John McGrath ’18

The study tour John McGrath ’18 took to Cuba in the spring with his political science class —Contemporary Cuban Politics and Society — was not the initial spark for his curiosity about the relationship between economic and agrarian reforms in the island nation, but it did provide him the opportunity to formulate his Summer Scholars research topic.

“I have always been interested in the role that agriculture plays in society, especially since its importance is not highlighted in our country,” says the international relations major from South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

This summer, John is combining his curiosity about farming and his experience posing research questions while abroad to continue studying how Cuba’s post-revolution economy led to a change in the country’s agricultural practices — specifically how it fell to second place in the economy after the increase of tourism. He also hopes to discover how agriculture will change as a result of the new relationship between Cuba and the United States.

“The Cuban economy has become an especially exciting topic since the U.S. resumed diplomatic relations with its neighbor last year after having severed ties more than a half-century ago,” says John’s mentor Benjamin Liebman, Ph.D.,  professor of economics.

Dr. Liebman enjoys mentoring Summer Scholars as they navigate the research process and deepen their understanding of particular subjects in a way not usually possible during the school year. He says it’s also a learning experience for him, too.

“Working with Summer Scholars can be an opportunity for me to learn about topics outside of my research expertise,” says Dr. Liebman. “For example, I know a lot more about steel production in China than I do about Cuban agriculture, so I’m learning a lot from John this summer.”

Grateful for the opportunity the Summer Scholars program provides him to further explore a topic he finds intriguing, John looks forward to learning even more about Cuban reforms.

“[This research] is much more about following my interests than feeling compelled to complete assignments for a grade,” he says.

John is a recipient of the St. Andrew’s Scholarship and will focus on Middle East studies in Scotland at the University of St. Andrew’s beginning in the fall. He is a former member of the SJU Student Senate and has also been an RA.

— Liz Krotulis ’17

Office of University Communications

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Summer Scholars Project Title: Examining the Relationship between Cuban Economic Reforms and Agrarian Reforms after the Cuban Revolution.

Mentor: Benjamin Liebman, Ph.D., professor of economics

High School: South Kingstown High School, South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Follow @sjuartssciences & @haubschool on Twitter to learn about this year’s summer scholars. #SJUSSP

VanAller

There’s nothing new about feminist rhetoric on college campuses. For decades, women at institutions of higher learning have come together to empower themselves and each other. Likewise, there’s nothing new about feminism online. Countless sites are devoted to advancing equality between genders. Now, a new stage has emerged at the intersection of these two communities.

Nicole VanAller ’17 is studying feminist identify among millennials as part of a Summer Scholars project. Specifically, she is researching the online magazine Her Campus, an online magazine specifically aimed at collegiettes, a term the website created and trademarked to describe “ambitious, savvy and aspirational” college women.

“I’m interviewing members of the SJU chapter of Her Campus, asking them what feminism means to them,” VanAller says. “I’m really interested in the construction of gender that goes on when a journalistic website targets our age group. Do sites like this build a meaningful connection to feminism, or do they stop at ‘girl power?’ That’s what I want to find out.”

VanAller, who is working under the mentorship of Jenny Spinner, Ph.D., associate professor of English, likes that the Summer Scholars program allows her to work on a longer project than she could during the semester.

“I am really enjoying diving deep into the topic,” she says. “I can explore new angles and do a lot more reading for background. I feel like I’m learning a lot more.”

Once the project is finished, VanAller hopes that she can expand her research on millennial feminist identify.

“I hope to learn what drives gender construction in our generation, especially in business,” she says.

VanAller is a student in SJU’s Honors Program and has earned a place on the Dean’s List in every semester since she arrived at SJU. She was recently inducted into Phi Betta Kappa and is a member of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society. Outside the classroom, she is the marketing and communications director for the SJU Women’s Leadership Initiative and founder of the SJU Independent Press, a zine that gathers student writing surrounding a single topic.

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Summer Scholars Project: Defining a “Collegiette:” Her Campus and feminist identity among millennials
Mentor: Jenny Spinner, Ph.D., associate professor of English
High School: Methacton High School, Eagleville, Pennsylvania

Follow @sjuartssciences & @haubschool on Twitter to learn about this year’s summer scholars. #SJUSSP

Max Barrile ’18

In the midst of the heightened political rhetoric surrounding the 2016 presidential campaign and recent racial and social justice movements in the U.S., one SJU student is examining the extent to which history repeats itself.

Political science and international relations dual major Max Barrile ’18 will use his time as a Summer Scholar to conduct a comparative analysis of past and present protest activity at national political party conventions.

“I will be focusing mainly on the Chicago Democratic Convention in 1968, the Cleveland Republican Convention and the Philadelphia Democratic Convention of 2016 as case studies,” Max says.

He will also highlight racial-based protests at the conventions to determine similarities, differences and whether or not the previous protests effectively foreshadow today’s convention protests. His work will analyze the tactics of some of the most prominent social justice movements including: the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“I love research and I love SJU, so applying for the Summer Scholars Program allowed me to stay on campus and do research as my summer job,” Max says. He adds that he hopes to gain “a greater understanding of  protests and protest movements, and to better understand the history of the Civil Rights Movement and how its current incarnations, BLM, for instance, have adopted similar tactics or adapted to modern times.”

Becki Scola, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of political science, further fostered Max’s commitment to social justice during an Intro to American Politics class she taught in the fall. Dr. Scola now serves as his mentor for the summer.

“Max’s project is timely, given the upcoming convention and presidential election, and his research question will lead to an interesting study of how protest impacts national politics and the presidential nomination process,” Dr. Scola says.

“I asked Dr. Scola to be my mentor because of her expertise in American politics and because she has an additional specialty in protest and social movements,” Max says.

Max’s current research will also coincide with his work in the fall when he interns with The Washington Center’s Academic Seminar for the Democratic National Committee.

With his passion for social justice, Max exemplifies an aspect of the magis. “I am a strong believer in equal rights for all. I also believe that a society is only successful when each of its members are free and treated equally,” he says.

During the regular academic year, Max is involved in Phi Sigma Pi and volunteers as a Hawk Host. He also participates in College Democrats, the Dean’s Leadership Program and the Appalachian Experience. He is a Dean’s Scholarship recipient and he studies in the Honors Program.

— Kayla E. Lane ’17

Office of University Communications

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Summer Scholars Project: Tension at the Convention: National Nominating Conventions as Sites of Social and Political Protest

Mentor: Becki Scola, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of political science

High School: City Honors School #195 at Fosdick Masten Park, Buffalo, New York

Follow @sjuartssciences & @haubschool on Twitter to learn about this year’s summer scholars. #SJUSSP

Dr. George (left) and Erin Ross

This summer, chemistry major Erin Ross ’17 of Warrington, Pennsylvania, won’t be spending much time lounging by the pool; rather, as a Summer Scholar, she has devoted herself to conducting research by the pool.

In partnership with the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support,  Erin will study the effects of aquatic exercise on stereotypic behaviors (rapid, repetitive movement) and the academic response of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) ages three-to-seven years .

During the course of Camp Kinney, the Center’s summer program, Erin is examining the academic and social responses of children as they participate in camp and classroom tasks before and after swimming. Some days, the children will be in a “no/low exercise” condition, and other days, the children will be in the exercise condition, expending more energy while swimming in the O’Pake Recreation Center Pool.

This project is timely because little is known about the effects of aquatic exercise on sterotypy and correct responding in children with ASD. Erin’s goal is that the research findings be used by families and teachers to minimize stereotypic behaviors in these children.

“I hope [this work] makes a positive impact for children with ASD,” Erin says, adding that her research project is different from anything she has done before.

“Because I’m a chemistry major, I spend a lot of time working in the lab. My Summer Scholar project is exposing me to another side of research that I’m learning how to conduct with people,” she says.

Erin predicts her Summer Scholars Program (SSP) experience will help prepare her for a career in medicine as a developmental pediatrician working with children on the Autism spectrum.

Cheryl George, Ph.D., assistant professor of special education and Erin’s SSP mentor, has over 10 years of experience in researching the effects of aerobic exercise in children with ASD. Her mission to improve behavior and academic performance in children with disabilities and discover applicable solutions for teachers and families to apply in support of those children meshes perfectly with Erin’s interests.

“When I interviewed Erin, I felt she would be the ideal candidate to mentor,” says Dr. George. “Because she’s been trained and worked as a Kinney SCHOLAR, and because she had previous experience conducting research, she possessed the background knowledge necessary to be successful with this summer project. I am thoroughly enjoying mentoring Erin and working alongside her, and I’m grateful that SJU has provided this opportunity.”

Dr. George and Erin are in the process of drafting a manuscript of the project to submit for publication, and they have already submitted two proposals to present their research outcomes: at PACEC, a Pennsylvania statewide special education convention, and at an international conference in Florida that is hosted by the Division for Autism and Developmental Disability, a subdivision of the Council for Exceptional Children.

In addition to working as a Kinney SCHOLAR during the academic year, Erin is a weekly service volunteer and a member of the Molloy Chemical Society, as well as the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

— Elizabeth Krotulis ’17

Office of University Communications

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Summer Scholars Project Title: The Impact of Aquatic Exercise on Academic Responding and Stereotypical Behavior of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mentor: Cheryl L. George, Ph.D., assistant professor of special education

High School: Central Bucks High School South, Warrington, Pennsylvania

Follow @sjuartssciences & @haubschool on Twitter to learn about this year’s summer scholars. #SJUSSP

Christaldi

Millennials are lazy. They’re entitled. They’re narcissistic. At least, that’s what other generations say about them. But what if you give them a chance to speak for themselves?

Angela Christaldi ’17 is spending the summer composing a series of essays on the culture of the millennial generation. The collection, which is being written as part of a Summer Scholars project, is tentatively titled “Fear and Loathing of the Millennial Generation.”

“I applied for the Summer Scholars program because I wanted the opportunity to fully immerse myself in my writing,” Christaldi says. “I want to explore millennial culture through a variety of different lenses such as politics, economics and gender.”

Christaldi draws inspiration from “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” an influential collection of essays about life in California in the 1960s by Joan Didon. She discovered the book in a class taught by Owen Gilman, Ph.D., professor of English. Dr. Gilman now serves as Christaldi’s mentor for the project.

“Dr. Gilman’s course ‘Rereading the ‘60s’ exposed me to new types of writing, and his knowledge of that type of literature made him a perfect fit to oversee my project,” she says.

“Angela’s project could not be more timely, and she is rather perfectly located to be an essayist on American culture in the summer of 2016 heading toward the election in November,” Gilman says. “Her project will be a lively quest for understanding, a spirited effort to make sense of life in our time by writing.”

During the academic year, Christaldi is a tutor at the Writing Center and managing editor of The Hawk student newspaper. She is also a member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative and a student board member of SJU’s Women’s Center. She has made the dean’s list, studies in the Honors Program, and has been inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta English International Honor Society.

— Jeffrey Martin ’04, ’05 (M.A.)

Office of University Communications

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Summer Scholars Project Title: “Fear and Loathing of the Millennial Generation”
Mentor: Owen Gilman, Ph.D., professor of English
High School: Sacred Heart High School, Vineland, NJ

Goldberg (left) & Bianculli

English and secondary education double majors Ciarra Bianculli ’17 and John Goldberg ’17 talked frequently with classmates about the need to improve education for students likelier than their peers to encounter the juvenile justice system. Wanting to make a difference in education for young people facing the school-to-prison pipeline, the two are participating in the Summer Scholars program to find the most effective ways to engage and succeed with at risk learners.

“We are providing one-on-one tutoring and mentoring for at risk youth between the ages of 13 and 17,” says John. “These students typically read one or two grade-levels below what they should, so our goal this summer is to increase literacy through different methods.”

Twice a week, Ciarra and John travel to the Police Athletic League of Norristown, Pennsylvania, a community organization offering education, rehabilitation and detention services to the juvenile justice system.. The scholars also create personalized lesson plans for each of their 12 students with their mentor, Suniti Sharma, Ph.D., associate professor of education.

Dr. Sharma knew that Ciarra and John were serious about the project when she encountered their curiosity about youth prisoner education. As an activist for and researcher of the school-to-prison pipeline, Dr. Sharma is well aware of how rewarding, yet heartbreaking, work with at risk youth can be.

“Once I knew they were very interested and keen to start tutoring, I was excited,” says the first time Summer Scholars mentor. “I knew I was going to be working with two of the best scholars at SJU who were committed to advancing their teacher competencies by becoming social justice activist teachers invested in educational change.”

To ready themselves for the intensity of the project, Ciarra and John participated in an orientation to work with youth prisoners, earned their Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative certification to understand the implications of working with vulnerable populations, and read several books and articles on their topic.

“I applied for the Summer Scholars program with the hope that having this experience would help make me be a better teacher someday,” says Ciarra. “I want to play a part in students’ lives and help show them that learning and education are so important.”

A member of the Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity and Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Ciarra is involved in Make-A-Wish and Relay for Life at SJU. Additionally, she serves as the assistant lifestyle editor for The Hawk student newspaper and as an SJU transfer mentor.

When he isn’t exploring the theoretical and research aspects of education, John is a Hawk Host with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and a member of the SJU Theatre Company.

— Elizabeth Krotulis ’17

Office of University Communications

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Summer Scholars Project Title: “Mentoring and Literacy for Youth in the School-to-Prison Pipeline”

Mentor: Suniti Sharma, Ph.D., associate professor of education

High Schools: Ciarra attended Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

John attended Whippany Park High School, Whippany, New Jersey