Cedar Crest College

On Thursday, December 9, the Education Department had six students present their thesis projects as part of the Master of Education in The Art of Teaching. The department would like to recognize the following: Veronica Bocian: Teacher Perspectives and Student Success Christina DeJesus: How is Student Behavior and Teachers' Perception Impacted by the Implementation of Trauma-Informed Schools on Children who have Experienced ACEs and Trauma? Amy Drabic: The Emotional Impact the STAR Testing Program has on Learning Support Students, Relating to Student Affect and Student Confidence Daniel Lugo: The Effects of Virtual Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Teachers and Students in Grades K-12 within the United States: A Systematic Review Fatima Somji: The Impact of Mindfulness on College Students' Cognitive, Mental, and Physical Health Zackery Wilson: Physical Activity and How it Influences Mental Health and SEL

The Education Department held their Presentation of Theses on Wednesday, May 5. Six Master of Education candidates presented their research. Sarah Dreisbach '21 (advised by Dr. Ivonne Miranda): Trauma-Informed Care in Schools Jessie Gomes '21 (advised by Dr. Jill Purdy): The Attitudes of Female Student-Athletes, and the Athletic Department Staff Members Towards Implementing a Sports Psychologist at a Division III Institution Mikaela Malofiy '21 (advised by Dr. Melissa Kamyab): Female Collegiate Sports Teams Grades In-Season Versus Out-of-Season Jessica Martin '21 (advised by Dr. Melissa Kamyab): The Impact of Instructional Coaching on Alternative Education School Personnel Perceptions of Students with Emotional Behavior Disorders in Remote Learning Contexts during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Amber C. Roatche '21 (advised by Dr. Ivonne Miranda): Post-Secondary Student Perceptions of Hybrid Instruction Laura Tominaj '21 (advised by Dr. Jill Purdy): Perceptions of 1st Generation College Students

The Education Department had eight students complete their thesis projects as part of the Master in Education. The department would like to recognize the following: Lindsay Steiner: Acquisition of Early Literacy Skills based on Entering Age of Kindergarten Taylor Keinert: The Effects of Homework on Students' Overall Success Aida Rivera Gonzalez: Attitudes & Perceptions of Students in Higher Education in the United States Toward Foreign Language Lauren Berback: Academic Differences of English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs Tara O'Brien: Teachers' Perceptions of Ideal Recess Timing and Duration by Grade Level Lindsay Nelson: Mindfulness and Behavior Management Jodie Thomas: Teachers' Perceptions of Parent Involvement in their Child's Education Zachary McMichael: Tutoring Resources at the College Level: An Investigation of Students' Perceptions

Erin Ryan Meyer '20, Art History minor and History major, under the advisement of our art history adjunct faculty member Julia Marsh, had her paper titled- Pastel Degas: Ballet or Brothel accepted for presentation at the Intercollegiate Art History Symposium at Hood College in Frederick MD March 28, 2020. Although the symposium was canceled due to COVID -19 the Art Department would like to acknowledge her work.

Seven MAAT Students (six current students and one recent graduate) had their research accepted to the American Art Therapy Association's 51st Annual Conference. The conference is scheduled for October 29 - November 1, 2020, in Washington DC. The students' work has been accepted in a variety of formats, including papers, panels, and posters, and cover a diverse range of interests and topics. We are proud of their accomplishment and their developing ability to be leaders in the field of art therapy. The students and the titles of their work are listed below. Courtney Bresigner, (Poster) Art Therapy with Offenders: A Special Focus on Male Sex Offender Treatment Elyse Coldren, (Poster) Recommendation for a Multimodal Approach in Art Therapy: Art and Yoga Victoria Kasaczun, (Poster) The Art of Deciphering Awareness: Countertransference versus Parataxic Distortion Hannah Kinsell, (Poster) The Art of Birth: An Exploration of New Mothers' Experience through Art Charlene Natterman, (Poster) Working with Clients with Substance Abuse: Art Prevails Heather Tittle, Steven Long, MD, Christine Largoza, and Sal Panasci, (Panel) Benefits of Art Therapy with Patients with Brain Injury: A Collective Perspective Haley Triolo, MAAT (class of Dec. 2019) and Michelle L. Dean, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, CGP, (Paper) Wounded Healer as Artist: Therapists with Mental Illness Utilizing the Creative Process

Dr. K. Joy Karnas, Professor of Biology, and three research students from her lab, Julianna Marotta ('19), Rochelle Koseki ('20), and Ellen Sherman ('19) published their research findings Triclosan Resistance Derived Across Environmentally and Clinically Relevant Gram-Negative Bacteria in the Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science (Volume 93, pages 83-106). This work builds on a phenomenon noted in Logan Exton's 6th-grade science fair project, in which he observed colonies of bacteria that appeared to be resistant to triclosan, a compound once commonly found in hand sanitizers and still used in consumables such as toothpaste. The Karnas lab followed up this observation by exposing five different species of bacteria to triclosan and found that within a few exposure cycles, they were able to grow in the presence of the compound. The paper details their characterization of these novel strains with altered growth properties and raises concerns regarding how easily antibiotic-resistant bacteria are selected for when antimicrobial compounds are overused.

Cedar Crest Junior, Sulakshmi Vaid, in collaboration with the Lutz Center for Community Service and the All In Campus Democracy Challenge Committee, was awarded $1,500.00 by Run With It to help support election education, voter registration, and getting students to the polls during the April 2020 primary election. Sulakshmi was one of 15 students across the nation and the only one in Pennsylvania to receive this grant.

Junior Biology major Mercy Melo was awarded a $700 research grant from Beta Beta Beta Research Foundation for her project entitled, "Gastrointestinal microbiome biodiversity in developing American kestrel chicks." Mercy will use the funds to purchase reagents and travel to Cornell University this Fall to use Cornell's equipment and sequencing facility. Her project will explore how bacteria living in the gut of wild birds change during chick development. Mercy's project is supervised by Dr. Allison Cornell, Assistant Professor of Physiology in the Biology Department, co-supervised by Jenn Houtz from Cornell University, and Dr. JF Therrien at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

Erica Nettles, a class of 2021 Biology major, presented her summer research project at the annual Micronet research meeting held at LaSalle University on July 17. Erica's poster displayed her work regarding antibiotic resistance, which she has been conducting with Dr. Jenny Hayden, Assistant Professor of Biology. Erica and Dr. Hayden also greatly enjoyed a keynote lecture presented by Anna Dhody, Curator of the Mutter Museum.

On Saturday, June 1, 2019, Exercise Science research students Ashley Heffelfinger, Alyssa Feher, and Emily DeDonna, working with Dr. Dianne Babbitt, presented their research, "Validation of a Cycle Ergometer Protocol in the Prediction of VO2 in a poster format" at the American College of Sports Medicine National Meeting in Orlando, FL. The initial research subjects consisted of 12 Cedar Crest College female students. Data collection continued over the course of the academic year to include 40 female and male subjects representing a variety of ages. The research abstract was published in the premiere exercise science professional journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Other Exercise Science research students who contributed to the overall project included Alissa Rusbarsky and Cassidy Barrett.

Senior nursing students Kristina Litonjua and Shelby Szoke presented their Evidence-Based Practice Projects at the 2nd annual Nursing Research Collaborative of the Lehigh Valley. Kristina presented on the efficacy of "Distraction Techniques to Reduce Pediatric Pain During Venipuncture" and Shelby presented her work on the "Treatment of Adolescent Anxiety Disorders". The symposium was held at Moravian College on April 11, 2019.