1. Connecting Elon College Fellows:
Past, Present, Future
Dear Elon College Fellows Alumni:
As usual, we have a great ECF alumni newsletter for you this semester. Inside you will
read about three of our recent alumni Sarah Simmons ’09, Brittany White ’12 and Lauren
Lorincz ’07. As is evident in the reflections of these accomplished alums, developing close col-
laborations with faculty teacher-scholars, asking hard questions, thinking outside the box, and a
commitment to serving others sets the stage for professional and personal success. You will see
the same themes emerge in the article highlighting Yasmine Arrington, a current Elon College
Fellow who is already making an impressive difference in the lives of others.
While the academic accomplishments of our students and alumni remain a constant,
Elon College Fellows continues to grow and develop. We are delighted to welcome a new di-
rector of the Arts & Humanities area, Dr. Nina Namaste. Dr. Namaste joins Drs. Linda
Niedziela and Jason Kirk as ECF branch directors. As a well-respected member of our World
Languages and Cultures Department, Dr. Namaste passionately embraces the philosophy of a
liberal arts and sciences education. She joins a team of 18 faculty in the College of Arts and
Sciences who contribute to the program by teaching Elon 101 and COR 110 sections for ECF
students, the Winter Term Paths of Inquiry course and the sophomore and junior seminars, as
well as the more than 50 College of Arts & Sciences’ faculty who serve as mentors to our fel-
lows. We are thankful to have such a committed and knowledgeable faculty contribute to our
program.
In this edition of the newsletter, you will learn about re-
cent investments the university has made in facilities that will
greatly impact the development of our students and success of un-
dergraduate research. A complete renovation on south campus
opened this fall as the new home for the Departments of Psychol-
ogy and Human Service Studies. Shared research laboratories al-
low students and faculty to conduct research using a variety of
methodological techniques – small group interaction rooms, indi-
vidual data collection rooms, video transcription room, etc. Scott
Studios, a new facility for students in the Performing Arts, also
opened this fall and will enable students to continue to collaborate
with faculty on impressive creative endeavors.
If you are able to come back to campus, please remember
to let us know so we can invite you to an event or take you to
lunch! We are so proud of all of the Fellows, present and past, for
what they are achieving and still have to achieve. The world needs
Elon College Fellows who are passionate and want to make a dif-
ference in the lives of others.
- Dr. Gabie Smith
Interim Dean of Elon College, the College of Arts
and Sciences
What’s Inside:
Pages 2-4 - Featured
Alumni
Pages 5-7 - Changes to the
Program and University
Pages 8 -9 - A current ECF
student’s research story
Pages 10-13 - ECF gradu-
ating class of 2014
Page 14 - ECF faculty and
staff
Stay Connected:
Find us on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/Elon
UniversityCollegeOfArtsA
ndSciences

2. Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, FuturePage 2
Sarah Simmons ’09- “Equal to the Apostles: The Visual Representation
of Power in Saint Sophia, Kiev”
The traditions of excellence upheld by Elon College Fellows
and its promotion of undergraduate research both introduced and
encouraged my love of learning. However, my acceptance into the
Elon College Fellows was less than traditional. Like many of the
new first year College Fellows, I applied to the program my senior
year of high school. I was invited to visit Elon and participate in the
interview process. My experience with talking to faculty and sitting
in on a lecture—the topic of which was the sociology of Rock and
Roll—was needless to say, inspiring. I felt like a part of something. I
shared the passion for learning that I found in many of my peers I
met that weekend.
One can imagine then, the disappointment I felt when my
rejection letter came in the mail a few weeks later. I pulled out of the all-too-small envelope, every
applicant’s worst nightmare, the single-page letter that thanked me for my participation. Well, after a
few days of moping, I picked myself up and readied for the adventure of going to college in the fall,
where I enrolled in Dr. David Crowe’s history survey. After hearing my final presentation, Dr. Crowe
suggested I apply for the lateral entry College Fellows program. With his nomination and a second
chance application, I was admitted to the program. I give Dr. Crowe much appreciation and respect for
encouraging me to try again. He taught me the value of second chances and to never run away from
failure.
That same semester I took Dr. Kirsten Ringelberg’s art history survey. I credit Dr. Ringelberg
for inspiring my passion for Art History. She brought history to life in the classroom and showed me
how the history of art is really the history of people. It was Dr. Ringelberg who suggested I take an art
history course from the newly-hired professor, Dr. Evan Gatti. By following her advice, I found not
only my future Elon College Fellows mentor, but also another professor whose teaching, humor, and
camaraderie continued to propel my passion to ask questions and to keep learning.
It is my mentor-mentee relationship
with Dr. Gatti and our journey through the
Elon College Program together that I attrib-
ute much of my success during my graduate
career. The Elon College Program empha-
sizes the need to ask questions. We learned
how to formulate questions, how to incorpo-
rate interdisciplinary discussion into our own
work, and how to communicate new ideas. It
was her enthusiasm, encouragement, and pa-
tience that taught me the foundations of aca-
demic inquiry.
After graduating from Elon, I applied
and was accepted to Florida State University’s masters program in art history in 2009. My experience
with undergraduate research and academic presentations gained from the Elon College program pre-
pared me for the challenges of graduate school. I had gained confidence to speak my opinions and to
argue my points among my peers and professionals. If it were not for the Elon College program and
my mentorship with Dr. Gatti, I would never have found my courage to ask questions and express my
contributions. I look forward to giving back to Drs. Gatti and Ringelberg by presenting my research at
Elon’s art history symposium, Between, Among, and Across: Transhistories of the Visual in February
2015.
Today, I study Medieval art history with a focus in
Byzantine art and architecture. My dissertation dis-
cusses the visual representation of power in the
Rjurik Dynasty in the Rus’ principality in the 10th
through 12th centuries. I have been able to present
my work at Oxford University, University of Bir-
mingham, England, and at the International Con-
gress of Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Mich. I am
currently a graduate teaching assistant working with
Dr. Lynn Jones at Florida State University. I assist in
teaching and classroom management.

3. Page 3
Fall 2014
Brittany White ’12 - “The Establishment of Successful Talin Knockdown
and Appropriate Conditions for Inducing Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)
Phosphorylation in Mammalian Cells (HEK293AD)”
I graduated from Elon in 2012 with the
dream of becoming a health care professional, but
was still not sure where my major in biology
would take me. After debating between medicine,
physician assistant and nursing, I ultimately de-
cided that nursing would be the best fit for me.
Within a few months, I was purchasing my nurs-
ing student scrubs for UNC Chapel Hill’s Accel-
erated BSN program. It felt surreal! In the accel-
erated program, the course load was heavy, but it
wasn’t anything that Elon hadn’t prepared me for.
I graduated from UNC in May 2014 with
honors and recently won the “People’s Choice
Award” for my research on nurse perception of
noise on several intensive care units at Duke Uni-
versity Hospital and Rex Hospital. Along with
working towards submitting my paper for publi-
cation, I recently began my career working as a nurse in the Surgical/ Trauma Intensive Care Unit at
UNC Hospital. Every day I am challenged mentally, physically and emotionally to provide the best nurs-
ing care for my patients. Although working at a level 1 trauma center means I never know what type of
patient I will have, I know I can count on collaborating with a top-notch group of nurses, doctors and
staff. The network of nursing is extremely vast and there are a myriad of opportunities for future career
advancement—from nurse anesthetist, to nurse practitioner to Ph.D programs. Since my time at Elon, I
have also worked with another Elon graduate, Christopher Fry, to create a Certified Nursing Assistant
training company—University CNA. Our goal is to educate college students interested in health care
about the benefits of becoming a nursing
assistant to accrue patient contact hours
and to help them pass the NC State CNA1
Exam.
My experiences at Elon have pro-
pelled me on this journey in so many
ways. I believe that my independent re-
search experience at Elon taught me how
to truly think outside of the box and to
consider all opportunities as they are pre-
sented to me. The Elon College Fellows
program has helped me develop into a
well-rounded professional who enjoys
pushing the limit mentally and academi-
cally. In the case of University CNA,
without the nurturing and support I had at
Elon, I may have never even recognized
that I had the means to help others by cofounding and establishing a company from the ground up. I have
remained close to my ECF and Lumen Prize research mentor at Elon, and she still motivates me every
day.
I currently work as a nurse in the Surgery/
Trauma Intensive Care Unit at UNC. As a critical
care nurse I help care for the sickest patient popula-
tion and some of the most acute traumas in the area.
In addition to working towards submitting my UNC
honor’s research paper for publication, I am also a
part of a research effort at UNC hospital regarding
patient sleep quality and noise levels during hospitali-
zation. I believe that my independent research experi-
ence at Elon taught me how to truly think outside of
the box and to consider all opportunities as they are
presented to me. University CNA, my independent
company founded with another Elon graduate, has
also been flourishing as our pass rate for the NC CNA
exam is over 95 percent!

4. Page 4 Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, Future
Greetings from historic Lexington, Mass! After graduating
from Elon in 2007 with my bachelor’s degree in history, I moved
to the greater Boston area to begin seminary. I’m now an ordained
minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC.) After a few more
years of studying, culminating in a Master of Divinity degree from
Andover Newton Theological School, I received a formal call to
serve as the sole pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC in
Lexington and am now well into my fourth year at the church.
For me, a wonderful aspect of the Elon College Fellows was
the focus on interdisciplinary learning. Even though I was a his-
tory major and focused on European history specifically, it was
refreshing to take the ECF social science seminar and learn some
sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology, history,
and so much more. Yes, these are all social sciences and yet each
has a particular lens we can use to shed light on human and socie-
tal development.
Learning the vitality of interdisciplinary study early in my academic career enabled me to apply this
perspective in various ministry settings. When I teach adult education and confirmation classes or
preach on Sunday mornings for instance, I do not hesitate to utilize scripture, history, politics, litera-
ture, theology, popular culture references, etc. An interdisciplinary focus helps me to reach the congre-
gation in a myriad of ways, knowing that different subjects speak to different people in different ways.
Thinking of honoring different lenses and perspectives on a deeper level, perhaps one of the most
unique aspects of my ministry is being part of the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association. Once a
month, the priests, ministers, pastors, rabbis, and Muslim and Hindu lay leaders gather together to eat a
meal, work on town initiatives, and foster relationships of mutual understanding and respect among
ourselves and our faith communi-
ties. Think about that for a sec-
ond—faith leaders representing
Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and
Christianity get together monthly
to talk and laugh and grow to-
gether! As our world is getting
smaller, it is becoming even more
important for faith leaders to set an
example of compassion and cele-
brate the differences that make us
each unique and special. Interfaith
work is a call I take seriously as a
progressive Christian minister.
In the end, Elon remains near and dear to my heart as I know Elon equipped me so well for my
ministry. In college, I learned to ask the hard questions, to be passionate in my pursuit of knowledge, to
reach outside my comfort zone and boundaries, and to keep pushing yourself to learn and grow. I have
so much gratitude for the friendships that sustained me, the professors who inspired me and the experi-
ences that shaped me to be who I am (still) becoming today. Long live Elon!
Lauren is the pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church United
Church of Christ in Lexington, Mass. No week in ministry is
typical—though she tends to lead worship and preach every Sun-
day, teach adults and youth about Christianity, and supervise the
church staff. She believes that worshiping God and being in com-
munity involves both the head and the heart, and she's passionate
about preaching, teaching and serving others. Lauren visits and
counsels congregants who are experiencing physical and/or emo-
tional pain, serves those in need alongside her congregants, sup-
ports church committees and programs, and does her best to meet
people wherever they are in their lives every day.
Lauren Lorincz ’07 - “Wallace, Bruce, and the Birth of the Scottish Na-
tion”

5. Page 5Fall 2014
The new director of Arts and Humanities department, replacing Evan
Gatti, is Nina Namaste. Born and raised in Chicago speaking Catalan, English,
and Spanish (usually all three languages in one sentence), she ventured north to
Minnesota to go to St. Olaf College. After a few years, she decided she needed to
figure out how to teach more effectively so she went back to school, this time to
Indiana University. She had so much fun teaching college students she stayed to
get her Ph.D. She was visiting professor for a year at the University of Iowa
teaching Spanish theatre courses and finishing her dissertation. Her first tenure-
track job was at Grand Valley State University in Michigan and while the depart-
ment fit her, the institution didn’t so she applied for jobs at small liberal arts insti-
tutions that would get her closer to her St. Olaf experience. They offered her the
job at Elon University in 2008 and she moved to North Carolina. She has lead the Elon Centre in San
José program and in 2013 she happily received tenure at Elon and for the next three years she will be
co-leading a multi-institutional SoTL research seminar on how to better integrate global learning/study
away into the entire collegiate experience.
Elon College Fellows welcomes Dr. Nina Namaste as the
new director of Arts and Humanities
Each fall, first year Elon College Fellows begin the journey of discovery in the Arts and Sciences
by attending three evening colloquia. Colloquia establish the value of the traditional liberal arts perspec-
tives and approaches to encountering and understanding the world. This fall saw significant changes in
Fellows Colloquia designed to increase student engagement and refocus the early Fellows experience on
inquiry, disciplinary approaches and the power of interdisciplinary. At the opening picnic for new stu-
dents, Fellows and faculty worked in groups to identify interesting topics that would have broad interest
across the arts and sciences. Topics were described and collected for a future vote. Branch directors pre-
sented their discipline-specific scholarship at the first colloquium and asked fellows to respond to each
presentation by generating interesting questions from arts and humanities, social sciences and mathemati-
cal and natural sciences. At the second colloquium the branch directors addressed the topic of urbaniza-
tion from each of their disciplinary perspectives modeling the power of disciplinary focus and interdisci-
plinary connections applied to a complex phenomenon. Fellows voted on a topic for consideration at the
third Colloquium that would be open to the entire campus community. The topic chosen by the students
was Changing Perspectives of Disease. Scheduled on the campus calendar and open to the entire cam-
pus, the third colloquium featured a panel of three Elon College faculty from different disciplines. In-
cluded in the panel was Kristina Meinking, Assistant Professor of Classical Languages, Aunchalee Palm-
quist, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, and Jennifer Uno, Assistant Professor of Biol-
ogy. Following the presentations, Jason Kirk, Director of Social Sciences Fellows, moderated a discus-
sion among the panelists and the audience to extend the conversation and suggest creative interdiscipli-
nary pathways for further exploration across the arts and
sciences of the topic of changing perspectives on dis-
ease. The success of the new model for Fellows collo-
quium will result in its future continuance. If you would
like to view the panel, please visit http://blogs.elon.edu/
ondemand/2014/11/11/changing-perceptions-of-disease-
elon-college-fellows-panel-discussion/
Elon College Fellow students play a larger role in Colloquia

6. Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, FuturePage 6
Psychology and Human Service Studies building opens to campus
community
The newest facility on campus
was previously the home of The Elon
School, a local private high school. Own-
ership of the facility changed hands in
August 2012, and after extensive renova-
tions it now houses the Department of
Psychology, the Department of Human
Service Studies and the Public Health
Studies Program. The departments had
previously occupied Long and Alamance
buildings. The building’s features include
classrooms, computer labs, a wet lab and
additional space for research. Psychology
director Alan Scott says that means ex-
panded opportunities for both students and employees.
“Faculty who are working in the neuroscience area need lab space that’s a little bit differ-
ent than what everybody else has,” Scott said. “We’re excited to have space that’s tailored to
them.”
Beth Warner, associate professor and chair of the Department of Human Service Studies,
is equally excited for the new opportunities the refurbished building offers. “We now have the
latest technology, which is going to be so helpful to our students and to our research as well,” she
said. “Faculty and students will be able to engage in experiential learning as well as research
[and] have a lot of hands-on experience.”
Warner says her department’s students often engage in role-playing scenarios as part of
their learning process. Technology in the building will allow an instructor observing one of those
exercises from a separate room to wirelessly communicate with students who are wearing ear-
pieces while taking part.
“It’s a real new beginning
for us,” she said. “Everybody in-
volved is very excited. Change is
difficult sometimes, but we have so
many positive new opportunities
here that I think it’s made it a whole
lot easier to move and get used to
new office space.”
Both Warner and Scott say
the facility is set up to boost faculty
and student engagement. “One of
the great things about this building
is it has lots of space for students to
gather and work together [and] to
interact with faculty,” Warner said.
“We’re looking forward to that
change.

7. Page 7Fall 2014
Scott Studios celebrated as ‘game changer’ for performing arts
Another new facility on campus is Scott Studios. Scott Studios features classroom, rehearsal,
production and performance spaces for faculty and
students in the Department of Performing Arts.
The facility is named for Elon parents Don Scott
and Ellen Scott of Denver, Col., and their son,
Teddy Scott, a 2010 alumnus of Elon’s music
theatre program.
“This is a phenomenal program and it de-
serves our support,” Don Scott said at the dedica-
tion. “(And today) is an honor. Ellen and I are
thankful for the opportunity to support a university
that we love.”
Roberts Studio Theatre inside the facility is
named for Bill and Amy Roberts, and Amy’s fa-
ther, E.C. Hunt, whose gifts helped make the space
possible. Bill and Amy Roberts’ daughter, Jenni-
fer, is a 2013 theatre arts alumna.
Elon University President Leo M. Lambert praised both families, along with two additional
parents who wish to remain anonymous, for their commitment to growing the university’s perform-
ing arts programs through gifts that supported the new facility.
“All of these donors are outstanding examples of Elon parents and grandparents whose phil-
anthropic support has helped build this campus and strengthen Elon’s national reputation,” Lambert
said. “The performing arts are an essential part of our lives and a liberal arts education. They help us
understand what it means to be human. Here in Scott Studios and Roberts Studio Theatre, the per-
forming arts will thrive and continue to inspire our talented students who are a source of light for
the world.”
The dedication also featured remarks from professor Fred Rubeck, chair of the Department
of Performing Arts, and Gabie Smith, interim dean of Elon College, the College of Arts & Sciences.
“This building is really going to be a game-changer for us,” said Rubeck, describing how
Scott Studios will allow more attention to be paid to programs and rehearsals in space across cam-
pus that, until now, had been tightly scheduled and cramped. “It’s times like this when we open a
new space, and the possibilities that come with it, that determine what we’re going to become.”
Smith praised the Department of Performing Arts for its student accomplishments and the
success of alumni being recognized with Tony Award nominations, attending graduate programs at
schools such as Yale and New York University, and working in national venues on stage, backstage
and on screen.
“The facilities in Scott Studios will enable the performing arts department to continue to
thrive,” Smith said. “Its addition will enhance our intellectual climate, as it enables other depart-
ments to make full use of all of our theatre spaces, benefitting students across the College of Arts &
Sciences.”
The ribbon cutting was followed by a special performance by students and faculty in the
Roberts Studio Theatre. A reception and tours of the facility followed the show. The performance
highlighted student and faculty talents and also demonstrated the state-of-the art lighting and sound
systems in the theatre.

8. Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, FuturePage 8
As the first semester of her senior year
comes to an end, Yasmine Arrington ’15, like
other Elon College Fellow seniors, is wrapping
up her fellows project (thesis). Unlike most other
seniors, however, Arrington is also working on
her nonprofit organization, ScholarCHIPS.
In her junior year of high school, Arring-
ton was a part of the LearnServe International
Program in Washington D.C. This program chal-
lenged its participants to find a problem in the
area community and come up with a venture to
solve it. A daughter of an incarcerated parent
looking to continue her education, Arrington no-
ticed that support to students of incarcerated par-
ents looking to further their education, either in
trade school, junior college, or university level
was very limited, and she wanted to do some-
thing about it. Arrington’s passion for this pro-
ject has changed it from a one-time high school
service project to a full nonprofit organization,
which has awarded more than $50,000 worth of
scholarship to more than 17 scholars.
Arrington’s passion for helping students
with incarcerated parents goes beyond that of her
nonprofit organization. Her Elon College Fel-
lows project is directly related to ScholarCHIPS,
as she is seeking to identify how young people
within the demographic of having parents incar-
cerated define success individually. She held a
focus group of seven scholar on Nov.29, 2014, at
their annual workshop to help her explore the
question, as well as eventually publish a histori-
ography of two successful adults who also had
incarcerated parents when they were growing up.
In addition, Arrington will look at their primary
documents, such as journal entries or letters, and
code them to hopefully discover trends in strug-
gles they had, both financially and mentally. She
is currently in the process of identifying who
these individuals will be. Through the Elon Col-
lege Fellows program, she feels she has learned
the skills and gained the information that can
help her improve her role in ScholarCHIPS, and
become an even more influential member of the
organization.
“I can carry that [research knowledge]
into graduate school and through the rest of my
life,” Arrington said. “When I speak to audiences
and potential donors for scholarships I can say,
not only do I have this cause that I believe in, but
I have also done primary research myself with
this population. I will now have data to back up
my cause and what I am saying. “
Experience with ScholarCHIPS at the
high school level has given Arrington a jump
start as a leader on campus, defining herself as a
“self-starter”. Since her first year at Elon, she has
been on the executive board for the Black Cul-
tural Society and One in Christ Ministry, is an
“I started ScholarCHIPS because I know first-
hand the struggles that come with having a par-
ent in prison—all too often you become margin-
alized or dismissed as a delinquent. If it weren't
for my family and teachers giving me a chance,
I would not have made it to where I am today. I
simply want to give the gift of support
and opportunity back to the generations pro-
ceeding behind me!”
—Yasmine Arrington, Founder of Scholar-
CHIPS
Senior Elon College Fellow starts nonprofit in high scho
Photo By Sidney & Company

9. Page 9Fall 2014
active participant in the Elon Lead program, and
is also a Periclean Scholar. Because of her life
experience and experiences with the students she
has helped provide scholarships for, she feels she
has a unique perspective to offer to Elon campus
life.
“I have learned from [the ScholarCHIPS
scholars] and they have helped me bring a differ-
ent perspective to the Elon community,” Arring-
ton said. “It has enlightened my peers and pro-
fessors I have worked with. They are impressed
with the young people, and this is in part because
this population is stigmatized – people believe
they can’t reach higher education and can’t han-
dle it, which of course is not true, and I am help-
ing to change that stigma.”
One of the most difficult struggles for
Arrington has been juggling a full college sched-
ule with running a nonprofit organization, espe-
cially fundraising. Fundraising takes a lot of time
and effort, and Arrington has had to learn how to
balance her studies, extracurricular activities,
and undergraduate research with raising the
money to fund 17 ScholarCHIPS scholars.
“It takes a lot to fundraise and the fact
that I am a full time student doesn’t leave a lot of
time to fundraise and it is important that we raise
the money to provide the scholarships,” Arring-
ton said.
Recently, ScholarCHIPS has reached na-
tional radar. On Oct. 8, 2014, Arrington attended
“The Challenges that Children of Incarcerated
Parents Face,” a panel discussion and documen-
tary viewing session held at the White House
Eisenhower Executive office. She heard from
nonprofits and government organizations, as
well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons about ac-
tions they are taking to help reduce prison recidi-
vism in the United States, as well as to improve
re-entry programming, caregiver support oppor-
tunities, and family reunification. She also met
with the director of the Department of Jus-
ool, finds future in sociology undergraduate research
tice at the director of the Department of Justice
at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Charles
Samuels, as well as many others involved in
the production of the panel.
“I felt and still feel truly blessed and
fortunate to have been a part of such a prestig-
ious event with people who are sincerely pas-
sionate for this field of work,” Arrington said.
In the future, Arrington plans on becoming the
full-time executive director of ScholarCHIPS,
and wants to take the organization national.
She would like to build a few locations in dif-
ferent states that can act as a community center
for students to go to for tutoring and reduced
or free SAT/ACT tutoring. She would also like
to see the scholarship award amount increased
to help scholars as much as possible
If anyone would like to get involved in
ScholarCHIPS, there are many opportunities.
You can contact Arrington directly, at yarring-
ton@elon.edu, or you can visit the website at
www.scholarCHIPSfund.com. For anyone liv-
ing in the D.C., Maryland or Virginia area,
mentors are always needed, or you can lead a
workshop session for scholars or host a fund-
raiser. If you are not in the area, but would like
to make a donation, check the website for in-
formation.

10. Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, FuturePage 10
Elon College Fellows Graduating Class of 2014
Ethan Frederick Andersen
Project Title: “HeadVoice: a song cycle”
Major: Music Theater
Faculty Mentor: Lynn Formato
Carling Brooke Andrews
Project Title: Social Venture for Health and Happiness
Faculty Mentor: Samantha DiRosa, Beth Warner and Barth Strempek
Major: Social Innovation (Independent)
Kelly Lynne Brand
Project Title: The Impact of Quercetin Supplementation on Cognition During Vigorous Exercise in
College Students
Faculty Mentor: Paul Miller
Major: Exercise Science
Kiley Ann Brandt
Project Title: Moving Projections: An Exploration of The Gendered Body in Cyborg Anime
Faculty Mentor: Juan Obando
Majors: Art and Art History
Jennifer Kathryn Brouder
Project Title: Exploring In- Country Perceptions of Family-Teacher Relationships Among Costa
Rican Mothers
Faculty Mentor: Judy Esposito
Major: Human Service Studies
Alexander Wilhelm Bruch
Project Title: Determining the Mechanism Leading to Periodic Precipitation (Liesegang) Reactions
Faculty Mentor: Joel Karty
Major: Chemistry
Kelsey Marie Camacho
Project Title: A Lifetime of Migration: Writing About Hispanic Identity in the Western United
States
Faculty Mentor: Cassie Kircher
Major: English - Creative Writing
James Cornelius Carter III
Project Title: An Evaluation of Gubernatorial Rhetoric in the South
Faculty Mentor: George Taylor
Majors: Political Science and Public Administration
Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
Project Title: Multiple Analysis of Wine Contents: Ethanol, Acid, and Antioxidants
Faculty Mentor: Dan Wright
Major: Biochemistry

11. Page 11Fall 2014
Julie Carol Crothers
Project Title: Performing Self: The Intersection of Choreography, Improvisation, and Autobiography
Faculty Mentor: Lauren Kearns
Majors: Dance Performance and Arts Administration
Andrew Fredrick Fischer
Project Title: Alpha Synuclein Aggregation Regulation In Vitro by DL-norepinephrine in Parkinson’s
Disease
Faculty Mentor: Kathryn Matera
Major: Biochemistry and Applied Mathematics
Colin Stuart Gardner
Project Title: Adaptation and Interpretation: “Rappaccini’s Daughter” Reconsidered
Faculty Mentor: Scott Proudfit
Major: Theater Arts
Emily Anne Guernsey
Project Title: Exploring the Use of Body Language as a Means of Transcending Verbal Language
Barriers Through the Creation and Presentation of the Bilingual Original Play “toi, toujours”
Faculty Mentor: Kirby Wahl
Majors: Theatre Arts and French
Jessica Wade Harris
Project Title: The Organization and Function of the Cell Membrane
Faculty Mentor: Sara Triffo
Major: Biochemistry
Sarah Katherine Holland
Project Title: Christianity in the Shadow of the Shoah: Exploring the Social Dimensions of Religion
Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey Pugh
Major: Religious Studies
Gregory Mars Honan
Project Title: Welfare Narratives in US Political Rhetoric: Stories, Power, and Contestation
Faculty Mentor: Laura Roselle
Major: Political Science
Eliza Anne Hughes
Project Title: Physical Activity Patterns in Elementary School Children
Faculty Mentor: Wally Bixby
Major: Exercise Science
Erica Lynn Janik
Project Title: Development of a New Method for Detecting Explosives in Aqueous Solution
Faculty Mentor: Karl Sienerth
Major: Biochemistry
Leah Annik Jennings
Project Title: The Effect of a Rewards-Based Intervention on the Nutritional Knowledge and Dietary
Behavior of Adolescent Girls
Faculty Mentor: Svetlana Nepocatych
Major: Public Health Studies

12. Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, Future12
Alyssa Marie Kendall
Project Title: Observations of Parental Guidance in a Children’s Museum
Faculty Mentor: Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler
Major: Psychology
Daniel William Konzman
Research Title: The Effect of Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Seizure and the Antiepileptic Drug Pheny-
toin on Spatial Learning in Zebrafish
Faculty Mentor: Linda Niedziela
Major: Biology
Mackenzie Rachel Mann
Project Title: Manifestations of Mapuche Resistance in Contemporary Chile
Faculty Mentor: Michael Matthews
Major: International Studies
Katelyn Katherine Massey
Project Title: Parental Guidance of Early Science Learning in a Children’s Museum
Faculty Mentor: Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler
Major: Psychology
Avery Franklin McGaha
Project Title: Climate Change for Popular Audiences
Faculty Mentor: Michael Strickland
Major: Environmental Studies
Nakhila Shani Mistry
Project Title: Music Genomics: Applying Seriation Algorithms to Billboard #1 Hits
Faculty Mentor: Crista Arangala
Majors: Mathematics and Religious Studies
Virginia Dickinson Oberle
Project Title: “Condoms are the standard, right”: Exploring STI Protection with Emerging-Adult
Black American Women
Faculty Mentor: Buffie Longmire-Avital
Major: Psychology
Kelsey Michelle O’Connell
Project Title: Community Discourse and Rhetorical Strategies in the Development of the New Diag-
nostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
Faculty Mentor: Rebecca Pope-Ruark
Majors: English - Professional Writing and Rhetoric
Lindsey Kate Olsson
Project Title: Female Voice in Short Fiction
Faculty Mentor: Tita Ramirez
Major: English – Creative Writing
Jillian Catherine Pieciak
Project Title: A Comparison of Seed Longevity of Eastern Tree Species in Seeds of Varying Ages
Faculty Mentor: David Vandermast
Major: Biology

13. Page 13Fall 2014
Elizabeth Vivian Purvis
Project Title: Redmond O’Hanlon: the Man, the Folklore, and his Impact on Irish Cultural Identity
Faculty Mentor: Kathy Lyday
Major: English - Literature and Creative Writing
Ann Marie Quigley
Project Title: Analysis of RNA-Binding Protein Dynamics with Elastic Network Models
Faculty Mentor: Michael Terribilini
Major: Biochemistry
Tadas Kazimieras Rimkus
Project Title: Study of Lipid-Anchored protein Organization in Yeast Cell Membranes by Fluores-
cence Microscopy.
Faculty Mentor: Sara Triffo
Major: Biochemistry
Mary Elizabeth Savarese
Project Title: The Effect of Wheat Products on the Colonization of the Microbiota in the Intestines of
Zebrafish
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Uno
Major: Biochemistry
Lauren Marie Speranza
Project Title: Rewriting the Past: How the Memoirs of the Ex-Red Brigades Contributed to the Col-
lective History of the “anni di piombo”
Faculty Mentor: Laura Roselle
Majors: Political Science and International Studies
Paxton Katherine Syrek
Project Title: Risk Perception and Study Abroad in College Women
Faculty Mentor: Gabie Smith
Majors: Psychology and Statistics
Mark Arlington Timmel
Project Title: Short Term Effects of Tens on Balance in a Healthy Population
Faculty Mentor: Joyce Davis
Major: Exercise Science
David Lawrence Turner
Project Title: A Trip Down I-85: A Visual History of Atlanta Rap
Faculty Mentor: Kirstin Ringelberg/Mike Frontani
Majors: Art History and Strategic Communications
Jaden Lucas Wilkes
Project Title: A Novel Biosensor for Point of Care Medical Diagnostics
Faculty Mentor: Benjamin Evans
Major: Biochemistry

14. Page 14 Connecting Elon College Fellows: Past, Present, Future
Interim Dean
Gabie Smith
Elon College Fellows Program Director
Dr. Nancy Harris
Branch Directors
Dr. Nina Namaste - Director of Arts and Humanities
Dr. Linda Niedziela - Director of Mathematical and Natural Sciences
Dr. Jason Kirk - Director of Social Sciences
GST 110 ECF Class Instructors ECF 111 Paths of Inquiry
Dr. Jason Kirk Dr. Cindy Fair Dr. Alexa Darby
Dr. Sophie Adamson Dr. Evan Gatti Dr. Dave Gammon
Dr. Jason Kirk Dr. Nina Namaste
Dr. Linda Niedziela Dr. Sean Giovanello
Dr. Andrew Perry
Dr. Shannon Duvall
Elon 101 Instructors
Dr. Steve Braye
Dr. Nancy Harris
Dr. Angela Jones
Dr. Michael Terribilini
ECF Living Learning community faculty advisor
Dr. Michael Terribilini
Meet the Elon College Fellow Faculty/Staff