Month: November 2024

This summer Junior, Julianna Morrow (Biology major and Environmental Studies minor ‘26) conducted research in the Summer Scholars program with her mentor, Dr. Rachel Collins. Her project, Effect of Seasons on White-tailed Deer Behavior Between Suburban and Rural Landscapes, investigates the seasonal behavior changes in white-tailed deer between suburban and rural habitats. Julianna aimed to answer two important questions based on the data collected: “How does habitat impact white-tailed deer behavior between suburban and rural wooded habitats across seasons?” and “How does time of day impact the number of detections in suburban and rural wooded habitats?”. While the research is ongoing, Julianna gained various learning experiences such as collecting, analyzing, and explaining data, tracking methodology, and how to utilize Microsoft Excel to its fullest potential. Since starting her project, she has noticed the patterns of suburban white-tailed deer from her research in real life and learned more about wildlife management and the importance of managing overabundant populations like white-tailed deer. Julianna plans to further examine behavioral changes between suburban and rural habitats and present her findings at a conference. She would like to thank Dr. Collins for encouraging her to apply for the program and supporting her along the way, and the Summer Scholars program for giving her the chance to learn more as a research student. She would also like to thank the Honors program for its additional funding and the biology department for the game cameras used in her study. 

Congratulations and we look forward to seeing the final project!

This summer, senior Leila Hussein (Political Science major with a concentration in German Studies ‘25) conducted research through the Summer Scholars program with mentor, Dr. Justin Garrison, Roanoke College political science professor. Her project, Why Are People Violent? René Girard, Mimetic Theory, and Film examines film through the lens of René Girard’s mimetic theory to understand things about ourselves and the nature of collective violence. Leila applied for Summer Scholars because it was the perfect opportunity to take her research and turn it into a job, and she enjoyed every aspect of her experience. Although her research has been time-consuming it has also been very fulfilling for her. Leila would like to thank Dr. Garrison for introducing her to Girard’s work, guiding her through the research process, and leaving a lasting impact on her life. 

Congratulations on your research!

Junior Katherine Hall (History major with concentrations in Archaeological Sciences and Classic Mediterranean History ‘26) conducted research this summer with mentor, Dr. Leslie Anne Warden, through Roanoke’s Summer Scholars program. Her project titled, Renegotiating the Social History of Egypt’s Non-Elite through Ceramic Analysis, examines ancient Egyptian ceramics through a social-historical lens to analyze ceramic typology and determine how different social classes existed. By investigating ceramic material in the form of drawn diagnostic sherds excavated in the summer of 2023, Katherine began to understand how the non-elite lived in Egypt. Her analysis of the sherds presents a larger date range which indicates that the site was active longer than previously believed and that the fractured political structure of Egypt at the time did not destabilize the inhabitants of this site throughout the transition from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom. Additionally, the sherds provided a glimpse of what a non-elite household consumed for cooking and food storage. Prior research on the site, Kom el-Hisn Egypt, revealed the general date of the entire site but not the date of the individual ceramics or how the sherds, pieces of broken ceramics, functioned in everyday life. During her investigation, Katherine gained numerous research skills that she will continuously use in her academic and professional career such as learning new history and terminology, and how to use research materials effectively to produce results. Katherine is currently preparing for her Honors Distinction Project, however, her research is not finished.  The site she is examining will be further excavated and analyzed, hopefully on location in Egypt in summer 2025. The material will be analyzed and cataloged in a distinction project that aims to further renegotiate the social history of the non-elite.​ Furthermore, she has already started plans for her next research project,  Recovering Egyptian Daily Life through Domestic Trash, with the intent to uncover the social history of non-elites of Egypt through discarded sherds. After graduating from Roanoke College, she plans to get her Master’s and PhD to continue her passion in recovering history that has been forgotten.

Congratulations and good luck on your Honors Distinction Project!