Stander Symposium: All projects - 2024

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  Sociology Senior Capstone Research Presentations: Exploring Food Access and Food Insecurity on Campus II

  Caroline Anne Cochran, Julia R. Lindenschmidt, Allison M. Peterjohn

  This session features presentations on original research undertaken by senior sociology students in fulfillment of their capstone requirements. Over the course of the 2023-24 academic year, students in SOC 409 designed and implemented research projects that explored food access and food insecurity on the University of Dayton campus. The papers in this session include an investigation into how faculty and staff understand the problem of food insecurity on campus, an exploration of how peer networks impact students' access to food and understanding of food insecurity, and an analysis of how cultural norms, stigma, and context impact the acceptance of free food on campus. Collectively, these papers contribute an examination into how the social and cultural context of our campus shapes understandings of food access and insecurity.

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  Sociology Senior Capstone Research Presentations: Exploring Food Access and Food Insecurity on Campus III

  Kiya L. Gibson-Cornist, Candice Julia Kenard, Lucy K. Schuermann

  Over the course of the 2023-24 academic year, students in SOC 409 designed and implemented research projects that explored food access and food insecurity on the University of Dayton campus. The papers in this session include an investigation into how student athletes access food on campus, an exploration of how commuter students access food, and an analysis of the food access challenges faced by students who have dietary restrictions. Collectively, these papers reveal the food access challenges faced by students in specialized and sometimes hidden populations, and the presenters offer insights into practices that could improve food access for these groups.

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  Soft Robotic End-Effector Design: A Potential for Cost-Effective Maintenance in Aerospace Inspection and Pipe Investigation

  Ian J. Dargai, Antoine Gagne, John Gordon Hoover, Hayden Catherine Lingel

  This research presents investigations into the cost-effective design of a soft robotic end-effector, engineered to perform tasks with dexterity and precision. The end-effector is being considered for performing manipulations either at the end of a continuum robot or as a stand-alone mechanism. The combination of continuum robot and end-effector is expected to provide a high degree of flexibility and safety. Such a soft robotic manipulator exhibits potential across applications in the realm of aerospace maintenance, particularly for jet engines during repairs. A similar concept could be considered for a soft-robot designed to navigate a pipe. Additionally, the soft aspect of the end-effector makes it suitable for recreational purposes, including a backyard "splash zone" or a larger water park installation. Several end-effector prototypes have been printed and tested.

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  Solar Thermal Adsorption Refrigerator

  Clayton Douglas Rosso, Quinn T. Whisler

  The Solar Thermal Absorption Refrigerator (STAR) uses no electricity to cool refrigerated items including vaccines and perishable food to be used in remote areas with unreliable electricity. This process exploits adsorptive refrigeration using ethanol and activated carbon. Evaporative cooling of ethanol under vacuum takes heat away from the refrigerated objects turning the liquid ethanol into vapor. The ethanol gas absorbs onto activated carbon. During the desorption process, heating the activated carbon evaporates the ethanol which condenses to start the cycle over again. The system runs adsorption and desorption to create a refrigeration cycle. After sitting dormant for multiple years, the STAR apparatus was repaired and tested to determine whether or not the working pair of ethanol and activated carbon is viable. The first part of the cycle, adsorption, was evaluated for the amount of ethanol evaporated and the lowest working temperature. Tests running desorption were conducted to determine the amount of ethanol returned. The group tested multiple treatment procedures to remove possible contaminants on the activated carbon. SEM imaging and SDT testing were performed on the activated carbon to determine the concentrations of contaminants and how they affect heating and cooling of the carbon.

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  Solving the complexity problems of large-scale Kubernetes systems

  Justen M. Stall

  Autonomous Capability Team 3 (ACT3) at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) produces an artificial intelligence research platform called the Air and Space Force Cognitive Engine (ASCE). ASCE is distributed as a Kubernetes system with all of its necessary components included. The system’s deployment is a complicated process, and is currently done using the Helm and Helmfile tools. The design decisions made by Helm and Helmfile have raised concerns, so there is interest in finding a better approach.This project explores the complexity problems of large-scale Kubernetes systems. Existing approaches were researched, analyzed, and evaluated. The research concluded with a comprehensive comparison of various approaches, the identification of a few guiding principles, and a prescribed solution prioritizing those principles.

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  Sounding the Call for Change: The Role of Music in the March on Washington and Nonviolent Resistance

  Nathan Raymond Glessman

  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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  Sound on the Spectrum

  Sarah Katherine Theewis

  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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  Spatial Volatile Organic Compound Analysis in Dayton's Aquifers

  Isabelle J. Blackwell

  Title on poster: The Relationship Between Volatile Organic Compounds and Census Data in Montgomery County, Ohio.

  Abstract: Groundwater, a vital natural resource, faces increasing threats from anthropogenic pollution. This capstone project employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) for analyzing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and creating hotspot maps. VOCs, such as tetrachloroethylene, emanate from human activities and industrial processes, and undergo complex degradation pathways. This study, centered in Dayton, OH, aims to understand the relationships between VOC concentrations and environmental parameters (elevation, slope, depth to the water table, bedrock geology, and zoning). These linear regression methods will reveal contamination patterns, contributing to targeted remediation and management strategies.

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  Spectral Control in Bandpass Filters Using Dispersion Relations in Metallo-dielectric Structures

  Guo Chen

  In previous work, we introduced an analytical approach that utilizes the dispersion relation within an infinite periodic multilayer structure to predict the performance of finite multilayer structures. We validated the accuracy of our predictions by demonstrating numerical agreement with other established simulation methods, such as the transfer matrix method, and through experimental confirmation using fabricated multilayer metallo-dielectric structures. In this work, we employ dispersion relations to illustrate that metallo-dielectric (MD) structures, as opposed to a multilayer dielectric-dielectric (DD) structures, efficiently yields a sharp-edge transmittance spectrum profiles, and provides convenient control over both sides of the bandpass cut-off edges. Our approach also enables the calculation of effective permittivity without relying on traditional homogenization techniques. Furthermore, based on the predicted frequency response from dispersion relations and through the introduction of dielectric gaps between two identical 3-layer MDM structures, we demonstrate, using the transfer matrix method, the potential for further engineering the transmittance spectrum of bandpass filters in the visible and near-IR. The capability to achieve a sharp-edge filter with a limited number of layers further underscores the cost-effectiveness of such bandpass filters.

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  Stakeholder Perceptions of Community Garden Features

  Samantha S. Trajcevski

  The presentation discusses the study on stakeholder perceptions and attitudes towards greenspaces. This is completed through the identification of different uses and features to maximize use of the space and stakeholder engagement in the community garden. Previous research shows that community gardens are a popular tool to address neighborhood revitalization, local food, and social cohesion; critical gaps exist in the body of literature. This long-term project aimed to address three such gaps in research. First, very few studies have focused on community gardens in minority and lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. Our research was located in the Dayton View Triangle neighborhood, which is 67% African American with a median household income of 35k. Second, previous research largely explores stakeholder perceptions toward established community gardens rather than their perceptions during the planning and design of a community garden. Third, very few studies have examined community-based governance/organizational structures that can ensure long-term sustainability. To better understand stakeholder opinions, we utilized a creative qualitative research method combining photovoice and interviews/focus groups. We conducted eight in-depth semi-structured interviews and four focus groups. Multiple interviewees agreed that the Dayton View Triangle lacks access to a green space. Most believed that a garden would offer social cohesion. Understandably, most participants were concerned about who would manage the garden after it is constructed, however, they believed that a garden club run by a number of passionate residents could offer a solution. Photovoice was an integral method to this project; picture-boards were posted in areas where stakeholder groups would interact with them. They were prompted to place stickers on features they wanted to prioritize. This method emphasized multigenerational design that accounts for diverse stakeholder uses, and highlights the memories, experiences, and expectations that attract stakeholders to community gardens. The findings also outlined the importance of co-creating the design of a community garden to ensure long-term sustainability. The research conducted aimed to help understand the desired features and necessary mechanisms that need to be established to build a sense of community, social cohesion, and attachment around a community garden.

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  Stander Inside: Presentations from the 2024 Warren Correctional Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program Course

  Carina M. Albrecht, Peyton A. Allen, Tamara Tatyana Carter, Kimberly Alyson Cleveland, Camille Joy Villapena Delgado, Elizabeth Farrington Lehman, Katerina Grace Metheney, Abiageal Rai Newell, Brooklynn Lyndsay Nusbaum, Grace E. Okruhlica, Riley R. Patterson, Lucy K. Schuermann, Riley Kathryn Zaleski, Kailey M. Zarlinski

  Students in the Warren Correctional Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program course have developed program and policy proposals to address a selected social problem. Student groups, composed of both students experiencing incarceration and those who are not, will present their ideas to intervene in problems such as poverty, educational inequality, residential segregation, and mass incarceration.

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  Stitt Scholars: Turtle Up/Olean Project

  Trent Borgmann, John Protz, Yadiel Roque

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  Student Affairs and The Great Resignation: Why Employees Choose to Remain in or Leave the Field

  Amanda L. Allgood

  In the months following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Resignation, a mass exodus of employees, swept through higher education and student affairs units. This study investigates the factors influencing whether student affairs practitioners opted to remain in or exit the field post-pandemic. Employing a qualitative approach grounded in a constructivist worldview, structured interviews were conducted with eight participants currently employed in student affairs or who exited the field during the Great Resignation. Though participants cited having passion for their work and for helping students succeed, dissatisfaction stemmed largely from limited resources and minimal avenues for salary advancement within student affairs. This study highlights the need for institutions to tackle systemic issues that lead to employee turnover, drawing on insights from both current and former staff to pinpoint areas for improvement.

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  Students as faculty gender equity allies: Mitigating students' gender biases through short-term awareness-intervention and long-term research literacy training

  Hannah P. Kling, Isabella Grace Thomeier, Veronica Anne Vasko

  This project aims to investigate two interrelated questions as part of the 2023-2024 Gender Equity Research Fellowship (GERF): 1) Do gender biases influence the University of Dayton (UD) undergraduate students' evaluations of the credibility of gender related research? 2) If such biases exist, can SSC 200 (social science education) effectively reduce them? To answer these questions, surveys were distributed at the start and end of the Fall 2023 semester to SSC 200 students. The GERF research assistants will present the project outcomes as well as individual research they conducted throughout the year in relation to the larger project.

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  Students Developing a More Specific Emotional Vocabulary through Picture Books

  Mary E. Horvath

  Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a relatively new set of standards in Ohio’s curriculum. They teach students to take care of themselves mentally, emotionally, and socially. SEL standards are essential for achievement not only in the classroom but in life as well because it teaches students how to manage relationships, be better decision-makers, and have a better sense of self, just to name a few. Because of its novelty, it is essential to find the best practices for teaching SEL to meet the needs of the students. Research has shown that the standard videos, activities, and take-home worksheets referenced in the curriculum are not engaging the students (Pysarenko, 2021, p. 639). Another avenue must be taken for students to truly learn from SEL, which prompted the idea of picture books. Teachers already use picture books throughout the school day to teach academic content, so why can’t it be done to teach Social-Emotional Learning as well? This study seeks to further understand the connection between children’s literature and emotional vocabulary, which is part of the Ohio Department of Education SEL standard, “Demonstrate an awareness of personal emotions” (ODE, p. 8, 2019). With 32 participants, the researcher interviewed students before and after an intervention with picture books to see if participants could apply the emotional vocabulary used during the read-alouds. After all the interviews, thematic coding was done with all the responses to see if children were able to apply deeper emotional vocabulary to hypothetical situations. The data shows growth in application which suggests that picture books can be used to teach emotional vocabulary. This is significant because helping students grow their emotional vocabulary will help them connect better to themselves, the people in their lives, and their experiences so they can live an overall better life.

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  Student Songwriter Concert: Guitar Students of Jim McCutcheon

  Cole Ryan Buschmeyer, Grace M. Caffoe, Anna Valerie Delaney, Megan Elizabeth Knapke, Reagan Marie Lloyd, Aaron M. Moen, Jack R. Prager, Allison Claire Shelly

  Students of Jim McCutcheon perform a juried program of original songs and instrumental pieces.

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  Students with Disabilities in the Classroom

  Mary K. Corliss

  All students, regardless of disability status, should be able to receive the same education as their peers. This review discusses how children with a disability are included, how Covid-19 may have affected their learning, and how a typical day may look.

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  Study of Transphobia in France

  Lydia G. Andrews

  This paper explores the persisting challenges transgender individuals face in France despite some recent legislative advancements. While laws recognizing gender identity have been enacted, discrimination and violence against the transgender community persist at alarming rates. Statistical evidence and real-life experiences emphasize the urgent need for proactive measures to ensure the safety and equality of transgender individuals. The paper delves into institutionalized transphobia, examining systemic biases within legal, medical, educational, and governmental frameworks. Although legal reforms have addressed some issues, recent cases expose the shortcomings in the judicial system and reflect the impact of institutional barriers on transgender rights. The discussion also includes workplace discrimination and limited access to quality healthcare, emphasizing the need for societal change, active intervention, and comprehensive legal reforms to create a France where transgender individuals can live free from discrimination, violence, and institutional hurdles. The call to action is clear: a collective effort is imperative to guarantee the security, rights, and dignity of the transgender community in France.

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  Sub-Wavelength Waveguide Michelson Interferometer Sensors

  Kurugamage Nuwan Asela Perera

  We experimentally demonstrated an asymmetric path enhanced Michelson interferometer sensor with subwavelength waveguides in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform with bulk sensitivity ~775nm/RIU. Numerical simulations indicate feasibility to achieve high sensitivity ~70,000nm/RIU in optimized device geometries. Phase sensitivity is recorded as 72,678 rad/RIU. cm for biotin-streptavidin conjugate detection. By monitoring intensity changes in interferometers, our device can potentially reach a limit of detection of 1.1×10-6 RIU.

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  Success for the Sophomore Experience

  Erin R. Steiner

  This study investigated challenges facing second year college students and the gaps in the in-classroom and out-of-classroom curriculum that pose roadblocks to sophomore year success. This postpositivist, quantitative study utilizes data from the Multi-Intuitional Study of Leadership (MSL) survey collected at the University of Dayton in 2020-2021. From the MSL data we found that sophomore level students self-reported having lower ability and/or confidence in their leadership skills in relation to self, group, and social identities. Findings from this study stress sophomore students need high impact programming centered around the development of self, group, and social issues that affect the sophomore year experience through a leadership lens

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  Surface Reinforcement Strategies for Polymer-based 3D Printing with Industrial Robotic Arm

  Ajith Kumar Veeraboina

  Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is rapidly advancing across diverse fields. For instance, the use of robotic arms in various AM processes has led to significant gains in printing flexibility and manufacturing scalability. However, despite these advancements, there remains a notable research gap concerning the mechanical properties of parts 3D-printed with robotic arms. This study focuses on developing a robotic fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D-printing process with a layer resolution of 50 μm to 200 μm. We propose a novel planar tool path strategy that can vary contour layer thickness within an infill layer to improve mechanical strength by minimizing air gaps between contours. SEM images suggest this new tool path strategy leads to a meaningful reduction in void area fraction within contours, confirmed by a nearly 6% increase in ultimate tensile strength. In addition, we also propose a strategy for creating a non-planar tool path along axial direction for thin-shell 3D models, utilizing planar slicing. This strategy includes segmentation of the point cloud and printing non-planar layers on top of the printed planar layers in a systematic order. This approach might guarantee bonding between deposited polymer paths in different directions. Therefore, yields a significant improvement in mechanical properties.

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  Survey-Based Research Project Led by Students

  Jakob A. Burdick, Jonas Alfred Magoto, Marielle G. Mejia, Anjli Seoraj Ramharakh, Samantha Paige Wells

  POL 207 is a research methods course designed for political science students. In this course, students are responsible for developing their own research questions, writing a literature review, establishing research methods, and conducting surveys at UD to test their hypotheses. This panel provides an opportunity for POL 207 students to present their research findings.

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  Sustainability issues in Brazil: the Brazilian Amazon and its indigenous tribes are in danger.

  Alejandro Cazorla Granados, Chloe J. Klawon, Dasha E. Penas-Johnson

  In the 21st century, our society speaks of indigenous groups as notions of the past, as steps on the ladder towards modernization. However, indigenous peoples and their collective identities are very much part of our present world, and we must advocate for their recognition and their rights. While there are approximately 370 million indigenous people spread all over the world, practicing distinctive traditions and holding varying beliefs, there is a single, irrefutable value found among all groups– their connection to their land. The United Nations informs: “They have a special relation to and use of their traditional land. Their ancestral land has a fundamental importance for their collective physical and cultural survival as peoples.” The Brazilian Amazon has the highest concentration of indigenous people in the world. Our group will be highlighting the Tikúna tribe which is the largest indigenous group found in the Amazon. We will explore how sustainability issues such as deforestation and mining have affected this group and others in the Amazon. Furthermore, we will discuss how socioeconomic, political, and social justice issues in Brazil perpetuate such harmful ramifications onto these groups and the environment. Finally, we will identify possible solutions to the problems that endanger both the land and the indigenous people of the Amazon.

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  Symbolism in Gold: Unveiling Ancient Egyptian Society Through Jewelry

  Caroline Rose Curti

  Ancient Egyptian jewelry served as more than just personal adornment; it embodied profound cultural and religious significance. This paper explores its evolution through key periods: the pioneering Badarian Culture, the reformative Middle Kingdom, and the prosperous New Kingdom. From faience beads symbolizing the Nile's vitality to amulets representing protection and resurrection, each era reveals intricate beliefs and societal values. The iconic Heart Scarab of the New Kingdom, crafted from gold and serpentinite, epitomizes the Egyptians' reverence for rebirth and the afterlife. Inscribed with passages from the Book of the Dead, these scarabs served as guides for the deceased. Through these artifacts, we glimpse the complex tapestry of ancient Egyptian civilization, where jewelry transcended ornamentation to become vessels of cultural identity and spiritual aspiration.

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  Text Analysis of Popular Music from the Past Decade

  Jesse P. Devitt

  Millions of songs, ranging from a multitude of genres, are released every year. And now, due to popular streaming applications, music is more accessible than ever before. This project explores the impact of lyrics on a song's appeal. Utilizing text and sentiment analysis, it examines the relationship between lyrics and song popularity. The data for this analysis comes from Genius. This popular online, user-centric media company provides the lyrics to millions of popular songs and the space for users to annotate and analyze said lyrics. Focusing on songs from the last decade (2010-), we aim to highlight the most frequent words and word pairs within specific genres through word clouds and bigram analysis, respectively. In addition, some of the more popular artists from the decade were isolated and analyzed via sentiment analysis of their lyrics, hoping to find correlations to song popularity via site views. This project possesses the goal of understanding the complexities within the modern-day music scene. With all the advancements in artificial intelligence, it's within the realm of possibility that a once artist-centric industry may shift over to big data, as so many other industries have in recent years.