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  Food Connections to Judaism and Islam

  Grace Kennedy, Caroline Sullivan, Ella Blair

  Part of a course project on intercultural communication, which can be expressed and studied in myriad ways. The students of CMM 316.01 investigated various forms of cultural expression by comparing and contrasting the ways a particular form is used by multiple cultural groups. Specifically, each group researched and presented about the ways food, music, festivals, rituals, dance, clothing, and other artifacts communicate cultural identity in at least two different cultures.

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  Foreign Detainee Operations Post 9/11: An Example of the United States’ Ethical Compromise

  Seth Longstreth

  After 9/11, the United States government issued a series of policies that allowed tortuous interrogations in order to extract actionable information, or least attempt to. After being a member of the Geneva Convention and the Convention Against Torture, the U.S. directly defied these international treaties purely because it suited their interests during the retaliation against al-Qaeda. This paper seeks to answer how government accountability plummets when directing officials overlook the law, how the subjectivity of torture laws was capitalize on, and what further implications this has on us as a nation. This research takes a multi-case study approach which allows for an in-depth analysis of interrogative techniques, living conditions, and how it was all made legal.Keywords: Detainee, Ethics, Torture, Interrogation

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  Frantz Fanon and the Search for True African Philosophy

  Emma Mason

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  From Inspiration to Creation: A Live Performance and Discussion of Original Music

  Cedric Mwizerwa, John Imhof

  Owen Imhof and Cedric Mwizerwa are passionate musicians who will present a unique and inspiring session on their journey of creating original pieces of music. In this presentation, they will take the audience through the process of writing their first original compositions and the challenges they faced along the way. The event's highlight will be the first-ever live performances of their newly created pieces, showcasing their musical talent and creativity. Attendees will learn about the creative process behind writing original music and gain insights into the challenges and triumphs of musicianship. This session is a must-attend for anyone interested in music composition, performance, and creativity.

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  Fundamentals of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

  Abdul Moid Khan

  A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel oxidation reaction directly into electricity. A solid oxide fuel cell can be considered an electro-chemical reactor which converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Hydrogen or a hydrocarbon (e.g., methane) is supplied on the anode and air or oxygen on the cathode side of the fuel cell. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide (if hydrogen is not pure) diffuse through the porous anode to the three-phase boundary formed by the anode, the electrolyte, and the gaseous hydrogen. Similarly, oxygen diffuses through cathode to three phase-boundary on the cathode side where oxygen accepts electrons. These oxygen ions (oxide ions) travel through the porous electrolyte and react with hydrogen to produce electrons and water at the anode and thus an electro motive force is generated between two electrodes. The two electrodes can be connected via an external circuit and an electrical current can be generated. The change in Gibbs free energy of the overall cell reaction is equal to the maximum electrochemical work. The electrical potential difference between the cell electrodes produced due to half-cell reactions drives the electrons to move from the anode to the cathode in the cell external electric circuit. In this presentation, some fundamentals behind the operation of high temperature solid oxide fuel cells as well as information from past industrial scale SOFC systems will be reviewed.

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  Funeral Rituals in Ghana and India

  Quinn Gilroy and Sarah Harper

  Part of a course project on intercultural communication, which can be expressed and studied in myriad ways. The students of CMM 316.01 investigated various forms of cultural expression by comparing and contrasting the ways a particular form is used by multiple cultural groups. Specifically, each group researched and presented about the ways food, music, festivals, rituals, dance, clothing, and other artifacts communicate cultural identity in at least two different cultures.

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  Gaps between Affection and Text Messaging in Relation to the Uses and Gratifications Theory: Examining Texting and The Need to Belong

  Daniel Peters, Shania Weigandt

  For our literature review, we have been identifying gaps between affection and text messaging in relation to the uses and gratifications theory. Our interest within this topic lies with our curiosity to discover why people feel a need to belong, and how those needs affect communication in relation to texting. With the help of our research, we will be able to compare how texting can possibly contribute to the fear of missing out as well as the drive to be a part of something. We will utilize the information about adolescence using text messaging to narrow down the uses and gratifications of younger generations who use texting. The scholarly literature that we have studied can be separated into four categories; the needing to belong, text messaging, correlation of texting and the needing to belong, and uses and gratification theory. These topics lead us to our research question which asks how the need for affection affects an individual's personal use of text messaging.

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  Garnering Stakeholder Perceptions of Urban Community Garden Features Through the Utilization of Photovoice Research

  Abigayle Smith

  The presentation discusses the study currently being conducted on stakeholder perceptions and attitudes towards greenspaces. This is completed through the identification of different uses and features that could be included in the community garden to maximize use of the space and stakeholder engagement. To best understand community opinions, we utilized a creative qualitative research method combining photovoice and interviews/focus groups. The photovoice will be the primary discussion of the presentation as the interviews and focus groups are ongoing. Preliminary findings indicate the importance of designing a garden for multigenerational and diverse stakeholder uses, and highlight the memories, experiences, and expectations that attract stakeholders to community gardens. The findings also outline the importance of co-creating the design of a community garden to ensure long-term sustainability. Previous research shows that community gardens are a popular tool to address neighborhood revitalization, local food, and social cohesion; critical gaps exist in the body of literature. This long-term project aims to address three such gaps in research. First, very few studies have focused on community gardens in minority and lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. Our research is located in the Dayton View Triangle neighborhood, which is 67% African American with a median household income of 35k. Second, previous research largely explores stakeholder perceptions toward established community gardens rather than their perceptions during the planning and design of a community garden. Third, very few studies have examined community-based governance/organizational structures that can ensure long-term sustainability. The research currently being conducted is aimed to help to understand the desired features and necessary mechanisms that need to be established to build a sense of community, social cohesion, and attachment around a community garden.

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  Gender, Race, and Social Media

  Julia Bunch, Kaitlin Hall, Madeleine Carrane, Jenna Borrelli

  In the twenty-first century, social media is a key site where meanings about personal experiences and intergroup relations are navigated and reproduced. In this panel, presenters explore how gendered and racialized identities are constructed on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. The first paper investigates how women invoke medicalized discourse and authority through the issue of infant sleep to assert their status as good mothers. The second paper explores how masculinity is constructed on the University of Dayton Barstool Flyers account. The third paper reveals how young women narrate experiences of sexual assault in short video clips. Finally, the fourth paper discusses the topic of race-swapping in fictional film through a case study of "The Little Mermaid" and the recent casting of an African-American actress in the lead role. Each of these papers is based on original social science research undertaken by presenters for the sociology senior capstone. Taken together, the papers reveal the myriad ways that social media functions as a space to (re)produce gendered and racialized identities. This panel should be of interest to folks who are interested in thinking through the power, value, and pitfalls of social media in modern life.

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  Genome-wide screening of miRNA’s in dve cells identifies evolutionary conserved miR-190 regulates eye size by targeting Eyeless/PAX-6

  Mani Manivannan Subramanian; other author: Amit Singh

  Congenital aniridia is caused by mutation(s) in paired-box gene 6 (PAX-6), and is characterized by eye defects manifested in childhood leading to visual impairment. A highly conserved PAX-6 (Drosophila homolog, eyeless, ey), encodes a DNA-binding transcription factor, whose loss-of-function exhibits loss-of-entire-eye or part-of-eye. Surprisingly, molecular genetic basis of Aniridia remains poorly understood. The retinal loss may arise due to dysregulation of miRNAs which plays a pivotal role in regulating genes post transcriptionally. miRNAs are the short hairpin like structure with 20-25bp which modulates the gene expressions post-transcriptionally by binding to 3’UTR of mRNAs. Studies on miRNAs have shown that miRNAs are involved in fine tuning of genes which regulates cell differentiation and proliferation of retinal cells in vertebrates. miRNA serves a vital role in the retina throughout development and in eye diseases. In our study using Drosophila as a model system, importance of miRNAs involved in the development of eye was investigated and in our genome wide screening of miRNAs in dve cells, we have identified miR-190 as our novel candidate in modulating the eye phenotype. Further Eyeless, a target gene of miR-190, was identified by secondary screening through RNAi lines and analyzed for eye phenotypes. Eye fate markers involved in eye development were analyzed in flies expressing miR-190 target gene Eyeless-RNAi. Here, we provide a mechanism of how miR-190 modulates eye phenotype through Eyeless gene, and results from these studies will be discussed in the symposium.

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  Globalization of Music

  Ethan Schum, Dorian Mays, Kevin Doldehide

  Part of a course project on intercultural communication, which can be expressed and studied in myriad ways. The students of CMM 316.01 investigated various forms of cultural expression by comparing and contrasting the ways a particular form is used by multiple cultural groups. Specifically, each group researched and presented about the ways food, music, festivals, rituals, dance, clothing, and other artifacts communicate cultural identity in at least two different cultures.

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  Globalization of Music: Fan Culture — K-pop vs. British Pop

  Emma Bueti and Kaitlin Hall

  Part of a course project on intercultural communication, which can be expressed and studied in myriad ways. The students of CMM 316.01 investigated various forms of cultural expression by comparing and contrasting the ways a particular form is used by multiple cultural groups. Specifically, each group researched and presented about the ways food, music, festivals, rituals, dance, clothing, and other artifacts communicate cultural identity in at least two different cultures.

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  Going Global in Grade School: Benefits of Foreign Language Learning for Elementary-Aged Youth

  Savannah Smith

  In this linguistically rich society, the average person’s knowledge of other languages is no longer a merely helpful skill, but a necessity for interpersonal interaction. Foreign language programs are common in U.S. high schools, but their benefits can be reaped at a much earlier age. As a result, this project highlights the advantages of learning foreign languages in elementary school, investigating bilingualism in the context of a culturally and communicatively diverse world.

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  Hands In Harmony

  Kabelo Muhammad, Molly Obergefell, Olivia Redwine, Sydney Zupnick, Rosalie Doyle, Arianna Ranallo, Valeria Alvarado Berrios, Kayleah Shiland, Anna Delaney, Jaylee Sowders, Mattabesett Smith

  Led by director Heidi Reynolds and interpreter Mary Ann Fraley, the University of Dayton performing ensemble Hands in Harmony presents choreographed signs from American Sign Language (ASL) to popular songs. It allows the audience members to experience and appreciate both the auditory and visual aspects of the music. Seeing the signs gives a different perspective of the music. For more information about Hands in Harmony or details to become involved, please visit the University of Dayton Ensembles and Performance Opportunities page under "Choral Ensembles."

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  Here comes the sun: A study of insect ecology during Ohio’s solar power boom

  Raef Khamis Ali Saif Al Hamedi, Grace Litavsky, Abbey Raison, Sarah Metz, Rianna Soltis, Stephanie Murray

  As the world’s population and demand for energy continues to increase, we are also experiencing a rapid increase in renewable energy, such as solar power. Ohio is in the midst of a large solar boom, in which many solar fields are converted to something called “solar prairies.” The native, flowering vegetation in a solar prairie is meant to attract pollinators to boost the ecological value of the land. As solar prairies continue to surface in Ohio, we are still facing a large knowledge gap regarding (1) the effects of solar arrays on insects and (2) the best management practices for solar prairie vegetation. To help bridge this first knowledge gap, we are surveying insect communities at newly proposed solar sites before and after solar installation. Many of these proposed sites will be seeded as solar prairies during or following the installation process. Thus far, we have collected preliminary data at three proposed solar sites: two city managed lawns (WT and SW) and one field of goldenrod (MEEC). We collected insects using pitfall traps (n= 4 per site at WT and SW; 9 at MEEC), pan traps (n= 1 per site at WT and SW; 9 at MEEC), and sweepnets (n= 4 per site at WT and SW; 10 at MEEC). Insects were sorted to order level identification (e.g., bees are of the order Hymenoptera) and we used analyses of variance (ANOVA) and generalized linear models (GLM) to test for differences in insect communities between and within sites. We found insect abundance and diversity to be highest at MEEC, as expected due to flowering goldenrod. We expect a decrease immediately following construction and solar installation at all sites, but a rebound over time as plant diversity increases.

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  History Capstone Presentations

  Camryn Mcnutt, Brant Bolton, Sean Zegarski, Jack Willerton, Noah Jackson, John Perkins-Stafford

  Capstone presentations by History Department Seniors showcasing scholarly historical projects based on primary source analysis and historiographical context. Topics range from Perceptions of Economic Transition in Russia and Eastern Europe, to anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism in Extreme Movements in Ohio, Chinese Propaganda, and the Professionalization of Army Cadre in Nineteenth Century America.

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  How does Peer Delinquency influence an Individuals Aspirations for Work, Family, and the Law?

  Haley Fisher

  Delinquency is the act of criminal behavior committed by individuals during their adolescence. Delinquency has led many individuals down the wrong path in life, but it has also sparked desire for people to better themselves. Because many individuals do unfortunately suffer from the poor decisions they have made in their adolescence, that previous studies aim to look further into the catalyst of those choices. Many factors are considered when examining catalysts, such as exposure to violence, substance abuse, gang involvement, peer delinquency, age, gender, and ethnicity. Research for my project has used the dataset Pathways to Desistance study. This data has been collected from November 2000 to January 2003, following around 1,354 individuals who were serious juvenile offenders from adolescence to young adults, ranging from fourteen to eighteen years of age. There have been multiple tests conducted to observe their psychological development, behavior, social relationships, mental health, and experiences in juvenile court or the criminal justice system. This study was designed to identify the social contexts and developmental differences in encouraging desistance and antisocial behaviors. My research project looks examine how different factors specifically peer delinquency, affects individuals aspirations for work, family, and the law. The dependent variable of the study is individuals’ aspirations for work, family, and the law. This falls under the measure of perceptions of chances for success. The independent variables I also looked at when determining what would effect these aspirations were these individuals exposure to violence, substance abuse, gang involvement, age, gender, and ethnicity. It is hoped that the evidence which I have uncovered from my research will be able to further the understanding and prevent of individuals who are led down a wrong path in their lives eventually deteriorating their aspirations for work, family, and the law.

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  How Does Screen Time Affect Sleep Duration in College Students?

  Sarah Yaroma, Elizabeth Niemiec, Olivia Fowler, Aubrey Wilcox, Megan Dickinson

  College students spend an exorbitant amount of their time doing homework on laptops, watching T.V., scrolling through social media, and more. As the amount of screen time continues to increase, the amount of time students spend sleeping each night decreases and becomes limited. Sleep is a crucial part of a person’s daily routine that has an effect on the proper functioning of every physiological process in the body. The purpose of this study was to identify a potential relationship between sleep duration and the total amount of time spent watching or using a technological device in college students. Previous research has implied that properties of technology have an impact on essential functions, such as psychological well-being and academic performance in college students. We used data from our survey and the “Screen Time” app on the iPhone / Apple products to analyze the relationship between screen time and sleep duration during the 2023 spring semester for students at the University of Dayton. Researchers predict that large amounts of screen time was shown to have an effect on sleep duration.

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  How Does Sleep Affect Symptoms of Anxiety in Undergraduate College Students?

  Audrey Cruz, Shelsy Martinez, Lucas McFee, Jillian Beer, Joseph Boateng

  There is a close relationship between mental health and sleep. Anxiety has been frequently connected to sleep problems which can hinder learning. Given the environment of college, a decrease in the quality of sleep can lead to implications of declining mental health in undergraduate students. The study aims to look at the associations between the amount of sleep undergraduate college students at the University of Dayton get and the symptoms of anxiety that these students may experience. A survey was used to collect the data and associations were analyzed. The researchers expected that those who get inadequate amounts of sleep experience more symptoms of anxiety.

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  How Management Impacts NERDS College Student Volunteers

  Tonkia Bridges

  This study focuses on the NERDS organization, which has experienced an increase in demand for its services and needs to develop selection, onboarding, and training processes to increase engagement for college student volunteers. Based on surveys and interviews with current and former volunteers, the study outlines an action plan with four objectives: 1) hiring a part-time volunteer manager, 2) establishing a partnership with a local university, 3) implementing a volunteer selection, onboarding, and training process, and 4) developing a volunteer mentor program. The study provides detailed timelines, goals, and outcomes for each objective, focusing on improving the recruitment and retention of college student volunteers. The study concludes that implementing this action plan will increase volunteer management efficiency, improve staff-volunteer relationships, increase positive organizational culture and climate, and provide college student volunteers with valuable skills and experiences.

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  How Much is your Desk Lamp Costing per Year?

  David Pohlod

  Growing electricity bills plague many of us who call Dayton home, but what exactly can we do to combat those rising prices. The most simple solution is to crack down on turning off lights when they are not in use. In this experiment I will explore the cost of a desk lamp that is used semi-frequently throughout the week and explore the amount of electrical energy it consumes on a daily basis. Basic cost of electricity will be set as the rate at which the electrical company, AES, charges my house per kilowatt hour. The data will be recorded via an Elegoo Uno R3 microcontroller with a photoresistor connected to measure when the light is turned on and how intense the light is. The data collected will then be used to draw conclusions about the cost to operate a single lamp per day, per month and per year.

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  Human Designed Equitable Warming Shirts

  Annie Wesner, Victoria Jacobs, Nicholas Stout

  Our project is to create a STEM based lesson plan that requires students to design a thermal shirt that is effective in keeping people warm by testing different insulators. Our problem given to students is the inequality of people facing homelessness often facing extreme temperatures in Ohio with little protection from the elements, especially in Winter. There is also inequality with the cost in buying hand warmers and warm clothing. Before students create and test their shirt designs they will learn about exothermic and endothermic reactions and learn mathematical concepts of modeling growth and decay over time. Students will test and design using the scientific method what insulators they will use to create this shirt based on their knowledge of chemical thermodynamics. They will measure the effectiveness of their design over time through sampling over the time interval chosen to test the theory that exothermic reaction rate flows are proportional to temperature. Students will then model using the data from the experiment to apply both chemistry and biology concepts to mathematics in a real-world example.

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  Humane Mouse Trap STEM Project for Social Justice

  Katherine Miller, Allison Tracy, Kara Ledbetter, Nicholas Stout

  To promote equality and to conceptualize a topic for students we will create a STEM for social justice project demonstrating how to present social justice and active learning in the classroom. Students will complete a project regarding humane mouse traps. This project will involve students working in science and mathematics. This promotes equity and social justice allowing for safety of the mice and the overall ecosystem. Dead mice are a safety risk to home and families, and using poison could danger drinking water or other aspects of the environment.

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  Human Impacts on Wildlife Activity in Glen Helen Nature Reserve

  Elizabeth Divish; other author: Dustin Holmes

  Recreational Locations such as Glen Helen Nature Reserve (Yellow Springs, OH), are welcoming and open to many human activities that involve being outdoors. These nature locations are also home to many different wildlife species that interact with each other and the humans that visit the park. These species have natural behaviors and interactions that are necessary for survival and reproduction. Living in an outdoor recreational area can at times make it difficult for them to follow their natural behaviors, because human activities such as hiking and dog walking can influence how the animals act, what times they look for food, or look for mates. In collaboration with the Glen Helen Nature Reserve, we implemented a wildlife monitoring project through the use of remote trail cameras in their park. We set up five trail cameras, with three of them having bait in the form of bird seed. Cameras were active for a month, from Nov 15 to Dec 15 2022. We documented eight mammal species: North American beaver (Castor canadensis), White tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Raccoon (Procyon lotor), Coyote (Canis latrans), Gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans), Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and small rodents, such as field mice (Mus musculus). Using the footage from the camera traps, we found observable data to support that wild mammals inhabiting this location are affected by human behavior visiting the park. The majority of wild animals had nocturnal behavior, in contrast to human activity that occurs entirely during the day. By analyzing at the time of day of the activity for both, the different activities that are taking place and the relationship between them support the idea that wildlife are shifting their behavior to avoid human activity. The research has shown the effects that an outdoor area allowing humans to explore nature and their surroundings can have on the different fauna that call that location home, and these results will help inform Glen Helen Nature Reserve and their management plans for this protected area.

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  Identification and Design of Neuromorphic Controller Inspired by Mammalian Neural Control Mechanisms Applying Concurrent Learning Algorithm

  Ranjani Kripashankar

  Human brains can do amazing things. The motor cortex can induce huge transient responses to perform very gentle and precise movements with the regulation of neuromodulators. The sensory and motor cortices in a human body are shaped by experience. These regulatory mechanisms of the brain enable humans with flexible and robust abilities in adapting to dynamic environments and greatly improve accuracy and fault tolerance which is the bottleneck in the control of complex real-time systems. The ability to identify and replicate these biological control systems could help provide a better understanding to reproduce functional behaviours of humans (like walking running etc.) to yield better results i.e., replace the bits and clocks of digital computation with the spikes and rhythm of human communication.Inspired by the control mechanisms of motor cortex, the study presents evidence on a small scale by focusing on developing a software infrastructure that allows for data collection from a human teacher performing control of a class of non-linear systems (Inverted Pendulum on Cart and Ball and Beam) with uncertain dynamics and external perturbations and ability to learn from the collected data using the Concurrent Learning algorithm to identify the control law of unknown form acquired by a human through direct experience with the system. Owing to high demands of real-time performance, the discrete-time dynamics of the systems are considered . Specifically, numerical results focusing on whether the human subject was able to stabilize the system for a sufficiently longer time or not addressing the efficacy of the data-set is presented . To validate the approach, the identified neuromorphic controller is used to stabilize the non-linear systems in hand.