Schedule of Events

The Elmhurst University Research and Performance Showcase will be held in-person on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Elmhurst University

Opening Ceremony and Performances

Buik Recital Hall
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Opening Remarks
Dr. Courtney Waite Miller
Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty

DANCE PERFORMANCES

Alexandria Wenzel, Dance – “Strange”
Sponsor: Prof. Amy Lyn McDonald

Evelynn Hvarre, Dance – “Face My Fears”
Sponsor: Prof. Amy Lyn McDonald

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Lissette Hernandez – Alto Saxophone – Divertimento – R. Boutry
Sponsor: Prof. Matt Beck

Eliza Martinez- Clarinet – Sonata for Clarinet in Eb-Mvt.1 – J. Brahms
Sponsor: Prof. Andrea DiOrio

Chamber Ensemble Competition Winner
Sponsor: Prof. Andrea DiOrio

Dragonfly Quartet
Cristian Zavala, Eliza Martinez, Faith Negele, clarinets; Audrey Dunwoody, bass clarinet Divertimento I. Allegro II. Andante sostenuto, molto espressivo III. Allegro con brio – Alfred Uhl
Sponsor: Andrea DiOrio

Iris Quartet
Audrey Dunwoody, Soprano Saxophone; Cadence Leucht, Alto Saxophone, Faith Negele, Tenor Saxophone, Emma Leucht, Baritone Saxophone
Mountain Roads I. Overture – David Maslanka
Sponsor: Matthew Beck

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Poster Presentations

Frick Center 107AB Prospect Dining Hall N & S
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Aayush Acharya, Inaya Zoraiz: The Relationship Between Economic Growth and Income Equality in South Asia
Sponsor: Dr. Avraham Baranes

Tyler Adreani: Viability of Single Stage to Orbit Spacecraft
Sponsor: Dr. Robert Halliday

Andrea Aldrete and Jacquelin Vanoni: Development of Photosensitizer Protein (PSP) for Light Driven Fuel Production
Sponsor: Dr. Sunshine Silver

Haley Allenspach: Why do fathers report greater well-being than mothers? An investigation of potential mediators.
Sponsor: Dr. Liz Majka

Lourdez Ardila: Organizational Recommendations for Countering Workplace Incivility Through Positive Psychological Interventions (PPI)
Sponsor: Dr. Jessica Sim

Dagmawit Asegidew: From Attending to Belonging: A Qualitative Exploration of Student Perspectives on Belong
Sponsor: Dr. Katherine Miller

Nicoletta Boik: Optimizing Health Care Experiences: Key Strategies for Supporting Autistic Individuals in Appointments
Sponsor: Dr. Breighanna Carey

Megan Breon: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Countertop Composting and Effect on Plant Health in Zea mays, Symphyotrichum oolentangiense, and Aster oblongifolius.
Sponsor: Dr. Kelly Mikenas

Matthew Burns: Isolation and Characterization of Anaerobic Microbes from Queen’s Laundry
Sponsor: Dr. Tamara Marsh

Scott Campbell: Conformation of Aromatic Residues at Entrance Site of RPE65 Affects Retinyl Palmitate Uptake
Sponsor: Dr. Sunshine Silver

Anthony Cardia: net_prof: Exascale Network Interface-Level Profiling
Sponsor: Patrick Yanahan

Michaela Carrico: Beyond the Game: How Religion Impacts Athletes On and Off the Field
Sponsor: Dr. Mladen Turk

Michaela Carrico: Faith and Officer Discretion: How Faith Impacts Officer Decision-Making
Sponsor: Dr. Mladen Turk

Shreya Chib: How the usage of psychological and digital marketing techniques in an art-related context influences consumer engagement and buying behavior.
Sponsor: Jennifer Scavone

Samantha Daly: Probing Stability and Hydrogen Bonding in Heteroatom-Containing Cyclopentadiene Carbaldehyde oximes: Dual AICD & GIMIC Approach
Sponsor: Dr. Alvaro Castillo

Aaliyah Frances Decillo and Sarahnur Thorpe: Qualitative Study of Riboflavin Kinase Activity in E. coli BL21
Sponsor: Dr. Sunshine Silver

Madison Downes: Quantification of Transition-Metal catalysis in Photosensitizer Protein Complexes
Sponsor: Dr. Sunshine Silver

Mallory Draper: Dying to Be Disciplined: Disordered Eating and Latino Masculinity
Sponsor: Dr. Josh VanArsdall

Alia El-hindi: Children in Foster Care: Understanding Risk, Trauma, and Resilience
Sponsor: Dr. Cheri Carrico

Kendal Freischlag: Analysis of Competitive Adsorption of Aniline Green and Crystal Violet onto Bentonite Clay in Aqueous Solution
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Cheyenne Harris: The removal of sodium dodecyl sulfate from water
Sponsor: Dr. Colleen Munro-Leighton

Olivia Hottman: Potential for Bacillus subtilis Lipase to be used in the D2D CURE Workflow
Sponsor: Dr. Sunshine Silver

Selma Idrissi-Kaitouni: The Effect of Temperature on Metabolic Scaling in Ectotherms
Sponsor: Dr. Patrick Mineo

Aziz Imran: The Effects of Temperature Stress on C. elegans Growth and Development
Sponsor: Dr. Amy Hebert

Victoria Martinez Jaimes: Sexuality as a Factor in OnlyFans Content Creators’ Subscription Pricing Strategies
Sponsor: Dr. Josh VanArsdall

Elliot Jasso: Alkylation of Amino Acid Methyl Esters for Amino Fluorination reaction
Sponsor: Dr. Evan Vanable

Hannah Kofira: Analysis of Seed Dispersal on Elmhurst University’s Green Roof and the Feasibility of Self- Sustaining Native Green Roofs
Sponsor: Dr. Kelly Mikenas

Alexandra Krieger: Language Learning In Childhood: Impacts on Brain Development and Academic Success
Sponsor: Dr. Joshua Rodriguez, Dr. Christopher Travis

Axel Magaña Ponce: Do Scorpions Add Vectors With Their Legs?
Sponsor: Dr. Venkatesh Gopal

Axel Magaña Ponce & Fredrick Fuchs: Composition of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays
Sponsor: Dr. Robert Halliday

Elizabeth Michniak: The Link Between Gene Mutation and Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
Sponsor: Dr. Cheri Carrico

Zoe Offenbecher: Sulfate cycling Acidophiles’ Metabolic Shift to Iron (II) Cycling.
Sponsor: Dr. Tamara Marsh

Ayla Phillips: Klinefelter Syndrome: Important Considerations
Sponsor: Dr. Cheri Carrico

Abigail Prevost: LGBTQ+ Student Well-Being and School Climate in Secondary Education
Sponsor: Dr. Debra Meyers

Tayem Qaqish: Looking into the Efficient Amino fluorination of Alkenes using Metal Catalysts
Sponsor: Dr. Evan Vanable

Alex Svistchov: Selective Mutism
Sponsor: Dr. Cheri Carrico

Numa Syed: Dose-Dependent Effects of Honey as a Potential Anti-Cancer Agent on Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation
Sponsor: Dr. Stacey Raimondi

Samia Syed: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Social Considerations, Treatment, and Research Findings
Sponsor: Dr. Cheri Carrico

Viktoria Tekielak: Feedback, emotion, and coping: Experimental effects of validation, mentalizing, and DBT skills on college students’ emotional clarity and coping confidence
Sponsor: Dr. Catherine Gaze

Skye Vogel: The Categorization of Work, Relationships, and Self to Inform Company Policies
Sponsor: Dr. Jessica Sim

 

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Presentations

Frick Center: Melanchthon Room
3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Description: Students in the Masters of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology program recount their experiences during their internships and present their theses.

Sponsor: Tom Sawyer

Alicia Cervantes – Communication and Employee Voice in a Multilingual Small Business (3:00 p.m.)

Nathan Lee – Experience as an HR Safety Intern at PlanetArt (3:15 p.m.)

Sam Olanda – Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Talent Acquisition (3:30 p.m.)

Julie Kostka – Internship for Change Management at Aquatics Department at Life Time (3:45 p.m.)

Ignacio Castaneda – Structuring Human Capital: Job Analysis and Performance Management System Design at Village Fresh Market (4:00 p.m.)

Adarshi Dey – High Performance Team Integration: High-Performance Team Integration Internship: Applying Team Development Models in Team Training (4:15 p.m.)

Jackson Paus – Consulting Assistant at Industrial and Organizational Solutions (4:30 p.m.)

Sydney Kmet – Strengthening Role Clarity: Internship at The Home Depot #1940 (4:45 p.m.)

Aimee Staemmer – Redesigning the Onboarding Process and Probationary Framework for Vantage Chemicals (5:00 p.m.)

Jessie Topel – Creating Efficiency Within Sovereign Brands (5:15 p.m.)

Sandy Nino – Job Analysis & Organizational Structure in Practice: An Internship Case Study at Village Fresh Market (5:30 p.m.)

Sydney Broderick – Consulting Assistant at Industrial-Organizational Solutions (5:45 p.m.)

Nicolas Ruiz – Structuring Human Capital: Job Analysis and Performance Management System Design at Village Fresh Market (6:00 p.m.)

Tony Alvarado – An Applied I/O Psychology Internship Supporting Cultural Competency and Faculty Development at Elmhurst University (6:15 p.m.)

Frick Center: Bryan Room
3:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.

Description: Students in the Masters of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology program recount their experiences during their internships and present their theses.

Sponsor: Jessica Sim

Kim Schmelzer – Bridging Theory and Practice: A Comprehensive Reflection on My Internship Experience in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (3:00 p.m.)

Bill Matwij – Autonomy, Job Stress, and Work-Life Balance Among Blue-Collar Workers (3:15 p.m.)

Jocelyn Y Gonzalez – Improving Job Descriptions at Village Fresh Market (3:30 p.m.)

Erin Nieszel – Consulting Assistant at Industrial/Organizational Solutions, Inc. (3:45 p.m.)

Taylor Wlodek – Learning, Development, & Professional Insight at Paylocity (4:00 p.m.)

Shyama Owen – Diversifying the Primient Workforce: Redesigning the Onboarding Process (4:15 p.m.)

Erica Johnson – Leading with CARE: Learning and Design Architect Internship Experience at DX Learning Solutions (4:30 p.m.)

Breanna Stewart – Diving into Talent Development: My Internship Experience at Sloan (4:45 p.m.)

Amanda McIvor – Optimizing Talent Assessment: Insights from an Internship at O.E. Strategies (5:00 p.m.)

Mahika Chitti – Reflections on Applied Consulting Work at Industrial Organizational Solutions (5:15 p.m.)

Sara Lamberti – Supporting Talent Decisions: My Internship Experience in Assessment & People Analytics (5:30 p.m.)

Anna Wright – Performance Management Insights for Peer Tutoring (5:45 p.m.)

Jacquelin Cyriac – Creating Psychological Safety in The Workplace: Manager’s Edition (6:00 p.m.)

Jenna Robinson – Planning the Organizational Estate: A Job Analysis and Competency Modeling Internship (6:15 p.m.)

Karigna Trinidad – The Strategic Importance of Modern Job Analysis and Description (6:30 p.m.)

Frick Center: Blume Board Room
Times as indicated

Honors Program Roundtable: Global Reflection (HON 351) (3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

Description: Each spring Honors Program students who have recently studied abroad join with our international students, studying abroad here, to explore intercultural perspectives on the challenges of globalization and participate in community efforts to help foster a more just and peaceful society.

Sponsors: Mary Kay Mulvaney & Erika McCombs

Charlene Arce
Sonja M. Gill
Srijan Raj Joshi
Rachel G. Martinez
Khadija Najjar
Taylor J. Rush
Bahome B. Seraphin
Benjamin S. Sobcak
Yustyna Tsaplak
Avaion J. Viverette
Mai Vo

Honors Program Roundtable: Democracy: Visions, Strengths, and Challenges (HON 404) (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.)

Description: This Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar is team-taught each spring by six faculty from different fields exploring one theme from varied perspectives. This year is topic is “Democracy: Visions, Strengths, and Challenges.”

Sponsor: Mary Kay Mulvaney

Christine Akoth
William D. Anderson
Charlene Arce
Hailey N. Chiovino
Marygrace Couri
Nina G. DeGuzman
Emily R. Gomez Luna
Ariana N. Hurtado
Graci L. Komperda
Samantha E. Lopez
Mariia Lukashenko
Imani M. Mugo
Bahome B. Seraphin
Avaion J. Viverette
Mai Vo

Honors Program Roundtable: British Life and Culture (HON 251) (5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)

Description: Honors 251: British Life and Culture is course taught in conjunction with the Honors semester abroad at Liverpool Hope University. Students in this course participate in a variety of cultural experiences in both Liverpool and London as part of this course. From these, students produce research-based projects and historically rooted travel narratives.

Sponsor: Erika McCombs

Maja Czarnota
Alejandra Galvan
Sofia Holloway
Ana Zaragoza

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Koplin Memorial Hall 104
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Postmodern Chaos Within Personal, Systemic, and National Trauma in Sula (3:30 p.m.)
Authors: Cassidy Fanella
Sponsor: Dr. Ann Frank Wake

Acknowledging the Chaos: Generational Trauma and Internalized Racism in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (3:45 p.m.)
Authors: Elisa Lo Duca
Sponsor: Dr. Ann Frank Wake

Exclusion, Autonomy, and Freedom: Transportation Infrastructure’s Facilitation of Residential Segregation in Atlanta (4:00 p.m.)
Authors: Madison McWhirter
Sponsor: Dr. Rob Butler

The Impact of Educational Attainment on Income (4:15 p.m.)
Authors: Xitlaly Rangel
Sponsor: Dr. Avraham Baranes

Koplin Memorial Hall 131
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

New Memes, Old Racism: Immigration and Customs Enforcement Social Media Account in the Era of Mass Deportations (3:30 p.m.)
Authors: Hillary Cruz Granados, Reilly Webb, Israel Starks, and Angelica Sophia Negron
Sponsor: Dr. Emily Navarro

Where the curtain falls: A sociological study of theatre professionals in the age of social media content creation (4:00 p.m.)
Authors: Maya Kosiarek
Sponsor: Dr. Emily Navarro

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Koplin Memorial Hall 133
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Physical Chemistry Research Presentations

Removal of Methylene Blue from Water via Adsorption (3:30 p.m.)
Authors: Cheyenne Harris and Yael Ghusoun
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Tetracycline Adsorption from Water Using Clay (3:45 p.m.)
Authors: Aaliyah Decillo and Sarahnur Thorpe
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Adsorption of Formic Acid by Activated Charcoal (4:00 p.m.)
Authors: Ethan Gammel and Elliot Jasson
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Adsorption of Cadmium from Aqueous Solution using Varying Amounts of Activated Charcoal (4:15 p.m.)
Authors: Andrea Aldrete
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Adsorption of Glutamate onto Hyaluronic Acid: Modeling Vitreous Humor Substitutes (4:30 p.m.)
Authors: Scott Campbell
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Adsorption of Crystal Ponceau R6 onto Chitosan (4:45 p.m.)
Authors: Madison Downes and Samatha Daly
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Brine Using Activated Charcoal and Bentonite Clay (4:45 p.m.)
Authors: Jacquelin Vanoni
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Tetracycline Adsorption from Water Using Increasing Clay Concentration (5:00 p.m.)
Authors: Sarahnur Thorpe
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

Adsorption of Crystal Ponceau R6 onto Chitosan (5:15 p.m.)
Authors: Samantha Daly and Madison Downes
Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin

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Koplin Memorial Hall 203
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Dichloromethane research and EPA (3:30 p.m.)
Authors: Mario Torres
Sponsor: Dr. Nathan Bradshaw

Intelligent LLM: A Unified AI Ecosystem for Secure and Scalable AI Applications (3:45 p.m.)
Authors: Jay Gajjar

Examining strategies used for gender-affirming voice training (GAVT) in transfeminine individuals: A review of the literature (4:00 p.m.)
Authors: Hailey Bliss
Sponsor: Dr. Karen Perta

Muscle Physiology and Fiber Type Variation in the Vocal Tract: Clinical Relevance for Speech, Voice, and Swallowing (4:15 p.m.)
Authors: Milena Trojan
Sponsor: Dr. Karen Perta