Wells College has a long and distinguished history of involving its students in undergraduate research. Working side by side with professors on original research projects enhances the educational experience for Wells students and gives them an edge in graduate school and professional advancement.  At Wells, all students, not just a select few, work on research projects or participate in Capstone Experiences leading to a senior thesis. 

Undergraduate research at Wells has led students to participate in local and national disciplinary conferences and to co-author papers for publication in scholarly journals. For almost two decades, Wells students have been selected to present their research findings at the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). The Wells students who presented their work at the 22nd National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), held April 10-12, 2008 at Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore are listed below, along with their faculty advisors and their major and research topic. 
Mark Broderick, English, “‘He Do the Divine in Different Voices’: How Hopkins’s Sanctity Becomes His Poetry" (Professor Burroughs).

Sarah Brower, Biological & Chemical Sciences, "Monitoring Drosophila Melanogaster in Freerun Indicates that Ethanol Can Affect the Circadian Period of Locomotor Rhythms" (Professor Collmer).

Allison Inga, Biological & Chemical Sciences, "The Distribution of Primordial Follicles in the Ovarian Cortex" (Professor Wahl).

Jessica Keller, Biological & Chemical Sciences, "The Effects of Constant Light on the Development of Total Length and Pigmentation in the Salamander Ambystoma mexicanum" (Professor Wahl).

Erin Kennedy, Religious Studies, "From Humble Slave to Warrior for Christ: The Changing Image of St. Patrick" (Professor Malena).

Sara Miller, Biological & Chemical Sciences, "Effects of Constant Light on Germination and Early Growth of Lycopersicum esculentum" (Professors Wahl & Schnurr).

Mary Wright, Sociology & Anthropology, "Revitalizing Cooperative Communities and Sustainable Places in American Culture" (Professor Olson).

The Senior Project 
All students produce a senior essay or project during their last year of study at Wells. The senior thesis crystallizes the college experience and provides excellent training for graduate-level studies. It also provides students with the unique experience of completing a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of a topic that is of importance to them. The following is a representative list of senior theses of students who graduated in 2008.

ART HISTORY
Allison Margaret Schooler, “Rewriting Herstoriographies and Art Historical Paradigms: The ‘Wack!’ and ‘Global Feminisms’ Exhibitions”

BIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL SCIENCES
Kelly A. Siegfried, “A Model for the Manganese-Mediated Oxidation Site in Photosynthesis”

ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
Dalace Inman, “Don't Believe Everything You Hear about Starting a Small Business (Including this Thesis)”

ENGLISH
Mark J. Broderick, “Grappling With the Actual: Essays on ‘Isms,’ Intimacy, and Individualism”
Catherine McCabe, “With a Dead March” 
Kathryn Smithler, “The ‘Irrational Depths of Childhood’: A Study of C.S. Lewis and His Chronicles of Narnia” 

FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES
Justine Rouse, “Jo?venes y poli?glotas: Los programas de ensen?anza de idiomas en la regio?n central de Nueva York”

HISTORY
Tory Brownell, “The African American Slave Woman's Experience through Narratives”

INDIVIDUALIZED MAJOR, INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
Levi Velez-Reed, “The Future of Sustainable Development and the Kyoto Protocol in China”

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Maryann Hines, “Socioeconomic Consequences of Structural Adjustment:  A Case Study of Poverty Reduction in Senegal since the 1980's”

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Abbie Corwin, “Much Ado About Nothing”
Aimee Raymond, “Cryptography and its Ciphers”
Chris VanWert, “Website Security”

PSYCHOLOGY
Megan Chamberlain, “Can Life Be A Fairy Tale For Step-Children?: The Effects of Divorce on Children” 
Megan Correia, “Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action: A Controversy Worth Discussing”
Joanna deSupinski, “Ethnic Minority Aging and ‘Cosmetic Discontent’: Dr. King’s Plea”
Adel Divers, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Possible Strains During the Asylum Process” 
Janin Hendry, “A Behavioral Analysis of Emotional Intelligence Through Personal and Environmental Social Situations” 
Jennie Huling, “At-Risk for Life: Therapies for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse” 
Melissa Jordan, “The Negative Effects and Behaviors Associated with Sexual Abuse”
Panagiota Kalamaras, “Falling into Fascism: A Contemporary Path to Mass Psychosis”
Nicholle Kuhn, “Parental Decision Making and the Effects of Non-Parental Childcare on Child Development”
Rachel Lloyd, “Moments of Sadness: A Look Into Homesickness at Residential Summer Camps”
Patricia Neal, “Blood In, Blood Out: A Look at the Psychological Processes Aiding Gangs in Becoming Family”
Jennifer P. Rossbach, “Effects of Divorce on Children: Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms”
Molly A.S. Ruston, “Shaping Organizational Practices to Maintain the Bottom Line”
Jessica Sincavage, “Agents of Change: Promoting Self-Efficacy in the Residential Schizophrenic Population” 
Bridget Strong, “The Implications of a Good Imagination: How Imaginary Companions Affect a Child’s Social Development”
Danielle M. Syrell, “Art Therapy for Women in Prison”
Steven Shahid Thomas, “Black Identity and Race Socialization: Implications for Internalized Oppression”

RELIGION
Erin Kennedy, “From Humble Slave to Warrior for Christ: The Changing Image of Saint Patrick”

SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
Hayley Clark-Braverman, “Bring It On!: An Examination of Athletic Competition, Gender Roles and the Horatio Alger Myth” 
Cassandra Gill, “The Use of Music as a Political Tactic in Social Movements and to Promote Social Ideologies” 
Ariel Lawson, “Get Moving!:  A Comparative Analysis of Students and Labor Within the Fair Trade Movement” 
Jennifer O’Neill, “Constructing Hispanic English Language Learners as Deficit Learners: Implications of their Social Capital” 
Caitlin Pratt, “The Ethics and Politics of Anthropoligical Research: Deconstructing Systems of Domination and Methodological Approaches to Difference”
Maria Teresa Rojas, “La Tirana: Spiritual Fuel for the Soul” 
Mary M. Wright, “Revitalizing Cooperative Communities and Sustainable Places within the United States”

The Koch Prize for the Best Senior Research Paper 
The Koch prize was established and endowed in 1953 by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Koch.  The Koch Prize Committee reads senior essays representing the fields of study available at Wells College and is announced and awarded during the commencement ceremony in May of each year.

2008 Winner
Allison Margaret Schooler, “Rewriting Herstoriographies and Art Historical Paradigms: The ‘Wack!’ and ‘Global Feminisms’ Exhibitions”