New Summer Fellowships for Undergraduates Spur Research and Creativity Beyond the Lab

At Adelphi, research is not just for graduate students. This summer, six undergraduates are making new discoveries-inside and out of the lab.

When history major Thea Crouch came to Adelphi, she knew she wanted to do original research alongside a faculty member.

"I wanted to assist a professor since the prospect of discovering historic information and sharing it with others is so exciting," said Crouch, who is entering her senior year this fall.

She's been able to do that in her three years at the University. Now she is working on her own in-depth research project, with the help of associate professor and chair of the history department Edward Reno, PhD, as one of six students to receive an Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Summer Fellowship from Adelphi.

Supporting Projects by Students of History, English, Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science and Dance

The summer fellowship program, which was launched last year as one of the first programs established by Adelphi's new Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, was made for students like Crouch.

"The new fellowships were created to show that research can be done not only in the lab, but outside the lab," said Justyna Widera-Kalinowska, PhD, professor of chemistry and director of the office. "The fellowships support all of Adelphi's Core Four areas of study and join the fellowships offered to students in the lab sciences." (Adelphi's Core Four include arts and humanities, STEM and social sciences, the business and education professions, and health and wellness.)

Fellowship winners were selected out of around 20 students who submitted in-depth proposals. Fellows receive a $4,000 stipend; their faculty advisers receive $1,000.

Crouch is using her fellowship to conduct research into the history of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, a soaring landmark in Garden City, New York, that serves as the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. Opened in 1885, the cathedral was built by the family of Alexander T. Stewart, a department store magnate and one of America's richest men at the time of his death, to honor his memory. Adelphi University stands on grounds formerly owned by the cathedral.

The goals of Crouch's project are to learn more about the cathedral's history by examining its archives and to create a digital catalog of cathedral documents for use by future researchers.

Meet Our Other 2024 Summer Research Fellows

The five other undergraduates joining Crouch as summer fellows have projects that are equally ambitious.

• Sarah Marino, a dance major entering her senior year, is attending workshops held by a major dance company to explore new styles and techniques that she can incorporate in her own choreography. Her faculty adviser is Orion Duckstein, associate professor and chair of the Department of Dance.
• Brienna Connor, a rising junior who is majoring in English with a minor in African, Black and Caribbean Studies, is conducting research into the myths and legends of Black Americans from the time of the slave trade and onward. She is being advised by Patricia Lespinasse, PhD, associate professor of African, Black and Caribbean Studies.
• Katelyn Schwab, a psychology major set to enter her senior year, is conducting an experiment to compare the effects of a range of political and legal issues on the well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals. She is being advised by Chana Etengoff, PhD, associate professor in the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology.

• Heather Gittelson, an Honors College student and rising senior majoring in neuroscience, is conducting an experiment to assess how taking the perspective of a family member in the future impacts their perception of climate change risks. Her adviser is Karolina Lempert, PhD, assistant professor in the Derner School.
• Vaishnavi Dixit, a statistics major who is also an Honors College student and rising senior, is continuing her work on developing a k-nearest neighbor algorithm that can improve decision-making in finance, security and other areas. Her adviser is Josh Hiller, PhD, associate professor of mathematics and computer science.

Expanding Adelphi's Commitment to Undergraduate Research

The new summer fellowships join a robust program of offerings overseen by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, which was created in response to the increased emphasis the University's Momentum 2 strategic plan placed on undergraduate research. They include Honors College Summer Research Fellowships for honors students in any field; Landesberg Family Summer Research Fellowships for students in chemistry; and McDonell Summer Research Fellowships for biology, chemistry and physics students.

Dr. Widera-Kalinowska leads her own summer program, taking a group of students to Poland each summer since 2014 to conduct research on nanotechnologies with top scientists at the University of Warsaw. The program is funded by International Research Experiences for Students grants from the National Science Foundation.

As director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, she is now working to make research a part of every undergraduate's experience.

"The new summer fellowships were created not only to support students who want to do research, but as a way to encourage even more students to do research," she said. "We also want the fellowships to advertise research, to attract students who aren't yet involved in research projects. "

Undergraduate Research Benefits Both Faculty and Students

The office is busily doing that over the summer, posting frequent updates on its Instagram account about the work that fellows are doing and the experiences they're having. This fall, the office will host a series of research workshops for students on a wide range of topics, including how to use different search engines, how to find a faculty mentor and how to apply for student research funding. Dr. Widera-Kalinowska would also like to start a student salon on Zoom that would give students who are doing research an opportunity to share their work.

And students aren't the only audience Dr. Widera-Kalinowska hopes to reach. The office will also begin offering workshops to faculty members encouraging them to include undergraduates in their research.

"We want faculty members to see that there is a mutual benefit to involving students in their research," she said. "Students are so motivated and can learn quickly from faculty members and provide real support. I don't have the time to do all the measurements, but my students can do them quickly. Because of that help, I've been able to publish things I couldn't have done without their help. I can't clone myself, after all."

And, she said, there are other pleasures in working with students.

"You give them new responsibilities and they thrive. They come back from the research experience and they're so mature. They've spread their wings, become independent. It is very gratifying."