Women's Studies: Student Research

Women's Studies majors complete a 2-semester research sequence in their senior year. In the Fall semester, they prepare a formal proposal for a project which they actually conduct in the Spring, and then present to the Women's Studies Council.

Our graduating majors will present their research on Friday, May 18th, from 9am until 1pm in the Topping Room (Upstairs Old Chapel). Plan to come and learn what they found out. There is a short description of each project on this page below the picture.

Get to know our women's studies graduating majors for Class of 2000 and their research projects:
From left to right: Jennifer Rodzvilla, Shalise Bates, Carolyn Sutton, Ashley Stingle and Sally Kleiner (not on the picture)

Jennifer Rodzvilla is researching "the effects of media consumption on college sorority women's eating disorder symptomatology." Jennifer is also a Psychology major and will be working with Dr. Mary Polce-Lynch for the completion of this project in the Spring.

Shalise Bates' research is combining her interests in Women's Studies and Black Studies and is entitled "Guarding the Legacy: African-American Women Ministers Speak." Shalise, who is also working on a sociology major, will be working with Dr. Nathalie Lebon.

Carolyn Sutton's research project focuses on the so far little researched issue of abuse and sexual harassment on the internet. Carolyn will focus on what forms sexual harassment takes in cyberspace, the feminist theoretical understanding of such interactions on the internet and the dilemmas involved regarding censorship and freedom of expression. She will be working with Dr. Dorri Beam on this project.

Ashley Stingle is combining her interests in Women's Studies and Political Science, in which she is getting a minor, in a case study which will allow her to unravel the events and processes which led to the lifting, in 1993, of the ban on the participation of women in combat by the Clinton administration.

Sally Kleiner, who is about to embark on her career as a teacher in her home state of Colorado, just completed her project this fall. She has been focusing on "The Benefits and Limitations of Single-Sex Schools regarding Females' Achievement Levels." Her mentor for this research was Dr. Brenda Gilman from the Education Department.