Reading begins long before children pick up their first book. In this project, Evelyn Fernandez explored how multisensory phonemic awareness activities can strengthen early literacy skills in preschool students, particularly those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Her research was presented at the Graduate Poster Exhibition during the 2025 SPARK! (Showcase of Projects, Art, Research,… continue reading
Women in Puerto Rico graduate from universities at higher rates than men, yet they continue to earn less, hold fewer executive roles, and face persistent structural barriers, including high rates of domestic violence. What happens when we examine economic development through that contradiction? Mnguashima Valentina Soomiyol’s research centers women not as beneficiaries of policy, but… continue reading
Most organisms slow down in the cold. Glacier ice worms do the opposite. Living on permanent ice, these organisms generate unusually high levels of adenosine triphosphate, the molecule that powers nearly every cellular process. Truman Dunkley investigates how evolution may have rewired cellular energy production in these extreme conditions, identifying a small protein modification that… continue reading
What if extinction was not caused by catastrophe, but by isolation? This creative manuscript explores loneliness, difference, and belonging through a linked collection of short stories centered on misfits from the same small township in West Michigan. Through dark humor and emotional precision, the work interrogates how people wear their differences as armor, and how… continue reading
What happens when children watch politics unfold on television? And what does it mean when adults watch children react to it? This project examines how childhood and politics intersect in the British reality television program Gogglesprogs (2016–2019), where cameras capture children reacting to current events, media, and political issues in their own homes. By analyzing… continue reading
What people value shapes how they live, connect, and cope. This research explored how educational background and perceived social status influence whether individuals prioritize self-focused values such as power and achievement or other-focused values such as family and compassion. The project was presented during the 2025 SPARK! Graduate Poster Exhibition. Conducted by Xuanzhou Du while… continue reading
