Student Research

Senior Capstone and Honors Thesis

As an International Studies student, you will complete a high-quality capstone research project or honors thesis. If admitted to the Honors program, you will expand and refine your research project with the support of your course instructor, external reader, and fellow students. The Honors thesis also aims to help you prepare for life after graduation through skill development and application practice  

Previous capstone and honors projects have explored women’s rights in France, educational access in Seattle for adult refugees from Africa, social media and activism in Chilean social uprisings, among many other topics.

Seattle University Student Research and Creativity Conference

The Seattle University Student Research and Creativity Conference (SRCCon, pronounced "Sur-Con") is an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students conducting research or participating in creative works or artistic endeavors in all academic disciplines to share what they have been working on.

Supported by the Office of the Provost, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Office of Fellowships, and Office of Sponsored Projects.

Faculty and Student Research

Felipe Murtinho (International Studies/Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership) and Tanya Hayes (Environmental Studies/Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership) traveled with four Seattle University students to the Andes of Ecuador. As part of an NSF-funded research project, students learned about the livelihood needs in the context of climate change, and critically assess programs that aim to conserve the environment by combating poverty and supporting community development. In Ecuador, the students worked with Murtinho and Hayes to conduct community-driven workshops on climate change, land-use, and ecotourism.

Professor Audrey Hudgins, with students Hallie Evans and Craig Verniest, collaborated with Fundación Esperanza de Mexico (FEM) on a Community-based Participatory Action Research (CBPR) project in the 2020-2021 academic year. Published this month, the report, titled “A Study on Empowerment in the Fondos de Ahorro para Vivienda (FAV) of Fundación Esperanza de México (FEM),” contributes to organizational understanding of the role empowerment plays in their work of community development across the colonias in Tijuana, Mexico. The project was funded by a College of Arts & Sciences Student Assistantship. This assistantship also supported the development of a resources list for the organization which will enable connections to US-based organizations that have the capacity to support its work, which has suffered significant setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nova Robinson (International Studies/History) is the co-editor with Bonnie G. Smith of the Routledge Global History of Feminism. This forty-essay anthology, which is under contract with Routledge, is the first volume to compile articles from leading experts on feminism as an idea, a practice of everyday life, and a political undertaking across the globe. In creating the index of the book, her student research assistant will have a hand in shaping the reader’s experience with the text. A good index can enhance a reader’s experience, especially of an edited collection. Conversely, a bad index can impede a reader’s access to information. Indexing this volume will give my student research assistant a front-row seat to how the academic publishing world works. The student selected for this research assistantship will walk away from the project with increased professional formation on several fronts, but especially project management and teamwork/collaboration.

Serena Cosgrove (International Studies) travels regularly to Guatemala with SU students to carry out research with Dr. Ana Marina Tzul and students from the Universidad Rafael Landívar about women’s leadership to end gender-based violence. This picture was taken in Santa María Chiquimula, a small town in the highlands of Guatemala.