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C O L L E G E O F S T A T E N I S L A N D / C U N Y

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

CSI UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND PERFORMANCE

Tomás D. Morales, PhDPresident

*Sponsored by the Division of Academic Affairs with funding from the CSI Student Government, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the CSI Foundation

COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND/CUNY

CSI UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE ONRESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND PERFORMANCE*

April 26, 2012Center for the Arts, 1P-Atrium

11:00am – 4:30pm

10:15 am – 11:15amWriting Across the CurriculumLocation: 3N-104From First Year to Honors Seminar: A RevisedQueens College Writing Curriculum

Location: 3N-214The Pursuit of Happiness in First-Year Composition

Ethnographies of Work: Teaching Students to ThinkAbout a Career Path

Engaged LearningLocation: 3N-215The Humor in Information Literacy

Plagiarism as Learning: The Role of Patchwriting inPedagogy

Location: 5N-110Relinquishing Learning to Students

AssessmentLocation: 5N-215No Non-Sense Approach to Assess and ImproveAcademic and Student Support Services

Integrative Assignments: Assessment and Redesign

Online Teaching and LearningLocation: 5N-216Launching a Successful Online Orientation toEnhance Retention

Growing Online and Hybrid Instruction at CUNY through a Foundational FacultyDevelopment Workshop

College Readiness/SuccessLocation: 5N-102CUNY’s Acceleration Strategies

Location: 5N-216ADefining College and Career ReadinessBenchmarks

12:15 am – 1:15pmWriting Across the CurriculumLocation: 3N-104Challenges and Successes of Teaching HybridWriting-intensive Classes for First-Year Students

Location: 3N-214A Multidisciplinary Project about Alzheimer’sDisease: Transforming Inert-Knowledge intoKnowledge in Use

Engaged LearningLocation: 3N-215Transformative Teaching: Getting UndergraduateStudents Out of the Classroom, Bringing the Worldto Them

Using Brooklyn’s History to Enhance the First-YearExperience of City Tech’s Students

Location: 5N-110Reflective Practices for Improving StudentLearning of Physics

Creating a Pathway to Excellence inUndergraduate Education

AssessmentLocation: 5N-215Determining Causality in Evaluations of HighImpact Interventions

Using Logic Models to Understand, Plan, andAssess First College Year Programs

Faculty DevelopmentLocation: 5N-216The Stickiness of Thought: Exploring CognitiveScience, Pedagogy, and Collegiality at LehmanCollege

Implementing the ASCE Exceed Model to FormEffective Teachers

College Readiness/SuccessLocation: 5N-102Effects of Service Learning on DevelopmentStudents at an Urban Community School

Leadership PanelLocation: 5N-216APathways and the First-Year Experience

12:30pm – 1:45pm LuncheonLocation: 1C-Green Dolphin LoungeMeeting Generation NeXtUnderstanding, Teaching and Serving Today’s Students

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Conference Schedule

Conference Schedule – Friday May 11, 2012

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Conference Schedule

2:15pm – 3:45pm Mark Taylor BreakoutLocation: 3N-104Methods and Techniques for Today’s Learners

Engaged LearningLocation: 3N-214Business and Arts in Harmony

Avoiding Intercultural Miscommunication in theClassroomLocation: 5N-110General Education in Practice in “A LivingLaboratory”

Note Taking Will Never be a Nuisance!

College Readiness/SuccessLocation: 3N-215The CUNY/ NYCDOE Partnership for CollegeReadiness and Success: Graduate NYC!

Location: 5N-102Developing Cross-Disciplinary CompetenciesThrough College Algebra

Navigating Through College to Success

Retention StrategiesLocation: 5N-215Academic Evolution and Revolution: TheProgressive Movement of Students from Associateto Baccalaureate Degrees

What Impacts Student Success at an UrbanCommunity College?

Location: 5N-216Cardinal Pulse: Connecting First-Year Students tothe College Community Through Technology

Finish in Four: John Jay College’s Pilot to IncreaseRetention and Graduation Rates, and ImproveAcademic Advisement

TechnologyLocation: 5N-216AUsing Free Software to Improve EducationalOutcomes

Building and Supporting a Media-Rich LearningEnvironment at Baruch College

3:30pm – 4:30pm Writing Across the CurriculumLocation: 3N-104Making Connections Between EcologicalProcesses, Our Egos and Our Oikos

Writing as Thinking Within the Introductory ArtHistory Classroom

Location: 3N-214Undergraduate Student Research at a MinorityServing Community College

Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Initiativesat New York City College of Technology

Engaged LearningLocation: 3N-215Inter-Collegiate Academic Competitions asEducational Devices and as a Means of Student

Engagement: Lessons to Be Learned From theMock Trial

Active Learning in a Large Classroom

Location: 5N-110Framing Teaching Research Questions ThroughClass Inter-Visitation

AssessmentLocation: 5N-215Enhancing the First-Year Experience via the Useof ePortfolio within Student Affairs

Retention StrategiesLocation: 5N-216Faculty Diversity Development at CUNY: AFramework to Enhance Black Student Success

Hostos Center for Teaching and Learning on Tour:Sharing and Passing on Effective Strategies forRetention

College Readiness/SuccessLocation: 5N-102Understanding First-Year Students: A PreliminaryInvestigation of College Success Factors

Increasing Student Retention and Graduation:ASAP Comprehensive Supports and Assessment

Location: 5N-216APromoting Success Through InnovativeApproaches in Math Immersion Workshops

Image as Text: A Unique Model for TeachingEnglish Language Learners

Conference Schedule – Friday May 11, 2012

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Conference Schedule

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Conference Schedule

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Research Poster Presentations

Message from the President

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CSI Undergraduate Conference on Research,Scholarship, and Performance

Message from the President

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 11th Annual UndergraduateConference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance.

The conference theme, “Your Passport to Knowledge,” exemplifies thebreadth and depth of knowledge and talent of our undergraduate students.This annual event showcases the intellect and talent of CSI students, as wellas the commitment of our faculty to provide a world-class education for ourstudents. It is through the guidance of and the collaboration with CSI facultythat our students are able to construct research, scholarship, andperformances of the outstanding caliber that you will enjoy today.

This year we have more than 300 participants in the Conference, representing an extensive range ofdisciplines within the College. There are 121 abstracts being presented either by a single student or groupsof students, 96 performers, and 68 students displaying their works of art. Today, you will have theopportunity to immerse yourself in complex musical and dance performances, rigorous analyses of socialscientific and literary ideas and theories, and meticulous scientific investigations and inquiries.

It is important to note that 16 of our students' research projects were supported through CSIUndergraduate Research Awards sponsored by the CSI Foundation. In addition, we are extremely grateful tothe CSI Student Government and the Division of Academic Affairs for their financial support.

I would like to acknowledge Kristen Lindtvedt and Dr. Alan Benimoff, who have assisted our studentparticipants by providing workshops and technical assistance that enabled them to enhance the visualcomponents of their presentations; and Jessica Stein, Office of the Associate Provost for UndergraduateStudies and Academic Programs; and Debbie Mahoney, Delia Rios, and Barbara Verteramo, Office of theProvost—a great team that handled a myriad of tasks and details. Lastly, I would like to thank AssociateProvost for Undergraduate Studies and Academic Programs Dr. Deborah Vess for coordinating theConference.

I would also like to thank the Alumni Association for donating t-shirts for the volunteers, Design Services forprinting the Conference program and designing the Conference logo, the Center for the Arts for theirtechnical support, the Undergraduate Research Conference Committee members for reviewing abstractsand planning the program, and The Verrazano School volunteers for taking the time to assist with theorganization of this event.

I am indeed proud that this Conference represents a true collaboration of the College community, and Iappreciate the many roles played by all in presenting this Conference, which highlights the critical researchand experimentation that define and enhance the college experience.

Congratulations to each and every one of today's participants!

Sincerely,

Tomás D. Morales, PhDPresident

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The Department of Performing and Creative Arts

Presents

An Art, Dance, and MusicExposition

at

The Eleventh Annual CSI Undergraduate Conference

on Research, Scholarship, and Performance

The Atrium, The Springer Concert Hall, The Recital Hall, The Amphitheatre, The Dance Studio,

and The Student Art Gallery

Center for the ArtsThursday, April 26, 2012

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Dramatic and Musical Performances

T H E R E C I T A L H A L L 1 P - 1 2 0

CSI MUSIC RECITAL and DANCE PERFORMANCE11:00am –12:00pm

A showcase of chamber music featuring faculty and students of the CSI Music ProgramDr. William Bauer, Performance Coordinator

An original African danceProfessor Charles Thomas, composer and choreographer

ProgramSonata and Partita for solo violin ......................................................................J.S. Bach (1685-1750)Partita No.2 in E, BWV 1006 "Preludio"

Stephanie Geraci, violin

From Six Impromptus Op.6 Picture from the East (Bilder aus Osten) ..................Robert Schumann(1810-1856)

1. Lebhaft5. Lebhaft

Hosea Mak, piano (Piano primo in No.5) Kirill Zaitsev, piano (Piano primo in No.1)

El Noi de La Mare - Spanish Traditional ............................................arr. Miguel Llobet (1878-1938)Study in E, Op.35 no. 8..............................................................................Fernando Sor (1778-1839)

Bryan Karundeng, guitar

Duet for violin and guitar....................................................................Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840)Cantabile

Stephanie Geraci, violin Bryan Karundeng, guitar

The Negro Speaks of Rivers ..................................................................Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)Ashley Gill, soprano Dr. William Bauer, piano

“Rites of Passage”Traditional African Rhythms ......................................................................................Charles Thomas

Dancers Samuel Pasewe, Edwin Santiago, Christopher Moore and Maxwell Adjei Professor Charles Thomas, percussion

The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes

I've known rivers:I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the

flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln

went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddybosom turn all golden in the sunset.

I've known rivers:Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

T H E A M P I T H E A T R E – C O U R T Y A R D B E H I N D 1 P

JAZZ REPERTORY COMBO12:15pm-1:15pm

Professor Michael Morreale - director

James Fletcher - tenor saxophone Miles James – tromboneLinda Soria - voice

Eric Roces – guitar Padraic Lynch – bass Darryl Todman - drums

Program to include:CTA ................................................................................................................................Jimmy Heath Song for My Father ........................................................................................................Horace SilverParker’s Mood ..............................................................................................................Charlie ParkerTenor Madness ..............................................................................................................Sonny Rollins

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T H E S P R I N G E R C O N C E R T H A L L , 1 P - 1 1 7

CSI BIG BAND 2:45pm-3:30pm

The CSI Big Band explores literature of that genre ranging from swing tomodern with an emphasis on clarity and ensemble performance anddevelopment of each individual player's musicianship.

Professor Michael Morreale, Director

The CSI Big Band

Dominick Bartolone - alto saxophoneMathew Goldberg - tenor saxophoneShaker Krit - baritone saxophoneFrancis Rogers, Elise Sledge, Alberto Reyes-Llinas - trumpet Thomas Cropley, Miles James, Christian Alonzo - tromboneAlfred DeRosa, Faith Walton - piano, Adan Paz, Eduard Manvelyan, Ari Parness - guitarAlan Rogozin, Patrick Wakie - electric bass Darryl Todman - drums

ProgramI Mean You..............................................................................................................Thelonious MonkDoxy ............................................................................................................................Sonny RollinsRhythm Ballade ......................................................................................................Michael MorrealeBlue Bossa ..................................................................................................................Kenny Dorham

All arrangements by Michael Morreale. Pprogram subject to change.

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D A N C E S T U D I O , 1 P - 2 2 0

CSI DANCE PROGRAM 2:15pm–3:00pm

The Training of a Dancer

Professor Charles Thomas, Dance CoordinatorProfessor Niambi Keyes, Dance Instructor

Jazz (Dan 262)

Centre/Floor Work

Improvisation (Dan 171)

Audience Participation

Contemporary Styles of Dance (Dan 101)

afro-Haitian Dance (Dan 184)

Centre/Floor Work

Choreography (Dan 111)

Excerpt from "Aguanile" for Spring 2012 Dance Concert

CSI Dance Company

Works In ProgressExcerpts from "Gravity", "Not Alone", "Hype"

Dance Students: Autumn Strickland, Donnica Hamlet, Lauren Stevens, Brandon Modeste, Melida Medina,Shanica Huggins, Christopher Koehler, Samuel Paasewe, Mohammed Widdi, Evelina Reinhart, Samantha Wong,Christina Marcano, Marlena Barnett, Nneka Okator, Danny Martinez, Erica Golin, Tiffany Kaplan, Tevin Hercules,Abidemi Komlafe, Ashley Journeay, Zainab Mahmud-Husein, Emmanuel Frank, Naomi Diaz, Aleshia Williams,Darielle Mercado, Dawn Akerley, Stephanie Hughes, Della Lee, Edwin Santiago, Christopher Moore, Maxwell Adjei


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C F A A T R I U M — T H E G L A S S C A S E

CSI SCULPTURE EXHIBITION1:30 - 4:00pm

Professor Marianne Weil, Faculty Adviser

Plaster sculpture by the following students

Student Artists: Lisa Fredericks Leg

Risa Fujimori PlugSandy Mousouroulis The Silence

Stephanie Rodriguez, UntitledNicole ashley Medina Locked

Kayla Virga La DonnaNicole Castaldo Tooth Fairy

Ksenya Stepanyuk Pencil to SwanChristina Bromley Hard BodyRosalie zadwadki Brightest Day, Darkest Night

Natalia alfonso Black and WhiteRandi Moccia, 20012 a Space Odyssey

Robertsan Novo Man on the MoonDuck Gyun Shin Harmony

Vianney Martinez Mollar


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C S I S T U D E N T A R T G A L L E R Y , 1 P - 1 1 8 B

THE STUDENT SPRING GROUP EXHIBITION 1:30pm – 4:00pm

The Student Art Gallery of the Performing and Creative Arts Department will presentan exhibition of work by art majors from all of the areas of study: drawing, painting,photography, printmaking, and sculpture. The exhibition is curated by NicholeCasaldo, Emily Peters, and Fransisco Osorio..

Dr. Siona Wilson, Faculty Adviser

Rebecca WheelerPaula FlidermauzNelida ValentinMelissa DudleyTara Colón Heo Hye Kyung John DaliaKaty PrialeHelena OdinzowChristopher ShadleyMichello PaternoDuck ShinDania ChurovitchRoberta BermanVianney MartinezGary PizzoloBarbara BrancaccioAmy XieNatalia NikiforovaElena HartSamantha GarbarinoYai Ting JiangNick McNabAlissa MangiacapreEva ChiuChristian Muniz

Mizue TsubouchiElizabeth PeteyaEva ChiuDana JohnsonWan Io KuongBen Tirado

“COLORFUL 3-D”

DRawINGS

Rebecca WheelerAkinyemi FapohundaNessym SalibHayat TahmazErika QuarantaCristina Clavijo-MarquezBrian OrtizJoseph FragapaneAlex CannavoChristina BarbosaBrian BeatonChristina BromelyHeu Hye KyungTovra LehrfieldMelissa PerezDarlene LivingstonC.H.

SCULPTURE

Anna KornkoMaryna InchercheraJohn PicozziMelissa DudleyMarie KostickGabrielle T. ChristopherEva ChiuSamantha GarbarinoAnnalisa MeadeAmy XieElizabeth CheMichael CrocittoBrian Rodriguez

PHOTOGRaPHY

Paul CaminitiMark LacariEileen MartinezMario FernandezAnna ZheleznyakMira Makhumutova

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ResearchPaper

Presentations

Center for the Arts

12:20pm - 4:00pm

Research Paper Presentations

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CORE 100 ClassWilliamson Theater, 12:20pm–1:10pm

P A P E R 1

The American Perspective onthe Korean WarKori Elizabeth Tjornhom

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Richard LufranoDepartment of History

This project will discuss the complexities of theKorean War by analyzing the American population’sperspectives of the war and how the United Statesgovernment and media shaped those perspectives.The American domestic approval rating of the warwas at a majority during the outbreak of the war in1950, but by late 1951 and 1952 the majority of theAmerican population was against U.S. involvement inthe Korean War. This discussion will attempt toaccount for the change in American perspectivewithin this one-and-a-half to two-year time span. Byanalyzing the impact of the draft as well as televisionseries and movies based on the situation in Korea,this paper will shed light on the government andmedia’s influence in shaping American’s perceptionsof the Korean War. These sources and influences willthen be put into context of American foreign policy.By analyzing the governmental pressure and thegovernment’s push to justify its actions in Korea, thispaper will show how these justifications were usedto promote the U.S. foreign political agenda.

Two established scholars, William Appleman Williamsand Michael H. Hunt, discuss the complexities ofAmerican foreign policy and provide an essentialframework for understanding these complexities.Their works, The Tragedy of American Diplomacy byWilliams and The Making of a Special Relationship byHunt will be incorporated throughout my project asa framework for contextualizing the U.S.government’s influence in shaping Americans’perceptions on the Korean War to fit their foreignpolicy agenda. Their work will also help determineif U.S. foreign policy represented its traditionalvalues, or if it promoted economic self-interests thatvaried according to the administrations dictating thepolicies.

P A P E R 2

The Resurrection of VoicesKelly Stern & Patricia Smith-DeSilva

Faculty Mentor: Professor Patricia Smith-DeSilvaDepartment of English

I will assist Professor Patricia Smith in theorganization of an anthology of poetry andphotographs entitled “The Resurrection of Voices.”The anthology will pair the work of prominentAfrican-American poets with 19th-century cabinetcards, daguerrotypes, cartes de visite, ambrotypesand tintypes from Professor Smith’s extensivecollection--more than a thousand images datingback to the 1850s.

The coffee table book will feature the soberingphotographs --which are free-use and can bereprinted without permission--and personal poemswhich craft a life and history for the people in thepictures. I will help Professor Smith identify andquery potential publishers, and assist in crafting theactual anthology, sending out copies of the photos tocontributors and managing the work as it comes in.

Our presentation, designed to illustrate the impact ofthe project, will consist a slide show of selected imagesand a reading of the poems that give them breath.


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Social Changes andControversies in theContemporary WorldRecital Hall, 1:30pm-2:25pm

P A P E R 3

I Has A Dream! The 1996Oakland Unified School DistrictEbonics Resolution: Myths andRealitiesSharifa C. Hampton

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah BeneschDepartment of English

News of the 1996 Oakland Unified School District’s(OUSD) Ebonics Resolution swept across the nationin a violent maelstrom of images, questions, stereotypes,and news speak. The opinions that formed from themedia hype, including those of African-Americans,ranged from disgust to amazement. Only whenlinguistics scholars stepped in did cooler headsprevail. The purpose of my paper is to survey theEbonics controversy along the following lines:summarize the resolution, including its aims; givevoice to popular opinions; define and give thehistorical context of related terms; expose themedia manipulation; and offer pedagogicalimplications. The paper is based on peer-reviewedarticles written by sociolinguistic scholars.

This research was of particular interest to me as Irecognized my own ignorance of the subject matter:language and how it relates to me as an African-American. Immediately after the initial resolution waspublished stating that African-American children inCalifornia were going to be taught in their nativelanguage, “Ebonics,” the media went into a frenzyand African-Americans recoiled in the face of acutepain, humiliation and shame, as we were the butt ofa new national media joke. The scholarly voices ofthe sociolinguists who were called upon to giveopinion were not published in the mainstreampress and therefore could not quell the dissent andshame. It is only when I read the scholars’ work incarrying out my research that I could question theshame I felt at the time.

My paper has led me to several conclusions: 1) theOakland school board should be commended fordrawing attention to issues related to the language,education and identity of its African-Americanstudents; 2) the validity of Ebonics, African-AmericanVernacular English etc. should be a widespread

discussion in the African-American community; andmost importantly, 3) there is no shame in the way Inor any other African-American speaks.

P A P E R 4

The Veil - Conceptualizing IslamicTradition in the 21st CenturyKasuni Nanayakkara

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Samira HajDepartment of History

On April 11, 2011, two Muslim women were detainedby police in France for wearing the traditional Islamicdress (niqab), after a law was passed banning thegarment from being worn in public. France is theworld’s first nation to enforce a ban on full veils(niqab or burka). The ban was put into effect on April11, 2011, and the law affects as many as 2,000women in France. One wonders, however, how thisanimosity towards the veil came to be. How can theveil symbolize purity, chastity, and modesty while atthe same time ignite feelings of fear, terror, andhatred? Why does the veil represent fundamentalism,backwardness, and the submission and oppression ofwomen in the Eastern world? In order to answerthese questions, I examine the historical significanceof the veil in Islamic society in the Middle East,analyze the Iranian “unveiling” period of the 1900s,and investigate the Egyptian Piety Movement. Bystudying the development of the veil, it has becomeapparent that the veil has been transformed from agarment worn only by upper-class women to a clothworn by the most devout Muslim women. Byexamining the pre-Islamic origins of the veil, theeffects of European colonization on the veil, and thePiety Movement in Egypt, one can see how the veilhas become a paradoxical symbol that representsboth piety and oppression in the 21st century.


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P A P E R 5

Social Media and AdvertisingSarah Greis

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bilge YesilDepartment of Media Culture

Our society has a rich history of advertising fromsimple art and copy in newspapers to viralcampaigns on the Internet. My project will focus oncontemporary advertising (commercial and political)and its use of social media. I will examine whyadvertisers use social media and how onlineadvertising affects print and TV advertising.

I will begin with an examination of the developmentof social media and Internet advertising. Using audio-visual material, I will analyze recent online advertisingcampaigns such as Old Spice, Chipotle, Chrysler,Dove, Starbucks and President Obama’s onlinecampaign. I will pay attention to how advertisers usesocial media platforms such as You Tube, Twitter andFacebook and what tools they use (likes and wallposts on Facebook, tweets, blogposts, ratings andrankings on You Tube).

In conclusion, I will argue that the newcommunication technologies have impactedadvertising in such a way that advertisers are nowturning away from traditional strategies where theconsumer is positioned as a passive receiver of thesales pitch to new approaches where the consumeris positioned as an active participant who searchesfor and shares ads with online friends.

P A N E L D I S C U S S I O N

The Anti-Tocqueville:Aleksei Evstaf’ev andAntebellum AmericaRecital Hall, 2:30pm-4:00pm

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Smith-PeterDepartment of History

The Political Struggle behind theDevelopment of Relationsbetween Russia and Americaduring the Period of 1812Ashley Simmons

Aleksei Evstaf’ev was a Russian consul-general inBoston. Evtaf’ev received an exceptional reputationwhile serving in the Russian embassy in London asa writer and musician. Arriving in America in 1809,Evstaf’ev began his career by providing facts andinterpretations of Russian history. According toEvstaf’ev, the outcome of the War of 1812 was avictory for the oppressed countries of Europe;however, not all agreed. While Russia wascelebrated for defeating Napoleon, the events ofthe war created mixed feelings among theAmerican people. There are numerous reasons fornegative American attitudes towards Russia’svictory: Russia’s main ally in the war against Francewas England, an enemy of the United States, andmisinformation about Russia and its people, whichwas widespread in Western literature, obstructedthe American point of view. Russia was the leastknown of European countries to America, and theopinions of Federalists and Republicans concerningdevelopments in Western civilization were shownin their attitudes towards Russia.

This paper will examine the debate about Russian-American relations pertaining to the Russian-French War of 1812, concentrating on AlekseiEvstaf’ev, a Russian diplomat, and Robert GoodloeHarper, the leader of the Federalists in Boston, andtheir opposition to anti-Russian author RobertWalsh. The paper will show how this debatereflected the political struggle between Russia andAmerica, and how this controversy stemmed from adivision of political party interests.


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We Were Not Ready: Why theWorks of Aleksei Evstaf'ev HaveBeen Forgotten in AmericanHistoryAmanda Holbert

With a few notable exception, scholars have notwritten about the relationship between the UnitedStates and its Russian diplomats. Literature andaccounts written by Russians in America havedrifted into obscurity, including the works ofdiplomat Pavel Svin’in and the Russian Consul atBoston Aleksei Evstaf’ev. Although Evstaf’evdedicated over forty years of service to the UnitedStates and lived there until his death in New YorkCity in 1857, Evstaf’ev’s work is particularlyunknown in comparison to the works of Svin’in,who spent fewer than two years in America. Thewritten work of Pavel Svin’in was published in a2008 book called A Russian Paints America: TheTravels of Pavel P. Svin’in, 1811-1813.

Svin’in and Evstaf’ev had many personal things incommon despite their different opinions. Similarlyto Svin’in in A Picturesque Voyage through NorthAmerica and the great Alexis de Tocqueville inDemocracy in America, Evstaf’ev wrote an accountof what he witnessed in America titled The GreatRepublic Tested by the Touch of Truth. UnlikeSvin’in, Evstaf’ev harshly criticized democracy; hepraised the aristocracy and was in favor of classsegregation. Svin’in and Tocqueville collectivelysaw potential in democracy, while Evstaf’ev wasconfident that democracy was sure to fall.Evstaf’ev’s tone suggested he was instigating a fightthat he would likely lose during this time. Evstaf’evexpressed a very unpopular opinion during the1850s, when backlash against writers ofunfavorable opinions was common. Americanswere not ready to hear about anything that wasagainst America.

Those Who Love and HateDemocracyMaria Lago

The Hungarian Revolution was one of the mostsignificant European revolutions in the midnineteenth century. Lajos Kossuth led Hungariansto fight for independence from the Habsburgmonarchy of the Austrian empire. He also soughtsupport from American democratic principles duringhis fight for Hungarian independence. The YoungAmericans of the mid nineteenth century served asa tool for Kossuth's desire to spread influence ofdemocratic values; however, Russian-Americanconsul Aleksei Evstaf'ev chastised Kossuth'sadmiration of democratic values by opposingdemocratic Institutions. Evstaf'ev believed that ademocracy such as the United States was bound tofail, deeming the United States Constitution anddemocratic values to be imperfect.

My research demonstrates the relation of LajosKossuth, a leading revolutionary and advocate ofdemocracy, to Young America in advocatingdemocracy for an independent Hungary, along withEvataf'ev's views against democracy. Evstaf'ev andKossuth had opposing views on democracy.Kossuth desired an independent Hungary anddemocratic values, while Evstaf'ev opposed bothKossuth's fight for Hungarian independence anddemocratic values.

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Russian Eyes on the AmericanJudicial SystemNaisha Solomon

Every government is obligated to ensure a wellworking, fully functional society. In America, focusis placed on the judicial system, where themaintenance of justice is essentially a preventativemeasure against anarchy. Early nineteenth-centuryRussian consul Aleksei Evstaf’ev and Alexis deTocqueville had opposing views on whether thisgovernmental branch was detrimental to afunctional society. Evstaf’ev claimed that the jurysystem did not adequately serve the populace,while Tocqueville adamantly defended it, saying ittaught the population how to rule and it facilitateddemocracy. Evstaf’ev claimed that democraticconditions inhibit the government’s ability todeliver promises and kept the population deceived.Through the examination of class, juries and judges,we can better understand how Tocquevile andEvstaf’ev came to their respective conclusions.These three factors are pertinent to the judicialsystem because they coexist in such a way thateach affects the other.

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ResearchPoster

Presentations

Center for the Arts

Atrium

1:30pm - 4:00pm

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Poster Location by Department

Biology ..........................................................................Bottom Center

Business ............................................................................Bottom Back

Chemistry ..........................................................................East Lounge

Computer Science............................................................Bottom Front

Education ........................................................................Bottom Front

Engineering Science & Physics ........................................Bottom Back

English ..............................................................................Bottom Back

Geology ............................................................................Bottom Back

Mathematics ..................................................................Bottom Center

Media Culture ................................................................Bottom Center

Performing and Creative Arts ............................................Bottom Back

Pol.Sci/Eco/Philosophy ....................................................Bottom Back

Psychology ........................................................................West Lounge

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DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGYCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM CENTER

P O S T E R # 3 0

Willowbrook Forest’s CarbonSequestration. A Comparison toCarbon Emission Generated byCSI’s Vehicle TrafficErica Zito

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dick VeitDepartment of Biology

Special recognition is given to urban forests andtrees because they combat carbon reduction ontwo fronts: (1) they are direct carbon stores, as alltrees are, and (2) they avoid carbon production asfossil fuel. (Nowak 1993). In this study, tree speciesand diameter distribution will be used to estimatethe amount of carbon dioxide sequestered eachyear by Willowbrook Forested located next to theCollege of Staten Island in NewYork, New York.Taking into account the environmental impact ofvehicle traffic on the College of Staten Island, anestimation of the amount of carbon dioxidegenerated and released into the atmosphere willalso be calculated. These two estimations will beused to analyze Willowbrook Forest’s role inoffsetting the amount of carbon dioxide generatedby vehicle traffic on the campus of College ofStaten Island.

Nowak , David J. “Atmospheric Carbon Reductionby Urban Trees .” Journal of EnvironmentalManagement . 37. (1993): 207-217. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

P O S T E R # 1 2 3

The Interaction of Normal TauProtein with Abnormal TauProteinLorraine Chawki

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment Neuroscience

Tau protein is a highly soluble microtubule-associated protein (MAP) that can be foundpredominantly inside the neurons in humans. Oneof the tau protein’s most important functions ismodulating the stability of axonal microtubules.Once there is a defect in this intricate and complexsystem, neuro degeneration may occur- Alzheimer’sdisease being one development.

I have been working on the effects of theinteraction of normal tau protein and abnormal tauprotein. This is done by taking the gene withdifferent forms of tau taken from a vector withgreen fluorescent protein, and ligating them with ared fluorescent tag. The purpose will be co-transfection of cells with one form of tau that willbe expressed with GFP (green-fluorescent protein)and RFP (red fluorescent protein) and test thereaction (s).

I personally work using cell culture and cellpurification. I use restriction enzymes (EcoRI andBglII), electrophoresis gel, cell ligation, GFP, RFP, andmultitude of different vectors.

So far, I have created a cell culture from CHO cellsand then purified them. After checking that myconcentration levels were high enough to use mypurified plasmids, I applied Restriction Enzmes(EcoRI and BglII) that cut my DNA at specific targetcites and used electrophoresis gel to test thesuccess of my cuts. These enzymatic cuts createsticky ends for the purpose of ligating newinformation to my DNA which allows me tointroduce my different vectors to my DNA. Whenfluorescent tau was co-transfected with non-labeledpseudophosphorylated tau we could seeinteraction, and I am now using two different tagsto see the effect.

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P O S T E R # 9 4

Reprograming DevelopmentalFates in Sea Urchin Embryosand LarvaeTia Leung, Jacob Madella, ShireenJayman, Mihai Hajdu & Alexia Downs

Faculty Mentor Dr. Ceasar Arenas-MenaDepartment of Biology

Several studies have proven that the transcriptionfactor SpGataE plays a major role in the generegulatory network for endoderm specification inbilaterians. Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, betterknown as the purple sea urchin, is an echinodermand belongs to the deuterostome lineage. SpGataEis an ortholog of the Gata 4/5/6 genes found invertebrates and controls endoderm-specific geneexpression. The experimental expression ofSpGataE in regions of the sea urchin embryo thatnormally do not express endoderm-specific genesmay alter the fate of cells, possibly convertingectoderm areas into endoderm regions.Transcriptional regulatory elements of the hatchingenzyme will drive the expression of the Tet-On3Gtransactivator protein. The hatching enzyme isexpressed in nearly all embryonic cells. Theconstructs will be introduced by microinjectionand incorporated randomly in blastomeres. So, onlysome blastomeres will express Tet-On3G. When inthe presence of Doxycycline, the Tet-On3Gtranscription factor will bind to Tre3G promoterregions and induce gene expression. SpGataE andcherry 1 will be under control of a Tre3G promoterand will be induced when doxycycline is present.The expression of SpGataE will lead to theexpression of the endoderm differentiation geneEndo 16 and the reporter construct Endo16: GFP,which will synthesize the green fluorescent proteinwherever SpGataE is expressed. The ultimate goalis to test multipotency functions of H2A.Z.Eventually, experiments to prove the role of H2A.Zin the differentiation and dedifferentiation ofembryonic cells will be conducted.

P O S T E R # 8 2

Effects of Scots Pine NeedleExtractions on the FungalEndophyte, HormonemaDematioidesLisa LaManna

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gregory CheplickDepartment of Biology

Endophytes are typically fungi that livesymbiotically within and between the cells ofplants. Some endophytes only show a full life cyclewhen grown in culture. Particularly, these fungimay not reach the final stage of reproduction. Thistwo part experiment aimed to determine if thehost tree is producing something within its leavesthat may confer the start and stall

of the fungi life cycle. Hormonema dematioideswas extracted from Scots pine trees (Pinussylvestris) found at the College of Staten Island.Four extractions were made from the needles andsupplemented to agar at different volumes. Theresults show that a hot water, a 25% ethanol, a 25%methanol, and a 50% methanol extraction indeedconvey nutritional effects that enabled

germination of spores on nutrient deficient media.These same extractions had an inhibitory effect onsporulation when using potato dextrose media, acomplete medium. Both parts of the experimentwere performed within a 7 day time frame ofgrowth. A higher concentration of extractionusually displayed a stronger growth effect ongerminating spores, and also a greater inhibitoryeffect on spore formation for a mature fungalcolony.

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P O S T E R # 1 1 3

Effects of Nigella Sativa Oil onGABAA-receptor MediatedNeurobehaviors in MiceSimon Ng

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of Biology

Black cumin oil is the seed extract of Nigella sativaLinn that shows promising medical applications.The oil is believed to activate the benzodiazepinesite of the GABAA receptor; thus, effectively beingan agonist for GABAA. Our basis of study was toobserve and characterize the effect of black cuminon locomotor activity, anxiety, learning, andmemory in the mouse model. Black cumin wasadministered acutely via intraperitoneal injectioninto wild-type FVB mice (3 mg/kg) ~15 minutesprior to behavioral testing. Our preliminary datashows that black cumin treatment results indecreased locomotor activity and retention deficitsin the passive avoidance aversive learning task andMorris water maze spatial navigation task. Theseresults indicate deficits in learning and memoryrelated to GABAergic required involvement inperformances in these tasks suggesting GABAA

activation by black cumin. The aim of the proposedresearch was to examine taurine (GABAA agonist)alternatives as a means to studying GABAAexpression in mice. Since Nigella sativa is an agonistof GABAA, we suggest that use of black cumin onmice may aid in studying the GABAergic system ofFmr1-KO mice. We hope to extend this research tothe Fmr1-KO mouse model since it has increasedseizure susceptibility and hyperarousal thatparallels symptoms of fragile X syndrome inhumans. We expect Nigella sativa oil to providebeneficial effects recovering learning deficits andresisting epilepsy in the fragile X mouse model. Weare currently assessing the anti-epileptic effects ofblack cumin

P O S T E R # 1 0 6

Gestational exposure to WaterDisinfection By-productsIncreases the Number ofCortical Synapses in the MaleMouse BrainDerek Pisana, Lauren Overeem & JillianBraccolino

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sara Rose GuarigliaDepartment of Biology

In recent years there has been evidence to suggestthat environmental factors may be involved in thedevelopment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).For example, a report released in 2000 by theAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR) revealed that two trihalomethane (THM)class disinfection byproducts, chloroform andbromoform, and the soil

contaminant perchloroethylene (PCE) were foundin high concentrations in municipal drinking waterof Brick Township, NJ during the years 1987–1995.ASDs in Brick were also found to be higher thannational prevalence estimates. In previous workdone by our group, we found that gestationalexposure to THMs and PCE via maternal drinkingwater induced autistic-relevant behaviors and anincrease in Protein Kinase A (PKA) activity in male,but not female, mice. PKA activity is important insynaptogenesis. Therefore, in these experimentswe sought to determine if synaptic connectivitywas changed in the cortex, hippocampus and in thecerebellum of mice that were exposed to THMs andPCE during gestation. We found a significantincrease in the number of excitatory synapses inthe cortex of male mice exposed to THMs and PCEat postnatal day 15. Abnormal synapticconnectivity is thought to be involved in thepathogenesis of ASD. Together, the datasuggeststhat during development, a combination ofTHM and PCE induces changes in synapticconnectivity that may contribute to thedevelopment of the autistic-relevant behavioralphenotype found in this mouse model.

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P O S T E R # 1 0 5

Water-T-Maze: A Useful Assayfor Determination of RepetitiveBehaviors in MiceLauren Overeem

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sara Rose GuarigliaDepartment of Biology

Repetitive behavior is a term used to describe awide variety of invariant and inappropriatebehaviors that occur in diverse conditions,including autism. Given the wide variety ofrepetitive behaviors, it is important to utilize rodentbehavioral assays that are appropriate to specificforms of repetitive behavior. A variety of high-throughput assays to investigate lower order formsof repetitive behaviors are available for rodents.However fewer assays are available to investigatehigher order forms, such as tendency for rigidadherence to routine. BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) miceharbor behavioral deficits that share similarity tothe core deficits found in autism, yet have notconclusively demonstrated deficits in reversallearning tasks (i.e. Morris water maze (MWM), T-maze) that are commonly used to examine thetendency for rigid adherence to routine. Bycombining elements of both the MWM and T-maze,we designed a novel water T-maze assay todetermine if tendency for rigid adherence toroutine would become perceptible in BTBR mice.We found that BTBR mice show a significantimpairment in reversal learning as compared to B6?in our water-T-maze reversal learning assay. Ourfindings suggest that our water T-maze assay iseffective for determining the presence of higherorder forms of repetitive behavior that are notreadily revealed by conventional methods.

P O S T E R # 1 0 0

The Role of 5-HT1A-R inHypothalamic Peptide SignalingSystemIsma Butt

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chang-Hui ShenDepartment of Biology

Disturbances of the serotonin pathway have beenlinked to the pathogenesis and pathophysiology ofeating disorders. However, direct evidence of thishas yet to be demonstrated. Using mice as ananimal model, the relationship between eatingbehavior, 5HT1AR function, and the regulation ofhypothalamic peptides can be tested. We examinedchange of feeding behavior, body weight, andexpression of hypothalamic peptides in both wildtype and 5HT1AR knockout mice. We found thatthe body weight of 5HT1AR knockout isapproximately 20% less than that of the wild type.Similarly, the food intake of the 5HT1AR knockoutis about 50% less than that of the wild type. Eventhough the use of the 5HT1AR inhibitor, 8-OH-DPAT, reduced the food

intake in the wild type mice, their body weightremained consistent. Further analysis ofhypothalamic peptide expression through qRT-PCRshowed that both POMC and AgRP are expressed atrelatively higher values in the wild type than the5HT1AR knockout. However, POMC expression isdecreased significantly in wild type when 8-OH-DPAT was delivered. This suggests that regulation offood intake is regulated by POMC through the5HT1AR. Furthermore, the up-regulation of AgRP inwild type when compared to 5HT1AR knockoutproposes that expression of AgRP may regulatebody weight. These findings show the importanceof 5HT1AR in regulating eating behavior and bodyweight through the expression of hypothalamicpeptides.

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P O S T E R # 9 7

Effects of Temperature andPesticide Use In Fall-FlyingMothsElla Viola

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa ManneDepartment of Biology

Climate change and pesticide use are two ways thathumans are contributing to the decline of localecosystems. Some pesticides are targeted towardparticular insects, but any pesticide use has effectson higher trophic levels as well. As an index ofchange to local systems, we monitored mothactivity in Summer/Fall 2011. We comparednumbers of individuals and species of moths in anon-sprayed, forested location (Tuckernuck Island,Nantucket), as well as a forested location that wassprayed with pesticides (Staten Island). Althoughthere was a climate difference between the twostudy sites, it was not in the expected direction: arecord-breaking cold snap and snowstorm abruptlyended all moth activity at the end of October inStaten Island. Our results prior to the end ofOctober showed a diminished number of mothsseen on Staten Island, compared to the unsprayedNantucket site, even though Nantucket is morenortherly than Staten Island, and should have hadfewer moths later in the season (coincident with anearlier onset of winter), all other things beingequal.

P O S T E R # 9 1

Expression ofPseudophosphorylated Tau inDrosophila MelanogasterEmbryosKeerthiga Sivakumar & David Njuguna

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of Biology

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common formof dementia and there is no cure for the disease atthis time. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part ofaging and causes problems with memory, thinkingand behavior. Alzheimer’s is associated with theformation of neurofibrillary tangles in thecytoplasm of affected neurons. These tangles arecomposed of hyperphosphorylated tau, amicrotubule associated protein that disruptsmicrotubule structure and prevents neuronalaxonal transport. In this study, we will cross fourvariants of Drosophilamelanogaster transgenic male flies that have aplasmid with UAS (Upstream ActivationSequence) with virgin inducer females flies thatexpress GAL 4 (positive regulator of geneexpression for the galactose-induced genes) underthe control of transcriptional drivers expressed inneurons. The F1 generation of the Drosophilaembryos will be collected and fixed per theprotocol guidelines. Generation of the RNA probesfor the In situ hybridization will be conductedwhereby the gene of interest will be inserted into aplasmid and then used as template for PCR usingforward and reverse primers. Both experimental(antisense) probes and negative control (sense)probes will be synthesized. Probe hybridization andmRNA detection will follow. Finally expression andlocalization will be conducted to investigate byimaging on a confocal microscope whether the tauvarieties were expressed in these Drosophilamelanogaster embryos.

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P O S T E R # 8 6

The Role of NHE1 in MaintainingMammary Tissue Architecture.Sophia Varriano

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie E. FataDepartment of Biology

In previous years, Dr. Fata has developed three-dimensional (3D) tissue cultures to accuratelyimage the morphogenetic development ofmammary gland branches by using pieces ofisolated ducts from the mouse mammary gland. Wehave used this model system to study the role ofNa+/H exchanger type 1 (NHE1) in themaintenance of mammary tissue architecture. Weintend to inhibit NHE1 function with a drug of theamiloride family, specifically, (N-Methyl, N-isobutyl)amiloride (MIA). MIA is a drug that inhibits thefunction of NHE1, which itself is responsible formaintaining intracellular pH at about 7.0.Previously Dr. Fata’s group has shown that NHE1 isexpressed in this model system to the exclusion ofother subtypes of this exchanger and that itfunctions as a critical regulator of branchingmorphogenesis. We have used MIA along with agrowth factor (TGF�) to investigate the role ofNHE1 in maintaining tissue architecture. Wemonitored the effects of NHE1 inhibition by liveimaging. Cell polarity was assayed byimmunostaining for NHE1 itself.

P O S T E R # 8 3

The Study ofHyperphosphoylated Tau inNeuronsThomas McCauley

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of Biology

A collective group of neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease, are commonlyreferred to as tauopathies because of thepathological role played by the neuronalmicrotubule associated protein, tau. These diseasesare histopathologically characterized byneurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed ofhyperphosphorylated forms of tau. Normally thisphosphoprotein plays a key role in the stabilizationof the microtubule networks. Whenhyperphosphorylated tau no longer binds tomicrotubules, it begins to aggregate. Here ourobjective is to study the influence of tauphosphorylation at Thr 212, Thr 231, and Ser 262(P-tau) on tau affect on cellular dynamics as well asthe induction of caspase activation.Pseudophosphorylated tau was generated by sitedirected mutagenesis, switching the abovementioned amino acid residues with glutamic acid,to mimic the effect the phosphorylation wouldhave on the protein. The expression of taupseudophosphorylated at Thr212, Thr231, andSer262 triggers caspase 3 activation in as many as85% of the transfected cells This project willanalyze the cellular dynamics using live cellimaging over a period of 48 hours. With thisexperiment, we will analyze the movement andgrowth of the cells and at which point during theexperiment they begin to die. Additionally, we willlook into caspase activation in real time todetermine if surrounding, non-transfected cellsbegin to become pre-apoptotic. With these studies,we gain additional information concerning theprion-like nature of tau protein.

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P O S T E R # 7 3

N-Methyl-N-Isolbutyl Amiloride(MIA) Binding Saturation in theHuman Breast Cancer Cell LineMCF-7Mino Abdelmessih


Intracellular pH (pHi) is a determining factor inmany rudimentary biological processes, includingegg fertilization and cell proliferation. DeregulatedpHi is associated with loss of tissue architectureand pathologies such as cancer. The ubiquitouslyexpressed sodium/hydrogen exchanger type 1(NHE1) is a chief regulator of pHi. Previous work inDr. Fata’s lab has shown that regulation of pHi byNHE1 is critical to branching morphogenesis in exvivo cultures of mouse mammary tissue.Additionally, this master regulator of pHi isoverexpressed in breast cancer. In the past, we havespecifically inhibited NHE1 function with 5-N-Methyl-N-Isobutyl Amiloride (MIA). We and othershave found that inhibition of all cellular NHE1 withMIA leads to cell death, however, inhibition of aportion of these exchangers leads to morphologicalchanges in both tissue and cell culture as well asabnormal signaling in response to growth factors.The elucidation of the thresholding of NHE1inhibition from lethal to non-lethal is of paramountimportance in discovering the role of NHE1 in avariety of cellular processes and as a potentialtherapeutic target in cancer.

P O S T E R # 6 5

Transfection of Tau ProteinConstructs in Breast Cancer CellLine MCF-7Peter Hannon

Faculty Mentor Information: Dr. Jimmie E. FataDepartment of Biology

In this lab, the protein Tau is being studied in thehuman breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Themicrotubule binding protein Tau, commonlyassociated with the central nervous system hasrecently been reported to induce resistance tochemotherapeutic drug Paclitaxel. To evaluate thesignificance of Tau in breast cancer we have over-expressed this protein in MCF-7 cells throughstable transfection. Transfection is a commonlyused technique to deliver nucleic acids into cells inorder to express a foreign

gene and protein for study. Our transfectionprotocol uses the standard Lipofectamine™ 2000to transport DNA into cells. A vector plasmid withthe particular gene of interest is encapsulatedwithin Lipofectamine, diluted in Opti-MEM media,to ensure successful delivery of the DNA into thecell. Through successful transfection of multipleconstructs of Tau we have been able to identifynovel cell phenotypes and their correlation withsuppression of apoptosis. Our data providesevidence that Tau expression suppresses TumorNecrosis Factor � (TNF�) induced apoptosis whichcan lead to future treatments.

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P O S T E R # 6 8

Senescent Markers in PrimaryHuman FibroblastsKaitlin Kelly


Fibroblasts cells synthesize the extracellular matrixand are the most common cells found inconnective tissue. When normal fibroblasts losetheir ability to proliferate they are termedsenescent. Senescence is an irreversible process inwhich cells have stopped proliferating but do notundergo apoptosis. These cells still remainmetabolically active however; they appear to bearrested in the cell cycle. Senescence fibroblastshave a particular phenotype. Maturation of thesecells increases the cytoplasm

content and cells appear flattened, enlarged andspindle shaped. Research studies have shown thesenescent phenotype using induced stressors suchas hydrogen peroxide or ethanol. Senescent cellshave also been detected using Beta-Galactosidaseactivity as a biomarker. I have repeated similarstudies using cultured primary human fibroblasts.Different concentrations of hydrogen peroxidewere used to induce senescence in youngfibroblasts and then stained with Beta-gal yielding ablue insoluble compound. My results have shown250�M H2O2 to have the highest quantity of bluepigment. Another senescence induced study wasdone with 5% ethanol on younger fibroblast cellscompared to older fibroblast cells. Results showedthat fibroblasts have higher auto-fluorescence witholder fibroblast cells compared to younger.Younger fibroblasts treated with ethanol had higherincrease in fluorescence compared to untreatedfibroblasts. Intracellular pH was also measured withdifferent population doublings of fibroblasts. Therewas an increase in pHi in older cells compared toyounger cells. All experiments have helped tobetter understand the process of aging. Furtherinvestigation will continue in recording the cellcycle of fibroblasts, measuring fluorescence, andtreating with curcumin.

P O S T E R # 4 9

GIS & Diversity Comparisons ofEngineered vs Natural HabitatJarred Sutton

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eugenia Naro-MacielDepartment of Biology

The Freshkills Landfill site provides a greatopportunity for scientific research. A habitat thatwas once a marsh, transformed into a dump and isnow being reengineered into a recreational parkwith nature in mind is a great starting point forresearch. The Freshkills site will undergo manystages of natural succession as the location isallowed to undergo natural ecological process. Itwill be vital to record the current state for futurestudy and comparison. Not often are we given achance to record time zero of a sample site.

My area of research will be to compare andcontrast diversities among fauna between anengineered habitat (Freshkills) and anotherproposed long time untouched site, Long Pond Parkon Staten Island. Additional sites may be added forcomparison as they prove viable. As samples areobtained from each site at specifically markedgeographic locations the species captured will

be tallied. Once the data collection is achieved wewill move to calculating diversity indices tocompare the different locations. With thecalculations made, graphics and tables will becreated to demonstrate work done and conclusionsdrawn from the research.

In addition we will be implementing the use of GIS(Geographic Information Systems) to accuratelydocument the locations. The importance of GIS willbe for both current and future research. Bydocumenting the locations we can make specificrather than general assessments of the speciespresent and provide a baseline for futurecomparisons. Adding a visual geographic

component also will allow us to compare andcontrast geographic features to see if there are anylikely environmental influences.

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P O S T E R # 4 1

mtDNA Analysis of Palmyra AtollGreen TurtlesJenna Pantophlet


Green sea turtles are among the better-knownendangered species on the planet. The species isclassified as endangered (IUCN 2011) due topervasive human influences like habitat loss,harvesting and pollution. Therefore, it is imperativeto take measures to conserve the species as well asthe ecosystems they inhabit. Effectively takingactions to conserve and protect the turtles is ratherdifficult due to the fact that sea turtles are highlymigratory. However, population distribution can beestablished through DNA sequencing and analysistechniques. Female green turtles usually engage in abehavior known as natal homing, where theyreturn to the beach or region where they werehatched to lay their own eggs. This behavior causesgenetic differentiation in mitochondrial DNAbetween rookeries, allowing researchers to tracknatal origins of mixed stock feeding grounds. Theturtles that were analyzed here were sampled at thePalmyra Atoll feeding ground in 2011. The Atoll is agroup of diverse small islets and flats that rests alittle more than a thousand miles south of Hawaii.We extracted either blood or tissue samples fromeach captured turtle, and analyzed these samples inthe laboratory using DNA extraction, PolymeraseChain Reaction, cycle

sequencing, and an editing sequencer. Current gapsin nesting site information will make it difficult todecipher rookery of origin, however at this stagewe can analyze differences and patterns in feedingground composition.

P O S T E R # 3 2

Turtles of Freshkills ParkSeth Wollney


Freshkills Park on Staten Island was until recentlythe largest landfill in the world and is nowundergoing the remarkable process of beingtransformed into a park. All of the the garbagemounds are fully capped with plastic sheetscovered by layers of soil. The transformation of thearea from a garbage-filled wasteland into a thrivingpark will take approximately three decades and isplanned to benefit humans and wildlife alike.

Surveys of Freshkills have documented thepresence of several turtle species (NYCDPR 2009),however their population biology remainsunknown. The taxa observed at Freshkills were:eastern painted (Chrysemys picta picta), commonsnapping (Chelydra serpentina serpentina), andNorthern diamondback (Malaclemys terrapinterrapin) turtles (NYCDPR 2009). A red-eared slider

(Trachemys scripta elegans) was also photographedat the site (Wollney, personal communication). Ourobjectives are to research the population biology ofturtles at Freshkills. The research includes but it notlimited to painted turtles, red-eared sliders,snapping turtles, and diamondback terrapins,focusing on: 1) Distribution and abundance; 2)Ecological interactions and feeding ecology; 3)Health; 4) Genetic analysis; 5) Movements.

When the study is complete, we expect to haveachieved our goals to advance Freshkills Parkobjectives by providing high quality research onturtles of the Freshkills reclaimed ecosystem, and toimplement related education and outreachinitiatives. We also expect to have met our specificobjectives in researching the population biology ofthese turtles in comparison to other

regional groups. We will have characterizeddistribution and abundance, identified majordietary components, and considered the ecologicalroles of turtles at Freshkills. We will haveinvestigated their health status and assessed threats.Further, the project will provide key insights intorestoration ecology.

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P O S T E R # 4

The effect of Folic Acid onGamma-aminobutyric acid typeA (GABAA) receptor beta1(gabrb1)Kizzy Vasquez, Dr. Junaid, Dr. El Idrissi& Salomon Kuizon


The purpose of these series of experiments is totest the effect of different dosage of folic acids onneuronal in-vitro cells. We performed western blotand qRT-PCR to see if there is a change in theprotein expression, and quantified the messengerRNA expression is in accordance with dosage offolic acid. Our data shows an increase in messengerRNA and protein expression of GABAß1 receptorprotein in neuronal treated in dosage dependentmedium of folic acid.

This research demonstrates, Gaba A receptorsubunit ß1 protein levels increase in the folic acidtreated neuronal cells in comparison to control.Gaba A receptors subunit ß1 mRNA was up-regulated, and it seem to be folic acid dosagedepending in the neuronal cells. The pathway onwhich folic acid affects the expression of the geneis no known, but it grants investigating. It is worthnoting that in research with Gamma-aminobutyricacid type A (GABAA) receptor beta1 (gabrb1),implies that by treating gaba beta 1 with a gabrb1-specific inhibitor, salicylidene salicylhydrazide, theexpression of the decreased the abnormal prionprotein level. This leads the researchers to believethat there is an involvement with GABA ß1 in theprocess of this neurological degenerate condition,(Kimura T, 2010). Autism was previously link topossible protein misfolding, so I propose to takethis route in to discovering a possible link in thepathogenesis of this disease.

P O S T E R # 1 0

The Characterization of Pb2+toxicity in the RatCardiovascular System: AnAssessment of Pb2+ InduceEvelyn Okeke


Homeostasis, imperative to an organism survival, isa state of equilibrium that seeks to maintain aconstant internal environment by monitoring andadjusting physiological processes inside the body.Various organ systems are involved in maintaininghomeostasis. The one of particular interest in thisstudy is the cardiovascular system which isresponsible for the movement of the blood.Keeping the blood moving is absolutely crucial inhomeostasis. There are two important aspects inkeeping the blood moving, the blood pressure andcardiac output (heart rate), which are controlledand altered by neural, hormonal or renal controlmechanisms. Hypertension, typically defined as145mmHg or higher for systolic, is of particularconcern because when persisting it can lead tocardiovascular disease, stroke and renal failure, andabout one third of the population in the

United States of America are suffering from highblood pressure. While some studies have shown apositive relationship between blood pressure andlead, others have not shown this association. In thisstudy, I investigate the relationship between bloodpressure and chronic lead exposure in Long Evansrats in various age stages. I also want to determinehow collagen and

elastin are affected by lead using histologicalstaining methods, as well as other proteins such asgamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamicacid decarboxylase (GAD) usingimmunohistochemistry. A scanning electronmicroscope will give visual information aboutstructural changes in the cardiovasculature, aspreliminary data I previously collected has shown.

Finally, I want to investigate the functional responseof the cardiovasculature as a result of chronic leadexposure by electrophysiological analysis.

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P O S T E R # 1 4

Genetic Analysis ofMitochondrial DNA ofLoggerhead Sea Turtles from theDry Tortugas of Key West, FLDeanna A. Frascona

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eugenia Naro MacielDepartment of Biology

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) inhabitstemperate and tropical areas in all of the world’soceans. Yet, the loggerhead is listed as a federallythreatened species due to several types ofpollution, natural predators, fisheries interactions,and habitat loss among other threats. With manypopulations declining, it is important to carry outresearch and conservation activities. Forconservation research purposes, blood sampleswere taken from species nesting or feeding in theDry Tortugas of Key West,

Florida. DNA was analyzed in a lab by a multi-stepprocess known as DNA extraction consisting of: (1)opening the cell to release DNA, (2) separatingDNA from proteins and debris and lastly,(3)isolating concentrated DNA. To analyze the DNAfurther, Polymerase Chain Reaction, (PCR) was usedto amplify DNA fragments in vitro by combiningthe DNA strands, nucleotides, primers, DNApolymerase and other reagents in a thermocyclerand subjecting the samples to repetitivetemperature modifications, melting, annealing andextending. In later steps the PCR products werecleaned, cycle sequenced, and edited. Based on thisstudy, the genetic structure of loggerheadmitochondrial DNA sequences will provide insightinto gene flow and genetic diversity.

P O S T E R # 9 2

Hyperphosphorylation Effect ofTau on ActinNaeem Syed

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of Biology-Neuroscience Program

Tau is the protein that is often associated withAlzheimer's disease. The function of a healthy Tauprotein is to stabilize micro tubules in the axons ofNerve cells, but when there is a defect in Tau it canoften lead to Neuro degradation that develops intoAlzheimer's disease. There are six different isoformsof Tau that are a result of alternative splicing of theexons, which are regulated by the introns. Theseisoforms have different binding sites for microtubules, they vary between 3-4 binding domains.

When Tau is in an abnormal form it may disrupt theability of Actin to maintain healthy micro tubules,and the cytoskeleton of the cell may be harmed.Actin also has a prominent role during mitosisforming the mitotic spindle. So this interaction mayhave a major role in Alzheimer's disease. What weintend to study is the effect of Tau on Actin when itis Hyperphosphorylated. In Alzheimer's disease it isoften observed that all six isoforms of Tau arehyperphosphorylated. This can be due to a multipleof reasons such as; the substrate of Tau can lead toit being hyperphosphorylated. Kinases can alsohave a major effect on it as well. PKN plays a majorrole in phosphorylating Tau, it is aSeronine/Threonine Kinase and may often lead tohyperphosphorylation. Another reason for thehyperphosphorylation of the protein may be theinability of phosphatase to inactivate the protein.

We have done a co-transfection with abnormalfluorescent tau with the GFP tag and FluorescentActin with an RFP tag, and have images from aconfocal microscope that we can present of theinteraction of these proteins. We can see that PHTau (abnormal Tau) can hinder the effects of Actinon the cells, where there is obvious problems withthe formation of the cytoskeleton, and eveninstances where the cell is completely void ofCytoskeleton. And we will present further results atthe meeting.

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P O S T E R # 1 1 9

Taurine Affects Release ofInsulin and GABA in Hit-T15 βCell Line Via Calcium FluxChristina Cuttitta

Faculty Mentor: Dr. William L'AmoreauxDepartment of Biology –Neuroscience Program

Taurine has been shown to be efficacious inaltering plasma glucose levels, presumably throughrelease of insulin. In vivo, a rise in plasma glucoseconcentrations > 2.8 mM is sufficient to stimulatethe release of insulin from large dense-core vesicles.These vesicles also contain the neurotransmitterGABA, which is thought to regulate glucagonrelease and ultimately insulin release via feedbackinhibition. Previously, we demonstrated that in theHit-T15 cell line of pancreatic β cells 1 mM taurinesignificantly decreased cytoplasmic insulin andGABA levels as effectively as 3 mM glucose. Cellstreated with 1 mM glucose did not havedemonstrable decreases in either insulin or GABA.In this study, we again tested the efficacy of 1 mMtaurine in promoting exocytosis of large dense-corevesicle content via calcium flux. Cells were treatedeither with the subthreshold 1 mM glucose, thestimulatory 3 mM glucose, or with 1 mM taurine.Calcium flux was determined by live cell imagingusing Fluo-3. We tracked calcium flux over the first10 minutes of treatment with either glucose ortaurine. Our data indicate that taurine is capable ofstimulating exocytosis by altering calcium flux inthese cells.

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESSCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM BACK

P O S T E R # 1 1 1

The EU’s influence over the WTOKubra Shirazi

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan ZimmermanDepartment of Business

The European Union (EU) is a big player in thegrowing international trade, which makes it aninfluential member of the World Trade Organization(WTO). In 1957, six European countries: France,Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, andthe Federal Republic of Germany, signed the Treatyof Rome. This established the European EconomicCommunity (EEC), eliminating tariffs on tradebetween these six countries. After the membershipof many other neighboring countries into the EEC,the EU was formally established in 1993 under theTreaty of Maastricht. Today, the EU represents 27European countries. The development of the EUallows it to attain economic leadership in thechanging world market.

The EU has achieved bilateral trade agreementswith international trade partners as a result of itsmembership in the WTO. It plays a key role in thenegotiations and trade agreements that are fosteredand administered in the WTO. All member states arerepresented as the European Commission amongst153 other countries in the WTO. This paper willexamine positive and negative influences of the EUover the WTO’s actions, member states, anddeveloping countries. Specifically this paper willexamine these questions: In negotiating withdeveloping nations what agreements did the EUreach to reduce entrance barriers? What benefitsdid the European Commission gain as a singlemarket for the 27 European member states bysupporting the WTO’s trade policies?

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P O S T E R # 9 8

General Motors: The GreatAmerican Car WreckJohn Troino

Faculty Mentor: Professor Deborah BrickmanDepartment of Business

There are many enterprises, which have had aprofound impact on American history. One of thoseenterprises that has defined America into thenation it is today is the automobile industry. Theautomobile industry is as American as apple pie,hot dogs, and baseball. Baseball is consideredAmerica’s pastime, but in reality the pastime ofAmerica is business. One of the first things thatcomes to mind when thinking about well knownAmerican businesses is the automobile industry,and that industry, is highlighted by General Motors.

One cannot think about the Fortune 100companies without thinking about General Motors.However, in the late 2000s America was being hitwith a crippling recession that almost killed theAmerican auto industry. Americans had a choice:bailout General Motors or let it succumb to itseventual demise. Faced with this daunting decision,America did what it believed was best for thecountry. An America without General Motors wasunimaginable to the public. Therefore, onDecember 19, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced itwould bailout General Motors to prevent thecompany from bankruptcy. This paper discusses theburning question Americans have: Was the bailoutof General Motors necessary? It includes an analysisof General Motors’ financial position pre and postbailout. This paper also looks to explore whatcriteria should be used by the U.S. Treasury indetermining whether a company qualifies for abailout.

P O S T E R # 1 1 0

Comparison/Contrast of ThreeAirlines - Continental, Jet Blueand Lufthansa as theComparison/Contrast Pertains toReal-Time Business Intelligence(RTBI)Katarzyna Pedzich

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura NowarkDepartment of Business

“Real-time business intelligence (RTBI) is theprocess of delivering information about businessoperations as they occur. The speed of today’sprocessing systems has moved classical datawarehousing into the realm of real-time” . In today’scompetitive environment, decisions that are basedon the most current data available improvecustomer satisfaction, increase sales, reduce cost,and maximize revenue.

Given the above definition of RTBI, airlines benefitfrom it. RTBI pertains to the following several areasof airline operations:

* Flight attendants, gate agents, and all “customerfacing” employees know at all times who thehigh-value customers are, and they provideoutstanding service to these customers.

* The operations staff at the hubs monitors on-time performance throughout the day and makesoperational decisions about catering, personneland gate traffic flow, this supports on-timeperformance.

* Pricing specialists track the real-time impact ofprice changes on reservations and makeadjustments that optimize revenues.

Reported profits and a profitability ratio from RTBIare compared for the three airlines. The success ofeach company in terms of overall growth in salesrevenue and net income is compared andcontrasted.

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P O S T E R # 1 0 1

Counterfeit PharmaceuticalsMaheen Razi


The emergence of counterfeit medicines is one ofthe biggest issues of the 21st century. With thelatest advancements in treatment, generic versionsof many medicines have also appeared, creating ahope for an extended life expectancy for many.Some results from generic and counterfeitmedicines have been unexpected and have createda dangerous situation. This paper discusses thereasons for the inception and need for these drugs,the cause and effect relationship of these genericversions (the discrepancies and the positiveaspects) along with their socio-economic impacton the society considering the variation in rulesand regulations of different countries. As the worldis more integrated today as a result of bettercommunication and transportation, there is a needfor a more thorough system of checks and balancesregarding health products, their formulation, anddistribution. Therefore, this paper aims toconcentrate on the dimensions of flexibility andinelasticity of the present system, and will presentsome solutions to some of today’s problems in thisarea, keeping the US and other country’s healthcare systems in mind.

P O S T E R # 6 7

Development of GlobalizationAnd the Boons and BustsAssociated With itAmina Huseinbegovic-Jasarevic


There are many definitions of globalization andeach will be described in the paper. One of thesimplest definitions is: “Globalization is essentiallythe integration of economies through increasedtrade and financial flows, free trade throughlowered barriers” (Zimmerman). This paper willapply a definition to various periods in history toexamine whether globalization is a phenomenonwhich has existed for many years. It may be thatglobalization has existed since early civilization.This paper will examine the earliest civilizations todetermine whether this is true. The Romansengaged in globalization by using ships to trade toachieve successes for their country economically,politically, and culturally. In addition, before WWIand after WWII there were many innovations thathelped people travel and communicate. Theseinnovations promoted globalization. Furthermore,in this paper various levels of globalization will bediscussed, from the beginnings of society throughdevelopments to the present time. This paper willalso describe positives of globalization such asgreater wealth, more jobs, and also to be exploredare negatives of globalization including financialcrisis, labor abuses and other elements of thecontinued growth of globalization.

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P O S T E R # 2

What is IFRS and How Does itCompare to US GAAP?Kelly P. Zaia

Faculty Mentor: Professor Daniel GagliardiDepartment of Business

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)is the financial reporting standard used in theUnited States (US) today. The Financial AccountingStandards Board (FASB), with the assistance of theAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA), determines the rules of GAAP, subject tooversight by the Securities and ExchangeCommission (SEC). The financial statementsprepared by a business in the US are the BalanceSheet, Income Statement, Statement of Changes inStockholder’s Equity, and the Statement of CashFlows. The basic objective of financial reporting isto provide information that is useful and accurateto potential investors, creditors, and businessowners in order for them to make sound financialand long term decisions. The AICPA’s recognition ofthe London based International AccountingStandards Board (IASB) has become the gamechanger to GAAP. IASB developed InternationalFinancial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the SECissued a statement in support of IFRS. IFRS isbecoming the global standard for financialreporting, and is currently the accounting standardused by 120 nations, including the European Union.While the SEC has not made a decision aboutadoption or convergence to IFRS, it is estimated fullIFRS will be adopted in 2015. This paper willinclude a brief history of GAAP and its keycomponents, give an explanation of IFRS, compareGAAP to IFRS, outline the SEC’s plan, andchallenges the US faces if adoption or convergencedoes occur.

P O S T E R # 6

Fraud and Its Effects on theAccounting ProfessionAdejoke Adegoke

Faculty Mentor: Professor Patricia GallettaDepartment of Business

McKesson & Robbins Inc., Enron, Arthur AndersenLLP, and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., are a fewcompanies that have been involved in financialscandals. The McKesson & Robbins Inc. scandal thatoccurred in 1938 is considered one of the mostimportant financial scandals of the 20th century.Twenty percent of McKesson & Robbins’ assetswere comprised of made up inventories andaccounts receivable. This case was so influentialthat it led indirectly to the enactment of theGenerally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).Enron lied about its profits and was involved inmany shady activities, such as hiding its debts inorder to keep them from showing up in companyaccounts. Arthur Andersen LLP was an 89 year oldaccounting firm that was convicted for destroyingimportant documents that were related to theEnron scandal. Lehman Brothers used anaccounting trick in order to make its finances lookstrong, when in fact they were really shaky. Many ofthe fraudulent activities that were a part of thesescandals ultimately affected the economy, destroyedmany lives, and led to many changes in the field ofaccounting. This paper will focus on the rules andregulations that were created and the higherstandards of accountability that were set in auditingafter the aforementioned scandals occurred, inorder to prevent future ones. My research findingswill explain the specific effects of each one of thescandals, and the important role accountants mustnow take in order to prevent fraud and maintainthe trust the public should have in the quality oftheir work.

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P O S T E R # 2 2

Understanding OrganizationalCultures of Small Businesses: APerspective of WomenEntrepreneursSandy Sims

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexei MatveevDepartment of Business

Organizational culture is a unique combination ofshared values, beliefs, and behaviors. Businessowners often fail to identify the importance of anappropriate culture due to daily pressures andtasks. Charles Handy, a London Business Schoolprofessor who views organizations as “vibrantmicrocosms of societies,” uses ancient Greek Godsto describe the nature of business organizationstoday. The “Greek Gods” metaphors are Zeus, Apollo,Athena, and Dionysus which represent the Club,Role, Task and Existential business cultures (Handy,2005). Charles Handy’s “Greek Gods” metaphor orthe Theory of Cultural Propriety holds certain valuefor women entrepreneurs who often struggle withrecognizing a business culture and developing aleadership style. The 2011 Survey of the U.S. CensusBureau reports an increase in women-owned firmsby 50% since 1997. Business cultures andleadership style are critical to achieve acompetitive advantage for women business owners(Bevans, 2012; Kariv, 2012). I researchedentrepreneurship data in the U.S. and on StatenIsland, New York, regarding the business cultureand leadership style. I found that to evolve fromconforming to social norms to successful businessowners women entrepreneurs must develop innatecommunication skills, establish a strong businessmission, streamline family and business obligations,and practice integrity and success ethics. In respectto business cultures, a Legal Counsel favors thetight-knit Club Culture, a Director of GovernmentRelations prefers the orderly Role Culture, acommunity activist relies on the Task Culture, andan optometrist enjoys the Existential Culture. Whilehaving a preferred culture, business women oftenemploy a mix of the four cultures. In mypresentation I will illustrate how to identify theappropriate business culture and report onquantitative and qualitative entrepreneurshipanalysis providing examples of successful womenentrepreneurs.

P O S T E R # 1 1 7

Offshore Outsourcing ofCustomer SatisfactionJoshua Pabst


This paper will outline offshore outsourcing as afeature of business, by identifying the mostprominent countries that receive outsourced jobsand comparing that to those that are outsourcedwithin the United States. Given that Outsourcing issuch a broad topic, customer service relatedpositions will be the primary focus. Also, an outlineof common misconceptions, the cultural andlinguistic barriers that exist, and the effects theyhave on both parties involved. From thesecomparisons the reader should be more informedof outsourcing as a business practice, and aware ofits global impact on business in society today.Furthermore, the topic will discuss the impacts(positive and negative) on customer satisfaction forboth consumers in the United States, and thoseabroad, and how the influx of new careers hashelped the growth of many national economies.

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P O S T E R # 5 3

The Reemergence of the ForeignCorrupt Practices Act - Impactand ImplicationsGennaro Liguori


Making payments to secure business contracts,maintain current business, or facilitate expedientgovernment approval has occurred throughout theworld for many years. These payments are knownas bribes, and in 1977 Congress enacted theForeign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) to stop thistype of illegal activity. In more recent years othercountries adopted and enforced similar rules. Thereis a resurgence in enforcement of preventingbribery in both the United States andinternationally. This paper will research theincreased enforcement and effectiveness of theFCPA and other anti-bribery laws. In the past bribeswere a way of business that was recorded in theaccounting books of companies. Now, despite laws,some companies and individuals still feel it isnecessary to pay bribes to be successful. Even ifcaught, these companies believe the cost of thebribe will outweigh the profit that results fromgetting the business they seek. This paper willexamine the issues and trends associated withFCPA violations through study of particular specificcases, examination of quantitative data and trends,and interviews of those involved in FCPAcompliance, investigation and prosecution. Thispaper will also focus on the penalties for FCPAviolations. This will include the severity of thepenalties as well as the level of enforcement on thepart of the U.S. government.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRYCONFERENCE LOCATION: EAST LOUNGE

P O S T E R # 1 5

Guided inquiry analysis by theFT-NMR of Aspirin and otherPharmaceticals Mohammed Izmikna, Kasandra Dorce,Mohammed Sherwani, Samira Izmikna

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert CraigDepartment of Chemistry

Student-centered classrooms tend to be interactive,inquiry-driven, cooperative and collaborative. This isthe major advantages of guided-inquiryexperiments in organic chemistry. They are due tonew technology and to major changes in theteaching of undergraduate chemistry. These areneeded to bring and introduce difficult concepts.Such changes can and should lead to confidence inmastering material, instrumentation and subjectmatter of organic chemistry. The use of FT-NMR(fourier transform-Nuclear Magnetic Resonancespectroscopy) in organic chemistry is comparableand high advantageous to determine structure oforganic molecules.

A guided-inquiry learning project would offerstudents the opportunity to learn for themselves ina controlled laboratory environment where theinstructor can handle the outcome and help guidestudents who are experiencing difficulty. Studentswill work on a highly use technique, and gainconfidence, in doing so.”

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P O S T E R # 8 1

Cloning, Expression, andMutagenesis of Ste2p 2TM and5TM constructsAlina Kogan

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Fred NaiderDepartment of Biochemistry

Ste2p is a G Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) thatis found in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.GPCRs are involved in the control of many aspectsof metabolism, pain perception, growth, bloodpressure regulation, and viral pathogenesis. Tofacilitate understanding of the structure andfunction of GPCRs Dr. Naider’s lab is trying to studyparts of the Ste2p receptor inthe context of theentire receptor. My project involved cloning the firsttwo transmembrane (TM) domains and the last fiveTM domains for ultimate reconstitution.Specifically, performed PCR reactions, agarose gelpurifications, restriction enzyme digestions, andbacterial transformations were performed in orderto clone the 5TM and 2TM constructs of Ste2p. Thecloned constructs included fragments 2TM, 2TMtail,5TM431, 5TM431tail, 5TM340, and 5TM340tail.After the desired constructs were cloned, expressiontests were conducted for 5TM340 and 5TM340tail.TM340 and 5TM340tail were transformed intoseven expression strains. The expression strains thatwere evaluated were: BL21-AI, BL21(DE3),BL21(DE3)pLysS, BL21Star(DE3)pLysS, T7 Express,Origami, and C43. These expression strains werethen grown at different temperatures. These studieswere unsuccessful and I switched to working with5TM431tail, which had been previously successfullyexpressed. The 5TM431tail construct was clonedwith a tail of charged residues. The charged residueswere included in order to prevent the formation ofhomodimers during reconstitution. In order toremove the charged tail cyanogen bromide cleavagewill be performed, and a methionine residue wasincluded after the tail. This requires quick-changemutagenesis to mutate all internal methionine(Met) residues into isoleucine (Ile), valine (Val),leucine (Leu) or alanine (Ala) residues. I performedone mutation on 5TM431tail, which has seveninternal (Met) residues. I was successful in mutatingthe methionine (Met) residue to an (Ile) residue.

P O S T E R # 1 1 5

Project Title: BiocompatiblePrinted PolymericSuperhydrophobic SurfacesMark Barahman

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of Chemistry

Super-repellent surfaces have beautiful andintriguing properties. Strong liquid repellency isobserved, where droplets tend to ‘ball-up’ on thesurface, and quickly roll off given slight vibrationsor tilting. These properties are quantified – thecontact angle, the angle between a surface and aline tangent to a droplet, is very high (>1500), andthe slip-angle, the angle of inclination required toinitiate droplet slipping, is very low (<100). Thesematerials have good potential for applications infields requiring liquid-repellency for cleaningpurposes, active or passive liquid control, and assurfaces with low reactivity towards liquids containingcomplex biomolecules. Such surfaces wouldfacilitate analysis and handling of the given liquidor chemical reactions between a gas and a liquidduring flow. Of special interest are hemo-compatiblesuperhydrophobic surfaces for application inblood-oxygenators used in heart-lung machines.

We have fabricated robust, low-cost, and highlyapplicable superhydrophobic surfaces anddemonstrated the ability to tune the slip-angle ofthe coatings according to need. We are in theprocess of evaluating the bio-compatibility of thesematerials, and exploring avenues of enhancing thisproperty through the utilization of a hierarchicalsurface morphology, with a combination of siliconefeatures serving as primary roughness, andchemically modified nano-particles serving asadditional, superimposed “layers” of roughness. Thesurface of these nano-particles has been modifiedto examine the effect of particle chemistry on theadhesion of proteins from the liquid phase. Asummary of methods used for fabrication will bepresented along with microscopy of relevantsamples and data demonstrating properties such asslip-angle and biocompatibility.

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P O S T E R # 1 8

Elimination of Cervical Cancerby the Spice ComponentCurcuminAnita Mata

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Probal BanerjeeDepartment of Chemistry-Neuroscience Program

Human Papilloma Viruses (HPVs) are common DNAviruses that infect humans. Among these, the HPV11, 16 and 18 are associated with cervical cancer.Pathologists classify cervical cancers by stage asCIN-1 (low grade), CIN-2, and CIN-3 (both highgrade). The treatment strategy includes surgery,radiation, and chemotherapy. No singlechemotherapy regimen has been shown toproduce complete remission. The chemotherapyagents used in the treatments are Doxorubicin,Paclitaxel (taxol), Cisplatin, Ifosfamide, Topotecan,each is used alone or in combination with theothers. The combined use of cisplatin/topotecangives the highest response, which is only 29.1%.Therefore there is an urgent need for an alternativetherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer. Thespice component curcumin kills a wide variety ofcancer cells in cell culture and is currently in theprocess of being used in clinical trials for severaltypes of cancer. Curcumin inhibits NF-kB, which isa key regulatory transcription factor and plays amajor role in cancer progression. It is regarded as arelatively safe drug with minimal side effects.Though a highly potent anticancer agent,curcumin’s minimal solubility in water and theconsequent lack of bioavailability in cancer tissuesreduces its applicability in cancer treatment. Thedetailed signaling mechanism of HPV mediatedtumorigenesis is not yet properly understood. Inthis study we will attempt to elucidate the signalingproteins that are targeted by curcumin in cervicalcancer cell lines.

P O S T E R # 8 7

Recombinant Expression andPurification of Tx7335 fromEastern Green MambaKimberly Cruz

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien PogetDepartment of Chemistry

Potassium (K+) channels are membrane proteinsthat, when activated, permit the highly specificmovement of K+ ions through the plasmamembrane of cells.

They play a major role in important biologicalprocesses like nerve transmissions and regulationof the heartbeat. Due to these roles, K+ channelsare targets for a large number of animal peptidetoxins, including the dendrotoxins.

A snake toxin, referred to as Tx7335, has beenextracted from the Eastern Green Mamba and hasbeen discovered to activate KcsA, a bacterialpotassium channel. This toxin is a 63 amino acidresidues peptide that is linked by four disulfidebonds. An artificial gene encoding for Tx7335 hasbeen previously synthesized and sub-cloned intoseveral expression vectors, including as athioredoxin fusion protein in a pET-32 vector. Inthis system, soluble fusion protein can be obtainedin the cytosol. However, it has been shown that thisfusion protein cannot be purified by affinitychromatography.

Thus, this project aims to purify the fusion proteinby a variety of methods. We first tried to add an N-terminal histidine tag by site directed mutagenesisfor improved purification using a Ni2+ column.However, the site-directed mutagenesis has so farproven unsuccessful and an alternative approach iscurrently being used in which the hexahistidine –tagged toxin is being expressed as a DsbA fusionprotein in various E.coli strains that are optimizedfor the refolding of disulfide-linked proteins.

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P O S T E R # 1 0 3

Synthesis of OrderedMesoporous Organosilicas atRoom TemperatureGeorge Farid

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michal KrukDepartment of Chemistry

Nanoporous organosilica materials have a widerange of potential uses, including adsorption,immobilization of biomolecules, and templatedsynthesis of nanoscale objects. Their usefulnessstems from their porosity, high surface area, andaccessible functional groups embedded in theframework. Well-defined porosity can be introducedin these materials using appropriate surfactants astemplates. A number of factors can affect thephysical properties of these materials, such as thetypes and amounts of the organosilica precursor,surfactant, micelle swelling agent (if used), additionof salt, as well as initial synthesis temperature.Changes to these parameters can lead to changes inthe structure type, pore diameter, and surface areaof the material. As for the properties, small angle X-ray scattering and transmission electronmicroscopy are used for structural analysis, andnitrogen adsorption is used for porosity and surfacearea analysis. The syntheses of some importantorganosilica materials had been successfullyperformed earlier at an initial temperature belowroom temperature (e.g., 15 °C). We succeeded inthe development of room temperature synthesisprocedures for similar materials, which results in amajor simplification of the synthesis setup.Organosilicas with narrow pore size distributionsand often with well-defined face-centered cubic orbody-centered cubic structures of sphericalmesopores were obtained. Disordered aggregates ofhollow spheres were another type of the observedproduct.

P O S T E R # 1 1 6

Effect of Pressure on theStability of Water on aSuperhydrophobic MembraneMeagan Derbyshire

Co authors: Qian Feng Xu and MarkBarahman


Superhydrophobic surfaces, both naturallyoccurring and fabricated in the laboratory, arecomposed of small posts. The roughness of thesurface and the hydrophobic material propertiescombine to support water droplets on top of theposts (Cassie state), instead of falling between theposts and wetting the entire surface (Wenzel state).When the superhydrophobic surface is placed atthe base of a column, water can be supported ontop of the posts up to a critical height (orpressure). However, only a limited height of watercan be supported before the water pressureexceeds the surface tension and the Cassie statetransitions to the Wenzel state. This transitionoccurs at relatively low pressures and limits theusefulness of superhydrophobic surfaces.

The goal of this experiment is to increase the waterpressure that a superhydrophobic surface cansupport. Our approach is to fabricate asuperhydrophobic surface supported on a porousmesh instead of a solid base. In this way we cancontrol the air pressure below the membraneindependently as the water height is increased.Measurements of the water pressure that can besupported on a porous superhydrophobic surfaceas a function of air pressure below the membranewill be reported.

In this study, control of the plastron air layer at thewater-air interface) on a superhydrophobic surfacewas demonstrated by air deflating and inflatingusing a syringe pump. This research offers apromising, energy efficient method for maintaininga flat water-air interface at any arbitrarily highwater pressure by inflating or deflating a smallamount of the air to the base using either anautomatic air reservoir or air-cushion. This researchcould have significance in important applicationssuch as drag reduction, antifouling in shipping, andmicro-reactors.

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P O S T E R # 1 1 8

Fabrication of Carbon InterfaceMaterialsBrian Iskra


Carbon materials have much utility in materialsengineering. Specifically, they may serve as batterymaterials, crucibles for chemical reactions, surfacesin biocompatible systems, and thermal interfacematerials. This wide design space is a result of themany useful properties that carbon exhibits,including electrical conductivity, thermalconductivity, chemical resistance, ability towithstand multiple thermal cycles, and the abilityto modify surfaces. Carbon also has manyallotropes, including graphite, diamond, andamorphous carbon. Amorphous carbon can bemade from polymeric precursors through pyrolysis,a process in which the precursors are heated in atube oven to high temperatures (>800C) in an inertatmosphere. This allows for polymer structures,which can be easily fabricated, to be converted toamorphous carbon, a refractory material. A methodto create such structures in a replicable fashion is3D printing. 3D printing allows for structural datain a computer to be sent to a printer, which thendispenses an ink at various points designated bythe data. In this way, high aspect ratio structurescan be formed by dispensing the appropriatepolymer precursor (e.g. ink) in accordance to thedata. These structures can then be used in variousapplications. In this study, we utilized a 3D printerin order to prepare straight and sloped poststructures for pyrolysis, and tested these carbonmaterials to determine their suitability as a thermalinterface material by measuring their electrical andmechanical properties.

P O S T E R # 2 8

Asymmetric Reactions ofTrifluoromethyl-ContainingKetones with Pyrroles Catalyzedby SPINOL-Based PAmy He, Kimmy Yu, Chun-Hui Xing &Qiao-Sheng Hu

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of Chemistry

Chiral trifluoromethyl-containing alcohols arestructural units or building blocks for a number ofchiral drugs. Development of efficient methods toaccess such trifluoromethyl-containing alcoholswith high enantioselectivity is of significant interestfor organic synthesis.

Chiral 1,1’-spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful bond-forming transformations. However,SPINOL-based phosphoric acids, which constitute alarge family of chiral organocatalysts, remainunderexplored. In this presentation, the use ofSPINOL-based phosphoric acids as chiral catalystsfor the asymmetric reaction of trifluoromethyl-containing ketones with pyrroles to form chiraltrifluromethyl-containing alcohols will be presented.

Acknowledgments:We thank the NIH and NSF for financial support. Wealso thank members of the Hu research group fortheir help and support.

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P O S T E R # 3 4

Purification Of The RecombinantImmunoreceptor AccessoryProtein Dap10Sarah James


Natural killer cells are part of the innate immunesystem, important surveillance for recognizinginfected and cancer cells through various receptors.They achieve this by binding to and being able todifferentiate between ligands on normal andabnormal cells. Natural killer cells possessactivating and inhibitory receptors. An example ofan activating receptor complex is NKG2D-DAP10.NKG2D is the extracellular ligand-recognition partof the receptor, and DAP10 contains theintracellular phosphorylation motif that starts theresponse signaling cascade. The two subunits areassembled through oligomerization of theirtransmembrane domains. Here, the main focus is onthe adaptor protein DAP10, a disulfide-linkedhomodimer. We want to recombinantly express andpurify DAP10 for functional studies. Dap10 wasexpressed as a Trp∆ Leader fusion protein in E.Coliand obtained as inclusion bodies. We have purifiedboth the intact fusion protein as well as the cyanogenbromide (CNBr)-cleaved DAP10 polypeptide inreduced form by HPLC chromatography, andconfirmed their identity by mass spectrometry. Inorder to overcome the low yield of DAP10 obtainedafter CNBr cleavage, we are now working on astrategy to form the intersubunit disulfide bondbefore CNBr cleavage, followed by release of thedisulfide-linked DAP10 by CNBr and purification byHPLC. The purified DAP10 will then bereconstituted into phospholipid bicelles forstructural studies by CD and NMR spectroscopy.

P O S T E R # 3 8

Synthesis of copolymer-templated SBA-15 silica with 2-Dhexagonal structure using 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene as micelleexpanderIlona Stoyko & Doriane Bouobda

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michal KrukDepartment of Chemistry

Ordered silicas with large cylindrical pores(diameter ~10 nm) templated by block-copolymersurfactant micelles and arranged in two-dimensional (2-D) hexagonal (honeycomb) arrays(referred to as SBA-15 silicas) have received muchattention as catalyst supports, hosts for nanoobjectsand media for immobilization of biomolecules. Insome applications of these materials, it would bebeneficial to enlarge the pore diameter beyond 12nm, which is a typical limiting pore size value forSBA-15. Recently, our research group demonstratedthat this goal can be achieved by adding 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TIPB; micelle expander) tothe synthesis mixture, which results in the porediameter from 12 to 26 nm, depending on thesynthesis conditions. This synthesis procedureinvolves the simultaneous addition of the micelleexpander and the silica precursor, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). It is not clear whether this isan optimal procedure. For instance, some benefitsof addition of the micelle expander prior toaddition of TEOS were seen, although under someconditions, poor quality products resulted.Moreover, from the point of view of understandingof the structure of the micelles that template theporosity of the material, it is beneficial to be ableadd the swelling agent first, so that the resultingsolution can be investigated and the structure ofmicelles could be understood. In addition, it wouldbe beneficial to improve the degree of structuralordering for SBA-15 with pore diameter in 16-26nm range. The current project is intended toimprove the synthesis of highly ordered ultra-large-pore SBA-15 and to gain better understanding ofthe influence of the synthesis conditions on thestructure of the products.

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P O S T E R # 4 2

Asymmetric Allylboration ofAldehydes Catalyzed by SPINOL-Based Phosphoric AcidsDarya Sabarova, Monica Bassous,Chun-Hui Xing & Qiao-Sheng Hu


The asymmetric allyboration of allylboronates withaldehydes constitutes one of the most attractivemethods to access chiral homoallylic alcohols.Transition metal-catalyzed such reactions have beenpreviously reported. However, reported catalystsystems suffer from relatively harsh reactionconditions and/or low enantioselectivities. We areinterested in developing “green” catalysts, i.e.,organocatalysts – the use of small organiccompounds as chiral catalysts, for such reactions,especially with high enantioselectivities.

1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful bond-forming transformations. However,SPINOL-derived phosphoric acids, which constitutea large family of chiral organocatalysts, remainunderexplored. In this presentation, the use ofspirodiindanediol-based phosphoric acids as highlyenantioselective chiral catalysts for asymmetricallylboration of aldehydes with pinacolallylboronates will be presented.

Acknowledgments

We thank the NIH and NSF for financial support. Wealso thank members of the Hu research group fortheir help and support.

P O S T E R # 5 4

Synthesis, Properties, andApplications of Curcumin-Polymer ConjugatesAmram Averick

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of Chemistry

The biomolecule Curcumin has great potential inthe treatment of several conditions, includingAlzheimer’s disease, cancer, and metal poisoning.However, Curcumin’s minimal water solubility, poorbioavailability, and rapid metabolism andelimination prevent this potential from beingrealized. In order to ameliorate thesecharacteristics, curcumin,glucose-polymerconjugates have been synthesized. This projectanalyzed the properties, including solubility andmetal-binding, of these conjugates.

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P O S T E R # 5 7

Synthesis of CurcuminIncorporated Copolymers viaATRPFrantz Pierre Toussaint, Jr.


The chemical synthesis of therapeutically relevant,well-defined high molecular weight polyphenols isvery rare. We propose to employ the followingstrategy: synthesizing living polymers in which theside-chain pendant groups and the polymer chainend possess orthogonal reactivity, followed by theattachment of a number of water soluble,biocompatible moieties and appropriately designedcurcumin derivatives to the reactive polymer sidechains. In one embodiment glycidyl methacrylatewill be polymerized via Atom Transfer RadicalPolymerization (ATRP) using an azide incorporatedinitiator. The resulting polymer will be furtherreacted with varying ratios of mono-carboxylic acidderivatives of curcumin followed by commerciallyavailable Glucuronic acid in two sequential ring-opening esterification steps to produce libraries ofpolymers with varying loadings of curcumin. Theglucose component of the polymers serves toimprove the water solubility of the polymers.Polymers with five, ten and fifteen percent loadingof curcumin will be synthesized via “ClickChemistry” to assess solubility, with five percentloadings anticipated to be the most soluble. Theproject will be first introduced in terms ofscientific background. The reactions shown willhighlight the various steps; and, finally a briefdiscussion of the results will be given (NMRanalyisis). In conclusion, the project is expected togive potent curcumin derivative copolymers withconsiderable solubility.

P O S T E R # 6 2

NMR structural analysis of theteretoxin Arg-58Matthew Emsak


The teretoxin Arg-58 is a highly toxic peptide thatcomes from the venom of a type of predatorymarine snail called a terebrid snail or an auger snail,of the family Terebridae. This toxin is likely to bebioactive, but it has not yet been extensivelystudied. We are embarking on a study of Arg-58 toobtain insights into the potential function of thistoxin. We are using NMR spectroscopy toinvestigate the three-dimensional structure of Arg-58, which consists of 22 amino acid residues. Thestructure may guide the search for the functionaltarget receptor. We collected 2D NMR spectra ofthis peptide, specifically the “TOCSY” as well as the“NOESY” experiments. We processed the raw NMRdata using the software NMR-pipe and then usedthe software “CCPN analysis” to analyze the spectra.Through “TOCSY,” we identified spin systems ofcoupled protons and aligned these spin systemssequentially through the “NOESY” experiment. Wethen assigned the carbon chemical shifts to thepeptide using a referenced database of the knownchemical shifts of the amino acids that comprisethis protein and attempted to map stretches ofsequential assignments to their correct position inthe sequence. After examining three separatesamples of the data, we were unable to see anypatterns indicative of defined three-dimensionalstructure and thus, we have determined that Arg-58in the form we have analyzed is not structured.

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P O S T E R # 8 0

Targeted Curcumin in theElimination of Brain TumorsJoseph Inigo

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Probal BanerjeeDepartment of Chemistry

Turmeric, extracted from the root of the curcumalonga, has shown promise in its use as a treatmentagainst various illnesses. The major component ofturmeric is curcumin, a polyphenolic compoundwhich has been shown to eliminate cancer cells,while protecting and causing no adverse effects tonormal brain cells. Previous studies from our grouphave shown that curcumin infusion into mice afterintracranial implantation of B16F10 melanoma cellsblocks brain tumor formation, but is ineffective ineradicating established tumors, probably due to therapid metabolism of curcumin in vivo and poorsolubility in water. To overcome the issues, we havemodified our approach by linking curcumin to amelanoma-specific antibody through a hydrolysableside chain, thus producing a water-soluble adduct.This raised its efficacy to eliminate B16F10melanoma cells by 200-fold, as judged by IC50values. Also, intracranial infusion of this adduct hadthe ability to eliminate established B16F10-evokedbrain tumor and rescue mice to normalcy. Weendeavored to employ the same treatment methodwith GL261 glioblastoma cells by linking the samecurcumin to a glioblastoma-specific antibody. Thistreatment decimated these GL261 cells in vitro, andwith a 143-fold less IC50 than curmunin alone. Theinfusion of this adduct caused a dramatic regressionof established GL261-evoked brain tumor in vivoand prolonged survival of mice. Our experimentshave shown that while solubilized curcumin hasthe ability to block brain tumor formation, linkingcurcumin to an antibody increases its efficacy toallow it to eliminate established tumors. Further invitro experiments will be necessary to delineatethe mechanism of curcumin-triggered death ofGL261 cells and determine the efficacy of the adducton GL261 cells, along with in vivo preclinical studiesto establish this method as a viable alternative tocurrently available treatments, one that is effective,safe, and lacks significant side effects.

P O S T E R # 9

Synthesis Of Curcumin BasedEco-Friendly PlasticizersAbdullah Chughtai


Plasticizers are widely used for their effectivenessin reducing the hardness, density, melt viscosity,glass transition temperature and volume resistivityof a polymer. They are employed in a wide range ofindustries such as the biomedical, construction,plastics, and more. Phthalate esters are the mostwidely used plasticizers for their suitableapplications and availability, and account for 92% ofthe plasticizers produced worldwide. Its limitationlies in that phthalate esters have been reported tomigrate out of the polymers, making them lessflexible and less efficient. It is also associated withendocrine disruption, reproductive anddevelopmental toxicity in humans, and withnegative environmental impact on plants andanimals. Curcumin is the active ingredient in thecurry spice turmeric, and it is generally regarded assafe by the FDA. The molecule is rigid in structurewith two phenolic groups that can be modifiedcovalently. We hypothesized that by attaching rigidcurcumin to two flexible long chains we would beable to generate new ecofriendly plastizers. As aresult, we synthesized potential eco-friendlybiodegradable plasticizers based on curcumin andtetrahydro curcumin, by reacting the moleculeswith octanoic acid and stearic acid respectively toproduce curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin di-octanoate and di-stearoate. These plasticizers wereblended with PVC in various percentages: 35%, 45%and 55%, to test their effectiveness in inducingdepression of the glass transition temperature inthe polymer/plasticizer system via DifferentialScanning Calorimetry. These will be compared tocontrol samples: same polymer samples blendedwith 35-45-55% Dibutyl Phthalate. TheCurcumin/THC plasticizers we produced areanticipated to better from both ecological andtoxicological viewpoints.

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P O S T E R # 9 3

Development of Optically ActiveSPINOL-Based Organocatalystsfor Asymmetric CatalysisFatima Azhar, Wei Li & Qiao-Sheng Hu


Development of highly enantioselective catalysts isof pivotal importance to asymmetric catalysis,which constitutes one of the most attractivemethods for the synthesis of optically activeorganic compounds. While numerous chiralcatalysts including both metal-containing chiralcatalysts and small organic compound-based chiralcatalysts, i.e., organocatalysts, have been developedover the past decades, reported chiral catalystsoften suffer from shortcomings including lowcatalytic activities, unsatisfactoryenantioselectivities and/or limited substrate scopes.In our laboratory, we are interested in developingnew organocatalysts with high enantioselectivitiesfor asymmetric catalysis.

1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) contains arigid, C2-symmetric spirocyclic framework. Becauseof the rigidity of the SPINOL framework, chiralcatalysts with SPINOL as the chiral skeleton areexpected to be more enantioselective than otherchiral skeleton-based chiral catalysts. However,SPINOL-based organocatalysts, e.g., SPINOL-basedBronsted acids, remain largely unexplored. In thispresentation, the preparation of SPINOL-basedphosphoric acids, one type of SPINOL-basedBronsted acids, and their applications as highlyenantioselective organocatalysts for the asymmetricFried-Crafts reaction of indoles with imines andwith alpha, beta unsaturated ketones will bepresented.

AcknowledgmentsWe thank the NIH and NSF for financial support. Wealso thank members of the Hu research group fortheir help and support.

P O S T E R # 4 8

Asymmetric Synthesis ofOptically ActiveDihydroquinazolinonesCatalyzed by SPINOL-BasedPhosphoric AcidsMonica Bassous, Rania Skaf, Chun-HuiXing & Qiao-Sheng Hu


Chiral 2,3-dihydroquinazolinones are commonstructural units of diverse commercialpharmaceuticals. Different methods and catalystsfor the synthesis of this family of compounds havebeen reported. However, reportedmethods/catalysts often suffer from low reactivitiesand/or enantioselectivities. We are interested indeveloping “green” catalysts, i.e., organocatalysts –the use of small organic compounds as chiralcatalysts, for such addition reactions, especiallywith high enantioselectivities.

1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful transformations. However, SPINOL-derivedBronsted acids, which constitute a large family ofchiral organocatalysts, remain underexplored. Inthis presentation, the use of spirodiindanediol-based phosphoric acids as chiral catalysts for theasymmetric synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolinonesfrom aldehydes and 2-aminobenzamide will bepresented.

AcknowledgmentsWe thank the NIH and NSF for financial support. Wealso thank members of the Hu research group fortheir help and support.

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P O S T E R # 9 5

Construction and FunctionalTesting of Chimeric SodiumChannelsJuby Panicker


Voltage-gated sodium ion channels (Nav) are vitalto several physiological processes includingtransmission of nerve signals. Many animal toxinsaffect the voltage dependence of these channels bybinding to their voltage sensing domains (VSDs).Nav is composed of one polypeptide with fourhomologous domains. Each domain consists of 6alpha helices, S1 through S6. S3b and S4a helicesconstitute the voltage-sensing region and arereferred to as a ‘paddle’ due to its shape. Thepurpose of this project is to construct a bacterial-human chimeric protein to structurally study theinteractions of these toxins that target humanchannels. S3b and S4a paddle motifs for domains IIand IV (DII paddle and DIV paddle, respectively) ofNav were constructed separately by assemblypolymerase chain reaction (PCR) with overlappingoligonucleotides as template. Agarose gelelectrophoresis was done for the two PCR productsand bands between 100bp to 120bp were seen asexpected, and the PCR products were purifiedusing PCR Clean-Up kit. The construction of thebacterial part of the chimera was initiated withtransformation of pUC57 carrying ApVSD(Aeropyrum pernix voltage sensing domain) intoXL2-blue competent cells. Additional plasmid, toserve as template for the PCR amplification of thebacterial pieces, will be obtained from these cellsthrough overnight culture and plasmid purification.The DII and DIV paddle motifs of Nav will be thenbe incorporated into the voltage-gated potassiumchannels of A. pernix (KvAp) using assembly PCRwith the appropriate primers. pET28 will be usedas the expression vector.

P O S T E R # 1 2 0

The Design and Characterizationof a Novel Singlet OxygenGenerating DeviceBiBi Ghafari

Co-authors: Dorota Bartusik, DavidAebisher, Alan M. Lyons and Alex Greer


Small systems for generating single oxygen wouldbe useful for medical applications as well as for thedisinfection of drinking water. The photooxidationof organic compounds by singlet oxygen has beenstudied for many years [1] however the sensitizer wasalways placed in direct contact with the solution. Thegoal of this project was to design a new type of devicethat could generate singlet oxygen while isolatingthe sensitizer particles from the aqueous solution toavoid contamination of the water by the sensitizer.

To design this device, reactors were built usingcustom-modified SubMiniature version A (SMA)fiber optic connector housings. One side of thehousing was covered by a porous membrane ofdifferent thickness and pore sizes that wereadhered to the base of each device [1]. Sensitizerparticles of silicon pthalocyanine glass (150mdiameter) [1] were placed into the housing suchthat they were supported by the membrane, whichalso separated the particles were from directexposure to water. Oxygen was introduced into thedevice through a small tube soldered through thewall of the connector housing. The particles wereilluminated by connecting a laser (669 nm output)using an optical fiber attached to the SMAconnector at the top of the device. Illuminating theparticles in the presence of oxygen caused singletoxygen to form. The singlet oxygen then traveledthrough the membrane by the flow of oxygen, andultimately produced bubbles in the liquid phase.Immersed in solution, the singlet oxygen wouldreact with probe compounds and so be detected.These reactions were studied as a function ofmembrane pore size (0.05, 0.22, and 0.44 �mnominal values as reported by the manufacturer) aswell as sensitizer concentration. The highest rateswere observed with membranes having thesmallest pore size. The small pores caused a largernumber of smaller bubbles to form, therebyincreasing the total oxygen-water interfacial area onwhich the reaction could occur.

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Reference:1 Generating Singlet Oxygen Bubbles: A NewMechanism for Gas–Liquid Oxidations in WaterDorota Bartusik, David Aebisher, BiBi Ghafari, AlanM. Lyons, and Alexander Greer Langmuir 2012 28(5), 3053-3060

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCECONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM FRONT

P O S T E R # 1 0 9

Markov Process Modeling andSimulation- on an HPC SystemUsing Parallel Computing, forWireless Sensor Network LifeEstimation with QoS ConstraintsFarah Abbasi

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zhanyang ZhangDepartment of Computer Science

In the paper,"Markov Process Modeling andSimulation for Wireless Sensor Network LifeEstimation with QoS Constraints", ZhanyangZhange and Miriam R Tausner presented theirresearch work on using a Markov process to modelWireless Sensor Network (WSN) application lifeexpectancy. They are able to establish a closed formmathematical function to express a WSNapplication's life expectancy in terms of sensorpopulation, sensor failure rate and Quality ofService (QoS) constraints. Furthermore, theyvalidated the model by running various simulationson a simulation program (written in C++ usingMicrosoft Visual Studio 2005). However, the currentsimulation program is incapable of simulating largescale WSN applications (with a few hundred orthousands sensor nodes with power consumptionand failures) on a regular PC. My current plan is toredesign the simulation program; making it capableof running on an HPC systems at the HPCC on theCSI campus. This simulation will use the samealgorithms mentioned in the paper and it will beable to handle large scale WSN applicationsefficiently and at a faster pace. This functionalitywill be acquired by making use of parallelcomputing on the HPC system while using a singleprocessor core to represent a single sensor.

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P O S T E R # 8 4

Integrated Neural Network forFeature Extraction and ImageClassificationByambadorj Dashdorj

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Natacha GueorguievaDepartment of Computer Science

This research introduces automatic facerecognition system which consists of two parts:image preprocessing and face recognition usingeigenspace-based approach. The latter correspondsto one of the most successful methodologies forthe computational recognition of faces in digitalimages. The eigenspace-based approaches differmostly in the kind of projection method used(standard, differential, or kernel eigenspace), in theprojection algorithm employed, in the use ofsimple or differential images before/afterprojection, and in the similarity matching criterionor classification method employed. Theseapproaches consider an off-line phase or training,where the face database is created and theprojection matrix, the one that achieve thedimensional reduction, is obtained from all thedatabase face images. In the off-line phase are alsocalculated the mean face and the reducedrepresentation of each database image. Theserepresentations are the ones to be used in therecognition process. The proposed system usesgray-level model to find the facial features. We usetwo ways of acquiring a face image - from aWebcam and face images from databases (UMISTFace Database and Yale University - Face ImageDatabase). The system collects approximately six toeight images of each individual, applies imagepreprocessing methods and adds the images to thedatabase. The recognition process uses eigenspace-based approaches which include approximation ofthe face vectors with lower dimensional featurevectors. The main idea behind this procedure is thatthe face space (given by the feature vectors) has alower dimension than the image space (given bythe number of pixels in the image), and that therecognition of the faces can be performed in thisreduced space. The right person image choice isbased on the eigen values of each record in thedatabase and the preset threshold.

P O S T E R # 1 1 2

Processing Adverse MedicalEvents in Large Data SetsChristopher Savo

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah SturmDepartment of Computer Science

We implemented a parallel algorithm to find similarmedical events for medical error reporting systems.With the advent of mandatory and voluntary errorreporting and the formation of Patient SafetyOrganizations, scalable methods are needed toanalyze the expanding database of near misses andadverse events. Finding similar events should assist inidentifying patterns or clusters of errors and may helpprevent or mitigate future occurrences. Our prototyperuns on the CUNY High Performance ComputingCenter clusters. We are also testing the code on aportable 6 node Beowulf style computationalcluster (LittleFe). The code is written in C++ usingthe Message Passing Interface (MPI).

* This work is supported in part by a PSC-CUNYresearch grant

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P O S T E R # 1 0 8

Analyzing Procedural Learning inChildren using Serious GamesJonathan Parziale


Children with specific language impairment (SLI)often have difficulty with procedural learning. Wedeveloped a serious game/app for a mobileplatform to implement serial reaction time (SRT)tasks for typical and children with (SLI). The gameinvolves following images of semi-random patternsequences. The final game will also containtesting/analysis and training phases. Response timesand incorrect sequences will be recorded. We hopeto use this game to study serial reaction timelearning in children with and without SLI.

This is an interdisciplinary effort in collaborationwith Dr. Betram Ploog and Dr. Patricia Brooks of theDepartment of Psychology.

P O S T E R # 9 6

Analyzing and Training Emotionsin Children using Serious GamesEdward Peppe


Emotional perception deficits are often noted inchildren with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Wedeveloped a serious game for a mobile platform toimplement facial emotion analysis and training forchildren with (ASD). The game displays varyingfacial expressions and records individualrecognition skills, reaction time and decision-making patterns. The log will include the amount oftime taken by the player to make initial andsubsequent choices, the success rate, and biasfactors. The goal of the game is to both monitor achild’s individual perception patterns andimplement customized remediation procedures.

This is an interdisciplinary effort in collaborationwith Dr. Betram Ploog and Dr. Patricia Brooks of theDepartment of Psychology.

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P O S T E R # 8 8

Quantitative Image Analysis ofImmunofluorescence DataIsaac Osores & Cynthia Murillo


The purpose of this study is to help analyze theeffect of site-specific tau phosphorylation oncellular microtubule networks. We examined cellimages to study tau’s interaction with microtubulesin both wild type and P-tau transfected cells. Acustom ImageJ plugin was developed to providequantitative analysis of the immunofluorescencedata. Using histograms of the pixel intensities ofimages (with user-defined thresholds), the codecalculates the intensity areas per cell and creates anoutput image to visualize the considered areas(those outside the thresholds are displayed as well).In addition, we are developing a procedure toautomatically generate appropriate image-basedthresholds. The results should help to furtherunderstand the mechanism of cellular degenerationinduced by hyperphosphorylated tau. This workwas done in collaboration with Dr. Alejandra Alsonoand Chris Corbo (Neuroscience/Biology).

P O S T E R # 6 6

Designing a file system withsecure deletionAhmed Hassan

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Xiaowen ZhangDepartment of Computer Science

Most common file systems shipped with theoperating systems do not support secure deletion.When a file is deleted, it just simply releases theallocated hard drive blocks taken by that file. It doesnot securely erase/overwrite the actual data fromthe hard drive. If a deleted file contains confidentialinformation, it’s very likely that the file can berecovered by some undelete programs. This is a bigvulnerability from the security point of view.

A lot of research has been done on the similartopics. Ours is focused on a so called zero keymanagement encryption file system, whicheliminates the administration overhead. The filesystem decrypts/encrypts data when itopens/creates a file with cryptographic symmetrickey algorithm. A master-key is stored on theextended attribute. When the file system is toread/write a file, the system gets the key from theextended attribute first and decrypts/encrypts thefile on the fly. When a file is deleted, the key in theextended attribute is overwritten, and then thehard drive data blocks occupied by the file arereleased. It is infeasible for a undelete program torecover the deleted file, because the key is erasedcompletely. Without the key to decrypt, therecovered data is illegible random bytes. With ourfile system, the aforementioned securityvulnerability is prevented.

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P O S T E R # 4 3

QR Code Assisted One-timePassword Mutual AuthenticationSchemeEsia Yosupov & Pradip Karki

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Xiaowen ZhangDepartment of Computer Science

With the increasing security risks of usingpassword for authentication, we propose a securemutual authentication scheme with the assistant ofthe QR code (Quick Response code). QR code is asmall two-dimensional barcode image that conveysmuch more information than the traditionalbarcode. QR code is getting popular now in the U.S.and can be read/decoded by many mobile phones.Our scheme involves two channels forcommunicating between a web server and a user.When a user logs into a website by a usernamefrom a PC, through Internet channel the web serversends the PC browser a QR code image thatencodes a one-time random challenge. The usertakes a picture of the QR code image with his/hermobile phone camera to decode the challenge.Once the server is authenticated, the user's phonegenerates a corresponding response which is sentback to the server via wireless channel. The serverchecks the user’s response. If it is verified, the useris authenticated by the server. Finally the serverallows the user access his/her account from that PCbrowser. The standard cryptographic primitives areused for strong security. The implementation of thissecure scheme on the user side is done by usingmobile application.

P O S T E R # 4 0

Little feMichael Costantino, Daniel Kurzweil,Alerick Hyland, Timothy Smolka, BrianWong, Jonathan Parziale & Chris Savo

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael KressDepartment of Information Technology

The goal of our project is to build a small highperformance computer called Little fe. The systemconsists of six mother boards clustered through alocal network allowing multi threaded software torun simultaneously across all nodes. The wholesystem will have twenty four CPU nodes and sixNvidea GPU processors. The operating systemchosen to control the system will be a version oflinux called BCCD (Bootable Cluster CD). Thesoftware that will be demonstrated on the machinewill be written in C++ using an open MPI library toshow the capabilities of multi threaded programson a small clustered system.

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P O S T E R # 1 6

Using Frequent Pattern MiningTo Identify Behaviors In A NakedMole Rat ColonyMichael Cicero & Michael Vazquez

Faculty Mentor: Drs. Michael Kress & SusanImbermanDepartment of Computer Science

Our research project looks at behavioral patterns ina colony of Naked-Mole Rats (NMRs) from Africa.NMRs were tagged with RFID chips. RFID readers,when triggered, sent information to a backendcomputer. A collection of these readings becameour raw data. The goal was to analyze thisinformation and to draw conclusions about thebehavior of the colony of NMRs as a whole, as wellindividual NMR. To achieve this goal, we organizedthe data into a matrix using C++. The matrixindicated the last seen location of each NMR in thecolony, effectively tracking movement. The nextstep in the analysis was done using MATLAB, R anda version of the Apriori algorithm which findsitemsets or groups of NMR. We were able to findNMR that frequently associated’ with each other. Toillustrate this we used GEPHI to create sociogramsfrom the itemsets found by the Apriori algorithm.From these sociograms we were able to drawconclusions about patterns of NMR behavior.

P O S T E R # 1 7

Autonomous Outdoor GroundRobotMichael Costantino & KonstantineGoudz

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan ImbermanDepartment of Computer Science

The goal of our ongoing project is to create a smallsized fully autonomous vehicle. The vehicle will beable to navigate between G.P.S. coordinates whilemaintaining a safe path and avoiding obstacles. Thevehicle or robot contains a multitude of sensorsand devices including G.P.S., cameras, lasers, andsonars. The sensors are read and processed throughan on-board computer system. The decisions thatthe robot makes will be made by a complexartificial intelligent neural network. The robotsneural network capabilities will be demonstratedthrough a follow the leader exercise, where therobot will follow the closest moving object withinits sensors range at a reasonable distance and speed.

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM FRONT

P O S T E R # 1 2 1

Student teaching is a valuableexperienceJaime Reilly

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Judit KerekesDepartment of Education

Student teaching is a valuable experience that willmold you into a teacher. You begin to noticequalities about yourself that you never realized youhad. You will be able to integrate your own style,knowledge and personality into the classroom.During my first experience student teaching in Pre-Kindergarten, I was able to get a look inside of areal classroom and apply my own knowledge ofwhat I have learned from my college classes. At thattime I thought I was doing the best I could. A fewsemesters later, I had to experience studentteaching again. I was placed in second grade and Iwas completely unaware of how much I wouldchange within seven weeks. I have never beenexposed to anything other than Pre-Kindergarten.My own personal goal was to become aKindergarten teacher. Now after my experience ina second grade classroom, I no longer want to teachKindergarten. I want to be a second grade teacher.During the seven weeks in second grade, I haveformed my own style of teaching the children. I amable to apply my own personality, creativity and senseof humor to help the children learn. I was capableof so much more and my cooperating teacher andmy own experience helped me realize that.

P O S T E R # 1 2 2

Encourage Learning withPatients and KnowledgeStacy Lefkowitz

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Judit Kerekes Department of Education

The analysis of my student teaching points out thata guiding force paired with hands on experiences,group work, enthusiasm and remarkable assessmentcan make an impact on a child’s educationaldevelopment. When they are treated with a patientmanor that is non-threatening they take risks andenjoy the learning experience and crave more. Thepurpose was to open the children’s mind to thinkand use problem solving skills to do everydaythings when measuring without a ruler. I noticedthat the children are delighted to use manipulativesespecially when it comes to math. With the help ofmanipulatives the children were able to visualizethe length or height of an object. Furthermore, Iwas able to assess how much they grasped theconcept and where to go from there, which is veryessential to the growth and development of thestudents. I had to differentiate for the differentlearning levels, which was a challenge I gladly tookon. The children were expected to perform at theappropriate levels so that I could assess their work.Due to these interesting activities I was able toconclude that it is achievable to help a child learnas long as the child feels safe, motivated and theactivity is developmentally appropriate. A little bitof fun and a lot of stimulation equals success.

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND PHYSICSCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM BACK

P O S T E R # 3 3

Probing the Physical Propertiesof Brown Dwarfs Using High-Resolution Near-InfraredSpectraDaniel Feldman

Faculty Mentor Information: Dr. Emily Rice Department of Engineering Science and Physics

Stars come in all different masses and temperatures—some are so cold that they cannot sustain hydrogenfusion in their cores. These "stars" are known asbrown dwarfs, and because they lack fusion as asource of energy, they cool and fade over billions ofyears. Astronomers have had a difficult timedetermining their ages and physical properties,which are necessary to describe how they formand evolve. Potassium absorption lines in particularare affected by temperature and age, and these linescan be measured by dispersing light from browndwarfs into spectra. My senior thesis is a study ofhigh-resolution M, L and T Dwarf spectra in order tobetter constrain these physical properties. The high-resolution spectra were taken with the NIRSPECinstrument on the Keck II Telescope on Mauna Keaas part of the Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey(BDSS). I quantified the strength, width, and depthof potassium absorption lines in the spectra bymeasuring the lines' equivalent widths, full widthhalf maxima (FWHM), and line-to-continuum fluxratios, respectively. By characterizing thesestrengths of the potassium lines and looking fortrends with spectral type and age, we will betterunderstand how to identify the underlying physicalproperties of brown dwarfs, such as surface gravityand temperature.

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISHCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM BACK

P O S T E R # 5 0

"Patriotism in the Novels of TwoDominican Dictatorships: TulioManuel Cestero’s Blood andMario Vargas Llosa’s The Feastof the Goat”Eimy Saldana

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah PollackDepartment of World Languages and Literatures

The main purpose of this project is to analyze therepresentation of national heroes during thedictatorships of Ulises “Lilís” Heureaux (1882-1884)and Rafael L. Trujillo in the Dominican Republic(1930-1961) through literary lenses. Official history haslabeled the performers of both dictators’ downfallsas national heroes, while certain literary works,investigating the characters’ micro-stories, questionthe strictly patriotic motives behind their actions.

Blood (1914), a novel by Tulio Manuel Cestero, isthe first reference used in this investigation toportray Antonio Portocarrero as the traditionalinvisible hero who fights Ulises Heureaux’s tyrannywith patriotic ideals. Antonio represents theexceptional citizen who is alien to corruption andgrows indignant to the injustice that reigningduring that epoch. In contrast, the novel The Feastof the Goat (2000), by Nobel Prize laureate MarioVargas Llosa, demystifies the heroic characters whooverthrew the dictatorship of Trujillo.

In this study, I argue that Vargas Llosa breaks withtraditional historical novels in his rewriting of thedownfall of the Trujillo regime. Unlike Cestero’srepresentation of the self-sacrificing AntonioPortocarrero in Blood, Vargas Llosa’s protagonistsact on behalf of their individual motives, and notwith the intention of bringing a common good totheir homeland. In fact, they used to collaborate insome measure with the regime and were notconcerned with killing their victimizer until theypersonally became victims. I contend that VargasLlosa’s representation of this crucial chapter of therecent Dominican past obliges his readers torethink the traditional narrative of the greatepisodes of national history and the actors who arepopularly embraced as heroes.

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P O S T E R # 7

Stereotypical Roles inShakespeare PerformancesJustin Giles

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katharine GoodlandDepartment of English

Professor Goodland theorizes that the roles playedby African-American actors in Shakespeare's playsare often stereotypical: the monsters, the bastards,the villains—rarely the heroes or the lovers of thestories. Searching through her book, Shakespeare inPerformance, I compiled data on which rolesAfrican-American actors played and, even moreimportantly, which notable ones they did not.

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGYCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM BACK

P O S T E R # 9 9

Using Airborne Science andRemote Sensing to UnderstandWater Usage in Almond andPistachio OrchardsDaniel Kurzweil

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jane AlexanderDepartment of Geology

The concept of this project stems from the idea ofplant available water (PAW). The soil at ParamountOrchards, where much of the almond and pistachiosupply for the United States is grown, is a sandyloam to a fine sandy loam. This does not leave alarge amount of PAW in between irrigation periods,in fact it is only about 1 to 2 inches. Obviously thereis plenty of PAW directly after watering, definitelyclose to the field capacity if not above it. As timeprogresses the PAW will decrease. Some is lost toground water and some is taken up by the plants.

Looking at how PAW, Leaf Area Index (LAI), EquivalentWater Thickness (EWT), and Evapotranspiration (ET)all interact with each other in relation to time sincelast irrigation is the true point of this investigation.It should be that directly after watering, the plantswill begin to take in the fresh water, but there willbe a lag time in-between irrigation and the watershowing up in the EWT. This will also have aneffect on the ET. Both should be similar in the factthat they are expected to be lower for a period oftime before and after irrigation.

This project relies heavily on information collectedfrom airborne sensing equipment, SpecificallyMASTER, the MODIS ASTER simulator mounted inthe NASA DC-8 flying laboratory. This sensorcollects 50 bands of light ranging from .4 to 13micrometers in wavelength.

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DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICSCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM CENTER

P O S T E R # 1 1 4

Project Title: ParallelComputation of Dynamic FluidSystemsLucas Garber

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew PojeDepartment of Mathematics

The computation of dynamic fluid systems aretypically time-intensive. Using parallel threadingtechniques these systems' real-world processingtime can be reduced as a function of the number ofavailable threads, with the goal of a 1/N speedup(where N is the number of threads). While a 1/Nspeed up is not practical due to the setup of theparallel environment, unavoidable serial processingand memory management of the computer system,it is possible to get close to the 1/N goal.

Using Fortran77 and OPENMP software packagestwo separate systems were made to run parallel.The programs, Half-space Quasi-GeostrophicContour Surgery and Point Vortecies on a Sphere,were run in multiple initial conditionconfigurations to determine the speed-up fromadding multiple threads to the work group. Whileboth programs had a marked improvement in run-time neither fully achieved the sought-after 1/Nspeedup.

DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA CULTURECONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM CENTER

P O S T E R # 7 5

The Chinese Classic Book ClubSyreita Ann Lewis

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ying ZhuDepartment of Media Culture

I have assisted Professor Ying Zhu in researchingabout China's youth culture and nationalism. To thisend, I have done library research on books andarticles written about the ancient principles ofConfucianism and Confucian thought. I haveexplored the practice of Confucianism amongst theShanghai students that Professor Zhu has chosen tocall attention to in her documentary. Confucianthought has given these students a concreteunderstanding of their own identities. If thesestudents have grown up in a nation that isconstantly struggling to define their own cultureand identity, they too will face difficultiesdiscovering themselves to their fullest potential.

To better understand the research topic, I also haveviewed and studied Professor Zhu's documentary,Google versus China, which discusses Internetcensorship in China and the role of nationalism inGoogle's aborted China search. The research willdiscuss how a group of students, who are facedwith questions of nationalism, culture, identity andwestern influence, can overcome obstacles thathave existed in China for generations and learn tofinally start to discover their individual identities. Iwill present my research findings on a poster.Videos clips from Professor Zhu's upcomingdocumentary will be presented.

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DEPARTMENT OF PERFORMING AND CREATIVE ARTSCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM BACK

P O S T E R # 3 9

Chant Through the Ages:Analysis and CompositionJoseph Marcellino

Faculty Mentor: Dr. David KeberleDepartment of Performing and Creative Arts -

Music

Gregorian Chant of the ancient Christian Churchhas been published in numerous differentcollections over the centuries. Each publicationcontains certain deviations from the original. Thefirst goal of the project was to find the earliestexisting manuscripts of specific chants and then tocompare melodic and rhythmic similarities anddifferences found in the editions. Finally, thepresenter will add to this existing body of work bycomposing a series of original "Postlude"compositions for organ based on the same chant.

P O S T E R # 5 1

"The Negro Speaks of Rivers": AStudy of Cultural IdentityThrough SongAshley Gill

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sylvia KahanDepartment of Performing and Creative Arts -

Music

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was one of the mostprolific African-American

writers of the Harlem Renaissance. His influenceimpacted American history, not only in literature,but also in music.

In 1921, at the age of 19, Hughes published his firstpoem, entitled “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” Theappearance of the poem coincided with thebeginning of the Harlem Renaissance (1920-1930),when African-Americans sought to validatethemselves through the arts. Such eloquence inBlack writing was not yet widely recognized. Oneof Hughes’ goals in writing

was to capture and portray the collective voice ofhis people, and in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” heaccomplishes this. It speaks of African-Americanheritage, identity, and relevance. These elementsecho within the song settings of Hughes’ poem byvarious composers, namely Margaret Bonds (1913-1972), who wrote her setting in 1936; HowardSwanson (1907-1978), who wrote his setting in1942; and Richard Thompson (b. 1949), whosesetting was released over 50 years later in 2006.

In the speaker’s presentation of these song settings,a poetic analysis of “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”and a musical analysis of each composer’s uniqueapproach to setting this iconic poem will beincluded. These analyses will highlight theimportance of the poem to African-Americanheritage and the importance of these composers’interpretations to American music and in history.

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DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE,ECONOMICS, ANDPHILOSOPHYCONFERENCE LOCATION: BOTTOM BACK

P O S T E R # 7 6

Balancing National Security withCivil and Political Human Rights:An Analysis of Debate about theTreatment of Terror SuspectsRobert Gibbs

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Richard FlanaganDepartment of Political Science

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,the United States increased executive branchprerogatives in the management of the nationalsecurity state. The security policies of the Bushadministration (2001-2009), many of which havebeen extended in the Obama administration,initiated vigorous debate in regard to the properbalance between national security needs and civilrights. This project examines the debate betweenproponents of a strong national security state andthose who fear that basic civil and human rights arein jeopardy from the extension of state power. Theanalysis reviews political, polemical and policyarguments of elites, as well as public opinionregarding certain controversial policies, includingthe use of extraordinary rendition and allegedtorturous interrogation practices. The integration ofthe aforementioned policies may, in fact, havebecome institutionalized into the fabric ofAmerican politics.

P O S T E R # 8 9

Effects of The Great RecessionAcross Demographic GroupsTilanga Fernandez

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexandru VoicuDepartment of Economics, Philosophy, Political

Science

Labor market conditions have deteriorateddramatically since the beginning of the GreatRecession in late 2007, making it the severest labormarket downturn since the Great Depression. Theunemployment rate more than doubled from 4.8%in 2007 to 10% in 2009 and still remains at 8.3% inMarch, 2012. While the conventionalunemployment rate overlooks the huge growth inunderemployment and the substantial increase indiscouraged workers who are no longer in theworkforce. Adjusting for these factors, the effectshows to be much larger. The burdens of arecession do not spread evenly across demographicgroups. While the public and media noticed thatmen accounted for more than three quarters of netjob losses, which made the Great Recession cometo be known as the “Great Man-cession,” There areseveral other demographic groups that have beenespecially hard hit by the recession, includingAfrican-American males and females, young femalesand families maintained by single women. The goalof this project is to study the effect of theeconomic crisis on individual labor marketoutcomes (employment, unemployment, andwages). The study will focus on the differences inlabor market outcomes across individual and socio-economic characteristics (e.g., gender,race/ethnicity, age, education, rural-urbanresidence) and on the differential effect of therecession on the labor market outcomes ofindividuals with different socio-economiccharacteristics. Regional differences and the effectof industry composition will also be considered.Data from the Current Population Survey will beused. Data analysis will be performed using STATA.

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DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGYCONFERENCE LOCATION: WEST LOUNGE

P O S T E R # 2 3

Effects of Stress on EatingHabits at the College of StatenIslandNikki Fenton, Nicole Macri & AlanaGlasse

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Irina SekerinaDepartment of Psychology

Negative emotions have often been connected tofluctuations in eating patterns. Experts haveattempted to confirm the correlation betweennegative affect and emotional eating.

The present research aims to examine therelationship between stress and eating behavior,including food intake and food choice, amonguniversity students at the College of Staten Island. Agroup of 30 psychology students were randomlyselected and were asked to complete twoquestionnaires; a “Feelings” questionnaire, which wedeveloped to determine the level of hungrypresent, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)questionnaire, in order to determine their level ofperceived stress. Participants were thenadministered a 13-minute Cattell Culture Fair IQtest as a means of stimulating stress. Aftercompleting these tasks, participants were servedtheir own bowls of “healthy” (vegetables) and“unhealthy” (miniature chocolate) snacks and leftalone to help themselves. We predict thatparticipants who scored higher on the PSSquestionnaire would not only eat more overall, butwould also eat more “unhealthy” snacks. Thefindings of the current research could bepotentially beneficial in helping students to copewith stress in a more positive manner and thereforehelp prevent unhealthy eating behaviors inuniversity students.

P O S T E R # 3 7

What do Pre-Teen GenderVariant Boys Think aboutGender?Cristen Melfi

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Darryl HillDepartment of Psychology

Gender variant children are often misunderstood,and there is a lack of research examining andunderstanding them. This study sought to obtain agreater understanding of how gender variantchildren feel about gender and what their lives arelike. Interviews with gender variant childrenshowed them to be just as gender non-conformingas clinical samples of children with gender identitydisorder, but the interviews really conveyed littleinformation about their lives. Questionnairesadministered to the children showed that,compared to “ordinary kids,” gender variant kids areaware of gender traditional gender stereotypes butfelt that gender roles should be more flexible.Moreover, participants in this study felt morepressure to conform to gender. More research, withbetter instruments, is needed to look deeper intohow gender variant children live.

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P O S T E R # 1

An Animal Model of CultureShockNoorelhoda Mahmoud

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nan SussmanDepartment of Psychology

Moving to a new culture is described inpsychological literature as a stressful experiencewith several transition stages; the most stressfulknown as culture shock. Culture shock is afascinating psychological phenomenon that affectsmillions of sojourners. Its symptoms includedepression, changes in eating and sleep patterns,difficulty in social relationships, irritability andwithdrawal. Previous studies have evaluatedtransition-related stress primarily by self-reports.Not one has used physiological measures. Untilrecently, cortisol, the stress hormone, could only bemeasured in blood. Now it can be measured insaliva, feces and urine. Our research is the first tophysiologically assess stress. This first study of therelationship between cultural transitions and stressis with an animal species known as the Africannaked mole rat. Besides humans, it is the onlymammal to produce cortisol in response to stress.They live in colonies, each with distinct behaviorpatterns. I have been observing two colonies at CSI:Leah and Terrific. The Leah keeps its cage dirty, ismore active and sociable, and has higher cortisollevels. Terrific is clean, less active and sociable, andhas lower cortisol levels. Fecal samples have beenobtained from each rat and assessed for cortisol. Weselected an “average” animal from Terrific based onits cortisol levels, daily activity within the colony,and degree of sociability, and moved it to the Leahcolony. We hypothesized this specific transition willlead to the highest levels of culture shock based onthe environmental and behavioral differencesbetween both colonies, which will induce the moststress. Cortisol levels of each animal were measuredbefore moving the “sojourner.” Fecal samples arestill being taken to assess for changes in cortisollevels between and within the colonies. We willcontinue to compare activity and sociability levelsafter the sojourn for both the home and hostcolonies, and the sojourner.

P O S T E R # 1 0 2

Prejudice Towards Patients withHIV/AIDS Among Doctors orNurses in the United StatesYessica I. Zegarra

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lauren Rogers-SirinDepartment of Psychology

There is a common opinion in the majority of theAmerican population that doctors or nurses, whohave dedicated their life to this field, would have atolerant attitude towards all patients, regardless ofsexual orientation, race, or ethnicity. Unfortunately,this is not the case; especially with the patientswho have contracted HIV or AIDS (Siminoff, L. A.,1998). It has been noted that doctors and nurses,especially those that are undereducated orreligious, have a low tolerance for patients thathave contracted HIV or AIDS (Preston, D, 2000).Negative attitudes towards people that havecontracted this ailment effect the person’s healthand life (Tyer-Viola, L. A., 2007).

Doctors and Nurses, well-educated or not, may fallprey to common

misconceptions about the illness, or their ownprejudice. Often, women with HIV or AIDS areassumed to be homosexual, a drug abusers, orpromiscuous (Preston, D., 2000). Thesemisconceptions can lead to “blaming the victim” fortheir illness, and lead doctors or nurses to treat HIVpositive women with substandard care (Tyer-Viola,L. A., 2007). The purpose of this study is to exploreHIV positive women’s experiences of stigma whenseeking medical services.

This is a qualitative analysis using interview data. 15HIV positive women participated in the study. Thewomen were recruited at a community centeroffering free services to HIV positive individuals inthe NY city area. Women volunteered to beinterviewed and were not compensated. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English orSpanish, depending on interviewee’s preference.Our results show that HIV positive women doexperience stigma when interacting with medicalprofessionals and this negatively impacts both thequality of their care, and their attitudes towardsseeking medical attention.

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P O S T E R # 1 0 4

Students’ Perception ofTechnology at the QueensCollege (QC) and CSIElena Rabinovich


Does technology empower learning? It is dynamic(self-generated, self-published e-stuff), moreengaging and convenient, has a “Cool!” factor andcan be addictive. To assess what CUNY studentsthink about technology in an academic setting, a60-item online survey was administered to 1,700Queens (2010) and 1,100 CSI (2011) students. Thecategories included questions that ask respondentsabout (1) their access to the Internet, (2)ownership of computers and other techno-gadgetry, (3) use of Web 2.0 technologies and socialnetworking habits, and (4) interest in takingcourses with online components. The comparisonsshow that:

(1) 82% QC and 84% CSI students own a laptopthat is less than 5 years old;

(2) 48% QC and 47% CSI students own asmartphone with Internet, a third are iPhones;

(3) 93% QC and 90% CSI students have DSL, FIOS,or cable Internet connection at home;

(4) 80% of QC (36% 1-7 hrs/w) and 87% CSIstudents use Facebook (46% 1-7 hrs/w);

(5) Word processing, presentation software, andspreadsheets are the most popular programs;graphics, databases, are bibliography are usedsignificantly less; and statistics, audio, and videoprograms are used rarely;

(6) Students on both campuses are skeptical abouttechnology-based academic courses: they prefermoderate amount of technology in classes, are splitbetween liking and not liking to learn withtechnology, and are not ready to embrace onlineand hybrid courses.

P O S T E R # 1 0 7

How Stigma Affects HIV PositiveWomen's Experiences inPsychotherapy and Other MentalHealth ServicesAlexandr Usov


In dealing with the mental health problems forpeople living with HIV, PLHIV, is crucial to acomprehensive approach to their care and support.Anticipated rates of depression among PLHIVindividuals vary widely and range between 20percent and 48 percent among PLHIV in high-income countries (Berg et al. 2007). Regardless tothe high dominance of mental health disordersrelated to HIV, signs are that mental health settingsin PLHIV are under-diagnosed and undertreated(WHO 2001). The International Center for Researchfor Women (2012) stresses that people withnegative attitude to HIV individuals, believe thatvirus is very transmittable and they can easily getinfected. When that happens, others start to viewHIV-positive individuals as a danger. PLHIVindividuals are further stigmatized by others'guesses about their moral honesty, based onconviction that they became infected with HIVbecause they selected to take part in riskybehaviors. Mental health workers may succumb tocommon fallacy about the illness, or their ownprejudice. The purpose of this research is toinvestigate HIV positive women’s experiences ofstigma when seeking mental health services. This isa qualitative analysis using interview data. 15 HIVpositive women participated in the study. Thewomen were recruited at a community centeroffering free services to HIV positive individuals inthe NY city area. Women volunteered to beinterviewed and were not compensated. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English orSpanish, depending on interviewee’s preference.Our results show that HIV positive women doexperience stigma when dealing with mentalhealth professionals and this negatively impactsboth the quality of their care, and their attitudestowards seeking mental health help.

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P O S T E R # 1 1

The Effect of On-GoingHolocaust Suffering on Anti-Semitism and Anti-IsraeliAttitudesAnn Mackey

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of Psychology

Whether hostility to Israel does or does not reflecta new form of anti-Semitism has been a highlycontroversial topic in current political and culturaldiscourse. Some claim there is no link betweenanti-Semitism and hostility to Israel; some claim thatanti-Semitism is repackaged as hostility towardIsrael, and some claim that hostility toward Israelproduces anti-Semitism. A recent theoretical modelof anti-Semitism (Cohen et al, 2009) proposes thatanti-Semitism often manifests as hostility towardsIsrael. Studies showed that conditions which led togreater levels of anti-Semitism also led to loweredsupport for Israel. Additionally recent research onsecondary anti-Semitism showed that reminders ofJewish suffering as a result of Nazi persecutionevoke feelings of guilt and, consequently, defensiveanti-Semitism among German participants (Imhoff& Banse, 2010). The present study employed amodified version of Imhoff & Banse’s ongoingholocaust suffering manipulation to demonstratethat Holocaust reminders not only raise levels ofanti-Semitic sentiment among Americanparticipants but also lower support for Israel.Results and implications will be discussed.

P O S T E R # 1 2

Exploring the Benefits andLiabilities of RxPMichael Dacunto

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel KaplinDepartment of Psychology

This research study takes a critical look into thesituation of prescription privileges forpsychologists, otherwise known as RxP. Theresearch team will report conflicting argumentsRxP as a means of assessing the potential problemsand major benefits prescriptive authority may yield.Proponents of RxP suggest that prescriptiveauthority would increase patient satisfaction, is costeffective, and serves the needs of rural areas, whichhave a shortage of psychiatrists. RxP is also thoughtto be a logical extension of the psychology as aprofession. The DoD program and current states,which have passed RxP legislation, such asLouisiana and New Mexico serve as examples ofsuccessful post-doctoral training and treatmentprograms for it. Opponents to RxP introduce theissues of patient safety, limited training, loss ofprofessional identity, and point out the RxP mightbe unnecessary if psychologists developcollaborative relationships with psychiatrists.Psychologists are not on the issue of RxP. This studywill report a more detailed explanation of thesearguments in an attempt to reconcile thedifferences that emerge.

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P O S T E R # 1 3

HIV/AIDS: The Impact of Stigmaon Social SupportsNicholas Gonzalez

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Frances MelendezDepartment of Psychology

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC),data indicates that in the United States, Blacks andLatinos continue to be disproportionately affectedby HIV/AIDS, making up 52% of newly diagnosedHIV and 48% of AIDS cases (CDC, 2008). There areapproximately 1.2 million people living withHIV/AIDS in the U.S., with more than 290,000women (CDC 2011; Kaiser Family Foundation2011). Although people are living longer with thisillness than they did in the past, HIV was still thethird leading cause of death among Black womenages 24-44 (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2011). Theabove statistics prompted our interest indeveloping this study “Women as the face of AIDS.”This project examines the experiences of womenof color infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, inparticular Black and Latino women. The goal of thestudy is to understand, through narratives obtainedthrough semi-structured interviews, the livedexperiences of HIV positive women. The sampleconsists of fifteen women who were recruited froma community based organization located in Harlem.Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish,depending on the participants’ preferences. Thefocus of this research proposal is how theexperiences of stigma affect the social and familylives of our sample. Our results indicated that forsome women, family and/or friends were a refugeand source of safety, where the women could behonest about their diagnosis and receive supportand care. Others, however, felt the need to hidetheir diagnosis in order to avoid judgment fromloved ones.

P O S T E R # 1 9

Effect of EnvironmentFamiliarity on Memory RecallDanielle Imbesi, Elaina Lei, AleksandraMakowska & Kunzah Syed

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dan McCloskeyDepartment of Psychology

The environment has a profound impact onpeoples' mental functioning and affects both theirmental and physical well being. One component ofthe brain's functions is recall memory, or theretrieval of information from the past after itsencoding. The following experiment tested therelationship between an environment's familiarityand the recall memory of participants in thoseenvironments. The experiment was carried out bydistributing a short survey to two groups of collegeparticipants after exposure to the same stimulus, acolorful poster; a between-subjects design wasemployed. We hypothesized that people wouldrecall details about a new stimulus in a familiarenvironment better than in an unfamiliarenvironment because the unfamiliar environmentwould present an overwhelming amount of novelstimuli, impairing the brain's ability to remember.However, the results suggest that recall memory issignificantly better in an unfamiliar environmentthan in a familiar one.

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P O S T E R # 2 0

Stress, Mood and Quitting:Comparing LGBT andHeterosexual SmokersDanielle Bohmer

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel KaplinDepartment of Psychology

Studies show that LGBT smoking rates exceed thegeneral population and that LGBT smokers may beless successful at quitting. Combining data fromtwo smoking cessation trials (N=808), secondarydata analyses compared perceived stress levels,mood disturbances and quit rates in LGBT versusheterosexual smokers. Both trials includedcounseling and administration of Bupropion SR andNRT. Measures included the Perceived Stress Scale,the Profile of Mood States and the Fagerstrom Testof Nicotine Dependence. We hypothesized that theLGBT sample would have higher stress scores andmood disturbances at baseline along with lowerquit rates. However, we found no significantdifferences between LGBTs and heterosexuals forthese variables at the <.05 level. Our results may beexplained by the sample’s location, age and thetendency for smokers to report higher levels ofmood disturbances regardless of their orientation.

P O S T E R # 2 1

The Development of Posture inInfancyChristina Gioeli

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah E. BergerDepartment of Psychology

Infants manipulate their surrounding environmentby using two important motor skills: sitting andreaching. From ages four to five months, infantsbegin developing postural control, primarilythrough supported sitting, and begin reaching forobjects. Through repetition and practice, infantsrefine these skills and between seven and eight months,they progress to independent sitting, becomingexperienced sitters and “reachers.” Although infants’reaching skills improve as they develop, perseverationis a common occurrence. Perseveration occurswhen infants manually search for an object at anoriginal hiding location, despite seeing the objectmoved. This study seeks to understand how thedevelopment of sitting affects the way infants usetheir bodies to manipulate their environment andwhy perseveration is a key part of learning.

Six 5- to 8-month-old pre-crawling infants haveparticipated thus far. Infants’ sitting skill was codedas supported, minimally supported, or independent.The Individual Growth and DevelopmentIndicators (IGDI), a tool for coding infants’ playwith toys, evaluates problem solving. A reachingtask measured the effect of infants’ postural controlon decision-making. Preliminary results show apositive relationship between sitting experienceand reaching ability. Moreover, infants perseveratedwhen hiding locations changed. Thus, infants mustinhibit repeated behaviors and control their postureto search new locations. Ultimately, independentsitting allows infants to balance and lift both armsup to reach, while simultaneously solving a problem.Understanding the role of sitting skill in an object-retrieval task demonstrates the importance of thecombination of motor and cognitive skills forsuccessful learning and development.

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P O S T E R # 2 6

Immigrant Experiences inPsychotherapy: A MixedMethods StudyChristie Refano


This study examined immigrant students’ attitudestoward, and experiences in, psychotherapy, using amixed methods analysis consisting of both surveyand interview data. The goal was to examine theimportance of clients’ perceptions of therapists’cultural competence in satisfaction with therapy,and what immigrant students considered to beculturally competent, or culturally incompetent.The sample consisted of 86 immigrant studentswho have had therapy experience (20 firstgeneration and 66 second generation, 26 males and60 females, 2 Asian,10 bi-racial or mixed race, 14African or African-American, 28 Latino/Latina, and32 White or (Euro-American). The participantscompleted surveys, including the Cross-CulturalCounseling Competence Inventory (Fischer &Farina, 1995), the Satisfaction with Therapy andTherapist Scale – Revised (LaFromboise, Coleman &Hernandez, 1991), and the Brief SymptomsInventory -18 (Derogatus, 2000). Nine studentswere interviewed about their therapy experiences.A strong correlation was found betweensatisfaction with therapy and clients’ perceptions oftheir therapist’s cross cultural competence (r = .67,p <.001). Attitudes towards psychotherapysignificantly correlated with both therapists’ culturalcompetence (r = .29, p < .005) and satisfactionwith therapy (r= .41 p < .001). Interviews provideexamples of immigrants perceptions of culturalcompetence or incompetence.

P O S T E R # 2 7

The Effects of IntermittentReinforcement on SerialDiscrimination Learning inPigeonsYajaira Gil & Kimberly Olsen

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bertram O. PloogDepartment of Psychology

Four pigeons were trained under two preliminaryconditions with a serial discrimination reversaldesign involving a simultaneous red-green visualdiscrimination. The intertrial interval was always 40s, and the color-reinforcement correlation wasalways reversed after two 80-trial sessions. Onepeck to the designated S+ stimulus resulted in anunsignaled reinforcement delay of 6 s followed by areinforcer with either 50% or 100% probability.Pecks to the designated S- stimulus also led to the 6-s delay but then directly to the ITI (with noreinforcement). Consequences for pecks to the S+that were not followed by reinforcement (50%condition) were identical to those for S- pecks. Twobirds received a reinforcer with 50% probability inCondition 1 and with 100% probability inCondition 2. For the remaining two birds, this orderof reinforcement probability was reversed. Ourpreliminary results show that no learning took placeunder either condition. This was expected giventhat the ITI and delay parameters were chosen suchthat discrimination learning would be severelyimpaired. In follow-up conditions, the reinforcementdelay will be signaled, which has been shown toovercome the impairment in discriminationlearning. The question is whether learning, asindicated by the proportion of pecks to S+, willoccur at a faster rate under the 100% condition. Inaddition, the effect of partial reinforcement (50%condition) will be assessed in terms of the learning-to-learn effect, that is, overall improvement oflearning reflected by increasingly fast reversallearning within a condition and across conditions.

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P O S T E R # 2 9

The Processing of Case Markersby Heritage Spanish-EnglishBilingualsJuan Cardona


Our study addresses the online processing ofheritage Spanish-English bilinguals with particularemphasis on language transfer effects from English.Transfer effects occur when knowledge of thedominant language (English) is applied to theweaker heritage language (Spanish) that occurs as aresult of the inherent differences between the twogrammatical systems. Spanish grammar allows moreflexibility in word placement than English becauseit employs a variety of grammatical features notfound in English such as cases and clitics. Montrul(2008) shows that clitics and differential objectcase marking (DOM) present difficulty to heritageSpanish bilinguals. We tested 10 such speakers in anexperimental study that consisted of a backgroundlanguage history questionnaire, an assessment ofproficiency in Spanish, and an eye-trackingexperiment. In the experimental part, theparticipants listened to 24 short stories and lookedat corresponding pictures of three people and alocation and then were asked to answer acomprehension question based on the story. Wemeasured the participants’ accuracy in answeringthe question, their reaction time, and eyemovements to the four pictures. We predict thatwhile comprehension will be good, the eyemovements will nevertheless reveal a delay inidentifying the picture target because the heritageSpanish speakers will have difficulty in processingcase markers online.

P O S T E R # 3 5

Aging and the Sexual Self: HowAge Affects a Woman’s SexualSelf SchemaChristine Gerbino


As women get older, they face an array ofbiopsychosocial changes that have the potential toimpede their sexual expression. In this study, Iassessed how a women’s sexual self-schema maychange in response to aging. Women of all ageswere given self-addressed packets containingquestionnaires that assessed their sexual self-schema. Results from the questionnaires indicatedthat non-significant trends in the sexual self-schemaof older and younger women were seen. However,age correlated with several responses on the SexualHistory Form indicating that older womenexperience a higher likelihood to have problemsregarding sexual activity in specific areas. Iconcluded that further research with a larger andmore diverse sample is needed in order todetermine if the sexual self-schemas held by olderwomen are significantly different than those ofyounger women.

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P O S T E R # 4 5

The Effects of Visual and AudioDistractions on PerformanceMirette Misak


In the current research study, we are interested inparticipants' emotional intelligence (EQ) andperformance on a 50 piece puzzle when adistractor is present. In previous research, cognitiveability has been shown to be the strongestpredictor of academic performance followed by theBig Five personality factors; the x-factor whenpredicting higher level performance is emotionalintelligence. Previous correlational research hasshown that EQ has a dynamic ability to predicthigher levels of success in academics as well as atwork. In contrast to previous research wemeasured EQ using the 33-item emotionalintelligence scale that will enable us to gatherparticipants' abilities in the three domains of EQpresented by Salovey and Mayer (1990) withdifferent distracters present. The three domains ofEQ which were tested for are Appraisal andExpression of Emotion, Regulation of Emotion, andUtilizing Emotion. The timed 50-piece puzzle willdetermine the participant's ability to perform whena distracter is present. We will be using a 4 groupdesign: Group 1=Control, Group 2= visualdistraction, Group 3= Audio distraction and Group4= audio & visual distractors combined. Wehypothesize that participants who score higher onthe 33 item emotional intelligence test will havehigher levels of sum performance regardless ofwhether a distraction present.

P O S T E R # 4 6

Personality Types Inclined toParticipate in Thrill SeekingActivitiesMelissa Solomon


Research shows that people are not equallyattracted to risk taking. There are several studieswhich theorize that individuals differ in theirattraction to risk- taking. To test this theory, we useda random sample of students from the College ofStaten Island who signed up for the study throughthe computer program Sona Systems. Eachparticipant completed three anonymous surveys.Based on previous research done on this topic, wepredicted that the extrovert personality type ismore likely to be inclined to a lifestyle whichincludes more frequent risk and thrill seekingbehaviors and the introvert personality type will bemore likely to avoid these behaviors. The results ofthis study supported the hypothesis that theintrovert personality types are less likely toparticipate in the thrill seeking activities and canbe considered anti- thrill seekers. It can also beconcluded that the extrovert and the neutral(neither extrovert nor introvert) personalitiesparticipate in thrill seeking activities.

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P O S T E R # 4 7

Students’ Attitudes Toward Costof College Textbooks at the CSIBookstoreGiana Abbruzzese, Almis Ali, AnaAlvizurez, Jessica Zito


Past research demonstrated that either the increaseor decrease of college textbooks cost candramatically affect the attitudes of college studentstoward buying them. The present study examineshow the cost of college textbooks at the CSIbookstore affects CSI students’ buying behavior. Weused a 20-question survey that recorded CSIstudents’ perspective on this issue. Our survey wasdivided into 3 categories: student’s year of college,the source and cost of each textbook and the useof each textbook during the semester. We predictthat freshmen would buy more textbookscompared to those students who had been incollege for longer than one semester. Students’strategies in coping with the increasing textbookcost are buying them from the Internet (Amazon,eBay, etc.), from students who sell their textbooks,renting, and finally, not buying them at all. It ispossible that if the cost of textbooks keepsincreasing, the CSI bookstore may go out ofbusiness in the future.

P O S T E R # 5

Acculturative Stress and MentalHealth: The Moderating Role ofSocial SupportAnthony Spano


This is a study on effect that acculturative stress hason immigrant students’ mental health, and themoderating role of social support. A sample of 395first-and second-generation immigrants completedan on-line survey. Results demonstrated thatacculturative stress significantly contributed tomental health symptoms, including depression,anxiety and somatic complaints. As acculturativestress increases, mental health symptoms increase.The effects of generational status and sex wereexamined with a series of t-tests. Females reporthigher levels of mental health symptoms thanmales. No other significant differences betweensexes was observed. First generation immigrantsreport higher levels of acculturative stress thansecond generation. No other significant differencesbetween generations were observed. Generationalstatus moderated the influence of acculturativestress on mental health symptoms so that firstgeneration had higher levels of mental healthsymptoms in conditions of low acculturative stress,but in conditions of high acculturative stress,second generation immigrants had higher levels ofmental health symptoms. Sex did not moderate therelationship between acculturative stress andmental health symptoms. A third moderationanalysis demonstrated that social support protectedagainst the negative influence of acculturativestress. When there were high levels of socialsupport, acculturative stress had a significantlyreduced effect on mental health. When there werelow levels of social support, acculturative stressremained a strong, negative influence. Implicationsfor practitioners are discussed.

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P O S T E R # 5 9

Transgender: Popping theBubble on Societal GenderNormsLaura Hare


Society portrays many gender standards for peopleto abide by and transsexuals do not fit in theseexpectations. This leaves transgender individuals athigh risk for discrimination. This study measuredthe levels of transsexual tolerance in a sample ofcollege students. The Genderism and Transphobiascale and International Attitudes towardsTranssexual scale were used to measure theparticipants’ feelings towards transgenderindividuals. Participants read one of four storiesinvolving almost identical people: trans Tina, Tina,trans Tom or Tom. The participants who were lesstolerant of transgender individuals were more likelyto be prejudiced toward transsexuals. Also manyparticipants confused gender identity with sexualorientation, assuming that trans individuals weremost likely homosexual. Participants who said theyhad known a person who was transgender weremore accepting of transsexuals. The results of thisstudy proved that more research needs to be donein this area to bring better awareness about thetransgender community and to educate society toview all gender roles with an open mind.

P O S T E R # 6 0

College Students’ AttitudesTowards the Benefits of PhysicalEducation (PED190) as a CoreAndrea Adum, Claudia Olender &Daniella Plaksiy


College students often do not feel that learningabout health and the benefits of physical activity incollege classes on physical education is important,but these classes have proven to have greatadvantages for those who complete them. Weinvestigated the attitudes of 60 CSI studentstowards a physical education course (PED190) as arequirement. The participants were administered asurvey in which they were asked to rate theimportance of physical education in their lives andmore specifically, as a required course at CSI. Theparticipants were either students who have nottaken the course (N=30) or the ones who have(N=30). The survey consisted of 20 questionsasking the students to rate their answers on a scaleof 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being thehighest). We predict that the students who have nottaken the course will be skeptical about thebenefits of an academic physical education course,mainly because they do not find it relevant to theiracademic and personal development as otherclasses. The students who have taken the course areexpected to have a better opinion about thenecessity of PED190, and will exhibit moreknowledge about benefits of physical educationand its contribution to their overall physical,emotional, and spiritual health.

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P O S T E R # 6 1

Identifying Relationships ofNeurons through Multi-electrodeArray Data of Epileptic and Non-epileptic RatsSylvana Salama

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dan McCloskeyDepartment of Psychology – Program of

Neuroscience

The hippocampus is an area of the mammalianbrain that is highly prone to synchronization ofneurons in a manner that can lead to epilepticseizures. In humans with temporal lobe epilepsy,and in animal models of this disorder, thehippocampus reorganizes over a period of years(weeks in animals) and begins generating seizures.While previous studies have shown some changesbetween the connections of neurons in someisolated areas of the hippocampus, we do not fullyunderstand how the hippocampus as a wholereorganizes, particularly in relation to connectionsbetween areas. To answer this question, we havedeveloped a new approach to study neuronalconnectivity using multielectrode array recordingsfrom "epileptic" and control rats in an animal modelof chronic temporal lobe epilepsy. Neuronal firingpatterns were analyzed using a network scienceapproach so that the roles of individual neurons, inrelation to groups of neurons, could be understood.Preliminary data from this analysis suggests thatepileptic hippocampi produce chains of neuronalfiring that involve more neurons than controlhippocampi. This indicates that there is an increaseof the connectivity of the neurons in epilepticbrains. Furthermore, there is evidence of abnormalconnections between neuron groups that do notexist in the non-epileptic brain. Together, thesefindings suggest that increased connectivity betweenneurons both in the traditional way, and in new ways,may lead to the development of seizure activity.

P O S T E R # 6 3

The Use of Vocalizations Duringa Motor TaskSamantha Agnese

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah BergerDepartment of Psychology

Infants reach critical motor and languagemilestones around 12 months. Cortical asymmetrydictates that the left side of the brain controls bothspeech processing and movement on the right sideof the body. If motor and language functionsdevelop in tangent during the first two years, wewould expect a relationship between vocalizationand side lateralization that supports a contralateralhypothesis.

Nine 13-month-old (female=6; M=12.97 months)walking infants (M=1.36 months experience)participated. At this age, infants typically experiencemajor changes in motor and language skills. Weexamined whether motor-language trade-offs arerelated to lateralization by coding hand and footpreference and the duration of vocalizations duringa goal-directed locomotor task.

We calculated side preference relative to amount ofvocalization exhibited during the task. Preliminarydata showed no significant relationship betweenvocalization duration and hand or foot sidepreference. However, this may be due to the smallsample size thus far, as results indicated that noinfants displayed a right-foot preference and theproportion of the task spent vocalizing was threetimes as much for “left-footers” (ppn=.27) thaninfants without a foot preference (ppn=.08). Forhandedness, more infants had a left-side preference(n=6) than right (n=2) or no preference (n=1). Left-handers vocalized more during the task (ppn=.19)than right-handers (ppn=.04) or infants without apreference (ppn=.01). This pattern suggests thatincreased activity in the left hemisphere duringlanguage acquisition may lead to a preferred left-sided motor activity preventing cognitive overload,which provides insight into how infants efficientlyaccommodate new cognitive skills.

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P O S T E R # 6 4

The Effects of TaurineSupplementation on ReversalLearning in Adult and AgedPigeonsSamantha Scicchigno

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Edward MeehanDepartment of Psychology

Nine adult and aged pigeons treated for six monthswith taurine, a neuro-protective GABAA agonist, intheir drinking water were compared to nine age-matched controls. Two schedules, one designed togenerate a high rate of response (a Fixed Ratio, FR30) and the other a low rate of response(Differential Reinforcement of Low rate, DRL 6s)were paired with two unique stimuli. After threesessions of training, the stimuli were reversed forthree sessions and therefore signaled the oppositeschedules. The stimuli were then returned to theoriginal contingencies for a final three sessions ofrecovery. This procedure was performed twice withtwo unrelated sets of stimuli. The null hypothesiswas confirmed; taurine treatment did not have aneffect on performance, although there was a trendfor the control group to perform better than thetaurine-treated group during reversal. We expectedbirds treated with taurine to show more successduring reversal and recovery, which requiredinhibition of previous learning, because of the roleof taurine in enhancing the longevity of GABAbased neurons, the primary inhibitory units of thecentral nervous system. This was the firstassessment in a 24-month experimental design onthe effect of taurine treatment on learning andmemory in pigeons of different ages.

P O S T E R # 7 0

Processing of an UnfamiliarLanguage in Children withAutism Spectrum DisordersMelice Golding & Aleksandra Makowska

Faculty Mentor: Drs. Bertram Ploog & PatriciaBrooksDepartment of Psychology

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)show deficits in social and communicative skills.Using a discrimination-choice procedure embeddedin a video game, we examined whether thesedeficits might be due to unusual patterns ofattention. Children listened to pre-recorded spokensentences varying with respect to content andprosody (intonation or emotional tone of voice).During training, children learned to select one oftwo sentences differing in both content andprosody (e.g., statement “Bob parked a van.” vs.question “Tim shut a door?”). Ploog, Banerjee, andBrooks (2009) reported that children with ASDwere accurate in perceiving the content andprosody of spoken English sentences, but, unlikechildren with typical development (TD), failed toprioritize content when presented with test foilscomprising recombinations of the content andprosodic features of the training sentences (e.g.,question “Bob parked a van?” vs. statement “Timshut a door.”). The present study was conducted totest whether similar differences in attention wouldbe observed between groups when sentences wereused that were meaningless to them (i.e., German).The participants, aged 5 to 17 years old, were 13children with ASD and 13 with TD. Preliminary resultsshow increased attention to content over prosodyin the TD group — i.e., replicating the same groupdifference observed with English sentences.

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P O S T E R # 7 2

The Effect of LocomotorExperience and Sleep on MotorLearningSumudu Waas

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah BergerDepartment of Psychology

Sleep plays an essential role in infants' growth,cognitive development and motor development.Growing evidence indicates that sleep facilitateslearning and memory formation and processing,thus aiding in the enhancement of problem-solvingskills. The aim of this study was to examine the roleof two factors, locomotor experience and sleep, oninfants’ problem-solving abilities.

Experiment 1 examined how infants’ locomotorexperience affected how they learned to solve anovel locomotor problem of navigating a tunnel toreach a goal. We compared infants in transitionfrom crawling to walking (n=5; mean age=12.64months) to new walkers (n=7; mean age=13.5months). Using the same tunnel task, Experiment 2examined the effect of sleep between training andtest sessions for new walkers. In both tasks, wemeasured how infants solved the problem, howlong it took them to solve it, and whether theyneeded a demonstration.

New walkers took longer to complete the task,needed more demonstrations, and had moredifficulty fitting their bodies into the tunnel thaninfants in transition. Moreover, infants took moretime, needed more demonstrations, and had moredifficulty fitting their bodies into the tunnel in thepre-nap condition compared to the post-napcondition, suggesting that sleep facilitated learning.

Thus, locomotor experience and sleep bothinfluence and enhance cognitive development.Studies such as these are crucial for identifying thefactors that contribute toward the development ofproblem-solving skills in infancy and the dynamicrelationship between them.

P O S T E R # 7 4

Investigating the Link BetweenSocial Behavior and Epilepsy inthe Naked Mole RatXavier Geoffroy


Social behavior requires the coordination ofmultiple brain systems in ways that we are onlybeginning to understand. One way to study whatbrain areas are involved in social behavior is todetermine what other behaviors correlate to socialability. Autism provides a well-studied example of adeficit in social behavior, which has other relatedbehavioral changes. It is defined by three features:lack of social reciprocity, disrupted verbal and non-verbal behaviors, and inflexible and repetitivebehaviors. There is also a high prevalence ofcomorbidity of epilepsy that accompanies autism;especially when the diagnosis is based on EEG. Weinvestigated the possibility that deficits in socialbehavior relate to stereotypical behavior andepileptic features in a highly social rodent species:the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber, NMR).The behavior of a colony of NMRs was observedusing video recordings. Some animals wereobserved to not participate in interactions withother members of the colony. Others exhibitstereotypical behaviors, including charging backand forth repeatedly, repeatedly walking into wallsof housing enclosure, and isolation to a particularcorner of housing enclosure. Other animalsengaged in aggressive behavior towards othercolony members. Next, neural activity from NMRhippocampal slices was recorded to determine theextent of epilepsy-like activity. These analyses werecompared to the level of social behavior for eachanimal in the colony to determine if social behavioris a useful predictor of stereotypical or aggressivebehavior or epileptic brain activity.

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P O S T E R # 7 8

Insufficient Safer Sex Promotionon the CSI CampusMichael Garcia, Angela Civitano & NeilFranco

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Irina A. SekerinaDepartment of Psychology

Insufficient Safer Sex Promotion on the CSICampus Previous research suggests that althoughsafe sex is promoted throughout residential collegecampuses, it is not the case at commuter campuses,such as the College of Staten Island, or CSI. Thepresent study investigates how it is being promotedthroughout the CSI campus, and how accessiblethis information was to students. The study consistsof two parts. First, 45 CSI students wereadministered a questionnaire that examinedwhether they know where to retrieve theinformation on safer sex on campus, how muchthey students know about safe sex in general, andwhat CSI is doing to help promote suchinformation on campus. Then we plan to perform aconcealed observation at the CSI Health Center andwill attempt to seek safe sex information there. Wepredict that despite the fact that the Health Centerexists on the campus, it is limited in itseffectiveness in promoting safer sex because CSIstudents simply do not know enough about theresources that available to them on the campusitself. Thus, the situation with safer sex promotionat CSI will not be any better than it was found forcommuter-style campuses. After the study iscomplete, we will be able to makerecommendations based on the students’perspective of what needs to be done to changethis situation for the better.

P O S T E R # 7 9

Measurements of Social Stressin the Naked Mole RatIlona Rabinovichlona, NoorelhodaMahmoud, Nan Sussman & DanMccloskey


The purpose of this project was to measurephysiological indicators of stress in the naked molerat. Naked mole rats provide a useful animal modelto study the stress response to social stressorsbecause 1) they are the most social of all rodentspecies, and 2) unlike most other rodents, theysecrete the same stress hormone as humans(cortisol). A number of social factors may have arelationship to stress levels in social rodentsincluding colony size, habitat organization andmaintenance, social isolation and exposure toanimals from other colonies. We measured all ofthese factors quantitatively by conducting anenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) forcortisol in blood, brain, fecal and urine samples.Our preliminary results suggest that fecal samplesprovide a an accurate way to asses naked mole ratcortisol levels in a non-invasive manner and thatsocial isolation, colony size, and the quality ofhabitat maintenance significantly alter cortisollevels. Subsequent analyses will compare thismeasure to measures of behavior patterns withincolonies.

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P O S T E R # 8

Children's Narrative Ability andtheir Socio-CognitiveUnderstanding of Jealousy:Effects of Age & Maternaldiscourse during MiddleChildhoodNorma Matos-Jackson, Nicole Kwoka,Naomi. J. Aldrich & Patricia J. Brooks

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Patricia Brooks andNaomi J. Aldrich Department of Psychology

Storytelling serves as an important cultural tool forexpressing socio-cognitive understanding. Researchthus far has primarily focused on children’s talk aboutpersonal experiences involving basic emotions (i.e.,happiness, sadness) with a complete lack ofevaluation of children’s understanding of complexemotions. From infancy, children experiencejealousy as a complex, negative emotion thatsymbolizes interpersonal rivalry. What remains tobe understood, however, is how children come tounderstand this complex emotion. The currentstudy examines children’s jealousy understandingas it relates to their narrative ability and the role ofmaternal discourse. Children (5- to 11-year-olds)and their mothers generated fictional narrativesabout jealousy, and were given a language abilitytest (PPVT). A test of emotion comprehension(TEC) and intellectual abilities (TONI) served asadditional assessments. Narratives were coded forcoherence, emotion expression, and thematicunderstanding of jealousy. Age-related differences inchildren’s emotion comprehension, language andintellectual abilities, coherence, emotion expression,and jealousy understanding were found. Mothersexhibited a greater understanding of jealousy andconstructed more involved narratives than theirchildren. Significant interrelationships were foundbetween children’s coherence, TEC, PPVT, and TONIscores, and maternal PPVT and coherence.Furthermore, children’s jealousy understanding waspredicted by both their own coherence and that oftheir mothers. The results have led to an increasedunderstanding of how children learn to talk abouttheir lives, their relationships, and the emotionsthey experience. Moreover, the findings will aide inthe development of ways to assist children whohave difficulties relating to others, especially totheir peers and siblings.

P O S T E R # 8 5

Behaviorally-Relevant Changesin Brain Development FollowingPrenatal Hypothyroidism in LongEvans RatsChristina Vicidomin


The thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) andtriiodothyronine (T3) are important factors inregulating metabolism, growth and developmentand cellular level functions such as cellproliferation, neuronal development, and synapseformation. In humans, prenatal insufficiencies inthyroid hormone (TH) have been correlated withirreversible neurological and psychiatric symptomsin offspring. This includes alterations in fetal braindevelopment, which is a strong predictor ofreduced IQ scores and deficits in memory andcognition. In previous experimental models ofdevelopmental hypothyroidism in rats, data hasrevealed a bilateral cellular heterotopia located inthe white matter of the corpus callosum. The sizeof this cortical malformation was found to berelated to maternal TH levels (Goodman & Gilbert,2007). In a previous study we have found that theoffspring of developmentally hypothyroid ratsshowed a dose dependent increase in corticalvolume on post-natal day (PND) 23 which resolvedon PND 86 when the rats were euthyroid (Briffa-Mirabella et al., 2012). The current study looksdeeper into the composition and behavioralconsequences of this cortical enlargement bystudying PND 23 rats after inducing maternal THinsufficiency (using doses of 0, 3, 10 ppm ofpropylthiouracil). Five animals per group wereconsidered by using immunohistochemicaltechniques and then collecting stereologicalmicroscope images to quantify the number ofcortical neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.This is important because increases in neuroncounts can account for hyperexcitability, anddecreases in myelination can cause cognitiondisruptions such as speech and memoryimpairment. Behavioral tests were also performedon the pups to determine levels of memory, spatial,and cognitive ability. If an increase in neuronaldensity is found in this study, these results may helpto explain the underlying problem in humandevelopmental hypothyroidism.

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P O S T E R # 2 5

Mental Health of ChildrenParticipating in a HIV PreventionProgramVanessa Garay

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Comfort B. AsanbeDepartment of Psychology

The study examined the mental health impact ofparental HIV infection on a sample of inner-citychildren who participated in an HIV preventionprogram. Thirty-one children between the ages of11-18 were recruited for the study from acommunity-based program in central Harlem, NewYork. Participants completed the Child BehaviorChecklists Youth Self-Report (CBCL-YSR) form toassess internalizing (depression, anxiety, somaticcomplaints) and externalizing (aggression,hyperactivity, oppositional defiant) behaviors and a20-item audio computer-assisted self-interview(ACASI) to assess risky behaviors. The data fromACASI are presented elsewhere as part of the largerstudy. This study hypothesized that (1) femaleparticipants would show higher scores oninternalizing behaviors than their malecounterparts and (2) older children would presentwith higher externalizing behaviors than youngerchildren. Preliminary data suggest a significant agedifference in conduct behavior problems, but nogender differences in internalizing behaviors. Thefindings have implications for youth mental health.

P O S T E R # 3 6

Dollars and Sense: Beliefs andvalues regarding the distributionof wealth and incomeMargarita Artemov

Faculty Mentor: Dr. John LawrenceDepartment of Psychology

This study investigated college students’perceptions of the distribution of wealth, income,and other resources in the United States. Studentparticipants were surveyed regarding the accuracyof their perceptions of the distribution ofresources, their preferences regarding how equallyresources should be distributed, and thediscrepancy between the two. METHODS: Two-hundred-and-fifty college students completed anonline questionnaire. The survey includedquestions regarding demographic information,perceptions of how resources such as income,wealth and other resources are distributed in theUnited States, as well as their preferences for howthese resources are allocated. RESULTS: On theaverage, participants greatly underestimated thelevel of inequality in the distribution of resourcesin the United States. With regard to theirpreferences, 70% of respondents preferred a moreequal distribution of resources than the currentdistribution in the United States. In addition,majority of participants preferred governmentfunded universal programs for childcare, healthcare,higher education, and retirement. CONCLUSIONS:Previous research indicated that social inequality isassociated with poor mental health, physical health,and social outcomes. As a nation, it will be difficultto address those issues unless people’s perceptionsof inequality become more accurate.

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P O S T E R # 4 4

Percussive Music and its Effectson Anxiety and DepressionMarcy Carr


The purpose of this study was to investigate therelationship between music of a more percussivenature and negative symptoms of anxiety anddepression. Specifically, we asked if music of a morepercussive nature would be effective in improvingnegative symptoms of anxiety and depression.Though previous research reveals a positivecorrelation between music therapy and alleviationof symptoms of anxiety and depression, there is alack of empirical research needed to establish acausal relationship between the two. In this study,14 men and 32 women were asked to follow a sixweek program of combined music listening andsurvey taking. These surveys measured feelings ofanxiety and depression. Survey analysis wasongoing throughout the entire six week periodwith total data analysis done at the end of the study.Results suggest that music of a more percussivenature did indeed have a positive effect on anxietyand depression. The information gleaned from thisstudy can be used by therapists to design moredisorder specific individual music therapyprograms for patients.

P O S T E R # 7 7

The Effect of Motivation on theChoice of Majors by CSI StudentAthletesStavroula Kafkis, Jessica A. Pillitteri &Nadir Sukalic

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Irina A. SekerinaDepartment of Psychology

It is commonly believed that students’ choice of amajor is based on motivation. For student athletes,it means an additional burden of balancing a heavyacademic workload with intensive participation ina specific sport. Accordingly, there is a belief thatstudent athletes at CSI are more confident in theirathletic skills, rather than their academic skills. Ifthis is the case, we would expect an associationbetween the fact that a status of an athlete and thechoice of a major. In particular, we predict thatstudents on the basketball team will choose majorsare widely perceived as easy at CSI compared tothe choices of students on the cheerleading team.We are conducting a survey We are conducting asurvey of approximately 15 questions to 30students asking a series of questions such as theamount of hours they put into their school work,what major they are enrolled in, and opinionquestions that will give us a solid understanding ofwhy students choose to participate in a sport whileattending college. We will also propose a way tomotivate student athletes to challenge themselvesby choosing a major that is more competitive.

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P O S T E R # 2 4

The Theory of Ephemeral Gains:The Affect of Monetary Gainsand Loss on Clinical AngerKatrina Hannan


Manus Midlarsky (2011) created the Theory ofEphemeral Gains to explain the origins of massviolence and political extremism. The Theory ofEphemeral Gains posits that when peopleexperience gains followed by loss, they becomeangry and are more likely to engage in and supportviolence. The present study tested the ephemeralgains theory by using a gains and loss manipulation.We hypothesized that ephemeral gains affectpeople’s level of clinical anger and support formilitary interventions abroad. Results show nosignificant main effects for anger or propensitytowards violence. However, we found a significantinteraction affect between groups and financialbackground on the Clinical Anger Scale. Those froma low economic status are the angriest and are mostwilling to use nuclear weapons abroad.

P O S T E R # 3

Children’s Socio-CognitiveUnderstanding of JealousyAngelica Grant, Nicole Kwoka, Naomi J.Aldrich & Patricia J. Brooks

Mentor: Ms. Naomi J. AldrichDepartment of Psychology

Children experience jealousy as a negative emotionsymbolizing interpersonal rivalry from as young as6-months of age. What remains to be understood,however, is how children come to understand thiscomplex emotion. Children’s socio-cognitiveunderstanding is established through emotionalunderstanding and perspective-taking ability, bothof which develop further during middle childhood.While narratives have been used to assesschildren’s socio-cognitive understanding, theprimary focus has been on children’s talk aboutpersonal experiences involving basic emotions (i.e.,happiness, fear), with the majority of researchbeing limited to preschoolers. Furthermore,perspective taking and the evaluation of complexemotions has largely been ignored in narrativeresearch. The current study examines children’s talkabout their jealousy experiences as it relates totheir emotion understanding and perspective-taking ability during middle childhood. Children (5-to 11-year-olds) generated personal narratives abouttheir jealousy experiences and were given tests ofemotion comprehension (TEC), perspective-taking,language (PPVT) and intellectual (TONI) abilities.Narratives were coded for jealousy type andemotion expression. Age-related differences inchildren’s emotion expression, jealousy type, andperspective-taking, language, and intellectualabilities were found. In addition, gender differencesin jealousy type were shown. Significantinterrelationships were found between children’sjealousy type, emotion expression, TEC, PPVT, andTONI scores, and perspective-taking ability. Thefindings provide an increased understanding ofhow children talk about their relationships andtheir emotional experiences. Furthermore, theresults will help in the development of ways tobetter support children who have difficulties intheir relationships with others, in particular withtheir siblings, caregivers, and peers.

Faculty Mentors

Undergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, andPerformance— Faculty MentorsF A C U L T Y M E N T O R D E P A R T M E N T P O S T E R

Naomi J. Aldrich Psychology 3,8

Jane Alexander Geology 99

Alejandra Alonso Biology 83,81,92,123

Ceasar Arenas-Mena Biology 94

Comfort B. Asanbe Psychology 25

Probal Banerjee Neuroscience 18, 80

Sarah Benesch English Paper 3

Sarah Berger Psychology 21, 63, 72,

Deborah Brickman Business 98

Patricia Brooks Psychology 8, 70

Gregory P. Cheplick Biology 82

Florette Cohen Psychology 11, 24, 44, 45, 46

Robert Craig Chemistry 15

Abdeslem El Idrissi Biology 4, 10, 113

Jimmie E. Fata Biology 65, 68, 73, 86

Richard Flanagan Political Science 76

Daniel Gagliardi Business 2

Patricia Galletta Business 6

Katherine Goodland English 7

Sara Rose Guariglia Biology 105, 106

Natacha Gueorguieva Computer Science 84

Samira Haj History Paper 4

Darryl Hill Psychology 35, 37, 59

Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry 28, 42, 48, 93

Susan Imberman Computer Science 16, 17

Daniel Kaplin Psychology 12, 20

David Keberle PCA 39

Judit Kerekes Education 121, 122

Sylvia Khan Music 51

Michael Kress Computer Science 40

Michal Kruk Chemistry 38, 103

William L'Amoreaux Neuroscience 119

John Lawrence Psychology 36

Richard Lufrano History Paper 1

Alan Lyons Chemistry 115, 116, 118, 120

Lisa Manne Biology 97

Alexei Matveev Business 22

Dan McCloskey Psychology 19, 61, 74, 79, 85

Edward Meehan Psychology 64

Frances Melendez Psychology 13

Fred Naider Biochemistry 81

Eugenia Naro Maciel Biology 14, 32, 41, 49

Laura Nowak Business 110

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Faculty Mentors

Undergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, andPerformance— Faculty Mentors by Department (cont.)

F A C U L T Y M E N T O R D E P A R T M E N T P O S T E R

Bertram O. Ploog Psychology 27, 70

Sebastien Poget Chemistry 34, 62, 87, 95

Andrew Poje Mathematics 114

Sarah Pollack World Langs & Lits 50

Krishnaswami Raja Chemistry 9, 54, 57

Emily Rice Engineering Sci and Physics 33

Lauren Rogers-Sirin Psychology 5, 26, 102, 107

Irina Sekerina Psychology 23, 29, 47, 60, 77, 78, 104

Chang-Hui Shen Biology 100

Patricia Smith-DeSilva English Paper 2

Susan Smith-Peters History Panel Discussion

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Student Scholars

Undergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, andPerformance—Student ScholarsP O S T E R # / S T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N T

1 Noorelhoda Mohmoud Nan Susman Psychology

2 Kelly Zaia Daniel Gagliardi Business

3 Angelica Grant Naomi J. Aldrich Psychology

3 Nicole Kwoka Naomi J. Aldrich Psychology

4 Kizzy Vasquez Abdeslem El Idrissi Biology

5 Anthony Spano Lauren Rogers-Sirin Psychology

6 Adejoke Adejoke Patricia Galletta Business

7 Justin Giles Katherine Goodland English

8 Norma Matos-Jackson Naomi Aldrich Psychology

8 Nicole Kwoka Patricia Brooks Psychology

9 Abdullah Chughtai Krishnaswami Raja Chemistry

10 Evelyn Okeke Abdeslem El Idrissi Biology

11 Ann Mackey Florette Cohen Psychology

12 Michael Dacunto Daniel Kaplin Psychology

13 Nicholas Gonzalez Frances Melendez Psychology

14 Deanna A. Frascona Eugenia Naro Maciel Biology

15 Mohammed Izmikna Robert Craig Chemistry

15 Kasandra Dorce Robert Craig Chemistry

15 Mohammed Sherwani Robert Craig Chemistry

15 Samira Izmikna Robert Craig Chemistry

16 Michael Cicero Susan Imberman Computer Science

16 Michael Vasquez Susan Imberman Computer Science

17 Michael Costantino Susan Imberman Computer Science

17 Konsantine Goudz Susan Imberman Computer Science

18 Anita Mata Probal Banerjee Neuroscience

19 Danielle Imbesi Dan McCloskey Psychology

19 Elaina Lei Dan McCloskey Psychology

19 Aleksandra Makowska Dan McCloskey Psychology

19 Kunzah Syed Dan McCloskey Psychology

20 Danielle Bohmer Daniel Kaplin Psychology

21 Christina Gioeli Sarah Berger Psychology

22 Sandy Sims Alexei Matveev Business

23 Nikki Fenton Irina Sekerina Psychology

23 Nicole Macri Irina Sekerina Psychology

23 Alana Glasse Irina Sekerina Psychology

24 Katrina Hannan Florette Cohen Psychology

25 Vanessa Garay Comfort B. Asanbe Psychology

26 Christie Refano Lauren Rogers-Sirin Psychology 85

Student Scholars

27 Yajaira Gil Bertram O. Ploog Psychology

27 Kimberly Olsen Bertram O. Ploog Psychology

28 Amy He Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry28 Kimmy Yu Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry28 Chun-Hui Xing Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry29 Juan Cardona Cardona Irina Sekerina Psychology30 Erica Zito Dick Veit Biology32 Seth Wollney Eugenia Naro Maciel Biology33 Daniel Feldman Emily Rice Engineering Sci and Physics34 Sarah James Sebastien Poget Chemistry34 Amanda McDonald Sebastien Poget Chemistry35 Christine Gerbino Darryl Hill Psychology36 Margarita Artemov John Lawrence Psychology37 Cristen Melfi Darryl Hill Psychology38 Ilona Stoyko Michal Kruk Chemistry38 Doriane Bouobda Michal Kruk Chemistry39 Joseph Marcellino David Keberle PCA40 Michael Costantino Michael Kress Computer Science40 Daniel Kurzweil Michael Kress Computer Science40 Alerick Hyland Michael Kress Computer Science40 Timothy Smolka Michael Kress Computer Science40 Brian Wong Michael Kress Computer Science40 Jonathan Parziale Michael Kress Computer Science40 Chris Savo Michael Kress Computer Science41 Jenna Pantophlet Eugenia Naro Maciel Biology42 Darya Sabarova Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry42 Monica Bassous Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry42 Chun-Hui Xing Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry43 Esia Yosupov Xiaowen Zhang Computer Science43 Pradip Karki Xiaowen Zhang Computer Science44 Marcy Carr Florette Cohen Psychology45 Mirette Misak Florette Cohen Psychology46 Melissa Solomon Florette Cohen Psychology47 Giana Abbruzzese Irina Sekerina Psychology47 Almis Ali Irina Sekerina Psychology47 Jessica Zito Irina Sekerina Psychology48 Rania Skaf Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry48 Monica Bassous Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry48 Chun-Hui Xing Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry49 Jarred Sutton Eugenia Naro Maciel Biology

Undergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, andPerformance—Student Scholars (cont.)

P O S T E R # / S T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N T

86

Student Scholars

50 Eimy Saldaña Sarah Pollack World Langs & Lits51 Ashley Gill Sylvia Khan Music53 Gennaro Liguori Alan Zimmerman Business54 Amram Averick Krishnaswami Raja Chemistry57 Frantz Pierre Toussaint, Jr. Krishnaswami Raja Chemistry59 Laura Hare Darryl Hill Psychology60 Andrea Adum Irina Sekerina Psychology60 Claudia Olender Irina Sekerina Psychology60 Daniella Plaksiy Irina Sekerina Psychology61 Sylvana Salama Dan McCloskey Psychology62 Matthew Emsak Sebastien Poget Chemistry63 Samantha Agnese Sarah Berger Psychology64 Samantha Scicchigno Edward Meehan Psychology65 Peter Hannon Jimmie Fata Biology66 Ahmed Hassan Xiaowen Zhang Computer Science67 Amina Huseinbegovic

-Jasarevic Alan Zimmerman Business68 Kaitlin Kelly Jimmie E. Fata Biology70 Melice Golding Bertram Ploog/Patricia Brooks Psychology70 Aleksandra Makowska Bertram Ploog/Patricia Brooks Psychology72 Sumudu Waas Sarah Berger Psychology73 Mino Abdelmessih Jimmie E. Fata Biology74 Xavier Geoffroy Dan McCloskey Psychology75 Syreita Lewis Ying Zhu Media Culture76 Robert Gibbs Richard Flanagan Political Science77 Stavroula Kafkis Irina Sekerina Psychology77 Jessica Pillitteri Irina Sekerina Psychology77 Nadir Sukalic Irina Sekerina Psychology78 Michael Garcia Irina Sekerina Psychology78 Angela Civitano Irina Sekerina Psychology78 Neil Franco Irina Sekerina Psychology79 lona Rabinovich Dan McCloskey Psychology79 Noorelhoda Mahmoud Dan McCloskey Psychology80 Joseph Inigo Probal Berger Chemistry81 Alina Kogan Fred Naider Biochemistry82 Lisa LaManna Gregory P. Cheplick Biology83 Thomas McCauley Alejandra Alonso Biology84 Byambadorj Dashdorj Natacha Gueorguieva Computer Science85 Christina Vicidomini Dan McCloskey Psychology86 Sophia Varriano Jimmie E. Fata Biology87 Kimberly Cruz Sebastien Poget Chemistry



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88 Isaac Osores Deborah Sturm Computer Science88 Cynthia Murrillo Deborah Sturm Computer Science89 Tilanga Fernandez Alexandru Voicu Political Science/Economics

and Philosophy91 Keerthiga Sivakumar Alejandra Alonso Biology91 David Njuguna Alejandra Alonso Biology92 Naeem Syed Alejandra Alonso Neuroscience93 Fatima Azhar Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry93 Wei Li Qiao-Sheng Hu Chemistry94 Tia Leung Ceasar Arenas-Mena Biology94 Jacob Madella Ceasar Arenas-Mena Biology94 Shireen Jayman Ceasar Arenas-Mena Biology94 Mihai Hajdu Ceasar Arenas-Mena Biology94 Alexia Downs Ceasar Arenas-Mena Biology95 Juby Panicker Sebastien Poget Chemistry96 Edward Peppe Deborah Sturm Computer Science97 Ella Viola Lisa Manne Biology98 John Troino Deborah Brickman Business99 Daniel Kurzweil Jane Alexander Geology100 Isma Butt Chang-Hui Shen Biology101 Maheen Razi Alan Zimmerman Business102 Yessica I Zegarra Lauren Rogers-Sirin Psychology103 George Farid Michal Kruk Chemistry104 Elena Rabinovich Irina Sekerina Psychology105 Lauren Overseem Sara Rose Guariglia Biology106 Derek Pisana Sara Rose Guariglia Biology106 Lauren Overseem Sara Rose Guariglia Biology106 Jullian Braccolino Sara Rose Guariglia Biology107 Alexandr Usov Lauren Rogers-Sirin Psychology108 Jonathan Parziale Deborah Sturm Computer Science109 Farah Abbasi Zhanyang Zhang Computer Science110 Katarzyna Pedzich Laura Nowak Business111 Kubra Shirazi Alan Zimmerman Business112 Christopher Savo Deborah Sturm Computer Science113 Simon Ng Abdeslem El Idrissi Biology114 Lucas Garber Andrew Poje Mathematics115 Mark Barahman Alan Lyons Chemistry116 Meagan Derbyshire Alan Lyons Chemistry117 Joshua Pabst Alan Zimmerman Business118 Brian Iskra Alan Lyons Chemistry

Student Scholars



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119 Christina Cuttitta William L'Amoreaux Neuroscience120 BiBi Ghafari Alan Lyons Chemistry121 Jaime Reilly Judit Kerekes Education122 Stacy Lefkowitz Judit Kerekes Education123 Lorraine Chawki Alejandra Alonso Neuroscience

1 Kori Elizabeth Tjornhom Richard Lufrano History2 Kelly Stern Patricia Smith-DeSilva English3 Sharifa C. Hampton Sarah Benesch English4 Kasuni Nanayakkara Samira Haj History5 Sarah Greis Bilge Yesil Media Culture

PANEL DISCUSSION Faculty Mentor: Susan Smith PetersDepartment of History

Ashley SimmonsAmanda HolbertMaria LagoNaisha Solomon



Research Paper Presentations—Student ScholarsP A P E R # / S T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N T

Student Scholars

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URC Committee

Committee Members DepartmentDr. Jane Alexander Engineering ScienceJanice Awerbach Design ServicesDr. Alan Benimoff PhysicsDr.Soon Chun BusinessDr.Florette Cohen PsychologyVictoria Cooper Macaulay StudentDeryn Cro Verrazano StudentDanielle Dmitrov Diversity and ComplianceTony Gallego Media ServicesDonna Garambone Alumni relationsDr. Ismael Garcia-Colon Sociology, Anthropology, and Social WorkManny Gonzales President's OfficeBetsy Greene Campus PlanningJohn Jankowski Center for the Arts Kevin Judge DramaDr.Cary Karakis Political Science, Economics, and PhilosophyDr.David Keberle Performing and Creative ArtsDr. Hosu Kim Sociology, Anthropology, and Social WorkDr. Maria Knikou Physical TherapyDr.Mark Lewis HistoryDr. Eugenia Naro-Maciel BiologyDebbie Mahoney Provost’s Office Salvador Mena Student AffairsDr.Nuria Morgado World Languages and LiteraturePaul Murtha Public SafetyDr. Andrew Poje MathematicsMark Polger Library Dr. Angela Sammarco NursingJennifer Staniere Performing and Creative ArtsJessica Stein Office of the Associate Provost for

Undergraduate Studies and Academic ProgramsKevin Storberg Student RepresentiveJoyce Taylor Web/TechnicalChris Tingue Center for International ServiceDr. Xiaowen Zhang Computer Science

ChairDr.Deborah Vess Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and

Academic Programs

For comments and questions contact:

Dr. Deborah VessAssociate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Academic ProgramsCollege of Staten Island2800 Victory Boulevard, Building 1A, Room 211D, Staten Island, New York 10314718.982.2558, [email protected]

The committee gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the many individualswho helped make this conference possible.

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