Student Research Conference
William V. Moore Student Research Conference
About the Conference
The William V. Moore Student Research Conference is an opportunity for advanced high school and undergraduate students to present research on a variety of topics, including Southern and South Carolina politics, civil rights, political extremism, educational opportunity and economic development, political communication, human geographies and world politics. The conference, held annually in April, is held in honor of Dr. William V. Moore and reflects his passionate commitment to undergraduate education and improving political discourse and educational and economic opportunities for all South Carolinians.
About Bill Moore

2023 William V. Moore Conference Awards
The panels for the 12th annual William V. Moore Student Research Conference are listed below, along with the names of our presenters and their research projects.
Panel 1: Institutions and States: Empirical Approaches
Justin May - "Shady Standards: The Shadow Docket and Emergency Relief"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Claire Wofford
Cameron Wilson - "The Common Law Approach to Conflict Related Sexual Violence in a Global Context"
Majors: Political Science, International Studies Mentor: Dr. Hollis France
Gabrielle Coble - "Japan's Transition to a Modern State"
Major: Marketing Mentor: Dr. Guoli Liu
Panel 2: Citizenship & Belonging
Taylor Schneider - "Why American Citizens on the Island of Puerto Rico Should Have the Right to Vote"
Majors: Political Science, Communication Mentor: Dr. Robert Westerfelhaus
Courtney Smith - "Conceptualizations of Home at the Interchange of Exile"
Majors: Political Science, Communication Mentor: Dr. Briana McGinnis
Grace Kern - "Mapping Pathways Forward for the Women and Children of al Hol Camp"
Majors: Political Science, International Studies Mentor: Dr. Daniel Brown
Panel 3: The Politics of Public Health
Emily Eaton - "The Right of Self-Determination for the Mentally Disabled in the United States"
Major: History Mentor: Dr. Elisa Jones
Alexander Siegelman - "Reviewing Health Care Policy in Kentucky, Massachusetts, and South Carolina"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Kendra Stewart
Aliece Hurley & Soleil Tibbets-Barnes (co-presenters) - "Bad Blood: Partisanship and the Politics of Blood Donation"
Majors: Political Science, International Studies (Hurley)
Majors: Political Science, French (Tibbets-Barnes)
Mentor: Dr. Jordan Ragusa
Panel 4: Children, Families, and the Law
Rachelle Kimbrell - "No Ideal Perpetrators: The Legal-Political Construction of Children who Commit Criminal Offenses"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Briana McGinnis
Alicia Wilson - "South Carolina's Racial Disparities in Juvenile Justice"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Jordan Ragusa
Glory Mayreis - "Trans Parents and the Policies Against Them"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Lynne Ford
Panel 5: Political Economies
Ella Phillips - "Relations Between China and Africa: Mutually Beneficial or Exploitation?"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Guoli Liu
Margaret Bowden - "How Eco-Friendly is Ecotourism?"
Majors: Political Science, Marine Biology Mentor: Dr. Matthew Nowlin
Lucas Moyon - "Monetary Contraction in the Presence of Fiscal Stimulus"
Majors: Economics, Physics, Astronomy Mentor: Dr. Norman Maynard
Panel 6: Contesting Gender
Savannah Petrelli - "An Analysis of the Lack of 'Gender' in Refugee Law Definitions"
Majors: Poliical Science, International Studies Mentor: Dr. Lynne Ford
Paige Kelley - "Gendered Appearance and Electability"
Major: Political Science Mentor: Dr. Lynne Ford
Majors: Communication, International Studies Mentor: Dr. Beatriz Maldonado