Author Archives: Liv Raddatz

Alexandra Stern, Classical & Near Eastern Archaeology (BMC) & History of Art (BMC), HC ’20

Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar (Prof. Scott)

Faculty Advisor: Monique Scott

Field Site: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Field Supervisor: Katy Blanchard

Fieldwork Description:

As the final component of my Museum Studies minor, I worked as an intern in the Near East section of the Penn Museum with Katy Blanchard, the Keeper of the Collection. As part of my responsibilities with Katy, I worked with another intern, Sean, and in conjunction with a third intern, Mira, to help  the collection’s significant holdings of material from Beth Shean. The larger goals of this project were threefold; our work with the collection helped make the basement in which they are housed a safer environment (for both the collections and the staff who work there), as the objects had not been rehoused since likely the 1930’s, to help prepare for an upcoming refreshing of the Museum’s Canaan and Israel gallery, and to help provide data for the continuation of the project in future years. In addition, the project gave each of us the chance to try our hand at collections management and object photography. Although our work was cut short, we were able to rehouse and photograph a significant percentage of the overall collection, contributing to both the basement environment and the Museum’s online catalog.

Final Presentation:

Stern Site Presentation (1) (3)

Please click here to access a PowerPoint version of the presentation with additional notes.

Sophie Daley-Harris, Psychology (Intended), BMC ’23

Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Promoting Change Thru Service (Prof. Martin)

Faculty Adviser: James Martin

Field Site: Friends Child Care Center

Field Supervisor: Raechel O’Neal Coats

Praxis Projects:

Sophie created guides for educators and parents of preschool-aged children about 1) how to talk to kids about Coronavirus, and 2) how to help them with the eventual transition to “normal”.

S Daley-Harris Talking to Kids about Coronavirus

Please click here to access a PDF version of the document.

S Daley-Harris Return to Normal Guide

Please click here to access a PDF version of the document.

Eliane Nieder, Sociology, BMC ’22

Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Promoting Change Thru Service (Prof. Martin)

Faculty Adviser: James Martin

Field Site: HIAS PA

Field Supervisor: Jennifer LaMotte

Final Praxis Project:

Eliane wrote a paper about her work at HIAS PA that includes an overview of resources for staff and clients in times of Covid-19.

E Nieder Praxis Final Project

Please click here to access a PDF version of the paper.

Christine Huang, Psychology, BMC ’20

Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Promoting Change Thru Service (Prof. Martin)

Faculty Advisor: James Martin

Field Site: Parkway West High School

Field Supervisor: Arlene Capers

Final Project: 

Christine created lists of resources for students with autism and special needs, who are pursuing a college education.

C Huang College Scholarships for Students with Autism

Please click here to access a PDF version of the document.

C Huang Financial Aid Options for Students with Special Needs

Please click here to access a PDF version of the document.

Anya Capps, Linguistics, BMC ’20

Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Promoting Change Thru Service (Prof. Martin)

Faculty Adviser: James Martin

Field Site: Cradles to Crayons

Field Supervisor: Christina Weinhardt

Praxis Project: 

Anya created a flyer on how to support families in need from home.

A Capps C2C Flyer

Please click here to access a PDF version of the flyer.

 

 

Sophia McConnell, Mathematics, BMC ’20

Carbon Footprint Analysis and Business Sustainability

Faculty Advisor: Victor Donnay

Field Site: Comcast

Field Supervisor: Anna Blitz

Course Description:

This course will primarily be focused on the carbon inventory process of a corporation,  specifically Comcast Corporation. The carbon inventory process includes sourcing raw data,  cleaning and validating data, converting raw data into emissions data, compiling the totals and calculating the normalized metrics, and conducting trend analysis. This inventory will include  Scope 1+2+3 emissions. The course will also cover additional corporate sustainability methods in less detail through case studies and current events articles.

Final Project:

Sophia wrote an article about Carbon Footprint Analysis that reflects key aspects of her Praxis work.

Final PRAXIS blogpost_Sophia McConnell.pdf

Please click here to access a PDF version of Sophia’s article.

Jeremy Akin, Economics, HC ’20

Environmental Economics of Solar

Faculty Advisor: Victor Donnay

Field site: Independence Solar

Field Supervisor: Mari Prentice

Course Description:

For my Praxis experience, I interned at a prominent commercial solar developer in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. During my time at Independence Solar, I completed tasks across business strategy, operations and research. One of my primary assignments revolved around software onboarding. For this, I aided the implementation of Procore to streamline project management and development. I was responsible for considerable research and data consolidation in support of that initiative. In addition to Procore, I generated a report on paired battery storage and commercial solar in Massachusetts. This lengthy process required extensive regulatory analysis and exploration. Ultimately, my time at Independence Solar was highly fulfilling and educational. I learned a great deal about the development process and the complexities of operating a successful solar business. Per my Praxis course, I am inspired to pursue a career in renewable energy.

Praxis Presentation:

Please click here to access Jeremy’s video presentation and here to access a PDF version of the slides.

Sarah Golobish, Political Science, BMC ’20

Energy Politics and Advocacy

Faculty Advisor: Victor Donnay

Field site: Clean Air Council

Field Supervisor: Russell Zerbo

Course Description:

This course will explore how to approach real-world sustainability problems with a critical eye. It will develop both professional and analytical skills in building off of the fieldwork component in the classroom. The classroom setting will provide a space to connect concrete examples to theoretical questions – Are energy companies making use of the resources available to them? How can nonprofits and private institutions push change in the face of a national government that remains resistant to change? How do expertise and politics interact in complex and risky issue areas such as environmental and energy regulation?

Praxis Projects and Reflection:

Sarah created a fact sheet about Energy Efficiency that reflects key components of her Praxis work.

EE_Factsheet

Please click here to access a PDF version of the fact sheet.

Moreover, Sarah helped create content for the Clear Air Council website that guides supporters through the complex process of commenting on the PA Public Utility Commission’s Phase IV of their energy efficiency program. Take a look here!

Lastly, Sarah is sharing reflections about her Praxis experience in the document below.

PIS_Reflection_Golobish2

Please click here to access a PDF version of the document.

Caroline Soffer, Political Science (HC), BMC ’20

Non-Profits in US Politics

Faculty Adviser: Marissa Golden

Field Site: American Friends Service Committee

Field Supervisor: Sok Be

Course Description:

The relationship between NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and politics is crucial to policy development and public opinion within American Politics. This course will focus on politically oriented non-profit organizations, and how they interact within the local, state, and federal political systems. Special attention will be given to how these non-profits market different campaigns and programs towards various lawmakers and individual citizens. As the Covid-19 pandemic redirected the course of the semester, this course also morphed to explore how non-profits have responded to the international emergency and what role non-profits hold in responding directly to community needs.

Praxis Poster:

CSoffer_AFSC_Praxis

Please click here to access a PDF version of the poster.

Julia Holeman, Psychology, BMC ’20

The World of Film: A New Lens

Faculty Advisor: Tim Harte

Field Site: Philadelphia Film Society

Field Supervisor: Rosie Jacobson

Course Description:

My Praxis course consisted of discussions with Tim Harte about different important directors and how their work has influenced films today and the best ways to teach these films to youth now. These discussions not only informed my work at the PFS, but will also be immensely helpful in moving forward to my (hopefully) future job at the Circle Cinema in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I also spent time at the PFS working with Rosie Jacobson and Travis Trew on multiple projects. I helped to write discussion questions for Movies on the Block films. At these events, I helped to facilitate inexpensive and fun activities for community participants. I also helped to write discussion questions for the field trip films that bring Philadelphia youth in from all over the city to see new and educational films. During my time at the PFS, they received funding to create a club for teens interested in film. For this club, I helped to create curricula and to develop PowerPoint presentations for the actual club meetings. I also helped to curate films for the Philly Film Showcase monthly event that allows local Philadelphia filmmakers to show their work on the big screen at the Philadelphia Film Center. My time at the PFS not only provided me with skills that will help me as I move into the future, but it also gave me more of a concrete idea of what I am passionate about doing as I begin to find a career path. I could not be more grateful to Rosie for her support, guidance, and help throughout my time at the PFS. Rosie approached this internship as if I were a member of the team and provided me not only with additional insight and knowledge, but also fabulous opportunities to participate in meaningful ways.

Final Presentation:

Please click here to access the presentation.

Claire Eckstein Indik, Psychology, BMC ’20

Eating Disorders and Treatment

Faculty Advisor: Earl Thomas

Field Site: Adult Anxiety Clinic of Temple

Field Supervisor: Rachel Marie Butler

Course Description:

This course provided an introduction to clinically focused eating disorder research. By conducting hands-on laboratory work, I was able to gain an understanding of the steps necessary to implement a CBT-based intervention for a population with disordered eating. Notably, I learned techniques that can be applied to future clinical practice by running participants through imaginal exposures. This hands-on laboratory work was also supplemented by the exploration of a previous dataset and critical engagement with primary literature. With the previous dataset, I conducted multilevel analysis in R to investigate the moderating effect of emotion regulation skills on the relationship between daily social life events and emotional affect. Additionally, the reading assignments in this course focused on the theoretical basis for different treatment methods, the efficacy of previous interventions, and the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie eating disorders.

Praxis Poster:

C Eckstein Indik Praxis Poster_FINAL

Please click here to access a PDF version of the poster.

Owen Deitcher, Growth and Structure of Cities, HC ‘20

Community Engagement

Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Hurley

Field Site: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Field Supervisors: Lauren Medsker, Liane Sullivan, and Casey Kuklick

Course Description:

The course explores the ways in which nonprofits engaged in urban greening initiatives navigate community engagement, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Examining both past practices of community engagement and current literature on this topic, certain values and best practices arise in enabling a wider pool of participants in the process. By truly encompassing a wider audience, future urban greening efforts will garner community support, something for which this course lays the framework for.

Praxis Poster:

Owen Deitcher_Community Engagement

Please click here to access a PDF version of the poster.

Halena Martin, Political Science & Sociology, BMC ’20

Venture Philanthropy

Faculty Advisor: Liv Raddatz

Field site: The GreenLight Fund

Field Supervisor: Garridon Hankins

Course Description:

This course focused on contextualizing venture philanthropy in the broader context of the nonprofit, private, and government sectors. I studied the role of nonprofits, specifically those focused on venture philanthropy, in modern society and the needs they are fit to fulfill and their shortcomings. My goals for the course were to 1) gain a greater understanding of venture philanthropy and the day-to-day operations of a venture philanthropy organization and 2) learn how communities are impacted by nonprofits.

Praxis Presentation:

To view Halena’s narrated presentation, please click here.

Diane Moore, Economics, HC ’20

Sustainable Supply Chains

Faculty Advisor: Victor Donnay (Praxis Sustainability Seminar)

Field Site: William T. Burnett & Co.

Field Supervisor: Ben Benedict

Course description:

This course explores the sustainability of global supply chains by analyzing the environmental costs associated with the manufacturing of flip flops. Topics covered include the circular economy and carbon footprinting with a specific focus on carbon dioxide emissions associated with transportation. In addition, other sustainability issues are explored through biweekly meetings and discussions with the faculty supervisor and other Praxis students working on projects with environmental focuses.

Student Introduction:

Please click here to view Diane’s video introduction.

Praxis Project:

Diane wrote an article about the Carbon Footprint of Supply Chains that reflects key aspects of her Praxis work.

Diane Moore_Praxis blog article

Please click here to access a PDF version of Diane’s article.

Shreya Bhutani, Growth and Structure of Cities, BMC ‘22

Concepts in Justice

Faculty Advisory: Jennifer Hurley

Field Site: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania

Field Supervisor: Andrea Anastasi

Course Description:

This course contextualized the framework of the justice system in order to gain a real-world understanding of what the legal process may look like. Exploring different perspectives in the framework of civil liberties, this course focused on what delivering justice may look like in various forms. Through an exploration of the American Civil Liberties Union, I analyzed concepts illustrated by the organization’s mission statement, which reads as follows “the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization dedicated to defending and expanding individual rights and personal freedoms throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania”. Moreover, this course focused on the operational aspects of non-profit work in relation to its mission goals.

Praxis Research Paper:

PraxisFinal_Bhutani

To access a PDF version of Shreya’s Praxis research paper on Medical Marijuana and Pennsylvania Law Enforcement, please click here.

Colin Fredrickson, Growth and Structure of Cities, HC ’20

The University and the City

Faculty Adviser: Jennifer Hurley

Field Site: Philadelphia City Planning Commission

Field Supervisor: David Kanthor

Course Description:

The urban university has long been a defining factor in American urban space, seeding some of the most recognizable and important parts of a city. This course will focus on the phenomenon of the university district, specifically University City in Philadelphia, and analyze the confluence of place-making powers that define this unique urban space.

Praxis Presentation:

To view Colin’s narrated presentation, please click here.