04/27/2026
On April 20, the Galpin Institute’s four spring 2026 Dragons for Democracy interns described their projects’ design and purpose, along with their challenges, successes, and lessons during the process
These interns create and conduct projects that help other students learn about civic engagement and/or civic discourse.
- Psychology major Catherine Moakley described her collaboration with “People-to-People" and with Access to Independence of Cortland County. On April 11, representatives from both groups described ways in which students can participate in civic engagement projects and programs with those organizations. Attendees engaged in a related crafts activity during the process.
- Kaylynn Claudio used her Criminology major lessons to create her “Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, and Jury Decisions” workshop. On Friday, May 1, participants in her mock trial event will serve as jurors who are deciding if Meta is guilty of having misused artificial intelligence in its social media programming.
- In Performing Arts major Michelle Winderman’s May 1 event, participants will first informally debate a proposal regarding the nature and extent to which AI helps – or hurts – the careers of people who are just entering the workplace.
- Tylar Macintyre described the research project that he has been working on with Professor Leslie Eaton (Psychology). Their research demonstrates that AI programming tends to mischaracterize transgender men in its imaging by portraying them with feminine features.
Among the self-identified lessons that interns named were the realization that planning an event can be complicated, that audience (participant) analysis in preparation for an event can help in promoting the event, and that listening skills are important to a person's career.
Three of the students are interns through SUNY’s Empire State Service Corp program, which is managed at SUNY Cortland by our Career Services office.