Noteworthy

Babak Eslami, associate professor and chair of mechanical engineering, published in the international, peer-reviewed journal Polymers. The study titled, "AI-Powered Thermal Fingerprinting: Predicting PLA Tensile Strength Through Schlieren Imaging," ran in the Special Issue 3D/4D Printing of Polymers: Recent Advances and Applications.

The study's objective was to develop a low-cost, non-destructive framework for predicting tensile strength during 3D printing by directly measuring convective thermal gradients surrounding the print. To accomplish this, Eslami and his team of student-researchers introduced thermal fingerprinting, a novel non-destructive technique that combines Background-Oriented Schlieren, or BOS, imaging with machine learning to predict the printed material's strength during printing. The findings represent the first successful application of Schlieren imaging to polymer additive manufacturing and establishes a methodological framework for real-time quality prediction. The demonstrated framework enables real-time application and contact-free quality assurance of 3D printing by enabling on-the-fly identification of mechanically unreliable prints in laboratory, industrial, and distributed manufacturing environments without interrupting production.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/mechanical-engineering-professor-chair-publishes-polymers

Students, faculty and alumni from Widener’s Center for Human Sexuality Studies represented the university through presentations, posters and organization leadership roles at the 2025 annual conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality held in Philadelphia. 

• Associate Professor Justin Sitron concluded his time as President of the organization, a role he has held since 2023. 
• Associate Professor Mark Levand presented as part of a symposia session covering topics in sexual violence research.
• Professor Brooke Wells presented a research poster and co-authored several pieces of research featured in symposia sessions. 
• Student Wascar Ramirez was selected as the organization’s incoming scientific co-chair and presented as part of a symposia session alongside Wells. 
• Student Stacey Rose presented a research poster alongside Wells. 
• Student Mahmoud Baydoun served as a panelist in a plenary session “From Data to Dialogue: Getting Your Research to the Masses.”
• Student Lauren Prenaveau presented a research poster. 
• Alumnus Eli Green ’08 ’14 was a featured panelist in a plenary session “Persisting Under Pressure: Research in Tough Times.”

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/human-sexuality-students-faculty-and-alumni-represent-widener-conference
 

Widener’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) program offers undergraduate students hands-on, faculty-mentored research experience over the summer. The work culminates in the annual SURCA Symposium where students present their work and are scored by a panel of faculty and staff judges. 

The 2025 SURCA Symposium winners are:

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology/Biomedical Engineering A
"The Influence of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Cell Number on MC F10A Cell
Proliferation"
Luke Bordarrampe (Advisor: Dr. Michael Toneff)

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology/Biomedical Engineering B
"Sustainable Biomaterials from Food Waste"
Jacob Grossman and Matthew D'Angelo (Advisor: Dr. LiKang Chin)

Biology/Environmental Science A
"Mapping scent chemotypes of floral mimic Symplocarpus foetidus using GCMS and
PRIMER-e"
Jaheara Brown (Advisor: Dr. Kate Goodrich)

Biology/Environmental Science B
"Ecological consequences of post-tornado salvage logging in Ridley Creek State Park:
Invasive species outcompete native recovery"
Tyler Harper (Advisor: Dr. Bruce Grant)

Chemistry/Chemical Engineering
"Recovery of Electrochemical-Grade Graphite from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries"
David Young (Advisor: Dr. Dipendu Saha)

Humanities/Business
"Understanding Motivation in Creative Writing"
Jada Allen (Advisor: Prof. Jayne Thompson)

Engineering A
"In Situ Fused Deposition Model (FDM) Electroplating: An Expansion of 4D Printing"
Boston Blake (Advisor: Dr. Babak Eslami)

Engineering B
"Integrating Autonomous Driving Technology into Electric-Powered Wheelchairs for
Enhanced Mobility"
Makia Salient Fausta (Advisor: Dr. Xiaomu Song)

Math/Physics/Computer Science
"Exploring Glassy Relaxation with the Random Energy Model"
Amine Lotfi (Advisor: Dr. Xin Du)

Sociology/Social Science A
"The Power of Language and Influence Within U.S Politics: A Look into The Trump
Administration"
Jasmine Ayadi (Advisor: Dr. J. Wesley Leckrone)

Sociology/Social Science B
"Revisiting Trauma: COVID-19's Impact on LGBTQ+ Older Adults Who Survived the AIDS Epidemic"
Ryan Holland (Advisor: Dr. Robin Goldberg-Glen)

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/2025-surca-symposium-winners

Sachin Patil, professor of chemical engineering, and his team of student-researchers in the NanoBio Lab recently published findings to advance the future Alzheimer's disease treatment and prevention. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Molecules, identified Isobavachin, a natural flavonoid, as a potential "structure corrector" for Apolipoprotein E4, known as ApoE4, which is the strongest genetic risk factor for the disease. The breakthrough discovery suggests that Isobavachin can stabilize the problematic ApoE4 protein, potentially reducing its harmful effects and altering the course of Alzheimer’s disease.

Through the use of a cutting-edge combination of computational modeling and lab experiments, the researchers found that Isobavachin binds to ApoE4, reshaping it into a more stable form—similar to the neutral or protective ApoE3 and ApoE2 variants. The team noted that Isobavachin is a naturally occurring compound, derived from a plant used in traditional medicine, that is also bioavailable, meaning it has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier. Both characteristics make this discovery particularly exciting as they show promise for future drug discovery and hope for the millions of people affected by the disease worldwide.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-publishes-new-discovery-alzheimers-disease-research

Michelle Lyttle Storrod, assistant professor of criminal justice, has received over $54,000 from the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center for a two-year grant intended to study the role of women in community violence intervention. The unique comparative study will take place in Chester, Philadelphia, and Camden, New Jersey, and will include students working hands-on to collect and analyze data from social media, community focus groups, and more.

Lyttle Storrod has previously received additional funding from the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center for work in other areas of researching gun violence including a focus on measuring community attitudes towards gun violence in the Philadelphia region. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/criminal-justice-faculty-member-receives-funding-gun-violence-research
 

Widener’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) program offers undergraduate students hands-on, faculty-mentored research experience over the summer. The work culminates in the annual SURCA Symposium where students present their work and are scored by a panel of faculty and staff judges. 

The 2024 SURCA Symposium winners are:

Biochemistry:
"Evaluating the cytotoxicity of novel phosphaplatins in breast cancer cells"
Emily McHenry (Advisors: Dr. Robert Mishur, Dr. Michael Toneff)

Biology/Environmental Science:
"DNA barcoding of fungi using genomic ribosomal RNA sequences"
Cameron Simmons (Advisors: Dr. Bruce Grant, Dr. Hemlata Mistry)

Chemistry/Chemical Engineering:
"Development of a greener method for bromination of chalcones"
Ryan Schlosser (Advisor: Dr. Loyd Bastin)

Engineering/Computer Science A:
"Control of dual stage actuators for 3D printing"
Noah West (Advisor: Dr. William Nagel)

Engineering/Computer Science B:
"Analysis of annealed PEEK powder using atomic force microscopy"
Ella Sprankle (Advisor: Dr. Babak Eslami)

Engineering/Computer Science/Physics:
"Experimental investigation on the effect of humidity on 3D-printing polymers using multi-frequency AFM​ techniques: ABS and PLA"
Lillian Rejrat (Advisor: Dr. Babak Eslami)

Humanities:
"Infected knowledge: The ethics of using illicit research from Unit 731"
Elizabeth Martin (Advisor: Dr. Thomas Wilk)

Social Science/Social Work A:
"Do the crime, do the time: Understanding youth court and impact of juvenile incarceration"
Christie Bernier, Wendy Dorsainvil (Advisor: Dr. Nancy Blank)

Social Science/Social Work B:
"Assessing the economic impact of street vendor removal policies in Kathmandu: Implications for entrepreneurship, local economy and societal well-being"
Indwija Bhatta (Advisor: Dr. Maria Pinho)

Social Science/Social Work C:
"Identifying the Ignored Demographic – Analyzing Aspects of Anti-Semitism in Social Work Literature Across Various Spectrum"
Sarah Coupland (Advisor: Dr. Robin Goldberg-Glen)

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/2024-surca-symposium-winners-announced

Sachin Patil, professor of chemical engineering and director of the NanoBio Lab, and Bella Kuehn '24 '25, a chemistry and chemical engineering double major in the 4+1 engineering program, published a paper in the journal Pharmaceuticals titled, “Discovery of Small Molecule Glycolytic Stimulants for Enhanced ApoE Lipidation in Alzheimer's Disease Cell Model." 

The study established, for the first time, a possible link between two major Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes, namely apolipoprotein E (ApoE), the most significant risk factor for AD, and abnormal glucose metabolism, which is an early and distinct feature of AD brain. The paper presented an integrated drug discovery approach leading to the identification of novel modulators of the glycolysis-ApoE nexus (Lonidamine, Phenformin, and Berberine), which may form the basis for the much-needed, disease-modifying therapies against the devastating disease like Alzheimer’s.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-and-student-publish-promising-findings-future-alzheimers-disease-treatments

Nursing Associate Professor Banibrata Roy authored a research article in the journal Pharmacy Education to determine the leadership skills needed amongst pharmacists in different work settings and in different parts of the world. The article titled, "Results from a global pharmacy leadership needs assessment: Opportunities to advance pharmacy leadership," finds that skills should be carefully considered for career development and advancement while providing leadership training in pharmacy education.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-professor-publishes-research-article-pharmacy-leadership 

Robert Buckley Jr. ’81, a School of Business Administration graduate, returned to the Chester campus to give a presentation on his role leading the I-95 rebuild. Buckley is president of Buckley & Company, Inc., the primary company that oversaw the record-setting rebuild of the collapsed interstate highway in the summer of 2023. Moderated by Engineering Dean Pamela McCauley, Buckley presented alongside Archie Filshill, CEO at Aero Aggregates of North America, whose company produced the ultra-lightweight aggregates that was used to fill the rebuild. The conversation recounted the hands-on contributions of Buckley & Company and the transformative power of collaboration between local industries and city, state, and federal government partners. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/robert-buckley-jr-81-presents-rebuilding-i-95-twelve-days-june

Watch the Full Presentation Here

Professor of Chemical Engineering Sachin Patil, together with a team of international collaborators from Imperial College London in the United Kingdom and the Cancer Research Center in Marseille, France, published a paper in the Journal of Advanced Research titled, “Inactive-enriched machine-learning models exploiting patent data improve structure-based virtual screening for PDL1 dimerizers.” The paper presented novel PDL1-specific machine-learning scoring functions as a powerful drug design tool for detecting small-molecule PD1/PDL1 inhibitors, forming the basis for developing novel cancer immunotherapies with better patient outcomes and milder side effects.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-and-international-collaborators-publish-artificial-intelligence-enabled-cancer 

Mark Nicosia, vice provost for Academic Affairs and Strategy and professor of engineering, was a featured speaker during a panel discussion at the 2023 World Dysphagia Summit. The summit was hosted by the Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) in affiliation with the European Society for Swallowing Disorders, the Japanese Society for Dysphagia Rehabilitation, and the Latin America Society for Dysphagia. 

Nicosia, who also serves as president of the DRS, is an expert in dysphagia which is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. The summit was held on World Swallowing Day to increase worldwide awareness among health care professionals as well as the public to increase knowledge about normal swallowing and swallowing disorders, their causes, early detection, complications and management.

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Biomedical engineering students Marina Walsh, Benjamin Aon, Hatice Emanet, Cheyenne Miller and Chiamaka Oduah attended the SB3C 2023 Summer Bioengineering, Biomechanics and Biotransport Conference in Vail, Colorado to showcase their research focused on developing a pulse oximeter for nursing simulation mannequins to be used by Widener nursing students. The team, along with faculty advisor Ria Mazumder, interim chair of biomedical engineering and associate teaching professor, were one of six teams chosen to present their research at the conference's Undergraduate Design Project Competition in Rehabilitation and Assistive Devices. Their work earned third place in the national competition. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/biomedical-engineering-students-ranked-nationally-undergraduate-research-competition

Jill Borin, librarian and head of archives and distinctive collections, Kayla Van Osten, affiliate librarian and assistant archivist, and Kristina Dorsett, affiliate librarian, presented a poster at the Pennsylvania Library Association’s (PaLA) 2023 Conference. 

The trio presented a poster, titled “I Did That: Student Scholarship in Academic Libraries,” which showcased the scholarly work of Widener graduate and undergraduate students from the 2022 academic year. They shared a selection of works from across schools and departments, covering topics such as student mental health, better living through technology, and sexual healing. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/library-staff-present-student-scholarship-pala-conference

Widener’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) program offers undergraduate students hands-on, faculty-mentored research experience over the summer. Months of hard work led to the annual SURCA Symposium where students present their findings to the community, as well as a panel of volunteer judges. 

The winners of the 2023 SURCA Symposium are: 

Biochemistry: Emily McHenry (Mentors: Robert Mishur & Michael Toneff)
Developing a procedure for the metabolic profiling of cancerous cells

Biology & Environmental Science: Evelyn Peyton (Mentor: David Coughlin)
Comparing summer acclimation studies during summer months between hatchery brook trout and wild brook trout

Chemistry & Chemical Engineering: Christina McCullough (Mentor: Dipendu Saha)
Conversion of Styrofoam to activated carbon

Engineering & Computer Science A: Ryan Mendenhall (Mentor: Babak Eslami)
Experimental investigation on effect of temperature on FDM 3D printing polymers: towards 4D printing

Engineering & Computer Science B: Fran DiPietro (Mentor: Aylin Acun)
Examining senescence in artificially aged induced pluripotent stem cell(iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes

Engineering & Computer Science C: Alyson Fornes (Mentor: Daniel Roozbahani)
AI-driven cardiovascular disease forecasting platform

Humanities: Zoe Sweet (Mentor: Jayne Thompson)
Prison reform: Little Scandinavia

Social Science, Social Work, and Business A: Shane Landue (Mentor: Wei Gao)
Robo-advisor returns: startup vs traditional

Social Science, Social Work, and Business B: Brooke Morales & Adriana Moreta (Mentor: Robin Goldberg-Glen)
Intergenerational relationships: SURCA and career development in Social Work

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/2023-surca-symposium-winners-announced

John Suarez, associate professor of electrical engineering, received a grant from the Manufacturing PA Innovation program funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The project, titled “Capacitive and Infrared Sensing for Precision Chemical Analysis of Polar Compounds,” will build upon preliminary work completed by Probes Unlimited, Inc. (PUI) to design, prototype, rigorously test, and manufacture a precision sensor for monitoring the quality of cooking oil. Suarez will lead a research team to conduct the necessary research and development to assist PUI in developing the capacitive sensor with the required characteristics as well as investigate the viability of infrared sensing technology in this application.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-awarded-manufacturing-pa-innovation-program-grant

Sachin Patil, professor of chemical engineering, was invited to serve as the guest editor for a special issue in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmaceuticals. Titled “Alzheimer’s Disease: Small-Molecule Modulators of Novel Therapeutic Pathways,” this special issue is dedicated to gathering novel Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on targeting these mechanisms using small-molecule drugs. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-named-journal-guest-editor

Amanda DiAlessandro '22 '23, a two-time graduate of Widener's mechanical engineering program, presented research at the 2023 National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Wisconsin in April. The poster, "HVAC Design of a Performing Arts Center to be Located in Sidney, Australia," was co-authored by DiAlessandro and teammates Jacqueline Loeliger, Jamal Badamassi, Tristan Fish, Michael Hutchinson, and Madeline Reynolds and showcased findings collected during the team's senior project. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-student-presents-national-conference

Sachin Patil, professor of chemical engineering, attended and presented findings at the Heart Development and Disease: From Genes to Cures conference hosted by Keystone Symposia in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The conference gathered researchers from around the world to advance knowledge and understanding of heart formation and homeostatic function and how derangement in these processes lead to diseases and organ dysfunction.

In his presentation, “Small-molecule stabilizers (and inhibitors) of immune checkpoint PD1-PDL1 for heart disease and beyond,” Patil highlighted his novel findings on the role of immunotherapy in the heart disease treatment. Patil’s research is supported by a funding grant from the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust.  

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-faculty-presents-funded-research-international-symposium

Biology Professor David Coughlin has been awarded the Cynthia H. Sarnoski Faculty Fellowship award to support his research focused on climate change and wild brook trout. This is the second time Coughlin has been the recipient of this award, which will run from July 2023 through June 2025.

“The future of biological systems, upon which humans depend, is imperiled by climate change. My laboratory uses multiple experimental approaches to examine how changes in the environment affect the physiological performance of a given organism,” Coughlin explained.

Coughlin works together with Widener students to examine the impact of rising temperatures due to climate change on muscle function in brook trout. Working in the lab, the team has found a strong physiological response to a warming environment in a controlled setting. In the past year, Coughlin has begun analyzing wild, native brook trout populations across the state of Pennsylvania. 

“This study aims to bring data together from throughout the year to determine how wild trout are responding to changing environmental temperatures,” says Coughlin. “We hope to gain insights that will contribute to management of threatened brook trout populations.”

The Sarnoski Fellowship supports science faculty through a generous gift made by Cynthia H. Sarnoski, who serves as vice chair of Widener’s Board of Trustees. Sarnoski graduated from Widener in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She is a retired senior vice president for Global Compliance and Quality Systems for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/biology-professor-receives-cynthia-h-sarnoski-faculty-fellowship-continue-climate-change-research

Associate Professor of Biology Janice Krumm is the recipient of over $143,000 from the National Science Foundation to continue a multi-year project aimed at making undergraduate research more accessible for students. This is the fourth grant that this project has received, bringing the total funding to nearly $2 million of which nearly half has been awarded directly to Widener. 

Krumm served as primary investigator for the first three awards and is now collaborating with additional researchers from George Washington University, Texas Tech University, Westfield State University, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College. The project has been focused on creating Course Based Undergraduate Research (CURE) classes which utilize a newly created online database of natural history resources that are free and available for use by students across the country. 

This new funding will:

• Support recruitment and training of more faculty nationwide to implement accessible CURE strategies into their classrooms
• Allow researchers, like Dr. Krumm, to assess the effectiveness of these new practices using newly designed research instruments
• Provide funding to support students participating in these CURE courses to attend national conferences to present their research. Dr. Krumm estimates that nearly 100 students will be able to attend and present their work over the next 3 years. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/biology-faculty-receives-continued-national-science-foundation-funding