We are happy to share a few examples of prize-winning Discovery Scholar projects for review digitally. These projects were selected because they offer insight into one example of a competitive project within different academic disciplines. These projects are meant to provide general, discipline-specific examples. We emphasize that every project will be unique, and applicants should focus on meeting their school’s criteria and standards for strong academic work in their discipline.

All alumni have given permission for their materials to be posted here anonymously.  As a reader, we ask you do not download or circulate these examples as they are the property of the author and not meant for distribution beyond the Trojan community.

Thank you,
The AHF Team

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Arts

Cinematic Arts – “Comfort Cinema”
A research paper that analyzes film theories concerning “body genres” and how audiences experience cinema. This includes the rise of a new body genre – comfort cinema – which soothes audiences rather than stimulate them.

Natural Sciences

Occupational Science minor (Chan Division) – “Possible Occupational Therapy Interventions for Homeless Individuals in a Library Setting”
Research project that proposes ways to integrate Occupational Therapy intervention programs for individuals who are homeless into the setting of local U.S. public libraries.

Global Health (Keck) – “Assessment of Respiratory Health Symptoms and Asthma in Children near a Drying Saline Lake”
A cross-sectional epidemiological study investigating pediatric asthma and respiratory symptoms in an environmental justice community in southern California.

Technical Sciences

Mechanical Engineering (Viterbi) – “Autonomously Mapping Nearshore Coastal Bathymetry”
The creation of two novel devices that map underwater topography. They are used to monitor nearshore regions to measure coastal erosion rates due to rising sea levels and the increased frequency of natural disasters.