csi undergraduate conference on research, scholarship ... - CSI Today

Tomás D. Morales,PhDCSI UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE ONRESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND PERFORMANCETHURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2011

COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND/CUNYCSI UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE ONRESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND PERFORMANCE*April 14, 2011Center for the Arts, 1P-Atrium1:30pm – 4:30pm*Sponsored by the Division of Academic Affairs with funding fromthe CSI Student Government Academic and Curricular Affairs Commissions,the Office of Alumni Relations, and the CSI Foundation

Conference ScheduleCSI Undergraduate Conference on Research,Scholarship, and Performance, 2011Conference Schedule—Thursday, April 14, 201111:30am–12:30pm1:15pm–2:00pm1:30pm–4:30pm1:30pm–3:30pm1:30pm–2:55pm1:30pm–2:00pm1:30pm–3:30pm1:45pm–3:15pm2:00pm–2:45pm2:15pm–2:45pm2:15pm–2:45pm2:45pm–3:30pm3:00pm–4:30pmAuthors and Mentors LunchCSI Rock Music ClubSpringer Concert Hall, 1P-117Poster Presentations1P-Atrium, East and West LoungesCSI Sculpture Exhibition1P-Atrium—The Glass CasePaper Presentations—Social ScientificMethods in Comparative PerspectiveClassroom, 1P-222CSI Drama ProgramLab Theatre, 1P-220CSI Student Spring Group Art andSculpture ExhibitionArt Gallery, 1P-118BPanel DiscussionCulture of the Atomic Bomb: Japan afterWorld War IILecture Hall, 1P-119CSI Music Program RecitalRecital Hall, 1P-120CSI Dance ProgramDance Studio, 1P-220CSI Gospel ChoirSpringer Concert Hall, 1P-117CSI Big Band, and Jazz Repertory ComboWilliamson Theatre, 1P-111Paper Presentations—Environmental Studies:Biology, History, and CultureClassroom, 1P-2222

Message from the PresidentCSI Undergraduate Conference on Research,Scholarship, and PerformanceMessage from the PresidentIt is my pleasure to welcome you to the Tenth Annual UndergraduateConference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance.The <strong>conference</strong> theme, “Your Passport to Knowledge,” exemplifies the breadthand depth of knowledge and talent of our <strong>undergraduate</strong> students. This annualevent showcases the intellect and talent of CSI students, as well as thecommitment of our faculty to provide a world-class education for our students.It is through the guidance of and the collaboration with CSI faculty that ourstudents are able to construct research, scholarship, and performances of the outstanding caliber that youwill enjoy today.This year we have 302 participants in the <strong>conference</strong> representing an extensive range of disciplines withinthe College. There are 99 abstracts being presented either by a single student or groups of students—in all96 performers and 71 students displaying their talents. Today, you will have the opportunity to immerseyourself in complex musical and dance performances, rigorous analyses of social scientific and literary ideasand theories, and observe meticulous scientific investigations and inquiries.This year an additional dimension has been added to the <strong>conference</strong>—paper presentations. Our studentswill be presenting their research papers in classroom format, giving them the opportunity to develop theirpresentation skills for their future professional disciplines.It is important to note that 11 of our students’ research projects were supported through CSI UndergraduateResearch Awards sponsored by the CSI Foundation. In addition, we are extremely grateful to the CSI StudentGovernment and the Office of Academic Affairs for their financial support.I would like to acknowledge Kristen Lindtvedt and Dr. Alan Benimoff, who have assisted our studentparticipants by providing workshops and technical assistance that enabled them to enhance the visualcomponents of their presentations, and Jessica Stein, Debbie Mahoney, and the staff of the Provost’s Office—a great team that handled a myriad of tasks and details. Lastly, I would like to thank Dean E.K. Park andAssociate Provost Ann Lubrano for coordinating the <strong>conference</strong>.I would also like to thank the Alumni Association for donating t-shirts for the volunteers; Design Services; theCenter for the Arts for their technical support; and the Undergraduate Research Conference Committeemembers and volunteers for taking the time to assist with the organization of this event.I am indeed proud that this <strong>conference</strong> represents a true collaboration of the College community, and Iappreciate the many roles played by all in presenting this <strong>conference</strong>, which highlights the critical researchand experimentation that define and enhance the college experience.Congratulations to each and every one of today’s participants!Sincerely,Tomás D. Morales, PhDPresident3

The Department of Performing and Creative ArtsPresentsAn Art, Dance,and MusicExpositionatThe Tenth AnnualCSI Undergraduate Conferenceon Research, Scholarship,and PerformanceAtrium,Concert Hall,Lab Theatre,Recital Hall,Williamson Theatre,Dance Studio, andStudent Art GalleryCenter for the ArtsThursday, April 14, 20115

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesW I L L I A M S O N T H E A T R E , 1P-111CSI BIG BAND and JAZZ REPERTORY COMBO2:45pm–3:30pmThe CSI Big Band explores literature of that genre ranging from swing to modernwith an emphasis on clarity and ensemble performance and development of eachindividual player’ s musicianship. The Jazz Repertory Combo takes a keen interest inthe development of improvisational and accompaniment skills in the jazz idiom,particularly relating to small-ensemble performance. It explores advanced literatureand jazz classics ranging from the early modernism of Charlie Parker and DizzyGillespie to later styles of contemporary composers.Prof. Michael Morreale, DirectorThe CSI Big BandJames Fletcher, Dominick Bartolone, Gregory Quagliano, Danny Lazkani - saxophonesCem Colpan, David Immiti, Frank Rogers - trumpetsMiles James, Thomas Cropley, Jeff Martin - trombonesKaleem Sharpe - tubaAlbert DeRosa - pianoPadraic Lynch - contra bassAlan Rogozin - electric bassAdan Paz, Matt Gallo, Eric Roces, Salvatore Kubis - guitarJoseph Giunto, Julia Aponte, Joseph Lamanna - drumsThe Jazz Repertory ComboGregory Quagliano - tenor saxophoneAnthony Gonzalez - guitarPadraic Lynch - contra bassJoseph Lamanna – drumsPROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED6

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesS P R I N G E R C O N C E R T H A L L , 1 P - 1 1 7CSI ROCK MUSIC CLUB1:15pm–2:00pmProf. Dominick Tancredi, Faculty AdvisorSELECTIONS FROM:TODAY ......................................................................THE SMASHING PUMPKINSCOME OUT AND PLAY (KEEP EM SEPARATED) .......................................THE OFFSPRINGWHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU.............................................................THE ROMANTICSALIVE .........................................................................................PEARL JAMEVERLONG..........................................................................THE FOO FIGHTERSPAIN .................................................................................JIMMY EAT WORLDHYSTERIA ..........................................................................................MUSEANNA MOLLY ...................................................................................INCUBUSDON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ ........................................................................JOURNEYI BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE ..................................................THE DARKNESSAlan Aurelia - electric bassPatrick Granton - guitarJomar Vargas - drumsMargaret Hampton - vocalsJenna Calderon, Steve Flannery - guitarJoseph Giunto - drumsKevin Duff - vocals7

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesC F A A T R I U M — T H E G L A S S C A S ECSI SCULPTURE EXHIBITION1:30 - 3:30 PMProf. Marianne Weil, InstructorCast, Carved and ConstructedJun Lu, ART 250Heather Annese, ART 350John Samuels, ART 250Jun Lu, ART 250John Samuels, ART 250Misste Rivera, ART 250Victoriya Masheyeva, ART 250Chelsea Taylor, ART 150Christina Sgarlato, ART 350Ermona Sejadinovski, ART 150Student Artists:S P R I N G E R C O N C E R T H A L L , 1 P - 1 1 7Hand Rake, plasterJaded Heart, woodHand Tool, plasterHand Tool, plasterEights, woodHand Gun, plasterViola Torso, plasterIn Full Bloom, plasterFreedom, woodForbidden Strawberries, plasterTHE CSI GOSPEL CHOIR (CSIGC)2:15pm – 2:45 pmThe CSIGC aims to enrich the lives of participants and listeners through inspirationalmusic. We are not just a club, but a ministry!Prof. Sylvia Kahan, Faculty AdviserChoirStephanie Layne - sopranoChanel Winbush - altoKayla Hill - altoLynn Saunders - tenorKenneth Hunt – tenorAminta Fredericks - tenorAshley Gill - soprano/choir directorBandStanton Estwick - keyboard/music directorDan Muniz - guitarDominick Tancredi – bassDarryl Todman - drumsLORD, YOU’RE MIGHTY........................................JJ HAIRSTON AND YOUTHFUL PRAISEGREAT IS OUR GOD .................................................................YOUTHFUL PRAISEMORE THAN ANYTHING.............................................................LAMAR CAMPBELLGOD IS IN CONTROL.........................................................................JAMES HAL8

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesD A N C E S T U D I O , 1 P - 2 2 0CSI DANCE PROGRAM2:15pm–2:45pmThe Training of a DancerProf. Charles Thomas, Dance CoordinatorProf. Niambi Keyes, Dance InstructorProf. Walter Rutledge, Dance InstructorBALLET (Dan 231)Excerpt from Marice Ravel’s Bolero for Spring 20ll Dance ConcertJAZZ (Dan 261)Centre/Floor WorkExcerpt from “Closer” for Spring 2011 Dance ConcertIMPROVISATION (Dan 171)Audience ParticipationCHOREOGRAPHY (Dan 111)Excerpt from “Falling Down” for Spring 2011 Dance ConcertCONTEMPORARY STYLES OF DANCE (Dan 101)Afro-Haitian Dance (Dan 184)Lecture exploring historical overview of Afro-Haitian Dance.DANCE CLUB (“Inevitable Khemistry”)Excerpts from “Respect The Art,” “That Girl Is Poison,” “Who You Are”Dance Students: Michael Garrett, Myles Saunders, Daniel Thompson, James Fable, Lauren Stevens, JustinaMcGhie, Donnica Hamlet, Taryn Ford, Melida Medina, Justin Salud, Precious Purvuerti, Kelly Savarese, SharonParshad, Brandon Modeste, Ashley Gorneay, Morselle Horsford, Kerbie Augustine, Jacqueline Hemmy, SamuelPaasewe, Varia Auguste, Kelly Woodford, Samantha Wong, Jacinta Tucker, Girard Francois, Rosemary Adesola,Madeline Long, Lovette Rosado9

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesC S I S T U D E N T A R T G A L L E R Y , 1 P - 1 1 8 BTHE STUDENT SPRING GROUP EXHIBITION1:30pm – 3:30pmThe Student Art Gallery of the Performing and Creative Arts Department will presentan exhibition of work by Art majors from all of the areas of study: drawing, painting,photography, printmaking, and sculpture. The exhibition is curated by StefanieCandelario, Christina Carannante, and Sang Yeum.Prof. Siona Wilson, Faculty AdviserJoanne GoodfellowAllan MGerard O’MallenAmanda KaneCorey LewisArlene GonzalezNina MusilloFrancisco OsorioErin KammererHayat TahmazLaurie SteinLucia RappaMohamed IKellie BollaertAnna TamDaniella CatalfumoJodi RupelliSara IbrahimJennifer CanadeCarla MusacchioJesse RodriguezHeo ZellSundas NazirOlga VishnevaElena VlasiucYan LiShangi DengJerry ChenAnthony RyanSaphia CapassoAlexandra OziasMargarita SansoneTeresa FarinaAbigail RiveraNicole CastaldoElizabeth BrandtChelsea TaylorJ. SamuelsYin LinErika QuaranteMarissa LauriaMichael DoteEwelina BercBoyana JovanovicPaul CaminitiJonathan LoncleSara IbrahimAnnie BreenAmira HassanAllan MurtadaTeresa FarinaAmr AbdelsalamSharifa AhmedBonnie KennedyLali PartsvaniaCarlos SotoChris LibertiSharon CruzRashid JacksonLeonella GattiViktoriya Masheyeva10

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesL A B T H E A T R E , 1 P - 1 1 0CSI DRAMA PROGRAM1:30pm–2:00pmExcerpt from Delirium by Enda Walsh and Theatre OBased on The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskyTHE CAST (in order of appearance)Father ZosimaKaterinaSmerdyakovAlyoshaIvanGrushenkaFyodorMityaDaniel KoehlerChristine Zahra-DevitoAmy PuleoMichael DianoraEdward V. TurnerGabrielle CanciBob EliaErnest CaushiTHE PRODUCTION TEAMDirectorSet DesignLighting DesignSound DesignAssistant DirectorStage ManagerAssistant Stage ManagerFight ChoreographerLight Board OperatorVideo OperatorCostumesVideo AnimationsPuppet Design and ConstructionChoreographyProduction ManagerProf. Maurya WickstromProf. Kevin JudgeDaniel KoehlerDaniel KoehlerChristine Zahra-DevitoAlison LangleibenMichael SimanovskyProf. Eero LaineEssam MeawadAissata BarrieProf. Maurya Wickstrom, with ChristineZahra-Devito and Jennifer StraniereNaoise Reynolds and Joel ReynoldsJoel Reynolds with Prof. Maurya WickstromProf. Maurya Wickstrom with Cast CollaborationJennifer StraniereSongs by: The Kills, The Dead Weather, The Black Keys, Nick Cave and Grinderman, Ray Charles, and thesoundtrack from Pina Bausch Mazurca FogoAdditional original musical underscoring by Michael Simanovsky and Dan Koehler11

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesR E C I T A L H A L L , 1 P - 1 2 0CSI MUSIC PROGRAM RECITAL2:00pm - 2:45pmA showcase of chamber music featuring faculty and students of theCSI Music ProgramProf. William Bauer, Performance CoordinatorPROGRAMWHAT ARE YOU DOING THE REST OF YOUR LIFE ......................MICHEL LEGRANDE (B. 1932)LULLABY OF BIRDLAND...............................................GEORGE SHEARING (1919-2011)BLACK COFFEE..............................................................SONNY BURKE (1914-1980)YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS .........................................GENE DEPAUL (1919-1988)Linda Soria - voiceGregory Quagliano - tenor saxophone,Eric Roces - electric guitar Padraic Lynch - bassJoseph Giunto - drums Prof. William Bauer - pianoNOCTURNE IN B-FLAT MINOR, OP. 9, NO.1 ...............FRÉDÉRIC FRANÇOIS CHOPIN (1810-1849)Shiyun Shang - pianoGREENSLEEVES .............................................TRADITIONAL arr. by FRANCIS CUTTINGIN SORROW’S WAKE ..........................................................ANDREW YORK (B. 1958)PRELUDE NO. 1 IN E-MINOR ........................................HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)Jenna Calderon - guitarSIX DUETS FOR 2 VIOLINS AND PIANO .............................BENJAMIN GODARD (1849-1895)No.1 Pastorale (Souvenir de Campagne): AllegrettoNo.2 Sadness (Tristesse): AndanteNo.3 Forsaken (Abandon): Allegro non troppoMelissa Folzenlogen and Stephanie Geraci - violinsShiyun Shang - piano12

Dramatic and Musical PerformancesPCA EVENTS CALENDAR, SPRING 2011Tuesday, May 3–Thursday, June 2, Student Art Gallery, 1P-118BGraduating Art Majors and Art/Photography Concentration MajorsThis show focuses on the work made by the 2011 graduating seniors enrolled inthe Art Program and the Art/Photography Concentration of the Performing andCreative Arts DepartmentPlease call 718.982.2118 for gallery hoursThursday, May 5, 1:30pm, The Recital Hall, 1P-120Music Hour: The OMNI EnsembleAdmission: FreeThursday, May 5, 7:30pm, Williamson TheatreSpring Dance RecitalDirected by Charles Thomas, Niambi Keyes, and Walter RutledgeTickets: $10/$7 students and seniorsMonday, May 9, 7:30pm, The Recital Hall, 1P-120Senior Recital: Jenna Calderon, guitaristAdmission: FreeThursday, May 12, 1:30pm, The Recital Hall, 1P-120Music Hour: The CSI Small Jazz EnsembleAdmission: FreeThursday, May 12, 7:30 pm, Recital Hall, 1P-120Recital: The CSI Guitar EnsembleDirected by Edward BrownTickets: $5Tuesday, May 17, 2:30pm, The Recital Hall, 1P-120Chamber Music/Young Artist RecitalAdmission: FreeTuesday, May 17, 7:30 pm, Recital Hall, 1P-120CSI Honors RecitalTickets: $5Wednesday, May 18, 2:30 pm, Recital Hall, 1P-120Recital: The CSI ChorusDirected by Marina AlexanderTickets: $5Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 pm, Lab Theatre, 1P-110Recital: The CSI Jazz EnsembleDirected by Michael MorrealeTickets: $5All events take place in the Center for the Arts, College of Staten IslandFor information, please call 718.982.2520 or 718.982.ARTSAll performance events are CLUE-certified.13

ResearchPaperPresentationsCenter for the Arts1:30pm - 4:30pm15

Research Paper PresentationsP A N E L D I S C U S S I O NCulture of the AtomicBomb—Japan after WorldWar IILecture Hall, 1:45pm–3:15pmFaculty Mentor – Dr. Janet Ng DudleyAtomic Bomb and Its CultureEffects: OverviewAni PeradzeDuring the final stages of World War II in 1945, theUnited States decided to use atomic bombs againstJapan in order to end the war. On August 6th andAugust 9th two bombs were dropped in the citiesof Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed hundredsof thousands of people. In both cities, most of thedead were civilians. Even though, the U.S.government had a full understanding of the powerof an atomic bomb, no one expected this kind ofdisastrous outcome. This paper gives an overviewof the politics of the dropping of the Atomic Bomb,the political repercussions and the effects on Japanand its cultural expressionKurosawa and the SamuraiRaymond ReyesThis project is an in-depth look at thehistorical/cultural context of Akira Kurosawa’s postwarsamurai films Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Seven Samuraiand The Hidden Fortress. It discusses the purposeand aim of the nonstandard portrayal of samurai inthe aforementioned films by comparing andcontrasting the characters to historic samuraipractices as outlined in William Scott Wilson’s“Ideals of the Samurai” and Yamamoto Tsunemoto’sHagakure.Human in the ShellJennifer Megan TerzicIn a fantastic future world, when the onlydistinction between humans and machines hasbeen narrowed, and even blurred, what is themain ingredient that defines us as humans? What isa human; what makes us human? When the frailtyof mortality has been stripped away, or “cyberized,”is there any interior or “origin”? Through an analysisof a popular, cyberpunk franchise in Japan, whichalso became influential in the U.S., I will attempt toanswer these questions.The Social Aesthetics of KawaiiVictoria CooperModern Japanese society is uniquely defined by aparticular style known as Kawaii. Kawaii, mostcommonly translated as “cute,” takes on a variety ofmeanings from adorable and lovable tochildlike. From the Japanese eye, “cute” is not onlycommon, it is an acceptable term used in everydayvernacular, a popular aesthetic, and an obsessivelysought after approach to living. However, the wordgoes beyond describing a physical and visual styleas described previously; rather, Kawaii has becomea lifestyle in Japan as many, from children to adults,have made a conscious choice to indulge in thisinnocent aesthetic. In this paper, I will answer thequestion how, in such a serious and logical society,can such unrealistic characters not only be popular,but also be identified with by people of all ages,genders, and social classes?16

Research Paper PresentationsSocial Scientific Methods inComparative PerspectiveRoom 222, 1:30pm–2:55pmP A P E R 1The Western Union TelegraphExpedition and the Participants’Views of the Natives TheyEncounteredKelly CooperFaculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Smith-PeterDepartment of HistoryBetween 1865 and 1868 members of the WesternUnion Telegraph Expedition encountered manynative people on their journeys through Alaska andSiberia. Historians have not given a detailed orcomplete account of the Western Union TelegraphExpedition, especially the encounters between theparticipants and the natives of Siberia and Alaska.This paper tries to provide this account and examinea topic that has not been given much consideration.This paper concentrates on the views of theexpedition participants towards the natives theyencountered on their journeys. Based on the writtenaccounts of George Kennan, Richard Bush, andWilliam H. Dall, this paper argues that all theparticipants viewed the natives they encountered asinferior, and that this opinion was shared by thewhite American population at the time. Theexpedition members’ views about the natives can beconnected to the broader white American view thatnatives, including Native Americans, were barbarians.This paper argues that this view contributed to thenegative view the expedition participants had of thenatives in Alaska and Siberia. This negative viewvaried in degree among the participants, but none ofthem found the natives to be equal. This wassurprising because most of the participants wouldhave died had the natives not been so helpful insuch terrible conditions.P A P E R 2The International Committee ofthe Red Cross and the TerezinGhettoDeryn CroFaculty Mentor: Dr. Mark LewisDepartment of HistoryThe Nazis set up the Terezin ghetto in theProtectorate of Bohemia and Moravia to persuadethe outside world that Jews were being protectedwithin the Third Reich. Even after an investigationby the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC), the Nazis were still able to maintain thisfaçade. This study focuses on the time between1941-1945 when Terezin was first developed, andsuspicions regarding the Final Solution began toincrease. Historians have previously speculated thatthe ICRC, as a neutral organization, had its handstied with regards to the Holocaust. However, thisresearch hopes to use archival evidence to showthat the ICRC not only had previous knowledge butalso chose to not act upon this information. It alsoseeks to explain why the organization made thedecisions it did. Another objective is to explainwhy the ICRC made no further inquiries aftervisiting Terezin, and the lengths the Nazis went toin order to cover up the true purpose of the “modelghetto.” This research looks to back up accusationsthat the ICRC failed to provide properhumanitarian assistance that could have halted theNazis’ plans for extermination.P A P E R 3The New York City Mayoralty andPublic OpinionKanika KhannaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Richard FlanaganDepartment of Political Science, Economics andPhilosophyThe New York City Mayoralty and Public Opinionexamines the relationship between approval ratingsand conditions/events and on the highest politicaloffice of New York City. Through a comparativestudy of the mayoral terms of Koch, Dinkins,Giuliani, and Bloomberg, I note a shift in publicperception of mayoral performance regarding theeconomic state of New York City. This study utilizesboth statistical analysis of polling data andhistorical analysis of New York City’s politicalsystem. Resources used include polling data,archives, newspapers, and numerous historicalpublications. From my research, I have concludedthat the Bloomberg mayoralty is held lessaccountable for economic downturns thanprevious administrations; however, opinions on amayor’s effectiveness during economic struggle areinfluenced by the portrayal of the mayoralty’sleadership and relatability.17

Research Paper PresentationsEnvironmental Studies:Biology, History, and CultureRoom 222, 3:00pm–4:30pmP A P E R 4Long Distance Dispersal—AMechanism for Range ExpansionBrian KatemanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Shaibal MitraDepartment of BiologyDispersal is of ecological and evolutionarysignificance for many areas in population biology,including population synchrony, range expansionand colonization, source-sink and meta-populationdynamics, and genetic structure. To predict rates ofspread, it has recently become clear that LongDistance Dispersal (LDD) rates, although muchmore difficult to measure than median dispersaldistances, are critically important because staticdispersal kernels underpredict the rate ofpopulation spread. Furthermore, it has recentlybecome evident that distances dispersed byindividuals may change through time as apopulation expands. Both of these issues – thecontribution of LDD to population spread, and thepossibility that the distribution of dispersaldistances of expanding populations change overtime– are explored through analysis of continentwidedata on bird abundance and dispersalsupplied by the Bird Banding Laboratory. Wecharacterized the frequency of dispersal distancesfor 10 species and found that all followed aLeptokurtic distribution. We tested for changes inthe distribution of dispersal distances of expandingpopulations, over time and across space, bycomparing dispersal from newly-occupied areaswith dispersal from core areas. Among the 10species explored, the Carolina Wren, Eastern TuftedTitmouse, Great Black-backed Gull, NorthernCardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Red-belliedWoodpecker, and Painting Bunting showed asignificant correlation between average dispersaldistance and time, supporting the notion thatdispersal distances increase as a populationexpands and thus lead to range expansion.P A P E R 5From a Clay Mine to an Oasis: TheTransformation of Charleston(1854–1986)Christina LandolfiFaculty Mentor: Dr. John WingDepartment of HistoryThere is a hidden gem that lies in the Charlestonarea of Staten Island. My visit to Clay Pit Ponds StatePark Preserve prompted me to find out two things;the first was how a former operating clay mineevolved into an oasis and secondly how a place sobeautiful and ecologically diverse came intoexistence on Staten Island. The stresses that areplaced on the environment by human activitiesoften cause dramatic changes to the landscape, aswe see with the disappearance of forests, glaciers,and animal habitats. What I discovered was thatindustrial clay mining played a role in transforminga pine barren landscape to one with a unique anddiverse ecology. The extraction of clay led todramatic environmental changes of the landscape.The clay pits that were once extensively minedwere abandoned and were left to lay fallowallowing nature to take its course. The clay pitsfilled with rainwater, which started the stages ofsuccession, which would not have been possiblewithout the clay pits and the sands, gravels, andclays that were laid down during the Cretaceousperiod. The Preservation of Clay Pit Ponds led tothe founding of the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods,who fought to preserve the land. Clay Pit Pondsbecame a State Park Preserve in 1986 and heldcommunity, recreational and educational activities,which are still continued today. The work of theProtectors of Pine Oak Woods is an example ofhow to make a post-industrial landscape somethingbeneficial to the local community. This paperargues that the history of Clay Pit Ponds, thehistorical, geological, and biological processes andhuman activity all played a major role on thetransformation of the landscape18

Research Paper PresentationsP A P E R 6The Navajo Struggle forCompensation—Health andEnvironmental Effects of UraniumMining Since the Cold War EraKasuni NanayakkaraFaculty Mentor: Dr. John WingDepartment of HistoryAn important environmental struggle involving theNavajo nation began during the Cold War era (1947-1991), when there was a continuing state ofpolitical conflict, military tension, and economiccompetition primarily between the Soviet Unionand the United States. The escalation of the ColdWar between the two world powers sent lowincomeNavajo workers to uranium mines in theUnited States to mine the ore for the processing ofnuclear weapons. Since the Navajo workers provedto be an inexpensive labor source, the federal andstate governments used them to provide rawmaterials for the buildup of the American nucleararsenal. In my paper, I combine oral histories,interviews, photographs, and a range of secondarysources to examine how Navajo workers and theirfamilies living in the Four Corners region wereneither informed of the dangers of uranium miningnor were they given proper clothing to preventradiation exposure. The exploitation by the UnitedStates government and the mining companies,along with the lack of proper health care followingradiation exposure, caused dire environmental andmedical issues for the miners and their families. Theresulting high rate of illness among the miners andthe deadly legacy of past uranium mining led to thepassage of the 1990 Radiation ExposureCompensation Act and the Diné Natural ResourcesProtection Act of 2005, but many are still exposedto radiation and contaminated water near miningsites.P A P E R 7A Sacrifice for Water. Quenchingthe Thirst of New York CityDaniel StewartFaculty Mentor: Dr. John WingDepartment of HistoryTaking an environmental historical perspective, myresearch has found that the process of creating awater supply for New York City has heavily affectedthe local towns and communities in upstate NewYork. While creating these water supplies, townshad to be destroyed or removed from their originallocation in order to create several massivereservoirs in the Croton River headwaters and inthe Catskill Mountains. I conducted archivalresearch in the town of Southeast, NY andinterviews with community members near thereservoirs to investigate what actually happenedand how these local communities were affected. Iconclude that not only were towns destroyed butthousands of residents had to sell their homes andrelocate to neighboring towns. When thesereservoirs replaced these towns, the neighboringeconomies were heavily affected as a result of thesenewly created water supplies. Roughly nineteentowns were destroyed and over 4,000 people losttheir homes.One example of how these man-made reservoirsnegatively affected communities and businesseswas the unintended flooding of a local iron oremine named the Tilly Foster Mine. This minesupplied magnetic iron ore to the entire east coastthe United States. When the mine was deemed toodangerous from the flooding, iron ore distributionstopped and local businesses that used this ironwere forced to shut down. On the other side of thecoin was how a reliable clean water source wasgoing to affect New York City. With a newly builtwater supply system, the city was able to thrive andeventually eliminate water-borne diseases thatplagued the city such as cholera, yellow fever andtyphoid. My aim was to point out both negative andpositive impacts of these reservoirs and to makecases for both. Ultimately, without these reservoirs,New York City would not have been able to growto its current size.19

ResearchPosterPresentationsCenter for the ArtsAtrium1:30pm - 4:00pm21

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1Similarity Matching for Adverse Events inLarge Data SetsChristopher Savo and Dean KunjraviaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah SturmDepartment of Computer ScienceP O S T E R 2The Effects of Hypercapnic Hypoxia onNaked Mole R at Activity Levels, Memory, andSocial InteractionRena Berkovits, Nicole Boffa, Vanessa DeLucaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel McCloskeyDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 3The Demise of Enron and Arthur AndersenMichael FerrandinoFaculty Mentor: Professor Deborah BrickmanDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 4The Effects of Video-game Play on VariousCognitive and Information Processing Skills:A Meta-AnalytMelissa Anne PalladinoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Patricia BrooksDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 5Researching Film History – From Theatreto CinemaMichael MaslankowskiFaculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew SolomonDepartment of Media CultureP O S T E R 6Synthesis of Curcumin IncorporatedCopolymers via ATRPCristopher SantanaFaculty Mentor-Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 7Synthesis of Eco-friendly Plasticizers UsingCurcuming di-ethersJosé A. SaltosFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 8Synthesis of Curcumin IncorporatedCopolymers via ATRPFrantz Pierre Toussaint, Jr.Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 9Clicked’ Sweet-Curcumin: Modulator ofAmyloid-β Aggregation at Ultra-lowConcentrationsDinali ObeysekeraFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 1 0Housing Bubble in ChinaDaniel BloisFaculty Mentor: Professor Alan ZimmermanDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 1 1Social Media Based Grants Management SystemGayathri SudarsananFaculty Mentor: Dr. Soon ChunDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 1 2Quantifying the Aggregate Net Income fromthe Port Authority Staten Island BridgesThomas BrigandiFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan PetersDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 1 3How Americans Memorialize TragediesDemetrius George DermanisFaculty Mentor: Dr. Catherine LavenderDepartment of HistoryP O S T E R 1 4Sea Urchin DevelopmentLisa LaMannaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsP O S T E R 1 5Species Accumulation Curves – An AssessmentTool for Species RichnessAnna TheodoropoulosFaculty Mentor: Professor Lisa ManneDepartment of Biology22

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 6The Impact of Extreme TemperatureEvents on North American BreedingBird AbundancesAnna TheodoropoulosFaculty Mentor: Professor Lisa ManneDepartment Of BiologyP O S T E R 1 7Bioactivity of Curcumin DerivativesAmram AverickFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnasawami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 1 8Japan Air RaidsMonica KumarFaculty Mentor: Dr. Cary KaracasDepartment of Political Science, Economics, andPhilosophyP O S T E R 2 1An Investigation of the Effects of Socializationof Language Acquisition within InfancyNicholas Dalonzo, Kristin Lenzo, Allyson PawloskFaculty Mentor: Professor Naomi AldrichDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 2 3An Investigation of the Impact of Children’sProgramming on Developing Gender RolesJennifer Carrion, Alyssa Fazio,Jacqueline Imbemba,Kayla MeraFaculty Mentor: Professor Naomi AldrichDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 2 5The Effects of Signaled Delay and IntertrialInterval Duration on Discrimination Learningin PigeonsAlexa J. Cimbal, Julyse A. Migan-Gandonou CuFaculty Mentor: Dr. Bertram PloogDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 2 6Extending the Census of SimplestHyperbolic KnotsTimothy MullenFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abhijit ChampanerkarDepartment of MathematicsP O S T E R 2 7Geographical Range Size Related toNiche BreadthErica ZitoFaculty Mentor: Professor Lisa ManneDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 3 0The Rape of Nanjing and Sino-JapaneseRelations SinceMatthew GregerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsP O S T E R 3 1Cloning and Expression of theTransmembrane Domain of NKG2D NaturalKiller Cell ReceptorVadim DushkinFaculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien PogetDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 3 2Cognitive Development in Toddlers:Exploring Individual Differences inLocomotor AbilityMelinda Andrade, Regina Feldman,Yekaterina RikhterFaculty Mentor: Professor Naomi AldrichDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 3 3Prejudices and Stereotypes Amongst FourMajor Divisions of College MajorsBenjamin SilfenFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 3 4Effect of Pressure on the Stability of Water ona Superhydrophobic MembraneMeagan DerbyshireFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 3 5Engineering Printed PolymericSuperhydrophobic SurfacesMark BarahmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of Chemistry23

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3 6Analysis of Tau Over-Expression in BreastCancer Cell LinesKristina Toropova, Peter HannonFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie E. FataDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 3 7Unraveling the Structural Basis of a SnakeToxin/Potassium Channel InteractionTony JinFaculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien PogetDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 3 8Substrate-Dependent Regulation ofCytochrome-2E1 (Cyp2E1) Activity in MousePrimary Hepatocyte CultureKaitlin Kelly, Diana I. Aparicio-BautistaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie E. FataDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 3 9Curcumin and Curcum in Derivatives Affecton Amyloid Beta PlaqueRobert TruzzolinoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 4 0Mercury Assessment in SeafoodPawel PieluszynskiFaculty Mentor: Dr. William WallaceDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 4 1Bypassing Web-based WirelessAuthentication SystemsAhmed HassanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Xiaowen ZhangDepartment of Computer ScienceP O S T E R 4 2The Effects of Mortality Salience onMuslim-American Perspectives towardsIsraeli Leadership StylesElias TaweelFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 4 3Cloning of Critical Domain Of Ino2pResponsible for Recruiting ChromatinRemodeling ActivitiesEugene LempertFaculty Mentor: Dr. Chang-Hui ShenDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 4 4Interference in Consolidation of EmotionalLearning of PigeonsGary Mulligan, Samantha ScicchignoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Edward MeehanDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 4 5Asymmetric Allylation of AldehydesCatalyzed by Optically Active SPINOL-BasedPhosphoric AcidsYimei Zhang, Monica Bassous, Chun-Hui XingFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 4 7Analysis of MIA-Induced Keratin-6Upregulation in Mammary TissueSurendar RavindranFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie FataDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 4 8Development of Optically ActiveSPINOL-Based Organocatalysts forAsymmetric CatalysisDarya Sabarova, Chun-Hui Xing, Qiao-Sheng HuFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 4 9SPINOL-Based Phosphoric Acids asOrganocatalysts for Asymmetric ReactionsAmy He, Chun-Hui XingFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 5 0Asymmetric, SPINOL-Based PhosphoricAcid-Catalyzed Addition Reactions of Indoleswith IsatinChristopher OgaJa, Chun-Hui XingFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of Chemistry24

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5 1Mobile Computing Devices: MemoryManagement IssuesDavid Galeano, Ahmed ElhassanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah SturmDepartment of Computer ScienceP O S T E R 5 2Development of New Pd-Catalyzed TandemReactions for Organic SynthesisHenry Sanjurjo, Yuan-Xi LiaoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 5 4Synthesis and Clinical Applications ofMono-Functional Derivatives of CurcuminOlga VishnevaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 5 5The Role of FMRP in Regulating GFP andSomatostatin ExpressionOlga VishnevaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 5 6Best Practices for the Nursing Care of OlderAdults with Congestive Heart FailureCora-Ann O’ReganFaculty Mentor: Dr. Arlene T. FarrenDepartment of NursingP O S T E R 5 7Python, Papers, ProplydsAthena BrensbergerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Department of Engineering Scienceand PhysicsP O S T E R 5 8How the Culturally Competent TherapistFacilitates Client Satisfaction with theTherapy ExperienceRenee L. MillsFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lauren Rogers-SirinDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 5 9Efficacy of Taurine in Altering Somatostatinand GAD Levels in a Pancreatic ß Cell LineChristina CuttittaFaculty Mentor: Dr. William L’AmoreauxDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 6 0Laser Control BoardValerie DeAngeloFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jessica JiangDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsP O S T E R 6 1Collaborative Translation of a Free CultureDesign TextQimei LuoFaculty Mentor: Professor Michael MandibergDepartment of Media CultureP O S T E R 6 2Painting Staten Island: A Historical Analysis ofFrederick Stahr’s The Evolution of StatenIsland from 1620-1935Gabriella LeoneFaculty Mentor: Dr. Catherine LavenderDepartment of HistoryP O S T E R 6 3The Effects of Mortality Salience on JewishPerspectives towards Palestinian LeadershipCarla MusacchioFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 6 4Determining the Natal Origins and PopulationDistribution of Globally Endangered GreenSea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) at Palmyra Atollthrough Genetic AnalysisStephanie G. JonesFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eugenia Naro-MacielDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 6 5Students’ Perceptions and Use of Technologyat CSIIlona RabinovichFaculty Mentor: Dr. Irina SekerinaDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 6 6Fabrication of Microscale Carbon Surfacesby 3D PrintingBrian IskraFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of Chemistry25

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 6 7Competitive Lotka-Volterra Equation andExistence of Periodic OrbitsIlirjana DukaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jesenko VukadinovicDepartment of MathematicsP O S T E R 6 8Regulation of Hippocampal Development andSignaling by the Serotonin 1A ReceptorJoseph InigoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Probal BanerjeeDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 6 9The Genetic Analysis of Green andLoggerhead Sea Turtles of Florida, U.S.AVladimir ShikhmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eugenia Naro-MacielDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 7 0Internship Observations at the SummerTherapeutic Program (STP): An Evidence BasedTreatment Program for Children with ADHDMelissa Tinaphong, Kristine PrincipeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Rima BlairDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 7 2The Design of Thermoelectric Modules as aWaste Heat ConvertorBiBi GhafariFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 7 3Social Tags for Recommending GovernmentComputing Applications and ServicesMark ToralballaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Soon ChunDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 7 4An Analytical Study of QuantifierComprehension with Eye Tracking DataNicholas DalonzoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Patricia BrooksDepartment of Psychology26P O S T E R 7 5Effects of Curcumin on Tau-Interactions inTransgenic Drosophila Melanogaster MotorNeuron and EyeKalpita Abhyankar, Tanya NelipaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 7 7Mathematically Mapping the Cosmos:Contemporary Topological Applicationsin CosmologyDavid Di LilloFaculty Mentor: Dr. Prabudh Ram MisraDepartment of MathematicsP O S T E R 7 8Perceptions of Islamophobia in theWesternized SocietyHebba SakerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyP O S T E R 7 9Synthesis of Rufigallol for LiquidCrystal ApplicationsAbdullah ChughtaiFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 8 0Youth Indicators in Very Cool StarsDaniel FeldmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsP O S T E R 8 2Effect of Ps-tau on the Ommatidia TransgenicDrosophilaJustin ChackoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 8 3Fabrication of Porous SuperhydrophobicSurfacesKristi Abbatemarco, Mark BarahmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistryP O S T E R 8 4Binary Tree Classifier Based on Kolmogorov-Smirnoff TestMohit ChoudharyFaculty Mentor: Dr. Natacha GueorguievaDepartment of Computer Science

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 8 5La Voz del Pueblo (The People’s Voice): AnOral History of Mexicans in New York CityIrvin IbarguenFaculty Mentor: Dr. Calvin HolderDepartment of HistoryP O S T E R 8 6Site Directed Mutagenesis effects on TauPhosphorylation and Accumulation in theNucleus of CellsRegina Miller, Fatabardha ShalaFaculty Mentor Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 8 7Valuation of Transportation Facilities andAsset Transfers - A Case Study of the DullesGreenwayGalitano GjoniFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan PetersDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 8 8Taurine Role in HemodymanicsEvelyn OkekeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 8 9Characterizing Ataxia Profiles of TaurineTreated Fragile-X MiceElizabeth CheFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 9 0Counterfeit Prescription DrugsPaskualine RrotaniFaculty Mentor: Professor Alan ZimmermanDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 9 2Eigenmodes of Advection Diffusion OperatorsEnsela MemaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew PojeDepartment of MathematicsP O S T E R 9 3Jazz Vocal ImprovisationLinda SoriaFaculty Mentor: Dr. William BauerDepartment of MusicP O S T E R 9 5Performance Management of TransportationSystems: Lessons from Australia andNew YorkKenneth BrowneFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan PetersDepartment of BusinessP O S T E R 9 7Navigating the Web-enhanced College CourseAtixhe Marke, Mina Beshai, Senada Lekperic,Stephanie Cipriano, Marissa Dreyer,Johnathan Klingler, Nicholas BuchananFaculty Mentor: Professor Louise LevineDepartment of EnglishP O S T E R 9 8Autonomous VehicleMichael Costantino, Konstantine GoudzFaculty Mentor: Dr. Susan ImbermanDepartment of Computer ScienceP O S T E R 9 9Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)Faith AvevorFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem ElidrissiDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 1 0 0The Expression of Pseudophosphorylated TauProtein in Drosophilia melanogasterPhoebe Arriesgado, Cindy Beharry, Faisal Bashier,Princy PauloseFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyP O S T E R 1 0 2U.S. Employment Status and Gender,Educational Attainment, and the 2008Economic Crisis Effects on itSisi Luo, Vonetta F. SuttonFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alexandru VoicuDepartment of Political Science, Economics andPhilosophyP O S T E R 1 0 4A Modified Attention Task to Test TheRecuperation of Dopamine Receptors in a RatModel of EpilepsyTovyk A. ShohateeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel McCloskeyDepartment of Psychology27

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 0 5Delirium Sound and Light DesignDaniel KoehlerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Maurya WickstromDepartment of Performing and Creative ArtsP O S T E R 1 0 6Machinal Set DesignEdward Victor TurnerFaculty Mentor: Prof. Kevin JudgeDepartment of Performing and Creative ArtsP O S T E R 1 0 7Teaching Fractions Across Elementary GradesKimberly DiGregorio and Jillian PopperFaculty Mentor: Prof. Judit KerekesDepartment of Education28

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1Similarity Matching for AdverseEvents in Large Data SetsChristopher Savo and Dean KunjraviaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah SturmDepartment of Computer ScienceWith the advent of mandatory and voluntary errorreporting and the formation of Patient SafetyOrganizations, scalable methods are needed toanalyze the expanding database of near misses andadverse events. We explore the feasibility ofincorporating real-time similarity matching intomedical reporting systems using parallel processingand a small Linux cluster. Finding similar events hasbeen shown to identify patterns or clusters oferrors and can help prevent or mitigate futureoccurrences. Our prototype will run on the CUNYHigh Performance Computing Center clusters. Thecode is written in C++ using the Message PassingInterface (MPI).* This work is supported in part by a PSC-CUNYresearch grantP O S T E R 2The Effects of HypercapnicHypoxia on Naked Mole RatActivity Levels, Memory, andSocial InteractionRena Berkovits, Nicole Boffa, VanessaDeLucaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel McCloskeyDepartment of PsychologyIn their natural environment, naked mole ratsexperience low levels of O2 during rainy seasonsthat humans cannot handle. These conditions weremimicked in the naked mole rat laboratory colonyby increasing carbon dioxide levels and creating ahypercapnic hypoxic environment. Levels ofactivity, memory, and social interaction weremeasured under normoxia and hypercapnichypoxia. The hypothesis was that overallmovements would be decreased, memory wouldsuffer, and social interaction would decrease. Withconcerns over current climate changes, theincreasing effects of pollution is crucial for futurelevels of O 2and CO 2in the air. If this change affectsnaked mole rats, who are predisposed to hypoxia,humans would likely be more severely affected. Thehypothesis was not supported, however, and thereverse was found. Overall movements actuallyincreased, memory maze trip times were reduced,and social interaction increased.29

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3The Demise of Enron andArthur AndersenMichael FerrandinoFaculty Mentor: Professor Deborah BrickmanDepartment of BusinessEnron was one of the largest corporations inAmerica. Its stock increased 87% from 1999 to2000, Fortune magazine put Enron on its Fortune500 list as the seventh largest corporation in 2000and its CEO, Jeff Skilling, was rated the top CEO inAmerica. Arthur Anderson LLP, Enron’s auditor, wasa big five international accounting firm with $9billion in revenue, 85,000 staff around the worldand was known for its ethical accounting standards.Yet, in 2000, everything changed. Enron’s stockprice suddenly dropped, and its executives werequickly selling off their stock. Enron laterannounced that it was changing its financialstatements for previous and current years due to“accounting errors.” Investors lost millions in theirinvestments and 401(k) plans and thousands ofemployees lost their jobs. Arthur Andersenshredded important Enron documents uponhearing of the investigation. People from bothcompanies were brought up on charges such assecurities fraud, manipulating evidence and insidertrading. Eventually, Enron completely dissolved andArthur Andersen had its CPA license revoked. Afterall of this, people wondered: how could this havehappened? This is the question that my thesis triesto answer. By answering this question, we canfigure out how to avoid events such as these, whichhave significant negative impacts on individualsand the economy, from ever happening again.P O S T E R 4The Effects of Video-game Play onVarious Cognitive and InformationProcessing Skills: A Meta-AnalytMelissa Anne PalladinoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Patricia BrooksDepartment of PsychologyAs the controversy over excessive video game playgrows, so arises the demand for scientific researchfocusing on either positive or negative effects onplayers. The present research attempts to examinethe cognitive impact of video game play on players’information processing. An extensive literaturereview was conducted yielding 38 papers to beincluded in this meta-analysis (52 experiments with204 comparisons). We examined a variety ofoutcome measures: mental rotation and otheraspects of visual-spatial processing (multiple objecttracking, contrast sensitivity, hand-eye-motorcoordination, etc.), reaction time, and selectiveattention. Preliminary analyses of the 55 studies,using a random effects model, indicate that videogame playing enhances information processingskills, d = .68 (95% CI = .53/.84). Moderatorsinclude amount of video game play, game type,experiment type, and population, including age andgender. Findings will be discussed with attentionpaid to educational implications for multiplepopulations.30

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5Researching Film History—FromTheater to CinemaMichael MaslankowskiFaculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew SolomonDepartment of Media CultureMy research consisted of using systematicapproaches for gathering information and evidencepertaining to selected topics in the field of filmhistory that will be used by Professor Solomon inpreparing a forthcoming book chapter and<strong>conference</strong> presentation. The first half of myresearch consisted of the use of microfilm readersat the College of Staten Island Library to locate andcopy information found in the microfilmedperiodical, Moving Picture World, that detailed howboth the magic lantern and cinema were deployedin relation to religion in the 20th century, betweenthe years of 1907 to 1910. The second phase of myresearch focused on the two films, The Man WhoLaughs (1927) based on the French novel by VictorMarie Hugo and Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928)based on the Italian play adopted from Ridi,Pagliaccio of Fausto Martini. This research wasbased out of the New York City Public Library forPerforming Arts at Lincoln Center, where I usedscrapbooks, microfilms, news clippings, and filmarchives to gather information from the 1910s andthe 1920s dealing with these films/playsadaptations. The last phase of this research projectdealt with the French archive database, Gallica. Iused this database system to locate the publication,L’Orchestre (first published in 1856), and primarilyfocused on the 19th century, between the years1888 to 1891. I copied the publications, detailingperformance information pertaining to the Robert-Houdin Theatre, during an important transitionalphase in its history to help analyze trends thatoccurred over this period of time.P O S T E R 6Synthesis of Curcuminincorporated copolymers via ATRPCristopher SantanaFaculty Mentor-Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryCurcumin based Biomimetic Polyphenols: Thechemical synthesis of therapeutically relevant, welldefinedhigh molecular weight polyphenols is veryrare. We propose to employ the following generalstrategy: synthesizing living polymers in which theside chain pendant groups and the polymer chainend possess orthogonal reactivity, followed by theattachment of a number of water soluble,biocompatible moieties and appropriately designedcurcumin derivatives to the reactive polymer sidechains. In one embodiment t-butyl acrylate will bepolymerized via Atom Transfer radicalPolymerization using an azide incorporated initiator1. The polymers with azide chain end will bedeprotected to produce poly(acrylic acid) with asingle azide chain end. The resulting polymer willbe further reacted with varying ratios of monoaminederivatives of curcumin followed bycommercially available glucose amine (Glu-NH2)/oligoethyleneglycol-NH2 (OGE-NH2) in twosequential amidation steps to produce libraries ofpolymers with varying loadings of curcumin(Scheme 1). The glucose/PEG component of thepolymers serves to improve the water solubility ofthe polymers.Scheme 1. Synthesis of poly (acrylic acid) basedwater soluble curcumin side-chain polymers withreactive chain end.gestation births.31

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 7Synthesis of Eco-friendlyPlasticizers Using Curcumingdi-ethersJosé A. SaltosFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryPlasticizers are widely used for their effectivenessin reducing the hardness, density, melt viscosity,glass transition temperature and volume resistivityof a polymer. They are employed in a wide range ofindustries such as the biomedical, construction,plastics, and more. Phthalate esters are the mostwidely used plasticizers for their suitableapplications and availability, and account for 92% ofthe plasticizers produced worldwide. Its limitationlies in that phthalate esters have been reported tomigrate out of the polymers, making them lessflexible and less efficient. It is also associated withendocrine disruption, reproductive anddevelopmental toxicity in humans, and withnegative environmental impact on plants andanimals. Curcumin is the active ingredient in thecurry spice turmeric, it is generally regarded as safeby the FDA. The molecule is rigid in structure withtwo phenolic groups that can be modifiedcovalently. We plan to synthesize green eco-friendlyplasticizers based on curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin, by reacting the molecules withbromohexane, bromododecane andbromohexadecane to produce curcumin andtetrahydro curcumin diether derivatives. Theseplasticizers will be blended to three differentpolymers: PMMA, PVC and Polystyrene in variouspercentages: 35%, 45% and 55%, to test theireffectiveness in inducing depression of the glasstransition temperature in the polymer/plasticizersystem. The Curcumin/THC plasticizers we plan toproduce are better from both ecological andtoxicological viewpoints.P O S T E R 8Synthesis of CurcuminIncorporated Copolymersvia ATRPFrantz Pierre Toussaint, Jr.Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryThe chemical synthesis of therapeutically relevant,well-defined high molecular weight polyphenols isvery rare. We propose to employ the followingstrategy: synthesizing living polymers in which theside chain pendant groups and the polymer chainend possess orthogonal reactivity, followed by theattachment of a number of water soluble,biocompatible moieties and appropriately designedcurcumin derivatives to the reactive polymer sidechains. In one embodiment embodiment Glycidylmethacrylate will be polymerized via Atom TransferRadical Polymerization (ATRP) using an azideincorporated initiator. The resulting polymer will befurther reacted with varying ratios of monocarboxylicacid derivatives of curcumin followedby commercially available Glucuronic acid in twosequential ring-opening esterification steps toproduce libraries of polymers with varying loadingsof curcumin. The glucose component of thepolymers serves to improve the water solubility ofthe polymers.32

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 9Clicked’ Sweet-Curcumin:Modulator of Amyloid-βAggregation at Ultra-lowConcentrationsDinali ObeysekeraFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryWe have developed a general strategy towardsmono-functional derivatives of curcumin, the activeingredient in turmeric (the dried rhizomes ofCurcuma longa). The synthesis of a water/plasmasoluble, non-toxic, biocompatible derivative ofcurcumin with amplified bio-efficacy in modulatingAβ aggregation is presented. Curcumin monoalkynewas ‘clicked’ with commercially availableacetal-protected galactose azide. The deprotectedcurcumin ‘clicked’ galactose [sweet-curcumin] isfreely soluble in water. Sweet-curcumin inhibits Aβaggregation at significantly lower concentrationscompared to curcumin. Where curcumin barelyinhibits Aβ aggregation at a concentration of 8 μM,sweet-curcumin inhibits aggregation atconcentrations as low as 8 nM. It was found to be amore powerful antioxidant than curcumin. A MTTassay on cultured hippocampal slices of mousebrainindicated that the sweet-curcumin ispotentially neuroprotective and non-cytotoxic. ThusSweet-curcumin is a promising Green-drugcandidate against AD.P O S T E R 1 0Housing Bubble in ChinaDaniel BloisFaculty Mentor: Professor Alan ZimmermanDepartment of BusinessWith the Global Collapse of 2008, which wascreated from a housing bubble in the United States,much research has been done to prevent it fromhappening again. Currently, China, which recentlytook the spot as the second largest economy in theworld, is going through a similar housing bubble.Unfortunately, despite their growing importancenot much has been written about thisphenomenon. This study will show that medianhome prices in China are greater than medianincome. It will further show home prices, whenadjusted for inflation, provide a small modestreturn. The findings of this study will show howclose China’s bubble is to bursting and whatmeasures can be done to prevent it. As the worldbecomes a more unified economy, pricespeculations have the ability to take down globaleconomies; this research is a further exploration ofhow to prevent this.33

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 1Social Media Based GrantsManagement SystemGayathri SudarsananFaculty Mentor: Dr. Soon ChunDepartment of BusinessThe current granting process in foundations andother non-profit organizations are primarilystructured process involving the experts and boardmembers as the main contributors in selecting andgranting projects. It is a “closed” process. In thisproject, we propose to explore and extend in thecurrent Grant Management System at FordFoundation to include the possibility of publicparticipation in the grant selection and deliberationprocess through social media technologies, such ascommenting, rating, recommendations, socialnetworks, and microblogging, etc.Based on this research of social media and itsimpact on non-profit sectors we plan to makerecommendations to extend the Ford Foundation’scurrent system of grant review process to includethe social media features for public participation inreview process. The focus of the project is to designand create a social media-based grant system, whichwould make the grant review process moretransparent. Grants selection and managementwould increase public engagement andaccountability of grant selection and managementprocess with the recommended system.The social media based grant system is intended toincrease the effectiveness of the grants evaluationby making them open and listening to the public’sopinion. The design features include: 1. Registeredusers can comment on the grant applications; 2.rate the application with either like or dislike; or 3.comment supporting their reason for “liking” or“un-liking” the grant. To help the public evaluationand commenting, the system will provide the userswith analytic tools for past data to better augmenttheir decision process. It also provides thesummary of public ratings and opinions for thefinal decision makers. The Ford Foundation may beable to consider and reflect on the likes andcomments to gauge whether the public supportsthis project, reducing the subjective biases infavoring one grant over another. The system wedesign will make the Ford Foundation’s grantselection process more democratic, moretransparent and accountable.P O S T E R 1 2Quantifying the Aggregate NetIncome from the Port AuthorityStaten Island BridgesThomas BrigandiFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan PetersDepartment of BusinessUsing a unique dataset constructed based uponhistorical financial reporting from the PortAuthority of New York and New Jersey, the authorsestimated the enterprise value that was createdover an extended period of time for the StatenIsland Toll Facilities to New Jersey. In particular, theproject estimates a number of key metrics offinancial success including capital costs, operationcosts, facility profitability, payback period andcapital burden as well as the total value created bythe toll facilities.Options for financing are explored as are the keypolicy issues that must be addressed to utilizeprivate capital in transportation infrastructure. Theauthors find that the Staten Island Bridges werelarge financial liabilities in their early life, however,growth in traffic and toll rates have resulted inassets that have contributed a tremendous amountof capital to regional projects.34

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 3How AmericansMemorialize TragediesDemetrius George DermanisFaculty Mentor: Dr. Catherine LavenderDepartment of HistoryI am looking at how Americans have memorializedtragedies, especially Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Usingthe memorialization of these events, I will look athow these attacks affected the lives of many peoplefor years to come. My focus is on visual memory,using images to really get the full effect of theevents and to get the viewer to understand howthese attacks affected people emotionally andphysically. I feel images have more of an effect on aperson than just reading it from a paper. Forcontext, I also will look at the memory of differenttragedies that took place in American History. Somememorializations I am going to look at are those ofthe Vietnam War, the Kennedy Assassination, and theChicago and Peshtigo Fires. To this day people stillvisit sites like the Vietnam Wall in Washington toread the names of those who lost their livesprotecting the freedom of Americans.P O S T E R 1 4Sea Urchin DevelopmentLisa LaMannaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsMetazoans have a life cycle that uses intermediatejuvenile or larval stages as a main mode ofdevelopment. These larval stages are characteristicof indirect development where larval cells partiallydifferentiate to give a different organismalphenotype than that of the adult form. The adultform is given after the larval form undergoes amorphogenesis, where larval tissues dedifferentiateand/or replace old tissues with adult tissues. Bothprotostomes and deuterostomes contain lineages oforganisms that develop directly and indirectly, butthe question of which method of development wasused by the protostomes and deuterostomesancestor (PDA) is still unanswered. Coremacroregulatory networks in larva control the bodyaxis and major developmental processes likegastrulation by invagination. Studying thesemacroregulatory networks among major metazoanspecies, particularly the role of histones in generegulation, would provide insight to thedevelopmental mode of the PDA.35

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 5Species Accumulation Curves—An Assessment Tool forSpecies RichnessAnna TheodoropoulosFaculty Mentor: Professor Lisa ManneDepartment of BiologyA general feature of ecological communities is thatthe number of species accumulates with increasingarea sampled and that this accumulation will form aplateau when sufficient sampling area (or time) hasbeen reached. Species accumulation curves showthe rate at which new species are found for acertain number of sample sites and can be used toprovide an estimate of species richness.Characteristics of the landscape (over which thesampling is occurring) influence the rate of speciesaccumulation; in particular, heavily fragmentedareas should demonstrate a faster rate ofaccumulation of species, with a lower number ofspecies overall (compared to less-fragmentedareas). This phenomenon can be addressed usingBreeding Bird Survey data for four regions: NewYork and Michigan, where the habitat is a somewhatfragmented landscape of forest and farmland, andMassachusetts and Maine, where the habitat islargely returned to forest (from farmland). ForMassachusetts, Maine, New York, and Michigan, weassess whether the more fragmented areas (NY andMI) will yield more rare species than the MA andME areas; if yes, this difference will be reflected inthe species accumulation curves for the two areas.P O S T E R 1 6The Impact of ExtremeTemperature Events on NorthAmerican Breeding BirdAbundancesAnna TheodoropoulosFaculty Mentor: Professor Lisa ManneDepartment Of BiologyAlthough climate change is believed to have had alarge impact on many species’ distributions, astrong link between climate and species abundancehas yet to be established. We tested whetherextreme mean annual temperatures in a particularyear (or years) would result in changed abundancethe following year for North American residentterrestrial bird species. For these species, usingtime series methods, we assessed the strength ofmaximum summer temperature as a driver for localabundance, during the period 1985 - 2005. Previouswork from Europe indicates that avian speciesabundances decline following heat wave events. Weexpect to observe a smaller effect for NorthAmerican birds, because climate has not warmeduniformly across North America.36

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 7Bioactivity of CurcuminDerivativesAmram AverickFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnasawami RajaDepartment of ChemistryCurcumin, a derivative of the tumeric (Curcumalonga) plant, has strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancerpotential. However, because of its poorbioavailability and water solubility it has impairedfunctionality. In order to overcome theseimpediments, derivatives of curcumin have beenmade that attach functional groups to it or attach itto a polymer. These derivatives include: Curcumin-COOH, Sweet Curcumin, Curcumin-Alkyne,Curcumin-Star Polymer conjugates, and Curcumin-Brush Polymer conjugates. This project will assessthe bioactivity of these derivatives, both absolutelyand relative to un-modified curcumin. Anti-oxidantassays will be used to determine the anti-oxidantpotentials of the derivatives and curcumin. MTTassays will be used to determine the anti-cancereffectiveness of the derivatives and curcumin.P O S T E R 1 8Japan Air RaidsMonica KumarFaculty Mentor: Dr. Cary KaracasDepartment of Political Science, Economics, andPhilosophyDuring the Pacific campaigns of World War II, theUnited States Army Air Forces conducted air raids inTokyo and most of Japan’s other cities. Thefirebombing raid on Tokyo between March 9th and10th in 1945 was one of the most destructivebombing raids in history in that it killed anestimated 100,000 people. I had the opportunity toconduct research about the air raids through astudy of a bilingual historical archive calledJapanAirRaids.org that was established by myfaculty mentor, Professor Cary Karacas. Oneimportant aspect about the website is that itfeatures a number of moving images, includingAmerican newsreel footage, documentaries, andpropaganda films from the 1940s, as well asinterviews of air raid survivors. The videos arehosted on the dotSUB.com website, which allowsthem to be easily translated and subtitled into anylanguage. Given that I am from India and speakHindi, I translated three of the videos into thatlanguage. In addition to a 1946 newsreel about thecity of Hiroshima one year after the atomicbombing, I translated two November 2010interviews of air raid survivors Kiyo-oka Michikoand Toda Shigemasa, who share with us the horrifictales of the March 10 firebombing raid on Tokyoand the aftermath. Hindi is the most predominantlanguage in India, spoken by around 180 millionpeople. Therefore, my research and translation hasthe potential to reach a wide audience and educatethem about the World War II air raids on Japan.37

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 2 1An Investigation of the Effects ofSocialization of LanguageAcquisition within InfancyNicholas Dalonzo, Kristin Lenzo, AllysonPawloskFaculty Mentor: Professor Naomi AldrichDepartment of PsychologyLanguage acquisition in infancy has long been aconfounding topic in the field of linguistics.Experts have hypothesized that several factors maycontribute to word acquisition and association. Thepresent study explored four main causal factorsthat have been associated with promoting theonset of language development in infancy:mother/child interaction, sibling relationships,media exposure, and schooling enrollment andenvironment. Specifically, we examined infants’(6- to 14-months) behavior with respect tolanguage development and the social interactionsthat promoted these behaviors. Twenty-five parentslocated in New York City were administered adetailed questionnaire about their infants, assessingwhether different forms of socialization have asignificant impact on language acquisition.Questionnaires were divided into sections based onthe aforementioned subtopics: mother-childinteraction, day care interaction, sibling interaction,and media interaction. We used a correlationaldesign for our survey results. Results established arelationship between both the age of initiallanguage development and the four categories ofsocialization. Based on our findings, we concludedthat external factors lead to language development.We found there to be a strong relationship betweenexposure to socialization and the development oflanguage in infancy.P O S T E R 2 3An Investigation of the Impact ofChildren's Programming onDeveloping Gender RolesJennifer Carrion, AlyssaFazio,Jacqueline Imbemba, Kayla MeraFaculty Mentor: Professor Naomi AldrichDepartment of PsychologyThe present study examined the impact ofchildren’s television programming on developinggender roles. Research suggests that as children arebecoming aware of their gender, they begin toshape their behavior and personality according torole models of the same sex (Luecke-Aleksa et al.,1995). Research has shown that children’s selectionof television programs is gender-based as well: boystend to watch male-oriented television shows,whereas girls tend to watch female-orientedtelevision programming. In doing so, researchershave found that children who are exposed togender stereotypes on television are more likely toendorse gender stereotypes and act in a genderstereotyped manner (Aubrey & Harrison, 2004). Inan effort to assess the gender-stereotyped contentof children’s television programming, the currentstudy examined the content of two shows that varyaccording to gender orientation: Go, Diego, Go!(male-oriented) and Dora the Explorer (femaleoriented).The episodes were selected based onsimilar thematic focus and equal running times. Toevaluate the stereotypical content within theepisodes, 22 research assistants coded the colorscheme of the characters’ clothing and accessories,the gender of the characters (giving assistance andreceiving assistance), the use of singing andlaughter to express emotions, and the color schemeof the environment. Analyses revealed differencesbetween the episodes that are consistent with thegender –stereotypical content identified in theliterature. Overall, the results indicate that thecontent of Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!promote gender stereotypes that could potentiallyaffect children’s gender role development.38

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 2 5The Effects of Signaled Delay andIntertrial Interval Duration onDiscrimination Learning in PigeonsAlexa J. Cimbal, Julyse A.Migan-Gandonou CuFaculty Mentor: Dr. Bertram PloogDepartment of PsychologySixteen pigeons learned a series of reversals of asimultaneous red-green visual discrimination with areinforcement delay of 6 s. The signal presentedduring the reinforcement delay and the intertrialinterval (ITI) was varied between 40-sessionconditions. The main finding was that performancewith the 8-s ITI was higher than with the 40-s ITIand that the introduction of a novel delay signaldisrupted performance, at least temporarily. Thefinding of an ITI effect suggests that performancedepends critically on remembering the outcome ofthe immediately preceding trial. The novel signaleffect suggests that performance depends, at leastin part, on the delay signal’s acquisition ofconditioned reinforcement properties. The study isstill in progress. Future conditions will beconducted in order to (a) replicate the ITI effectand (b) to further understand the role of thedelay signal.P O S T E R 2 6Extending The Census of SimplestHyperbolic KnotsTimothy MullenFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abhijit ChampanerkarDepartment of MathematicsThurston's seminal work established theimportance of hyperbolic geometry in the study of3-manifold topology and knot theory. It is aninteresting problem to study the geometricproperties of hyperbolic knots. The minimumnumber of ideal tetrahedra used to triangulate ahyperbolic knot complement gives a naturalmeasure of its geometric complexity.The census of hyperbolic knots using this measureof complexity gives a different view of the space ofall knots than the view using the diagrammaticcomplexity of knots i.e., the crossing number ofknots. For example, many of the geometricallysimple knots have very high crossing numbers.Hyperbolic knots with geometric complexity up to6 tetrahedra were found by Callahan-Dean-Weeksand extended to 7 tetrahedra by Champanerkar-Kofman-Patterson. In this project we extended theexisting census of simplest hyperbolic knots to 8tetrahedra and are working on providing adiagrammatic description of all the knots.39

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 2 7Geographical Range Size Relatedto Niche BreadthErica ZitoFaculty Mentor: Professor Lisa ManneDepartment of BiologyNiche breadth measures how tolerant (orintolerant) a species is to a range of conditions.Species’ niche breadth can be measured alongmany different axes (i,e.: temperature, humidity, soilsalinity, etc.), so that species that only tolerate anarrow range of (e.g.) temperature and moistureconditions will be very specialized, and also able tolive in a small number of locations. So: theexpectation is that species with narrow nichbreadths will also have small geographic ranges. I testthis idea with tree species of the northeastern U.S.P O S T E R 3 0The Rape of Nanjing and Sino-Japanese Relations SinceMatthew GregerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsThe Rape of Nanjing is one of the mostunderrepresented genocides in the history of war.Most people do not know that World War II startedin 1931 for China. The Japanese army invaded fromthe North and by 1937 reached the city of Nanjing.What ensued was a mass murder of over anestimated 300,000 soldiers and civilians in an eventstill raw with emotion. There has been considerableeffort to conceal the war crimes and atrocitiescarried out by Japanese soldiers which includedrape, beheading, torture, looting, burying alive, anddismemberment. The goal of my research is toshowcase Sino-Japanese relations since WWII andmore importantly modern relations on the subject.It remains emotionally charged among manyChinese and Japanese to this day, young and old. Myperspective as a young American citizen may bringa unique perspective in the study of this subject.40

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3 1Cloning and Expression of theTransmembrane Domain ofNKG2D Natural Killer CellReceptorVadim DushkinFaculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien PogetDepartment of ChemistryNatural Killer Cells (NK cells) are a crucialcomponent of the innate immune system. Thesecytotoxic lymphocytes play a major role in theapoptosis of virally infected and tumor cells. Whatmakes these immune system cells unique is theirability to perform these functions without previousexposure to the abnormal cells and without thedependence on MHC molecules of infected cells. Astressed or an infected cell's ability to express theMHC-I molecule can be inhibited resulting in theinability of the cell to be recognized by the body'simmune system. However, the cell does expressstress-induced molecules which are displayed onthe surface. The NK cell contains receptors on itssurface which detect the presence of the stressinducedsurface molecule and the absence of theMHC-I molecule. This combination, if detected bythe NK cell results in the activation of the NK celland the release of perforin and granzyme moleculesinto the infected cell leading to the cell's eventualdeath. The activation of the NK cell depends on thecell\'s triggering receptors. The structure of thesereceptors includes transmembrane domains whichconnect the extracellular ligand binding domainswith the intracellular domain that triggers theactivation signaling cascade through aphosphorylation event. A major triggering receptorof the NK cells is NKG2D. While the extracellularpart of the receptor has been structurallycharacterized, the conformational changes of thetransmembrane domain before and duringactivation are of interest. In this presentation, wesummarize our attempts to generate proteinsamples of the transmembrane domain region ofNKG2D for structural studies. Overlapping primerswere utilized to construct a synthetic gene, thesynthesized gene was cloned into a maltose bindingprotein fusion vector and expression of the genewas tested in several E. coli strains. Purification ofthe fusion protein was attempted.P O S T E R 3 2Cognitive Development InToddlers: Exploring IndividualDifferences in Locomotor AbilityMelinda Andrade, ReginaFeldman,Yekaterina RikhterFaculty Mentor: Professor Naomi AldrichDepartment of PsychologyToddlerhood is a critical time in motordevelopment for children as coordination is not yetfully developed. During this period, motordevelopment is not limited to low-level perceptualmotorskills, such as grasping, crawling, or visualexploration. Research shows that toddlers use“means-ends” problem solving when performinglocomotor tasks (Berger & Adolph, 2003). Forinstance, Berger and Adolph showed that cognitiveunderstanding is essential in toddler’s use of toolsduring a difficult locomotor task: children will use ahandrail to help them successfully cross a narrowbridge. The present study, as a replication of thestudy by Berger and Adolph, examines children’sdecisions to use a handrail when given narrowbridges. Twenty-two toddler boys (16-month-olds)participated in two trials each. Trials varied bybridge width (from 12 to 48cm) and by handrailpresence. Using archival video data from theoriginal study, we examined: children’s attempts tocross the bridge, number of steps taken in crossingthe bridge, amount of time to cross the bridge,whether or not they used the handrail, and latency(i.e., amount of time the child waited beforeattempting to cross the bridge). Resultsdemonstrated that toddlers attempted to cross thebridge more often when they had a wider bridge tocross. Additionally, toddlers utilized the handrailmore often when confronted with a narrow bridge,and changed their body positions when presentedwith a narrow bridge. Infants who used morecognitive abilities, were more likely to accomplishthe goal of crossing the bridge successfully.Toddlers also showed conceptualization of tool usewhile walking over wide and narrow bridges beingthat they explored the handrail when they felt itwas needed. Overall, the findings of the currentstudy suggest that exploratory behaviors and gaitmodifications combine with cognitive thinking inorder to help toddlers successfully achieve alocomotor goal.41

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3 3Prejudices and StereotypesAmong Four Major Divisions ofCollege MajorsBenjamin SilfenFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyThe purpose of this study was to investigate thevarying prejudices that exist among students whoare enrolled in different academic majors. Previousresearch has indicated that a variety of factorsinfluence prejudices between academic disciplines;including physical and psychological gender,ethnicity, personality, and academics. This studytouched basis on all of these factors, but the mainquestion was whether or not prejudices that existoccur specifically because of which academicmajor an individual is associated with. This studyfocused only on the academic majors at the Collegeof Staten Island, which were divided up into fourspecific groups (social sciences, natural sciences,arts, and businesses). Participants in the study wereasked a variety of questions concerning personalitytraits such as (kind, intelligent, lazy, extraverted, andunderstanding) when it came to analyzing each ofthe four groups of majors. Participants were alsoasked questions such as which group of majorsthey felt were most difficult, which group they feltwas most important, and the ethnic and genderdisparity amongst the varying groups. Thehypothesis for this study was that there would beempirically significant differences in opinions ofindividuals based on which academic major theywere enrolled in. Results about specific prejudiceswill be discussed in further detail.P O S T E R 3 4Effect of Pressure on theStability of Water on aSuperhydrophobic MembraneMeagan DerbyshireFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistrySuperhydrophobic surfaces, both naturallyoccurring and fabricated in the laboratory, arecomposed of small posts. The roughness of thesurface and the hydrophobic material propertiescombine to support water droplets on top of theposts (Cassie state), instead of falling between theposts and wetting the entire surface (Wenzel state).When the superhydrophobic surface is placed atthe base of a column, water can be supported ontop of the posts up to a critical height (orpressure). However, only a limited height of watercan be supported before the water pressureexceeds the surface tension and the Cassie statetransitions to the Wenzel state. This transitionoccurs at relatively low pressures and limits theusefulness of superhydrophobic surfaces.The goal of this experiment is to increase the waterpressure that a superhydrophobic surface cansupport. Our approach is to fabricate asuperhydrophobic surface supported on a porousmesh instead of a solid base. In this way we cancontrol the air pressure below the membraneindependently as the water height is increased.Measurements of the water pressure that can besupported on a porous superhydrophobic surfaceas a function of air pressure below the membranewill be reported.We will explore the characteristics of the surfacesthat make them superhydrophobic, also. Throughthe use of ultraviolet light, we will expose thesurfaces in order to increase theirsuperhydrophobicity. The ultra violet light will beused at varying power settings, distances from thesurface and time intervals in order to increase thecontact angles, simultaneously increasing thesurface’s superhydrophobicity.42

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3 5Engineering Printed PolymericSuperhydrophobic SurfacesMark BarahmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistrySuper-repellent surfaces pose an extraordinaryopportunity for researchers. These surfaces displayvery high contact angles and low slip-angles withliquids. Research groups around the world havebeen motivated by the beauty of this phenomenonand the potential real-world applications of suchcoatings. These efforts have concentrated oncreating coatings that exhibit very high roughnessand low surface energy. Such coatings can beapplied to devices for self-cleaning, non-wettingand anti-icing purposes, and in many fields relatedto microfluidics, and fluid transport.We have been able to fabricate robust, low-cost, andhighly applicable superhydrophobic surfaces anddemonstrate the ability to tune the slip-angle of ourcoatings according to need. To achieve very lowslip-angles (easy rolling), we have investigatedintroducing a secondary layer of roughness toprinted silicone features.This surface design is seen in what is perhaps themost referenced natural superhydrophobic surface,the lotus leaf (Nelumbo Nucifera), which gives theplant self-cleaning and water collecting abilities.A discussion of the cause of this effect based oncontact-angle and slip-angle data, and severalmethods of microscopy will be included.P O S T E R 3 6Analysis of Tau Over-Expression inBreast Cancer Cell LinesKristina Toropova, Peter HannonFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie E. FataDepartment of BiologyThe Tau protein is a microtubule-associated proteinthat is abundant in neurons of the central nervoussystem. It is known to stabilize microtubules bybinding to both their inner and outer surface and isa critical regulator of chromosomal alignment andseparation during mitosis. Although Tau ispredominantly found expressed in neurons, it isalso ectopically and abnormally expressed in breastcancer cell lines and tumors. In an effort to betterunderstand the function of Tau in breast tumors, wehave begun to examine the outcomes of overexpressingTau in breast cancer cell lines. Here wereport our findings, which indicate that overexpression of Tau in two breast cancer cell linessuppresses Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα)-induced cell signaling. Our data has indicated thatTau can affect both pro-survival and pro-deathoutcomes in breast cancer cell lines. These findingshave begun to provide insight into the functionalsignificance of Tau in breast cancer cell lines may inturn influence therapeutic modalities.43

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3 7Unraveling the Structural Basisof a Snake Toxin/PotassiumChannel InteractionTony JinFaculty Mentor: Dr. Sebastien PogetDepartment of ChemistryPresentation Abstract: Potassium (K+) channels areintegral membrane proteins that, when activated,allow highly specific K+ ion flux through theplasma membrane of cells at near-diffusion rates.They play central roles in such physiologicalprocesses as neurotransmission, secretion ofinsulin, and regulation of the heartbeat. KcsA is abacterial potassium channel known to sharehomology with K+ channels of most other species,including humans.Certain varieties of toxins, poisonous biologicalpeptides, have long been known to target potassiumchannels, collectively causing cardiac arrest andrespiratory failure. These toxins typically work bybinding to potassium channels to restrict K+ ion flow.However, we isolated a toxin—coined Tx7335—fromthe venom of the Eastern Green Mamba (Dendroapsisangusticeps) and discovered via electrophysiologicalassay that it increases the frequency of activation of aswell as the duration of openings, leading to anincrease of K+ ion flow through KcsA—a rare effectamong toxin-channel interactions.This project aims at unraveling the structural basisunderlying KcsA’s increased frequency of activationupon binding of Tx7335, via methods of 2Dsolution-state protein NMR spectroscopy. Ourcurrent approach involves 1) creating a solution ofKcsA that gives optimal spectral quality, 2)assigning each peak in the spectrum to itscorresponding amino acid residue, and 3)examining changes in peak position upon additionof the toxin, which will reveal the location of theTx7335 binding site on KcsA. So far, we have founda detergent species that allows us to reconstituteKcsA and monitor toxin binding. We are currentlyfurther optimizing NMR sample conditions.Conclusive findings from this project will furtherour understanding of the biophysical driving forcesin K+ channel activation and may aid the design ofnovel and more effective K+ channel openers—presently used to treat hypertension and hair loss—as well as other drugs that act by modulating K+channel activity.P O S T E R 3 8Substrate-Dependent Regulationof Cytochrome-2E1 (Cyp2E1)Activity in Mouse PrimaryHepatocyte CultureKaitlin Kelly, Diana I. Aparicio-BautistaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie E. FataDepartment of BiologyPrimary hepatocyte cultures are widely used for invitro investigation and as a screening tool toevaluate hepatic metabolism, cytochrome P450(CYP) induction or inhibition, and hepatotoxicpotential of xenobiotics. However, the use ofcultured hepatocytes in these applications isdependent on adequate and relative stableexpression of CYP enzymes over the culturingperiod. The culture conditions, in particular theconfiguration of cell-substrate interactions and theformulation of culture medium are crucial formaintaining the activity of CYP enzymes.Cytochrome 2E1 (Cyp2E1), a member of thecytochrome P450 family is involved in theoxidative metabolism of different substrates such astobacco derived N-nitrosamines and benzene,which are potential carcinogens in breast tissues ofhuman and rat respectively. In this study, weevaluated the Cyp2E1 enzyme activity of mouseprimary hepatocyte, which were cultured 48 hrs onthree different substrates; plastic, collagen type Iand Matrigel (basement membrane). Our resultsshowed that the level of enzyme activity of Cyp2E1increased significantly using Matrigel as substratewhen compared to collagen type I or plastic. Theseresults suggest that Matrigel is an effective way tomaintain the optimal cytochrome activity in mouseprimary hepatocyte cultures.44

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 3 9Curcumin and CurcuminDerivatives Affect on AmyloidBeta PlaqueRobert TruzzolinoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyIn Alzheimer disease brain the two most prominentpathological lesions are the plaques outside theneurons and the tangles inside the neurons. Plaquesare mainly composed of amyloid beta peptide,derived from the amyloid precursor proteins, as a40 and/or 42 amino acid peptide. A great amount ofeffort has been devoted to dissolve the amyloidplaques from Alzheimers disease brains. Moreover,vascular amyloidoses is also a very serious problemfrom the vascular deposits of the amyloid-betapeptide. In this project, we are studying the effectsof curcumin and the glycosilated derivatives indissolving those plaques. The data we obtained isqualitative in the form of pictures obtained using avery powerful microscope known as a transmissionelectron microscope and quantitative using aspecific antibody that will detect the differentamounts of the amyloid beta peptide. The resultsobtained remain skeptical with the notion that theglycosilated derivatives of curumin were effectivein dissolving the amyloid-beta plaques. There is agreat potential of this study to be able to generatedrugs applicable to these diseases.P O S T E R 4 0Mercury Assessment in SeafoodPawel PieluszynskiFaculty Mentor: Dr. William WallaceDepartment of BiologyThe main aspect of this research is mercurydetection in aquatic organisms. Mercury is a metalthat was, and still is, widely used in many industrialapplications, especially in urban areas such as theNew York Metropolitan area. Fish and shellfishfound in such areas will often concentrate thismetal in their tissues, as mercury is fat soluble.Mercury concentration is higher in larger fish andpredators, because as these carnivores eat smallerorganisms contaminated with mercury, the metalconcentration accumulates in the bodies of theselarger fish, in a process known as biomagnification.This can be seen as a major concern for humanpopulations, as the consumption of suchcontaminated fish will increase mercuryconcentration in human tissues, which can cause aplethora of health problems. Therefore, it isextremely important to monitor mercuryconcentrations in aquatic life, especially the speciesthat are most harvested and consumed by humans.In this project, the tissues of various aquatic speciesthat are of culinary value will be tested for theirconcentration of mercury using a FIMSspectrometer. Some of these aquatic animals will belocal species, while others will be non-local, whichcan be bought in a supermarket. This will be doneto determine whether local seafood contains lessmercury and is safer to eat than imported seafood,or if the opposite is true.45

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 4 1Bypassing Web-Based WirelessAuthentication SystemsAhmed HassanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Xiaowen ZhangDepartment of Computer ScienceMost college wireless networks use softwaresystems and web-based logins to authenticate users.In this work we find that it is not hard to bypasssuch authentication. Attacker can use DHCPrequest to collect information about the users onthe network. It makes the attacker possible toperform unauthorized access to the networkfacilities. This can be done by putting the networkcard on monitor mode, and filter the networkframes based on the collected MAC addresses. Onceany client is disconnected from the network, theattacker can spoof the client's MAC address andconnect to the network. The authentication systemis going to accept the spoofed MAC address and letthe attacker to connect to the network. We suggestthat authentication software should not leak anyidentifiable information. Switches should forwardany network related requests to the right server.For example, DHCP requests to the DHCP serverwithout broadcasting it to all the users onthe network.P O S T E R 4 2The Effects of Mortality Salienceon Muslim American Perspectivestoward Israeli Leadership StylesElias TaweelFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyThe Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a majorsource of development for prevalent negativestereotypes held in the Muslim world toward Jewsand Israel conjointly. Research in terrormanagement theory has demonstrated that whenmortality is made salient to individuals, out-groupprejudice as well as preferences to view out-groupmembers in a stereotype-consistent manner tendsto increase. In concordance with past findings, themodel suggests that mortality salience effects onMuslim participants will increase stereotypicthinking and liking for the stereotype-consistentextremist Israeli/Jew despite distal proximity fromthe related conflict’s location. In the present studywe found that contrary to initial presumptions,under mortality salient conditions participants’liking actually increased for the stereotypeinconsistentmoderate Israeli/Jew and decreased forthe stereotype-consistent extremist Israeli/Jew.Results suggest that American Muslim perspectiveslean more toward preferring Israelis/Jews who holda moderate style of orientation toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Further implications willbe discussed.46

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 4 3Cloning of Critical Domain ofIno2p Responsible for RecruitingChromatin Remodeling ActivitiesEugene LempertFaculty Mentor: Dr. Chang-Hui ShenDepartment of BiologyThe INO1 gene codes for inositol-1-phosphatesynthase, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step inthe conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to inositol-3-phosphate. This intermediate is used in theproduction of phophatidylinositol and otherimportant phospholipids and phosphoinositides.When inositol becomes limiting, INO1 activity isupregulated by the Ino2p-Ino4p dimer; in thepresence of inositol, Opi1p inactivates the Ino2p-Ino4p dimer, thus downregulating INO1transcription. According to our research and thework of others, the Ino2p-Ino4p dimer interactswith the UASino elements in the INO1 promoterand recruits chromatin-remodeling complexes,such as SWI/SNF and the Ino80p-associatedcomplex. The structure of the Ino2p subunitcontains two transcriptional activator domains, arepressor interaction domain, and a basic helixloop-helixmotif that it shares with Ino4p. Todetermine the necessity of each domain, truncatedversions of the INO2 gene were produced usingpolymerase chain reaction and ligated into aplasmid containing a TRP1ARS1CUP1 sequence.This sequence allows for selectivity of transformedino2 delta yeast cells and selective activation of thetruncated INO2 variants. In order to determinewhich INO2 variants would save the cells frominositol auxotrophy, individual colonies containingone version of the INO2 sequence were grown inmedia lacking inositol. The optical density wasrecorded over a 24-hour period and growth curveswere produced. Our current results indicate thatinositol auxotrophy can be avoided in cells thatcontain a plasmid with the sequence coding for thesecond transcriptional activator domain.P O S T E R 4 4Interference in Consolidation ofEmotional Learning of PigeonsGary Mulligan, Samantha ScicchignoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Edward MeehanDepartment of PsychologyUsing a series of training and interference sessions,White Carneaux pigeons were tested with stimuliassociated with different reinforcement outcomes,e.g., A++, B+, C- and X. In order to assess theirsensitivity to emotional learning (through PavlovianConditioning). The birds were exposed to multipleschedules during training and then given retroactiveinterference sessions that included presentation ofthe relevant (A, B, & C) and irrelevant (X) stimuliwithout reinforcement (extinction). The birds werethen tested to explore the effect of the retroactivetasks on consolidation of emotional learning. Resultsindicated that the birds were sensitive to differentialoutcome and were discussed in terms of theinteraction between Instrumental and PavlovianConditioning as well as the emotional sensitivity ofthe Avian nervous system.47

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 4 5Asymmetric Allylation of AldehydesCatalyzed by Optically ActiveSPINOL-Based Phosphoric AcidsYimei Zhang, Monica Bassous,Chun-Hui XingFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryThe asymmetric allyation of allylborons withaldehydes constitutes one of the most attractivemethods to access homoallylic alcohols. Transitionmetal-catalyzed such addition reactions have beenpreviously reported. However, reported catalystsystems suffer from relative harsh reactionconditions and/or selectivity. We are interested indeveloping “green” catalysts, i.e., organocatalysts –the use of small organic compounds as chiralcatalysts, for such addition reactions, especiallywith high enantioselectivities.1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful transformations. However, SPINOL-derivedBronsted acids, which constitute a large family ofchiral organocatalysts, remain underexplored. Inthis presentation, the use of spirodiindanediolbasedphosphoric acids as chiral catalysts forasymmetric allylation of aldehydes willbe presented.P O S T E R 4 7Analysis of MIA-Induced Keratin-6Upregulation in Mammary TissueSurendar RavindranFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmie FataDepartment of BiologyThe development of the mammary gland requiresco-ordinated tissue and cellular signals that directproper branching morphogenesis. Using threedimensional(3D) tissue cultures of mammary glanddevelopment we have previously found that a drugof the amiloride family, (N-Methyl, Nisobutyl)amiloride (MIA) drastically disrupts mammarydevelopment in this assay. MIA abrogates thefunction of the Na+/H exchanger type-1 (NHE-1),which is directly responsible for maintainingintracellular pH of mammary epithelial cells. Amonga number of MIA-induced tissue and cellularphenotypes, we found that associated with thisinhibited morphogenesis was an increased andectopic expression of Keratin 6 (K6), anintermediate filament protein rarely expressed inmammary epithelial cells and one that is involvedin hyper-proliferation. To determine whether K6expression occured because of increasedtranscriptional expression, I set out to measure K6mRNA levels in untreated and MIA-treatedmammary tissue using quantitative PCR. Theexperimental procedure of RT-PCR, the isolation ofmRNA, and initial results are provided here alongwith the technical hurdles we encountered.Determining whether MIA induces K6 upregulationof transcription in mammary tissue may shed lighton how co-ordinated signals become disruptedduring breast cancer.48

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 4 8Development of Optically ActiveSPINOL-Based Organocatalystsfor Asymmetric CatalysisDarya Sabarova, Chun-Hui Xing, Qiao-Sheng HuFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryThe addition reactions of organoborons withaldeydes/ketones constitute one of the mostattractive methods to access chiral alcoholsbecause organoborons are readily available andair/moisture-stable. Transition metal-catalyzed suchaddition reactions have been previously reported.However, reported catalyst systems suffer fromrelative harsh reaction conditions and/or selectivity.We are interested in developing “green” catalystsystems, i.e., organocatalysts –the use of smallorganic compounds as chiral catalysts, for suchaddition reactions, especially under mildconditions.1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful transformations. However, SPINOL-derivedBronsted acids, which constitute a large family ofchiral organocatalysts, remain underexplored. Inthis presentation, the preparation ofspirodiindanediol-based phosphoric acids forasymmetric catalysis will be presented.P O S T E R 4 9SPINOL-Based Phosphoric Acidsas Organocatalysts forAsymmetric ReactionsAmy He, Chun-Hui XingFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryAsymmetric catalysis, the use of a small amount ofchiral catalysts for the production of a largequantity of chiral compounds, constitutes one ofthe most attractive methods to access opticallyactive organic compounds. Enormous efforts havebeen devoted to asymmetric catalysis with chiraltransition metal complexes as catalysts. In ourlaboratory, we are interested in developing “green”catalysts, i.e., organocatalysts – the use of smallorganic compounds as chiral catalysts, forasymmetric catalysis, especially with highenantioselectivities.1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful transformations. However, SPINOL-derivedBronsted acids, which constitute a large family ofchiral organocatalysts, remain underexplored. Inthis presentation, the use of spirodiindanediolbasedphosphoric acids as chiral catalysts forasymmetric reactions will be presented.49

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5 0Asymmetric, SPINOL-BasedPhosphoric Acid-CatalyzedAddition Reactions of Indoleswith Isatin*Christopher OgaJa, Chun-Hui XingFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryThe asymmetric addition reaction indoles withaldehydes/ketones constitutes one of the mostattractive methods to access a large family ofindole-containing compounds, which arepotentially biologically active. We are interested indeveloping “green” catalysts, i.e., organocatalysts –the use of small organic compounds as chiralcatalysts, for such addition reactions, especiallywith high enantioselectivities.1,1’-Spirodiindane-7,7’-diol (SPINOL) and itsderivatives have been demonstrated to be highlyenantioselective chiral scaffolds for a number ofuseful transformations. However, SPINOL-derivedBronsted acids, which constitute a large family ofchiral organocatalysts, remain underexplored. Inthis presentation, the use of spirodiindanediolbasedphosphoric acids as chiral catalysts forasymmetric addition reactions of indoles with isatinwill be presented.*We would like to thank the NIH for financialsupport. We also thank members of the Hu researchgroup for their help and support.P O S T E R 5 1Mobile Computing Devices:Memory Management IssuesDavid Galeano, Ahmed ElhassanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah SturmDepartment of Computer ScienceTablets and smartphones are projected to surpasslaptops as the preferred mobile computing device.Developing applications on these memoryconstraineddevices presents numerous challenges.We examine memory management strategies fortwo and three-dimensional graphic-based games. Inparticular, we compare various scenarios with theuse of performance tools on the iPad/iPhone andWindows Phone 7 platforms.50

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5 2Development of NewPd-Catalyzed Tandem Reactionsfor Organic SynthesisHenry Sanjurjo, Yuan-Xi LiaoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Sheng HuDepartment of ChemistryTransition metal-catalyzed addition reactions ofarylboronic acids with carbonyl-containingcompounds constitute some of the most attractivemethods to access arylmethyl alcohols, imines andketones. Combining such addition reactions withother bond forming reactions to producetandem/domino reactions would provide highlyefficient tools for organic synthesis. In our group,we are interested in developing new tandemreactions involving transition metal-catalyzedaddition reactions and other bond-formingreactions, which has never been exploredpreviously.Type I metalacycles including platinacycles havebeen previously found to be effective catalysts forthe addition reaction of arylboronic acids withaldehydes. In this presentation, a new tandemreaction, which combines Type I platinacyclecatalyzedaddition reaction with the aldolcondensation reaction, will be presented.*We thank the NSF and NIH for financial support.We also thank members of the Hu research goupfor their help and support.P O S T E R 5 4Synthesis and ClinicalApplications of Mono-FunctionalDerivatives of CurcuminOlga VishnevaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryThere has recently been tremendous interest incurcumin, [(1E, 6E)-1, 7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) hepta-1,6-diene 3,5-dione] theprimary active ingredient in turmeric, because ithas been shown to have antioxidant, anticancer,anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer’s disease activityand antibiotic activity. Hence, we plan to developconvenient routes to biologically relevent curcuminconjugates via the synthesis of novel monofunctionalcurcumin derivatives in which one ofthe phenolic groups of curcumin has beenchemically modified with reactive groups. Thesynthesis of mono-functional curcumin derivativesaffords two advantages: (a) The presence of at leastone free phenolic group is necessary for thebiological activity of many antioxidants likecurcumin (b) Bioconjugation and polymermodifications using mono-functional derivativesproduce soluble conjugates in high yields whereasbi-functional derivatives would result in insolublecross-linked products. We plan to develop a generalmethodology for preparing reactive monofunctionalcurcumin derivatives; the uniquecarboxylic acid/NHS groups serve as covalentfunctional handles for modifying both syntheticpolymers and proteins. In order to make a targeteddrug delivery vehicle we have conjugatedcurcumin to Antibody via NHS chemistry. Thesynthesis of Antibody-curcumin adduct showed agreat promise in destroying GL261 glioblastomacells as well as B16F10 melanoma cells in nanomolar concentrations compared to curcuminwhich is effective in micromolar concentrations.The in vivo studies indicated that mice treated withantibody-curcumin conjugate not only causes asignificant decrease in tumor size but also helpsincrease in survival of mice.51

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5 5The Role Of Fmrp in RegulatingGfp and Somatostatin ExpressionOlga VishnevaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of BiologyThis experiment looks at the level of regulationinvolved in green fluorescent protein (GFP) andsomatostatin expression in mice with fragile Xsyndrome. Fragile X syndrome is characterized byhyperarousal, increased prevalence of seizures, andhypersensitivity to sensory stimuli1. The mousemodel is a knockout of the fmr1 gene (fragile Xmental retardation 1 gene), which has a reductionin the expression of the fragile X mental retardationprotein (FMRP). The mice also express GFP onautosomes. FMRP, the protein product of fmr1, is anRNA binding protein and is thought to regulatetranslation of proteins in dendrites and dendriticspines. It has been found that FMRP is a translationsuppressant, so we hypothesize that mice that areknockouts for FMRP will exhibit a notable lowerGFP expression than wild type mice throughoutthe organism. Results showed that somatostatinexpression is directly related to the presence offmr1. Confocal imaging and Imaris reconstructionillustrated increased expression of somatostatin inthe wild type mouse. GFP expression is variableacross the organs. GFP is upregulated in the KOpancreas and intestine, however this is not the casein the testis.P O S T E R 5 6Best Practices for the NursingCare of Older Adults withCongestive Heart FailureCora-Ann O'ReganFaculty Mentor: Dr. Arlene T. FarrenDepartment of NursingThe purpose of the project is to examine bestpractices for the nursing care of older adults withcongestive heart failure (CHF). As older adults arethe fastest growing segment of the population, it isimportant to understand their special needs. Themethodology is a literature review using CINAHLand Medline databases, as well as evidence-baseddatabases to identify guidelines for the care of olderadults with CHF. The search terms included heartfailure, older adults, and nursing care. The resultsrevealed 11 articles, eight of which were deemedappropriate based on inclusion and exclusioncriteria. The preliminary findings suggest that olderadults require a specific set of approaches, whichshould be integrated with nursing care for CHF inolder adults. The literature suggests there arebarriers to effective self-management of symptomsin older adults including the lack of recognition ormisinterpretation of symptoms. Preliminaryconclusions include the availability of literature toguide clinicians in the care of persons with CHFand that older adults require specific nursing careapproaches to overcome barriers and achievepositive outcomes. The nursing practiceimplications include providing evidence-based carethrough the use of guidelines and the importanceof individualized patient care. As nursing care in thehospital and in the community is largely involvedwith the care of older adults, it is essential fornurses to be knowledgeable about best practicesand deliver the best possible evidence-based careto older adults with CHF..52

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5 7Python, Papers, ProplydsAthena BrensbergerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Department of EngineeringScience and PhysicsProto-planetary disks around newborn stars, orproplyds, have a wide variety of shapes andappearances. It is possible to determine theformation and shapes of proplyds, why they havethe shape they do and what composition andstructure they have. Some proplyds are bright, andsome are dark silhouettes; also, they will never livelong enough for an entire solar system to forminside of their molecular clouds. It is possible tocalculate the mass-loss rate of the ionization frontsin a proplyd, as well as the effect that mass-loss willhave on the lifetime of the accretion disk forminginside of the proplyd. When the mass-loss rate ishigher, the lifetime of the proplyd is lower, thusdecreasing the possibility of a solar system forminginside the proplyd. When the mass-loss rate is veryhigh, there is not much material to accumulate andform planets to orbit the baby star.P O S T E R 5 8How the Culturally CompetentTherapist FacilitatesClient Satisfaction with theTherapy ExperienceRenee L. MillsFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lauren Rogers-SirinDepartment of PsychologyMulticultural counseling competence can bedefined as the awareness, knowledge and skills thatmental health professionals use when working withculturally diverse clients.In response to this development, mental healthprofessionals have become more aware of theimportance of incorporating cultural factors whenworking with diverse client populations. The fieldof psychology is committed to improving culturalcompetence among practitioners, but to date thereis little research examining whether thiscommitment is resulting in improved services toracially and ethnically diverse clients. This studywill attempt to address this issue. The current studyconsisted of a survey, administered to 86 immigrantcollege students who had been in therapy at somepoint in their lives. The survey consisted of theAttitudes Towards Seeking ProfessionalPsychological Help Scale – Short (ATSPPH-S; Fischerand Farina, 1995), and the Brief SymptomInventory- 18, (BSI-18; Derogatus, 2000), the CrossCultural Counseling Inventory Revised (CCCI-R;Lafromboise, Coleman & Hernandez, 1991), and theSatisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale-Revised (STTS-R; Oei & Green, 2008). A sub-sampleof 10 students who had been in therapy wereinterviewed about their counseling experiences,focusing specifically on their perceptions ofwhether, and how, culture, race and ethnicity mayhave impacted their presenting issues and thetherapy process. Results from the survey studyindicated that client satisfaction with therapy washighly correlated with clients’ perception oftherapist cultural competence. A regression analysisrevealed that, after controlling for psychologicalsymptoms, perceptions of therapist’s culturalcompetence significantly contributed to thevariance in attitudes towards seeking professionalpsychological help. Qualitative data provides morein depth information about what clients’ identifiedas their therapists’ culturally competent orincompetent behavior.53

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 5 9Efficacy of Taurine in AlteringSomatostatin and Gad Levels in aPancreatic ß Cell LineChristina CuttittaFaculty Mentor: Dr. William L'AmoreauxDepartment of BiologyRelease of insulin and glucagon from the endocrinepancreas is regulated by a number ofneurotransmitters, including glutamate, GABA, andsomatostatin. In the GABAergic system, GABAbinding to GABAA receptors opens chloridechannels on α cells, hyperpolarizing these cellsthereby regulating glucagon release. We havepreviously shown that taurine treatment altersglucose homeostasis and alters insulin and GABAlevels in a pancreatic β cell line (Hit-T15). Here, wetest the efficacy of taurine in altering somatostatinand GAD expression in Hit cells. In pancreaticislets, glucose uptake serves as an electrogenicswitch to regulate insulin and GABA release. Withconcentrations > 2.8 mM, glucose uptake andglycolytic processing increases cytoplasmic ATPconcentrations, shutting off ATP-sensitive K+channels. Inhibition of the KATP channels increaseCa2+ currents required for exocytosis. We testedwhether taurine treatment can affect somatostatinrelease and whether taurine directly affects GADexpression in β cells. The β cell line were grown inculture, and treated with either 1 mM glucose, 3mM glucose, and 1 mM taurine. Cells were treatedfor 24hr, fixed and prepared forimmunohistochemical analyses. Our data show thatwhile 3 mM glucose significantly decreasessomatostatin and increases GAD levels compared tocontrols, 1 mM taurine is insufficient to elicit thisresponse. Since taurine has been reported to affectrelease of insulin and GABA from large dense corevesicles, we demonstrate here that the mechanismby which taurine promotes exocytosis of thesevesicles is different from the mechanism by whichsomatostatin is released. Further, we provideevidence that the taurine-dependent upregulationof GAD expression requires a feedback mechanismfrom α cells.P O S T E R 6 0Laser Control BoardValerie DeAngeloFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jessica JiangDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsA tunable laser is a laser whose wavelength can beadjusted and controlled over a certain range. Thetunable laser used in this project is an EmcoreTTX1994 tunable laser that “consists of a cooledexternal-cavity diode laser that uses thermallytuned etalon filters to achieve single-modeoperation at selectable wavelengths.” (EmcoreDatasheet)This project consists of designing and building aninterface board to power the tunable laser assemblyand allow communication to it through the use of a3 wire RS 232 interface. The tunable laser interfaceboard will send commands to the tunable laserassembly as well as monitor it’s health and alarms,and detect any faults in the tunable laser’s system.54

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 6 1Collaborative Translation of aFree Culture Design TextQimei LuoFaculty Mentor: Professor Michael MandibergDepartment of Media CultureDigital Foundations is a digital media instructionbook licensed under a Creative Commons license.This free culture licensed text has been portedfrom the original Adobe software to open sourcesoftware (GIMP, Inkscape, Processing, etc.)Encouraged and instructed by Professor MichaelMandiberg--one of the authors of the book--I, QimeiLuo, a senior Communications major, initiated andmanaged a collaboration with more than tendifferent volunteers to translate this book fromEnglish into Chinese. All the translators for thisChinese translation project are located either inHong Kong or mainland China. The volunteersnever met each other in person and werecommunicating purely via the Internet from theproject’s inception to its completion. Eachcontributor to the project has been given credit forevery edit and revision they made through theversion control software that the translationsoftware is built upon.Translating this book from English to Mandarin willhelp to expand the availability of free culture ofChinese content and allow more Chinese speakers,especially Chinese educators, to have access to thebook. This translation work enhances participants’understanding of digital media, and allows them tobe part of software education reform and the freeculture movement.P O S T E R 6 2Painting Staten Island: AHistorical Analysis of FrederickStahr’s The Evolution of StatenIsland from 1620-1935Gabriella LeoneFaculty Mentor: Dr. Catherine LavenderDepartment of HistoryIf one visited Staten Island's Borough Hall, he or shewould be able to take a brief trip throughapproximately four hundred years of the borough'shistory. This unique opportunity is provided by aseries of murals, called The Evolution of StatenIsland from 1620 to 1935, which were funded bythe Works Progress Administration (WPA) andpainted by a local artist named Frederick C. Stahrduring the late 1930s. The paintings, based on acombination of historical fact, local legend andartistic interpretation, highlight a variety of eventsin the history of the island from Europeandiscovery through the building of the BayonneBridge. The scenes shown vary in obvious, historicalsignificance and cause one to question why theywere chosen specifically. Not only are the worksintriguing for the events they depict, but also forthe style in which they were created. Indeed,Stahr's more traditional style was rare amongst theprogressive artistic spirit of the Depression Era.Although he was singular in relation to his fellowWPA artists, Stahr meshed quite well with JohnCarrere and Thomas Hastings, the architects ofBorough Hall and the main branch of the New YorkPublic Library, who also favored a more traditionalapproach to design.55

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 6 3The Effects of Mortality Salienceon Jewish Perspectives TowardPalestinian LeadershipCarla MusacchioFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyThe objective of the present study was to examinethe effects of Mortality Salience on Jewishperspectives toward Palestinian leadership.Mortality Salience (i.e., the awareness of theinevitable occurrence of one’s own death)increases and continues negative stereotypes, inturn creating a cycle of prejudice, violence, andconflict. It was predicted that under controlledconditions, Jewish participants would prefer thePalestinian moderate “peace activist,” who is willingto negotiate an agreement with Israel, over thePalestinian extremist “religious fanatic, suicidebomber,” who does not acknowledge the nation ofIsrael. However, once exposed to the condition ofdeath, participants will favor the Palestinianextremist, reinforcing the notion of stereotypicalperspectives towards the out-group being moretrustworthy than the counter-stereotypicalperspective. Results indicated that MortalitySalience increased participants' liking of thestereotype-inconsistent under moderate Palestinianleadership. Implications will be discussed.P O S T E R 6 4Determining the Natal Origins andPopulation Distribution of GloballyEndangered Green Sea Turtles(Chelonia Mydas) at Palmyra Atollthrough Genetic AnalysisStephanie G. JonesFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eugenia Naro-MacielDepartment of BiologyThe natal origins of globally endangered green seaturtles (Chelonia mydas) foraging along the flats ofPalmyra atoll, a wildlife refuge in the Central Pacific,are unknown. Sea turtles have a highly specializednatal homing skill to aid in their migrations. Inorder to determine their population distributionand natal origins, genetic analysis of mitochondrialDNA (mtDNA) was conducted through DNAextraction, sequencing and data analysis. Maternallyinherited gene (mtDNA) sequences are usedbecause they show strong population structureamong specific nesting colonies. While there is noknown nesting site on the atoll, there is a range ofturtles feeding at Palmyra, from small juveniles tomature adults. Samples were extracted from over100 green sea turtles. Three of our specimens havethe DNA and morphological characteristics of“black turtles,” which some scientists consider aseparate subspecies (Chelonia mydas agassizii). Thisresearch is crucial because of the endangeredstatus of these turtles. Since the sea turtlepopulation biology at Palmyra atoll is unknown,data collected from this research will be useful inimplementing appropriate conservation measuresat foraging sites as well as mating and nesting sites.56

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 6 5Students’ Perceptions and Use ofTechnology at CSIIlona RabinovichFaculty Mentor: Dr. Irina SekerinaDepartment of PsychologyThe College of Staten Island as well as the entireCUNY system is heavily investing in instructionaltechnology. There are many factors that play animportant role in success of technology on the CSIcampus, and one of them is students’ perceptions.An Internet-bases survey is currently beingadministered to collect students’ attitudes abouttechnology. Its 65 questions fall in severalcategories: (1) access to computers, Internet,smartphones and electronic gadgets; (2)preferences for electronic communication with CSIfaculty and administration; (3) access to softwaretools and electronic resources at the library and oncampus; (4) experience with online learning (webenhanced,hybrid, and online courses); and (5)preferences in So far, 165 CSI students (75% female)took part in the survey, 91% of them are freshmenand sophomores who attend CSI full-time. Amongvarious preliminary results, 42% are neutral withrespect to technology in the classroom, 22% areskeptical, and only 28% like it; 62% never took anonline course and would not take one.These results and others collected; show a mixtureof attitudes and preferences toward technologyamong a sample of CSI students and can provideuseful recommendations for implementingtechnological innovations on campus. Datacollection with this survey will continue for thenext two years.P O S T E R 6 6Fabrication of Microscale CarbonSurfaces by 3D PrintingBrian IskraFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of Chemistry3D printing has many applications in surfacechemistry. In this study, a novel application for 3Dprinting was developed to fabricate threedimensionalarrays of carbon posts. Due to theirhigh thermal conductivity and surface area, suchmaterials have potential uses as thermal interfacematerials and battery electrodes. Carbon is aninorganic material that cannot be directly formedinto such complex three-dimensional objects. Theability to make complex features and patterns using3D printing technology was leveraged to firstfabricate polymeric features in the desired shapeand pattern. A phenolic resin was selected based onits ability to thermally decompose to form carbonin high yields. We modified the rheologicalproperties of the phenolic to enhance the ability toprint high aspect-ratio polymer features. In addition,we created a series of composite materials byincorporating filler materials that modify themechanical properties of the structures such asgraphite fibers and hollow phenolic spheres. Theprocess of surface fabrication is examined in depth,general guidelines for printing with polymericmaterials were found and proper substrateselection and creation was examined. Mechanicalproperties of the substrate and posts werecharacterized using a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis.57

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 6 7Competitive Lotka-VolterraEquation and Existence ofPeriodic OrbitsIlirjana DukaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jesenko VukadinovicDepartment of MathematicsThe competitive Lotka-Volterra system, a logisticmodel of the population dynamics of speciescompeting for the same available resources, isstudied for the existence of periodic orbits. This isachieved by the search for a Lyapunov function, theexistence of which indicates that periodic orbits donot exist. It is also expected by Dulac Criterion thatno such orbits can be found. These results haveapplications to the modeling of species survivaland coexistence within a niche.P O S T E R 6 8Regulation of HippocampalDevelopment and Signaling by theSerotonin 1A ReceptorJoseph InigoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Probal BanerjeeDepartment of ChemistryAberrant dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex(PFC) is believed to underlie schizophrenia, but themechanistic pathway through which a widely usedantipsychotic, clozapine (Clz), evokesneurotransmitter-releasing electrical stimulation isunclear. Prior studies from this group analyzed Clzevokedregulation of neuronal activity in the PFC toobserve an increase in population spike (PS), whichwas mediated by 5-HT1A-R, phospholipase Cβ, andCa2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II(CaMKII). Additionally, the Clz-activation of CaMKIIwas 5-HT1A-R-mediated. Intriguingly, the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDA-R) antagonist (+)2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) alsoeliminated the Clz-mediated increase in PS,suggesting that the 5-HT1A-R, NMDA-R and CaMKIIform a synergistic triad, which boosts excitatorypost-synaptic potential (EPSP), thereby enhancingPS. In corroboration, Clz as well as NMDAaugmented field EPSP (fEPSP), and WAY100635 (a 5-HT1A-R antagonist), APV, and a CaMKII inhibitoreliminated this increase. As previously shown,CaMKII binds to the NMDA-R NR2B subunit tobecome constitutively active, thereby inducing α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate(AMPA) receptor recruitment to the postsynapticmembrane and an increase in fEPSP. The currentstudy will use coimmunoprecipitation todemonstrate that Clz potentiates interactionsamong CaMKII, NR2B, and 5-HT1A-R. Possiblecomplex formation in the membrane rafts of thepostsynaptic density will be tested by pretreatmentwith methyl-ß-cyclodextrin, an agent that disruptsrafts. Taken together, we this project will test ifclozapine functions in the PFC by orchestrating asynergism among 5-HT1A-R, CaMKII, and NMDA-R,which augments excitability in the PFC neurons oflayers II/III.58

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 6 9The Genetic Analysis of Greenand Loggerhead Sea Turtles ofFlorida, USAVladimir ShikhmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eugenia Naro-MacielDepartment of BiologyThe genetic analysis of Atlantic green (Cheloniamydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtlesis one of the fundamental research areas necessaryfor the effective protection of these endangeredand threatened species. These two sea turtlespecies represent some of the most widelydistributed marine reptiles, and are being activelyresearched for their ecological significance. Thepurification and analysis of genetic samples fromwild sea turtles is a crucial part in understandingthe population distribution of these species as theoceans and coastal areas they have occupied forthousands of years are irrevocably changed. Byunderstanding their population distribution, wemay be able to significantly advance theconservation of these ancient species.We are basing our analysis on selectively neutralnon-coding regions of mitochondrial DNA that havealready been proven to be variable amongpopulations and individuals. The genetic samplesare being extracted from the nucleatederythrocytes of the specimens with a DNeasy kitthat elutes a DNA suspension in buffer. The elutionthen is being primed and amplified via the PCRmethod. Each amplified sample is then beingcompared in its movement through a 1.5% agarosegel run at constant voltage for 30 minutes andvisualized through a SYBR Safe filter.Throughout the entire experimental process westrive to use methods that limit the unnecessaryproduction of environmentally unsafe wastes.Sequencing is carried out followed by editing andresults are collected and analyzed before beingprepared for presentation and eventual publicationin collaboration with researchers in this field. Weare only one of the few research labs around theworld that are actively contributing to the ongoingresearch in the protection of these threatened andendangered species.P O S T E R 7 0Internship Observations at theSummer Therapeutic Program(STP): An Evidence-BasedTreatment Program for Childrenwith ADHDMelissa Tinaphong, Kristine PrincipeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Rima BlairDepartment of PsychologyChildren with Attention-Deficit HyperactivityDisorder (ADHD) face new challenges every day. Themost prominent factors are social, academic, andoccupational problems. ADHD is a disorder markedby inattentiveness, over-activity, and impulsivity.Approximately one in twenty elementary schoolagedchildren is diagnosed with ADHD. Several typesof multimodal treatments are available; howeverrecent research studies are finding that a morecombined approach of medication, behavioraltreatment, and early interventions is highly effectivefor treatment. A relatively new and differentcombined approach is the Staten Island MentalHealth Summer Therapeutic Program (STP). It is theonly evidence-based therapeutic summer camptreatment for ADHD. Instead of the usual stereotypedmedical and therapy setting, STP displays acomfortable and child oriented environment thatsustains sufficient improvement in each child’stargeted areas of impairments. STP follows abehavior modification model based on tokeneconomy, contingency management, positivereinforcement, recreational activities, social skills,and daily report cards. Counselors work hand inhand with each child by establishing companionablerelationships with them and diminish targetedbehaviors by motivating them to reach specific goals.This type of intervention provides significant changein behavior, continuity in peer status, academicabilities, and social functionings. Because of thispioneering model, various schools across the worldhave expanded and flourished implementing thesame STP protocol. Furthermore, afterschool orcamp programs that implement multimodal methodsprove to be an efficacious tool in improvingbehaviors and academic skills for children withADHD. The results from these children are that theykeep on coming back to “summer camp” toreconcile with their friends and earn a rack of pointsfor their remarkably good, and appropriate,behaviors.59

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 7 2The Design of ThermoelectricModules as a Waste HeatConvertorBiBi GhafariFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistryAutomobiles consume a significant amount of fueland generate large quantities of greenhouse gases.Although fuel economy has improved significantlyover the years, internal combustion engines areinherently inefficient and dissipate a significantamount of this wasted energy as heat. Oneapproach to reduce this lost energy is to use thewaste heat to power a Thermoelectric Module(TEM). A TEM is a solid state device that convertsheat to electricity. For automobile applications, thiswould require that the TEM can withstand largetemperature extremes – going from -40oC (whenthe car is parked during the winter) to +500oC (carexhaust) when the engine is running. To remainreliable when repeatedly subjected to thesetemperature extremes, all components of the TEMmust be thermally stable. In addition, the materialsmust be highly thermally conductive.We have proposed a novel thermal design toaccommodate the thermal stresses while achievinghigh thermal conductivity. The design is based onthe use of copper substrates (which are thermallyconductive) with a thin enamel coating to provideelectrical isolation. This design, however, dependsupon the enamel adhering well to the copper andnot cracking after repeated thermal cycling. Wedesigned an experiment to evaluate if this enamelcoating on car exhaust systems could withstandharsh conditions over many cycles. To measure therobustness of the enamel, we subjected testcoupons to progressively more harsh cyclingconditions while monitoring the mechanical andelectrical properties of the enamel. Only after alarge number of extreme thermal shocks did theenamel coating begin to degrade. Further design ofnew modules is underway; these newer modulesare expected to have an even higher capability ofstress endurance by using materials which willgenerate less compressive stress duringtemperature cycling.P O S T E R 7 3Social Tags for RecommendingGovernment ComputingApplications and ServicesMark ToralballaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Soon ChunDepartment of BusinessA challenge in organizational and personal computingsolutions is how to select the most suitable productsor services in the face of a dizzying array of softwareproducts and web applications. Typically,organizations rely on recommendations from selectedand/or favorite vendors, and an individual has to dosome research to select the best possible application.However, the rise of social networking has causedindividuals to often get influenced by what theirfriends or colleagues recommend. This socialrecommendation has been reflected in computerizedrecommender systems where the pattern of othercustomers or buyers is used to recommend therelated products. However, this model has not beenwidely applied in process oriented domains such assoftware components or applications. Recently, thefederal government has launched the HYPERLINK“http://apps.gov/” \o“blocked::http://apps.gov/” \t“_blank” apps.gov Website, where information aboutbusiness applications, productivity applications, CloudIT services, and social media applications arecollected to be shared by different governmentagencies. This portal will encourage sharingcomputing resources across governmentagencies. Government agents, IT managers, and othergovernment officials should be able to get moreinformation about these computing resources beforethey make decisions on purchasing, adopting andimplementing them. We are developing a rating andcomment system where each computing resourcecan be commented on, rated and tagged by thegovernment end users who identify themselves withcertain functional roles (e.g. IT manager, IT developer,process designer, etc.) and with social relations (e.g. afriend of another person). Their comments for eachapplication or service will be searchable by theseroles and social relationship types to view thecomments and to recommend the most popular orhighly rated government applications. The role-basedand social relationship-based recommendations willprovide more reliable or trusted advice by a circle offriends to government officials who have similar taskswith similar job functions. We will present ademonstration of the prototype system.60

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 7 4An Analytical Study of QuantifierComprehension with EyeTracking DataNicholas DalonzoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Patricia BrooksDepartment of PsychologyGrade-school children often make errors inuniversal quantifier interpretation for sentenceslike Every apple is in a bowl. Whether these errorsare due to children’s unfamiliarity with thecomplexities of sentence structure (faultygrammatical knowledge) or to processinglimitations (faulty attention or memory) is notknown. This study seeks to explore the mostcommon sources of children’s errors incomprehending sentences containing the universalquantifier every. We will also compare thecomprehension error rates found with passivevoicesentences like The cow was pulled by thehorse with those of sentences containing universalquantifiers. The experiment presented 23 children(ages 5 to 12) with pictures demonstrating aparticular relationship and asked the children tostate whether a spoken sentence matched thepicture shown. We measured eye-movements as thechild scrutinized the picture and came to aconclusion as to whether the sentence was true orfalse. Half of the quantifiers sentences had theuniversal quantifier modifying the container-noun(e.g., Every bowl has an apple in it) and the otherhalf had it modifying the object-noun (e.g., Everyapple is in a bowl). Half of the time the picturematched the sentence, and half of the time itcontained extra containers or objects (e.g., extrabowls for the sentence Every bowl has an apple init). We found that children made numerous errorswhen encountering pictures that depicted sets ofobjects in partial one-to-one correspondence, alongwith a sentence containing the quantifier every.This trend was more pronounced in the 5 to 9 agegrouping, denoting developmental differencesamongst our examined population. Additionally,children also made errors with the passivesentences which suggests a general difficulty inassigning syntactic representations to sentences.P O S T E R 7 5Effects of Curcumin onTau-Interactions in TransgenicDrosophila Melanogaster MotorNeuron and EyeKalpita Abhyankar, Tanya NelipaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyIt is pivotal to understand the mechanistic functionof synaptic breakdown that precedes in cell deathin Alzheimer's disease (AD) and otherneurodegenerative diseases. Accumulation ofhyperphosphorylated tau causes the disruption ofmicrotubules, which are related to synaptic lossand pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Impairedcognitive function and pathology of AD iscorrelated with this lesion. We have previouslyshown that the cytosolic Alzheimerhyperphosphorylated tau (AD P-tau) sequestersnormal tau, MAP1A, MAP1B and MAP2, whichresults in the inhibition of microtubule assemblyand disruption of microtubules and self assembleinto filaments. We would like to study the effects ofcurcumin, which is an active ingredient in the spiceturmeric, in causing reversal of the effects oftangles formed by hyperphosphorylated tau. Taupromotes the assembly and stabilizes microtubules.Our model of study is the Drosophila which has thetau homolog exhibiting 46% identity with thesequence of human tau protein and has similarfeatures such as microtubule-binding domain.Transgenic flies (Drosophila melanogaster) thatexpress the human tau in different phosphorylatedforms, wild type and mutations display importantfeatures of the human disorder. The effects ofcurcumin on pseudophosphorylated tau on thetransgenic Drosophila motor neuron and eye willbe explored.61

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 7 7Mathematically Mapping theCosmos: ContemporaryTopological Applicationsin CosmologyDavid Di LilloFaculty Mentor: Dr. Prabudh Ram MisraDepartment of MathematicsTopology is the logical yet abstract pairing of manygeometric, algebraic, and analytical concepts thatare utilized in many fields of contemporarymathematics; the term itself is derived from the twoGreek words topos and logos, meaning place andstudy, respectively, and its relevance and popularityin the mathematical world has increased greatlyduring the mid-twentieth century beyond its initialtheoretical conception. For such an abstractsubject, topology claims many applications inremarkable fields of modern study, includingrobotics, computer science, and biochemistry. Itshistorical connections to cosmology in particularare intertwined with the continual push forgroundbreaking concepts relating to humanperception as well as the endeavor to define thenature of our universe. This investigation aims tointroduce several key basics of topology, presentintegral details about the development of thecosmological science, and utilize contemporarydata and models to present a concise and organizedreview of the role topology now plays inunderstanding the cosmos.P O S T E R 7 8Perceptions of Islamophobia inthe Westernized SocietyHebba SakerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Florette CohenDepartment of PsychologyIslamophobia is a growing factor within the UnitedStates and the uproar of discrimination towardsMuslims and Arab Americans in New York Cityincreased hatred or showed a relative amount ofhate and racism towards the Arab/Muslimcommunity. This study emphasized on the mortalitysalience effect of discrimination and hatredtowards Muslims and Arab. Also whether physicalappearance of Muslim women affected perceptionof the westernized society towards Muslims andwhether they were accepting of their appearancein regards to Islamophobia. We found that mortalitysalience implications will be discussed, results wereinconclusive.62

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 7 9Synthesis of Rufigallol for LiquidCrystal ApplicationsAbdullah ChughtaiFaculty Mentor: Dr. Krishnaswami RajaDepartment of ChemistryDiscotic liquid crystals have been attractinggrowing interest, not only because of thefundamental importance as model systems for thestudy of charge and energy transport, but also dueto their potential application in organic electronicdevices. A typical DLC material is a large planarconjugated molecule that forms into stacks orcolumns like gambling chips. Because of the highelectron wave function overlap along the stacks inthe columnar phase, the charge transfer along thestack is expected to be effective leading to highcarrier mobility. Furthermore, because of theirliquid crystalline properties any defects on thestacks are expected to rapidly self anneal furtherimproving their electronic properties. Gallic acidwas reacted under Friedel Craft's acylationconditions to produce crude rufigallol. Rufigallolwas further purified by producing Rufigallolhexaacetate ( RHA). RHA was hydolyzed to producepure rufigallol. Rufigallol was futher reacted withpropargyl bromide to produce a hexa alkynederivative (RhAlkyne). RhAlkyne will be reacted infuture with a long-chain azide, utilizing ‘click’chemistry principles, to produce a gallic-acid baseddiscotic liquid crystals.P O S T E R 8 0Youth Indicators in Very Cool StarsDaniel FeldmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Charles LiuDepartment of Engineering Science and PhysicsThis is a study that searched for a correlationbetween having a weak Na absorption doublet(8183, 8194 Å) and strong H-Alpha emission (6563Å) in late M dwarf stars (M6-M9), as both areindicative of youth. M dwarfs are stars that aremuch smaller and cooler than our sun. Finding theages to field stars (stars without companions) canbe extremely difficult, and studying these spectralfeatures can help us to better constrain the ages ofthese stars, and further our understanding of theevolution of M dwarfs. The utilized sample comesfrom the LSPM Survey (Lepine and Shara, 2005),which contain stars with high proper motions (μ >0.5") and spectra indicative of late M dwarfs.Measurements for emission and absorptionstrength were made using spectral indices. Thestudy's preliminary results suggest the absence of acorrelation between Na absorption and H-Alphaemission. This could indicate that these youthindicators are sensitive to different time periods inan M dwarf’s life. Further research hopes to solidifyand expand upon the preliminary results, and tolook into other youth indicators, such as thekinematics of the stars.63

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 8 2Effect of Ps-tau on the OmmatidiaTransgenic DrosophilaJustin ChackoFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyAlzheimer’s disease falls into a category with otherdiseases such as frontotemporal dementia withParkinsonism linked to chromosome-17 and Pick’sdisease called tauopathies. Tauopathies are causedby the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of themicrotubule associated protein tau. Tau binds toaxonal microtubules and helps provideorganization, stability and function. The abnormalhyperphosphorylation of tau is caused by enzymescalled kinases which phosphorylate specific serineand threonine residues. Phosphorylation causes theaddition of a negative phosphate group to theprotein causing conformational changes. Normaltau contains approximately 3 moles of phosphateper mole of protein, while hyperphosphorylatedtau contains approximately 7-10 moles ofphosphate per mole of protein. The conformationalchange bought on by this excess phosphorylationcauses the formation of filaments. Thephosphorylation of tau decreases it interactionwith microtubules and through in-vitro studies itwas shown that sites Thr212, Ser214, Thr231,Ser235 and Ser262 are major sites for inhibition oftau-microtubules binding. Through site-directedmutagenesis sites Thr212, Thr231 and Ser262 werechanged to a glutamic acid. The negative charge ofthe glutamic acid side chain can mimic the effect ofthe negative phosphate group inhyperphosphorylated tau. Transgenic fliescontaining this pseudophosphorylated tau werecreated and regulation of thepseudophosphorylated tau is controlled by a GAL4inducible system. The transgenic drosophilacontaining pseuophosphorylated tau allows thestudy of tau hyperphosphorylation in-vivo and themechanism of tau phosphorylation inducedtoxicity. The effect of tau toxicity caused by thepseudophosphorylated tau can be seen through theeffect of its expression on the eyes of transgenicdrosophila. The expression of the abnormal tau inthe drosophila eyes is examined using scanningelectron microscopy (SEM) which provides highresolution and magnification. This is optimal to seethe effect of pseudophosphorylated tau on theommatidia of drosophila eyes.P O S T E R 8 3Fabrication of PorousSuperhydrophobic SurfacesKristi Abbatemarco, Mark BarahmanFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alan LyonsDepartment of ChemistrySuperhydrophobic surfaces exhibit variousproperties that can be used to facilitate a broadrange of applications. Among these properties arelarge contact angles and decreased hydrodynamicdrag. Superhydrophobic surfaces are limited,however, by the maximum water pressuredifference that can be sustained at the air/waterinterface. Above this pressure, the liquid transitionsto a wetted, non-superhydrophobic state. Our lab isdeveloping a method to increase the stability ofsuperhydrophobic surfaces and maximize thepressure of water that can be supported. Wecounter the liquid pressure by introducing gaspressure from below the surface. A porous surfaceto support the superhydrophobic structures isnecessary to apply counter-pressure.In this poster we describe the fabrication ofsuperhydrophobic surfaces on porous fabricmeshes to create superhydrophobic membranesusing printing technologies. Fabric meshes ofdifferent types were evaluated based on materialcomposition as well as pore size. The pore sizeneeds be small enough to support printing whilelarge enough to be financially feasible. A robotic3D printer was used to dispense arrays ofpolydimethysiloxane features, which render thesurface superhydrophobic, by a previouslyestablished method. Several modifications to theprotocol were necessary as a result of the changein substrate. We used double-sided tape on a glassslide to flatten the substrate fabric and hold it inplace for printing. We will present specific changesto printing parameters and discuss patternsobserved, as well as approaches to increasingsurface stability.64

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 8 4Binary Tree Classifier Based onKolmogorov-Smirnoff TestMohit ChoudharyFaculty Mentor: Dr. Natacha GueorguievaDepartment of Computer ScienceThe aim of this research is developing algorithmsfor estimating the feature importance in patternrecognition systems as well as design of binary treeclassifier based on Kolmogorov-Smirnov.Hierarchical Classifiers or Decision Tree Classifiers(DTC’s) are used successfully in many diverse areassuch as radar signal classification, characterrecognition, remote sensing, medical diagnosis,expert systems, and speech recognition etc.Perhaps, the most important feature of DTC's istheir capability to break down a complex decisionmakingprocess into a collection of simplerdecisions, thus providing a solution which is ofteneasier to interpret. Hierarchical classifiers are aspecial type of multistage classifiers which allowrejection of class labels at intermediate stages.This research includes development ofa. Algorithm for calculating the information ofdifferent features of patterns (samples) for thepurposes of classification (clusterization).b. Algorithm for partitioning of a feature spacebased on Kolmogorov-Smirnov test whichrequires the calculations of K-S distances andthreshold coefficients as well as design ofhierarchical pattern classifier.c. The software implementation includesdevelopment of friendly GUIs, with all necessaryvisualization and output files in appropriateformat.d. Testing by using some of the existingbenchmarks.P O S T E R 8 5La Voz del Pueblo (The People’sVoice): An Oral History ofMexicans in New York CityIrvin IbarguenFaculty Mentor: Dr. Calvin HolderDepartment of HistoryThis project is born out of the conviction that theMexican experience in America is far too broad, fartoo complex, and far too multifaceted to beproperly addressed by standard historical works.Through a process of interviews, it seeks to salvageforgotten voices and reconstruct as fairly aspossible the life, plights, concerns, andachievements of Mexicans in NYC. For the reader’sconvenience, a supporting narrative that givescontext to the individual interviews is alsoincluded. This is not a rigorous academic argumentabout Mexicans in America; instead, it is thebeautiful, emotional, and thought-provoking storyof Mexican immigrants in NYC, as told by thepeople themselves.65

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 8 6Site Directed MutagenesisEffects on Tau Phosphorylationand Accumulation in the Nucleusof CellsRegina Miller, Fatabardha ShalaFaculty Mentor Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyA wide range of factors trigger synaptic breakdownthat precedes cell death in Alzheimer’s disease. Ithas previously been shown that the cytosolicAlzheimer hyperphosphorylated tau (AD P-tau)sequesters normal tau, MAP1A, MAP1B and MAP2,which results in the inhibition of microtubuleassembly and the disruption of microtubules aswell as their self assembly into filaments. One ofthe unique characteristics of Tau is its ability toform paired-helical filaments. In fact thehyperphosphorylated microtubule-associatedprotein Tau is the major component of the pairedhelical filaments of Alzheimer’s disease.Phosphorylated Tau proteins accumulate early inneurons, prior to the formation of neurofibrillarytangles. Subsequently throughout the progressionof Alzheimer’s disease there is an assembly andaccumulation of neurofibrillary tangles. Tau also hasa putative sequence to bind importins and then istranslocated into the nucleus. Specific amino acidsare now being recognized as the site for thephosphorylation of Alzheimer’s disease brain Tau.Through the use of site directed mutagenesis wealtered two lysine residues to alanine, at amino acidsites 140 and 141, by changing four nucleotides, inorder to see if the importins are still being boundto by tau. We are ultimately trying to find out ifchanging the amino acid sequence hinders tau’smovement into the nucleus and thereafterrecognize the mechanism of transport afterphosphorylation of tau.P O S T E R 8 7Valuation of TransportationFacilities and Asset Transfers—A Case Study of theDulles GreenwayGalitano GjoniFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan PetersDepartment of BusinessMacquarie Bank limited is an Australian bank thatthrough various corporate entities managestransportation assets world-wide. One of the assetsis the Dulles Greenway highway, which connectsDulles International Airport and Leesburg, Virginia.During the course of their ownership, the Dullesasset management and ownership has been sharedand transferred between a number of Macquarieowned and controlled entities. The last majortransfer of ownership occurred in January 2010.This project will examine the purposes of thesetransfers. What are the benefits to the MacquarieBank, specifically for the year 2009-2010? The maintool of analysis will be an examination of thefinancial statements of the Dulles Greenway andMacquarie corporate entities. This project looks toexplore what are the losses or gains from the assetand how they are actually received from the Bankthrough the ladder of the entities? The potential toutilize tax management strategies both nationallyand internationally as well as the structure of taxshelters or tax benefits, if any, will be examined.66

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 8 8Taurine Role in HemodymanicsEvelyn OkekeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of BiologyTaurine is a sulfur containing amino acid thatfunctions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It alsoacts as an allosteric transmitter, mimicking gammaaminobutyricacid (GABA) by binding to the GABAAreceptor not only in the brain but also in theperipheral tissue. Therefore, taurine plays animportant role in the modulation of cardiovascularfunctions. Our study was designed to elucidate thedifferences between acute and chronic taurinesupplementation. We determined how acute andchronic taurine supplementation in Long EvansHooded rats influences the blood pressure andfurther investigated the possible taurine-inducedbiochemical changes. The rats that received theacute taurine treatment (via i.p. injection) showedlower blood pressure after 15 minutes postinjection. In contrast, the rats that received thechronic taurine supplementation, which was addedto the drinking water (0.05% taurine in dH2O) for aperiod of four weeks, displayed higher bloodpressure. Further investigation in vitro showed thatthe chronic taurine supplementation resulted in adown regulation of the GABAA receptor, and theenzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) was upregulated. In addition, in both, males and females,that received the chronic treatment, we observed anincrease in heart rate. We conclude that acuteadministration of taurine maybe beneficial inlowering high blood pressure by taurine activatingthe GABAA receptor which initiates vasodilation.However, chronic intake of taurine shows increasedblood pressure in our study, and therefore seemscounter therapeutic in treating high blood pressure.P O S T E R 8 9Characterizing Ataxia Profiles ofTaurine Treated Fragile-X MiceElizabeth CheFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem El IdrissiDepartment of BiologyFragile-X is part of hereditary genetic conditions,called trinucleotide repeat disorders, which areexpressed through mutations of the FMR1 gene.Patients suffering from Fragile-X AssociatedTremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) exhibit ataxiarelated balance problems such as “parkinsonism” dueto difficulty in learning and motor adjustment andare observed to have more noticeable conditions asthey age. Males with Fragile-X are often better atgross motor skills, movements by larger muscles ofthe body, compared to fine motor development.Their low muscle tone, balance, flat feet, andhyperextensible joints cause awkward movementsand poor motor control. In this study, male wild-typeand knockout (Fragile-X) mice are given taurine, anabundant free amino acid found in most tissues –especially the heart and brain, to understand theinfluence of taurine in disturbances of the cerebralcortex and its GABA receptors as associated withFragile-X patients. Gait ataxia profiling is the onlynoninvasive technique conducted to analyze theaffect of chronic taurine on locomotor activity ofmice in stride length, overlap, base width, anglemeasurement and linearity. Ataxia tests areperformed for WT, WT-Tau, KO and KO-Tau mice atthe age of 3 (young) and 8 (old) months. Analysis isthen conducted in each category to provide us withthe best indicator of motor behavior in Fragile-Xmice with relation to age.67

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 9 0Counterfeit Prescription DrugsPaskualine RrotaniFaculty Mentor: Professor Alan ZimmermanDepartment of BusinessAs Americans become more dependent onprescription drugs, drug counterfeiters are seizingnew opportunities to infiltrate the market.Unfortunately, it is a major challenge for U.S. lawenforcement to control the importation of thesepotentially dangerous pharmaceuticals. A U.S.investigation by the Food and Drug Administrationfound that about 88 percent of pharmaceuticalsthat are imported from other countries containunapproved drugs. Many of these drugs posepotential health risks. About 200,000 people diefrom taking tainted malaria medications each year.In Nigeria, for example, more than 2,500 have diedfrom fake vaccinations, according to a reportreleased by the World Health organization (WHO).China, Mexico and India are the primary suppliersof these illicit medications.Counterfeiting of medications is having a deep effecton U.S. pharmaceutical companies and is, withoutdoubts, doing harm on a world wide scale. In Europe,the Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD) is doing a major analysis ofthe drug counterfeiting issue and is recommendingvarious measures of how to deal with this matter.The fight against counterfeited pharmaceuticals willnot be easy and it will take a long effort by the worldcommunity to put an end to this latest curse thathumanity has inflicted on itself.P O S T E R 9 2Eigenmodes of AdvectionDiffusion OperatorsEnsela MemaFaculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew PojeDepartment of MathematicsWe use Chebyshev spectral methods to numericallydetermine the spectrum of the advection-diffusionoperator on bounded domains with Dirichletboundary conditions. We show that the long timebehavior of solutions, for large sets of initialconditions, is dominated by the “gravest”eigenmode, the mode with the slowest decay rate.68

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 9 3Jazz Vocal ImprovisationLinda SoriaFaculty Mentor: Dr. William BauerDepartment of MusicSince last September I have been actively engagedin the study of jazz singing. I am exploring theintricacies of jazz vocal technique through thestudy of such popular jazz standards as “BlackCoffee,” “St. Louis Blues,” and “What are You Doingthe Rest of Your Life?” In my practice, I approachthese songs from the various perspectives ofbandleader, arranger, storyteller, actress, improviser,and performer. I examine each song in detail,paying attention to every note and lyric. Phrasing—the way a performer links musical ideas to otherideas to create ongoing flow and movement—playsan important role in this investigation, as it helpsme to form and to bring forth my own personalvision of the song. I explore ways to producetension between the band and the singer bysuspending the sense of predictable time in thevocal line, using a technique known as “backphrasing”—lagging behind the beat—that BillieHoliday brought to a high level of development. Inthe process of working on this technique, I learnedthat the relationship between accompanist andsinger is essential to the success of any song that Iam interpreting. In order to establish a musicalrelationship between singer and accompanist, bothmust listen to and trust each other. Improvisationenables them each to follow their creative impulsesas they adhere to the song’s harmonic plan. When Iimprovise vocally using syllables (also known asscatting), listening to the accompaniment allowsme develop new ideas on the spot, helping me tobecome more engaged in the song’s delivery. Theapproach I have taken in this investigation hasgiven me more confidence in myself, not only as aperformer, but as a creative artist. I hope thatapproaching songs in this manner makes mydelivery of a song effective and compelling for thelistener. It certainly makes the process of buildingan interpretation into a creative journey.P O S T E R 9 5Performance Management ofTransportation Systems: Lessonsfrom Australia and New YorkKenneth BrowneFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan PetersDepartment of BusinessIn this project we will compare and contrast theperformance standards and operational practices ofmass public transportation systems in Australia andthe United States of America. The focus will beemphasized on the regions of Canberra, Australiaand Staten Island, New York. Both regions aresimilar in demographics and population; and bothutilize bus service as the primary means of publictransportation.The systems studied in detail will be New York CityTransit (NYCT) and the Australian Capital TerritoryInternal Omnibus Network (ACTION). The projectwill compare international and domestic operatingstandards and performance measures for thesystems deployed in Canberra and in Staten Island,New York. The topics involved in research anddiscovery will be: How are the transportationsystems utilized and what are the user bases? Whatperformance metrics are used by both companies?What are the different styles of performancemanagement of the transportation systems? Whatis the comparative cost structure between the twocompanies? What type of revenue collection systemis instituted? Our goal is to understand what canACTION and NYCT can gain from examiningalternative operation methods, and also howinternational standards of performance can beshared between systems.69

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 9 7Navigating the Web-EnhancedCollege CourseAtixhe Marke, Mina Beshai,Senada Lekperic, Stephanie Cipriano,Marissa Dreyer, Johnathan Klingler,Nicholas BuchananFaculty Mentor: Professor Louise LevineDepartment of EnglishThis year’s ePortfolio presentation will look at theSocial-Digital Self on the college campus throughthe writing class. Students will work on projectsexploring how we incorporate technology in theclassroom and in their own assignments. Usingvarious forms of technology they will prepare andpresent college papers online along withresearching the social interaction in both face toface and online discussions. Together, these projectswill illustrate the influence of technology and theknowledge students are now required to have inorder to be successful in the freshman writingcourse and future courses. Students will use theirePortfolio as a presentation platform and onlineblog/discussion area.P O S T E R 9 8Autonomous VehicleMichael Costantino, Konstantine GoudzFaculty Mentor: Dr. Susan ImbermanDepartment of Computer ScienceWe will be demonstrating a project that has beenongoing for the past two years. We have converteda typical electric car used by toddlers, a Barbie Jeep,into an autonomous robotic vehicle. Our first yearwas spent in the conversion process. To convert thejeep we had to reengineer the jeep’s motors, andcircuitry to accommodate an Ardunomicrocontroller. The microcontroller allows us tocommunicate with the robotic jeep using a versionof the C programming language via a laptopcomputer. Since last year we have made greatprogress towards our goal of autonomous driving.We have since equipped the jeep with video, GPS,sonar, and a compass accelerometer. We will bedemonstrating how these additions have made ourproject approach autonomy.70

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 9 9Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)Faith AvevorFaculty Mentor: Dr. Abdeslem ElidrissiDepartment of BiologyDibutyl Phthalate (DBP) is a developmental andreproductive toxin that causes a broad range ofbirth defects resulting in lifelong neurologicalimpairments. Humans are directly exposed to DBPthrough a variety of manufactured consumerproducts (e.g. water, cosmetics, and stored food,etc.). In our study we evaluated the effects of DBPduring early embryonic and postnatal developmentin FVB/NJ WT or FMRP KO male mice. Mice wereseparated into four treatment groups: WT, WT-DBP,KO, and KO-DBP mice [treated 0.1mg/ml DBP],each group contained two pregnant females. DBPwas first administered to the WT-DBP and KO-DBPpregnant females at E7 (embryonic day 7; sevendays after the copulatory plug appeared). 20 dayafter birth, the off springs were subjected to threedifferent behavior tests to characterize anxiety,locomotor activity and hippocampal-dependentmemory using the elevated plus maze, freezemonitor, the open field the passive avoidanceapparatus respectively. 10 minutes in an elevatedfield, and a 2 day fear conditioning freeze monitortest, 10 minutes in an open field and finally thepassive avoidance paradigm to te4st for theirmemory. After the behavior tests, mice weresacrificed, perfused and their brains wereprocessed immunohistochemically and examinedunder confocal microscopy to evidence the effectsof DBP treatment on the expression of proteinsthat are known to be involved in the etiology ofautism (e.g. GABA (A) receptors, GAD, KCLcotransposter).P O S T E R 1 0 0The Expression ofPseudophosphorylated TauProtein in DrosophiliamelanogasterPhoebe Arriesgado, Cindy Beharry,Faisal Bashier, Princy PauloseFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alejandra AlonsoDepartment of BiologyAlzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.It affects the loss of memory and other intellectualabilities that interfere with daily life. A distinctlesion associated with Alzheimer’s disease is theformation of neurofibrillary tangles in thecytoplasm of affected neurons. These tangles arecomposed of hyperphosphorylated tau, amicrotubule associated protein, which has beenpolymerized into paired helical and straightfilaments. Hyperphosphorylated tau disruptsmicrotubule structure and prevents axonaltransport of protein and chemicals along the axon.Drososphila fly have counterparts for 60-70% ofhuman genome, and its low cost, small size, andshort lifespan make it an attractive organism to beused in research studies. Transgenetic flies withhuman wild type tau, Thr212, Thr231 and Ser 262are replaced for glutamine, Arginine replacestryptophan and arginine replaced for tryptophanplus Thr212, Thr231 and Ser 262 mutant forglutamine was crossed with inducers that willexpress the Alzheimer phenotype in the offspring.The life span and survival rate of the progeny willbe monitored to determine whether thepseudophosphorylated tau affects age. The possibledegeneration of motor neurons withhyperphosphorylated tau will be studied throughconducting climb tests to observe the Drosophiliabehavior. Our preliminary results show that somelines of hyperphosphorylated tau die faster anddisplay abnormal behavior. Further tests willconfirm these results.71

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 0 2U.S. Employment Status andGender, Educational Attainment,and the 2008 Economic CrisisEffects on ItSisi Luo, Vonetta F. SuttonFaculty Mentor: Dr. Alexandru VoicuDepartment of Political Science, Economics andPhilosophyPeople with different characteristics present largelydifferent employment status in the labor market,and they were affected differently by the 2008economic crisis. Empirical data shows that womenand men possess essentially different labor supplycurves. In addition, educational attainment isassociated with different employment status ofworkers. This paper studies two issues in theUnited States labor market. First, it studies the laborparticipate rate and hours of work over fourteenyears, from 1996 to 2010, and the impact of the2008 economic crisis on them. Second, it analyzesthe differences in the labor participate rate andhours of work over the same period in terms ofgender and educational attainment and the effect ofthe economic downturn on them. It uses data fromCurrent Population Survey (CPS), provided by theUnited States Census Bureau. In this study, workers’educational attainments are categorized into sevengroups: no high school diploma, high schooldiploma, some college education (with no degrees),associate degree, bachelor degree, professionaldegree, and research degree. The data is analyzedwith the software SPSS (Statistical Package for theSocial Sciences).P O S T E R 1 0 4A Modified Attention Task toTest the Recuperation ofDopamine Receptors in a RatModel of EpilepsyTovyk A. ShohateeFaculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel McCloskeyDepartment of PsychologyThere is higher chance for epileptic children tohave Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) then non epileptic children. The exactcause for this correlation is not fully understood.Among the many theories produced the mostplausible maybe due to modification of thedopamine system caused by epilepsy. Dopamine isa neurotransmitter that is involved in attention andstudies have shown that children with ADHD havea less organized dopamine system. To study this wehave used a rat model. These rodents had seizuresat an early point in their life. The seizures did notoccur naturally but were caused by early-lifehypoxia. In the prefrontal cortex, the amount ofdopamine receptors was diminished in the hypoxicanimals. The control animals did not perform aswell as the hypoxic animals on the attention task.The cause of this effect could be that the maze(food reward motivated 5-arm maze) used was notprimarily for testing the medial prefrontal cortexfor DRD4 or that there is a possibility ofrecuperation of dopamine receptors. The rats weretested when they were 5-6 months old and the datawe collected supports the theory that dopaminerecuperation did occur in rats at the age of 6months. To achieve more evidence we havemodified the maze meaning that the rats will haveto use their medial prefrontal cortex (for avoidancebehavior) more than in the previous maze. Ourpredictions are that it will be more difficult forepileptic rats than the controls.72

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 0 5Delirium Sound and Light DesignDaniel KoehlerFaculty Mentor: Dr. Maurya WickstromDepartment of Performing and Creative ArtsDesigning sound and lighting for the physical theatrepiece Delirium poses many challenges and artisticopportunities. Using facilities and resources availableat the College of Staten Island coupled with theartistic and technical talent of the designers andfaculty members, this project aims to create arealistic, stimulating aural and visual environment tosupport and further the actions of performers onstage. Through the use of extensive theatrical andnon-conventional lighting instrumentation, actors andaudience members are immersed in diverse worlds: anight club, a hotel, a man's dream, and the home of anaggressive dog-breeder among others. Direction- andlocation-based sound transducers aid in the creationof these atmospheres, and help to encompass severaldifferent realities taking place in the same singulartheater space.P O S T E R 1 0 6Machinal Set DesignEdward Victor TurnerFaculty Mentor: Kevin JudgeDepartment of Performing and Creative ArtsEdward Turner started in the role of Set Designerby attending cast and crew meetings for thestudent production of Machinal at The College ofStaten Island. He met with the Director, ChristineZahra Devito, to attain her vision and to get herideas for the play. From there, Edward drew up abasic sketch of what the set could look like andmeet with the director to get her approval. Inresponse to her feedback he drew up additionalsketches and built a scale model of the LAB Theaterin Building 1P in which he showed where theaudience seating would be placed and where theset would be positioned. At that point Edwardcreated a 3D white model to display a visual ofwhat the set would look like in the theater space.Once the design received acceptance from theDirector and Professor Judge he assisted theproduction team with construction of the actualscenery for The College of Staten Island’s FallProduction.73

Research Poster PresentationsP O S T E R 1 0 7Teaching Fractions AcrossElementary GradesKimberly DiGregorio and Jillian PopperFaculty Mentor: Prof. Judit KerekesDepartment of EducationOnce these students progress in their educationalyears and enter into the fourth grade, the difficultylevel will increase, and students will becomeexposed to lessons on comparing fractions.Fractions are an important concept to teachbecause they can appear intimidating to somestudents. In order to teach a successfulcomprehensive lesson on fractions to all gradelevels, manipulatives must be incorporated. Byproviding students with tangible objects helps thestudents to gain an understanding of fractions inrelation to a whole and seeing a comparisonbetween two equivalent fractions. Whether usingfractions to split costs, keep score, ensure fairness,or balancing a budget, fractions will appear in manyaspects of the student’s future lives. Students willcontinue to use fractions even after they havegraduated from school, so it is imperative thatstudents develop an understanding for the conceptin their primary learning stage. If one fails to teachfractions correctly, students may never gainownership of the idea of fractions. In our lessonstaught to second grade and fourth grade honors, weboth provided the opportunity for each class togain knowledge of fractions through real-lifesituations to enhance their understanding. Duringboth lessons, we taught multiple ways to solvefraction problems to appeal to every learner. Whenteaching how to compare fractions to the fourthgrade honors class, methods such as “drawing itout” using illustrations, manipulating fractionmagnets, cross multiplying, and finding thecommon denominator, allowed the students to seefractions clearly in ascending and descending order.When teaching parts of a whole, manipulitives suchas pennies, chocolate bars, m&m’s, and flowerpedals were used to make connections to fractionsto the second grade students.74

Research Poster PresentationsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and PerformanceAlumni—Where Are They Now?Arthur J. Merola, DPM received his Bachelorof Science degree in Biology in 1985. As an<strong>undergraduate</strong> he engaged in research under thetutelage of Prof. Leonard Ciaccio. He graduatedfrom the New York College of Podiatric Medicine in1991, receiving a Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine,and served two years as a resident, and then chiefresident in podiatric medicine. Dr. Merola is boardcertified in Podiatric Medicine. Currently hemaintains private practices in Manhattan and StatenIsland, and is a consultant in Podiatry for UnitedCerebral Palsy Associates NYS. In addition to these,he is currently associated with the College of StatenIsland Alumni Association where he serves on theExecutive Committee as First Vice President.Jonathan Blaize graduated from CSI in 2005with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, and in2007 he earned his Master’s degree in Biology.Jonathan is currently a PhD candidate in Biology atCSI through the CUNY Graduate Center, studyingNeuroscience. He expects to be awarded his PhDdegree in January 2012. Jonathan is researchingdiseases of the retina under the supervision of CSIProfessor Dr. William L’Amoreaux. In addition, heserves as the Activities Coordinator at CSI forLSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for MinorityParticipation in the Sciences).Marjorie J. Hill, PhD received her Associate’sdegree in Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1975 and wasa member of the SEEK (Search for Education,Elevation, and Knowledge) program while a student.She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in1977 and her PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1981,both from Adelphi University. Dr. Hill is a licensedClinical Psychologist and CEO of the WashingtonDC-based Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the nation’soldest AIDS service organization. Dr. Hill isconsidered to be an expert who lectures andconsults on issues of cultural diversity, HIV/AIDS incommunities of color, and homophobia.Mario H. Perez received his Bachelor’s degreein biology from CSI in 2005 and is in his last year asa PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at FloridaInternational University. He specializes in vectorbiology and his research focuses on the potentialeffects of pollution and urbanization on populationsof disease-carrying mosquitoes at the molecular andgenetic levels. Mario has been accepted forpostdoctoral research in vector biology at TheNational Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2003, while aCSI <strong>undergraduate</strong>, he was awarded the Excellencein Research Department of Biology Faculty Awardand was the recipient of the UndergraduateResearch Conference Award that same year. Mariocredits CSI Professor Dr. William Wallace and retiredCSI Professor Dr. Albert Burchsted for theirinspiration and guidance in field biology.Edward E. Brown received his Bachelor’sdegree in Music from CSI in 1976. He went on toreceive two Master’s degrees in Music History andMusic Education from Hunter College. He is anadjunct music instructor at both CSI and WagnerCollege and leads the CSI Guitar Ensemble.Kelly Lavano, PhD received her Bachelors’degree in Biology from CSI in 2003 and her PhD inBiochemistry in 2009 from the CUNY GraduateCenter. Her areas of specialization include cancerand breast cancer. As an <strong>undergraduate</strong> at CSI, Kellywas involved in research with CSI Professor ProbalBanerjee and was the CSI Activities Coordinator forthe LSAMP program. She went on to be a NYCLouis Stokes Alliance Graduate ResearchExperience Program participant throughout herdoctoral studies. She presently is pursuing postdoctoralwork at the Albert Einstein School ofMedicine in breast cancer research.Eric Magaram is a 2005 graduate of the CSIHonors College and received his Bachelor’s degreein Mathematics. He received his Master’s degree inApplied Statistics from New Jersey Institute ofTechnology in 2007. As an Undergraduate ResearchConference participant, he presented TheSynchronization of Non-linear Oscillators underthe supervision of CSI Mathematics Professor CarloLancellotti. Eric has gone on to work as an adjunctinstructor in the CSI Mathematics Department,teaching 100- and 200-level Math courses. InSeptember 2010, he was appointed to a full-timetenure-track position in the MathematicsDepartment at SUNY Rockland CommunityCollege, specializing in arithmetic.Prashant Sharma, DO, received his Bachelor’sdegree from CSI in 2006, and is a graduate of theCUNY Honors College at CSI. He graduated fromthe New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in2010 and is currently interning at St. Vincent MercyMedical Center in Ohio. Starting in July 2011, hewill be an active duty Flight Surgeon in the UnitedStates Air Force. Currently, he is a Captain in the AirForce Reserves, which affords him excitingopportunities for his medical career.75

Faculty MentorsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance—Faculty MentorsF A C U L T Y M E N T O R D E P A R T M E N T P O S T E RAlejandra Alonso Biology 39, 75, 82, 86, 100Probal Banerjee Biology 68William Bauer Music 93Rima Blair Psychology 70Deborah Brickman Business 3Patricia Brooks Psychology 4, 74Abhijit Champanerkar Mathematics 26Soon Chun Business 11, 73Florette Cohen Psychology 33, 42, 63,78,Abdeslem El Idrissi Biology 88, 89, 99Arlene T. Farren Nursing 56Jimmie E. Fata Biology 36, 38, 47Richard Flanaghan Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy 103Natacha Gueorguieva Computer Science 84Calvin Holder History 85Qiao-Sheng Hu Psychology 45, 48, 49, 50, 52,Susan Imberman Computer Science 98Jessica Jiang Engineering Science and Physics 60Kevin Judge Performing and Creative Arts 106Cary Karacas Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy 18Judit Kerekes Education 107William L'Amoreaux Biology 59Catherine Lavender History 13, 62Louise Levine English 97Charles Liu Engineering Science and Physics 14, 30, 57, 80,Alan Lyons Chemistry 34, 35, 66, 72Michael Mandiberg Media Culture 61Lisa Manne Biology 15, 27Daniel McCloskey Biology 2, 104Edward Meehan Psychology 44Prabudh Ram Misra Mathematics 77Eugenia Naro-Maciel Biology 64, 69Jonathan Peters Business 12, 87, 95Bertram Ploog Psychology 25Sebastien Poget Chemistry 31, 37Andrew Poje Mathematics 92Krishnaswami Raja Chemistry 6, 7, 8, 9, 17, 54, 70Lauren Rogers-Sirin Psychology 58Irina Sekerina Psychology 65Chang-Hui Shen Biology 4377

Faculty MentorsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance—Faculty Mentors by Department (cont.)F A C U L T Y M E N T O R D E P A R T M E N T P O S T E RSusan Smith -Peter History 94Matthew Solomon Media Culture 5Deborah Sturm Computer Science 51Deborah Sturm Computer Science 1Alexandru Voicu Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy 102Jesenko Vukadinovic Mathematics 67William Wallace Biology 40Maurya Wickstrom Performing and Creative Arts 10578

Student ScholarsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance—Student ScholarsS T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N TKristi Abbatemarco Alan Lyons ChemistryKalpita Abhyankar Alejandra Alonso BiologyMelinda Andrade Naomi Aldrich PsychologyDiana I. Aparicio-Bautista Jimmie E. Fata BiologyPhoebe Arriesgado Alejandra Alonso BiologyAmram Averick Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryFaith Avevor Abdeslem El Idrissi BiologyMark Barahman Alan Lyons ChemistryFaisal Bashier Alejandra Alonso BiologyMonica Bassous Qiao-Sheng Hu PsychologyCindy Beharry Alejandra Alonso BiologyRena Berkovits Daniel McCloskey BiologyMina Beshai Louise Levine EnglishDaniel Blois Alan Zimmerman BusinessNicole Boffa Daniel McCloskey BiologyAthena Brensberger Charles Liu Engineering Science and PhysicsThomas Brigandi Jonathan Peters BusinessKenneth Browne Jonathan Peters BusinessNicholas Buchanan Louise Levine EnglishJennifer Carrion Naomi Aldrich PsychologyJustin Chacko Alejandra Alonso BiologyElizabeth Che Abdeslem El Idrissi BiologyMohit Choudhary Natacha Gueorguieva Computer ScienceAbdullah Chughtai Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryAlexa Cimbal Naomi Aldrich PsychologyAlexa J. Cimbal Bertram Ploog PsychologyStephanie Cipriano Louise Levine EnglishVictoria Cooper Janet Ng Dudley EnglishKelly Cooper Susan Smith -Peter HistoryMichael Costantino Susan Imberman Computer ScienceDeryn Cro Mark Lewis HistoryChristina Cuttitta William L'Amoreaux BiologyNicholas Dalonzo Naomi Aldrich PsychologyNicholas Dalonzo Patricia Brooks PsychologyValerie DeAngelo Jessica Jiang Engineering Science and Physics79

Student ScholarsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance—Student Scholars (cont.)S T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N TVanessa DeLuca Daniel McCloskey BiologyMeagan Derbyshire Alan Lyons ChemistryDemetrius George Dermanis Catherine Lavender HistoryDavid Di Lillo Prabudh Ram Misra MathematicsKimberly DiGregorio Judit Kerekes EducationMarissa Dreyer Louise Levine EnglishIlirjana Duka Jesenko Vukadinovic MathematicsVadim Dushkin Sebastien Poget ChemistryAhmed Elhassan Deborah Sturm Computer ScienceAlyssa Fazio Naomi Aldrich PsychologyRegina Feldman Naomi Aldrich PsychologyDaniel Feldman Charles Liu Engineering Science and PhysicsMichael Ferrandino Deborah Brickman BusinessDanielle Fischer Naomi Aldrich PsychologyDavid Galeano Deborah Sturm Computer ScienceMichelle Gardella Naomi Aldrich PsychologyBiBi Ghafari Alan Lyons ChemistryGalitano Gjoni Jonathan Peters BusinessKonstantine Goudz Susan Imberman Computer ScienceAngelica Grant Naomi Aldrich PsychologyMatthew Greger Charles Liu Engineering Science and PhysicsPeter Hannon Jimmie E. Fata BiologyAhmed Hassan Xiaowen Zhang Computer ScienceAmy He Qiao-Sheng Hu ChemistryNyeshia Hines Naomi Aldrich PsychologyIrvin Ibarguen Calvin Holder HistoryJacqueline Imbemba Naomi Aldrich PsychologyJoseph Inigo Probal Banerjee BiologyBrian Iskra Alan Lyons ChemistryTony Jin Sebastien Poget ChemistryStephanie Jones Eugenia Naro-Maciel BiologyBrian Kateman Shaibal Mitra BiologyKaitlin Kelly Jimmie E. Fata BiologyKanika Khanna Richard Flanaghan Political Science, Economics,and PhilosophyJohnathan Klingler Louise Levine EnglishDaniel Koehler Maurya Wickstrom Performing and Creative Arts80

Student ScholarsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance—Student Scholars (cont.)S T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N TDean Kunjravia Deborah Sturm Computer ScienceMonica Kumar Cary Karacas Political Science, Economics,and PhilosophyLisa LaManna Charles Liu Engineering Science and PhysicsChristina Landolfi John Wing HistorySenada Lekperic Louise Levine EnglishEugene Lempert Chang-Hui Shen BiologyKristin Lenzo Naomi Aldrich PsychologyGabriella Leone Catherine Lavender HistoryQimei Luo Michael Mandiberg Media CultureSisi Luo Alexandru Voicu Political Science, Economics andand PhilosophyLisa Marino Naomi Aldrich PsychologyAtixhe Marke Louise Levine EnglishSade Martin Naomi Aldrich PsychologyMichael Maslankowski Matthew Solomon Media CultureMarybeth Melendez Naomi Aldrich PsychologyEnsela Mema Andrew Poje MathematicsKayla Mera Naomi Aldrich PsychologyJulyse A. Migan-Gandonou C Bertram Ploog PsychologyRegina Miller Alejandra Alonso BiologyRenee L. Mills Lauren Rogers-Sirin PsychologyTimothy Mullen Abhij it Champanerkar MathematicsGary Mulligan Edward Meehan PsychologyCarla Musacchio Florette Cohen PsychologyKasuni Nanayakkara John Wing HistoryTanya Nelipa Alejandra Alonso BiologyDinah Obeysekera Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryChristopher OgaJa Qiao-Sheng Hu ChemistryEvelyn Okeke Abdeslem El Idrissi BiologyCora-Ann O'Regan Arlene T. Farren NursingMelissa Anne Palladino Patricia Brooks PsychologyMelissa Palissa Naomi Aldrich PsychologyTaryn Papia Naomi Aldrich PsychologyPrincy Paulose Alejandra Alonso BiologyAllyson Pawlosk Naomi Aldrich PsychologyAni Peradz Janet Ng Dudley EnglishPawel Pieluszynski William Wallace Biology81

Student ScholarsUndergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance—Student Scholars (cont.)S T U D E N T F A C U L T Y D E P A R T M E N TJillian Popper Judit Kerekes EducationKristine Principe Rima Blair PsychologyIlona Rabinovich Irina Sekerina PsychologySurendar Ravindran Jimmie E. Fata BiologyRaymond Reyes Janet Ng Dudley EnglishYekaterina Rikhter Naomi Aldrich PsychologyPaskualine Rrotani Alan Zimmerman BusinessDarya Sabarova Qiao-Sheng Hu ChemistryHebba Saker Florette Cohen PsychologyJose A. Saltos Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryHenrySanjurjo Qiao-Sheng Hu ChemistryCristo her Santana Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryChristopher Savo Deborah Sturm Computer ScienceSamantha Scicchigno Edward Meehan PsychologyVictoria Seminara Naomi Aldrich PsychologyFatabardha Shala Alejandra Alonso BiologyVladimir Shikhman Eugenia Naro-Maciel BiologyTovyk A. Shohatee Daniel McCloskey PsychologyBenjamin Silfen Florette Cohen PsychologyLinda Soria William Bauer MusicDaniel Stewart John Wing HistoryGayathri Sudarsanan Soon Chun BusinessVonetta F. Sutton Alexandru Voicu Political Science, Economics,and PhilosophyElias Taweel Florette Cohen PsychologyJennifer Megan Terzic Janet Ng Dudley EnglishAnna Theodoropoulos Lisa Manne BiologyMelissa Tinaphong Rima Blair PsychologyMark Toralballa Soon Chun BusinessKristina Toro ova Jimmie E. Fata BiologyFrantz Pierre Toussaint, Jr. Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryRobert Truzzolino Alejandra Alonso BiologyEdward Victor Turner Kevin Judge Performing and Creative ArtsOlga Vishneva Krishnaswami Raja ChemistryOlga Vishneva Abdeslem El Idrissi BiologyKarina Zenkova Naomi Aldrich PsychologyYimei Zhang Qiao-Sheng Hu ChemistryErica Zito Lisa Manne Biology82

URC CommitteeCommittee MembersMichael AllambyAlejandra AlonsoAlan BenimoffPatricia BrooksMelice GoldingDavid KeberleKanika KhannaTom KoutavasMark LewisJennifer LynchBruce McNevinElliot NeimanNuwan PanditaratneMark Aaron PolgerJessica SteinCo-ChairsAnn LubranoE.K. ParkDepartmentStudent GovernmentAssociate Professor of BiologyChief CLT Engineering, Science, and PhysicsProfessor of PsychologyVerrazano School StudentAssistant Professor of Performing and Creative ArtsMacaulay Honors College StudentAssociate Professor of Engineering Science and PhysicsAssociate Professor of HistoryAssociate Director for Alumni RelationsAssistant Professor of Business ManagementCSI StudentMacaulay Honors College StudentInstructor, LibraryOffice of Research and Graduate Studies, and AssociateProvost for Undergraduate Studies and Academic ProgramsAssociate Provost for Undergraduate Studies andAcademic ProgramsDean of Research and Graduate StudiesSpecial thanks to Susan Holak, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Professor ofMarketing, Special Adviser and past ChairpersonFor comments and questions contact:Ann LubranoAssociate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Academic ProgramsCollege of Staten Island2800 Victory Boulevard, Building 1A, Room 211FStaten Island, New York 10314718.982.2673ann.lubrano@<strong>csi</strong>.cuny.eduThe committee gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the manyindividuals who helped make this <strong>conference</strong> possible.84