Undergraduate Research

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    The 2012 Sophomore Composition Research Conference on Trust and the Cultivation of Community
    (2012-12-11)
    Program of the 2012 Sophomore Composition Research Conference.
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    The 2013 Sophomore Composition Research Conference on Sustainability
    (2013-12-11)
    Program of the 2013 Sophomore Composition Research Conference.
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    2015 Sophomore Conference on Exclusivity
    (2015-12-08)
    Program of the 2015 Sophomore Composition Research Conference.
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    Addressing Post Secondary Mathematics Remediation: How to Encourage Students to Persist Despite Mathematical Deficiencies
    (2022-12-07) Johnson, Alexandra; Dula, Mark
    The United States job market is experiencing a shortage of mathematically qualified individuals to fill the gaps within the STEM job market. Without these individuals, the U.S. will not be able to support and keep up with the fast-paced technological advancements that have been displayed during the 21st century. The problem with the lack of mathematically inclined individuals displays its one of its root issues at the college level. There are not enough students in college taking mathematics courses at the postsecondary level, and therefore, there are not enough students earning mathematics degrees or being trained in mathematics skills. There can be many reasons for students not engaging in higher-level mathematics, ranging from mathematics anxiety to negative mathematics experiences. One of the reasons that affect students at the collegiate level is the nature of remedial mathematics courses that they are required to take. These courses can be demoralizing for students, and students have a difficult time connecting the mathematics that they are learning with their future careers. Students exit these courses discouraged and disinterested in mathematics. It is difficult to rewrite the mathematics history of students before they choose their major, and it is impossible to change the content that students are presented in remedial mathematics classes. What educators can do is determine how to motivate and encourage persistence among students inside of the remedial mathematics courses and instill an appreciation for the mathematics that they are being taught. This research is aimed at identifying factors inside of the classroom that affects the persistence and engagement of students in remedial mathematics classes. The questions that will be addressed in this study are: What factors inside the remedial mathematics classroom influence the engagement of students in the mathematics content? What factors inside the remedial mathematics classroom influence the persistence of students through remedial classes and onto more challenging mathematics courses?
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    The Age of Political Fact-Checking
    (2012) Harris, Fitzroy
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    Alice and Wendy: Disney’s Other Evolving Female Roles
    (2012-12-11) James, Chelsea
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    Ameliorating Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil Against Oxidative Stress
    (2019-04-30) Anderson, Cassidy; Mudrack, Kristen
    Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, both of which lead to an interconnecting vicious cycle of cell death. Research has indicated that heavy metals found in the modern environment such as aluminum sparks some of the oxidative stress found in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Other research as well as mainstream health medias postulate coconut oil as not only a preventive measure but a potential means to reduce symptoms for Alzheimer’s due to its antioxidant activity. Using yeast as the eukaryotic cell model, mitochondrial dysfunction was measured as a result of aluminum and other metals to induce oxidative stress. After mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress via metals were demonstrated, the yeast was treated with coconut oil before and/or after oxidative stress to determine the ameliorating effects of this particular medium chain triglyceride. Oxidative stress was assessed via fluorochromes in order to determine the oxidative stress. Spectroscopy was utilized to determine mitochondrial activity. Coconut oil is expected to prevent and protect yeast from reactive oxygen species.
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    The American Church: A House of Prayer or A Den of Thieves?
    (2016-11-17) Greene, Hunter
    Have churches become so focused on getting wealthier that they have forgotten their calling of taking care of the poor, despised, and marginalized? Churches across America are marked with expensive interior décor, over-sized buildings, and expensive administrative salaries. They seem to be prospering as many individuals are struggling with poverty living pay check to pay check. This project evaluates how the average American church fulfills the command of using money to build the Kingdom of God. According to Scripture, churches should be giving more to their hurting communities than they are spending money on modernizing the church. The project will also look at how churches advertise their church and Christ to their communities in such a way that encourages attendance, resulting in more money, and not discipleship. The early church set a Christ-like example by living lives that were saturated with charity and missions, but these have taken a backseat to the financially focused American church. In order to fill pews with disciples, it must find its identity in the compassionate, mission-centered Christ once again.
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    Analysis of Alpha Helices in the Receptor Binding Domain in Botulinum Types A, B, D, G
    (2021) Topp, Dakota; Griffin, Jediddiah
    Botulinum toxin is a protein secreted by the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum and has seven types denoted A-G. Human botulism is only caused by types A and B, the other five species are nontoxic to humans. This research used a series of computational programs to analyze types A, B, D and G. The receptor binding domain was analyzed, primarily the main alpha helix of the active site. It was found that this alpha helix had varying polarity and charge consistent with the toxicity, a more polar positive chain was found in types A and B in comparison with a negative charge associated with types D and G. In addition, a computational analysis of the overall structure was completed, however it was found there were minimal differences in structure despite varying amino acid compositions. An inference can be made that the differences in amino acid composition, causing variances in the polarity and charge is a causative agent in the toxicity of different types of botulinum toxin.
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    Artificial Intelligence: An Innovative Technology in a Vital Industry
    (2019-12-04) Carrasco, Diego
    One of the leading causes of death in America after heart disease and cancer is medical errors. Although not yet officially recognized by the Center for Disease control (CDC), medical errors account for a startling number of deaths, and this is primarily down to preventable human errors in the healthcare industry. Eliminating these errors could save thousands of lives, improving the healthcare industry all around, and one of the most promising methods is artificial intelligence technology. First, I will look at the progression of artificial intelligence technology and examine some modern applications of the technology in other industries like business and automotives. Then, I will research these errors and determine the some of the primary causes of these mistakes in the industry. I will take some of these applications of AI technology and examine how they could be used to both alleviate human error and improve the effectiveness of the industry. Finally, I will look some of the current social barriers to implementing AI technology.
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    Attitudes Toward the Black & Blue Lives Matter Movements
    (2021-03) Thomas, Alexandria; Drinnon, Joy
    The Black Lives Matter movement, created in 2013 after the death of Trayvon Martin in order to bring awareness to police brutality and racial injustice, and the Blue Lives Matter movement, a countermovement created in 2014 with a mission to support police and their families, have been heavily politicized in the eyes of the public with little to no literature exploring the attitudes associated with either movement. We replicated a study conducted by Holt and Sweitzer (2018) but extended our measures to include the Blue Lives Matter movement. We also conducted an experiment to test reactions to bumper stickers supporting either of the two movements or the sentiment behind each movement. Our results included data from 568 participants across the United States and were consistent with previous findings. We found that Blacks and non-Whites, Democrats, and women tend to favor the Black Lives Matter movement, and those 55 and older, Republicans, and men tend to favor the Blue Lives Matter movement. Social Dominance Orientation was found to be positively correlated with support for Blue Lives Matter and negatively related to Black Lives Matter. Not surprisingly, reactions to the bumper stickers showed that people reacted more negatively toward drivers displaying the motto for either movement as compared to drivers supporting the messages of each (e.g., racial equality). However, strong support for one movement was not found to be a predictor of weak support for the opposing movement. We concluded that weak support for the Black Lives Matter movement is not so much fueled by opposition to racial justice, but instead by the belief that marginalized groups should remain lower amongst the social hierarchy, and support for these movements may not be as polarized as we think.
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    Attitudes Towards Psilocybin: A General Population's Opinions on Psilocybin and Psilocybin-Assisted Therapies
    (2024-06-24) Simounet, Madison McKenzie Huff
    In recent years, psilocybin-assisted therapies (PAT) have displayed positive effects as a treatment for several different issues including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), smoking addiction, and anxiety. As more positive benefits of psilocybin are discovered, it’s becoming more likely that psilocybin could be utilized as a treatment option. Due to this possibility, it is important to understand what people think about psilocybin and PAT. The current qualitative and descriptive study set out with the intention of understanding the relationship demographic characteristics and attitudes towards psilocybin and psilocybin-assisted therapies. An anonymous Qualtrics survey was utilized to collect the data of 198 participants. Participants filled out various survey items inquiring about demographics, knowledge about psilocybin, previous experience with psychedelics, and attitudes towards PAT. Participants with prior knowledge about psilocybin and prior experience with psychedelics had more positive attitudes towards PAT. Males, democrats, atheists, those who are not disabled had more positive attitudes towards PAT as well. Participants that were sourced from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTURK) described more positive opinions of PAT as opposed to other sourcing cites. Attitudes towards PAT were relatively positive across the overall data set. These findings provide relevant information as to the groups that may benefit from further education on PAT and it’s benefits.
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    Autism: Inclusive Diagnosis vs Exclusive Treatment
    (2016) Temple, Kirsten
    The focus of this research lies in examining both the inclusivity of diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as the importance of an exclusive approach to treatment. This research aims to encourage professionals to tailor their research and treatment plans to the idea that each case of autism is unique and must be treated as such. A conflict arises as the definition and diagnosis of ASD continue to broaden but treatment remains the same. With the broadening spectrum for diagnosis, many are asking this question: Has ASD become so inclusive it is no longer practical to treat people exclusively? This research shows the opposite; a broader scale should only mean that each person should be treated exclusively as autism manifests itself very differently in each of their lives. Although there is not a cure for autism yet, those with all kinds of ASD can and should be encouraged to develop their individual uniqueness. Autism does not need to be a disability in a person’s life, instead it can be seen as the ability to make a unique contribution to society.
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    Bauhaus in Modernity: Photography, AI, Gesamtkunstwerk, and Bauhaus Theory in the 21st Century
    (2020-04-03) Shumaker, Amy; Brown, Arthur
    Through the research gathered in this project, I examined how the methods, vision, and basic design fundamentals of the Bauhaus School have translated in twenty-first century photography. Further, these century old principles are applied in my own photography through the presentation to be shown as the second aspect. In my research, I focused on the means of communication that is photography as it was seen by the Bauhaus photography professor Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and the basics of universal communication transcribed by the foundering professors. Universal communication followed along with the role of the artist to show the reach of Bauhaus design techniques. Furthermore, this research covered driving factors of the Bauhaus photography program such as Photograms, Typography, Objectivity, and Ready-Made or Autonomous influence. Each point showed both the influence on my own work, and others work created since 1980. Lastly, the research pushed photography into the modern age as photographers found new ways to apply Artificial Intelligence to the Bauhaus model. The research addressed how the 21st century has surpassed even what Bauhaus thought possible, and how it has led to global communication.
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    Be Your Best, Beat Stress
    (2019-05-08) Van Cleve, Heather; Crouch, Beth
    Stress; what it is, how it affects us, and ways we manage it. Stress is an important topic because it affects everyone. We all have the same physiological responses to stress but our perceptions of it and how we react or manage stress varies from person to person. The ideas of stress are broken down, looking at the things that make us feel stressed and what it in fact feels like to be stressed. By understanding one’s personal triggers for stress and how their body reacts to different situations management of stress can be learned. Through the research, stress management has been divided into four divisions: support systems, sleep, exercise, and nutrition. These four areas are the major categories that it is important to focus on when teaching clients about stress and stress management.
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    Blessed are the Peacemakers? : Christianity's Perpetuation of Violence against Women of Color
    (2020-12-01) Brokaw, Olivia; Hoover, Heather
    Violence against women of color takes many forms. These forms include domestic violence, racialized violence, and institution-initiated violence. While Christianity may not be a direct cause of violence against women, it nevertheless perpetuates this violence. This paper attempts to trace Christianity’s perpetuation of violence, which is often traced to theological and cultural perversions of the Bible’s messages of peace, love, and forgiveness. This paper also addresses current examples and facts regarding violence against women of color, along with systemic injustices prevalent within modern society. Finally, the paper proposes actions to mitigate and abolish violence against women of color. These actions include improving theological viewpoints on women and improving dialogue within the Christian church on issues of race and violence.
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    Breaking the Chains of Meth Addiction
    (2017-11-17) Douglas, Sarah
    This paper is designed to argue for behavioral therapy methods to allow for sustainable recovery from methamphetamine. Before providing treatment options, the paper discusses the history and lure of methamphetamine. The research comes from a compassionate viewpoint on addicts, including a book that contains interviews straight from former addicts. The paper includes users’ voices instead of solely an outsider’s perspective. Other research discusses dangers of methamphetamine. Much of this portion of the research comes from academic journals on the environmental, cultural, and physical repercussions of meth use. In order to look over the treatment methods for methamphetamine, the research uses many types of sources. Some come from the internet, while others are scientific studies done on various treatment methods. The paper also includes sources accessed through YouTube. The videos allow the first-hand perspective of withdrawal among other experiences while recovering from addiction. The implications of the research prove to be that there are many ways to begin treatment. Not all treatments are equally helpful, though. This paper provides the evidence to place behavioral therapeutic methods as the most sustainable treatment because of the manner in which they treat patients.