAN STUDIES/Chinese Environmental Development PLAN: A study of the development of environmental management in China. PROJECT: An analysis of environmental management in China through case studies. INTERNSHIP: Beijing, China Sponsors: Seth Harter, John Willis Outside Evaluator: Mark Dailey, Green Mountain College
Julia L. Bielefeld Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY/Child Development PLAN: An investigation of classroom structure and pedagogy based in educational psychology and field observations of primary and pre-schools. PROJECT: A paper focusing on the way Reggio Emilia, Montessori and Waldorf structure their classrooms to create the learning environments they desire. Sponsor: Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Anna Berry, Greenfield Community College
Douglas A. Bourget Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE/Visual Arts PLAN: An exploration of awareness, redemption and the concepts of “active love” and “eternal memory” through literature (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Camus) and visual art (sculpture, photography, drawing). PROJECT: A paper on Dostoevsky’s philosophy and path towards spiritual fulfillment in his four central novels. Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Timothy J. Segar Outside Evaluator: Peter Hawkins, Boston University
Seth Reeves Bowman Bachelor of Arts FILM/Dance/Visual Arts PLAN: An exploration of television as a global medium for creating positive message art and the creative collaborations between film, dance and painting as venues for empowering international populations. PROJECT: The above areas will be explored through the creation of two films in TV format, a collaborative dance performance, three qualitative research papers and a series of large scale paintings. Sponsors: Jay Craven, Dana Holby, Cathy Osman Outside Evaluator: Elsa Borrero, independent artist
Deana A. Bramley Bachelor of Arts DANCE PLAN: A study of dance as performance with a focus on the representation of female identity in Africanist and Europeanist concert dance. PROJECT: A body of dances exploring themes of womanhood found in Africanist and Europeanist dance cultures. Sponsor: Kristin Horrigan Outside Evaluator: Thomas DeFrantz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Erin Lys Calabria Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE/Writing PLAN: A study of memory in James Joyce’s Ulysses and selected works of Brian Friel in relation to the concepts of collective memory and continuity in Irish culture and literature, supported by a collection of original pieces of fiction and creative nonfiction. PROJECT: One paper in four sections, including an introduction to the importance of collective memory and continuity in Irish culture and Irish literature before Joyce, one section exploring the representation of memory in James Joyce’s Ulysses, one section exploring the representation of memory in selected works of Brian Friel, and a concluding section. Sponsors: Heather Clark, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Peggy O’Brien, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Bennett Dempsey Carpenter Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE & DANCE PLAN: An exploration of the breakdown in values in early 20th century Europe through literary analysis and dance. PROJECT: A paper examining the role of ethics in The Sleepwalkers by Hermann Broch. Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Dana Holby Outside Evaluator: Peter Hawkins, Boston University
Sylva Cechova Bachelor of Arts ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/Agroecology PLAN: To gain a broad background in environmental studies with a focus on agroforestry systems on Hawaii. PROJECT: Comparative field study of the dynamic relationship between soil microecology and agroforestry on an organic coffee farm on Hawaii. Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Robert E. Engel Outside Evaluator: Robert Cabin, Brevard College
Renata Edan Christen Bachelor of Arts SOCIOLOGY & CULTURAL HISTORY PLAN: A study of the Situationist International group and their response to the alienating effects of commodification, mass culture and leisure present in first-world nations. PROJECT: One introductory paper which defines and explores Marx’s concept of alienation, attached to one three-part paper analyzing how members of the Situationists (particularly Guy Debord and Raoul Vaneigem) dealt with the problem of alienation through their synthesis of theory and practice. Sponsors: Dana P. Howell, Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: C.J. Churchill, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Chelsea E. Connell Bachelor of Arts in International Studies DEVELOPMENT STUDIES & BIOLOGY PLAN: A study of development and health in Africa with a focus on Kenya. PROJECT: A paper on different development problems in Africa focusing on health in Kenya. INTERNSHIP: Bodo, Funzi and Kilifi, Kenya Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, Robert E. Engel Outside Evaluator: James Levinson, Tufts University
Cory Creagan Bachelor of Arts AMERICAN STUDIES PLAN: An exploration of contemporary Native American society with an emphasis on issues of political sovereignty as cultural identity. PROJECT: A series of interviews conducted with people associated with the Seneca Nation of Indians exploring pertinent topics concerning political sovereignty and cultural identity. Sponsor: Kathryn E. Ratcliff Outside Evaluator: Jean Forward, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Aimee Rochelle Davidson Bachelor of Arts RELIGION & LITERATURE PLAN: An exploration of man’s experience of God’s presence and absence in theological and imaginative literature of the Abrahamic traditions. PROJECT: A paper exploring the complexities of the relationship between God and creation in theological writing. Sponsors: Amer Latif, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Michael Pittman, Albany College of Pharmacy
Lalique D’Bruzzi Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE/Modern Poetry PLAN: An examination of T.S. Eliot’s work with a focus on his social and religious intent addressing the themes of unity and humility in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” “The Waste Land” and “Four Quartets.” PROJECT: An analysis of Eliot’s “Four Quartets” with an emphasis on his treatment of religion, transience and humility. Sponsor: Heather Clark Outside Evaluator: Peter Hawkins, Boston University
Lauren Alixe Deutsch Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory PLAN: An exploration of tragedy’s ability to increase our desire to act. PROJECT: An exploration of the democratic energies released through tragedy using the political theories of Emerson and Spinoza. Sponsors: Meg Mott, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Cannon LaBrie, Vermont College
Thomas Andrew DeVito Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/History PLAN: European roots to modern movements: political Islam today. PROJECT: A comparative analysis of the development of political Islamist movements of the 20th century with an eye to enlightenment and counter-enlightenment influences. Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, Timothy F. Little Outside Evaluator: Gregory White, Smith College
Heather Nicole Dias Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/History PLAN: State of Effervescence: studies of Arab nationalism and informal empire. PROJECT: A study of the relationship between the ideology and the phenomenon of Arab nationalism in Egypt and Yemen. Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, Timothy F. Little Outside Evaluator: Gregory White, Smith College
Cara Megan Downey Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY & DANCE PLAN: A study of the developmental power of touch and sensory deprivation. PROJECT: A research paper on the sensory system of touch, and a dance performance inspired by the effects of touch phobia. Sponsors: Dana Holby, Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Clair Lemessurier, Antioch University New England
Daisy Vanessa Dyrdahl Bachelor of Arts DANCE & PSYCHOLOGY/Nonverbal Communication PLAN: A study of nonverbal communication in contemporary dance forms, looking specifically at the spatial and temporal aspects from a psychological perspective, and the historical uses of nonverbal communication in dance from asociological perspective. PROJECT: A dance performance of five original works reflecting research on spatial and temporal aspects of nonverbal communication. Sponsors: Kristin Horrigan, Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Claire LeMessurier, Antioch University New England
Alice Z. Everly Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory PLAN: A study of the politically constitutive agency of place-based language. PROJECT: A paper discussing political philosophy of language, using Wittgenstein, secondary sources and personal experience. Sponsors: Meg Mott, Robert Brice Outside Evaluator: Thomas L. Dumm, Amherst College
Ethan Friend Bachelor of Arts CULTURAL HISTORY & LITERATURE PLAN: A cultural and literary exploration of American senses of place, focusing on New England and the South. PROJECT: A series of papers exploring the construction and presentation of place in tourism and in literary works. Sponsors: Dana P. Howell, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Peter Mallary, Vermont journalist, historian and editor
Elina Frumkin Bachelor of Arts ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/Botanical Medicine PLAN: A scientific exploration of traditional botanical medicine. PROJECT: A paper describing the biology, history and medical applications of three medicinal plants with an introduction to phytochemistry. Sponsor: Jennifer Ramstetter Outside Evaluator: Mary Bove, Brattleboro Naturopathic Clinic
Veronica Ellena Giannotta Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY/Literature PLAN: An epistemological investigation of the self, identity and how we interact with the world around us. PROJECT: Three papers using a combination of personal experience and psychological and other frameworks to illustrate the relationships between theories of self. Sponsor: Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Thomas Hersh, psychologist
Braden Lewis Godwin Bachelor of Science BIOLOGY/Conservation Biology PLAN: A broad-based study of biology with a focus on biological and evolutionary forces acting upon life on islands. PROJECT: An analysis of lemur population density data obtained during an internship in Marojejy National Park, Madagascar. Sponsors: Robert E. Engel, Todd Smith, Jennifer Ramstetter Outside Evaluator: Stephen Tilley, Smith College
Robert Groot Bachelor of Arts PHILOSOPHY/Ethics & POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory PLAN: A study of utilitarianism and natural rights. PROJECT: An analysis of natural rights and utilitarian approaches to ethics with special attention to abortion. Sponsors: Meg Mott, Robert Brice Outside Evaluator: James Donelan, Franklin Pierce College
Eric C. Gushee Bachelor of Arts VISUAL ARTS PLAN: A study of mixed media sculpture informed by drawings and photography, and a study of Piero Manzoni’s work in the context of the 60s and 70s art movements. PROJECT: An exhibition of installation sculpture and two dimensional art with a paper on Piero Manzoni. Sponsors: Timothy J. Segar, Anne Monahan Outside Evaluator: Joseph Smith, Mount Holyoke College
Ashley Hamilton Bachelor of Arts THEATER/Technical theater PLAN: A study of the works of Caryl Churchill, especially her play Blue Heart, with a focus on technical theater aspects. PROJECT: A production of Caryl Churchill’s Blue Heart and a portfolio of materials related to set design. Sponsors: Paul D. Nelsen, Timothy J. Segar Outside Evaluator: Mara Sabinson, Dartmouth College
Catherine Anne Harrington Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY/Education & SOCIOLOGY PLAN: A study of difference and its impact on the psychological and sociological development of children in an educational environment. PROJECT: Ethnographic research concerning a community of children with learning differences as well as corresponding research on individuality and the development of self within the framework of an ecological approach to psychology. Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: Anthony Barrand, Boston University
Maria C. Harris Bachelor of Arts WRITING/Languages & Literature PLAN: A collection of original short stories supported by work in literature, translation and rhetoric. PROJECT: A collection of original short stories. Sponsor: Laura C. Stevenson Outside Evaluator: Franklin Reeve, Wesleyan University, emeritus
Elizabeth Holzhauser Bachelor of Arts ANTHROPOLOGY & SOCIOLOGY PLAN: An analysis of images in men’s magazines and the relationship of these images to the self-identity of young men today. PROJECT: An analysis of the visual and verbal content of men’s magazines with consideration of the decline in the men’s magazine industry. Sponsors: Carol Hendrickson, Gerald E. Levy, Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Sara L. Young, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Hanako Shimonaka Jones Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY/Biology PLAN: An exploration in the study of psychology and biology and the emotional and psychological effects of non-human animals on humans. PROJECT: A paper exploring human-animal interactions and their therapeutic value. Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Robert E. Engel Outside Evaluator: Susanne Haseman, therapist
Rebecca Elizabeth Kamholz Bachelor of Arts RELIGION & LITERATURE PLAN: Examination of the conception and creation of Jewish identity through Biblical, rabbinic and contemporary literature. PROJECT: Two papers considering questions of identity and definition. One paper from a theological perspective on seminal Jewish texts like the Bible and the Talmud and one paper on contemporary literature. Sponsors: Amer Latif, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: James Levinson, Tufts University
Bryon Kershaw Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE & SOCIOLOGY/Education PLAN: A study of canonic American literature taught in high schools and progressive educational pedagogy with an emphasis on improving students’ understanding and fostering self-directed learning. PROJECT: A series of essays on canonic American literature, progressive education and the pedagogy used for self-directed learning to better comprehend literature, culminating in an essay and public lecture. Sponsors: John Sheehy, Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: Mark Fabrizi, North Branford High School
Hannah Zofia Kozik Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE & WRITING/Photography PLAN: An examination of key qualities of small town America through literature, writing and photography. PROJECT: A series of connected vignettes about a small town in upstate New York. Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Laura C. Stevenson, John Willis Outside Evaluator: Franklin Reeve, Wesleyan University, emeritus
Atalia L. Krohmal Bachelor of Arts FILM/Video Studies & PHOTOGRAPHY/Cinematography PLAN: A study of the film noir aesthetic in cinematography and photography. PROJECT: The complete production of a film noir, including scripting, filming and editing. Sponsors: Jay Craven, John Willis Outside Evaluator: Kenneth Peck, Burlington College
Joshua Jeremy Lande Bachelor of Science PHYSICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE PLAN: To develop a broad understanding of physics with a particular focus on software development. PROJECT: The creation of software to analyze X-ray diffraction data and a detailed manual for the program. Sponsors: Travis Norsen, Jim Mahoney Outside Evaluator: Jason Zimba, Bennington College
Helena Marie Leschuk Bachelor of Arts THEATER/Film PLAN: An exploration of drama in performance with a special interest in diverse representations of violence. PROJECT: A paper summarizing, comparing and contrasting violent acts from Asian and Western films. Sponsors: Paul D. Nelsen, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Harry Keyishian, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Daniel Livingston Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory PLAN: Re-imagining the possibilities of an active citizen in the United States. PROJECT: An investigation of the role of civic engagement in defining democracy. Sponsor: Meg Mott Outside Evaluator: Amy Grillo Angell, Vermont College
Sarah Lynn Lovejoy-Carter Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE & DANCE PLAN: An analysis of memory and identity in literature (Faulkner, Marquez and Fuentes) and an original dance performance inspired by these works. PROJECT: A paper exploring themes of memory and identity in William Faulkner’s Light in August. Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Dana Holby Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Molly Katherine MacLeod Bachelor of Arts BIOLOGY/Ecology & Conservation Biology PLAN: A study of plant-animal interactions in landscape contexts and their implications for conservation. PROJECT: A field study and paper on the role of forest patches in bee pollination of low-bush blueberries. Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Robert E. Engel Outside Evaluator: Helen Young, Middlebury College
Kate Magill Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory PLAN: A study of the relationship between politics and culture through the lens of pedagogy. PROJECT: A portfolio of essays using critical theory to understand pedagogy and performance as potentially counter-hegemonic forms of political praxis. Sponsors: Meg Mott, Resha Cardone Outside Evaluator: Amy Grillo Angell, Vermont College
Amanda Ranee Martin Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY/Literature PLAN: Drawing from the perspectives of empirical psychology and identity acquisition theory, an examination of the effects of cancer on adolescent development. PROJECT: A paper on the effects of the trauma of cancer on adolescent development. Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Geraldine Pittman de Batlle Outside Evaluator: Christopher Lovell, Union Institute and University
Rayna Joseph Mayo III Bachelor of Arts ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & POLITICAL SCIENCE PLAN: An analysis of human-environment interactions, including political, ecological and economic dimensions. PROJECT: A paper examining the institutions, laws and issues surrounding the creation of the current global environmental movement. Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Lynette Rummel Outside Evaluator: Alex Wilson, BuildingGreen, LLC
Sheffield Hall McCann Bachelor of Arts BIOLOGY/Evolutionary Biology PLAN: An exploration of the emergence of the vertebrate organization in its evolutionary context from a functional perspective, with attention to ecological considerations and the organization of specialized sensory systems. PROJECT: A paper examining the anatomy and physiology of early vertebrates and the ecological implications of these characteristics. Sponsors: Robert E. Engel, Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Elizabeth Dumont, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Regan Chewning Meier Bachelor of Arts ANTHROPOLOGY PLAN: A consideration of contemporary anthropological work on writing culture and autoethnography. PROJECT: An autoethnography exploring cultural assumptions and lived experience in biomedical and unassisted childbirth. Sponsor: Carol Hendrickson Outside Evaluator: Erin Ryan, National Midwifery Institute
Gregory Meyers Bachelor of Arts CERAMICS PLAN: Functional pottery, ceramic sculpture, and a study of the evolution of studio ceramics in the United States. PROJECT: An exhibition of functional pottery and ceramic sculpture. Sponsors: Michael Boylen, Timothy J. Segar Outside Evaluator: Mark Shapiro, ceramic artist
Heather Nicole Miles Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE/Writing PLAN: A study of T.S. Eliot’s poetry and Cormac McCarthy’s The Crossing focusing on the use of language, the relationship with divinity and the theme of homecoming and belonging. PROJECT: A paper examining McCarthy’s portrayal of humanity in The Crossing and the relationship with God and with the natural world. Sponsors: Heather Clark, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Randall Knoper, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Joseph Mirsky Bachelor of Arts RELIGION & PSYCHOLOGY PLAN: An exploration of the roles Buddha and William James play in their systems of helping others. PROJECT: Two papers, one exploring the role of helping others in the writings of Theravada Buddhism with special reference to the Dhammapada; a second asking the same question of James and exploring his religious system of helping others. Sponsors: Amer Latif, Thomas L. Toleno Outside Evaluator: Laura Harrington, Wesleyan University
Kareshma Mohanty Bachelor of Science BIOCHEMISTRY & BIOLOGY/Animal behavior PLAN: Broad study of molecular biology and biology in order to understand the neuroendocrine and evolutionary bases of sexual reproduction and associated behaviors. PROJECT: A laboratory experiment exploring the interaction of genes, environment and epigenetics in gene expression, specifically the impact of diet on DNA methylation in Drosophila. Sponsors: Todd Smith, Robert E. Engel Outside Evaluator: David Berlinsky, University of New Hampshire
Tucker Morgan Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE/Economics PLAN: Trade and African development, focusing on agricultural and regional integration in East Africa. PROJECT: A paper on regional integration in Africa, from the Organization of African Unity to the Abuja Treaty. Sponsor: Lynette Rummel Outside Evaluator: Ned McMahon, University of Vermont
Devon M. Nee Bachelor of Arts SOCIOLOGY/Education PLAN: A sociological exploration of Karl Marx’s and Erich Fromm’s conceptions of alienation, their relevance to contemporary capitalist culture and the possibility of transcending alienation through alternative education. PROJECT: A study of a private school in Massachusetts, using interviews and classroom observation to show how the school avoids alienating students by providing a more meaningful education and positive community experience. Sponsor: Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: C.J. Churchill, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Alexander Uno Ostrow Bachelor of Arts SOCIOLOGY/Languages PLAN: A sociological study of the relationship between immigrant assimilation and bilingual education using native language in the research process. PROJECT: An analysis of bilingual vs. immersion education illustrated by participant observation in the Massachusetts public school system and a case study of a Russian immigrant in Vermont. Sponsor: Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: Deborah Cohan, Connecticut College
James Wright Paul Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE & VISUAL ARTS/Photography PLAN: A literary and artistic exploration of the nature of faith and the individual’s struggle against meaninglessness, through an analysis of contemporary American literature and original photographic work. PROJECT: A paper on Cormac McCarthy’s portrayal of faith and meaning within the context of the American west. Sponsors: John Sheehy, Gloria Biamonte, John Willis Outside Evaluator: Randall Knoper, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Edwin A. Pell IV Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE & LANGUAGES/Chinese & WRITING/Fiction PLAN: An exploration of language and literature through study of Chinese, selected Chinese poetry in translation and English Romantic poetry, with an emphasis on the images and presentation of nature. Supporting work in original fiction. PROJECT: A paper comparing, contrasting and exploring nature imagery in Romantic and Chinese poetry. Sponsors: Heather Clark, T. Hunter Wilson, Seth Harter Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Anushka Peres Bachelor of Arts WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY PLAN: An exploration of the relationship between people and places conducted through memoir, interview, travel writing and photography. PROJECT: A series of creative pieces considering the relationships between Americans and their homes and Tibetans and their homes, supported by a collection of photographs. Sponsors: John Sheehy, John Willis Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Ryan C. Reeves Bachelor of Arts WRITING & LITERATURE PLAN: An exploration of the theme of the ineffable in modernist American literature and a body of original creative nonfiction. PROJECT: A critical study of faith, grace and the ineffable in Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, supported by personal essays exploring the same themes. Sponsors: John Sheehy, Gloria Biamonte Outside Evaluator: Randall Knoper, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Jordon Chase Roberts Bachelor of Arts WRITING & LITERATURE PLAN: A study of the hero in American culture focusing on the identity of heroes and their interactions with and alienation from society. PROJECT: A full-length fantasy novel that explores the intricacies of two types of hero, the born hero and the created hero, along with how these heroes react to and interact with each other and their religiously based totalitarian society. Sponsors: Laura C. Stevenson, John Sheehy Outside Evaluator: Steve Bissette, cartoonist
Sean Patrick Rooney Bachelor of Arts ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/Ecological Land Use and Design PLAN: An exploration of ecological principles, historical attitudes, public policy decisions and design solutions that reveal an understanding of American interaction with the land. PROJECT: A paper on a survey of ecological principles and how they can guide good decisions in land use. Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Timothy J. Segar Outside Evaluator: Jeff Nugent, Windham Regional Commission
Lia Sanders Bachelor of Arts PHOTOGRAPHY PLAN: A Plan in photography and art history with respective focuses on alternative process and degree of presentation, and methods of critical analysis in the American art world as it moved into the 1960s. PROJECT: Photography: An exploration of alternative process and degrees of presentation in relation to photography culminating in a photographic and materials installation. Art History: A paper discussing Leo Steinberg’s Other Criteria as a more relevant critical base than Greenbergian formalism as American artistic production moved into the 1960s. Sponsors: John Willis, Anne Monahan Outside Evaluator: Humberto Ramirez, Vermont College of Fine Arts
Daniel Peter Steadman Bachelor of Arts ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/Biofuels & LANGUAGES/French PLAN: A study of biofuel production including an economic analysis of costs and an analysis of production technology. PROJECT: A paper on biomimicry describing the transition from polluting sources of power generation to more environmentally benign sources based on natural biological systems. Sponsor: Todd Smith Outside Evaluator: Tad Montgomery, Tad Montgomery & Associates Ecological Engineering
Abraham Stimson Bachelor of Arts COMPUTER SCIENCE & MUSIC PLAN: An exploration of computer music composition through analysis of traditional Irish music. PROJECT: Creation of a computer program to analyze and compose music specifically of the traditional Irish genre, with full documentation and description of the code. Examples of generated music will be discussed and analyzed for similarity to authentic Irish music. Sponsors: Jim Mahoney, Stanley Charkey Outside Evaluator: Judy Franklin, Smith College
Fiona Eileen Sullivan Bachelor of Arts LITERATURE/Writing & VISUAL ARTS PLAN: A study of the relationship between self and nature in the work of William Faulkner, supported by original nonfiction concerning the contruction of self and a series of painted portraits. PROJECT: An examination of themes of memory and place in William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha novels. Sponsors: Gloria Biamonte, John Sheehy, Cathy Osman Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Emily Carole Tate Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY/Visual Arts PLAN: An examination of the psychological processes of making visual art, the pedagogy of visual art and aesthetics in relation to individual development as a visual artist. PROJECT: A paper addressing the theories of aesthetics and pedagogy in the visual arts, accompanied by an exhibit of paintings. Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Cathy Osman Outside Evaluator: Anthony Barrand, Boston University
William Lybrand Thomas Bachelor of Arts MUSIC/Composition PLAN: A study of music with an emphasis on the art and practice of composition and with a secondary interest in the influence of world folk music traditions on the works of modern composers. PROJECT: A portfolio of original compositions. Sponsors: Luis C. Batlle, Stanley Charkey Outside Evaluator: Etan Nasreddin-Longo, independent scholar and composer
Patrick Charles Tyrrell Bachelor of Arts ANTHROPOLOGY/Philosophy PLAN: Historical, philosophical and ethnographic research on human relationships with wild animals in the latter half of the 20th century and how these relationships are constructed through an interplay of conservation ethics, biology, imperialism and decolonization. PROJECT: An ethnographic account of human-animal interactions at the Bronx Zoo. Sponsor: Carol Hendrickson Outside Evaluator: William Edelglass, Colby College
Eric Verkerke Bachelor of Arts POLITICAL SCIENCE & AMERICAN STUDIES & HISTORY PLAN: A political and historical study of the roots and revival of American agrarian theory and practice. PROJECT: A critical paper discussing the strengths and weaknesses of modern agrarian thought using the tools of political ecology. Sponsors: Meg Mott, Kathryn E. Ratcliff Outside Evaluator: Ronald Jager, independent scholar and author
Jeremy J. Weeks Bachelor of Arts PSYCHOLOGY PLAN: An examination of maturation, focusing on self and social perception in the individual. PROJECT: Social and psychological research involving peers that correlates maturation with life experience, language and education. Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Gerald E. Levy Outside Evaluator: Christopher Lovell, Union Institute and University
Emily Katherine Williams Bachelor of Arts CULTURAL HISTORY/Mathematics PLAN: Studies in seafaring cultures with a focus on Newfoundland and the mathematics of traditional navigation, and practical experience with the SEA semester. PROJECT: A paper examining the influence of seafaring in creating cultural identity in Newfoundland as a form of “cultural nationalism.” Sponsors: Dana P. Howell, Matthew Ollis Outside Evaluator: Gene Ammarell, Ohio University
Justin Alan Wolfe Bachelor of Arts HISTORY/German & French languages PLAN: An examination of modern Europe centering on the origins of the European Union. PROJECT: A paper on Franco-German relations and the origins of the EU, supplemented by papers written in French and German. Sponsors: Timothy F. Little, Veronica A. Brelsford, Taryn McQuain Outside Evaluator: Ute Brandes, Amherst College
Fuk Sing Yeung Bachelor of Science PHYSICS/Mathematics PLAN: A broad study of physics as a preparation for future work in the physical sciences. PROJECT: The application of conformal mapping to topics in physics. Sponsors: Travis Norsen, Matthew Ollis Outside Evaluator: Jason Zimba, Bennington College
Andrew Zuckerman Bachelor of Arts ASIAN STUDIES/Development studies PLAN: An overview of poverty in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. PROJECT: Essays on poverty in the Lao PDR. Sponsors: Seth Harter, Lynette Rummel Outside Evaluator: Golan Samdani Fakir, School for International Training
