The University of Rochester (UR) has a strong reputation for research, but you might be surprised to learn that it extends beyond STEM to humanities and social sciences as well. No matter the major, undergraduates are able to get involved in research opportunities that satiate their curiosity. Over a decade ago, the Friends of the UR Libraries (FURL) launched the Undergraduate Research Initiative Award (RIA) with a goal of advancing scholarly research and empowering students to pursue their intellectual interests—and they’ve been funding amazing research ever since.
This award recognizes outstanding student engagement in undergraduate research; the work may take the form of a senior thesis, capstone project, or independent research project. The committee looks for applicants who show evidence of independent inquiry, creativity in their research, depth and breadth in their use of library sources and collections, and an ability to identify, evaluate, and synthesize sources to create a project that shows originality. That’s no small feat!
Kristen Totleben, Open Publishing Librarian and longtime RIA committee member, remarks, “it is always inspiring to read students’ project proposals. The hardest part is selecting the recipients among so many fantastic applications.” For 2024, FURL recognized four winners: one first- ($1,000), one second ($750), and two third-place ($500) winners.
Meet the Winners
Here’s the scoop on this year’s winners and their fascinating research:
FIRST PLACE
Dina Garber ‘26 | Identity on Display: The Role of Vienna’s Museums in Austria’s Era of Transformation (1918-1955)
Vienna’s museums reflected and shaped society at key moments in Austria’s history. Garber’s project explores exhibitions displayed around WWII, both after 1938 and Austria’s annexation into Nazi Germany and after 1945 when the nation was rebuilding and perpetuating its post-war ‘victim theory.’ Her research utilizes exhibition catalogs, newspapers, and correspondence from these periods accessed through Vienna’s Art History Museum, Natural History Museum, and Weltmuseum. Ultimately, Garber aims to evaluate the similarities and differences between these exhibitions that were held during ideologically turbulent times.
This award was vital to Garber’s project in its early stages. “[It] enabled me to consult with museum archivists and curators in Vienna to jumpstart my project,” she says. “I am incredibly grateful for the libraries and the advisors who have helped me so far!”
SECOND PLACE
Breena Keefe ‘24 | Predicting Children’s Emotional Development: Effect of Parental Cognitions and Emotion Socialization Practices
After transferring to UR from Monroe Community College in the spring of her junior year, Keefe was eager to dive into academic research. She worried about not having enough research to get into graduate school and was disappointed that she missed the deadline to apply to the honors research program. Keefe persevered and forged her own path, connecting with Dr. Melissa Sturge-Apple, Professor of Psychology and beginning the independent research that became this award-winning project.
Existing research shows that parental cognitions and how parents respond to their children’s negative emotions lead to different child outcomes. Yet, there is a lack of literature on how these beliefs may predict the use of different reaction strategies to children’s emotional distress. Keefe’s work aims to bridge the gap by studying parental cognitions as a predictor of reactions to children’s emotional distress.
“To me, the Research Initiative Award (RIA) is about creativity and tenacity,” Keefe shared. “With the money from RIA, I was able to present my research poster at the Eastern Psychological Association’s conference in New York City. I’m very appreciative of FURL for encouraging students to take an active part in the research process and helping me achieve my goals!”
THIRD PLACE
Natasha Vacca ‘25 | Elucidating the Mechanisms behind Parasitic Manipulation in Developing Hosts
Parasites are often nicknamed nature’s neurobiologists due to their unique ability to invade a host and subsequently manipulate its neuronal pathways, physiology, and behavior across many different organisms. Despite their wide success spanning from insects to humans, less is known about the mechanisms behind this manipulation. Vacca’s research uses the social wasp host with an insect parasite to explore how a parasite can manipulate the neural system of its host. Her research focuses on the neurogenomic signatures of parasitic manipulation leading to altered host states.
This award has been deeply meaningful to Vacca. She says, “my dream career is to continue within research and academia to uncover the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind neurological responses to pathogenic and/or parasitic infection. Receiving this award is a huge support toward continuing this work. I’m incredibly grateful to the Friends of UR Libraries.”
THIRD PLACE
Kendal Jordan ‘25 | Game Over Stereotypes: Reassessing Black Representation in Gaming
Jordan’s project, an extension of her previous project, Unveiling the Pixels: A Critical Analysis of Black Representation in Action Videogames, aims to create a metric to better categorize Black representation in video games. Building on that research, Jordan will create a metric that assesses Intellectual Depth, Cultural Identity, Social Dynamics, and Narrative Impact of video game characters and how they are shown in game.
Jordan, an avid video game player, shares, “I see Black video game characters, but they are always one dimensional and stereotypical. As a scholar who has done research in video games and seen other scholars' opinions, I am happy to be the introduction to this scholarship that other people can start at before exploring more in-depth and theoretical work. Winning this award and being recognized by the Friends of the Library means a lot to me.”
Applications for the 2025 awards are due November 21. For questions about the award or application process, contact Kim Osur, development manager for the River Campus Libraries.
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