We would like to congratulate Erin Haslett and Rayna Patel, winners of the 2024 Senior Thesis Award as part of the Political Science Honors Program. We asked Erin and Rayna to share a bit about their research experiences and future plans!

Erin Haslett

What was the title of your Thesis?
“An Investigation into the Scientific Re-biologization of Race and Sex”                                                             

What got you interested in the topic you researched?
I majored in Political Science and minored in Integrative Biology, so I wanted to find a way to integrate both of my interests into one body of work. Many of my courses at UIUC also dealt with the practice of scientists using socially constructed categories as proxies for biological difference, so I wanted to further examine this phenomenon and the circumstances surrounding it. 

How did the Honors program/undergraduate thesis benefit you?
I think the Honors program helped give me valuable data analysis skills that I will be able to effectively use for my future education and career. I also think the undergraduate thesis allowed me to develop my researching and writing abilities for academic papers. 

You just graduated! What’s next?
I will be attending Emory University to pursue an MPH in Epidemiology.

Rayna Patel

What was the title of your Thesis?
Citizen’s Voices in Climate Migration: Exploring Public Opinion’s Influence on Government Action on the International Level

What got you interested in the topic you researched?
I took “Forced Migration and Refugees” with Professor Khoury in my sophomore year. I learned so much about different situations that force people from their homes and what processes they must go through to regain a sense of home, identity, and security after they have been removed from everything they know. The climate change unit, in which we discussed how natural disasters brought on by climate change exacerbates the refugee crisis, interested me most in this class. So, I decided to dig deeper on this topic!

How did the Honors program/undergraduate thesis benefit you?
The process of writing a thesis is unlike any other academic experience you will have in college. Along with learning how to read extensively, write cohesively, analyze sharply, and go through the editing process, I picked up on many character traits. Above all, I learned perseverance and patience. At times, the research process can be tough. The best way to overcome that is to push ahead and remember the end goal - answer your question! The Honors Program provides so much support during the process to help you see it though. Perhaps the biggest benefit was being matched with an advisor. Every student learns differently and seeks different types of guidance and not only does the Honors Program cater to that, but so do the professors in the Political Science Department. My advisor, Professor Khoury, supported me every step of the way and I am grateful for the direction and advice she gave me!

You just graduated! What’s next?
Currently, I work as a Legal Assistant at CGI Federal. I plan on going to law school after my gap year. To prepare for that, I am focusing on studying for the LSAT and looking into law schools.

Any words of wisdom for current and future political science students?
Political Science is always evolving. As the world continues to change, so will political science. My biggest piece of advice is to stay curious. Keep learning about how the smallest changes to the largest movements impacts actors on all levels. It is important work!