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Alison C

- Research Program Mentor

MA at University College Dublin

Expertise

Sociology, English/Literature, Creative Writing, Drama, Gender Studies; projects involving topics in: young adult literature, fanfiction, gender/racial/ability/class stratification, playwriting and theatre analysis

Bio

I'm interested in sociological factors that influence our society. Topics like race, gender, class, ability, and more are always on my mind. Why are social systems the way they currently are? I'm excited about combining my passion for research with my passion for the arts. How can I use sociological thinking to understand my favorite movie? I'm an avid reader and writer. I've been working on writing a novel, and I have a stack of TBR books that is too high for comfort. I also love theatre and music. You'll always find me spending exorbitant amounts of money on a concert ticket. I'm also a BTS fan (borahae, army!) and I love circus arts.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Capitalism & Systems in The Hunger Games

Analyze The Hunger Games (book or movie!) to interpret the role capitalism and economic systems play in the story. What are some recurring images and themes? How can we interrogate these repeat images and themes to understand the stance the story is taking on the economic systems it depicts? We will analyze the language and scenes depicted throughout the book/movie to understand the story's themes and critiques. And what does it mean that some of the most widely-successful media of our lifetime discusses these issues?

Write A Short Play!

We'll work together to brainstorm, free-write, and edit your play. How can we use language to mold a story? How can we drive a point home without it feeling repetitive? How do the most successful playwrights do it? These are just some of the questions we'll interrogate throughout the creative process.

Racial Wealth Gap in New Jersey

Did you know New Jersey has one of the largest state-wide racial wealth gaps in the U.S.? In this project, you'll search for data to further understand this issue. You'll answer questions like: what's the difference between income and wealth? We'll analyze statistics and perform research into the history of the state to understand how it got to its present-day crisis. You may also research solutions and relevant steps to end this disparity throughout the state of New Jersey.

Teaching experience

I served as a Writing Tutor at Muhlenberg College for four years. I've taken a college-level course in tutoring, and I have served as a Teacher's Assistant for three different first-year college writing courses. I have experience tutoring ESL students, group papers, thesis projects, graduate school applications, and college essays.

Credentials

Work experience

Muhlenberg College Department of Sociology (2019 - 2019)
Research Assistant
Muhlenberg College Department of Sociology (2018 - 2018)
Research Assistant

Education

Muhlenberg College
BA Bachelor of Arts (2021)
Sociology, English, Creative Writing
University College Dublin
MA Master of Arts (2022)
Playwriting & Screenwriting

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