Student Spotlight: Laura Curioli

“Always research something that really grabs your interest. Don’t skip topics just because they’re obscure or maybe not as well-known. Your love for a topic will really fuel your eagerness to learn and discover.” Recent UMaine graduate Laura Curioli has been involved with research since her freshman year and has taken her own advice to heart, researching and discovering new topics throughout her academic career. 

The focus of her first research project was on smuggling practices in Maine during the prohibition era. Her winning AY2122 CUGR Fellowship proposal was focused on “the correlations between counterterrorism efforts in the United States and the decrease/increase of terrorist attacks using international databases.” 

For her AY2223 CUGR award, she focused on “Some Thoughts Concerning Education,” by 17th century philosopher, John Locke. “I am hoping to draw correlation between Locke’s educational philosophies and current American education system values.”

Curioli says her faculty mentor, Joel Anderson, has been an invaluable resource as she works on her project. “It’s always a great experience to have someone mentor you, particularly when the area of research is a shared interest! A mentor encourages you to look at the materials you’ve collected and questions you’re asking and then approach them from several different angles. To have someone assist you ensures you have a well-rounded comprehension of the topic and successful research.”