ACRE
Through the Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE), Albright students have the opportunity to conduct research or creative activity in partnership with nurturing faculty mentors.
How ACRE Works
- Students from all majors are invited to submit an application for the ACRE program.
- Students select which ACRE session they would like to undertake (Summer, January Interim)
- A faculty committee reviews the proposals and recommends awards.
- Accepted participants receive a stipend and free room and board during the summer or January interim.
- Students and faculty from all disciplines meet each week to share their experiences and learn from each other.
- Many collaborative teams of students and faculty present their research at academic conferences and publish their results in professional journals.
For more information, please contact Dr. Matt Fotis, Associate Professor of Theatre, at (610) 921-7873 or mfotis@albright.edu, or contact Director of Experiential Learning, Kim Justeson at kjusteson@albright.edu or 610-921-7630.
Summer 2022 ACRE Research
| Student First | Student Last | Faculty | Project |
| Christopher | Bilik | Guillaume de Syon | The Fight for Recognition for the Experiences of Japanese Americans in World War II and How That Connects to the Present-Day Struggles of the Asian American Community |
| Nicholas | Griffith | David Osgood | Does Spatial Variation of Disturbance in a Forest Affect Plant Community Composition? |
| Libby | Harford | John Pankratz | Songs of Democracy: The Evolution of the Presidential Campaign Song |
| Erika | Jerrahian | Erin Ventresca | Creation of Transgenic Drosophila Line to Determine the Role of Akt in Diadzein-dependent Larval Lethality |
| Kyle | Kartchner | Mike D’Errico | Building Connections Across Music and Games |
| Megan | Keller | Adam Hersperger | Understanding the Importance of the Ectromelia Growth Factor Protein to Virus Replication |
| Kamaryn | Koch | Ian Cost | Comparing Cardiovascular Anatomy of Different Avian Species |
| Marcela | Kraft | Laura Gelety | Life after Trauma – A Shift from Childhood Trauma to Mental and Physical Well-Being in Adulthood |
| Noah | Kulp | David Osgood | Understanding the Effects of Timbering Disturbances on Succession of Understory Plant Communities Within Eastern Deciduous Forests |
| Olivia | Oatman | MeeAe Oh-Ranck | Fashion Shouldn’t Cost The Earth: re-Design Fashion Sustainability |
| Brian | Pan | Brian Buerke | Quantum Advantage in the Modified Penny Flip Game |
| Lisa | Statler | Midori Hartman | Ethan Allen Hitchcock: Tracing Esoteric Philosophy from Antiquity to the Renaissance and Beyond |
| Zyaire | Valentine | Paula Trimpey | Testing the Design and Construction Limitations of Imitation Patent Leather Stretch Knit Fabric |
| Alyssa | Zerbe | Justin Couchman | Piercings and Tattoos: Do They Leave Marks on Perception |
| Binya | Zhang | Amy Styer Greene | Bafilomycin Drugs and Temperature Effects on Contractile Vacuole Contraction Rate in Vorticella Convallaria |
Interim 2022 ACRE Research
| Student Name | Faculty | Project |
| Brigette Amendano | Ian Cost | Mapping of the Trigeminal Nerves in Avian |
| Dylan Cope | Nathan Henceroth | Digital Democracy |
| Elyse Eckert | Keith Feigenson | The Influence of 2D and 3D Presentation of Stimuli on the Hollow Mask Illusion |
| Ryan Janowski | Nathan Henceroth | Digital Democracy |
| Taylor Lanier | Brian Buerke | Measurement of the Variability of the Apparent Brightness of Stars |
| Gabrielle List | Bridget Hearon | Effects of Media Messaging and Media Outlet on Acceptance of COVID-19 Public Health Precautions |
| Regina McCarter | Justin Couchman | Empathy and Moral Judgements about Autism Spectrum Disorder using Virtual Reality |
| Megan Misurelli | Teresa Gilliams | Cross-Cultural Circuitries of Grit: A Critical Examination of Resilience |
| Phuong My Chau | Ian Cost | Comparing Tooth Wear in North American Bats with Different Diets |
| Gillian Pierce | Ian Rhile | The Technique of NOE Can Distinguish Between Hydrogen Atoms in Organic Compounds |
| Abigail Platero | David Tanner | Deaccessioning for Diversity Within the Freedman Gallery |
| Mikhayla Reilly | Nicholas Piro | Investigation of Nitrene Transfer to a Ferrocenyl Copper Complex |
| Zuul Woodson | Keith Feigenson | The Effects of Illusory Pattern Perception on COVID-19 Vaccination Conspiracy Beliefs |
Summer 2021 ACRE Research
| Student Name | Faculty | Project Title |
| Etsub Tolossa | Matthew Sonntag | Structure and Stability of Alkali Borate Glasses |
| Sidney Walker | Christian Hamann | New Undergraduate Research Targets Repurposed from Organic Laboratory Waste |
| McKinley Williams | Alan Shane Dillingham | Entagled Histories: Indigeneity and Blackness in the US Southeast and Oklahoma |
| Mikhayla Reilly | Nicholas Piro | Do Ferrocene-to-Copper Interactions Exist, and Can They Stabilize a Copper Nitrene |
| Ethan Ortiz | Nicholas Piro | Adjusting Reactive Intermediate Lifetimes through Steric Congestion |
| Taisha Charles | Brittany Shelton | Counting Variations of Knights and Knaves Puzzles |
| Vanessa Baker | Brittany Shelton | Examining the Structure of the Gear Ball |
| Katsuto Sakogashira | Marian Wolbers | The Doors That Shut: Finding Japanese Culture through Theatre |
| Christina Farris | Bridget Hearon | Romantic or Stigmatizing?: How the Media Affects Teenagers’ and Young Adults’ Perceptipons of Mental Illness |
| Emily Lenkevich | Stephen Mech | Study Continuation fo the Effect of the Non-native Microstegium Vimineum on Small Mammal and Insects |
| Olivia Trace | Jordan Shomper | Using Music to Heal: Mental Health in Choral Music |
| Abigail Platero | David Tanner | Deaccessioning for Diversity Within The Freedman Gallery |
| Cecelia Ensell | Susan Hughes | The Impact of Perceived Physical Resemblance on the Perception of Close Relationships |
| Elyse Eckert | Bridget Hearon | Assessing Exercise and Health Behavior Changes Associated with the Covid-19 Pandemic |
| Abigail Shoemaker | Stephen Mech | The short and long-term effects of anthropogenic habitat disturbance on the geographic range distribution of Terrapene carolina |
Click here to read their abstracts and view their final presentations.
Interim 2021 ACRE Research
| Student Name | Faculty | Project Name |
| Natalie Buck | Denise Meister | Examining the Algebra I Keystone Exam Throughout PA: Its Purpose, Five-Year Results, and Remediation Efforts |
| Evan Cardinal | Nathan Henceroth | Elementary or Parliamentary? An Empirical Analysis of Participation Among Female Members of European Parliament and its Impact on Legislative Careers |
| Evan Carr | Lisa Wilder | A Decomposition of US Urban-Rural Racial Wage Gaps |
| Jonathan Craft | Michael D’Errico | Performing Gender in Videogame Livestreams |
| Cecelia Ensell | Susan Hughes | The Impact of Perceived Physical Resemblance on the Perception of Close Relationships |
| Karl Fey | Guillaume de Syon | The Best Worst Tank in the Army: How Human Agency Shaped the Development of the M4 Medium Tank |
| Olivia Frey | Christian Hamann | Both Static and Dynamic Images May Improve the Laboratory Experience |
| Jacob Gragg | Heidi Mau | Design International: The Graphic Design Practices of Seven Eurasian Countries |
| Natasha Halulakos | Jayanthi Rajan | Mom’s the Word: Marketing to Moms in the New Normal |
| Ashley Hillegass | MeeAe Oh-Ranck | An Exploration of Chemical Regulation and Natural Dying Methods in the Area of Sustainable Fashion |
| Taylor Lanier | Brian Buerke | Development of Telescope Technologies for Undergraduate Astronomical Research |
| Allison Ludwig | Bridget Hearon | The Effects of Fitspiration & Self-Compassion on Body Dissatisfaction, Self Esteem, Mood, and Exercise Motivation in College-aged Women with Disordered Eating Behaviors, Physical Comparison Tendencies, and Sorority Membership |
| Militza Molina | Maite Barragan | Turning to the Shadows |
| Daniel Petersheim | Nicholas Piro | Multimetallic Complexes Supported by a PNP/NNN-Ferrocene Ligand |
| Erika Romero | Heidi Mau | Celebrity Advocacy & Mental Health: How Social Media Allows Female Singers to Facilitate Mental Illness Literacy Among Their Fans |
| Donna Saboori | Bryce Brylawski | The Effects of P-Phenylenediamine on Bean Beetles as a Proxy for Aquatic Life |
| Katsuto Sakogashira | Dahlia Al-Habieli | An Exploration of Collaborative Models for Communal Storytelling: Romeo & Juliet in Reading |
| Isabel Skovera | Nick Ungson | Reactions to Ingroup Deviance in the Time of COVID-19 |
| Emily Stragapede | Hayley Munir | Prosecutor Misconduct and the Role of Race |
| Jonathan Strobel | Mark Baldridge | Frame of Mind: Induced Motion and Human Perception |
| Gillian Umstead | Bonnie Rohde | Philadelphia’s ‘Smart’ Response to COVID-19 |
| Jennifer Vasquez | Beth Kiester | Status, Detention, and Deportation: Uncertainty Among Immigrant Communities in the United States |
| Jaelyn Walker | Keith Feigenson | The Impact of Risk Framing on COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories |
| Shelby Woodard | Julia Heberle | Older Children’s Understanding of Real/Not Real |
Click here to read their abstracts and view their final presentations.
Summer 2020 ACRE Research
| Student Name | Faculty | Project |
| Faith Miravich | Kristen Woodward | Dance of the Devils: Art Inspired by the Boruka |
| Julie Schrey | Adam Hersperger | Understanding the Nature and Function of the Epidermal Growth Factor Ortholog Expressed by Ectromelia Virus |
| Daniel Petersheim | Nicholas Piro | Ambiphilic Ferrocene-Bridged Ligands for Metals with Expanded Coordination Spheres |
| Ryan Kelly | Nathan Henceroth | Getting Ready to Run: How Congressional Floor Speeches Precede Campaigns for Higher Office |
| Krystal Perez | Joycelen Burdett | Charles James Study |
| Matthew Ortiz | Matt Fotis | “Yes, and…” Creating an Improv Curriculum to Help Children with ASD Increase their Social and Behavioral Communication Skills |
| Stephanie Vargas-Hemmings | MeeAe Oh-Ranck | Sustainable Fashion: Upcycling, Reusing and Sustainability |
| Abigail Shoemaker | Stephen Mech | The Short and Long-term Effects of Anthropogenic Habitat Disturbance on the Geographic Range Distribution of Terrapene Carolina |
| Jacob Gragg | Heidi Mau | Logos International: A Look into the Design Philosophies of Eight Different Countries |
| Emily Lenkevich | Stephen Mech | The Effect of the Non-native Microstegium Vimineum on Small Mammal and Insects |
| Jaquan Harley | Amy Greene | Inhibition of Contractile Vacuole Cycling in Vorticella Convallaria |
| Suzanne Spriggs | Ian Cost | A Comparative Analysis of the Remote Touch Mechanism in Birds |
| Brooke Schlott | Gwen Seidman | Narcissism and Attributions of Blame Following Romantic Relationship Break-Up |
| Natalie Buck | Denise Meister | Examining the Algebra I Keystone Exam: Its Purpose, Five-Year Results, and Remediation Efforts |
| Dana Fielding | Justin Couchman | The Effects of Virtual Reality and Stress on the Misinformation Effect |
| Jennifer Vasquez | Elizabeth Kiester | Status, Detention, and Deportation: Uncertainty Among Immigrant Communities in the US |
Summer 2020 ACRE Presentations
Interim 2020 ACRE Research
| Student Name | Faculty | Project |
| Abigail Army | Marian Wolbers | Side Effects: A Memoir about Family, Cancer, and Making it Work |
| Alex Hermans | Matt Fotis | New Play Development for Traditional and Non-Traditional Plays |
| Autumn Blalock | Bridget Hearon | Theater for Change: Predicting Risk Behavior Change Using Theater, Prototype Willingness Model, and Theory of Planned Behavior |
| Blake Reed | Michael Armato | Rural Areas and Public Good Distribution in Pennsylvania |
| Bridgett Connolly | Suzanne Palmer | Organic and Sustainability Certifications in the Hemp Industry |
| Cynthia Thorngate | Susan Hughes | Eye Gaze Patterns and Preferences of Dating App Profile Pictures |
| Elijah Bowers | Guilluame de Syon | The World’s Longest Hatred in its Polish Context; How Does it Relate to Today’s Controversies About Poland’s Role in the Holocaust? |
| Erin Smith | Keith Feigenson | Effects of 3-Day Meditation |
| Ginger Hill | Andrew Samuelsen | Conditional Lethal Plasmid Building for E. coli and Agrobacterium |
| Grace Coleman | Bridget Hearon | Predictors of Emotion-Induced Eating Behaviors |
| Isha Shah | Bryce Brylawski | The Effects of P-phenylenediamine on Bean Beetles, Callosobruchus Maculatus, Larval Tissue Survival |
| Jacob Gragg | Lesley Goodman | Road to the New Weird: The Postmodern Legacy of Gothic and Cosmic Horror |
| Jed Paolo Dela Torre | Nick Ungson | The Effect of Perceived Costs and Benefits Willingness to Dissent: A Normative Conflict Perspective |
| Jessica Zamora | Gwen Seidman | The Dark Triad of Personality and Moral Decisions |
| Robert Schwartz | Ian Cost | Functional Anatomy of the Perching Mechanism and Implications for its Evolution in Dinosaurs and Birds |
| Sarajean Reinert | Michael D’Errico | The Music Products Industry After #MeToo |
| Tyler Stauffer | Nicholas Piro | Metal Complexes of an Ambiphillic Ferrocene-Bridged Ligand |
Summer 2019 ACRE Research
| Student Name | Faculty | Project |
| Ryan Brett | Stephen Mech | Regional Differences in Ectoparasite Density and Survivorship and Reproduction of Peromyscus leucopus |
| Maya Fares | Nicholas Piro | Reaction Profiles of an Oxygenated Copper Intermediate |
| Zachary Hendricks | Justin Couchman | Cross-Cultural Differences in Memory, Beliefs, and Mental Schemas |
| Ashley Hillegass | MeeAe Oh-Ranck | A Study in Japanese Couture Techniques: Sustainability and the Geometric Organic Shapes of the Japanese Aesthetic |
| Sarah Hosler | Jacque Fetrow | Exploration of the Phosducin Superfamily and its Categorization by the MISST Method |
| Samantha King | Keith Feignenson | Examining Stress Markers During Restricted Environmental Stimulation |
| Madelyn Loftus | Matt Sonntag | Synthesis of Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Single-Molecule Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy |
| Joey Love | Matt Fotis | The History & Practice of Sketch Comedy |
| Nhu Nguyen | Amy Greene | Chemical Crosslinking of Magnetic Beads for Studies of Feeding Preference in Vorticella Convallaria |
| Stephanie Pinel | Elizabeth Kiester | How Do Colors Effect Political Opinion? |
| Mikhayla Reilly | Amy Greene | Temperature Effects of Vorticella convallaria Endocytosis and Contractile Vacuole Formation Rates – Conrad Weiser Science Research Institute Mentorship |
| Julie Schrey | Christian Hamann | Sesquiterpenes Database |
| Caitlyn Verhaaren | Lennie Amores | Teaching Global Hispanophone Literature in High School Spanish Classroom |
| Abbi Waltz | Stephen Mech | The Short and Long-term Effects of Anthropogenic Habitat Disturbance on the Geographic Range Distribution of Terrapene carolina |
| Alexis Willis | Jayanthi Rajan | The Conscious Consumer’s Catwalk: Sustainability of Thrifting and the Consumer Profile of Second-Hand Shoppers |
| Cecilia Wishneski | Susan Hughes | The Age of Neoteny: The Retention of Childhood Cuteness as Related to the Solicitation of Care |
Interim 2019 ACRE Research | ||
| Student | Faculty | Project |
| Alyssa Kates | Keith Feigenson | The Effect of the Hollow Mask Illusion on Children |
| Anthony Casselli | Bonnie Rohde | Transformational Leadership in Smart City Collaboration |
| Ashley Hillegass | MeeAe Oh-Ranck | Curating the Couture Corset: Victorian Couture Methods Meets Modern Day Sustainable Fashion |
| Carolyn Cortes | Kennon Rice | Beach Community Representation by Individuals and Municipal Actors |
| Claire Kilpatrick | Huy Tran | Corporate Social Responsibility & Firm Performance: The Moderating role of National Culture |
| Cody Stetson | Farhad Saboori | An Economic & Political Analysis of the US-China Trade Relationship |
| Dominic Marfisi | Bonnie Rohde | Lessons Learned in Public Private Partnerships for Small Smart Cities |
| Drake Jacobs | Farhad Saboori | An Economic & Political Analysis of the US-China Trade Relationship |
| Emily Curley | Teresa Gilliams | Unsung Voices: The Othering of Japanese Americans Post World War II |
| Emily Durell | Heidi Mau | Les Petities & Die Postkarten: Children & Family in Great War Postcards |
| Francis Mele | Andrew Samuelsen | Evaluating Rhamnose Promoter Leakiness Using the Green Fluorescent Protein |
| Hei Tung(Tiffany) Ng | Jay Rajan | Tapping into the Craft Beer Trend |
| Joseph Holowko | Elizabeth Kiester | Assessing the Co-Creation of an FYS |
| Karen Alejandres | Bridget Hearon | Physician & Limited English Proficiency in Parent’s Perception on Childhood Asthma in Primary Care |
| Kaylyn Haan | Adam Hersperger | Characterization of the Growth Factor Analog Expressed by Ectromelia Virus |
| Lauren Hudak | Gwen Seidman | The Motivations for and Effects of Active and Passive Social Media Use |
| Maya Fares | Nicholas Piro | Characterizing an Oxygenated Intermediat in O-atom Transfer Reactions of a Bis(guanidinyl)pyridine Copper Complex |
| Mckenzie Derby | Kennon Rice | Beach Community Representation in Commercial Media |
| Nhu Nguyen | Amy Greene | Vorticella endocytosis rates with magnetic beads conjugated to different food sources |
| Sarah Hohl | Justin Couchman | Fantasy and Reality Distinction in Young Children |
| Sarah Hosler | Jacque Fetrow | Exploration of Thioredoxin Fold Superfamilies and Their Molecular Function |
| Zoe Gehman | Nicholas Piro | An Asymmetrical Ferrocene-Bridged Ligand to Hold Dissimilar Metal Ions |
Summer 2018 ACRE Research | ||
Student | Faculty | Project |
| Allison Ulaky | Lennie Amores | Nuestra Comunidad Latina: An Open Source Spanish Textbook for the Liberal Arts |
| Frank Kobe | Justin Couchman | Meditation for Memory Recall & Focus |
| Rebecca Davis | Keith Feigenson | The Effects of Restricted Environmental Stimulation on Optical Illusion Perception |
| Joseph Holowko | Beth Kiester | Co-Creating an FYS: ‘Star Wars: The Good, The Bad, and The Sociology’ |
| Joey Love | Matt Fotis | The Streets are Paved in Gold: History & Practice of Satiric Fake News |
| Allison Roberts | Gwen Seidman | The Role of Narcissistic Admiration & Rivalry in Perceptions of Romantic Partners & Relationship Outcomes |
| Thalia Williamson | Karen Campbell | Observing the Effect on Human Disturbance on Bird Behavior |
| Sayge Martin | Samira Mehta | Women, Print Media, and the Searchable Database: A Digital Humanities Archive |
| Alexandra Close | Jesse Clark | Sourcing Non-Western Inspiration for American Popular Music |
| Soloman Bailey | Brian Buerke | Collective Motion Using Drones |
| Mara Trifoi | Erin Ventresca | Increased Sugar Ingestion Causes Premature Adult Stem Cell Loss Due to Increased PI3k-Dependent Cell Proliferation in Drosophila melanogaster |
| Briana Samuel | Bridget Hearon | Health Halo Effects & Misperception of Calorie Content |
| Lauryn Gwathmey | David Osgood | Disturbance & Its Effect on Plant Species Diversity Within Newly Disturbed & Previously Disturbed Communities |
| Rebecca Morgis | Adam Hersperger | MHCII Cross-Presentation as a Driver of CD4 T-cell Responses to Poxviruses |
Animal Care and Use Committee
Principle
The advancement of both pure and applied knowledge requires scientific experimentation and educational instruction using animals. The necessary use of animals requires proper oversight and ethical considerations.
Mission
The Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) of Albright College is charged with the institutional oversight of animals and animal care personnel involved in research and teaching. The goal of the ACUC is to verify, on sound scientific and ethical principles, the prudent use of animals and minimize the pain and discomfort of animal subjects in experiments and teaching exercises. ACUC is also responsible for ensuring all personnel involved in such experiments are informed of, and in compliance with, approved protocols and applicable guidelines for humane care and use of animals.
Jurisdiction
Any project involving vertebrate animal use by faculty, staff or students of Albright College must receive approval by ACUC. Further information may be found at http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm.