McKenna Williamson (pictured left) and Elizabeth Satterfield (pictured right) presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Oklahoma City. McKenna's presentation was titled "An Analysis of Mental Illness in Early 20th Century Mexico" and Elizabeth's was titled, "A Changing Cultural Landscape in the Sunnyside Neighborhood of Morgantown, WV."
As we travelled to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at the University of Central Oklahoma with three other students from WVU, we expected a warmer and much flatter western environment. We were surprised by the cold weather, and especially the ferocious winds that sweep across the Oklahoma plains! During the conference, we had the privilege of listening to such plenary speakers as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. When we were not at the conference presenting our research, we had the opportunity to explore the Bricktown District of downtown Oklahoma City as well as the Chickasaw Indian Reservation and National Recreation Area. For McKenna, the best part of the trip, besides presenting her poster, was the food. Elizabeth loved all the great photo opportunities in Oklahoma City as well as the great discussions she had with visitors to her research poster.
McKenna Williamson, senior History and Spanish major, and Elizabeth Satterfield,
junior History major, both presented research posters at NCUR on April 4-7. Elizabeth
Satterfield, mentored by Jenny Boulware, presented her research on the historic
transformation of the Sunnyside neighborhood in Morgantown. As the History While in Oklahoma, McKenna Department’s
first recipient of and Elizabeth were able to explore a SURE Award, Elizabeth Historic Bricktown in Oklahoma City conducted research during the summer
of 2017 as part of the SURE program and compiled over thirty property narratives
about the historic neighborhood, which transformed from rural farmland to a working-class,
immigrant and industrial neighborhood and finally to a student rental area. Her
research has helped to create a walking tour of the Sunnyside and an exhibit in
the downtown WVU Library. McKenna Williamson, mentored by Dr. Michele
Stephens, shared her research on mental illness in early twentieth-century Mexico.
McKenna explored and presented the case study of Martina Uh, a 72 year old woman
with epilepsy who killed her son-in-law during a fight. At the time epilepsy
was understood as a mental illness; in her study McKenna analyzed the history of
epilepsy and how it relates to Martina Uh’s criminal trial.
It was a wonderful honor to present and represent WVU’s History Department at the
NCUR. Attending the
NCUR offered us the opportunity to present our research in a professional,
multidisciplinary setting and to network with and learn from other undergraduate
students across the nation. Next year, the conference will be held at Kennesaw
State University in Georgia. It is important to highlight that there is funding
available through various WVU offices, in particular the Office of Undergraduate
Research, the office that organized this outstanding trip. Although applying to
the NCUR is competitive, if accepted undergraduates can often attend this conference
at little or no cost to themselves. We highly encourage any and all History
majors to apply!
Elizabeth and McKenna traveled with WVU students from all disciplines to the conference. Pictured left to right: Kevin Walden (program specialist for the Office of Undergraduate Research), Elizabeth Satterfield, McKenna Williamson, Josef Heller (biochemistry student), Christian Hushion engineering student), not pictured is Raisa Nunez (biology student).