Keeley Ausburn ’24 and Jakson Needham ’24 spoke at Pi
Sigma Alpha gathering
CONWAY,
Arkansas (March 8, 2024)—Two Hendrix College seniors last month presented on different panels at
the Pi
Sigma Alpha National Research Conference in Washington, D.C.
Keeley Ausburn ’24 of Maumelle and
Jakson Needham ’24 of Alma were selected from a record number of applicants to
present their theses along with other undergraduates and graduates from across
the United States. Pi Sigma Alpha is the national political science honor
society; Ausburn is double majoring in politics and English, while Needham is
majoring in politics with a minor in history.
“Pi Sigma Alpha is among the most
selective undergraduate research conferences,” said Hendrix Professor of
Politics Dr. Kim Maslin. “Their participation is a testament to the hard work that
Keeley and Jakson put into their projects. The Politics Department is delighted
that their work was recognized in this way and proud of all that they have
accomplished.”
Needham’s project, “A ‘Wet Blanket’
or an Eventual Warm Embrace: The Effects of Environmental Regulation on
Economic Growth Over Time,” is a quantitative look at environmental regulation
policies globally and how these policies affect the overall economic growth of
states. He conducted a time-series analysis of economic growth and a
cross-sectional analysis between economic growth and environmental regulation.
He found that environmental regulation positively affects the economy the
longer environmental regulations are in place.
In “Chasing Scalia: How Justices
Barrett and Gorsuch are Redefining Originalism,” Ausburn performed a full
jurisprudential analysis of Justice Barrett and Justice Gorsuch, reading all
113 opinions they have authored. She developed definitions and
operationalizations of different forms of originalism to understand what they
look like in practice. She concludes that Justice Gorsuch takes a
tradition-centric stance on originalism, focused on common law and historical
values; Justice Barrett’s originalism favors historical definitions and
prioritizes judicial restraint. Ausburn reveals holes in modern judicial theory
and argues that research should provide active analysis of active Justices to
be useful to contemporary lawyers.
“Keeley engages a groundbreaking question—‘Are the
originalists on the Court really a monolithic group?’ and she concludes that
they are not. Jakson uses time series analysis to examine the relationship
between economic growth and environmental regulations. Both these topics
are obviously timely and important. Their analyses are sophisticated and their
papers are well written,” Maslin said. “They are great examples of what
undergraduate research can be.”
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is
featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You
Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts
colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career
preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors
compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the
United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through engagement that links the
classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice,
and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives
of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.”
—Hendrix College Statement of Purpose