Photo by Hope Patti
As spring rolls around and the weather gets warmer, so to comes the time-honored Scholars Day.
The sixth annual Scholars Day took place in Friends Hall this past Wednesday, and with it came the opportunity for the students to share with their peers and faculty the exciting explorations they have been partaking in for their respective fields.
Presenting as both representatives of the literature major and The Salameno School of Humanities and Global Studies, students Rose Hussain and Emily Shovlin shared their research into the “200 Years of Jane Austen.” They were specifically looking into how the accomplished author was appreciated in both the period and present post-modern interpretations.
“We concluded that the interpretations of these two periods of time share an appreciation for Jane Austen’s explorations into how class informed the decision making of wealthy and middle class women in terms of marriage and other aspects of their life,” Hussain said in summary of her conclusions.
The Anisfield School of Business also provided several interesting presentations, such as economics major Balrum Saud’s research into “building on the research literature on Blockchain.”
Blockchain, an online distributed ledger tool for transactions, provides users with readily available information regarding the possibilities a transaction may inflict.
“I was particularly looking into how to extend Blockchain to e-government options and the needs of the private sector,” Saud said on his hopes for his study.
The School of Theoretical & Applied Science also had some interesting presentations to show. One of the more notable ones was biology majors Meghann Herman and Jonathan Lopez’s research into “Generating a Monoclonal Antibody Against the Centromeric Protein HCP-3, in C. elegans.”
Their research revealed that antibodies hold numerous potentials as probes for localization studies inside cells and detecting the presence of antigen due to their ability to bind to specific molecules.
“Developing a monoclonal antibody for HCP-3 in C. elegans would give us a novel antibody that we could use to detect the same centromeric protein in humans possessing a pathogen with HCP-3,” Lopez said regarding the medical and practical applications on his and Meghann Herman’s antibody research.
The School of Contemporary Arts also had intriguing examples of student research, most notably from their chosen oral presenter and communication arts major Mehnaz Ladha.
She had research documenting the effects and consequences of the Greek bailout crisis on small business owners in the residential neighborhood of Pangrati in Central Athens. These interviews Ladha conducted with residents of Pangrati, as well as experts on the crisis, highlight the uncertainty of the economic future of the nation while also being disillusioned with the governmental response.
“With negations underway with the IMF regarding a third bailout package, there is a fear that the dire economic straits will be constant,” Ladha said regarding the feeling of the Greek public.
All 39 presentations at the showcase are representative of the scholarly abilities of Ramapo’s community.
dirons@ramapo.edu
