Diving into research��

The internship offered Moya a comprehensive and immersive experience in marine biology. She spent her time doing fieldwork, including boat surveys for population monitoring, acoustic monitoring throughout the Sarasota Bay, fishing to study dolphin distribution and their prey, and gaining skills in photo identification. These hands-on experiences offered a realistic glimpse into the life of a marine biologist.��

“To thrive in this environment, it’s essential to have a growth mindset—being open to change, willing to explore new interests, and understanding that your passions may evolve,” Moya said. “You might discover that something you expected to love isn’t quite the right fit or unexpectedly fall in love with a new area of study.”��

The SDRP challenges students to grow as scientists through real-world research and offers ongoing opportunities to volunteer in diverse projects—from necropsies and offshore acoustic receiver deployments to sea turtle hatchling releases and collaborating with shark researchers.��

“At SDRP, you’re encouraged to be curious, ask questions, read scientific literature, and learn from both successes and mistakes,” Moya said. “Ultimately, the experience is what you make of it—so be a sponge, soak up every opportunity, and allow yourself to grow both personally and professionally.”

Learning beyond the science

Being a scientist means more than just doing science: it requires confidence, courage, resilience, and most importantly, a willingness to face the unknown and embrace failure as part of the journey. These are the traits that have sustained SDRP’s legacy for 55 years and enabled it to produce pioneering research for marine mammals.��

By continuing to take bold steps driven by curiosity and ambition, SDRP has helped lay the foundation for marine mammal conservation and inspired generations of scientists to follow.��

In analyzing the behavior and health of small cetaceans, Moya noted that when dolphins are together, they’re not called pods; they’re called communities.

“The bottlenose dolphins are just like us—living creatures who are curious, trying to survive, and remarkably intelligent with developed communication skills that help expand their complex social structures,” said Moya. “Bottlenose dolphins are self-aware and able to recognize one another through signature whistles.”��

Dolphins serve as vital indicators of the health of the world’s oceans. They play a key role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, help control fish populations, help maintain water quality, and keep the food chain in balance.��

“Their sensitivity to environmental changes makes them sort of like our ocean security guards for detecting issues like pollution and disease, or even with incidents of algal blooms like red tide, which occurred in 2021 throughout the Sarasota Bay,” said Moya. “However, when dolphins are in trouble, it can be a serious sign that our oceans may be at risk too.”

Exploring the opportunities

�鶹ӰԺ students are encouraged by faculty and staff to take on internships to expand their understanding, build relationships, and strengthen their overall career path.��

“‘Ride my wave’—that’s something my mom always tells me, and it’s become a grounding mantra throughout my college journey,” Moya said. “It reminds me to stay present and embrace each moment, whether it’s challenging or joyful. The tough times are temporary, and the good ones pass quickly too—so it’s important to appreciate them while they last.” This perspective has shaped not only how Moya moves through tough moments, but also how she approaches the future.��

“Even when the wave you’re riding knocks you down, you get back on the board and catch the next wave. That mindset is guiding me as I work toward graduate school in marine mammal research while staying open to new opportunities that may come my way.”

Art History: Highlighting the Permanent Collection

The permanent collection at the Wriston Art Galleries at �鶹ӰԺ University boasts over 6,000 works of art, a testament to the generosity of the college’s alumni and friends. However, less than two percent of the collection is typically on display in any given year.

To help showcase more of this vast collection, Val Muzzarelli, a junior art history major from Hazel Park, MI, took on a research project to curate a year-long exhibition. Led by Beth Zinsli, associate provost and adjunct associate professor of art, the project began last year with Wren Chlystek ‘25, also an art history major. Muzzarelli picked up the mantle when Chlystek graduated.

“They (Chlystek) left a really good foundation and gave me a really good place to start,” Muzzarelli said. “It’s been more collaborative than just me.”��

Throughout the summer, Muzzarelli has been researching, examining, and drawing connections among the artwork to create a cohesive exhibition of about 90 pieces. The exhibit will be organized around four core themes:

1. Light, More Light!��

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1. �پ�����������𳾱�Գ���

1. The Unknown��

According to Madison Pierson, the collections and gallery assistant at Wriston, “The Unknown” highlights future research opportunities for pieces whose stories are not yet known.

“Many of the pieces came to us before this building (Wriston) existed,” Pierson said. “The paper trails for some of those early gifts in particular may be less thorough.”

An unofficial fifth theme, “Greatest Hits,” will also be featured, showcasing some of the collection’s most popular pieces, including Louise Bourgeois prints and the dancing bear statues.

The exhibition aims to expose students, faculty, staff, and the community to the full breadth of the �鶹ӰԺ permanent collection. If successful, this type of exhibition will become a regular event. Pierson hopes that continuing the project in future years will allow faculty to incorporate the works into their lesson plans.

“Getting more things in the gallery also helps expose students for research but also our faculty to the wide variety of things we have in our collections,” Pierson said. “There are so many who might not know that these collections exist or the breadth of the collection.”����

The exhibition is set to open in the back gallery on Friday, September 26, with a reception planned for October. It will remain on display for the entire academic year. In a related project, Alex Whaley, a junior English literature major, will curate an exhibition in the front gallery featuring works from the Earl and Aubrey Richmond Collection of Rare Books.

Biology: Prairie Restoration��

After their freshman year at �鶹ӰԺ, 5th-year senior Laura Friestad got an internship at Lake Forest Open Lands Association in Lake Forest, Illinois, as a restoration ecologist intern. While there, they learned how to identify invasive and native species, collected seeds, and learned all about ecological restoration; in the end, they fell in love with the work.

“I was like, I can’t spend the rest of my life not doing plant stuff,” said Friestad. “So I decided to put that more into what I’m doing at �鶹ӰԺ.”��

The experience led Friestad, a clarinet performance and environmental science major, to consider ways they could help improve the ecological landscaping on campus. While brainstorming ideas for their junior year capstone class, they decided they wanted to make a prairie on campus.����

The hill behind Hiett Hall presented a natural place to start, being covered in invasive species. They went to work removing invasive species from the plot and collecting seeds from native species around the city of Appleton. They visited Bubolz Nature Preserve and also searched older areas of the city; less development means it was easier to find existing populations of native species.

From there, they would make a seed mix, weigh it out, and spread it over the hill. A year later, Friestad is continuing their work through a summer research project with Alyssa Hakes, associate professor of biology, along with Rylee Polanka, a junior environmental science major. The project allows them to study prairie restoration methods, visit restored prairie sites, identify invasive and native plant species, and develop a plan on monitoring and restoring prairies and other Wisconsin ecosystems

“We are trying to overpower the invasive seed bank with our seed bank, and that means a lot of digging up the invasive seed species, cutting the seed heads, removing the seeds, and trying to get as few of those seeds staying and more of our seeds going in,” Friestad said, “and hopefully, eventually, create a self-sustaining ecosystem.”

A seed bank can refer to the seeds already in the soil, some of which can persist for years. Prairie plants flower, produce seeds, and appear to die at the end of the season. However, their roots are still alive under the soil and can return season after season.

“That’s one of my absolute favorite things about the prairie —how they put so much into the roots,” Friestad said.

The Conservatory: Brass Pedagogy����

Joey O’Connor, a senior trumpet performance and music education major, had the opportunity to collaborate with assistant professor Nadje Noordhuis in editing interview transcripts for Noordhuis’s PhD dissertation, “The Teaching Philosophy of Laurie Frink.”

O’Connor was able to explore the teaching philosophy of brass legend Laurie Frink and uncover best practices for future educators. The dataset comprised over two dozen interviews with Frink’s former students and colleagues and the students of her renowned teacher, Carmine Caruso.

The Conservatory: LGBTuben, The Lodge, & Meditations��

Ann Ellsworth, associate professor of music, led several summer research opportunities tied to her involvement with the �鶹ӰԺ Graduate Bayreuth Tuben Quintet (LGBTuben), an ensemble with roots at �鶹ӰԺ. Ellsworth brought together �鶹ӰԺ musicians and talented tuben players from across the country to create music rooted in inclusivity, visibility, and diversity.

LGBTuben was recently was recently gifted a lodge on 20 acres in New York’s Adirondack State Park, which the group plans to transform into an artist retreat. This space will serve as both a meeting place and an income generator to support the ensemble’s scholarship and outreach programs.

Aimee Patch, a senior music education major from Greenville, WI, collaborated with Ellsworth on managing the lodge. Patch traveled to the lodge this summer with LGBTuben to research similar nonprofits and study how a musical nonprofit can operate.

“My research looked at similar nonprofit organizations such as this to see what models we might adopt, and then also checking out a lot of the zoning laws and building laws for the Adirondack Park,” Patch said. “It’s such a beautiful space.”

Patch appreciated the opportunity to see a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making music happen.

“Being able to sit in on group meetings and see what happens behind closed doors and official decisions being made wasn’t something you usually see,” Patch said. “To sit there as a student, as an intern, was really incredible. To see how these decisions were made and debated and decided as a group was really powerful.”

Junior Leo Rodda, a music major from Appleton, WI, also visited the lodge this summer to continue his research with Ellsworth. Last year, he arranged music by Arvo Pärt and John Cage for horn and some clarinet to create 10-30 minute ‘meditations’ that can be used for bilateral music.

Bilateral music can be used in different therapies by providing auditory stimulation where sounds alternate between the left and right ears. The music keeps the brain activated with continuous sound.

“We’ve been using a lot of minimalist music, so the point is to listen for the small things that change,” Rodda said. “It’s to get you to mindfully pay attention.”

This summer, he collaborated with Ellsworth to finalize the digital scores and record, edit, and master the new album. Although the original plan was to record in New York, audio issues led them to re-record in-house with Brent Hauer, director of conservatory productions.

Rodda is currently selecting the best takes for the album, which will be released this fall. Additionally, a performance by the horn and clarinet studios is in the works for November 2025.

“The people there (at the lodge) and the environment that was created there were so awesome,” Rodda said. “Everyone was so accepting and passionate about what they did; to me, that was the best part. That is something that I see at �鶹ӰԺ as well; you don’t see many other places.”

Ethnic Studies: Sibling Bonds��

Seniors Gabby DeBoer (psychology), Owen Bakker (psychology and double bass performance), and Faith Onukaogu (business & entrepreneurship and global studies) worked with Estéfani Marín, assistant professor of ethnic studies, in studying sibling bonds. The three research fellows dove into interviews, coding and analyzing data to understand how siblings generate and transmit resources in the educational context. A particular focus was placed on Latin American and Asian American families.

Although Onukaogu is not an anthropology student, she said participating in research outside of her area of study gave her a unique experience.��

“Being at a liberal arts school gives you the opportunity to try things you usually wouldn’t,” Onukaogu said. “The research helped me learn some soft skills, like time management and professionalism, and also cultivate my leadership skills and communication skills. It also helped me connect with professors who are really good resources.”

Moya is looking forward to using her experiences with underwater photography to improve accessibility to the research, as well as learning more about marine mammal behavior and the impacts humans have on these creatures.

This is the next step in Moya’s career plans. She aspires to study marine animals as a means to improve conservation, integrate photography into research, and improve education on the important role the ocean and marine animals play in our environment.��

“Sometimes we get caught up in publishing papers,” Moya said. “But it’s also important to articulate to the public what you do and ignite that fire for positive change in the next generation.”

In her college search, �鶹ӰԺ quickly stood out as a place where Moya could pursue several of her passions as a first-gen student. She did just that. In addition to seeking out opportunities in marine biology, she minored in studio art and competed in two varsity sports—basketball and lacrosse.

Her love for marine biology has grown in the subsequent years, including her desire to make research more accessible to the public through photography and effective communication.

“It is important for me as a scientist to encourage the people around me and to say that you also have the power to make a difference in the world,” Moya said.��

She first became passionate about accessibility while interning at the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, where she grew her communication skills while giving tours and improving programs involving biofacts. She gained experience in grant writing, raising funds to improve the biofact room, and creating a safe, fun public space to learn more about the natural world.

Moya then participated in the �鶹ӰԺ University Marine Program (LUMP) under the guidance and encouragement of her academic advisor, Bart De Stasio. The program has been around for almost half a century and provides students with the opportunity to analyze a coral reef habitat and then develop a group research project. Last year’s program took Moya to Bonaire, an island municipality that lies off Venezuela’s coast in the southern Caribbean. She and her peers studied fish and coral reef environments.

Learn more about the Marine Term program at �鶹ӰԺ.

“I was excited to incorporate underwater photography as a way to improve communication,” Moya said. “There’s not a lot of visualizations or pictures in research. All we usually have are graphs.”

Underwater photography also proved an ecological benefit, as day and night photography allowed the team to identify early stages of coral bleaching, a phenomenon that occurs in unhealthy coral.��

LUMP was a highlight in Moya’s time at �鶹ӰԺ, as the experience reinforced her love for marine biology.

“It’s a great opportunity to see if you want to do research and get a sense for the feel of what it’s like, not only as a marine biologist but as an educator and advocate for our oceans,” she said.

Sydney Seeley and Emma Vasconez interned during their time at the London Centre during Spring Term, and both said the connections they made and the experiences they had will be valuable as they consider next steps after they graduate.

“Even when you go to a different country, connections are so important,” Vasconez said.

Seeley, a junior psychology major from Prescott, Wisconsin, worked remotely for an international marketing company while in London, and Vasconez, a junior government and business and entrepreneurship double major from Huntley, Illinios, worked for Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq while at London Centre.

�鶹ӰԺ partners with Florida State University to match students studying in London with internships that fit their interests, said Lezlie Weber, director of �鶹ӰԺ’s Off-Campus Programs.

“We work with students on preparation,” Weber said. “Interning students are guided on how to apply for internships and the necessary visa.”

According to Seeley and Vasconez, interning abroad is so much more than the work experience. For them, being an intern is all about culture and connections.

Vasconez appreciates now having friends in her field with valuable insight and hopes to work with them again. She connected with her co-workers, often socializing at the end of a work day.

Seeley, meanwhile, connected strongly with her co-workers even though she was working remotely.

“I’m excited to keep in touch with all these people, and maybe come back and work here when I graduate,” Seeley said. “The company has offices in the U.S. as well, so I have connections there, too.”

Interns connect with more than their colleagues. The work environment helps them connect to the local culture and community as well. Vasconez said she found her time outside of the office insightful. She saw London up-close through her commute and time working in the constituency. She helped canvass and deliver annual reports in addition to her drafting work in-office.

“You see what life is really like there,” Vasconez said.

Seeley and Vasconez agreed that learning about the culture was much more impactful while immersed in it.

“In the workplace, you have to know how to interact with your manager versus your coworker,” Vasconez said. “They don’t teach you that in a classroom.”

They learned to adapt to an unfamiliar workplace culture.

“There was such a good work-life balance,” Seeley said. “They were very respectful of others’ time.”

Seeley was part of her company’s partnerships team. She scouted celebrities and influencers for marketing campaigns to present to clients, and she brainstormed social media campaigns with co-workers. Over the course of her internship, the team worked with Amazon Prime Video to promote an upcoming series.

Seeley loved the experience that combined her areas of study in psychology, economics, and entrepreneurship.

“It was interesting getting that hands-on experience,” Seeley said.�� “When you see an ad, you don’t realize all the little pieces that go into it.”

Seely’s internship culminated in a final day on set where she got to see the production, which she helped pitch, being shot while also meeting the celebrities the team had selected.

“It was really cool seeing the production side of things, too,” she said.

For Vasconez, the internship experience in Siddiq’s office assured her that she’s following the right path.

“I definitely like the field I’m in, and it was interesting to see how the UK government works, too,” she said.

Even in countries where internships are unavailable, there are experiential learning opportunities for Lawrentians studying abroad, Weber said. Students can be connected to job shadowing, service learning, and more.

“Our hours for our internships were coordinated around our school schedule,” Seeley said. “It wasn’t super challenging to work and learn at the same time.”

Last summer, Bocanegra worked as an intern with Northwestern Mutual. He loved the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with financial management. He said his personal experience with trading helped him get the position.

“The work I was doing was building retirement portfolios for clients,” Bocanegra said. “If you’re a freshman, and you work for a Fortune 100 company, it’s a huge deal.”

In addition to his work with Northwestern Mutual, Bocanegra was accepted into the Goldman Sachs Investing & Portfolio Management Academy. He was part of the Asset Management Division, beginning in his first year at �鶹ӰԺ and continuing into his sophomore year. He was assigned a mentor for the duration of the program. The finale was his trip to New York City, where he got to meet his mentor in person and network with other students in the program as they worked on case studies.

The internship and the Goldman Sachs program have meshed beautifully with his studies at �鶹ӰԺ.

“The economics program is extremely well-managed,” Bocanegra said of his time at �鶹ӰԺ. “Mixing the liberal arts education with economics, how they teach, helps a lot. You learn a whole new way to learn, which is extremely helpful in the long term.”

Even outside of the Economics Department, Bocanegra has been able to apply his studies to his entrepreneurial ambitions. He said he loved his environmental studies coursework last year.

“It taught me a lot about the different approaches companies take toward the environment,” he said.

Bocanegra said the skills he gained through his internships have been integral to his personal work as an entrepreneur. The real-world skills he’s built have helped him form and manage his own hedge fund, Bocanegra Asset Management, which focuses on energy equities.

Madeleine Corum

Now a junior, the ethnic studies major spent the summer working online from home in Austin, Texas, with Jesús Smith, assistant professor of ethnic studies.

Smith is writing a book on discrimination in the gay community due to race, weight, sex, and gender. Because the topic aligned with Corum’s ethnic and gender studies interests, they said they were excited to help Smith with the book.

“The significance of this is similar to the value of intersectionality in that it looks at why and how fatphobia, racism, and femmephobia continuously overlap, who experiences all three oppressions simultaneously, and who benefits from them and thus has a vested interest in maintaining them,” Corum said.

They were analyzing data from more than 580,000 dating profiles.

Corum said this project focuses on gay men ages 25–55, and it has made them interested in studying and comparing similar discrimination in other LGBTQ+ demographics.

“It makes me feel like I am contributing to and becoming more intimately comfortable and knowledgeable about a field that is beginning to feel like my own,” Corum said.

Corum appreciated weekly meetings with Smith, where they analyzed how the research and conclusions resembled or differed from work of previous gender studies scholars.

“Before that summer, I’d always been insecure that I didn’t know enough about ethnic and gender studies to be able to major and minor in them,” Corum said. “Now, thanks to Professor Smith’s encouragement, support, and positive reinforcement, I am increasingly confident with the knowledge I have built, and more comfortable and even excited knowing that I have a lot more to learn.”

Hasif Ahmed and Brett Schneider

Juniors Ahmed and Schneider dove into a mathematics branch called network theory with the rest of their group run by Scott Corry, professor of mathematics. Network theory studies the growth and interactions of individuals in a system.

“You see millions of atoms bouncing up and down in a petri net,” Ahmed said. “Our research can model that and do prediction on its states elegantly. Pandemics? Our research can predict and model when it might converge to a steady state.”

Ahmed is majoring in physics and minoring in mathematics. Schneider is double majoring in chemistry and mathematics. Both said they chose the summer project because it was a great way to combine mathematics with their other interests.

“Exploring and working with new math is so satisfying,” Schneider said, “It’s almost like an art form in that you must think creatively to represent reality in new forms. That tug-of-war between creativity and logic has been my favorite part.”

Both said working with Corry was a great experience, and that the collaborative project went well.

“That summer was an exploratory project, but the hope is that if we can model these networks with as simple math as possible, we’ll be able to discover fundamental rules, which we can then apply to learn how other networks and systems work,” Schneider said.

Schneider said he hasn’t solidified his post-�鶹ӰԺ plans yet, but he hasn’t ruled out graduate school in math or chemistry, where he’d be able to call upon this experience. Ahmed’s plans are to dive deeper into this field and possibly explore it for his senior capstone.

“For a moment we thought we knew everything and for another it seemed we didn’t at all,” Ahmed said. “The math was fresh, new, confusing but most importantly, beautiful. That’s when it felt like research.”

Melanie Shefchik

The fifth-year student spent her summer working on a project important to �鶹ӰԺ—the preservation and upkeep of the Teakwood Room.

Located in Alice G. Chapman Hall, the Teakwood Room is a beautiful rustic space filled with antique furnishings that were carefully dismantled and moved from Milwaukee-Downer College to �鶹ӰԺ when the two merged in 1964. Alice G. Chapman was a benefactor who funded Milwaukee-Downer, and the room was built for her.

“I conducted research on the Teakwood Room to gain a better understanding of its role on campus and what items in the room are original to it,” Shefchik said.��“I also got the opportunity to take part in this preservation by dusting and polishing some of the objects in the room.”

Shefchik was encouraged to apply by Beth Zinsli, assistant professor of art history, curator of the Wriston Art Center Galleries, and museum studies interdisciplinary area program director. Shefchik said she had already worked as a gallery intern for two years and had expressed her interest in art conservation.

“Working with Beth was amazing,” she said. “She continues to provide me with opportunities to explore art conservation and test out new skills.”

Shefchik is a double-degree student who studies saxophone performance and history and has a minor in anthropology and museum studies.

Having gained valuable experience in her interests, Shefchik said she and Zinsli continued the work and applied for grants in the fall to fund more conservation efforts for the Teakwood Room.

“We also have plans to make the room more accessible for students so that the Teakwood Room continues to be remembered and enjoyed by students,” Shefchik said.

“We have taken a liberal arts mindset to building this major, emphasizing the importance of multiple perspectives and big-picture thinking,” said Adam Galambos, the Dwight and Marjorie Peterson Professor of Innovation and associate professor of economics. “Students will have an opportunity to learn the foundational skills in accounting, marketing, financial management, and entrepreneurship, and connect these to the broader roles of business in society.”

Galambos is one of seven faculty members from across multiple disciplines who have worked for the past year to forge a plan that would build on the strength of the I&E program, giving students who want a liberal arts path to a business major a place to land. The objective is to build a robust major with intellectual integrity that allows students to understand the role of business within society and develop depth within one of four focus areas—entrepreneurship, arts entrepreneurship, business analytics, and natural resources and energy management.

“Students will have an opportunity to learn the foundational skills in accounting, marketing, financial management, and entrepreneurship, and connect these to the broader roles of business in society.”
– Adam Galambos, associate professor of economics

The academic path through the major will introduce students to foundational business skills through core courses. But where it will separate itself from other programs will be the emphasis on multiple perspectives, the connections across disciplines, and the exploration of critical thinking, said Claudena Skran, the Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science and professor of government who chairs the I&E program.

“The BUEN major requires students to combine learning critical thinking and problem analysis, but also how to put this knowledge into practice through internships and practicums,” she said. “The major appeals to students who want to think about problems and the world, but who also want to take positive action in that world.”

• The entrepreneurship focus area will appeal to students interested in start-ups and self-employment in business or social enterprises.����
• The arts entrepreneurship focus area will appeal to students interested in the business side of music, theater, or studio art.
• The business analytics focus area will zero in on a more quantitative skill set,��which ties into �鶹ӰԺ’s data science curriculum.
• The natural resources and energy management focus area will bring together perspectives from economics, environmental science, politics, and other related fields to understand important contemporary environmental and energy issues, and the role that business can play in tackling them.

It is about developing core business skills while diving deep into a student’s chosen path.

“This major is not just a one-size-fits-all major,” Skran said.

�鶹ӰԺ’s I&E program was launched in 2014. It created an interdisciplinary concentration for students interested in exploring business ventures—both for-profit and non-profit—that would create positive change in the world. It was not intended to be a business program, but a growing number of students in the ensuing years have indicated an interest in an expanded business program designed through that same liberal arts lens.

That led to the formation last year of a working group that included faculty from Economics, I&E, Government, the Conservatory of Music, Psychology, Religious Studies, Global Studies, and Theatre Arts. With encouragement from President Laurie Carter, they set out to craft an interdisciplinary business major that would build on the gains already made through I&E.

The working group’s proposal was passed in a faculty vote on Nov. 4.

The business major will be integrated into a �鶹ӰԺ education, including the taking of First-Year Studies and the general education requirements that afford students an overview of diversity and provide them with a global context.

From there, the architects of the major set out to build a program that would blend needed business knowledge and skills with an emphasis on working toward the greater good.

Introductory courses will include Business and Society, Introductory Economics, and Fundamentals of Accounting.

Martyn Smith, associate professor of religious studies, co-chair of Global Studies, and First-Year Studies director, has been leading the development of the new Business and Society course.

“Through this major, students will gain the knowledge and vocabulary to understand the global context of business, and they will be introduced to interdisciplinary content that will give them a long view of the role of business and finance play in our planetary future,” Smith said.

Intermediate courses will focus on perspective and skills with a wide breadth—accounting and finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and business and the greater good.

Students will then be required to select one of the focus areas that brings a deeper level of engagement and understanding. The program will include a heavy emphasis on internships, practicums, study abroad, or international field experience.

The architects of the plan have proposed the addition of two full-time teaching positions to meet the expected interest in the program. Work is already under way to build the curriculum, with input coming from across academic disciplines.

Students interested in the business and entrepreneurship major can see details at lawrence.edu and are encouraged to reach out to Galambos, Skran or other I&E faculty.

Researching the history behind these artifacts required Han to correspond with institutions as far away as Los Angeles as she tracked down the paper trails.

“We have to do all these communications with someone far away from here, and also, it’s during the pandemic; the communication is very slow. The waiting time was much longer than I thought,” Han said.

Despite the difficulties of research and waiting, Han said she enjoyed the search, and that she and Vance could spend hours looking at a single artifact.

“It’s not about art styles; it’s about the history behind them,” Han said.

Han hopes that by figuring out the complex but fascinating stories behind the artifacts, these objects can take on new meaning to other students as well.

Despite a delay due to paper shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, Han and Vance’s chapter, “The Liberal Arts Collection: East Asian Artifacts at �鶹ӰԺ University,” is due to be released in the fall of 2022 in an edited volume titled Centring the Periphery: New Perspectives on Collecting East Asia from Brill.

“It was moving to witness Jin’s excitement about the artifacts and to watch as she grew in confidence in research, writing, and collaborating,” Vance said.

Originally from China, Han attended high school in Rochester, New York. When applying to colleges, she preferred smaller, liberal-arts schools, and chose �鶹ӰԺ for its academic offerings, available scholarships, and surroundings.

As a singer, another draw for Han was the Conservatory of Music.

“I feel like the community is stronger here,” she said.

For other members of the �鶹ӰԺ community interested in research projects like this, Han said, “They need to be really passionate about these artifacts. Otherwise, you probably won’t be spending such a long time to work with these objects and these tedious documents.”

Han also said that Vance greatly helped make the work less stressful.

“Professor Vance is very welcoming and she’s a warm person; really nice,” Han said. “She didn’t put a lot of pressure on me; she’s like, ‘take as much time as you need’ to do the work well.”

Han is strongly considering continuing down this path as a career; she plans to apply to graduate programs in both clinical psychology and museum studies.