Nicole Calma-Roddin, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and counseling, presented a paper, "Effectiveness for learning and student enjoyment for a text-only narrative game" at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 1, 2024.

Claude E. Gagna, Ph.D., professor of biological and chemical sciences, published an abstract in the March 2024 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2024 DISCOVER BMB annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, titled "Structural Spatial Transcriptomics: Novel Omics Technology". This method allows for the identification and quantification of different RNA structures, such as canonical A-RNA and non-canonical Z-RNA in individual cells. Structural Spatial Transcriptomics will allow researchers to identify spatial interactions, specific RNA biomarkers, and cancer transcriptomes in their natural tissue architecture, helping investigators to identify potential RNA structure-based drug targets.

Jamel Vanderburg, M.P.A., adjunct instructor of interdisciplinary studies, presented during the second day of the International Graduate Student Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii held from February 15 to 17, 2024. He discussed distorted disasters in communities of color, comparing Hurricane Katrina and the Maui wildfires. He advocated for the removal of personal politics to help people.

Amanda Golden, Ph.D., associate professor of English in the Department of Humanities, delivered a discussion on February 15, 2024, titled "Writing about Archives" as part of the Modern Language Association's Sit and Write series.

Nicole Calma-Roddin, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and counseling, presented on "Using Games and Songs in the Teaching of Psychology" and on "Opportunities to Promote Anti-Ableism Across the Psychology Curriculum" as part of the on-demand video symposium at The Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s annual conference on teaching, which took place online from February 12 to 16, 2024.

Melissa Huey, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, had her paper, “The Impact of Synchronous Zoom Learning on Course Comprehension and Psychological Well-Being in the College Classroom” published to the Journal of School and Educational Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal, on February 4, 2024. Results found that having cameras mandatory or encouraged in synchronous Zoom classes increased mindfulness and course comprehension. In addition, a calm relaxing virtual background was found to have the same effect. Surprisingly, the utilization of breakout rooms decreased course comprehension, likely because it does not mirror traditional in-person group work.

Yusui Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, published an article entitled "Positivity-preserving non-Markovian master equation for open quantum system dynamics: Stochastic Schrödinger equation approach" in Physical Review A on February 2, 2024. The work, collaborating with researchers from Stony Brook University, studies a long-standing question in open quantum systems: how to preserve positivity in generic master equations.

Jamel Vanderburg, M.P.A., adjunct instructor of interdisciplinary studies, was selected to receive the 2023 Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation Scholarship on January 23, 2024. This award aims to support the educational endeavors of academically talented and well-rounded men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Sophie Christman, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of humanities, held an ecopoetic reading of Robert Frost's 1914 poem "Mending Wall" at the Modern Language Association Annual Convention on January 7, 2024.

Cameka Hazel, Ed.D., assistant professor in the psychology and counseling department, recently published a research article entitled "Multicultural Counseling Course Instructors Background and Diversity Teaching Approaches" in the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision on November 17, 2023.