The McNair Scholars Program will host the Spring 2017 Research Symposium on Friday, April 14, and Friday, April 21. The McNair Scholars will present on a variety of research topics spanning many disciplines.
The first symposium will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 4:13 p.m. Friday, April 14, in Sims Hall, room 241. The presenters and their topics are the following:
10:46 a.m. Carlton Warker, School of Education, Health and Exercise Science: The effect of acute mental stress on arterial stiffness in young Black and White men
Mentor: Kevin Heffernan, Assistant Professor, Health & Exercise Science; Director, Human Performance Laboratory
11:09 a.m. Fatima Saunders, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Child and Family Studies: The STEM Migration: A qualitative study on the educational experiences of African-American college students who were once in STEM
Mentor: Dawn Johnson, Associate Professor, Higher Education
11:32 a.m. Christiane Voufo, College of Arts and Sciences, Neuroscience Integrated Learning: Determining the role of Hmx3a, Skor1a, Skor1b and Skor2 in the development of zebrafish spinal cord
Mentor: Katharine Lewis, Associate Professor, Biology
11:55 a.m. Mercedes Gomez, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Child and Family Studies: Factors influencing teachers experience in urban schools
Mentor: Teresa MacDonald, Director, Sport and Human Development Institute
12:18 p.m. Jose Marerro-Rosado, College of Arts and Sciences, Biochemistry: Biocultural understanding of lead exposure in urbanized context
Mentor: Shannon Novak, Associate Professor, Anthropology
12:45-1:45 p.m. BREAK
1:55 p.m. Taylor White (Robinson), College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Native American Studies: The Students’ Education Forgot: Factors influencing Native American students educational experiences
Mentor: Amy Lutz, Associate Professor, Sociology
2:18 p.m. Ruo Chen, School of Architecture, with a minor in Private Music Study: In the Projects: Redeveloping public housing in NYC
Mentor: Yutaka Sho, Associate Professor, School of Architecture
2:41 p.m. Stephen Benn, College of Arts and Sciences/College of Engineering & Computer Science, Biochemistry/Bioengineering: Investigation of the incorporation of an antibiotic (gentamicin) into a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sleeve and optimization of electrospinning and expansion
Mentor: James Henderson, Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
3:04 p.m. Anthony Reid, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Civil Engineering with a minor in Math: Undergraduate experience with Abaqus, finite element analysis program
Mentor: Hossein Ataei, Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
3:27 p.m. Halima Shehu, College of Arts and Sciences, Political Science and African-American Studies: Why Girls? An analysis of the Bring Back Our Girls movement and the transnational significance of the Chibok girls
Mentor: Mark Rupert, Professor, Political Science
3:50 p.m. Hatou Camara, College of Arts & Sciences, Anthropology and Citizenship & Civic Engagement, with a minor in Political Science: Where are You Really From? Exploring modes of integration and negotiation of cultural identity among emerging adult refugees in Syracuse, NY
Mentor: A.H. Peter Castro, Associate Professor, Anthropology
4:13 p.m. Katy Salce, College of Arts and Sciences/School of Information Studies, Psychology/Information Management and Technology: How mindfulness-based interventions relate to increased positive behavioral changes based on race/ethnicity in high school students
Mentor: Joshua C. Felver, Assistant Professor, Psychology
The second day of the symposium will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. Friday, April 21, in Sims Hall, room 241. The presenters are the following:
10:00 a.m. Jennith Lucas, College of Arts and Sciences, Sociology and Citizenship & Civic Engagement with a minor in Disability Studies: More than Clients: Blind industrial workers and the struggle to organize at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
Mentor: Gretchen Purser, Assistant Professor, Sociology
10:23 a.m. Abigail Sintim, College of Arts and Sciences, International Relations and Political Science: Afrophobia in South Africa: The case of lynching in South Africa
Mentor: Francine D’Amico, Associate Professor, International Relations
10:46 a.m. Bridgette Leathers, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Public Health with a minor in Global Political Economy: The influence of perceptions of the US healthcare system on health system utilization and health outcomes among African-American adults
Mentor: Maureen Thompson, Associate Professor, Undergraduate Director Public Health
11:09 a.m. Ericka Jones- Craven, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Transmedia/College of Arts and Sciences, Art Photography/Religion with a minor in Marketing: “Let It Be:” Re-examining traditional gospel values in an art setting
Mentor: Marcia C. Robinson, Assistant Professor, Religion
11:32 a.m. Andra Brown, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Child and Family Studies: Express Yourself: How art influences AA college students’ mental health issues
Mentor: Bruce Carter, Associate Professor, Psychology
11:55 a.m. Carolee Lantigua, College of Arts and Sciences, Political Science and Citizenship & Civic Engagement with a minor in Spanish: A Content Analysis of the 2014 Immigration Crisis: An intergroup threat theory approach
Mentor: Shana Kushner, Associate Professor, Political Science
12:18 p.m. Roshad Meeks, College of Arts and Sciences, Economics: Stuck In Place: How cultural memory and public policy shape a neighborhood
Mentor: Breagin K. Riley, Assistant Professor, Marketing
12:45-1:45 p.m. BREAK
1:55 p.m. Miracle Rogers, School of Education, Health and Exercise Science with a minor in Dance: Wrinkled Polyelectrolyte Multilayers for Biomaterial Applications
Mentor: James Henderson, Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
2:18 p.m. Angelina Vargas, School of Education, Selected Studies: Hair it from the Pajonuas: An exploration of racial identity among Dominican women embracing their natural hair
Mentor: Silvio Torres-Saillant, Professor, English
2:41 p.m. Genesis Felizola, College of Arts and Sciences, Communication Sciences and Disorders: The experiences of Hispanic families of children with autism spectrum disorder regarding physical activity and communication: A qualitative study
Mentor: Luis Columna, Associate Professor, Exercise Science
3:04 p.m. Vanessa Coste, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics/College of Arts and Sciences, Child and Family Studies/Psychology: The Impact of pre-school philosophies on children’s language and literacy acquisition: A meta-analysis
Mentor: Rachel Razza, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies
3:27 p.m. Tinischa Lahens, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Public Health with a minor in Public Communications: Let’s talk about sex: Does sex education in high school influence sexual behavior in Black college students at Syracuse University
Mentor: Sarah E. Woolfe-King, Assistant Professor, Psychology
3:50 p.m. Sonja Mattis, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications/ School of Information Studies, Public Relations/Information Management and Technology: Black London
Mentor: Linda Carty, Professor, African-American Studies
4:13 p.m. Natalie Delgado, School of Education, Selected Studies with a minor in Political Science: Un lugar para mi: The presentation of LatinX heritage through the collection of artifacts in a community-based arts center
Mentor: Myrna Garcia Calderon, Director, Latino-Latin American Studies
4:36 p.m. Felicia Campbell, College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology and Forensic Science: Understanding how mass publicity of police violence affects undergraduate college students
Mentor: Marsha Weissman, Adjunct Professor, Sociology; Founder/ Executive Director of the Center for Community Alternatives
Corri Zoli ’91, G’93, G’04 was recently named a research associate of the Lender Center for Social Justice. She applies social science, law and public policy perspectives to problems of warfare, governance in modern human conflicts and the role of…
Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and professor of international relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is the recipient of the 2025 Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching. The prize is awarded annually to a faculty member…
National Ice Cream Day is coming up on Sunday, July 20, and what better way to celebrate than with a brain freeze and a sugar rush? Armed with spoons and an unshakable sense of duty, members of the Syracuse University…
Dear Members of the Orange Community: It is with profound sadness that I write to remember two members of our Syracuse University community, whose lives were cut short last Thursday when they were struck by a vehicle at the intersection…
Haowei Wang, assistant professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been named the Yang Ni and Xiaoqing Li Scholar in U.S.-China/Asia Relations for the 2025-26 academic year. Wang’s one-year appointment began on July 1….
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
