Defining Innovation Through Research

from Holy Family University Magazine - Summer 2019

By David Pavlak | Photography by Julia Lehman-McTigue

Holy Family University has long prided itself as a teaching institution. From its early beginnings in the 1950s to today, faculty and students alike have benefited by not only learning, but doing. From books to professional publications, lab research to statistical surveys, inside the classroom and in the community, Holy Family’s impact is unquestionable. In this issue, we’re celebrating some of Holy Family’s most interesting research projects from faculty, current students, and alumni. These research projects represent only a small sample size of the cumulative value of a Holy Family education.

**Dr. Jackie Myers, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences**

The Brain, HIV, and Neurocognition

If you ask Dr. Jackie Myers why she’s interested in understanding how HIV affects neurocognitive function, you’ll get a simple answer, followed by laughter, before she elaborates.

“Viruses are cool! I’m interested in the way viruses infect the brain, infiltrate the nervous system, and cause neurological problems.”

The Holy Family University Biology Associate Professor has spent the last five years on the fourth floor of Holy Family Hall examining antigenic drift of the influenza virus with a team of students, but it’s her work with the brain and HIV that has continually captured her attention over the past year. The project is an extension of her PhD research she completed as a student at Drexel University’s College of Medicine.

Myers is trying to contribute to the understanding of the way HIV can influence neuronal loss and lead to dementia.

“We’re interested in HIV, and the way it infects the brain in particular, because people can live for years with anti-HIV therapy,” Myers said. “The problem with some of these HIV therapies is that the drugs don’t cross the blood-brain barrier, a region that regulates items coming and leaving the central nervous system. So people with HIV can live relatively normal, healthy lives, but the virus can still replicate in the brain. This can cause neurodegeneration.”

HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, came to light as an epidemic in the mid-to-late 1970s. The US Department of Health and Human Services estimated that in 2017, 36.9 million people were infected with the virus worldwide and approximately 5,000 new infections occurred each day.

Myers’ task is no simple matter. She explains that HIV has a surface protein that helps the virus attach to the human host cells. This surface protein binds to a receptor on human cells, which allows the virus to get in and replicate. Human cells have two important receptor types, CD4, which is important for immune system activation, and a chemokine receptor, either CCR5 or CXCR4, which are important in relaying signals from outside the cell to inside the cell.

However, the cells of the nervous system do not have CD4 receptors on their surface but they do express the signaling receptor CXCR4. So while HIV does not infect the neurons in the brain, it can activate CXCR4, which causes abnormal brain function.

“I’m interested in how the HIV envelope protein activates that receptor. The neuronal cells don’t get infected, but they can be abnormally activated. We know CXCR4 plays an important role in maintaining normal brain function. When it’s abnormally activated, different signaling pathways are turned on that can contribute to neurodegeneration, which is associated with cognitive impairment. So we want to know exactly what’s happening when CXCR4 is activated by HIV.”

Myers is using a cell-culture model to look at the way signaling pathways work for neurons expressing CXCR4 when the HIV envelope protein is activated.

“When we use GP120, or the HIV envelope protein, we see an upregulation in some proteins. When we use natural ligand, the normal cell-signaling molecule, there is a downregulation of some of the same proteins. One is activating cell death pathways and promotes neuronal loss and one is activating survival pathways and neuronal health. We want to know who are the key players in these roles. That’s how new drug targets will be designed.”

She hopes to one day transfer the results of her research toward an animal model. The University has been working to implement a zebrafish laboratory since 2016 when Myers and her colleague, Dr. Chris Carbone, received a $75,000 grant from the George I Alden Trust to purchase equipment for basic science research and the development of a new zebrafish facility.

The Alden Trust offer included a stipulation that Holy Family University matched the grant’s monetary funding, indicating the institution’s commitment to the zebrafish project. This match was made possible through a bequest from Janet Mackiewicz’s estate. Mackiewicz earned three degrees from Holy Family University—Elementary Education/Psychology ’99, MEd ’09, and Art ’14. She passed away in May 2014 after a battle with cancer.

“During our transition to Holy Family University, we knew an animal-model system was important for research,” Myers said. “Dr. Carbone and I came from institutions where murine models, mice and rats, were the primary research tool. Independently, we concluded that the zebrafish model would be the most practical system and would easily integrate into the classroom.”

The addition of using an animal model would provide more clarity and understanding regarding how the process unfolds in a multicellular organism.

“We just want to know what is happening inside of the cell when CXCR4 is activated on the cell surface, how it’s happening, and how the signaling is different in the natural situation compared to the pathological situation. In a perfect world, we can use that knowledge to look at developmental processes using the zebrafish model to understand how CXCR4 signaling contributes in orchestrating intricate neuronal structures.”

**Dr. Janice Xu, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences**

Buying Relationships in China’s Digital Culture

China is experiencing a digital phenomenon where its younger generation is renting their time to enhance their income in a new gig economy. Dr. Janice Xu, an Associate Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences and a native of mainland China, researched this controversial topic and presented her findings, “Navigating Gender, Class, and Flexible Labor in China’s Companion-Hiring Apps” during an international conference at MIT in May.

“It’s controversial to some extent, but it could be an entry point to understand more about how potential future risks through digital communication technology influences people’s daily lives, especially the younger generation that’s more willing to take a risk,” Xu said.

Some apps, like “Hire Me Plz,” are exclusive to China, while others have replicas in the United States. The technology was created to fill two cultural voids: success and generational philosophy.

“It’s a product that happens to connect a few trends in modern societies,” she said. “One is the gig economy. You have a normal job and career, but you can also make extra income by becoming an Uber driver or renting through Airbnb. But for a lot of people in their 20s, who are the primary users of this app, they feel that all they have is their time. So they think if they can make extra income by showing up somewhere with somebody to drink coffee, play a game, shop, or watch a movie, they can make some extra income.”

“You’re also appeasing the older generation. You combine the tradition of marriage and having children with this huge consumer culture and technology, and this app was born and is growing, even though there’s a lot of problems with it.”

Xu notes that app subscribers have grown dramatically since 2016, when the platform gained media attention as single people in urban areas began renting temporary partners during the holidays because of the pressure to find a marriage partner.

“When they talk about relationships and finding a marriage partner, the two generations have different expectations.”

The app isn’t without issues. Law enforcement agencies are trying to determine the legality of the digital agreements that are signed, and there is currently no government regulation for this type of business. There have also been instances of deception, poor personal safety, prostitution, and cyberbullying, among others issues.

Still, users flock to these apps to find temporary partners, especially around the Chinese New Year. The process isn’t always simple.

“This is China’s gender imbalance, which is a result of the One- Child Policy that dominated the 1980s and 90s. Combined with China’s tradition of emphasizing a male descendant, there is an imbalance in the ratio of men to women. There’s also a term, ‘Leftover Women,’ who are in their late 20s and feel that they cannot find a partner. There is this huge pressure to get married, but not everyone wants to settle down.”

**Dr. Dian He, Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Stan Mauldin, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences**

The Broken Zipper: Understanding DNA Damage

Listening to Dr. Dian He and Dr. Stan Mauldin from the School of Arts and Sciences talk about nuclear war and keyholes, you’d quickly surmise that their research focuses on the latest trends in fallout shelters, fit for a new World War. What they are actually working on is a bit more complicated than that.

The pair, whose presentations “Docking Study of Thymine-Dimer Containing DNA Decamer on Translesion DNA Polymerase Zeta from Dictyostelium discoideum” and “Expression of the Catalytic Domain of DNA Polymerase Zeta from Dictyostelium discoideum” were recently accepted for presentation at the 258th National American Chemical Society Meeting in August, have been working since 2011 to understand the mechanism of how to repair DNA damage using Dictyostelium discoideum, a single-celled organism that can mimic human cancer cells as the model organism.

“DNA is a double-helix strand,” He said. “For DNA to replicate and multiply, it has to unravel, which is similar to opening up a zipper on your coat. DNA damage is like your zipper getting stuck and cannot move anymore. Translesion polymerase, an enzyme responsible for bypassing damaged sites on DNA during its replication and multiplication process, is a stronger zipper that pushes through regardless of the damage. To stop cancer from multiplying, you want to stop the process, you want the zipper to stay stuck. Our end goal, which we’re far away from, is to find a mechanism that would allow the zipper to be stuck on that point indefinitely.”

In other words, if you jam the zipper, the tumor stops spreading. If the zipper fixes itself or jumps over the damage point, tumors continue to replicate.

To mimic human cancer cells, He and Mauldin have enlisted the help of Dictyostelium discoideum, an organism that Mauldin surmises would be the only thing left next to cockroaches if there is to ever be a nuclear war.

“We’re multicellular,” Mauldin said. “We have 24 trillion cells. What Dictyostelium does is that it lives as a singlecell organism when it has plenty of food. When it finds that food is limited, it aggregates and forms into a multicellular organism and undergoes development. But it also has this resistance to all sorts of DNA damage.”

Using Dictyostelium discoideum, He and Mauldin are able to mimic cancer cells commonly found in humans.

“A lot of people get chemotherapy but then their tumors become resistant to those chemotherapeutic agents,” Mauldin said. “Dictyostelium discoideum mimics that. During replication, any kind of damage will stop a polymerase that is trying to replicate DNA in order for it to undergo mitosis, a key step in cell division that results in the multiplication of cells. Not only would a normal cell be doing this, but a cancer cell would also be doing this. When a regular polymerase encounters damage, it stalls, switches, falls off, and then these translesion polymerases come on, skip over the damage, and continue the replication.”

He is working on understanding the molecular structure of the DNA and the protein it binds with. His computerized model works to understand how the atoms interact in real time. That model then helps Mauldin study the physical protein, where he will clone the genetic sequence and produce the actual Dictyostelium protein in the lab. They’ll then compare the computational model to the actual protein's three-dimensional structure and see if they have a match.

The goal is to create a three-dimensional crystalized structure that could be a jumping-off point for targeted medicines in the future.

“From knowing the structure, you can then maybe design some better-targeted drugs,” Mauldin said.

“In other words, you have the keyhole made for you, you just have to design a key to fit in there,” He continued. “However, it’s not just the cancer cells that have DNA, but you have DNA in every cell. The trick is how do you target those in the cancer cell, but leave those normal, healthy cells alone, so you don’t kill both your friends and your enemy in the same battlefield.”

**Dr. Janet McNellis, Associate Dean, School of Education**

Overcoming Barriers for Female Politicians

Dr. Janet McNellis, Associate Dean in the School of Education, has research interests that include identity and leadership. However, when she was asked to help co-edit a book on the historical and contemporary frameworks of women in politics, she initially was not sure if this topic would fit her areas of expertise. McNellis accepted the challenge and, as co-editor of Pathways into the Political Arena: The Perspective of Global Women Leaders, she found many intersections between the book’s topics and her own background and knowledge.

“There’s a lot of women in this country, but when we look at the percentage of women in politics, it’s a small number,” she said. “Fewer women run for office than men, even though if they do run, they have a good chance of getting elected. The authors of the chapters look at barriers women face to becoming politicians, how some women have overcome these barriers, and the motivating forces that inspired them. It’s a mixture of in-depth theoretical analysis of the structures of political systems, along with personal accounts from women who have successfully navigated these systems.”

McNellis co-wrote a chapter, “Transformational Aspects of Political Leadership” with Linda Haskins, policy specialist for Dominion Energy, which examines the identity transformation process that many females must undergo, both before they feel comfortable running for office and once they are on the campaign trail.

“Traditionally, women are gendered to have attributes that are not necessarily conducive to success in the political field. So they have to learn how to separate their personal sense of self-worth from their professional successes and failures. To be successful politicians, however, they also have to rethink what it means to be successful as a person and a woman.”

She notes that men don’t have to go through as extensive a transformation as aspiring female leaders.

“Men don’t have to go through this transformation because their goals may be a bit different. While women’s primary goals tend to be geared toward helping others, traditional masculine goals often relate to obtaining power and prestige. Politics is a good fit for these goals.”

The rise of female political leaders in the United States is a trend that McNellis can see continuing if more women are able to overcome the barriers in their path.

“Most women go into politics because they see something that needs to be changed and they want to help make a difference. Seeing other women successfully becoming politicians gives them role models they can emulate. If we get a critical mass of female politicians, it’s going to become easier for women to incorporate political aspirations into their sense of identity. There’s strength in numbers.”

**Wendi Smith, Instructor, School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions**

Family-Centered Care in the Pediatric ICU

The need for family-centered care in the pediatric unit didn’t fully hit Wendi Smith, an Instructor in the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, until she became a mother herself. Although she gave birth to a healthy child, the connection between parent and child is greater than many other bonds.

As part of her PhD research at Villanova University, Smith is looking at the perceptions and practice of family-centered care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), her specialty area.

“I’m using a tool that looks at the perceptions and current practices of nurses,” Smith said. “It’s been used in a lot of pediatric settings, but not specifically the PICU, which is an area that is notoriously difficult to incorporate this model of care. You’re trying to incorporate the family, collaborate on plans, have the parents participate in care, but when you have a patient who is critically ill with all the equipment, that gets really difficult to do.”

Family-centered care is becoming more prevalent in the hospital setting, specifically so in pediatric units. However, Smith noticed a lack of family-centered care within the department's most vulnerable patients.

Family-centered care, which includes ideals such as dignity, respect, cultural competence, forming partnerships with families, and collaborating on health care plans, among many other items, is a topic that has increased in popularity over the past 20 years.

“If you have a child who is a new oncology patient and has a new central line to receive treatment, that child is going to go home with it and the parents are going to take care of it eventually. Educating them on how to do it, and then stepping back a little, walking them through it as they do it, and then observing them as they do it, they become a part of the care.”

Smith is using the Family-Centered Care Questionnaire Revised, which will be distributed through the American Associate for Critical Care Nurses, to examine the merits of family-centered care in the pediatric intensive care unit. Her literature review has shown that while nurses understand the importance of family-centered care, it’s not always implemented.

“Nurses like control. Part of the difficulty in incorporating this is that they have to give up some of that control. Nurses are ultimately responsible for the care, so it comes back to them, but they also can’t deny a parent. In my 25-year career I’ve had patients that have died. In hindsight, it now haunts me to think that I was maybe telling parents of a dying child that the equipment is very fragile or to not lean on a machine. We need to do better as a whole in pediatric nursing, but especially in the ICU.”

She stresses the importance of not just teaching new nurses about family-centered care, but also showing them why it's crucial.

“Nurses are the people at the bedside the most. If we’re on the front lines, we’re the ones that can incorporate this more. It’s not just about giving the concepts of it. We need to make it real. How do we operationalize it? We’re better about it, but there’s still more that we can do.”

**Ryan Neumann Domer ’16, ’18, Scientific Technician**

Fighting Cancer Through Advanced Care

During his senior year at Holy Family University, Ryan Neumann Domer ’16, ’18 had the opportunity to intern at Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of Pennsylvania’s premier cancer research institutions. Post-graduation, Neumann Domer still roams the halls of Fox Chase as a full-time Scientific Technician, working under Dr. Joseph Testa, Co-Leader of the Cancer Biology Program and Chief of Genomic Medicine, as they completed a 40-week study that examined whether a specific gene mutation increases the odds of developing cancer.

Neumann Domer worked with mice that were split into two groups: a control group of regularly functioning mice, and genetically-altered mice that contained BAP1, a gene that acts as a human tumor suppressor.

“BAP1 helps regulate the function of many genes that are involved in the cellular process, which is the breaking down of old cells and creation of new ones,” Neumann Domer said. “The idea is that BAP1 helps control cell growth, division, and ultimately cell death. BAP1 also helps prevent cells from growing and dividing too rapidly, which ultimately causes cancer. That’s why we're so interested in this study. We want to see if the BAP1 gene is ultimately going to stop cancer from growing.”

The research team is specifically examining mesothelioma as its main cancer agent, but it also has the ability to look at other cell- and basal-cell carcinomas, and renal cells that are found in the kidneys.

“The mice go through one treatment of receiving DMBA, which is the carcinogen, that starts at about 12 weeks of age. We then use one topical treatment of TPA, which is a promoter that helps the tumors that we’ve been trying to grow. It’s like when you get a vaccination, and then you get a booster for it. The booster is this promoter, which makes sure that the DMBA is constantly being spread on the mouse.”

The goal of the research is to find cures to these common cancers.

“The hope is that once we figure out what we have, we might redo the experiment in hopes to see if we can now find treatments for these tumors, and see if they regress or can be eliminated using known treatments.”

Neumann Domer was interested in joining a research project focused on BAP1. His sister, Erin ’07, also worked in Testa’s lab with BAP1 mouse models.

“My sister has an understanding of BAP1, as well as the implications that come with it. I knew I wanted to work with the BAP1 gene in general, which is why I went to Dr. Testa’s lab. Being able to jump on this project furthered my knowledge and pulled me into a deeper understanding about what BAP1 does, what it can accomplish, and what it can achieve.”

Being in the lab isn’t unusual for Neumann Domer, but his journey to becoming a Holy Family University graduate took a bit of an odd path.

Originally a biochemistry major his freshman year, Neumann Domer struggled adjusting to college life. In a decision he describes as a panic move, he changed his major to history, where he completed his degree, though he knew his yearning for science was still there. After graduating in 2016, Neumann Domer returned to Holy Family, this time as a biology pre-med major, to complete a second degree. “Science was reinvigorating to me and I found my passion again.” Along the way, Neumann Domer said he relied heavily on the biology faculty, including Drs. Jackie Myers, Stan Mauldin, Dian He, Daniel Bassi, and specifically, Chris Carbone, who helped Ryan find his passion for the sciences again.

“I have to give a lot of credit to Dr. Carbone. I came in the summer of 2015, about to enter my senior year, and I said that I wanted to get back into science. He let me take an Anatomy and Physiology class and it was so exciting. The anatomy of the human body is amazing and got the ball rolling for me again in science. It was an eye-opening experience.”

Two separate instances in Neumann Domer’s life solidified his desire to work in the medical field.

“When I was five, my best friend lost his father. He had developed a clot that went to his heart shortly after undergoing a successful pancreas transplant. When I was 10, that friend also lost his mother to lung cancer. I remember feeling a sense of hopelessness because of my inability to help in any tangible way. Despite the grim prognosis, the people that my best friends family turned to for guidance and as a source of hope were the physicians. The ability of a physician to provide compassionate care left a strong impression.” “During the summer of 2017, while on a family outing, my grandfather fell and ended up in the emergency room. Being alongside him throughout his hospital stay and outpatient visits allowed me to realize that medicine is the perfect fit for me.” Neumann Domer hopes to attend medical school, but is also interested in continuing his research, whatever keeps him in the field that he loves.

“Medicine provides the unique opportunity to learn about the history of an individual while also continually making a lasting difference in the lives of others. Understanding and treating diseases is something I am interested in committing my life’s work to. I want to be a physician who not only treats patients, but who also understands the importance of listening to a patient’s story and serving as a source of hope and support.”

**Dr. Amanda McClain, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Jen DeCicco, Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences**

Social Media’s Relationship with Mental Health

It’s estimated that in 2018 there were 244 million active social media profiles across various platforms in the United States. The number inflated to 2.77 billion people when looking worldwide. The constant stimulus has changed the way people interact, speak, feel, and engage in day-to-day situations. To understand the way that social media impacts our emotions, Drs. Jen DeCicco and Amanda McClain, from the School of Arts and Sciences, have teamed up to conduct a study that examines whether mental health outcomes are related to social media use.

“Social media platforms are used by most people every day, many times multiple times per day,” said McClain. “We still don’t know a lot about how social media use impacts our mood or how we express emotion. One consistent issue with social media is that it takes us away from interacting with one another in person. Though there are many positive attributes of social media, it still leaves many questions about how it influences mental health and day-to-day emotion.”

McClain says that social media expresses addictive characteristics that entice users to return to the platform, as well as alters the way we think and feel based on the responses we get from others.

“Social media is definitely about rewards: how many likes, comments, and shares you get,” she said. “Many people judge their self-worth on the amount of engagement they get on social media, for example, deleting a post that doesn’t receive many likes. Authenticity is necessary to truly become a popular brand, but social media is less about self-catharsis and more about interaction.”

Generation Z, those born between the mid 1990s through the early millennium, and Generation Alpha, those who succeed Z, have grown up in this technology boom, with smartphones, iPads, and social media available 24/7. The resulting tech revolution may be a reason for increases in depression and anxiety.

“We found many associations between depression and negative emotion while using social media,” DeCicco said about the survey results. “Specifically, we found that higher depression scores were associated with greater feelings of jealousy toward others, anxiousness, stress, and feeling fearful and sad while using social media. Many have proposed that social media has addictive qualities to it, so much so that we may become anxious or experience some type of withdrawal without it. The reward circuit within the brain may get reinforced and strengthened when we use social media that results in the desire to use it more.”

Even though the team has found patterns linking stress, depression, and anxiety with social media, DeCicco still sees value in using social media, as long as you’re able to separate yourself and your emotions from your digital counterpart.

“There is a lot that we don’t know about how social media makes us feel,” she said. “As we communicate more with each other digitally, we find that emotions and small nuances of how we interact are lost. We overinterpret an email, text message, or social media post because other important cues, such as facial expression and body language, are lost. It’s important to point out that there are many positive aspects about social media as well. Posts that are positive and uplifting can go viral, as well as different social movements. We share life events and milestones with family and friends we might not be connected to if we did not have these platforms. Though there are positive aspects of social media, the data so far suggest that when we use them it might not be for the benefit of our mental health.”

**Dr. Marina Boykova, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions**

Balancing Care Across Borders

For Dr. Marina Boykova, being a nurse in both the United States and Russia has opened her eyes to the different health care opportunities across the globe. As a board member for the Council of International Neonatal Nurses, Inc., she recently served as a statistical analysis consultant for a study that assessed the knowledge and skills of neonatal nurses in Rwanda.

Rwanda has 47 neonatal intensive care units throughout the country, but according to Boykova, many nurses do not receive specialized neonatal education or possess the equipment necessary to provide adequate care.

“We’re trying to create this global voice for neonatal nurses,” Boykova, an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, said. “Too many newborn infants die. Mortality rates in some countries are very high. We’re trying to share best practices from more-developed health care systems and nursing professionals to bring something to them.”

Boykova, a neonatal nurse for years, knows about the boost in knowledge nurses receive when other countries provide different educational opportunities.

“When I was 21, we had nurses from California come visit the hospital where I worked in Russia. The exchange changed the way we practiced in my unit. The mortality rate was 33 percent when I started as a neonatal nurse. It took almost 20 years to reduce the number of deaths, but before I left for my PhD in the US, the mortality rate was 3 percent.”

Boykova was part of the Rwanda trip that took place in October 2018. The study results are awaiting publication.

“The Rwandan nurses are very passionate about learning,” Boykova said. “When you can make things better, it’s very rewarding. Despite the difficulties, you’re changing the world."

**Dr. Don Goeltz, Associate Professor, School of Business Administration**

Think Like an Entrepreneur

You look out the back door of your home and see a squirrel eating freely from a bird feeder that was labeled on the box as "squirrel proof." For an entrepreneur, the unfolding scene sparks an idea.

Dr. Don Goeltz, an Associate Professor in the School of Business Administration, is trying to understand and conceptualize a model that depicts the way entrepreneurs conjure an idea, think, and behave. An entrepreneur himself for 15 years, Goeltz knows some of the lessons he’s trying to understand firsthand.

“I’ve come to believe that entrepreneurial thinking can and should be applied in all walks of life,” Goeltz said. “In any business, in any position, you’ll see people that think of new things, use whatever resources they can put together, and then go make things happen.”

For a theoretical base, Goeltz is using the Model of Intended Behavior, a psychology-based application that has been tested, modified, and validated in organizational and general psychology for more than 20 years. Goeltz’s research is theory development, with the objective of a better understanding of entrepreneurial thinking and behavior.

“The psychological model starts with values, which then forms thinking, and those values affect intent, which results in behavior. For example, an entrepreneur values getting things done. They value success, but also understand that failure is perfectly OK. Those values drive thinking and sense making. The way you make sense of your environment, if you’re an entrepreneurial thinker, is that you see opportunities all the time.”

According to Goeltz, entrepreneurial individuals are vital in any dynamic environment.

“All organizations, in order to survive, need to deal with change on an ongoing basis. That is really the essence of entrepreneurial thinking, which at all levels, including senior management, just makes the organization more effective.”

Student Success Personified

Eighteen students presented research projects during the 21st Annual Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE) Honors Conference, held at Cabrini University, on March 23. Under the direction and guidance of Holy Family University’s Honor Council and nominated by their mentoring professors, students presented a variety of academic and artistic presentations. The next SEPCHE Honors Conference will be hosted by Holy Family University on March 28, 2020.

Mayfair

Kenny Brightcliffe | Dr. Mary Carroll Johansen (Faculty Mentor)

Philadelphians, perhaps more so than people from any other major city in America, have pride in their section of the city. This research explored the relationship surrounding Mayfair, a neighborhood in the Northeast section of the city.

Genetic Engineering of Influenza Virus A Antigenic Sites

David Butkiewicz ’19 | Dr. Jaclyn Myers (Faculty Mentor)

The influenza virus is continually changing because of its high mutation rate. High variability in antigenic sites prove difficult for vaccine production. In this study, the researcher systematically introduced point mutations into hemagglutinin antigenic regions to observe how single-point mutations influence viral characteristics.

Sabermetrics Applied to Faculty Evaluations

Melissa Cahill | Sr. Marcella Louise Wallowicz CSFN, PhD (Faculty Mentor)

This research is a continuation of the researchers project that involved sabermetrics, statistics used to evaluate baseball players, that are applied to university faculty to quantify faculty research, scholarship, and service.

Oil Painting: 3,2,1

Rachel D’Angelo ’19 | Pamela Flynn (Faculty Mentor)

This piece expressed a futile struggle, specifically through the female perspective, which suggested that although people may face hardship, they do not have to accept this as part of their identity. Who people are is made up of their memories, but the past does not exist.

The Reality of Police Suicide

Christina Erwin ’19 | Dr. David Whelan (Faculty Mentor)

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and almost 45,000 Americans die by suicide each year. While suicide can affect people of all age, race, and gender, police officers have seen a disturbing rise in suicide rates. In recent years, there have been more police officer suicides than line-of-duty deaths.

Suicide Awareness

Christopher Ewing ’19 | Pamela Flynn (Faculty Mentor)

This video presentation aimed to raise awareness for suicide and to try and prevent anyone else from completing this act.

Chick-fil-A Whitman Square Community Relations Case Analysis

Rachel Fox | Dr. Janice Xu (Faculty Mentor)

Chick-fil-A is a family-oriented restaurant with locations across the United States that serves millions of guests daily. This research focused on the community relations activities of Chick-fil-A of Whitman Square, a fast food chain located in Northeast Philadelphia. The community relations case analysis was based on the results of surveys and focus groups conducted in 2018 among customers and staff at this location.

Understanding the Relationship between Organized Crime and the States: A Complex Nexus

Amanda Gurecki ’19 | Dr. Jonathan Rosen (Faculty Mentor)

This presentation was drawn from a chapter of an edited volume, which strived to understand the different ways that organized crime penetrated the state apparatus in Latin America.

PDX, Furin, and Ovarian Cancer

Nicholas Ihnatenko ’19 | Dr. Daniel Bassi (Faculty Mentor)

Ovarian cancer remains a difficult cancer type to treat because of its late-stage detection and diagnosis. Furin, a proprotein convertase, has been shown to be involved with tumor growth and progression through the activation of growth factors, their receptors, and matrix metalloproteinases. To counteract this development, the gene PDX is utilized to silence the furin gene and stop subsequent tumor growth. PDX acts as an inhibitor of furin in ovarian cancer cells to successfully transfer the gene for PDX to these cell lines. The transfer and activation of PDX results in a decrease of cell proliferation or possible decreased tumor growth.

The Crime Scene: A Simulation Activity

Nicholas Ihnatenko ’19 | Dr. Daniel Bassi (Faculty Mentor)

The analysis of a mock crime scene is amenable to include simulation techniques that involve the collection of samples, sketching, note taking, and photographing techniques. Simulation techniques stimulate observation and knowledge in a criminal investigation. This group activity represented a combined effort between the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.

Left Handedness

Kabir Kolawole |Dr. Dan Mankowski (Faculty Mentor)

Multiple factors, such as culture, influence the way left handedness is perceived around the world. Fortunately, a vast majority of those who are left handed have managed to paint a good picture of it. The main cause of left handedness has not been found yet, though it has been associated with intelligence and excellence.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Vanessa Lakatosh | Dr. Dan Mankowski (Faculty Mentor)

Alzheimer’s is a disease that damages the brain through the buildup of tiny proteins that block messages, preventing people from performing normal tasks. It is thought to be developed as age increases. No one knows why it occurs and there is no cure, yet it continues to deteriorate the brains of many people.

Painting: The Heart of the Matter

Erica Longobardi ’19 | Pamela Flynn (Faculty Mentor)

Pain and hardship are a reality that people experience in their lives. These experiences shape their perspectives of the world. This piece aimed to affirm the various emotional hardships people endure by exploring vulnerability, violence, sadness, and pain.

Chernobyl

Anna Muller | Dr. Dan Mankowski (Faculty Mentor)

On April 25, 1986, Chernobyl, Ukraine faced an explosion from its nuclear reactor. A violation of safety policy and a design flaw led to the catastrophic event. Several researchers studied the event and its long-lasting effects on the environment and people. The radioactivity levels have led to abnormalities in animals and diseases within humans.

The Border: Finding a Balance Between Security and Cooperation

Patrick Murray ’19 | Dr. Mary Carroll Johansen (Faculty Mentor)

Drugs, violence, and extortion are leaving Mexican individuals with no choice but to flee their homes. The United States should continue to adopt policies that work toward assisting Mexico and Central America with financial aid and ensuring that corruption and cartel violence are not necessarily eradicated, but minimized to lessen the necessity of illegal immigration.

Safe Injection Sites

Jillian Nugent | Dr. Dan Mankowski (Faculty Mentor)

On paper, safe injection sites seem like a good idea, but in reality, they are doing more harm than good. This research explained why this practice is harming children and included interviews with a Philadelphia Police Officer and a recovering heroin addict.

Everyday Mindfulness for the Everyday Classroom

Meghan Rakus ’19 | Dr. Kimberly Heuschkel (Faculty Mentor)

With intellectual curriculum being in the forefront of the United States’ education system, teachers and families often overlook emotional intelligence. Everyday Mindfulness for the Everyday Classroom displayed lessons and classroom techniques that align with Pennsylvania State Standards while simultaneously helping students become more mindful students and citizens.

Video Games and Gun Attitudes: Are College Students’ Views on Gun Control Influenced by the Video Games They Play?

Grace Van Thuyne ’19 | Dr. Stacy McDonald (Faculty Mentor)

In the United States, 24 percent of “E” rated video games and 57 percent of “T” games involve guns. With such easy access, adolescents may view gun violence quite often. To examine if exposure to violent video games influences gun attitudes, the researcher conducted an online survey and then examined the variables and implications of the results.

Plaster: Two Foxes

Donald Wallace | Pamela Flynn (Faculty Mentor)

The artist started with a thought that he transferred to paper as a sketch and then to a small clay model. With a chisel and mallet, he created his piece, Two Foxes.