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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Educating the Whole Person: Building a Community-based English Language Learning Program
Kateri Marie Dillon
While some resources exist to support adult English language learning in Dayton, Ohio, many immigrants and asylum seekers are prevented from accessing language instruction due to barriers of scheduling, transportation, and childcare. This is a detriment to the city of Dayton, which cannot effectively receive the gifts of its members not fully integrated into the community. In this study, the researcher takes a holistic and assets-based approach to adult English Language Learning (ELL). A tutoring, classroom hybrid English program was implemented to support the large Latinx population at Immaculate Conception Church, in partnership with Brunner Literacy Center. To mitigate barriers of scheduling, transportation, and childcare, the program was scheduled immediately after the well-attended Spanish mass each Sunday morning, while a children's program took place simultaneously. Over the course of the program, attendance increased from about 25 to 35 learners weekly. Tutors described feeling supported and satisfied with their volunteer experiences. Learners reported positive relationships with their tutors and an increase in confidence in their ability to speak English.
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Effect of Si/Al Ratio on the Transport Behavior of Zeolitic Nanotubes.
Muhammad Rizwan
Carbon nanotubes are the poster child of 1-dimensional nanomaterials, but in recent years attention has spread to other chemistries such as boron-nitride and molybdenum-disulfide. The first nanotubes with zeolitic walls were recently synthesized. This new structure presents both nanoscale pores in the nanotube wall and a mesoscopic channel along the tube axis. These molecular structures have the potential to be impactful in several applications, but a fundamental understanding of how their new structure affects their adsorption and transport properties is critical to realizing their widespread use. We use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of Si/Al ratio and the associated charge defects on the adsorption and transport of different liquids within the multiscale features of the zeolite nanotube.
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Effects of Chronic Pharmacological SERCA Activation on Cognitive Behaviors, Dendritic Spine Density and Aminoacidergic Neurochemistry
Carter J. Moore
Intracellular Calcium (Ca2+) signaling plays a crucial role in a multitude of neuronal processes. These processes range from cell development and potentiation, to programed cell death, however they all share the commonality of being paramount in neuronal function. One key regulator of intracellular Ca2+ is the Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) pump. SERCA is responsible for sequestering cytosolic Ca2+ into the ER, a major site for Ca2+ storage. Due to its importance in maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis, it comes as no surprise that dysfunction of SERCA has been shown to be involved in various neuropsychiatric diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and Schizophrenia. Consequently, drugs that affect SERCA are of high interest for future therapeutic treatments, but the role that SERCA plays in the brain and behavior is not well understood. In the context of the current study, we assessed the effects of chronic pharmacological SERCA activation using the drug CDN1163 on learning and memory processes, as well as on aminoacidergic neurochemical responses and dendritic spine density in brain regions implicated in cognitive processes in mice of both sexes.
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Effects of Digital Use on Social Wellbeing and Development
Johnny P. Nguyen
With the advancement of technology in the 21st century, digital usage has become more prevalent in society that the younger generations are now growing up in the presence of technological innovations. Because of this, researchers have tried to study the impact of digital technology on the social well-being of not just the youth, but people of all ages as well. This study observed the effects of digital technology on the social well-being of young adults–ages 18-25. Many studies have been conducted observing a generalized usage of digital technology on social well-being. With how advanced digital communication has become and how efficient young adults are able to use such digital modes for communication, studies have shown some disconnect when it comes to social well-being and development. This study specifically examined how communicating and connecting through digital technology affects social well-being in young adults.
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Effects of Paternal Heat Exposure and Parental Care on the Development of Offspring in Gasterosteus aculeatus
Emma R. Borgert
Humans are profoundly altering the abundance and distribution of organisms via climate change. In particular, warming temperatures are affecting marine and freshwater ecosystems by increasing physiological stress, limiting growth, and decreasing dissolved oxygen. With all this change occurring, an understanding of how organisms are going to cope is crucial. Transgenerational plasticity – when parental experiences alter offspring traits - can allow organisms to rapidly adapt to environmental change. Previous literature has focused on the role of maternal experiences on offspring traits, but paternal experiences are just as important. Fathers can influence their offspring in multiple ways, including changes via both sperm and paternal care behaviors. Three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, are a small fish found in freshwater and marine ecosystems with paternal-only care. Many populations are facing the threats of drought and wildfire, making it important to understand how they will adapt to climate change. To understand how paternal heat exposure alters offspring development, I exposed parents to cool (~17°C) or warm (~20°C) water temperature and then manipulated whether fathers provided paternal care or offspring were artificially aerated; this generated offspring that received cues of heat exposure from gametes alone versus from gametes and paternal care. I found that males exposed to warmer temperatures were less colorful but provided the same amount of care overall to their offspring. Offspring of cool-temperature males were shorter than offspring of warm-temperature parents, but only when males provided paternal care. Offspring survival was not affected by parental heat exposure but was lower when offspring themselves were exposed to warm temperatures. Overall, these results suggest that heat exposure alters both paternal and offspring traits, and that the effects on offspring depend on the mechanism of paternal effects (care versus sperm).
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Embracing College Students LinkedIn Profile
Alyssa Leanne Smith
LinkedIn is a tool all college students should embrace, whether they realize the importance of it now or not. The goal of the platform is to create a professional image. It can enhance and grow an expert network, which allows students to pursue career goals. The presentation conducted will analyze not only how to update and create LinkedIn profile, but it will also give ways to continue to enhance and utilize the tool daily. Following these steps on LinkedIn will allow career seekers to organize their page and start the connection process with contacts and employers. This presentation will show best practices of how to start and maintain a professional LinkedIn profile. These steps are needed for all college students to be in the game of networking and feel confident in the way they display themselves through their professional profile.
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Empirical Research Presentations in Economics
Aaron Michael Arellano, Joseph C. Ariano, Michael F. Baffa, Austin S. Baker, Brett Robert Beardsley, Kevin James Borah, Andrew J. Cade, John Michael Connor, John P. Deeley, Anthony Vincent Dipaolo, Jack Joseph Drago, Luke J. Dreas, Justin Alexander Eichholz, Benjamin Matthew Engels, Matthew J. Erhardt, Trevor T. Fraley, Matthew K. Freel, John Thomas Graham, Garth E. Hall, Gabriel A. Haubner, Nathan Glenn Jabaay, Nicholas R. Kairys, Joseph R. Lauterbach, Daniel J. Lins, Timothy J. McCabe, Ryan P. McRae, Milan Miscevic, James A. Olson, Catherine Ann Rafter, Joshua John Russell, John James Smithwick, Greta Josephine Spees, John Richard Stanley, Matthew Casaclang Szell, Robert Brendan Taggart, Adam R. Thill, James R. Thomas, Jackson P. Ward, Elizabeth Claire Wonderley
Four years of coursework culminate in a written and oral presentation of an empirical research project during the senior capstone course. Students apply economic theory and econometric techniques to analyze data in order to answer an original research question.
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Empowering Effective Government Contract Management with the Development of a Project Manager Dashboard
David W. Haberkorn, Theodore I. Miller, Jason Anthony Siangas-Lopez
MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.
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Empowerment Through Autonomy: Gandhi’s Vision for Women and Women’s Rights
Mary K. Kelty
What is nonviolence — a concept, a mode of protest, a practice for modern living? This poster explores the ways in which nonviolence has been historically interpreted as "ahimsa," "beloved community," and as a way for practical and ethical thinking in our modern lives. We highlight the role of nonviolence as method and practice in historical and contemporary global instances that range from the farm workers movement, anti-nuclear protests, environmental green politics, and Dalit and Black actions towards representation.
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Energy Sector Stock Returns During Periods of Rising Fed Fund Rates: An Empirical Analysis 1999-2023
Kathleen Mae Hattrup
Stocks in the energy sector are highly volatile due to ongoing imbalances in the supply and demand for oil and natural gas. In this study, I examine the impact of rising interest rates and in particular, fed fund rates on energy sector stock returns. The period of analysis is from 1999-2023 within which there are four distinct periods where fed fund rates are rising. I expect positive returns to energy sector stocks in periods where the rate rise is simply due to economic growth. I expect negative returns when the rates are rising due to a policy of aggressive monetary tightening by the fed. I use the top 20 stocks by market cap in the S&P 500 energy sector to carry out my study.
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Enhancing Deep Collaboration through Experiential Learning: The Impact of the Stitt Scholars Program
Avery Lorraine Baltrus, Trent Edward Borgmann, Anna Isabella Carollo, Lauren E. Carr, Austin M. Ebbing, Brooke Elisabeth Hunstad, Brian Nicholas LeCocq, Loring L. Leitzel, Lucianna T. Nice, Kevin Louis Nudo, John Protz, Yadiel Yomar Roque, Raegan Mae Rowland, Catherine Sayeedi, Erin O. Wagner, Jack Vincent Waters
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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Enterprise Risk Management Dashboard
Tara Maureen Geary, Vince A. Holzheimer, Julie Anne Knight
MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.
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Environmental Toxins, Breast Milk, and Nursing Madonnas
Rihanna L. Domingos
The Relationship Between Mary and Environmental Toxins in Breast Milk and Their Implications for Generational Health
Many different items that we encounter in everyday life contribute to the consumption of environmental toxins, which can be transmitted across generations through breastfeeding. The infiltration of these toxins into our food, water, and even medical equipment underlines the effects of environmental pollutants on human health, particularly among vulnerable populations such as newborns and breastfeeding mothers. Utilizing a comprehensive review, this research initiative seeks to examine the impact of distinct toxins in breast milk and establish correlations between breastfeeding practices and depictions of Nursing Madonnas.
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Establishing Drosophila Intestinal Tumor Models to Study Signaling Interactions that Regulate Tumor Growth
Venolia Adjei, Sydney Ellen Anderson, Brandon Jericho Clark, Maria Theresa El Biri, Michael K. Gruhot
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the US, with the American Cancer Society estimating 153,000 new diagnoses and 53,000 deaths in 2023. Genetic mutations in the genes Ras, APC, and p53 occur at a high frequency in human CRC, including the activation of oncogenic Ras, loss of function of APC, and dominant negative mutations in p53. This potentially implicates dysregulation of the Ras-MAPK, Wnt, and DNA repair pathways associated with the products of these respective genes. Prior studies in patients have revealed two or more of these pathways to be dysfunctional in the majority of clinical cases, suggesting a greater need for multigenic models of CRC. To better understand tumorigenesis in the context of different genetic alterations, we have developed Drosophila melanogaster models of CRC by mispressing them individually (one-hit), in pairs (two-hit), and collectively (three-hit). Using these models, we will investigate the interactions among the aforementioned molecular pathways, characterizing the expression of pathway-specific downstream target genes, changes in the cell cycle, and tumor progression. To generate tumors in the Drosophila intestine, we misexpressed the genes under study using escargot-GAL4 (esg-GAL4), which specifically drives the expression of tumor-promoting genes in intestinal stem cells, in tandem with the heat shock-inducible FLP-FRT system. We quantified the survival rates of mutant and control flies to determine the impact of these mutations on survival. Additionally, the phenotypes and gene expression patterns of intestinal tumor cells were analyzed and compared via dissection of third-instar larvae and subsequent use of immunohistochemistry. Here, we present our preliminary data from these experiments and our progress in developing a preclinical model of CRC in Drosophila.
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Establishing Inventory Optimization
D'Angela Kierra Applewhite, Robert Hans Mueller, Luke C. Rimsky
MIS and OPS Senior Capstone Projects include small teams of 3 or 4 senior students working weekly with a company/organization to solve a real business problem. These projects extend for the complete undergrad senior year including both Fall and Spring semesters. Students act as Project Consultants and Managers to guide the project from inception until conclusion by delivering solutions and deliverables to the client. Students produce project documentation and formal presentations at multiple stages of the project and conclude with presentations to the supporting Client's Leadership Team.
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Ethos Guatemala Breakout - Aquaponic Systems
Adam Robert Cartwright, Franklin Alexander McClimans, Sarah Jane McDonald, Keagan G. McDonough, Jacob D. Pentasuglio
A team of undergraduate engineering students developed and installed an aquaponic system at a school for children from low income families in Zaragoza, Guatemala. The students used a systems thinking approach as part of a design thinking process for this project. During a 10-day immersion in Guatemala, they learned from and worked with local aquaponic experts and members of the community to install a system that is sustainable and appropriate for the school. This project is part of the Ethos Center within the UD School of Engineering.
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Ethos Guatemala Breakout - Photovoltaic Systems
Leah Michelle Dalton, Sophia Marie Dugan, Adriana Lucia Garcia, Amanda Metzler, Cameron A. Pierson
A team of undergraduate engineering students developed and installed photovoltaic systems for low income families in El Jocotillo, Guatemala who did not have access to electricity. The students used a systems thinking approach as part of a design thinking process for this project. During a 10-day immersion in Guatemala, they learned from and worked with local photovoltaic experts and members of the community to install photovoltaic systems that are sustainable and appropriate for the families. This project is part of the Ethos Center within the UD School of Engineering.
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Euphoria’s Trans Representation
Katharine G. Tucker
This THR/VAR 250 Diversity in the Creative and Performing Arts poster presentation project requires each student to research and present on a topic relevant to the interdisciplinary fields of visual and performing arts through a critical multicultural and social justice lens that foregrounds the appreciation of diversity and enables the expansion of personal cultural competencies.
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Evaluating the Developmental Evidence for the Re-Evolution of Lost Mandibular Teeth in Frogs
Madeline M. Brinkman
Osteopilus septentrionalis, the Cuban tree frog, is a frog species that possesses upper jaw teeth but lacks mandibular teeth as an adult and is emerging as a new model organism for amphibian dental research. Through my research, I am evaluating the development and genetics of teeth in O. septentrionalis from late-stage tadpoles to froglets in order to increase our understanding of the underlying gene signals responsible for the formation of amphibian teeth, as well as the evolutionary loss and regain of complex traits. I am evaluating the presence and absence of core tooth development genes that indicate the induction and formation of teeth on the developing upper and lower jaws of O. septentrionalis. Several different genes of interest are being studied during the morphogenesis of teeth in order to investigate possible mechanisms for the re-evolution of lost mandibular teeth in G. guentheri, a species that was last seen in the wild in 1996 and is feared to be now extinct. Histology and in situ hybridization experiments will be conducted in order to answer these questions and better understand broad-scale patterns of dental diversity in frogs.
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Evaluation of Object Detection Methods in Inclement Weather
Vatsa Sanjay Patel
In this study, we thoroughly investigate the reliability of computer vision object detection systems in real-world traffic scenarios, particularly focusing on challenging weather conditions. Traditional evaluation methods often fall short in addressing the complexities of dynamic traffic environments, which is increasingly important with the advancement of autonomous vehicle technologies. Our research specifically examines how these algorithms perform in adverse weather like fog, rain, snow, and sun glare, recognizing the significant impact of weather on their accuracy. We emphasize that a system performing well in clear weather may struggle in adverse conditions. Our study includes detailed analyses of different architectural approaches, aiming to enhance traffic monitoring, vehicle tracking, and object tracking. Ultimately, our goal is to enhance transportation safety and efficiency by advancing robust computer vision systems for future autonomous and intelligent transportation technologies.
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Evil Born from Good Intentions: Gandhi’s Critiques of Technology and Science
Beecher Charles Dunne
What is nonviolence — a concept, a mode of protest, a practice for modern living? This poster explores the ways in which nonviolence has been historically interpreted as "ahimsa," "beloved community," and as a way for practical and ethical thinking in our modern lives. We highlight the role of nonviolence as method and practice in historical and contemporary global instances that range from the farm workers movement, anti-nuclear protests, environmental green politics, and Dalit and Black actions towards representation.
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Evolution and Diversity of Frog Osteoderms
Arianna Jenelle Olivares
Osteoderms are bony deposits that form and are embedded within the dermis layer of vertebrate skin. Osteoderms can be found in many species of tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, and mammals), but are most well known from crocodilians, lizards, and armadillos. These structures are generally plate-like but can exhibit substantial variation in size, shape, thickness, surface ornamentation within and across species. The function of osteoderms is also variable, acting as protective armor, aiding in heat exchange and thermoregulation, or serving as a calcium reservoir. Several frog species have previously been reported to possess osteoderms, but the evolution, diversity, and function of these structures within living amphibians is poorly understood. The central aim of this study is to investigate the presence and characteristics of osteoderms among species to better understand how many times this trait has evolved in frogs and infer potential functions based on ecological data from the literature. We are using publicly available micro-computed tomography (microCT) data of all major frog groups to identify all species that possess osteoderms and to quantify osteoderm diversity (e.g., size, shape, thickness). Our results demonstrate that 1) osteoderms have evolved many times throughout the frog tree of life, 2) the location and anatomy of osteoderms vary substantially across species, and 3) these structures have arisen in species that vary dramatically in body size and ecology.
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Examining Students' Perspectives on Restorative Justice
Kyle A. Linares, Joshua Tate Weiss
The aim of this study is to compare college students’ perceptions on restorative justice and traditional justice. Our topic revolves around students’ attitudes regarding restorative justice alternatives when presented with certain crimes. Furthermore, we are aiming to examine students’ perceptions of punishments for crimes and whether they believe that a restorative justice alternative is more favorable than traditional punishment.
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Examining the Influence of Social Media Usage on Knowledge of Political and Social Issues
Kaelene Samaria Walter, Alayna M. Yates
This study will outline how social media can be a resource in educating its users considering the political climate, as well as the social activism that is present today. Previous research has helped explain the ways social media can act as a resource for learning about political and social news and occurrences, how it can spark civic engagement, and encourage political discourse and participation. However, there is still a gap that exists that this study aims to fill. This study asks how social media usage influences knowledge of political and social issues. It seeks to explain how news from social media is consumed by citizens, how it resonates with them, and whether it encourages specific participation or involvement in today’s social movements.
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Examining the Relationship between Eating Disorder Diagnosis and Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders
Molly Joy VanDerWoude
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between eating disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders specifically in people ages 18 to 25. Much research has been conducted on the general correlation between eating disorders and mental health disorders. However, research on the relationship between the two co-occurring disorders is limited, which is why attention on this topic is needed. This study aims to explore the causational relationship between eating disorders and mental health disorders to help with earlier diagnosis and prevent life threatening impacts these disorders may have.
