Poster presenters and panelists representing the School of Liberal Arts at TRICS 2026
SLA students and faculty will be sharing their research at the Tulane Research, Innovation and Creativity Summit (TRICS) on April 15 & 16, 2026.
The complete 2026 TRICS schedule can be found on the TRICS 2026 Event Website.
Wednesday, April 15, 1:30 pm
Tulane Thought Leaders Lightning Talks
Amanda Kruger Hill, Cowen Institute
Nicholas Mattei, School of Science and Engineering
Susann Lusnia, School of Liberal Arts
Alexis Culotta, School of Liberal Arts
Nationally recognized Tulane faculty, including Nicholas Mattei, a renowned AI researcher, and Susann Lusnia, whose research on a Roman artifact found in Uptown New Orleans made international headlines.
Thursday, April 16, 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Poster Session C
TRICS Abstract
Dare to Dissent? Party Loyalty and Electoral Outcomes for Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives
Presenter: Ella Jeffries, Political Science
Republicans who presented opposition to United States President Trump in the aftermath of his first term, specifically his claims of electoral fraud, faced re-election in the 2022 midterm elections. Examining how these dissenters fared in their 2022 campaigns, or whether they chose to run for reelection, can illustrate whether, in our modern political…
TRICS Abstract
A Forensic Approach to the Identification and Interpretation of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Human Skeletal Remains
Presenter: Catarina Vazquez, Anthropology
Intimate partner violence (IPV), which encompasses physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological abuse that occurs in intimate and romantic relationships, is a global issue that disproportionately affects women and is the leading cause of femicide worldwide. Clinical researchers have established…
TRICS Abstract
Motherhood and Sex Work: Symbolic Boundaries Narrated by Haitian Female Sex Workers in the Dominican Republic
Presenters:
Avery Edwards, Sociology and Spanish
Katherine Andrinopolous, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Haitian women living in the Dominican Republic are among the most marginalized populations, facing immense anti-Haitian sentiments, economic precarity, and limited social capital. For some, sex work becomes a means of survival, yet it carries risks, including client violence, sexually…
TRICS Abstract
Data Washed: Green Capitalism and Global North-South Inequities
Presenter: Maya Wilson-Ehrenthal, Environmental Studies
This project investigates how sustainability has been commodified through the marketing and measurement practices of global consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies. Using Oatly as a primary case study, it examines how data-driven tools, such as carbon labels and environmental certifications, construct narratives of “green” progress while obscuring the unequal social and ecological…
TRICS Abstract
Joint Taxation, Intergenerational Labor Supply, and Gender
Presenters:
Luke Volpe, Economics, Political Economy
Mariia Kovalenko, Political Science, Political Economy, minors in Philosophy and Sociology
Elliott Isaac, Economics
Prior to 1948 in the U.S., married couples in common law states were subject to an individual income tax system whereas married couples in community property states were taxed jointly, creating meaningful differences in tax…
TRICS Abstract
Aynijirca, a Huarás settlement in Conchucos, Ancash, Peru
Presenter: MinJoo Choi, Anthropology
The period between 400 BCE and 100 CE (or late Early Horizon/Final Formative) was a time of significant reorganization following the disintegration of the Chavín network. In the Chavín heartland region of Conchucos, the late Early Horizon is characterized by Huarás, an archaeological culture defined by white-on-red pottery styles. Despite its significance, limited research has been conducted…
TRICS Abstract
Following the Paper Trails: The Artistic Network Toolkit and Investigations of Historical Material Networks
Presenters:
Ella Clemens, Economics and Art History
Aine Powers, Art History
Aron Culotta, School of Science & Engineering
Alexis Culotta, Art History
Artistic creation is shaped by relationships that require close comparison of works and broader analysis of social and cultural contexts. Research into…
TRICS Abstract
Who Owns the Past?: The Battle over Truth, Curriculum, and American History in Classrooms and Chambers
Presenter: Morgan Bennett, Political Science, Social Policy and Practice
This paper is a historical and comparative analysis of how the American history curriculum has been used as a political tool to erase the voices of Black women and frame narratives, specifically in democratic processes. Black women are the most educated and active voting groups in American politics and also make up a large…
TRICS Abstract
Fatal Connections: The Havana Electric Railway and the Perils of Progress in U.S. Occupied Havana, 1899–1902
Presenter: Michael Gutierrez, History
This presentation examines urban development in U.S.-occupied Havana during the turn-of-the-twentieth century. Following the Spanish-Cuban-American War, the United States government established a more than three-year long military occupation in Cuba in 1899. During the final months of Spanish sovereignty, U.S. businessmen like those…
TRICS Abstract
Arma 3 and Lemnos: How a video game unknowingly entered an island’s ongoing tourism developments and political conflicts
Presenter: Trey Salyer, Classical Studies
Why would a less travelled Greek island set on increasing tourism reject a golden opportunity for self-advertising (like being featured in a videogame that has sold over 10 million copies)? The game in question, Arma 3, is a military combat simulator released in 2013. Using the real-life Lemnos, the game is set on an island originally…
TRICS Abstract
Human discernment of dominance status from the faces of white-faced capuchin monkeys
Presenters:
Brooke Mason, School of Science & Engineering
Nicholas Chapoy, Anthropology
Katharine Jack, Anthropology
Male primates, including humans, often develop visual cues of dominance, such as facial width-to-height ratio or prominence of the jaw and brow, that function to communicate individual competitive ability. These cues may also be used by…
TRICS Abstract
Domestic Labor, Stress and Inflammation: How Behavior Shapes Biological Outcomes
Presenters:
Anna Lee, Anthropology
Katharine Lee, Anthropology
The inequitable distribution of gendered domestic labor is a source of psychosocial and physical stress that disproportionately impacts women on a global scale. While the relationship between chronic stress and inflammation is becoming increasingly well characterized, the relationship between…