SURE program research explores three unique aspects of the partisan advantage in the current political environment
In hopes of being admitted to Stonehill College and Villanova University’s 3+3 Juris Doctor Pathway Program, Stella Henderson ’26 took the Law School Admission Test in August 2024. While other students in her position might devote their summer break to preparing for this rigorous exam, the political science major and Spanish minor ambitiously decided to split her time between studying and participating in the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, conducting scholarly research into partisan politics.
“Conducting research through SURE has actually helped prepare me for law school,” notes Henderson, who comes from Marlborough, Connecticut. “The type of work I’m doing requires a lot of reading and in-depth analysis of texts. Beyond that, it’s also helped me realize the importance of being able to set your own agenda and manage your time wisely.”
Henderson partnered with Isabella Melo ’26, a management major and political science minor from Wakefield, Massachusetts, on a research project overseen by Professor Robert Rodgers, chair of Stonehill’s Political Science & International Studies Department. Together, they examined the 2018 and 2022 election cycles with an eye toward three types of partisan advantage — situational, institutional and manufactured. Their assessment focused on three specific entities: the Electoral College, the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.
Melo notes that the SURE experience challenged her in great ways.
“As a business management student, conducting political science research was new for me,” she said. “Analyzing previously established theories and frameworks and applying them to current data has been an interesting learning opportunity.”
Rodgers, who has served as faculty advisor on multiple SURE projects over the years, was impressed by the spirit of “intellectual curiosity” that the students brought to their research.
“The synergy that comes from working collectively on a project like this is unparalleled,” he said. “We’ve done analyses of some of the most recent elections that, as far as we can tell, nobody else has done yet. Working through this project together, we appreciate being able to contribute to the base of knowledge in the political science community.”
The culmination of this project comes in the form of three scholarly articles — each focused on one of the three partisan advantage categories they studied. The plan is to submit these works for presentation at the New England Political Science Association annual conference, which will take place in spring 2025.
The team also had the opportunity to present their research on campus. Every week during the summer, SURE researchers across the disciplines met for lunch. During these meals, students and professors had the chance to break bread and share details of their projects with one another.
“It was great getting to meet other students and professors whom I otherwise might not have the opportunity to work with,” Melo said.
When asked why she would recommend the SURE program to students interested in the program, Henderson said she believes they should take advantage of the opportunity because it is so unique.
“Not all undergraduates get the chance to conduct scholarly research like this,” she said. “And you receive so much support from faculty in this program as well as from the peers you work with. I believe I’ve become a stronger student through SURE.”
Echoing Henderson, Rodgers noted that many of the skills students pick up through SURE are transferable across fields.
“Even if the students who do SURE don’t become researchers after they graduate, their time in this program will certainly inform whatever career path they choose,” he said. “Whether it’s skills related to writing, information literacy or data literacy, these students continue to benefit as they take their next steps after Stonehill.”
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