Graduate Research Spotlight

May 4, 2017

Constructing Identity Among Italians at NC State

Using language as a window into their experiences, NC State graduate student and Fulbright fellow Cecilia Tomasatti conducted interviews with not only Italian students, but also faculty, about what it’s like to adapt to another country’s climate, culture and cuisine.

May 4, 2017

Mapping Early Syrian Immigrants in New York

Syrians have been immigrating to the United States since the 1880s. Using historical census data and open source mapping technology, NC State public history graduate students are researching the communities Syrians formed after landing in America.

May 4, 2017

Media Agenda and Public Opinion in Russia

Curious about the role Russian media plays in public opinion about the United States., NC State graduate student Ekaterina Bogomoletc examined the rhetoric, tone and meaning captured in hundreds of TV news stories from 2012-15.

May 4, 2017

Comparing Language in the Yucatan

It’s no secret that language and accents evolve over time. But what do those changes say about the speakers themselves? What can they tell us about identity? NC State graduate student Alex Hyler explored those questions while studying unique forms of Spanish in Yucatan, Mexico.

Apr 20, 2017

Language, Gender and Disney Princesses

With billions of dollars in box office and retail sales, the films in Disney’s Princess collection have an immense reach. And while entertaining, their messages can also be influential in how children learn about social norms and behaviors. In this Q&A, NC State graduate student Karen Eisenhauer discusses her research on how language in the Disney Princess movies can depict and represent gender roles.

Jun 7, 2016

Research Explores How Hurricane Warnings Reach the Public

NC State graduate student Laura Zdanski studies how hurricane warnings are communicated to the public. As part of a recent literature review of public perception and response to hurricane flooding, Zdanski explored the flow of technical information from experts to those at risk (the public) and those responsible for mitigating risk (governmental agencies).

May 18, 2016

Study Investigates Why Public Employees Break Rules

Employees in all industries break workplace rules from time to time. After years of working in government and social services, Casey Fleming wondered why.

May 10, 2016

Looking for an Oasis in America’s Food Deserts

Doctoral student Sherrie Godette investigated government intervention into food deserts — low-income population areas where residents have limited access to grocery stores. We asked her about her research and what it tells us about the state of food access.

Apr 27, 2016

Study Breaks New Ground in Analyzing Colombian Spanish

Juan David Gutierrez's passion for languages has led him to research the differences in regional Spanish dialects in Colombia, providing emergent insight in an area without much existing data.

Apr 22, 2016

Research Tests Success of Conditional Poverty Aid

How can countries best address institutional poverty? One method -- called conditional cash transfer, or CCT -- rewards socially beneficial actions. For example, a CCT program may give a family money in exchange for sending its children to school or regular medical check-ups. Master of International Studies student Lesa Sexton set out to discover if national CCT programs in Mexico and Brazil are having a major impact on education for children living in poverty.