Three policy students have been awarded undergraduate research awards. The three award recipients – Noam Schofer, Camila Manrique and Javier Fuentes – are working with SPP faculty this summer on research projects.
The first project, titled “Do County Demographics Shape Exposure to Cyber Harm? Exploring Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Integrated Attack Surface Size and Vulnerability,” will be undertaken by Schofer and is supported by Associate Research Professor and Center for Governance of Technology and Systems (GoTech) Director Charles Harry, Research Professor and GoTech Research Director William Lucyshyn and Lecturer and GoTech Research Associate Devin Entrikin.
Schofer will conduct research that explores the vulnerabilities of local government-controlled critical infrastructure to cyber attacks. The goal of this project is to understand how community characteristics influence the potential vulnerability of county government services. By aggregating publicly available internet scans with data from the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics, Schofer will conduct exploratory analyses to investigate these relationships. This research is critical in understanding how socio-economic factors shape cyber exposure and can inform strategies to mitigate risks.
The second project, “Designing a ‘Global Policy’ Major: Pedagogical, Resourcing, and Policy Considerations,” focuses on researching the development of a new major in global policy at SPP. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Joshua Shifrinson, Manrique will address key questions about the curriculum, resources and implementation strategies needed to offer students a high-value education in global policy matters.
Manrique will research and consider market demand, resource constraints and university contexts to develop a strategic plan for programmatic growth at the undergraduate level. This initiative holds the potential to significantly enhance the academic offerings at SPP.
For the third project, titled “Changing Adulthood: The Impact of Financial Instability and Delayed Adulthood on Social Connectedness Among Young Adults,” under the mentorship of Associate Research Professor and Do Good Institute Research Director Nathan Dietz and Research Assistant Emma MacCallum, Fuentes will build on the framework established by Robert Putnam in his seminal work, “Bowling Alone,” which highlighted a troubling decline in social connectedness in the United States and argued that this trend could weaken civic participation and the principles of democracy.
Using new data from the Household Pulse Survey, Fuentes’ project will examine how trends such as financial instability, delayed family formation, frequent relocation and job changes among young adults impact social connectedness and civic engagement. This research seeks to understand the implications of these changing life patterns on community participation and democratic values.
These undergraduate research awards celebrate the accomplishments of SPP faculty while also highlighting the exceptional contributions of undergraduate students in public policy. By funding research projects that address critical societal challenges and inform policy development, these awards foster the growth of future policy leaders and drive significant progress across various fields.