2015-Hollis Miller

Hollis Miller

First Major: Anthropology & Sociology
Second Major: Geology
Minor: Spanish
Thesis: Using agent-based modeling to examine the effects of social connectivity on resilience

 

Personal Statement
Lafayette is home to an amazing community of students, faculty, staff and administrators that is continuously inspiring its members to explore and extend their limits. The hallmarks of this community are its commitment to the liberal arts ethos, its unwavering passion and its engagement with the world. In my own career here, I have striven to push my personal boundaries in order to make the most of all the opportunities that Lafayette has to offer.

One of my main interests has been to examine the myriad ways that our natural and social environments connect and, through interacting, create inequalities among people and places. To do this, I have tried on many different hats so as to approach the question from different disciplinary and social perspectives. As a geologist, I have participated in paleoclimate research through the EXCEL Scholar Program that has deepened our understanding of the mechanisms of modern climate change. As an anthropologist, I have modeled the ways in which social ties relate to resilience through my honors thesis. As a STEM camp counselor and SEES community outreach coordinator, I have constructed and presented lesson plans intended to open young students’ eyes to the natural environments around them so that they might become the next scientists and innovators. As a member of LIME and peer-mentor at ProJeCt of Easton, I have sought to empower individuals both in Madagascar and here in Easton by encouraging them to access education to help lessen established inequalities.

The Lafayette community has been there to support me throughout my experiments and explorations and I am thankful for the encouragement of the mentors, peers and friends that I have found here. Truly, the Lafayette Ideal is embodied in every compassionate and motivating interaction I have witnessed in this community.

Academic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

• Senior Honors Thesis in Anthropology & Sociology 1
  I am using agent-based modeling in order to understand how social connectivity among households in pastoral Mongolia relates to their society’s resilience, especially concerning extreme weather events. My thesis also draws from modern ethnographic literature regarding Mongolia’s post-socialist transition to the free market economy and the effects that the transition is having on the pastoral way of life and its ability to absorb disturbance.
• Phi Beta Kappa 2
  Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society during my junior year for demonstrating both breadth and depth of liberal learning.
• Sigma Delta Pi 2
  Sigma Delta Pi is the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica). I was inducted during the spring of my junior year.
• James L. Dyson Award in Geology 1
  The award recognizes a student who exemplifies James Dyson’s love of geology, his accomplishments, and his many achievements outside the classroom. I received this award during the spring of my junior year.
• Paul Bernon Memorial Prize in Sociology 1
  This prize is awarded each year by the faculty in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology to the graduating senior(s) most outstanding in sociology.

• EXCEL Scholar in Geology Department 2
  During my sophomore and junior years, I worked in the Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanography Lab with Prof. Kira Lawrence. We ran extractions and analysis of deep sea sediment of Pliocene and Pleistocene age using alkenone paleothermometry in order to better understand the mechanisms of climate change.
• Natural History Research Experiences Intern at the Smithsonian 1
  During the summer after my junior year, I participated in this NSF-funded REU program, which allowed me to do research in the Anthropology Department at the National Museum of Natural History. It was here that I was introduced to agent-based modeling and the Mongolian pastoral system, which I have continued to work with for my honors thesis.

• Writing Associate 3
  I act as a peer tutor to help students improve their writing skills through one-on-one conferences. I have done additional writing tutoring at ProJeCt of Easton for GED and ESL students for 4 semesters.

• Geological Society of America Northeastern Section Meeting Presenter 1
  I presented my EXCEL Scholar work on paleoclimate at the Northeastern Section Meeting of GSA during a poster session in March 2014.
• Teaching Assistant for Geology 130 1
  I was a lab teaching assistant for Geology 130: Dinos, Darwin and Deep Time during the spring of 2014. My responsibilities included lab preparation, assisting students in lab and grading lab assignments.
• Dean’s List 4
  I have been on the Dean’s List every semester of my college career thus far.

Campus Service/Activities and Awards – Total Years Involved

• Society of Environmental Engineers and Scientists 4
  I have been a member of SEES during all four years of my undergraduate career. I served as Community Outreach Coordinator during the 2013 calendar year and as Vice President during the 2014 calendar year.
• Concert Choir/Chamber Singers 3
  I was a member of the Concert Choir during my freshman year. I auditioned for Chamber Singers at the beginning of my sophomore year and sang with them for 2 years.
• LCAP Admissions Ambassador 3
  I give tours of the campus to prospective students and their families. In addition, I worked in the admissions office answering phones and scheduling interviews for a semester.
• Emile Durkheim Society (A&S Club) 2
  I served as Secretary during my junior year and as Vice President during my senior year.
• McKelvy House 1
  I lived in McKelvy House during my junior year. I participated in weekly discussions and house events, including planning two discussions of my own.
• Geode LLC 1
  I helped found the Geode Living Learning Community (LLC) and currently live there as a senior. As a house, we plan events and trips relating to geology and natural disasters.

Community Service – Total Years Involved

• Lafayette Initiative for Malagasy Education 2
  LIME is a program designed to help Malagasy high school students apply for admission at colleges in the United States. As a mentor for this program, I developed lesson plans to teach English-language writing skills to Malagasy students in order to help them prepare for the SAT, TOEFL, and application essays. In January 2014, I (along with my fellow Lafayette teammates) went to Antananarivo, Madagascar for three weeks to teach the students in person. I have continued to work back on Lafayette’s campus to assist students with college applications and fundraise to support their testing fees, airfare, books, etc.
• ProJeCt of Easton 3
  ProJeCt of Easton is an adult literacy center that offers classes for adults wishing to attain their GED or learn English. As a part of my regular WA assignment, I have served as a peer-mentor at ProJeCt for 4 semesters. I have presented on this work twice at the annual Community-Based Learning and Research Expo.
• Easton Area Middle School 7/8th Grade Tutoring 2
  I was a served as a tutor for 7th and 8th graders at EAMS through a Landis Center program during my freshman and sophomore years.
• STEM Camp Counselor 1
  During the summer of 2013, I created and taught a module on the greenhouse effect and anthropogenic climate change to 10-12 year olds at the 3-day STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) camp run by Lafayette students on campus.
• Make a Difference Day Volunteer 4
  I have participated as a Make a Difference Day volunteer for four years, once serving as site leader for Phillipsburg Shade Tree Commission.

 Athletics Activity/Award – Total Years Involved

• Club Softball 1
  I participated in club softball during my freshman year.

Special Interest – Total Years Involved

• Military Heroes Initiative Research Assistant 1
  During my freshman year, I was a research assistant for the Military Heroes Initiative project on accessible voting. I collected and collated data on states’ voting laws and practices and designed tables and figures, which were used to write official reports.
• Lafayette Leadership Institute 1
  I participated in LLI during my sophomore year.
• Campus lectures, brown bags, events, etc. 4
  I have been an avid attendant (and occasional presenter) at numerous lectures, brown bags and events throughout my time at Lafayette.