About the Capstone Project:
The Dalton History Department encourages students who possess a demonstrable passion for critical inquiry and self-directed research to apply for the Capstone experience in historical research and investigation. Open to Seniors in their fall semester, the Capstone Project is an opportunity for students to utilize their existing skills to expand upon their research techniques and dispositions in pursuit of original historical research and project completion.

Moreover, the Capstone projects is a collaboration between the History department, the Library, and the New Lab for Technology and Learning. This partnership offers the kind of learning community envisioned by Founder Helen Parkhurst and speaks to the ongoing efforts to create a vital learning environment for Dalton students. 

The students are pleased to share their projects in a public exhibition of the culmination of their research efforts.

We hope you will join us in celebrating this student work for its excellence, breadth, depth of analysis, diversity of interest, and rigor of fulfillment.

Jodi Robinson '22
The Role of Black Women in 20th Century Food Justice Movements












My name is Jodi Robinson, and for my Capstone project, I researched the role of Black women in 20th-century food justice movements. I am generally interested in Black history, women's rights, and mutual aid initiatives, so I felt this project was a way to combine my passions for these subjects. My research culminated in a series of blog posts where I discussed various stereotypes about Black women (ex: Aunt Jemima) and Black women's involvement in several food justice movements (ex: Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast Program and the Freedom Farm Cooperative). 

Shravya Pant '22
On Court, Off Court, and Always on Camera: Women's Tennis and the Media












Hi! My name is Shravya Pant and my Capstone project is a digital exhibit entitled "On Court, Off Court, and Always On Camera: Women's Tennis and the Media". My longtime interest in tennis (particularly women's tennis) and journalism inspired this research project. This exhibit (and the accompanying write-up) guide the viewer through the Open Era history of how female professional tennis players have been represented by the media, looking at specific subtopics such as race (e.g. Li Na, the Williams Sisters, Naomi Osaka, etc.), sexuality (e.g. Amelie Mauresmo), sexualization and commodification (e.g. Anna Kournikova, WTA "Strong is Beautiful" campaign, race and sexualization), mental health (e.g. Jennifer Capriati, Naomi Osaka), and youth sensationalization (e.g. Eugenie Bouchard, Coco Gauff). I also discussed the globalization and corporatization of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the impact that had on the growth of the sport and tennis media. Through showcasing relevant primary sources and offering secondary analysis, I hope that my project offers a well-rounded perspective on the role the media has played and continues to play in women's tennis, both for better and for worse. Enjoy!

Sydney Feldman '22
Healthcare Through the Lens of Gender, Racial, and Admission-based Disparities












Hi, I am Sydney Feldman. Two years ago, my best friend was diagnosed with cancer, and while researching her condition, I discovered a devastating disparity: minority populations have significantly lower chances of finding a bone marrow match. I partnered with Be The Match, which connects bone marrow donors with patients seeking transplants and tapped into the cancer discourse community, which includes doctors, hospitals, and organizations, and uncovered many other inequities in our healthcare system. 

These discoveries led me to apply to the History Capstone Project with a focus on inequities in American healthcare, thus leading to my project titled "Healthcare in Modern America: Told Through the Lens of Gender, Racial, and Admission-based Disparities." My hope is that the resulting podcast episodes and website created for this Capstone project is just the start of a wealth of information covering inequities in healthcare.

Hi, my name is Charlotte Klein and my project is a research paper entitled, "The Einstein Effect: Albert Einstein's Embrace of Zionism, Stardom, and American Jewry's Adoption of Zionism in the early Twentieth Century." This project was inspired by my interest in Zionism and its initial development in America. This paper attempts to utilize Einstein's first visit to the United States to discuss other Zionist thinkers’ beliefs on why and how Zionism should be implemented and the extent to which Jews in America had caught onto this message. Additionally, this research highlights. the divisions among American Jews and between American and European Zionists. The paper aims to explore the impact of Einstein’s visit on American Jewry’s views on Zionism through a glimpse into reactions to his visit. I hope you enjoy it!.

Alyssa Shah '22
First Do No Harm: Medical Misconduct and the Evolution of Clinical Research in Post-War America












Alyssa Shah is a member of the History Capstone Project and she is passionate about the intersection of medicine and law, specifically healthcare policy and legislation. For her final project, she produced a documentary to analyze how instances of medical malpractice were referenced to support and justify changes made to public policy and ethical standards. More specifically, her documentary focuses on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the Pennsylvanian Holmesburg Prison Experiment as two key examples where unethical medical research exploited vulnerable populations and resulted in severe harm and disfigurement." 

Max Menin '22
Coming to Terms with the Past: Holocaust Education in Germany and the Effort to Reckon with its History and Teach About Genocide












Hi! My name is Max Menin and I am a senior at the Dalton School. I focused on the history of Holocaust Education in Germany since the end of World War II to better understand how post-genocide nations educate their students about their complicated pasts. My project uses three interviews I conducted with German students who attended school in different decades and regions in order to understand how the education system has progressed. I was inspired to do this project in order to explore my interest in the intersection between history and education. Thank you for reading/listening!