Archive for the ‘Student Accomplishments’ Category.

Dr. Kitchens Published with Student-Researchers; Presents at Annual Meeting

Dr. Michael B. Kitchens, professor of psychology, co-authored Cognitively accessible words associated with God as effective lexical primes in the Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion, 8(2), 78–101 with four current and former student researchers: Isabella Lang ’23, M’25 (clinical mental health counseling 3+2), Sydney Petrasic ’21 (neuroscience), Brian Remper ’16 (criminal justice and psychology), and Brittany Wilson ’16 (psychology). Kitchens also presented his paper, What do people think about God? Investigating a mental representation of God as effective priming stimuli, at the 2022 Annual Meeting for the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion/Religious Research Association in November.  

Health Professions Students Run Conference Fitness Challenge

Nine athletic trainingexercise science, and physical therapy majors helped run the annual fitness challenge during the Nov. 4—5 Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the American College of Sports Medicine regional conference. Dr. Alan Walker, assistant professor of exercise science, annually runs the fitness challenge that has students from numerous colleges and universities compete for a trophy. Alana Antonello ’24, Madi Armstrong ’24, Jacob Bollinger ’24, Danielle Holmes ’24, Elizabeth Leedy ’22, M’23, Cole Lehman ’24, Sorrell Long ’24, Rylee Stahl ’24, and Connor Williams ’23 ran the fitness stations and put the competitors through the challenges. Gabriel Pigeon ’24, Logan Satti ’24, Philip Shemyakin ’24, Rachel Snavely ’24, and Megan Strodoski ’24 also attended the conference.

Brandon Bauer ’24 Presents Research in New Orleans

Brandon Bauer ’24 (physicsmath, and computer & data science) presented a poster, “Numerical Study of Single-Inclusive Longitudinal-Transverse Double-Spin Asymmetries in Electron-Nucleon and Proton-Proton Collisions,” at the APS Division of Nuclear Physics Meeting in New Orleans, LA.  The research was performed over the summer with Dr. Daniel Pitonyak, assistant professor of physics, and Cody Shay ’24 (physics) . The work was supported by Dr. Pitonyak’s National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

Daelyn Stabler ’23 Wins STEM Awards as Rising Star

Daelyn Stabler ’23, biology, became the third LVC student recognized by the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts’ Women of Impact: Celebrating Women in STEM Awards Program in the past four years. Stabler will receive the Marion C. Alexander Rising Star Award during the September 21, 2022, ceremony, as “A young female student making strides in her STEM Education.” She joins previous recipients Julianna Koehl ’21chemistry (2019), and Fatima Madondo ’22neuroscience major, chemistry minor (2020). 

Ainsley Buia ’25 and Sara Collevechio ’25 Awarded Research Grant

Biology majors Ainsley Buia ’25 and Sara Collevechio ’25 were awarded the “Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences Undergraduate Research Project” for their project, “The molecular effects of alcohol sensitivity post traumatic brain injury in Drosophila melanogaster.” They, along with classmate and fellow researcher Raegan Laszczyk ’25, were invited to present their research at the 2023 Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences Conference. The trio are conducting their research under the faculty mentorship of Dr. Bona Hoxha, assistant professor of biology. 

Jessica Koch ’23 Receives Conservancy Scholarship

Jessica Koch ’23, environmental science, was announced as the recipient of the 2022 Richard H. and Karen R. Light Memorial Scholarship as bestowed by the Lebanon Valley Conservancy. Koch, who completed an internship at the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority and conducted water quality analysis research at Annville’s Quittapahilla Creek, was nominated by Dr. Rebecca Urban, director of environmental science and professor of biology. Koch is interning with DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry this summer.

Dr. Veenhuizen Presents at National Conference on Glass Science

Dr. Keith Veenhuizen, assistant professor of physics, presented research at the 2022 Glass and Optical Materials Division meeting in Baltimore, Md. The presentation was based on results of a student-faculty research project undertaken by Olivia Magneson ’23 with Dr. Veenhuizen. The talk, “Phase-selective laser-induced crystallization of lead bismuth gallate glass,” reports how several crystal phases form preferentially at different temperatures in lead bismuth gallate glass. By varying the power and scanning speed of the laser irradiating the glass, the temperature profile can be controlled, through which the desired crystal phase can be formed. This talk was given at the Laser Interactions with Glasses session, which was organized by Dr. Veenhuizen in collaboration with Dr. Casey Schwarz of Ursinus College.

Kristie Houck’s ’22 Internship Work Featured in The Neighborhood Advocate

Kristie Houck ’22, psychology and sociology, was featured in a recent article on The Neighborhood Advocate, “YAP’s Wraparound Services Help Pennsylvania Girls Gain Confidence Through Acting.” Houck, who has been an advocate at Youth Advocate Program (YAP) in Lebanon for two years, served an internship at YAP this semester to complete her psychology major requirements. She inspired two girls to add acting as a hobby, with the duo later performing as cast members in “The Pony Expresso,” a melodrama produced by The St. James Players.  

Ten Students Receive Zerbe Scholarships to Study Abroad in Costa Rica and Germany

Dr. Gabriela McEvoy, chair of languages and associate professor of Spanish, announced that 10 LVC students were awarded Zerbe Scholarships to help offset study abroad costs. Petra Stanavage ’23 (actuarial science, German Concentration), will study in Wurzburg, Germany, and nine students will study in Costa Rica this summer: Amber Arnold ’22 (criminal justice and Spanish double major), Angelina Coleianne ’23 (global studies, Spanish minor), Elianna Fitzpatrick ’23 (global studies and international business, Spanish minor), Ellie Flores ’24 (early childhood and special education, Spanish minor), Griffin Weidler ’22 (exercise science, Spanish minor), Tyler Snavely ’25 (biology, Spanish minor), Victoria Fredericksen ’25 (English, Spanish minor), Victoria Moreno ’25 (exploratory, Spanish minor), and Yonaira Seguinot Velásquez ’23 (psychology, Applied Spanish for Healthcare Professionals minor).  

A record number of 14 students will study in Costa Rica this summer! This is a faculty-led program with classes in Spanish and cultural excursions led by Dr. McEvoy. 

The Wurzburg, Germany, program is led by Dr. Rick Chamberlin, associate professor of French, German, and global studies. He will teach and lead excursions for two LVC students and 12 students from other colleges and universities. 

Nearly 20 Criminal Justice and Sociology Majors Present Research at Regional Conference

Dr. Barbara Prince, assistant professor of sociology, announced that 19 criminal justice and sociology majors, many of whom have second majors, presented their yearlong scholarly research projects at the Mid-Atlantic Undergraduate Social Research Conference. More than 60 undergraduates from 18 regional colleges and universities participated in the conference. The LVC student names and presentation titles were:

  • Living in a Social World: The Effects of Social Connectedness and Work Type on General Happiness by Courtney Metz ’23, sociology
  • Looking Deeper in the Mind: The Effects of Social Connectedness and Satisfaction with Social Life on Mental Health by Katie Fair ’23, sociology
  • Shining a Light on Policing: The Effects of Race and Political Ideology on Policing Attitudes by Dylan Ruhl ’22, criminal justice and history
  • Understanding Police Use of Force: The Effects of Race and Sex on Views of Police Use of Force by Hunter LeRoux ’23, criminal justice
  • A Crisis, a Natural Event, or a Hoax?: The Effects of Political Views and Religiosity on Environmental Attitudes by Amber Arnold ’22, criminal justice and Spanish
  • Getting High on Racism: The Effects of Racial Prejudice on Views on Marijuana Legalization by Bryan Gower ’23, criminal justice and psychology
  • Suffering from Weight Change and Mental Strain? Maybe COVID is to Blame: The Effects of Health, Sex, and Views of the Seriousness of COVID19 by Ryan Stroh ’22, sociology
  • Law and Order: The Effects of The Media and Race on Perceptions of Policing by Jake Abruzzese ’23, criminal justice
  • Thought Police: The Effects of Race and Political Ideology on Views of Police Use of Force by Benjamin Tressler ’23, criminal justice
  • The Grass That Broke the Country’s Back: The Effects of Ideal Number of Children and Attitudes Toward Government Spending on Drug Rehabilitation on Views of Legalization of Marijuana by Amanda Keller ’23 criminal justice
  • There is No Planet B: The Effects of Age, Sex, and Environmental Effects on Neighborhoods on Attitudes Towards the Environment by Kylie Beagell ’22, sociology
  • An Eye for an Eye: The Effects of Political Ideology, Sex and Educational Attainment on Views of the Death Penalty as a Punishment for Murder by Emma Conradi ’23, criminal justice
  • Till Death Do Us Part: The Effects of Ideal Number of Children and Education on Marital Happiness by Jade Julius ’23, sociology
  • Let’s Talk About Sex: The Effects of Age and Views of Sex Education on Views of Teen Sex by Paige Vennie ’22, business administration and sociology
  • Staying Safe: The Effects of Sexual Orientation and Political Views on Views of Sex Education in Public Schools by Sidney Wike ’23, criminal justice
  • Guns Under Fire: The Effects of Political Ideology and Sex on Views of Gun Control by Tim Convery ’23, criminal justice
  • The Ultimate Punishment: The Effects of Sex and Political Views on Views of the Death Penalty by Abigail Radcliffe ’23, criminal justice
  • Gun Control Based on Worldview: The Effects of Religious Affiliation, Religiosity, and Spirituality on Views of Gun Control by Colin Krieg ’23, criminal justice
  • Shadow of Death: The Effects of Religiosity and Spirituality on Views of the Death Penalty by Hannah McCurdy ’22, criminal justice