Digital Commons Network^™

Recovering The Lost Art Of Medicine: A Role For Ignatian Spirituality, Cecilia Motherway

College Honors Program

Throughout history, medicine or healing has been deeply associated with religion and spirituality, from the ancient Greek healing god Asclepius to the medieval monastic medical tradition and beyond. This lies in their common cause: addressing the vulnerability of our human existence. Humanity has long recognized that our suffering and death raise existential questions concerning our mortality that may require perspectives greater than biology and rationality can provide. However, at the turn of the 20th century, as medical technology rapidly advanced, raising the average global life expectancy by decades, the medical field removed all non-scientific, non-secular influences to position itself as …

Development Of Edna Tools For Biomonitoring, Stella Grondin, Anthony Aldana – Mendez

Biology Student Scholarship

Stella Grondin ’27, Biology major

Anthony Aldana – Mendez ’27, Biology and Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Markert, Biology

Effects Of Integrated Pest Management On Honey Bee Behavior And Colony Level Health, Kaitlyn Bresnahan

Biology Student Scholarship

Kaitlyn Bresnahan ’25, Biology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

Honey bees face threats from many directions, but the most pressing is the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. One popular method of combatting Varroa is adding drone comb which forces the colony to raise larger, mite-preferred male bees. While this method reduces mite numbers, it may add unnecessary colony-level stress. My research investigates how forcing the hive to raise drones for mite management affects honey bee population growth and foraging behavior. This was accomplished by estimating adult bee population and area of drone brood, and by examining foraging behavior of …

Quantifying The Relationship Between Biomass And Edna​, Andrew K. Hogan

Biology Student Scholarship

Andrew K. Hogan ’27, Environmental Biology and English Literature major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Markert, Biology

In this project, we compared eDNA concentration in water to the biomass of present creatures and the time the eDNA in each sample took to decay. With this data, standard curves for both variables can be created and can be used for future experiments and field research. This data will give researchers a greater level of understanding about what animal populations might look like based on the eDNA obtained.

2025-04-23 Seattle U Food Pantry Aims To Destigmatize Hunger, Tristan Scott

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Writing Confidence: Tutoring, Identity, And Race—A Mixed-Methods Approach, Daniel Messier, Hadi Riad Banat

The Writing Center Journal

This mixed-methods study sought to better understand how confidence in writing and race interact as factors within writing centers. Students utilizing our writing center were asked to provide data about racial identity and writing confidence both when registering with the writing center and when completing postsession surveys. From this data, we interviewed a racially representative pool of respondents to better understand their definitions of confidence and the identity factors that have shaped their confidence in writing. Our survey data showed that students’ confidence increased significantly as a result of a writing center session, replicating previous writing center research. Furthermore, we …

Discovery, Purification And Annotation Of Four Novel Mycobacteriophages In New England, Mason Krawczynski

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Mason Krawczynski ’26, Biology and Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Kathleen Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria of the Mycobacterium genus. Several thousand mycobacteriophages have been discovered, isolated, and characterized to advance the current understanding of their genomic diversity. The mycobacterium phage selection proves valuable, as they have a broad host range and potential for therapeutic application to treat pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant mycobacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis infection. Kraw was isolated from a soil sample collected in Oaks Bluff, Massachusetts, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in July 2023. FairyPath, Calvinny, …

Tools For Harnessing Atropisomerism In 1-Aryl-Β-Carbolines, Cristina Díaz, Malaquias Loiza, Josef Crenshaw, Brian Ladino, Elizabeth Perda, Alma Martinez, Joseph Mazzucca, John Stathoulopoulos

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Cristina Díaz ’25, Chemistry major

Malaquias Loiza ’26, Biochemistry major

Josef Crenshaw ’28, Biochemistry major

Brian Ladino ’28, Biochemistry major

Elizabeth Perda ’26, Biochemistry major

Alma Martinez ’26, Biochemistry major

Joseph Mazzucca ’25, Biochemistry major

John Stathoulopoulos ’26, Chemistry major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Seann Mulcahy, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Axially chiral molecules with high barriers to rotation are becoming increasingly more prominent in drug discovery, chemical biology, and materials science. We have shown that 1-aryl-β-carbolines exhibit high configurationally stability, with barriers to rotation greater than 30 kcal/mol and have recently disclosed an asymmetric synthesis of these molecules. In this presentation, we …

Discovery, Purification And Annotation Of A Novel Mycobacteriophage Discovered On The Providence College Campus, Jenna Greene

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Jenna Greene ’26, Biochemistry major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Kathleen Cornely, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—offer a promising alternative to antibiotics in the face of rising antibiotic resistance. In this project, I isolated a novel phage from a soil sample collected in front of Raymond Dining Hall at Providence College. Using Mycobacterium smegmatis as the host, the sample underwent multiple rounds of purification until a single phage, named GMonster (a nod to my family nickname, “Greene Monster”), was isolated. GMonster was submitted to the PhagesDB database and confirmed through sequencing to belong to the A1 cluster—the first of its …

Exploring An Electron-Rich Iron Tricarbonyl Complex Containing An Α-Diimine Ligand, Joseph Maher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Scholarship

Joseph Maher ’25, Chemistry major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Maria Carroll, Chemistry and Biochemistry

The combustion of fossil fuels increases atmospheric CO2, making hydrogen a promising cleaner energy alternative. Pt has been able to facilitate this reaction efficiently, however, it is expensive and scarce. Fe has shown promise in facilitating 2-electron transfers when bound to redox-active ligands. Reacting the redox-active CyDABMe with benzylidene acetone iron tricarbonyl (bdaFe(CO)3) forms Fe[CyDABMe](CO)3, with vCO values ~10 cm-1 lower than FeArDABMe(CO)3, indicating increased electron density. The reduction potential of CyDABMe was probed using Zn[CyDABMe]Cl2, showing a reduction at 200 mV more negative than Zn[ArDABMe]Cl2. X-ray …

Anxiety- And Compulsivity-Linked Differences In Reinforcement Learning In A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Game, Tessa Medeiros

Neuroscience Program Student Scholarship

Tessa Medeiros ’26, Biology & Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Andra Geana, Psychology and Neuroscience

Reinforcement learning (RL) mathematically describes how agents learn to maximize the reward of their environment by understanding and comparing their choice options. This project investigates how anxiety and compulsivity impact the selection of these options and to what extent a text-based, narrative (rather than a game-like environment) changes RL processes in humans.

Sample Preparation And Acquisition Strategies To Improve Accessibility And Proteome Depth In Single-Cell And Low-Input Proteomics, Sara Madisyn Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are responsible for important cellular functions and processes including regulation, structural integrity, signaling, transport, and immune functions. Proteomics directly identifies these proteins and enables deeper characterization of the dynamic cellular environment beyond the capabilities of genomics and transcriptomics. Single-cell proteomics further enhances this approach by capturing cellular heterogeneity, which bulk proteomics obscures due to averaging protein expression across large cell populations. Despite significant advances in single-cell proteomics, continued innovation is necessary to increase workflow accessibility and throughput, minimize peptide losses, and achieve comprehensive coverage of the proteome. This dissertation addresses these challenges by developing improved sample preparation methods, two-dimensional …

Assessment In Conversational Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Investigating The Incremental Value Of Dialogue Moves In Electronixtutor, Colin M. Carmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In conversation-based intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), the student is asked challenging questions and there is a multiturn conversation between the computer tutor and the student in constructing an answer to the question. The initial student response after the question provides some information on what the student knows, whereas follow-up contributions of the student presumably extract more of what the student knows. This dissertation investigates the incremental value of follow-up dialogue moves in a conversation-based ITS, specifically ElectronixTutor, a prototype system that has been used in U.S. Navy electronics training. The research addresses two key questions: (1) What is the added …

Using Enviromental Dna To Detect And Quantify Atlantic Silversides In Rhode Island, Owen Finnegan

Biology Student Scholarship

Owen Finnegan ’25, Environmental Biology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Markert, Biology

Here we test whether eDNA concentrations consistently reflect the abundance of fish in a given area. We compare physical catches to the levels of eDNA in the water using quantitative PCR (qPCR) at three sites in Rhode Island. A native and plentiful species like Atlantic Silversides is the perfect organism to for calibrating our methods as recorded catches of Atlantic Silversides from our collections range from 0-1500+ individuals.

The Effect Of Salinity On Mangrove Growth In The Florida Everglades, Olivia Macaluso

Biology Student Scholarship

Mangrove forests are highly productive ecosystems that provide benefits to humans, such as storm protection, in the intertidal regions of tropic and subtropic climates. Mangroves grow primarily in shallow brackish water where fresh and salty water sources meet, but frequent hurricanes mean that once stable brackish environments are vulnerable to fluctuations in salinity levels. A previous study on the effect of salinity on mangroves found a negative relationship between salinity increase and root biomass growth. However, little research has gone into the effects of salinity changes on mangrove growth and productivity. Here, I used data from the Wetland and Aquatic …

Environmental Racism In Ri: The Presence Of Toxic Waste Sites In Low Income And Minority Communities (19), Julienne Walsh

Biology Student Scholarship

Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on communities of color and low-income populations. Across the U.S., studies have shown that polluting facilities are more likely to be in or around communities with higher percentages of non-white residents or lower socioeconomic status. Scholarship regarding these patterns in small states like Rhode Island is relatively limited. By analyzing how these sites are spatially distributed in relation to racial and economic demographics, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of local environmental inequities. I hypothesize that if you live in a low-income or more diverse town, national …

Microneedles Potentiate Skin Cell Rejuvenation Via Modulation Of Mitochondria And Epigenetic Activities, Alexandra Delano, Angelika Kartsagoulis

Biology Student Scholarship

Alexandra Delano ’25, Biology major

Angelika Kartsagoulis ’25, Biology major

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yinsheng Wan, Biology

Characterizing The Functional Diversity Of Southern Ocean Chordates, Lillian Stern

Biology Student Scholarship

Lillian Stern ’26, Biology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Roxanne Banker, Biology

Biological invasions are… Invasion events can alter ecosystem properties like species interactions, trophic rank, and abundance. Current scientific research struggles to quantify the effects of biotic invasions effect on ecosystem structure and function. Measuring functional diversity, or the diversity traits such as feeding and living habits, in an ecosystem can provide important information about how organisms and the environment respond to environmental change. Here, we investigate functional diversity of the Chordates in a marine Southern Ocean community that has already been affected by biological invasion. By characterizing how these …

April 23, 2025, Faculty, Illinois Wesleyan University

2024-2025

No abstract provided.

Virtual Reality-Enhanced Rehabilitation For Improving Musculoskeletal Function And Recovery After Trauma, Phani Paladugu, Rahul Kumar, Joshua Ong, Ethan Waisberg, Kyle Sporn

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Orthopedic trauma remains a critical challenge in modern healthcare, often resulting in severe mobility limitations, acute pain, and delayed recovery. Conventional rehabilitation techniques, though effective, fail to address the individualized, high-precision interventions needed for musculoskeletal injuries like fractures, joint instability, ligament tears, and muscular atrophy. Virtual reality (VR) technologies, such as Apple Vision Pro and HTC Vive Pro, offer a transformative approach by enhancing diagnostic precision, rehabilitation effectiveness, and patient engagement through interactive, immersive environments that improve clinical outcomes. These VR technologies provide real-time biomechanical data, such as joint mechanics, muscle coordination, and movement patterns, allowing clinicians to design personalized …

Diversity And Habitat Use Of Bats In Modified Suburban Landscapes, Brittany Morgera

Biology Presentations

Bats occupy critical ecological niches and perform important ecosystem services like controlling insect populations. However, humans have altered bat habitat substantially, resulting in the reduction of bat populations. The goals of this research are to assess bat diversity and habitat use across different levels of suburban habitat modification. To accomplish this, we deployed passive acoustic recorders at twelve locations with varying human impact in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In accordance with The North American Bat Monitoring Program’s standards, acoustic analysis software was used to identify bat species. Manual identification methods from The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative were used to verify these …

Dosage-Dependent, Carboplatin And Ng52 Show Synergistic Effect On Inhibiting Cell Proliferation In Breast Cancer Cell Line, Ben Couture, Ryan Zhuge

Biology Presentations

BT-549 (Breast Cancer), a highly invasive epithelial breast cancer cell line, was used to investigate the effects of two drugs: NG52, a selective kinase inhibitor and Carboplatin, a platinum-based DNA-alkylating agent. Using cell counting assays and calculating IC50 values, we examined their combined impact on cell proliferation. Results revealed both an antagonistic and synergistic effect dependent on concentration. Where the individual agents inhibited cell proliferation less effectively than expected. These findings show the complexity of drug interactions and provide insights into optimizing therapeutic strategies for highly invasive cancer types.

Fighting Modern Battles, Brawling A Breast Cancer From The Past: A New Combination Therapy Technique Combining A Platinum-Based Agent And Hdac Inhibition Agent, Matthew I. Hyder, Jackson D. Southern

Biology Presentations

Carboplatin and tucidinostat are two often-used chemotherapeutic drugs in combating cancers. After seeding BT-549 cells in vitro and single-drug treatments were completed, IC50 values and treatment curves were determined for both drugs with CompuSyn software. The Tucidinostat IC50 value of 0.28614 µM indicates effective 50% inhibitory activity at less than one micromolar. Carboplatin treatment revealed an IC50 value of 273.792 µM, indicating ineffective treatment. Combination therapy revealed an antagonistic effect with a CI50 value of 210.406. This may be due to experimental errors with pipetting or cell seeding, or drug-ailment mismatch.

Teachers’ Experiences With The Reduction Of Play And Its Impact On Social-Emotional Development And Behavior In The Preschool Setting., Jacqueline Renee Smith

Student Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored teachers’ experiences with the reduction of play in the preschool setting and its impact on social-emotional development and behavior in the preschool classroom. The problem addressed was the decreasing amount of time spent on play in early childhood education. While play is a developmentally appropriate way for children to develop social-emotional, physical, and cognitive skills, the teachers in East Tennessee are experiencing a decline in play. Deficits in social-emotional skills and behavior affect not only the child but also schools, early childhood centers, teachers, administrators, and other students in the classroom. There are long-term ramifications …

Passive Integrated Transponders: An Effective Marking Technique For Individual Identification Of Anaxyrus Fowleri?, Emily Leprell

Honors College Theses

With the rise of fungal disease such as Chytridiomycosis, known as chytrid, causing massive population declines for many species of frogs and toads (order Anura), specific conservation strategies are needed now more than ever. In many cases, being able to mark and identify individuals is a necessary step in developing an effective conservation plan. Individual identification allows researchers to obtain accurate population estimates, which are needed to test the progress and validity of conservation management decisions. However, due to their unique life history, including cutaneous respiration and a dichotomous lifestyle, anurans are among the most difficult wildlife species to …

The Leading Causes Of Homelessness In Two Southeastern Counties Of Pennsylvania, Lucia Christine Spargo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness is a complex and multifaceted leading social issue in the United States. Society tends to focus on the individual as the cause of their own homelessness, blaming the victim rather than larger social and/or economic factors. There is an excess amount of data surrounding why/how an individual becomes homeless, but there is very little research examining the leading causes of homelessness in smaller geographic areas, such as counties. This study provides a better understanding and analysis of the leading causes of homelessness in two suburban counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania using binary logistic regression. Using ArcGIS, the study identified potential …

Autonomic Recovery Following Post-Exercise Cold Water Immersion, Katherine Gurley

Health Sciences Student Scholarship

Katherine Gurley ’25, Biology and Health Policy Management major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Brett Romano Ely, Health Sciences

Student Research Symposium Schedule 2025, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Student Research Symposium 2025 (Archived)

No abstract provided.

061 - Leaf Litter Compost Soil Amendments In Created Wetlands May Drive Soil Microbial Succession Toward An Alternative Community Structure., Michelle Apodaca, Solangel Almonte

GREAT Day Posters

The loss of wetlands due to human activity has led to increased efforts in their creation and restoration. This study evaluates a created freshwater wetland and a natural forested wetland at the Mill Seat Wetland Restoration Area in Riga, New York. Since 2019, these wetlands have been subjected to experimental conditions involving leaf litter compost as a soil amendment. Previous research suggests that compost amendments enhance plant diversity, floristic quality, and nutrient availability while supporting key biogeochemical processes. However, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing indicates that the microbial community structure in amended wetlands may be diverging from that of reference wetlands. …

Dna And Bioinformatics Tools For Estimating Biodiversity In The Narragansett Bay, Emma Barry

Biology Student Scholarship

Emma Barry ’25, Environmental Biology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Markert, Biology