2022 Lilley Fellows Present Research Projects
Established in 2018 through the generosity of the late William Lilley III, and his wife, Eve, the Lilley Fellowship provides an incredible opportunity for Episcopal Academy students to pursue an academic passion that is sparked during their time at school. Students will work under the supervision of a mentor of their choice to complete a capstone project that will be presented, the following fall to the Upper School community. Below, explore the final presentations from the 2022 Lilley Fellows.
After being selected to undertake in-depth research projects through EA's Lilley Fellowship program last March, five Upper School students worked with a faculty advisor and delved into their respective research over the summer. This fall, they presented their final capstone projects to the EA community.
"The topics and projects selected this year were very diverse in academic interests with the Lilley Fellow hallmarks of curiosity, thoughtfulness, and excellence," said Director of Libraries and Lilley Fellow Program Director Lorie Harding.
Elizabeth Boruff '23 examined the use, growth, and public policy endeavors of electronic bikes (e-bikes) primarily in urban settings to determine their viability as a transportation option. The focus of Elizabeth research centered on several questions: (1) What circumstances make e-bikes a realistic choice?; (2) What distances make sense for an e-bike?; (3) Is the expense of an e-bike membership more economical in comparison with a bus ticket?; and (4) Are there a few similar goals and qualities that E-bike riders share? Watch Elizabeth's presentation.
Ashley Kim '23 spent several months exploring sustainable fashion through the lens of industry, academia, and nonprofit organizations. "Everything around us screams 'buy this!' and it's hard to say no when the sticker price is cheap and everyone around us is partaking," explained Ashley as she shared powerful fashion photos from Tik Tok, billboards, and store fronts. "Today's consumer culture is driven by the rapid turnover of trends and the affordability of fast fashion." Watch Ashley's presentation.
Caroline Sewell '23 studied why American students lag behind their international peers when it comes to studying a world language, specifically Latin. "At an average American K-12 school, the number [of students enrolled in a language course] is 20 percent. Statistically, America is an outlier," explained Caroline. "In countries like Norway, France and Romania, every student learns a foreign language, and the overall average for Europe is 92 percent." Watch Caroline's presentation.
Rohith Tsundupalli '24 studied Dreamers and how Dreamer status impacts one's life and education. "As I volunteered with [EA community service partner] ACLAMO, I learned that some of the students may be Dreamer immigrants. I had heard of the phrase but had very little knowledge of who or what a 'Dreamer' immigrant actually was," shared Roh. "But, over the course of my study, I developed better knowledge on how the status of being a Dreamer immigrant may affect one’s life and education." Watch Roh's presentation (beginning at 12:20).
Shawn Wang '23 explored biosensors and their role in democratizing and improving healthcare. "I researched 'skin-like' biosensors and their role in creating a more personalized diagnostic approach in healthcare," explained Shawn. "Biosensors are wearable devices that attach to the human body and monitor physiological data such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiratory rate, and glucose levels. They are particularly important because they not only give patients insight into the dynamics of their own health, but also enable remote patient monitoring, which makes diagnosis more autonomous and immediate." Watch Shawn's presentation.
Established in 2018 through the generosity of the late William Lilley III '55 and his wife, Eve, the Lilley Fellowship Fund awards research fellowships to students who exemplify academic curiosity, intellectual rigor, and scholarly passion. The Lilley Fellows pursue an independent study to create a capstone product while working in a professional setting to develop their expertise and interests.
