Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Guilt And Shame: Emotional Responses To Bias Through Reflection On Past Experiences, Katherine Dempsey, Amanda Hamel, Talia Torrens, Isabelle Berube

Academic Festival

Confrontation reduces prejudice by eliciting negative self-directed emotions, like guilt, which promotes self-regulation, and shame, which shifts focus to the self, decreasing the likelihood of constructive actions. Despite their distinct effects, past research has often conflated guilt and shame. The present study aims to develop and validate a psychological measure that clearly distinguishes guilt as a behavior-focused emotion and shame as a person-focused emotion. We asked 194 undergraduate students to recall a time where they were confronted for saying something biased, offensive, or insensitive toward a group of people. They then rated the extent to which they experienced guilt or …

Clinical Utility Of Melodic Intonation Therapy On Post-Stroke Non-Fluent Aphasia, Ella Bankoski

Academic Festival

Post-stroke non-fluent aphasia, often resulting from left hemisphere damage, impairs speech fluency while leaving cognition intact. Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) utilizes right hemisphere capabilities—such as melody, rhythm, and pitch—to facilitate language recovery. This literature review analyzed clinical studies to determine the most effective use of MIT in treating post-stroke non-fluent aphasia. Findings suggest that MIT is most effective when applied early in the subacute phase, as delayed intervention leads to diminished outcomes. Key elements of successful MIT implementation include unison production, repetition, and personalized, salient tasks that enhance patient engagement. While MIT has shown promise across varying aphasia severities, its …

The Impact Of Bilingualism On Post-Stroke Aphasia Recovery And Language Outcomes, Annabel Kazias

Academic Festival

This literature review explores the impact of bilingualism on recovery outcomes and language proficiency in individuals with post-stroke aphasia. This review synthesizes findings from various studies assessing the rehabilitation trajectories of bilingual and monolingual patients. Key findings indicate that bilingual patients exhibit more favorable recovery outcomes, particularly when therapy is administered in their native language (L1), leading to enhanced naming accuracy and overall recovery rates compared to monolingual peers. While bilingual individuals generally recover better, cross-language generalization effects are limited, emphasizing the importance of targeted therapy in the patient's primary mode of communication. Furthermore, younger bilinguals demonstrated significantly improved recovery …

The Effect Of 'Elderly': How Ageist Labels Impact Perceptions Of Older Adults, Sophia Grace Rogers, Samantha Ann Cavalea, Caroline Grace Cotter, Cailan Donna Drake, Jacob James Eder, Leonora Rose Erickson, Grace Catherine Santella

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Reward And Reward Sensitivity On Executive Functioning In Adults, Megan Barlow

Academic Festival

Executive Functions (EFs) are a critical aspect of advanced human mental processing and higher-order functioning. The performance of EFs within adults was evaluated to examine the extent that reward presence and participant reward sensitivity influences such EFs performance. Previous research has indicated that the presence of a reward to children with low reward sensitivity tended to exhibit improved EFs when compared to children with high reward sensitivity. Similar trends were illustrated within studies on adults participants and urged for further exploration. Participants completed a Reward-Responsiveness Scale via a self-report survey to be designated as either "high" or "low" reward sensitivity, …

Investigating The Therapeutic Potential Of Aqp4 Inhibition In Mitigating Neurodegeneration And Cognitive Impairment Induced By Binge Alcohol Consumption, Alessia Scali

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

More Than A Sport: The Psychological Demands And Benefits Of Being A Di Equestrian, Nikki Albert, Kayla Destephanis

Academic Festival

This project explores the psychological demands and benefits of being a Division I equestrian athlete at Sacred Heart University. With a year-round season, rigorous training schedule, academic responsibilities, and strong commitment to community service, student-athletes on the team face unique challenges. A survey of current team members (N=24) assessed perceptions of time management, mental wellness, and personal growth. Results reveal that while athletes report elevated stress, pressure to perform, and social sacrifices, they also experience significant personal development, increased self-awareness, and improved teamwork skills. These findings highlight the complex mental landscape of collegiate equestrian athletes and underscore the dual impact …

Nutrient Enrichment Alters Resource Allocation To Chemical Defenses In Invasive And Native Aquatic Plants, Paul Sampino

Academic Festival

Eutrophication may alter plant allocation to chemical defenses, affecting interactions with herbivores and invasive species dynamics. We explored the effects of eutrophication on growth and chemical defenses in native and invasive aquatic plants, hypothesizing that plants would shift resources away from chemical defenses under nutrient enrichment and that grazers would consume more nutrient-enriched than unenriched tissue. We grew fragments of each species under ambient and enriched nutrient conditions in the lab for two weeks and measured their growth, phenolics, and condensed tannin content. Growth was similar across species and nutrient status. Both native and invasive plants relaxed their chemical defense …

The Effect Of Self-Affirmation On Emotional Memory, Chloe Briggins, Madison Conklin, Cassidy Williams

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Self-Affirmation On Memory Confidence, Linsey Palma, Bridget Mikolajczk

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Service Dogs "Heal": A Service Learning Immersive Experience Raising Puppies For Disabled Teens, Mackenzie Hamilton, Beverly Banerji, Elizabeth Bickett, Jessica Bogucki, Natalia Ferrulli, Julia Parlapiano, Annika Westra, Caroline Campanella, Harley Mae Jimenez

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

You Are What You Eat: Integrative Effects Of Food Supplementation On Native And Invasive Backyard Birds., Alexandria Lovasi, Lena Seerosh

Academic Festival

You are what you eat: Integrative effects of food supplementation on native and invasive backyard birds Alexandria Lovasi, Lena Seerosh, Cassandra Vallon, Vita Pivtorak, Emily J Levy Environmental factors during an organism’s early life can cause dramatic long-term effects. While these early-life effects have long been documented, we lack an integrative and comparative understanding how early-life environments get ‘under the skin’ to affect traits like behavior, morphology, physiology, fitness. Food availability is a particularly interesting early-life factor because all organisms must allocate energy toward the body's many developing systems, and limited energy results in developmental trade-offs. To assess the trade-offs …

Spartina Alterniflora Resilience And Warming Impacts On Long Island Sound Marshes, Christopher Isaac, Latina Steele

Academic Festival

Abstract: Coastal marshes along the Long Island Sound play a clinical role in reducing erosion, mitigating climate change impacts, and sequestering carbon. This study investigates the resilience of Spartina species, crucial to marsh stabilization, by comparing northern, southern, and mixed-source plants under environmental stressors like temperature fluctuations, sea level rise, and nutrient variations. Field experiments have assessed differences in plant height, shoot density, and flowering frequency among these sources. Results have shown that northern plants performed better than southern and mixed populations in key traits relevant to marsh resilience. Northern populations have shown a significantly higher shoot density than both …

Assessing The Effects Of Spatial And Temporal Variation In Sediment Conditioning On Seagrass Seed Germination And Seedling Performance, Mason Tsaglos, Torrie Hanley

Academic Festival

Mason J. Tsaglos1, Forest R. Schenck2, and Torrance C. Hanley1

1Sacred Heart University, Department of Biology, Fairfield, CT

2Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Salem, MA

Seagrass meadows provide numerous ecosystem functions and services, making conservation and restoration of these ecologically-valuable systems a high priority for coastal managers. The global decline of seagrass meadows necessitates finding consistently effective restoration methods. Recently, there has been increased interest in seed-based methods of seagrass restoration. However, these methods have had mixed success, with highly variable outcomes. Relatively little is known about how sediment characteristics, including soil conditioning by seagrasses at different spatial and temporal …

Capturing Abroad, Kacey Veiking

Academic Festival

While abroad for seven weeks, I brought my camera to document the trip. This experience was much more than sightseeing; I found myself. Through a combination of photos and written experiences, this paper dives into the complexities of traveling abroad through a personal lens. Each country contains a new adventure, dipping my toe into the unknown and grappling with the challenges of traveling the world. My trip has contributed to who I am today, making this work a vulnerable piece. Creatively writing about this trip has demonstrated my growth and allowed me to reflect on my time spent in Europe. …

Cognitive Testing In Dogs: Long-Term Memory And Puzzle Feeders, Sophia Pertoso, Riley Lefebvre, Angelika Falandysz, Samantha Apostolico, Diego Salles, Samantha Gojcaj, Jessica Bogucki, Mackenzie Hamilton, Jack Loiacono, Sophia Poling, Deirdre Yeater

Academic Festival

This study explores long-term memory in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) using puzzle feeder tasks to evaluate problem-solving retention over time. Nineteen dogs participated in two sessions spaced one month apart, where they interacted with five different puzzle feeders designed to vary in complexity. Each session was recorded and coded for interaction types and solution times. Results showed that 14 out of 19 dogs solved at least one puzzle, and paired sample t-tests revealed a statistically significant reduction in solution time during the second session (p = 0.001), suggesting memory retention of the puzzle-solving strategies. These findings support …

Black, Asian, And First-Generation Students Report Fewer Opportunities To Belong In College, Gabriela Gomez, Aleksandra Kozak, Jenna Costa

Academic Festival

A sense of belonging in college is essential for students’ academic success, yet opportunities to belong may be inequitable along racial-ethnic and social class lines. We asked two questions: (1) How do belonging opportunities vary within and across (a) higher education institutions and (b) racial-ethnic and social-class groups? (2) What predicts opportunities for belonging? We gathered data from a multi-site randomized controlled trial of a social-belonging intervention at 22 U.S. colleges and analyzed 15,143 control-group students’ belonging opportunities. Students were classified into one of 374 local-identity groups (LIGs) based on their race-ethnicity, first-generation status, cohort, and college. We measured their …

Cannabis Use Risk Levels And Challenges To Changing Use Among College Students, Jessica Samuolis, Alyssa Brady, Sophia Rogers, Rachael Tomanelli, Rachel Wolk

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Role Of Faith-Based Organizations In Diaspora Philanthropy, Alyssa Pace, Maram Aaid, Jacqueline Sandoval, Guadalupe Larios Lezama, Timothy Toronto, Amanda Weiss

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effects Of Self-Affirmation On Threat Responses In Grandiose Vs. Vulnerable Narcissism, Isabel Babio, Allison Harless, Alyssa Paredes

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Is Age Really Just A Number? Finalizing The Ageist Experiences Questionnaire, Ava Bjelka, Lindsay Calise, Francesca Davenport, Sofia Mazzella, Brian Musco

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Connecting Continents: Historical Analysis Of European Immigrants And Their Impact On Connecticut’S Development, Alexander Kasperuk

Academic Festival

Immigration has been a constant factor of historical growth in America’s history, forging newfound developments across a variety of fields. Whether it be fluxes of immigration affecting the nation as a whole or just within a single state, the impetus behind this research was to uncover how immigrant communities within the state of Connecticut were able to establish themselves within the state’s history. The research examines the work of local historians, museums, US Census data, naval records and genealogical records to uncover how a series of European immigrant groups partook in unique trends that significantly impacted the state’s development through …

Project Luna, Doria Lukasik-Drescher

Academic Festival

In alignment with NASA’s Exploration Systems and Development Mission Directorate, this project aims to address exploration challenges related to energy consumption, mobility, and the speed of mission results for the NASA Mars rover. Current rovers face limitations due to inefficient power consumption, which constrains mission capabilities and operational duration. This research seeks to develop and implement advanced solar panel technology to optimize energy harnessing, enabling rovers to operate independently for extended periods and support long-duration missions.

The project’s initial phase focuses on solar panel research, with an emphasis on designing, building, and testing a small-scale solar-powered system to evaluate its …

Autonomous Drone Mission, Julia Piascik, Ava E. Gioioso, Jake P. Petruzzelli

Academic Festival

This project aims to develop a fully autonomous drone capable of performing a precise flight path that includes takeoff, navigation, a ring pick-up, and a ring drop-off. The pick-and-drop system features a custom-designed, silicone and 3D-printed servo motor claw mechanism for reliable ring handling, integrated into a lightweight drone frame. The implementation of the drone includes the use of a Cube Black as the flight controller, a Here4 rover and base module as the real-time kinematic (RTK) navigation modules, 4S (15.2V) Lipo battery, four APD 40F3 ESCs, two RFD900x-US Telemetry modules, and four KV900 motors. The combination of gyroscopes, accelerometers, …

Augmented Reality Triggered Macros, Kristina Riesco, Kyle Mcguinness, Cole Talarek

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Arduino Pcb Design, Doria Lukasik-Drescher

Academic Festival

This project aims to transition a functional Arduino-based Morse code sender and transceiver circuit into a dedicated custom PCB design, enhancing the system's compactness, reliability, and professional appearance while maintaining its core functionality. The Morse code sender and transceiver system, initially developed on an Arduino platform, allows users to input text or signals, transmit them in Morse code, and decode received Morse code back into readable text. Key components of the existing system include an Arduino microcontroller, input/output peripherals such as LEDs, photo resistors, and LCD screens, and communication modules.

To improve the system’s robustness and usability, the project involves …

The Game From The Ads, Giovanni Michael Orlando

Academic Festival

I created a small video game project to test my skills and creative thinking. I based the game on the barrel shooter mobile game ads from Evony: The King's Return and created the game in Unity 6 using C#.

Dinner With The Whitlocks, Brian Haley, Daniel Rodriguez, Eugene Nagy, Jordan Tewell

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Object Detection And Avoidance System Using Velodyne 3d Lidar And Matlab, Julia Piascik, Jesse Ortiz, Terry Ruffin

Academic Festival

This project aims to design a system that has the ability to detect objects that could interfere with a drone that is in the process of landing. The implementation of this system includes the use of a 3D Velodyne LiDAR Puck VLP-16, MATLAB, and an Arduino Uno. The system outputs a green light once the program determines it is safe to land and a red light when an object is detected, thus determining it is not safe to land. This project is a continuation and evolution of a past system that used a 2D LiDAR with a tilting mechanism. Current …

A Mobile Application Fostering A Green Mindset On Campus - Ecoheart, Bolen Alfreh, Mira C. Poelzer, Tristan A. Palinkas

Academic Festival

With climate change and waste pollution worsening, we aim to foster a greener mindset in communities. EcoHeart is designed for higher education institutions, their staff, faculty, and students, serving as a hub for exploring sustainable options and incentivizing eco-friendly actions. Our application is designed to engage students, faculty, and staff in sustainability, fostering a more sustainable lifestyle, helping guide their consumption decisions, and thus learning how to better take care of the environment around them. The application includes links to articles, an interactive map of the campus, and a QR scanner to identify the user and give rewards where applicable. …