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In Mohawk Watershed Symposium, Abstracts and program

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The 15th Mohawk Watershed Symposium offers an exciting and diverse set of presentations on water quality, fisheries and habitats, flooding and resilience, and recreation and stewardship. The 2021-2026 Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda, our critical guiding document, focuses on conserving, preserving, and restoring the Mohawk River Watershed while helping to manage the ecosystem services for a sustainable future. Much of the defining discussion by stakeholders occurs at the annual Mohawk Watershed Symposium, and given this watershed blueprint, ongoing environmental change, and political headwinds, we see that the challenge ahead is enormous. Educational institutions and federal agencies - and many of our key stakeholders - are under threat. We need to ensure that science, engineering, and sound policy decisions guide our path forward. Now more than ever we need to redouble our efforts to advocate for clean water, fight the spread of invasive species, implement resilient flood mitigation projects, and understand how climate change has affected and will continue to affect almost everything in the watershed. The support of the DEC in this effort, and the partnership between the DEC and the Symposium, has made an enormous difference in fostering a sense of community and providing direction for watershed investigations. Additional support from Riverkeeper and the Mohawk-Hudson Land Conservancy is greatly appreciated, along with your attendance at this year’s Mohawk Watershed Symposium.

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Copyright Information: © 2025 Geosciences Department, Union College, Schenectady NY. All rights reserved. No part of the document can be copied and\/or redistributed, electronically or otherwise, without written permission from the Geosciences Department, Union College, Schenectady, NY, 12308, U.S.A.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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Ever since the U.S.' 2003 invasion, Iraq's legal system has been mired by corruption, sectarianism, and deceit. In an effort to allay the negative effects of these things, each iteration of the Iraqi government since 2003 has doubled down on efforts to appear legitimate within the eyes of the public. Government-funded propaganda, secret police, intense censorship, and even campaigns of torture and kidnapping by security forces are just some of the ways in which the government has sought to gain legitimacy. Perhaps understandably, these same efforts have often wound up alienating and upsetting the citizenry further. This thesis analyzes the myriad of ways in which the government's quest for acceptance by its citizens has shaped the country into what it is today"”and has informed the ongoing public protests. In order to accurately assess the present state of the government, a close examination of quantitative and qualitative data available is needed. Using data sets provided by the REACH Initiative (2018) and the UN (2016), it becomes clear that a very pressing disparity exists between what Iraqi citizens believe will rectify their country and what the government believes it must do. A significant proportion of the Iraqis who have survived the ongoing violence feel strongly about the lack of public services. Rebuilding the country should involve allocating significant funding towards reconstructing basic public infrastructure and working to end the IDP crisis. Nevertheless, the government in post-Daesh Iraq rarely operates this way. Informed by previous iterations of quasi-authoritarian regimes, the government has instead focused its efforts on performative security measures. Trials for suspected Daesh members rarely last longer than a matter of minutes, often with little to no evidence presented (i.e. an anonymous allegation made by someone with ulterior motives, or a forced confession beaten out of a suspect by the Iraqi Security Forces), and all who come before a judge are sentenced to death. Many of those who are on death row must appear on "In the Grip of the Law," a state-sponsored television program which further dehumanizes them. This disparity in funding"”and the abusive treatment of both detainees and anti-corruption protestors alike"”has become one of the most prominent causes which citizens today have taken to rallying against. In my thesis, I bring forward questions of corruption and sectarianism in relation to the rule of law and sovereignty.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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Throughout United States history, men have dominated political institutions. Women have made consistent progress in political office at the state and federal levels and currently there are a record number of women serving in Congress, yet they are still underrepresented in the government. For my Seward Fellows Organizing Theme Minor in Gender and U.S. Politics, I am doing independent research on the experiences of women who have served in the House of Representatives and Senate across decades. The research project examines the influence of gender roles on a woman's congressional campaign and tenure in office, in the context of evolving gender dynamics in the U.S. My research compares and contrasts the experiences of congresswomen and analyzes the ways in which gender, race, ethnicity, party affiliation, socioeconomic status and other demographic factors influence their decision to run for office and legislative priorities. The presentation will identify women's motives to campaign and the challenges they encounter, as well as their legislative preferences and action while in office.

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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which the Chinese have expanded their global presence in the international system through the implementation of their "going global" strategy dubbed "The Belt and Road Initiative." In particular, the BRI utilizes Chinese established banks, political institutions, and new alliance networks to recreate the global economic trading cycle with an Eastern orientation. In establishing a complex network of trade systems across the globe, the Chinese have increased their global presence and have stimulated heightened national growth by increasing the extent to which under developed nations increasingly turn to the Chinese for help in developing infrastructural networks and transforming national institutions with the hope of solving important widespread problems within their countries. As this paper argues, however, the BRI has allowed Chinese entrepreneurs, state owned enterprises, and private businesses with the ability to increase the extent to which Chinese goods and services have flooded foreign markets. In doing so, the Chinese have grown their global brand and continue to dominate the political and economic networks of numerous regions across the globe. This paper analyzes a specific element of this new strategy, primarily the implementation of Special Economic Zones in Africa, which are essentially enclave spaces for Chinese companies to operate out of themselves in these foreign nations. This paper ultimately analyzes the ways that this new BRI has the potential to alter the nature and characteristics of the international order and discusses the challenges that American leaders now face as a result of renewed Chinese global power.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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The technological industry and the large portion of the global economy that it encompasses, have relied heavily on the production and innovation of semiconductors. Once a crude sketch in the minds of a few, Jack Kilby, most famously, the semiconductor is present in the vast majority of products and has proved to make some individuals and companies rich and successful beyond their wildest dreams. The first part of this paper will discuss the history of the semiconductor, how it functions, and has improved over the years. The second part will discuss four of the major players in this industry and the successful strategies they used in regard to semiconductor production and the establishment of alliances and business deals, to maximize profits and grow exponentially.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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Spending three weeks in Ghana, opened my eyes to the realities of healthcare in a developing country, and the intersections of engineering and health. By volunteering at local clinics, providing basic health checks for teachers, educating students about dental hygiene and shadowing in a hospital I was further motivated to pursue a carrear in healthcare and specifically in indigent communities.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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My senior thesis discusses and analyzes American foreign policy through the scope of the Realist theory of international relations. With the works of Realists like Kenneth Waltz and Stephen Walt in mind, I analyze this theory and then explore its implications on United States foreign policy in relation to three specific case studies. The case studies I examined are the contentions surrounding the post-Cold War NATO existence, the ongoing civil conflict in Syria, and the post-Soviet existence of Ukraine. All of which I have viewed as Cold War proxy wars between the United States and Russia. In the post-Cold War landscape, the United States appeared as the unipolar, dominant power in what was previously a bipolar world. In this role, the United States embarked on a number of military interventions where American interests were arguably not at stake. Oftentimes, the United States intervened in states that posed no strategic, economic, or militaristic benefit. It was in these instances that the United States claimed to be acting on humanitarian concerns and often sought to transform the local political atmosphere and leadership in these countries. In the contemporary post-post Cold War era, we can observe the global landscape shifting to become increasingly multipolar. As the Realist theory purports, states are self-interested, therefore seeking alliances and actions that bolster their interests. Accordingly, it is advantageous to look at the current state of affairs through a realist lens in which we observe every actor, including the United States, protect their interests and security in a self-serving manner. While policymakers in the United States follow the realist framework, we often judge other actors behaving alike as aggressive or forbidding. My senior thesis highlights this hypocrisy through the three case studies and in light of the dynamic between the United States and Russia as they battle to assert their influence in the respective spheres. Looking to the future, I assert that in order to maintain the dominant role as the unipolar power, the United States should act with more restraint as to not threaten the other actors on the world stage.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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In recent times, photographs exposing the conditions of detention centers along the Mexican American border have been released into the world of media, showing Latin American immigrants being treated as less than human in regard to their living conditions. However, this treatment of Latin American immigrants in the United States has a long, historical past that stems from racism and political-structural failures in the U.S. This Scholars Independent Study explores the history of how the Mexican American border came to be the one that exists today, how policies developed over multiple administrations led to the development of detention centers along the border, as well as the current standing of these detention centers today and how COVID-19 has worsened the livelihood of Latin American immigrants trapped in the confines of these detention centers. The analysis of detention centers along the Mexican American border is essential in order for people in the United States to understand what is truly happening in these death camps so that changes can be made to ensure that these Latin American immigrants go from prisoners back to functioning humans among society.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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For my project I am going to look at femicide in Latin America and how this affects the human security of women. I will do this by looking at femicides in different Latin American countries and how efforts to eliminate them help improve the human security of women which is reflected in things like more representation in certain jobs. This will require looking at countries where rates of femicide are higher in comparison to countries where they are lower and looking at what may be contributing to these different rates. I will also look at factors that contribute to the frequency of femicides such as impunity and stay-at-home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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This paper examines the development of Taiwan's semiconductor industry and the differing narratives on the factors contributing to the industry's success. The paper argues that both State-led policies and public institutions, as well as the experience and networks of returnee entrepreneurs, together facilitated the development of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, specifically the pureplay-foundry. Significantly, we argue that State-led policies were often tailored to attract the human capital as well as financial capital these returnees possessed and then incorporate their technical skills, managerial know-how, and knowledge of industry trends within State institutions. This paper analyzes specific State policies and inputs, like the financial system, that impact the development trajectories of Taiwan's domestic semiconductor firms. We then turn our analysis towards the backgrounds of key returnee individuals and their contributions both within State institutions, as well as their contributions as leaders within Taiwan's private semiconductor firms. Ultimately, we found that non-State origin pureplay-foundry firms tend to maintain a higher degree of R&D and specialization than State origin firms. However, State origin firms like TSMC and UMC are the largest semiconductor foundry firms in Taiwan and therefore have less need to continuously find niches in the division of labor and instead maintain a focus on achieving greater economies of scale.

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This research seeks to answer the following question: how do state-mandated parental involvement laws affect abortion rates across the country, and what impact does this have on educational attainment rates for women? In this study, Ordinary Least Squares regression-analysis will be utilized to estimate the impact parental notification laws have on girls' educational attainment in counties across the continental United States. Access to abortion has become increasingly dependent on state laws. Federal judiciary decisions are currently in place to protect a woman's right to have an abortion, namely the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. The Court has only set a minimum standard of access for abortions. Currently, thirty-seven states in the U.S. mandate parental involvement when a minor decides to have an abortion (Guttmacher Institute 2018). The strictness of these mandates vary by state. Twenty-six states require one (or both) parents to consent, and eleven states require that one (or both) parents to be notified (Guttmacher Institute 2018). As these mandates become increasingly strict, I hypothesize that there will be a negative effect on educational attainment rates for girls. Previous studies have proven the significant adverse effects of early motherhood on educational attainment that begin immediately (Zabin, Hirsch, and Emerson 1989). If early motherhood negatively impacts education, then parental involvement laws, which decrease abortion rates, must negatively impact educational attainment rates. I expect that stricter parental involvement laws will decrease a minor's access to abortions, causing a negative impact on the educational attainment of women residing in counties within that state. This analysis will show what degree of parental involvement laws hinder educational attainment and can work towards ensuring a future of equal educational attainment in the United States.

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Applying Robert Jervis's theory set forth in his book, Perception and Misperception in International Politics, to NATO and Russian intervention in the Baltics, Georgia, and Ukraine, to gain a more complete understanding of how Russia and NATO members see one another and themselves. According to Jervis, actors often misperceive the actions of other actors and, as a result, an actor's intentions are in turn misinterpreted; this leads to unintended and undesirable consequences. Using Jervis's realist theory, it becomes clear that both Russia and NATO have inaccurate images of themselves and of each other. However, because of the imbalance of power in the Russia-NATO relationship, Russia's concerns about NATO expansion are more reality-based than NATO's concerns about Russian power. The ability of political actors and decision-makers in Western governments to negotiate with foreign powers and resolve conflicts would be enhanced by considering military and economic power dynamics between countries.

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Today, the refugee crisis has become a growing global concern. As the number of displaced individuals continues to grow, the number of asylum applicants continue to rise in many countries. Although the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol establish international guidelines to safeguard the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, many countries have chosen to tighten their borders and establish stricter policies. In doing so, many governments have undermined and overridden the international law. Through a comparative study of five countries, the U.K., U.S., Canada, Argentina, and Mexico, I explore and analyze the trends of asylum laws today and their subsequent effects on refugees in society. With the international law lacking effectiveness, is there a way to hold powerful countries accountable or to amend the system?

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In the 21st Century, Russian foreign policy has experienced a revival in the world order by challenging the dominance of Western nations. Many scholars have debated the motives behind Russian foreign policy, pitting the idea of increasing its own power against the idea of preserving its own identity. This can be viewed in the context of the international relations theories of realism and constructivism. By studying Russia's policy in both the West and the East, it becomes evident that Russia focuses on both power and identity respectively. In comparing Russia's actions in Ukraine to actions in other regions, it becomes clear that Russia is focused on power when dealing with the West. Russia's involvement in Ukraine has allowed Russia to challenge NATO expansion as well as improved Russia's ability to project its influence throughout the world. In contrast, Russia's policy with China is influenced by identity which can be understood in the relative weakness of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Russia's longing for Western respect, as well as its negative perception of Eastern civilizations, influences Russian policy with China. By seeking to balance the power of Western nations, but refusing to seriously align with China, Russia has limited its own power. The duality of its foreign policy has undermined its ability to achieve world power status. The significance of identity in Russian foreign policy makes constructivism the leading theory in which to analyze Russia's policy.

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At its roots, feminicide is the extreme form of violence at the endpoint of a scale of aggression against women. To discuss feminicide, then, is to discuss violence against women and the patriarchal system that traps women in discriminatory practices and roles. However, feminicide is a multidimensional problem where political, economic, cultural, and social factors make the crime almost impossible to end. While feminicide is a global issue, Latin Americans were the first to show the political courage to fight for justice, visibility, and to end the rampant impunity surrounding the crime. This Senior Thesis explores the universe of feminicide as made visible in women's struggles in Latin America through three case studies: Mexico, Argentina, and the viral Chilean protest intervention, "Un Violador En Tu Camino." My choice of Mexico as a case study acknowledges the roots of the movement to end impunity in Ciudad Juarez. Argentina, in turn, houses significant initiatives to document feminicides and the Ni Una Menos movement. Lastly, the protest performance starting in Chile went viral regionally and quickly internationally, bringing to the forefront the issue of gender violence on a global scale through social media. The analysis of the rise of feminicide as a main political issue across the three countries will help understand feminicides in context, through an interdisciplinary perspective that considers their underlying structural and immediate causes.

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When the proposal for the Adirondack Northway, a north-south superhighway from Albany to the Canadian border, was announced in 1957, New York conservation activists deployed a multi-pronged strategy designed to prevent the project from doing irreparable environmental damage to the state Forest Preserve and the greater Adirondack region. Through influencing the state government, unleashing a concerted media campaign, and reaching out directly to the state electorate, a statewide opposition movement emerged that attempted to stop the highway from being built through the central Adirondacks and instead suggested an alternate route on the periphery of New York's vast northern wilderness. As the proposal progressed through multiple stages of the state policy process, including a public referendum, conservationists were repeatedly unsuccessful at preventing the highway's construction. Although the Northway opposition movement failed to alter the decision of the Governor, was not endorsed by the state Legislature, and was insufficient to sway a majority of New York's voters, the debate during this period raised many concerns about the long term impact of industrial and economic development on both state and private lands in the Adirondack Park. While the Northway was eventually authorized and its construction from 1959 to 1967 destroyed protected acres of Forest Preserve, the influence of conservationists in the policy process improved the project from a conservation standpoint and lessened its impact on wild acreage. Moreover, the Northway debate was the first widespread discussion of Adirondack development pressures and was a major reason that unwanted modification of nature, particularly on private land, became a focal point of New York conservation. The Northway controversy began discussions about state policy toward damaging wilderness development. These concerns would grow throughout the 1960s and eventually cause the state to enact comprehensive policy changes to protect not just the Forest Preserve, but the wild character of the entire Adirondack Park.

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How much longer can the United States remain the only developed country without universal health insurance? If the U.S. could build a new healthcare system from scratch, what would it look like? The Democratic presidential candidates vying for the nomination in 2020 have released plans to bring the nation closer to universal coverage. Through the analysis of their proposed actions, plan feasibility, and expected impact, three types of plans will be evaluated within the context of the United States. Which plan is best-Medicare for All, a public option, or business-as-usual?

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This oral presentation is on my three weeks spent on the island of San Pedro, Belize in order to complete a Public Health Klemm fellowship. Each week, I traveled to various areas on the island and watched the demographic and linguistic differences between each. The national language is English, though a large majority of the population speaks Spanish and Belizean Creole. Belize faces an abnormally high rate of high blood pressure, diseases, heart disease, and obesity for such a small population. These diseases frequently go undetected due to the lack of healthcare resources. For example, on the island of San Pedro there are no hospitals, simply one "polyclinic." There, you could wait hours to be seen and face unreasonably high fees, so the citizens cannot visit for a simple check-up. At daily mobile clinics, I offered free blood sugar, blood pressure, height, and weight checks for anyone who visited. Outside of the clinic, I offered a hygiene class to a local primary school and spent hours chatting with my host family.

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The technology and culture of the United States has led to the virtually complete medicalization of childbirth. As a midwifery student through the Klemm Fellowship, I worked with midwives and general practitioners to witness a completely different way of providing care to women and newborns in Cusco, Peru. I furthered both my medical and Spanish skills by observing live births, helping conduct ultrasounds, rounding with the doctors and nurses, and aiding in pre and post natal consults. When not in the government clinic, I furthered my cultural understanding and language skills by volunteering at neighboring villages, touring the city, taking salsa classes, and visiting historic sites. I exchanged knowledge and culture with my host sisters over traditional Peruvian dishes and discussed differences between American and Peruvian life with my host mother. After my three-week experience, I have gotten a glimpse of how Peruvian societal structure, religion, perspective of medicine, and physical environment gave rise to and maintained the art of midwifery.

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During the month of December, I traveled on a Klemm medical internship to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Immersing myself in this unique Asian country, I learned a lot about its medical system and culture. As a developing country, Mongolia has a much different health care system than the one seen in the U.S. It was amazing to learn about it while also making an impact. My favorite part was the community outreach: I delivered free medical care (taking vital signs and providing medications) to homeless individuals in Ulaanbaatar. The cultural experience is one that I will never forget. Living with a host family for three weeks and learning the Mongolian language, I truly felt like a "Mongolian" during my stay. My host family (mom, dad, and sister) were very welcoming and taught me a lot about their customs, traditions, and lifestyle. In addition, my Mongolian language teacher was supportive and encouraging, and her lessons were pivotal to my success in navigating the public transportation system, ordering food, and having conversations with the local people. Lastly, traveling to the countryside, I enjoyed living the life of a nomad: riding a horse and staying in a ger. This trip was a magical one, and I will forever cherish the memories I made.

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I helped to teach English to students in Andasibe, Madagascar as an intern with Projects Abroad through the Klemm Fellowship. During my three weeks with the students and teachers in this small village I learned about Malagasy culture, language, and attitudes towards education. I took French lessons from a local teacher, and picked up on some Malgasy. As I used this vocabulary in school, I built a stronger rapport with the students and provided improved instruction to my students. As I was teaching, I built on these connections to learn more about life and education in Madagascar. After watching teachers instruct packed classrooms, using only a blackboard and chalk, I gained an immense respect for the resilience of the Andasibe community. For fun, I explored the village and the beautiful surrounding forests, spent time with other volunteers from around the world, and even got to visit a local park to see lemurs. Madagascar is one of the poorest nations in the world, but it is rich in biodiversity, incredible people, and culture. As I contributed to the English teaching program in Madagascar, I learned to be a better teacher and communicator, and to appreciate the determination of the Malagasy students that I was fortunate enough to work with.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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The magical coral reefs of the Fiji Islands became my classroom for 3 weeks. Scuba diving with sharks, rays, turtles, and fish, I conducted survey research in Pacific Harbour, Fiji through the Klemm Fellowship. Working alongside local shark researchers and volunteers from around the world, I collected data on shark and fish populations to inform conservation policies. Shark populations are declining globally, largely due to overfishing and the fin trade. As one of the top predators in the food chain, sharks maintain a critical role in the marine ecosystem. The goal of this project is to generate quality data on the shark populations in Fiji, and to increase shark awareness in local communities. Through surveying and tagging sharks, restoring mangrove habitats, and working with local villagers, I learned how conservation is an intersectional team effort - intertwined in community, culture, education, and values. In the process, I learned how to breathe underwater, cook a traditional Fijian Lovo, made friends from all over the world, swam alongside bull sharks, surfed, shifted my perspectives, and overcame a lot of fears.... and diarrhea! The wonders of traveling. Join me in this fun discussion on my wild Fiji experience.

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My oral presentation will be on the three weeks I spent in Cape Town, South Africa on a Law and Human Rights internship for my Klemm Fellowship. Cape Town has a high population of refugees that comes from neighboring countries, with many seeking asylums. In addition, South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender violence. For two weeks, I worked at the Projects Abroad Human Rights Office. Twice a week we went into different townships and provided pro-bono legal aid for the community members who cannot afford lawyers. In addition, we also visited detention centers for juveniles. On Monday we visited the female detention center which was broken up into the criminal girls and the care girls. On Wednesdays, we visited the male detention center which was broken into 4 categories and provided fun or education workshops to keep them engaged. The country's history with apartheid definitely has lingering effects that are witnessed when entering in different areas. On my time off, I hung out with my host family as well as the other volunteers and the supervisors as they showed me the best Cape Town has to offer.

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In Steinmetz Symposium

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Alliances and Multilateral Organizations - In a world with nationalism and far-right political parties on the rise, there is growing level of disenfranchisement and anger directed towards the globalization that occurred during the later half od the 20th century. These sentiments have the potential to undermine the current liberal world order and are a major cause for concern. It is crucial that global intuitions, trade deals, and strategic alliances continue to be strong an effective. At the SCUSA Conference we discussed many of these alliances and organizations that deal with a multitude of issues from economic power to martial strength and cultural influences. NATO is a prominent example of a current alliance that is under threat. The alliance which once helped end the Cold War is now a struggling contingent of disagreeing states. Russia's power is on the rise ad it is essential that the U.S. and its NATO allies work together to minimize Putin's influence and land holdings in Eastern Europe. While the conference addresses the benefits of having alliances and being part of multilateral organizations. These reasons are fairly straightforward and include economic benefits, military allies, and allows countries to stay relevant in a globalized world with only a few superpowers. However, we also discussed the surrounding being a member of either. Many organizations do not have equal representation, do not form plans with unanimous support, and at times suffer economically from certain trade deals. We need to ensure that all this reorganizations from the WTO to the UN are fair, impartial, and equitable to all the countries represented.; West Point SCUSA Conference - I was lucky enough to attend the US Military Academy's Student Conference on US Affairs in the fall of 2019 as a representative of Union College. I was assigned to the Trade, Jobs, and Globalization roundtable where we ultimately formulated a foreign policy recommendation to be sent to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. It was a unique and enlightening experience to negotiate with other students from different universities, backgrounds, and even nationalities. We were eventually successful in creating a strategy to further global efforts in renewable energy and technological innovation strategies by creating a quasi-TPP system. Our ultimate goals were multifaceted which included the creation of a clean energy and innovative-friendly free-trade agreement, seeking to incentivize nations to reform their economic structures in order to gain accession, typically through pro-market and neoliberal adjustments. The result of such an agreement would further deepen the integration of global value chains, resulting in mutually beneficial outcomes and socioeconomic development worldwide, as well as the popularization and institutionalization of economic values including reciprocity, multilateralism, and free-trade.; Student Conference on Foreign Affairs at West Point - I participated in a conference at West Point that focused on different aspects of US foreign policy. The purpose of the conference was to have both civilian and military perspectives on how the US should deal with future US foreign policy. I was selected to participate in the trade team where we were tasked with looking at the intersection of domestic and global policy as it pertains to trade, jobs, and globalization. As a group, we wrote a memo that argued for less confrontation with China economically and creating an institutional framework that allowed for global innovation with clean energy. Our group, along with every other group, gave keynotes to all of the attendees of the conference. Some of the attendees also included high-ranking members on the West Point campus. One of the best parts of this conference was interacting with the cadets. We all got to stay in the barracks with the cadets for the nights and I got to have great conversations with the roommates that I was staying with. We got to see all of the routines that the cadets go through each day. We got to listen to several panels that featured high-ranking members of the military and got to hear their perspectives on foreign policy and some of the implications of what the Trump administration is currently working on in regards to the Middle East. The current ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, was one of the speakers at our conference.

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A necessary condition for democracy is the ability for citizens to be heard. The way by which this is done is through electing officials that represent a diverse set of beliefs and values. The mechanism by doing this is through elections. At a quick glance, elections appear to play a minor role in democracy. But in fact, the foundations of elections are essential to our understanding of American democracy. It is assumed that the implementation of an electoral system is sufficient for American democracy. Diving deeper into the complexities of election systems provides evidence for benchmarks that prevent elections from representing democratic values. It holds true that elected officials rely on democratic elections to legitimize their role in government. Perceptions of democracy are in fact affected by the fragilities of the electoral process. When it all goes right, democracy appears to be protected to the perspective of citizens. The odds of an election going off without a hitch is one in a million. The aspects of elections that are most worrisome to experts as well as the public are accuracy and reliability. Past elections have shown that accuracy and reliability are issues of election technology and the failure of these aspects puts the United States' democratic processes at risk. I argue that as of today, election officials and scholars are at a tossup. They cannot foresee any way to advance technology without risking or compromising on the accuracy and reliability of elections. This poses significant challenges because for elections to be accessible to all, technological advances are needed to accommodate those with disabilities, the elderly, and the fact that voters are busy and expect an easy, seamless process when they reach the polls. There are many factors that affect the implementation and advancement of voting technology. Previous research has provided evidence that the racial composition of counties affect the ability of election administrations to advance to new technologies. This thesis aims to further explore the issues of election technology and their role in defining democracy by analyzing different aspects of election administration and by focusing the role race plays in the advancement of voting technology.

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