KU students in global & international studies present at national conference

LAWRENCE — Ten University of Kansas students majoring in global & international studies (GIST) will present their research at the virtual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), which takes place April 12-14. The goal of the annual event is to promote undergraduate research and scholarship by providing a venue for presentations and discussions.

“Although we have students attending the national conference each year, my hat is off to this particular cohort, who had to have an immense amount of focus and sheer dedication to work through remote classes, remote research and pandemic lockdowns to accomplish their project at such a high level of quality,” said Brian Lagotte, director of undergraduate studies and assistant teaching professor, who mentors the students. “Their success is a true indication of the caliber of scholars they have become.”

The NCUR presentation is a culmination of the preparation students receive in the GIST senior-year capstone courses, where they learn how to create a unique research question grounded in literature, design a research proposal tailored to the question, collect and analyze data with a variety of methods, and write a final research manuscript geared toward potential publication.

Below are the GIST students who will participate in the conference and the titles of their presentations:

• Jessica Blom, Olathe:  The Role of Emissions Trading in Climate Change Policy in Transitioning Economies
• Jaleah Cullors, Overland Park:  Cultural Globalization as a Catalyst for Terrorism in the Middle East
• Jannatul Ferdous, Overland Park:  Transitional Justice Frameworks: an Examination of Bred Corruption Detrimental to Local Participation
• Gerren Graham, Kingwood, Texas:  Regulatory Consequences of Chinese Petroleum Investment in Ecuador
• Reed Hersma, Naperville, Illinois:  When Granting Autonomy Works: Spanish Response to Catalan Independence
• Mason Hussong, Norman, Oklahoma:  The Central Asian Titular Language Experiment: Successes and Failures
• Daegan Kingery, Overland Park:  Banking on Multilateral Development Banks: China’s Intentions for the International Order
• Ryan Lane, Highlands Ranch, Colorado:  Economic Integration of Migrants Through French Policy
• Savannah Price, Lawrence:  Assessing the Effectiveness of Volont'R in Facilitating Refugee Integration
• Branum Sherrill, Stuttgart, Germany:  The Romanian Immigration Experience to Germany

"Research has become a central part of the experience of global & international studies students,” said Luciano Tosta, acting director of the Center for Global & International Studies and associate professor of Brazilian literature & culture. “Each year they excel at exploring topics that are pressing for our interconnected world. This year it could not be any different, despite all the challenges that the pandemic brought to all of us. Our center congratulates the 10 students, as well as their mentor, for the great work that they have produced. Your enthusiasm for learning and dedication to research make us proud."