Unlocking the Power of Research

By Patrick Bohn, April 18, 2024

Whalen Symposium highlights work of undergraduates.

More than 200 students presented original research at the Whalen Symposium.

(Photo by Chris Kitchen

Presentations on the importance of play, suicide awareness and prevention, and media responses to athlete protest were some of the highlights of the 2024 James J. Whalen Academic Symposium.

Whalen, who served as Ithaca College’s sixth president, had a core belief in the value of undergraduate research to the educational experience, and it was in that spirit that the symposium was founded in 1997.

The symposium has expanded rapidly since its first year saw just 13 presenters. This year, there were 245 student presenters, from all five schools, and a wide range of topics were covered.

“The Whalen Symposium is academic immersion at its finest, a day celebrating theory, practice, and performance. It shows why so many of our student presenters go on to additional degrees and research careers.”

President La Jerne Terry Cornish

“The Whalen Symposium is academic immersion at its finest, a day celebrating theory, practice, and performance,” said President La Jerne Terry Cornish. “For our undergraduate presenters especially, these are the types of research and presentation experiences indicative of Research I universities and graduate programs. It shows why so many of our student presenters go on to additional degrees and research careers.”

Much of the day featured students giving poster and oral presentations on topics they had researched under the supervision of a faculty member.

(L to R) Psychology majors Mattie Ng ’26, Emma O’Brien ’26 and Caelee Bouley ’25 analyzed advertisements in TV Guide for their research project. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

Psychology majors Caelee Bouley ’25, Emma O’Brien ’26, and Mattie Ng ’26 coded nearly 3,000 advertisements appearing in 128 issues of TV Guide, spanning 16 separate years from 1974 to 2019. Working with Dana Professor of Psychology Cyndy Scheibe, who also serves as the executive director of Project Look Sharp, the college’s media literacy program, the trio analyzed target audiences and how the products advertised changed over time, as well as the decreasing number of overall advertisements.

“Knowing how prevalent advertising is in society, and how it affects us, we wanted to see the changes that had been made, and their possible impact,” said O’Brien.

“It’s an exciting opportunity. We put together a lot of work, so it’s great to have a chance to present it at an event like this,” said Bouley.

Some of the research presented during the symposium originated outside of classes. Physics major Daveigh Robbins ’25 and environmental science major Nandini Agarwal ’25 conducted research on methane emission quantification under Eric Leibensperger, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, as part of the Summer Scholars Program housed in the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Daveigh Robbins ’25, presented on research she conducted while part of the Summer Scholars program. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

Having access to equipment such as drones and wearable trace gas analyzers helped the group measure methane emissions from salt mines, landfills, and dairy farms.

“I really enjoyed doing the research,” said Robbins. “I hope I can be part of Summer Scholars again, because it was awesome to be on campus and on an academic mindset over the summer. I’m proud to be able to share the work we did with others. I would recommend students take advantage of things like Whalen to present their work.”

The research students conducted took place in locations near and far. Physical therapy major H. Caleb Rahner ’22, DPT ’24, took part in a clinical affiliation in South Carolina where he worked in a clinic that treated a woman who exhibited signs of pre-Parkinson’s Disease. With guidance from both his supervising PT in South Carolina and associate professor Karen Lomond in Ithaca, Rahner tracked the patient’s progress over the course of four weeks of therapy.

“It's great that we have these clinical experiences, that open you up to the subfields within the fields, as well as the rotations, which establish your confidence,” he said.

“It's important to see what sorts of research is being done in the other schools. It’s cool to share interests outside of your field. It’s a meeting of the minds.”

H. Caleb Rahner ’22, DPT ’24

Rahner added that he appreciated the learning he was able to take part in at the symposium itself. “It was definitely intimidating, but it’s important to see what sorts of research is being done in the other schools,” he said. “It’s cool to share interests outside of your field. It’s a meeting of the minds.”

More locally, occupational therapy majors Ella Meoli ’26 and Kendra Atstupenas ’26 conducted research for their project at Stewart Park. Based off of an assignment for associate professor Amie Germain’s Human Development course, they evaluated the park’s playground to see how the equipment helped develop not only children’s fine and gross motor skills, but their social skills as well.

In addition to poster presentations, there were oral presentations as well

(Photo by Chris Kitchen)

“Presenting at the symposium has been wonderful,” said Meoli. “It’s great to talk to other researchers and get good feedback for our professional development.”

Faculty were also proud to see their students excelling. Hugh Stephenson, associate professor of psychology, had several teams of students delivering oral presentations.

Tim Reynolds ’12, ’14 DPT delievered the keynote address to close out the symposium. (Photo by Chris Kitchen)

“The challenges working in a research team are different than a class, because the students are responsible to myself and their peers, and they have the opportunity to operate with a degree of independence and accountability that doesn’t exist in a classroom,” he said. “It’s always very rewarding to see them rise to the occasion. Students can feel empowered and get a sense of mastery of a subject.”

After the presentations, assistant professor of exercise science and athletic training Tim Reynolds ’12, ’14 DPT, delivered the keynote speech, focused on turning dreams into reality.

“When it comes to our future careers, we often have a narrow vision,” he said. “You are so much more than the classes you take, or the name of the major on your diploma when you walk across the stage. We’re here today because you have put ideas into action. We are celebrating your hard work and you should all be proud of what you have accomplished.”

“The quality and diversity of the research and creative projects this year demonstrates the incredible talent of our students and the importance of active learning as a key part of an IC educational experience.”

Melanie Stein, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Melanie Stein also expressed her appreciation for all the hard work put in by faculty and students.

“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” she said. “That so many of our students engage in this type of collaborative research with faculty is a tribute not only to the college but to our faculty and staff who make this event a highlight of the year. The quality and diversity of the research and creative projects this year demonstrates the incredible talent of our students and the importance of active learning as a key part of an IC educational experience.”