Rutherford Presents at DC’s Posters on the Hill
By Merritt Jenkins
Lee University social sciences major Anna Rutherford recently presented at the virtual Posters on the Hill Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Conference, held in Washington, D.C.
“Although the conference was virtual this year, Anna was able to represent Lee University with flying honors,” said Dr. Arlie Tagayuna, associate professor of sociology at Lee.
According to Tagayuna, 60 student presenters were selected from hundreds of applicants, and Rutherford was only one of two student representatives from Tennessee to present.
Rutherford’s paper, “Learning in the Time of Pandemic: Engagement in Collaborative Learning during COVID-19,” compares different dimensions of collaborative learning and discussion with diverse others by race, gender, major, class standing, international or local status, year level, type of enrollment, type of residency, athlete or non-athlete status, and disability status among undergraduate students in the Appalachian region.
“Growing up on the outskirts of Appalachia, I have experienced firsthand the myriad of social inequalities that are present in America’s rural communities, many of which are inherently connected to widespread intergenerational poverty and persistent job instability,” said Rutherford. “My experiences have been formative in developing my current worldview and aspirations, including my passions for education and service, as well as my interest in combatting gender, economic, and education inequalities.”
Posters on the Hill is a critical element in CUR’s advocacy efforts. The conference celebrates the work of the accepted students and supports the messages of the importance of undergraduate research at the federal level.
To view Rutherford’s presentation, visit https://www.cur.org/what/events/students/posters_on_the_hill__anna_rutherford/.
For more information about Posters on the Hill, visit https://www.cur.org/what/events/students/poh/.
