Research poster presentation.

Student Research Symposium

UB’s Graduate School of Education’s students showcase their work, explore their passion for research and strengthen their presentation skills. The annual Student Research Symposium is an opportunity for students from all disciplines within GSE to work collaboratively, share their research, meet professionals in their field and prepare for upcoming conferences. Students present research posters, papers and panels that share the symposium theme.

2026 Theme: “Human–AI Collaboration & Agency”

March 31, 2026

Location: Hybrid Online  |  Foster Hall, UB South Campus

Schedule: Check back for updates.

The symposium is sponsored by the Department of Information Science, the GSE departmental chapters of the Graduate Student Association and the Graduate School of Education.

GSE invites proposals to present original research at the Annual GSE Student Research Symposium. The symposium theme will explore the collaboration of humans and AI in information, communication and education spaces. Students may submit proposals that examine the collaborative relationships between humans and AI, ethical engagement and integration of AI tools, the agency of humans when designing or using AI technologies, and practical experiences of AI implementation, or otherwise. We welcome submissions on any topic—including those unrelated to, or critical of, AI technologies—and at any stage of research.

Registration

At this time, we also invite all GSE students, faculty, staff, community members and alumni to RSVP for the Symposium. Free registration is required for attendance.

Registration Required to Attend

Service

All students and faculty are encouraged to consider serving as peer reviewers. Faculty are also invited to serve as moderators for sessions on the day of the symposium. If you can share your service generously, please get in touch with the symposium committee co-chairs or faculty advisor via email:

Tuesday, March 26, 2024: In-person event. See schedule below.
Saturday, April 29, 2023: Zoom-only morning paper presentations. See schedule below.

Download the GSE Symposium Program

Edufuturism is a novel concept inspired by Afrofuturism, which centers Black history and culture weaving sci-fi, technology and futuristic elements into art focusing on works that examine the past, question the present, or imagine an optimistic future, and are meant to inspire a sense of pride in their audience (Carter, 2022; Lavender, 2019).

The idea of edufuturism allows us to expand on these principles through centering a liberation mindset across all identities in all aspects of education and clinical practice. It is an invitation and call to action for all GSE students to join us in scholar-community world-building in education.

As the nation and globe reckon with a mental health crisis; new and persistent war, humanitarian crises and violence; dismantling oppression, white supremacy and colonization; edufuturism is an opportunity to respond with compassion, altruism, hope and healing.

This symposium aims to promote projects that allow presenters and participants alike to reimagine and rebuild oppressive systems across research, education, and clinical practice, in a way that fosters hope for an equitable and just future. 

Sponsors: Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, the GSE departmental chapters of the Graduate Student Association and the Graduate School of Education

Faculty co-organizers: Stephanie Fredrick and Sunha Kim

Schedule: Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Registration

Time Activity Location
8:30-9:00 a.m. Registration and Check-in Center for the Arts Artium

Opening

Time Activity Location
9:00-9:15 a.m.

Welcome remarks: Dean Rosenblith

Keynote speaker introduction: Richard Williams

Center for the Arts -

Screening Room
9:15-10:15 a.m.

Keynote presentation: Dr. Tim Monreal

Nahua Philosophy, Post-Humanism, and Relational Research

 

Abstract: In conversation with the symposium theme, I broadly outline how thinking with Nahua philosophy and more contemporary conceptions of posthumanism can help us "examine the past, question the present, and even imagine an optimistic future." An intra-active, intra-connected, relational understanding of a more/other-than-human world, whether it be grounded in Nahua philosophy and/or contemporary posthumanist concepts, encourages a reimagined ethical stance toward our learning, teaching, researching, and becoming. The Aztecs theorized such relationality as the need to be well-rooted to everything around us, a similar stance we can take to our current and future inquiry and scholarship. 

Center for the Arts - 

Screening Room
Picture of Dr. Timothy Monreal, professor in the Graduate School of Education at University at Buffalo.

Biography

Dr. Timothy Monreal is an assistant professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction at The University at Buffalo. Tim earned his PhD in foundations of education at the University of South Carolina in 2020. Tim embraces an interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching. His research broadly asks how (self) knowledge about Latinx is created and reproduced (in schools). More specifically, he is interested in the intersection of space/place on Latinx teacher identity and subjectivity, and the teaching of Latinx history and content in social studies education. Tim increasingly uses (and develops) post-structural, post-humanist, and (relational) spatial theories and method(ologies) to understand and nuance these concepts.

His work has appeared in journals such as Race, Ethnicity, and Education, Theory into Practice, International Journal of Quantitative Research, Theory and Research in Urban Education, Educational Studies, Latino Studies, Educational Policy, Urban Review, Journal of Latinos and Education, Current Issues in Comparative Education, and The Middle Grades Review. He is the recipient of the AERA's Latino/a/x Research Issues SIG Best Dissertation award, a Spencer Dissertation Fellowship, a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Fellowship, and the 2018 Doctoral Student of the Year in Educational Studies at the University of South Carolina. He is a research fellow with the Latinx Research Center at Santa Clara University and the Communication Director for the American Education Studies Association.

He was previously a middle school (mostly social studies) teacher for 11 years (and is deeply interested in diffusing this ridiculous binary of theory and practice). He was proudly born and raised in the Central Valley of California, is the eldest of 9 brothers and sisters, and now dad to three girls. He enjoys spending his free time with his family. 

Fellow Panel

Time Activity Location
10:15-11:00 a.m.

Reimagining and Rebuilding: A Research Spotlight of GSE Fellows

Overview of upcoming presentations by Schomburg and Presidential Fellows

 

Discussants:

Dr. Raechele Pope and Dr. Amy Reynolds

Center for the Arts - 

Screening Room

BREAK — 11:00-11:15 a.m.

Poster Session

Time Activity Location
11:15 a.m.-
12:00 p.m.		 Poster Presentations Center for the Arts Atrium
Presenter Poster
Ryan Armitage Examining Imposter Phenomenon in Early Career Professional
Leah Bartlo The Philosophy of Technology and Lead Poisoning: Past,  Present, and Future
Emil Beckford     Everybody’s Different: Examining Outness and Community Belongingness for Racially-Diverse LGBTQIA+ Individuals
Daphanie Bibbs (A)rtificial (I)nvisibility: The Erasure of Black Bodies
Julianna Casella School Climate and Bystander Intervention: Perceptions of Minoritized Groups
Kristina Collier Black Hair Matters: A Phenomenological Narrative Inquiry of how Black Women with Natural Hair in the Academy navigate Societal Pressures at Predominately White Institutions
Chrissy Daniel A review of family support as students transition to college
Weiyi Ding The Job Survival of Professionals of Color
Dylan Harrison Empathy, Attitudes, and School Climate: Impact on Victimization and Intervention
Hyeonji Jeong The Structural Relationship Between ICT Use, Demographic Variables, and Students’ Self-Efficacy: An International Comparative Study Between the USA and South Korea
Toniqua Lawrence The Impact of Religiosity and Spirituality on the mental health experiences of Black college students: A qualitative examination 
Ziqi Li Investigating Linguistic Landscapes to Empower Multicultural Community Building in the University and Beyond
Loja Lino The Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescents Academic Achievement: Disparities by Race/Ethnicity and Numbers of Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Katherine Margiotta PREPaRE-Trained Crisis Team Perspectives on Implementation Successes and Challenges
Preston Martin The Impact of an Urban Teacher Residency Program on Student Outcomes
Blessed Mhungu Leveraging Community of Practice Framework to Design Inclusive Online Learning Environments
Reza Sahlan Overvaluation of Weight and/or Shape, Weight Bias Internalization, Depression, and Self-Esteem among Patients in Iran with and without Binge Eating Disorder and a Normal Weight Comparison Group
Meg Syrell Exploring the Mutual Exclusivity of Neoliberalism and Multicultural Organizations
Vanessa Uhteg Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder Media Use and Bullying Victimization Outcomes
Wei Wang The relationship between SRL and DL on reading score among Eastern and Western students in online education environments: Using PISA 2018
Margaret Youngs Predictive Ability of Fantasy Careers on Career Choice
Silvia Zumaglini Association of Weight-based and General Cybervictimization with Weight Status in Youth: Literature Review and Research Directions

LUNCH — 12:00-1:00 p.m. in Center for the Arts Atrium

Breakout Session #1

Concurrent Paper Session A

Time Activity Location
1:15-2:05 p.m.

Purposeful Pedagogy: Nurturing Intention Learning Environments

Discussant: Dr. Julie Gorlewski

 Student Union 145 A/F

Papers

  • Choice and Voice Means Teachers, Too: Examining the Impact of Teacher-Driven Text Selection on Student Engagement and Attendance - Abigail Griffith
  • Dignity by Design: The Effect of Increased Historical Empathy on Student Interaction and Classroom Behavior - Tanya Blakeley-Clark
  • Goal-Setting with Seniors: The Impact of a Guided Goal-Setting Process on 12th Grade Achievement - Margaret Maxwell
  • The Effect of Personal Goal Setting on Student Outcomes in an AP Biology Class - Lauren Fogle
  • Buy-In: Inclusive Instruction as Classroom Management for Disaffected High Schoolers - Loran Peterson

Concurrent Paper Session B

Time Activity Location
1:15-2:05 p.m.

Building Authentic Relationships, Exploring Identities, and a Culture of Care in Urban Schools

Discussant: Dr. Halley Maza

 Student Union 145B

Papers

  • Does Morning Circle Help ENL Students Build Relationships and Feel a Sense of Belonging in Classrooms With English-Speaking Students and Teachers? – Bicampaka Bashizi
  • Building Authentic Relationships, Exploring Identity and a Culture of Care in Urban Schools – Mary Kay Caulfield
  • Exploring Identity and Literacy Through Art: A Multilingual Learner Action Research Project – Jaime Herbeck

Concurrent Paper Session C

Time Activity Location
1:15-2:05 p.m.

It’s All Interconnected: How Ecological Factors Impact Relationships Within Minoritized Groups

Discussant: Dr. Paris Wicker

 Student Union 145C

Papers

  • Share, Post, Love: Examining the Influence of Social Media on Intimate Relationships in the Lives of Black Women – Jennifer Elliott
  • Voices of Change: Narratives of DEI Practitioners at Historically White Institutions Driving Organizational Change – Allen Williams
  • Lived Experience of Black Women Employed in Residence Life – Tiffany Bromfield
  • They’re Attacking Our Kids: Lived Experiences of Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Advisors in a Climate of Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric and Legislation – Sarah Martin

Concurrent Paper Session D

Time Activity Location
1:15-2:05 p.m.

Food, Health and Learning Without Shame or Insecurity

Discussant: Dr. Myles Faith

 Student Union 145E

Papers

  • Fat in the Academy –  Sara Kieffer 
  • Associations between Food Insecurity, Obesity and Academic Engagement in First Generation College Students – Ashfique Rizwan
  • NYS Regents Exam Proficiency in Erie County Public School Districts: Effects of Expenditure per Pupil and Percent Free and Reduced Lunch –  Stacy Scheuneman

Workshop Session

Time Activity Location
1:15-3:05 p.m.

Healing While Studying: Contemplative Practices for Wellness and Academic Success

Presenter: Richard Williams

 Student Union 145D

Breakout Session #2

Concurrent Paper Session E

Time Activity Location
2:15-3:05 p.m.

Self-Awareness: A Stepping Stone to Student Engagement

Discussant: Dr. Julie Gorlewski

 Student Union 145A/F

Papers

  • The Effects Of Positive Classroom Recognition On Struggling Students' Engagement and Achievement – Alexa Dean
  • The Power of Engagement - Esther Blakely
  • The Impact of Emotional Regularity on an Urban Kindergarten Classroom - Lauren White
  • How School Schedules Impact Student Behavior and Engagement in the Classroom - Kara Cottrell
  • The Influence of One's Emotions - Jada Fisher
  • The Outcome of Implementing Social-Emotional Learning in a Public Urban Elementary School - Tasha Vega

Concurrent Paper Session F

Time Activity Location
2:15-3:05 p.m.

Integrated Social and Emotional Learning through Motivation, Relationships, and Personal Identity in Elementary School Classrooms

Discussant: Dr. Halley Maza

 Student Union 145B

Papers

  • Healthy and Supportive Relationship Skills in a Diverse Learning Environment – Myra Ahmed
  • Does Student Participation in a Book Club Increase Student Motivation to Read? - Melissa Ray-Schafer
  • Science in Our Future: The Impact of Narrative, Biography and Identity on Social-Emotional Learning in the 6th Grade Science Classroom - Jesse Meeder
  • Exploring Identity in 5th Grade RTI ELA Students: An Action Research Study - Angel Davis
  • Using Action Research to Identify Ways for Students to Find Connections to Writing in School in Different Content Areas and Out of School Time - Cierra Hernandez

Concurrent Session G

Time Activity Location
2:15-3:05 p.m.

Navigating University Challenges: Institutional Barriers and Their Impact on Academic Success and Future Goals

Discussant: Dr. Margaret Sallee

 Student Union 145C

Papers

  • Mandatory Attendance Policies: Do They Contribute to Student Success and Persistence in Higher Education? – Leasa N. Mills
  • Voices Across the Border: Perspectives of African Black Graduate Students on F-1 Visas at a US R-1 Public University - Lawrence Collins
  • College Readiness?: Assessing the Reasons Behind Educational Breaks and Returns During College - Weiyi Ding
  • Lifetime Commitment in Action: Examining the Link between Sorority Alumnae Membership and Volunteer Engagement - Mary Kate Metzger

Concurrent Session H

Time Activity Location
2:15-3:05 p.m.

Cultivating Relationships for Student and Educator Efficacy

Discussant: Dr. Amanda Nickerson

 Student Union 250

Papers

  • Victimization, School Climate and Peer Norms - Kay Huang
  • Examining K-12 Music Teacher Preparation and Self-Efficacy for Instructing Special Education Students: A Mixed-Methods Study - Kristen Smigielski
  • Parents' Perceptions of Preschool Literacy Practices and Curriculum - LouAnn Roberto
  • Intercultural Language Exchange Professional Development for World Language Teachers - Aminah Raysor

Breakout Session #3

Concurrent Session I

Time Activity Location
3:15-4:05 p.m.

Using Action Research to Explore the Impact of Integrated Social-Emotional Learning on Relationships in Secondary Classrooms

Discussant: Dr. Julie Gorlewski

 Student Union 145A/F

Papers

  • TBD - Areej Mullick
  • The Impact of Social-Emotional Exit Tickets on Students Interactions in a Secondary English Classroom - Victor Morales
  • The Use of Technology in a Math Class to Give All Students a Voice - Gregoire Ashtyn
  • A Survey of Regulation in 11th-12th Grade Math Classroom - Tierra Purdue

Concurrent Session J

Time Activity Location
3:15-4:05 p.m.

Body Movements in Physics Education and College Attendance for High School Students

Discussant: Dr. Virginia Flood

 Student Union 145B

Papers

  • Higher Education's Neglect of Collective Identities and Aspirations of First-Generation College Students - Sarah Hale
  • Laminated Layers of Abstraction in Physics Students' Gesture - Cagla Zirek
  • What Factors Predict College Attendance Rates Among High School Students - Sarah Hale

Concurrent Session K

Time Activity Location
3:15-4:05 p.m.

Practicing Inclusion and Diversity Amongst Learners and AI

Discussant: Dr. Chris Proctor

 Student Union 145C

Papers

  • Striving for Equitable Assessment Opportunities: Preschool Teacher Feedback on a Gamified Self-Regulation Task - Samantha Didrichsen
  • Observing Prejudice: Interminority Racism Among People of Color - Kiana Jean-Baptiste
  • Productivity Multivocality in AI Development: Excavating Ethics Concerns among an Interdisciplinary Team - Yaxin Xing
  • Cultivating Computational Thinking in 4-5 Year-Old Chinese Americans Through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy - Zhooyun Cai

Concurrent Session L

Time Activity Location
3:15-4:05 p.m.

Dismantling the Walls of Learning, People and the Future of Education

Discussant: Dr. Jaekyung Lee

 Student Union 250

Papers

  • Analyzing the Integration of Technology in American K-5 Classrooms: Implications for Teaching and Learning Among Young Students - Sunyoung Lim
  • Teacher Motivation and Practices for Developing Learners' Motivation - Haejin Kim
  • Lived Experience, Not A Plot Point: Better Disability Narratives on Social Media and Beyond - Julia Calagiovanni

Concurrent Session M

Time Activity Location
3:15-4:05 p.m.

High-Stakes Testing, Identification of Special Needs Students and Special Education Teachers' Well-being: Public School Teachers' Narratives About Structural Challenges with Three Educational Systems

Discussant: Dr. Kathleen Reeb

 Student Union 145D

Papers

  • Navigating High-Stakes Testing: Teacher Strategies and Attitudes Towards Math Regents Exams in New York State – Isaak DeMaio
  • Korean High-School Teachers' Experiences With and Perceptions of the Causes of Burnout and Poor Well-Being - Hyeonji Jeong
  • Teachers' Perception and Identification of Students with a Suspected Disability in a Public Primary School in a Chinese Metropolitan City - Bingwan Tian

Concurrent Session N

Time Activity Location
3:15-4:05 p.m.

Edufuturism, Racial Congruence and the Narratives of Diverse Learners

Discussant: Dr. Tangela Roberts

 Online only

Papers

  • The Role of Racial Congruence in Early Education-Child Linguistic Interactions: Implications for African American Learners - Tanya Lewis-Jones
  • Stop Putting Us in a Box!: LGBTQ POC+ Narratives of Unique Challenges and Strengths - Nathalie Velasco
  • Edufuturism via Uhura and DuBois - Andrea Kellman-Bryan

Symposium Acknowledgments

The GSE Student Research Symposium Planning Committee would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to the 31st Annual GSE Student Research Symposium:

Our Sponsors

  • The Graduate School of Education (UB Fund for GSE)
  • Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology
  • Learning and Instruction Graduate Student Association
  • Counseling, School and Educational Psychology Graduate Student Association

Symposium Planning Committee Faculty Advisor

  • Dr. Stephanie Fredrick
  • Dr. Sunha Kim

Symposium Planning Committee Members

  • Julianna Casella [co-chair: CSEP]
  • Richard Williams [co-chair: LAI]
  • Vandana Sharma [co-chair: ELP]
  • Margaret Youngs [co-chair: CSEP]
  • Rachel Ying [co-chair: CSEP]
  • Eric Ding (CSEP)
  • Lucia Sun (CSEP)
  • Dylan Harrison (CSEP)
  • Sarah Hale (ELP)
  • Heather Ivory (IS)
  • Mahshad Nasr Esfahani (LAI)
  • Azzah Alzahrani (LAI)
  • Seyyedeh Mobina Hosseini (LAI)

Symposium Faculty Discussants and Facilitators

  • Myles Faith (CSEP)
  • Virginia Flood (LAI)
  • Julie Gorlewski (LAI)
  • Jaekyung Lee (CSEP)
  • Halley Maza (LAI)
  • Amanda Nickerson (CSEP)
  • Rachele Pope (ELP)
  • Chris Proctor (LAI)
  • Kathleen Reeb (ELP)
  • Amy Reynolds (CSEP)
  • Tangela Roberts (CSEP)
  • Margaret Sallee (ELP)
  • Paris Wicker (ELP)

CSEP Department Chair

  • Amy Reynolds

GSE Dean’s Office

  • Caroline Hurley
  • Chandra Murphy
  • Phyllis Rauch
  • Dean Suzanne Rosenblith

GSE Communications and Marketing

  • William Belz
  • Amber Winters

UB Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention

Important Dates and Deadlines

  • Please submit your proposal information, including the required abstract as a PDF file of no more than 500 words, by the due date of 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 6, 2026.

Presentation Eligibility

  • Must be a currently enrolled full- or part-time student at the University at Buffalo
  • Presentations should be an original piece of research (e.g., empirical studies, theoretical position papers, professional development programs, explorations of a model, students’ research component or dissertation)
  • Presenter(s) should have played a principle role in the research
  • Online students are invited to submit virtual presentations; depending on the number of submissions and submission type, a hybrid or virtual access option can be made available

Submit a Proposal

Submissions will be read in a masked review process. Proposal reviewers will look for strength, accuracy and originality in research.

Proposals will be reviewed as they are received, so early acceptance is possible. Proposals received after the due date but before the schedule is released will be considered only if space is available in the symposium schedule.

It is recommended that each first author make a maximum of two submissions by completing them via the link below. Abstracts should be no more than 150 words

Proposal Submission Guidelines
Proposal Submission Form
Questions about the proposal process?

Contact the symposium planning committee or faculty advisor through email:

  • Sasha Naples - sashanap@buffalo.edu
  • Ava Cohen - avacohen8@buffalo.edu 
  • Saguna Shankar, PhD - sagunash@buffalo.edu 

Keynote Speaker

X. Christine Wang, PhD

Christine Wang.

X. Christine Wang, professor of learning and instruction in the Graduate School of Education, Director, Fisher-Price Endowed Early Childhood Research Center; Senior Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Research.

Title of Session: “Ethics of Care in Designing AI and AI Education for and with Children” 

Christine Wang's research examines how technology shapes young children's learning and development, which has attracted sustained funding from NSF, IES, Spencer and AERA. She currently leads the Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI, a $10 million IES-funded national R&D center, and serves as Broader Impacts Lead of the $20 million NSF/IES National AI Institute for Exceptional Education. At UB, she also leads high-profile initiatives such as the AI + Education Learning Community Series and The Hub: A University–Community Innovation Ecosystem for AI Learning and Design.

Wang has authored over 100 scholarly publications and delivered more than 40 invited/keynote talks and over 100 conference presentations nationally and internationally. She served as Associate Editor of Early Childhood Research Quarterly (2016–2023) and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Research on Childhood Education (2017–2019), and co-chaired the 2024 ISLS annual meeting. She is a recipient of the AERA 2007 Jan Hawkins Award and the 2025 UB President's Medal for outstanding contributions.

About the Symposium

At UB, we constantly strive to inspire innovative ways for students to bridge the gap between research and practice.

The symposium, which features the work pursued by students throughout the Graduate School of Education, gives students a valuable opportunity to discuss their ideas in a scholarly environment.

Through this event, students can:

  • Make connections with other students and professionals in their field
  • Present and discuss their research in a professional, welcoming forum
  • Enhance their professional development
  • Prepare for regional, national and international conferences that are important to their field of study