Research and Creativity at Adelphi Fall 2021
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Message From the Provost
This edition of Scholars and Artists of Adelphi University comes to you as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Adelphi charter. Since 1896, when we were granted one of the first charters for a coeducational college by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, Adelphi has been the site of innovative research and groundbreaking artistic work.
From the early days of research at our University, including preliminary experimentation on the use of X-rays in the 1890s and work by a Civil War veteran that earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1927 for his deep exploration of the work of American poet and author Walt Whitman, Adelphi faculty members have demonstrated a commitment to inquiry across a range of applied and theoretical domains.
In this edition of Scholars and Artists, you’ll find inspiring stories about students and faculty doing research with implications for future clinical applications, the latest on how best to nourish premature infants in the neonatal ICU, and even a scholarly examination of “unicorn magic.”
I hope you enjoy this collection of fascinating articles about scholarly and creative works taking place at Adelphi.
Sincerely,
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Christopher Storm, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President
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Adelphi Faculty and Students Engaged in Smart-Drug Design Research |
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In the chemistry research labs at Adelphi University, students are working with accomplished faculty researchers to discover information that may lead to the development of new highly targeted therapies. In the process, students learn about the techniques and technology that will prepare them for graduate studies and careers in science and medicine. Undergraduate students of Brian Stockman, PhD, professor and Department of Chemistry chair, have purified enzymes of interest to support global X-ray crystallography collaborations. The resulting structural data is then used by research students of Melissa VanAlstine-Parris, PhD, associate professor of chemistry, to design enzyme inhibitors that they subsequently synthesize for testing by Dr. Stockman’s research students. The collaboration has the potential for clinical applications in the future.
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Scheduled Feeding vs. Demand Feeding for Preemies |
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When it comes to feeding newborn babies, opinions and practices differ: Should they be fed on a schedule or on demand? Ani Jacob, DNP, clinical assistant professor in Adelphi’s College of Nursing and Public Health, recently participated in a research study aimed at evaluating the effects of each method on premature, or preterm, infants. Her work, in collaboration with colleagues from Northwell Health’s North Shore University Hospital, revealed important insight on why it’s better not to wake babies from sleep to feed them at predetermined times, i.e., on a schedule. The results of the project, titled “Implementation of Cue-Based Feeding to Improve Preterm Infant Feeding Outcomes and Promote Parents’ Involvement,” were published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing.
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A Scholar Examines the Magic of Unicorns |
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Unicorns abound in art history and popular culture, often representing purity and innocence—and, above all, magic. But what makes this mythical creature such an enduring object of fascination for young girls? Courtney Weida, EdD, associate professor of education, considers this subject in an essay published in the journal Visual Culture & Gender titled “Magical Aesthetics of Unicorns in Girlhood Visual Culture,” which she co-authored with a colleague from Radford University. Dr. Weida shares how a fairy tale workshop the two professors conducted with young girls led to this exploration of unicorns and their usefulness in teaching students about imagination and possibility.
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Adelphi University’s Library Diversity Council has completed work on its Diversity Book Awards Libguide, which includes more than a thousand award-winning fiction and nonfiction titles that are either written by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) authors or address subjects such as racism, gender identities, abilities, ethnicities and cultures, or other studies. We are grateful to University Libraries Associate Professor Kimberly Mullins and Assistant Professor James Cho, co-chairs of the Library Diversity Council, for leading this effort. Check out this important collection.
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Cristina Zaccarini, PhD, associate professor of history, and students in her Mindfulness and the Study of History first-year seminar course were interviewed and featured in a documentary titled Prison Reform and Mindfulness 101, created by Great Jones Productions and produced by Network Support Services, an organization that assists those reentering society after incarceration. The film shares students’ experiences in Dr. Zaccarini’s class, which is a collaboration with Adelphi’s Innovation Center, to work with formerly incarcerated men to challenge stereotypes and explore obstacles and stigmas.
Erin Heisel, PhD, visiting assistant professor of music, was recently a guest on an episode of the podcast The Balanced Act titled “A Deeper Look at Meditation,” which discussed mindfulness and meditation techniques. Dr. Heisel, who received her meditation teacher certifications from The American Yoga Academy and the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science and previously was the meditation teacher for the Change Agents program at the Brooklyn Public Library, currently leads meditations for faculty via Zoom on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Email eheisel@adelphi.edu for details on how to participate.
Sokthan Yeng, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, was interviewed on July 20 for the New Books in Philosophy podcast on the New Books Network, a consortium of author-interview podcast channels dedicated to raising the level of public discourse by introducing scholars and writers to a wider public via new media. Dr. Yeng discussed her book Buddhist Feminism: Transforming Anger against Patriarchy (Palgrave 2020), including exploration of its themes and the origins of her writing on this subject.
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Adelphi Faculty in the News |
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Adelphi University faculty contribute valuable subject matter expertise to reporters and editors at national, regional and local news outlets. In recent months, Adelphi professors were quoted in outlets from CNN and Newsday to Inside Science and the Chronicle of Higher Education, in addition to widely distributed newswire articles.
Wahiba Abu-Ras, PhD, professor of social work, was quoted in an online article in Voice of America on September 11 titled “How 9/11 Changed Arab and Muslim Americans.” Dr. Abu-Ras discusses the layers of trauma experienced by many Arab and Muslim Americans after the September 11 terror attacks, as well as the increased community advocacy and coalitions that have been built by these groups post-9/11.
Katherine Fiori, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, was quoted in a July 27 article on CNN online titled “Casual relationships matter for older adults.” Dr. Fiori shares that people often have more positive experiences with those they are not close with, as there are fewer emotional complications to the relationship.
Robert Goldberg, clinical associate professor of finance and economics, was quoted in a Newsday article on September 17 titled “Prices are on the rise at restaurants, retailers and salons.” Goldberg shared that pandemic-related supply and demand challenges are leading to increased costs for businesses.
Meredith Whitley, PhD, associate professor of health and sport sciences, was quoted in a Long Island Press article titled “Biles, Osaka Help Destigmatize Mental Health Struggles for Student-Athletes” on September 7. Dr. Whitley discusses the stress and anxiety experienced by many student-athletes, which has recently received increased attention due to athletes sharing their mental health struggles publicly.
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Upcoming Events in the Arts |
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September 25– December 12
Adelphi University’s 10-week art intensive, For the Love of Art, gives high school students the opportunity to improve and fine-tune their artistic craft. Adelphi faculty members help mold artistic minds as students participate in one of the University’s 10-week-long Art Foundations and Graphic Design art intensives. Each session offers two and a half hours of studio time each week during which students will focus on either drawing or graphic design. The conclusion of each intensive is marked by a reception with an exhibit featuring student work. For the Love of Art fall intensives are open to high school juniors and seniors. Sophomore nominations may be approved on a limited basis if space permits. Nominations are closed for the Fall 2021 semester; nominations for the Spring 2022 semester will open in January. For additional information, email infoevents@adelphi.edu.
November 17–November 21 • Various times
This semester, Dance Adelphi will feature Mark Morris' Gloria. Set to Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria in D, Morris' choreography seamlessly aligns with the purity of purpose behind the Baroque score. Gloria showcases Morris' signature brand of musicality and humanity in a work Ballet Review calls "a passionate journey of struggle with the woes of life reaching toward the ecstasy of finding grace." The performances will be rounded out with faculty member Tamara Babic, who will create a new ballet en pointe. Associate Professor and Department of Dance Chair Orion Duckstein is collaborating with composer Bradley Harris, and Assistant Professor Adelheid B. Strelick will choreograph a work inspired by the somatic method of Eric Franklin.
Now through December 21 • 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.
Adele and Herbert J. Klapper Center for Fine Arts
Adelphi University is pleased to present a solo exhibition of prints by Peter Lipman-Wulf, a sculptor and printmaker born in 1905 in Berlin, Germany. All the works on display come from the Adelphi University Art Collection and feature a selection from a body of 70 engravings illustrating Faust II, the second part of the tragic play by Goethe.
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Locations: Garden City, NY • Hauppauge, NY • Manhattan • New York's Hudson Valley • Online
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