Fall 2024
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 15 | Welcome back PPA reception Carnegie Foyer |
| September 20 | Seniors submit signed internship contract and internship travel budget |
| December 13 | Seniors must submit all approved internship hours, signed thesis abstract, and final reimbursement requests to the Associate Director by 5:00 p.m. |
Spring 2025
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Beginning of February | Senior Exit Interviews with PPA Coordinator and Associate Director |
| PPA 191 Class meetings Carnegie 109; time TBD | |
| March 28 | Senior Thesis draft due to readers and Associate Director by midnight |
| April 25 | Senior Thesis final version due to readers and to Associate Director |
| April 18 | Richard K. Worthington Senior Thesis Conference Hart Room Smith Campus Center |
Richard K. Worthington PPA Senior Thesis Conference
April 18, 2025
9:20 a.m. Welcome and Overview
David Menefee-Libey,
Program Coordinator and Professor of Politics
9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Flawed Representation: An Investigation into Local Democratic Engagement Strategies
This panel examines local democratic mechanisms intended to empower under-represented groups in decision-making. From electoral representation to local school funding, systems face capacity and resource accessibility issues that limit the participation of marginalized groups. In each of our case studies, we found public institutions have fallen short in this effort.
Madison Lewis
(PPA/POL)
Lauren Ziment
(PPA/POL)
Andrea Mac
(PPA/ECON)
Olivia Marble*
(PPA/SOC)
10:35 - 11:35 a.m. Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Private Sector Disruptions and Public Sector Responses
In a rapidly evolving world, how do governments react to private sector innovations? Do they adapt? Do they flounder? Do they even react at all? We answer these questions from the global to the local scale, from past to present, from politics to economics.
Jon Burkart*
(PPA/POL)
Jake Winkler
(PPA/ECON)
Sofia Guimares
(PPA/ECON)
Min Ah (AJ) Joo
(PPA/POL)
11:40 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch On Your Own
12:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. The Path to Failure
This panel analyzes policy outcomes impacting foster youth, domestic violence survivors, legal aid service seekers, and low-income workers. By examining the systematic failures barring these groups from accessible services—or lack thereof— we uncover the institutional failures that continue to inhibit and dictate their everyday lives.
Simone Bogedal
(PPA/ECON)
Brandolyn Thomas*
(PPA/POL)
Brandon Karagozian
(PPA/GWS)
Ella Gardener
(PPA/POL)
1:50 - 2:50 p.m. Building a Healthier and Safer CA Society
Each of our investigations examine policies that are intended to address different public health and environmental challenges and the way in which institutions have fallen short in supporting them. Focusing on California, we delve into the rights to clean water, air, and quality dental care, advocating for long-term plans that ensure sustainable resource management and equitable access. Our work highlights the urgent need to re-evaluate these high-stakes issues, often overlooked, to educate and mobilize for change.
Ben Baraga
(PPA/EA)
Manu Prabandham
(PPA/CHEM)
Alicia Carmona Cornejo*
(PPA/EA)
Yena Jang
(PPA/BIO)
2:55 – 3:55 p.m. Red Hot Issues in the Classroom: Illuminating Modern Education Problems in Conservative America
In this panel, we will discuss policies addressing contemporary challenges in K-12 education, focusing on resource distribution and curriculum in conservative states. At a time of increasing polarization across America, we investigate poverty indicators in Georgia, school resource officers in Texas, and racially and socially inclusive curriculum materials in Florida through case studies and applications of key theories in our respective concentrations.
Sabrina Gleitz*
(PPA/POL)
Julianna Portillo- Del Valle
(PPA/PSYC)
Hannah Williams
(PPA/SOC)
4:00 p.m. Closing Remarks
Professor of Economics Fernando Lozano
*Denotes panel chair