COLA Conference Program
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Panel 1-A: Drinko 402 ……………………………………………………..9:00am-10:15am
‘Power In, Power Out’: AI, Creative Writing, and Epistemology
Moderator: Michael Shirzadian
1. Rafael Alfonso “The Spectrum of AI's Utility in Writing About the Self”
2. Ryann Province “An Incomplete Narrative: Gay Essentialism, Sapphic Erasure, and Trans Circumvention in Literature”
3. Allyson Jeffrey “AI, Creative Writing, and Race”
4. Ben Chambers “The Black Box Problem: AI's Limitation of Political Imagination and Critique”
Panel 1-B: Drinko 349 ……………………………………………………..9:00am-10:15am
Human Behavior in Historical Contexts Moderator: Del Chrol
1. Brent Hamilton “Experimental Archaeology on Pucker-Toe Moccasins: How Mistakes Can Lead to a Better Understanding of the Past and the Archaeological Record”
2. Anna Spagna “Legacies of Learning: Exploring Learning Methodologies in Imperial Rome vs. the Modern Day”
3. Devyn Samples “Hybridized Culture and Identity in Roman Britain”
4. Orion Floyd “Crystal Unclear: Authority and the Definition of Crystals”
Panel 1-C: Drinko 138 …………………………………………………….9:00am-10:15am
Sociology in Appalachia Moderator: Jamie Warner
1. Evan Grady “Rural Conspiracies”
2. Christian Hedrick “Tarnishing the Golden Leaf: The Terminus of the Tobacco Growing Political Economy of the Mid-Atlantic Region”
3. Abigail Gibson “Under the Surface: Taking a Closer Look at the Underground Market and Trade of Human Remains”
4. Alyssa Rayburn “Local Perceptions on Drug Court and People Who Struggle with Substance Use”
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Poster Session A: Drinko 4th floor ………………………………….....10:00am-11:00am
Psychology Capstone Projects Moderator: Wendi Benson & Masa Toyama
Poster A1. Dr. Wendi Benson, Renee Berger, Brenton Doty, Marianna Spoor “Faculty Support and Understanding Moderate Neurodivergence’s Impact on Belonging and Transition Difficulty in Online Programs.”
Poster A2. Lily Hager, Daniel Rose “Student Proximity as a Predictor of Belonging, Transition Difficulty, and Excitement About Joining Marshall Online”
Poster A3. Haley Shue “Religious Trauma and its Impact on Rural LGBTQ+ Mental Health”
Poster A4. Alison Roberts “Literature Review Analyzing Support Systems for LGBTQ+ Adolescents in Rural Areas”
Poster A5. Mary Henderson “Accessible Care and Recidivism: The Potential Benefits of Destigmatized Care and Treatment for Sex-Offenders”
Poster A6. Abi Wilson “Risk Factors and Barriers to Treatment for Eating Disorders in Rural Areas”
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Panel 2-A: Drinko 402 ……………………………………………….…..11:00am-12:15pm
OCD, Self Image and Folklore Moderator: Jill Treftz
1. Samantha Noakes “Behind Her Smile” (Creative Writing)
2. Kaylan Legg “A Realistic Portrait of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” (Creative Writing)
3. Maggie Gibbs “The Sound of Nothingness and the Taste of Goodness: A Narrative of Body, Power, and Becoming” (Creative Writing)
4. Jaden Keith “Folklore is Breathing New Life into the Region and Bringing Tourism with it.”
Panel 2-B: Drinko 349 ……………………………………………………11:00am-12:15pm
Preserving West Virginia: Exploring Marshall’s Special Collections
Moderator: Sarah Walton
English Graduate Students’ Round Table Discussion
Amy Welch, Amy Lawson, Emily Blake, Annika Bruce, Tanier Dutton, Carson McKinney
Panel 2-C: Drinko 138 ………………………………………….………..11:00am-12:15am
Tales from Russia to Appalachia Moderator: Puspa Damai
1. Lily Turner “Vasilisa the Beautiful: Challenging Human-Centric Views of Agency and Subjectivity”
2. Abigail Slater “Exploited Landscapes: The Postcolonial Perspectives on Appalachia in Storming Heaven”
3. Zoie Higginbotham “Teaching Fitzgerald’s Gatsby as a Feminist Novel”
4. Kristin Barnett “Blurring Fact and Fiction: Autofictional Elements in The Great Gatsby”
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Panel 3-A: Drinko 402 …………………………….12:30pm-1:45pm
Harnessing Communication to Tackle Community Challenges (Virtual) Moderator: Jill Underhill
1. Lilli Ross “Improving the Impact of Coaching Communication Styles in Collegiate Track and Field”
2. Alyssa Tygart “Scrolling vs. Stress: The Effects of TikTok on Anxiety”
3. Ashley Tudor “Improving the Communication of Mental Health Resources through Division 1 Women's Basketball Programs to its Minority Players”
4. Madison Frye “Navigating the Negative Impact of Executive Order No. 3-25 on LGBTQ+ Students at Marshall University”
Panel 3-B: Drinko 349 …………………………………………………….12:30pm-1:45pm
Psychology in the Community Moderator: Dawn Goel
1. Skylar Elliott, Sydney Gibson, Haleigh Muncy, Layton Sydenstricker, Emily Thomas, Hailie Yeager “Journaling for Healing: Supporting Survivors at Branches Domestic Violence Shelter”
2. Jenna Handley, Allison King, Kara Marsingill, Markayla Moore, Abi Wilson “Building Connections Through Art and Engagement: Intergenerational Community Learning in a Nursing Home”
3. Evan Green, Chelsea Hayes, Kristopher Jackson, Paige Jennings, Cheyenne Trejo “Supporting Emotional Development in Children: Community-Based Learning at the Huntington City Mission”
4. Selena Baker, Kamryn Davis, Kat Dean, Jaalah Dech, Donald Hansbury, Martuise Hansbury, Aurora Huffman, Abby Massey, Hannah Runyon, Jordyn Varney, Emma Whetzel “We Will Keep the Light On: A Community Ensuring Diverse and Inclusive Student Activities Thrive”
Panel 3-C: Drinko 138 ………………………………………….………....12:30pm-1:45pm
Medea, Monsters, and Mockingbirds Moderator: Puspa Damai
1. Bianca Wingard “The Modern Medea”
2. Emily Thompson “How and Why ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a Learning Experiences for Students”
3. Jayden Mason “Deconstructing Humanity in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”
4. Halee Gilliland “Escapism and Hope in Bridge to Terabithia”
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Panel 4-A: Drinko 402 ……………………………………………….…......2:00pm-3:15pm
Plath, Panopticon, Motherhood and Dune Moderator: Rachael Peckham
1. Rachel Geiger “The Ups and Downs of Motherhood”
2. Abbi Carney “Mothers of Control: The Bene Gesserit’s Influence on Power in Dune”
3. Jessica Burgess “The Gaze and the Self: Identity Formation in Fleabag through the Lens of the Panopticon”
4. Eden Pauley “Teaching The Bell Jar: The Relationship Between Society and Mental Health”
Panel 4-B: Drinko 349 ……………………………………………….…......2:00pm-3:15pm
Psychology in Various Contexts Moderator: Masa Toyama
1. Mars Brown “Digital Bridge Trolls: Associations of Narcissism, Benign and Malicious Envy, and Antisocial online Behaviors
2. Anna Lantz “What Activities Predict Sense of Belonging Relating to Mental Health among College Students?”
3. Sydney Wiles “Financial Difficulties, Student-Faculty Relationships, and their Links to Sense of Belonging in College”
4. Kara Marsingill “Satisfaction and Support as Predictors of Residential Treatment Outcomes in Appalachia”
Panel 4-C: Drinko 138 ……………………………………………….…......2:00pm-3:15pm
Self-Reflection in Creative Writing Moderator: Jill Treftz
1. Abigail Cox “Saint Monica's Brood” (Creative writing)
2. Ryann Province “Think Tank Inc.” (Creative writing)
3. Ben Chambers “Haley” (Creative Writing)
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Panel 5-A: Drinko 402 ……………………………………………….…......3:30pm-4:45pm
Folklore and Memoirs in Creative Writing Moderator: Jonathan Kozar
1. Joe Goodwin “Be-crow The Novella Analysis and Overview”
2. Donald Towers “In Defense of Nonsense; on Delight, Fun, and Surprise in Craft and in Process”
3. Emilea Justice “If You Could Change It”
4. Bryson Denney “"Miracle Baby!": A Memoiristic Exploration of Medical Trauma and Trauma Theory”
Panel 5-B: Drinko 349 ……………………………………………….…......3:30pm-4:45pm
Queer Studies and History within Media Moderator: Jamie Warner
1. Madison Graves “Home Sweet Home”
2. Amy Lawson “The Queering of Will Byers”
3. Madison Graves “Queerness in Ted Lasso”
4. Benjamin McElroy “Simultaneous War: How the War of 1812 Leads the Cherokee onto a Dark Path of Immense Suffering and Tragedy”
Panel 5-C: Drinko 138 ……………………………………………….…......3:30pm-4:45pm
AI, Social Media, Dr. Who and Burnout Moderator: Puspa Damai
1. Rafael Alfonso “’Dressed in Skin Too Smooth’: Using Folklore to Explain AI Anxieties
2. Silas King “Social Media’s Role in Shaping Modern Literature”
3. Hayden Henderson “The Ethics of Time: Moral Dilemmas in Doctor Who"
4. Malaysia Morgan, Luke Blevins, Kendal Ball “Bunout to Balance”
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