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Petersheim Posters in the McNulty Atrium.

2023 Schedule of Events

The schedule and event locations for the 27th Annual Petersheim Academic Exposition, which took place Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28, 2023, can be viewed below. Select events and presentations were recorded and can be accessed where noted.

Monday, April 24, 2023

2023 Petersheim Academic Exposition Opening Ceremony and Keynote Lecture
Organizers: Sulie L. Chang, Jose L. Lopez

  • Welcome Address from Joseph Nyre, Ph.D., Seton Hall University President
  • Keynote Speaker: Carl W. Lejuez, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stony Brook University - “Putting Your Money Where Your Strategy Is: Aligning Academic Budgets with Academic Priorities”
  • Poster presentation and certificate ceremony for participants in the BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium

Noon – 2 p.m.  | Bethany Hall, Rooms B and C and Virtual (Click here to view the event)
Note: In-person seating is limited and registration is required. Save your seat »

Western History According to Rhetoric: Visualizing Timelines
Organizer: Jon Radwan
Students from the COMM 2616 History of Rhetoric course will share their integrated speech/design projects. Rhetoric is persuasive and effective symbolic expression, and it is a fundamental liberal art that has been consistently studied and practiced for all 2500 years of the Western tradition. Each student has been assigned a period to study. Their challenge is to map that period's key events and developments with a visual timeline. This timeline serves as the centerpiece of a speech sharing their research and design work with the Petersheim Academic Exposition. Presenters are:

  • Savannah Ward, Origins and Early History 
  • Julian Aparicio, Platonic Greece 
  • Larissa Lora, Aristotelian Greece 
  • Graham Marshman, Roman Developments 
  • Cooper Tenant,The Middle Ages

12:30 – 1:45 p.m. | Walsh Library, Beck Rooms

Exploring the Historical Development of U.S. Higher Education 
Organizer: Alan Delozier
In this session, a panel of master’s and doctoral students of Higher Education will share their research exploring various facets of the history of American higher education. Panelists will share work on wide-ranging topics including the historical development of: U.S. colleges serving students with disabilities, Greek life at Seton Hall, experiential learning, higher education in prisons, women in postsecondary STEM subjects and courses, remote work in higher education, and the development of the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark’s higher education system in the 1800s and the 1900s.
2 – 3 p.m. | Walsh Library, Second Floor, Commons Area and Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Mission Mentors Program Presentations
Organizer: Mary Balkun
Participants in the 2022-23 Mission Mentors Program will present their projects.
3 – 4 p.m. | Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Interdisciplinary and Study Abroad Poster Session 
Organizer: Martha Schoene 
Students will share their research posters and orally present their research for topics in geology, study abroad and a variety of other topics. 

9 – 11 a.m.  | Beck Rooms, Walsh Library and Virtual (Click here to view the event on YouTube )

Graduate Research Presentations from Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
Organizer: Joseph Laracy
Research presentations will be shared by students in the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology (Systematic Theology and Church History concentrations) programs.
10 – 11 a.m. | Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Ethics Across the Disciplines: Expert Faculty Session
Organizer: Bryan Pilkington
In this session, faculty experts from a variety of disciplines come together to discuss ethical considerations within their own disciplines and the possibilities of commonalities across different kinds of ethics and ethics in research.
The expert panel includes: 

  • LaMar Bolden, Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
  • John Buschman, Associate Provost for Research and Innovation and Dean of University Libraries
  • Sulie Chang, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
  • Madison Krall, Assistant Professor of Communication

10 – 11 a.m. |  (Click here to view the event on YouTube)

Bioethics Research Session
Organizer: Bryan Pilkington
In this session, student scholars will present new research in the field of bioethics.
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Interdisciplinary and Study Abroad Oral Presentations Event
Organizer: Martha Schoene 
This session will feature live and recorded presentations from students in Catholic Studies, Diplomacy & International Relations, Economic, Nursing, Education & Human Services, Political Science, and other subjects.  
11 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Beck Rooms, Walsh Library and Virtual (Click to view this session on YouTube)

Japanese Digital Storytelling Showcase
Organizer: Shigeru Osuka 
The Japanese Program of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Culture has integrated technology into its language curriculum and encourages students to apply this technology whenever possible. Since 2009, the Japanese Program has emphasized the use of Digital Storytelling, which integrates essay writing and visual images into one movie. In recognition of students’ hard work, dedication, and further commitment to their role in the global community, the Japanese Program honors the 2023 Japanese Digital Storytelling showcase.
12:30 – 1:45 p.m. | Schwartz Hall, Room 101

Anthropology in the Real World - Panel 1 (Environment) 
Organizer: Cherubim Quizon
The Anthropology program partners with the Environmental Studies program to bring four student papers presenting on their research. Students share their findings on the profound ways by which humans interact, modify and are shaped by the environment. The geographical coverage of the papers ranges from the United States to West Africa and Southeast Asia and are approached from a plurality of disciplines and methodological perspectives. Unique to this series is the way student presenters will benefit from dialogue with their peers, and moderated by a faculty discussant, Associate Professor of Anthropology Peter Savastano, Ph.D.
2 – 3 p.m. | Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 106

Interdisciplinary Poster and Oral Presentations (Part 2)
Organizer: Martha Schoene
Continuation of the Interdisciplinary Poster and Interdisciplinary Oral Presentations. Please note seating is limited to 24 persons. No food or beverages are allowed in the Common Room 
3 – 4:30 p.m.| Walsh Library, Common Room and Virtual (Click here to view the event on YouTube)

Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology Presentations: "Integration of In Vivo, In Vitro and In Silico Studies in Molecular and Biomedical Sciences"
Organizer: Sulie Chang
This event is the presentation of the course-based research projects by the students of biological sciences, molecular bioscience and the Early Career Investigators at the Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology. Their presentations will show case the analysis of their in vivo and in vitro data using various bioinformatics tools including CLC Workbench and QIAGEN Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, the in silico meta-analysis. The datasets they have analyzed include the original data they have collected in the lab as well as the data that have been stored in public databases including Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Their network meta-analyses have revealed and confirmed the involved interplay of significant molecular pathways and biological systems underlying various diseases. Following the presentation, a light dinner will be provided. (Click here to view the recorded presentations on YouTube)

View the event agenda and presenters »
5 – 7:30 p.m. | McNulty Hall, Room 106

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Symposium
Organizers: Gregory Wiedman, Alexander Fadeev
Keynote Speaker: Charnette Frederic, M.H.A. '11/Ph.D. '23, “Investigating the interaction of azobenzene moiety on nearby aromatic amino acids”
5:45 – 7 p.m. | McNulty Hall, Room 101

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Poster Session
Organizers: James Hanson, Cosimo Antonacci
7 – 9 p.m. | McNulty Hall, Atrium

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Community Research and Engagement in Action
Organizer: Timothy Hoffman
The Center for Community Research and Engagement (CCRE) will host a session where students who have been working with CCRE throughout the past academic year will share their research findings from projects on topics including social justice, immigration, environmental justice, nonprofit management education, and other community-focused research.  
10 a.m. – Noon  | Beck Rooms, Walsh Library and Virtual (Click here join the event)

Faculty Research Showcase 
Organizer: Norma Rubio
The 27th Petersheim Faculty Research Expo highlights the significance of research. Research is integral to succeeding in gathering evidence for theories and contributes to developing knowledge in a field of study. Research is fueled by curiosity: we get curious, ask questions, and engage ourselves in discovering all there is to know. This event exhibits how the curiosity at Seton Hall has taken research to a vital role in the advancement of knowledge and the development of new ideas. 
Moderator: John Buschman, Dean of University Libraries and Associate Provost, Research and Innovation
View the event agenda and presenters »
10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Walsh Library, Silent Study Room and Virtual (Click view the Faculty Research Showcase on YouTube) 

Parental Involvement on College Student Success
Organizer: Sandro Tejada
Help university leaders and those who work with parents better understand family members' attitudes and concerns. The presentation will provide an overview of the challenges universities like Seton Hall face in meeting various family needs. The presentation will also offer strategies and initiatives that a broad range of institutions use to make families truly partners. 
3 – 4 p.m. | Bethany Hall, Admissions Tour Room

DataLab Showcase, Presented by University Libraries 
Organizer: Alan Delozier; Lisa DeLuca
The DataLab is an interdisciplinary project providing data management and data analysis training to students working with faculty on small-scale research projects. Students will use many quantitative and qualitative data analysis software such as Atlas.ti, SPSS, Stata, jamovi and data visualization techniques to analyze and report their project results. Students are required to attend a minimum of four data classes plus participate in hands-on exercises and assignments. DataLab student stipends are paid by the Office of the Provost as part of the Seeds of Innovation Academies. 
3 – 5 p.m. | Walsh Library, Common Area and Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Anthropology in the Real World - Panel 2 (Four Field Research) 
Organizer: Cherubim Quizon
Students majoring in Anthropology, Sociology and Biochemistry share their findings using modes of inquiry developed in research work in biological, cultural and linguistic anthropology. The topical coverage of the papers range from the reportage on missing persons United States to speech and power in collegiate athletics to the use of photo spectrometry to answer questions of anthropological import. Unique to this series is the way student presenters will benefit from dialogue with their peers, and moderated by a faculty discussant, Jacob Weger, Ph.D.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Jubilee Hall, Room 209

Department of Physics Student Research Symposia: Oral and Poster Presentations
Organizer: Weining Wang 
Oral presentations and oral poster presentations of student research will be presented first, followed by the announcement of the 2023 Kims Medal Award.
6 – 8 p.m. | McNulty Hall, Room 101 and Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Cultivating Research, Innovation and Talent at Seton Hall with the New Jersey Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge Grant 
Organizer: Michael LaFontaine
Seton Hall University received an award in the Fall of 2021 from the New Jersey State Office of the Secretary of Higher Education through the New Jersey Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge Grant program. This award led to the development of an intramural grant program to "Cultivate Research, Innovation, and Talent" at Seton Hall, designed to create interdisciplinary and collaborative research opportunities among faculty and students from different academic disciplines.

  • Teams of Seton Hall University faculty and students were given the opportunity to develop a proposal for a prospective, interdisciplinary investigation of a topic that could be investigated by two or more academic departments and scholarly fields represented by the nine Colleges and Schools within Seton Hall and the University Libraries.
  • A central research question was developed and pursued through an appropriate investigation to reflect the intellectual contributions and physical resources of the participating departments and laboratory environments.
  • The projects focused on myriad topics and the collective efforts of each research team is on display in this event.

View the event agenda and speakers »
10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Virtual (Click here to join the event)

Pope Francis and His Vision for Religious Relations 
Organizer: Anthony Nicotera
John Borelli, Ph.D., renowned theologian, author, history of religions scholar and special assistant for Catholic Identity and Dialogue to President John J. DeGioia of Georgetown University, will give the second annual Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy Lecture as part of the 2023 Petersheim Academic Expo. On the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ papacy, Borelli will present on Pope Francis and His Vision for Religious Relations: New Emphases for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue. This lecture is co-sponsored by Seton Hall's Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy and Catholic Studies Program. All are welcome.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 109

Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory Exhibition: Speaking with Conviction
Organizer: Forrest Pritchett
2 – 3 p.m. | Location to be determined.

15th Annual Biological Sciences Symposium
Organizer: Edward Tall
Students in the Department of Biological Sciences will be presenting posters of their work. The poster session will be from 3 - 5:20 p.m. in Jubilee Hall, 4th Floor atrium, followed by a keynote speech by a visiting researcher at 5:25 PM in McNulty, Room 101 Amphitheater. All students, faculty, family and friends are welcome.  Refreshments will be provided.
3 – 6:30 p.m. | Jubilee Hall, 4th Floor Atrium (Posters) and McNulty Hall, Room 101 (Seminar)

God, Angels, and Electromagnetic Radiation: Life Among the Invisible 
Organizer: Joseph Laracy
In the minds of believers, reality is full, made of both the material world we interact with through our senses and the spiritual realm we engage with our souls. Chemist and theologian, Stacy Trasancos, Ph.D., will tell stories of the awe and wonder modern science offers the human mind, of the ways that our knowledge of the atomic realm can bring us close to God when we study His handiwork. All we have learned and have yet to learn is magnificent evidence of the faithfulness of a loving and personal Creator. 
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Walsh Library, Beck Rooms

Friday, April 28, 2023

Department of History: Honors in History Presentations
Organizer: Laura Wangerin
Students participating in the History Honors Research Program will share their research.
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Fahy Hall, Room 307

Mathematics, Computer Science and Data Science Petersheim Day
Organizer: Tara Wager
The Mathematics and Computer Science Department presents a daylong event for the 27th Petersheim Academic Exposition. Events of the day will include the Charles H. Franke Memorial Lecture, Pi Mu Epsilon Honor Society induction ceremony and the John J. Saccoman Graduation Award ceremony. The day will conclude with the mathematics, computer science and data science students’ poster presentations. This year's Charles H. Franke Memorial Lecturer will be Sandra Kingan, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Brooklyn College.
Noon – 4 p.m. | Arts and Sciences Hall, Rooms 104, 109 and 110

Social Work Poster Presentations – Theme: Social Workers as Change Agents
Organizer: Dawn Apgar
Senior social work students present policy analyses done as part of their capstone experiences. These analyses highlight different social problems in the United States and what is being done to them. Emphasis is placed on policy recommendations for the future and the role of social workers in addressing them. 
2 – 3 p.m. | McNulty Hall, Atrium

2023 Petersheim Academic Exposition Closing Celebration and Awards Ceremony
Organizer: Edward Tall
The formal close to our week of events. The Closing Ceremony will feature a keynote address, "Academic Engagement and Student Success," by Monica Burnette, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Services.
3:30 – 5 p.m. | McNulty Hall, Amphitheater and Virtual (Click here to view the event)

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Psychology Research Symposium
Organizer: Paige Fisher
Undergraduate honors students will be present their honor's projects. 
10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Jubliee Hall, Room 383

Connected Events

Screening of Documentary, American River 
Organizer: Thomas Rzeznik

  • The Environmental Studies program is pleased to host a special screening of American River, a new documentary film that explores New Jersey's rich natural history and the story of those who have worked to make the state more sustainable.
  • The 86-minute documentary follows author Mary Bruno and her guide Carl Alderson on a 4-day, 80 mile adventure down the Passaic River, from its pristine source in a wildlife refuge to its toxic mouth in Newark Bay. Along the say, the filmmakers engage residents, historians, and advocates in candid conversations that bring insight, urgency, and a sense of wonder to the story. 
  • In tracing the river’s importance to the development of New Jersey, the toll that industrialization has had on it, and community efforts to restore this vital resource, the film reveals the Passaic as an archetype for thousands of other rivers across the United States. The screening will be followed by a special Q&A session with director Scott Morris. View more information.

Wednesday, April 12 | 4 – 6:30 p.m. | Jubliee Hall, Auditorium

STEAM Day Outreach: Finding Fossils
Organizer: Martha Schoene; Kiara Webster
Students will discover how different fossils are formed and what these preserved remains tell us about Earth’s history, in this annual outreach event to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.
Friday, April 21 | 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dutch Neck Elementary School (West Windsor Township, New Jersey)

The Active Learning Project in BMGT 2503 Organizational Behavior
Organizer: Karen Boroff

  • In the two sections of BMGT 2503, Organizational Behavior (a required courses in the Business core), students were placed into teams at the beginning of the semester.
  • Teams have visited employers, have attended trade shows, have conceptualized a Stillman degree requirement either for physical education/health or international study, or have visited the United States Military Academy at West Point.
  • These different projects have centered either on the concepts and application of organizational change or organizational culture.
  • On May 3, students are submitting their final written reports. They are also airing their required 8-minute video of their projects to the entire class, thereby becoming instructors themselves in educating their fellow students on their learning experiences.

Wednesday, May 3

Be the Change: Challenging Oppressive Systems 
Organizer: Dawn Apgar

  • This session features poster presentations done by social work majors as part of their capstone experience. These policy analyses focus on the profession’s Grand Challenges for Social Work and Society. This groundbreaking initiative challenges social workers in a call to action to tackle America’s toughest social problems. 
  • The social work profession has a long-standing history of social and political action to protect the rights of others and advocate against social injustices. So essential is social action that it is the basis of many mandates in the National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) Code of Ethics. As part of their responsibilities to the broader society, social workers are called on to engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully.

Asynchronous | View event materials