Stander Symposium: Projects with UD Institutional Learning Goals

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  Enhancing Deep Collaboration through Experiential Learning: The Impact of the Stitt Scholars Program

  Conor Atkins, Trent Borgmann, Alejandro de Jesus, Brooke Hunstad, Jennifer Jarog, Iga Jaromin, Lucianna Nice, Kevin Nudo, Najwan Orabi, John Protz, Luke Ready, Yadiel Roque

  Collaboration in higher education has significantly improved, with programs increasingly incorporating collaborative elements in their curricula. Despite these advances, there is a pressing need to further enhance interdisciplinary collaborations through experiential learning. The Stitt Scholars Program exemplifies this by offering students from the School of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Business Administration opportunities to work with startup companies at the HUB, supported by PNC Bank. Students commit ten hours weekly to their projects and engage in lectures on innovation and entrepreneurship. The program's success has attracted further investment, enabling its expansion and continued contribution to interdisciplinary education and community engagement.

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  Enhancing Student Engagement and Learning: Adapting Teaching Strategies in an Undergraduate Data Analytics and Programming Course

  Shivani Mantoo

  Effective undergraduate teaching is centered on creating an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment that fosters student growth and learning. As the first master’s student to serve as an instructor of record in the Engineering Management, Systems, and Technology Department, the challenges of teaching were approached with enthusiasm, adaptability, and a student-centered philosophy.While teaching SET 153L (Introduction to Data Analytics and Programming) for the first time in Spring 2024, it became evident that many students struggled with the flipped classroom model, particularly in transitioning from self-paced learning to active. In response, the teaching approach was restructured by initiating each session with a guided class activity and hands-on learning, allowing students to build confidence and solidify foundational concepts before advancing to more complex problem-solving tasks. This adjustment resulted in significant improvements in both student engagement and comprehension, fostering a more interactive and supportive learning environment.In addition to curricular modifications, an intentional effort was made to cultivate an inclusive and supportive classroom culture. Recognizing that some students were hesitant to ask questions, open dialogue was encouraged, consistent opportunities for one-on-one meetings were provided, and a space was created where all students felt comfortable seeking help. These efforts reinforced the belief that effective teaching transcends content delivery—it involves creating an environment in which students feel empowered to engage and grow.The positive impact of these adjustments was reflected in student feedback, which was both rewarding and motivating. The opportunity to teach the course again further strengthened the commitment to continuous improvement, both in refining teaching methods and enhancing student engagement.This teaching experience has been transformative, with ongoing efforts to evolve the approach, learn from students, and contribute to an enriching educational experience.

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  Estimating Disease Transmissions with Assortative Mixing by Vaccination Status

  Jacob Biesecker-Mast

  Many mathematical models of infectious disease assume the population is well-mixed, meaning every pair of individuals is equally likely to contact each other, potentially spreading the disease. In reality, populations are rarely well-mixed, and an important way in which they are not is assortative mixing, that is, when pairs of individuals who are similar are more likely to contact one another than pairs of individuals who are different. Failing to account for assortative mixing by vaccine status leads to biased estimates of important quantities that characterize disease transmission, including reproduction numbers. We expand on this by developing a model that can overcome this bias using a framework called dynamic survival analysis that studies the epidemic using techniques from survival analysis. Additionally, our model circumvents gaps in the information required. For example, our model works when test times, rather than infection times, are known.

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  Ethical & Effective Federal Artificial Intelligence Policy

  Liam Row

  Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be the defining invention of our time. As some put it, it will be humankinds' last invention since everything from thereon will be created by it. Moreover, it will possess capabilities that far surpass any known technology and will have a similar technological impact to that of the internet. The rise of the internet and, subsequently, social media is viewed as one of the greatest technological changes and impacts of the world today, changing every aspect of our modern lives for both better and worse. However, when political thinkers retroactively examine the policies around both the internet and social media, it is clear that some of the necessary policies to protect people never came to fruition and it is now too late to effectively regulate most aspects of either. This is the same logic that many worry will be true when it comes to artificial intelligence, but with one key difference: AI has the potential of significantly greater and more catastrophic harms. In other words, to avoid these future harms and ensure that the policy opportunity window is not missed as was the case with the internet and social media, an effective policy must be adequately researched and developed. Furthermore, the policy must be created with all possible considerations and full evaluation of the potential benefits and downsides. Thus, this project will aim to identify the potential harms, and benefits, of AI in the future as well as how they may be impacted by prospective policies. The end goal of this project is to create and justify an effective artificial intelligence policy that protects against the potential downsides and promotes the benefits such technology can provide, minimizing harms and maximizing advantages.

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  Ethos Research and Development: Solar Thermal Adsorptive Refrigeration (STAR)

  Brendan Alexander, Ty Rapp, Clayton Rosso, Molly Savage

  The Solar Thermal Adsorptive Refrigerator (STAR) project in partnership with the Ethos R&D program at the University of Dayton seeks to reduce the need for reliable refrigeration in developing communities. The STAR refrigerator does not require electricity for operation and uses a safe, environmentally benign, and locally available adsorption pair of activated carbon and ethanol. This project explores the effect of different activated carbon pre-treatment methods on the cyclic performance of the STAR system.

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  Euler's Number : A closer look at an approximation of e using Leonard Euler's Theory of Continued Fractions

  Libby Kreikemeier

  Leonard Euler created a Theory of Continued Fractions for approximating any number in the set of Real numbers. With the use of the division algorithm we are able to simplify a fraction into a set of convergents further allowing us to approximate the fraction into a decimal. This theory can be applied to many numbers of different forms like 3, 235/19, and pi. Euler’s number, e, is approximately equivalent to 2.718, and is used as a constant in many areas of mathematics and science. It is most commonly used in exponential growth and decay, compound interest, and differential equations. With these many applications, it is important to have a general understanding of what this constant is despite its irrationality and non-terminating decimal points. Because e is an irrational real number, the Theory of Continued Fractions can be applied, allowing us to easily approximate e.

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  Evaluating AI Vision in Extreme Weather

  Vatsa Patel, Le Ba Thinh Tran

  The performance of object detection models in adverse weather conditions remains a critical challenge for intelligent transportation systems. Since advancements in autonomous driving rely heavily on extensive datasets, which help autonomous driving systems be reliable in complex driving environments, this study provides a comprehensive dataset under diverse weather scenarios like rain, fog, nighttime, or sun flares and systematically evaluates the robustness of state-of-the-art deep learning-based object detection frameworks. Our Adverse Driving Conditions Dataset (ADCD) features eight single-weather effects and four challenging mixed-weather effects, with a curated collection of 50,000 traffic images for each weather effect. State-of-the-art object detection models are evaluated using standard metrics, including precision, recall, and IoU. Our findings reveal significant performance degradation under adverse conditions compared to clear weather, highlighting common issues such as misclassification and false positives. For example, scenarios like fog combined with rain cause frequent detection failures, highlighting the limitations of current algorithms. Through comprehensive performance analysis, we provide critical insights into model vulnerabilities and propose directions for developing weather-resilient object detection systems. This work contributes to advancing robust computer vision technologies for safer and more reliable transportation in unpredictable real-world environments.

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  Evaluating the perception of University support for International Graduate Students in Engineering

  Camryn Justice

  Within the School of Engineering, 336 out of 587 graduate and law students are international, making up a significant portion of the student body. Unlike their domestic counterparts, who often transition from the university’s undergraduate programs, these students face unique challenges. While existing support systems, such as the graduate affairs committee, provide some assistance, significant barriers remain. Anecdotal complaints highlight a growing need for stronger support structures. This raises important questions: What strategies can be implemented to better support international graduate students? If resources already exist, what prevents students from utilizing them? By identifying and addressing these barriers, we can contribute to a better understanding of the experience of international graduate students at our university.

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  Evolution of a difficult protein: Assessing the ability of human B3 to replace fly B2 tubulin

  Tionne Dawkins

  Proteins that are evolving constantly. In the course of changing they must find a way to maintaintheir essential functions. One way to avoid this problem is to not change, some proteins can gounchanged for millions of years. An example of this is the Drosophila sperm-generating proteinB2-tubulin, this protein has not evolved in 60 million years. We aim to understand why B2tubulin continues to remain conserved by testing if B2-tubulin function can be replaced by adifferent tubulin. To answer this question, we are performing genetic crosses to generate afly expressing human B3-tubulin in place of B2-tubulin. We will examine spermatogenesis bydissecting testes and assessing whether the sperm development was normal. Our study willprovide insights on the constraints of the tubulin protein evolution and how it functions withinDrosophila.

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  Examining the Causal Impact of Prayer on Self-Control and Generosity

  Angel Rivera-Martinez

  Prayer is a behavior that is characteristic of most religions and spiritualities and a practice important to many people. Although many studies have looked at a wide variety of the possible outcomes and impacts of prayer on behavior and well-being, this research hopes to study the practice of prayer and its outcomes in a more theological lens. In the Bible, the Fruit of the Spirit outlines expected characteristics of a person or community living in accordance with the Holy Spirit. The two aspects of the Fruit that will be studied as variables within this experiment are self-control and generosity. The goal of the experiment is to establish some sort of causal relationship between the practice of prayer and the variables of self-control and generosity, and the research involved will hopefully provide deeper insight into the relationships between psychology and theology.

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  Examining the Correlation of Parent-Child Questionnaire Responses on Trauma Exposure and PTSD Symptomatology

  Julia Fabian, Julia Johnson

  The Dayton Kids Study is a five-year longitudinal study examining psychosocial markers of risk vs resilience following traumatic events among 122 families in the Dayton area. Through established measures, the study asks both children and parents to report on their exposure to stress and trauma, symptoms of psychopathology, coping strategies, and family factors. In addition, families provide saliva samples at each checkpoint for further epigenetic analysis. Understanding how children and their caregivers may similarly or differently perceive adverse childhood events is critical to research examining biological and psychological predictors of outcomes. Concordance with respect to trauma exposure and trauma-related symptoms is limited. By examining the rates of concordance from baseline data in the Dayton Kids Study, researchers aim to gain insight on the effect of adverse childhood experiences on their wellbeing. This study aims to examine rates of concordance in two measures of trauma exposure: the Community Violence Exposure (CVE) and the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index (UCLA). Based on prior literature, we believe there will be low levels of caregiver-child concordance on these measures, with caregivers overreporting children’s exposure to trauma and their symptomatology.

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  Examining the Effects of Exercise on the Levels of Academic Burnout in College Students at the University of Dayton.

  Haley Alig, Madison DeSalvo, Mary Claire Dyke, Erin Flaherty, Claudia Giambrone

  Introduction: Academic burnout is a condition where students experience extreme mental, physical, or emotional fatigue caused by prolonged stress from academics. This is an important topic to discuss as the issue continues to grow among college students and become more common in an academic environment. Prior studies in this field have focused on the prevalence of mental illnesses and sleep levels in relation to burnout, but there is little research on the effects of exercise on the level of burnout. Studying the effects of certain variables such as exercise, on academic burnout can help the academic field to make changes and help to minimize the occurrence of burnout in students.Purpose: This study aims to identify the relationship between the variables exercise and the level of academic burnout among college students at the University of Dayton. By studying the impact of exercise we will be able to better assess the prevalence of burnout in college students and how to prevent/lessen the stressors and effects of burnout.Methods: We will conduct the data collection quantitatively, using a survey format. Participants will include students from various majors and school years at the University of Dayton, allowing us to ensure equal representation among the grade levels and majors. The Burnout Assessment Tool will also be utilized in our survey by asking the participants questions directly from this assessment tool. This tool will help us to accurately measure the level of academic burnout each participant currently experiences. Discussions/conclusions: While this study is still under investigation, our results will suggest how varying levels of exercise contributes to tendencies of academic burnout in university students. With our findings, we will make emphasis on the exercise-academic burnout relationship and the significant impact experienced by college students.

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  Examining the Influence of Social Media on Political Polarization and the Ideological Gap of Young People in the United States

  Emily Antognoli

  In the 2024 election, roughly 50% of white men under the age of thirty supported the conservative presidential nominee, Donald Trump (Brown, 2024). In contrast, young women under the age of thirty have begun shifting more liberal beginning in 1999 (Saad, 2024). Certain media outlets, such as Fox News, may exacerbate the perceived differences between political groups and may contribute to the increasing feelings of status threat, political polarization, and out-group biases leading to alt-right extremism (Isom et al., 2021).The present study will examine the relationships between ambivalent sexism, political collective narcissism, social dominance orientation, zero-sum thinking, with trust in conservative media, status threat, interests in guns and civic engagement. The online survey will launch in mid-March 2025. We aim to recruit 200 undergraduate participants enrolled in Introduction to Psychology courses at the University of Dayton. First, participants will answer questions on the political collective narcissism scale (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009), Ambivalent Sexism Scale (Rollero et al., 1999), the zero-sum thinking scale (Chinoy et al., 2023), and the social dominance orientation scale (Ho et al., 2015). Then, participants will answer questions about the study’s outcomes such as their trust in conservative media, status threat, gun interest, and civic engagement interest. We expect to find that white men will score higher on the political collective narcissism, ambivalent sexism, zero-sum thinking, and social dominances orientation scales, more likely to trust conservative media, will be more interested in guns, and less interested in civic engagement. These results will provide insight on how media consumption, gender attitudes, status threat, and societal perceptions contribute to the growing political polarization and turn to alt-right extremism observed in young men and women in past two decades.

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  Excavating the Real Sister Act: Black Catholic Nuns and the Challenges and Possibilities of the Archive

  Ikeyaira Metcalf

  Black Catholic nuns are the forgotten prophets of United States Catholicism and democracy. Although Black nuns have been present in the United States for nearly 200 years, their lives, labors, and struggles remain grossly understudied and under-researched. One reason for this invisibility is the absence of a centralized and accessible archive documenting Black sisters' long and complex history in the nation and wider Catholic Church. The presentation will outline the key challenges and possibilities of building a digital archive and bibliography of America's real sister act for scholars and students of history.

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  Experience the Thrill of Engineering at the Sumo Bot Showdown!

  Badar Al Mandhari, Michael Berkemeier, Daniel Bridge, Mark Brune, Andrew Burke, Cameron Cope, Tanner Cuttone, Charles Dalton, Jason Fish, Carla Garcia, Matthew Garrelts, Daniel Gubser, Adam Johnson, Thomas Kilbane, Kahra Loding, Adomas Mazeika, Owen Mott, Julian Pabon, Samuel Schiyer, Adin Stoller, Luke Wilson

  Dive into the dynamic world of robotics at our exhilarating Sumo Bot Competition! This spectacular event showcases the talent and creativity of students who have mastered the art of engineering design and automated systems. Watch as these miniature mechanical warriors go head-to-head in a battle of wits, strategy, and power. Designed entirely by students, each sumo bot is a marvel of modern engineering, programmed to outmaneuver and outlast its competitors in the sumo ring. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or new to the world of robotics, this competition promises an entertaining and enlightening experience for all ages. Join us to celebrate the spirit of innovation and cheer on the next generation of engineers as they put their skills to the ultimate test. Don’t miss out on the fun—come and be a part of the action!

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  Experimental Investigation of the Second-Mode Boundary-Layer Instability Over a Flat Plate with a Wavy Wall

  Megan Sieve

  This study experimentally investigates the effect of wavy walls on the second-mode boundary-layer instability in the hypersonic regime. The experiments were performed in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Mach-6 Ludwieg Wind Tunnel on flat-plate test articles. Two different flat-plate test articles were used: a smaller test article used in previous studies and one larger that was constructed for these specific experiments. Findings include the initial test results of the larger test article without a wavy-wall insert and results from three different wavy-wall samples taken using the smaller test article. The initial larger flat plate test results showed that the boundary-layer transition onset behavior varied between the fluctuating surface pressure power spectra measurements and the surface heat-flux measurements. The spectral measurements indicated transition onset upstream of the heat-flux measurements. The wavy-wall test results showed that the wavy-wall inserts shifted the second-mode frequencies lower. Additionally, the higher-amplitude wavy walls provided spectra that indicated a second-mode frequency locking tendency, which was shown to trend well with the freestream unit Reynolds number. Supporting computations indicated good agreement with the frequency-modulating effects of the wavy walls.

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  Experimental Validation of Solar Panel Tilt Optimization and Microclimate Variations of Solar Prairies

  Alex Zawacki

  Two projects explore the optimization and ecological impacts of solar energy systems. The first investigates solar panel tilt optimization to enhance energy efficiency, while the second examines microclimatic variations in a solar prairie at the University of Dayton.The solar panel tilt optimization project aims to maximize energy output by identifying the ideal tilt angle based on location, season, and atmospheric conditions. Conducted at Kettering Labs, the study collects empirical data on real-world solar panel performance. Initial data were gathered with panels at a flat orientation (0° tilt) to establish a baseline for comparison. Future testing will analyze energy production across different tilt angles to identify configurations that maximize solar irradiance year-round. Data from theoretical models and real-world measurements will inform recommendations for fixed solar installations in regions with fluctuating sunlight conditions.The second project examines how solar infrastructure influences local ecosystems. Conducted at the University of Dayton’s Curran Place solar prairie, Thermochron iButton temperature loggers recorded hourly temperature variations at three locations: underneath solar panels, in the aisle between rows, and in buffer zones. Results confirm that areas beneath panels experience more extreme temperature fluctuations—higher daytime temperatures and colder nighttime temperatures—compared to other locations. Summer 2023 data showed temperatures underneath panels were 2–5°C higher during the day and 2–3°C colder at night. These fluctuations may impact insect habitats and species survival.Together, these studies provide insights into the intersection of solar technology and environmental sustainability. The tilt optimization project seeks to improve energy production, while the solar prairie project highlights ecological effects. Findings are relevant to both the solar energy industry and conservation efforts, emphasizing the need to integrate environmental considerations into renewable energy system design.

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  Exploring Fandoms through the Lens of Propaganda Analysis

  Irasen Borders, Derek Boykin, Audrey Castle, Noah Corbin, Lauren T. Crum, Colin Dempsey, Spencer Dileo, Sean Dodd, Michael Duvic, Bridget Mary Flood, Dyan Garner, Kristofer Geier, Leah Heil, Austin Holguin, Maria Manzella, Katharine McCabe, Camryn McKenzie, Kurtis Neiman, Paul Nemeth, Lindsay Norton, Tyler Peterson, Natalie Rach, Patrick Schwartz, Emma Sparling, Evie Stuczynski, Michael Tomes, Olivia Turturro, Madeleine Vandegrift, Sophia Vonkaenel, Connor Weisensel, Sofia Zunt

  In CMM 350 History and Analysis of Propaganda, we as a class explored the phenomenon of fandoms through the lens of propaganda analysis. Working in small groups, we selected four fandoms, each of which we approached as a distinct campaign of propaganda, combining features of conventional top-down direct propaganda and horizontal decentralized sub-propaganda. These fandoms included the messaging surrounding Luigi Mangioni, the alleged assassin of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare; convicted serial killer Ted Bundy; the reality TV show Survivor; and Mickey Mouse, the legendary icon of Walt Disney Studios. Using five steps of a method developed by Jowett & O’Donnell, we studied primary and secondary sources relating to these campaigns; mapped the structure of the campaign as a communication system; and analyzed these sources to draw conclusions about the identity of the propagandist, the target audience, techniques for the utilization of media in the campaign, special techniques employed in the campaign for influencing the audience, and the reaction of the audience. The goal of this analysis is to provide an accurate understanding of the workings of these campaigns, often invisible to the public, so that we and others as consumers of media can make more informed decisions about our interactions with these and similar campaigns. We also hope to identify patterns that stretch across these different campaigns, despite their different foci, which can help us to understand the general phenomenon of fandoms, including the active and creative ways audiences participate in the campaign and contribute to it.

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  Exploring Large Language Models in Interviews

  Kanishka Kolakaluri

  In this project, we explore the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) in simulating the interviews. In particular, we target the most popular jobs on LinkedIn. Also, we collect the data from the user and the targeted job position. From the collected data, we simulate the interviews in the form of Q&A by using LLMs. By using our self-developed user interface, we tried our system with real users. The feedback is generally positive and it paves way to the future usage of LLMs in interviews.

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  Exploring Project-Based Learning: Pros, Cons, and Comparisons to Conventional Learning

  Lindsay Slattery

  Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method based on real-world experiences and peer collaboration. Conventional learning is teacher-directed instruction in which teachers determine the content and method of instruction. PBL is student-directed instruction, allowing students more autonomy over their learning. Studies have shown both the benefits and challenges associated with project-based learning.

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  Exploring the correlation between sleep quality and academic performance: The effect of sleep factors on perceived focus levels

  Mary Bischoff, Katherine Heublein, Ace Kinman, Olivia Reddy, Julia Reilly

  Introduction: Educational achievements are influenced by a range of factors, one of the most significant being sleep. Both the duration and quality of sleep play a crucial role in academic performance. Prior studies indicate that sleep consistency was negatively associated with overall scores in a class along with longer sleep duration having a strong positive correlation with academic performance (Okano et al., 2019). However, research remains uncertain on how perceived level of focus, which correlates to academic performance, is impacted by variousaspects of sleep.Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate if there is a correlation between the sleep quality and quantity of college students and their academic performance. Academic performance will be measured by individual level perceived focus in the classroom and correlated with various factors of weekday sleep.Methods: This research will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques in a survey to explore the impact of sleep on academic performance among a diverse group of college students. The survey will be completed by one hundredstudents on the University of Dayton’s campus of various majors. The survey will include questions regarding their amount of sleep during the weekdays, focus levels in class, and factors that could affect their sleep conditions. T-tests will be performed to find associations betweensleep and perceived level of focus from scaled survey questions.Discussion/Conclusions: While this study is still under investigation, our results will suggest how focus levels will be affected by factors of sleep quality and quantity. With the pressure of college students to complete a variety of extracurriculars while also balancing school work,determining a correlation between sleep quality and quantity in relation to academic performance could highlight ways to create a beneficial schedule for college students.

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  Exploring the Environmental Justice Implications by Assessing Flood Vulnerability in Southwestern Ohio

  Caroline Deerwester

  Flooding is one of the most destructive natural disasters, with widespread implications for public safety, infrastructure, and environmental health. Southwestern Ohio, specifically the city of Dayton, has historically experienced flood events. The Great Dayton Flood of 1913 in Dayton, Ohio, was one of the most catastrophic flooding events, causing the Great Miami River(GMR) to overflow its banks. This tragic event led to the loss of over 360 lives and widespread property damage. In recent years, climate change models have projected increasing flood events. In addition, flood risks are not distributed equally across communities. In Dayton, historical redlining policies have shaped the demographic distribution, leaving underserved minority communities, particularly in the Northwestern parts of the city near the Great Miami River, disproportionately vulnerable to environmental hazards. These areas are not only at risk of flooding, but also suffer from historical and systemic disadvantages related to economic, racial, and social factors. This creates an urgent need to assess flood vulnerability within the context of environmental justice. This study investigates the social impacts of the 1913 flood, focusing on how minority populations were affected. To achieve this, we construct a historical Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) using 1910 census data, comparing it to a contemporary SVI developed through principal component analysis (PCA) applied to current vulnerability-related demographic variables at the census-block level. Our comparative analysis of historical and contemporary SVIs aims to evaluate whether infrastructure improvements, particularly the levee system, have effectively mitigated flood vulnerability and addressed disparities in flood risk exposure over time.

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  Exploring the role of SERCA2 in the mouse brain using novel transgenic and pharmacological mouse models.

  Hayden Ott

  Ca2+ homeostasis is critical for various neural processes such as neurotransmission and development. A key regulator of intracellular Ca2+-handling is the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA), which operates by sequestering cytosolic Ca2+ into the ER. Dysfunction of SERCA and Ca2+ homeostasis have been implicated in several debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Our lab has recently reported that chronic pharmacological allosteric activation of SERCA via CDN1163, impact mouse behavior and the brain's neurochemistry in a sex-specific manner. Interestingly, we’ve additionally observed that phospholamban (PLN), a critical regulator of SERCA2 that has been well-studied with regard to its role in the heart, is also selectively expressed in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) of the mouse brain. Using a novel transgenic mouse model, we have found that genetic ablation of PLN in this brain region induces an ADHD-like phenotype characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and sleep-deficits. Currently, we are continuing to investigate the roles of the PLN and SERCA in the brain using genetic and pharmacological approaches in conjunction with neurochemical analyses, as well as behavioral and RNA/protein expression assessments. The results of these experiments have high potential to give us deep insights into the role of the PLN/SERCA2 pathway in the neurobiology of debilitating brain disorders.

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  Exposing High School Students to the Field of School Psychology

  Lauren Davis

  The shortage of school psychologists is a pressing issue, particularly in regions like Ohio, where underserved communities often lack access to crucial mental health services. This scarcity hinders schools' ability to support students' diverse needs. Even more pressing is the shortage of marginalized individuals within the field. Recognizing this challenge, this study aims to evaluate students' knowledge and perceptions of exposure initiatives such as the National Association of School Psychologists' Exposure Project. This exposure project teaches students about the roles and functions of school psychologists, training requirements, and job prospects within a 30 minute slide-show presentation. This study was conducted in 9th through 12th-grade general education classrooms in two central Ohio high schools. By employing quantitative methods, this study utilized an anonymous electronic survey administered to students directly after the Exposure Project. Through the collection of this data, a comprehensive understanding of high schoolers' knowledge and perceptions regarding school psychology was gained, contributing valuable insights to address current shortage of school psychologists.

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  Fabrication and validation of low-cost, biologically relevant, easy-to-prepare tissue-mimicking materials

  Ethan Selkirk

  Using affordable, readily available materials, we have developed multiple tissue- and blood-mimicking materials (known as "tissue phantoms"), for calibrating and testing optical spectroscopy and imaging technologies. By incorporating everyday products such as coffee, coffee creamer, paint pigments, food coloring, and gelatin, we create tissue phantoms that closely replicate the optical properties of biological tissues while remaining low-cost and easy to produce. Our goal is to minimize costs without compromising accuracy, and through collaborations with researchers at other institutions, we have successfully developed, measured, and assessed the reproducibility of different tissue phantoms. Our current focus is on replicating the absorption spectra of melanin and hemoglobin, as well as changes that occur in the scattering spectrum during the development of skin cancer. The accessibility and reproducibility of these tissue phantoms make them potentially valuable tools both for teaching tissue-optics principles to students and for validating the accuracy of oximetry and cancer detection technologies.