2005-2006 Honors Senior Project Abstracts

Carol Ann Iglesia

(Biology)
Stable RNA Gene Analysis of Members of the Family Azotobacteraceae/Pseudomonadaceae
Thesis Advisor:  Melanie Lee-Brown

Abstract

The azotobacteria, members of the family Pseudomonadaceae, are Gram-negative, free-living nitrogen fixers that live in soil and water habitats. As part of an ongoing investigation of genome structure and stable RNA gene structure in azotobacteria, our goal was to determine the organization of ribosomal RNA genes in Azotobacter nigricans and Azomonas agilis. In both A. nigricans and A. agilis, small subunit (16S) RNA genes precede large subunit (23S) RMA genes. In at least Az. Agilis, the 23 S rRNA gene has been confirmed to follow the 5S rRNA gene. This organism therefore contains the common 16S-23S-5S rRNA operon arrangement. The genomic placement of the 5S rRNA gene in A. nigricans remains to be determined. Despite preliminary evidence for a 16S-23S spacer lacking genes for TRNA in A. agilis, the rRNA (ITS) spacers in both organisms contain genes for tRNA (Ile) and tRNA (Ala). Spacers containing tRNA (Glue), although common in Bacteria, are absent in these species. As part of this study, secondary structures were generated for the 16S rRNA an RNase P genes. These sequences were also used to create phylogenetic trees to confirm the relationships between these two species other member of Pseudomonadaceae

Lauren Reed

(Integrative Studies)
Migrant Women's Voices: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Migrant Women's Agency and Social Change in China
Thesis Advisor:  Kathryn Schmidt

Abstract

I argue that in contemporary China, certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can facilitate rural-to-urban women migrants' search for agency, enabling a higher level of empowerment and social change than that which occurs without an NGO's involvement. I base NGOs' ability to help migrant women increase their agency on how well they maintain a relationship with the party-state that allows for relative autonomy, utilize a structural gender violence analysis in all aspects of their work, and align their programs and organizational structure with women's needs. Using primary sources, scholarly research and an original qualitative study, I examine the history of two organizations, the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and the Migrant Women's Club (MWC), to show their advocacy and services for women. Through this research, I found that the ACWF's close relationship to the party-state does not allow for relative autonomy, preventing it from using a structural gender violence analysis or successfully aligning its programs and organizational structure with women's needs. The ACWF therefore does not fulfill the criteria necessary to help migrant women increase their agency compared to their agency without the NGO's help. On the contrary, I found that the MWC successfully fulfills the criteria outlined above and thus does help migrant women achieve greater agency than they would have achieved without participating in the MWC. With rural-urban inequality and gender violence increasing in China, helping migrant women mediate these structures and increase their agency is pertinent to promoting equitable development. I suggest that if work such as that done by the Migrant Women's Club is replicated on a larger scale, the prospects for women's agency and positive social change in China are immense.