Cedar Crest College

This summer, graduate students in the business department's Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Modular Master of Science (MMS) program worked together to assess marketing and operations for Bloom, a volunteer-based non-profit that provides assistance to victims of sex trafficking in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to running several emergency shelters for women in the area, the Bloom organization has two retail locations that help generate revenue for the organization: My Sister's Closet in Bethlehem, and Bloom Creative Studio in Bangor. Two teams of students in the business department master's capstone, BUA 650 Integrated Practicum, met with representatives from Bloom to assess their retail operations and provide recommendations to improve the marketing and operational efficiency of each. The students gained valuable hands-on experience working for a crucial local advocacy organization while at the same time giving back service to the community. Team One worked with My Sister's Closet, led by Team Captain Adena Mertz, the team included Tiffany Crush, Valerie Downing, Kyle Elsasser, Andrea Mackiewicz, Karina Ruiz, and Breanna Young. Team Two worked with Bloom Creative Studio, led by Team Captain Daria Warner, the team included Samuel Ajayi, Elizabeth Gwynne, Erika Hanna, Brittany Mokshefsky, Lynn Staples, and Caitlyn Unger. Dr. Michael C. Zalot, assistant professor of business and the director of both graduate programs in the Business Department supervised the student teams. The teams each provided in-depth written recommendations as well as a formal online presentation to Bloom.

Amber Rose, G'21 was the lead author on a manuscript entitled "Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry of Eight Aminoindanes: 2-AI, NM-2-AI, MEAI, MMAI, 4,5-MDAI, MDAI, 5-IAI, and Rasagiline." The manuscript was recently published in Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, a leading peer-reviewed journal in analytical chemistry. The publication, which was the product of Rose's Master of Science in Forensic Science thesis, can be accessed via the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9207

Congratulations to Brianna Gregory '22, a senior in the forensic science program, who was awarded the Peter De Forest Research Award at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists held recently in Newport, RI. A panel of forensic science experts selected Gregory's presentation as the most outstanding presentation given at the conference by an undergraduate.

Breille Duncan '22, a senior mathematics major, recently had an article published in a peer-reviewed journal. The article, titled "Exceptional Totient Numbers," was published in the open-access journal INTEGERS: Electronic Journal of Combinatorics and Number Theory. You can access the article at http://math.colgate.edu/~integers/v87/v87.pdf.

Loren Williams, a student in the Master of Science in Forensic Science program, recently had a manuscript accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The manuscript titled "The Potential Use of Principal Component Analysis and Mahalanobis Distance in Handwriting Comparison" will be published in Problems of Forensic Science which has been published continuously since 1960 by the Polish Institute of Forensic Research. Problems of Forensic Science is one of the leading forensic science journals in eastern Europe. The article will be published in English and in Polish and will be freely available on-line on the journal's website.

The screen dance "the skin you're in" by Assistant Professor of Dance, Sarah Carlson, was presented at the Pennsylvania Dance Education Organization's virtual conference on June 22, 2021. The film was created this Spring and featured the artistry of Cedar Crest dancers Arline Almeter, Ashlyn Auriemma, Cassondra Daveler, Brenna Desborough, Megan Fink and Cindy Lozada. "the skin you're in" meditates upon the outer layer of the body, a permeable barrier called skin that comes in many textures & shades. Dancers were invited to reflect upon how their skin has contributed to their self-worth instilling a sense of privilege or oppression.

Congratulations to the following students for making the Dean's List for the spring 2021 semester. The Dean's List recognizes students who have earned a grade point average of 3.65 or higher in the academic semester.

Delphi is the college's honor society for undergraduate students. Students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 at the end of their junior or senior year are recognized as members.

Cedar Crest College celebrated the Class of 2021 at its 151st Commencement Exercises on Friday, May 14, and Saturday, May 15. The ceremonies were held at the PPL Center in Downtown Allentown.

Zaria Berry, Kayla Bills, Kathleen Graham, Kristina Cagle, and Deva Leach were selected to participate in the 2021 NEW Leadership Pennsylvania Summer Institute through Chatham University's Pennsylvania Center for Women & Politics. NEW Leadership Pennsylvania is a program that provides college women with the knowledge and skills to become effective leaders in politics, public policy, and public service. This five-day program will introduce college students to women leaders who will share their insights on developing their leadership potential. To participate, the students were required to complete a campus application as well as a program application process. This year the event is taking place virtually.

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 Lehigh Valley Society for Neuroscience recently hosted its 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference. Two students from Cedar Crest College gave oral presentations about their work. Senior Hannah Kemperman presented her thesis project in collaboration with Dr. Audrey Ettinger, Associate Professor of Biology, titled "The effect of antidepressants on stem cell neurogenesis in cichlid fish Rocio octofasciata". Junior Christina Scaffidi presented on "Testing the effects of anxiolytic drugs on Jack Dempsey cichlid behavior," also in collaboration with Dr. Ettinger. The conference ended with alumni career panels. Cedar Crest alumnae Karen Knecht 2000 (Senior Director of Education, Da Vinci Science Center), Tasha Cornish 2010 (Executive Director at Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc.), and Venesa Cuadrado 2016 (Quality Control Analyst, CAR-T Cell Therapy at Legend Biotech) served as panelists, while Dr. Audrey Ettinger moderated the panel on Education and Administration careers.

Dr. Megan E. Monahan, Assistant Professor of History, is pleased, privileged & proud to announce the recent launch this week of an exciting, innovative student-curated virtual museum exhibit, featuring items from the Marcia Lynn Walsh Alumnae Museum. Graduating senior Carlie Gausch, a double major in History and English, has been hard at work in a unique on-campus internship this past semester under Dr. Monahan's mentoring to create the exhibit entitled "Cedar Crest College Women in the '40s: Country, Camaraderie, and Celebration." This exhibit focuses on life for women during World War II and the years immediately after with artifacts carefully curated to tell the story of Cedar Crest College students. From clothing and purses to historical documents and photos from the time period, this exhibit uses hand-picked items to show what life was like during the 1940's. Congrats to Carlie & enjoy the exhibit! The exhibit can be viewed using this link: https://cccmuseum.wordpress.com/ Join the conversation with #CCCWomeninthe40s

Rabiya Bower, a Graduate student in the Master of Nutrition program has been awarded a position in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Diversity and Inclusion Leaders Program. In accordance with the Academy's strategic vision and mission, the Diversity and Inclusion Leaders Program supports active members from underrepresented groups within the nutrition and dietetics profession. Four leaders are selected to participate in a two-year leadership program and are provided mentorship, leadership training, and networking. For more information on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Diversity and Inclusion Leaders Program please visit https://www.eatrightpro.org/leadership/honors-and-awards/diversity-awards-and-grants/diversity-leaders-program-award

Sixteen Cedar Crest student-athletes were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society. Chi Alpha Sigma works with NCAA and NAIA member institutions to recognize outstanding college student-athletes for their successes both on the field of competition and in the classroom. To be eligible for Chi Alpha Sigma, student-athletes must be a junior and/or senior with a 3.4 or higher GPA and have earned a varsity letter. "I am so proud of our student-athletes and this is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes both on and off the field of play," said Dr. Allen G. Snook Jr., director of athletics, wellness, and recreation. "It is exciting to have an opportunity to recognize these achievements with their induction into Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athletic Honor Society."

On Saturday, April 24, three Cedar Crest College psychology majors presented their research at the 35th Annual LVAIC Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference, which was hosted virtually by Lehigh University and DeSales University. These talks were based on year-long thesis research projects the students conducted: Hailey Harrell '22 (with Dr. James Scepansky, associate professor of psychology): "Effects of Article Primes and Photo Exposure on Body Image and Mood" Christina McElroy '21 (with Dr. Sharon Himmanen, assistant professor of psychology): "Perceptions of Personality Characteristics and Political Affiliation Based on Faces of Women" Mercury Waguespack '21 (with Dr. Sharon Himmanen, assistant professor of psychology): "The Influence of Exposure Time and Art Type on Empathetic Responses"

During the 33rd Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Annual Scientific Sessions, senior nurse anesthesia Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) students Daniel Byorick, Jr., BSN, RN, CCRN, SRNA; Anthony Hernandez, BSN, RN, CCRN, SRNA; J. Matthew Lohman, MBA, BSN, RN, CCRN, SRNA; and Hakeem Sanou, BSN, RN, CCRN, SRNA were honored with a 3rd Place Award for their DNP Project poster "Efficacy of a Multimedia Educational Module on Best Practices of Anesthesia Patient Safety." This award is given by ENRS to recognize those making valuable contributions to nursing research.

Neha Haque '24 was awarded a Junior League of the Lehigh Valley STEM Scholarship in recognition for her strong academic record, supportive letter of recommendation and her interview on her interests in pursuing a STEM field for her future.

On May 4, seven Cedar Crest students were inducted into Cedar Crest College's Theta Chi chapter of Phi Epsilon Kappa. Phi Epsilon Kappa is a National Honorary Society and was founded in 1913. Cedar Crest inductees are pursuing Exercise Science as a major or minor, are members of the Exercise Science Club, and have earned a GPA of 3.25 or higher.

Lara Struckman, a senior public health student, recently passed the Certified Health Education Specialist exam and will receive the CHES credential upon graduation. The competency-based exam, administered by The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, measures the application and interpretation of knowledge in seven topic areas pertinent to health education specialists. Lara is the first Cedar Crest student to sit for the exam since the Health Sciences Department aligned the public health curriculum to meet eligibility requirements for the exam.

Lauren Crispina '21, a biology major with a minor in communication studies, presented a talk on her thesis research at the Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium. Her talk was titled "Assessment of microplastic presence, type, and concentration in drinking water on the Cedar Crest College campus." Lauren will be graduating on May 15 with a Bachelor of Science.

Cedar Crest College students were a powerhouse at this year's LVAIC Women's and Gender Studies Conference, which was hosted virtually by Lehigh University on April 24th. Please join us in congratulating the following students for their presentations and commendations. Caroline Roscoe (she/her/hers) - "A Few Good Women: Modern Depictions of Military Women in Film." Lara Struckman (she/her) - "Building Resilience in LGBTQ Youth with Trauma Informed Yoga" Hannah Stott (she/her) - "Life Imitating Art: Social Media, Filters and Self-Image" Carlie Gausch (she/they) - "Hermia & Helena as Protofeminists in A Midsummer Night's Dream" And those who won honorable mentions for best paper: Annie Elizabeth Kreiser (she/her) - "Liminality in Bram Stoker's Dracula," advisor, Dr. LuAnn Fletcher Amaris Sprowl (she/her) - "The Black Feminist Upgrade: An Overdue Conversation about Black Male Sexism against Black Women," advisor, Professor Elizabeth Ortiz

A group of students, under the supervision and support of Dr. Ivonne Miranda, assistant professor of education, and Jill Odegaard, professor of art and department chair, are the authors and illustrators of a personal narrative children's book. The writing and illustrations capture the diversity of experiences that exists among students. These books will be donated to a collaborating school and used as mentor texts by teachers and students. The students are listed below: Julia Pimentel '21 Cynthia Rodriguez '21 Ashley Wilson '23 Grace Dougherty '21 Paige Shingler '21 Hannah Arner '21 Kelli Player '23 Nicole Phillips '22 Jesi Cericola '23 Alexandra Infante '23 Brenna Desborough '21 Abigail Martin '23 Alyssa Garrett '22 Jessica Evans '22 Olivia Roberts '23 Shannon Lynch '21 Cecelia Tabor '21 Arielle Gallicchio '22 Isabel Pichardo '22 Suhail D'Acquisto '24 Sara Berrios '21 Mariella Fuica '21 Erin Slack' 22 Nicole Pierno '21 Autumn Bachert '22 Breena Stalter '23 Alexandria Porchik '24

Master of Science in forensic science candidate Amber Rose was awarded 2nd place for her poster presentation at the Annual Spring Symposium of the Chromatography Forum of the Delaware Valley (CFDV) on April 13, 2021. The title of her poster was "Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry of Aminoindanes, a Lesser-Known Class of Novel Psychoactive Substances." The CFDV is the oldest and most respected chromatography discussion group in the country. It is an organization of professional chemists engaged in chromatographic work who promote, educate and participate in an exchange of information and discussion of mutual interest. The virtual symposium was attended by professional chemists and students throughout the country.

On April 19, several Cedar Crest students were inducted into Delta Mu Delta. The honor society was founded in 1913 by faculty from NYU, Harvard and Yale to recognize exceptional students in the field of business. The Cedar Crest Lambda Chi chapter was established in 2010.

During the 96th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, which was held virtually on Saturday, April 10, 2021, four undergraduate students in the sciences were awarded funding for their proposed research. Each student will receive $750 to support their projects. These students will then present the results of their work during the next annual meeting in 2022. The students earning these research grants, with their respective faculty advisers, are listed below: Sydney Heathcott '22 (advised by Dr. John Cigliano, professor of biology) "Trophic transfer of microplastics in a three-level food chain" Giulia Romano '22 (advised by Dr. Lindsey A. Welch, associate professor of chemistry) "Chemiluminescent Detection of Benzodiazepines Catalyzed by Ionic Liquid Metal Complexes" Talia Watson '22 (advised by Dr. Lindsey A. Welch, associate professor of chemistry) "Determination of Ideal Conditions for the Synthesis of Naphthoquinones by Catalytic Oxidation Reaction" Allison Wheelan '22 (advised by Dr. John Cigliano, professor of biology) "The Effects of Ocean Acidification and Ocean Warming on the Embryonic Development of Hummingbird Bobtail Squid, Euprymna berryi".

Thirteen students from the Department of Biological Sciences presented oral or poster presentations at the 96th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences on Saturday, April 10. The meeting was hosted virtually by York College in York, PA. Oral Presentations (*=presenter): Erica Nettles '21* and Jennifer Hayden, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology: Impact of lysine acetylation on Mycobacterium smegmatis survival in the presence of isoniazid Ashley Wilkins '21* (coauthors are alumnae Emily Bianchini '20 and Mercedes Melo '21) and Jennifer Hayden, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology: Finding novel antibiotics under our feet Kimberly Hane '21*, Andre Walther, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and K. Joy Karnas, Ph.D., professor of biology: Quantitative PCR for forensic bodily fluid identification Melissa Culver '22*, and Andre Walther, Ph.D., associate professor of biology: Potential contamination of beer yeast through quantitative PCR with High Resolution Melt analysis Kathlyn Dias '22*, and Andre Walther, Ph.D., associate professor of biology: Identification of Replication Protein A phosphorylation dependent protein-protein interactions via Yeast Two Hybrid system Poster presentations: Khoula Jaber '23* and K. Joy Karnas, Ph.D., professor of biology: fabI gene alteration as a mechanism of triclosan resistance in Enterobacter cloacae Nicole Silva '22*, Zahaira Velasco '22*, and Andre Walther, Ph.D., associate professor of biology: Examination of growth and capsule formation in mutant strains of the oleaginous Yeast, Cryptococcus neoformans to be used in biodiesel production. Khushali Vyas '23*, Carly Wood '21*, and Andre Walther, Ph.D., associate professor of biology: The effect of Replication Protein A phosphorylation on telomere shortening in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a PCR amplification-based protocol Razan S. Alanazi '21* and Amy E. Faivre, Ph.D., professor of biology: Potential bee pollinators on the Cedar Crest College campus in Allentown, PA Solomaya F. Schwab '22* and Amy E. Faivre, Ph.D., professor of biology: Patterns of Birds Visiting a Feeder in an Open Area on the Cedar Crest College Campus in Allentown, PA

The Awards Committee of the New Jersey Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NJAND) selected Dietetic Intern, Mia Funcheon, for the Outstanding Dietetic Student Award (ODSA)-DI Category 2021. The purpose of the ODSA program is to recognize the emerging leadership and achievement of students in ACEND-accredited dietetics education programs and encourage their participation in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Mia will be recognized on the list of outstanding students in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and will receive a congratulatory letter and certificate signed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics president. Background: Each state can recognize one student from each type of dietetics education program (Didactic Program in Dietetics, Dietetic Internship, Coordinated Program, and Dietetic Technician Program) with a maximum of four per state.

Congratulations to the following Art majors on their acceptance in the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Art Exhibition hosted by Manifold Global, an online gallery. Isabel Pichardo - Studio Art Autumn Bachert - Integrated Art with Psychology Christina Ventrillo - Studio Art Ashleigh Nagy - Integrated Art with Business Cecelia Wright - Studio Art The exhibition opens today, April 2, 2021, and can be accessed at https://manifoldglobal.com/

Congratulations to Isabel Pichardo for Best of Show from Cedar Crest College in the Lehigh Valley Collegiate Art Exhibition hosted as an online exhibition with Manifold Global https://manifoldglobal.com/lvcae The juror for the exhibition was Dr. Kevin Richards, Chair of the MFA Program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Isabel is a Junior at Cedar Crest College. Working as printmaker, using relief as her main technique. She experiments with the matrix by using other materials other than linoleum. Her work mostly inspired by childhood memories, through anecdotal accounts, pictures, or any trinkets from her childhood. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, her work is also influenced by this fact, as she recalls the vivid colors found in the architecture, flora, and fauna of the island. This inspires the color palette she utilizes in her work. The combination of both childhood memories and growing up in the island allow for her to create a reminder of her home and childhood and an avenue to share it.