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  Cross–Cultural Approaches to Teaching and Learning

  Halima Boukraa

  The historical and current implications of language bias in the education system of the United States. From the Lau v. Nichols (1974) Supreme Court case to the misunderstanding of African American English, this is an issue that is necessary for the education system to evolve and to enable students to reach their full potential.

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  Engaging Bilingual Students in the Grade Six Classroom

  Kathryn Contini

  In this presentation, I will share my ongoing case study research on factors that support reading motivation and engagement for three emergent bilingual learners (BLS) in my grade six English language arts classes. I will present a variety of information gained through both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and share strategies that been helpful to engaging these sixth graders. Feedback from other practitioners will be solicited.

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  Emerging Technologies and the Measurement of Consciousness

  Kristin Corona

  With significant advancements in science and technology, along with increased focus on neuroplasticity, new ways to measure consciousness and changes in consciousness are emerging. Advanced neuroimaging technologies are being succeeded by more holistic methods of gathering data with the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring. The implications are better tools for the scientific community to assess medical conditions and cognitive states as well as higher awareness and integration of consciousness into our everyday lives.

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  Global Comparison of Incarceration: Punitive Versus Rehabilitative Frameworks

  Rachel DiGangi and Joshua Baldwin

  Inspired by an internship at Billerica House of Corrections, I have found interest in conducting research on the different frameworks used for incarceration across the world. I am focusing on comparing the recidivism rates between rehabilitative and punitive prison systems. Especially in countries that have decriminalized drugs, the treatment component has been enhanced tremendously. Their success in rehabilitation forces us to question if our system is truly a broken system; reinforcing our concept of stereotypical “criminal behavior.”

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  Cognitive Dissonance in Society

  Brittany Fields

  This poster illustrates the effects that society and culture have on the psyche and psychology. The difficulty of people trying to function in a society that does not resonate with them can be seen as the root of many mental health problems. I use theories identified with Maslow and Erikson as a way of getting the teachings of psychology more integrated into society. Works of Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Church, Betty Freidan, and Leon Festinger are used as a way of explaining how unresolved cognitive dissonance has negative effects on people.

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  Made in America: The Prison Wage Gap

  Jordan Henn-Terhune

  My poster will be framed around my research paper regarding the prison wage gap, and will offer statistics, excerpts from my work, and visuals such as graphs and pictures. Through my presentation, the audience will learn about what the label “Made in America,” means, the role mass incarceration plays in the oppression of those labeled “criminal,” and the importance of fair wages and education in American prisons to reverse the cycle of poverty, oppression, and legal discrimination.

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  Refugees: Systemic Challenges and Personal Stories

  Praveena Kandasmi, Kenna Tyrrell, and Kellie Cahalane

  At present, the refugee crisis has elicited varied reactions by individuals, communities, and nations. This poster aims to raise awareness on how a person gains refugee status and is granted resettlement into the United States, and debunk misconceptions about refugees. It also seeks to raise awareness about the diversity within refugee groups that live in the United States. The information presented is a combination of research from online sources, site visits, interviews with refugees, and work experience with refugee communities.

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  Attributes of First Generation Students Enabling Them to Complete a Baccalaureate Degree

  Jackie Masloff

  The audience will learn about the barriers faced by first generation college students in their endeavors to complete a four–year degree, and the attributes and traits of these students that I have so far found enable them to do so. The significance of this research is that it can help improve retention rates at the colleges these students attend and, at some point, provide a guide for admissions people to be better able to determine which students are the best fit for their institutions, better enabling these students to graduate.

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  Preventing Aftershocks: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of Gender–Based Violence

  Molly Pistrang

  This session explores how experiences as a gender–based violence research intern with the Lesley Women’s Center and the development of an installation that examines the after–effects of sexual assault provide the genesis of my master’s thesis: a multidisciplinary, data driven course for middle school students on healthy relationships and consent. This course, tailored to diverse cultural contexts, provides relevant and appropriate prevention programming that promotes the inclusion and empowerment of all voices, especially those of underserved populations.

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  The Empathy Project: The Importance of Transitional Bilingual Education Programs

  Angela Raimo

  The audience will learn about the benefit of transitional bilingual education programs as well as the curriculum taught to my first and second grade students. They will also learn the strategies I have implemented to instill empathy and hold expectations for students who are struggling academically and socioeconomically. There will be a large amount of research on transitional bilingual education programs, multicultural teaching practices, multicultural students, and teaching empathy in an elementary school classroom.

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  Renewable Energy Education for a Better World

  Nataliya Ryzhenko

  Alternative Energy is a critical topic in modern education because knowledge of it helps to ensure a cleaner environment and can help people around the world to lead healthier and happier lives. It is our responsibility to teach about renewable power generation. These sources include solar, wind, soil, salt, and wastewater–derived energy.

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  More than This: A Creative Space for Healing and Community

  Stormy Saint-Val

  This project explores the outcomes of utilizing creative expression as a tool to enhance critical thought within communities on the attitudes towards sexual abuse and its victims. The ability for survivors of sexual abuse to share their complex stories of experiencing sexual violence and the aftermath invites survivors to cultivate understanding, healing, and resilience. It invites individuals to gain perspective on sexual trauma while illustrating to survivors that their community supports them.

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  Are Highly Sensitive People More Conscious of Environmental Harm?

  Samantha Sheppard

  I will present my honors psychology capstone study on sensory processing sensitivity and its role in pro–environmental behavior. This study weaves the worlds of evolutionary psychology, personality psychology, and environmental activism to explore the role of personality type on behavior. Through this study, I hope to further the research being done on sensory processing sensitivity and provide new insight on the intersection of evolutionary psychology and ecopsychology.

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  Health Care Standards for Incarcerated Women in Massachusetts

  Beth Williams-Breault

  The general health care disparities among incarcerated women are vast, although when women are imprisoned, they gain a constitutional right to health care that doesn’t exist outside of prison. However, no federal government body has established national standards for medical care in prisons. This research project serves as a public health policy memo to the Bureau of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) recommending accreditation standards for county and state correctional facilities for women.

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  Biodynamic Farming: An Urban, Community-Based Exploration

  Aieen Bellwood, Alycia McDonough, and Hanna Wennerberg

  In the fall of 2015, a group of four Lesley undergraduates worked together with Professor Aileen Bellwood to create an urban learning experience focused on biodynamic farming. Through weekly meetings, discussions, readings as well as farm-based activities and projects, we learned about the principles and practices of biodynamic farming in an urban setting. This poster depicts our shared exploration.

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  Science Meets Art: Using Big Science Concepts as Art Prompts in Middle and High School Curricula

  Mary Brooks

  Science and art share a common creative process. Both require skills such as abstract thinking, attention to detail, repetition, creative problem-solving to name just a few. It is important to offer students an opportunity to experience creativity in a science setting. Arts integration in STEM (STEAM) is an exciting, engaging way to bring creativity and curiosity to science learning. This curriculum is based on a case study of how research scientists "use" creativity in their work. This curriculum asks students to identify the big science ideas and use them as art prompts in written and visual art work.

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  Vegetation and Land Use Effects on Bird Richness: A Cambridge Perspective

  Nathan Coney and Dani McDonald

  As urbanization increases, urban ecology becomes an apparent topic to consider for environmental and community issues. This study investigates Cambridge’s bird populations and comparing it to observational field data and publically available geospatial data on vegetation and land usage, gaining an inference on the roles these possibly play on each other. The findings support significant relationships between vegetation diversity and bird diversity, as well as generalist species adapting to these urban environments. Further discussions are on refinement of data collection and methodology, use of citizen science, and using this as a tool to compare the urban ecology of other cities.

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  Making a Difference

  Kathryn Contini

  Middle school students pose unique challenges when teaching. Since a middle schooler’s life often revolves around social demands, educators need to strive to keep them engaged in the classroom. By designing instructional methods and interdisciplinary projects that allow students to express their voice and opinions, they can achieve more. My sixth grade team’s Make a Difference project is one such project. By giving students the opportunity to make a difference about a cause that matters to them, they work to use their math, research, and writing skills to create awareness campaigns to try to make a difference in their community.

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  Art Therapy with Alzheimer's Disease

  Julia Dres

  There is not much research or work done with individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Art Therapy. There are many benefits of using this form of therapy with someone who has a disease of the brain. Art Therapy strengthens the skills that are still strong or present and also paves way for socialization. Creativity and imagination are still present and even though the art may retreat back to that of a child, they are still living and capable of connecting to their imagination.

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  Growing Voters

  Jo-Anne Hart

  I am the creator of a citizenship media literacy project called GrowingVoters.com, which provides teachers with technology-based learning activities to directly engage students in the presidential election. In 2016 I will publish my 4th edition. GrowingVoters.com materials have been downloaded by thousands of teachers and in all 50 US states since its inception in 2004. This poster session will highlight my new materials for the 2016 Presidential election.

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  How Cells Communicate: A Study of PKCdelta Phosphorylation Efficiency

  Quamrul Hassan and Madeline Spencer

  Communication is important for our bodies to function properly, especially at the cellular level. Our bodies utilize enzymes - specific proteins that catalyze chemical reactions - to effectively and quickly communicate many different kinds of messages. PKCdelta is an enzyme that has been implicated in membrane transport, as well as the formation of bile in the liver. Any misregulation of PKCdelta can lead to cholestasis and liver injury. Utilizing a coupled assay, we will determine the enzymatic activity of PKCdelta as it phosphorylates ATP using the UV spectrophotometer. After we have established the standard curve, we will determine the peak enzymatic activity (using the Michaelis-Menten equation) with different variables, such as temperature and enzyme substrate concentration.

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  Retention by Design: Understanding Undergraduate Persistence through Multiple Ways of Knowing

  Randi Korn

  In May 2015, a cross college committee was appointed to examine the retention and graduation rates of Lesley University undergraduates. The process of examination has included empirical (observation, experience, evidence-based) and ontological (how do we know Lesley) practices which have included data analysis, observation, synthesis, social construction and organizational culture. This poster will demonstrate the cross-disciplinary approach of the committee.

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  Assessing the Efficacy of eHealth for Older Adults in Boston: A Qualitative Study

  Mary Krebs

  Technology has emerged to affect all levels of healthcare delivery in the United States. Although digital health services known as eHealth hold the promise of improved care and healthier living, an emerging theme in the literature suggests those most likely to benefit from eHealth are least likely to utilize it. This study identifies the gap in the literature of understudied characteristics of adoption and use effecting the aging population. The efficacy of acceptance and use for older adults in Boston is illuminated as the study contributes a deeper understanding by identifying key barriers to utilization of eHealth within this population.

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  What You See Is Not Always What You Get: The non-WYSIWYG World of Performative Iconography

  Donna La Rue

  Dance visual sources are particularly vulnerable to over-interpretation. Artists’ conventions for showing bodies, space, and movement-in-time can be misleading; dance’s ephemerality leaves no positive corrective. This presentation, led by a dance and art history researcher and teacher, offers a more felted interpretive strategy; we will also discuss a more multivalent approach to gaze. Valuable as recent works on performative iconography are, a balanced art- and dance-based approach helps readers see visual sources with greater parallax. Researchers in the expressive therapies, arts educators, dance ethnographers, dance historians, and dance and art history students and researchers will find this study of interest.

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  Bilinguals' Emotional Responses in American English and Korean

  Jihoon Lee

  The presenter shares an initial plan for her Independent Study. Lee devised this study to explore linguistic characteristics of English-Korean bilinguals in showing sympathy. This is her second experiment that investigates showing sympathy between American English and Korean inspired by the data-collection method in Panayiotou (2004). The participants are to verbally respond to a same sympathy-enticing scenario in English first and in Korean with a one-month interval. The study aims to examine whether and when they use code-switching, and whether there are frequently used vocabulary or syntactic characteristics in their respective languages. This study may contribute to providing language teachers and researchers in SLA with some intercultural pragmatic insights.