The McNair Scholars Journal of the University of Washington Volume X Spring 2011 THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS JOURNAL UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON McNair Program Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity University of Washington 375 Schmitz Hall Box 355845 Seattle, WA 98195-5845 [email protected] http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/ The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program operates as a part of TRIO Programs, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Cover Photo by Jorge Martinez University of Washington McNair Program Staff Program Director Gabriel Gallardo, Ph.D. Associate Director Gene Kim, Ph.D. Program Coordinator Rosa Ramirez Graduate Student Advisors Ashley McClure Jorge Martinez McNair Scholars‘ Research Mentors Dr. Cynthia M. Anderson, Comparative History of Ideas Dr. Celeste Berg, Genome Sciences Dr. Enrique Bonus, American Ethnic Studies Dr. Sapna Cheryan, Psychology Dr. Kam Wing Chan, Geography Dr. Jason DeLeon, Anthropology Dr. Kathie Friedman, International Studies Dr. Heidi Gough, Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Anthony Greenwald, Psychology Dr. Michelle Habell-Pallan, Women Studies Dr. Debra Kaysen, Psychiatry and Social Behaviors Dr. Juliet McMains, Dance Dr. Biren Ratnesh Nagda, Social Work Dr. Shwetak N. Patel, Computer Science and Engineering Dr. Robert Richards, Economics Dr. Caroline Simpson, English Dr. Matthew Sparke, Geography Dr. Kristin Swanson, Pathology Volume X Copyright 2011 ii From the Vice President and Vice Provost for Diversity One of the great delights of higher education is that it provides young scholars an opportunity to pursue research in a field that interests and engages them. The McNair Scholars Program offers support and opportunity for students to pursue scholarly research, and The McNair Scholars Journal plays an important part in that support by publishing their results. The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity is pleased to publish the tenth edition of The McNair Scholars Journal of the University of Washington. The McNair Scholars Program offers opportunities to a diverse group of students—students who may not otherwise get the chance to work closely with a faculty mentor on in-depth research. The young scholars who participate in the McNair program are among the most motivated and dedicated undergraduates at the UW. Their hard work and accomplishments put them in a position to succeed in graduate school. The McNair Scholars Journal plays an important part in the career of these young scholars by publishing their research at an early stage. Please join me in thanking the faculty, staff and students who came together and made this journal possible. Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D. Vice President for Minority Affairs Vice Provost for Diversity iii From the Director I am very pleased to present the tenth edition of the University of Washington‘s McNair Scholars Journal to our reading audience. The collective excellence of these nineteen projects is a testament to the hard work of our students and the unwavering support of faculty mentors who supervised these projects. As always, I want to extend my gratitude to the faculty, whose guidance and support has allowed our students to grow in meaningful ways, while giving our scholars the foundation to enter graduate school with confidence and solid research experience. The McNair Program at the University of Washington strives to create meaningful academic experiences that will enable our students to succeed at the next level. The research component for McNair Scholars has two specific goals: First, engage students in the research enterprise at the undergraduate level so they develop the analytical and methodological skills, academic sophistication, and confidence that will make them successful students in graduate school. Second, provide students a unique opportunity to publish their undergraduate research, so the scholars gain an early understanding of the critical role that publishing will play in their academic careers. In this respect, the McNair Journal is a key component in the preparation of our scholars for careers in research and teaching. Our journal involves the work of several people who work behind the scenes proofreading, editing and preparing the final draft for publication. I would like to extend my appreciation to the UW McNair staff, Dr. Gene Kim, Associate Director, Rosa Ramirez, Program Coordinator, and our graduate student staff, Ashley McClure and Jorge Martinez, for their commitment to the McNair mission and for bringing this project to completion. They are an asset to the program and have been instrumental in preparing this high quality journal. On behalf of the entire McNair Staff, I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading the tenth edition of the McNair Scholars Journal. Dr. Gabriel E. Gallardo Director, McNair Program Associate Vice President, Office of Minority Affairs iv From the Dean of the Graduate School It is a privilege to introduce the tenth volume of The McNair Scholars Journal. This publication contains papers comprising an impressive spectrum of disciplines and representing the depth and potential of scholarship which the UW offers. The work of the McNair Scholars in this volume is absorbing, eloquent and impassioned—and all of us affiliated with the program (the Scholars, their faculty advisors, the McNair Program staff, and the Graduate School) should be proud of their work. As you are aware, the McNair Scholars Program honors the memory and achievement of the late Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the physicist and NASA astronaut. Its goal is to encourage young women and men to emulate his academic and professional accomplishments. One of the McNair Program's goals is to encourage students who have been disadvantaged in their pursuit of academic excellence to attain not only a baccalaureate degree, but to continue a career in graduate education, culminating—we hope—in a doctoral degree. The leadership, faculty and staff of the UW keenly believe that graduate education is much more than a private benefit for individuals—it profoundly serves the public good by educating people who can promote the shared ideals of our nation. A strong democracy depends on advanced-degree holders who can address the complex demands of 21st century society. As a public institution, the UW has a responsibility to prepare future leaders— such as the McNair Scholars—who, after they earn their advanced degrees, will be called upon to solve problems and enhance quality of life, both locally and globally. Hence, the Graduate School is honored to partner with this program and with the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. Please join me in recognizing and thanking all of our McNair Scholars and mentors for creating a robust, vibrant intellectual community at the UW. These young future professors, leaders and policy makers epitomize the talent and intellect which no doubt will have global import, and will provide crucial leadership in an increasingly complex and changing world. Gerald J. Baldasty, Vice Provost and Dean of The Graduate School Professor, Communication Adjunct Professor, Women Studies, American Ethnic Studies v From the Associate Dean, The Graduate School, GO-MAP I am very pleased that you have the opportunity to read the work of our McNair Scholars. This work represents the culmination of the efforts of very talented students who represent the breadth and excellence of the academy. Our McNair Scholars are from many different disciplines, from the humanities to the social sciences to the natural sciences, but all are alike in their excellence, which you will clearly see in their work. The McNair Program‘s mission, the encouragement of students who have been disadvantaged, is critical to the future of higher education in the U.S. As our population becomes increasingly diverse, we need more role models on our faculties and in leadership positions, but it is also critically important that we not waste talent. Although these students have been disadvantaged, they are very talented and we need them to succeed. This is the reason that the University of Washington Graduate School‘s Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) is a proud partner with the McNair Program. We share in the mission of finding, encouraging, and supporting these talented students so that they can take their place in the next generation of scholars and intellectual leaders of this society. Finally, we must recognize that one of the things the University of Washington and other research universities do best is to train researchers. Our students have the wonderful educational opportunity to study with and learn the craft from some of the leading scholars in the discipline. By taking advantage of this opportunity, McNair Scholars will be among the most competitive for the best spots in graduate training programs as well as for the fellowships and research assistantships that will support their work and study. I hope that you enjoy reading their work and join me in appreciating the quality of these students. Sincerely, Juan C. Guerra, Associate Dean The Graduate School, GO-MAP vi Journal Disclaimer While the McNair Program Staff has made every effort to assure a high degree of accuracy, rigor and quality in the content of this journal, the interpretations and conclusions found within each essay are those of the authors alone and not the McNair Program. Any errors or omission are strictly the responsibility of each author. vii THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS JOURNAL of the University of Washington Volume X Spring 2011 Contents