Defiance College students present at national political science conference

March 3, 2015

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Two Defiance College students were among presenters at the recent Southern Political Science Association Conference held in New Orleans. Senior Abby Taylor, Carmel, Ind., and junior Dava Donaldson, Elyria, Ohio, were selected to present papers at the SPSA conference, one of largest political science conferences in the U.S.

The pair raised $1,300 to help cover expenses of the trip.

Taylor, an accounting major with a minor in global studies, gave a presentation on the Cambodia genocide trials. This was the second national conference during her senior year at which Taylor was a presenter. “This experience has provided me with valuable presentation skills as well as how to conduct and present research that is worthy of publishing,” she said.

Taylor was a McMaster Scholar to Cambodia for two years. She said the feedback she received from her paper inspired her to further her research, and she hopes to return to Cambodia to get first-hand responses from local residents.

“As one of the few undergraduate students presenting at the conference, I was able to interact with accomplished researchers and gain insight into how I can improve my research methods,” she said. “I am fortunate to have had this opportunity and will be able to use this experience in my future endeavors.”

Donaldson is majoring in international peace and conflict resolution. Her conference presentation was on micro-lending in Tanzania, also the subject of her work as a McMaster Scholar. She spent time in Tanzania last year with fellow students and faculty and will return again this summer. The conference, she said, “was an incredible opportunity to connect academic coursework, travels with the McMaster School, and real-world experiences.”

She plans to continue her research on the state of micro-lending agencies in Tanzania and how they are influenced by social, spiritual and economic factors. She said the conference “was the first of many stepping stones into the field of international relations and movements toward a more peaceful world.”

The two DC students were accompanied to the conference by Dr. Elçin Haskollar, Assistant Professor and Director of Global Studies.

The Southern Political Science Association is one of the oldest and largest political science organizations in the United States. Founded in 1929, its primary purposes are to publish a professional journal, to improve teaching, to promote interest and research in theoretical and practical political problems, to encourage communication and to develop standards of competence and respect between persons engaged in the professional study and practice of government and politics.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.