2021 SSURF Research Fellows
Student Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships
This highly competitive opportunity is awarded to students to undertake an intensive ten-week summer research or creative activity project with their Westfield State University mentor.
In addition, students will participate in professional development workshops, group meetings, discussions, outings, assessments, presentations, and engage with the Urban Education Summer Bridge Program.
​
CONGRATULATIONS!
Personality Traits and Health Insurance Plan Attributes: An Economic Choice Experiment
MADISON CZERNIAWSKI '21
MAJOR: ECONOMICS
​
FACULTY SPONSOR: PROFESSOR HILLARY SACKETT-TAYLOR, ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT
FACULTY SPONSOR: PROFESSOR ALINA GROSS, REGIONAL PLANNING
This project tests the correlations between personality traits and health insurance plan attributes, while simultaneously estimating an individual's willingness to pay for health insurance plan attributes. We use a combination of survey and choice experiments to test these correlations and willingness to pay analyses.
OLIVIA R. HOUDE '22
MAJOR: GEOGRAPHY, PLANNING, AND SUSTAINABILITY
​
Greening the University Campus: Recommendations for New Student Orientation
This project aimed at creating recommendations for the New Student Orientation (NSO) staff as to how they could present the topic of sustainability at NSO. The recommendations are based off of responses from interviews that were held with orientation staff from other colleges and universities that introduce students to sustainability at their orientation.
HOLDEN NELSON '23
MAJOR: CHEMISTRY AND MATHEMATICS
FACULTY SPONSOR: PROFESSOR RODERICO ACEVEDO, CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and their Degradation Products: Detection and Remediation Strategies for Afflicted Communities.
A video overview of the research I performed over the summer with Professor Acevedo regarding the chemical pollution of the Housatonic and remedial strategies thereof. This includes a brief history of the issue, a brief analysis of some remedial options, and my conclusions as to the efficacy of the proposed solution.
MARIO RICHARDS '21
MAJOR: ENGLISH
FACULTY SPONSOR: PROFESSOR ELIZABETH STARR, ENGLISH
Embodiment Theory Explained
This project will explore what embodiment theory is. This will be done by looking at its origins and how it is discussed today.