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Trustee Scholarship recipient Sarah Stanlick ’04 presented her research on the regulation of nuclear energy March 13-15 at the 17th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her findings will also be published in the conference proceedings; only ten percent of presenters receive this honor.
“My research looks at the complex issue of nuclear energy and regulation by the European Union,” says Stanlick, an International Affairs major. “In particular, the purpose of this study is to scrutinize the manner in which the European community responded to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.”
Stanlick conducted this intensive research project under the guidance of Katalin Fabian, assistant professor of government and law.
Fabian has shared her research through numerous articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. In 2002, she published articles in European Journal of Women’s Studies, Hungarian Studies Review 2002, and a Collegium Budapest-Institute for Advanced Study web site; wrote book reviews published by Canadian-American Slavic Review and Voluntas; and presented papers at Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Toronto, and a conference held by International Studies Association, New Orleans. She has received many honors, awards, and prizes, including grants from the Ford Foundation, the Institute for the Study of World Politics, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and the Institute for International Peace Studies.
“Presenting at a conference of this scope benefits the students in many ways,” says Fabian. “They reexamine their research, rewrite, and rethink their scholarship. They also need to communicate their ideas to others and really foster an appreciation for their own scholarly work. In addition, they build critical presentation skills.”
Pursuing this research allowed Stanlick to study in-depth two subjects she loves — International Affairs and environmental policy.
“After taking the course The Green Revolution, I became increasingly interested in environmental issues that are often not highlighted in the media,” she says. “Nuclear energy, contamination, and policy are important issues that affect all of us, yet these topics are often not interesting enough to be reported by media or are too controversial, as in the case of nuclear power.”
Stanlick’s research helped broaden her understanding of the European Union’s function as a multinational body that deals with difficult issues.
“I found in my research that while the EU plays an important role in facilitating legislation for the European community, nuclear energy is a subject they do not want to touch,” says Stanlick. “It is known as the ‘political hot potato’ of Europe, and it is difficult to propose effective legislation, let alone have it come into effect.”
Stanlick says Fabian played a major role in helping her further develop her research on nuclear energy and the European Union.
“Professor Fabian is wonderful,” she says. “Her dedication to students and her interest in having each student learn and absorb every aspect of the subject and enjoy that journey is what sets her apart. She was the perfect mentor for this project. When I was overwhelmed with information, she put me back on track and was an invaluable resource when I needed to dig up more on an obscure topic.”
This project helped Stanlick hone her research skills and also influenced her career plans.
“I think I’ve found something I want to center my future research and career around,” she says. “My study focused on nuclear power policy, and that is what I hope to specialize in as my career plans take shape. I have found a few graduate programs that specialize in international environmental law, and I hope that after I work for a year or two, I can take advantage of that opportunity.”
Stanlick was particularly pleased to present her research at NCUR and calls it a “wonderful experience.”
“It taught me how to present scholarly research, enabled me to get feedback from peers, and strengthened my writing,” explains Stanlick.
She cites this project as one of the many positive experiences she has had at Lafayette.
“The International Affairs department is one of the best in the nation, and the classes I have taken within the department as well as the support from the professors are excellent.
“Lafayette gives students the opportunity to be very independent, which is ideal for me. Furthermore, there is a talented body of professors who facilitate that independence. I was very lucky to have an opportunity to research a truly fascinating topic with the full support of my faculty mentor.”
Stanlick is vice president of German Club and a member of Delta Phi Alpha, the national German honor society. She works in the Language Laboratory and serves as president of Tri-Delta sorority.