UW Grad Students to Present International Research in Centennial May 22

Two University of Wyoming graduate students and a recent Ph.D. graduate will present during “Bridging Global Gaps: Student International Research” as part of the Centennial Speaker Series Thursday, May 22, from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Centennial Library, located at 27 Second St. in Centennial.

The speaker series, hosted by UW’s Center for Global Studies (CGS) and the Centennial Library, brings international concerns and discussions to the southeast Wyoming community.

-- Shawn Enriques, a December 2024 UW graduate from Greeley, Colo., who received his Ph.D. in management and marketing, will present “Consumerism in the Philippines.”

The research he will present investigates the effects of bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) marketing. BOP marketing is the idea that the traditional market comprises relatively few customers with average incomes. However, there also is a large market of customers with very low incomes that makes up a similar amount of consumer demand. 

“To sell to consumers in extreme poverty currently requires reducing packaging to single-use sizes to make the products more affordable. This strategy has successfully made essential products like soap, toothpaste and foodstuffs available to low-income markets, but it increases the use of unrecyclable multilayer packaging and packaging in general,” says Enriques, who is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Colorado-Denver. “Interestingly, this research suggests that, in the Philippines and possibly elsewhere, wealthier individuals also prefer single-use packaging, compounding the effects of sustainability and reducing BOP effectiveness.”  

-- Gwendolyn Stout, a Ph.D. student from Cheyenne in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in literacy education, will discuss “Language Literacy in Okinawa.”

This presentation shares preliminary findings from an international research initiative conducted in Okinawa, Japan, aimed at improving oral language, reading comprehension and writing skills in multilingual English-speaking Japanese students in kindergarten through high school through structured literacy instruction.

“Building on an established research-to-practice partnership, the study implemented training on language assessment and intervention for teachers and gathered initial benchmark data for the school,” Stout says. “The next steps will allow for further analysis of language-focused practices that also benefit underserved student populations in Wyoming.”

-- Naznin Huq, a master’s student from Khulna, Bangladesh, studying political science, will present “Women’s Participation in Bangladesh’s Political National and Local Government: A Comparative Study.”

Huq conducted a qualitative case study, interviewing female politicians across various levels of government. Her presentation will examine the intersection of patriarchal norms, sociocultural expectations, institutional constraints and economic barriers that hinder women’s political agency.

“I will discuss the paradox of women’s political involvement in Bangladesh. Though women have held the office of prime minister for over two decades, they remain underrepresented in national and local governments,” Huq says. “My research explores the factors contributing to this disparity, focusing on how quota systems and party politics shape women’s political participation. I will argue that systemic change is needed to foster meaningful gender equality in Bangladesh’s political landscape, moving beyond token representation to ensure women’s substantive influence in decision-making.”

About the Center for Global Studies

The CGS is a core unit of WyoGlobal and is the go-to resource on the UW campus for global success. CGS supports students, faculty, communities and businesses in generating internationally engaged research, teaching and program opportunities. With an array of fellowships, grants, awards, partnerships and events, CGS cultivates effective collaboration between Wyoming and the world.

For more information, email cgs@uwyo.edu.