Join The Catholic University of America’s students, faculty and staff on Wednesday, April 2 when we celebrate their research achievements at University Research Day (URD) 2025!
URD is our annual opportunity to celebrate our University community’s long tradition of research and to explore the extraordinary array of research being conducted by our students, faculty, and staff.
The hallmarks of Catholic University research are innovation, scholarship, and exploration and you will see this combination of scholarship and creativity on display at URD 2025. Research Day will have oral and poster sessions, musical performances, and a film festival to guarantee an engaging demonstration of talent and hard work by our campus community. Our day will begin with an address by Provost Aaron Dominguez and a soon-to-be-revealed keynote presentation. The event will culminate with a live awards ceremony during which Provost Dominguez will announce the most engaging and successful presentations and demonstrations from URD 2025.
Join us in celebrating the 10th anniversary of URD as we mark this milestone year!
We will be sharing more details with you about URD 2025 in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, please mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 2, begin writing your abstracts, and plan to join us to celebrate research at Catholic University!
Gregory Miller and Reiko Asano
URD 2025 Co-Chairs
Research Day 2025 Program
Open the Research Day 2025 Program to learn more about the event.
- View a list of presentations and performances
- Get to know Keynote Speakers Glenn Østen Anderson, David A. Jobes, and Meghan Mcdonogh
- Meet the Research Day 2025 committee
Recorded Livestreams
Research Day 2025 featured two livestreams from the beginning and end of the day.
Research Day 2025 Introduction and Keynote
Research Day begins with a welcome remarks by University President Kilpatrick, a review on the Stare of Research by Provost Aaron Dominguez, and a keynote address by Glenn Østen Anderson, David A. Jobes, and Meghan Mcdonogh.
Research Day 2025 Awards and Closing
Research Day committee co-chair Gregory Miller and Reiko Asano present awards and close out Catholic University Research Day 2025.
Archived Presentations
Presentation links in the Research Day 2025 program are participant-submitted, and may not be available long-term. For continued access, an archive has been created in the University Libraries Digital Collection.
Experience Research Day 2025
Finalists and Awards
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Undergraduate Oral Presentations
Award Winner
The Great Māhele: How the 1848 Privatization of Land Ownership led to the Hawaiian Annexation
Chloe Masaitis, College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Student
Advisor: Dr. Stephen WestFinalists
Doctoring the Books: How Can You Tell if It's (Non) Fiction?
Mary Margaret Brennan, School of Arts & Sciences (English), Undergraduate Student
Advisor: Dr. Tevor LipscombeSocial Media or Friendship: It's One or the Other
Benjamin Rees, School of Arts and Sciences (Biology), Undergraduate Student
Collaborator: Adam Cady, School of Philosophy, Undergraduate Student
Advisor: Dr. Marshall BiersonSaved by the Spray: How Naloxone Reverses Opiod Overdose
Maura Hroncich, Conway School of Nursing, Undergraduate Student
Advisor: Dr. Gregory Miller -
Masters Oral Presentations
Award Winner
Is Jesus Christ's Cross Only a Repayment of Debt?
John M.H. Quinn, School of Theology and Religious Studies (Historical and Systematic), Master's Student
Advisor: Rev. Dr. Vincent L. Strand, SJFinalist
AI-Driven Optimization and Security for High-Performance Compiting and Cloud-Native Systems
Sandeep Shiraskar, School of Engineering (Electrical Engineering), Master's Student
Collaborators: Dr. Dominic Rizk
Advisor: Dr. Dominic RizkThe Politics of Perception: Judgements of Culpability Across Ideologies
Julia Kennedy, Tysyn Minnis, and David Arroyo, School of Arts and Sciences (Psychology), Master's Students
Collaborators: Madison Schultz, Chase Kovalcheck, Hannah Chesterton, Elise Cardinale
Advisor: -
Doctoral Oral Presentations
Award Winner
Electrofabricated Chitosan Membranes on Filter Paper for Household Water Purification in Disaster Relief
Phuc Long Duong, School of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Marcie Goeke-Morey, Ph.D.Finalist
Medical Treatment Preferences among Emerging Adults with and without Chronic Medical Conditions
Frances Cooke, School of Arts & Sciences (Psychology)
Collaborators: Mary Rose Yockel, Jackson Gasperecz, Leah Gadi, Alexandra DeLone, Larry Mullins
Advisor: Dr. Christina SharkeyBetter Informered School Nurses = Healthier Students: Analyzing the School Nurse's Role on the Student Assistance Team (SAT) fo School-Aged Children and Youth
Susan Macyko, Conway School of Nursing, Ph.D. Student
Collaborators: Dr. Mary Flynn, DNP (CUA Faculty Mentor); Ms. Margaret Kenney (ADW Special Educator)
Advisor: Dr. David Jobes -
Undergraduate Poster Presentations
Award Winner
Protein Engineering: A Toolkit for Modern Medicine
Cephas Wilson-Bahun, School of Arts & Sciences (Chemistry), Undergraduate Student
Collaborators: Emma Wallace, Iriana Garcia-Guerra, Binh Hoang, Claire Wang (UMD), Priscilla Ye (Cornell University), Long Duong, Dr. Jandro Abot, Dr. Chuan-Fu Lin, Dr. Xiaolong LuoFinalists
Incorporation of Psychophsiology Measures in Frustrating AX-Continuous Performance Task (FAX-CPT)
Ashleigh Meskill & Lucy Knopf, School of Arts (Psychology), Undergraduate Students
Collaborators: Ena Sullivan, Jennifer Meigs, Shannon Shaughnessy, Emilio Valadez, Spencer Evans, & Kathryn Degan
Advisor: Elise CardinaleThe Effectiveness of Haloperidol in Treating Agitation in Elderly Dementia Patients
Priya Mammen, Conway School of Nursing, Undergraduate Student
Collaborators: Isabelle Muller, Konstantin Gilbo
Advisor: Dr. Gregory Miller -
Masters Poster Presentations
Award Winner
Adressing Homelessness
Muhammad Ataul Gani, School of Architecture and Planning (Architecture), Master's Student
Advisor: Patricia AndraiskFinalist
Unveiling Hidden Discounts and Price Trends on Amazon
Abdul Baseer Shaik, School of Engineering (Data Analytics), Master's Student
Advisor: Brendan RichLittle Interactions, Lasting Impact: Capturing Moment-to-Moment Social and Emotinal Dynamics
Chantelle Dias, School of Arts & Sciences (Psychology) Master's Student
Collaborators: Elise Cardinale
Advisor: Elise CardinaleClosing the Resilience and Adaptability Discrepancy for Children of Single Parents: An Income-Adjusted Randomized Controlled Trial
Cayden Antee, School of Arts & Sciences (Psychology), Master's Student
Collaborators: Alexa J. Hudock, Daniel A. Ponciano, Brendan A. Rich
Advisor: Brendan RichAnalyzing and Predicting New York City Traffic Accidents: A Machine Learning Approach to Road Safety
Nikhil Kumar Reddy Dilli, School of Engineering (Data Analytics), Master's Student
Advisor: Matthew JacobsExploring the Impact of Episodic Future Thinking on Anxiety Symptoms in College Students with ADHD
Giannina Combe, School of Arts and Sciences (Psychology), Master's Student
Advisor: Brendan Rich -
Doctoral Poster Presentations
Award Winner
Impact of Childhood Parenting Practices on the Psychological Well-being of Emerging Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions
Mary Rose Yockel, School of Arts & Sciences, PhD Student
Collaborator: Frances Cooke, Emma McGrade, Larry L. Mullin
Advisor: Christina M. SharkleyFinalists
Marijuana Legalization and Legal Trafficking
Marian Ruiz, School of Arts and Sciences (Psychology), PhD StudentStreamlined Shapley Value Calculation for Fair Compensation Concurrent Construction Delays
Raha Hajiashrafi, School of Engineering (Civil Engineering), PhD Student
Collaborator: Dr. Gunnar Lucko, Dr. Jeffrey W. Herrman, Dr. Kiran R. Bhutani, & Dr. Mohamed S. Eid
Advisor: Dr. Gunnar Lucko