Hofstra Horizons Summer 2021 - Hofstra University

HORIZONS

for Undergraduate and Graduate Research

SUMMER 2021

HORIZONS

for Undergraduate and Graduate Research

provost’s COLUMN As we work to emerge from COVID-19, we also continue to forge ahead as an academic community. Innovation remains essential and is the result of bright minds tackling challenging situations. In searching for innovative solutions, researchers often build upon previous study to help answer critical questions and make needed progress.

Research highlighted in this issue of Hofstra Horizons is a sampling of innovative research projects presented by our impressive and accomplished students at undergraduate and graduate research events on campus. Many of the projects featured have also been presented at state, national, and international conferences, virtually and/or in person. The diverse research agenda highlighted includes disability entrepreneurship, mental state language, how potassium (K) and sodium (Na) alkalides interact with cryptands, improving visuospatial skills and organic chemistry performance, DNA markers, slowing Alzheimer’s progression, and many other very meaningful projects. A special thanks to the faculty involved for their efforts to enhance student success.

I applaud the work of our graduate and undergraduate students as well as the inspiring work of our faculty mentors. Together, they are change agents, helping create innovative solutions and needed change.

Past performance is the best predictor of future performance, and our students are well on the way to an impressive future.

We wish our students and faculty continued success. Stay well.

Herman A. Berliner, PhD Provost Emeritus (as of August 1, 2021)

Table of Contents

4-10 Q&A.............................11-20 Student Profiles..........

editor’s NOTE This issue of Hofstra Horizons features student research projects conducted during a pandemic. We applaud the efforts of students who have participated in research across the University as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarts traditional efforts toward engagement, research, and collaboration.

Through their work, students who worked independently and in conjunction with faculty and peers demonstrated the tenacity and determination needed to investigate, filter, analyze, and create new knowledge. Samantha Aloysius and Caroline Czerwonka’s research focused on the virtual exploration of disability entrepreneurship within the United States. It examined public and private organization websites for entrepreneurs with disabilities. Margaret Hans and Brittany Kritis examined the effects of healthy aging on a person’s mental state language, in their article “Narrative Skills Across the Lifespan: Mental State Language.” The work of Johnisa Walcott, Rebecca Weeden, and Haley Ecker represents a project across disciplines of health science and forensic science. Their research focused on the ongoing analysis of DNA methylation markers for tissue identification with different clinical phenotypes.

Congratulations, students – Hofstra’s world changers – and special thanks to our faculty who mentored students through their research activities.

Special thanks to Dr. Herman A. Berliner, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, for his leadership as the community transitioned from traditional to remote learning during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Congratulations, Dr. Berliner, for decades of service to the Hofstra community as faculty, administrator, and provost of Hofstra University.

Elfreda V. Blue, PhD Vice Provost for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies

Student PROFILES

Samantha Aloysius and Caroline Czerwonka:

The Virtual Exploration of Disability Entrepreneurship Within the United States Written by: Letisha Dass

Samantha Aloysius, a graduate student in public health, and Caroline Czerwonka, a political science undergraduate student, met in Dr. Craig Rustici’s Disability, Law, and Injustice course. Aloysius’ postgraduation goal was to attend medical school. Czerwonka planned to pursue a master’s program abroad in international relations or European studies.

However, their different choices in career paths did not prevent them from taking the chance to participate in a groundbreaking research project.

During their time in Dr. Rustici’s class, an email was sent out notifying students of the possibility of participating in a research study for The Viscardi Center and its National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship (NCDE). The study was a comparison of the NCDE’s website to public and private organization websites for entrepreneurs with disabilities. It was an effort to improve programs providing guidance for people with disabilities.

In their analysis of each website, Aloysius and Czerwonka asked themselves the following questions: Are there websites with resources comparable to the NCDE? Do the websites provide continuing support? How accessible are the websites?

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Of the 18 websites analyzed, seven programs offered benefits counseling, eight offered ongoing support, six offered grants for startups, and only five programs offered training. Using the HTML_Codesniffer and WAVE, a web accessibility evaluation tool, Aloysius and Czerwonka found that the organizations needed to work harder to provide virtual support and online accessibility, especially since the

Hofstra HORIZONS for Undergraduate and Graduate Research t SUMMER 2021

Student PROFILES

Samantha Aloysius

coronavirus pandemic had prevented in-person events. Ease of navigation of the websites and presentation were important.

They found that resources were lacking with each organization.

“A big issue is that a lot of these programs are not offering continuing support and following up with their participants, so there is no data, and then there is no research,” Aloysius said.

“We hope to bring awareness to that.”

“There are still issues that need to be solved,” Czerwonka said.

“I did not realize that there were so many barriers for people with disabilities to enter the entrepreneurship field.”

Caroline Czerwonka

Their participation in The Viscardi Center research study helped bring awareness to the issues and will hopefully continue to stimulate the changes needed for the NCDE website to be more easily accessible to visitors. Aloysius hopes that the presentation of their results will encourage the creation of grants to close the gap in information within programs for entrepreneurs with disabilities.

“There is lack of information. There is lack of support and lack of research on it,” Czerwonka said.

“Action is needed to overcome this hurdle and provide the proper resources needed to support the entrepreneurial endeavors of those with disabilities.

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“A big issue is that a lot of these programs are not offering continuing support and following up with their participants, so there is no data, and then there is no research,” Aloysius said. “We hope to bring awareness to that.”

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Student PROFILES

Margaret Hans and Brittany Kritis:

Narrative Skills Across the Lifespan: Mental State Language Written by: Letisha Dass Two Hofstra graduate students in speech-language pathology, Margaret Hans and Brittany Kritis, tackled the lack of normative data on the old and new Cookie Theft picture used in the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination. Since 2018, Miro – an innovative healthcare company – decided to remake the Cookie Theft picture in color since the previous version of the photo was in black and white.

The Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination is typically used to diagnose a patient’s inability to communicate. With the help of Dr. Susan DeMetropolis, Hofstra assistant professor of speechlanguage-hearing sciences, the findings of Hans and Kritis’ study would help evaluate the effects of healthy aging on a person’s mental state language and salience. Mental state language includes words such as “think,” “believe,” and “want” and is related to the theory of mind.

Hans and Kritis sought out 90 participants ranging in age from 20 to 85, whose native language was English and who had no cognitive disorders. The criteria for participation in the study were a cognitive and visual screening. Each of the participants’ feedback to the pictures would be recorded and analyzed based on word count, content, and function.

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Although the study was still in its early stages, Hans and Kritis were looking forward to the results.

“Before this, I did not have much experience working with the older population,” Hans said. “We would like to see a difference in narration between the old pictures and new pictures.”

The uniqueness of this study stemmed from Hans and Kritis’ interest in language. “I thought it was an amazing opportunity to get really great , diverse experience,” Kritis said.

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Student PROFILES

Margaret Hans The uniqueness of this study stemmed from Hans and Kritis’ interest in language. “I thought it was an amazing opportunity to get really great, diverse experience,” Kritis said.

Kritis graduated from Fairfield University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and international relations. After taking prerequisites at Hofstra in speech-language pathology, she started a master’s degree program at Hofstra in fall 2020.

Margaret Hans graduated from Hofstra in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and speech-language-hearing sciences. She specializes in the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) Loud to aid in building the vocal abilities of people with Parkinson’s disease. Hans was a board member of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and a member of the Long Island SpeechBrittany Kritis Language-Hearing Association (LISHA).

As graduate students, they hope to apply their discoveries to their future career choices in either a medical or academic setting.

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Student PROFILES

Breanna Sullivan:

Visuospatial Reasoning, Molecular Model Construction, and Organic Chemistry Performance Written by: Letisha Dass

Breanna Sullivan Breanna Sullivan, recipient of Hofstra University’s Provost Academic Excellence Merit Scholarship and a first-generation college student, has made great strides in her goal of becoming a physician-scientist.

She transferred from Nassau Community College (SUNY) and worked as a CVS pharmacy technician to pay for school. During the summer of 2020, Sullivan worked as a research fellow for the University of Pittsburgh, studying early childhood adversity, and later participated in a virtual fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, studying lead neurotoxicity.

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However, before graduating, Sullivan worked with Dr. Elisabeth Ploran, Hofstra associate professor of psychology, to understand how molecular model construction could improve visuospatial skills and organic chemistry performance. The plan came from her own experience the semester prior with organic chemistry. “I feel like there is such a big learning curve,” Sullivan said.

In two questionnaires sent to 64 Hofstra University organic chemistry students, Sullivan tested her hypothesis that well-cultivated visuospatial skills and experience with molecular models enhance a student’s success in organic chemistry. The first survey consisted mostly of demographic questions such as experience level in organic chemistry and background. The second survey consisted of stereochemistry problems. “It really involved mentally manipulating things,” she said. The students had to listen and come up with solutions.

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The questionnaire was not the initial experiment planned. Originally, the student participants were meant to visit in person and be recorded building molecular structures with modeling kits, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the experiment had to be altered. Nevertheless, the results were informative.

Sullivan found that experience with the molecular modeling kits could mediate the relationship between visuospatial skills and class performance in organic chemistry. This finding closed the gap in Sullivan’s literature review on how molecular models, visuospatial reasoning, and organic chemistry performance were related. It showed that each aspect of learning was interconnected. The results were presented virtually at a Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) conference.

Since her graduation from Hofstra with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, Sullivan has been working as a postbaccalaureate at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the NIH, she continues to expand her knowledge through neurobiological studies on Parkinson’s disease. She hopes to take the MCAT and join an MD or PhD program to complete her studies. For now, she loves working at a lab at NIH. “It is great. It is a nice change of scenery, and it is different from everything I have done,” Sullivan said.

Student PROFILES

Haley Ecker, Johnisa Walcott and Rebecca Weeden:

The Ongoing Analysis of DNA Methylation Markers for Tissue Identification With Different Clinical Phenotypes

Written by: Letisha Dass

Research is a learning curve for many students. It requires time, skill, and willingness to dive deeper into the realm of academia. Haley Ecker (forensic science), Johnisa Walcott (health science), and Rebecca Weeden (forensic science) were able to conquer research hurdles by learning how to code, analyze, and review information during their time on a team looking to discover whether clinical illnesses could alter the methylation patterns of a person’s DNA. With the help of Deborah Silva, Hofstra assistant professor of chemistry, these three undergraduate students learned skills that will be beneficial to them throughout their careers.

Starting in November 2019, Walcott and Weeden joined Silva as investigators. Their roles began with an in-depth literature review. Their initial struggle was learning how to interpret academic studies related to their research.

Then, there was the understanding of coding to sift through thousands of CpG sites for ones specific to their research. CpG sites are important in understanding epigenetics, as they show patterns of DNA methylation. The coding automated the search so that Walcott, Weeden, and, later, Ecker could quickly process CpG sites between DNA of those with a clinical phenotype, meaning illness, and those without.

Walcott, Weeden, and Ecker examined CpG sites from DNA in semen, blood, and saliva, which were the main sources of DNA found at crime scenes. Their initial studies represent the saliva and blood genome methylation pattern for individuals with respiratory allergies. They found that there was no significant correlation in the clinical phenotype to the methylation patterns found at the CpG sites chosen for this part of the experiment.

Rebecca Weeden

Haley Ecker As Walcott and Ecker near graduation, the research appears to have no end as it steps into the lab. “I truly do not think that research ever has a stopping point,” Weeden said. With no definitive results for all possible aspects of the research, each student appreciates the time and lessons they learned during their time together.

Johnisa Walcott

“There were a lot of transferable skills I learned, like working with computer programs,” Walcott said.

“I was able to learn more about new opportunities existing within research,” Ecker said.

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“It taught me how to communicate with a team, and how to make sure we are all on the same page,” Weeden said. “It taught me how to problem-solve with a team.”

Walcott is continuing her studies in Hofstra’s Master of Public Health program and plans to later apply to medical school.

Ecker graduated in May and decided to work as a chemist for Underwriters Laboratories and apply to graduate school for forensic science or chemistry in a few years. Weeden, a senior, hopes to attend graduate school for forensic science immediately after graduation.

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Student PROFILES Q&A

Karishma Ramcharan:

Superalkali Aza-Cryptand Alkalide Ion Pairing Interactions Written by: Letisha Dass Born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana, Karishma Ramcharan decided in 2017 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Hofstra University. This was her first step in becoming a pediatrician and being away from home. Ramcharan shared that she chose Hofstra because she Karishma Ramcharan ultimately wanted to be able to make a living for herself. Through her volunteer work at orphanages with The Red Ribbon, a local nonprofit youth organization, Ramcharan realized that she wanted to help children through the field of medicine.

She saw how much attention the children needed in terms of their health, and she wanted to make a change in her community. When choosing Hofstra, Ramcharan said, “I wanted to go off and learn so much more in the medical field.”

To realize her dream of becoming a doctor and to gain her first experience in research, Ramcharan joined Dr. Daniel Miller, Hofstra assistant professor of chemistry, in an alkalide study. “I never had the opportunity to do research. Given that it was my last semester, I wanted to somehow jump into the research world,” Ramcharan said.

The study focused on the Density Functional Theory, a computational method of evaluating electronic structures, to understand how potassium (K) and sodium (Na) alkalides interact with cryptands, which are hydrocarbons with electronegative atoms that form a ring. A literature review of previous alkalide studies were noted to be outdated by Ramcharan, so she was excited to uncover new information.

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Meeting online on a weekly basis with Dr. Miller, Ramcharan completed a socially distanced study to gain results. She found that the KNa side conformation, meaning potassium is within the center of the cryptand and sodium is on the outside, was the most stable structure because it had the largest nitrogento-metal distance. This is due, particularly, to the larger atomic size of potassium when compared to sodium. Along with these findings, there was the understanding that NaNa and KNa systems were the most stable, even though the superalkali were least stable, as there was a decrease in nitrogen-to-metal distance. There was stronger stability for top conformations because of the attributed lack of distance between the metals – since there is an overlap in structure. Overall, the information gained from Ramcharan’s alkalide study will be beneficial for her medical career path as she can use her newfound skills to analyze drugs.

Ramcharan graduated in December 2020 and has plans to attend graduate school for chemistry. After gaining her ideal score on the MCAT, she hopes to one day attend Boston University for medical school.

Her journey away from home has only just begun.

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Q&A

Laura Sofía Sánchez B. Anticipated Graduation: May 2022 • Major: Biochemistry Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia In basic terms, describe your project.

My project focuses on computer modeling the reaction(s) to forming a nitric oxide releasing compound. This work requires the assistance of computers outside of the lab because the furoxans formed are unconventional and not what was intended when first studied in the lab. Computer chemistry is costeffective and insightful at getting around the crux of a reaction. In this case, I used chemical software to determine where a molecule was most susceptible to electrophilic attack through a HOMO (highest-occupied molecular orbital) analysis and a charge analysis. Through comparing charge values, I was able to gain a better understanding as to why the reaction proceeds as experimentally determined and why the furoxan is the preferred product.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

I wanted to do research during my time as an undergraduate student because I had heard very good things about how it can complement your classroom education, as well as help you build a stronger science background and a good relationship with a faculty member. I started working with Dr. Miller this past winter, and I have come to realize that the thing I like the most about computational chemistry is that you can work on any branch of chemistry and find the reason things happen. I have always been a very curious person who likes understanding how things work down to the smallest detail, and this project has shown me how that is possible through computations.

What professor are you working with, and how have they supported you?

I have been working with Dr. Daniel Miller, who is an excellent professor in the department. He was very understanding and patient while I got the hang of how our project was going to go, and since then, he has inspired me to do my best week after week. Dr. Miller has been a great source of support and has allowed me to take on bigger tasks as an assistant than I ever thought I would. Thanks to him, I have not only become a better student, but also a better person. All it takes is one person to believe in you, and I’m lucky to say that Dr. Miller gave me the opportunity and the tools I need to succeed in this new area. I believe that Dr. Miller is an amazing professor, mentor, and scientist!

Where do you see this project going in the future?

There is so much work to be done in terms of applying computational chemistry to this specific reaction pathway we are studying, as this project has only focused on one part of it. In the future, I hope to continue moving through the pathway and, with the help of computational software, understand the reactivity of the compounds as well as take on new and exciting projects before I graduate.

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What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

After I graduate, I plan to apply to medical school and become a doctor one day. I definitely want to continue doing research, which has recently sparked an interest in obtaining a higher degree in some field related to both chemistry and health care. I’m keeping my options open, and I’m excited to see what comes next!

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Q&A

Rachel Carlin, BA, May 2021 Majors: English, Political Science, and Global Studies Hometown: Farmingdale, New York In basic terms, describe your project.

My project studied the right-wing, illiberal governing party of Poland, the Law and Justice Party, and their conflict with the European Union.

The Law and Justice Party has passed laws that violate the essential EU values of separation of powers, protection of minorities, and protection of the individual. Most importantly, for my paper, the Law and Justice Party has taken actions that undermine rule of law by reducing the independence of Poland’s judiciary – which the EU has been powerless in preventing, despite the existence of EU laws that exist to prevent democratic backsliding.

I became interested in this topic after reading about the so-called judicial “reforms” being passed in Poland, which ultimately allow the government to exert power over the judiciary by actions such as appointing government loyalists, changing the makeup of essential judicial institutions, forcing judges to retire, and publicly attacking judges who protest. As rule of law is essential for democracy, I was troubled by the events unfolding over the last few years.

What professor did you work with, and how did they support you?

I worked with Professor Carolyn Dudek, chair of the Political Science Department. Dr. Dudek helped me craft my idea in her Politics of the European Union class last spring, which blossomed into an Independent Study in the fall of 2020, and then became an Honors Project in spring 2021. Dr. Dudek has provided endless support, helping me research and edit while encouraging me to develop not only my thesis, but also my future. Dr. Dudek provided me with many opportunities, including presenting my thesis at the Ohio State Graduate Immersion Conference, and participating in a Model EU simulation run by SUNY Albany.

Where do you see this research/project going in the future?

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In the future, I hope that my research and ideas can help support a growing body of literature studying democratic backsliding. It is my opinion that democratic backsliding is one of the most relevant and interesting topics in political science. It deserves more attention, given that the impact of backsliding expands beyond borders, e.g., affecting the entire European Union and its prospects for integration.

What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

I hope to work in government or as part of a think tank. I greatly value the time I spent working on my thesis, and I will always do my best to contemplate the complexities and concerns of international politics.

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Q&A

Mariana Cabral Anticipated Graduation: May 2022 Majors: Applied Physics and Bioengineering Hometown: Alcabideche, Portugal In basic terms, describe your project.

The project I am working on is meant to purify keratins from human hair strands. The extraction of keratins is done by dissolving the surrounding matrix composed of keratin associated proteins (KAPs) with reducing agents and alcohol: 200 mM DTT and 0.5-1 M TGA reducers, 25% EtOH alcohol, 1-8 M urea denaturant, and 25-100 mM Tris buffer. Meanwhile the keratin microfilament bundles remain insoluble.

Hair clippings were treated with various combinations of solutions made with the reagents mentioned above and incubated. After this treatment, the supernatant and residual hair were separated and collected. While some representative samples of hair were frozen at minus 80 C and thawed, others were simply air-dried. All hair samples were imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and all supernatants were analyzed via protein quantification and gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE), before and after dialysis.

What professor are you working with, and how have they supported you?

I am working with Dr. Roche C. de Guzman from the Engineering Department. Dr. de Guzman has been guiding me throughout the entire research process by providing me with all the equipment necessary, as well as knowledge and advice for the project.

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Where do you see this research/project going in the future?

Due to continuous successful results obtained that show possible keratin filaments isolated from the keratin associated proteins (KAPs), I see this research going forward with the keratin purification and gelation so it can be used for bone regeneration.

What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD, followed by a career doing research in the bioengineering and/or physics fields.

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Q&A

Saher Chaudhry Anticipated Graduation: May 2022 Major: Neuroscience Hometown: Smithtown, New York In basic terms, describe your project.

I currently perform research with Dr. [Aniruddha] Deshpande on how tinnitus-related information is shared and expressed on popular social media platforms. Tinnitus is a hearing complication often associated with persistent ringing, buzzing, or hissing; many affected individuals rely on the internet and social media platforms to mitigate and share the challenges associated with tinnitus. Our internet analysis is conducted mostly on popular social media websites such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Given that health-related information and content can often be susceptible to misinformation on social media, our research encompasses a micro-level analysis that aims to identify how tinnitus information is shared on social media, which includes tweets, captions, photos, and videos.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

While my major may appear at first glance unrelated to this research field, I would like to emphasize that audiology is a branch of neuroscience, as much of the inner workings of the ear relate to our nervous system and the brain. During the early years of my undergraduate education, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a local nursing home, where I witnessed the unfortunate health effects that patients with hearing impairment experience. It wasn’t long until I decided to enter both the neuroscience and public health fields, as much of the conversations regarding both fields tend to be highly stigmatized. This includes mental health and hearing impairments, as these health ailments attract prejudice, stereotypes, and misguided treatments in the healthcare system. Being involved in Dr. Deshpande’s research reinforces my drive in becoming a healthcare leader and advocate for subfields of medicine that do not receive the attention they need.

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What professor are you working with, and how have they supported you?

I currently work with Dr. Deshpande, who encourages me to put my knowledge of neuroscience and critical thinking to practical use. Research requires a substantial amount of commitment and dedication, and being involved in this research position allows me to be exposed to the rigors of effective research techniques. Aside from the high expectations and demands that are often required in research, Dr. Deshpande has always been very open and flexible to new ideas, methods, and relative inputs to incorporate into our research. This has made my experience with research and working with him very rewarding and insightful, as I’m continuously learning multiple ways to conduct

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Q&A

research. Altogether, I enjoy being a research assistant for Dr. Deshpande, as this has been an enriching opportunity for professional, academic, and self-growth.

Where do you see this research/project going in the future?

By analyzing user-to-user interactions and seeing the mixture of both personal and informative messages regarding tinnitus, we hope to better understand how tinnitus sufferers aim to seek and share information regarding their symptoms. Moreover, our analysis hopes to discover whether misinformation regarding tinnitus is prominent on these social media platforms and on which social media websites misinformation is likely to occur. Aside from understanding how tinnitus information is shared online, we hope that this can leave an impressionable change in the healthcare community, where healthcare providers can have an in-depth understanding of existing tinnitus-related information on social media platforms and thus improve the quality of their service and treatment for individuals suffering from this condition. We’re also looking forward to expanding our research to other major social media platforms and search engines that share tinnitus-related information to conduct a more comprehensive review of the current information and trends available regarding tinnitus.

What are your career or educational plans after graduation?

I’m looking forward to continuing my experiences with research and pursuing a career in health care and public health. I’m excited to apply my knowledge and research experience to my future work in promoting greater advocacy in medical fields that are highly stigmatized. By entering public health and research, I hope to leave a lasting, progressive shift in today’s healthcare system.”

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“While my major may appear at first glance unrelated to this research field, I would like to emphasize that audiology is a branch of neuroscience, as much of the inner workings of the ear relate to our nervous system and the brain.”

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Q&A

Alexa Paturzo

Anticipated Graduation: May 2022 Majors: Political Science and Philosophy Hometown: Holbrook, New York

Describe your research project.

This semester, I worked with Dr. Meena Bose to research President Barack Obama’s significant role in the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). My research focused on the foundational work for Dr. Bose’s book Landmark Presidential Decisions: Obama and the Affordable Care Act. Throughout the semester, I evaluated the structural, political, and social challenges that came with proposing, writing, and implementing the ACA, as well as the necessary leadership skills that Obama possessed to get this historic bill passed.

Furthermore, my research explored the question of Obama’s legacy. Irrefutably, the ACA is one of the capstones of the Obama administration. As we have seen throughout recent administrations, there have been myriad attempts to dismantle the ACA, regardless of the impact that it would have on Americans.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

As a political science major, as well as someone that is very ardent about politics, I have always been interested in the ways in which policies are created, implemented, and challenged. Dr. Bose gave me the wonderful opportunity to serve as her research assistant for this book that she is writing. Through Hofstra University’s Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College Research Assistant Program, I had the best experience of my academic career thus far.

What professor did you work with, and how have they supported you?

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I worked with Dr. Meena Bose on this project. Dr. Bose and I had worked together during the fall semester, where I was her peer teacher for her American Politics class. Later in the fall semester, Dr. Bose approached me about being her research assistant as she began to write this book. Dr. Bose supported me by providing me with an agenda and timetable, in order to ensure that we would have multiple topics covered by the end of the semester. Dr. Bose also assisted me in finding primary and secondary sources that were appropriate for this type of research. We discussed my research at length every week and had an open dialogue for analysis. Overall, Dr. Bose was incredible in every way, as she helped me hone skills such as research and analysis. She gave me the opportunity and made this experience the best one of my academic career.

Where do you see this research/project going in the future?

Dr. Bose will use the research and analysis that we did over the semester to help her write a book on landmark presidential decisions, focusing on Obama and the Affordable Care Act.

What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to attend law school. I hope to work in areas such as international, corporate, or environmental law. I am also interested in pursuing a dual degree, so I can earn a master’s in public policy while in law school.

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Q&A

Dejan R. Perich Soto BA, May 2021 Majors: Political Science and Film Studies and Production Hometown: La Molina, Peru In basic terms, describe your project.

My thesis studied the differences in writing and implementation of two pieces of legislation issued by different Peruvian authoritarian regimes (the left-wing government of Juan Velasco Alvarado and the right-wing government of Alberto Fujimori) on the same field – government support for domestic film production. My research concluded that the shared regime type of both leaders is what led them to issue thorough legislation on the field. However, the measures established, as well as the actual effort put into making sure that the laws were successfully implemented, depended on the ideology of each one.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

I have always been interested in film (the reason it was one of my majors), and, growing up back home in Peru, I noticed that all the films that I found most compelling and with stories that were not cookiecutter or meant exclusively to make money had one thing in common: They all received significant government aid, to the point where they wouldn’t have existed without it. Doing a little bit of reading on the history of the laws that support creators, I found out that the two main pieces of legislation on the field actually came from authoritarian regimes, which tend to be known for controlling all sorts of communications, rather than helping independent voices. This led me to two very broad questions: why and how. These were the basis of my research and my paper.

What professor did you work with, and how did they support you?

I worked on this thesis for a year with Dr. Carolyn Dudek, for whom I have nothing but the greatest admiration and gratitude. Even though cultural policymaking is not her area of expertise, her knowledge of Latin American politics and authoritarianism guided me through the process, introducing me to areas of study and authors that I had not thought of but that ultimately were very relevant to my work.

Where do you see this research going in the future?

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About the paper in and of itself, I would love to see it published! Hopefully, that is something I get to happen. Additionally, I really want to keep studying film and other cultural output legislation in my home country, as I want to make a career in politics that supports the arts.

What career or educational plans do you have after graduation?

I am currently on the job hunt! I am looking for positions within the fields of political communications (either in campaigns or some other more informational type of position) and/or public policy. I do want to work for a couple of years before I apply to graduate school, where I want to pursue a Master of Public Administration (MPA). I’m excited for what is to come next!

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Q&A

Anmol Sachdeva

Year: Third-year PhD candidate Major: Applied Organizational Psychology Hometown: Ludhiana, India In basic terms, describe your project.

The study looked at the workplace experiences of lesbian and gay (LG) parents and explored the organizational and social support that is available to them. The study aimed to evaluate if these experiences were any different from those of their heterosexual peers. Our study used a qualitative approach to seek insights from LG families about their work experiences, specifically regarding organizational and social support. Results showed that while the prescribed societal gender roles had an impact on experiences of LG families, there was not much difference between the organizational and social support received by their heterosexual peers.

The method of carrying a baby also played a role in understanding these experiences.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

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Although the concept of what a family looks like is changing, there are some societal factors that make the acceptance of these families a bit challenging. The prescribed societal gender roles play a dominant role in the inclusion of these families and penalize the individuals who deviate from these norms. While women face backlash for choosing their careers over their societal roles as providers, men face criticism for taking up parental roles instead of playing the role of a breadwinner for their family. These experiences are further underscored for lesbian mothers and gay fathers, and their competence as parents is highly questioned and often criticized. This raises the legitimacy of the diversification efforts made by organizations, especially for LG community, because the organizational policies and support lack inclusion of this community. Being interested in diversity research, more specifically gender disparity, I often came across research where gender roles associated with women played a significant role. This discussion of gender roles along with intersectionality of various groups (i.e., Asian women, lesbian mothers, gay fathers) encouraged me to conduct this study.

What professor did you work with, and how did they support you?

I worked with Dr. Nicholas Salter, who is also my research advisor. We started working on this project during my first year in the PhD program. Dr. Salter provided me with constant support and encouragement in the design of this project. He taught me to how to start with big picture

Hofstra HORIZONS for Undergraduate and Graduate Research t SUMMER 2021

Q&A

Workplace Experiences of Lesbian and Gay Parents Introduction

• There are many definitions of what a family looks like now, but there can be societal consequences for those who deviate from prescribed gender roles (Morgenroth &

Method

•

Completed a qualitative survey through snowball sampling N=78 Survey Structure: ○ 8 open-ended questions ○ 3 multiple choice ○ 8 demographic questions Data Analysis: 2 rounds of coding

• •

Heilman, 2017).

• Society views women through a binary lens of either being “work or family oriented” (Garey, 1999, p. 6).

• Similarly, stay-at-home fathers are not seen as adequate caregivers (Fischer & Anderson, 2011).

thinking and then create a structural approach to design evidence-based research. He encouraged me to take charge of the project while guiding me with his expertise at every step. This project would not have been the same without his support.

• These challenges are exacerbated for lesbian mothers and gay fathers.

• In lesbian families where one mother is the biological parent of the child, the other mother is assumed to be unable to connect with the child, whereas heterosexual adoptive parents’ ability to bond with their children is seldom questioned (Dalton & Bielby, 2000).

• 1. Organizational policies, benefits available.

2. Method of conception/childbirth

● ● ● ●

Purpose of the study

Exploratory study to gather insight from LG parents about their work experiences specifically regarding: - Organizational & Social support -Whether the support was perceived differently from heterosexual peers

Results

Gender roles did have an impact on experience of gay and lesbian parents.

Gender role issues extended into the legitimacy of parenthood.

Issues more with the method of childbirth versus sexual orientation.

LGBTQ parents face obstacles that heterosexual parents do not have to endure

3. Support from organization & co-workers

● ●

Discussion: Gender Roles do impact the experience of LG families not much of a difference between organizational and social support received compared to hetersexual peers.

Method of childbirth (carrying a baby) matters.

Anmol Sachdeva, MA Nicholas P. Salter, PhD Janine Sosna, BA Caitlin M. Lapine, PhD Briana Squires, BA

Where do you see this research/project going in the future?

This study was designed to explore the experiences of lesbian and gay parents in the workplace.

We opted for a qualitative approach to gather the insight of the LG community rather than making assumptions about their struggle. Having collected the data and conducting our analysis, we would like to next build a quantitative study to help organizations redesign and reevaluate their organizational policies in assisting parents of these “unconventional” families. As this study reflected that the method of conception and gender roles played an important role in receiving organizational and social support, organizations can use this information to raise awareness for their employees and reduce any intentional/unintentional discrimination against their employees.

What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

After graduation, I would like to work for a consulting firm and develop my skill sets as an industrial organizational consultant. In our field, we often discuss the gap between the research conducted by scientists and the reluctance of practitioners/organizations to implement it. Hofstra’s faculty has done an incredible job in training us to be able to put on both a scientist and a practitioner hat, depending on the environment. I want to help employees enjoy their work and reach their maximum potential by using evidence-based humanistic research.

19 “This study was designed to explore the experiences of lesbian and gay parents in the workplace. We opted for a qualitative approach to gather the insight of the LG community rather than making assumptions about their struggle.”

Hofstra HORIZONS for Undergraduate and Graduate Research t SUMMER 2021

Q&A

Julie Spector (Smith) BA, May 2021 Majors: English and Drama Hometown: Croton-on-Hudson, New York In basic terms, describe your project.

Sweet Little Girl is a full-length play about a family’s response to chronic illness. It is told from the perspective of Phoebe Bardin, a 13-year-old girl who has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Writing the play was an emotional three-month process, but the project had been cooking in my mind for a couple of years. I decided to play the main character and have my best friend, Sarah Taylor, play her older sister, in a staged reading over Zoom. The reading was directed by Gavin Petersen and stage-managed by Molly Guinen. We held auditions and filled in the rest of the cast with the fabulous students of Hofstra’s Drama Department. The reading took place on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, and was attended by over 100 people. The reading was also sponsored by several campus clubs and groups.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 3 years old, so living with the condition has always been a major part of my life. As I told the cast, I never had something like Sweet Little Girl growing up; I saw minimal representations of type 1 diabetes, and most of the ones that I did were either grossly inaccurate or wildly simplistic. While I wanted to create something that I wished I had as a younger person, I was terrified to write it. How could I write something that was true to my experiences, but relatable enough to be entertaining to my audience? After a lot of bargaining with myself, this play was born.

What professor did you work with, and how did they support you?

20

I worked with the incomparable Erik Brogger. He’s an accomplished playwright himself, and a creative writing professor that I have known since my first year at Hofstra; I was the only freshman in his class! I was ecstatic to work with him for my final writing project in college. Erik was nothing but kind, responsive, and encouraging throughout the entire process. He guided me to think more deeply about my characters, including completing character outlines, and offered insightful feedback. We also laughed a lot, which is always a plus. My second reader, Drama Professor Chris Dippel, also closely read the play and offered a plethora of helpful suggestions as well; I have also known him since my first year at Hofstra. It was wonderful to get to work with two professors who mean so much to me, and both had such wonderful suggestions.

Where do you see this research/project going in the future?

I want to get this play staged in a real theater! I would love to see another actor’s portrayal of Phoebe (or reprise the role myself) and how production designers would take on the technical elements of the show.

What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

I will continue my acting studies at Atlantic Acting School in New York City this fall! I will also continue to write for the rest of my life. I’ve even started a business in teaching writing called Just Ask Julie Tutoring Services!

Hofstra HORIZONS for Undergraduate and Graduate Research t SUMMER 2021

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