Sociology and anthropology students shine at SURF

Sociology and anthropology students at Elon University develop research skills and gain hands-on experience conducting original studies with real-world impact. The products of their research were on display at Elon University’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) on April 28, 2026.

Examples of sociology and anthropology student research presented at SURF included:

• Lily Andresen-Simmons’s “College Student Narrations of Moral Formation” (mentored by Devin Proctor)
• Emma Hash’s “Parental Perspectives: A Sociological Analysis of Adoptive Parents During the One-Child Policy” (mentored by Tom Arcaro)
• Morgan Murphy’s “Constructing Serial Homicide: Media Framing of Serial Killers, their Victims, and their Crimes” (mentored by Rena Zito)
• Mallory Otten’s “Beauty and Blame: How Gender and Attractiveness Shape Perceptions of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence” (mentored by Rena Zito)
• Dani Rudd’s “Toward Values-Aligned AI Use: An Authenticity-Based Framework” (mentored by Alexis Franzese)
• Avery Shipp’s “Understanding the Everyday: Investigating Ancient Maya Society in the City of Dos Hombres Through Household Archaeology” (mentored by Rissa Trachman)