Guilford Student Receives University's President's Award

Press release from Merit Pages:

May 7, 2021

Eastern Connecticut State University has awarded two students with the annual President's Award as part of the CREATE (Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern) Conference. Each year, two students are given this award for outstanding scholarly work, such as research or performance. To qualify for a nomination, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and sophomore standing and have contributed a piece of work such as presentation, publication or exhibit.

Among the recepients is Olivia Anderson of Guilford, a senior majoring in Political Science.

When describing her research, titled "Understanding the impact of partisanship on climate change opinion from 1973-2016," Anderson said, "My interests have culminated in my undergraduate research, in which I dissected the relationship between public opinion and climate change... The completion of my thesis was my most rewarding undergraduate experience because it represents my commitment to learning how to solve difficult contemporary issues."

In explaining the process of her research, she said, "While designing my project, I struggled to synthesize my interests in both policy and the environment. I wanted my work to demonstrate that I am dedicated to incorporating an understanding of scientific concepts in a policy context. I was determined that my thesis be representative of my dual interests. My thesis work challenged me to not only question, refine and deepen my knowledge of the environmental catastrophe that is climate change, but also consider the ways this issue is politicized. As I conducted my analyses, it energized me and sparked my desire to contribute to further research in the field of climate science."

Anderson also said her experience was gratifying as she was able to see her hypotheses proven, expand her knowledge base and strengthen her research skills. "My qualitative research skills expanded greatly as I compiled and analyzed over 600 newspaper articles." She continued by saying, "Through my research, I came to definitive conclusions about why environmental policy is hindered by political polarization. This creates avenues for future research that could enhance understanding of variability in public opinion on climate change and inform the strategies of policymakers who seek to bridge partisan perspectives on climate policy."

Anderson explained that through this experience, her research skills have solidified for her graduate studies, and that she has expanded her knowledge greatly on what she believes is "one of the most significant issues of our time - climate change." Associate Professor of Political Science Courtney Broscious served as Anderson's advisor. "Olivia's work on the politics of support for environmental policy is important, timely, and the result of years of developing a research agenda at Eastern," said Broscious, who explained that Anderson's major in political science and minor in environmental earth science allowed her to explore environmental policy reform. "This work not only adds to the political science literature but also has practical implications for policy advocates," she continued. "Her work can inform the strategies of interest groups seeking to promote policy change through public opinion campaigns to protect the environment."

Along with her presentation at CREATE, Anderson presented her work at Posters on the Hill, a competitive conference in Washington, D.C., that allowed her to meet with U.S. senators and other government representatives regarding her research. She has also been accepted into a master's degree program in Climate and Society at Columbia University.

For the second year in a row due to the pandemic, the CREATE conference is presented online at https://www.easternct.edu/create/create-2021/create-2021.html.

This press release was produced by Merit Pages. The views expressed here are the author's own.