Research Days Posters 2025

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  Synthesis of Ag-Sn Phases Predicted with Machine Learning

  Jeff Lam, Olesya Gorbunova, Md Ariful Islam, Ganesh Tiwari, and Tibendra Adhikari

  Machine learning has the potential to accelerate materials discovery for targeted applications. In electronics packaging, continued miniaturization demands new solutions, with Sn-rich alloys emerging as promising lead-free interconnects. The Ag-Sn binary was recently explored with a combination of machine learning, evolutionary optimization, and ab initio modeling, revealing previously unknown Sn-rich intermetallics stable at elevated temperatures. In this project, these predictions have been tested experimentally using flux growth synthesis, where Sn, due to its low melting point, acts as flux for dissolving raw materials at high temperatures before crystallizing target phases through controlled cooling. To ensure safe processing conditions, Python-based software was developed to monitor and manage vapor pressure during high-temperature treatments. Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis performed on synthesized alloys suggests binary compounds with compositions close to the predicted 1:2 and 1:4 stoichiometries are present. This work was supported by the Department of Energy through grant DE-SC0021202.

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  What Comes First, the Color or the Creator? Understanding Black Christan Nationalism

  Avianka Landrine

  The love of God and America is a staple in republican spaces, with the depths of this sentiment holding space for Christian Nationalism as understood by many white Christians. Given their unique relationship with and position in America, what about Black Christians? This article explores the presence of intersectionality between race, religion, and political behavior within African Americans. This article seeks to answer the questions of what makes Christian Nationalism appealing to African Americans. Is this appeal enough for African Americans to switch political behavior and does this pose a threat to America's democracy? Using the historical context of Black oppression and religion, this paper aims to formulate a deeper understanding of what Black Christianity looked like in stricter racialized times within American history. By going back to the slave trade and using the recent rhetoric of Black pastors and the results of the 2024 presidential election, this paper seeks to gage this observation.

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  Increasing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Screening Rates among Hospitalized Patients through increase Utilization of the SDoH Navigator and Nurse Education

  J'Adore LaRosa-Mattis

  Social determinants of health (SDoH) significantly impact health outcomes, often more than medical care alone (WHO, 2024). Patients with low socioeconomic status face higher post-discharge risks, increasing readmissions (Virapongse & Misky, 2018). Despite their importance, SDoH screening remains inconsistent. Integrating SDoH data into Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is essential for addressing disparities and guiding targeted interventions (Liu et al., 2024). This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to enhance nurse education and increase SDoH Navigator utilization within the hospital’s EHR system to improve SDoH screening rates. Five nurses in a 40-bed telemetry unit participated in an educational intervention, including interactive training and hands-on demonstrations. The Addressing Client Needs with Social Determinants of Health Scale (ACN: SDH) assessed pre- and post-intervention knowledge. Post-test scores showed an 80% increase in correct responses, indicating improved SDoH knowledge and Navigator use. However, a small sample size limited finding.

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  Synthesis of Spirobenzopyrans Crowned Ether (SP-CE) and Data Collection of its Lithium Ion Uptake

  Linda Lee, Kevin Yusko, and Jeremiah Mulu

  Lithium is a naturally occurring alkali metal present in the human body. Spirobenzopyrans Crowned Ether (SP-CE) is a sensor that can measure lithium ion fluorescence in living cells. As some sodium dependent membrane transporters are also able to accept lithium, SP-CE could be a potential route in testing their activity in cell-based studies. This research poster outlines experiments evaluating SP-CE’s effectiveness in detecting a range of LiCl concentrations.

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  From Asylums to Prisons: The Impact of Deinstitutionalization on Mentally Ill Individuals in New York

  Jillian Leifer

  How has deinstitutionalization impacted mentally ill inmates in New York? How has the shift from institutional mental health care to alternatives like therapy and medicinal drugs affected incarceration rates among individuals with severe mental illness? Has deinstitutionalization led to transinstitutionalization, moving individuals from mental facilities to prisons? Though mental healthcare has undergone significant changes, access to adequate treatment remains limited, especially for low-income individuals. To explore these questions, this study examines the history of mental health policy, deinstitutionalization, and incarceration trends in New York. It also analyzes census data and scholarly literature to assess the relationship between mental health care accessibility and rising incarceration rates. Through comparing past and present treatment options, it is expected that reduced institutional care, coupled with insufficient community support, has contributed to an increase in mentally ill individuals within the criminal justice system. This research will highlight the consequences of these policy shifts.

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  Asthma Case Finding in Head Start Children

  Keying Li, Rinzin Khando, Kate Lin, Belinda Rodriguez, Lucas Sanchez, Jasmine Shek, Yuna Shi, and Winnie Wang

  Head Start children are at higher asthma risk. Disparities in social determinants of health may contribute to this disparity. It is essential to identify those children at risk for adverse outcomes to prevent the airway remodeling associated with uncontrolled asthma.This descriptive correlational study surveyed parents of children enrolled in Head Start on respiratory symptoms indicative of possible asthma to determine asthma prevalence and asthma risk in 2015 and 2025. 2015: N= 133. Asthma rate 17.2% with many potentially uncontrolled ( 20% wheezing, 26% cough lasting > one week; 30% difficulty sleeping due to cough;11% ER visit or admitted; 9% missed school). 2025: Data is currently being collected for comparable analysis.These findings show unsettling rates of asthma risk in the Head Start population. The need for increased parental education on asthma symptoms and management is imperative to intervene early before adverse asthma outcomes occur.

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  Applying Social Determinants of Health to Identify Depressive Symptoms among Older Asian American Dementia Caregivers

  Daniel Lin, Abby Shapiro, Mina Lee, and Kun Wang

  Older dementia caregivers are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). Older Chinese and Korean immigrants facing cultural and language barriers, along with limited social networks, may face even greater risks. Despite these vulnerabilities, little research has explored the perceived threat of AD/ADRD among this underserved population. An ongoing pilot study initiated in August 2024 administered questionnaires to eligible participants self-identifying as: Chinese or Korean Americans, aged 50 or older, and caregiving for a family member with AD/ADRD. The initial data collected from 42 participants (average age: 71 years; 52% female) reported that 70% of them experienced depressive symptoms at least once a week before taking the survey. Preliminary analysis indicated that depressive symptoms were significantly related to caregivers’ burden, general health, and cognitive decline. This pilot study highlights that many caregivers for family members with AD/ADRD suffer from depressive symptoms.

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  Rape Pregnancies and Consequent PTSD Resulting From The Overturning of Roe v. Wade

  Emma Lindenfelser, Nenette Nti-Agyemang, Ellen Davis, and Yulia Garaeva

  The intersection of reproductive health and politics has historically shaped women’s healthcare, particularly influencing availability of abortion services. The 1973 Roe v Wade decision legalized abortions and allowed American women to access life-saving care on a national level. Fifty years later, politics and women’s health evolved again following the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v Wade decimating federal protections of abortion. The research presents a direct prediction that one in 20 women in the United States will be affected by this matter as rape-related pregnancies and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for mothers and their children will increase in the immediate future. The overturning of Roe v Wade has restricted racial and economic minorities from access to abortion in one-third of the United States. By re-electing Donald Trump’s administration, who employs healthcare officials with no medical training like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., equal access to reproductive care is threatened.

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  The Legacy of Highway Displacement in Binghamton: The Construction of the North Shore Drive in the Seventh Ward

  Alice Liu

  The 1950s and early 1960s were a peak time for highway construction both in Binghamton and around the country. Many scholars have noted that highway construction in many cities resulted in demolished communities leaving their poor and minority residents displaced. The impact of highway construction in Binghamton, however, has received little attention. This paper focuses on the displacement of residents, mostly Black and Italian Americans, as a result of the construction of the North Shore Drive through Binghamton’s Seventh Ward. It draws on local Binghamton newspaper articles and census records of individuals who lived in the former Seventh Ward. This paper not only aims to establish the displacement that took place, but also the economic and racial impacts that highway displacement had on African American and Italian American individuals. Moreover, it further utilizes research on the subsequent destruction of their sense of community within Binghamton during this construction of the North Shore Drive.

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  The Consumption of Women and Animals: A More Effective Way to Combat Fragile Masculinity When We Protest

  Ling Fei Liu

  The normalized sexualization of meat by corporate advertisements has led to the dehumanization of women, mental interchangeability of women and meat, and the solidification of traditional (and toxic) ideas of masculinity and femininity. Examining this connection may help create breakthroughs in effective communication strategies to achieve women’s and animal rights, and help men realize climate change isn’t only a “feminine” problem. In this study, the effectiveness of language and methods of protest used by women’s rights activists will be analyzed by looking at social responses to protests from each movement. Since these movements challenge ideals of toxic masculinity, understanding what language and methods are better or worse received by men can make appealing to men and achieving each movement’s goal easier. However, this study isn’t a definitive end-all solution, its purpose is to to inform activist movements by highlighting this interconnecting perspective and effective protest methods.

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  The Philosophy of Self-Defense: Tupac Shakur’s Concept of “Thug Life” and the Ideology Behind the Black Panther Party

  Kaya Lockhart

  Beyond his fame as a hip-hop artist, Tupac Shakur became a well-known political figure who sought to reduce gang violence, opposed police brutality, and advocated for self-defense—values that have been compared to those of the Black Panther Party. In 1992, Tupac established a set of “criminal” guidelines known as the “Code of Thug Life” to protect bystanders from needless engagement in gang disputes and bring more order in the streets while ensuring self-defense against opposing gangs or other threats. This project reframes discussions about the “Code” by analyzing it through the lens of Panther theorist Eldridge Cleaver’s controversial adaptation of the concept of the “lumpenproletariat,” which, contrary to Marxist orthodoxy, saw structurally uneducated and unemployed Black communities as a vanguard for revolutionary politics. Responding to historians such as Chris Booker, this video essay reconsiders Tupac’s “Code of Thug Life” as a continued theory and praxis of “lumpen” politics and fight for black empowerment.

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  The Passport Paradox: When Citizenship Becomes a Weapon

  Rayaan Lodi

  The US and EU are often viewed as safe havens for those who are being politically silenced under oppressive governments. Acquiring US/EU citizenship is often considered a solution to the lack of political agency of those escaping these regimes, but if access to citizenship is controlled by the state, to what extent does this new citizenship status solve this problem? This research focuses on Kurdish people who have escaped persecution at the hands of the Turkish government and resettled in one of these host regions. This research will demonstrate how the US/EU use citizenship acquisition as a tool to delimit the political agency of Kurds who have resettled there. Due to international negotiations between Turkey and the US/EU, foreign policy goals, and the individual dynamics of resettlement, resettled Kurds find that their political agency is still limited by the same repressive policies they sought to escape from.

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  Too Cool for Camouflage?: The Effects of Dive-Related Thermal Loss on Body Coloration in a Semi Aquatic Lizard

  Lyra Lu and Alexandra Martin

  Rapid body color change is well documented in animals, but the variety of environmental factors that induce this change are not fully understood. Anolis aquaticus is a tropical lizard with rapid body color changes and that uses colder-than-average refugia, namely diving underwater for extended periods, to flee from predators. Using underwater refugia causes these lizards to lose several degrees of body heat. This research tested the relationship of low body temperatures on body coloration. First, an observational study was conducted in the field of the correlation between body temperature and body color. Then, body temperature was experimentally reduced in the laboratory to observe the effect on body color. Body color was quantified from standardized photographs, and visual modeling was used to determine lizard body coloration changes as seen by their primary predators (birds). Preliminary results show significant differences between cooled and controlled temperature lizards across certain color metrics.

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  Climate Equality in the Classroom: An Assessment of Climate Justice Education in Public Schools

  Steven Madden

  Despite the US public education system expanding to include lessons on climate change, it often ignores climate justice, meaning that many students fail to understand the intersection between social inequality and global warming. As a result, they are faced with an incomplete view of a major problem in their soon-to-be future, despite schools intending to prepare them for the greater world. Thus, this paper explores current roadblocks preventing climate justice from being taught, such as growing right-wing pressures and climate denial, and the pathways for expanding the subject within US schooling. My findings indicate that gaps in climate justice education–though expanding in some areas of the US–have seen progress in being filled, gradually making their way into more classrooms across the nation.

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  A Study of the Palestinian Diaspora in Upstate New York

  Rajeh Makhlouf and Ethen Wang

  Since 1948, the number of Palestinian refugees has grown immensely, from roughly one million to more than eight million globally. The recent conflict in Gaza has brought attention back to this group and their unique nature of statelessness. Through archival research, observations, and interviews with community members, this ethnographic study examines their livelihoods and struggles in Syracuse and Binghamton as a part of the Palestinian diaspora in Upstate New York. Palestinians prevail through markets, religious centers, and cultural events and celebrations. Through such representations, their heritage is brought to the United States, maintaining identities, fostering a multigenerational community, and preserving a connection to their homeland. By presenting the Palestinian-American experience, an underrepresented community that is integral to the diverse fabric of Upstate New York is highlighted, dispelling stigmas and stereotypes that have been enhanced post-9/11 and October 7th.

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  Green Infrastructure Programs in New York vs Shanghai

  Sebastian Male-Diaz

  Why is the current US administration is doing less to combat climate change? Climate change is an issue that is the biggest threat to humanity in the 21st century. Since the early 21st century, China’s rise in power has increased astronomically. It has gotten to the point where soon it will surpass the United States economically. As of now, the United States is the largest economy in the world, with China coming in close second. However, this will not be the case for long. The main question that this project addresses is to see if there is a difference between how China and the US have tackled climate change. Climate change is an existential threat, one which threatens all of our lives if we do nothing to fix it.

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  Hepatitis C (HCV) Care in the Southern Tier

  Sheena Malla, Yvonne Johnston, Mitchell Brooks, Meredith Smith, Nicole Keibel, and Jennifer Mahram

  The rural Southern Tier of New York has a significantly higher burden of Hepatitis C (HCV) infection than the rest of the state, emphasizing the region's need for enhanced HCV prevention and care. In collaboration with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Bureau of Hepatitis Health Care and Epidemiology, this pilot study aims to identify facilitators and barriers to HCV care in the Southern Tier. An electronic survey and focus groups were used to assess the availability and quality of HCV services in our catchment area. Organizations that currently offer or are interested in offering HCV services were invited to participate. In the future, the NYSDOH may adopt our model to better evaluate and improve HCV infrastructure across NYS.

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  A Look into How Green Binghamton Really Is

  Eva Mandelbaum

  In 1987, the UN defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” College campuses often appear filled with a desire for social change, including climate action and sustainability initiatives. But how much do students know—or care—about the initiatives on their own campus? If people view environmentalism and sustainability as imperative solutions to pressing issues that most people should care about, they are more likely to take action to encourage them. By surveying members of the Binghamton University community, this study gauges public perception of on-campus sustainability and pro-environmental initiatives and programming and what factors impact this perception. This research investigates how on-campus sustainability can be improved and how campus culture can be shifted to better encourage sustainability based on what generally motivates students to care about environmental action.

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  Effects of Environmental Conditions on Thiamine Levels and Health of Brook Trout

  Banshika Mangal and Dennis Kleiner

  Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), a predatory freshwater species, often consume prey fish with elevated levels of thiaminase. Previous studies have shown that thiaminase degrades thiamine (Vitamin B1), an essential cofactor in metabolic pathways including the pentose-phosphate pathway, citric acid cycle, and glycolysis. The deficiency of thiamine can impair RNA and DNA synthesis due to reduced NADPH production. This study investigated the impact of environmental factors on the thiamine levels in the diets of these brook trouts. Six brook trout strains from New York State and Canada, living in temperatures of 4°C and 19°C, and some under hypoxic conditions, were examined. A transketolase activity assay was developed and applied to fish liver samples for thiamine analysis. The findings are significant, as the assay paves the way for further studies on cellular redox states, oxidative stress, and the potential adverse effects of regulated enzymes on fish health and development.

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  Uncovering Seed-Handling and Nest Benefits in an Eastern North American Ant-Plant Seed Dispersal Mutualism

  Julian Marshall and Rosebelle Ines

  In eastern North American forests, Aphaenogaster ants and understory plants are part of a widespread and prominent seed dispersal mutualism. In this mutualism, plants produce seeds with a fatty-acid-rich package that attracts and provides ants with nutrition and the plants experience lower competition. Aphaenogaster ants disperse seeds by moving them from the parent plant into the soil-based ant nest where the ants remove the elaiosome and feed it to their brood. Seeds without elaiosomes are then discarded, sometimes in the nest, and sometimes outside of the nest. Seed deposition locations may provide benefits to germination and establishment between ant species. Between two Aphaenogaster species, A. rudis handles more seeds and processes them faster than A. picea, but further benefits remain unknown. Increased germination rates of seeds that were handled were found. To understand what caused differences in germination rates, soil character from natural and experimental Aphaenogaster nests is being investigated.

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  The Morrill Act's Unseen Cost: Indigenous Land Seizure and the Path to Reparations

  Tobias Martin

  The Morrill Act of 1862, which formed state “land-grant” universities, has long been celebrated for boosting American educational opportunities and distributing Western land at a reasonable price for Americans to develop. Yet it did so by dispossessing Indigenous Americans through unfair treaties and seizure. In 2020, High Country News exposed this neglected history of what it relabeled “land-grab” universities with a detailed analysis of the parcels of land taken from Native nations to endow each university. Arguments over reparations have ensued as some of the universities funded by the act started to take small steps forward. This project analyzes the many potential reparative ideas posed by different scholars, institutions, and Native nations to evaluate whether they are feasible, would set up communities for future success, and would bring justice to this tragic history.

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  Overshadowed, but Not Devalued: Harpur College, A Hidden Gem of Political Activism

  Arly Massene, Giada Rosario, and Tolulope Diyaolu

  The 1960s and 70s were a time of socio-political turmoil with the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, sparking demonstrations across the nation. Accounts of these movements generally highlight demonstrations in the South or at a handful of high-profile universities in the Northeast and West. This podcast analyzes the political engagement of students at Harpur College (now Binghamton University) during the 1960s and 1970s, introducing the political voices of students at smaller universities to national conversations. Objectives of this podcast include research on the difference in advocacy for both causes, as Harpur students supported the Civil Rights Movement both on and off campus, but anti-war protests drew many more participants. Utilizing local and university newspapers, oral histories, student records in Special Collections, and documents from the Broome County Historical Society, this project illuminates student voices and seeks to remind local residents and students of their history of political advocacy.

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  Incarcerated Youths in Canada and the United States: A Comparative Analysis

  Grace Mastrangelo

  Are children who commit adult crimes deserving of adult punishments? According to the United Nations, not if it harms their well-being. The U.N.’s primary treaty on children’s rights states that the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), all state actions, and government institutions involving children must prioritize children’s well-being, safety, health, and protection. Only one U.N. member state, out of 196, has not ratified the CRC: the United States. This is reflected in the U.S.’s juvenile justice system, which has been criticized since the 1980s for harsh sentencing and the incarceration of children in adult facilities. In contrast, Canada’s juvenile justice system emphasizes rehabilitation, restorative justice, and limits severe punishments for offenders. This project will compare juvenile sentencing laws in both countries under the framework of CRC compliance, analyzing the histories of these systems and how their policy differences impact juvenile offenders’ well-being.

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  Maintenance of Healthy Habits at Binghamton University

  Kasper Matia

  Obesity is a significant issue that is known to cause many chronic illnesses/diseases. Why are obesity rates so high in the United States, specifically among young adults and adults? Are the habits of college students building a base of bad habits that lead to obesity? In order to answer these questions, students of SUNY Binghamton were surveyed to find more about their eating, sleeping, and exercise patterns. These three key factors will provide a basis on the overall health of students as they are the most important in obesity prevention. Results are expected to support the notion that the habits developed by college students are leading to overall poor health as a country. Additionally, results may show student’s healthy habits worsen as they progress through university.

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  From Facts to Feelings: The Role of Personal Narratives in Solitary Confinement Reform

  Sarah Mazar

  Each year more than 100,000 Americans are isolated from all human contact in solitary confinement cells. While a United Nations report has said solitary confinement may amount to torture and called for it to be banned, except in highly exceptional cases, its use persists in every US state partly because such practices are by definition hidden from the public. One way to convey the reality of solitary confinement for broader publics is through personal narratives and memoirs. This project therefore turns to Albert Woodfox’s Solitary and The Solitary Watch Archive to explore how personal stories may uniquely resonate with the public, prompting both empathy and policy reform. By amplifying the voices of those who have endured solitary confinement, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of its psychological and human costs, ultimately fueling the empathy and legislative action that is needed to end this inhumane practice.