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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (March 12, 2013) — Four Milligan College students were invited to have their research published in the Appalachian College Association-University of North Carolina Asheville Undergraduate Research Symposium E-Journal.
In September 2012, Nate Andrew, Mickey Brown, Jessie Davis and Mandy Oaks presented research at a symposium hosted by the Appalachian College Association (ACA)-University of North Carolina at Asheville. After final edits are made, their papers will be added to the online journal, which will be accessible on the ACA website (www.acaweb.org).
“Milligan has heightened its attention on undergraduate research over the past year, and we’re proud of these students’ efforts and the recognition they’ve earned through the ACA,” said Dr. Joy Drinnon, Milligan’s director of undergraduate research.
Andrew, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a junior psychology and business administration major. The title of his paper is “Short-Term Mission Trips and Their Effects on Adolescent Spiritual Development.” He spent the summer of 2012 analyzing data that others had collected from ASP volunteers and studying the effects of these types of short-term missions projects on adolescents.
Brown, a senior photography major from Kingsport, Tenn., used photography to share the stories of the people who are served through the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). He showed the background, heritage, culture, and traditions of the region through his photography and paper titled “Unexpected Expectations and a Search for the Appalachian Jesus.”
“A Comparative Analysis of Volunteer Motivations Between Two Home Repair Ministries” was the focus of Davis, a Milligan alum. Her research sought to understand what motivates people to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and the ASP, and how these volunteers’ motivations are similar and different.
“Does ‘Warmer and Drier’ = ‘Happier and Healthier’?” was the title of Oaks’ research. She graduated from Milligan in 2012. Her study sought to determine if the ASP home repair ministry made residents happier and healthier. She hypothesized that making improvements in the comfort of the home would lead to lowered depression and increased quality of life.
For more information about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.