Liberal Arts

Africana Research Center announces winners of Undergraduate Research Exhibition

Presenters at the Undergraduate Research Exhibition included, from left, Jessica Trent, Linda S. Kao, Sarah McKenna, Keely Londino, Trevor Dennehy, Emma Behr, Seamus Wagner, Janelle Kelly, Cherish Harper, and Elizabeth Catchmark. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ten undergraduate students competed for prizes, including research travel grants, on Saturday, Oct. 1, as part of the Africana Research Center’s 2016 Undergraduate Research Exhibition.

Held in the Faculty Staff Club Room at The Nittany Lion Inn, the Undergraduate Research Exhibition recognizes and celebrates the scholarly development of Penn State’s undergraduate students who have written research papers on issues pertaining to some aspect of the African diaspora.

Faculty members nominate student papers, and with student permission, these papers are evaluated by a group of judges using a refereed process.

The 2016 winners of the ARC’s Undergraduate Research Exhibition are:

First place:
Elizabeth Catchmark
Departments of English, Philosophy, African American Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
College of the Liberal Arts
Nominated by Megan Fung
"Kindred Spirits:  Reading Interracial Love Relationships Through Embodied White Supremacy"

Second place:
Cherish Harper
African Studies Program
College of the Liberal Arts
Nominated by Clemente Abrokwaa
"Institutional Racism"

Third place (tie):
Janelle Kelly
Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
College of the Liberal Arts
Nominated by Jill Wood
"Being Black and Male in America:  Racialized Violence Against Black Males in U.S. Society"

Seamus Wagner
African Studies Program and Department of Political Science
College of the Liberal Arts
Nominated by Clemente Abrokwaa
"The Arab Slave Trade in East Africa and its Impact on the Coastal Peoples of East Africa"

Other presenters included Emma Behr, Trevor Dennehy, Linda S. Kao, Keely Londino, Sarah McKenna, and Jessica Trent.

The poster presentations were judged by Abraham Khan, assistant professor of African American studies and communication arts and sciences; Darryl Thomas, associate professor of African American studies and African studies program; and Nan Woodruff, professor of modern U.S. history and African American studies. A keynote presentation was provided by William J. (Bill) Dewey, interim co-director of the ARC, associate professor of art history, and program head and graduate director of African studies.

Last Updated October 12, 2016