Learn more about 2021-22 interns’ final research projects in this abstract book, prepared and distributed at the April 2022 research showcase.
Research Interns
Nikki Huang (Mentor: Jonathan Mijs, Sociology). Nikki is a junior majoring in sociology (CAS) and innovation and entrepreneurship (Questrom). She is working on the project “Correcting Discrimination: Experimental Evidence of the Impact of Information Addressing Misperceptions about Ethnic and Racial Inequality in the United States and the Netherlands.” She is also a columnist with the Manila Bulletin. Nikki believes the “apprentice-model” internship is a powerful learning experience, and she plans to apply her sharpened writing skills to graduate school opportunities.
Carly Mast (Mentor: Jessica Simes, Sociology). Carly is a senior majoring in history and minoring in sociology from Livingston, New Jersey. Through the CISS Research Internship, she will be working on the “Studies of Structural Racism in Community Health and Criminal Justice” project. In her honors thesis, she is researching the role of Jewish women in the fat acceptance movement of the 1970s and 1980s. She is excited to expand her research skills from an interdisciplinary and social justice approach with the CISS. In her free time, she loves to bake bread and crochet!
Shradda Pingali (Mentor: Ian Sue Wing, Earth & Environment). Shraddha will work on the project “Heat, Labor and Leisure: Economic Consequences of Climate Change Impacts.” Shradda is a senior in the Environmental Analysis and Policy/Energy and Environment program. She is interested in the intersections of social and environmental science, with a particular interest in how climate change affects public policy and social justice. Through the CISS program, she will be researching the impact of rising temperatures on demands for energy sources and electricity through economic modeling. Moving forward, she hopes to be involved with public policy advising and/or environmental consulting. She is grateful and excited to be a part of the CISS internship program, which allows her to apply her environmental and statistical expertise to a social science setting.
Will Regan (Mentor: Jonathan Mijs, Sociology). Will Regan is a junior in Computer Science and Statistics working on the project “Correcting Discrimination”. Will is invested in using statistical analysis in the sphere of Sociology as it pertains to economic, racial, and housing inequality. By taking part in the CISS internship program, Will hopes to refine his statistical skills while researching the effect of presenting factual information of changing beliefs on racial inequality. When he finishes this project, he hopes to continue working on quantitative Sociological research projects and enter the field of computational social science. After a good day of statistical analysis, Will enjoys listening to music and running.
Kate Sandage (Mentor: Wesley Wildman, Theology and Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences). Kate will work on the project “Strategies Against Rural Suicide.” She is a junior from Belmont, Massachusetts, majoring in sociology. Kate is interested in the sociology of health, particularly disparities in health care based on race, socioeconomic status, and gender. As a CISS intern, she will use her background in politics to analyze the effectiveness of suicide prevention policies in rural states. Through this research, she hopes to identify policies and interventions that will make a difference for rural populations struggling with high suicide rates. In the future, Kate plans to continue research in sociology-related projects and go into the social work field. She is very excited to be a CISS intern and she looks forward to getting more involved in sociology research.
Fall 2021 Intern
Rebecca Kielar (Mentor: Johannes Schmieder, Economics). Rebecca worked on the project “Displacement of Older Workers in the U.S. and Germany.” She is a junior from Lexington, Massachusetts majoring in Economics/Mathematics and History of Art and Architecture. Interested primarily in labor economics and international trade, Rebecca decided to participate in the Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Internship program as part of a project investigating the effects of unemployment insurance on retirement patterns in Germany. She anticipates that the experience will not only allow her to explore a compelling aspect of today’s labor economy and the policy decisions that shape it, but also expose her to the methodologies involved with current economics research. Rebecca intends to pursue a law degree and/or graduate work in economics after college, and is seriously considering a career in law and economic policy. She also enjoys dance, drawing and painting, and is a violinist.