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Explorations Undergraduate Research at William Paterson University

Explorations Undergraduate Research at William Paterson University

The Power of Experiential Learning: Undergraduate Research at William Paterson University At William Paterson University, we are committed to providing a wide range of academic opportunities that challenge students’ intellectual growth.

One of the most significant ways in which the University enhances the

learning experience is by encouraging undergraduate students to engage in research with our professors, who are active experts in their fields of study.

“We are dedicated to providing our students with a wide range of experiential learning opportunities—including participation in faculty-mentored research and other scholarly or creative activities. These experiences can be life-changing for our students, preparing them for future success in their careers or graduate study.”

—Kathleen Waldron, President, William Paterson University

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Vast Opportunities for Students To Excel Undergraduates at William Paterson have opportunities to make presentations and attend conferences with faculty, and many have earned national awards and recognition. They also benefit from direct access to state-of-the-art equipment in the University’s advanced facilities.

Each year, William Paterson showcases student researchers and their accomplishments during a series of events entitled EXPLORATIONS: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Expression at William Paterson University. This two-week series was created in recognition of the wide range of research and other scholarly and creative activities conducted across the various disciplines on campus—from the hard sciences and social sciences to the humanities, business, and education to the arts and communication.

The following are some highlights from among the vast array of research projects by University undergraduate students.

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“Participating in independent research has definitely opened my eyes to how much work is involved. You can only learn so much in the classroom. Being able to conduct fieldwork and process the data really has given me the whole experience.”

—Julia MacDonald

Julia Macdonald ’17 Major: Biology • Honors College Track: Biology Project: Using Acoustic Monitoring to Detect Northern Long-Eared Bats at High Mountain Preserve Julia MacDonald began working with her faculty mentor, biology Professor Lance Risley, in summer 2015 when she joined a team of students he recruits each year to assist with his bat research at various locations in New Jersey. For her honors thesis, Julia set out

to determine whether federally threatened northern long-eared bats were using nearby High Mountain Park Preserve as a habitat. Using acoustic bat detectors, she gathered

data on High Mountain Park Preserve’s bat populations, which resulted in finding two northern-long-eared bats that she and Professor Risley subsequently tracked to roost trees on the mountain’s ridgeline and in nearby wetlands.

“Julia’s research is especially significant because the population of the northern

long-eared bat, once fairly common in forested areas in New Jersey, has declined about

95 percent in recent years due to a fungus that causes white nose syndrome,” Professor Risley explains. Both the Nature Conservancy, which administers the High Mountain Park Preserve, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which monitors threatened and endangered species, are interested in her findings.

Research Presentation: Northeast Regional Honors Conference

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Gabriela Salvador ‘16 Majors: English and Communication/Print Journalism • Minor: Public Relations • Honors College Track: Humanities Project: Examining Changes in French Women’s Fashion During the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries An accomplished seamstress, Gabriela Salvador turned her

long-time interest in historical women’s fashion into a research

project. With guidance from her advisor, philosophy Professor

John Peterman, she completed an honors thesis titled Examining

Changes in French Women’s Fashion During the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries, which focused on the political and cultural influences on French women’s fashion and the great changes in fashion during and after the French Revolution.

To illustrate the shift in fashion, Gabriela—who has served

as costume exhibit curator, garment preservation specialist,

and antique textiles collection manager for the Kearny History Museum—also constructed period outfits representing c. 1770 and c. 1800 styles. Through her project, she hopes to illustrate how critical fashion was to history and how imperative it is

for historical scholars to consider contemporary fashion when analyzing historical events.

“No period of fashion history is as enigmatic as the exaggerations of 18th century French court fashion. The excesses associated with Marie Antoinette—luscious silk brocades, stiffly boned undergarments, towering hairstyles adorned with miniature ships—remain symbolic of the period. Yet the years following the French Revolution represent starkly different fashion that emphasized classical Greco-Roman ideals of natural beauty and simplicity.”

—Gabriela Salvador

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Michael Parmese ’16 Major: Business Management • Honors College Track: Business Project: Millennial Engagement in Charitable Causes For his honors thesis, Michael Parmese embarked on a research

project to study millennial engagement in charitable causes. Guided by his marketing and management professors, Bela Florenthal and

Chen-Ho (Mike) Chao, his research examined the relationships that exist between intention to participate in charity and participant

ethnicity and gender, as well as the ability of past participation to influence future financial donations.

Michael hopes that his findings on this infrequently researched

topic can be used to help charities create more targeted marketing and advertisements that could help them reach their intended audience more effectively, and thereby increase charitable engagement,

including donations of both money and time by millennials who

are eager to contribute to charitable causes that benefit society and improve the lives of others.

“Completing undergraduate research affected my University experience by requiring me to go beyond the standard requirements. I had to ask questions, reach out to new people, and make difficult decisions about my research and what I was aiming to achieve. This helped me to better understand how to gather and analyze data and taught me how to more effectively manage a project. I was able to make close connections with professors who helped me to grow professionally and gave me guidance every step of the way.”

—Michael Parmese

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Tonee Burley ’16 Major: Communication Disorders and Sciences • Minor: Social Justice • Honors College Track: Social Sciences Project: Eurocentric Beauty Standards and the Perception of African American Women For her honors thesis in the social sciences track, Tonee Burley chose to study students’ perceptions of African American women with varying skin complexions and hair

textures. In conducting her research, Tonee hypothesized that lighter skinned women and women with straight and long hair would be more favorably perceived than dark

skinned women with natural hair, such as afros, dreadlocks, braids, etc. She looked for

trends among certain demographics to see if the effects of Eurocentric beauty standards and colorism affected perceptions.

Tonee was inspired by her thesis advisor, Danielle Wallace, assistant professor of

Africana world studies, who was instrumental in helping her through the research process. Her undergraduate research experience also has given her a jump start on

her graduate study; she is currently enrolled in the University’s master’s program in communication disorders and sciences and ultimately plans to pursue her PhD.

“Having the opportunity to do undergraduate research was an invaluable experience. I learned so much about the technicalities of research and the tools available. I also found a means to channel my passion for feminism and social justice. I feel very prepared to complete my graduate thesis next year.”

—Tonee Burley

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Randall Sanders ’16 Majors: Earth Science and Secondary Education Project: Connecting Grade 3-12 Students to Natural Geoscience Processes in Their Local Urban National Park Randall Sanders was taking an elective class on Land Use and Planning

with environmental science Professor Nicole Davi, when she offered him the

opportunity to participate in a research project developing science curriculum for Paterson school students using Great Falls National Historical Park as

a resource. For the next year and a half, he joined the student team led by

Professor Davi and fellow environmental science Professor Michael Griffiths

in the collaborative project, Connecting Grade 3-12 Students to Natural Geoscience

Processes in Their Local Urban National Park, which is funded by a grant from the Landsberger Foundation.

“This project supports the University’s goal of encouraging student

civic engagement and it gives William Paterson students hands-

on experience working with Paterson K-12 students and project partners,

and developing curriculum. These experiences help our students land jobs once they leave the University, and it also helps to build their professional network,” Professor Davi says. The networking connections Randall made as part of the

collaborative project team helped him attain a full-time job as an environmental science teacher at Passaic Valley Regional High School, where he also did his student teaching.

“Professor Davi has opened so many doors for me. She is an amazing mentor, role model, and friend who has been instrumental in my success. She saw something in me and her positive feedback, telling me ‘I believe in you,’ really pushed me to achieve.”

—Randall Sanders

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Geology Society Best Student Paper Award

from Geology Society of America (with co-presenter, Alyssa Apryasz ‘17)

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Michelle LeGrand ’16 Major: Psychology • Minor: Art • Honors College Track: Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology Project: An Art Program Focusing on Individual vs. Group Oriented Approaches to Low Socioeconomic Status Children At William Paterson, Michelle LeGrand had the opportunity to conduct research that combined her interests in psychology and art. Guided by her honors thesis advisor, psychology Professor Bruce Diamond, she created “Doodle and Dots,” a non-profit art program for fourth through sixth graders in Paterson, which

introduces art as a team-building tool to children living in low socioeconomic status communities.

Michelle was interested in utilizing art’s unique properties to help children

reduce stress and improve their interpersonal interactions. Through the project,

children from a community center were randomly assigned to either an individual or group-oriented art class. She hypothesized that the group-oriented class

would develop stronger team-building and interpersonal skills compared to

the individual art class. Also inducted into the International Honors Society of

Psychology, Michelle is currently pursuing a dual master’s degree in art therapy and mental health counseling.

“An art program that has an emphasis on working together in a fun and engaging environment may help children gain confidence, reduce stress, improve relaxation, enhance mood, and strengthen self-esteem. Introducing group work at an early age may help children achieve future success in higher education, careers, and perhaps in their own personal lives.”

--Michelle LeGrand

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First Place in Student Art Show Competition,

Northeast Regional Honors Conference for “Enslaved No More,” a ceramic sculpture designed to bring awareness to human trafficking

Award: First Place in Student Art Show Competition, Northeast Regional Honors Conference for “Enslaved No More,” (a project designed to bring awareness to human trafficking)

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Stephanie Spies ’17 Majors: Accounting and Financial Planning • Honors College Track: Business Project: Financial Literacy Examined through Debt Management of Two-Year and Four-Year College Students A transfer student from a community college, Stephanie Spies conducted research for her Honors College thesis on the topic, Financial Literacy Examined through Debt Management of Two-Year and Four-Year College

Students. Passionate about the college debt crisis, she surveyed students

at both a New Jersey two-year community college and four-year William Paterson students regarding perceptions of debt, credit card usage and debt, student loan debt, and demographic information.

Stephanie worked with marketing professors Chen-Ho (Mike) Chao

and Bela Florenthal on her thesis, which found that four-year students were significantly more likely to take out student loans than two-year students, but that both two-year and four-year college students can benefit from financial literacy initiatives. She is seeking to have her

research published in an undergraduate research journal and plans a

career as a certified public accountant and a certified financial planner.

“Although I have only studied at William Paterson for the past two years, I have learned more than I ever could have imagined both inside and outside the classroom. Having the opportunity to do undergraduate research has shown me that I can accomplish anything. It is a tremendous amount of work, but it has been such a rewarding experience and I believe it will really help me in my future as a professional.”

—Stephanie Spies

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Presentations:

• National Collegiate Honors Council Conference • Northeast Regional Honors Conference

Award:

Member of William Paterson team earning first place at Financial Planning Association’s 2016 National Financial Planning Challenge

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Daniel Spadaro ‘16 Major: Popular Music Studies • Honors College Track: Independent Project: More Than a Song Daniel Spadaro converged his passion for songwriting and storytelling into a

research project with his honors thesis, More Than a Song. Calling his project an “exploration in versatile songwriting,” Danny first interviewed aspiring artists of various genres. He then wrote, produced, and recorded songs in their styles of music that depicted their lives and stories.

The inspiration for this creative project came from Professor Dave Kerzner,

coordinator of the popular music studies and sound engineering arts programs at the University, who inspired Danny to design a unique honors project that no one had done previously. Professor Kerzner encouraged him to step out

of his comfort zone and enter a creative process that he had not yet explored.

Through his project, Danny—who also completed an internship at Def Jam

Records—sought to become a better writer and storyteller in genres that are

not his own personal favorites. He plans a career in songwriting, producing, and performing.

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“A good songwriter can tell anyone’s story in a song, not just their own story. Through this project, I have grown as a writer, musician, and audio engineer, which will definitely benefit me as I pursue my music career. I’ve made lifelong friends and connections and I’ve learned so much about the music industry and how to connect with people in the professional world.”

—Daniel Spadaro

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Sirai Ramirez ’17 Major: Biology/Physiology and Behavior Project: Reactive oxygen species during tail regression in tadpoles Xenopus laevis: Cross talk between cellular organelles Sirai Ramirez has always had a passion for subjects of science that involve a lot of detail, such as genetics and cell biology. She works with biology Professor Jaishri Menon on the project, Reactive oxygen species during tail regression in tadpoles Xenopus laevis:

Cross talk between cellular organelles. Through this research, Sirai is studying how cellular organelles and different molecules affect tail regression, learning how small changes in these cellular processes can affect the bigger picture.

Sirai won first place in the biological sciences category for her

presentation at the Emerging Researchers National Conference, marking the fourth consecutive year that a William Paterson

student mentored by Professor Menon has received a research award at this conference. “Independent research epitomizes one of the highest accomplishments of student learning,”

says Professor Menon. “This award is a testament to Sirai’s

understanding of this area of research.” In the future, Sirai plans to put the knowledge she gained to use in medical school.

“I feel like I have gotten a lot out of William Paterson that I wouldn’t have experienced in a big school.

It’s a small world at the University—everyone knows each other and I really like that environment.

I would definitely recommend that students find a professor and do some research in whatever subject interests them. Research opens up new windows of opportunity and has allowed me to meet different people and make close ties with my professors.”

—Sirai Ramirez

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First Place STEM Award

in Biological Sciences, 2016 Emerging Researchers National Conference

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Research Presentations:

• Northeast Regional Honors Conference • Eastern Nursing Research Society Regional Conference • Midwives Alliance of North America Conference • National Nurse Practioner Symposium

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Jessica Couper ’16 Major: Nursing • Honors College Track: Nursing Project: Transforming Birth Culture in America: The Relationship between Interpersonal Processes of Care as Exhibited by the Primary Care Provider and the Level of Maternal Satisfaction with the Birthing Experience For her honors thesis Jessica Couper created and implemented an original research project entitled Transforming Birth Culture in America: The Relationship between Interpersonal Processes of Care as Exhibited by the Primary Care Provider and the Level of Maternal Satisfaction with the Birthing Experience. Through her study, which she worked on with her thesis advisor, nursing Professor Jill Nocella, Jessica found that a low level of maternal satisfaction regarding the birth experience has immediate and long-term effects on mothers. She also discovered that women who used midwives achieved more satisfying births than those who used a physician.

Jessica, who plans a career as a nurse midwife, has received widespread recognition for her research, which was accepted for presentation at numerous conferences including the National Nurse Practitioner Symposium, where the program committee found her research so compelling that it was the only undergraduate abstract to be accepted. “These are significant research accomplishments,” says Barbara Andrew, interim director of the University Honors College. “Jessica’s research, focused on aspects of how providers offer care, is important, timely, and matters to the lives of everyday people. She aims to improve the experiences and health outcomes of the childbearing women in this country.”

“The moments I spent creating and implementing my honors research thesis were some of the most exhilarating and rigorous ones I spent at William Paterson.

The discoveries I made through these experiences will impact my clients for years to come.”

—Jessica Couper

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Bria Barnes ’15 Majors: Elementary Education and English • Honors College Track: Performing and Literary Arts Project: Prospect Park, Images of America Bria Barnes not only discovered a love for teaching at William Paterson. She also took the opportunity to participate in faculty-student research and become a

published co-author even before she finished college. Bria jumped at the chance to conduct ethnographic research on the town of Prospect Park with a small group

of fellow students and her faculty mentor, education and anthropology Professor Ronald Verdicchio.

As part of the research team, Bria and fellow students investigated the cultural

change the town has experienced as immigration and migration have become

agents of change in the population. She spent time in the borough getting to know its residents, participating in volunteer activities, conducting oral histories, and interviewing local community leaders, teachers, students,

and parents. These efforts resulted in a 128-page published book, Prospect Park (Arcadia Publishing, Images of America Series), that showcases the rich cultural, educational, and

economic heritage of Prospect Park. Today, Bria is shaping young lives as an English teacher and all royalties and net

sales from the book are benefiting future William Paterson students by funding scholarships.

“I’m so proud that the proceeds from our book are helping to make a William Paterson education possible for future students through scholarships.”

—Bria Barnes

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Research Publications and Poster Presentations:

Jason Codrington ’17 Major: Chemistry Project: Fundamentals of ScatteringMediated Energy Transfer As part of a student research team working with chemistry Professor Jay Foley, Jason Codrington is using computers

to discover new materials for applications like solar energy

conversion. Jason has been developing and using computational

strategies to design nanomaterials that can harvest sunlight and direct its energy into molecules, a process known as solar-to-

• Co-author: “Near-field dielectric scattering promotes optical absorption by platinum nanoparticles,” Nature Photonics, spring 2016 • First author, “Unique hot-carrier distributions from scattering-mediated absorption,” under review by American Chemical Society (ACS) Photonics

chemical energy conversion.

Jason is motivated by the idea that his work can potentially

lead to more efficient and cost-effective materials and devices for

solar energy conversion—a topic of increasing importance as the

need for alternative energy sources like solar becomes more critical in the effort to curb

dependency on fossil fuels. A Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) summer research intern, Jason also conducted poster presentations at both the ACS

Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting and the ACS National Meeting. He plans to pursue his PhD in theoretical physical chemistry and computational biophysics.

“Professor Foley has provided the opportunity to explore the relationship between theory and experiment, and given us unique opportunities to not only delve into research atypical of an undergraduate institution, but also to present our work at national conferences. As a result, I’ve not only been able to expand my chemistry knowledge, but I am able to see the application of it beyond the classroom.”

—Jason Codrington

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About William Paterson University William Paterson University is a leading

from faculty mentors, small class sizes,

students enrolled in undergraduate

clinical experiences.

public University with nearly 11,000

and graduate degree programs offered by five academic colleges: Arts and

Communication, Cotsakos College of

Business, Education, Humanities and

Social Sciences, and Science and Health.

The University offers a wide range of

learning opportunities in its classrooms,

laboratories, and studios, and throughout the campus, as well as at various off-

campus locations. William Paterson’s faculty members provide a valuable

blend of accomplished scholarship and practical, applied experience. Among

the University’s faculty are 41 Fulbright

scholars and recipients of numerous other awards, grants, and fellowships. Students benefit from individualized attention

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and numerous research, internship, and The institution’s nearly 74,000 alumni can be found throughout New Jersey,

the nation, and the world, using their

William Paterson degrees and experiences as a springboard to professional

accomplishment and personal growth.

They are leaders in the arts, business,

health care, sports, entertainment, the

media, and education. They are public servants, artists, musicians, teachers, scientists, television personalities,

authors, politicians, crime fighters, and

entrepreneurs. Their achievements reflect

the University’s mission and commitment

to preparing graduates for success in their careers, communities, and lives.

Will. Power.

Learn More Undergraduate Admissions:

wpunj.edu/viewbook • 973.720.2125 Research at William Paterson University:

wpunj.edu/osp/explorations University Honors College:

wpunj.edu/honors-program