Students present their research on the impact of the invasive spotted lanternfly on urban ecology. Photos by Taylor Ha

More than 40 students presented their research at ARS Nova, Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s annual arts and research showcase, on April 18. 

Finding Her Biological Grandmother

Among them was Christine Irlbeck, a senior psychology major who wrote a 100-page memoir about her search to find her biological grandmother.

Irlbeck with her mother and adoptive grandmother: “[Adoption] led to my mother being able to have a stable and beautiful life with her adoptive family.”Irlbeck’s mother, an adoptee from Illinois, had never tracked down her biological mother. But Irlbeck had many questions.

“We’ve always dealt with these overhanging questions about what my mother’s family looks like. When people asked us about our family history at doctor’s appointments and family discussions, we didn’t know it. I also wanted to know whether my biological grandmother had dealt with a lot of life experiences that all of us had shared,” Irlbeck said, referring to the “grief” and “guilt” that can be associated with adoption. 

Irlbeck eventually discovered that her biological grandmother passed away from COVID-19. But she plans to meet her mother’s other biological relatives in person for the first time later this spring. 

“[This journey] gave me … a deeper appreciation for motherhood, in all senses of the word,” said Irlbeck, who interviewed her family and completed a literature review on different adoption processes as part of her research. 

The Subway’s Social Code 

Joseph Cook, a junior urban studies major, studied the social behavior of New York City subway passengers. 

“I’ve been a train nerd my whole life, and I’ve also been taking a lot of sociology and anthropology classes here at Fordham, so I thought it would be a great idea to combine two of my passions,” said Cook.

Last summer, Cook rode 30 train lines and more than 400 trains, observing each route—from beginning to end—at every time of day. He used computer programs to analyze trends in behaviors, including where people chose to stand or sit, the most common behaviors on each line, and different behavioral patterns on weekday trains compared to weekend trains. 

“Somewhat expected was the unspoken social code to keep to yourself. But it’s … not just not talking to other people. It’s where you stand, where you sit, where you grab onto the poles,” said Cook. “Another interesting finding is that post-COVID, the social code doesn’t specify responses to a lot of situations, so a lot of people are left doing nothing in a situation that could be potentially dangerous for other riders. I talk about this more in my documentary on YouTube.”

Cook said his research can help people stay safer on the subway. 

“It can help people stick to that social code and keep themselves safe, and also helps us propose possible solutions, such as expanded cell coverage in the tunnels to record incidents that we can propose to the MTA,” said Cook, who aspires to become an urban planner.

‘Just an Artist’s Dream’ 

Morgan Gregory, a senior dance and African & African American studies double major, directed a documentary that reflects her Black identity as a person and an artist. The film portrays the stereotypes that exist within the Black narrative and the ways that the Black body can transcend these stereotypes and labels, said Gregory, adding that it complements her senior thesis on Afrofuturism. 

“When I first started my research, it was very hard to find anything like what I produced. I think it’s important for work like this to be out there and talked about because everyone needs a voice,” Gregory said. 

“Because I’m in New York, I have the option and opportunity to try out different things, put myself out there, and see what happens,” said Gregory, who aspires to become a professional dancer. “You know, just an artist’s dream.” 

Learn more about each student and their research.

Aggressive Pigeon Behavior: Bridget Crosby, Taylor Goche, Cream Sananikone, and Van Tran

Going to school in New York City made these four biological science majors “fascinated by pigeons.” “I’ve noticed particularly how close pigeons get to us, how they’re foraging for food, how they’re really never alone,” Crosby said. “I’m just fascinated by pigeons, especially in Manhattan, in comparison to more suburban areas. We wanted to see whether there was a correlation between the aggressive behavior and the location that they live in.” Working with the Ecology Lab at Fordham, the team spent hours in four parks analyzing pigeon behaviors. They found pigeons were more aggressive in the urban parks—Bryant Park and Washington Square Park, compared to the more suburban parks—Van Cortlandt Park and Crotona Park, concluding that pigeons in more urban areas are more accustomed to traffic and people, prompting them to act more boldly.

Mental Health in Literature: Marianna Apazidis

A senior from Massachusetts who is double-majoring in psychology and English, Apazidis united her academic interests through research that examined the portrayal of mental health in literature, particularly in Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. The novel centers on a protagonist often considered to be schizophrenic in literary interpretations. Apazidis received a summer research grant that allowed her to visit the Jean Rhys archives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, she conducted empirical research, first-hand interviews, and archival research to investigate why the novel’s protagonist is often diagnosed this way and whether this is an accurate portrayal of psychosis. “I started with psychology because I’ve always been interested in how people work and what makes them who they are,” she said. “I quickly found that English is a very similar parallel discipline. I think literature is one of the most important ways to study human nature.”

Detecting the Presence of Metals in Water: Eva Riveros

Riveros was drawn to chemistry as a tangible way to find environmental solutions. Her research project involved the development of a Thiazole probe—a solution that uses proton transfer and fluorescence to detect the presence of metals in water samples. Riveros hopes to eventually create strips using the solution that can be used more easily and efficiently. “One of the main applications we’re thinking of is drinking water, so safety,” said the junior from New Jersey. Riveros developed her love of research after completing the ASPIRES program, which gives incoming students practical exposure to labs and hands-on experimentation.

Religion as Rebellion: Christopher Supplee

Supplee’s interest in how shared narratives shape cultural experiences led him to research the role of Haitian Vodou in confronting the shared traumatic experience of slavery. Supplee applied the three-part trauma recovery theory from Dr. Judith Herman, a leading expert on trauma, as a basis to examine the migration of Vodou from Haiti to the United States. “I look at how the enslaved population used [the practice of]voodoo as a means of maintaining their humanity under the dehumanizing conditions of slavery and rebuilding the community bonds that were separated through the TransAtlantic slave process,” said Supplee, an English and theology major from Philadelphia, “but also making new ones as a result of the diverse peoples that were coming from or transported from the African continent,” he said.

Additional reporting by Kelly Prinz.