Major: Intended: Law, Societies, and Justice
Mentor: María Elena García (CHID), Tony Lucero (JSIS), Adam Warren (History), Lydia M. Heberling (English)
Contact: jasmpa@uw.edu
Current Research project: How an Authoritarian Leader Brought Me Closer to Dad
Jasmine Mae is a current junior at the University of Washington. Jasmine is interested in research pertaining to courts, law, and technology. Since her sophomore year, she has done projects on the Supreme Court of the Philippines. As a student at UW, Jasmine hopes to do more research on the relationship between law and technology. She plans to utilize that knowledge as a potential lawyer in the future to combat issues such as privacy. In her free time, Jasmine likes bouldering, hiking, watching movies, and talking about philosophy.
Translate your work so that we can all understand its importance
How a government reacts to its constituents’ needs warrants research. These entities that govern our lives and create order deserves scrutiny. As a Filipino-American, I wanted to gain more insight about my roots and my people. My previous projects focus on the Supreme Court of the Philippines (PSC), the government and the Filipino people. To understand the motivations behind the government and its people, I coded cases that were brought to the PSC. I analyzed the trends of which appeals were granted and which were found guilty. In the midst of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, the PSC has acquitted more individuals charged with drug crimes than those found guilty. Despite Duterte advocating for harsher and more brute force against the war on drugs, the Supreme Court of the Philippines rules differently. Additionally, it seems that some of the Filipino population agree with some of Duterte’s tactics. Although the Philippines has a thorough history of imperialism and colonization, it seems to still be present within the country.
When, how, and why did you get involved in undergraduate research?
I did not expect myself to get into research when I came to UW. I initially thought that only STEM students could pursue research. However, after taking LSJ 367 with professor Rachel Cichowski, I became enthralled with research. I loved the whole process of research in the class, and I wanted to elaborate more on my final paper. So, I took a research seminar with the same professor and I’ve been pursuing projects ever since.
What advice would you give a student who is considering getting involved in undergraduate research?
Any topic or interest deserves research and analysis! Whether it is in STEM or humanities, there is so much to explore and discover. Just imagine what you can find in your research and everything that you can learn from your projects!