Student Work Shines at Whalen Symposium

By Patrick Bohn, April 14, 2023

The annual event highlights undergraduate research.

During the Whalen Symposium, Emerson Suites was filled with dozens of poster presentations from students in disciplines across campus.

(Photos by Patrick Bohn)

Posters and presentations filled the rooms of Ithaca College’s Campus Center on April 11, as students in all five schools presented research findings during the annual James J. Whalen Academic Symposium.

Begun in 1997, the symposium honors former Ithaca College President James J. Whalen's dedication to student learning and academic research. Students work with a faculty or staff mentor to produce and ultimately present research in a conference-like setting.

Hundreds of students presented their research, on topics ranging from the relationship of time spent together and closeness of friendships for students at IC, to a content analysis of gender stereotypes reflected in children’s activity books.

“My peers at other colleges don’t get those opportunities. It’s great to present our research and be on a research team as undergrads.”

Leah Edelstein ’23

“This is a wonderful opportunity the college gives students,” said psychology major Leah Edelstein ’23. “My peers at other colleges don’t get those opportunities. It’s great to present our research and be on a research team as undergrads. When I started at IC, I wasn’t really interested in research, but it allows us the chance to hopefully effect change.”

Best of the Best

Nearly 200 students presented their research during the 26th annual James J Whalen Academic Symposium. While all the work was exemplary, a handful of presentations stood out and were selected as award winners.

You can see the full list of winners here.

Edelstein presented with fellow psychology major Cassidy Richardson ’23. Their research was conducted with Cyndy Scheibe, Dana Professor of Psychology and the founder and director of Ithaca College’s media literacy program Project Look Sharp. Titled “Men play and work, women smile and pose: A content analysis of gender stereotypes reflected in the characters portrayed in children’s activity books,” the research examined the content of nearly a dozen children’s activity books and analyzed various themes present.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein took the opportunity to connect with students over their research. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

“We found that the books tended to follow stereotypical gender roles,” Richardson said. “From an occupation standpoint, for example, women were teachers and men would be athletes and businessmen. Men were also shown to be outside building things while women were dressing up and putting on makeup.

“We spent countless hours coding activities and writing our findings, so being able to see our final work and share it with people who care, is so rewarding,” she added. “This experience is making me more confident, and it’s great that the college is recognizing our work.”

Faculty mentors shared a similar sentiment about the experience.

“I’m honored to have advised six of my students through their research, and to have the opportunity to see the professional-level work they have produced,” said Mead Loop, professor of journalism and director of the sports media program at IC.

Biology major Kamille Smith ’23 was excited to cap her undergraduate career with her poster presentation “Regional Acoustic Variation between Black-capped Chickadee Populations,” produced with faculty mentor Nandadevi Cortes Rodriguez, an assistant professor of biology at IC, and Rachel Sturge, an associate professor of biology at the University of Toronto.

“Undergraduate student-mentored research provides [students] with a platform to discover. It moves them from passive learning to engaged active learning. It brings to life the theory, the principles, and concepts that they are exposed to in the classroom, lab, clinic, field, studio, and virtual spaces.”

Linda Petrosino, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance

“This is a way to leave my mark, and to show people, ‘This is what I spent my time doing,’” Smith said. “[Professor Cortes Rodriguez] and I have an incredible bond and getting to build my work off of her research made me feel really connected to the science and academic community.”

That connection is a valuable part of the growth that occurs during the research phase of the projects.

Students also highlighted their research using video presentations during the event. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

“Undergraduate student-mentored research provides [students] with a platform to discover,” said Linda Petrosino, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance and the closing speaker at the symposium. “It moves them from passive learning to engaged active learning. It brings to life the theory, the principles, and concepts that they are exposed to in the classroom, lab, clinic, field, studio, and virtual spaces.”

Many students hoped that their research will serve as a springboard to further educational opportunities.

“I want to go graduate school to be a chiropractor,” said exercise science major Michael Snowden ’23. “Getting to conduct research was great. This experience can help me if I want to attend and present at medical conferences in the future, so I view it as a learning experience.”

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein spent much of the day attending presentations and speaking with students.

“I always look forward to the Whalen Symposium, which showcases and celebrates the impressive research projects our students conduct, guided by our dedicated and talented faculty,” she said. “The breadth of these projects, which come from students in programs across the college, serves as a tangible demonstration of the value Ithaca College places on experiential learning as part of our students’ educational experience. Through this research, students gain a deep understanding of a problem, often a real-world problem, and contribute directly to the construction of knowledge in their chosen field of research.”