This past summer, George Dalbo, left, assistant professor of Education & Youth Studies, collaborated with Kipper Bromia, a junior majoring in Sociology to analyze how the Armenian Genocide is portrayed in high school curricula and on social media.

Hands-on, student-faculty collaborative research projects define the Beloit College experience, according to George Dalbo, assistant professor of Education & Youth Studies. This summer, he collaborated with Kipper Bromia, a junior majoring in Sociology. Bromia and Dalbo analyzed how the Armenian Genocide is portrayed in high school curricula and on social media.

They interviewed experts in genocide education, Armenian history, and Turkish politics. “I’ve long been interested in how the Armenian Genocide is taught, especially because Wisconsin is home to the second-oldest Armenian community in the United States,” said Dalbo.

Inspired to increase local impact, Bromia interviewed community leaders and curated a digital exhibition on how Armenians have preserved their culture. “I love interviewing because it allows me to build connections with people,” said Bromia. “This work gave me a deeper understanding of the Armenian people—not just historically, but also those living today.”

Their project, which they began during summer vacation, went “back to school” in the form of a co-authored high school lesson plan to help Wisconsin educators teach about the Armenian Genocide, the politics of denial and distortion, and Armenian cultural resilience. The lesson plan is available statewide through the Department of Public Instruction’s WISElearn portal.

Their original findings were shared in The Society Pages, a student-run sociology blog at the University of Minnesota, and reprinted in two Armenian American newspapers, Asbarez and The California Courier, and by the Armenian Genocide Museum of Canada. Bromia and Dalbo hope to publish and present their research at the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies annual conference in 2026.

Beloit College prioritizes resources for students to turn academic theories into working ideas while building professional skills. Kipper Bromia’s experience was one of thirty-five projects made possible by the Beloit College Common Grant, a competitive process where students apply to fund summer learning initiatives.