International Scholars Program - Current International Scholars
Academic Year 2009-10
Seniors
CONSTANCE CHEN
Major: Architecture and Chinese
Research Interests: Architecture in China in the age of Modernism
Adviser: Lionel Jensen
KRISTIN HAAS
Major: Program of Liberal Studies
Minor: Peace Studies
Research Interests: Gender in philosophy and development; spiritualities surrounding social action, power, and violence; constructivism in international relations
Thesis: Simone Weil and the French feminists on power and an ethic of attention; implications of this for Christian praxis and theology
Adviser: Krista Duttenhaver
AMBER HERKEY
Majors: Anthropology, Peace Studies
Research Interests: Responses to and roots of instances of youth violence; connections between lack of access to resources/respect for rights and increasing instability and direct violence; cultural awareness and appreciation in policy making, youth gangs as coping mechanisms for youth afflicted by both structural and direct violence; notions of enemies
Current Research: What galvanizes youth suffering in situations of systemic violence to perpetrate direct violence?
Adviser: Daniel Lende
MICHAEL HOFFMAN
Majors: Political Science, Arabic
Research Interests: Democratization, religion and democracy, politics of the Arab World
Current Research: Religion, conflict and democracy
Adviser: Michael Coppedge
TRACY JENNINGS
Majors: Anthropology, Classics
Minors: Hesburgh Program in Public Service
Research Interests: Exploring the connection between classical civilizations and contemporary culture
Adviser: Susan Blum
KATHERINE MORAN
Majors: Political Science, Psychology
Research Interests: Latin American politics, women’s issues, Chile, development, education
Current Research: The women’s movement in Chile
Adviser: Rev. Timothy Scully, CSC
MATTHEW PANHANS
Major: Economics
Minor: Peace Studies
Adviser: Amitava Dutt
KATHERINE SCHILLING
Majors: Political Science, Peace Studies
Research Interests: Globalization, international political economy, ethics and international relations, aid and development, counter-terrorism measures
Current Research: Counter-terrorism measures and international aid; currency crises and illicit economic activity
Adviser: George Lopez
Juniors
HALLIE BREWSTER
Major: Finance
Minor: Latin American Studies
Research Interests: Latin America, international economic development, globalization and its effects on politics and society, health care, international relations.
Adviser: Vania Smith-Oka
SHANNON COYNE
Majors: Political Science, Peace Studies, Arabic Studies
Research Interests: Middle Eastern politics, Islam and politics, development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa
Adviser: Emad Shahin
MATTHEW GALLIVAN
Majors: Political Science, Arabic
Abroad: Cairo, Egypt - Fall 2009
SHANNA GAST
Major: Economics
Minor: Peace Studies; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
Research Interests: Globalization, the use of the international economy in the development of peace, Asian development and politics
Current Research: The use of text messaging in China as an unofficial cultural commentary
Adviser: Jonathan Noble
Abroad: Rome, Italy - Fall 2009
NICHOLAS GOODE
Majors: Finance
Research Interests: Capital markets, international trade, and monetary policy
Current Research: Finalizing cataloging the strength of trade agreements between the 195 wealthiest countries in the world
Adviser: Jeffrey Bergstrand
ROBYN GRANT
Major: History
Minor: Gender Studies
Research Interests: Role of women in the Cuban Revolution, the feminist movement in socialist Cuba
Current Research: The education of female students in Cuba in the mid twentieth century, the perception of youth culture in Mexico in the early sixties
Adviser: Jaime Pensado
BRITTANY HOLOM
Majors: Political Science, Russian
Research Interests: The influence of the Russian government on its people, how Russia’s history shapes its present state
Current Research: Responses to the Beslan school tragedy - determining how and why different groups/people respond in certain ways
Adviser: Debra Javeline
SARA JASZKOWSKI
Majors: Accounting, Mandarin Chinese
Research Interests: Global accounting trends, China’s economic and political climate, and education systems in India
Current Research: Following a summer spent in Kolkata, India researching at a school for both street children and upper caste students, I am currently working with Dr. Chattopadhay to summarize my data findings and correlate and compare the behavior and future aspirations of the various castes of female students at the Loreto Sealdah school.
Adviser: Tamo Chattopadhay
CHERRICA LI
Majors: Political Science, Economics
Research Interests: International trade policy, rise of China’s soft power and its impact on Sino-US relations, China’s resource diplomacy, and US presidential foreign policy
Current Research: Examine use of tariff preferences to promote economic growth in LDCs
Adviser: Jeffrey Bergstrand
STEPHANIE MULHERN
Majors: History, Spanish
Minor: Latin American Studies
Research Interests: Colonial Latin America, ethnohistory and gender in Latin America, the Andes
Current Research: Andean artifacts/archaeology research, translating censuses from the colonial Andres
Adviser: Karen Graubart
Abroad: Toledo, Spain - Fall 2009
ANDREW MULLEN
Major: Civil Engineering
Research Interests: Developing countries; water issues in developing countries; aid work in developing countries
Current Research: Water quality and saltwater intrusion in Benin, Africa; coup d'états and the factors that lead to their success or failure
Advisers: Steve Silliman
Abroad: Perth, Australia - Fall 2009
BRIDGET MULLINS
Majors: Music (Vocal Performance), Peace Studies
Research Interests: Migration and performance, the music of revolutions, the arts and peace building, Latin America, women and globalization
Current Research: Examining the influence and impact of advanced technology, such as cell phones, on participation in transnational religious rituals, especially in the Haitian context
Adviser: Karen Richman
YANNING SUN
Major: Finance
Minor: Mathematics
Research Interests: International business and globalization economy
Current Research: US current account deficit
Adviser: Nelson Mark
Sophomores
KATHERINE CESSAR
Major: Political Science
Minor: French
Research Interests: Globalization, international law, the relationship between religion and politics in the Middle East, Africa
Adviser: Naunihal Singh
PRISCILLA CHOI
Major: Political Science
Minor: Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Peace Studies
Research Interests: Democratization, international relations, westernization, peace building, poverty, China
Adviser: Susan Blum
MITCH GAINER
Major: Economics
Minor: Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Research Interests: Developmental economics in Asia
Adviser: Amitava Dutt
KATHERINE (ELISE) JORDAN
Major: Economics
Research Interests: Economic policy, specifically of the European Union, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia
KATHRYN LANG
Major: Political Science, Economics
Minor: European Studies, French
Research Interests: European politics, international law, international business and economics
Adviser: Anthony Messina
STEPHEN PAYNE
Major: Political Science
Research Interests: European policies and history
Current Research: History of World Communism
Adviser: A. James McAdams
MALCOLM PHELAN
Major: Undecided
Minor: Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Research Interests: The economic motivations for ethnic violence and the music of conflict zones
Current Research: The economic justifications given once ethnic hatred has erupted into ethnic violence
Adviser: Rahul Oka
JOSEPH VANDERZEE
Major: History, Spanish
Research Interests: History of Latin America, machismo culture, gender roles, education and schooling, religion
Adviser: Jaime Pensado