HomepagePolitics and International RelationsPolitics & International Relations Majors Present at National Research Conference

Politics & International Relations Majors Present at National Research Conference

Rachel Arthur, Paige Bristow, and Mackenzie Owens presented their research at the 10th annual Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference

George Washington University hosted top undergraduate political science students from around the United States at the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference in Washington, DC. Nearly 400 students participated in the three-day conference over the Presidents Day weekend that offered opportunities to showcase student research as preparation for careers in political science and public policy.

Through highly interactive forums, students shared their research, participated in professional development activities, and networked with their student peers.

Rachel Arthur presented her Honors research in International Relations: “Altruism Versus Self-Interest: Why do some INGOs engage in conflict settings while others leave?”

Paige Bristow presented her Honors research in Politics: “Balancing Support for Health Outcomes with Financial Limitations through Voluntary Health Insurance in Universal Health Systems in the OECD”

Mackenzie Owens presented her Honors research in International Relations: “Estimating the Xi Effect: How Chinese Aid affects Economic and Political Institutions”

“Our students’ research tackles pressing policy questions. Their training in rigorous social science research methods has empowered them to make contributions to scholarly research, and their participation in this selective conference illustrates this very well,” said Annie Karreth, chair of the Politics & IR department.

The conference seeks to promote undergraduate student research, equip undergraduates with the tools they need to be successful in their future careers, and bring together students interested in political science to connect and engage with one another.

Pi Sigma Alpha is the only honor society for college and university students of political and social sciences in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science. Ursinus’s Phi Omicron Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha was recently awarded a Best Chapter Award.

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