• InsideSMCM
  • News
  • Events
  • Academic Calendar
  • Contact Directory
  • IT Support
  • Campus Map
  • H.C.L. Library
  • Student Portal
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Learn More
  • Give
  • Families
  • Events
  • Honoring the Enslaved
    St. Mary's College of Maryland, the National Public Honors College
  • LEAD
      • Students working on a problem in our outdoor classroom
    • What is LEAD?
      • LEAD stands for Learning Through Experiential and Applied Discovery. Think of it as an all-encompassing, integrative pathway that will prepare you for whatever your next step is—research, graduate school, or the workforce.
      • LEAD Curriculum
      • Center for Career and Professional Development
      • Job-IQ
      • Beyond St. Mary's
  • Academics
      • Students working on a problem in our outdoor classroom
    • Academics
      • Majors & Minors
      • Academic Departments
      • Study Abroad
      • St. Mary's Projects
      • Internships
      • Undergraduate Research
      • Core Curriculum
      • Faculty
    • Student Resources
      • ADA Accessibility & Accommodations
      • Office of Student Success Services
      • Writing Center
      • Portal
      • Course Catalog
      • Registrar's Office
      • DeSousa-Brent Scholars
      • Campus Bookstore
      • Hilda C. Landers Library
      • Phi Beta Kappa
      • Center for Career and Professional Development
      • Boyden Gallery
      • Dodge Performing Arts Center
      • Commencement
  • Admissions & Aid
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Financial Aid
      • Scholarships & Grants
      • Tuition & Fees
      • Tuition Calculator
    • How To Apply
      • First Year
      • Transfer
      • International
      • Graduate Studies
      • Test Optional Policy
    • Resources
      • Resources for New Students
      • I'm in! What's Next?
      • DeSousa-Brent Scholars
      • First Generation Students
      • Beyond St. Mary's
      • Schedule a Visit
      • Request Info
      • Apply
      • Connect with a Counselor
      • Virtual Tour
      • Explore SMCM
  • Alumni
      • Alumni in San Francisco volunteer at one of our Bay to Bay Service Day projects
    • Office of Alumni Relations
      • Get Involved
      • Benefits & Services
      • Alumni Council
      • Alumni Scholarships
    • Signature Events
      • Alumni Weekend
      • Hawktoberfest
      • Bay to Bay Service Days
      • Spring Break-a-Sweat
      • Governor's Cup & Zero Year Reunion
      • Submit News/Updates
      • Find Alumni Chapter
      • Request a Transcript
      • Rent the Alumni Lodge
      • Career Center
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Flickr
  • Athletics
      • Seahawk logo
      • Men's Sports
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Cross Country
      • Lacrosse
      • Rowing
      • Sailing
      • Soccer
      • Swimming
      • Tennis
      • Track and Field
      • Women's Sports
      • Basketball
      • Cross Country
      • Field Hockey
      • Lacrosse
      • Rowing
      • Sailing
      • Soccer
      • Swimming
      • Tennis
      • Track and Field
      • Volleyball
      • Sports Schedules
      • Intramural Sports
      • Club Sports
      • Inside Athletics
      • Facilities
      • Give to Athletics
  • Campus Life
      • Life at SMCM
      • Housing
      • Dining
      • Getting Involved
      • Campus Hangouts
      • Out and About
      • New Student Information
      • Support Services
      • Public Safety Office
      • Wellness Center
      • Inclusive Diversity, Equity, Access, and Accountability (IDEAA)
      • Title IX Compliance &Training
      • ADA Accommodations & Accessibility
      • Make a Difference
      • Waterfront
      • Commuters
      • Human Resources
      • Explore SMCM
      • Female Student Studying Outside on the Lawn
  • About
    • Key Facts
      • Rankings
      • Location
      • History of the College
      • Directions
      • Nearby Accommodations
    • Mission & Values
      • Inclusive Diversity, Equity, Access, and Accountability (IDEAA)
      • Institutional Research
      • The SMCM Foundation
      • The St. Mary's Way
      • The Honors College Promise
      • Land Acknowledgement and Pledge
    • Board of Trustees Office of the President
      • Meet Dr. Tuajuanda Jordan
      • Executive Council
      • Strategic Plan
      MIDDLE STATES REACCREDITATION
      • Aerial View of Campus

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

Assisting faculty and staff to engage in research and scholarly & creative endeavors

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) / 2018 / Archives for March 2018

Archives for March 2018

SMCM Sophomore Accepted into National Institute of Standards and Technology Summer Research Program

March 27, 2018

 

SMCM Sophomore Peter Orban

Continuing the tradition of seeking summer research opportunities, another group of students have applied to the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for summer 2018. NIST is one of the nation’s premiere research institutions for the physical and engineering sciences. The first student to be selected is Peter Orban, a St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) sophomore, with a double major in mathematics and physics. Peter will work with the Physical Measurement Lab in Gaithersburg, MD, measuring radioactivity with ionization chambers. He enjoys the intersectionality between math, physics, and statistical processing, and hopes to gain experience in research and computer programming. A high-achieving student and Division III swimmer, Peter has made Dean’s List and earned the Capital Athletic Conference All-Academic Team Award, as well as the Capital Athletic Conference Men’s Swimming Weekly Honor Roll Award. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in either math, physics, or engineering. Peter is one of the many SMCM students developing their research skills through summer research programs.

 

Filed Under: Current Sponsored Research, Math & Computer Science, Natural Sciences & Math, Physics Tagged With: nist surf, smcm, undergraduate research

SMCM Wraps Up Spirit of Jazz and Democracy Program

March 27, 2018

Music has always been a means of salvation. This can be seen in a recently completed project, “From Slavery to Freedom in St. Mary’s City: Engaging History to Strengthen Democracy with Jazz”. Created by Professor of Philosophy Sybol Anderson and Professor of English Jeff Coleman, this project served to promote the intersectionality between democracy, creative expression, and slavery in southern Maryland. The project was supported by the Maryland Humanities Council, and engaged community members of all ages and backgrounds in historical, cultural, and philosophical reflection on the meaning of slavery in St. Mary’s City and beyond. Participants explored how African-Americans liberated themselves from oppression by “improvising” methods of “physical” escape from slavery and of spiritual escape in jazz; and how through engaging this history, one can liberate themselves for an inclusive democracy. The multi-disciplinary project intentionally varied both it’s engagement medium (symposiums, lectures, and workshops) and it’s content (archaeological finds, jazz concerts, and spoken-word performances).

Program events included a symposium held on September 23rd, 2017 at which St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) faculty, students, and visiting scholars shared with the general public information about the discovery of archaeological evidence that St. Mary’s Female Seminary owned slaves in the 19th century. Discussions highlighted narratives about those enslaved people and slavery in Maryland. For democracy to flourish, the truth about slavery in Maryland has to be uncovered and recognized, allowing for healing, inspiration, and understanding.

Workshops entitled “Improvisation, Self-Emancipation, and Democratic Participation,” were held in October and November 2017. Through historical study, philosophical reflection, and improvisational activities, participants explored the themes of improvisation, innovation, and freedom linking jazz and democracy. They learned how jazz stimulates free thought and expression and how to employ jazz concepts in daily life to nurture democratic listening and practice.

Along with the symposium and workshops was a lecture and performance titled “The Spirit of Jazz and Democracy.”  The opening lecture was part of the aforementioned symposium that illuminated jazz as the embodiment of democracy and traced it from slavery to innovations by Maryland jazz artists such as Billie Holiday to its use by the US government to promote ideas of American democracy globally. The closing lecture and performance on December 8th, 2017, featured workshop participants’ reflections on the connections between jazz and democracy.

Exploring the local African-American narrative and its connection to liberation and democracy through jazz was a profound research approach. This project was able to unite scholars from varied disciplines, as well as students and local SMCM community members, thus succeeding in the goal of bring SMCM closer together, engaging with the past for a better, more democratic, future.

This project was made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Maryland Humanities.

Filed Under: Anthropology, Arts, Current Sponsored Research, Humanities, Music Tagged With: democracy, jazz, maryland humanities council, slavery, smcm

SMCM Students Present Research at Anthropology Conference

March 22, 2018

Anthropology is a very diverse discipline which can be applied to solve a variety of questions or problems. This could be seen at the recent University of Maryland Anthroplus Conference which brought students together to present on modern applications of anthropology. With support from the St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) Anthropology Department, three SMCM students were selected as the only undergraduates to present their research at this graduate student conference. The conference was separated into three thematic segments: How We Are Where We Are: Places, Spaces & Belonging, How We Are Known: Bodies, Minds, and Identities, and How We Do What We Do: Contemporary Archaeological Methods. Each SMCM student presented on one of the thematic approaches at this conference.

SMCM Senior Patrick Martin

The first student to present was Patrick Martin, a Senior, majoring in Anthropology with a focus in conflict studies. Under the thematic group Places, Spaces & Belonging, Patrick presented his Senior Tutorial research on conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). His project was titled Corruption, Conflict, and the Congolese: Proposing a New Model for Conflict Analysis in the DRC. Synthesizing past ethnographies, news reports, and statistical data on the occurrence of violence among individuals, he proposed a new model for socio-economic causes of continued conflict within the Congo. Citing the creation of informal economies due to lack of infrastructure, groups use ethnic identity and violence to regain agency and survive. Patrick hopes to continue his research and apply his model to other conflicts, as well as investigate ways to find peace.

SMCM Senior Rita Druffner

Next to present was Rita Druffner, a Senior, with a double major in Anthropology and Psychology. Under the theme Bodies, Minds, and Identities, Rita presented her current St. Mary’s Project on the Anthropology of Autism. With the increase of people diagnosed with autism, this project analyzed autistic identity, through societies lens, as well as the lens of diagnosed individuals. Rita interviewed individuals diagnosed with autism from the St. Mary’s community to collect ethnographic data and create a life history. She reviewed how autism is diagnosed by the Psychiatric community, as well as how autism is portrayed and viewed in society. She concludes that autism creates a unique identity for each individual, not defining them, but becoming one of the many aspects of who they are as a person.

SMCM Junior Matthew Borden

The final SMCM student to present was Matthew Borden, a Junior and Anthropology major. Presenting on Contemporary Archaeological Methods, Matthew showcased his investigation into the relevance of oyster shells found at Lower Brambly, a Native American archeological site in St. Mary’s County. First conducting an archeological dig in collaboration with SMCM Professor of Archaeology Julie King, Matthew focused on the size, placement, and quantity of oyster shells found in Lower Brambly. He hypothesized that the increased size of these shells meant a smaller Native American population, allowing oysters to grow larger. Matthew tested his hypothesis by measuring, classifying, and comparing, shells found through shovel test pits. He compared oyster shell size characteristics with documented local historical demographics and found that as population size grew, smaller and smaller oyster shells were present. Matthew also speculated that the largest oyster shells would be found at locations where higher status people lived . Much information can be gained through studying the distribution and characteristics of oyster shells and this knowledge can be applied to other archeological work in the region.

All three presenters offered their unique take on how anthropology can be applied in the twenty-first century. Representing SMCM as the only undergraduates students among graduate students from other colleges, these students took the opportunity to showcase their research to a wider community.

Filed Under: Anthropology, Psychology, Social Sciences & Educational Studies Tagged With: anthroplus, anthropology, smcm, undergraduate research

Two SMCM Students Conduct Research on Women of Color in STEM

March 6, 2018

Although a liberal arts college, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) has a unique connection with STEM majors. Two SMCM students, Rose Young and Elizabeth Mulvey, are conducting research on women of color in STEM programs at academic institutions. There have been many inclusivity issues with regards to women in STEM fields, especially women of color. This research hopes to uncover factors that promote the success of these women in STEM programs. Under the guidance of Professor of Educational Studies Angela Johnson, these two high-achieving students are using the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to compare the inclusivity and success of women of color across college campuses. IPEDS shows statistical data on student demographics across a number of different campuses. They will use this information, cross-referenced with other variables to see how factors including institution diversity, support networks, and teacher-to-student ratio affect women of color in STEM. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation, via a Eureka Scientific, Inc. subaward to Dr. Johnson.

Along with these demographic figures, Rose and Elizabeth are also collecting ethnographic data and conducting interviews among women of color in STEM. They have attended a number of STEM focused conferences and events to collect this interview data. Both hope to better the success rate of women in STEM and find steps that colleges can take to better the student experience. This research is also being conducted with a sister school in England.

Rose Young – SMCM Sophomore

Both students showcase the St. Mary’s Way in the research that they are conducting. Rose Young is a sophomore, studying Math and Physics. Rose believes that due to SMCM’s small size, teacher interaction, and accepting culture, women in STEM fields succeed here. Also, during her interviews she found that the presence of updated collaboration rooms and group-focused STEM clubs on academic institutions increase the likelihood of student success. While working on this project, Rose is gaining experience in data analytics and interview skills, as well as a new appreciation for math. Rose wants to continue developing her research skills and pursue a career in Nuclear Engineering. 

Elizabeth Mulvey – SMCM Sophomore

Elizabeth Mulvey is also a sophomore studying Physics, with a double minor in Education and English. With a past internship at NASA, Elizabeth is glad to gain experience in data entry and conducting anthropological interviews. She also enjoys being able to travel to different academic events and meet other like-minded women in STEM programs. Elizabeth hopes to shed more light on race and diversity issues associated with women of color in STEM programs at different colleges. She sees the potential moral applications of STEM in education and how it’s taught to people of color and different genders.  

Both students will continue this research project into the Fall 2018 semester, including traveling to the sister school in England to compare data. Rose and Elizabeth are two of many SMCM students that are building a better future through sponsored research.

Filed Under: Current Sponsored Research, Math & Computer Science, Natural Sciences & Math, Physics Tagged With: smcm, stem, undergraduate research, Women of Color

RSS From the SMCM Newsroom

Recent Posts

  • Professor of Art Sue Johnson Awarded Catwalk Institute Fellowship March 22, 2022
  • SMCM Southern Maryland Folklife Center Receives Grant from Maryland State Arts Council March 8, 2022
  • Jennifer Cognard-Black Named a 2022 Independent Artist Award Recipient by Maryland State Arts Council February 18, 2022

Categories

  • Anthropology (19)
  • Art & Art History (5)
  • Arts (14)
  • Awards (87)
  • Biochemistry & Chemistry (20)
  • Biology (16)
  • Current Sponsored Research (107)
  • Economics (3)
  • English (2)
  • Funding Opportunities (21)
  • GRC Bulletin (10)
  • GRC GrantWeek (7)
  • History (5)
  • Humanities (19)
  • Institutional (21)
  • Int. Languages & Cultures (4)
  • Math & Computer Science (10)
  • Music (3)
  • Natural Sciences & Math (23)
  • Philosophy & Religious Studies (5)
  • Physics (12)
  • PND RFP Bulletin (1)
  • Political Science (1)
  • Psychology (16)
  • Social Sciences & Educational Studies (24)
  • Sociology (3)
  • Uncategorized (27)

Archives

  • March 2022 (2)
  • February 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (1)
  • December 2021 (1)
  • October 2021 (1)
  • September 2021 (1)
  • August 2021 (4)
  • July 2021 (1)
  • June 2021 (1)
  • April 2021 (2)
  • March 2021 (1)
  • February 2021 (2)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (3)
  • August 2020 (6)
  • July 2020 (3)
  • June 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (2)
  • April 2020 (5)
  • March 2020 (3)
  • February 2020 (8)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • November 2019 (2)
  • October 2019 (2)
  • September 2019 (2)
  • August 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (2)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • April 2019 (5)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (2)
  • January 2019 (4)
  • December 2018 (1)
  • November 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (2)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (3)
  • April 2018 (1)
  • March 2018 (4)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • June 2017 (3)
  • May 2017 (3)
  • April 2017 (4)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (1)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (3)
  • July 2016 (2)
  • November 2015 (8)
  • October 2015 (14)
  • August 2015 (1)

Contact Us

Office of Sponsored Research
Monday-Friday
8:00am-5:00pm

Calvert Hall 201
(240) 895-4192

St. Mary's College of Maryland, the Public Honors College
St. Mary's College of Maryland
47645 College Drive
St. Mary's City, MD, 20686-3001

(240) 895-2000
Give Today

Next Steps

  • Request Information
  • Visit Campus
  • How to Apply
  • Discover Our Value
  • Virtual Tour
  • Explore SMCM

Just For You

  • Prospective Students
  • Current Students
  • New Students
  • Parents & Families
  • Faculty | Staff
  • Employment

Resources

  • InsideSMCM
  • Directory
  • Events | Newsroom
  • Hilda C. Landers Library
  • College Rankings
  • Brand Resources

St. Mary’s College of Maryland reserves the right to provide some or all of the course content through alternative methods of course delivery, including remote methods of delivery, and it reserves the right to change the method of delivery at any time before or during the academic term, in the event of a health or safety emergency or similar situation when it determines, in its sole discretion, that such change is necessary and in the best interests of the College and the campus community.

  • © 2023 St. Mary's College of Maryland
  • Consumer Information
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Title IX Compliance &Training
  • Non-discrimination Policy
  • Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
  • OLA Fraud Hotline
  • Help Desk
  • Website Feedback
  • National Human Trafficking Hotline
  • 1-888-373-7888
  • BeFree Textline
  • Text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE)
  • More resources on human trafficking in Maryland
This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy.