Poster Session I (Morning)

As the economic need for dual-income households increases, more grandparents provide free or affordable childcare. Grandmothers more often fill this role, likely because of gendered feelings of obligation. While past research has generally found positive effects on health and well-being, a more nuanced examination of this practice (including the use of measures from both the caregiving burden and stereotype embodiment literatures) is needed. Grandmothers (N = 184) completed a survey examining their physical and mental well-being and self-perceptions of aging. Compared to grandmothers who do not provide childcare for their grandchildren (N = 78), grandmother caregivers (N = 106) reported more positive self-perceptions of aging and better health. Among grandmothers who provide childcare for their grandchildren, more positive self-perceptions of aging significantly predicted more life satisfaction and less depression, while higher caregiver burden significantly predicted more depression. These findings suggest providing childcare for one’s grandchildren when caregiver burden is low may have a positive impact on aging.

The Marl Bay archaeological project focuses on a recently discovered archaeological site along the southern coast of Antigua in close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage site of English Harbor. In August 2024, the National Parks Heritage Department found an eroding human burial at Marl Bay, Falmouth. The preliminary survey of the beach area confirmed that the area was used as a burial ground during the historical period.  Four other potential burials were observed eroding from the sandy soil, but no attempt was made to remove the additional skeletons. This proposed project will employ archaeological/bioarchaeological excavation and documentation, GIS mapping, historical research, aerial and underwater drone utilization to contextualize these burials within the broader mortuary landscape of colonial Antigua while addressing urgent preservation needs caused by climate-driven erosion.

Positive psychology investigates the psychological states, individual traits or characters strengths, and social institutions that enhance subjective well-being and make life most worth living. This study investigated the impact of gratitude letter writing on burnout in college students. Results contradicted predictions, where participants became more stressed (as measured by heart rate variability) during gratitude letter writing, suggesting that this intervention may not be beneficial for all individuals.

Over the summer, I was awarded in the Summer Scholarship Award and prepared a draft of an article for publication, titled "Upkeeping Kosher Relationships in Allegra Goodman's Fiction," which is focused on Jewish American and 20th century American literature, two major areas of my research specializations. This article--which focuses on perspectives of Jewish culture/customs (including the act of keeping kosher), as well as the waning desire of older/younger generations to embrace religious practices in an increasing secular and antisemitic world--serves to engage with academic conversations about religious practice and Jewish Americanness. This article, focused on a contemporary author, will also add to a collection of work being written about Allegra Goodman. Working on this project has expanded the academic conversation about her important work's subject matter and impressions. I will discuss the implications of my article, as well as the process of working on this draft.

Collective synchronization is a phenomenon in which a large system of oscillators spontaneously obtain a common frequency.  This behavior is observed in such biological examples as pacemaker cells in the heart, synchronous firefly flashes, and chirping crickets.  An important question related to collective synchronization is how the arrangement of the oscillators affects the common, steady-state frequency.  In this talk we discuss synchronization of oscillators arranged in the form of a Cayley graph of a group, and examine how the symmetries of the group affect the properties of the oscillators.

The popularity of shows like RuPaul's Drag Race have brought drag queens into the mainstream, a move that has simultaneously prompted backlash and created new audiences for the art form. Historically, drag queen performances have been associated with gay men's and transgender women's nightlife spaces, while drag kings have reigned in lesbians' and transgender men's venues. However, as drag queens have become more integrated into American pop culture than their drag king counterparts, lesbian and bisexual women have carved space for themselves in the drag queen fandom. Two Drag Race alumni have been particularly influential in this transformation: Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. This project explores how Trixie & Katya have cultivated a queer women fan base through a content analysis of Trixie & Katya's various post-Drag Race projects and examines how queer women navigate the drag queen fandom through a digital ethnography of social media fandom culture on Twitter and Instagram. This data is supplemented with a content analysis of the most recent seasons of Drag Race and All-Stars, which illustrates how younger queens have used the Trixie-Katya model to engage with lesbians fans.

The material Ce2Fe17 is known to show complex magnetic and crystallographic behavior. It orders antiferromagnetically around 210K, and has been shown to show strong magnetoelastic coupling. This coupling is associated with a second, lower temperature (~125K for very pure samples), transition, which has been shown to involve a change in crystal structure, as well as a change in magnetic structure. Details of the low-temperature structure have not been published so far. Our project aims to reproduce high-purity single crystals of Ce2Fe17, and then to determine in detail the low-temperature crystal structure, as well as to study the behavior of the crystal lattice in the vicinity of the phase transitions.

Interracial intimacy is a powerful lens through which to examine global hierarchies, and this book explores how interracial and intercultural relationships shaped the modern world. Across continents and centuries, these relationships both defied and reinforced systems of power. Whether forged in violence, diplomacy, or desire, they offer insight into how race, gender, and empire have been policed, negotiated, and contested through intimacy. Its five chapters examine the competing forces that sought to prevent interracial relationships and those determined to sustain them.  While interracial relationships were often exploitative, they also provided opportunities for resistance and agency that demonstrate how power could be contested even within deeply unequal systems. The prevalence, significance, and complexity of interracial relationships across the world have been extensively documented. At the cost of excluding wonderful stories and amazing research, this book seeks to bring them together by presenting the most telling and globally representative examples

This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore student performance data (N=164) and survey data (N=140) to examine differences in student performance, textbook use, and access when using a commercial digital textbook compared to an open access digital textbook in an introductory biology college course. Additionally, survey data was used to analyze trends in student textbook purchasing habits. A total of 164 students were used in the study, approximately half using the open access digital textbook, while the other half used the commercial digital textbook. Course performance was measured by comparing the average of four exams. To measure differences in textbook usage, access and purchasing trends, a survey was administered at the end of the semester.

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) have received a great deal of scholarly attention in the field of management and psychology since its emergence in 1980s. The assumption is that organizations benefit when their employees are willing to go beyond their formal role requirements (Organ, 1988). Recent studies show that under the evolving workplace context, it is important to revisit the assumptions about organizational goals, the nature of work and individual behaviors (Dekas et al., 2013). This study reviews the theoretical definitions, operationalizations, reliability and validity estimate of OCB from five scales as well as the propositions from a conceptual framework in the context of new ventures. The purpose of this review is to identify the most appropriate scale to examine knowledge sharing as an OCB behavior in early-stage startup firms. The two-dimensional scale developed by Van Dyne and LePine (1998) was selected as the most promising scale for later adaptation because of its high reliability and validity in previous studies, and its simple but flexible operationalization.

This qualitative project examines the working experiences of international students from Asia and how immigration policies, or uncertainty about their enforcement, impact mental health.

The global illegal wildlife trade (IWT) increasingly intersects with organized crime, compounding threats to biodiversity, governance, and international security. Despite growing concern, academic literature remains fragmented in documenting the direct involvement of known organized crime groups in wildlife trafficking. This presentation introduces the first comprehensive analysis of such involvement, drawing from 37 peer-reviewed and gray literature sources to map network typologies, species-specific trafficking patterns, and regional dynamics. Building on prior research into terrorist convergence with IWT, this work identifies structural characteristics of organized networks—such as multi-crime diversification, hierarchical redundancy, and laundering schemes—while also distinguishing looser informal networks. The findings highlight policy and enforcement gaps, particularly in financial crime oversight and inter-agency intelligence sharing. Informed by personal communications with the FBI, this research aims to strengthen cross-sector enforcement justifications and contribute to a more integrated, data-informed response to wildlife trafficking as organized crime. The work is timely amid declining U.S. environmental enforcement funding.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), caused by external blunt forces, can lead to cognitive dysfunctions ranging in severity. A common diet recommended for recovering TBI patients is a high-protein-based diet; however, its metabolic impact on recovery needs to be further elucidated. Interestingly, roaches on a high-protein diet had a higher mortality rate compared to roaches on the control diet. Gromphadorhina portentosa, also known as the Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, was used as a model organism to investigate the effects of diets on post-TBI recovery. Closed-head TBI was induced through a high-impact trauma (HIT) device at a 25° angle, after which the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was measured to assess the effects of a normal versus high-protein diet on metabolic rate. Differences in both roach behavioral patterns and RER recordings were also observed between the different diet groups, with lower RER at Day1 and Day 7 in high-protein-based diet groups compared to controls. These findings indicate that diets affect metabolic rates, influencing progress made during recovery of TBI-induced G. portentosa, and potentially suggests that reevaluations of nutrition-based recovery protocols to improve human TBI prognosis.

The research involves investigating how excitation of the flavin chromophore results in modulation of the surrounding protein matrix which then triggers structural changes on slower time-scales that ultimately lead to activation of the covalently bound output partner. The goal is to determine precisely how chromophore excitation couples to and influences protein dynamics over many decades of time by studying protein functional dynamics in real time. The model system used is OaPAC, a light activated adenylate cyclase that uses ATP as a substrate. The mechanistic understanding of photoreceptor activation derived from this work will then provide a framework for the design and optimization of optogenetic tools, in which light is used to control biological processes. We do not know what residues are involved in the activation of the OaPAC. Thus, this project involves generating mutants by site-directed mutagenesis, plasmid preparation, and expression/ purification of protein.

The South-East Bronx is a community situated within the NY State disadvantaged criteria map, with environmental challenges, and high pollution. 
Our research focused on integrating Electric School Bus Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Distributed Energy Resources (DER)-to-Grid technologies, offering Demand Response during peak utility hours and environmental benefits. 
The project would yield over 2000 local workforce training, promoting energy equity and deferring infrastructure upgrades, thereby benefiting ratepayers. By enhancing reliability, resiliency, and sustainability, this solution fosters economic development and social equity. The integration of solar PV and energy storage, along with advanced microgrid and fleet management systems, helps manage increased grid loads. Leveraging VC's existing infrastructure and community-oriented approach ensures effective implementation. Overall, this solution not only improves residents' quality of life and economic prospects but also addresses the urgency of fortifying the energy grid against extreme weather events.

Telework allows teleworkers greater flexibility to work anywhere, anytime.  Such flexibility leads to teleworker isolation and lack of face-time, which may diminish teleworkers’ relationship quality with supervisors and co-workers.  Despite the importance of supervisor and co-worker social support for teleworkers to meet their work demands, such support received little attention in the literature. Using the conservation of resources theory, this research fills this gap by developing a conceptual framework that emphasizes the mediating impact of supervisor and co-worker social support on the relationship between telework-intensity and work outcomes and proposes a set of variables that moderate this mediating effect.

I teach Business Statistics, Operations Management, and Visual Analytics, and am currently developing a new course, Introduction to AI for Business, for the Artificial Intelligence Management (AIM) major at Farmingdale State College. My teaching philosophy emphasizes equipping students with critical thinking skills and a strong understanding of technology’s role in business analytics and decision-making. This summer, I was exploring AI applications in business education and developing case studies for future classes. I also presented at the 8th International Dynamics of Information Systems (DIS) Conference on using AI to optimize pension fund performance. My academic goal is to leverage my analytical background to integrate AI-driven tools into management education and research, enhancing problem-solving effectiveness in the classroom.

Physical disability represents a major burden to health, wellness, and lifespan as we age. Researchers across the spectrum of health professions have identified a variety of modifiable risk factors that can be used towards the development of preventive strategies. The aim of this scoping review is to organize and synthesize some of these findings to highlight these factors.

 

My research investigates the role of Iranian women in the history of graphic design, with particular attention to how social, professional, and gender inequalities have contributed to their marginalization from the established canon. The project explores how women designers in Iran have created new creative and social spaces through education, publishing, self-initiated projects, networking, activism, and the use of new technologies. The first phase of this research focused on a literature review and archival data collection. The next phase will involve interviews with selected designers and the development of chapters for an upcoming book. I received a Summer Scholarship Award 2025 for this project and am required to present at this event.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how people interact in the workplace—from hiring to performance reviews, and increasingly, negotiation. Building on our earlier conceptual work, this project advances the inquiry with preliminary findings from an empirical study examining how AI may reshape gender dynamics in negotiation, a process long tied to gender pay disparities. Using simulated job-offer negotiations between student participants and an AI HR manager chatbot, the study explores whether AI can act as a neutral counterpart that reduces bias or whether it may inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities. Preliminary results of both qualitative and quantitative data suggest that AI-mediated negotiations may lessen traditional gender gaps while still rewarding more assertive, masculine-coded communication styles and competitive orientation. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions about fairness, design, and human–AI collaboration, highlighting both the promise and the pitfalls of AI as a tool for equity in the future of work.

In this paper, we estimate the effects of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) on agricultural exports from South Asian countries using a gravity model approach. Combining international trade data from the UN Comtrade database and data on NTMs from the UNCTAD’s Trade Analysis Information System, we construct a comprehensive dataset spanning from 2010 to 2020. Both OLS and PPML estimates indicate that sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures have a trade restricting effect for agricultural products. However there is significant heterogeneity in NTM effects across agricultural sub-sectors. SPS measures have a trade-facilitating effect on live animal and plant products exports but a trade-restricting effect on processed food. Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) estimates indicate trade-facilitating effects for live animals and fats and oils exports. Estimates for price control measures reveal a trade restricting effect across all agricultural sub-sectors. These findings emphasize the need for more nuanced analysis into regional and sectoral impacts of NTMs.

Co-branding, which occurs when two organizations create a new product representing both entities simultaneously, is a popular marketing strategy across various industries. In sport apparel co-branding particularly, one unconventional and unique phenomenon is an integrative logo - Two organizations combine their logos to create a new logo for the co-branded product (i.e., an integrative logo; e.g., the Air Dior logo by Air Jordan and Dior). Despite its common use, there is no empirical evidence of the effect of an integrative logo. Hence, the current research aims to investigate the effect of an integrative logo on the sportswear co-branding context. More specifically, the present study explores the role of an integrative logo, compared to an added logo, on the three success drivers of symbolic co-branding – attitude, perceived fit, and perceived uniqueness. In addition, they study aims to investigate the role of brand status of a partner brand within the relationship.

Construction Sight is a book that explores a unique urban motif: viewing panels at construction sites, through a combination of a photo index and copy. This book uses the construction site at 250 Water Street in Lower Manhattan as a case study to explore the broader issues of transparency and power in New York City’s affordable housing crisis. Through three years of research and a visual index of viewing panels, Construction Sight reveals how debates over housing are often obscured by opaque governance and conflicting stakeholder interests: issues that extend beyond New York to cities nationwide.

This paper examines the role of higher education—particularly business schools—in cultivating a new generation of business professionals who can navigate the complexities of the 21st-century socio-economic and technological environment. Rooted in the liberal arts tradition, the study emphasizes that knowledge creation, critical thinking, and ethical responsibility are not supplementary, but essential components of professional education. The author critiques the conventional orientation of business schools, which often privilege narrow disciplinary silos and profit-maximization paradigms, arguing instead for an ecosystem that integrates liberal arts values with business education to produce socially responsible, innovative, and adaptable graduates. The background highlights the profound disruptions caused by rapid technological advances and globalization, which expose the inadequacy of traditional models of business education in preparing students for uncertainty, complexity, and interdependence. Drawing from both behavioral science perspectives and critiques of mainstream business practices, the paper frames business education as a transformative process—one that must equip graduates not only with technical and managerial skills but also with the ability to anticipate organizational change and development, embrace sustainability, and engage in ethical decision-making. The paper contends that the future relevance of business schools depends on their capacity to embed these values in curricula, foster cross-disciplinary synergies with liberal arts, and align training with the evolving expectations of employers and society. In doing so, it calls for empirical inquiry, curriculum reform, and the development of a holistic educational framework that prepares graduates to act as both wealth creators and stewards of societal well-being. This approach is fully supported by business education accreditation bodies like AACSB.

Financial literacy is commonly defined as the understanding of economic and financial principles and the ability to apply this knowledge to make informed financial decisions regarding personal financial matters, such as financial planning, wealth accumulation, debt management, and retirement planning (Lusardi et al., 2014). The recent development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly affecting financial literacy by reshaping how individuals access financial information and understand financial instruments. AI-empowered financial tools can assist individuals in making complex financial decisions by providing more accessible financial knowledge. Moreover, AI-empowered tools, such as robo-advisors, may mitigate biases in financial decision-making (Annu & Tripathi, 2024). Despite these advantages, AI applications also introduce challenges related to data privacy and the need for digital literacy. Ensuring that AI applications are accessible to diverse populations is crucial to preventing the widening of the financial literacy gap.
Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, this study conducts a systematic review of the emerging role of AI in financial education and finds AI methods can be useful in the following areas:
• Adaptive instruction in economic/financial education
• Scalable conversational agents (chatbots)

However, the preliminary results indicate limitations/gaps for future research as follows:
• The outcomes of existing studies are from a wide range of AI tools. We need to use caution to interpret the effectiveness of AI in financial/economic education.
• Limited studies are done on the population of young adults/college students.

This presentation shares findings from summer research on reconstructing mortuary practices at the pre-Columbian site of Indian Creek, Antigua, West Indies. Continuously inhabited for 1,500 years, the site represents a culturally persistent indigenous population that maintained traditions despite regional transformations. Using 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and soil analysis, the project creates a digital record highlighting both long-term continuity and local variation. The study focuses on a partially exposed burial showing major soil loss and evidence of shell substrates that may signal distinct mortuary practices. Unlike neighboring islands where Taino transformations are well-documented, Antigua’s indigenous communities remained culturally stable yet are nearly absent from contact-period records. This project integrates past excavation data with new 3D captures to produce an interactive AR/VR map, preserving an understudied cultural legacy and advancing knowledge of a people who left no written records but enduring material traces.

Significant number of civil engineering students demonstrate gaps in fundamental concepts due to limited classroom engagement, which often diminishes their interest and academic progress. To address this challenge and satisfy ABET’s requirement for research exposure, undergraduate involvement in faculty-led experimental projects offers an effective pedagogical strategy. In a recent initiative, selected students participated in an experimental study focused on the use of recycled materials to produce lightweight and low-cost concrete. Their tasks included conducting a literature review, preparing recycled aggregates, fabricating concrete specimens, and receiving training on specialized laboratory equipment. Under faculty guidance, they assisted in testing the compressive and flexural strength of the specimens and presented their findings through formal reports and academic posters. This project-based learning approach enhanced students’ comprehension of core civil engineering subjects, strengthened their research skills, and enriched their professional portfolios. Such initiatives are strongly recommended across engineering and technology disciplines.

Rotating detonation engines (RDEs) are celebrated for their high-efficiency propulsion capabilities and often operate under conditions involving multiple detonation waves. This study investigates the influence of multiple waves on the heat flux dynamics within RDEs, a critical area for optimizing engine design and enhancing thermal management. Utilizing large eddy simulation, this research analyzes the effects of interactions between detonation waves on heat fluxes by comparing scenarios with single and multiple waves.

Due to the advance of   integrated circuits technologies, especially the size shrinkage of transistors, the probability of faults occurring in digital systems is increasing. Safety and mission critical systems require resilient design against errors and proper evaluation to validate system’s dependability. Dependability is the property of a system such that reliance can justifiably be placed on the service it delivers. 
Fault injection provides a method of assessing the dependability of a system. It involves inserting faults into a system and monitoring the system to determine its behavior in response to faults. It tries to determine if the response of the circuit matches with its specifications, in the presence of faults.  The proposed research focusses on simulation-based fault injection which consists in injecting faults in high level models (VHDL) of the circuit, creating a controllable fault injector. Xilinx Vivado software and Nexys A7 FPGA hardware platforms are used for this project.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping teaching and learning, especially in computer science courses. While AI-powered chatbots offer new opportunities, they also raise serious concerns in academic institutions, including potential cheating and the weakening of students’ critical thinking abilities. Particularly, this study aims to assess how AI impacts students' computational thinking and determine how technology influences learning outcomes in computer science courses. The study will aid in creating more efficient assessments by gathering and analyzing data from student interactions with AI during evaluations. Students will be recruited from an introductory Java programming course, with a research design involving pre-assessments, AI interaction, and post-assessments to track changes in learning. By identifying risks such as diminished outcomes while exploring ethical uses of AI, the project provides insights into redesigning assessments to mitigate harm and leverage benefits. This work builds on our ASEE 2024 publication and directly informed our NSF project proposal, which was awarded funding (2026–2028).

Marriage is an essential part of the assimilation experience for immigrants and their children. The scholarship on migration (Portes and Rumbaut 2025, Kasinitz 2008, 2002, Hasan 2002) points to the role of marriage as a means of developing immigrant communities, ethnic enclaves, and the persistence of ethnicity and religion in American society.  While much of the research about Muslims is centered on Islamophobia and discrimination as a means of understanding their place in America, the research on how marriage and reproduction are part of Muslim integration in the U.S. is largely missing from the conversation. Marriage was a significant part of how earlier European migrants became American. My research seeks to understand if Muslims will take a similar trajectory. I examine how the adult children of immigrants are using their marriage search, usually guided by their parents, as a means of strengthening their religious assimilation and defining their American identities. 

The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is a filter feeder that is exposed to a variety of compounds in the seawater within its natural habitat. Atenolol has been found globally in wastewater at a concentration of up to 1 uM. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of the beta-blocker atenolol on oyster hemocyte function and assess hemocytes as a model for cell toxicity assays. In this study, hemolymph collected from C. virginica was exposed in-vitro to atenolol (0-1 uM) over a 24-hour period. Results suggest that in-vitro exposure of hemocytes to atenolol was non-lethal to hemocytes. However, differential response was observed for different hemocyte subpopulations indicating analysis should include not only the entire hemocyte population but the subpopulations as well. Hemocytes can potentially be utilized as an in-vitro model for quick preliminary assessment of the impact of contaminants of emerging concern on bivalves. 

This study explores a virtual nature-based intervention (NBI) on nursing students’ level
 of stress, anxiety, academic performance, and resilience. Forty-four participants
 completed a virtual NBI. Pre-and-post measures of resilience, academic stress, test
 anxiety, and academic performance were assessed. The NBI led to a statistically
 significant improvement in participants’ exam scores. There were no significant
 changes in test anxiety, resilience, or academic stress post-intervention. Post-test
 anxiety and resilience were not significantly reduced. Findings suggest that viewing a
 virtual NBI prior to completing an academic exam could boost exam performance.
 Additional research is warranted using novel measures of anxiety and nature
 exposure.

Supersonic aircraft require specific atmospheric conditions to achieve Mach cutoff flight. Previous studies have demonstrated it is possible to fly under Mach cutoff conditions, enabling overland supersonic flight without generating loud sonic booms below the flight path. However, while atmospheric conditions closer to the ground may enable Mach cutoff flight, certain upper atmospheric conditions can still lead to secondary sonic booms. This study investigates the atmospheric conditions that enable Mach cutoff flight while simultaneously generating secondary sonic booms due to upper atmospheric winds. We examine seasonal timing, geographic location, and altitude as key parameters to determine their resulting impact on ground-level noise due to secondary sonic booms created by Mach cutoff operations. [Work supported by the FAA through ASCENT Project 57 under the supervision of Sandy Liu. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the FAA.