About Erica Kokor
Hi! I am a Junior majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Math. With the Laidlaw Foundation, I've explored my interests in Nuclear Disarmament and Astrophotography through the K=1 Project @ Columbia University. For my second summer Leadership in Action Project, I'll be working on advocacy and forwarding nuclear non-proliferation policy in Santa Barbara, California and Japan with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
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I'll have to attest - this week I attended the meeting at Nancy's house and it was so inspiring to be there. Everyone has such interesting and diverse stories / perspectives and I was glad to be able to contribute to such an environment!!
Woah - the rain really turned everything upside down. I'm glad you were able to find a passion in indigenous philosophy through it. Also, the cover is so beautiful! Hoping you get some sun soon!!
This seems so immersive! I come from a community that's big on agriculture (Central Valley, CA) so it's really cool to see the biological pest control as a solution to pesticides. It seems like you're learning a lot and I can't wait to hear more about it
The pictures are so beautiful! So glad to hear you're having a good time at your LiA this summer. It sounds like your boss is quite experienced and adept at her role -- I hope you're able to stay connected!
In understanding and conceptualizing forgiveness I have encountered challenges with contradicting definitions and several studies that do not specify the Asian American demographics they are researching. These issues lead to difficulties in focusing on the Korean American population, as I am unsure if these studies include East, Southeast, and South Asians all under the same categories. Also, taking into account the number of years these people have lived in the United States is crucial. However, beyond the challenges, I have discovered intriguing sources discussing the prevalence of Christianity in Korean Americans that correspond to the significance of forgiveness in these communities. These ideas have continued to shift and shape my research as I acknowledge these limitations and recognize concepts such as religion, and gender may play a role in forgiveness. I have now narrowed the scope of my project to center on health in all aspects concerning acculturation, religion, and forgiveness.
I have found the Columbia Library databases, and my librarian (Kae) extremely useful as I have continued my research. Filtering through countless sources along with searching for academic papers on a topic as broad as forgiveness through both Kae and the library's resources has continued to foster my passion for this topic in newfound ways.
Justin, this sounds so interesting! I'm glad you've able to find something you're passionate in -- I feel as though passion makes the work a lot more fun. It's impressive how you took the uncertainties in your research phase and turned it into fuel to reevaluate your path of research. I am excited to see where this project ends up!
In regards to any issues I've been facing with my project (telescope), it's mainly technical issues and the weather. I've been having a few problems with the software and telescope communication, though both work fine independently. Along with that, determining what extra equipment we may need and how to tune each piece to work harmoniously with one another is another problem I'm having. However, to truly test all the equipment, it has to be on a clear, dark night -- it's been the opposite this past week. In this upcoming week, I'll hopefully be able to work one or two nights and make sure everything is working smoothly.
A research resource I've found really useful are online forums of experienced astrophotographers who have been working in the field and testing out hundreds of different combinations of equipment. I've been using these to sort out which equipment works best/is the most efficient route of astroimaging while not being too dependent on field knowledge.
My research is a part of a larger study on political polarization. Presently, I am writing a case study to investigate if the paper’s thesis resonates with what we observe on the state level. By the end of this summer, I will have finished the case study, depending on what I find I could be interested in writing a paper to summarize my findings. The significance of my research is in how it can allow us to understand the current atmosphere in U.S. politics. This is especially poignant in the abortion debate which has life-altering ramifications but is often plagued by misinformation. As women’s bodily autonomy slips through their fingers and into the hands of the state, we must understand when this process began so that we can work to reverse it.
Your research is so important in today's world, I'm excited to see what you unearth in the conversation of abortion, bodily autonomy, and women's rights as a whole! And if you end up writing a paper, I'd love to read it
Some immediate expectations I have for my research are getting any travel plans set in stone & fully calibrating the telescope/fixing any bugs in the software. However, this is only seen as the first of two summers, the second of which my research group will travel to the South Pacific and take on-site radiation measurements. Here, I'll be able to capture celestial objects from the equator! At the end, I hope to produce a paper potentially accompanied by video documentaries from both summers.
My research matters because the data we're collecting next summer affects real populations. The question we're investigating is whether or not the radiation levels in food on Kiritimati Island (where nuclear testing was done post WW2) are higher than the regulated levels set by the International Commission (100 mrem/year). If there is, we'll be able to take action and potentially help future generations!