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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The Effectiveness of a Personalized Peer Health Physical Education Program (PPHPEP) on the Health Related Physical Fitness, Diet, and Attitudes Toward Wellness of Students Enrolled In a University Personal-Community Health Course - Year 2
Anthony J Aiello, Molly Lawler Asmus, Olivia Grace Carpenter, Olivia Ann Defoggia, Katherine Elizabeth Denoyer, Mikayla Nicole Feltz, Makenna Barbara Fentress, Nicholas Joseph Ferritto, Megan Elizabeth Gerrity, Troy Grabowski, Wariebi Henry Jituboh, Nicholas J Langenderfer, Charlotte Paxton Leboeuf, Colleen Megan McCabe, Bridget Delia McDermott, Michael Anthony Paciello, Katherine Anne Plotz, Alexandria Rose Rozich, Erin B Rusconi, Olivia F Ryncarz, Dominic Agostino Speights, Meghan Marie Stephany, James N Tullio, Mikaylah M Van Lanen, Kaylie Hope VanDoren, Margaret Clare Walker
The purpose of this major course research project was to determine the effectiveness of a Personalized Peer Health Physical Education Program (PPHPEP) on the cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength/endurance, flexibility, diet, and attitudes toward wellness of students enrolled in a university personal and community health course (N=25). In the spirit of pioneering exercise physiologist and researcher T.K. Cureton, who believed that the “true laboratories in physical education [were] the pools, playfields, gymnasiums . . . ,” this study was field based and conducted primarily at the University of Dayton RecPlex. During the 2019 spring semester, students enrolled in an undergraduate Personal Community Health course offered in the Department of Health and Sport Science exercised w/peers during 5 separate sessions. Team members participated in five (5) sessions conducted during class time while continuing to participate in their own individual exercise regimens outside of class. Two of the (2) in class sessions included pre- and posttest fitness assessments. All in-class exercise and testing sessions were conducted at the University’s RecPlex. Data from pre- and posttest fitness assessment sessions were analyzed and compared using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data from students’ weekly Health Wellness Review Reflections (HWRRs) were analyzed and compared to Insell-Roth (2016) Dimensions of Wellness Theoretical Framework to determine the effectiveness of the PPHPEP. Note: Data analysis for the PPHPEP is a Work in Progress (WIP).
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The effect of a counterfactual mindset induction on jurors’ evaluations of eyewitness evidence
Alex Jordan Reynolds
We tested whether inducing participants to think counterfactually about a case involving eyewitness evidence would sensitize them to variation in eyewitness evidence quality. Participants read an abbreviated transcript of a murder trial in which the quality of witnessing and identification conditions was manipulated. A counterfactual mindset induction manipulation was embedded in the defense’s closing arguments. Participants rated eyewitness evidence as weaker, and voted guilty less frequently when the witnessing and identification conditions were poor. The predicted interaction effects did not emerge.
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The Effect of Environment on Running Performance and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
Julia Margaret Dozeman, Danielle Denise Greer, Kevin Patrick Reider, Jacob Nicholas Stanek
This research is aimed to discover how different running environments affect running performance and perceived exertion rates. The purpose of this research is to evaluate in what running environment college-aged individuals perform best, based off of time. Research will be conducted at the University of Dayton RecPlex and an outdoor trail near campus. The participants of this study is non-athlete male and female subjects, aged 18-23 years old. While each participant is completing the three one-mile runs, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate, and time will be recorded. Specifically, the Borg RPE Scale will be utilized to attain subjects’ RPE, and an Apple Watch will be utilized to attain subjects’ heart rate prior to and immediately after each run. Achieving a certain percentage of an individual's age predicted maximum heart rate is a valid indicator of work exertion. While data collection is not yet fully complete, we are anticipating that, on average, participants will report the lowest RPEs during the outdoor trail run and the highest RPEs while on the treadmill. Although we are expecting to see similar trends in RPEs, we are anticipating that the females, on average, will display longer times recorded for each timed run than the average male times. The environment with the shortest average time, however, is expected to correlate to the environment with the highest RPE rating and highest heart rate. College students will benefit from this research. With busy schedules, college students should know what running environment supports better performance.
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The Effect of the Norm of Group Interest in Response to Leader Dissent
Brandon Lawrence Porter
I examine the influence of a leader's dissenting behavior in an intergroup task on a group member's evaluation of the leader's performance. In the proposed study, group members will participate in a Prisoner's Dilemma Game (PDG). False feedback will create a cooperative group decision and then group members will be informed of the leader's decision to conform to or dissent from the group's decision. The leader's decision will be paired with a high payout or low payout group outcome. I investigate predictions based on Social Identity Theory (SIT), Realistic Group Conflict Theory (RGCT), and Norm of Group Interest (NGI). NGI predicts individual variations in outcome-based evaluations of the leader, RGCT predicts high payouts should be associated with high evaluations of the leader. Lastly, SIT predicts a leader's dissent should result in lower evaluations of the leader from low identifying members regardless of outcome. Results will highlight each models' fit to dissent and leadership situations within an intergroup context.
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The Effect of Transdisciplinary Pedagogy on Vocation Discernment
Morgan Kelly Miller
The Effect of Transdisciplinary Pedagogy on Vocation Discernment In its institutional learning goals, the University of Dayton includes vocation as one of its goals stating that “all undergraduates will develop and demonstrate ability to articulate reflectively the purposes of their life and proposed work through the language of vocation” (University of Dayton, 2018). How do students on UD’s campus view vocation and in what way are some areas of learning teaching vocation? The purpose of this study is to document and understand a student’s developing understanding of themselves and, in turn, vocation. To this end, I have looked at one program on campus: The Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation (IACT). IACT teaches a creative mindset that students from many majors and backgrounds learn together to take it back to their own individual areas of study for use in interacting with those curriculums, making IACT’s curriculum and advising transdisciplinary in nature. This study provides valuable accounts and insight into the effects of IACT’s curriculum and advising model and how it effects vocation discernment for undergraduate students who participate in the program. The study is dependent on the data collected and analyzed from interviews with students working toward IACT’s certificate in Applied Creativity for Transformation. This study includes information on how students make meaning of how IACT teaches, how they think about vocation, and if IACT is affecting the meaning of vocation for these students.
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The effects of caffeine on aerobic exercise performance in college student females.
Kiki Marie Hess, Kristina Kay Holmes, Anna Katherine Rose Kolesar, Leah Ann Schneider, Madeline Nicole Smith, Kelsey Morgan Tepe
Studying the effect of caffeine on exercise performance is important to determine the consumption of coffee in exercise. From previous research, it has shown consuming caffeine before exercise has positive effect on exercise, by decreasing rate of perceived exertion and increased exercise performance. The results we find through this research can help others decide whether they would drink coffee before exercising in the future. Since college students consume large amounts of coffee everyday, we want to see how it affects them while exercising. Specifically, we focused on the population of female college students in this project. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of caffeine on aerobic exercise performance in college aged females. The caffeine consumed by the participants will be 8oz of donut shop coffee from a keurig cup. This will be consumed one hour before exercise and we will measure aerobic exercise performance using a cycle ergometer. There will be a total of 10 female college aged participants of both coffee and non-coffee consumers. We will have the same 10 females exercise one day without coffee and one day with coffee to compare our results. We are interested in looking at the effects coffee has on heart rate, blood pressure, rate of perceived exertion, and exercise performance (survey-based). The results will be reported at the symposium once our research is concluded.
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The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Weight Loss, Mood and Energy Level
Connor Stephens Goff, Cosette Mary Riely, Erika Marie Schmitt, Diandra A Walker, Michael C Wroblewski
Between increases in sedentary lifestyles and poor eating choices, America has been fighting the obesity epidemic for decades. Increased advertising convinces consumers that they need to eat more than they do, but intermittent fasting may be the solution to the obesity issue. Intermittent fasting has become a new method for losing weight. It is not a diet meaning it does not dictate what is eaten, but rather dictates what times of the day eating is allowed. Previous research has examined how intermittent fasting can impact weight loss in participants, but none have examined intermittent fasting specifically on college-age students. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss, mood and overall energy levels in college students. Participants will be randomly assigned to a control group, intermittent fasting with a 8 hour window and intermittent fasting with a 12 hour window. The participants will fill out daily questionnaires to track mood and energy levels throughout the experiment. Results will be presented at the Stander Symposium. The results from this study will contribute to the continuous discussion about healthy ways to lose weight as well as focusing on a population that has limited control over what they eat.
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The effects of L. rhamnosus consumption on rat anxiety-like behavior
Amanda Marie Schleper
Adolescent stress in humans has been correlated with an increased likelihood of an adult individual to develop addictive behaviors, such as an alcohol use disorder. Literature has demonstrated that rats subjected to adolescent stress tend to show an increased ethanol consumption. Adolescence is a critical time of development and the link between adolescent stressors and alcohol use disorders is not fully understood yet. This study examined the relationship between adolescent stress and alcohol consumption in rats. Probiotics are bacteria with potential health benefits and have been well accepted as a dietary supplement. Literature shows that probiotics could decrease rodent anxiety-like behaviors derived from adolescent stress, such as social isolation. A previous study conducted at the University of Dayton showed that group housed rats that received probiotics exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior. This finding contradicts the positive perception associated with probiotics, showing that probiotics may have a negative impact on affective behaviors. Following two measures of anxiety-like behavior in rats, the Elevated Plus Maze and the Light/Dark Box, we did not find any significant differences between the chronically stressed and the control rats. Additionally, we did not find a difference between the groups in terms of alcohol consumption or preference. Lastly, this study did observe the same trend as our previous study in regards to the anxiety-like behavior demonstrated in the group housed probiotic group. We found that the group housed rats that consumed probiotics showed an increase in anxiety-like behavior. This trend did not include a significant difference between the groups, but was similar to what we observed previously. Moving forward, further research should be done to understand the potential benefits and risks of probiotics.
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The Effects of Propionate on the Interactions of Listeria monocytogenes with the Mucosal Barrier
Katie Lynn Breitenbach
Listeria monocytogenes is a food borne pathogen that is capable of causing the disease listeriosis typically in the elderly, pregnant women, or immunocompromised people. It has a relatively high death rate in the U.S. compared to other foodborne pathogens--about 1 in 5 cases ends in death. The bacterium is an intracellular pathogen, which means it requires entrance into a host cell to carry out its pathogenic activity, grow, and spread. To do this, it must cross the mucosal barrier of the intestinal lining. Through a series of various protocols, this study primarily investigates how anaerobic conditions and short chain fatty acids such as propionate, to which we know Listeria is regularly exposed in the gut, affect the bacterium’s ability to interact with the mucosal barrier. In addition, this study also contributes an understanding of how the disease should be addressed ethically in the U.S. today.
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The Effects of Rewards on Motivation Within Higher Education Residential Learning Curricula
Megan JF Will
The University of Dayton AVIATE Program strives to further students’ learning outside the classroom by educating individuals on the concepts of authorship, interculturalism, and community living within a residential curriculum. AVIATE attendees are rewarded for participation in program events via a point system which is utilized in housing assignments for the coming year. This study aims to discover what motivates students to continue their studies in a residential environment and the effect rewards and teamwork play on motivation and participation. Data compiled by the University of Dayton department of Housing and Residence Life was analyzed to determine how likely students are to attend residential educational programming, the role rewards play in learning, and students’ reliance on teamwork to achieve shared goals. Results indicate that students' motivation levels vary. While the majority of students partake in fewer than 20 AVIATE events each year, overall program participation has grown, particularly with student groups working toward the common goal of rooming together in the upcoming year. This is especially true for 5-student teams who most recently averaged attendance at 36 events per person. The exception lies with students who choose not to request roommates for the following year. These individuals may attend a single AVIATE event during the academic year. Thus, student motivation in residential learning is largely affected by a combination of the creation by teams of shared goals as well as extrinsic reward opportunities.
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The Effects of Sublethal Ampicillin Exposure on Listeria monocytogenes Virulence
Marlena Rae Merling
Antibiotics can be found in sublethal levels environmentally as pollution and within the body when used as medication. Antibiotics induce stress responses and sometimes act as signalling molecules in bacteria. In order to better understand the relationship between antibiotics and bacterial infections, the effects of sublethal antibiotic exposure on the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to infect macrophages was studied. Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen of the gastrointestinal tract that is facultatively anaerobic. Two strains of Listeria monocytogenes were tested: a lab strain and a clinical cardiotropic strain. The strains were grown in liquid media overnight aerobically or anaerobically with either no antibiotics or with a 0.05 μg/mL concentration of ampicillin, which is the main antibiotic used to treat Listeria infections. Bacteria from the overnight cultures were used to infect RAW264.7 cells (macrophages) at a multiplicity of infection of 10. The number of intracellular colony forming units (CFUs) were measured at 2 and 24 hours post-infection by plating the cellular lysate. Using the number of intracellular CFUs, the percent input was calculated to measure amount of Listeria present inside the macrophages at each timepoint. The results for both strains showed no significant difference in the ability to infect and replicate inside macrophages between Listeria grown with or without ampicillin. Interestingly, the aerobically grown cardiotropic strain had a significantly lower percent input than the lab strain at 2 hours post infection, but there was no significant difference in percent input between the strains at 24 hours post infection. This suggests that although the cardiotropic strain cannot infect macrophages as well as the lab strain, it can either grow better or resist macrophage killing better than the lab strain. Future directions include testing higher levels of antibiotics and exploring the differences in virulence between strains of Listeria monocytogenes.
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The effects of temperature on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Cindy Catherine Carballada, Grace Coler, Gianna M Di Silvestro, Kate Jane Klein, Madeline Grace Salach
The issue that this study will address is what is the best way to relieve muscle soreness after exercise. More specifically, this study will help determine how different temperature (i.e. hot & cold) will help relieve delayed onset muscle soreness more efficiently. The settings of this project will be to place the participants into a highly heated pool or an ice bath. To collect data, interviews with 4 individuals, 2 males and 2 females, will be conducted. The interviews will be conducted after the individuals exercise to obtain delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) information and then either use hot or cold temperatures to relieve it. The exercise will consist of various resistance training focused on the lower body. Participants will exercise their hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, and so on, which will then lead to the immediate application of heat or cold therapy. The study will also have a control group in order to compare the results to a baseline of the specific exercises without temperature application post-workout. We plan for our data to show results of DOMS in individuals and determine which temperature provides the best relief. The detailed findings will be reported at the symposium.
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The factors that lead Non-Native English Speaking Students to Plagiarize in Higher Education: Teachers and Students Perspective
Salha Ahmed M Alahmari
The factors that lead Non-Native English Speaking Students to Plagiarize in Higher Education: Teachers and Students Perspective Over the past years, the number of graduated from institutions of higher learning has increased gradually. This can be attributed to the increasing demand for well-educated individuals in the job market. However, the job market has increased its demand for the quality of graduates. This can be attributed to the fact that most students who graduate from these institutions of higher learning barely produce their work. Most of these students practice plagiarism. Plagiarism still is a relevant problem to this day. This happens to be the case especially among non-native English speakers, who find it hard to cope with the strict rules on plagiarism. Most of these students lack the confidence in themselves to produce good quality writing. They therefore “borrow” from other more proficient writers (“(PDF) Plagiarism awareness, perception, and attitudes among students and teachers in Swedish higher education - a case study,” n.d.), which is wrong. With the increasing cases of plagiarism, one tends to wonder whether the institutions of higher learning are doing their part in ensuring that plagiarism is curbed at its core. In spite of putting in measures such as expulsion for students found guilty of the act, plagiarism is still practiced in these institutions. Taking a closer look, one could ask whether the teachers are doing enough to ensure their students are doing enough to ensure that this crime is not committed in their classes. This study will look at the plagiarism and the role that both the teachers and students play in enhancing it.
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The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: A Window of Opportunity or a Door for Exclusion?
Alyssa Marie Miller
The Nile River is one of the longest rivers in the world that flows through 11 countries. The Blue Nile River is a tributary to the Nile River, which starts from the highland of Ethiopia and contributes around 85% of water flow to the Nile that flows upstream into the Mediterranean Sea. With the aims to solve the water problem and enhance their development, the Ethiopian government started building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile River in 2011. Since this river is a tributary to the Nile River, many spectators questioned how Ethiopia has the jurisdiction to build a dam over a river that is transnational. There have been various legislation agreements established, but very few have had significant impact to lessen the tension. Most notably, to solidify each country’s adequate supply, the UN adopted the Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses in 1997, which attempted to set standards around the usage and conservation of watercourses. Though this convention can help resolve the geopolitical tension over the GERD’s construction on the Nile River, it does not solve the question of Ethiopia’s right to build a dam that could impact other countries water supply. Therefore, in 1999, the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) grants each country that the Nile River flows through, the right to adequately use the Nile's water supply. However, Egypt is one of the countries that originally did not sign the CFA. The Nile is Egypt’s primary source for freshwater. Egypt’s main concern is since their population continues to grow, their freshwater supply will deplete. Though it may be perceived to negatively impact Egypt, the GERD seems to benefit countries, especially Ethiopia and Sudan, in terms of economic development. Hence, I am to explore how the GERD will benefit and restrict Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt’s commercial growth. I will also explore journal articles and media sources to further analyze the complex geopolitical situation in northeastern Africa.
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The History of Physical Education-Activity, Sport, and Related Disciplines: Stories for the Ages and Lessons from the Legends of Memorable Moments, Events, Trends, Tales, Phenomena, and Famous Women and Men: Their Teams and Times - From the Marianists to the Moderns: Year 13 - Section 1
Abigail M Bitto, Jacob A Brunson, Jacob R Buerkle, Marlin Dana Bunnell, Kayla Nicole Campbell, Rodney George Chatman, Jordan Mathew Cox, Erin B Dwyer, Brandon D Easterling, Abbigaile A Ehrenborg, Shane Thomas Ferrick, Mitchell Christopher Garrity, William G Harper, Markus Dwayne Hurd, Wariebi Henry Jituboh, Steven Karl, Andrew James Lordo, Michael H Niese, Jordan Raelynn Pauley, Franklin Policelli, Sean Michael Prophit, Alex David Reilly, Tim Lawrence Roell, Ryan Joseph Skibinski, Nick John Spiliotis, Dalton Lee Stewart, Alex Michael Studnicka, Matthew Urban Weckesser, Colt Anderson Whitman, Ellie Kathleen Ziegler
The purpose of these studies was to describe/interpret major events, trends, phenomena, and the lives and times of significant individuals in the history of sport and physical education-activity throughout the millennia. Interesting, inspirational, edifying, and enlightening, the stories told by the Teaching Assistants, and Professor of two (2) separate sections of the course HSS 275 - History of Physical Education/Activity and Sport – during the spring semester of 2019 speak powerfully to the transcendent and essential nature of sport and physical education/activity across all generations, cultures, and disciplinary interests. This year’s project titles include: 1. The History of the Department of Health-Physical Education-Sport Science at UD: 1850-2019 2. The Life and Times of Legendary UD Physical Education Alumnus and Tennis Coach Linda O’Keefe 3. John F. Kennedy’s Influence on Physical Fitness and Sport: 1960-1963 4. Patriot Behind the Plate: The Life and Times of American League Umpire Larry Barnett and the Story of his Dedicated Service to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) These original research projects utilized an array of primary and secondary sources, including interviews, personal narrative, documents, print media, photographs, artifacts, and vintage video to bring alive the past to teach anew life's lessons from the worlds of sport and physical activity to inform, inspire, enlighten, and edify attendees of the 2019 Stander Symposium.
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The History of Physical Education-Activity, Sport, and Related Disciplines: Stories for the Ages and Lessons from the Legends of Memorable Moments, Events, Trends, Tales, Phenomena, and Famous Women and Men: Their Teams and Times - From the Marianists to the Moderns: Year 13 - Section 2
Jordan Rose Albarran, Natalie Lane Allen, Jordan Nigel Benjamin, Michelle Lynn Borchers, Alexander Emmanuel Brickman, Brennan Michel Burdo, Eleanore Frances Cronin, Ryan McRae Culhane, Jake Robert Degler, Kevin D Devilbiss, Parker Alexander Getz, Jake Taylor Gilkison, Trevor Kenneth Imwalle, Daniel Joseph Isufi, Maggie Elizabeth Jewett, Colin L Lamb, Jhery Raul Matos Ramirez, William Andrew Melucci, Ryan Mikesell, Bailey Dean Montoya, Madeleine Rose Morrissey, Kelly Laureen Pleiman, Ben Jurgen Reutelshofer, Ryan Spencer Rushen, Louis Robert St John, Jay Phillip Donald Vallie, Mikaylah M Van Lanen, Kelly Jean Wilker, Zoe L Woods, Kate Frances Yamaguchi
The purpose of these studies was to describe/interpret major events, trends, phenomena, and the lives and times of significant individuals in the history of sport and physical education-activity throughout the millennia. Interesting, inspirational, edifying, and enlightening, the stories told by the Teaching Assistants, and Professor of two (2) separate sections of the course HSS 275 - History of Physical Education/Activity and Sport – during the spring semester of 2019 speak powerfully to the transcendent and essential nature of sport and physical education/activity across all generations, cultures, and disciplinary interests. This year’s project titles include: 1. The History of the Department of Health-Physical Education-Sport Science at UD: 1850-2019 2. The Life and Times of Legendary UD Physical Education Alumnus and Tennis Coach Linda O’Keefe 3. John F. Kennedy’s Influence on Physical Fitness and Sport: 1960-1963 4. Patriot Behind the Plate: The Life and Times of American League Umpire Larry Barnett and the Story of his Dedicated Service to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) These original research projects utilized an array of primary and secondary sources, including interviews, personal narrative, documents, print media, photographs, artifacts, and vintage video to bring alive the past to teach anew life's lessons from the worlds of sport and physical activity to inform, inspire, enlighten, and edify attendees of the 2019 Stander Symposium.
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The Impact of an Interdisciplinary Program on Undeclared Students’ Academic Major Choice and Vocation Discernment
Marissa L McCray
While selection of an academic major is pivotal for undeclared students, many lack direction and struggle to understand the meaning of prescribed, seemingly unrelated general education courses traditionally required in the initial college curriculum. Moreover, many undeclared students grapple with a sense of calling or purpose among academic choices, future careers, and broader facets of emerging adulthood. An interdisciplinary curriculum counters the disconnect between compartmentalized disciplines and helps students recognize connections between disciplines and wider contexts. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how the University of Dayton Core Program shapes undeclared students’ academic major selection and vocational outlook. This study examines Core students who began the program as Discover Arts (undeclared) and evaluates how Core shaped their academic major selection and vocation discernment. Qualitative data was collected from one-on-one interviews with junior Core students who recently completed the 2 ½ year interdisciplinary program. Findings revealed numerous themes and patterns surrounding the academic major selection process and the impact made by the Core Program during discernment. This study assesses future implications for continued best practices and seeks to address a gap in the literature about the influence of interdisciplinary curricula on undeclared students’ choices about academic major and vocational outlook.
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The Impact of Home and College Tension on Grit in First-Generation College Students
Kaley Lynn Meyer
In the context of higher education, students who have parents with postsecondary degrees have an advantage over those who are first in their families to attend college. One of the most commonly discussed challenges for first-generation students is navigating the tension they experience from living lives in two different worlds: life at home and life at college. Interestingly, however, some literature illuminates how the unique challenges first-generation students face often make them more determined, persistent, resilient and prideful in their collegiate endeavors (O'Neal et al., 2016; Strayhorn, 2013). Scholars have discussed these particular characteristics as signs of grit and studies have shown grit to be positively associated with academic achievement (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007; Kannangara, et al., 2018; O’Neal et al., 2016; Strayhorn, 2013). If first-generation students tend to display grit in their educational pursuits, then why are they more likely to drop out of college than their non-first-generation peers (Chen & Carroll, 2005)? This quantitative study is an attempt to dissect this phenomenon to better understand why some first-generation students persist and others succumb to the various challenges they face in postsecondary education. Through utilization of the Grit Scale and the Home and College Tension Scale, this study determines the extent in which perceived tensions between connections to home and college experiences influence grit in first-generation students. With this information, educators and administrators can expand their understanding of the complexities of the first-generation experience and further enhance various supports for this particular population. The findings from this study provide specific implications for future practice and research on first-generation students, grit development and the overlap of the two domains.
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The Importance of Novel Molecule Properties in the Formation and Advancement of Alternative Jet Fuel Blends
Lily Carolyn Behnke
The development and use of new alternative jet fuel blends and high energy molecules has the potential to greatly improve conventional jet fuels, both environmentally and economically. These fuels and blends are dependent upon their performance and operability standards as well as the chemical and physical properties of the novel molecules within them. High energy molecules have the potential to increase the total specific energy (MJ/kg) and energy density (MJ/L) values of a fuel with the intention of increasing overall aircraft efficiency. The properties of these high energy molecules are essential in determining their viability for blending and optimization, and therefore must be thoroughly analyzed to consider the eligibility of these molecules. The blending of novel high energy molecules with conventional jet fuels are bounded by ASTM specifications to produce alternative jet fuel blends that could be implemented in commercial airlines. With a global optimum in mind, the progression of alternative jet blends has the potential to improve aviation by lowering gas emissions and improving overall aircraft performance.
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The Influence of Study Abroad on School Psychologist Cultural Competence
Alexa Marie Irwin
Cultural competence and the ability to effectively serve children and families from diverse backgrounds has increased in importance in social services fields. Professional associations such as the National Association for School Psychologists place particular value on cultural competence for school psychologists due to the lack of diversity in the field and the changing demographics of U.S. schools. Research demonstrates that study abroad experiences during undergraduate or graduate school are an effective way of developing cultural competence in teachers, counselors, and school psychology graduate students. However, there is limited research on the long-term influence of study abroad experiences on the cultural competence of mid-career school psychologists. Ten mid-career school psychologists were interviewed for this qualitative study. The purpose of this study was to examine how a study abroad course, taken during an undergraduate program or graduate program, had any lasting professional or personal impact on mid-career school psychologists. This study further explored other factors that contribute to mid-career school psychologists’ perceived cultural competence. Five themes related to cultural competence emerged following analysis, including: (1) awareness, (2) exposure, (3) cultural immersion, (4) willingness to learn, and (5) professional development. Six themes related to long-term influence of study abroad on perceived cultural competence emerged from the analysis, including: (1) increased openness, (2) different perspectives, (3) learning about other cultures, (4) recognition of our similarities, (5) relating to students from different backgrounds, and (6) contributions to practice. The findings are presented along with implications for future research.
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The Journey of Career Services at Minzu University of China
Shu Yang
Compared to the holistic history of China, career services in China are relatively new. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the development of career services at Minzu University of China. Through interviews with current students, alumni, and faculty members at Minzu University of China, this study helps us to form the blueprint of career services at Chinese institutions. From a different lens, it also helps us to see the limitation of the career services at Chinese institutions. The findings enhance our understanding of how culture impact its people and how the development of the society impact its people’s career planning. The findings also support potential improvement plans for the career services at both Minzu University of China and other institutions in China.
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The Melody of Spatial Memory
Victoria Lynne Karpuszka
Music has been studied extensively in psychology, including research on musically-induced emotion. However, the project reported here looked at new effects of musically-induced emotions on spatial memory. Palmiero and colleagues (2016) established that music and emotions are associated. Music of a major mode, or an Ionian mode, is usually associated with positive emotions. Music of minor modes, such the Locrian or Aoelian modes, are associated with negative emotions. These associations with the specific modes are seen by the lowering of the third and sixth scale tones. Participants for the present study completed a spatial memory task (called the “Tower of Hanoi”) while listening to music of different valences (found in previous research to create feelings of positive and negative emotions). Participants completed the task both with and without music playing. Following completion of the tasks, participants reported on emotional state using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). I hypothesized that those who listened to the positive-valanced music while completing the spatial task would perform better (i.e., faster) than those who listened to the negative-valanced music. Preliminary results indicate this to be true. In addition, participants exposed to negative-valenced music were less likely than those participants exposed to positive-valenced music to complete the spatial memory task in the required amount of time. Participants generally reported a mood score on the PANAS that decreased, regardless of the induced mood (positive- or negative-valenced) after working on the spatial memory task. This result appears to be related to the inability to complete the task or the length of time needed to complete the task.
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The Operator Splitting Method for the Black-Scholes Equation
Wenfeng Wu
In financial industry, the option pricing is an important problem. The Operator Splitting Method is commonly applied to solve initial and boundary value problems of partial differential equations. This project presents the numerical solutions to the Black Scholes Equation using various Operator Splitting Methods. Results are compared with the solutions obtained by closed form solution for European call option.
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The potential role of mir-277 in Alzheimer’s disease
Prajakta D Deshpande, Brent O Mcginty
As the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been predominantly found in people 65 years of age or older. AD is associated with a gradual decline in cognitive impairment and memory as well as effects on behavior and decision making. AD is also responsible for the most dementia cases in elderly people. As per the Alzheimer’s Association facts, over 5 million Americans were affected by AD in 2018 whereas the number is predicted to rise to approximately 14 million in 2050. One of the causes of AD is mis-cleavage of the transmembrane protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the enzymes β-secretase and γ-secretase, resulting in accumulation of amyloid beta-42 polypeptide (Aβ42). These amyloid beta peptides aggregate into hydrophobic plaques in the extracellular region in the brain, altering the cellular pathways and resulting in neuronal death. In this study, we have used Drosophila as a model system and misexpressed the human Aβ42 in the photoreceptors of the Drosophila eye. The misexpression of the Aβ42 in the Drosophila eye triggers the neuronal cell death resulting in a glassy reduced eye phenotype. This study focusses on how microRNA mir-277 regulates the Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. MicroRNA regulate the gene expression post-transcriptionally and repress the protein formation by sequence-specific degradation of target mRNA. Earlier studies have shown the association of microRNA in AD and the role of mir-277 in AD is not clear. This study adds to our understanding of the role mir-277 may play in Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration and its potential role as a biomarker for AD.
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The Presentation of Stigmatized Health Issues in Network Television Content
Franchesca Robin Hackworth
The present investigation attempts to provide a more comprehensive investigation of stigma in media by exploring representations of two important stigmatized health contexts (mental illness and HIV/AIDs) in a representative sample of television programming. The study has three objectives: 1) identify the program types more likely to contain information about these stigmatizing health conditions, 2) explore differences in stigmatizing information present in each program type, and 3) explore similarities and differences between contexts. Findings from the investigation have the potential to provide insights for media literacy initiatives (i.e., identifying particularly problematic exposure points) and stigma reduction messaging (i.e., identifying specific cues that need to be corrected or dispelled through campaign or treatment efficacy messages). A television sample of 672 total hours of content was coded for mentions of HIV/AIDs and mental illness. Discussions of mental illness were about 10x more prominent than those of HIV/AIDs and across a diverse range of programming types, while HIV/AIDs mentions were limited to news, commercials, and talk shows. Mental illness content was often associated with the advertisement of a drug. Mental health has the potential to be more stigmatized because of its frequent presence. Local news contained the most content for both health issues (39% HIV/AIDs and 35% mental illness), followed by commercials (29%) and drama (19%) programming for mental illness and talk shows (35%) and commercials (17%) for HIV/AIDs. It may be possible that different production techniques and demands for different programs facilitate portrayals of health issues in different ways. An investigation such as this one allows for comparison between program type within the same time frame, an analysis that is missing from the present landscape of scholarship. We hope to provide directions for stigma reduction messages and areas of attention for media scholars.
