Two East Stroudsburg University political science majors and honors students, Montserrat Ramirez-Figueroa of Bloomingdale, NJ, and Alexandra Kossakowska of East Stroudsburg, Pa., presented their research at the 55th annual meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association in Boston, Massachusetts. position at the Omni Parker Hotel from November 2-4.
The Northeastern Political Science Association is one of the leading regional professional organizations in the United States for the study of politics. Each year, at its Annual Conference, NPSA brings together hundreds of political scientists from all fields of study and from all parts of the United States and the world to enhance and expand their knowledge of politics.
Kossakowska's research was titled “Newly elected female senators in the 116th congress: A comparison of policy preferences” and examined the policy priorities of five female senators newly elected in 2018. The findings show that their policy preferences focus on issues that concern children, education, and health care.
“It was very exciting to present a paper that I worked hard on all semester,” Kossakowska said. “The input and reviews I received will help strengthen the paper. It was also amazing to see other undergraduates present their research and learn from them.”
Ramirez-Figueroa's research paper, “An Examination of Shackling Practices During Childbirth,” focuses on how political, socioeconomic, racial, and moral inequities relate to the practice of shackling pregnant women in state and federal prisons across the United States. Initial findings show that racial and socioeconomic disparities leave a larger group of women more vulnerable to the use of restraints before, during, and after childbirth.
“Being able to present my senior thesis at a well-known conference was both rewarding and educational,” said Ramirez-Figueroa. “The feedback I received from the committee chair will help strengthen my work and its overall impact. It was also great to hear from other participants whose research focused on women's issues in politics and policy.”
Kimberly S. Adams, Ph.D., professor of political science at ESU, supervised their research. He is a member of the general board of the Northeastern Political Science Association.
For more information about the jobs or the political science and economics department at ESU, contact Dr. Adams at 570-422-3924 or ksadams@esu.edu.
