IC News

Psychology major Zoe Gainer ’25 is graduating early this December, but her research on the experiences of neurodivergent students in higher education has already given her the kind of perspective and independence that comes from graduate-level work. Her survey, developed with Associate Professor of Psychology Jessye Cohen-Filipic, required approval from Ithaca’s Institutional Review Board (IRB)—a process Gainer called both eye-opening and humbling. “It’s not just about designing questions,” she said. “It’s about making sure the language doesn’t pathologize people.”

At the Summer Scholars Showcase, Gainer presented her findings as an oral talk—something Cohen strongly encouraged. “She told me public speaking is good practice for my academic career,” Gainer said. “I was nervous, but by the end, I felt confident.” Gainer credits Cohen’s mentorship for much of that growth: “I really appreciate all that she’s done for me, as a professor and as a mentor.”

Now preparing to graduate, Gainer says the experience has given her a sense of what’s ahead. “It’s taught me how to manage my own time and take accountability for my work,” she said. “And it’s made me want to keep going—to write up the results, maybe present at a conference, and see where the research leads.”

For religious studies and theatre studies double major Frankie Valens ’26, whose research explores the gendered performance of “spirit wives” in Burmese ritual practice, the showcase was an opportunity to connect both majors in a single narrative. Mentored by Associate Professor of Religious Studies Eric Steinschneider, Valens focused on how both ritual and performance create meaning in spaces that mainstream culture often misunderstands—or rejects.

His poster presentation used a Venn diagram to draw direct parallels between spirit wife rituals and drag performance. The overlapping section illustrated striking commonalities: chosen family; gender performance through makeup, movement, and message; channeling (possession versus lip syncing); intensely emotional event; alternative economy; carved-out safe spaces; and backlash from the public.

While doing the research, Valens said, “it reminded me a lot of drag.” The comparison revealed that both practices build “familial and economic networks and alternative family dynamics because mainstream culture is often violent towards them.” With the spirit wives, he added, “there’s even a kind of gig economy because whether culture values it or not, or embraces it or not, there’s demand.”

That demand, Valens said, is part of what makes both practices powerful. “They might take back power, and [show] how power is created in alternative relational systems.”