Research Shines at Undergraduate and Graduate Events

Widener University undergraduate and graduate students showcased their outstanding work – from research and art projects to internships and co-ops– at the annual Graduate Research Symposium and Undergraduate Student Project Day.

The symposium in University Center featured graduate students from the School of Human Service Professions and School of Nursing sharing poster presentations and leading roundtable discussions on April 23.

Then, on April 26, undergraduate students continued a nearly two-decade-old tradition by sharing with the campus the fruits of the reading, writing, thinking and experimentation they’ve done throughout the academic year.

Senior biomedical engineering students Brendon Bowler and Sean Barnard presented research as part of the School of Engineering’s Senior Project Day on methods to reduce accidental IV dislodgement. Through their research, Bowler and Barnard found that of the more than 70 percent of patients admitted to the hospital that receive an IV, up to 69 percent of those devices will fail.

“We saw that this was important and that we could help people,” said Barnard.

To address this prevalent issue, Bowler and Barnard designed an innovative intravenous (IV) kit to prevent the common device failures caused by mechanical breakdown and human error, such as missing the vein and unintentional IV removal.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, they partnered with faculty in the School of Nursing as well as clinicians at area medical centers to understand the problem’s impact on patient care and the associated wasted cost and resources.

After graduation, both Bowler and Barnard hope to work in the medical device field, and an opportunity such as senior project day helps them prepare for their professional roles.

“Communication is such a big aspect, this helps us hone our communication skills,” Barnard said.

Gina DiToro, a senior psychology major, agreed that the process of presenting research is helpful for her future. Led by Professor Ross Steinman, DiToro researched whether consumers are more likely to be indulgent when they are cognitively primed by whimsicality, or products characterized by capricious or impish attributes.

As DiToro starts graduate school, she wants to find ways to incorporate this research into her future career as a school counselor.

“One of the people listening to my presentation pointed out that I can turn my office into a more whimsical place using sensory toys, colors and pictures,” she said. “They made me think about how I can connect this with my career.”

At the Graduate Research Symposium, Karly Siffin, a doctoral candidate in the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, shared her research on veterans courts, which divert veterans in the criminal justice system to mental health or substance abuse treatment instead of prison. She conducted interviews with 11 court administrators across the country to gather information about the admissions criteria for these courts.

“One of the main issues with these courts is they are a newer program, and because of that, they are not standardized,” Siffin said. “A veterans court in Chester might look very different from a veterans court in Philadelphia.”

Siffin found a few themes emerge from the interviews.

“Each of the courts is doing what is best for their particular jurisdiction or city and that might look really different from city to city,” she said. “So, rather than trying to standardize what these courts look like, I’m suggesting from a psychological perspective, we should be standardizing the assessment process.”

Siffin presented her research at the American Psychological Association Division Conference in March, but appreciated sharing it again at Widener’s symposium.

“It feels good to be able to share my results, especially since this has been a multi-year project,” she said. “Being able to share the final finished product with the faculty and my advisor is really nice.”