Two East Stroudsburg University Students Present Research at Northeastern Political Science Association’s Annual Meeting

Northeastern Political Science Association Annual Meeting

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on November 10, 2023, No Comments

Two East Stroudsburg University political science majors and honor students, Montserrat Ramirez-Figueroa of Bloomingdale, N.J. and Alexandra Kossakowska of East Stroudsburg, Pa., presented their research at the Northeastern Political Science Association’s 55th annual meeting held in Boston, Mass. The Conference took place at the Omni Parker Hotel from November 2-4.

The Northeastern Political Science Association is one of the leading regional professional organizations in the United States for the study of politics. Every year, at its Annual Conference, the NPSA brings together hundreds of political scientists from all fields of study and from all parts of the United States and the world for the purpose of enhancing and expanding their knowledge of politics.

Kossakowska’s research was entitled “Newly Elected Female Senators in the 116th Congress: A Comparison of Policy Preferences” and examined the political priorities of the five female senators newly elected in 2018. The findings indicate that their political preferences centered around issues pertaining to children, education, and healthcare.

“It was very exciting to present a paper that I worked hard on the entire semester,” said Kossakowska. “The input and critiques I received will help strengthen the paper. It was also amazing to see other undergraduates presenting their research and learning from them.”

Ramirez- Figueroa’s research paper, “An Examination of Shackling Practices during Childbirth,” focuses on how political, socioeconomic, racial, and ethical disparities tie into the practice of shackling pregnant women in state and federal prisons throughout the United States. The initial findings show that racial and socioeconomic disparities leave a greater group of women more susceptible to the use of shackles before, during, and after childbirth.

“Being able to present my senior thesis at a well-known conference was both rewarding and educational,” said Ramirez- Figueroa. “The feedback that I received from the chair of the panel will help strengthen my paper and its overall impact. It was also great to hear from other panelists whose research focused on women’s issues in politics and policy.”

Kimberly S. Adams, Ph.D., professor of political science at ESU, supervised their research. She is a member of Northeastern Political Science Association’s general council.

For more information about the papers or the political science and economics department at ESU contact Dr. Adams at (570) 422-3924, or ksadams@esu.edu.