If you’ve ever been driving cross country along the highway and seen a sign from the window of your car advertising the world’s largest rocking chair, or smallest museum, or biggest ball of string, then you’ve caught a glimpse into a closing window on a unique and fascinating chapter of American history, namely the essentially distinctive and often academically overlooked age of Roadside Americana. When most people think of Roadside Americana, they likely first think of Route 66 in the 1950s. There are immediate associations with the kitsch and hyperbolic: dramatic signs, themed diners and motels, and of course an abundance of roadside attractions like the ones listed above. Ask them to think a little harder and they might define their idea of Roadside Americana by its stereotypically friendly strangers, small towns, and open roads. All of these elements together create a conceptual definition of Roadside Americana as it is often optimistically considered today. However, while Route 66 at its commercial height is undeniably the blueprint for this collective definition, the influence of Roadside Americana has long since outgrown the original setting of its birth. Despite the ongoing decline in functionality and visibility of the Mother Road itself, the image of the era it gave rise to is one that has persisted throughout the decades in the American imagination. One place the evidence of this persevering fascination can be observed is in the close examination of media. The truth of a culture’s values is often revealed in storytelling, and the story of the American road trip is one that has been told time and again, so much so in fact that it’s become a widely acknowledged genre in its own right. Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, Kerouac’s On the Road, SNL’s The Blues Brothers, Pixar’s Cars, all these and more. The tone may differ drastically between works, ranging from poignant and tragic to downright ridiculous. And yet, there is a consistency across these fictional narratives. There is an appeal that unites them all. Despite practicality and the passage of time, despite maybe even challenging internal cynicism, there is something about Roadside Americana that we, as a culture, just aren’t ready to let go of.

In 2016, Azerbaijan arrested one of its esteemed writers, Akram Aylisli, for writing a fictional story depicting Armenian trauma, existence, and peaceful coexistence with Azeris. This paper analyzes how Akram Aylisli's work, "Stone Dreams: A Novel-Requiem,' has reevaluated national identity and has disrupted the official memory created by Azerbaijan, where certain historical events are contested and even suppressed.

The aim of this project was to identify current trends in organ transplant trafficking to build upon a Mayo Clinic internship in which I conducted research and published an article: “A Scoping Review of Labor and Organ Trafficking Resources for U.S. Healthcare Professionals” in the Journal of Human Trafficking. Healthcare professionals need to be educated on the underreported problem of organ trafficking in the United States and awareness needs to be spread. Due to the lack of research available in the United States on organ trafficking for healthcare professionals, I attempted to find international sources and to make suggestions on how awareness can be created. The research pointed out problems in the United States, such as doctor-patient confidently that make it difficult to track the issue. A major theme was discovered on transplant tourism, which is where wealthy individuals from the U.S. and other developed countries travel to third-world countries to take advantage of vulnerable individuals, who may be victims of organ trafficking.

The aim of this project is to create a trifold pamphlet that can raise awareness of female Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has three types: inattentive type, hyperactive type, and combined type. Female individuals with ADHD can present their symptoms slightly differently than males with ADHD. Additionally females with ADHD are typically underdiagnosed and therefore go untreated for their ADHD. Females with ADHD show more emotional problems and comorbid internalizing disorders than males with ADHD show.

The aim of this project is to create a trifold pamphlet that can raise awareness of female Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has three types: inattentive type, hyperactive type, and combined type. Female individuals with ADHD can present their symptoms slightly differently than males with ADHD. Additionally females with ADHD are typically underdiagnosed and therefore go untreated for their ADHD. Females with ADHD show more emotional problems and comorbid internalizing disorders than males with ADHD show.