Student research that begins in a Trinity College classroom can grow into something much bigger. Trinity alumna Teodora “Tea” Brnović ’24 and Associate Professor of Sociology Alyson K. Spurgas recently had a co-authored article published in the October 2026 issue of Social Science & Medicine, a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers health-related social science research.
The article, “The Biopolitics of ‘Previving’: Femininity, Labor, and Reproduction,” is the result of research conducted by Brnović and Spurgas since 2023, when Brnović began working as an undergraduate research assistant at Trinity. It focuses on the experience of “previvors”—individuals who have genetic markers that make them more likely to develop cancer—and their relationships to gender, family, and reproduction.
The article states, “While existing research has been key to understanding how previvors interact with the medical system, their identities, and their own bodies, little research thus far has examined complex intersectional dynamics and embodied differences among previvors.”
Brnović, who is originally from Montenegro, double-majored in sociology and Italian studies at Trinity. She started working as a research assistant for Spurgas in summer 2023 after taking their “SOCL 390: Medicine, Health, & Society” course.
Spurgas said, “Tea was really interested and did a great job in the class, and we had worked together in a few different classes. That summer when she asked me if I was doing any research, this project was very new.”
Brnović and Spurgas collected literature and statistical data on the subject and gathered a sample of people to interview through Facebook groups and social media. When the total of 41 interviews with previvors were completed, Brnović and Spurgas continued to develop their paper far beyond the summer of 2023. In the following years, even after Brnović graduated from Trinity in 2024, they analyzed interview data and explored new literature coming out on the topic of “previving.”
“It took three years from its inception for the paper to come out,” said Spurgas. “We got to work together, and Tea got to see—as a burgeoning social scientist, researcher, and scholar—what the process is actually like to gather the data, analyze the data, write the paper, and then submit it for publication.”
Spurgas and Brnović share first authorship on the paper, and both spoke highly of how the research and publication process fostered an academic partnership between them.
Spurgas said, “What was special for us is that throughout the process, we moved from this mentor-mentee, student-professor relationship to really being collaborators on the project.”
Brnović appreciated the degree of autonomy and independence that she experienced. “I was expecting to be just a research assistant in the background doing work with less responsibility, but Dr. Spurgas gave me a lot of ownership over the project,” she said.
Brnović and Spurgas also emphasized the importance of Trinity’s Student-Initiated Research Grant program to their work. The program provides Trinity undergraduates with support to develop research projects and allowed Brnović to participate in research with Spurgas.
“It facilitated the collaboration because Dr. Spurgas needed someone’s assistance, and I needed compensation for my work,” said Brnović. “Trinity’s SIRG program was the binding piece.”
Brnović is currently in the process of earning a master’s degree in social research and data analysis at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She and Spurgas also are planning to continue their research on previvors by developing a new paper and expanding their pool of participants while also conducting follow-up interviews with the original participants.
Looking back at being an undergraduate at Trinity, Brnović said that her experience working with Spurgas made her feel more connected to the College. “I feel accomplished that I got a published article out of my undergrad,” Brnović said. “This paper is connected to my time and my work that was done at Trinity, and it makes me feel like I left a mark that will benefit my professional and my academic life. I think it’s very valuable.”
Spurgas added, “I think that a really awesome thing about Trinity is that I had the space to work with Tea as a research assistant and offer her a lot of ownership and agency over the project. Trinity has students who are driven to become real collaborators. This is something that makes me feel proud and excited to be a professor at Trinity.”
Learn more about the many student research opportunities at Trinity College here.
Demonstrating valuable return on investment and continued alumni success, Trinity has earned recognition this fall in multiple college guides, including an elevated ranking at #31 on the 2027 U.S. News & World Report list of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.
The exhibition opening in the Austin Arts Center on September 24 showcases recent works by Studio Arts Program Postbaccalaureate Fellowship alumni Ciara Rubí, Sydney Smith, and Trinity alumna Weixi Zhang ’18.
Trinity Computer Science faculty members Chandranil Chakraborttii and Kenneth A. Kousen are among the recipients of the first awards presented by the Connecticut AI Alliance’s AI Computing Access Program.
Trinity’s Summer Research Program supports intensive student involvement in ongoing faculty research. More than 100 Trinity students spent part of summer 2026 engaged in research projects with faculty mentors.
