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Researching, writing and editing have become major stepping stones in undergraduate development.

The Oshkosh Scholar, a publication of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Office of Student Scholarly and Creative Activities, showcases students’ best research and creative projects.

The ninth volume of Oshkosh Scholar, which was distributed in May 2015, features undergrad work from 2014 graduates and current students. Students are involved in editing and production coordination, and faculty review articles through a blind review process.

Articles in the current edition cover a variety of subjects from philosophy to math.

“It’s really the most ambitious and dedicated students and faculty who embrace this extra experience,” said Michelle Kuhl, an associate history professor and Oshkosh Scholar faculty adviser.

Kuhl emphasized the importance of research and publication, as employers are looking for graduates who can write effectively and well. The Oshkosh Scholar provides students an opportunity to experience the review and publication process.

“Top students don’t always get a lot of direction on how to improve,” Kuhl said. “This is an opportunity for them to spend a lot more time with professors. The students also get an outside view that offers critiques, bettering their writing and research skills.”

Submission numbers for the Oshkosh Scholar range from a dozen to more than 30 articles per issue. A selection committee decides how many to include.

Those published in the 2014 Oshkosh Scholar include Maria Bady ’14, of Appleton; Eric Boll ’14, of Chilton; Ashley T. Leonardelli ’13, of Milwaukee; Patrick McCorkle ’15, of Oshkosh; Alex Phillips ’14, of Pulaski; and Karen Thompson ’14, of Brookefield.

Bady, a philosophy major, was mentored by Larry Herzberg from the philosophy department. She started her research in 2013 at her internship with CARE. Bady presented the paper at the annual #rapeisnotajoke event on campus. With the help of Herzberg, she revised her paper about the slang use of the word “rape.”

Boll, who was mentored by math professor David Penniston, graduated with degrees in math and computer science in 2014. He researched number theory throughout his junior and senior years and gave talks at the 2013 Mathematics Association of America Section Meeting, a UWO colloquium and at St. Norbert College’s 28th Annual Pi Mu Epsilon Regional Undergraduate Math Conference. In his final semester of college, Boll presented research at Posters on the Rotunda in Madison. His Oshkosh Scholar research was about congruences for the k-regular partition function.

Leonardelli worked with Erin Winterrowd, a psychology professor, on research about screening tools for experiences of LGBTQ-identified victims of intimate partner violence. Leonardelli graduated with a psychology major and a minors in Spanish and social justice. At UWO, she was involved with many diversity and inclusivity activities and was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. After taking international trips to Mexico and Nicaragua, she plans to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology and work with partner violence victims.

McCorkle recently graduated with degrees in history, political science and Spanish. He began his research in 2013 on 15th century Florentine exceptionalism, civic humanism, the Medici and Savonarola. McCorkle worked closely with history professor Franca Barricelli.

Phillips researched the circuit court experience and consistency on the Supreme Court from 1953 to 2013. He worked closely with Jerry Thomas, a political science professor. Phillips earned his degree in political science at UWO and began studying law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. His academic interests are in state economic policy and the U.S. court system.

Thompson, an honors graduate who earned degrees in Spanish and education, worked closely with communication professor Jennifer Considine. Thompson began research in 2013 through the Undergraduate Student/Faculty Collaborative Research Program. She wrote about parent responses to pediatric handouts and pamphlets. Thompson’s goal is to research and practice clinical medicine as a pediatrician.

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