12th Annual Research Day Awards

Blue first place ribbon hanging from a research poster.

Published May 2, 2025

The ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ School of Nursing recognized outstanding student, faculty and community partner scholarship during its 12th annual Research Day, held in conjunction with the 28th annual Bonnie Bullough Lecture on May 2 in Hayes Hall on UB’s South Campus. The event showcased research projects through poster presentations and concluded with the announcement of poster award winners across multiple categories.

Undergraduate Student Posters

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1st Place

The Association Between Loneliness, Sleep Quality, Depression, and Psychological Well-Being in Underserved Communities. Ameemah Khan, BSN student; Mentor: Yu-Ping Chang, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, FIAAN

2nd Place

The Interplay of Psychosocial Factors and BDNF: Unraveling Their Association in Health Outcomes. Jaden Troiano, BA; Ifeoma Ezeilo, BA; Laura Saturnino, BA; Carleara Weiss, PhD, MS, RN

DNP Student Posters

1st Place

Providers’ Strategies for Timely Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with Ovarian Cancer. Petrina Harrison, DNP, RN, AGCNS-BC; Carolyn Montgomery, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, GNP; Bonnie Vest, PhD

2nd Place

Capnography Use in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Educational Workshop for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Nurses. Steven Burdzy, BSN, RN, DNP-c; Faculty Advisor: Cheryl A. Spulecki, DNAP, RN, CRNA, ACNP, FAANA

3rd Place

Development and Implementation of an At-Risk Assessment Tool for Preexposure Prophylaxis Designation in Primary Care Providers to Optimize Patients for Anesthesia. Michael Pereira, BS, RN, DNP-c; Brian Lowe, DNP, CRNA; Nicholas Jones, DNP, CRNA; Christopher Barrick, PhD

PhD Student Posters

1st Place

Older Person’s Participation in Life-Enhancement Activities in a Long-Term Care Facility: A Mixed-Methods Observational Study. Amarjot Gill, MN, BSN, RN, DSN-CT; Sharon Hewner, PhD, RN, FAAN; Jihnhee Yu, PhD; Tania T. Von Visger, PhD, APRN, CNS, CCNS, PCCN, ATSF

2nd Place

Construction and Utility of a Social Vulnerability Index for Underserved Populations in Western New York. Erica Smith, MS, MBA, RN, PhD student; Sharon Hewner, PhD, RN, FAAN; Daniel Smith, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, CNE, FAAN

3rd Place

Exploring E-Cigarette and Marijuana Use and Their Relationship to Suicidality Among U.S. Adolescents During Covid-19 by Using 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Yanjun Zhou, BSN, PhD student; Jennifer Livingston, PhD; Annette Wysocki, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNYAM; Rebecca Lorenz, PhD, RN (The Ohio State ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½)

Faculty Posters

1st Place

Developing Clinical Reasoning and Clinical Judgment Competency in an Undergraduate Statistics Course. Tania T. Von Visger, PhD, APRN, CNS, CCNS, PCCN, ATSF; Amarjot S. Gill, MN, BSN, RN, DSN-CT; Young S. Seo, PhD; Catherine Mann, EdD, RN, CNS, CNE

2nd Place

HOMA-IR as a Potential Biomarker of Cognitive Function and Sleep Disturbances in Older Adults. Carleara Weiss, PhD, MS, RN; Flora Lin, BSN student; Amber Goldstein, BSN student; Jihnhee Yu, PhD

3rd Place

From Classroom to Crisis: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interdisciplinary Mass Casualty Training. Joann Sands, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, NHDP; Sabrina Schwartz, PhD, RN

Community Partner Posters

1st Place

Perinatal Outreach and Education in Western New York. Michelle Szefler, BSN, RNC-OB; Eileen Schroeder, NNP-BC; Nicole Caver, MPH; Sharon Barron, BSN, RN, CPN, C-ONQS (Kaleida Health, Oishei Children's Hospital)

2nd Place

The Creation of a RN Driven Telemetry Protocol. Tara Gregorio, MSN, RN, CMSRN (Erie County Medical Center)

3rd Place

Bridging the Oncology Care Gap: Enhancing Nursing Competency in Subacute Rehab Facilities. Heather Huizinga MSN, RN, OCN (Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center)

Ellen Volpe Memorial Award

Undergraduate Student

Usability Testing of an AI-Based App-Based Intervention for E-Cigarette Cessation. Flora Lin, BSN student; Eunhee Park, PhD, RN, APHN-BC; Amarjot Gill, MN, BSN, RN, DNS-CT; Youngran Cha, MSN, RN; Stephanie Durfee, MSN-Ed, RNC, C-EFM

DNP Student

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Beliefs, and Barriers About Emergency Contraception Use Among Healthcare Providers Who Partake in Global Immersion Experiences for the Medically Underserved Women of Reproductive Age. Rena Kessel, BSN, RN, DNP-c; Carolyn Montgomery, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, GNP; Molli Oldenburg, DNP, RN, FNP-C; Christopher Barrick, PhD

PhD Student

Calm in the Chaos: A Pilot Study Using a Mobile Mindfulness App to Manage Stress and Burnout Among Emergency Department Nurses. Michelle Kober, MS, RN, AHN-BC, PhD-c; Jennifer Livingston, PhD

Faculty

Examining Factors Affecting Bonding Among Mothers Whose Newborn is in the NICU During the Initial Weeks of Postpartum: A Pilot Study. Sabrina Schwartz, PhD, RN; Rebecca Lorenz, PhD, RN (The Ohio State ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½); Mickey Sperlich, PhD, RN; Kafuli Agbemenu, PhD, MPH, RN, CTN-A

Community Partner

Incorporating Trauma-Informed Care Understanding Towards Veterans Within a Primary Care Setting. Arlene Brown; KayLeigh A. Balinski, DNP, BS, APRN, FNP-BC; Diane Ryan, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, FNP-BC, CNE (Department of Veterans Affairs, Buffalo, NY)

Media Contact

Sarah Goldthrite
Director of Marketing, Communications & Alumni Engagement
School of Nursing
105 Beck Hall (South Campus)
Email: sgoldthr@buffalo.edu
Tel: 716-829-3209