Every spring, Fontbonne comes together for The Academic Exhibition. Presenting to the campus community, undergraduate and graduate students showcase their academic projects in the form of multimedia oral and/or design visual presentations. The exhibition offers students the opportunity to practice formal academic presentations, receive live constructive feedback, and support their peers in other disciplines. This year featured six multimedia oral presentations and twenty visual presentations in the form of academic posters.

The event opened with presentations from members of the TELOS Honors program:

Kass Pemberton is a Psychology major and student leader on campus. For his presentation on psychiatric hospitalization during adolescence and the child’s experience, Kass interviewed a group of women who had experienced various types of hospitalization in their youth due to mental health battles. Kass looked at both positive and negative experiences including resources, security, safety, emotions, healing, and post-discharge support. His goal was to provide a voice to those affected by psychiatric hospitalization in their youth as well as raise awareness about the need for better resources post-discharge.

Blake Klenke is a Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) major and an involved student leader. His presentation focused on his experience as an SLP rehabilitation specialist treating a Traumatic Brain Injury. Blake’s client was in a car accident causing a brain injury. Prior to his accident, the client worked in construction and was in pursuit of becoming a graphic designer. Therapy goals included improvement of reading comprehension, communicative confidence, cognitive function, and memory. Over time, the client made major improvements that boosted his confidence and quality of life.

Philyce Webb is a Social Work major, President of the Social Work Club, and Black Student Union representative for Student Government. Social work is about enhancing the well-being and basic needs of all people. Philyce encourages people to share their stories creatively. Her presentation highlighted the use of art therapy in healing trauma and the transformative power of self-discovery. Philyce is an advocate against social injustice and broken systems. Her passions are service, social justice, and crisis intervention. She has worked extensively with Crisis Nursery during her time at Fontbonne.

The program continued with students from the humanities departments presenting on various subjects in their areas of expertise:

Megan Concagh is a religious studies major. She presented on The Golden Rule Project, a website she developed that provides resources to the archdiocese on how to support members of the church community with disabilities. Having cerebral palsy herself, Megan started to notice that inclusive services for the disabled in local Catholic Churches was either lacking in resources or nonexistent.  Megan’s goal is to create a welcoming environment for people with disabilities in the church. She has already been successful in creating a resources hub with simple and accessible tools for churches to use to be more inclusive. The Golden Rule Project is also a place for people with disabilities to share their stories, as well as a great educational tool concerning disability and inclusion.

Jeannine Millner is a Religious Studies Major who is training to be an end-of-life doula. Her presentation focused on adding value to the life of terminally ill patients through legacy projects. She provides the terminally ill a meaningful way to tell their stories. These legacy projects make memories tangible for the families of her clients. Clients and loved ones use their talents and creativity to create a variety of projects including pillows, journals, letters, art, videos, and audio recordings.  Jeannine finds a way to give closure to patients as well as their families.

Nat Paasch is double-majoring in English and History. His presentation highlighted the importance of using young adult literature in schools to combat systematic racism. Teaching about social issues in the classroom is imperative to the development of students. Teaching books like The Hate You Give provides a connection to students’ lives and educates them on different perspectives and experiences. Teaching how to combat systematic injustice provides students with a well-rounded education. It can be uncomfortable to have these conversations, but it is critical for growth. Students lose valuable lessons on how harmful systemic racism is when fiction from marginalized voices is ignored, or worse, taken off the shelves.

A common theme bonded all the oral presentations: giving a voice to vulnerable groups. Each presenter exuded passion and knowledge for supporting and uplifting specific marginalized peoples.

The event continued into the evening with the presentation of academic posters. Each student curated a visual presentation highlighting their work in their specific areas.

The presentation included:

Biology:

• “Unit 731: Sadism in the Name of ‘Science’,” Maya Gravagna, Biology with minors in Chemistry & One Health
• “Dr. Leo Stanley’s San Quentin Experiments,” Adrienne Unger, Biology with minors in Chemistry & One Health

Education:

• “Walking the Walk: Cultural Responsive Practices in Augmentative Alternative Communication,” Aaron Doubet, Education, Ed.D.
• “Trauma and Teacher Perception of Maladaptive Classroom Behavior: An Action Research Pilot Study,” Keona Griffin, Education, Ed.D.
• “Parental Efficacy and Barriers to Learning in Early Intervention,” Melissa Jensen, Education. Ed.D.

Speech-Language Pathology:

• “Behavior Management in the Therapy Room,” Karina Alvarado, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• Effectiveness of the Montessori Method for Dementia Patients,” Breanna Baker, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• Creative Arts Therapy for Individuals with Cognitive-Communication Disorders,” Julianne Cadieux, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “Psychology Challenges of People with Aphasia,” Jordan Hecht, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “The Use of Aided Language with AAC,” Caroline Husmann, Grad Speech-Language Pathology
• Familial Response to Augmentative Alternative Communication in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities,” Amy Ingold, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “The Impact of Family Environmental Factors on the Linguistic Success of Children with Cochlear Implants,” Olivia Joseph, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “Cochlear Implants, Psychopathology, and Psychosocial Functioning,” Aleeza Katz, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology.
• “What is Known About the Treatment Methods of Bilingual Aphasia?,” Alexis LaRose, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “Returning to the Classroom after a Traumatic Brain Injury,” Carly McGrath, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “The Effects of Therapeutic Alliance in Physical Therapy and Possible Transfer to Intervention in Speech-Language Pathology,” Meghan Mudd, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “Goal-Oriented Attentional Self- regulation (GOALS) Treatment of Cognitive Rehabilitation of Veterans with TBI,” Alissa Murphy, Grad, Speech Pathology
• “Utilizing Kinesiology Taping within the NICU to Promote Oral Feeding Readiness in Preterm Infants with Oral Moto Dysfunction,” Kaylee O’Brien, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “View Diversity as the Chery on Top: A Culturally Responsive Awareness & practice Guide,” Kyla Taylor, Grad, Speech-Language Pathology
• “Current Memory Treatments: Effectiveness and Functionality Across Adult Populations,” Eleanor Waters, Grad Speech-Language Pathology

We are proud of the students who participated in the 2022 Academic Exhibition. Hard work, passion, and knowledge were evident in each presentation. Excellent job students!