WGS STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES FUND

HELPING TURN STUDENT ASPIRATIONS INTO REALITY

WRITTEN BY WGS ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR, PRISCILLA THOMAS ‘07 (she/her)

In Spring 2019, our program launched the WGS Student Opportunities Fund so that students may apply for grants to support engagement in study abroad, internships, community-based learning projects, research, and other scholarly activities. Our generous donors in the community and on campus make funding for these opportunities possible.

Katie Morand presenting at the 6th annual Feminism in Motion symposium, April 2024. Photo credit: Reese Moore

During her time at the college, Katie Morand ‘24 (she/her) has continuously pursued studies where the intersectionality of Public Health and Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) are at the forefront. In her junior year, she conducted research to analyze survey data gathered by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Her conclusions were presented in Spring 2023 at Feminism in Motion, titled “Analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey on Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents.” In addition to general data summation, Katie critically examined the survey’s methodology and sample.

She noted problematic elements, such as the survey’s heteronormative language and limited data for STD and HIV testing. In addition, once the survey responses were broken down by age, race, and ethnicity, there was scarce data for marginalized groups. Katie found these inferences troubling as the YRBSS informs public health policy and sexual education curriculum. She called for inclusive research methodologies and shifting to comprehensive-based sexual education.

Katie’s knack for identifying negligent areas of research was just beginning. For her Honors College Bachelor’s Essay, Katie wanted to research contraceptive knowledge, an unsurprising topic for a Public Health and WGS double major, but with an unexpected data sample: college-aged men. She had to argue the significance of surveying this particular demographic. Katie supported her research project methodology, saying, “It employs qualitative methods to provide a more comprehensive understanding of contraception among college students. Despite overwhelming evidence that males exhibit less contraceptive knowledge than females, there are no current studies with an all-male sample. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and practices among male undergraduate and graduate students at a mid-sized liberal arts institution.” Once she received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, all Katie needed was project funding.

As a WGS major, Katie can apply for the WGS Student Opportunities Fund. She did so and received funding for this research project in fall 2023 and Spring 2024. In the fall, funding went towards her Bachelor’s Essay research to provide interview participants with gift cards. In spring 2024, she received another round of funding for travel expenses to present her research findings at the SC Public Health Association 2024 Annual Conference, held in March in Myrtle Beach, SC. She also presented at WGS’s annual symposium, Feminism in Motion (FeMo), in April.

In her presentation at FeMo, Katie reflected on the limits of her study. Due to sampling challenges, all participants in her study were white. While she refers to men and women (male and female) throughout the presentation, she also took care to acknowledge cis-heteronormativity. She specified that future research must include a more inclusive and representative sample.

Katie went on to highlight key findings and implications from her in-depth interviews. A notable theme from interviewees is that women are their primary source of knowledge and comfort. One participant said, “I do not have a problem talking about it with women. I feel like women are more knowledgeable about it.” Another interviewee explained, “I have a long-term girlfriend, and she’s taught me a lot about how it works.” A third participant stated, “I feel a little bit more comfortable talking to another woman about it because most of my life, that’s who I’ve talked to about these things.”

This sentiment from multiple participants yielded this conclusion from Katie: “Understanding men’s perceptions and knowledge allows us to re-evaluate their role in sexual and reproductive health and design sex education programs accordingly.” For this reason, she argues that “Studies investigating contraception cannot continue to be focused only on women” and that these results confirm what previous research findings determined, “that women carry the burden of contraceptive knowledge and responsibility for contraceptive use.” Therefore, there is value in future research in this area that could go on to potentially inform and influence policy reform.

Fortunately, Katie was not alone in navigating this extensive research project. Dr. Christy Kollath-Cattano, Program Director and Associate Professor of Public Health and WGS affiliate faculty, was her faculty mentor. Reflecting on mentoring students like Katie on research projects, Kollath-Cattano says, “I came into this line of work because I love teaching AND research, so it is rewarding to be able to mentor students in pursuing their own research-oriented goals and passions.” She encourages students interested in researching to reach out to faculty, advising, “Even if you are unsure of where to begin, there are often opportunities to start small and assist professors with their ongoing projects, even informally. This may ignite a spark for taking on more or developing an individual project- the first step is coming to talk to us!”

Indeed, getting involved is always the first step that can lead to endless possibilities. For Katie, research has become one of several health and WGS-centric ventures. In addition to conducting research, Katie served as a peer facilitator and was a member of the College’s Student Health Research Team and Women’s Health Research Team. She also volunteered at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in the Labor and Delivery, NICU, and Emergency Departments and for the non-profit Feed My Starving Children.

Katie received a WGS Engaged Student Award and was one of WGS’s Humanities and Social Science Scholars for 2024’s graduating class. Since commencement in May, she has been studying for the MCAT. Katie’s goal is to attend medical school to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology. Her intersectional scholarship and the unique research opportunities she conducted during her undergraduate studies will serve her well in these future pursuits.