Seniors Present Thesis Projects at National Conference

Kristin Jones ’19 and Karina Krul ’19 represented the University of New Haven at a nationally respected conference in Portland, Oregon, submitting their honors senior thesis project abstracts and presenting their research to scholars.

April 26, 2019

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Kristin Jones ’19, a marine affairs major in the University of New Haven’s honors program, has been conducting research on fisheries management in the United States for nearly two years. Jones describes the opportunity to present her research recently at the annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Oregon as a "huge deal."

"I presented to individuals who have been researching and advancing in the field for decades," continues Jones, who will be studying environmental law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in the fall. "It was important for me to attend so that I could receive feedback on my research and make connections with influential researchers in my field."

A well-regarded event for scholars in multiple disciplines related to social sciences, the event brings together scholars from across the country in fields that include environmental conservation, policy, and natural resource management.

Jones attended the conference with Karina Krul ’19, a marine biology major. Krul, whose research focuses on the effect of environmental awareness on attitudes toward sustainability, says she is grateful to have had the opportunity to present her work.

"Presenting my own research gave me confidence in my abilities and opened my eyes to all of the possibilities I’ll have after Commencement," said Krul. "It made me feel like a marine affairs professional. The entire experience was more rewarding than I ever could have imagined."

"Presenting my own research gave me confidence in my abilities and opened my eyes to all of the possibilities I’ll have after Commencement."Karina Krul ’19

Tarsila Seara, assistant professor and coordinator of the University’s marine affairs program, attended the conference with Krul and Jones.

"This was a great opportunity for them to not only attend an important national conference, but to actively experience being in an academic setting, presenting to and answering questions from experts in their field of study," said Seara, who is also Krul’s and Jones’s thesis advisor. "Not many undergraduate students get to do this. I couldn’t have asked for better representatives for our marine affairs and marine biology programs."