April 24, 2009
Undergraduate
and graduate students from across the Schools and Colleges at St.
John’s University presented their original research at the annual
Student Research Day, celebrated on both the Staten Island and
Queens campuses on April 21 and April 23 respectively.
Photo Gallery
The one–day event kicked-off on the Staten Island campus on where
students, faculty and administrators gathered on the upper level of
the Campus Center gymnasium to discuss the 64 research projects of
140 student participants ranging from article lectures to art and
film exhibits.
Staten Island Vice Provost Sharon Lynch Norton, Esq., reports that
the response to the call for presentations of undergraduate
research were “overwhelming. "In fact, it was necessary to relocate
the venue in order to accommodate the record number of
participants. I had the occasion to meet with many of our
presenters and was struck by their enthusiasm and interest in
sharing their work with faculty and other students.”
Psychology Major Tyler Kimball was among the many presenters of the
day. Kimball displayed his research paper on the “Sephardic
Jewish migration and cultural development after the Spanish
expulsion in 1492.”
“The
Spanish Jews are a group that doesn’t get much exposure,” says the
St. John’s College sophomore. “As a minority within a minority, I
wanted to inform people about this aspect of the Jewish history
that is not widely known within our society.”
Philosophy student Ken Sheahan examined the notion of time travel
in a movie presentation titled, Bad Timing: The Metaphysics of
the Terminator. He utilized modern day cinema to engage the
audience and stimulate a discussion on philosophical thought.
Several students of Associate Professor Robert Fanuzzi, Ph.D.,
presented on experiential learning on the Staten Island campus.
Liberal Arts student Michael Bistreich developed a pilot syllabus,
entitled “Interdisciplinary Classes for the Liberal Arts,” to marry
the Liberal Arts, English and Philosophy programs.
English majors Alyssa Krolick, Melissa Holian, Lisette Roman
demonstrated a creative twist on gender roles in education by
posing as the Bronte sisters in a 19th century video rendition of
the popular ABC morning talk show, “The View.”
Carmen Tam (“Speech-Language Intervention Programs Made Simple”),
Michelle Maloney (“Student Faculty Research Collaboration in
Aphasia & Dementia”), and Ashlee Lynch (“Tuition Assistance”)
were among many other research projects that were presented
throughout the day.
Queens Event Held at Four
Locations
On the Queens campus, members of the University community assembled
at four separate locations—Taffner Field House, Bent Hall 277, the
President’s Room in Carnesecca Arena, and the Institute for Writing
Studies in St. Augustine Hall—to view the scholarly works of
student participants. Co-sponsored by the Women in
Science Society, Office of
Grants and Sponsored Research, the Initiative to Maximize
Student diversity, the McNair
Scholars Program and the Institute for
Writing Studies, the day’s events consisted of poster and oral
presentations as well as art, film and video exhibits.
Selected among their peers to participate in the 2009 Student
Research Day, St. John’s Liberal Arts students Vanessa Marco,
Nathan Willis and Tyler Herwick exhibited a poster display, titled
“A Storytelling Showdown: The Book or the Film?,” that
distinguished between books and film as a form of story
expression.
Summing up her experience at Research Day, film major Vanessa Marco
said that “as a student, we don’t always have a voice. However, on
this day we all have the opportunity to feature our work and earn
the respect of our peers and faculty.”
The Institute for Writing Studies hosted a series of film, video
and art exhibits depicting student artistic creations. Jerry
Jeremie, a graduate student in St. John’s College, introduced a
documentary based on the ideology of the “Self-Identity Crisis.”
The film describes the issues and stereotypes formed by racial
categories within society.
Fine Arts major Orlando Rodriquez, inspired by the teachings of the
Bible, captured the audience with his animation “Rootchild.” Based
on the notion of death and rebirth, his illustration depicts the
metaphor of a child who begins life as a seed which grows to become
a tree that nourishes his community.
“It was an honor for me to participate in Student Research Day and
talk about my work,” he said. “St. John’s provides students with
the chance to meet other members of the campus and obtain
constructive feedback of our work from knowledgeable
individuals.”
The Queens campus community attended the research event throughout
the day. Among the student-research projects presented were:
“Gender, Class and Ethnicity,” “Sport and National Identity,”
“Sociology of Gender Reflection,” “Conducting Anthropological
Research through Academic Service-Learning,” and an art exhibit,
“Human Locomotion, among many others.
“The innovative, quality research presented at Student Research Day
is a small measure of the academic achievements of our students,”
remarked University Provost Julia A. Upton, RSM, Ph.D. “It also
showcases the many fields of interest that are available to
students who come to St. John’s seeking academic excellence and the
knowledge and skills needed to achieve personal and professional
success.”