Jan. 30, 2003
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Along with the rigors of Division-I basketball, Lafayette junior guard Erica Canzler spent her winter break examining economic reform in developing countries. Specifically, she evaluated the capability of various countries to reform and sustain economic systems as well as what role each country's particular form of government plays in the process.
A participant in Lafayette's distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, Canzler is working with Praveen K. Chaudhry, visiting instructor of government and law. In EXCEL, students collaborate with faculty on research while earning a stipend.
On the court, Canzler's hard work has also paid her well-deserved success. Canzler slowly worked her way up the ranks from the junior varsity program in her first two seasons to a regular contributor off Tammy Smith's bench this season.
After making the most of spot playing time early in the season, the junior guard erupted for a career-high seven points, five rebounds and two assists on Jan. 2 against Albany. For her effort against the Great Danes, Canzler earned her first career start two days later at home against Wagner.
Canzler is a team player and contributes to the women's basketball squad because she is comfortable with her role. After the Wagner game Canzler returned to the bench where she has continued to improve and more importantly make the Leopards better.
Off the hardwood, Canzler, a government and law major, is looking at the process of economic reform in several countries and uncovering where it is making a major impact. In addition, she is exploring whether authoritarian regimes or democracies are better able to enact and sustain changes.
"The project deals with balancing economic reform strategy with the competitive interplay of democratizing political forces," says Canzler. Her main responsibilities are to read and analyze research on the topic and form conclusions.
According to Chaudhry, the pair is "trying to show that democracies are capable of implementing and sustaining economic reforms more efficiently than authoritarian regimes." Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, and other countries in Asia are among the nations they are examining.
"I really enjoy having the opportunity to get a head start on this kind of research, because I plan on using what I am learning to develop my senior thesis," says Canzler.
"Professor Chaudhry is wonderful to work with and is very enthusiastic about the material," she continues. "I think it's a great opportunity to be at a college like Lafayette, where I can work one-on-one with a professor in my field of interest."
A psychology minor, she spent last summer studying the relationship between marital quality and health in late adulthood through an EXCEL project with Jamila Bookwala, assistant professor of psychology.
