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IONA SCHOLARS DAYCelebrating Student Research at Iona College

The Seventh Annual

Meet Iona College Research Scholars

Save the DateTuesday, April 12, 2016

Iona College, Mulcahy Gymnasium

This program is supported by a generous donation from ConEdison.

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THE 7TH ANNUAL IONA SCHOLARS DAYTUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

9:30 - 10:15 a.m. Oral Presentation Session I:Public Perception of Class, Gender, and DisabilityHegarty Multipurpose Room, Hynes Athletics Center

10:20 - 11:10 a.m. Oral Presentation Session II:Language and Thought: Which Comes First?Hegarty Multipurpose Room, Hynes Athletics Center

11:15 - Noon Oral Presentation Session III:The BibleHegarty Multipurpose Room, Hynes Athletics Center

11 - Noon Poster Presentation Session I (Even-numbered posters)Mulcahy Gymnasium

Noon - 1 p.m. Participant LuncheonBurke Lounge, Spellman Hall

1 - 2 p.m. Poster Presentation Session II (Odd-numbered posters) Mulcahy Gymnasium

1 - 1:50 p.m. Oral Presentation Session IV:Engaging Difference in Arts and LettersFaculty Reception Room, Spellman Hall

2 - 2:50 p.m. Oral Presentation Session V:Ancient Greek and Roman HeroesFaculty Reception Room, Spellman Hall

2 - 3 p.m. Celebrating Performing Arts Scholarship:Exploring Theory and Creativity in Music and Dance Hegarty Multipurpose Room, Hynes Athletics Center

3 - 4 p.m. Reception and CelebrationBurke Lounge, Spellman Hall

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AN INVITE FROM THE PROVOST

Dr. Vincent J. Calluzzo, Interim Provost andSenior Vice President for Academic Affairs

On behalf of Iona College, I would like to extend an invitation to attend our annual Iona Scholars Day on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. What is Iona Scholars Day? It is a day of scholarship, research, and discovery. It is a day where Iona students present to the Iona community

their scholarly and creative work that they developed working alongside Iona faculty. It is a day where the interaction and accomplishment of student/faculty collaboration comes to life.

Please join us and experience how Iona students bring to life their charge to “Move the World.” You will witness a profound sense of community, which encourages academic inquiry, cultivates dedication, inspires new ideas, and pushes the bounds of innovative thinking. The day will showcase faculty-mentored student work, which allows students in all disciplines to recognize and appreciate each other’s work through oral presentations, panel sessions, performances, and poster presentations. These projects may be initiated as part of a course or as independent collaborations with faculty. It is a day that offers the Iona Community and our neighbors an opportunity to acknowledge the research and scholarship of our students and faculty.

I have highlighted four students amongst our exemplary scholars in the following pages. Read about their research projects, how their research has impacted them, and their future plans. This should give you a preview of our outstanding student-centered environment that translates into contemporary and competitive learning taught by qualified faculty that will help further develop the necessary skill sets which are requisites for success.

At Iona, we believe that learning is best achieved through collaboration, intellectual discourse, a clear vision, and a commitment to scholarship. These are essential components needed to move the world and drive advancement of knowledge and ingenuity. I am pleased to congratulate our researchers and scholars, presenting on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.

I sincerely hope you are able to join us for this special event and look forward to welcoming you to Iona College!

With best regards,

Provost Vincent Calluzzo

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RESEARCH SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT

Title of Research Project:“Investigation of synthetic membrane water permeability through the utilization of asymmetric droplet interface bilayers.”

Description: By establishing a synthetic bilayer through the contact of two aqueous droplets in immiscible oil solvent, water permeability may be measured as a property of the membranes we create. Moreover, by independently dispersing lipid vesicles in each droplet, we allow for the creation of a bilayer that is asymmetric in composition, which more efficiently models physiological conditions in homo-sapiens and beyond.

Value of Research:"Undergraduate research in the sciences at Iona has helped me to build the focus required to think critically and diligently. It allowed me to engage my academic interests in a completely different setting than the classroom, giving me a realistic set of expectations and experiences to assist me in my future work in the medical field."

Future Plans:“I have applied to several medical schools and am looking forward to enrolling for the fall 2016.”

Peter John Milianta ’16 DOUBLE MAJOR:BIOCHEMISTRY & PSYCHOLOGY

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Title of Research Project: “Thematic Relationship between the Literature of the Old Testament and the Qur’an’s, Fear of the Lord Jesus' Franchise Legacy: Dialoguing with John the Baptist.”

Value of Research:“Research give students the opportunity to explore, in depth, about something they are passionate about. If you spend a significant amount of time with the work, you give yourself the opportunity to look at work in numerous ways. Also, it gives you the chance to work closely and learn from another scholar. It is great to see how other people discover and gain insight from research.”

Future Plans:“I plan to do service work in the United States and then abroad through teaching and ministry. I will also continue to pursue a master’s degree in education and theology and ultimately a doctorate in theology.”

Ashley Hubaykah ’16Major: International Studies andReligious Studies; Double Minor:French and Spanish

RESEARCH SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT

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Title of Research Project:“Author Attribution Methodology as Applied to Thomas Paine Writings.”

Description: In this project, we use a combination of machine learning algorithms to improve upon past methods in determining the author of an unknown work. As the name suggests, the specific focus is on supporting or refuting works that have been attributed to Thomas Paine.”

Value of Research:"Undergraduate research at Iona has exposed me to challenges that I would not have had to grapple with in the usual classroom setting. Having had the privilege to work on cross-disciplinary research between computer science and both chemistry and the humanities, I have been able to see (and actually perform) the application of computer science to real-world problems. Research has forced me to use and further develop skills I have learned in the classroom."

Future Plans:“I'll be starting in the Engineering Residency program at Google next September.”

Sean Campbell ’16Major:Computer Science

RESEARCH SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT

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Title of Research Project: “Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions, and Actual Purchasing Patterns of GMOs among Consumers”

Value of Research:“Research allows you to dive deeper into your studies and give you invaluable insights. It challenges you to produce your best work, forces you to learn more about yourself, and gives you an edge against the competition in future endeavors.”

Future Plans:“Working a part time professional digital marketing job for a startup.I will also pursue a MBA at Iona next year.”

Cassandra Gill ’16Major: Marketing

RESEARCH SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT

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ORAL PRESENTATION SESSIONS Sessions I - III (Hegarty Multipurpose Room, Hynes Athletics Center)

Sessions IV - V (Faculty Reception Room, Spellman Hall)

Session I: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. – Public Perception of Class, Gender, and Disability

Moderator: Dr. Joshua Leon (Political Science) Presenters: Samantha Kienemund, "Attitudes Towards Mental Illness Portrayed in the Media" Shadaya McConneghey, "The Influence of Defendants’ Social Class and Age on Conviction decisions" Justin M. Ratchford, "Women in Hollywood" Session II: 10:20 - 11:10 a.m. – Language and Thought: Which Comes First?

Moderator: Dr. Alex Eodice (Philosophy) Presenters: Madeleine Bennett, “Thinking Before You Speak: Why Thoughts Precede Language” Caitlynn DeGennaro, “The Role of Language in Forming Higher Order Thoughts” Rebecca Riccardi, “Language and the Mind”

Session III: 11:15 - Noon – The Bible

Moderator: Dr. Rachana Umashankar (Religious Studies) Presenters: Julia O'Regan, “The Desired Strength In Women According to Homer and The Bible” Ceire Kealty, “The Image of Jesus Christ: A Transformative Journey” Christopher Gillen, “Who Do You Say That I Am?”

Noon - 1 p.m. – Lunch

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Session IV: 1 - 1:50 p.m. – Engaging Difference in Arts and Letters

Moderator: Dr. Timothy Lyle (English) Presenters: Madeleine Bennett, “Racial Prejudice and Assimilation in The Name Jar and American Born Chinese” Hannah Fasano, “Traversing an ‘Underground Railroad of Resources’: Janet Mock and the Politics of Sex Work" Megan Mitchell, “Re-Thinking How to Claim the Right to be Queer in Creative Non-Fiction” Ellen M. Segarra, “Nesting; or, the Making of Shori’s Village: Queering Kinship and Belonging in Octavia Butler’s Fledgling”

Session V: 2 - 2:50 p.m. – Ancient Greek and Roman Heroes

Moderator: Dr. Miles Beckwith (English) Presenters: Abigail Rapillo, “How the Greeks and Romans Saw Themselves” Megan Wood, “Socrates and Antigone”

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POSTER PRESENTATIONS Mulcahy Gymnasium, Hynes Athletics Center

Session I: 11 a.m. - Noon - Even Numbered Posters Session II: 1 - 2 p.m. - Odd Numbered Posters

PosterNo.

Presentation Title Presenters

1 Investigating Population Genetics of Asclepias Tuberosa (butterfly weed) in the United States

Sandybell Anorga, Constance Maurer, Vincent Cefola, Jordan Gilruth

2 Phenotypic Analysis os Several Calcium Signaling Mutants in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Laura Waldron

3 Cation Effects on Water Permeability of Biomimetic Membrane Formed in Lipid Interface Bilayer

Sue Ellen Evangelista,Melissa Morales

4 Influence of Intercalant on the Lipid Bilayer Membrane: Water Permeability Studies

Jake Villanova, Maria Lopez, Gabriella Di Domizio

5 Differential Scanning Calorimetry Studies of Phospholipid Membranes: Effects of Hofmeister Cations and Anions

Jacqueline Martinez

6 Effects of Cis and Trans Double Bonds on Lipid Membrane Properties

Jacqueline Denver, Alessandra Armetta

7 High-Throughput Crystallization in a Multiwell Microdevice

Peter Milianta

8 Ferritin and Its Emerging Applications in Nanomedicine

Mary Ellen Mangione

9 Examining Copper Pollution in the Biota of an Urban Estuary

Robert Sandoval, Gunnar Hansen, Erica Zhen

10 Determining the Thickness of Droplet Interface Bilayers from Capacitance Measurements using a Modified Electrophysiological Amplification Technique

Mick McGlone

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PosterNo.

Presentation Title Presenters

11 Replacing the Ruler: Developing Software to Increase the Accuracy and Speed of Measurements in the Lab

Geoffrey Cawley, Sean Campbell, Michael McGlone

12 Identification of Genes Involved in Heavy Metal Tolerance in Phragmites Australis

Aissatou Diallo, Constance Maurer, Nichole Walker

13 Evaluating Long-Term Changes in Tidal Wetlands, The Marshlands Conservancy, Rye, New York.

Carly Blesi

14 PCBs in the Hudson: To Dredge or not to Dredge

Chelsea Cunningham, Shannon Elmes, Arthur Nasinbene, Kaliene O’Halloran

15 Progressing Iona’s Campus For A Sustainable Future

Kevin King,Louis Luxenberg

16 Micro-Raman Studies of Direct Visualization of Water Transport in an Individual Aqueous Droplet

Kalen Sullivan, Samuel Braziel

17 Dabbling In Databases: Sonic Records Database

Eric Geiss,Jonathon Nosowitz

18 Yeast Cell Glycolytic Synchronization by Alteration of Metabolite Concentration

Ricardo Oliveira

19 Comparative Analysis of Mobile Programming Languages and Their Security Mechanisms for Insecure Data Storage and Unintended Data Leakage Vulnerabilities

Vanessa Santana

20 An Application for Analyzing the Frequency of Common Words in Children’s Books to Improve Literacy Learning Outcomes

Brandon Gratta, Chelsea Ramsingh, Nicole Gallagher, Sean Campbell

21 On the Simplification of Quantum Key Distribution Analysis

Walter Squires, Marie Kalb,Karl Engemann, Shane Murphy

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PosterNo.

Presentation Title Presenters

22 Validating Confidentiality of Personal Health Records in Cloud Services by Use of Access Control

Monica Suleiman

23 San Francisco Bay: Find a Solution for the Pollution

Anna Allison, Alexandra Arluna, Aisling Connolly, Crystal Lutchman

24 Five Million Years of Late Triassic Climate Change: Paleoenvironmental Analysis of ~2km of Continuous Core Samples from the Deep River Basin, North Carolina

Bianca Hudson

25 HDO Maps across Mars Yasir AlAnazi26 Mobile Permissions Analysis Walter Squires27 Talent - Employer Compatibility System Omar Iturbide28 The Nitrogen Crisis of Long Island Sound Christian Carstensen,

John Curzio II, Edward Mendez, Heather Valenzano

29 AI in Video Games: JPS+ with Subgoal Bounding Algorithm

Joshua Jay Espinosa

30 Ozone on Mars Near the Northern Summer Solstice

Jonathon Nosowitz, Elijah Ziobron

31 Comparison and Exploitation of Prominent Perimeter and Authentication Security Techniques for Hadoop and Big Data

Michael Brown

32 Exploring the Nexus Between Bilingualism and Biculturalism: An Ethnography

Aleksandra Popkowska

33 Perceived Attractiveness of Self and Others: Is it Linked to Money and Health?

Natalie Ziskin

34 Zebra Mussels: Just Around the Riverbend Stephen Gai,Nora Kennedy,Owen Tighe, Matthew Zampariolo

35 NY Subway System Database Melissa Gallagher, Kerri Sexton

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PosterNo.

Presentation Title Presenters

36 An Examination of Student Stress, Self-Esteem, Social Support, and Mindfulness

Andrea Ashcroft

37 Aligning Audiologists (and all Healthcare Professionals) with Communication

Jenna DeRosa, Lauren Keller

38 Exploring the Plausibility of a Network Model of the Mental Lexicon Using The English Lexicon Project Database

Alexa Rossi

39 An Investigation of E-mailing, Well-Being, and the Millennial Generation

Erin Raiola

40 Effect of Pet Therapy on Receptive and Expressive Language in Children

Leigh Musselman, KerryAnn Scirocco

41 Perception vs. Reality: Low-Calorie Beverages

Jasmyn Plasencia

42 Instructor and Student Led Review Sessions' Effects on Statistics Performance and Anxiety

Allison Beckmann

43 Exploring Racism and Sexism in a College Setting

Andrea Ashcroft

44 Revenge and Justice in Agamemnon and the Republic

Michael Coppola

45 Assessing the Foreign Exchange Regime of Officially-Floating Currencies

Bryan Donovan, Jason Seda

46 Female Composers of the Baroque Era Skye West47 Stress in College Students Rebecca Mathews48 The Effect of Habitual Gesture on Word

RetrievalMary Traub

49 World, New York, and All That Jazz Darya Khritankova50 When Online Dating Steps Away from

Computers: Does Communication Quality Suffer?

Diana Venturini

51 White Chicks Anthony Catinella52 Analyzing Gender in the Psycholinguistic

State of Mind of U.S. Born Heritage Speakers of Spanish

Rebecca Riccardi, Yaritza Ayala, Victoria Pineyro

53 Investigating the Presence of NSSI on Social Media Sites

Ashley Tigershtrom, Laura Waldron

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PosterNo.

Presentation Title Presenters

54 External Influences on Supreme Court Decision Making

Joseph Robinson

55 Do Mental Health Applications Really Work? Reviewing the Efficacy and Future of Mobile Technologies in Treatment.

Nicole Sarnataro, Amanda Gomes

56 Creative Outreach: Collaboration in Dance Education between the Iona College Dance Program and the Success Center

Andrea Ashcroft, Elizabeth Sangalli

57 Examining the Mental Representation of the Definite Article System in Haitian-Creole Among U.S. Born Heritage Speakers

Valery Gabriel

58 Chemistry Meets Choreography: A Reflective Examination of Interdisciplinary Creative Process

Andrea Ashcroft, Elizabeth Sangalli

59 Contemporary Controversies:Today’s Sufism

Kade Lamontagne, Anne Sementilli, Andrew Tario

60 Modern Racial Integration and Comprehension on a College Campus

Ashley Knight

61 The Art of a Champion: How to Assemble a Winning Team in Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association

Ian Sacks

62 Masculinity and Status: On the Correlation Between Personality Traits, Motivation, and Career Choice in Undergraduate Students Majoring in Criminal Justice

Marie Kalb

63 The Veracity of the Statement of Functional Expenses on the Form 990

Ellen Kulangara

64 The Future of Christianity's Survival in Iraq and Syria

Ashley Hubaykah

65 The Prioritization of Maternal and Early Childhood Nutrition in Food Aid to Haiti

Jordan Courage

66 Cops' Take on Cop Shows Kayla Coughlin67 Potential Impacts of the Trans-Pacific

Partnership on Human Rights in Partner Countries

Natalie C. Bowman

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PosterNo.

Presentation Title Presenters

68 Discrimination Against Syrian Refugees Lambriani Savvidis69 Considering Dialectal Differences While

Assessing Children's LanguageTiffany Henderson

70 Live Your Passion, Lose Your Rights: The Olympic Games and Human Rights Violations

Thomas Severin

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CELEBRATING PERFORMING ARTS SCHOLARSHIP: Exploring Theory and Creativity in Music and Dance

2 - 3 p.m.(Hegarty Multipurpose Room, Hynes Athletics Center)

The program focusing on the scholarship and creative activity of the student in the Fine and Performing Arts Department will include a range of works from traditional historical and action research to original compositions and choreography as well as performance.

Iona College Dance Program(all scholarship/creative works mentored by Dr. Hannah Park):

Pedagogical Research –Poster Presentations: Elizabeth Sangalli, Andrea Ashcroft – “Creative Outreach: Collaboration in Dance Education between the Iona College Dance

Program and the Success Center”

Qualitative Research: Elizabeth Sangalli, Andrea Ashcroft - “Chemistry Meets Choreography:

A Reflective Examination of Interdisciplinary Creative Process"

Original Choreographic Works: “Unshaken” Performed by Elizabeth Sangalli, Andrea Ashcroft Music: “Legions (War)” by Zoe Keating

“Lipid Membranes” (work-in-progress title) Performed by ICDE dancers Music: TBA Chemistry Research Concept Contributors: Dr. Sunghee Lee with her Project Symphony Lab Student Members

“Heart Songs” Performed by Michelle Migliaccio Music Score: Suite for Flute and Piano Op. 116: 1. Allegro by Goddard

Live music provided by Dr. Carol Shansky and Natalie Bowman ‘16 This piece showcases the collaboration between the music and dance

programs.

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Iona College Music Program(all scholarship/creative works mentored by Dr. Carol Shansky):

Historical Research: Skye West – Poster Presentation: Female Composers in the Baroque Era

Student Solo Performance: Rebecca Bone: “Concerto, Op. 74, No. 2” by C.M. von Weber

Original Compositions: Devon Thomas: “Escapade in Time” Original work for solo piano

Gregory Potempa: “The Joyful Escape” Original work for the Iona College Instrumental Ensemble

Rebecca Bone: “Die Moldau an Halloween: ICIE Scherzo” Original work for the Iona College Instrumental Ensemble

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98 PRESENTING SCHOLARS78 High Schools

30 Transfer Students

This Years’ Scholars Attended the Following High Schools

Academy of Mount St. UrsulaAdrian C. Wilcox High SchoolAlbany AcademiesAll Hallows High SchoolAmityville Memorial High SchoolArchbishop Molloy High SchoolAverill Park High SchoolBerlin High SchoolBishop Loughlin Memorial High SchoolBronx High School for Law and

Community ServiceBronx High School of ScienceBurnt Hills—Ballston Lake High SchoolCardinal Spellman High SchoolCarmel High SchoolCathedral High SchoolCentral Islip High SchoolChapel School—BrazilChristian Brothers AcademyClarkstown High School NorthCollegiate Institute for Math and ScienceCommack High SchoolCommunity ServiceConnetquot High SchoolCranford High SchoolDel Oro High SchoolDominican AcademyDumont High SchoolDwight SchoolFairfield College Preparatory SchoolFordham Preparatory SchoolGreenwich High SchoolHenry D. Sheldon High SchoolHenry P. Becton Regional High SchoolHigh School for Environmental StudiesHolland Patent Central High SchoolHomewood-Flossmoor High SchoolHorace Greeley High SchoolJohn F Kennedy Catholic High SchoolKellenberg Memorial High SchoolMahopac Hich SchoolMamaroneck High SchoolMassapequa High SchoolMaria Regina High School

Mercy High SchoolMonroe-Woodbury High SchoolNew Hope-Solebury High SchoolNew Rochelle High SchoolNewfield High SchoolNewington High SchoolNorth Rockland High SchoolNorthern Valley Regional High SchoolNorthwest Catholic High SchoolNorthwestern Regional High SchoolNotre Dame Preparatory SchoolNutley High SchoolOur Lady of Mercy AcademyPearl River High SchoolPomperaug High SchoolRamapo High SchoolRiver Dell Regional High SchoolRoswell High SchoolRye High SchoolSacred Heart AcademySaint Francis Preparatory SchoolSanford H. Calhoun High SchoolSebastian River High SchoolSeton Hall Preparatory SchoolShaker High SchoolSouthington High SchoolSt. Raymond High School for BoysStamford High SchoolStaples High SchoolTappan Zee High SchoolTampa Catholic High SchoolThe Albany AcademiesThe Mary Louis AcademyThe Ursuline SchoolTrumbull High SchoolTuckahoe High SchoolValhalla High SchoolValley Stream North High SchoolWallkill Senior High SchoolWalt Whitman High SchoolWashingtonville High SchoolWest Seneca West Senior High School Yonkers Middle-High School

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Move the World.