The Brother Joseph W. Stander Symposium recognizes and celebrates academic excellence in undergraduate and graduate education. This annual event provides an opportunity for students from all disciplines to showcase their intellectual and artistic accomplishments. The Stander Symposium represents the Marianist tradition of education through community and is the principal campus-wide event in which faculty and students actualize our mission to be a "community of learners."
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Tapered Optical Fibers for Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
Branden J. King
Optical fibers have been used for detection of analytes in aqueous and vapor phases by assessing changing light transmission parameters resulting from biomolecular interactions occurring on fiber surfaces. The primary objective of this study is to refine the optical fiber design by tapering the fiber to modify the light path for enhanced detection of vapor phase analytes at very low concentrations, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The typical light path through a single mode fiber with cladding results in low loss of light from the fiber. Tapering the fiber removes the cladding, thins the diameter of the fiber core, and results in net loss of light from the core of the fiber. Lost light (photons) exists as a wave along the surface of the tapered fiber. Molecular binding events on the surface of the taper result in disruption of the light path which is measurable as a change in refraction/intensity.Single mode optical fibers have been tapered from 125 microns to 10-15 microns in diameter via heat treatment and pulling of fibers. Tapered regions serve as the sensing interface, such that the light propagating through/around the fiber can interact with molecules tethered to the surface. Tapered regions will be functionalized with biomolecules for capture/detection of analytes in both aqueous (antibody) and vapor phase (DNA, peptide recognition molecules). Interaction of recognition molecules with analytes will cause a change in the molecular structure at the tapered surface. We posit that these changes will affect light passing through the fiber and will result in a characteristic spectral fingerprint indicative of the analyte. Future work will focus on refinement of surface chemistry to maximize molecular interactions for detection of low concentrations of analytes. We envision the use of tapered optical fibers in array format for detection of multiple analytes in complex samples.
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The Challenges, Frustrations, Triumphs and Terrors of Starting and Maintaining a Social Justice Club at UD.
Lindsey M. Callihan, Hillary A. Cook, Kyle S. Fischer, Patrick T. Gannon, Morgan A. Hale, Ryan D. Hunn
The Social Justice Club is one of the University of Dayton's newest student organizations that was created with one goal in mind: How best to support the Social Justice LLC initiative. Starting a new service organization is truly an altruistic goal, but it comes with a lot more challenges than most students and administrators realize. Our greatest strength is supporting the importance of community service and civic engagement. This presentation will honestly discuss the challenges associated with maintaining membership and initiating leadership roles within an organization. We will openly examine the challenges, the stresses, and frankly, the potential for failure of a first-year organization. In the true spirit of perseverance and the Marianist model of Lead, Learn, and Serve, with a heavy emphasis on the learning aspect of our initiative, we will outline our new strategies for increasing membership, supporting and nurturing leadership, and maintaining the can-do attitude that makes us The Social Justice Club at UD.
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The Effect of Context Upon the Perception of Egocentric Distance Using a Walkable Human Muller-Lyer Illusion
Natalie L. Anderson, Adam Barnas, Ryan N. Fuentes, Kevin Longacre, Natalya N. Lynn, Katherine Y. Peters, Nicole A. Schlater, Jeremy T. Schwob, Adam D. Sitz
The Muller-Lyer illusion is a well-known geometric illusion in which pairs of lines of the same length are perceived to be different because of forms (e.g. "finsÂ") at the ends of the lines. This influence of context upon the perception of line length is well-established for 2-D illusions but has also been demonstrated in larger-scale, three-dimensional spatial tasks (Wraga, Creem and Proffitt, 2000). Across three experiments, we utilized a large-scale, walkable variation of the Muller-Lyer illusion to examine the effect of context upon the perception of egocentric distances. Whereas the traditional Muller-Lyer illusion utilizes geometric forms at the end of lines to manipulate the context of the line, we employed human forms to manipulate context. In each experiment, participants viewed a human target facing either towards or away from them and were then asked to judge the distance to the target. We predicted that the facing direction of the human target would influence magnitude estimates of target distance, similar to the way geometric forms at the ends of lines influence judgments of line length. However, we also predicted that action-based indicators of perceived distance (e.g. walking to the previously-viewed target person with eyes closed) would not be influenced by the contextual information provided by the human target's facing direction. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants viewed human targets that were facing toward or away and then, with eyes closed, walked a distance that matched the perceived distance to the target person. Results from these experiments suggest that action-based indicators of perceived distance are immune to contextual influences of human target facing direction. In Experiment 3, participants will view human targets that are either facing toward or away, but will verbally estimate the distance to the target. Together, these results will speak to the role of contextual information in spatial perception.
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The Effect of Different Foams on Posturography Measures in Healthy and Impaired Populations
Daniel J. Petit
The manipulation of available sensory inputs is an important component in static posturography testing to examine one's multisensory reweighting ability and to identify potential balance problems that would otherwise be masked by compensation. Traditionally, to reduce the availability of proprioceptive input, subjects are asked to stand barefoot on a foam pad placed on top of the force platform. However, the choice of what kind of foam block to use often falls on the shoulders of the investigator or clinician as it is rarely well defined in testing procedures. While previous studies have investigated the effect of varying foam types on outcome measures, it has not been well investigated whether choice of foam influences the ability to differentiate between healthy and impaired populations using posturography. Anterior-posterior (A/P) and medial-lateral center of pressure displacement data was collected using a 3-component force plate. Each trial lasted 30 seconds with a sampling rate of 1000Hz. For this protocol, a form of the modified clinical test for sensory integration of balance (mCTSIB) was used where a total of six trials were completed in randomized order. As expected, the surface did make a difference for all outcome measures (p>=0.001 for all). It was found that for Mean Velocity there was a statistically significant interaction (0.037), and for A/P Sway Range the p-value also approached significance (0.055). Post-hoc analysis for Mean Velocity revealed between-subject factor of disease was significant in each of the surface conditions, suggesting that while the values may be drastically different there is not currently compelling findings that the choice of foam better improves the ability to discriminate between disease states. As such, until standardization can be reached it does not appear to matter whether open-cell or closed-cell foam is used, but characteristics of the foam are important to report to allow study comparison.
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The Effect of Dinitrophenol on Electricity Production by a Microbial Fuel Cell
Mary A. Untener
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) provide a renewable way to produce electricity, while also doubling as a method to treat industrial waste water streams. Just like traditional H2 fuel cells, MFCs produce current by creating a flowing of electrons. In MFCs, unlike hydrogen fuel cells, the electrons are catalytically extracted by microorganisms from complex electron donors, making MFCs a sustainable energy source. This experiment examines the effect of the toxin, dinitrophenol, on the electrical output of a MFC using the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. DNP is a decoupler which destabilizes the lipid bilayer membrane, hypothetically increasing the production of reducing equivalents by the cell. Concentrations of the toxin were varied to determine the dose dependent response of the MFC. By improving the outputs achieved in an MFC and understanding the effects of toxins on MFC performance, this renewable energy technology is one step closer to being functional on a large scale.
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The Effect of Heat Treatment and Surface Functionalization on the Bio-Kinetic Behavior of Carbon Nanomaterials
Kevin M. Donnelly
Tissue engineering is a wide and rapidly growing field with many applications. As the field grows there has been a push to find improved materials to use in tissue scaffolds to improve their chemical and mechanical properties. Carbon nanomaterials have a wide variety of properties which could make them excellent scaffold materials. This study looks at four different carbon nanomaterials, which vary in size and heat treatment, to determine their respective cellular compatibilities and bio-kinetic effects. The study also tests the same materials with varying degrees of surface functionalization to determine its effect on the same cellular phenomenon.
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The Effect of Thin-Ideal Media on Body Image:An Experiment Using the Solomon Four-Group Design
Sara E. Mason, Nyssa L. Snow
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of thin-ideal media on body image in college age women. The discrepancy between the ideal presented in the media and the reality for most individuals is thought to be a significant source of body dissatisfaction. Exposure to thin-ideal media may have negative effects on women's body image, but there are contradictory findings in existing literature. The discrepant findings in research on body image may be due to inconsistencies across studies regarding which body image dimension is assessed. Discrepancies may also be due to a failure to control for the pretest sensitization effects of body image assessment. This research addresses these methodological problems and elaborates on existing literature. A better understanding of the ways in which thin-ideal media influences the different dimensions of body image will guide and inform the development of interventions designed to prevent body image problems and eating disorder tendencies.
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The Effects of a Structured Pedometer Exercise Program on Blood Pressure and BMI of Children Aged 9-12 Years
Stephanie A. Recko
The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a structured pedometer walking program on blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI) of children. The study utilizes a review of literature and case study research. The aim of the study is to discover whether the use of pedometers, small devices that count the number of daily steps, and daily step goals are effective in encouraging children and youth to become more active and improving their health. The hypothesis is that the program will help motivate children and youth to become more active and improve their blood pressures and BMI's. The study found no statistical significant improvements in either blood pressure or BMI, but all subjects did improve their daily step count (2628.66 steps/day).
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The Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Mouse Embryonic Cell Renewal and Cell Cycle
Christopher J. Stucke
The use of silver nanoparticles in commercially made products is rapidly increasing, and there is no regulation on the disposal of these nanoparticles. As human exposure to silver nanoparticles rises, this study determines the effects of this exposure on stem cell factor gene expression and stem cell fate. This was accomplished by introducing varying concentrations of silver nanoparticles into mouse embryonic stem cells for varying amounts of time. Western blot and immunoprecipitation techniques were run on these cells to determine how the responses of stem cell factors Oct4, Nanog, P53, SirT1, and Rb differ from their normal function within the cell. In addition, this study also determines whether programmed cell death is occurring in response to the silver nanoparticle treatment. The results of the research provided necessary scientific data to improve or eliminate potential toxicity of nanoparticles, and information for relevant authority when approving products for consumer uses.
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The Effects of Social Support on Adjustment to College
Paul T. Enlow
The transition to college is a new and exciting time in a studentâs life. However, it may also become increasingly stressful due to rapid changes, new experiences, and added responsibilities. Friendship has been found to influence how well a student adjusts to college life, but the influences of individual aspects of friendship are not well understood. This study examined the effects of friendship on college adjustment as indicated by overall satisfaction and academic achievement. Results showed that experiencing more social support and acceptance was associated with better academic adjustment. In addition, it was found that overall adjustment is associated with factors such as amount of acceptance, academic performance in school, the degree to which one is connected to home, and how much social support is provided by friends.
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The Empathetic Experience of Beauty
Halle S. Trapp
What is it that makes something beautiful? Although the universality of this experience is obvious, most people do not realize the complexities and implications of beauty. Because beauty is not part of contemporary critical talk, and is actually denounced, Wendy Steiner attempts to bring the concept back as a producer of an empathetic relationship in Venus in Exile. She exemplifies how the recognition of beauty of women in art has become transformed into something perverse, ultimately resulting in the view of women as possessions and sex objects. The underlying catalyst for this fetishized image of women rests in Sigmund Freudâs attribution to the basis of religion: the Oceanic Feeling. In my thesis, I will utilize Charles Baudelaire's "Beauty" to demonstrate that this limitless and unbounded sensation destroys the experience and power of beauty to fabricate empathy.
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The Feasibility and Effect of a Kickboxing Training Program on the Balance, Gait, and Overall Quality of Life of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Series
Michele L. Baeder
Physical activity may be utilized to reduce and prevent the secondary effects of multiple sclerosis. Kickboxing training is a non-traditional high intensity exercise which focuses on increasing balance, strength, and mobility. The objective of the case series is to examine the feasibility and effect of a 5-week kickboxing training program on the balance and gait of three individuals with MS. Five individuals with multiple sclerosis participated in the 5-week kickboxing study. Three participants completed all phases of testing and training. The program consisted of three training sessions per week, resulting in 15 total sessions. Outcome measures were tested on three separate occasions; baseline, pre-training, and post-training. Outcome measures included the Mini BESTest, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), Timed Up and Go (TUG), walking speed, Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), and MS Quality of Life Survey (MSQOL). The only consistent improvement found was in balance confidence, as measured by the ABC scale. There was no improvement found in the balance measures, gait speed and health related quality of life. A kickboxing training program is feasible and safe for persons with multiple sclerosis. Further research may be needed with an increase in the number of participants and in the duration of the program may produce greater improvement of the outcome measures.
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The IASB Presentation of Items of Other Comprehensive Income: an Analysis of Comment Letters
Katherine E. Seager
The American Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) are working together to converge their accounting standards. The Boards have jointly undertaken the Financial Statement Presentation Project to standardize the presentation of financial statements, using constituent feedback to guide their efforts. This thesis analyzes how the Boards use the feedback from different parties to shape their standard setting in the area of Other Comprehensive Income. Comment letters were received by the Boards in response to the publication of proposed changes to standards. The thesis looks at these comment letters and analyzes the apparent impact of responses received on the final accepted amendments to the rules.
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The impact of self-esteem level on the interpretation of ambiguous stimuli after a rejection experience
Nicholette T. Smith
How do rejection experiences influence the interpretation of messages in people with high self-esteem versus people with low self-esteem? Previous research finds that ambiguous or neutral information will be encoded according to one's mood, a phenomenon referred to as the mood congruent encoding hypothesis (Schwarz & Clore, 2006). The present study examines whether self-esteem buffers against the negative effects that a negative mood stemming from a rejection experience has on the interpretation of emotionally neutral, written information. It is hypothesized that people with low self-esteem who have experienced a rejection experience will interpret a neutral message and the sender more negatively, and as more threatening than individuals with high self-esteem. This hypothesis will be tested in two steps. At Time 1, participants will complete baseline measures of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (Downey & Feldman, 1996), and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Terry, 1988) during the psychology department's mass testing session. At Time 2, participants will come to the lab and be randomly assigned to write about one of three things: a past experience of rejection (high rejection condition), acceptance (low rejection condition), or an event unrelated to rejection or acceptance (control condition). Participants will then read an emotionally positive, negative, and neutral piece of text, ostensibly written by another person, and evaluate whether they perceive the written text to be emotionally positive or negative, as well as describe their perceptions of the writer. Data will be analyzed to see whether there is a significant difference in interpretation of the neutral stimulus after undergoing a rejection experience, based on one's self-esteem level. Identifying connections between self-esteem and rejection sensitivity is important in determining under which circumstances individuals carry rejection experiences into other aspects of life to predict and explain interpersonal interactions.
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The Mediating Effects of Rumination on the Relationship between Perfectionism and Self-forgiveness
Katherine A. Earl
Self-forgiveness has been defined as âa set of motivational changes whereby one becomes decreasingly motivated to retaliate against the self, and increasingly motivated to act benevolently toward the selfâ (Fincham & Hall, 2005, 622). Studies by Heinze & Snyder (2001) as well as Mauger et al. (1992) suggest that essential to the relationship between psychological well-being and forgiveness is the concept of forgiveness of self. Self-forgiveness has been linked to rumination, a maladaptive coping response to stressful occasions in which one focuses on his or her distress and on possible reasons for as well as the ramifications of the distress (Thompson, Snyder, Hoffman, Rasmussen, Billings, Heinze, Shorey, Roberts, 2005; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). Also related to the study of self-forgiveness is the study of perfectionism or âa desire to be perfect, a fear of imperfection, and an emotional conviction that perfection might be the route to personal acceptabilityâ (Greenspon, 2008, p. 280). According to Besser, Flett, and Hewitt (2004), perfectionism is correlated with the ruminative response style classified by Nolen-Hoeksema (1991). Though there is a wealth of research regarding the associations between forgiveness and rumination as well as perfectionism and rumination, all three concepts of self-forgiveness, rumination, and perfectionism have never been studied in conjunction before. Given past research, I hypothesize that rumination mediates the relationship between perfectionism and self-forgiveness. More specifically, I predict that increased levels of perfectionism will be associated with increased levels of rumination, which, in turn, will result in decreased levels of self-forgiveness.
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The pro-social attitudes of sophomore men at the University of Dayton
Margaret B. Gillespie
Research on male behavior has historically focused on negative aspects, such as consumption of excessive alcohol, engaging in demeaning actions against women and participating in violent behavior (Harper & Harris, 2010). The attitudes and perceptions of being a man are influenced by numerous factors, including family, friends, religion, and environment (Harris & Harper, 2008). This research was designed to identify and target the positive attitudes of sophomore men at the University of Dayton; to attempt to identify where the attitudes came from and the barriers men face to remain true to their value bases. While research on the existence and development of pro-social behaviors (i.e., behaviors intended to benefit others) has been an active field of study for the last several decades, student affairs practitioners at the higher education level have traditionally tried to correct anti-social behavior by focusing on the negative â frequency of sexual assaults by men, unhealthy drinking habits, and other counterproductive behaviors (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998; Berkowitz, 2010). Research also shows, however, that most men report having pro-social attitudes but are inhibited from expressing them because of the incorrect perception that other men have do not have pro-social attitudes. This misperception also serves as a justification to other men to allow anti-social behavior (Berkowitz, 2010). In an attempt to be pro-active about destructive behavior, this research gave men the opportunity to reveal the truth about their authentic attitudes towards each other and about how men act today. This approach created an environment free from misperceptions and reduced a false and destructive sense of gender dichotomies. The results of this research provided insights for college administrators to use as they design and implement male-centric programming and initiatives designed to help college men remain true to themselves.
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The Relationship between Narcissism, Overconfidence and Risky Behavior
Arianna T. Arnett, Adam Barnas, Megan K. Dailey, Jamie L. Flannery, Kristen A. Kemp, Peter M. Sismour
Previous research has shown that overconfidence, the belief that ability to perform a task is greater than actual ability, is associated with risky behavior (Campbell, Goodie, & Foster, 2004). The present research evaluated the relationship between overconfidence, risky behavior, and narcissism (confidence and feelings of self-sufficiency, often in the extreme). Male and female undergraduate participants were given a series of questionnaires and participated in several tasks to assess overconfidence, narcissism, risky behavior and the need for achievement. Participants were assigned to either an experimental condition, where participants bet on their ability to answer a series of general knowledge questions, or a control condition, where participants rated their confidence in their ability to answer the same series of general knowledge questions. To examine whether feedback had an effect on confidence, participants either received or did not receive feedback after answering each general knowledge question. We hypothesized that those who merely rated their confidence would show less signs of overconfidence than those who bet on the accuracy of their performance. Results have shown that the participants that were placed in the betting condition were notably more overconfident than those who were only asked to rate their confidence. We also predicted that narcissism would correlate with risky behavior in participants. Those who scored higher on a narcissism scale were also more likely to engage in risky behavior.
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Thermal Transport Across Watre-Graphite Interfaces
Daniel E. Forero
Thermal management of USAF system & platforms requires thermal energy storage materials (TES) that can rapidly store large transient pulses of heat. Composites of salt hydrates and graphitic foam offer high thermal storage capabilities and high thermal conductivities. However, thermal transport across graphite-hydrous salt interfaces may limit the heat transfer through such a composite. Here, laser flash analysis was used to measure thermal diffusivity across graphite-water-graphite stacks and effective diffusivity of water layer and interface was determined. The effect of surfactant-water mixtures and two different surface treatments were analyzed. For all cases, including pure water interfacial layers, the measured effective diffusivity was lower than the accepted literature value for pure water (by 20% in the case of pure water). In the case of the surfactant-graphite mixtures, effective diffusivity is a function of the surfactant concentration. These differences suggest the importance of interfaces within composites.
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The Role of Hemocytes in Shell Formation in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica
Cristina R. Prall
The Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, produces a tough, fracture-resistant protective composite shell that is composed of calcite (a polymorph of calcium carbonate) as well as organic material (proteins, glycoproteins). Scientists have examined the shell formation process in molluscs for many decades and have proposed two models for the shell formation process. The matrix-mediated model focuses on the role of proteins as nucleation sites for calcite crystal formation while the hemocyte-mediated model proposes the role of oyster blood cells for transport of calcite nuclei to the shell formation front. Specifically, the hemocyte-mediated model proposes that the hemocytes of C. virginica contain calcium carbonate crystals that are transported through the tissues and deposited at the shell formation front. These nuclei then grow and coalesce to form the typical layered organic-mineral shell structure. This study focused on determining if hemocytes were capable of producing mineral structure when cultured outside the organism. Hemocytes were collected from notched oysters and cultured for up to ninety six hours ex vivo in order to determine if crystal formation occurred. Microscopic analysis (scanning electron microscopy, SEM) of the hemocyte samples revealed crystal structures within and around cells cultured on glass substrates. The process of shell formation is very complex and probably involves both the matrix-mediated and hemocyte-mediated model for movement of both organic and mineral resources to the shell formation front. While elucidation of the basic biological process of shell formation is of great interest, there is potential for use of hemocyte crystal deposition for development of biomedical implant coatings. The biocompatible oyster-derived material may function as a better interface for integration of tissue with metallic implants.
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The Role of Visual and Proprioceptive Limb Information in Object Size and Affordance Judgments
Adam Barnas, Adam D. Sitz
In the mirror illusion, visual information from a mirror reflection of one hand influences the perceived location of the other hand. Holmes, Crozier, and Spence (2004) demonstrated this visual capture effect on a spatial localization task in which visual information was found to influence reaching movements towards a target when the seen (in the mirror) and felt (proprioception) position of the hand did not match. In this present experiment, the conflict between vision and proprioception was examined by means of a task in which participants adjusted the physical distance between their two hands to match targets of different lengths. In each trial, participants viewed their visible hand and its reflection in a mirror, while their unseen hand was positioned at one of four locations located behind the mirror. At all times, the visible hand was positioned fourteen cm in front of the mirror, and as such, the unseen hand always appeared to be twenty-eight cm from the visible hand regardless of its actual position. While viewing their visible hand and its reflection, participants performed simultaneous finger movements with both hands to maximize the illusion. Participants then viewed a target block and repositioned their unseen hand such that the distance between their hands matched the block length. Results suggest that movement of the unseen hand relative to the visible hand was biased by visual information from the mirror, and this bias increased as the visual-proprioceptive conflict increased. These results suggest that the visual information about hand position overrode the proprioceptive information when the hands were used to indicate perceived object length. Additional experiments will use affordance judgments to further investigate how visual and proprioceptive information affect judgments of limb location and action capabilities.
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The Use of A Mental Rotation Task to Assess Narcissism and Gender Biases
Adam Barnas, Dana S. Lynch, Joshua D. Moran, Cara M. O'Grady
This study evaluates levels of overconfidence with a series of mental imagery tasks while assessing various participant characteristics such as narcissism, or excessive self-admiration of one's own physical or mental capabilities. Participants where assigned to an experimental condition in which they received a bias concerning gender stereotypes, stating that men were superior to women in performing certain spatial tasks while women were more adept than men in completing verbal tasks. Participants in a control condition received instructions necessary to complete the tasks and similar to those given in the experimental condition; however, there was no mention of gender stereotypes. During the experiment, letters (F, L, and R) appeared on a computer screen either in a correct formation, as if typed in a word, or an incorrect formation as a mirror image of the correct formation. The letters were also presented at different rotated positions, such as upright, sideways, or upside down. After each image appeared, participants reported whether the letters were mirror images or in the correct formation, regardless of the rotation. Participants then gave an indication of their confidence in accurately identifying the presented formation of the letter. We predict that men in the experimental condition will express higher levels of confidence because of perceived superiority influenced by the stereotype information as compared to confidence expressed by men in the control condition. We further predict that women in the experimental condition will express lower levels of confidence because of perceived inferiority influenced by the stereotype information as compared to confidence expressed by women in the control condition. The expected results of this study will demonstrate a relationship between perceived gender biases and overconfidence and at least a temporary reduction in narcissism that may prevail in many learning environments, such as schools and universities.
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Transfer Matrix Approach to Propagation of Angular Plane Wave Spectra Through Metamaterial Multilayer Structures
Han Li
The development of electromagnetic metamaterials for perfect lensing and optical cloaking has given rise to novel multilayer bandgap structures using stacks of positive and negative index materials. Gaussian beam propagation through such structures has been analyzed using transfer matrix method (TMM) with paraxial approximation, and unidirectional and bidirectional beam propagation methods (BPMs). In this thesis, TMM is used to analyze non-paraxial propagation of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) angular plane wave spectra in 1 transverse dimension through a stack containing layers of positive and negative index materials. The TMM calculations are exact, less computationally demanding than finite element methods, and naturally incorporate bidirectional propagation.
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Transition Program for Chinese Student at the University of Dayton:A Developmental Perspective and Insight of Intervention for Chinese Student Transition to American Higher Education
Xue Tao
In spite of the continuing growth in enrollment of Chinese students coming and studying in American higher education institutions, there is a paucity of research about the experiences, transitions and development of Chinese students while attending higher education institutions in the United States. Chinese students have a unique culture background and identity. Their world outlook, views on life and values are different from American students. On the other hand, the new Chinese students also have some other unique characteristics, which come from their age. As a new generation, Chinese students decide to be absorbed into Western culture, while interacting with their own identity and displaying some special personalities, which are different than Chinese students of previous generations. There are bridge programs at University of Dayton designed to support international student transition. The goal of this research is to understand those inherent characteristics combined with newly created identities, exam the existing bridge programs, and find the best ways to help Chinese students transition to American higher education system by hearing their internal voice and story.
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Tutoring in the Dayton Public Schools: The Norms and the Disparities of Inner City Education. A Service Learning Project of the Sophomore Social Justice Cohort
Amy M. Keckler
As a member of the Sophomore Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort a part of our mission is to support, encourage, and facilitate literacy in the Miami Valley. My support of the program's goals was to tutor inner city children in Dayton's Cleveland Elementary School. After being trained to tutor reading by Project READ, I tutored 5 elementary school children for a total of 20 hours. During my experience I was able to apply what I have learned in my sociology and social work courses and to experience first-hand the normal practices and disparities in our educational system, especially focused on inner city education. My presentation will focus on those experiences and observations to highlight the Dayton education system's assests and successes as well as to reflect on those areas that still need great improvement.
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Understanding Issues Facing Foreign Nationals Navigating the US Immigration Service
Patrick Quinn
The Sophomore Social Justice Learning and Living Cohort (SSJLLC)is an opportunity for students to get involved with many aspects of social justice whether it is at the local, regional, national, or global level. Immigration is one of the greatest challenges and highly contested issues facing our democracy today. There are several issues that confront the people wishing to immigrate to the United States. I personally explored these issues by participating in The Immigration and Refugee Plunge sponsored by the UD Center for Social Concern. This plunge was designed to give participants a better look at the process and the problems many foreign nationals face navigating the United States Immigration Service. I 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 current system can impact immigration and our democracy.
