Friends of Fondren Library Research Awards

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https://hdl.handle.net/1911/21949

Launched in 2008 and funded by the Friends of Fondren Library, the Fondren Library Research Awards program recognizes students who demonstrate extraordinary skill and creativity in the application of library and information resources to original research and scholarship. Students submitted their research project and an essay outlining how they used specific library tools and resources to do their research. For more information about the awards, see here

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 96

A Cry for the Lost: A Transitioning Native Worldview in Colonial California
(Rice University, 2017) Sanchez, Kivani Ailene
Historically, people have used legends across cultures as a means of transmitting moral values and socializing the young while providing a source of entertainment and education to their listeners. Contemporary versions of legends have the ability to provide insight to the underlying worldviews, which are shaped by the cultural context within a particular timeframe of history, that inspire revisions of a particular legend. In this essay, I use the methodology presented in Domino Perez’s There was a Woman: La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture (2008) to examine a story told by one of the characters in Jorge’s Ainslie’s novel, “Los Pochos” (1934), as a revision of the legend La Llorona that serves as a non-traditional historical narrative of the effects of Westernization on the native population within the missions of Alta-California. I argue that the areas of revision within the telling demonstrate a transitioning worldview of the villagers of San Fernando del Rey that is shaped by the cultural, societal, and historical contexts of Spanish Colonialism within mission communities of Alta-California.
A Dying Dream
(Rice University, 2017) McDowell, Michael Thomas
This paper examines educational segregation and inequity in our country today. By researching the history of educational segregation in the United States, it becomes clear that since 1988 schools have resegregated, undoing most of the progress they made in the ‘60s and ‘70s. This has caused the achievement gap between minority and white students to increase dramatically, with minorities in apartheid schools (where 1% of the students are white) receiving a drastically inferior education to their white counterparts. This is largely due to the lack of human, physical, and social capital present in families and schools of minorities. While this paper is primarily concerned with the existence of this problem, it will assert that school choice is the easiest and friendliest way to achieve racial balance and desegregation, although this paper will also claim that the Justice Department should bring lawsuits against extremely segregated urban districts that do not solve the problem themselves.
Acknowledging Impostor Phenomenon: How Does It Affect and Individual's Likability?
(Rice University, 2019) Lee, Jennifer
The impostor phenomenon (IP) is the feeling of being an intellectual fraud regardless of any external evidence of incompetency. Research on the effects of IP on mental health is important in understanding how to nurture positive experiences through the duration of undergraduate life. However, the social interactions of individuals who experience IP are not well understood. We surveyed Rice undergraduates to understand how the disclosure of feelings of impostor might affect how an participant might perceive the individual.We analyzed how a hypothetical individual’s disclosure (N=148) or non-disclosure (N=144) of feelings of IP and participant’s own feelings of IP affect how participants rate the individual in likeability. Results indicated no strong effect of participant’s own IP on the likeability rating of the hypothetical individual. However, additional findings suggest that many Rice students experience some level of IP. These findings suggest that IP is an issue that deserves attention on how it affects the undergraduate life and research on methods for reducing the level of IP that students experience
Adaptation of the Samson Narrative in The Simpsons
(Rice University, 2018) Ochoa, Lidia
Samson, the Nazarite Judge of the Judahites, is a character who has been widely discussed among biblical scholars. Scholars’ conclusions range from Samson as a hero, to Samson as a moral lesson, from Samson as a tragic character, to Samson as a literary device. There is no one view of Samson that is overwhelmingly more popular among scholars. However, scholars are not the only ones who have taken it upon themselves to interpret and bring forth a message or meaning from the Samson narrative. The creators of The Simpsons have also taken their own spin on the story in an episode cleverly titled “Simpson and Delilah.” In this paper I analyze the use of the biblical story of Samson in The Simpsons and ultimately compare the message conveyed in the episode to those found in the biblical story by scholars. The
Allegory for Political Rehabilitation: William and Mary, 1692, and Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen
(Rice University, 2014) Krawetz, Alexandra
When King William III and Queen Mary II ascended to the English throne in 1689 they were relatively well received. However, by 1692 their relationship with the public was strained. This created a need for image rehabilitation that could be partially satisfied by a public work, such as semi-opera. The Fairy Queen, Henry Purcell’s 1692 semi-opera, can be interpreted as a vehicle for this rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is achieved in this work through literary and historical allusions as well as an allegorical relationship between The Fairy Queen’s Queen Titania and England’s Queen Mary. Purcell subtlety reinforces these references and this relationship through instrumental, harmonic, and dramatic choices.
Architecture in the Marketplace of Ideas: Copyright and its "Chilling" Effects
(Rice University, 2009) Tankard, Jessica
This paper questions the applicability of current legal standards of copyright to architectural works. Copyright law, as currently written, does not address the unique needs and design practices common to the field of architecture. For example, in architecture, the appropriation of existing design strategies in new built works is common, and should not be seen as a copyright infringement. Secondly, architectural works integrate aesthetics and utility in ways that are often difficult to separate, therein complicating the legal distinction between patents (intended for utilitarian objects) and copyrights (intended for artistic productions). Furthermore, architectural works are not usually meant to be mass-produced and are difficult to copy, thus bringing into question the need to regulate their reproduction. The desire to create connections with the surrounding context of a built work is a fourth argument against the copyrighting of architectural works. This paper problematizes architecture’s position as a copyright protected field, synthesizing information from intellectual property law, cultural theory, economics, and architecture, using the works of prolific architect Rem Koolhaas as key examples. Copyleft thought and antirivalry policies are defined and proposed as alternative solutions to copyright law in the domain of architecture.
Archival (Yellow) Fever: The Letters of Kezia Payne DePelchin and E. Kate Heckle
(Rice University, 2011) O'Leary, Joanna Shawn Brigid
I originally submitted “Archival (Yellow) Fever” as my final paper for Dr. Helena Michie’s graduate seminar on Victorian fiction and historicism. This paper includes my analysis of the DePelchin/Heckle materials, a collection of writings by two female nurses serving in the 1878 Mississippi Valley Yellow Fever Epidemic; a meta-reflection on my experience in the archive; and proposals for two future research projects based my preliminary research. My first project, “Narrativizing Disease,” explores how DePelchin in particular sought to establish herself as an authorial figure via elaborate literary motifs and highly stylized language. This project also investigates the possibility that both women used war metaphors in their descriptions as a means of positing the Epidemic as a new sort of battle that specifically required female “soldiers” (i.e., caregivers). “The Legacy of Infection,” the second project, in turn examines how yellow fever may have permanently “infected” a household, that is to say, changed its gender and economic hierarchies, altered power dynamics, and/or transformed the space of the home. Because DePelchin and Heckle provided detailed accounts as to how patients and families operated during the Epidemic, the task of this second project is to extend and/or resolve those narratives begun by DePelchin and Heckle by engaging in a scholarly scavenger hunt of sorts through various historical sites and archives throughout the country.
Between Borders: a comparative study of traditional and fronterizo migrants
(Rice University, 2017) Rendon-Ramos, Erika
My research project seeks to break down gendered generalizations along the U.S. - Mexico borderland to demonstrate the diversity of the borderland experience based on one’s location and gender and furthermore, to show how women exhibit their agency in various facets of life regardless of the machismo culture. It furthers examinations of gendered migration by exploring its nuances at different points along the U.S. – Mexico border.
A Call for Medical Pluralism in America: Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine
(Rice University, 2012) Kong, Jiayi
China has adopted a unique policy of medical pluralism, whereby traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western biomedicine (WM) are both widely used in the health care system to provide optimal health outcomes to patients. Indeed, this fusion of traditional and western principles may seem contradictory, as there are fundamental differences in philosophy between TCM and WM. For example, TCM emphasizes the concepts of “Qi, Zang”, the “Yin-Yang” theory, “Shen”, and “Bianzheng lunzhi”. To the Chinese, health is viewed holistically, encompassing psychology, activity and diet. On the other hand, WM is much more concerned with intervention, focusing on the biological determinants of illness, and viewing health simply as the absence of disease. Despite these differences in theory, there are great advantages to combining TCM and WM, as illustrated in the successful integration seen in China since the 1950s. This integration improves health outcomes in chronic diseases. Furthermore, it also increases cost-effectiveness of health care. Finally, it meets an increasing demand for complementary medicine and cultural sensitivity. Indeed, research shows that the application of both TCM and WM in many cases would be more efficacious than the use of just one method alone. In the future, it is recommended that America combine TCM and WM through increased awareness of the benefits of medical pluralism and alternative medicine. Ultimately, Western practitioners should learn more about traditional medicine in organized settings such as medical schools, and be encouraged to accept new perspectives and philosophies about health care.
Clarifying competencies: A qualitative synthesis of cross-cultural training objectives
(Rice University, 2018) Dinh, Julie
Today’s workplace is becoming more multinational and culturally diverse than ever, both in terms of U.S. organizational employment and the greater global economy. While interest in cross-cultural training has grown as a result, however, there remains a dearth of scientific theory and empirical investigation supporting it. More specifically, there is scant information on key competencies that are needed for employees to perform global work effectively. This work addresses this gap in knowledge by briefly reviewing the history and current state of cultural competency across disciplines. A systematic and qualitative literature review of 39 studies, each involving empirically-tested cross-cultural interventions, was conducted. We review empirical and field-based research to distill and define cultural competencies that are key for modern organizations, proposing a novel framework that also incorporates corresponding interventional methods. Nine key competencies are identified and categorized into a novel theoretical framework of three domains. We conclude by making practical, scientifically-backed recommendations for scientists and practitioners alike.
Commoditizing Katrina
(Rice University, 2010) Lockrem, Jessica
Mere months after residents of New Orleans were left stranded on their roofs, before, even, all of the bodies were to be found within the flood wreckage, Gray Line New Orleans announced plans to begin bus tours of the wreckage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Such tours have now multiplied, almost a dozen companies offering bus or van tours of the death and destruction that so many watched unfold on network television. This essay will track the Katrina devastation tour through its various formations, noting, especially, its changing status as a commodity throughout. The commoditization of Katrina has not been a straight path towards increasing commoditization, but has been alternately contested and promoted as a commodity throughout its history.
Commons Knowledge (a library for rare books yet to be written)
(Rice University, 2010) Dewane, David
This thesis is a typological investigation of the library - specifically examining how digitizing information informs design. The agency of the book, which has historically been the protagonist of library design, is being radically transformed by the migration to the digital. An analysis of this shift reveals opportunities where new and provocative juxtapositions can be sought within this ancient and well-known building type. This library seeks to respond formally to the current condition of the book, which, as it is translated to the electronic, is divided into three phases: the absent, the common, and the unique. The absent is an acknowledgement that information is now produced in a wide variety of media whose representation can no longer be accommodated by the book alone, the common is an affirmation that the mechanically reproducible book is still legitimate, and in fact can be radically recast using existing technologies, and finally the unique is an understanding of how to treat objects resistant to digitization. Conceptually, the ambition of the library is to provide increased access to materials available online, while also providing opportunities to access that which cannot be easily reproduced. It stages a relationship between the two, and in the process tries to strengthen its position as an agency of culture
Developing Messianism from the Old Testament, to Qumran, to Jesus
(Rice University, 2018) Ochoa, Lidia
Studying messianism, one encounters a bottomless array of written work all of which are meant to clarify, elaborate, or identify the origins of Christian and Jewish beliefs in a Messiah. The abundance of work done in this field are evidence of the complex nature of the topic, and make it irrefutably clear that emphasis on a different set of primary materials, the use of slightly different versions of the same text, or even any single detail of a difference result in distinctions among scholarly findings. In this paper I seek to identify the definition of “Messiah” through the eyes of Old Testament, Qumran, and New Testament authors, and to trace how and why that definition transformed over time. Through this, I seek to answer the question of whether the Old Testament truly predicts the coming of Jesus, but more specifically, how we have come to believe that it does.
Dietary Supplement Industry and the Lack of Regulation
(Rice University, 2009) Dinh, Cindy
Disability, Love, And Limitation: A Response To The Mere-Difference View
(Rice University, 2019) Smith, Joshua Tyler
Elizabeth Barnes’ argues that physical disabilities have no impact on how well someone’s life goes since disabilities are not negative difference makers to one’s life. I analyze Barnes’ position and tease out three background theses she utilizes in order to argue her position. The most significant of these theses (I call T2) suggests that the kinds of goods experienced by an individual are much less important than the amount of goods in a life. As long as a disabled person can participate in some goods unrelated to a disability, their life will go well for them. I argue that certain goods, especially those an individual loves, are not consistent with this thesis. I use the analogy with romantic love to illustrate that some goods are valued not for their relative quantity but because of their unique relationship to an individual. Given this inconsistency, I suggest that Barnes’ position needs further support to justify her argument.
Disentangling Desire in 1950s Houston: On Assemblages and Racial Disparity in American Criminal Justice
(Rice University, 2014) Ponton, David III
The criminalization of black males has been documented and theorized by historians and sociologists alike. While scholars have often analyzed their data with a critical eye to gender and race when black men meet the United States' criminal justice system, they have thought of the social positions “black” and “male” as an important intersection, but have not thoroughly theorized it as a co-constituted, historically contingent state of being made of both semiotic and material components. Employing Deleuzian assemblages as a theoretical frame and analytical tool, I argue that the out of the symbolic and embodied component parts of the American criminal justice system, there is an emergent organism—a justice-complex. This organism is a “desiring-machine” that has co-evolved with white-male hegemony. However, in contradistinction to conflict theorists' narratives, I maintain that the justice-complex and whitemale hegemony do not necessarily merge to form a whole defined by its relations of interiority. Thus, while inequalities produced by this organism are racist and sexist, analyzing it as essentially such elides historical contingency and constrains the terms of both scholarly and public policy conversations. I explore these ideas as I present the story of Johnny Elwood Gordon, a black man accused of rape in Houston in 1954, demonstrating the analytical importance of disentangling the desires of co-evolved assemblages for understanding how nonracist, non-sexist machines have historically perpetuated racial and gender disparities in the context of the American criminal justice system.
Duality and the Mask in Eighteenth-Century Actress Portraits
(Rice University, 2015) Evans, Jane
Theatrical masks in portraits of eighteenth-century actresses signify more than the figure’s profession. Multiple masks in a single composition and the figure’s active engagement with these plastic, yet eerily human objects suggest a more complex relationship between the theatrical mask and portraiture. Many scholars have examined eighteenth-century British actress portraits as tools by which the sitter elevated her reputation and distanced herself from associations with prostitution. Yet the presence of the theatrical mask in portraits by Joshua Reynolds, John Hoppner, and William Beechey, for example, has received no critical attention. Quantity, placement, and interaction between actress and object indicate metaphorical significance and demand examination. I argue the mask acts as a marker of duality and potential deception, becoming the locus for anxieties within the sister arts of theatre and painting. Artistic and dramatic theorists were in the process of codifying each medium based upon strict categories and dichotomies. Yet the actress’s proclivity for deception spilled onto the canvas, requiring artistic intervention. As such, the mask was a site of artistic and social anxiety, where gender norms, aesthetic principles, and power relations were visually negotiated.
Empathy in the Physician-Patient Relationship: How Physicians Define, Develop, and Demonstrate Emotional Work in Clinical Practice
(Rice University, 2013) Utrankar, Amol
In recent years, much research has been focused on the role of empathy in the patientphysician relationship. Empathy has been shown to improve patient communication, trust, and clinical outcomes. Driven by this evidence, the physician-patient interaction has shifted in recent decades from a relationship that once discouraged empathy to one that now requires it as a fundamental element of the physician scope of practice. The majority of this research examines correlates of empathetic behavior, longitudinal changes in patient-centeredness scores, or behavioral coding of physician-patient relationships, leaving knowledge gaps in questions of meaning or process surrounding clinical empathy. This study attempts to link the quantitative aspects of medical research on empathy with the sociological concept of emotion labor. Semistructured narrative interviews will be conducted with emergency medicine physicians and residents at two Level I trauma centers at academic medical centers. As an outcome, this study aspires to understand how physicians conceptualize empathy, consider its role within their broader scope of responsibilities, and experience changes in empathy over time. These findings will provide an explanatory theoretical framework of empathy in the medical setting to strengthen future evaluations and interventions.
Environment and Economy Along Houston’s Bayous
(Rice University, 2016) Jones, Benjamin
The bayous have played a key role in the development of Houston since the city’s founding in the early 19th centuries. Houstonians have approached their relationship with the bayous in several different ways. Boosters and industrialists, who transformed Buffalo Bayou into the Houston Ship Channel, viewed the bayous as key pieces of infrastructure to be shaped and utilized in order to optimize Houston’s trading position. Environmentalists, City Beautiful proponents, and others saw the bayous as ideal green spaces. However, all groups laying claim to Houston’s bayous have done so for the express purpose of economic growth. In a city defined by its entrepreneurial spirit, even Houston’s natural features have been put to work
Exchanges: Artistic Dialogues Between Tibet and China
(Rice University, 2019) Ziebell, Zelda
In a dynamic exhibition, Exchanges: Artistic Dialogues Between Tibet and China explores hybridized Sino-Tibetan and Tibeto-Chinese styles from the Tang to the Qing Dynasty. China and Tibet have engaged in an iconographic dialogue, facilitated through Buddhism, for a period of over a thousand years, and a survey of this convergence of styles will present museum visitors with a visual timeline of a complex, transcultural relationship. The exhibition is organized by three sections: Secular Portraiture and Encounters, Esoteric Buddhism and Chinese Emperors, and Vajrayāna Buddhist Figures.

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