Driving more than two hours from her home in Charlottesville was not an obstacle for Danielle Buynak Horner.
She was just delighted to have the opportunity to present her research.
A student in George Mason University’s ADVANCE Program, Buynak Horner was one of four students from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to present at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ 15th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. In addition, CHSS students represented nearly all 23 majors in the college with more than 50 posters and video presentations at the symposium, which was held in the atrium of Horizon Hall on April 24.
“This year’s symposium was more diverse and inclusive than ever, with research representing the full spectrum of the humanities and social sciences,” said Lisa Breglia, CHSS senior associate dean of Undergraduate Affairs, associate professor of Global Affairs. “The videos and posters students produced in with the guidance of their CHSS faculty mentors showed incredible thought, creativity, and intellectual engagement. The skills that our students will take away from their research projects will build their capacity for lifelong learning.”
Tasha Bayard, a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in individualized study (BIS), presented on The Lived Experiences of African American and Black Physicians, Fellows, Residents and Medical Students in the Workplace. She said the support of her department has been very encouraging, especially as she juggles class, work, and raising a young child as a non-traditional student.
“It is really important to have these events because you can see not only the hard work of students but you can also engage with the students and find out why this study is important for that student,” Bayard said. “I want to be a medical doctor so I just felt like it was really important for me to do the research so I can understand what the work environment and work climate is (like).”
Anna Putnam (Global Affairs), Ayman Habib (Global Affairs) and William Barker (Public Administration) were three of 12 students who collaborated on research entitled Winning the Lottery of Hearts and Minds: Public Diplomacy for Social Behavioral Change.
Their video presentation received the Innovation in Methods and Ideas Award for their work on decreasing lottery scamming among Jamaican youth. Their research, conducted with students in the Schar School of Policy and Government through the U.S. State Department’s Diplomacy Lab, was presented to the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica last fall.
“I’ve had various job interviews that have asked me about this project that I’ve been able to share that I’ve done very high-quality research,” Putnam said. “I have a deliverable to give to them, and they always deem it very impressive because it is not just writing an essay. We actually hypothetically solved a problem, a real-world problem that harms real people every single day.”
For Buynak Horner, the psychology student at NOVA, the symposium allowed her to check off the necessary box of presenting her research, Socioeconomic Status and General Self-efficacy Relationships Over Time, as she applies for graduate psychology programs.
“It was really affirming to come here,” she said. “I met a professor who actually cares about studying the same particular weird thing I want to study. So it is just great. I wouldn’t have had a chance to do this outside of (the symposium).”
At the end of the symposium, award winners were recognized. Congratulations to all participants for their impressive research and presentations.
2025 Award Recipients
Excellence in Research and Creative Works Award
Kay Concepcion (Creative Writing) - A Sense of Time: The Practical Application of New Temporalities. Faculty mentor: Art Taylor, professor of English
Excellence in Research Award
Armita Dadvar (Psychology) - Executive Function Related to Behavioral Outcomes in Typically Developing and Neurodiverse Children? A Meta-Analysis. Faculty mentor: Sabine Doebel, assistant professor of psychology
Songhee Lim (Global Affairs/Conflict Analysis and Resolution) - Priorities for military spending and how they would ensure that U.S. hard power best serves the national security going forward. Faculty mentor: Albert Kim, adjunct faculty for global affairs and Schar School of Policy and Government
Innovation in Methods and Ideas Award
Anna Putnam (Global Affairs), Ayman Habib (Global Affairs), Emily Melton (Global Affairs), Fiona Lighthiser (Global Affairs), Sophie Wagner (Global Affairs), Seth Whipple (Global Affairs), Connor Bruson (Global Affairs), Gabrielle Hayford (Government and International Politics), William Barker (Public Administration), Sarah Righi (Global Affairs), Seoyoon Cho (Global Affairs), and Hyunseo Kim (Global Affairs) - Winning the Lottery of Hearts and Minds: Public Diplomacy for Social Behavioral Change. Faculty mentor: Courtney Hughes Rinker, professor of global affairs
Social Impact Award
Jose Alberto Carbajal Duran (Foreign Languages) - AI and the Erosion of Human Rights for People on the Move. Faculty mentor: Wesley Buckwalter, associate professor of philosophy
Octavia Sithole (NOVA Advance student, Health Sciences) - The Darkside of Cobalt Use in EVs: Hidden Human & Environmental Toll. Faculty mentor: Anita Mohan, professor of chemistry at NOVA
Asriel Kelly (Psychology) - Name Age, Legal Experience, and Defendant Plea Comprehension. Faculty mentor: Allison Redlich, associate chair and Distinguished University Professor of criminology, law and society
May 08, 2025