Press Releases

Persistence has earned Lawrence University senior Yifat Levensten national recognition.

Levenstein’s nearly year-long independent research on cross-cultural similarities and differences in predictors of disordered eating between American and Israeli women, was named the national winner of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies’ 2014 student poster competition.

She will present her research findings Friday, Nov. 21 in Philadelphia as an invited guest at the ABCT’s four-day national conference, the country’s premier convention for clinical psychology. Levenstein also received a prize of $150.

“It certainly meant a lot to have my work recognized in such an important conference,” said Levenstein, a first generation college student from Israel. “The entire process has been a wonderful personal journey for me toward self realization.”

In her project, Levenstein examined whether the same sociocultural factors that put women at risk for eating disorders in the United States also apply to Israeli women despite the cultural differences. In surveying more than 200 subjects, primarily college students and young adults, she found the relationship between the environment and eating disorders among American women may also apply to Israeli women. Her results indicate how pervasive Western beauty ideology is to eating pathology among women in a non-traditional Western country.

“Yifat undertook a very ambitious independent research project involving recruiting participants from two countries,” said Lori Hilt, assistant professor of psychology who supervised Levenstein’s project. “Her materials had to be translated and back-translated to ensure their validity. She managed to design, coordinate and complete data collection on this project as an undergraduate which is remarkable. It’s no surprise she won this highly competitive undergraduate research award.”

Growing up in Israel, Levenstein, at 34, a non-traditional Lawrence student, struggled with school and could never imagine some day being recognized for her scholarship.

“I barely graduated from high school,” said Levenstein. “I did not think that I was smart enough to pursue higher education. When I came to America as an immigrant, I saw it as an opportunity to start over.”

At the age of 30, shortly after the birth of her daughter, Levenstein began classes for her high school equivalency diploma, studying for the first time in English. Upon completion, she enrolled at UW-La Crosse and was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program

“I did not think that I was smart enough to pursue higher education. When I
came to America as an immigrant, I saw it as an opportunity to start over.”
            — Yifat Levenstein ’15

Named after astronaut Ronald McNair, who was killed in the Challenger space shuttle tragedy, the federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Education supports undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. McNair Scholars are either first-generation college students with financial need or members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education and have demonstrated strong academic potential.

She first began formulating the idea for her research at UW-La Crosse, but when her husband had to relocate for work reasons, she was forced to withdraw from school and move, a development she described as “devastating.”

“I saw UW-La Crosse as my home and I was attached to all the wonderful mentors I had there,” said Levenstein. “Nevertheless, I was determined to continue my education and to finish my research study.”

After moving to Appleton, Levenstein enrolled at Lawrence and was accepted again to the McNair program, enabling her to continue her research study with Hilt as her mentor.

“Thanks to great opportunities, wonderful mentors, the McNair Scholars program and especially Professor Hilt, I was able to achieve this amazing accomplishment,” said Levenstein. “Having my poster win in the research competition affirmed to me that it is never too late to start over and to reinvent oneself.”

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lauren McLester-Davis epitomizes the spirit of service so many Lawrence University students embrace. And Veteran’s Day holds special meaning for her.

A freshman from De Pere, McLester-Davis annually honors the legacy of her grandfather, who served in the U. S. Navy and the Marines, by serving food to veterans.

During the past nine years, McLester-Davis has served more than 3,000 slices of pizza to veterans and their spouses, including more than 500 slices alone on this year’s celebration of Veteran’s Day to the Greater Green Bay Veterans at the Oneida Post VFW 77884. Since the fifth grade, she has served as the Wisconsin Ambassador of the Pizzas4Patriots organization.

In addition to honoring veterans, McLester-Davis promotes literacy through her own foundation, First Book – Greater Green Bay. Since the organization’s founding in 2007, McLester-Davis has fundraised enough to provide 20,000 new, free books to children in need.

A member of the Oneida Nation, McLester-Davis’ efforts, which include more than 3,000 volunteer hours, have been recognized with the 2014 UNITY 25 Under 25 Youth Leadership Award. She also has been honored as a 2014 Champion for Change for the Center of Native American Youth, which was founded by former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music is once again teaming with Music for Food, a national program for local hunger relief, so area arts lovers can enjoy beautiful music and help the less fortunate in the community at the same time.

Lawrence is dedicating four upcoming concerts to benefit the Fox Valley’s St. Joseph Food Pantry. Audience members attending any of the November performances are encouraged to make a charitable donation — monetary or a nonperishable food item — to help combat hunger in the Fox Cities. All monetary donations are tax deductible, with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to St. Joseph Food Pantry.

In 2013, the first Music for Food initiative collected more than 600 pounds of food and more than $500 in donations.

“This is such a great opportunity for musicians to use their art to impact our community,” said Catherine Kautsky, professor of music and one of the program’s organizers. “I see it as a chance for us to educate ourselves about very real social issues in the Fox Cities as well as to make some small difference in addressing our community’s needs. I’m proud that Lawrence is part of this wonderful national organization.”

This year’s Music for Food concerts include:

• Saturday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. — Jazz Celebration Weekend with percussionist Peter Erskine and featuring the Lawrence Jazz Ensemble & Lawrence Jazz faculty, Lawrence Memorial Chapel. 920-832-6749 for ticket information.

• Friday, Nov. 14, 8 p.m. — Lawrence University Choirs, featuring Concert Choir, Cantala women’s choir and Viking Choral under the co-direction of Stephen Sieck and Phillip Swan, Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Free.

• Sunday, Nov. 15, 8 p.m. — Lawrence Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, under the direction of conductor Matthew Arau, Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Free.

• Tuesday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m. — Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, under the director of conductor Andrew Mast, Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Free.

Music for Food was founded in 2010 by violist Kim Kashkashian in collaboration with the New England Conservatory. Concerts raise funds and awareness to combat hunger, empowering musicians who use their artistry to further social justice. Since its launch, Music for Food has provided more than 80,000 meals to those in need through concerts throughout the country.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

The brain and body interactions that cause golfers to miss two-foot putts or beauty pageant contestants to muff contest questions will be explored Tuesday, Nov. 4 in a Lawrence University convocation.

Sian Beilock, author and professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, presents “Leveraging Mind and Body to Perform Your Best Under Stress” at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Beilock also will conduct a question-and-answer session at 2:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema. Both events are free and open to the public.

An expert on the psychology of “choking under pressure,” Beilock will draw upon her research that focuses on the many factors, both mental and physical, which affect a person’s performance in stressful situations. She is the author of the 2011 book, “Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To,” which included suggestions on how to successfully navigate make-or-break moments.

Her second book, “How the Body Knows Its Mind: The Surprising Power of the Physical Environment to Influence How You Think and Feel,” explores the effect that the human body and its physical environment have on cognitive function. It is scheduled for release in January 2015, but already has earned praise from Jean Twenge, author of “Generation Me,” as “the best kind of psychology book: Grounded in rigorous research and intensely practical.”

Beilock has been recognized with numerous awards for her research and writing, including the Association for Psychological Science’s Janet Taylor Spence Award for transformative early career contributions, the American Psychological Foundation’s Robert L. Fantz Memorial Award for Young Psychologists and the Psychonomic Society’s Outstanding Early Career Award.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.