Barr Prize Competition in Public Speaking

Hannah Ashburn

"'France Through the Trump-ian Lens: Populism, Economic Nationalism, and the Recasting of Macron–U.S. Diplomacy"

Advisor: Dr. Michael Leruth

My research asks a central question: How did the Trump administration shape France socially, economically, and diplomatically? Although Trump’s election was an American event, it provoked strong reactions across French society and influenced debates about identity, globalization, and national leadership. To explore these effects, I analyze three dimensions of Trump’s impact on France.

First, I examine public opinion data, news coverage, and social-media activity to understand how French citizens viewed Trump and how his populist style influenced the messaging of France’s far-right Rassemblement National. Second, I study the economic consequences of U.S. trade policies, such as tariffs on French goods and the conflict over France’s digital services tax on American tech companies. Using trade data, government statements, and industry reports, I assess whether the economic impact was primarily financial or whether it also reshaped French thinking about globalization and economic independence.

Finally, I analyze the personal and political relationship between President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump. Through speeches, press conferences, and policy decisions, I trace how early attempts at cooperation shifted into open disagreements on climate policy, NATO, and multilateral institutions.

Together, these three approaches show that the Trump era became a moment of reflection for France, prompting new debates about sovereignty, Europe’s global role, and the future of transatlantic relations. My findings highlight how major political shifts in one country can ripple outward, influencing the politics and public life of its allies.

Hannah Ashburn is a double major in International Relations and French & Francophone Studies, continuing research begun at Sciences Po on the Trump administration’s impact on France. Her honors thesis examines its economic, social, and diplomatic effects, including the Trump–Macron relationship. She has two published articles through Sciences Po and serve as a Teaching Assistant for Intermediate French at William & Mary. Hannah hopes to continue her studies through the TAPIF program next year.

Caroline Cha

"'Neural Correlates of Creativity: Alpha Power Across Verbal and Visual Tasks"

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Stevens

How does creativity arise in the brain? Creativity involves manipulating abstractions to produce something new. In artistic practices such as painting and poetry, this means working fluently with abstract elements and unifying them so that the product has an aesthetic appeal. Although creativity is a critical human ability, its underlying brain mechanisms are still not well understood. Neuroscience research has begun identifying distinct features that accompany creative thinking. Studies using electroencephalography (EEG), which measures electrical activity on the scalp, report changes in alpha oscillations (8–13 Hz) during periods of creative ideation. Increases in alpha power (strength of the waves) have been linked with producing more original ideas and higher creative performance. This study investigates how alpha waves mediate artistic creativity by comparing alpha wave activity between parallel visual and verbal creative tasks (drawing and writing poetry). Observing neural activity during these tasks provides a more naturalistic measure of creative thinking, and directly comparing them may reveal whether alpha activity is a core feature of creativity, regardless of the modality. We anticipate that experienced artists and poets will show more alpha synchronization (coordinated timing of brainwaves across different brain regions) than non-creative controls when engaged in their creative activity. These findings could help clarify whether alpha oscillations reflect a general neural process of creative cognition, and may offer insight into the brain’s creative network.

Caroline Cha is a senior at William & Mary double majoring in neuroscience and studio art. Her research interests include neuroaesthetics, visual perception, and creative cognition. Her current research study examines the neural mechanisms of creativity, using EEG to analyze alpha oscillations during artistically creative tasks. Alongside her scientific work, she also maintains an active art practice, which explores spatial perception and light through the process of painting and drawing.

Sofia Istnick

"'Menstrual Cycle Phase Effects on Stress and Resilience in Female Athletes: Insights from Neuroimaging, Biomarkers, and Biometrics"

Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Calgiuri

Resilience is an important trait for Female Division 1 (FD1) Athletes. Fluctuations in mental and physical states in females during their menstrual cycles may impact both resilience and risk of injury in sport. Combining brain imaging of the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) with biomarkers collected from blood and saliva allowed us to generate a comprehensive view of female athletes’ mental and physical states during the stages of the menstrual cycle. Female D1 athletes (n=13) completed a baseline, a menstrual, a follicular and a luteal phase appointment. During the 3 cycle appointments, participants completed resilience tasks while wearing a brain imaging device, provided blood samples for protein markers relating to brain flexibility, saliva samples to assess markers of stress, inflammation, and hormone levels and answered questionaries for mental state evaluation. Brain imaging data during the resilience tasks will be analyzed in tandem with physiological biomarkers, menstrual cycle stage, and questionnaire responses in order to comprehensively understand the impact of the menstrual cycle on resilience in Female D1 athletes. Understanding how the brain and body change throughout the menstrual cycle can provide important information for females to overcome adversity, with specific focus on the luteal phase as it is associated with a more negative symptom. This information can be utilized by coaches and athletes, by providing insight into the effects of menstrual cycle stages physically and mentally, in order to aid in personalized training and recovery plans throughout the cycle.

Sofia Istnick is a double major in Neuroscience and Kinesiology & Health Sciences at William & Mary. Her research projects focus on the mind body connection, and have explored creativity, success vs. failure, nutrition & fasting, and resilience during the menstrual cycle. Her thesis focuses on resilience in female division 1 athletes across menstrual cycle stages by analyzing neurological and physiological biomarkers. She is preparing a paper about success & failure in basketball players.

Jenna Jablonski

"'Characterizing the Role of TTBK- 8.1/2 in C. Elegans Spermatozoan Motility and Development"

Advisor: Dr. Diane Shakes

Cell motility is essential for processes such as immune responses, wound healing, and fertilization, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying cell motility remain unclear. The sperm cells of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans provide a powerful model for studying motility because their transparent bodies allow direct visualization of sperm within the reproductive tract. The worms are also easy to genetically manipulate, enabling us to study how loss of specific genes affect sperm crawling. Like migrating immune or cancer cells, C. elegans amoeboid sperm move by extending and retracting and arm-like projection called a pseudopod. Within the pseudopod, nematode-specific Major Sperm Protein (MSP) assembles and disassembles into fibers that drive pseudopod movement. This dynamic process is regulated by enzymes. Previous biochemical studies in the parasitic worm, Ascaris, identified TTBK-8.1/2 as required for MSP fiber assembly. Although this enzyme is identical in both species, studying this enzyme in C. elegans makes it possible to examine what happens to sperm motility when TTBK-8.1/2 is absent. Our results show TTBK-8.1/2 is essential for male fertility, as sperm without this enzyme fail to crawl to the site of fertilization in the female. Surprisingly, and contrary to what the Ascaris studies predict, these mutant sperm still form pseudopods and assemble MSP fibers, although at a slower rate than wild type. Finally, we show that other proteins involved in pseudopod function still localize normally in sperm without TTBK-8.1/2. Together, these results suggest that rather than initiating MSP assembly, TTBK-8.1/2 modulates MSP fiber dynamics to promote effective sperm motility.

Jenna Jablonski is a senior majoring in Biology at William & Mary. She studies cell and developmental biology in the Shakes Lab using the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Her thesis investigates how proteins TTBK-8.1 and TTBK-8.2 affect the formation of crawling sperm cells.

Julia Rodrigues

"'iRays: Optical System Development for Smart Penlight Pupillometry"

Advisor: Dr. Ran Yang

Accurately measuring how pupils respond to light is essential for assessing brain function, since changes in pupil size and reactivity can indicate neurological problems such as traumatic brain injury. Currently, emergency personnel rely on quick visual checks using penlights, which are subjective and error-prone. While precise electronic pupillometers exist, they are slow and impractical. The iRays project then addresses the question: how can we create a portable diagnostic tool to measure pupillary response quickly and accurately, even without specialized training? My work focuses on the optical system of the iRays smart penlight, which uses a novel dual-spectrum approach to capture images under visible and near-infrared light simultaneously using a single camera. This method enhances contrast between the pupil and iris present under infrared light while retaining relevant information about the eye’s surface in visible light. I am designing and building a modular, custom camera and lighting system to capture high-quality images under controlled conditions. By capturing many images of a medical mannequin from different distances and perspectives, this system can produce a dataset to support later machine learning analysis that estimates pupil size and distance without depth sensors. The anticipated result is a validated optical system and dataset to accumulate accurate, objective measurements of pupil response. The iRays smart penlight and optical system will form the foundation for faster, more reliable neurological assessments in clinical and emergency settings.

Julia Rodrigues is majoring in Physics with a concentration in Engineering Physics and Applied Design at William & Mary. Her research areas include optical electronics, medical devices, and nanoelectronics. Her thesis focuses on the development of a novel imaging system for a medical diagnostic device to improve clinical examinations. She has previously published research on emerging electronic devices in AIP Advances.

Marina Ashurkoff

"'Quartz Formation at Montpelier Plantation, Virginia: A Geologic Mystery with Anthropologic Connections"

Advisor: Dr. Clem Hamelin

Quartz crystal ecofacts (objects that provide ecological context at a human centered site) discovered at James Madison’s Montpelier in north-central Virginia provide an opportunity to improve the regional geologic understanding of Virginia’s Blue Ridge and provide context for an ongoing anthropologic story. These ecofacts were discovered in Montpelier’s Burial Ground of the Enslaved. Two major geologic units underlie Montpelier, the Catoctin Formation (a rock formation of lava that was later metamorphosed by the addition of fluids) and sedimentary rocks in the Barboursville basin. We hypothesize that these quartz crystals formed in the Catoctin Formation when it was metamorphosed. Quartz from samples of the Catoctin greenstone and Barboursville Basin were analyzed and compared to the quartz crystal ecofacts through sample imaging and oxygen isotope analysis. Together, these datasets contribute insights to where the quartz crystals formed. Determining the process through which the quartz crystal ecofacts formed has implications for understanding regional geologic conditions. 

Marina Ashurkoff is an English & Geology double major. Their research interests include geoarcheology, petrology (the processes through which rocks are transformed by variables like heat and pressure), and structural geology. Their thesis applies these concepts to quartz crystal ecofacts discovered at the Burial Ground of the Enslaved at James Madison's Montpelier, Virginia. Marina has previously presented their research at the Geological Society of America Connects conference this past fall. 

Andrew Beck

"'The Relationship Between Parental Empathy and Sibling Relationship Quality Through the Mediators of Children’s Theory of Mind and Emotion Recognition"

Advisor: Dr. Madelyn Labella

Empirical research has shown higher levels of parental empathy are associated with better emotional regulation and lower risk of conduct problems (Meng et al., 2020,  Zhang, 2024). Less is known about the relationship between parental empathy and sibling relationship quality, particularly the role of children’s social-emotional skills. The current study aims to address this gap by examining associations between parental empathy  and aspects of sibling relationships (i.e., warmth, agonism, and rivalry; Kramer & Baron, 1995). Additionally, this study will explore two potential mediators of this relationship: children’s theory of mind and emotion recognition. Theory of mind refers to the ability to understand others’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Wellman & Liu, 2004), while emotion recognition refers to the ability to accurately identify emotions in oneself and others. These cognitive milestones, which develop across early childhood, may help explain why more empathic parenting is associated with more positive sibling relationships. Findings from this study may clarify links among parenting factors, children’s social-emotional development, and sibling dynamics, with potential implications for improving sibling relationships through family-based interventions. We hypothesize that parental empathy will be associated with better sibling relationships, as indicated by higher warmth, lower agonism, and lower rivalry. Our second hypothesis is that parental empathy will have indirect effects on sibling relationship quality through children's social-emotional skills (theory of mind and emotion recognition). 

Andrew Beck is pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Business Analytics at William & Mary. His research interests include family dynamics, children’s emotional development, and prosocial behavior. Under the mentorship of Professor Labella, his honors thesis examines parental empathy’s effect on sibling relationship quality through the mediators of children’s theory of mind and emotion recognition.

John Carroll

"'Improving Medical Technology by Deciphering the Dark Magic of Electromagnetic Interference"

Advisor: Dr. Ran Yang

The introduction of electricity revolutionized the world, improving standards of living and connecting the globe through telecommunications. The effects of these electronics extend beyond the wire from which the current is confined, as electric and magnetic fields emanate from the wires. As humans continue to improve and shrink electronics, these fields interfere with electrical signals and connections, a phenomenon that is often dubbed “dark magic” by engineers. This interference can cause important electronics to fail, an outcome that could cause massive damage to a society in which electronics are integral to the systems which allow humans to lead safe and fruitful lives. This research explores the process of miniaturizing electronic circuits in order to reduce costs and increase accessibility for medical devices. While doing so, prototypes must be analyzed to ensure that the aforementioned interference does not cause equipment failures for essential equipment. By harnessing the physics that rule electronic behavior, interference can be understood. When the “dark magic” of interference is deciphered, it can be used to design improved systems while maintaining reliability, allowing for leaps in technology and efficiency.

John Carroll is a Senior majoring in Economics and Physics, with a concentration in Engineering Physics and Applied Design, at William & Mary. His research focuses on advancing medical technology through applied engineering. His thesis focuses on miniaturizing electrical circuits while studying and mitigating the electrical and magnetic interference.

Caroline Cashman

"'Saturation Numbers for Vertex-Ordered Graphs"

Advisor: Dr. Gexin Yu

Optimization is a problem that is important in almost every aspect of life. We can view this problem mathematically by considering graphs, which are collections of vertices and edges which connect them, and determining how to minimize the number of edges so that the graph still maintains a given property. In particular, the saturation number, denoted sat(n,F), is the minimum number of edges a graph on n vertices can have so that it contains no copy of a forbidden subgraph F, but adding any edge creates a copy of F. Saturation numbers require creativity to work with, as they are known for often behaving in unexpected ways. We can consider this problem in the context of ordered graphs, where we assign an order to the vertices of both the host graph and the forbidden subgraph. By proving some key combinatorial lemmas and using a creative partitioning of the vertices, we provide the first exact results on the saturation number of vertex-ordered graphs. 

Caroline Cashman is majoring in Mathematics at William & Mary. She is primarily interested in combinatorics, specifically extremal graph theory and Ramsey theory. Her thesis investigates saturation numbers for vertex-ordered graphs. She plans to continue this work in a pure math PhD program. 

Jacob Herz

"'The Brain Behind Your Brain: Designing Lightweight Pupillary Assessment Neural Networks Optimized for Edge Deployment"

Advisor: Dr. Ran Yang

In emergency situations when a patient is suspected to have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the easiest way to determine TBI in real time is to perform a pupillary assessment with a penlight. Contraction and dilation of the pupil in response to a light stimulus is one of the simplest ways to analyze a patient’s brain health. However, when emergency responders are in these critical situations, they are limited by pupil dilation guides, which force the user to make a quick, subjective and often inaccurate decision. Computational algorithms like neural networks have been in use for nearly 70 years, with significant breakthroughs in computer vision in the last 20 years. In my research, I am implementing these tools into a high-tech penlight that preserves the small pen-like profile and ease of use, and provides a much more objective assessment in real-time. Specifically, the custom AI model that I am creating will locate the pupil and analyze its response to a stimulus, from images fed in real-time by a camera embedded in the penlight. The key to the model design is finding the sweet spot between computational power, time of inference, and model accuracy, to yield optimal results for users and patient brain health diagnosis. This new technology will reduce subjectiveness of pupillary measurements by penlight and decrease response time in emergency situations.

Jacob Herz is a Physics major concentrating in Engineering Physics and Applied Design (EPAD) with a Mathematics minor at William & Mary. His research focuses on the product development of a smart penlight, applying physical concepts and critical thinking skills learned throughout the EPAD coursework and lab work. Specifically, his thesis focuses on design and implementation of a custom neural network for an embedded system that performs pupillary assessments in real time.

Alice Hu

"'Synthetic Circuit of B.subilis Biofilm: A Strategy for Microbe Induced Corrosion Inhibition"

Advisor: Dr. Margaret Saha

Corrosion of metal infrastructure in aquatic environments causes infrastructure damage and economic loss. Some natural bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, form protective biofilms that can slow corrosion, but these biofilms are not always strong or stable enough to be reliable. My project asks whether we can strengthen these biofilms to improve their corrosion inhibition ability by editing the bacteria’s genome.

To explore this question, I engineered Bacillus subtilis strains to overexpress the genes that control biofilm formation. I then tested whether these modified bacteria could create thicker and more hydrophobic biofilms, which are traits known to improve protection of metal surfaces. I evaluated biofilm structure using microscopy and examined changes in bacterial gene activity using RNA sequencing, measuring which genes are upregulated or downregulated in different environments.

Our results show that certain engineered strains produce noticeably stronger and more protective biofilms on steel surfaces. RNA-seq data also revealed how the bacteria adjust their internal programs when growing in a corrosion-related environment, helping us understand why some designs work better than others.

This project demonstrates a sustainable, bacteria-based strategy for protecting metal without chemical coatings. It also provides a framework for designing future living materials that respond to and repair environmental damage.

Alice (Xinyu) Hu is a Biology major and Math minor at William & Mary. Her research focuses on synthetic biology. She engineered Bacillus subtilis biofilm by overexpressing regulatory genes to enhance corrosion protection and applied RNA-seq to characterize transcriptomic shifts. She has presented this work at multiple conferences.

Max Kaminski

"'TREATY & TOXIN : How Yakama Nation Environmental Stewardship Guides Natural Resource Co-Management in the Pacific Northwest"

Advisor: Dr. Andrew Fisher

This thesis examines how the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (Yakama) have come to lead Pacific Northwest environmental stewardship and ecological restoration by leveraging federal Indian treaty rights to develop a sophisticated authority over resource management, sustainable development, and pollution remediation. Research centers on the evolving nature of Yakama environmental advocacy: from the century-long struggle of the tribe to defend treaty-secured fishing rights, despite massive opposition from the state and private citizens; to how cooperative inter-tribal organizations have since empowered stewardship of diverse environments through resource co-management frameworks, pollution cleanup initiatives, and sustainable development plans; and the future of resource management in an era of federal policy uncertainty and growing climate concern, as tribal–government collaboration initiatives impact millions of Pacific Northwest residents daily. This research addresses critical gaps in Indigenous history, federal Indian law, and environmental / energy policy in the Pacific Northwest by documenting how tribal nations have long served as critical environmental advocates while simultaneously bearing disproportionate burdens from discrimination. The significance of this argument lies in challenging prevailing narratives that position Indigenous communities primarily as victims of environmental degradation, instead discussing how the Yakama have become key stakeholders in regional collaborative governance agreements and cultural preservation efforts.

Max Kaminski is a Monroe Scholar studying Public Policy and Data Science at William & Mary; also a candidate in the NIAHD Public History and Material Culture certificate program. Areas of research interest include American history, federal Indian law, tribal–government collaboration, and resource management. His thesis presents the work of the Yakama Nation as a model for asserting and defending tribal sovereignty, discussing cooperative stewardship of Pacific Northwest natural resources.

Ana Kothandram

"'Variation in Resistance to Predation and Virulence in the 1,011 Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome Panel"

Advisor: Dr. Helen Murphy

In recent years, opportunistic pathogens, or pathogens that have the ability to live without a host, have become an increasing problem in the medical field, especially when causing infections in immunocompromised patients. The accidental virulence hypothesis provides one explanation for the evolution of opportunistic pathogens, positing that selective pressures in the environment can favor traits which coincidentally increase pathogenicity. One such pressure is amoeba predation, which could favor traits that allow microbes to avoid engulfment by both amoeba and immune cells. Using a collection of 1,011 isolates of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae from across the world and various ecological niches, this project examines the relationship between resistance to amoeba predation and increased virulence in yeast isolates. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoidieum served as the model predator. Each of the 1,011 strains was co-cultured with the amoeba and predation levels were estimated. There was a wide-range of resistance levels, which appeared to be associated with isolate origin. The wax moth Galleria mellonella was used as the model host to study virulence, with a subset of yeast strains exhibiting varying levels of predation injected into larvae to observe their virulence. Factors such as yeast growth rate and clumpiness appeared to play a stronger role in virulence than ability to resist predation. The genes underlying all these traits were identified, providing an in-depth understanding of the evolution of virulence in these opportunistic pathogens. 

Ana Kothandram is a senior majoring in Biology and minoring in History at William & Mary. Her research focuses on evolutionary biology and genetics using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Dictyostelium discoideum, and Galleria mellonella. Her thesis investigates how the evolution of pathogenicity relates to resistance to predation in opportunistic pathogens.

Taylor LaFontaine

"'Characterization of Filamentous Prophage in the Bacterial Genus Pseudomonas"

Advisor: Dr. Kurt Williamson

This project investigates virus-like elements that are embedded within the genomes of several Pseudomonas bacterial strains and examines how they can be activated and visualized. These embedded viruses can either remain dormant in the bacterial DNA or switch to an active state in which they produce large numbers of viral particles. In this work, multiple Pseudomonas strains were grown under controlled laboratory conditions and evaluated using a combination of DNA-based computer analysis, high-resolution electron microscopy, and chemical induction methods. Genomic analysis indicated the presence of regions consistent with viral sequences in these bacteria. Electron microscopy revealed numerous filamentous and head–tail structures associated with the cells, and quantitative measurements showed that these filaments differ in size from the bacteria’s own flagella, supporting their identification as filamentous viral particles. When cultures were treated with a chemical known to trigger dormant viruses and visualized under a fluorescent microscope, the number of virus-like particles increased markedly compared with untreated controls, indicating successful induction. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the examined Pseudomonas strains harbor inducible, viral particles and illustrates a practical workflow for detecting and characterizing similar elements in other Pseudomonas strains and bacterial genuses.

Taylor LaFontaine is majoring in Biology and minoring in Biochemistry at William and Mary. Her research areas include viral ecology and microbiology. Her thesis explores the relationship between filamentous bacteriophages and the bacterial genus Pseudomonas. The hypothesis that said phages exist as prophages within the Pseudomonas bacterial genomes is highly supported by her data, and she is working on presenting her findings at the American Society for Microbiology next summer.

Josh Levin

"'3D Printing the Human Microenvironment: A Bone-on-a-Chip Model for Diabetic Skeletal Disease"

Advisor: Dr. Indranath Mitra

Diabetes weakens bones and slows healing, leaving millions of people more vulnerable to fractures and long-term complications. Many laboratory studies attempt to understand this process by exposing bone and cartilage cells directly to high sugar levels. However, in the body, these cells do not experience glucose in this way. Instead, glucose and other metabolic byproducts travel through microscopic blood vessels called capillaries, diffusing through their thin walls before reaching bone and cartilage tissue. This diffusion process may be a key—but often overlooked—factor in how diabetes causes skeletal degeneration.

This research investigates whether altered vascular diffusion of glucose contributes to the loss of bone and cartilage function in diabetes. To explore this question, a 3D-printed “bone-on-a-chip” system is being developed to recreate the microenvironment of bone tissue, including the vascular network that delivers nutrients. The device features a central channel that simulates a capillary and a custom-engineered hydrogel barrier that mimics the vessel wall, allowing glucose to pass through at controlled rates. A combination of vascular, bone, and cartilage cells will be cultured within interconnected chambers to observe how nutrient diffusion affects their health and behavior under diabetic conditions.

By replicating the way nutrients and glucose actually move through bone tissue, this platform provides a more realistic and ethical alternative to animal testing. It also lays the groundwork for future personalized disease models and biomaterials that better support bone repair in people with diabetes.

Josh Levin is majoring in Biomedical Engineering at William & Mary. His research merges engineering design and medical innovation to 3D print “bone-on-a-chip” systems—tiny living platforms that mimic the body’s microenvironment. His thesis develops a microfluidic device that recreates diabetic bone conditions to study how vascular glucose diffusion drives tissue degeneration.

Anna McClellan

"'State Perpetrators of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: A Case Study of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Russia"

Advisor: Dr. Archana Kaku

For my honors thesis, I am looking to identify what causes state actors to perpetrate sexual violence as a tool and weapon in conflict. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Russia have all been identified by the United Nations as state perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict and have been selected as case studies for this research. To conduct this research, I am using journal articles, books, and published statistics to study the various military structures, regime types, patriarchal beliefs, and societal views on sexual and domestic violence that contribute to the perpetration of conflict-related sexual violence in each state. I believe the results will support a theory that state militaries who perpetrate sexual violence as a tool and weapon in conflict have low military professionalism, authoritarian governments with patriarchal beliefs, and more tolerance of sexual and domestic violence within the states themselves. If this is true, going forward changing state views of sexual violence, promoting greater military professionalism, and transitions away from authoritarian governments may be able to lessen the amount of conflict-related sexual violence seen globally. This would not only protect victims, but prevent disease spread, promote more effective peacekeeping initiatives, and reduce overall cases of sexual violence.  

Anna McClellan is majoring in International Relations at William & Mary. She is passionate about public service and human rights, and her current research areas are conflict-related sexual violence, gender equality, and global health. Her thesis addresses regime types, military structures, and tolerance of sexual violence that correlates with state perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict through case studies of Russia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar. 

Macie McGraw

"'Let’s Stick Together: Investigating micro-multicellular phenotypes across 1,000 isolates of S. cerevisiae "

Advisor: Dr. Helen Murphy

The common brewer’s yeast, S. cerevisiae, is found around the world, from domestic populations in beer-brewing, to wild populations living in tree bark. Some isolates of this yeast are obligately single-celled, obligately multicellular, or have a plastic multicellular response. These different growth forms make it an ideal system to study the selective pressures that may favor the evolution of  multicellularity. In yeast, multicellularity can be facilitated by the surface protein Flo11, which forms covalent bonds between cells, and the lectin-like surface protein Flo1, which binds reversibly and non-covelently to cells’ mannose residues. Flo1-mediated binding is called “flocculation,” and is often selected for by brewers. To understand which micro-multicellular phenotypes are associated with which ecological niches, we screened a panel of 1,011 of S. cerevisiae isolated from a wide variety of environments. To quantify the degree of obligate multicellularity, strains were grown in rich medium, imaged in a 96 well plate, and particle sizes were calculated. Strains were also grown in low-dextrose media to screen for plastic response to glucose limitation. Results show that strains isolated in different ecotypes exhibit different degrees of obligate micro-multicellularity, with most extreme phenotypes found in bioethanol production. Strains isolated from alcoholic beverage environments had the largest plastic response in glucose-limited conditions. Next steps will include screening for Flo1 vs. Flo11 adhesion to get a fuller picture of how ecotype shapes micro-multicellularity.

Macie McGraw is a Biology major at William & Mary. Macie's research in Dr. Murphy's evolutionary biology lab has included investigations into opportunistic pathogenicity and the evolution of multicellularity in common brewer's yeast, S. cerevisiae.  Macie's thesis explores the distribution of multicellular phenotypes across a global panel of 1,000 different yeast isolates, to understand selective pressures that may lead to the evolution of multicellularity.

Alex McIntyre

"'The Ethics of Enough: A Defense of Limitarianism"

Advisor: Dr. Maria Costa

This project attempts to defend Limitarianism, a moral principle arguing that we should put a cap on how much wealth individuals can have. The purpose of the principle is to help combat the negative effects of wealth inequality, especially those who are not having certain basic needs met. The project begins by defending institutional arguments made by the philosopher who first proposed Limitarianism, Ingrid Robeyns. There are two institutional arguments I will be defending: the argument from urgent needs and the democracy argument. The argument for urgent needs claims that while there are people currently suffering from a lack of resources to satisfy their basic needs (e.g. food, healthcare, and shelter) we have good reason to condemn the acquisition and spending of excess wealth if not to help them. The democracy argument asserts that wealth inequality damages political equality and makes the democratic system less effective. Along with defending these arguments, this thesis offers original moral arguments for Limitarianism. These arguments are directed at individuals rather than institutions. The moral arguments are both prudential and critical, claiming there are harms that excess wealth and inequality have on others, as well as benefits to adopting a more altruistic outlook. These moral arguments culminate in urging for a change in the social ethos, or the social norms we use to inform our interactions with others. Much like arguments that criticize those who are unfaithful to their significant others, the goal of these moral arguments is to give reasons why we should not condone the accumulation and further acquisition of excess wealth. 

Alex is a senior at the College of William & Mary, majoring in Philosophy and History. His areas of research are Applied Ethics, Metaphysics, and Political Philosophy. His thesis addresses wealth inequality, through applied ethics, and political philosophy. He is interested in the legal field, especially the intersection of ethics and policy. 

Sabine Mead Mexia

"'Managing Booms and Busts: Tribal Autonomy and the Socioeconomic Impacts of Resource Extraction on U.S. Reservations"

Advisor: Dr. John Parman

This project studies how oil extraction affects educational attainment and public health outcomes on American Indian reservations and how these effects change when Tribes have more power to regulate development. Many reservations face severe economic disadvantage, with limited business opportunities, high unemployment, and some of the highest poverty rates in the United States. Oil activity can bring substantial revenue to Tribes, but it can also strain local institutions, harm the environment, and contribute to higher crime, including violence against Indigenous women. Using data from federal, state, and Tribal sources, this study measures how drilling on or near Tribal land affects community well-being and whether stronger Tribal authority over permitting and oversight reduces harmful impacts while preserving economic gains. The findings from this study offer evidence to inform policy debates on how Tribal sovereignty and control over mineral resources can support safer, healthier, and more prosperous Tribal communities.

Sabine Mead Mexia is a senior Government and Economics major and first-year Master in Public Policy candidate at William & Mary. Their research interests include public health outcomes, tribal economic development, and violence against Indigenous women. Their research earned an ENSP Anne Davis ‘16 Fellowship in Social and/or Environmental Justice in 2025.

Margaret O'Hara

"'High Throughput Screen for Inhibitors of Key Protein-Protein Interaction in Multidrug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa"

Advisor: Dr. Isabelle Taylor

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a multidrug resistant bacterium and leading cause of hospital acquired infection. An interaction between proteins PqsE and RhlR is critical to the virulence of P. aeruginosa. It enables the pathogen to synthesize toxins and form biofilms: sticky conglomerates of bacteria that are difficult to penetrate with antibiotics. Previous structural studies have shown that PqsE must be in a specific conformation to interact with RhlR. Using small molecules to lock PqsE in its noninteracting conformation could serve as a therapeutic strategy for resistant infections.

In this work, a library of diverse chemical compounds was screened to find molecules with inhibitory potential. Over 5500 small molecules were tested for their ability to bind PqsE using differential scanning fluorimetry, a technique that measures the melting point of a protein in the presence of a drug. This screen has yielded over 60 chemical structures that both raise and lower the melting temperature of the protein. These molecules will be analyzed for their functional effect on the RhlR interaction, with a special focus on the melting temperature lowering compounds. In addition, new assays were developed to test for the conformational state and analyze compound binding. This work could pave the way for a novel narrow spectrum antibiotic targeting P. aeruginosa.

Maggie O’Hara, class of 2026, is majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Biology at William & Mary. Her research areas include biochemistry, microbiology, and medicinal chemistry. Her thesis addresses growing antibiotic resistance by targeting novel pathways in bacteria.

Kendall Pade

"'The Presence of and Search for Meaning in Life Among Sexual Assault Survivors: A Latent Profile Analysis"

Advisor: Dr. Shaina Kumar

Sexual assault may shatter core beliefs about the self, others, and the world, disrupting survivors’ sense of meaning and prompting a search for new meaning. Meaning-making models highlight both presence of and search for meaning as central to posttrauma adjustment with strong implications for posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, survivors likely vary in how much meaning they experience and how intensely they search for new meaning, and these meaning profiles may relate differently to PTG. Yet most work has examined meaning in life using variable-centered approaches, obscuring such patterns. Here, we used person-centered latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct patterns in presence of and search for meaning among women who had experienced sexual assault and explore how these patterns relate to PTG. A sample of 405 women survivors completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). MLQ items served as LPA indicators and PTGI domain scores were examined across classes using one-way ANOVAs. A four-class solution best fit these data: Low Presence–Low Search (10%), Low Presence–High Search (23%), High Presence–Low Search (16%), and High Presence–High Search (51%). Across PTGI domains, survivors with high presence generally reported greater growth than those with low presence. Together, this person-centered approach complements variable-centered work by clarifying how meaning may be uniquely configured in survivors’ lives, thereby revealing important survivor subgroups who may benefit from meaning-focused intervention efforts.

Kendal Pade is majoring in Psychology and English at William & Mary. Her research interests include positive psychology, developmental psychology, and psychopathology. Her thesis addresses meaning in life and post-traumatic growth.

Allison Robinson-Wilson

"'Part of Your World: Discovering Black Identity in the World of The Little Mermaid"

Advisor: Dr. Arthur Knight

Fairytales have become a dominant part of our culture; yet, despite their familiarity, mainstream iterations modernized from the Western World move fairytales further from their origins and do not always reflect society. The best example is the story of the Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Mermaid tales can be found in cultures all over the world, including black culture, yet people do not see mermaids as black. When Disney chose a black woman to play Ariel in its 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, there was immediate backlash.  This  research will explore the history of Mermaids in the African Diaspora alongside the history of Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid' to understand how these historical contexts affect modern iterations and interpretations." Ultimately, I will argue for the importance of black representation in modern mermaid stories by demonstrating that even in Andersen's iconic version, the mermaid story never exclusively assumed white heteronormativity.

Allison Robinson-Wilson is a senior double-majoring in English and Government at William & Mary. Her research areas include literature, Africana studies, and history. Her thesis addresses representation in the modern iteration of The Little Mermaid.  She is excited to attend law school in the fall.

Armaan Salchak

"'Genomic Analysis of Predation Resistance, Multicellularity, and Virulence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae"

Advisor: Dr. Helen Murphy

Opportunistic pathogens are microbes that typically live outside hosts but can infect and cause disease in immunocompromised individuals. Why environmental microbes have the ability to be pathogens is an open question. The accidental virulence hypothesis posits that microbes evolve traits in response to pressures in their natural environment, and that these traits can also unintentionally increase their virulence capacity. Due to the similarity between amoeba and immune cells, amoeba predation has been proposed to be a training ground for microbes to evade the immune system. One trait that may reduce amoeba predation is clumping, or multicellularity. We tested whether there is a direct link between resistance to amoeba predation, multicellularity, and virulence in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using a single clinical strain, we generated a genetic mapping population of 343 highly recombined segregants. Each segregant was sequenced, phenotyped for multicellular traits, such as biofilm formation, and measured for resistance to predation using the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. To uncover genetic connections between multicellularity and predation resistance, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Finally, we tested virulence using the wax moth, Galleria mellonella, to link these traits back to their impact on pathogen potential. Given the risk opportunistic pathogens pose to human health, it is important to better understand their evolution and what factors lead to increased virulence.

Armaan Salchak is a senior majoring in Biology at William & Mary. His research areas include microbial evolution and quantitative genetics. His thesis addresses the evolution of opportunistic pathogens, examining the genetic basis of multicellularity and amoeba predation resistance and their impact on pathogen potential. He has presented his research at conferences and is broadly interested in the emergence of opportunistic pathogens and the risk they pose for human health.