Annotated Bibliography
Medalia, Katie. Final Inquiry: The Effects of Oil Exploitation on Nigerian Communities. BIS 300 Interdisciplinary Inquiry, Autumn 2019.
This piece examines the impact of oil production on Nigerian communities, and the ways in which these practices have contributed to environmental degradation over time. This paper also questions the motives of multinational oil companies, especially Shell, and aims to answer whether or not these companies have social and environmental responsibilities in the countries in which they derive their oil. It was concluded that multinational oil companies are responsible for the physical and environmental well-being of the areas in which they negatively impact, and that these companies are doing more harm than good.
Writing this research paper and analyzing the effects of oil, opened my eyes to some of the larger environmental issues we face today, which ignited my passion for environmental justice and inspired me to pursue similar coursework in other classes.
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Medalia, Katie, et al. Student Journalism Blog. BIS 204 Introduction to Journalism, Autumn 2020.
The Student Journalism Blog provided students a way to practice journalistic writing and procedures. Students followed Associated Press guidelines when writing and formatting blog posts as well. The blog content ranges from how-to’s to in-depth research, and includes reflections and reporting on a local newspaper, the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter. This project served as a preparation tool for in-class discussions, and includes additional articles written by the whole team. Although the blog posts were mainly done individually, the collaborative aspect of working on the website and selected articles gave myself and my group members experience working as a team to accomplish goals and meet deadlines, much like journalists.
One of the positive aspects of working on the blog was the opportunity to study the ways in which local newspapers function, as well as working directly with local news organizations. This was a great opportunity for me to learn about journalism, with access to industry professionals.
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Medalia, Katie. “An Intersectional Examination of Gender, Sexuality, and Ability.” BISGWS 301 Critical Gender and Sexuality Studies, Autumn 2020.
In this final essay, I chose to build on previous topics discussed in this class, by exploring the ways in which gender, sexuality, and ability intersect. This paper bases its claims off of academic journal articles written by researchers and experts in their fields. Additionally as part of the assignment, students were challenged to relate and integrate their experiences into their papers, and reflect on their topics personally. One of the main conclusions I made in this paper was that looking at identifiers, such as sexuality, gender, or ability, through an intersectional lens can help us understand one another more and become more compassionate people.
The reflection aspect of this paper was something new to me, and I had some difficulty opening up and relating my experience to those that I talk about in the text. I chose this piece because it was challenging for me to write, but it was also illuminating, and I learned a lot about understanding others through the process.
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Medalia, Katie. Pandemic Photo Essay. BIS 132 Introduction to Photography, Autumn 2020.
In this final project, students were asked to create a cohesive photo essay with a cohesive theme. My photos document the changes in daily life that have been impacted by the pandemic. Words were a theme in my images, which are significant of the time we are living in, as we see signs daily telling us to wash our hands, or wear a mask. I took an objective, documentary-style approach to this essay by not interfering with or staging any of my shots. Additionally, the scenes I chose to shoot were deliberate, as I thought they would feel relatable to a large audience.
One of the more difficult aspects of this assignment was having to shoot in manual mode, wherein I had to determine the proper camera settings for the scenes I was shooting. Because of this however, I felt very immersed and connected to the assignment and the subjects I was shooting, which made the project that much more meaningful. This also inspired me to take up photography as a hobby and pursue relevant classes.
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Medalia, Katie. "Modern Recreations of Iconic Photojournalism Images." BIS 331 Journalism and Media History, Winter 2021.
For this assignment, students were tasked with amending or recreating iconic documentary photographs to relate to the modern world. The images I chose were of a Civil Rights protest and of child labor in the United States. Though both images are well over fifty years old, their content and messages are still relevant today. I used Photoshop to combine the original images with modern versions to visually demonstrate the parallels between issues of the past and present, and to highlight their prevalence.
I chose to include these images in my portfolio as a sample of the work I have completed using Adobe software, such as Photoshop, throughout my time at UW Bothell. This was a very open-ended project, which was different from much of the more straightforward work I have completed in school so far, and I wanted to showcase some of my creative coursework.
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Medalia, Katie. Movie Theaters Photo Essay. BIS 331 Journalism and Media History, Winter 2021.
For this photo essay I chose to take a journalistic, documentary-style approach to the subject of closed and abandoned movie theaters in Seattle. This project also serves as commentary on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and streaming services have had on independent theaters in Seattle. I took these photos just as it was about to rain, which gave them a darker, more dismal and depressing look, otherwise I did not manipulate the images. Additionally, I have a connection to these theaters, as I used to work at two of them, which I believe informed the subject I chose for this assignment.
I wanted to include this photo essay, as I believe it demonstrates some of the skills I have acquired in photography, both at UW Bothell and outside of the classroom. I also think that these images show growth in depth and concept, as compared to those that I have included in the ‘Pandemic Photo Essay,’ also in this portfolio.
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Medalia, Katie. “Rights and Responsibilities of the Disembodied Mind.” BISSTS 307 Science, Technology, and Society, Winter 2021.
For this assignment, students were asked to create a set of theoretical recommendations regarding the treatment of the ‘disembodied mind,’ or a copy of one’s consciousness, capable of creating memories and feeling human emotions. The aim of this assignment was to determine what happens to these copied consciousnesses, with regard to legal rights like working or military service, as well as determining legal ‘personhood.’ Although this process is not yet feasible, scholars are trying to determine these rights and responsibilities. I concluded that these entities deserve autonomy in their existences, however conceptualizing this reality proved to be difficult.
This assignment and the proposed recommendations relied heavily on research. Since this is a relatively small field, it took some outside of the box thinking to find academic research that could relate to the topic. I think that this paper shows my research skills through my ability to create a cohesive paper using a variety of sources.
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Medalia, Katie. Data Visualization Portfolio. BIS 232 Data Visualization, Spring 2021.
This final project is a culmination of a research project that spanned the entire quarter. Using data provided from UW Bothell administration, students were asked to explore equity in high-impact learning on campus. Students used Tableau software to create data visuals from the provided data. Data included student demographics such as race, class standing, age, and courses taken. I chose to analyze whether or not participation in high-impact classes affects low-income students. I concluded that it does not, however I did determine that low-income students participated less in these classes, suggesting a possible lack of access to high-impact classes, like internships and study abroad.
I chose to include this project because it is different from my other included work in that it relies on empirical data in order to reach a conclusion. This project is also a way to demonstrate my proficiency and familiarity with Tableau software.
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Medalia, Katie. “Mental Health Impacts on Communities Affected by Wildfire.” BIS 490 Advanced Seminar, Spring 2021.
In this paper I explore the ways in which people globally are affected by wildfires, with special focus on mental health impacts such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These different manifestations of ecological grief have shown to correlate with substance abuse as well, which is why I suggest in this paper, ways in which people affected by wildfire can cope with their situation. Through my research, community support has shown to be increasingly helpful in communities affected by wildfire. With global temperatures increasing, it is important to be able to address these issues and find ways to cope with what is happening in the world.
I put a lot of time and effort into this paper, and I think that this is a strong writing sample. Additionally, because of this assignment, I was able to use the information I learned from researching the psychological effects of wildfires, to start conversations with those who have been affected by them.