OVERVIEW
The Activity Matters Lab examines individual, familial, and environmental contributions to psychological and health-related outcomes among youth. A central focus of our work is how contextual “nudges,” such as organized activities, sleep, and family routines facilitate health, well-being, and enhance social and emotional adjustment, particularly among at-risk populations. In addition, this work entails multi-method evaluations of several community-based programs that seek to improve health and well-being among urban youth. A guiding principle of our work is translatability with an emphasis on informing policy and practice recommendations to reduce health disparities among youth.
The Activity Matters Lab examines individual, familial, and environmental contributions to psychological and health-related outcomes among youth. A central focus of our work is how contextual “nudges,” such as organized activities, sleep, and family routines facilitate health, well-being, and enhance social and emotional adjustment, particularly among at-risk populations. In addition, this work entails multi-method evaluations of several community-based programs that seek to improve health and well-being among urban youth. A guiding principle of our work is translatability with an emphasis on informing policy and practice recommendations to reduce health disparities among youth.
Activity Matters Lab Mission
Understanding how contexts, processes & policies shape youth and families’ well-being.
Reducing disparities through multi-disciplinary collaborations.
Building a diverse group of scholars through ongoing discussion & evaluation of anti-racist & equitable practices.
Cultivating curiosity, knowledge & critical thinking through discussion of groundbreaking theory & research.
Preparing scientists to lead & excel through intentional, individually-tailored mentoring.
Developing psychologically-minded professionals who work to create a more just world.
Striving for eudaimonia while showing compassion for ourselves & others.
Connect with us!
Head over to www.instagram.com/activitymatterslab/ to learn more about our lab members and the latest happenings in our lab.
Head over to www.instagram.com/activitymatterslab/ to learn more about our lab members and the latest happenings in our lab.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Activity Matters Lab Presents at Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Conference
April 2023
Upper Left: Undergraduate AML research assistant, Sofia Khatoon, presents her poster, Psychological Well-Being, Executive Function, and Sleep Health among Pre-Menarcheal Girls. This project is a part of Sofia's Carroll and Adelaide Johnson Scholarship, sponsored by the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership.
Upper Right: It was fun to run into former AML graduate student, Dr. Carolyn Bates, and hear more about her body of research at University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, MO.
Lower Left: Exploring Phoenix with incoming LUC graduate student, Victoria Grant.
Lower Right: Graduate student Liz Rea presents preliminary findings from our E-Sleep Study, examining environmental sensitivity and sleep in early adolescent girls.
Upper Left: Undergraduate AML research assistant, Sofia Khatoon, presents her poster, Psychological Well-Being, Executive Function, and Sleep Health among Pre-Menarcheal Girls. This project is a part of Sofia's Carroll and Adelaide Johnson Scholarship, sponsored by the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership.
Upper Right: It was fun to run into former AML graduate student, Dr. Carolyn Bates, and hear more about her body of research at University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, MO.
Lower Left: Exploring Phoenix with incoming LUC graduate student, Victoria Grant.
Lower Right: Graduate student Liz Rea presents preliminary findings from our E-Sleep Study, examining environmental sensitivity and sleep in early adolescent girls.
Congratulations to Dr. Amy Egbert on her Early Career Diversity Award!
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April 2023
AML/LUC alum, Dr. Amy Egbert received the Early Career Diversity Award at the Society of Behavioral Medicine annual conference. Dr. Egbert is currently an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut, conducting research on individual and environmental factors that interact to contribute to obesity and dysregulated eating in youth. Read more about her work here. Congratulations, Dr. Egbert! |
Activity Matters Lab Work Supports American Academy of Pediatrics Childhood Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines
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February 2023
A systematic review on the links between the organization of the family home environment and child obesity, written by members of the Activity Matters Lab (Dr. Laura Nicholson, Dr. Carolyn Bates, and Dr. Amy Bohnert) among other authors, was used to support the most recent American Academy of Pediatrics Childhood Obesity Clinical Practice guidelines. You can view the guidelines here as well as AML's systematic review |
Activity Matters Lab Celebrates with Girls in the Game at Annual Gala
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February 2023
Undergraduate research assistant Isabel O'Connor and graduate student Maureen Burns attended the annual Girls in the Game Gala, supporting our community partner of over 15 years. |
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Dr. Bohnert Presents at Pennington Biomedical Research Center
December 2022
Dr. Bohnert shared research findings and connected with colleagues at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Dr. Bohnert shared research findings and connected with colleagues at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Sleep, Affect, and Emotion Reactivity in First‑Year College Students: A Daily Diary Study
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October 2022
Graduate student Liz Rea published her MA thesis on sleep, affect, and emotion reactivity in first-year college students in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. This study demonstrated positive relations between emotion reactivity and negative affect, as well as sleep duration and positive affect in a sample of first-year college students. Check out the article here. |
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Activity Matters Lab Welcomes New Graduate Student
August 2022
The Activity Matters lab is excited to welcome graduate student Maureen Burns to our lab, and to the clinical psychology PhD program at Loyola. Check out our "meet the lab" page to learn more about Maureen!
The Activity Matters lab is excited to welcome graduate student Maureen Burns to our lab, and to the clinical psychology PhD program at Loyola. Check out our "meet the lab" page to learn more about Maureen!
AML Launches the PUSH Study!
August 2022
The Activity Matters Lab is excited to launch the Promoting Urban Sleep Health (PUSH) among Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents Study. Using funding from Loyola, this pilot study will use actigraphy and daily diary methods to explore relations between experiences of stress and discrimination and sleep health in Chicagoland adolescents. We also recently submitted a grant application to secure funding to expand and extend this study to follow a larger sample of adolescents over the course of high school.
The Activity Matters Lab is excited to launch the Promoting Urban Sleep Health (PUSH) among Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents Study. Using funding from Loyola, this pilot study will use actigraphy and daily diary methods to explore relations between experiences of stress and discrimination and sleep health in Chicagoland adolescents. We also recently submitted a grant application to secure funding to expand and extend this study to follow a larger sample of adolescents over the course of high school.
Daily Relations Between Napping and Nocturnal Sleep
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August 2022
Graduate student Liz Rea, former graduate student Dr. Laura Nicholson, Dr. Bohnert, and a collaborator recently published a paper in the Journal of Sleep Health examining napping and nocturnal sleep in college students, using daily diary data from the FOODCUES project. Check out the article here. |
Congratulations to Dr. Laura Nicholson!
May 2022
A big congratulations to graduate student Laura Nicholson for successfully defending her dissertation "Consistency of sleep across development and relations to executive functions: Applications to emerging adults transitioning to college and adolescents with spina bifida" in March, and graduating with her doctorate degree this month! Great work, Dr. Nicholson!
A big congratulations to graduate student Laura Nicholson for successfully defending her dissertation "Consistency of sleep across development and relations to executive functions: Applications to emerging adults transitioning to college and adolescents with spina bifida" in March, and graduating with her doctorate degree this month! Great work, Dr. Nicholson!
Congratulations to our seniors!
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May 2022
Congratulations to our lab seniors Amrita Rehal, Destiny Onyeise, Abdulghafoor Alani, Lora Djambov, and Audrey Weisner. We are grateful for all of your hard work during your time at Loyola, and we are excited to watch you pursue your goals. Your future is bright! |
Lab Members Present at Spring Conferences
May 2022
The AML team has been busy sharing their work at the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference and the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) annual meeting this spring! First, research assistant Lora Djambov and graduate student Hannah Hagy presented posters at SBM while graduate student Liz Rea gave a presentation about child sleep during COVID-19. Research assistants Amrita Rehal, Destiny Onyeise, and Abdulghafoor Alani all presented their independent projects as posters at MPA.
The AML team has been busy sharing their work at the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference and the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) annual meeting this spring! First, research assistant Lora Djambov and graduate student Hannah Hagy presented posters at SBM while graduate student Liz Rea gave a presentation about child sleep during COVID-19. Research assistants Amrita Rehal, Destiny Onyeise, and Abdulghafoor Alani all presented their independent projects as posters at MPA.
Undergraduate Research Assistant Sofia Khatoon Receives Carroll and Adelaide Johnson Scholarship
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April 2022
Congratulations to research assistant Sofia Khatoon on receiving the Carroll and Adelaide Johnson Scholarship, sponsored by the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, to support her independent project! Sofia's work will use data from our E-Sleep project to examine relations between sleep, affect regulation, executive function, and emotion sensitivity in a sample of adolescent girls during their pubertal transition. |
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A Developmental Perspective on Sleep Consistency: Preschool Age through Emerging Adulthood
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January 2022
Graduate student Laura Nicholson, Dr. Amy Bohnert, and collaborator Dr. Stephanie Crowley recently published a review of sleep consistency across development in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Check out the article here. |
Dr. Bohnert and Graduate Student Liz Rea Present Talk on Healthy Sleep to Student Athletes
November 2021
Dr. Bohnert and graduate student Liz Rea presented a talk about the benefits of healthy sleep to freshmen student athletes at Loyola. Thanks to the LUC athletic department for organizing!
Dr. Bohnert and graduate student Liz Rea presented a talk about the benefits of healthy sleep to freshmen student athletes at Loyola. Thanks to the LUC athletic department for organizing!
AML's Space to Grow Project Data Published in the American Journal of Community Psychology
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September 2021 Dr. Bohnert, along with graduate student Laura Nicholson, former graduate student Carolyn Bates, and former undergraduate student Laurel Mertz published findings from AML's Space to Grow study. Overall, findings indicate that green schoolyards may offer a safe space for children and adults to engage in social, outdoor activities, particularly in low‐income, urban neighborhoods. |
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Family Routines Buffer Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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August 2021
Dr. Carolyn Bates (former AML graduate student) along with Dr. Bohnert and current AML graduate students Laura Nicholson, Liz Rea, and Hannah Hagy recently published findings from the first wave of data collection in the Life Interrupted study (Data collected May 2020) in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. |
AML Launches Life Interrupted 2
May 2021
AML launched the second phase of the Life Interrupted study this month. This study will follow up with families who completed our first survey regarding family life during COVID in May 2020. We are excited to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families over the past year.
AML launched the second phase of the Life Interrupted study this month. This study will follow up with families who completed our first survey regarding family life during COVID in May 2020. We are excited to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families over the past year.
Congratulations to our Graduating Seniors!
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May 2021
Congratulations to our hard-working, graduating seniors, Benny Garcia, Kaela Harber, Kira Reed, and Maria Younan! Thank you for your contributions to our lab and best of luck on your future endeavors. (Pictured: Laura, Dr. Bohnert, Kaela, Maria, Kira, and Liz enjoying a farewell picnic) 
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AML Receives Grant from NorthShore University Health Systems
April 2021
The Activity Matters Lab received an Innovation Grant from NorthShore University Health Systems to support expanded work on the E-Sleep project!
The Activity Matters Lab received an Innovation Grant from NorthShore University Health Systems to support expanded work on the E-Sleep project!
Graduate Student Laura Nicholson Successfully Matches to Internship
February 2021
Congratulations to 5th year graduate student Laura Nicholson for successfully matching to the child and adolescent psychology internship program at Rush University! Way to go Laura!
Congratulations to 5th year graduate student Laura Nicholson for successfully matching to the child and adolescent psychology internship program at Rush University! Way to go Laura!
Dr. Bohnert to Serve as Panelist at NASEM Workshop
January 2021
Dr. Bohnert will serve as a panelist at a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine workshop titled, "The Interplay Between Environmental Exposures and Mental Health Outcomes" to take place in February. More information about the workshop can be found here.
Dr. Bohnert will serve as a panelist at a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine workshop titled, "The Interplay Between Environmental Exposures and Mental Health Outcomes" to take place in February. More information about the workshop can be found here.
AML Alum, Dr. Carolyn Bates, receives Grant from the Masonic Cancer Alliance
December 2020
Congratulations to AML Alum, Dr. Carolyn Bates on her grant from the Masonic Cancer Alliance! This 2-year, $250K grant will fund a pilot study of parental consistency (i.e., rules, routines, parenting practices) during the first year of child cancer treatment and its impact on child emotional/behavioral health outcomes. Great work, Dr. Bates!
Congratulations to AML Alum, Dr. Carolyn Bates on her grant from the Masonic Cancer Alliance! This 2-year, $250K grant will fund a pilot study of parental consistency (i.e., rules, routines, parenting practices) during the first year of child cancer treatment and its impact on child emotional/behavioral health outcomes. Great work, Dr. Bates!
AML Alum, Dr. Dorothy Loren, receives SPP Diversity Research Grant
December 2020
Congratulations to AML alum Dr. Dorothy Loren on receiving a Diversity Research Grant from the Society of Pediatric Psychology! Dr. Loren's project, "Development and Validation of a Screening Measure to Promote Equitable Stepped Care in the Treatment of Pediatric Needle Fear" is especially timely and relevant considering the current conversation regarding equitable vaccination. Way to go Dr. Loren!
Congratulations to AML alum Dr. Dorothy Loren on receiving a Diversity Research Grant from the Society of Pediatric Psychology! Dr. Loren's project, "Development and Validation of a Screening Measure to Promote Equitable Stepped Care in the Treatment of Pediatric Needle Fear" is especially timely and relevant considering the current conversation regarding equitable vaccination. Way to go Dr. Loren!
School as a Protective Setting for Excess Weight Gain and Child Obesity: A Meta‐Analysis
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November 2020
Graduate student Laura Nicholson, Dr. Dorothy McLeod Loren (former graduate student), former research assistant Alexandra Reifenberg, and Dr. Bohnert, along with colleague Dr. Michael Beets published a meta-analysis examining school as a protective factor for weight gain in the Journal Of School Health. |
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Dr. Bohnert Shares Information on Assessing Risk While Resuming Activities in COVID-19
July 2020
Dr. Bohnert answers questions on evaluating risk and resuming activities in the age of COVID-19 in the Chicago Tribune.
Dr. Bohnert answers questions on evaluating risk and resuming activities in the age of COVID-19 in the Chicago Tribune.
Dr. Bohnert Discusses Summer Travel During COVID-19 with the Chicago Tribune
June 2020
Check out Dr. Bohnert's advice on summer travel and experiences with family during COVID-19 in the Chicago Tribune.
Check out Dr. Bohnert's advice on summer travel and experiences with family during COVID-19 in the Chicago Tribune.
Listen to Dr. Bohnert's NPR Interview on How to Handle Stress During the Pandemic
May 2020
Check out Dr. Bohnert's NPR interview, in which she discusses the importance of nature and novelty to reduce stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out Dr. Bohnert's NPR interview, in which she discusses the importance of nature and novelty to reduce stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Binge eating, but not dietary restraint, moderates the association between unhealthy food marketing exposure and sugary food consumption
May 2020
Dr. Amy Egbert, along with graduate student Laura Nicholson, former undergraduate research assistant Anna Sroka, Dr. Bohnert, and Loyola colleague Dr. Silton published, "Binge eating, but not dietary restraint, moderates the association between unhealthy food marketing exposure and sugary food consumption" in Eating Behaviors.
Dr. Amy Egbert, along with graduate student Laura Nicholson, former undergraduate research assistant Anna Sroka, Dr. Bohnert, and Loyola colleague Dr. Silton published, "Binge eating, but not dietary restraint, moderates the association between unhealthy food marketing exposure and sugary food consumption" in Eating Behaviors.
Dr. Bohnert and Graduate Student Liz Rea Publish Book Chapter in The Routledge Handbook of Youth Physical Activity
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May 2020
Dr. Bohnert and Liz Rea published, "Keeping Kids Active: Summertime Interventions to Address Physical Activity," in The Routledge Handbook of Youth Physical Activity with colleagues Jennette Moreno and Allie Harden at Baylor College of Medicine. The chapter provides an overview of summertime weight gain and how physical activity might influence this weight gain, summarizes existing literature on how physical activity fluctuates during the school year versus summertime and which factors might contribute to these fluctuations, reviews current summertime interventions, and provides recommendations for future research. |
Activity Matters Lab Launches COVID-19 Study
May 2020
The Activity Matters Lab is investigating how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced daily routines and structure in families. We have launched a new study utilizing Amazon Mechanical Turk to understand the impact of this unprecedented event on family’s behavioral routines and how those routines influence child and family well-being. Parents will answer a series of questions related to demographic information, household routines, COVID-19 related stressors as well as family functioning and children’s physical and psychological well-being.
May 2020
The Activity Matters Lab is investigating how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced daily routines and structure in families. We have launched a new study utilizing Amazon Mechanical Turk to understand the impact of this unprecedented event on family’s behavioral routines and how those routines influence child and family well-being. Parents will answer a series of questions related to demographic information, household routines, COVID-19 related stressors as well as family functioning and children’s physical and psychological well-being.
Examining Childhood Obesity Through the Lens of Developmental Psychopathology: Framing the Issues to Guide Best Practices in Research and Intervention
March 2020
Dr. Bohnert and graduate student Dorothy McLeod Loren, along with their colleague Alison Miller published an article providing a new perspective on examining childhood obesity in March's issue of American Psychologist.
Dr. Bohnert and graduate student Dorothy McLeod Loren, along with their colleague Alison Miller published an article providing a new perspective on examining childhood obesity in March's issue of American Psychologist.
Congratulations to Graduate Students Dorothy McLeod Loren and Laura Nicholson on their SPP Poster Awards!
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March 2020
Congratulations to graduate students Dorothy McLeod Loren and Laura Nicholson!
Dorothy's poster submission to the Society of Pediatric Psychology annual meeting, "An Ecological Model of Childhood Obesity Development: Identifying Targets for Tailored Intervention," won a Diversity Poster Award.
Laura's poster submission to the Society of Pediatric Psychology annual meeting, "Neurocognition, Academic, and Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescents with Spina Bifida: The Role of Bedtime Intraindividual Variability," won the Sleep SIG Student Poster Award.
Congratulations to graduate students Dorothy McLeod Loren and Laura Nicholson!
Dorothy's poster submission to the Society of Pediatric Psychology annual meeting, "An Ecological Model of Childhood Obesity Development: Identifying Targets for Tailored Intervention," won a Diversity Poster Award.
Laura's poster submission to the Society of Pediatric Psychology annual meeting, "Neurocognition, Academic, and Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescents with Spina Bifida: The Role of Bedtime Intraindividual Variability," won the Sleep SIG Student Poster Award.
Graduate Student Laura Nicholson Presents at the INS Annual Meeting
February 2020
Graduate student Laura Nicholson presented her poster, "Neuropsychological Functioning and Academic Achievement in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: The Influence of Sleep on Performance," at the International Neuropsychological Society annual meeting in Denver, CO.
Graduate student Laura Nicholson presented her poster, "Neuropsychological Functioning and Academic Achievement in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: The Influence of Sleep on Performance," at the International Neuropsychological Society annual meeting in Denver, CO.
Activity Matters Lab Awarded Loyola University 10K Grant
December 2019
The Activity Matters Lab has been awarded an internal grant from Loyola University to study fluctuations in weight-related behavior across the adolescent transition. The goals of this study are to use self-report as well as objective measures of sleep and physical activity to address key gaps in our understanding of sleep variability and weight outcomes across the menarchal transition by examining changes in two weight-related behaviors (sleep and physical activity) across the menarchal transition and testing bi-directional associations between these two behaviors and zBMI and BMI change. Defining how sleep changes across adolescence has transdiagnostic implications for understanding patterns of individual risk in relation to health outcomes for youth more broadly. This is a collaboration built off the NIH-funded EMPATHY project at Northshore University Health systems. Check out our project description page for more information.
The Activity Matters Lab has been awarded an internal grant from Loyola University to study fluctuations in weight-related behavior across the adolescent transition. The goals of this study are to use self-report as well as objective measures of sleep and physical activity to address key gaps in our understanding of sleep variability and weight outcomes across the menarchal transition by examining changes in two weight-related behaviors (sleep and physical activity) across the menarchal transition and testing bi-directional associations between these two behaviors and zBMI and BMI change. Defining how sleep changes across adolescence has transdiagnostic implications for understanding patterns of individual risk in relation to health outcomes for youth more broadly. This is a collaboration built off the NIH-funded EMPATHY project at Northshore University Health systems. Check out our project description page for more information.
Congratulations to Dr. Bohnert, Laura Nicholson, and Laurel Mertz on their SBM Citation Award!
December 2019
Congratulations to Dr. Bohnert and graduate students Laura Nicholson and Laurel Mertz! Their submission to the Society of Behavioral Medicine 2020 Annual Meeting, "Enhancing Youth's Physical Activity in Urban Neighborhoods via Green Schoolyard Transformations," was recognized as a Citation Abstract, and will be highlighted at the upcoming meeting in April, 2020.
Congratulations to Dr. Bohnert and graduate students Laura Nicholson and Laurel Mertz! Their submission to the Society of Behavioral Medicine 2020 Annual Meeting, "Enhancing Youth's Physical Activity in Urban Neighborhoods via Green Schoolyard Transformations," was recognized as a Citation Abstract, and will be highlighted at the upcoming meeting in April, 2020.
Lab Members Present at Spring Conferences
April and May 2019
We presented work at the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) annual conference in D.C. In Chicago, our team presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) and Loyola's Weekend of Excellence.
April and May 2019
We presented work at the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) annual conference in D.C. In Chicago, our team presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) and Loyola's Weekend of Excellence.
Undergraduate student Alexandra Reifenberg presented data from her honors thesis at SBM.
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Post baccalaureate Veronica Szpak presented her independent research at MPA.
Undergraduate student Anna Sroka (left) presented data from her independent project at SBM. Graduate student Amy Egbert (right) was there to cheer her on!
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Undergraduate student Natalie Turchmanovych presented data from her honors thesis at Loyola's Weekend of Excellence.
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