In 2012, a new emphasis on student research led to a name change to Transformations: A Student Research and Creativity Conference. It is through the process of research and creative activity that we make discoveries that produce new knowledge and understandings that transform our disciplines. The world around us can be transformed through meaningful applications of this new knowledge, and we can transform students’ lives by providing them with opportunities to participate in original research and creative projects.
A highlight of the academic year, this event focuses on student research, which is defined as an original investigation or creative activity through the primary efforts of a student or group of students. The work should show problem-solving skills and demonstrate new conceptual outcomes. We are encouraged and invigorated by the increasing level of student research that we are seeing and understand that it is only possible through the ongoing efforts of faculty who provide leadership and mentoring.
Generally, the event begins with a keynote address that is followed by presentations and poster sessions. In addition to attendance by members of the campus community, invitations are extended to area high schools, our elected representatives and to the Cortland community at large.
Support for Transformations has been provided by the President's Office and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Office. Special thanks to the Student Alumni Association for providing volunteers.
Thursday, April 25, 2024, 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Sperry Center, Room 104, Lecture Presentation
2024 Dr. Peter DiNardo ’68 and Judith Waring Outstanding Achievement in Research, Award Recipient and Keynote Speaker, Dr. Kevin Dames, Associate Professor, Kinesiology Friday, April 26, 2024, 10:20 – 11:20 AM
Bowers Hall, Contributed Talks I
Session 1 – Room 339: General Interest
Moderator: Erin Morris, Sport Management
Presentation 1 Title: Using Exercise to Reduce the Physical Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
Student Presenter(s):
Isabella Granahan, Exercise Science
Aveleen McGinn Unkauf, Exercise Science
Jason Hoffman, Exercise Science
Emma Gillis, Exercise Science
John Catapano, Exercise Science
Presentation 2 Title: Identifying TTX Producing Bacteria in Bipalium kewense and Bipalium adventitium
Student Presenter(s): Elizabeth DuBois, Biology
Presentation 3 Title: Celebrating HOLI – A Festival of Colors on Campus
Student Presenter(s):
Grace Buscemi, Therapeutic Recreation
Alexamder Cantone, Recreation Management
Julian Deroziere, Recreation Management
Abigail Gibson, Recreation Management
Joseph Kane, Outdoor Recreation
Abigail Loiselle, Therapeutic Recreation
T’ziah Owens, Recreation
Carlene Palmer, Recreation
Sophia Royce, Therapeutic Recreation
Natalie Witt, Social Philosophy
Su Mon Aye, Recreation
Presentation 4 Title: The Dynamics of Particles Around Upside Down Black Holes
Student Presenter(s): Angel Chauca Rosendo, Physics and Mathematics
Session 2 - Room 1119: The European Union as a Global Actor
Moderator: Scott Moranda, History
Presentation 1 Title: European Union’s EU Policy Regarding Ukraine and Moldova and Migration
Student Presenter(s):
Joshua Bates, History
Ava Graziano, Community Health
Layla Myers, International Studies
Andrada Rat, International Studies
Presentation 2 Title: European Union’s Strategy in the Indo-Pacific Region
Student Presenter(s):
Sarah O’Connor, International Studies
Asha Younas, International Studies
Donald Bosman, International Studies
Presentation 3 Title: European Union’s Policy in the Arctic
Student Presenter(s):
Emma Efing, History
Victoria Quick, International Studies
Session 3 - Room 1213: Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase
Moderator: Maria Timberlake, Foundations and Social Advocacy
Presentation 1 Title: Mental Health and Well Being Among College Based EMS (CBEMS) Providers
Student Presenter(s): Kyla Young, Biomedical Sciences
Presentation 2 Title: The Effects of Acute Mountain Illness on the Human Body
Student Presenter(s): Rachel Romero, Exercise Science
Presentation 3 Title: The Books that Bind: Analyzing Banned Book Effort’s Effect on Public Education
Student Presenter(s): Emma Stack, Adolescence Education
Presentation 4 Title: Using Commercial Soil Testing Kits to Understand the Effects
Student Presenter(s): Ryan Baumgartner, Archaeology
Presentation 5 Title: Resolving Commingling and the Identification of Human Remains at the State University of New York at Cortland
Student Presenter(s): Caleigh Pfalzer, Criminology and Anthropology
Friday, April 26, 2024, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Bowers Hall, First Floor Lobby, Poster Session A
Logan Streety – Prevalence of Mental Health Issues in Division III Athletes
Audrey Cozine – Effects of Invasive Jumping Works on Native Vegetation’s Above and Belowground Growth
Michael Catoggio – Kinetic Investigation of Short Chain Dehydrogenase Reducatases
Sean Zupko – Characterization of Novel Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase Using a Structure-Function Approach
Dwayne Jones and Adrianna Calangelo – Use of Genetically Altered Cells to Detect Volatile Chemicals
Edie Russo – The Effects of Cellularly Dynamics of Flower size Throughout Development of Nocitiana Section Repandae Polyploids
Shalise Hill – Effects of Nutrient Restriction on Productive Responses in Early Lactation Ewes
Khi Atchinson – The Most Stretched Quartz in the World
Andrew Kidder – Land Cover Change Analysis of Restoration of the North Aral Sea, Kazakhstan, 2000 to 2014
Bryanna DeAngelis – The Relationships Between Parental and Youth Physical Activity Behaviors and Perceptions
Aydan Coughlin – Mindfulness and Problematic Internet Use: The Moderating Role of Stress
Emily Grucello – Social Media Usage and Tendency to Conform Among College Students
Mackenzie Dickman and Sophia Pugsley – The Impact of Internet Access on the Strategies Used to Malinger Dissociative Identity Disorder
Hannah Goodwin, Jordan King, Emma Miraglia, Mareangela Servedio, Ava Roper, Luke Pelchar and Joseph Defeo – The Effect of Environmental Enrichment on Nicotine-Primed Ethanol Consumption in Adolescent Female Rats
Madison Hodges – GIS Analysis of Redlining on Urban Forest Composition in New York City
Rachel Curatolo – Taylor Swift and her Midas Touch: A Case Study for Sustainable Action Opportunities in Moments of Economic Boon
Blandine Aussant – Analyse CIG de la Fumee Noire and du Carbone Provenant des Feux de Forets Quebequois dans l’Etat de New York en 2023
Friday, April 26, 2024, 12:40 – 1:40 PM
Bowers Hall, Contributed Talks II
Session 1 – Room 1119: Interns Reveal Secrets of the Past and Present
Moderator: Sharon Steadman, Anthropology
Presentation 1 Title: Lessons Learned: Managing an Archeology Lab
Student Presenter(s): Grace Beauchamp, Archaeology
Presentation 2 Title: Ancient Diets: Archaeobotanical Techniques
Student Presenter(s):
Janet Martinez, Archaeology
Anna Tanzman, Archaeology
Presentation 3 Title: The Real Work after Fieldwork: Old Harbor, Alaska
Student Presenter(s): Kathryn Cosman, Archaeology
Presentation 4 Title: Exhibiting Global Ways of Life in the Brooks Museum
Student Presenter(s):
Joel Krick, Anthropology
Corra Smyntek, Anthropology
Session 2 – Room 1120: In Search of Fatmax: Controlled Settings, Field Testing, and Future Considerations
Moderator: Erik Lind, Exercise Science
Presentation 1 Title: Walking for Pleasure, Burning the Fat: Subjective Responses Approximate to Maximal Fat Oxidation Intensities
Student Presenter(s): Madison Heffern, Exercise Science
Presentation 2 Title: Fuel Utilization During Inclined Walking on a Normal Treadmill Compared to a Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill
Student Presenter(s): Mary Savi, Exercise Science
Presentation 3 Title: Alter(in)G My Zone: Investigating a Maximal Fat Oxidation Protocol in Athletic Females
Student Presenter(s): Eric Thomas, Exercise Science
Presentation 4 Title: Where is My Fatmax? Field Testing of Fuel Utilization at Zone 2 Exercise Intensity
Student Presenter(s): Natalie Aquino, Exercise Science
Session 3 – Room 1213: Elderly and at Risk: A quantitative Study on Financial Scam Vulnerability
Moderator: Kathleen Burke, Economics
Presentation 1 Title: Social Media and Its Negative Impacts on Adults
Student Presenter(s): Intaek park, Psychology
Presentation 2 Title: Foreign Language Learning Motivation in the U.S. Public School System
Student Presenter(s): Ryan Lerner, Spanish
Presentation 3 Title: Beyond Rainbows: Silent Revolution in Queer Expressions Beyond Western Binaries
Student Presenter(s): Isabella Scala-Palladino, Social Philosophy
Friday, April 26, 2024, 1:50 – 2:50 PM
Bowers Hall, First Floor Lobby, Poster Session B
Bailee Guernsey – Physiological Responses of Monkeyface Pricklebacks (Cebidichthys Violaceus) to Temperature Increases
Bradley Blake – Using Random Mutants to Study Legionela Micdadei Biofilms
Alyssa Perrino – Developing PCR Protocols to Discern Genes Associated with the Production of Flavonols Within Nicotiana Section Polydicliae Prolyploids
Brooke Tillotson – The Development of a PCR Protocol to Study the Genes Responsible for Creating Floral Anthocyanins in Nicotiana Clevelandii and N. Quadrivalvis Allopolyploids
Cole Mura and Ava Miranov – Mechanisms of Fission and Regeneration in the Terrestrial Planarian Bipalium Kewense
Angel Alicea-Morales – Unveiling Campylobacter Jejuni’s Pathogenicity: Insight into AspA Enzyme and Potential Therapeutic Targets
Mason Blake and Anthony Cawley – The Role of Sport and Exercise Science in Sports Coaching: Perspectives and Practices
Anna Stahurski – Exploring Attitudes and Views of Nature of Science Among First Semester Students in an Introductory Science Class for Future Teachers
Ella Kelly – Exploring the Project Approach and Reggio Emilia and their Approach to Literacy
Sara Brown, Jordan King, Gabriela Solis, Miranda Aldrich and Sebastian Patino – An Exploration of the Link Between Antagonism and Identity Pathology
Sasha Machmuller, Alyssa Wicks and Malana Booker – A Content Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence in the Television Show Euphoria
Katharine Rudelic, Emily Sommer and Alexa Suero – Examining the Validity of a Measure of Sentence Construction Among Elementary-Age Students
Joseph Vaglio – UV-vis and Fluorescence Spectra of Disubstituted Phenylbenzo[d] 1,3,2-diazaboroles
Sarah Kono, Dustine Isso and Christopher Faherty – Effects of Polymer Additives in Amorphous Pharmaceuticals
Alexander Rash – Synthesis of 2-phenyl-5-Benzo[d] 1,3,2-diazaborole Analogues
Kuba Szulejko – IPN Synthesis
Friday, April 26, 2024, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Bowers Hall, Contributed Talks III
Session 1 – Room 1120: Student Research in Anthropology
Moderator: Hollis Miller, Anthropology
Presentation 1 Title: A Historical Perspective on the Pollution of Onondaga Lake
Student Presenter(s): Haley Tanner, Anthropology
Presentation 2 Title: Historical Ecology of Onondaga Lake: Flora and Fauna
Student Presenter(s): Olivia Morrison, Anthropology
Presentation 3 Title: Recreational Use of Onondaga Lake
Student Presenter(s): Ronde Wood, Anthropology
Presentation 4 Title: Onondaga Lake Cleanup Efforts
Student Presenter(s): Jennifer Baker, Anthropology and Sociology
Presentation 5 Title: Measuring the Effectiveness of NAGPRA in New York State Institutions
Student Presenter(s): Caleigh Pfalzer, Anthropology and Criminology
Session 2 - Room 1129: General Interest
Moderator: Hilary Wong, Library
Presentation 1 Title: Approaches to the Synthesis of Photocleavable and Membrane Permeable APPPI, an Andogeneous Inhibitor of the Mitochondrial ATP/ADP Translocase
Student Presenter(s): Sophia Boccio, Biochemistry
Presentation 2 Title: Base-promoted Synthesis of Phosphate Esters from H-phosphonates
Student Presenter(s): Tazio Cutrona, Biochemistry
Presentation 3 Title: Response of Stress Related Genes in Eastern Oysters Exposed to Plastic Leachate
Student Presenter(s): Makiah Poli, Biology
Presentation 4 Title: Examining Evolutionary Pressures on Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway Genes in Nicotiana Species with Different Flower Colors
Student Presenter(s): Abigail McCoy, Biomedical Sciences
Session 3 – Room 1213: Histories of Sports, Empire, And Nationalism in the UK and Ireland
Moderator: Scott Moranda, History
Presentation 1 Title: Was Tennis Irish Enough? Women’s Tennis and Irish Nationalism
Student Presenter(s): Emma Efing
Presentation 2 Title: Beyond the Bell: Jack Johnson’s Pursuit to Redefine Racial Dynamics in the British Empire
Student Presenter(s): James Dobbins, History
Presentation 3 Title: Constructed Irish Nationalism: Depicting Irish Identity from 1900 – 1930 through Dance, Gender, and Nationalism
Student Presenter(s): Anna Verwij, History and Adolescence Education
Presentation 4 Title: Differing Perspectives on the Gaelic Athletic Association at the End of the Troubles in Northern Ireland
Student Presenter(s):Colin Aleci, History and Adolescence Education
Friday, April 26, 2024, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
The Writing Gala
Dowd Fine Arts Gallery
