Undergraduate Research

Lumen Prize

This spring, the 2018 Lumen Prize winners presented the results of two years of research. Among the Lumen Scholar projects relating to diversity, equity and inclusion were:

Yasmeen Lee ’20

• Public health major, Honors Fellow and Odyssey Program scholar
• “Understanding Social Media’s Impact on Breastfeeding Black Millennials”
• Mentored by Assistant Professor of Public Health Studies Stephanie Baker
• Presented research at the Maternal and Child Health Student Assembly Roundtable

Arianne Payne ’20

• Double major in English and communication design
• “By Any Means Necessary: Understanding Black and Indigenous Grief, Resistance, and Endurance Through Stories,” a comparison of language used around trauma and injustice
• Mentored by Assistant Professor of English Tita Ramirez

Nicole Plante ’20

• International and global studies major
• “Examining How Refugee Parents and Children Create Belonging in the United States”
• Mentored by Assistant Professor of Geography Sandy Marshall

Among the 2020 Lumen Prize winners in the College, the following DEI-related research is being undertaken:

Trinity Dixon ’22

• Double major in human service studies and Spanish
• “The Reclamation: Stories from the margins and the LGBTQIA+ communities in El Salvador”
• Mentored by Associate Professor of Spanish Nina Namaste

Eukela Little ’22

• Psychology major
• “Strong, Black, and selfish: Re-framing the strong Black woman persona to include self-care through a mobile health intervention”
• Mentored by Associate Professor of Psychology Buffie Longmire-Avital

Multifaith Scholars

Five new Multifaith Scholars were selected in April. With close mentoring, they will travel to explore communities and religious differences. The Class of 2022 Multifaith Scholars are:

JoyceLyn Bentley ’22

• Major: Cinema and television arts
• Project title: “Then and Now: The History of Black Muslims in North Carolina”
• Proposed research: Bentley’s project will develop an oral history of the al-Razzaq Islamic Center in Durham, N.C., recording the narratives of its elders to preserve the important role of Black Muslim communities in local North Carolina history.
• Mentor: Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Ariela Marcus-Sells

Katie Grant ’22

• Major: Computer science
• Project title: “Analyzing Recruitment and Retention Techniques of Christian Identity Extremist Groups in an Online Context”
• Proposed research: Grant’s research will use social network analysis techniques to illustrate the connections between Christian Identity, a religious group that has advanced anti-Semitic and racist ideologies and been linked to terrorist acts.
• Mentor: Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire

Hallie Milstein ’22

• Major: Journalism
• Project title: “Jewish Identity and Wall Street”
• Proposed research: Milstein will use qualitative research methods to study the relationship between Jewish values and the New York financial industry, as well as the Occupy Wall Street movement.
• Mentor: Associate Professor of Religious Studies Geoffrey Claussen

Alaa Suleiman ’22

• Major: Computer science
• Project title: “Religious Fabric”
• Proposed research: Suleiman’s research analyzes the intersections of materiality and religious symbolism, the exchange of textiles between Christianity and Islam, issues of the display of textiles and clothing in museums, and historical influences on contemporary fashion.
• Mentor: Associate Professor of Art History Evan Gatti

Emily Wilbourne ’22

• Major: Arts administration
• Project title: “The Influence of Japanese Imperialism on Buddhist Seungmu Dance in Korea”
• Proposed research: Wilbourne’s research will track the variation of religious implications in Korea’s Buddhist Seungmu dance from the 14th century to Japanese imperialism of the 1900s.
• Mentors: Assistant Professor of Dance Casey Avaunt and Associate Professor of Religious Studies Pamela Winfield