With Special Thanks To…
The Planning Committee
Professor Aaron Boesenecker, Faculty Advisor
Marie Lehleitner , Staff Advisor
Cullen Moran, SIS Undergraduate Council
Jenny Sue Ross, DPE Sorority
Corey Koppel, DPE Fraternity
Sean Dugdale, Clocks & Clouds
McKinnon de Kuyper, Member at Large
Paula Martinez, Member at Large
THE 17TH ANNUAL
SIS UNDERGRADUATE
RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Our Sponsors
SIS Dean’s Office
SIS Undergraduate Council
Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity
Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority
Acknowledgements
The planning committee would like to recognize the efforts of the entire SIS
community in promoting research at the undergraduate level in the field of
international affairs. In addition, we would like to thank our graduate
student and faculty panel chairs, panel discussants, judges, student abstract
readers and symposium volunteers.
A special thanks to Professor Nanette S. Levinson for creating the SIS
Undergraduate Research Symposium
History
The first annual SIS Undergraduate Research Symposium took place in
1998 to provide a forum for undergraduates to present outstanding
research. Now in its sixteenth year, the symposium continues to highlight
exceptional undergraduate research projects covering an array of important
international issues. By offering students an opportunity to discuss and
further develop their undergraduate research, the symposium helps to
celebrate our diverse interests as students and build a community of
scholars who exemplify the commitment to academic excellence and global
service—the core tenets of the School of International Service.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Abramsom Founders Room
Poster Session Participants
Opening Remarks & Welcome 9:00-9:15 a.m.

Panel 1: Economics: 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Moderator: Dr. Sarah Cleeland Knight
Discussant: Prof. Manuel Suarez-Mier
 Cullen P. Moran, “Policy and Place in International Economic Coercion”
 Jacob Smyth, “Golden Lessons: Revisiting the Successes and Failures of the
Gold Standard in Europe”
 Urjita Sudula, “Capital Controls in Emerging Economies”
Panel 2: Security: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Moderator: Elizabeth Pearce, IPCR
Discussant: Edward Lucas, SIS Ph.D. Program
 Nancy Cohen, “Safeguarding Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage: The Key to
Nation-Building in a Post-Conflict Context”
 Adriana Dugquem, “China's Growth in Military Power and American
Engagement”
 Hannah Friedman, “Framing of Terrorism in the Media: A Public Influence”
Poster Session & Refreshments: 11:30-1:-00 p.m., Atrium
Participants listed on the following page.
Panel 3: Identity: 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Moderator: Dr. Doga Erlap
Discussant: Dr. Kia Hall

Priyanka Srinivasa, “‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ :‘Homeland Politics’ and Shifting
Trends in the Political Assertion of the Hindu American Community”
Presentation of Research Prizes, Closing Remarks & Reception:
2:30-3:00, Atrium
Jordan Biale, Stephen Reitz, Anne Shannon, “Invasion vs. Settlement: A
Comparative Study of American and Kenyan National Identity Through
Secondary Education Curriculum”
 Amanda Brenner, “Partnering with Pariah: The Geopolitical Advantages of
Great Power Alliances with Ostracized States”
 Rolando Cuevas, “China’s Democratic Movement: Modernization PostTiananmen Square”
 Jamie Dorner, “Energy Reform in Mexico: Semi-Privatization of PEMEX
under Enrique Peña Nieto and the PRI”
 Katherine Fiegenbaum, “"It's Just Wet Dirt": Approaches to Conserving the
Ogallala Aquifer”
 Mildred Miranda-Cruz, “Secularism and the Guises of Religious
Discrimination in France and the United States”
 Stephanie Peng, “High-skilled Migrants, Globalization and the Emergence of
Professional Hubs: Indian Diaspora in Three Global Cities”
 Yasara Perera, “Age and Conservative Affiliation as Determinants of
Islamophobia in the United States”
 Daniel Rodriguez, “Who’s to Blame? Explaining the Effectiveness of Foreign
Aid on Development”
 Nausheen Rajan, “The Effects of Decentralization on Local Economic
Performance and Stability: A Case Study on Pakistan and the Philippines”
Graduate Student and Faculty Judges
Best Paper Judges

Dr. Aaron P. Boesenecker

Dr. David Bell Mislan

Dr. Kia Hall

Efe Sevin, SIS Ph.D. Program
Best Oral Presentation Judges

Dr. Aaron P. Boesenecker

Emma Fawcett, SIS Ph.D. Program

Joyce Maria Muvunyi, IPCR M.A.
Candidate
 Brandy Pech, IPCR M.A. Candidate
Best Poster Presentation Judges

Efe Sevin, SIS Ph.D. Program

Emma Fawcett, SIS Ph.D. Program

Dr. Kia Hall

Katharina Nachbar, IPCR M.A.
Candidate
 Brandy Pech, IPCR M.A. Candidate