Faculty Research Interests

My research is based on the dynamic fracture and fragmentation of brittle polymers and composites.  I also have an interest in the instrumentation and metrology related to experimental design. 

I have two main areas of research. The first focuses on the impact of community engagement on both students and community partners. The second focuses on physical performance in older adults. 

My research interests include polypharmacy, older adults/older adult healthcare, nursing education, and anorexia in adolescents.

My research agenda has two areas of focus. First, I am interested in the concept of functional core stability. There are no gold standards of how to measure this concept, and I and am researching the clinimetrics of one such test. Second, I am interested in the student-run pro bono clinic model and how it can be an extremely valuable part of student education- particularly in the areas of interprofessionalism and clinical education.

My long-term research interest and goal is to establish an active, externally-funded research program at Widener University with the motto of "Better health through discovery, de novo design, and effective delivery of novel drugs." Despite tremendous medical advances, we still face many health challenges for which there is no effective cure. The age-associated disorders like cancer and Alzheimer's disease are two of the most notorious examples of such devastating diseases.

Cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the U.S. Similarly, there are currently 5.2 million Alzheimer's disease patients in the U.S., and the numbers are expected to rise significantly owing to the aging population of baby boomers and lack of any effective cure. In this context, the primary aim of my research work is to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases and use these novel mechanistic understandings to discover and design effective therapeutics against these traditionally-challenging diseases:

Alzheimer's Disease – Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is one of the most significant risk factors for late-onset or sporadic Alzheimer's disease. ApoE has been shown to be critical in clearing the harmful ApoE deposits from the brain and its ability to do that depends upon its lipidation status. Therefore, there is a growing interest in understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in ApoE lipidation and using these mechanistic understandings to discover drugs to enhance ApoE lipidation status.
My laboratory is investigating potential involvement of abnormal glucose metabolism in poor ApoE lipidation.

Cancer – The p53 protein plays a central role in protecting cells against carcinogenesis. It is inhibited in 50% of human tumors, however, by interaction with the oncogenic MDM2 protein. Therefore, blocking the p53-binding pocket on MDM2 protein by small-molecule drugs, leading to activation of the tumor suppressor p53 protein presents a fundamentally novel strategy against several types of cancers. In this regard, my laboratory is involved in discovery and design of novel molecules that can mimic the p53 structural features involved in binding to the MDM2 pocket with the ultimate aim of blocking p53-MDM2 interaction.

My research interests include: leadership in nursing education; evidence-based teaching strategies; veterans in nursing education; and gender diversity in nursing education.

• Tropical and Infectious diseases
• Disaster Preparedness & Mass Casualty Management
• Immigrant Medicine
• Veterans Affairs

My research interests include: (a) mindfulness to reduce burnout in occupational therapy practitioners and students, (b) scholarship in teaching in learning, including contemplative pedagogy and learner-centered feedback, and (c) the role of yoga and mindfulness in promoting well-being across the lifespan, encompassing individuals with varying abilities.

• Underrepresented minority (URM – as defined by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy) student pursuit of PT careers 
• The role of pipeline programs in URM student success in gaining admission to PT education programs
• Physical Therapy student perceptions of value and self-efficacy within service learning

• Paradox
• Responsible Global Business
• Multinationals
• Senior Entrepreneurship
• Small and Business Enterprises
• International Business
• Organization Management

Engineering education

My research interests include implementing diversity education into the classroom to prepare students for the workplace, the role of female faculty members in higher education, and the collegiate experiences of first-generation college students.

I earned my doctoral degree in Sociology at Western Michigan University where I studied Michigan’s medical cannabis community during the state’s shift to a legal adult-use market. Being among the first to document the experiences of cannabis patients in a post-prohibition state, my research has helped re-center patients' voices in academic conversations of cannabis as medicine. I continue to research the social dynamics of cannabis with attention to medicalization, inequalities, stigmas, and evolving cultural norms.

I am primarily interested in digital rhetoric and rhetorical theories, but I approach my research from an interdisciplinary perspective drawing from media studies, media ecology, information and data science, library and archival sciences, and cultural studies.  

My dissertation examines hashtags on Twitter and what their role is as a rhetorical tool beyond linking or connecting. Importantly, I am interested in mundane social media, or social media that serves a purpose that may seem frivolous or unimportant at first glance. Rather than focusing primarily on well-known hashtags or hashtags that serve a social justice function, I'm interested in hashtags that do not trend as rhetorical devises and hashtags that are used for individualized pleasure. I am also interested in how algorithms and digital infrastructure impact what role hashtags can play as rhetorical tools given recent inquiries into the biases present in computer coding.

Separate from hashtags, I am also interested in exploring how social media perpetuates neoliberal, consumerist cooptation of other cultures under the guise of feminist self-care. Specifically, I'm interested in hygge, or the Danish ethic of coziness and well-being, that has transformed into an Instagram phenomenon based in the consumption of "comfort items." I'm interested in the tension between social media as well-being promoter and social media as well-being destroyer.

My research interests focus upon praxis, the “reflection and action upon the world order in order to transform it” (Freire, 1972 p. 33).  This research investigates (1) core reading programs, (2) children's literature, (3) the use of critical literacy, (4) mindfulness in education, and (5) best practices in teacher education. Much of my research focuses on the role of teaching to strengthen communities.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Human Resources Management 
• Black Greek Letter Organizations
• Employee Physical and Mental Health

My research interests include: missed nursing care, organizational features of nursing (nurse work environment, education, staffing), impact on patient outcomes, implementation, leadership, teamwork, nurse interruptions, incivility, and interprofessional simulation.

• Mobile Robots, Custom-made robots
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Robot-based or VR/AR based Real-time Simulation
• Real-time Ultra-High-Speed Process Monitoring 
• Metal 3D Printing, Laser Scribing, Laser Color Marking
• Human- Machine Interactions, Human Body Real-Time Simulation
• 24/7 Robot Based Manufacturing

Ongoing Projects

• Skywalker - Autonomous Drone with Advanced Flight, Landing, and Charging Capabilities
• CENTAUR - Intelligent Ground Mobile Robot for Construction and Urban Monitoring"
• NeurOracle - AI-Driven Innovations in Biomedicine for Neurological Disease Forecasting
• Thor's Hammer - Enhancing Motion Capture for Improved Throwing Records Compared to Olympic Record Holder 
• CardioForecaster - Intelligent Biomedical Imaging for Future Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment
• RoboSimVRX - Real-Time Industrial Machinery Simulator

My research interests include the Business of Nursing Education, Nursing Leadership, Student Success, Genetics and ethics.

My scholarship has been concentrated in the areas of pediatric and school psychology, with a focus on the clinical applications of research and the formulation of practice guidelines for health care and school professionals. Student dissertations under my mentorship have explored child and family adjustment to cancer and other major pediatric medical issues.

Recent publications have included chapters providing guidelines to medical care providers on meeting the psychological needs of children and families with severe illness, guidelines to school teams on meeting the needs of traumatized or maltreated students, and a formulation of the role of gender in cognitive assessment.