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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Stander Poster Contest: What Does American Democracy Mean to You?
Julia P. Bagdon, Kyle A. Brun, Abigail Rae Bruns, Zachary T. Hamant, Bridget Angela Helmstetter, Sierra Y. Johnson, Jayda M. Malloy, Yamilet Perez Aragon, Kara G. Posniewski, Erin Marie Rafter, Paul F. Scheeler, Caleb P. Stalder, Anastasia B. Stowers, Emma Elizabeth Walbaum, Jillian Whitson, John M. Wischmeyer
On January 6 of this year a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another, the hallmark of American democracy for more than 200 years. In an effort to both reflect upon this immediate past, as well as think deeply about where we go as a democracy, the Conversations on American Democracy Working Group is sponsoring a poster contest during the Stander Symposium.Submissions address the question of What does American democracy mean to you? Students can respond to this question in a variety of ways, including but not restricted to the following: Personal story that reflects your perspective on democracy in America; Meaningful American events, people, places (past and present); Reactions to significant public events (examples: 9/11, January 6 Capitol Breach, 2020 Presidential election); Emotions and feelings associated with American democracy; Ways in which democracy can be improved; and Important actions associated with democratic life (examples: voting, free speech, military enlistment)Most work at Stander is generated through the classroom or in collaboration with a faculty mentor; however, this contest is unique and different. Because this approach differs from traditional Stander Symposium participation, and to encourage participation, there will be a $500 scholarship for Fall 2021 awarded to the top three presentations. Presentations will be judged by a panel of faculty and students for clarity, creativeness, cohesiveness, and use of evidence to support claims.
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STEM Kids NYC
Sarah Elizabeth Angeloff, Matthew D. Brenneman, Nathan J. Campbell, Kevin Padraic Cavanaugh
Development Scheduling System of sTEM Kids, Teaching Resources, and Facilities
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Stigma as a Factor in Recovery for Individuals Who Use Drugs
Kayla N. Burdette
The goal of this project is to explore how stigma influences the recovery process of individuals who use drugs. In the past two decades the number of drug overdoses has increased for all age groups. According to the CDC, from 2016 to 2017 the number of drug related overdoses increased 45% (2018). More and more people are becoming physically dependent on these substances. Recovery can be impacted by a number of factors including internal and external stigma as well as various complications with the criminal justice system. The data came from 26 interviews with people involved with the Cache Valley Drug Court in 2016, accessed through the USU Digital History Collections which is publicly available online. NVivo was used to facilitate the qualitative coding process. Results indicate that although drug court can offer supportive services, some find the process overly complicated. Results also identify the impact of stigma on recovering individuals.
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Stock Returns and Safe Interest Rates: An Empirical Analysis, 2001 – 2019
Fouad O. Saleh
Stock Returns and Safe Interest Rates: An Empirical Analysis, 2001 – 2019Modern Finance Theory postulates that the intrinsic value of a firm's publicly traded common stock is equal to the discounted value of future cash flows or dividends. Holding cash flows constant, the intrinsic value depends on the interest rate at which the cash flows are discounted. A rise in the discount rate lowers the intrinsic value while a decrease in the discount rate increases the intrinsic value.In this study, I looked at the empirical relationship between intermediate and long-term treasury rates and the stock market as measured by the S&P 500 index. The period of analysis is 2001 – 2019 with a special focus on the empirical relationship pre and post 2008 recession. I use univariate regression analysis with the S&P 500 Index, or SPY, (in logs) as the Y variable and the intermediate (Treasury Notes) and Long-term (Treasury Bonds), also in logs, as the x variables. The hypothesis tested:1.The regression slope coefficients are statistically significant at the 95% confidence levels2.There is a recession effect i.e., the pre and post 2008 recession, slope coefficients are significantly different3.Since the long-term trend in treasury rates is downward sloping, the slope coefficients are positive i.e., lowering the discount rate results in rising stock prices.
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Stock Returns in Selected S&P 500 Sectors during the COVID-19 Pandemic
William Edward Bronsil, John Richard Coffey, Mary Bliss Stitzel
In mid-February 2020, the stock market declined sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In late March 2020, many stocks bottomed out and the market started a first stage rebound that ended in August 2020. In this study we selected the top ten stocks (by market value) in the S&P 500 consumer discretionary sector to measure their rate of decline and rebound for the above period of time. Using time trend regressions we take the regression slope coefficients as the rates of growth measure and then develop an uptrend/downtrend growth ratio which acts as a portfolio weight for each of the ten stocks. We then test the following hypotheses: (1) The higher the growth ratio the higher the return for a given stock thru the end of 2020. (2) As a portfolio of stocks with the growth ratio as the principal factor loading, the portfolio return out performs the market return thru 2020. (3) The ten stock portfolio shows persistence in returns throughout 2020.
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Structure-function analysis of Defective proventriculus (Dve) in Drosophila melanogaster eye growth and development
Anuradha Chimata Venkatakrishnan
During development, axial patterning is required to establish Antero-posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV), and Proximo-Distal (PD) axes, which is crucial for the generation of a 3-dimensional organ from a monolayer organ primordium. Of the three axes, DV axis is the first lineage restriction event during eye development and any deviation results in developmental birth defects. In our study, we have used Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) eye as a model system to understand the role of different domains of a new dorsal eye fate selector gene, defective proventriculus (dve, an ortholog of SATB1) in growth and development. In humans, SATB1, functions as a transcriptional regulator and chromatin organizer and requires tetramerization by the ULD domain. In Drosophila eye, dve regulates expression of wingless (wg), a negative regulator of eye. In the genetic hierarchy, dve acts downstream of GATA-1 transcription factor pannier (pnr) and upstream of wg. Loss-of-function of dve results in dorsal eye enlargement while gain-of-function results in eye suppression. We performed structure function analysis of Dve protein to elucidate the role of various domains in patterning, growth and development. We have developed several transgenic lines, which will allow us to induce expression of the specific domains of Dve protein and assay their effect on Drosophila eye growth and development. Dve has a ULD domain for tetramerization, HOX domains for DNA binding and PPP4R2 domain for H2AFX dephosphorylation. Here we present our results on ectopic induction of these domains and their effect on eye phenotype and wg expression in the developing eye.
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Student Knowledge: Definitions of Sexual Assault Across U.S. Universities
Natalia Sophia Bernard, Isabel Eva Neal
The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses remains high among undergraduate college students, which begs the question of how well do these students understand its legal definition. This study set out to understand the definitions of sexual assault from a college student perspective. Specifically, the current study aimed to explore if gender differences existed between males and females in how well they understood the legal definition of sexual assault. A cross-sectional survey design employed online was used to inquire about college students' agreement with specific sexual assault definitions. An independent t-test was conducted across all 10 questions. Results show that gender differences existed for all but one question. Implications of this study will be discussed.
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Students' Perception of Crime on Campus
Noah T. Caster, Nicolas Ryan Spieker
Our research project covers how students at the University of Dayton perceive crime and police presence on and around campus. The project compares student perceptions to the reality of crime in the area. We also showed how perceptions of police presence relate to crime data for the area. Our research aims to solve student perceptions of crime at the University of Dayton and make students aware of where crime is really happening.
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Studying the Interaction between Dorsal Patterning Gene Defective Proventriculus (dve) and Hedgehog Morphogen Signaling in Drosophila Eye Development
Anuradha Chimata Venkatakrishnan, Summer Hope Jento
Organogenesis is a fundamental process required to form organs. It requires axial patterning for the transition of monolayer of cells to an adult organ and involves the delineation of Anterior-Posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV), Proximo-Distal (PD) axes. Drosophila melanogaster is a great model to study this process because the genes and pathways are highly conserved in humans. During eye development, the DV axis is the first to form, and deviations during this process result in developmental birth defects. We have previously identified defective proventriculus (dve), a transcription factor as a dorsal selector gene that regulates wingless during eye development. Morphogens like wingless (wg), hedgehog (hh), and decapentaplegic (dpp) have important roles during eye development. The Hh pathway is highly conserved in mammals and has a role in growth and development. According to our hypothesis, dve interacts with Hedgehog signaling pathway during eye development and may have a role in eye vs. head fate specification. Using the Drosophila eye as a model, we study the interaction between dve and hh to understand the role of Hh signaling. We have used the GAL4-UAS bipartite system to modulate Hh signaling in the dve domain. We will be presenting the results from our initial studies. This study will further our understanding of patterning defects and the basis of genetic birth defects in the eye.
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Sustainable Stories: Linking Graphic Design and the Environment to Inform, Educate, and Inspire
Shannon Marie Stanforth
Sustainability encompasses the three spheres of the environment, society and the economy—demonstrating its interconnected complexities and multifaceted applications. Similarly, graphic design can be used as a tool to illuminate issues and highlight the importance of a wide variety of themes which necessitate the attention of the current public. In pursuing my thesis, I aimed to develop a project which would reflect the ideals of sustainability while simultaneously serving to educate about the importance of caring for the natural world. Furthermore, my research explores how the disciplines of sustainability and design overlap and interact, searching to discover ways in which they may be linked for the purpose of education and inspiration. The medium of a children’s book introduced me to one creative avenue for combining the fields and realizing this aspiration.
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Tep1 Regulates Yki Activity in Neural Stem Cells in Drosophila Glioma Model
Karishma Sanjay Gangwani
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Amplification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), and mutations leading to activation of Phosphatidyl-Inositol-3 Kinase (PI3K) pathway are commonly associated with GBM. Using a previously published Drosophila glioma model generated by coactivation of PI3K and EGFR pathways [by downregulation of Pten and overexpression of oncogenic Ras] in glial cells, we showed that the Drosophila Tep1 gene (ortholog of human CD109) regulates Yki (the Drosophila ortholog of human YAP/TAZ) via an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. Oncogenic signaling by the YAP/TAZ pathway occurs in cells that acquire CD109 expression in response to the inflammatory environment induced by radiation in clinically relevant models. Further, downregulation of Tep1 caused a reduction in Yki activity and reduced glioma growth. A key function of Yki in larval CNS is stem cell renewal and formation of neuroblasts. Other reports suggest different upstream regulators of Yki activity in the optic lobe versus the central brain regions of the larval CNS. We hypothesized that Tep1 interacts with the Hippo pathway effector Yki to regulate neuroblast numbers. We tested if Tep1 acts through Yki to affect glioma growth and if in normal cells Tep1 affects neuroblast number and proliferation. Our data suggest that Tep1 affects Yki mediated stem cell renewal in glioma, as reduction of Tep significantly decreases the number of neuroblasts in glioma. Thus, we identify Tep1-Yki interaction in the larval CNS that plays a key role in gliomagrowth and progression.
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The adaptation of a youth nutrition and cooking-skill program to a virtual, online format: Development, implementation and evaluation
Holly Faith Nusser, Emilia Jelski Porter
Skill-based factors such as food preparation contribute to dietary intake and behavior. Studies show introducing nutrition and cooking skills early in life can positively impact dietary intake. However, due to COVID-19, in-person nutrition and cooking-skill classes within schools and afterschool programs became challenging. Therefore, in partnership with East End Community Center, the Wright Brother’s Middle School Pilot’s program, and the University of Dayton’s dietetics and Hanley Sustainability Institute, two UD dietetic students developed and piloted a six-week virtual cooking and nutrition class for 7-8th graders attending the after school Pilots program at Wright Brothers Middle School. Thirteen middle school students participated in the program. Since Dayton Public School moved to entirely remote learning from March of 2020 to March 2021, a nutrition and cooking curriculum was adapted for a virtual platform and the middle school students attended the cooking class from within the kitchen of their home. From the Produce 1 Food Lab on the UD campus, the dietetic students used the zoom platform to implement one-hour weekly nutrition and cooking class to the students. Further, a representative from East End Community Center delivered ingredients needed for the weekly recipe(s) as well as extra supplies such as measuring cups to the middle school students. Data was collected to measure the process and impact of the virtual classes including attendance and nutrition and cooking knowledge pre- and post-test scores. For this presentation, the program procedures and evaluation will be presented.
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The Author's Words and the Editor's Pen: A Self-Study in Editorial Decision Making
Margaret Mary Cahill
This study investigates the practices that professional book editors use when evaluating manuscripts for publication. Specifically, I ask: 1) Which edits are the most essential to the overall development of a text? and 2) How does the editor serve as the bridge between writer and reader? In seeking answers to these questions, I apply the editorial practices for reading and manuscript development reported by book editors to my work as an editor of one writer’s memoir manuscript currently in the process of revision. Drawing on interviews with the author, recordings of our editorial meetings, and changes in the manuscript itself, I examine the role of the editor in shaping both the author’s work and the author’s memories included in the manuscript. As the author seeks publication of her memoir, I employ the knowledge from working editors to assist her in preparing the manuscript for submission.
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The Benefits and Burdens of Student Employment
Karen Jayne David
Forty-seven percent of full-time students and 87 percent of part-time students are looking for work to cover costs of their higher education. Students who are employed while taking classes face benefits and burdens associated with their work. This study focuses on student employees who work on-campus within campus recreation departments. The goals of this study were to identify a relationship between hours worked and academic success, how well respondents are prepared for their future employment, as well as gather self-reported benefits and burdens of working for campus recreation departments. This was a quantitative study that was conducted through a survey that was sent to campus recreation professionals across the country that they then distributed to their undergraduate student employees. Utilizing results from this study, higher education professionals who utilize student staffing will be better equipped to make their work environments more intentional and more likely to retain staff and to better prepare their staff for life after college.
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The Big 10 Conference College Recreation Websites: Evaluating effectiveness through understanding the Generation Z student.
Julia S. Morris, Zackary G. Ziegler
The Big 10 Conference College Recreation Websites: Evaluating effectiveness through understanding the Gen Z student.The purpose of this presentation is to share our study that analyzed college recreation webpages and their effectiveness in engagement of prospective students. We examined the webpages of the 14 colleges that belong to the Big 10 Conference. The rubric compares each webpage against its competitors. In this presentation, we will educate the audience on what attracts prospective students to a college recreation page. We will share best practice as examples for each category. In addition, we will highlight components that are crucial to any college recreation webpage in order to best market themselves to their target audience of prospective college students who are now considered “Generation Z”.
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The Black Studies Movement, 1965-1975
Maleah Aujenae Wells
This presentation will explore the Black Studies Movement of the 60-70s, analyzing the grassroots activism of Black students in higher education. Although the movement was a national phenomenon, this research will put its focus on the University of Dayton during 1965-1975, using the Black Studies Movement as a lens to look at UD through. Black students on campus organized protests and issued a list of demands to the UD administration in 1969. This list of demands included the establishment of a Black Studies Institute, better recruitment of Black students and professors, and etc. We will be able to better analyze the events that took place on the University of Dayton’s campus by looking into the importance of Black Studies and the impact of the Black Power Era.
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The Communal Integration of Nutrition-Related Cultural Assets of the Latinx Population in the Greater Dayton Area
Hannah G. Waters
East Dayton non-profit organizations, Mission of Mary Farms and East End Community Services, have both expressed their inability to engage the Latinx population within their nutrition community programming. While the East Dayton area is disproportionately affected by poverty and food insecurity, the Latinx population is possibly more affected as they are detached from key community resources due to distinct cultural barriers. The goal of this project is to work with community partners to adopt an asset and needs-based analysis that identifies the specific nutritional needs of East Dayton's Latinx population. The collected data will then be used to develop a culturally-tailored intervention that addresses these identified needs.
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The Crucial Role of Social Support in the Academic Development of Adolescent Emergent Bilinguals
Anh Q. Pham
This project seeks to define what social support is, analyze the reasons as to why it is necessary—especially for emergent bilinguals—and elaborate on the role that various members of a school community play in helping to foster it. Social support is a multifaceted term that encompasses a number of other types of support, including, but not limited to, emotional, informational, and instrumental support. It is essentially rooted in the idea of connection, whether that be to other individuals, resources, or opportunities. For adolescent emergent bilinguals—students who are improving their English proficiency in addition to strengthening their own primary language—social support is intricately interconnected to their academic development; it serves to be an entry point to various communal and institutionalized resources, such as the formation of relationships, engagement in extracurriculars, and subject-focused discussions that otherwise would not be attainable. In relation to the topic of social support, the following presentation will further discuss how pulling emergent bilinguals out of the mainstream classroom environment and placing them into entirely separate learning communities ultimately hinders them from accessing the aforementioned resources that are imperative to progressing academically.Thus, school administration, teachers, and students have a collective responsibility to be culturally responsive and inclusive; and to emphasize that the diverse backgrounds of emergent bilinguals are an asset to classroom enrichment.
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The Dayton Mystique: The NCAA's Fifty-Year Love Affair with the University of Dayton
Zachary Noah Choo
The primary impetus behind the successful long-term relationship between the University of Dayton (UD) and the NCAA stems, arguably, from the work of UD's innovative former athletic director, Thomas Frericks. His vision, formulated in 1967, laid the foundation for a mid-sized city in Southwest Ohio to have a lasting impact on college basketball. This article examines Frericks' strategies, hard work, and dedication in making UD a popular repeat host of the NCAA Tournament games and provides lessons on how this model could be replicated in the future.
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The Donald’s Patriots: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Communal Development and Collective Identity in Trump’s Most Rabid Online Community
Aidan Michael Cotter
Despite the rise of extremism in the United States, little is known about how extremist communities manifest online. Thus, I investigate here how one particular online community, the now-banned Reddit page “The Donald”, expresses collective identity and thereby utilizes communal attributes in bringing users together. I examine a sample of posts and comments throughout 2020 on the Trumpian, white-nationalist online message board The Donald. Through a content analysis of randomly selected threads, I analyzed for communal themes and evaluated how The Donald’s users practice collective identity. I found that the site's users (self-identified as “Patriots”) share significant collective beliefs about race, gender, and political affiliation. From these shared beliefs, I was able to identify how the “Patriots” practice collective identity through means such as: othering; meming; and the deification of Donald Trump. I cite the statistical evaluation of the sample’s thematic composition, as well specific content from the qualitative analysis in identifying these communal factors & strategies. Overall, my study argues that The Donald is a definitive community whose members share common sociopolitical values and communal strategies in solidifying their extremist group.Keywords: community, collective identity, far-right extremism, internet socialization
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The effect of micronutrients on chronic pancreatitis
Addy Ruth Nichols, Abigail Lynn Sibley
Chronic pancreatitis develops insidiously over many years and is defined as recurrent attacks of epigastric pain of long duration as a result of inflammation of the pancreas. The common etiologies are chronic alcohol consumption, hypertriglyceridemia, biliary tract disease, genetic conditions, gallstones, trauma, or certain drugs or viral infections. Micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E often play a role in attenuating oxidative stress that may contribute to chronic pancreatitis. Additionally, patients with chronic pancreatitis tend to be deficient in vitamins A, D, E, and K, and therefore may require supplementation. Therefore, using a concept map technique, the purpose of this presentation is to explain the relationship between micronutrients and their role in the prevention and treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
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The Effect of Micronutrients on the Immune Response and COVID-19
Rosa E. Brown, Caroline Rose Grannan, Katherine Marie Ochs
In December 2019, a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China and spread globally. SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. This disease is a respiratory disease that is thought to spread from person-to-person via respiratory droplets from an infected individual. The World Health Organization announced that the COVID-19 outbreak could be characterized as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, the United States has continued to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the rates of infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, chills, cold, shortness of breath, sore throat, and headache. Research has shown many possible connections between micronutrients and assisting building of the immune system. Studies show that certain micronutrients, such as vitamin A, C, and D, and minerals, such as zinc, iron, copper, and selenium, may be effective in regulating the immune response that occurs with infection of the COVID-19 virus. A concept map technique will be used to present and explain the interactions between micronutrients and their effect on COVID-19.
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The Effect of Music on Stress Level in College Students
Caitlin M. Lavilla, Madison K. Miller, Kristin L. Murray, Caitlyn G. Unruh
BackgroundCurrent research has explored the effect of music therapy on various populations including premature infants, generalized hospital patients, those with mental health issues, and older adults. Less is known about how the stress level of college students is influenced by music therapy.Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify a possible correlation between listening to music and a decrease in stress level in college students. MethodologyThe study will include juniors and seniors who are currently enrolled in classes at the University of Dayton. Each student will participate in the cross-sectional study by completing an adapted fourteen item questionnaire, sent via email, containing items regarding their stress levels, stress coping mechanisms, various symptoms of stress, causes of stress, and use of music while studying. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the symptoms and causes of stress. An independent t-test will be performed to examine the difference between college students who listen to music compared to college students who do not listen to music in terms of stress level. Results The results of this study will be provided at the time of the presentation.
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The Effect of Religion on Healthcare Provider - Patient Relationships
Allison Elizabeth Herceg, Matthew David Hilts, Avery Lyn Lewis, Jillian K. Tore
The objective of this research project was to determine religion’s effect on social justice and the common good in the healthcare realm. Our research has shown that more accessible, effective, and holistic care is given when healthcare providers incorporate and accommodate diverse religious traditions into their practice. After an intensive review of the available literature on the connection and interaction between religion and healthcare, we observed a positive correlation between the presence of religion and clinical encounters. Clinical encounters can be defined as any direct interaction between healthcare providers and patients. More specifically, we addressed the presence religion from the perspective of healthcare providers, patients, healthcare institutions and government entities. In each of these groups, religion had an overall positive impact. When a religious presence is involved, we found that physicians are better equipped to care for their patients and their traditions. Additionally, a religious presence encourages patients to make well-informed, positive decisions related to healthcare and wellbeing. When taking religion into consideration, healthcare institutions and policies allow for greater outreach and support for a wider array of patients. Ultimately, collective action to include religion in healthcare promotes the pursuit of the common good.
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The Effect of Smartphones on the Mental Health and General Well-Being of College Students
William P. White
In the last decade or so smart phones have undoubtedly assumed a prominent role in the lives of average Americans. Whether or not smartphone users are aware of the potential for lasting negative side effects on their mental health on account of their addictive habits is unknown and largely unstudied. It is time that as a society we begin to self-examine and identify systemic issues, especially the glaringly obvious ones like the ones screened media present. An angle that consistently presents the most profound statistics is from the victims themselves. Gathering data from the people and for the people and promptly presenting an effective solution is the job and duty of a researcher. This research does exactly this. Through a comprehensive survey dispersed across the University of Dayton’s undergraduate population, personal phone usage data was gathered. The results were staggering to some extent, yet not totally out of the realm of believability. 58 percent of respondents self-reported an addiction to their smartphones. A figure like this for a substance like alcohol or tobacco would raise serious concern across the nation. The consequences of long-term exposure to screens include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality, hypertension, attention deficit disorder, and vision disorders. Public exposure to these serious and lasting symptoms of an abusive relationship with smartphones is the next step. Another idea that deserves consideration is that these symptoms are only the physiological consequences of smartphone addiction, leaving out the entire realm of social consequences that coincide with an addictive screen relationship.
