MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – SUNY Orange Honors Program Students Alysha Acosta, Victoria Akiki, Miranda Frisbee and Gabriella Miyoshi presented their capstone research projects at the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference in Albany, N.Y., April 4-7. 

This year’s conference theme was “Ahead of Our Time: Intersections of Thought and Technology Towards the Future.” Each of the second-year SUNY Orange students delivered a 10-minute presentation as part of a small panelist group on their respective topic or presented a poster.

Acosta, of the Upper West Side in New York City, presented “Gender Bias in Medicine,” which explores the many dangers of healthcare gender bias and knowledge gaps with opportunities for a more equitable society. She plans to continue to study sociology, language and philosophy before becoming a college professor and teaching globally.

New Windsor resident Akiki intends to continue her education and become a dentist. She explained the role of dental therapists in the United States and whether they will lead to a future of increased quality oral healthcare access in vulnerable groups. Her presentation was titled “Dental Therapists: Advancing Oral Healthcare Access in Underserved Communities.” 

From Maybrook, Miyoshi is working on a career as an early childhood special education teacher and reading specialist. “Educational Technology: Damaging Children’s Development or Building Our Future” was the title of her presentation investigating the effectiveness of technology supplementing play-based lessons in early childhood classrooms, including their combined effects on cognitive, social and physical development.

Frisbee’s poster presentation titled “A Changing World: Anxiety’s Effect on Education” delved into the educational and psychological impacts of untreated anxiety in children, suggested techniques to help children cope and made recommendations for school staff to be of service to combat this ever-growing problem. Living in Campbell Hall, she aims to enter the field of news and media with a focus on delivering positivity to people and the world.

The Northeast Regional Honors Council (NRHC) is an organization of students, faculty, and administrators from more than 200 colleges and universities dedicated to the encouragement and support of undergraduate honors learning. Members have opportunities to exchange information, ideas, and assistance through its annual conference, newsletter and scholarships.

SUNY Orange English Professor Elaine Torda coordinates the SUNY Orange Honors Program. For more information about the Honors Program, visit www.sunyorange.edu/honors.