Dr. Laura Barbas-Rhoden and Dr. Christine Dinkins will each mentor two students on a large, transdisciplinary project, “Living with a Disrupted Climate: Amplifying Voices in Spanish and English.” Students involved with this project will collaborate with faculty members to conduct a bilingual, qualitative research project on household-level implications of a disrupted climate (e.g. more intense rainfall, higher temperatures, more erratic weather patterns and the increased frequency of disasters with multi-million-dollar impacts, such as 2024’s Hurricane Helene). The research will attend to and amplify the experiences of local individuals so that their perspectives and voices can inform decision-making by public entities, nonprofits, and funders. Dr. Barbas-Rhoden will mentor students with capacity for data collection in Spanish; Dr. Dinkins will mentor students who will conduct data collection only in English. Each team will also work with community context experts, at least one with proficiency in Spanish, to guide them in making the data-gathering as respectful, appropriate, and fruitful as possible, as well as making the interactions positive experiences for community participants.
Dr. Camille Bethea’s faculty-student collaborative research project explores how the Black Power movement in the United States, which was rooted in Afro-diasporic messages reaffirming Black music, dance and identity, inspired Afro-Brazilians to embrace their own African roots, and organize themselves politically, socially and culturally. More precisely, it hones in on how U.S. activists — like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, soul musicians like James Brown and Aretha Franklin, and other Black U.S. cultural influences — helped to awaken racial pride and reaffirm the Black consciousness of Afro-Brazilian activist leaders struggling with social exclusion and hegemonic suppression in Brazilian society. The goal of our project would be to show the connection between influential figures of the Black Power movement in the U.S. and Afro-Brazilian activists who, inspired by the message “Black is Beautiful,” organized Black carnival groups known as the “Blocos Afros,” created different Afro-music genres, brought about the re-Africanization of Carnival in Bahia, Brazil, and helped to focus the Blocos on acts of resistance, activism and social justice.
Dr. Bradham’s collaborative project quantifies spatial and temporal variations in air quality and temperature in Spartanburg’s urban footprint and explores relationships between these environmental metrics and socioeconomic realities of Spartanburg communities. This involves (i) collecting real-time air quality data (particulate matter 2.5, pressure, temperature and humidity) every two minutes; (ii) quantifying daily surface and air temperature in various tree-cover and ground surface scenarios (e.g. greater or less canopy cover and natural surface or paved surfaces); and (iii) statistically analyzing spatial and temporal patterns and correlations between environmental and community variables (e.g. air quality and income). As anthropogenic climate change is predicted to increase the urban island heat effect and worsen air quality, these data will provide a clear understanding of the degree to which these changes will impact Spartanburg communities.
Dr. Kelli Carroll’s project focuses on the genetic and molecular factors regulating embryonic development using zebrafish as a model system. Her work has two main directions. First, she is collaborating with researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas to develop a new imaging system using zebrafish to screen common medications for their potential to induce unintentional cardiac arrythmias in patients. The goal of this project is to prospectively identify potentially arrhythmogenic drugs so that patients taking them can be carefully monitored for cardiac abnormalities. Second, she is using whole-genome sequencing data from patients with unidentified genetic diseases. In many of these patients, potentially problematic mutations in poorly understood genes have been identified. Her lab is studying the expression patterns and function of the genes in developing zebrafish in the hopes of better understanding human disease.
Dr. Matt Cathey’s collaborative research project brings the modern tools of data science to bear on a 19th-century mystery: What was the nature of the illness of King George III of Great Britain? Throughout his reign, King George III suffered through several bouts of “madness,” symptoms of which included hallucinations, extreme irritability and personality changes. Attempts have been made in the last 60 years to retroactively diagnose the King’s disorder; guesses have ranged from porphyria to bipolar disorder. By building a database of his symptoms and treatments, based on the diaries of one of his attending physicians, the participants can carry out novel analyses that might tease out hidden connections across the years of King George III’s illness and treatment that might shed some new light on this old question.
Dr. Lori Cruze’s collaborative project focuses primarily on the reproduction of the Eastern bluebird. Eastern bluebirds typically nest in tree cavities created by woodpeckers or natural decay, but they readily accept nest boxes as an alternative breeding site. Nest boxes are not only crucial for the conservation of cavity-nesting birds, but they are also a valuable tool for studying reproduction. In 2022, Dr. Cruze launched a long-term study to examine the productivity and survivorship of Eastern bluebirds in the Upstate. Several environmental factors, including the timing of breeding, have been proposed to influence the reproductive success of songbirds. The proposed project is a continuation of a long-term, longitudinal study that examines the reproductive output and success of the Eastern bluebird.
Dr. Davis’ research is focused on the stream habitats utilized by two native crayfishes in Spartanburg County. Crayfish are important keystone species that create and modify habitats for use by other aquatic species, feed on multiple trophic levels, and are prey to many organisms. Environmental degradation of aquatic systems in response to urbanization may eliminate available habitat, negatively affecting crayfish communities and stream ecosystem function. Fieldwork is conducted throughout the county to determine the critical habitat used by crayfish and to develop statistical models predicting how crayfish habitat will change under scenarios of future urbanization in Spartanburg County. In addition, students will conduct laboratory trials that evaluate crayfish sheltering behavior under conditions of urbanization by manipulating turbidity, increased water temperature, substrate composition and artificial light in test arenas.
Professor Abigail Dillard and rising senior theatre major Anneka Brannon’s collaborative project focuses on the research and creativity involved in theatrical direction. Brannon will serve as the student director, working under Professor Dillard’s mentorship to guide a small cast of student actors and designers through rehearsal, performance, design and dramaturgical research. Actors will engage in individual character research, designers will develop their work through a creative design process, and the director will unify these elements into a cohesive vision. Through collaboration and inquiry, the team will create a production that highlights theatre-making as a form of collaborative research — culminating in a live performance that engages both campus and community audiences.
Dr. Youmi Efurd’s collaborative project examines Horyeop-do (虎獵圖/胡獵圖), or Tiger Hunting Scene/Barbarian Hunting Scenes, a genre of Korean painting depicting Qing dynasty Manchu soldiers engaged in hunting activities. The study focuses on a Horyeop-do folding screen in Wofford College’s collection, analyzing its artistic style, function and socio-political significance within the late Joseon dynasty. While Horyeop-do was first mentioned in 1855 by Jo Jaesam, who saw a version attributed to the renowned court painter Kim Hong-do, its broader role in Joseon court painting remains understudied. Notably, Horyeop-do was also used as an examination topic for selecting court painters, suggesting its importance in artistic training and court patronage. This research will contextualize Wofford’s screen through a comparative study of similar works, an analysis of historical records and an examination of stylistic and compositional elements. Primary sources such as Joseon hugi gungjung hwawon yeongu and Korean art journals will be consulted to explore the screen’s origins and circulation. The findings will contribute to the understanding of Horyeop-do within Joseon Korea, shedding light on its political and cultural implications. Additionally, this research will support the development of interpretive materials for the artwork’s future digital and physical exhibitions at Wofford College.
Professor Rebecca Forstater’s collaborative project emphasizes the development of contemporary artistic practices through experiential research and innovation. Students Lyrical Dream Gist (Whetsell Fellow ’25) and Blythe Haan (Hackney-Haight Fellow ’25) will collaborate with Professor Forstater to create new bodies of work tailored to their individual artistic practices, which will be exhibited in 2026. To achieve this, the group will explore contemporary exhibition methods, delve into their conceptual topics, conduct material testing, engage in regular critical discussions and participate in studio visits with industry professionals. Working from their on-campus art studios, their work will culminate in the completion of new creative works that will contribute to the landscape of contemporary art in the Southeast.
Dr. Ramón Galiñanes Jr.’s collaborative project will analyze how narratives surrounding the Confederate flag have changed throughout history, especially in the last decade, and how they continue to shift in the U.S. and in the state of South Carolina in particular. This research project seeks to explain why these shifts have occurred over time and how they may change in the future. There seems to be a large generational gap between current narratives of the flag that can also explain shifting views of Confederate monuments. However, there are wide gaps in statistical research on current beliefs regarding the Confederate flag that this research hopes to fill through the collection of data by means of semi-structured interviews conducted in the Upstate of South Carolina. As the political landscape continues to shift, feelings of belonging, especially in certain regions of the country, change as well. This research project will also attempt to better understand the impacts of this relationship between symbols and belonging.
Dr. Karen Goodchild, Chapman Family Professor of Humanities in art history, and Sukhmeet Saggu ’26, an art history and biology double major, will collaborate while researching Early Modern paintings for five weeks this summer. In the first week, Saggu will assess four recently acquired works, write collection and conservation reports, and select one for further analysis. With little existing research on these paintings, she aims to fill gaps in our knowledge, culminating in a research presentation. Meanwhile, Dr. Goodchild, modeling art historical research methods, will write about a fresco by 16th-century Italian artist Dosso Dossi, contributing a chapter to a volume on naturalism in Early Modern art that will be published in 2026. Both will follow a similar research process, starting from minimal prior bibliography, with Dr. Goodchild guiding Saggu through her inquiry.
Dr. Handelsman’s collaborative research, alongside Dr. Bradham, Wofford’s qualitative and quantitative methods students and local public schools, aims to understand youth perspectives on their neighborhoods across Spartanburg, which serves as the foundation for this summer’s project. Building on two years of data collected from over 100 seventh and third graders, this summer’s team will organize, analyze and develop a multimodal website to share these perspectives. The website will present data and preliminary analysis on a range of topics, including youth definitions of neighborhoods, their understanding of resources and their conceptualizations of dream spaces as reflections of lived experiences. Additionally, the site will feature a comparative section, analyzing data across neighborhoods and age groups to explore similarities, differences and the meanings behind them. We will also design components that allow Spartanburg residents to engage in the processes of research design, analysis and presentation. Furthermore, we will host public presentations to provide additional opportunities for residents to engage with this ongoing research project. One of our key goals is to analyze trends in youth perspectives across the city and county to help inform local decision-making in planning, funding, and policy. The creation of this website, along with public presentations, are critical components of our process.
The Harris research team has two main areas of focus.
Dr. Stacey Hettes’ work of public scholarship, “Dispatches from the Couch: A Neuroscientist and Her Therapist Conspire to Reboot Her Brain,” will be published by Loyola University’s Apprentice House Press in May 2025. Continuing her efforts in the scholarship of integration, which places academic specialties in a broader context and endeavors to educate nonspecialists, she will work with students from our theatre and film and digital media programs to rehearse and produce an audiobook. With the growing popularity of audiobooks, this endeavor will enhance the likelihood of reaching nonspecialists, as so many general readers engage with the audiobook format. Her plan to record the audiobook and, as is typical with memoirs, narrate it herself requires assistance in preparation, rehearsal and performance. She aims to collaborate with two Wofford students, ideally one English/humanities major and one theatre major, on this project; they will serve in the roles of director, producer and publisher. For students who may wish to go into publishing or audiobook narrating/directing or are part of our film and digital media program, such an experience may help open doors to other internships or postgraduate work. The students will not need to have technical experience in audio recording
Professor Eric Kocher’s collaborative research project explores the use of field recording as a creative approach to documenting place. Focusing on the Glendale Shoals and the Goodall Environmental Center, this project involves implementing a diverse set of recording techniques and specialty microphones to help us better understand the forces that shape and transform environments. The student researcher will help develop an immersive soundscape that captures our understanding and experience of this unique place. In addition to being preserved for archival purposes, some of the recordings will be manipulated in post-production and paired with text to further enhance the personal, cultural and environmental meaning of the recording process.
Dr. Lewis’ collaborative research project examines knowledge production and circulation practices in the field of bryology (or the study of mosses, liverworts and hornworts). More specifically, the project will investigate how the flow of bryophyte specimens between herbaria (biodiversity collections comprised of hundreds to millions of dried plant specimens) across the world affects what we know about bryophytes. Similar to how libraries loan books to their patrons, herbaria loan dried plant specimens to researchers across the world and keep detailed records of all loan requests, as well as the specimens they ultimately send out on loan. By examining outgoing loan paperwork collected from herbaria across North America and Europe, the research team will investigate patterns in loan activity across space and time. The specimen flow maps generated will provide the bryological community with novel insights how herbaria and their collections shape bryological science. Furthermore, by drawing on research from the field of science and technology studies, the team will consider whether there are a clear set of herbaria that serve as “knowledge anchors” (ultimate sources of scientific knowledge) within the field of bryology that may play a disproportionate role in shaping what we know (or do not know) about this group of often undervalued and understudied plants.
Psalm 23 is probably the most widely recognized biblical text in American culture. It is cherished in the diverse spiritual practices of Jewish and Christian communities, of course. For example, both Jewish and Christian liturgies recite it at funerals, and its poetics play a therapeutic role in many people’s lives. In the study of religion, these rituals and practices take on new significance when we recognize the unique status Psalm 23 holds in Western artistic lineages. Over several centuries, Psalm 23 has frequently been referenced in literature, film, poetry, public speeches, visual art and other contemporary media. In biblical studies, studying the many afterlives of a text is known as reception history. Dr. Ingrid Lilly’s collaborative reception history project seeks to discover unknown and little-discussed references to Psalm 23’s poetics as a lens into American spiritual diversity.
In this project, Professor Jason Lonon and a student collaborator will design and build adjustable mechanical oscillators that can be used in introductory physics labs. These devices, currently available only through niche vendors at prohibitive prices, are necessary for students to study mechanical waves in the laboratory. At the heart of this prototype will be a Raspberry Pi Nano microcontroller. The project focuses on three distinct skills: the coding of the microcontroller, the physical wiring of the circuit elements and the encapsulation of these parts into a standalone package suitable for use in the lab setting. A successful prototyping will open the doors for other labs to build these devices inexpensively, allowing an increased number of students to experience standing wave phenomenon in their introductory physics lab.
Five distinct regions around the world have been identified as “blue zones,” in which people live measurably better, longer lives. Dr. Dawn McQuiston’s collaborative research project with Darien Pisacano, a psychology and Spanish double major, examines the blue zones principle of social connectedness — curating a social network you can count on — aiming to apply lessons from a campus community in a blue zone region to the Wofford College community. Dr. McQuiston and Pisacano will interview college students in Sardinia, Italy, one of the blue zones, focusing specifically on involvement in service work, which has been shown to be a central component of enhancing feelings of connection. By learning about how college students in a culture known for its wellness, vitality and longevity view, get involved in and are impacted by service, and bringing those messages home to Wofford, the goal of this project is to inspire students to develop a more comprehensive outlook on both the meaning of service work and its potential impact on social connection and, thus, wellness.
Dr. Geoff Mitchell is in the fourth year of a National Science Foundation-funded research project that is using lab-grown sea anemones to understand the cellular mechanisms of coral bleaching, which is happening at an alarming rate worldwide. It occurs when ocean temperatures increase just a couple of degrees above their normal summer maxima, putting stress on corals and causing them to destroy or expel the algal symbionts living in their guts. Unfortunately, corals rely on these symbionts for the energy they produce from sunlight. Without them, corals become sick and usually die. By deciphering the specific cellular events that lead to coral bleaching, Dr. Mitchell hopes to help save coral reefs for future generations.
Dr. Ramin Radfar’s collaborative project focuses on extraction of cytochrome c oxidase from animal organs like heart or liver for enzymatic, regulation, and structural studies. Cytochrome c oxidase is the terminal enzyme of the electron transport chain in aerobic bacteria as well as in the mitochondria of plants and animals. Human mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase deficiency is a mitochondrial condition characterized by defects in the enzyme gene or function that can affect skeletal muscle and nervous system which are often fatal in childhood. In this project we will work on purification, enzymatic, inhibitory and crystallization studies of cytochrome c oxidase.
Dr. Julie Sexeny’s collaborative project is a deep dive into the process of researching and writing an original screenplay while living and working in New York City, a preeminent center of both independent and Hollywood film production. Writing a feature screenplay requires research at every stage. The first stage is generating an idea; the student and faculty will comb the news, visit museums, go to the local theatre, identify compelling works in the public domain, unearth hidden histories of the city and tour local neighborhoods for inspirational settings, characters or stories. Once they land on a story idea, the research will shift to the story proper and the craft of screenwriting. The story itself will require research whether that relates to character exploration, a better understanding of the theme or working to understand the story’s social, cultural and historical context. This will be coupled with reading screenwriting books, articles and related screenplays, as well as studying relevant historical films. Finally, the student will be introduced to the workings of the film industry in NYC. We’ll meet with independent and Hollywood filmmakers, go to screenings with filmmaker Q&As, visit local film festivals, go to arthouse and multiplex theaters, visit the Museum of the Moving Image, explore the city’s top MFA programs and speak with film professors and current MFA graduate students. The student and faculty will come away from this research project with an original, feature-length screenplay that they will then send out to festivals and competitions and the student may use for their professional portfolio.
Drs. Atwell and Schwartz’s collaborative project will be the start of a long-term effort to characterize macroinvertebrate biodiversity and water and sediment quality over an urbanization spectrum along Lawson’s Fork Creek in Spartanburg, S.C. Three study sites have been selected along the creek. Each of the three sites represents a point along the current state of urbanization impact. At each site, the team will determine the chemical water conditions, canopy cover and substrate composition, then collect benthic macroinvertebrates to answer the following questions: (1) How does the macroinvertebrate community change with changing land-use along Lawson’s Fork Creek? (2) Does water and sediment chemistry change with changing land-use along Lawson’s Fork Creek? The project data will be shared with several local nonprofit and governmental organizations with vested interests in Lawson’s Fork Creek water quality, conservation, public use, environmental education and riparian restoration.
Dr. Katherine Steinmetz’s project explores how mood and emotion influences memory. The first project will examine how shifting mood from when you first learn something to when you try to recall it influences what you remember. So, if something embarrassing happens to you, and then you later laugh about it with your friends, can that change the way you remember the initial memory? The second project focuses on learning information about people and examines how the order of positive and negative, social and non-social information influences your memory for that person. What kind of first impressions help you remember someone the most? And can you overcome those first impressions?
In her faculty-student collaborative project, Dr. Lilly Trotter seeks to study the rapid expansion of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) member firms, which increased accessibility to the stock market, during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the fall of 2024, she worked with the NYSE archives to obtain all available NYSE directories, which provide member-firm locations from 1868 to 1933. Over the summer, the faculty-student team plans to digitize these years of data and analyze the trends and patterns of expansion of brokerage firms leading up to the Great Depression. After this novel data is digitized, the team can study how local economies were affected by these offices. These firms could either have positive local spillover effects from dividends or they could extract funds that would otherwise be invested in local businesses and have a negative productivity effect. Thus, the results of this project could provide valuable insight into the community-level effects of increasing access to financial markets.
Dr. Clayton Whisnant’s collaborative research project explores the history of South Carolina’s Upstate and the broader history of segregation and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. by looking specifically at the integration of two high schools — the all-Black Carver High School and the previously all-white Spartanburg High School — in 1970. It will contribute to a larger story of the Black community’s experience in Spartanburg during the mid-20th century, a part of which has been told in Beatrice Hill and Brenda Lee’s 2005 book “South of Main,” and more recently in Brenda Lee Pryce, Jim Neighbors and Betsy Wakefield Teter’s 2024 book “North of Main.” The book will be based partly on newspaper articles and also on a dive into the student newspaper of the era, but it will be enriched with oral histories collected by Dr. Whisnant and his student assistants.
Dr. Thomas Wright … description coming soon!