Undergraduate Research Symposium

ITALIAN

Isaiah Williams

Title: The Reintegration of Italo Svevo’s Novels into the Feminist Movement

Abstract: Italo Svevo is perhaps most well-known for his self-deluding, inept, and moody male protagonists in his three novels Una Vita, Senilità, and La Coscienza di Zeno. However, the female counterparts to his protagonists in tandem with the portrayal of men in the novels depict a world of capable, self-confident women fighting in a world dominated by the patriarchy. Annetta in Una Vita is a writer that influences the men around her by understanding the power she wields despite her place in society. Angiolina in Senilità constantly rejects the rules of society, finding freedom from Emilio and the patriarchy. In La Coscienza di Zeno, Ada fights Zeno’s narrative at multiple points and serves as a piece of resistance to a story otherwise dominated by Zeno’s thoughts and mind. With the grounding of Svevo’s “The Broken Triangle,” this paper argues the positioning of the male and female characters in Svevo’s novels offers the basis for a feminist interpretation by depicting the strength and ability of women which is accentuated by his critical portrayal of inept and unaware men. The themes and ideas built from this reading support an equal status for women in society and a feminist reading.

Bio: Isaiah Williams is a senior double-majoring in Economics with a concentration in Finance and European and Italian Studies. He enjoys exploring human decision making particularly through Economics, his work in the creator economy, and its portrayal in film and literature. Isaiah began his Romance Studies journey at Duke in Italian 101 which blossomed into a love of Italian language and culture. He spent his junior fall studying abroad in Florence and hopes to return to Italy soon.

Katherine Wiest

Title: Science, Myth, and Early Modern Women: Gendered Narratives and Their Lasting Impact on Women in Science

Abstract: This project explores the intersection of science, myth, and gender in early modern Italy, tracing how cultural narratives shaped the presence of women in scientific fields. From ancient Greek and Roman ideals to Renaissance philosophy and literature, figures like Ovid, Dante, and Petrarch reinforced gendered stereotypes that influenced both societal roles and scientific discourse. The depiction of women in Greek mythology and pseudoscientific ideas such as the "wandering uterus," framed women as unpredictable and unfit for a role in science or education, narratives that persisted well into the early modern period. However, women like Christine de Pisan, Laura Bassi, and Anna Morandi Manzolini challenged these limitations, despite patriarchal barriers that have dominated history. By analyzing literary and artistic representations from the Renaissance, this project considers how enduring myths still influence perceptions of women. Further, it considers how persistent biases continue to shape contemporary views on gender and science. Understanding these historical frameworks is important in overcoming ingrained biases and fostering greater equity in science and medicine.

Bio: Katherine Wiest is a senior majoring in Biology and Italian Studies. She participated in the Duke in Bologna Summer Program and spent a semester at the University of Bologna, where she began studying the history of gender in science. At Duke, she has continued these studies in the Italian department while also working with Duke Medicine’s Department of Reproductive Sciences in ovarian cancer research, examining women’s health through both scientific and humanities-based perspectives. Beyond academics, Katherine works at an elementary school and volunteers with Duke Hospice. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to integrate her studies in the humanities and Italian to advance a more equitable and holistic approach to healthcare.

FRENCH

Halle Wagner

Title: Framing Exile and Belonging: A Comparative Study of Legal and Literary Representations in the Chagossian Struggle for Justice

Abstract: This study examines the intersection of legal and literary representations of exile, deportation, exclusion, and belonging within the context of the Chagossian struggle for justice. Following the forced displacement of the Chagossian people from the Chagos Archipelago between 1968 and 1973, the subsequent legal battles for the right to return to their homeland demonstrated a grim chapter in international human rights history. The legal discourse surrounding the Chagossians' fight for reparations has been marked by vague language and evasive interpretations, often diminishing their claims and further perpetuating their marginalization. Conversely, literary works by Chagossian writers and scholars have provided a powerful counter-narrative, utilizing themes of loss, nostalgia, and exile to reclaim the voice of the community. This paper explores how these two realms, law and literature, frame the Chagossian experience, contrasting the legal tendency to silence and exclude with the literary capacity to amplify and empower. It argues that while legal progress has been slow and politically constrained, the growing presence of Chagossian voices in literature has played a crucial role in advancing their cause, contributing to greater visibility and continuing efforts toward justice.

Bio: Halle Wagner is a senior from West Hartford, Connecticut, studying Public Policy and French with a minor in History. She is particularly interested in the intersection of international development policy, international law, and national security. On campus, Halle works as a Print Lead Editor for the Duke Undergraduate Law Review and as a historical research assistant in the Department of Romance Studies. She also leads the outreach for the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy, promoting the diverse array of national security and foreign policy personnel that the organization brings to speak on campus. After graduation, Halle hopes to work as an international arbitration or litigation paralegal before eventually attending law school.

Emerson Wiseman

Title: Feminism, Complicity, and the Colonial Machinery: The Narrative of Laura Lebrun in Island of Shattered Dreams

Abstract: In Island of Shattered Dreams, Chantal Spitz examines a society reckoning with the destructive impacts of colonialism on culture, land, and way of life in the leadup to French nuclear testing in Polynesia. Central to this story are the voices of women, who are given considerable narrative space throughout the polyvocal novel. A surprising feature of this narrative choice by Spitz is the allocation of direct narrative power, through a personal journal, to the character of Laura Lebrun, a white, European woman who works as an engineer for the nuclear power base. As the only female engineer on the plant, Laura approaches her position at work with a feminist, women-empowerment perspective. She believes that she is advancing the position of womankind by proving herself in a male-dominated field, ignoring the hypocrisy that this work is part of a colonial initiative of disempowering Indigenous female voices. The inclusion of Laura’s perspective examines how feminist ideals, when unmoored from intersectionality, can perpetuate the same structures they seek to dismantle. Additionally, her continued complicity with the project, despite her clear regret for the harm done to Terri and his family, emphasizes the fact that compartmentalized empathy cannot break patterns of apathetic action.

Bio: Emerson Wiseman is a freshman at Duke University studying Public Policy and Computer Science, originally from Charleston, SC. She is passionate about the intersections of law, technology, and policy, with a focus on intellectual property and the governance of emerging innovations. She is also drawn to literature as a means of understanding how language and narrative shape and reflect broader societal structures. She plans to attend law school to pursue patent law, working to bridge the gap between policy, technology, and equitable access to knowledge.

Rowan Haffner

Title: Convulsions of Creativity: The Neurocognitive Influence of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy on Flaubert’s Literary Aesthetic

Abstract: Gustave Flaubert’s literary style—marked by obsessive revision, hyper-detailed sensory imagery, and rhythmic repetition—has long been regarded as a hallmark of 19th-century realism. However, his personal accounts of altered consciousness, hallucinations, and involuntary bodily episodes suggest a deeper neurological basis for his aesthetic choices. This project explores the influence of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) on Flaubert’s narrative structure and creative process, examining his compulsive writing habits through the lens of hypergraphia, sensory distortions, and dissociative experiences, all of which are common in TLE. By conducting a close textual analysis of Madame Bovary and Flaubert’s letters, alongside a review of contemporary neuroscientific literature on epilepsy and cognition, this work aims to reveal how his neurological condition shaped his artistic output. Additionally, this project situates Flaubert within the emerging field of neuroaesthetics, exploring how neurological diversity informs literary style. Ultimately, this investigation contributes to a broader understanding of the intersection between neuroscience and literature, demonstrating how neurological conditions not only challenge but also enrich artistic expression. By reconsidering Flaubert’s literary genius through a neurohumanities framework, this project highlights the cognitive and pathological forces behind literary realism and aesthetic obsession.

Bio: Rowan Haffner is a Program II student at Duke University, pursuing a self-designed major titled "Epilepsy: Investigating the Paradoxes of Mind, Identity, and Existence." His academic work bridges neuroscience, philosophy, and medical anthropology to explore the complex intersections of epilepsy, consciousness, and cultural interpretation. As someone with epilepsy, Rowan is deeply committed to epilepsy advocacy and research, particularly in stigma reduction in resource-limited regions. His research passion is a relentless pursuit to unravel the neurobiological mechanisms of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy), fueled by the prospect of life-saving interventions. He is currently working on his Graduation with Distinction (GWD) thesis, “Divine Wrath or Medical Mystery: The Evolution of Epilepsy in Early Religious and Medical Thought,” which explores how religious traditions across history have interpreted epilepsy—alternately as divine punishment, spiritual possession, or a medical disorder—and how these shifting perceptions have shaped both cultural attitudes and medical advancements. Through his work, Rowan seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of epilepsy, advocating for scientific progress while acknowledging the condition's profound historical and cultural dimensions..

Ryan Hardwick

Title: Narrative Medicine: Utilizing Gustave Flaubert’s Writings to Inform Medical Education in Neurology

Abstract: Narrative medicine is beginning to gain traction within the field of medical education as a potential method for improving students' abilities to empathize with, connect to, and understand the lived experiences of patients. In this paper, I examine Gustave Flaubert’s descriptions of his own epilepsy and the neurological states of his fictional characters as it relates to recent research within the field of narrative medicine and the phenomenology of diseases such as epilepsy and major depressive disorder. Subsequently, I analyze the efficacy of medical school programs utilizing narrative medicine techniques and examine how Flaubert’s writings may be used as a tool within current educational frameworks. Ultimately, I argue that studying Gustave Flaubert would be a valuable exercise in developing the next generation of neurologists.

Bio: Ryan Hardwick is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in neuroscience. Ryan’s research within the field of medicine involves social determinants of health and the role of patients’ support networks in influencing their wellbeing during hospitalization and after discharge. Ryan is from St. Louis, Missouri. During his free time, he enjoys the outdoors and watching college basketball. In the future, Ryan plans to attend medical school.

Mya Harris

Title: Entèseksyon Sante Mantal ak Swen Sante an Ayiti: Yon View Istorik sou Kriz, Enfrastrikti, ak Dwa Moun. The Intersection of Mental Health and Healthcare in Haiti: A Historical View of Crisis, Infrastructure, and Human Rights

Abstract: This independent study examines the healthcare infrastructure of Haiti, focusing specifically on the intersection of infectious disease management and psychiatric support systems. The core objective of this research is to explore the current state of healthcare in Haiti through the lens of history, using seminal texts such as Paul Farmer's The Uses of Haitiand Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains. These works provide critical insights into the historical context of Haiti's healthcare system and the challenges it faces. The study will highlight how infectious disease and mental health care have intersected in Haiti, and how these two critical areas of healthcare have been shaped by historical, cultural, and systemic factors. The goal is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Haiti’s healthcare challenges, considering both the limitations and potential improvements in the system, and to propose more integrated solutions that address the complex relationship between physical and mental health.

Bio: Mya Harris is a senior at Duke University majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience with a certificate in Latin American Studies. Her research interests lie at the intersection of cross-cultural mental health, neurolinguistics, and health policy, particularly in how language and culture influence healthcare access and outcomes. Mya has been deeply involved in research and community work at Duke, serving as a Global Fellow, contributing to two Bass Connections teams, and conducting research in the Duke Mind and Culture Lab. Mya’s academic journey is guided by her commitment to addressing global mental health disparities, considering both cultural and systemic factors in healthcare interventions. 

SPANISH

Leila Zak

Title: Who Owns Our Future? Agency, Modernity, and Control in Galdós’ Spain.

Abstract: With modernization always comes a transfer of autonomy—from man to machine, individual to institution. In this presentation, I examine the concept of agency and lack thereof in Benito Pérez Galdós’ 19th century Spain, a period in which the country’s first steam-engined streetcar lines were established. In a close reading of Galdós’ “La novela en el tranvía”, I explore how the setting of the streetcar gains prominence as a symbol of transition between fact and fiction, mundane and fantastical, and old and new.

In “La novela en el tranvía”, the streetcar undergoes a transformation from a passive carrier into a liminal space where the line between reality and fiction is made indistinct. The vehicle adopts an active agency which drives the narrator to project a fictional, Quixotic plot and characters onto real people, belongings, and dialogue therewithin. The streetcar is ultimately scrutinized as a symbol of progress and technological advancement that is so foreign it is rendered fictional in Galdós’ otherwise realist text. In this presentation, I bring the implications of this portrayal to light. 

Bio: Leila Zak (心恬) is a first-year undergraduate student from Hong Kong and Chicago, IL. Since she was 14, she has immersed herself in the rich literary worlds of Latin America and Spain of her own accord. Her creative work in Spanish has been published in the Latin American Literary Review, and she won Oxford University's Spanish Flash Fiction Competition for her piece “Salvavidas”. She attributes her love for the Spanish language and the many cultures it occupies to Hammurabi Rubio, Katie Moran, Elena Prieto, and Dr. Katryn Evinson. At Duke, she serves as the President of Flowers for the Future and a First-Year Representative at Beyond Borders, through which she is an advocate and agent of change for women’s education, disaster relief, and immigrant rights.

Kayla Lihardo

Title: Methodologies in Artistic Research: Critical Distance and its Embodiment in Performance Art

Abstract: As scholars refine methodologies for artistic research, caution should be taken to not constitute analyses of artistic research as only their differences from empirical or scientific research. One significant component that emerges in such research is the concept of critical distance, or the separation that a researcher takes from their material or audience. Critical distance often works to legitimize the broader work of the individual in their discipline. However, if critical distance serves as a legitimizing force, then methodological issues emerge when artistic practices are employed as research methods. Critical distance cannot be comfortably fixed in artistic research, especially in performance art that wields embodiment as a methodology for communication and research. The subjectivity present in artistic research does not negate its criticality but enables artist-researchers like Nao Bustamante to approach their questions from their own experience or that of others. Invoking an audience’s experience can close or lengthen critical distance, creating structures that reveal the relationship between artist, artwork, and audience. Such distance does not need to be rigidly maintained in artistic research methods to remain critical, and the performance art of Bustamante exemplifies the affective impact of changing distances.

Bio: Kayla Lihardo is a senior undergraduate at Duke University pursuing a Program II degree in neuroaesthetics. She is dedicated to interdisciplinary research, especially the development of methodologies drawn from the questions posed by both the sciences and the humanities. Kayla conducts research in affective neuroscience in the LaBar Lab and has carried out interdisciplinary projects as a member of Bass Connections Laboratory Art and Duke Arts Studio.