Earning Distinction in the Field of Concentration requires more than scholarly achievement, but an academic prowess to explore a topic of interest through a significant research project. Below are only the most recent incredible projects our seniors have completed during their time at Emmanuel through travel, internships and focused research.
Kristen Archer, History
“What are we fighting for?' Looking at the Anti-Vietnam War Movement Through Non-Traditional Media”
Advisor: Javier Marion, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History
Megan Canfield, International Studies
“The Evolution of Women's Voices and Rights in China”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Violetta Ravagnoli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History
Ryan Doran, Graphic Design
“Digital Fashion and the Augmented Reality Pop-Up Experience”
Advisor: Erich Doubek, M.F.A., Associate Professor of Art
Abigail Farrar, Modern Languages: Spanish
"Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz y Alfonsina Storni: Dos feministas avant la lettre”
Advisor: José Alvarez-Férnandez, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Modern Languages
Natali Gevorgyan, International Studies
“Realist Constructivism: Understanding Russian and Chinese Foreign Policies”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Violetta Ravagnoli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History
Isabel Goes, International Studies
“Transitioning Away from Female Genital Mutilation: Kenya, Egypt, & Migrant Populations”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Ivy Krull, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology
Matthew Hogan, Political Science
“A Multifaceted Force: How Small-Dollar Donations Affect American Democracy”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science; Petros Vamvakas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science
Madeleine Johnson, History
“Lost in Translation: The History of ELL Education in the United States”
Advisor: Javier Marion, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History
Abigail Lavallee, Communications & Media Studies
“The Picture Project: An Analysis of Performative Masculinity Through Social Media”
Advisors: Kelly McGuire, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English; Caitlin Lawson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English
Sonia Lizotte, Sociology
“Medical Discrimination against Disabled Adults: Causes and Consequences”
Advisor: Katrin Kriz, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Maeve Maloney, History
“An Echo in History: Parallels of the Lives & Leadership of Marie Antoinette and Alexandra”
Advisor: Javier Marion, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History
Alaina Martin, International Studies
“The World Trade Organization: A case study of China and the U.S.”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Florencia Gabriele, Ph.D., Lecturer of Business & Economics
Nicole Mitton, International Studies
“Security Implications of Climate Change in the Arctic: A Case Study of the U.S. & Russia”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Petros Vamvakas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science
Vonnie Orellana, Sociology
“Barriers and Pathways to College Graduation for Latinx First-Generation Students: A Literature Review”
Advisor: Ivy Krull, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology
Giselle Pilette, International Studies
“Behind the Negotiating Table: What Role for Diplomacy in Ending the Cold War?”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Adam Silver, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science
Gabrielle Roy, Philosophy
“A Combination Approach to Moral Education through Literature”
Advisor: Ryan Mott, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Melissa Schirmer, International Studies
“Methods and Strategies of Deradicalization and Countering Violent Extremism”
Advisors: Lenore Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science; Laurie Johnston, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology & Religious Studies
Natalie Silva, Theology & Religious Studies
“Spiritual Care and Scientific Validation: Finding a Balance”
Advisor: Laurie Johnston, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology & Religious Studies
Gabrielle Wenc, Modern Languages: Spanish
“Re-writing Modern Language: The Path to Inclusivity”
Advisor: José Alvarez-Férnandez, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Modern Languages
Aurelie Barry, Biology
“Creating a Buzz in Epigenteics: Can Drosophila Help to Understand Developmental Polycomb Repressive Pathways in Mammals?”
Advisors: Janel Cabrera, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology; Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Rylie Bolarinho, Chemistry
“Nanoparticle-aptamer conjugates as biomimetic mineralization templates”
Advisor: Aren Gerdon, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry
Rachel Brosnan, Biology
“The contraceptive function of the Human Contraception Antibody is enhanced due to interaction with cervical mucus and complement proteins”
Advisors: Derek Lau, Ph.D., Lecturer of Biology; Boston University
Katharine Burns, Psychology
“Examining PTSD Symptom Networks and Assessing PTSD Symptom Severity Among Veterans With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury”
Advisor: Linda Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Thamish Centeio, Biology
“Illuminating how a "FUN" Transcription factor dictates bacterial RNA polymerase activity”
Advisors: Padraig Deighan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology; Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Terry Chen, Biology
“Neural correlates of nonsymbolic set overlap with symbolic arithmetic: formal knowledge arithmetic in the understanding of the compositionality of numbers”
Advisors: Derek Lau, Ph.D., Lecturer of Biology; Harvard University
Kate DelTorchio, Psychology
“A Comparison of Online and In-Person Body Talk with Body Satisfaction”
Advisor: Linda Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Jennika Fevrier, Biology
“Do I Belong? An analysis of Black students' experiences in the health sciences at Emmanuel College”
Advisors: Anupama Seshan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology; Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Amanda Gilbert, Chemistry
“DNA aptamers exhibit structure-dependent influence on collagen mineralization”
Advisors: Aren Gerdon, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry
Katelyn Hunter, Biology
“The ‘tooth’ about molar development: Investigating the role of Cfp1 and molar formation
Advisors: Paul March, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry; Boston Children's Hospital
Merlin Joyce, Biology
“Target Acquired: Using Engineered Prime Editing Guide RNAs to Enhance the Efficiency of Prime Editing”
Advisors: Derek Lau, Ph.D., Lecturer of Biology; Brigham & Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School
Samantha Kanach, Individualized Major: Environmental Science
“Invasive plant species management and impact on chemical pollution of soil”
Advisor: Aren Gerdon, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry
McKenzie Leahy, Neuroscience
“Understanding Social Behavior Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Analysis of S1 Intra-connectivity”
Advisor: Melanie Leussis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology
Arina Ovchinnikova, Biology
“Divide and Conquer: high correlation of tuber segmentation to globus pallidus in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex patients with infantile spasms”
Advisors: Derek Lau, Ph.D., Lecturer of Biology; Boston Children's Hospital; Harvard Medical School
Polina Ovchinnikova, Mathematics
“Data Compression using Error-Correcting Codes for LDPC Source Codes”
Advisor: Heather Pierce, M.S., Senior Lecturer of Mathematics
Vincent Pavan, Biology
“END ROUTE: Steering Transcription Termination to Prematurely Exit Gene Expression”
Advisors: Paul March, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry; Jason Kuehner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology
Amanda Pfautz, Biology
“Licensed to Kill: Evaluating the phenotype of activated NK cells and utilizing CRISPR-mediated genetic modifications to enhance effector cell potency”
Advisors: Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology; Editas Medicine
Isabella Schichter, Biology
“The Four-Letter Building Blocks of Newborn Care: Evaluating diverse parental opinions on implementing whole genome sequencing as a supplement to newborn screening”
Advisors: Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology; Boston Children's Hospital
Isabella Schichter, Neuroscience
“Wait, who said I had to be a mind reader in order to date? Understanding Social Cognition and Theory of Mind in Romantic and Social Relationships for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder”
Advisor: Melanie Leussis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology
Emma Stevens, Chemistry
“Applications of Artificial Intelligence to Analysis of Single Molecule Biochemical Data”
Advisor: Allen Price, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics
Daniel Sullivan, Biology
“Don't MENtion it: Investigating the Hypothesized Interaction Between the Mitotic Exit Network Activators Tem1 and Lte1 Within S. cerevisiae”
Advisors: Anupama Seshan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology; Derek Lau, Ph.D., Lecturer of Biology
Hannah Sullivan, Biostatistics
“Modeling a Mutation in a Yellowstone Elk Population”
Advisor: Christine Sample, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics
Grace Viviano, Psychology
“Comparing Attitudes Towards E-Cigarettes and Combustible Cigarettes”
Advisor: Linda Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Katelyn Fiore, Education: Liberal Studies
“Behavior as Communication: Building Tools for Behavior Management in the Classroom”
Advisor: Miriam Gates, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Math Education
Charles King, Management
“The Effects of the Rapid Advancement of Healthcare Automation”
Advisors: Kelly Basile, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Management; John Barrett, Lecturer of Business & Economics
Alaina Martin, Economics
“Building a Better Boston: Economic Policy Recommendations for the Infrastructure Bill”
Advisors: Rebecca Moryl, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics; Shuyi Jiang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics
Olivia Parchesky, Economics
“Seeds of Tomorrow: The Reallocation of Foreign Aid to the Agricultural Sector of Sub-Saharan Africa”
Advisors: Rebecca Moryl, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics; Florencia Gabriele, Ph.D., Lecturer of Business & Economics
Deanna Ruggiero, Finance
“What caused The Great Recession and the housing bubble in 2007-2008? What were the drivers that increased the value of assets?”
Advisors: Leonard Guida, Visiting Assistant Professor of Finance; Shuyi Jiang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics
Nick grew up in a family of medical professionals—his mother and grandmother are both nurses and his father is a paramedic. “I’ve always been surrounded with medical jargon and stories of health incidents, crises, and the rewarding benefits of providing care,” he said.
Emmanuel College is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through the Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program.
When asking secondary education and biology double major Angela Girodier '22 if she’s more passionate about research or teaching, she quickly and emphatically says “both.”
One way that people’s body dissatisfaction is socially expressed is through engaging in negative conversations with friends regarding how unhappy they are with their bodies.
The role of the youth violence prevention streetworker is a critical and an often-overlooked component of juvenile violence intervention strategies in major cities across the U.S.
Within the School of Business & Management, a student-faculty research team is studying the effects of linking executive pay to DEI initiatives to answer the question: when it comes to diversity initiatives in corporations, does money talk?
Join us on a video tour of the Maureen Murphy Wilkens School of Nursing & Clinical Sciences’ new nursing laboratory. The space includes the Joanne DiGeronimo and Anthony Migliario Nursing Skills Laboratory, a high-fidelity simulation lab, de-briefing room, new office space and more.
Within the Maureen Murphy Wilkens School of Nursing & Clinical Sciences, students gain the type of hands-on, practical experience that helps them emerge as well-rounded, in-demand nursing professionals.
For Nadel, the stage is her “second home,” and the community she’s found within Emmanuel’s Theater program, a second family. While she originally thought she would pursue college theater as a hobby, she soon realized the work would define her student experience and provide a foundation for life beyond Emmanuel.
Prior to coming to Emmanuel, Gianna had never heard of the field of sociology, but was very familiar and passionate about issues of crime and justice. Her time at Emmanuel helped her to not only put a name—but also, a purpose—to that passion.
Propelled by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, students and faculty in the Mathematics Department are studying the rate of evolution in spatially structured populations using evolutionary graph theory, which may inform the estimation of important events in our evolutionary past, such as when humans split from our closest primate relatives.
Assistant Professor of Communications and Media Studies Mark Flynn and Tristyn Surprenant ’20 take a look at food advertisements and the effects of mindfulness on television binge watching.
Emmanuel is a place where students broaden their sense of what’s possible and prepare for inspiring careers in an ever-changing world. Be here.
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