Bay Ridge
Kudos are in order for Fontbonne Hall Academy seniors Emily Manti, Keara Donahue, and Alyssa Federico. The super smart science students are all part of Fontbonne’s Science Research Program.
Emily presented her original research at the Society for Research in Child Development conference in Austin, Texas, this April. She looked into the use of organized sports activities to promote social interactions for children on the autism spectrum. She designed an early intervention to increase socialization among children with autism. Her mentor is Dr. Mark Lauterbach of Brooklyn College.
Keara researched the associations of specific types of childhood maltreatment and dimensions of psychopathy and how these associations vary by gender within a diverse sample of undergraduates. The results showed that out of all types of childhood maltreatment, physical neglect was most strongly associated with psychopathy. She was also a finalist and finished third in the category of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair. Keara’s mentor is Dr. Robert Latzman of Georgia State University.
Alyssa studied behavior change among substance users with her mentor, Dr. Marc Swogger of the University of Rochester. She is currently working to publish her paper, entitled “Psychopathy and Self-Generated Treatment Goals Among Justice-Involved People with Harmful Substance Use.”
Emily shared her enthusiasm for the program and explained, “I love the challenge.”
All three are headed for bright futures. In the fall, Emily will attend Northeastern University and plans to study engineering. Keara will attend Colgate University as an environmental economics major, and Alyssa will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study speech pathology.
Fontbonne Hall Academy [9901 Shore Rd. at 99th Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 748–2244].
