The LaChance Library is pleased to announce the winners of 2023 Best of College Research contest. The Library received 29 submissions, just shy of the record number of 33 submissions in 2022.
- 1st Place and a $150 prize goes to Gary Brayboy and Coal Regulation Obstruction and Rising Black Lung Cases, by Gary Brayboy for College Writing I with Paula Pitkiewicz.
- 2nd Place and a $100 prize goes to Ozzie Nordstrom-Learnard and Companionship and Community: The Key Ingredients for a Marginalized Student’s Success Story for College Writing I with Jessica Kuskey.
- 3rd Place and a $50 prize goes to Chris Starbard and Lyme Disease and Oral Healthcare for Dental Hygiene Process of Care IV with Virginia Heroux.
Coal Regulation Obstruction and Rising Black Lung Cases connects the increasing rates of black lung diagnoses starting in the 1990s to regulation subversion, legislative obstruction, and societal pressure from within mine communities. Federally mandated regulations in the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 were mercilessly circumvented by the mining industry: placing samplers in clean areas inside and outside of the mine. Coal companies successfully lobbied Congress to limit their contributions to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund to more profits for themselves and capitalizing on the purchase of mines by non-unionized companies that divided mine communities and destroyed the united voice of mine workers.
Companionship and Community: The Key Ingredients for a Marginalized Student’s Success Story questions the lack of action by institutions of higher education (IHE) to address the needs of marginalized students knowing it is critical to their mental wellness and academic success. Colleges must create and support policies, programs and opportunities for minoritized students to gain a sense of belonging and eradicate the expectation that minoritized students will find a sense of belonging at an institution that is normed on white, Christian, heterosexual, cisgender men. Social support networks, meaningful interactions with faculty, and mentor-mentee relationships are identified as priorities for college administrators looking to develop a culturally engaging environment, and a welcoming and supportive climate for diverse students.
Lyme Disease and Oral Healthcare delves into the mysterious, controversial, disagreeable, and contentious aspects of Lyme Disease and the role of dental professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of the associated oral manifestations exhibited in a dental patient with undiagnosed Lyme Disease. With Lyme Disease awareness and education, healthcare providers are better able to lessen the challenges experienced by patients and further the discovery of more efficacious medical treatments.