Earning Distinction in the Field of Concentration requires more than scholarly achievement, but an academic prowess to explore a topic of interest through a significant research project. Below are only the most recent incredible projects our seniors have completed during their time at Emmanuel through travel, internships and focused research. 

2024 Distinction in the Field Candidates 

MAUREEN MURPHY WILKENS SCHOOL OF NURSING AND CLINICAL SCIENCES

Brooke Thompson, Nursing
“Impact of Parental Substance Use on Children's Health and Nursing Interventions for Mitigating Risks”
Advisors Carol Femia, DNP, RNC; Deanna Faretra, BSN, RN-BC

 

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT

Theresa Hennessey, Marketing
“Marketing In the Age of Artificial Intelligence”
Advisors: Kelly Basile, Ph.D.; Eric Siebert, M.B.A.

Cameron R. Howard, Economics
“The Economics of Appellate Litigation”
Advisor: Xirong Lin, Ph.D.

Gage Libby, Sports Management
“The Unintended Impacts of the Updated NCAA Transfer Portal on Student Athletes.”
Advisor: Daniel Holbrook, M.B.A.

Sarah R. McLane, Finance
“AI and its effect on finance”
Advisor: Leonard Guida, M.B.A.

Adom A. Oshagan, Economics
“Assessing the Impact of AI on the Job Market: A Comprehensive Analysis and Policy Recommendations”
Advisor: Xirong Lin, Ph.D.

Jake Penny, Economics
“The Impact of US Tariff Policy on Domestic Manufacturing Employment 2018-2024”
Advisor: Xirong Lin, Ph.D.

Divanni S. Polanco, Economics
“An analysis of the effects of information communications technology or ICT on the labor market”
Advisor: Xirong Lin, Ph.D.

Emmaline I. Riendeau, Economics
“The effects of climate change on food insecurity and agricultural trade in Tanzania”
Advisor: Xirong Lin, Ph.D.

 

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mia Puglia, Secondary Education
“Non-traditional Grading in Secondary School Settings”
Advisors: Miriam Gates, Ph.D.

Joshua Rainone, Secondary Education
“Scholarly Saints: A Training Program for Educators to Master their Skills in the Classroom”
Advisors: Deirdre Bradley-Turner, M.S.

Thomas Sullivan, Secondary Education
“Examining Declining Male Enrollment in American Undergraduate Institutions”
Advisors: Sr. Karen Hokanson, SNDdeN

 

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

Emily Anderson, History
“Nationalism as a Form of Oppression: The Case of Portugal”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D.

Meghan Arpin, Communication & Media Studies
“Social Media Political Discourse: Comparing Political Parties, Issue Scales, and Platforms”
Advisor: Caitlin Lawson, Ph.D.

Julia Beal, Individualized Major: Art History 
“Aligning Film with Abstract Art:  Derek Jarman's Blue”
Advisor: Cythnia Fowler, Ph.D.

Conor Bellone, History
“Hit the Road: Industrial America Rambling Around”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D. 

Deanna L. Bourque, Political Science
“International Food Aid: Not All are Created Equal”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D.; Katrin Kriz, Ph.D.

Emmalee Clark, Philosophy
“Democracy in the Balance: The Ethical Implications of Concentrated Media Ownership”
Advisor: Michelle Maiese, Ph.D.

Anne Costello, History
“You Are Feeling Good: Sots Art and a Reflection on Soviet Culture”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D. 

Elizabeth Derderian, History
“The Medici family : Detriments or Benefactors to Florence, Italy”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D.

Jennifer Dias, Writing, Editing, & Publishing
“Ethics and Narrative in Documentary Film”
Advisors: Kelly McGuire, Ph.D., Erich Doubek, Ph.D.

Trish Dinh, History
“India's National Icon: Mother Goddess, Bharat Mata”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D.

Connor Donnelly, Philosophy
“Multiculturalism and Internet Spaces”
Advisor: Michelle Maiese, Ph.D.

David Gydus, Modern Languages: Spanish
 “Living Contrasts: Spain vs. United States Lifestyle”
Advisor: Jose Alvarez-Fernandez, Ph.D.; Lauren Mitchell, Ph.D.

Caralynn E. Hampson, Theology & Religious Studies
“Born in Relation: Queer Kinship as an Essential Aspect of Baptism”
Advisor: Brianne Jacobs, Ph.D.

Jaylee E. Hiersche, English
“Nathan For or Against You: The Ethics of Postmodern Satire”
Advisor: David Palumbo, Ph.D.

Luke Hines, Political Science
“Boston Public School Education Policy Analysis”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D.; Katrin Kriz, Ph.D.

Alyssa A. Hogan, Modern Languages: Spanish
 “Franco's Dictatorship on Spain Political memory”
Advisor: Jose Alvarez-Fernandez, Ph.D.; Anupamu Seshan, Ph.D.

Alyssa A. Hogan, Political Science
“Hostage Diplomacy: When the Private Becomes Public”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D.; Petros Vamvakas, Ph.D.

Madeline Hollett, Philosophy
“Moving Away from Pop Feminism: Using Existentialist Thinking to Return to Radical Feminist Theory”
Advisor: Michelle Maiese, Ph.D.

Julia Jenks, International Studies:Diplomacy and Security
“The Devil Wears a Powdered Wig: Unraveling the Influence of Religion on Abortion Policies - A Comparative Study of Ireland and the United States”
Advisors: Laurie Johnston, Ph.D., Violetta Ravagnoli, Ph.D.

Emma M. Krantz, Political Science
“Presidents, Polarization, and Foreign Policy: Presidential tactics to achieve foreign policy goals under a polarized Congress”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D.; Marie Natoli, Ph.D.

Kenneth Laurent, History
“From Santo Domingo to Lawrence: History of a Dominican Migration”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D.

Brigid Moriarty, Modern Languages: Spanish
 “The Hispanic Experience in the U.S. Healthcare System”
Advisor: Jose Alvarez-Fernandez, Ph.D.; Anupamu Seshan, Ph.D.

Divanni S. Polanco, Political Science: International Relations & Comparative Politics
“Trust in government institutions in Mass democracies”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D.; Petros Vamvakas, Ph.D.

Loren Skelly, English
“Seasons of Love: Lady Mary Wroth's Depiction of Constancy as Protofeminism”
Advisor: Kelly McGuire, Ph.D.

Samantha Schumacher, Political Science
“Evolution of Framing Devices in January 6th Online Discourse”
Advisors: Adam Silver, Ph.D.; Mark Sherman, Ph.D.

Caroline Tempesta, History
“Ensuring Humanity: The Geneva Convention and Refugees Of Genocide”
Advisor: Violette Ravagnoli, Ph.D.

Emma E. Willard, English
“The Implications of Gendered Language in an Ecocritical Reading of David Jones’s In Parenthesis”
Advisor: David Palumbo, Ph.D.; Kelly McGuire, Ph.D.

 

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & HEALTH

Christina Akut, Biology
“Lets get CERTIfied”
Advisor: Padraig Deighan, Ph.D.

Arlette Cabral, Biology
“Beneath the SKN: The Dual Regulation of Aging via SKN-1 and KLF-1 in C. elegans”
Advisor: Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D.

Cosette Chesley, Chemistry
“Synthesis of tris-urea supramolecular hosts to capture reactive sulfur species”
Advisor: Michelle Watt, Ph.D.

Samira Fawel, Biology
“Fostering Belonging: A Research Journey into Undergraduate Student Experiences in STEM at Emmanuel College”
Advisor: Anupama Seshan, Ph.D.

Grace Gaultier, Biostatistics
“Lifestyle Choices of College Students”
Advisor: David Earls, Ph.D.

Anya Gemos, Neuroscience
“Investigating the Role of the Gut Microbiome on Neuroinflammation in an E46K Synucleinopathy Kindred”
Advisor: Melanie Leussis, Ph.D.

Kira Glasmacher, Biostatistics
“Deciphering Mutation Dynamics: A Computational Analysis of Selective Pressures in Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma”
Advisors: Yulia Dementieva, Ph.D.; Vincent Cannataro, Ph.D.

Ida Gnanou, Biology
“Does Eliminating B-cells cause A Vaginal Complaint?”
Advisor: Caroline Mitchell, M.D., M.P.H. Mass General Hospital

Sophia Jones, Psychology
“Body Image in Experienced and Novice Recreational Dancers”
Advisor: Linda Lin, Ph.D.

Patience Kassini, Biology
“Decoding the "FUN" of bacterial transcription factors”
Advisor: Padraig Deighan, Ph.D.

Ugne Kurdeikaite, Biology
“The Red Puzzle: Exploring the Power of Proteasomal Activity”
Advisor: Natalie Karagodsky, Ph.D.

Amanda Lorusso, Biology
“Characterizing diagnoses, treatment, and encephalopathic outcomes of the neonatal seizure population”
Advisor: Janet Soul, M.D.C.M., Harvard Medical School

Jennifer Madu, Biology
“Becoming BUDdies with the Mitotic Exit Network by investigating GEF and GTPase function in mutated yeast cells”
Advisor: Anupama Seshan, Ph.D.

Ava Mark, Biology
“Going With the Flow: Flow Cytometry Bead Array Assay for the Identification of miRNA and Cancer Detection”
Advisor: John Tigges, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Flow Cytometry Science Center

Lauren Menzel, Chemistry
“The Effect of Roadblocks on the DNA Target Search of NdeI”
Advisor: Allen Price, Ph.D.

Nathalie Merisca, Biology
“A MENace to society: Interaction Between LTE1 and TEM1 of Mitotic Exit Network Within S. cerevisiae​”
Advisor: Anupama Seshan, Ph.D.

Sophia Mirrione, Biology
“Imaging the Cerebrovascular Structure and Function in Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease​”
Advisor: Yi-Fen Yen, Ph.D., Mass General Hospital

Camila Moreno-Bo, Biology
“Unraveling the BCOR and Varient PRC1.1 Puzzle: Exploring Its Impact on Developmental in Drosophila​”
Advisor: Janel Cabrera, Ph.D.

Gavin Nolan, Neuroscience
“Investigating the neural correlates of complex patterned auditory stimulus exposure in mice”
Advisor: Elizabeth Crofton, Ph.D.

Katerina Pantaleo, Biology
“Transcriptional profiling of dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons following sciatic nerve injury”
Advisor: William Renthal, M.D., Ph.D. Harvard Medical School

Emily Pike, Biology
“Amyloid aggregation in bacteria”
Advisor: Padraig Deighan, Ph.D.

Angela Pillarella, Biology
“Waste Not, Want Not: Food Waste and Its Environmental Impact in the COF​”
Advisor: Adam Silver, Ph.D.

Sabrina Pires, Neuroscience
“The Effect of Noninvasive Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation and Visual Training on Cortical Blindness”
Advisor: Elizabeth Crofton, Ph.D.

Jessica Richa, Biology
“Taking the Bait: Capturing the interplay of a transcription termination protein with multiple RNA targets”
Advisor: Jason Kuehner, Ph.D.

Teagan Santoro, Biology
“Examining LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Emmanuel College Biology Courses”
Advisor: Janel Cabrera, Ph.D.

Enya Selders, Biology
“Tag, Turbo Is It: Using Proximity Labeling with TurboID to Study Polycomb Repressive Complexes in Drosophila”
Advisor: Janel Cabrera, Ph.D.

Giovanna Stefanini, Biology
“Determining how NRP2 expression is altered by mechanical stretch”
Advisor: Rosalyn Adam, Ph.D., Boston Children's Hospital

Mary Summers, Biology
“Synthesis of N-Furyl Bisaryl-Amidine for Sequence Specific Binding to Nucleic Acids”
Advisor: Michelle Watt, Ph.D.

Justin Talluto, Biology
“To bind or not to bind? Characterizing RNA-Protein interactions in transcription termination.”
Advisor: Jason Kuehner, Ph.D.

Jack Tata, Mathematics
“Using Statistics to Understand Currency Exchange Market”
Advisors: Yulia Dementieva, Ph.D.; Shuyi Jiang, Ph.D.

Hailey Young, Chemistry
“DNA origami nanostructures as biomimetic templates for calcium phosphate mineralization”
Advisor: Aren Gerdon, Ph.D.