Stander Symposium Projects

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  Research exercise: Illuminating the Issue of Literacy

  Alexis Niekamp, Kilee A. Weiskittel, Meghan A. Winter

  The Building Communities through Social Justice Learning Living Community (BCSJLLC) is a first-year program at the University of Dayton whose mission is to promote literacy and the advocacy of social justice through service learning in the Greater Dayton/Miami Valley neighborhoods. To help promote literacy in the community, we participated in the first annual Book Buddy Program with the Cleveland Elementary School. The BCSJLLC community partner, Project READ, trained the LLC students as tutors and then placed us with students in the Dayton Early College Academy (DECA). DECA's mission is to assist high school students to graduate and then attend college. At DECA, we worked with seventh grade students to help improve their skills in basic math, reading and vocabulary skills, fundamentals of science, and organizational skills. We found that as our service learning gave us the opportunity to develop personal relationships with the students and to provide much-needed assistance to the DECA teachers. Through this experience and the application of what we have learned in our cohort classes and tutoring training, we have gained a better understanding of the Marianist ideals of lead, learn, and serve.

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  Research exercise: Immigration and Refugee Plunge: A Social Justice Learning Living Cohort Community Project

  Ian P. Fitzpatrick, Victoria J. Lewis, Nicholas D. White

  The Building Community through Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort is an opportunity for first-year students to get involved with many aspects of social justice locally, regionally, and globally. One of the greatest current challenges to our democracy is the issue of immigration. There are several issues that confront our society and the people wishing to immigrate to the United States. Our group explored this issue first-hand by participating in The Immigration and Refugee Plunge, an event sponsored by the Center for Social Concern in the spring of 2012. This plunge was designed to give participants a better look at the process and the problems many foreign nationals face navigating their way through the US Immigration Service. We will be reflecting on the principles and practices of the system; the benefits of the current system; the negative aspects of the process; and, how maintaining the status quo can impact immigration and our democracy.

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  Research exercise: Importance of Filter Feeding Organisms for Water Quality

  Emily M. Motz

  The purpose of the experiment is to explore the natural importance of filter feeding organisms for water quality. This will be demonstrated with a filter feeding organism clearing a graphite suspension. Another point of discussion is that invading species, such as the nonnative Zebra mussels, can tip the environment dynamic out of balance if too much is strained. A balance of filter feeding is crucial for water quality.

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  Research exercise: Improving Teacher Preparation to Enhance Academic Achievement of English Language Learners

  Carol A. Harper

  This project explores the existing imbalance that exists between teacher preparation and the rising number of English Langauge Learners (ELL) in American classrooms. Teachersâ views on their own feelings of preparedness or lack thereof will be examined with respect to their levels of experiences and self-efficacy. Aspects of current teacher preparation programs will be evaluated to the extent of the scope of their effectiveness. The conceptual framework established in the 2009 Issue Paper from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality for preparing teachers of English Language Learners identifies five important elements of teaching these students. These categories include the sociocultural and political foundations for teaching ELL, the foundations of Second-Language acquisition, knowledge for teaching academic content to ELL, effective instructional practices for teaching academic content to ELL, and assessment practices and accommodations for ELL. This paper will explore the research in each one of these categories, and will use that framework as a method of organization for the study that was conducted from the fall of 2011 to the fall of 2012. As a part of the methodology of the study, teacher questions about teaching ELL students were identified and organized according to the framework. The results will influence recommendation for current and future teacher preparation programs. Keywords: English Language Learners, self-efficacy, teacher preparation

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  Research exercise: Infectious Disease Mathematical Modeling of the 2001 Foot and Mouth Outbreak

  Michael W. Ciesa

  This project is a mathematical analysis and computational study of the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic in the UK. This model includes an application of the SIR model, developed by W. O. Kermack and A. G. McKendrick, with two additional factors: vaccination and incubation period infectives. The incubation period infectives represent the population of individuals infected with the disease that do not show symptoms, but still have the possibility of infecting other individuals.

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  Research exercise: Investigating and Improving Communication in the Center of International Program's (CIP) International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

  Sarah B. Gajos, Annea Hapciu, Benjamin T. Miller, Xinke Peng

  In the changing organizational environment, Doheny-Farina (1986) emphasized that an organization's rhetoric shapes its members and affects the daily practices of that organization. The purpose of this research project is to assess the daily written communication techniques used in the Center of International Programs. This analysis includes observing staff, interviewing staff individually, and developing a full assessment of the writing patterns within the department. The overall goal is to analyze the type of communication used and the specific traits that form the basis of written communication in the Center of International Programs and find areas for improvement. Participants must be associated with the CIP in one of two ways: they are employed by CIP and/or they have used CIP as a student resource. To continue the International Students and Scholars Services will be researched to evaluate the specifics and rhetoric of their writing and then analyze the differences to everyday English. To fully understand specific areas of observation it is necessary to understand the purpose and reason a process is used. Once the processes associated with the International Students and Scholars Services are understood, areas where improvement can be made to simplify and better the writing processes will be focused on. By the end of the research, International Students and Scholars Services can see, both logically and supported by data, why recommendations for changes in their program hold merit.

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  Research exercise: It Takes a Community to Ensure Equality

  Mackenzie L. Barron, Wei Guo, Rachel N. Puslat

  The Building Communities through Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort (BCSJLLC) strives to help students understand the importance of social justice and its impact on communities while providing students with opportunities to grow as leaders. Its primary mission is literacy and all BSCJLLC members performed service learning in the community by tutoring. All members of BSCJLLC were trained by the LLC's community partner Project READ to tutor students in K-8 and young adults. Project READ then placed us in tutoring positions at the Cleveland Elementary School and the Holy Angels Catholic Grade School. Rachel worked with third graders at the Cleveland school by helping them with their reading and vocabulary skills using a variety of strategies including flashcards. Wei and Mackenzie spent their time at Holy Angels Catholic Grade School and helped students with their reading and vocabulary skills as well as homework in other subjects. We felt our mission was to not only tutor but to be encouraging and demonstrate positive attitudes towards education. All of us enjoyed tutoring the students and we came to not only appreciate the opportunity to apply the Marianist principles of lead, learn, and serve but, we all learned that it takes everyone in a community to contribute towards the progress of bettering our nation.

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  Research exercise: Leadership and Service: A Social Justice Approach

  James H. Hill, Corey L. Juniewicz-Fogle, Andrew J. Novak

  The Building Communities through Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort (BCSJLLC) strives to help students understand the importance of social justice and its impact on communities while providing students with opportunities to grow as leaders. Its primary mission is literacy. In the fall of 2011 we participated in the first annual Book Buddy Program with the Cleveland Elementary School. Our spring semester project was to tutor students. All members of BSCJLLC were trained by the LLCâs community partner Project READ to tutor students in K-8 and young adults. Project READ then placed us in tutoring positions at Holy Angels School. The school is committed to helping their students grow in their faith life and in academics. We worked with students in grades from kindergarten through the fifth grade. We assisted students with the alphabet, reviewing vocabulary words, reading books of their choice out loud, reviewing math skills through flashcards and games. This experience has allowed us to form bonds with the children and staff. We believe that we have grown personally and professionally through our experience by being given the opportunity to apply the Marianist principles of lead, learn, and serve through the Social Justice Living and Learning Community.

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  Research exercise: Learning as a Way of Leading

  Amanda F. Matney, Brooke M. Smith, Margaret E. Stemnock

  The Building Communities through Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort (BCSJLLC) strives to help students understand the importance of social justice and its impact on communities while providing students with opportunities to grow as leaders. The cohort integrates the Marianist ideals of learn, lead, and serve with service learning opportunities. This fall we participated in the first annual Book Buddy Program with the Cleveland Elementary School. Each member of the LLC provided a new book for a student in grades 4, 5, and special education. We also shared our own personal literacy story with our Book Buddy. All BSCJLLC members were trained by its community partner Project READ to tutor students in K-8 and young adults. Project READ then placed us in tutoring positions at Holy Angels, an elementary school, in the Dayton Early College Academy (DECA), a college preparatory high school, where we assisted students with improving their reading skills. The service learning experience provided a perfect blend of classroom knowledge and community service. Our cohort experience, training, and service learning assignments have resulted in a greater insight into the Marianist values of lead, learn, and serve and why service is strong component to building a just society.

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  Research exercise: Mathematical Study of the Foot and Mouth Outbreak Model

  Jungmi Johnson

  The foot and mouth outbreak in the UK in 2001 was a disastrous event for the country and the economic. The disease did not only cost UK government so much money to stop the disease, but it also affected the tourism industry. Mathematical epidemic models can provide clear strategy for minimizing the effect of such a disease, determining the expected manner of its progression in the event of a future outbreak based upon the latest available data on the epidemic. This project is to explore how to minimize the cost, how to contain the disease in minimal time, and how realistic these models will be considering the limitation of the model. Numerical and qualitative tools such as MATLAB's built in ode solver will be used.

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  Research exercise: Measuring Alpha-particle Charge to Mass Ratio using a Cloud Chamber

  Timothy T. Gorman, Kevan A. Kramb

  A cloud chamber is a particle detector capable of detecting charged atomic particles, such as alpha and beta particles. These charged particles interact with a mixture of supersaturated isopropyl alcohol vapor and ionize it. The resulting ions act as condensation nuclei or cloud seeds, which form a cloud trail or mist in the wake of a particle. In the presence of a constant magnetic field, charged particles will bend according to the Lorentz force law. Depending on the curvature of the particles path, an experimental mass can be calculated. The constant magnetic field was achieved through a plexiglass board with like oriented neodymium button magnets. The supersaturated vapor was created through cooling isopropyl alcohol with dry ice. A radioactive lead-210 source was used to provide the alpha and beta particles measured.

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  Research exercise: Observing Communication Practices in the Davis Center for Portfolio Management

  Jocelyn R. Abron, George S. Cressy, Gabrielle M. Dimaio, Kevin O. Martin

  Evaluating the role that communication plays in an organization achieving its primary goals has been of interest to scholars over the past 30 years. Particularly, Doheny-Farina's (1986) Writing in an Emerging Organization discusses "how social and organizational contexts influence writing and how writing influences the organization"(p. 160). This study aims to observe communication and its roles in this professional academic atmosphere. The group will then develop a proposal to the organization to help them in their communication process. The group will collect written materials, observations of daily and special events, and audio recordings of both Davis Center meetings and interviews with Davis Center members. Written materials collected may include, but are not limited to, the following: center-wide issue-addressing emails from the management team or the Center director; team memos for general information; Center advertising materials meant for nonmember populations; and research reports pertaining to the primary function of the Davis Center's work. Nonintrusive observing of verbal communication among Davis Center members will be noted. Particularly, horizontal and vertical communication within the Center's hierarchy will be evaluated (Spinuzzi, 2007). Audio recordings of anonymous interviews of randomly selected Center members and Center management will be taken for later study. If permitted, audio recordings of full staff Center meetings and special team meetings will also be recorded for study.Expectantly, this study will come to fruition with some proposals for the Davis Center with regard to bettering their communication practices. This group expects to give concrete suggestions for more effective verbal and written communication.

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  Research exercise: Preventing Bullying: What Can Educators Do?

  Davina McLaughlin

  Bullying has become an epidemic that is sweeping the nation, touching public schools everywhere. This paper provides definitions and background information on bullying, as well as signs that will aid in recognizing both a bully and a victim within the classroom. Emerging research is finding that children with disabilities or special needs are more susceptible to bullying due to their often visible and frequently misunderstood differences. Bullying should be approached from a preventative position instead of the current reactive stance. Educators can choose to take an active role and help students cope with bullying in constructive, healthy ways. This paper offers new alternatives for teachers to utilize in their schools in an effort to prevent bullying and create an overall positive atmosphere.

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  Research exercise: Project READ and Reading with Angels

  Jose C. Panameno, Sadari S. Phillips, Lindsay E. Smore, William D. Vanderslice

  The Building Communities through Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort (BCSJLLC) strives to help students understand the importance of social justice and its impact on communities while providing students with opportunities to grow as leaders. The cohort integrates classroom education with service learning opportunities. This fall we participated in the first annual Book Buddy Program with the Cleveland Elementary School. Each member of the LLC donated a new book for a student in grades 4,5, and special education. All BSCJLLC members were trained by its community partner Project READ to tutor students in K-8 and young adults. Project READ then placed us in tutoring positions at Holy Angels, an elementary school. Holy Angels is a Catholic elementary school whose mission is to improve the faith of their students while also excelling in educational development. We worked one-on-one or with a small group of students in grade kindergarten through third grade with math facts, recognizing and writing the alphabet, flash cards, Dolch words, vocabulary/spelling words, writing complete sentences, and learning how to use money. The students of Holy Angels helped us to improve our communication skills and widen our thought process by giving us the opportunity to apply the Marianist ideals of lead, learn, and serve.

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  Research exercise: Qualitative Study of an SIR epidemic model with an asymptotically homogeneous transmission function

  Karoline E. Hoffman

  I will be exploring and analyzing an SIR epidemic model. This particular model has an asymptotically homogeneous transmission function which means the transmission rate is proportional to the fraction of the number of infective individuals to the total population. I will also look at a qualitative analysis of the model and then discuss the implications of the results of the model.

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  Research exercise: Review of Relevant Literature: Developing Social Consciousness through Young Adult Literature

  Megan R. Abbate

  This project consists of a Review of the Literature as a preliminary component of a developing Honors thesis regarding young adult literature. In their formative years, American children and teens often encounter and even incorporate ethnocentric biases into their ways of thinking. Some young adult fiction can reinforce these ideas. The aim of this research project is to present readings in which young adult literature can foster a more global and open-minded outlook which will allow young adults to recognize commonalities, overlook differences, and promote tolerance. At the same time, the researcher intends to consider the way notions of globalism interact with notions of universalism, and how young adult literature contributes to this conversation. This study will contribute to the larger body of scholarship as it questions some notions of American ethnocentrism in order to consider a more culturally relative outlook; at the same time, it will explore the way assertions such as universal human rights function in conjunction with notions of relativity. This thesis will demonstrate ways in which young adult literature can affect social change through both a recognition of commonalities and respect for differences. The objective of the preliminary Review of Literature will be to gather other scholarship in this arena, study, compare, contrast, and synthesize it, and position the new research within the larger body of existing scholarship.

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  Research exercise: Sexual Assault on College Campus

  Kristen R. Ashley, Katherine A. Braunscheidel, Megan A. Collins, Alexandria L. Digby, Amy E. Fox, Allison M. Herbe, Emily F. Hoelter, Ellen A. Mack, Eleanor W. Mccormick, Jack C. Pearson, Travis D. Pescatrice, Kelly N. Plazibat, Justin A. Woods

  This project includes stories, fact sheets and announcements designed to educate students about the problem and effects of sexual assaults that occur on college campuses. This work also includes information about the many resources available at the University of Dayton to help victims and their loved ones. The materials are being used to promote activities being held at UD during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness month.

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  Research exercise: Social Integration and Implementation in the Classroom

  Amy M. Sullivan

  Social learning and interaction in regards to students with disabilities, is a crucial aspect towards creating full integration in the classroom. Social integration is a term used to describe âa studentâs full participation in the social interactions of the school community, including their acceptance by others as an integral part of the schoolâs social networkâ (Webster and Carter, 2007, p. 200). Not only students with disabilities, but general education students as well, will benefit from social interactions. Friendships are important and the impact it has helps to redefine social skills, creates support systems, and helps students to learn values (Carter and Hughes, 2005). It is important to find ways to incorporate social interactions into the classroom, so that students with disabilities feel more comfortable and can improve on their social skills.

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  Research exercise: S&P Valuation Modeling: An Empirical Analysis 1999-2011

  Matthew J. Buse

  The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a quantitative approach to S&P 500 sector weighting based on relative valuation measures for four factors: earnings, valuation, profitability, and safety or risk. The returns to the sectors based on relative valuation weights are compared to S&P 500 returns over the period 1999-2011 to determine if excess returns are generated.

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  Research exercise: Study Abroad for Prospective Teachers

  Emily F. Powers

  Teacher education students often lack the cultural education and international exposure they need to effectively teach when they graduate and have classrooms of their own. Cultural awareness and adaptability to diversity are very important skills for teachers to have. However, research shows that prospective teachers do not have and do not receive the international education that is necessary for them to teach effectively. Study abroad is an excellent way for prospective teachers to gain international experience and knowledge for their profession as educators. "Gaining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes through an international experience is no longer just the interest of individual students. It has now become a priority of the collective" (Lewin, 2009). Study abroad can have significant impact on prospective educators as well as global citizens. As the United States becomes more diverse, it is important that educators are able to relate and identify with their diverse students. Unfortunately, teacher education students do not have ample opportunity to study abroad. Teacher education students that do study abroad, however, benefit tremendously in that they are impacted both personally and professionally. Although many teacher education students do not get the chance to study abroad, it is an extremely effective means to gain cultural awareness and thus become better educators to their diverse students.

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  Research exercise: Syntheses of Research on Differences Across Schools and Classrooms

  Libby M. Durnwald, Annemarie Fisher, Carissa A. Madderom, Emily L. Mobley, Laura M. Tighe

  Presentations will synthesize current research and thought on a variety of topics related to differences across schools and classrooms.

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  Research exercise: Syntheses of Research on Evaluation of p - 12 Teachers

  Emily N. Ferguson, Stephanie M. Lutz, Sarah E. Sercu, Daniel S. Zillich

  Presentations will synthesize current research and thought on a variety of topics related to p - 12 teacher evaluation.

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  Research exercise: Syntheses of Research on Extracurricular Activities in p - 12 Schools

  Katherine E. Penny, Samantha N. Potocek

  Presentations will synthesize current research and thought on a variety of topics related to extracurricular activities in p - 12 schools.

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  Research exercise: Syntheses of Research on Factors Related to p - 12 Student Achievement

  Tori R. Kistner, Brigid R. Kovach, Hannah A. Schmidt, Conor W. Squier

  Presentations will synthesize current research and thought on a variety of topics related to p - 12 student achievement.

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  Research exercise: Syntheses of Research on Gender Segregation in Schools

  Magdalene L. Egan, Emily F. Hoelter, Abigail E. Kindt, Kelly M. Kraus

  Presentations will synthesize current research and thought on a variety of topics related to gender segregation in schools.