The Summer Scholars program is one of the many research opportunities available at Roanoke College. Students can apply to the program to spend their summer doing paid, intensive research with a professor. Summer Scholars receive free housing and work full time to further their research.
Summer Scholars of 2015 has 13 students enrolled doing research in a variety of different topics and fields. Two of them are Emma von der Lieth and Tessa Sydnor
Emma von der Lieth
Emma von der Lieth is a junior at Roanoke College who is majoring in International Relations and minoring in French. Emma has always been fascinated with travel and wishes to travel aboard to several different countries. An advocate of Women’s rights, Emma wants to work for a non-profit organization to promote women’s rights in developing countries.
Emma’s project title is “War on Women: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Sexual Violence During Armed Conflict”. In her research, Emma wishes to explore the relationship between violence against women and armed conflict. Using mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative research, Emma will analyze the data around armed conflict and the reported amount of rape in 27 different countries in Middle East, Africa, and Asia between 1990-2012.
Tessa Sydnor
Tessa Syndor is a senior at Roanoke College who is majoring in Literary studies. Tessa’s upbringing in Europe has giving her a unique view on different cultures around the globe. Being involved in with her father’s work with refugees since she was little, Tessa wishes to use her studies to help voice the problems refugees have and to better their lives.
Tessa’s project is titled “Representing Refugee Experience: Reading and Researching the Literature of Displacement” In her research, Tessa will examine four books detailing the experiences refugees face in their lives and critically analyze their similarities and differences. By doing so, Tessa hopes this will help in the understanding of trauma refugees endure.