Fisher Students Present at New York State Political Science Association Conference

This fall, two St. John Fisher University students presented their research at the New York State Political Science Association Conference hosted at Fisher. The conference was co-chaired by Dr. Sébastien G. Lazardeux, associate professor and chair, department of political science and legal studies, and Dr. Ricky Price, assistant professor of political science and legal studies.

At the conference, Fisher student Chloe Bowman presented her research paper From Policing to Public Health: Evaluating the Feasibility of New York's Daniel’s Law, that she wrote during her spring internship with the New York State Assembly in Albany. The paper looks at legislation that would create a statewide, non-police crisis response system for mental health and substance use emergencies.

“Class projects at Fisher prepared me to communicate professionally, and my current course on New York State and local government helped me connect the research to how policy actually moves,” she said.

Bowman added how valuable the conference was to learn from other students’ research, on topics like Indigenous rights and the impact of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen, and receiving feedback on how to frame her essay, which will help with her Capstone.

“If you’re thinking about presenting, definitely do it! Your work doesn’t have to be perfect, and you’ll get great feedback. Whatever career you choose, you’ll need to be comfortable articulating your ideas, and this is great practice. Conferences are also a great place to network. I reconnected with another presenter I knew from Albany, and connections like that help shape your future,” she said.

Sophia O’Neill also presented during the conference on a paper she wrote with Price, The Success of Indigenous Resistance in the Face of Capitalism. To prepare for her presentation, O’Neill spoke with supporters ahead of the conference to identify areas to prepare additional information and drew upon class experience.

“During class last semester, Dr. Price challenged us to have very few words on our slides. This was extremely helpful, as I relied on my knowledge of the topic while also delivering a natural-flowing presentation,” she said. “These conferences are an amazing opportunity to talk about something that really interests you and that others want to hear about, which can spark questions for further research and help you become a better speaker and writer.”

The conference included panels in various sub-disciplinary fields like public policy, international relations, American politics, political theory, history, and politics, among others. There was also an opportunity for informal interactions with faculty from diverse institutions and to learn about their post-graduate programs. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans delivered the keynote address. 

“The advantages from a smaller state conference like this one are many. It gives students an opportunity to present their own research in a supportive environment where faculty are there to help them with their project and boost students’ confidence,” said Lazardeux. “They also learn about issues and topics with which they may not be very familiar, and thereby open their mind to interesting issues they may not get to speak about in detail in their courses, and to do so from people who have great expertise on those."

Lazardeux added that it is beneficial for students to attend and present at conferences such as this regardless of their interests in pursuing a career in academia beyond their degree.

“Many of the skills they gain through their curriculum at Fisher, and on which the Fisher Outcomes concentrate on, are taught and strengthened in the classroom. But experiences such like those have an equally significant impact on the development of their skillsets,” he said.