Honors Program

Higher Calling

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:57:52 +0000

Higher Calling BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 11/16/2023 - 08:57

Peer leader focused on giving back

November 16, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

As a first-generation student and an immigrant from Trinidad, Cindy Mack, ’23, ’24, has seen firsthand the power of public higher education to transform lives. Now, he’s doing his part, representing his peers as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

“I can’t repay Bridgewater for what it’s done for not just my academic but personal wellbeing,” said Cindy, who earned a degree in criminal justice and is pursuing a second bachelor’s in political science. “This is how I can say ‘thank you’ and give back.”

Cindy has long been involved in representing his peers. As a Massasoit Community College student, he successfully advocated for a change in state law to allow part-time students to serve in student positions on their institutions’ boards of trustees.

And, as a member and now chairperson of the statewide Student Advisory Council, Cindy pushed for expanded use of Open Educational Resources (OER) instead of expensive textbooks. Students attending public universities and colleges in the state saved $7.6 million in one recent year because of OER.

“I know Bridgewater is heavily invested in OER,” said Cindy, who was recently sworn in as a voting member of the Board of Higher Education. “I’m very proud of that because it’s what is giving me opportunities to learn and not have to be burdened by the cost of textbooks.”

Cindy, who moved to the U.S. 22 years ago, didn’t think American higher education was in his future. But his brother urged him to enroll in classes at Massasoit, which led him to ŷ��.

“It’s a personal journey,” Cindy said. “It’s a humbling opportunity to achieve the things I have been able to achieve with the support of Massasoit and Bridgewater. … Going back to school saved me from having a mental breakdown. It gave me a purpose.”

Soon after starting at Bridgewater, Cindy learned three family members were murdered in Trinidad. Thinking he would need to take a leave of absence, Cindy instead discovered flexible faculty willing to help him in the face of tragedy.

For his honors thesis, Cindy produced a documentary exploring the LGBTQIA+ community in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where same-sex intimacy was historically a criminal act and transphobia and homophobia remain pervasive. He received funding from ŷ�� to travel to his home country and conduct interviews.

“As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s hard to be here and see that where you’re from it’s a criminal offense,” Cindy said. “It’s a human rights issue.”

Cindy appreciated the encouragement of many faculty including thesis advisor Emily Brissette and part-time faculty member James Moore, who helped with the technical aspects of making the documentary. The Honors Program embraced an unconventional thesis format.

This unwavering support, Cindy said, is emblematic of his Bridgewater experience and motivates him to serve at the state level.

“Bridgewater has been there for me since the first semester,” he said.

Do you have a ŷ�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I can’t repay Bridgewater for what it’s done for not just my academic but personal wellbeing. This is how I can say ‘thank you’ and give back.

Cindy Mack, ’23, ’24

Tags

Student Spotlight

LGBTQIA+

Honors Program

First Gen

Language Research

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Fri, 26 May 2023 16:43:42 +0000

Language Research BBENSON@bridgew.edu Fri, 05/26/2023 - 12:43

Recent graduate's thesis helps him teach Spanish to high schoolers

May 30, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

It didn’t take long for Jake Murray, ’23, to recognize the professional relevance of his undergraduate research. In fact, he had yet to even cross the commencement stage.

The ŷ�� Spanish and secondary education major studied two distinct ways of describing past actions in Spanish that are challenging for students to grasp.

“I literally taught the difference in a Spanish class,” he said, recounting an experience student-teaching at Taunton High School. “What the research told me, I could see in front of me.”

That research on the preterit and imperfect verb tenses, which was part of his honors thesis, represents a passion for the Spanish language that he developed as a student. Jake started learning Spanish in eighth grade and initially disliked it. As his language skills advanced, he became enthralled by Spanish literature, music, and art.

For his thesis, Jake relied on sources in English and Spanish. He studied the historical Latin roots of the two verb tenses, linguistic differences, cultural impacts in the Spanish speaking world and strategies for teaching students.

The project’s interdisciplinary nature impressed Dr. José Lara, an assistant professor of Spanish who co-mentored Jake.

“This was a thesis that was research based and also applicable to the classroom,” Lara said. “He argued for a more wholistic understanding of these tenses and the importance of understanding them for students and educators alike.”

Lara and Dr. Melissa Tobey LaBelle, an assistant professor of secondary education and educational leadership, recommended sources and even commented as Jake drafted his thesis.

“They were crucial to my success,” he said. “We were discovering this knowledge together.”

Research was rewarding in itself because of the freedom it offered, Jake said.

“It is your idea, your interests, what you want to know more about,” he said. “This was the first time in my college career that professors were like, ‘It’s up to you.’ Though overwhelming at first, it was really empowering.”

Now Jake is preparing to continue studying Spanish in graduate school at Universidad de Alcalá in Spain. He will also teach English while abroad.

He then plans to return to the U.S. to teach Spanish – a career that he knows he is prepared for thanks to his ŷ�� research and education.

“I have this great privilege,” he said of becoming a Spanish educator who is not a native speaker. “I can not only share my passion with students but put myself in their shoes.”

Do you have a ŷ�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

It is your idea, your interests, what you want to know more about. This was the first time in my college career that professors were like, ‘It’s up to you.’ Though overwhelming at first, it was really empowering.

Jake Murray, ’23, on participating in undergraduate research

Tags

Undergraduate Research

Honors Program

Shared Lessons

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 18:00:21 +0000

Shared Lessons BBENSON@bridgew.edu Fri, 04/21/2023 - 14:00

Alumna and current undergraduate collaborate on salamander project

April 27, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

United by a love of salamanders and a passion for teaching, student Grace Leopold, ’24, and science teacher Julia Whalen, ’20, G’24, are teaming up to study the tiny amphibians and their predators.

Grace, a biology and secondary education major, created clay salamanders she placed in the Great Hill woods on Bridgewater State University’s campus. She hopes predators will seek out the “claymanders” and leave their bite marks in the clay. Cameras will also record what happens.

Julia, who teaches at Carver Middle High School, is leading the same project with her students.

“It lets them see school is something more than reading from a book and doing worksheets,” said Julia, who studied the same fields as Grace as a ŷ�� undergraduate and is now pursuing a master’s degree in physical science.

Grace and Julia praised Dr. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, an associate professor of biological sciences, for encouraging them to participate in undergraduate research. Fisher-Reid’s lab studies eastern red-backed salamanders through the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Collaboration Network (SPARCnet), which includes researchers from as far away as Indiana and Virginia who aim to understand how environmental changes affect salamanders.

In addition to Grace’s project with claymanders, ŷ�� and Carver students track and measure living salamanders to better understand a species whose presence indicates a healthy forest.

A salamander made of clay

“I enjoy science I can look at and see with my eyes,” said Grace, who joined the lab after Julia graduated. “I love the people in the research lab. We’re always hanging out outside of the lab. And Caitlin is such a good mentor. I feel like I just hit the jackpot.”

Julia can relate. She said a mix of lab experience and education classes helped her excel as a teacher.

While she didn’t plan to continue salamander research after college, Julia realized it is a perfect topic for students enrolled in Carver’s environmental and agricultural sciences pathway.

“They really enjoy getting outside and working with the salamanders,” said Julia, who received the 2022 Joann Blum Inspiration in Environmental Education Award from the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers.

The woods next to her school are an ideal classroom. That habitat features mostly pine trees, which differs from the mixed forest on ŷ��’s campus and mostly deciduous trees at other Massachusetts SPARCnet sites, Fisher-Reid said.

“It’s awesome,” she said of Julia incorporating the research into her teaching. “I didn’t really think any of my students would do that. I’m happy when they get jobs. To have a student take an entire project and say, ‘I can do it with younger students,’ is a teacher’s dream.”

Grace is excited to have data from Carver claymanders because it will help her draw better conclusions for her honors thesis about the salamander predators project. She even visited Julia’s classroom and worked with her students.

“The most rewarding thing is being able to collaborate with Julia,” Grace said. “To learn from someone who has gone through exactly what I’m going through is super helpful.”

Do you have a ŷ�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I enjoy science I can look at and see with my eyes. I love the people in the research lab. We’re always hanging out outside of the lab. And Caitlin is such a good mentor. I feel like I just hit the jackpot.

Grace Leopold, ’24

Tags

Undergraduate Research

Honors Program

Going Ape For Research

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:48:23 +0000

Going Ape For Research BBENSON@bridgew.edu Fri, 12/16/2022 - 13:48

Recent graduate studying primates

December 22, 2022

Brian Benson

Mia Sarkisian, ’19, first developed an interest in orangutans when she read a story about them as a child. But she didn’t find a way to turn her passion into an integral part of her professional life until she came to Bridgewater State University.

At ŷ��, Sarkisian met anthropology Professor Ellen Ingmanson, a biological anthropologist whose research focuses on primates, including orangutans and other types of apes.

“I didn’t know anthropology was even a path for primate research,” said Sarkisian, who majored in anthropology and biology. “She took me under her wing and showed me how to do research and collect data.”

Sarkisian is now a graduate student in the primate behavior and ecology program at Central Washington University. She aspires to earn a doctoral degree and potentially become a professor, a career path that would allow her to teach while continuing the type of research she first explored as an honors student at ŷ��.

“I would love to be a professor,” Sarkisian said. “I had amazing professors help me get where I am.”

With support from Bridgewater’s Adrian Tinsley Program, Sarkisian traveled to the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington, D.C., to study how a baby orangutan behaves and how its mother treats the baby. That work formed the basis for her honors thesis.

Behavioral research is important because orangutans are endangered due to deforestation, poaching and other factors. Research helps humans support orphaned orangutans with the goal of preparing them to live in the wild, Sarkisian said.

“We learn from research what they need to know to survive,” she said.

Sarkisian also completed an internship at the Smithsonian Zoo exploring how orangutans and gorillas communicate.

On the ŷ�� campus, she gained laboratory skills studying salamanders with Dr. Caitlin Fisher-Reid. Meanwhile, Dr. Ingmanson offered projects and directed studies designed to meet Sarkisian's career aspirations.

Sarkisian’s persistence and dedication are admirable and useful in a field where the research process is slow and requires significant time spent observing primates, Ingmanson said.

“She asked questions and wanted to understand it and came back to find out more,” Ingmanson recalled. “It’s that curiosity, that need to know. It really is a need.”

Sarkisian’s biology and anthropology foundation built as a Bear was instrumental in preparing her for graduate school and helping her understand the biological and human factors affecting primates.

“Bridgewater was super important to me,” she said. “They gave me the educational and financial resources to do this.”

Do you have a ŷ�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I had amazing professors help me get where I am.

Mia Sarkisian, ’19

Tags

Alumni Profile

Honors Program

Undergraduate Research

Staging Change

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 13:41:49 +0000

Staging Change BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 11/15/2022 - 08:41

Theater production highlights climate-related topics

November 15, 2022

Brian Benson

Many theatrical performances are known for their lavish sets and costumes that often end up in the trash when a show closes. But Bridgewater State University thespians are taking an environmentally friendly approach.

For Lighting the Way, an upcoming series of short plays about climate change, students are using limited sets and costumes – and making them from existing materials. Even the paint is left over from past productions while props are made of waste cardboard. And the program is just one page with a digital supplement.

“We’re in an artistic practice that has historically not been kind to the Earth,” said Kyle Imbeau, ’23, a theatre arts major and women and gender studies minor from Fairhaven. “This is an important thing for us to be reflecting on as artists.”

From Nov. 17 to 20, Kyle and their classmates in Associate Professor Miranda Giurleo’s Laboratory Theatre class will present Lighting the Way in the Rondileau Student Union Auditorium. The students selected 16 plays from an anthology of 49 pieces commissioned for the global theater festival Climate Change Theatre Action 2019. The plays highlight people who are striving for a more sustainable future.

“We had a lot of conversations in class about how we do this in a way that leaves the audience with hope,” Giurleo said. “How do we do this in a way that doesn’t seem to be just for optics?”

The minimalist set challenges students to think differently, but also presents an opportunity to connect with audience members who will be more focused on the actors, said Kaylin DiAntonio, ’24, a theater arts and psychology major from Carver.

“Everything that we do is done with intent,” Kaylin said. “Everything we do has such profound purpose that you can’t help but be drawn in.”

Some plays feature spoken word poetry, a style that connects ZZ McRae’s academic studies in theater and creative writing.

“This course has been able to really mesh both of my passions together, and I’m so happy,” said ZZ, a member of the Class of 2023 from Brockton.

Laboratory Theatre gives students a hands-on experience on stage and behind the scenes similar to the work of a professional theater company.

Lighting the Way marks the seventh show at ŷ�� for which Kyle is the dramaturg, a position responsible for conducting research and providing context about the play for actors and the audience. Kyle appreciates having these experiences as an undergraduate because they aims to become a professional dramaturg.

Kyle took on the dramaturg responsibilities to fulfill an Honors Program requirement. Fellow honors student Madison Bradbury, ’23, composed several songs for the production.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing music,” said Madison, a theater arts major from East Bridgewater. “I’ve never had proper mentorship and space to do it. Here, I was given all the mentorship.”

Madison hopes the audience leaves inspired to make a difference in improving the environment.

“Even the smallest thing can help,” Madison said. “I hope this starts a chain reaction.”

Do you have a ŷ�� story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

We’re in an artistic practice that has historically not been kind to the Earth. This is an important thing for us to be reflecting on as artists.

Kyle Imbeau, ’23

Tags

Arts

Honors Program

Sustainability

Photos by Artie Universe, '23