Students in the humanities have ample opportunities to carry out original research at Puget Sound. Many classes involve students in research which results in digital publications or exhibitions. These examples from Art History, English, History, and Philosophy suggest the many possibilities for engaging in original research in the classroom. Beyond conducting research within courses, students also pursue research as independent study projects during the semester or as summer research projects. Many students opt for developing research projects over longer periods of time: for example, a student may start a research project in a course, then expand it with the support of a Summer Research Grant, and then refine it further in a senior seminar as a thesis. Each year several students also attend undergraduate or professional conferences (such as the Gender Studies Symposium held at Lewis & Clark University and the Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Washington) to present the results of their research.
The Summer Research Grants in the Arts and Humanities
These awards offer students the opportunity to engage in independent research projects during the summer. These grants are awarded on a competitive basis to students who demonstrate research interest and ability. Students devote themselves full time to the project for at least ten weeks during summer, carrying out research on campus using library resources or studio spaces, or traveling to locations best suited to their project. Students present their work in an open forum in September, either as an independent public lecture or as a presentation during the Fall Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Symposium. Students publish their work online at Sound Ideas.
In 2020 the following students majoring in humanities fields have received a Summer Research award in the Arts and Humanities:
- Aaron Balderrama, Psychology, Perceptions toward Latinx and White men who disclose self-harming and suicide ideation
- Eva Baylin, History, Lived experiences of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe on the Lower East Side
- Quinn Bohner, Philosophy, Changing Minds with Literature
- Chloe Brew, Art History and Classics, Paradigms of Feminine Power: The Piraeus Athena and Aphrodite of Knidos
- Catherine Croft, Art Studio, Animated Neuroscience Pilot for Kids
- Aidan Crosby, History and English, The Bonus March
- Juliano Estrada Donatelli, Spanish Culture and Literature, Against Colonial Imaginaries: Rewriting Latin America in Juan Jose Saer's The Witness and Bernardo Carvalho's Nine Nights
- Madeleine Golitz, Art Studio, Illustrating Neuroaesthetics
- Daisy Gould, Psychology, Am I gay enough? Examining perceptions toward non-heterosexual women
- Zach Herrmann, Religious Studies, Body Politics and Modern Taboos
- Alex Jacobson, History and Politics & Government, Nationalism in Medieval Scandinavia
- Brian Kim, Philosophy and Economics, Phenomenal Anger: Defining Political Anger
- Lucas Leary, Classics and Computer Science, Generating Gender Violations in Latin Poetry
- Fran Leskovar, History and Politics & Government, The Hapsburg Monarchy and contemporary Croatian society: The rose-colored memory of the past?
- Tio Lloyd, Religious Studies and Chinese, Examining Contemporary Music Festivals Through the Lens of Fundamental Religious Theory
- Sydney Morgan, Music and Chemistry, Revamp: Tracing the Sounds and History of the Orchestra as an Institution in the United States
- Sophie Paul, Performance (Orchestra) and English, Stagings of Identity: Re-Imagining the Nutcracker in the Tacoma Community
- Julia Schiff, Art Studio, Materialized Narratives: An Exploration of Printmaking Techniques
- Andre-Phillipe Therrien, Classics, Reading Ovid's Tristia II as a Work of Rhetoric
- Natalie Willoughby, Communication Studies and Politics & Government, Online Activism and Intersectionality as Analysis
- Kyra Zapf, English, Intersections of Spanish and English Sumptuary Law and Textile Regulation from the 15th-16th Century
