Eastern Student Melissa Zablonski of Colchester Presents Research at Conference for International Journal of Arts and Sciences

2015 Jun 3

Eastern student Melissa Zablonski '15 of Colchester recently presented her research, "The Pension Widow: Defining the Criteria for Women in the Revolutionary War Pension Process," at the conference for the International Journal of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. Zablonski's major is History and Social Science.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to present my research in a serious, academic light and will be a huge stepping stone towards publishing my work. My acceptance and presentation will provide me with the confidence and motivation needed to proceed with my research in the future, including attending graduate school and working towards a Ph.D."

Her research, mentored by Eastern Professor Barbara Tucker, focuses on the review of public records of the criteria used during the Revolutionary War to award pensions to widows of soldiers of affluence versus those of lower social status. Describing her research, Zablonski said, "There is very little research on this topic, and my focus is different from other published research. I chose to investigate whether or not the government used unofficial criteria, such as social status and reputation, to judge a widow's application, rather than just the facts and official guidelines for approving pensions."