Department of Political Science, 308.865.8039
Many students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney plan their spring breaks to include a much-needed trip home, a short vacation to warmer climates or the occasional mission trip to impoverished lands.
Two UNK students, however, are making the trek to Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., to present the results of their undergraduate research.
Marty Demoret, a senior psychology major from Scottsbluff, and Mike Gruszczynski, a senior political science major from Broken Bow, will present their findings to peers at the Great Plains Political Science Conference on Friday, March 16.
Demoret’s research, titled “Why Should I get Involved? Sense of Community and Student Involvement on the UNK Campus,” centers around his study of the amount of volunteer participation at UNK, as well as students’ reasoning for taking part in voluntary organizations.
Gruszczynski’s research, “The Effects of Approval Ratings on Presidential Media Coverage,” examined the shifts that have occurred in the tone of media coverage as President Bush’s approval ratings have fluctuated.
He said the conference presents an opportunity to gain valuable experience in the presentation of research at academic conferences.
“I think it will be good, because I’ll be presenting my findings to other political science scholars,” he said. “And, because I am planning on attending graduate school, I need as many experiences like this as I can get.”
The students will be traveling to Mankato with Dr. Peter Longo, chair of the political science department. He will also present research, titled “State Constitutionalism from the Great Plains: Meanings from the Federalist Papers.”
