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After several classes on the subject excited her curiosity, Alexandra Minieri ’07 (East Brunswick, N.J.) decided to explore her interest in women’s issues by contributing to five separate research projects this summer.
The psychology major collaborated with Susan Basow, Dana Professor of Psychology, through Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
“Allie has been extremely hard working, competent, and reliable,” says Basow. “She has developed strong research skills regarding critically reviewing and summarizing research articles. She has needed to work very independently and has been terrific in being self-directed and self-motivated. I feel very fortunate to have found someone with her skills and commitment.”
For their first project, Minieri conducted a thorough literature review and summarized the information in a lengthy paper to help Basow write a chapter on gender socialization for a book containing lectures on women’s psychology. Minieri studied parental and teacher influence, peer pressure, and gender-stereotyped books and television. She also helped find information to address the editors’ concerns and questions.
Minieri also laid groundwork for one of Basow’s future research projects. Using the computer program Endnote, she found and synthesized research on prevention programs for eating disorders.
Her responsibilities for her third project included conducting a literature review on female athletes and issues of muscularity, body dissatisfaction, and masculinity and femininity. Minieri’s work supplements research done by Kevin Chysna ’06 on male athletes. Basow plans to collect more data on the topic in January and hopes to involve Minieri in that process as well.
Minieri also updated two different databases for several of Basow’s ongoing research interests. She sorted through published literature to find recent articles on objectification theory/body dissatisfaction and gender and student ratings of professors. Basow plans to use Minieri’s findings to write a research grant as she develops studies on those issues.
These opportunities have allowed Minieri to work closely with a professor, while also learning to work independently. She notes that Basow is always accessible, even when she is traveling or at conferences.
“Since Professor Basow spends a lot of time traveling during the longer breaks from school, we communicate via email,” Minieri explains. “She gives me direction, and I complete the assignments. I am responsible for obtaining all research, reviewing the findings, and reporting the results to Professor Basow.”
Though much of her work involved updating databases, it has led to further collaboration with Basow. Beginning this fall, she will begin honors thesis research on a topic related to gender and dating.
“Her experience has enabled her to develop an extremely interesting honors project that I expect will get presented at a conference and/or published,” says Basow. “She already has developed her proposal and will collect data in the fall.”
Minieri has enjoyed collaborating with Basow and looks forward to conducting further research with the professor for her honors thesis.
“Professor Basow is a wonderful person with whom to work,” she says. “She explains her goals well and does not have unrealistic expectations. She has taught me invaluable research and writing skills as my EXCEL professor, as well as my mentor for my thesis.”
Basow’s clinical psychology and gender expertise has been covered by a variety of media outlets, including the BBC, CBS, CNN, and Canadian CityTV. A widely published leader in her field, Basow is author of Gender Stereotypes: Traditions and Alternatives,printed in three editions, including a Chinese translation. She has made numerous presentations at professional conferences and has served as a consultant and expert witness. She is consulting editor for scientific journals Psychology of Women Quarterly and Sex Roles and a licensed psychologist. She also helped found Lafayette’s women’s studies program.
Minieri is president of psychology honor society Psi Chi and Alpha Phi sorority. She has studied abroad in Rome and serves as a peer tutor and peer counselor, helping first-year students adjust to life at Lafayette. This fall, she will serve an internship at Third Street Alliance for Women and Children, a nonprofit social services agency in Easton. She also will serve an internship with psychologist Jarrod Spencer ’96, who has a private practice in Easton and often conducts sexual assault prevention programs on campus. She is a graduate of East Brunswick High School.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty students were accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.