Graduate Student and Alumna Present at Conference at Harvard University

Posted by: admin on February 16, 2016, No Comments

Linda St. Cyr ’15, a graduate student studying political science from Blakeslee, Pa., and Margaret Barksdale ’15 of Bushkill, Pa, who earned her bachelor’s degree in political science, will present at the Academic Forum Conference at Harvard University March 20-22.

The 21st Century Academic Forum brings together scholars, as well as corporate and government executives from a wide range of fields who are interested in education and research issues impacting the 21st century. Participants are encouraged to present research or just attend to learn from the diverse group of global researchers and experts assembled at one of the top universities in the world.

Barksdale’s research examines whether there is a significant relationship between education and female political representation in the 50 states. Her results indicate that higher education significantly affects the shares of women in state legislatures. Barksdale will be presenting her paper titled “Does Education Impact Women’s Political Representation?”

St. Cyr’s research assesses whether Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics prepares high school students for their freshman year at a university. Using a content analysis and a comparative analysis, this research seeks to answer whether CCSS in Pennsylvania high schools aligns with college entry expectations and student learning outcomes in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. St. Cyr’s paper is titled “Pennsylvania Core: Are High School Students Ready for College?”

“It is such an exciting opportunity to be able to present my research at this conference,” St. Cyr said. “I am proud that my research on education policy is seen as research that offers real-world solutions to influence society.”

For more information on the conference visit www.21caf.org/4th-conference-at-harvard.html. To learn more about ESU’s political science department contact Kimberly S. Adams, Ph.D., professor of political science, at 570-422-3924, or ksadams@esu.edu.