Current Issue: Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026)

Editor's Note

For the inaugural issue of The Kean Review: Journal in Student Research, we asked students to submit research that benefits and informs the Kean community at large. In response to its broad first call for papers, students sent their most recent completed works, with faculty advisors guiding them in displaying local concerns alongside their own investigative methods. Click here to download

Olivia Perez writes about how clothing choices impact how people treat women in the United States, especially regarding first impressions and daily social interactions. Kevin C. Modeszto explores whether Western culture still has different gendered expectations of men for managing and showcasing emotions. Perez’s and Modeszto’s research contribute to gender studies and how biases can continue and reemerge based on observed behaviors and traditional expectations.

Gabriela M. Rivera and Dr. Shanique Coombs discuss how screen time influences attention span of elementary school students, focusing on students in Elizabeth, New Jersey. With their local study, Rivera and Dr. Coombs address the global issue of screen dependency and how it continues to grow as a public health concern. Taniyah Drayton’s research involves how mindfulness-based practices throughout everyday life, including within secondary and higher education, assist people with clinical and non-clinical anxiety, depression, and stress. Sara Lazo examines the effects of nostalgia, specifically how it may dissuade people from thinking hopefully or positively about the future. These studies further illuminate obstacles and initiatives for issues in education and public health.

The STEM research conducted by Abigail M. Castellanos and Ava La Lande advances efforts to develop a reliable method for detecting cannabinoid presence in local wastewater. Their study showcases chemicals and their ongoing effects, including potentially detrimental and unknown changes to natural environments. Their work contributes to improving water filtration and keeping our water safe.

Together, the research articles featured address pressing environmental and human challenges, offering thoughtful pathways toward enhancement, innovation, and solutions. The Kean Review invites you to read and consider how these scholars’ voices engage our community as well as Kean’s mission of being a vibrant place for creativity, critical thinking, growth, and inquiry.