Eric Townsend

Since the arrival of the Spanish to Ecuador, indigenous peoples have struggled against political and economic elites trying to introduce Western norms that undermine cultural identities. Elon senior Chris Jarrett is examining how groups interact with Ecuadorian society through political activity and development projects, and his research on the Amazonian Kichwa people is the latest work to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on Lumen Scholars in the Class of 2011.

More than 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia that impairs memory and behavior. Elon University senior Caroline Peckels is analyzing compounds found in walnuts that may one day lead to new treatment for patients with the degenerative condition, and her work is the latest to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on Lumen Scholars in the Class of 2011.

They are common stereotypes of Africa often portrayed in media: poverty, AIDS, a “primitiveness” of people who live there. As Elon University senior Maggie Pahos prepared for a semester abroad in Ghana, she wanted to find ways to dispel those stereotypes through her own research, photography and creative writing, and her project is the latest to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on Lumen Scholars in the Class of 2011.

Thousands of people went into exile when Augusto Pinochet established a military dictatorship in Chile in 1973. Elon University senior Renee Zale is studying how their return home was influenced by memories of the South American nation before Pinochet, and her work is the latest to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on Lumen Scholars in the Class of 2011.

The Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement organized a group of fourteen volunteers on April 23 to assist with tornado relief in regions of North Carolina affected by recent storms.

Many people don’t think twice about water, or how new roads, parking lots and buildings to accommodate a growing population can harm water quality. As Elon University senior Samuel Shoge discovered in Alamance County, more asphalt and concrete means more pollution in local streams and lakes, and his work is the latest to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on undergraduate research to be presented during CELEBRATE! 2011.

With their growing number of students who speak little or no English, American school systems have turned largely to one of two approaches for teaching such children. Elon University senior Lindsay Mann compared the models – “English as a Second Language” and “Spanish Dual Language” – and her work is the first to be featured in a series of E-net profiles on undergraduate research to be presented during CELEBRATE! 2011.

Millions of people on April 22 celebrated Earth Day, a program started in 1970 to raise awareness of the environment and the impact of human activity on the planet. Jeffrey Coker, an associate professor of biology, shares the history of Earth Day while offering ideas to consider in the latest in a series of videos where Elon University faculty members share their research and classroom expertise.

RecycleMania 2011 came to a close at College Coffee on April 19 when students and area residence halls were honored for their efforts to reduce the amount of trash that goes into area landfills. The Elon contest was part of a national competition to see which schools could do the best job at recycling.

What does it take to stand out as a job applicant in a competitive media and marketing industry, where companies are bombarded with applications and portfolios for their few open positions? Five panelists addressed that question and more on April 21 in a panel discussion held as part of the annual Interactive Media Showcase in McKinnon Hall.