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1 | Presenter(s) | Session | Time | Title | Description | Research Mentor | Research Mentor's Department | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Geanny Arboleda | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The Mindset of a Goalkeeper | The main purpose of our study is to determine if there is a trend in the boundless advice that can be offered by a pool of division one goalies in sports such as Soccer, Water Polo, Field Hockey,and Lacrosse. We asked students in College and Universities at the Division one level to participate in an interview where they were asked questions about demands, resources, and coping behaviors as a Goalie. Lazarus’ (1999) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping will be used as a guiding framework during the interview.Participants will also be asked to provide their demographic information. The results are expected to show that a common trend among goalies in advice for young goalies is to Have a confident mindset and enjoy the sport for what it is before it becomes professional. The results anticipate a demonstration of correlation between goal keeping and retaining a strong mind that can be adaptable and resilient in times of pressures offered by demands. | Ms. Carly Block | Educational Psychology and learning systems | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Mae Baltz | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Supplying Insurance for Natural Disasters: A Retrospective Study of Property Insurer Strategies | The homeowner’s insurance industry is responsive to several market factors: the firm’s own health and solvency, competition in the market, and, perhaps most significantly, the annual number of losses suffered. The unpredictability of natural disasters occurring makes estimating the optimal premiums for catastrophe-prone areas difficult and led to $25.2 billion in losses for homeowners insurance suppliers in 2008. Previous research focuses on shorter and more recent spans of time, the demand rather than supply side of catastrophe insurance, or study specific events, all of which do little to determine the factors which influence insurance provider’s decision making and thus provide suggestions for efficient regulation strategies. The researcher utilizes data on losses, premiums, other economic indicators, and catastrophe occurrences from 1984-2019 to assess the changes in the supply of natural disaster insurance. Understanding the factors driving the entry and exit of the catastrophe insurance market as well as changes within the market is crucial to the policy implications surrounding the situation. Improvements in reducing risk for insurance suppliers can help to secure access to insurance for consumers who experience such tragic disasters. | Dr. Patricia Born | Risk Management/Insurance | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Andrea Bautista | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | A Failure of Amnesty: The Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Côte d'Ivoire, 2012 to 2014, and Beyond | Previous to the 2010-2011 elections in Cote-d'Ivore, there had been almost a decade of conflict and a violent atmosphere steaming from political unrest and ethno-communal tensions. With these unsolved problems growing a political crisis followed the elections. With the refusal of the outgoing president, Laurent Gbagbo, to accept defeat by Ouattara an outbreak that led to at least 3000 civilians being killed and 150 women raped took place. Both parties in the election had violated several human rights. To appease the problem, Ouattara created a Truth and Reconciliation Commission with the goals of recognizing those accountable, establish proper human rights, and holding the perpetrators responsible for injustices and inequalities. Despite these efforts, the commission was largely unsuccessful because of the lack of powers to punish anyone involved in any crimes. The main goal of the commission was not to charge people, but to offer amnesty. The goal of the state was to maintain peace, but charging officials would create instability within the political system, so the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Cote-d'Ivore was never given the authority to grant amnesty in the first place. In relation to transitional justice, the commission was intended to restore human rights and reconcile the political state, but was unable to do so with the lack of recognition. | Prof. Joseph Hellweg | Anthropology | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Jamesha BeauPierre | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Barriers to Mental Health Counseling in Black College Students at Predominantly White Institutions | Literature provides evidence that Black adolescents are diagnosed with behavioral and conduct disorders at a significantly higher rate, compared to their white counterparts.(Baglivio, Wolff, Piquero, Greenwald & Epps, 2017). Despite the numerical evidence in relation to these mental health challenges, approximately more than half of the Black adolescent population is not receiving services when they need them. The aim of this study is to identify and understand the barriers and challenges that prevent Black college students from seeking mental health services. We collected data from 107 Black college students and found common themes such as financial instability and time management as barriers to seeking metal health services. This poster will present the results of a mixed methods study examining the barriers that Black college students at a Predominantly White Institutions face that impact mental health care utilization. Implications, limitation and future directions will also be presented. | Dr. Laura Reid-Marks | Combined Counseling and School Psychology | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | Sofia Bejarano | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Hurricane Michael Government Disaster Aid Impact on Health Disparities | The impact of natural disasters on vulnerable populations greatly affects recovery. Those who experience unfair access to health based on their ethnic group, socioeconomic status, or age look toward economic help. This project investigates the impact of disaster relief grants on impacted counties in the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Michael. Qualitative data displaying the scale of three types of vulnerability—household composition/disability, socioeconomic, minority/language—in each county will provide a basis for the impact of disaster relief grants. The correspondence of economic aid to these counties will identify whether disaster aid grants compensate for prior health disparities. | Dr. David Berlan | Askew School of Public Administration and Policy | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Annie Blanchard | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | As If We Were Already Free: Unmaking the Myths of American Justice | As If We Were Already Free: Unmaking Myths of American Justice comprises a series of two-page lyrical vignettes that collectively chronicle a history of American confinement, a subject perhaps more relevant now than ever. These micro-essays span from the 15th century to the present day; they are ordered chronologically and told in the present tense, so that readers may observe a trajectory of events leading to U.S. mass incarceration. A pioneering aspect of this book is the breadth of its sources, which consist not only of books and peer-reviewed journals, but 17th-and 18th-century court transcripts, newsletters, posters, and pamphlets, as well as personal diaries, letters, and newspaper articles. Both as a journalist and scholar of creative writing, I not only believe in staying steadfast to truth within the genre, but using well-documented research to readdress a history of criminal punishment that has been told by those in power. Perhaps we arrive closer to the truth only when previously silenced voices are given sound. | Ms. Dyan Neary | English | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Gustavo Capone | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Civilians Implicit Evaluations of the Police | Do people more strongly associate the police with threat vs. civilians and non-police uniformed professionals? What we know. We know that implicit processes guide police behavior in police-civilian interaction (i.e., the shooter bias). What we want to know. How might civilians implicitly evaluate the police during police-civilian interactions? Work in our lab so far has shown that participants implicitly negatively evaluate the police similarly to how they evaluate typical threats. However, left unstudied is if civilians evaluate the police as more negative or threatening than other civilians and people in uniform. | Dr. David March | Psychology | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | Nicholas Carbone | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Oxidation of Trans-Resveratrol | My project is the oxidation of trans-resveratrol. Trans-resveratrol is a triphenolic stilbene antioxidant found in grapes and red wine that has been widely studied and acclaimed for its potential for human disease prevention. The goal of this project is to carry out the oxidation reaction of the monoanion of trans-resveratrol, monitor it through UV/Vis Spectroscopy, neutralize, separate, and concentrate the products, and see whether they are the same products as in the proposed oxidation mechanism in a previous paper that Dr. Saltiel published. There are many published papers on trans-resveratrol, but its oxidation sequence and product structure at basic pH has yet to be confirmed. Essentially, the goal is to either prove or disprove the proposed oxidation sequence for the monoanionic form of trans-resveratrol which will further our knowledge on this novel compound and its potential use in medicine. | Dr. Jack Saltiel | Chemistry and Biochemistry | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | Aidan Carley | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | As If We Were Already Free: Unmaking Myths of American Justice | The goal of this research project was to look at different themes within the American justice system's history. Specifically, I looked at the ways restorative justice has been implemented throughout history and the many forms it took. I also sought to find out the ways mental illness has been criminalized, as well as those in the LGBT+ community. To find anecdotal evidence of these themes, I conducted a literature review of credible sources (typically peer-reviewed), as well as searched for relevant artifacts. I then transferred information to a Google Doc in which short vignettes were described. The many anecdotes found for each theme indicated that there were many ways in which marginalized groups (such as LGBTQ+ individuals and those dealing with mental illness) were treated quite differently from the masses. This showed up in the way their humanity was often attacked and stripped from them by explicit and implicit policies aimed at them. There also was an interesting contrast between the way restorative justice outcomes differ from those of retributive justice. Given the literature reviewed, there have been many different aspects of justice which have evolved over time. Both for members of neglected populations and participants of restorative justice, the American justice system is transforming to develop a better relationship with these individuals. Going forward, this research can help track trends in the justice system, as well as help others understand the tumultuous past of the country’s justice system. | Ms. Dyan Neary | English | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | Annabelle Chapman | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Gendered Pathways: From Florida’s Two-Year Institutions to Computing Degrees | Despite ongoing efforts to increase their involvement in computer science (CS), women remain severely underrepresented. CS has one of the worst gender gaps compared to other STEM fields and, in fact, the proportion of women earning degrees in this field has fallen in the past decade (National Science Foundation 2017). The purpose of this study is to better understand women’s pathways to earn computing degrees through a systematic literature review that will contextualize analysis of national and Florida educational data. Using gender and computer science search terms across discipline-specific publications and databases, the researchers located a wide range of related articles published within the last two decades. Inclusion and quality criteria allowed them to narrow down the most relevant articles to code based on their methodology, population, focus, intervention type, and other themes. They expect that this review will yield significant results about the most successful interventions in computer science to increase women’s entry to and persistence in the field. This research is ongoing. | Dr. Kristen Erichsen | College of Education | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | Daria Charapko | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | 18th Century Medicine and Knowledge Production | A commonly held belief, many people see science as a linear process of accumulating facts. In opposition, Thomas Kuhn sets up a framework of science that implies that scientific work contains twists and turns, suggesting that scientists perform “normal science,” under a set of assumptions called “paradigms,” until a scientific revolution leads to a paradigm shift. While his assessment of scientific practice is comprehensive, historians of science can sometimes struggle to identify a paradigm or the practice of normal science, especially during a period of transition. Over a five-week period, we read 92 observations and articles in le Journal de Médecine Militaire (published 1782 to 1789) and catalogued positive and negative references to other practitioners, collaboration between different practitioners, extracts and letters published by the editor, and editor remarks, paying close attention to the production of knowledge through practitioners’ interactions. Using this previously untapped source, we reinforce Kuhn’s scientific framework and find that the journal foreshadows an upcoming paradigm shift. | Mr. Benjamen Goff | College of Arts and Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | Laura Chatellier | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Dante Today and Spirituality in 2021 | Dante Today: Citings and Sightings of Dante’s Works in Contemporary Culture, is a digital archive that curates and provides a submission platform, bibliography, and teacher resources to display Dante Alighieri’s continued relevance in modern culture 700 years after the original publication of Dante’s Inferno. The researcher in this study will examine several articles, posts, and resources to the archive relating to Dante’s influence on spirituality and how the continued phenomenon that surrounds Dante’s Inferno is witnessed culturally in 2021. The study aims to further examine methods the Dante Today: Citings and Sightings of Dante’s Works in Contemporary Culture website can implement to allow for better access and dissemination of information for its users. The research will focus and use the curated articles from the archive. Upon analysis, the study revealed Dante’s Catholicism does not limit his ability to appeal across denominations and continues to speak even more broadly on spiritually now. | Dr. Beth Coggeshall | Italian | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | Mark Chin-Lenn | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Caregiver-Assisted Virtual Mathematical Problem Solving Instruction for Secondary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Critical thinking and problem-solving are important mathematical skills that can apply to everyday life. Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disability (ASD/ID) can prove troublesome for the development of mathematical skills and functions. Identifying efficient, effective, and equitable ways to teach students with ASD in the COVID-19 environment is critical. An emerging body of research confirms students with ASD can acquire and generalize problem solving skills when taught, yet none of these studies have evaluated the efficacy of a caregiver-assisted intervention. This study evaluated the effects of caregiver-assisted video-based mathematics instruction for secondary students with ASD. Participants and caregivers were taught using an online mathematical module to solve multiplication problems. Results from the single case multiple probe design revealed a functional relationship between caregiver-assisted video-based mathematics instruction and an increase in accuracy of steps of word problem solving for secondary students with autism spectrum disorder. | Ms. Addie McConomy | College of Education | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | Amanda Connor | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Spirituality in the Wake of Natural Disasters | In a world where there are an increasing number of natural disasters occurring, there is the question of how religion or spirituality can impact the effects of the disaster. Spirituality/religion refers to the belief someone holds about a greater meaning or being above the human experience. In many cases spirituality allows an individual to find a sense of meaning and comfort in the chaotic world we find ourselves in. In regards to natural disasters, spirituality can play an enormous role in the lives of those whose lives have been impacted by the traumatic event. | Dr. Amy L. Ai | Social Work | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | Ethan Corey | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Synthesis of Flexible Bottlebrush Polymers | Proteoglycans are naturally occurring proteins that play a large role in the physical properties of cartilage. The structure of proteoglycans can be mimicked through synthetic bottlebrush polymers, which consist of a polymer backbone with many polymer chains covalently bound to it. Bottlebrush polymers have been synthesized before, but most have either a very rigid backbone or high grafting density, which increases steric interactions and limits the properties expected from these macromolecular architectures. The bottlebrush backbone is synthesized from functionalized cyclopentene monomer, which is polymerized using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). This allows for the backbone to be more flexible due to increased space between branches, which results from the opening of the cyclopentene double bond. This project is looking to characterize the properties of this new type of bottlebrush polymer and compare it to the other types of bottlebrushes that have been previously established. | Dr. Justin Kennemur | Chemistry | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | Emily Coston | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Harmonic Characteristics of Music: A Computational Approach | This study analyzes 20th- and 21st- century concert music, using the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) to examine harmonic characteristics. My individually directed research asks how Debussy uses different compositional techniques to create harmonic transitions, or modulations, in his piece, Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp. From the generated graphs, we can examine what distinguishes the moments of harmonic transition from each other and from the rest of the piece. This gives insight into not only the harmonic characteristics from a music-theoretic perspective, but also into what we hear as these modulations occur. | Ms. Jennifer Harding | College of Music | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | Noah Dankner | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Zoning and Housing Supply | Does regulation or the market encourage housing development for cities? Scholars, economists, and planners continue to debate whether market-based practices or regulatory processes are the best path towards increasing housing supply. Houston, Texas is an example of a deregulated city or “pro-market” environment. Whereas Miami, Florida is an example of a typical American city which utilizes government-enforced zoning practices. Using 2000 and 2015 Census and American Community Survey data respectively, this research examines the relationship between zoning codes which promote mixed-use development and the number of occupied, available, and total housing units in a neighborhood. This study analyzes two neighborhoods Greater Fondren Southwest in Houston, Texas and Coral Way in Miami, Florida by running the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. This study tests the following five variables: occupied housing units, available housing units, total housing units, population, and median home value of owner occupied units. The findings of this research indicate a relationship between more flexible zoning and increases in occupied, available, and total housing units. Additionally, population and median home value of owner occupied units also increased at statistically significant levels. In terms of policy recommendations, this research suggests that cities should consider the benefits of switching to a mixed-use zoning code similar to the example of Miami’s current code Miami 21. Future studies should evaluate if more flexible policies will assist with cities experiencing housing shortages. | Dr. Crystal Taylor | DeVoe L. Moore Center | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | Kristin Day | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Impact of a brief web-based interpersonal intervention on alcohol use problems among active-duty military | The purpose of this study is to examine intervention related reductions in hazardous alcohol use in active-duty military members. Active-duty military members (N=29) were asked to complete self-report questionnaires at baseline, one-month, and three-month follow-up as part of a larger clinical trial. Multiple linear regression was utilized to examine the effects of the BSA intervention compared to an active control condition (PHET) on alcohol use problems after controlling for baseline. The major findings of this study include a 37% reduction in hazardous alcohol use for those assigned to the BSA intervention compared to the control group, which had a 31% increase in hazardous alcohol use. | Dr. Dr. Brad Schmidt | Psychology | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | Renzo DeCarlo | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Computers and Counterpoint | Computer-aided musicology allows for more efficient analysis of musical material and for the investigation of subtle musical patterns and trends across larger spans of time and repertoire than is typically possible when using analog methods. I use computational approaches to extrapolate rules from a corpus and to track the evolution of principles of counterpoint over time. I present a preliminary prototype of this program that can read, analyze, and correct typical counterpoint exercises a first-semester music major would complete at Florida State University. This program uses principles from Johann Fux’s Gradus Ad Parnassum, Felix Salzer and Carl Schachter’s Counterpoint and Composition, and David Lewin’s Global Rule for Species Counterpoint as a framework to analyze the provided inputs. Lewin’s work also serves as a discussion point for the advantages of using computers to investigate aspects of music that are often difficult to pinpoint and describe. I discuss implications for not just music pedagogy, but also the field of music writ large brought on by these technological trends, referring to the prototype as a case study. | Mr. Jennifer Harding | Music Theory | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | Jordyn Dees | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Behind the Exhibit: The Names Left Out of Archaeological Expeditions | The empire of American science often revolves around the discoveries of its citizens. However, photographic collections from various museum archives reveal that the credit given to these “discoveries” is handed out solely to Western expedition leaders, thus ignoring the contributions and the labor put in my local workers. Respect for the land being excavated is also often missing from these landmark findings. Closely examining photographic evidence allowed for the investigation of labor and hiring practices of local workers, as well as the examination of the power imbalance between Western explorers and local laborers. The photographs that we have analyzed depict how so many people and stories can be lost in translation or distorted to create different narratives in history. In particular, my area of study focused on the treatment of people of color working at Western exhibition sites. My findings indicate that non-Western, often native, workers were given little to no recognition or respect during these exhibitions, let alone comparable compensation to their Western overseers. | Dr. Ronald Doel | History | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | Amari DeLeon | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Development and Design of Planar High Temperature Sensitivity Structures for the use in Ultra Sensitive Nuclear Magnetic Reasonance Probes | NMR is widely used and accepted because of its capabilities. The NMR probe is placed in the magnetic field where a sample is inserted and analyzed. Because of different technology and techniques, ultra-sensitive NMR probes are able to use high temperature superconducting materials, HTS, to optimize sensitivity. Manufacturing the planar resonators made out of HTS material is done through scripting the images in computer software. Each of the hierarchal planar resonators are very small and consist of tedious, intricate pieces that are unable to be created by hand. Techniques for scripting the images of the planar HTS structures are forever being created and should be taken advantage of to improve manufacturing and development capabilities. An available technique for manufacturing and developing the scripts is the computer software called KLayout. The use of KLayout most readily displays the images of the scripted resonators and also allows editing of any written scripts. The current design of a spiral is made up of boxes and polygons with edges where current becomes focused. This is not ideal because we want the current to flow seamlessly through the resonator to optimize its sensitivity. With the use of this software, I have been able to script a simple spiral pattern that is ideal for what the NMR probes needs. In the future, I hope to further my scripting abilities to produce exactly what will be needed, like add the small and tedious intricacies a usable script requires. | Mr. Ilya Litvak | National High Magnetic Field Laboratory | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | Anna Demas | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Race Relations in Tallahassee | Tallahassee is an area rich with culture and has been a historical city for decades. An abundance of this cultural history is connected to Florida State University, a school that prides itself on inclusion and a strong community of students and faculty. This research project takes a deep dive into race relations at Florida State, the progression of these relations, and how the university can be used as a resource to analyze and teach race relations. Specifically, the researchers are geared on the question: What were attitudes of Florida State students and faculty during the Jim Crow era and integration? This portion of the research encompasses how Florida State’s campus operated in the age of Jim Crow regulations before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Furthermore, research into the desegregation of FSU is being done to analyze community reactions and adaptations due to the Civil Rights Act and subsequent integration of Florida State. Looking into exclusively primary sources, including the school newspapers from the time period and older issues of the Tallahassee Democrat, researchers will gather pictures and articles that give accurate insight into how life was at Florida State before, during, and after the Civil Rights Act. This information will then be entered into a database to organize the sources in an easily accessible place. Researchers expect to find varying attitudes towards integration from both students and faculty at FSU during this time period and hope to use these results as a tool to educate members of the community on the full history of Florida State University. | Prof. Jennifer Koslow | History | |||||||||||||||||||
24 | Jessica Dixon | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Spatial Disorientation and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Relationship Between Activation Profiles in the Brain’s Navigational System and Reorientation Deficits in the 3xTg-AD Mouse Model of Tau | Impaired navigation is one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (Allison et al., 2016). Understanding the brain changes associated with preclinical AD spatial disorientation is critical for the development of earlier AD diagnosis methods and treatments. We found that female 6-month 3xTg-AD mice, which are genetically altered to model Tau and amyloid beta accumulation, also seen in humans with AD, are impaired at spatial reorientation learning and memory, consistent with previous work establishing that 6-month 3xTg-AD mice are impaired at learning to use landmarks to determine their location in space (Stimmell et al., 2019). These deficits in spatial learning and memory are analogous to getting lost in new surroundings as is observed in humans with preclinical AD. Further, our preliminary data suggests there may be hyperactivation of the parietal cortex of 3xTg-AD mice. This is consistent with some studies that have reported hyperactivation of the default mode network in individuals with preclinical AD (Sperling et al., 2009). However, unlike those previous studies, our preliminary data does not suggest hyperactivation in the hippocampus (Dickerson et al., 2005). Finally, we found a significant negative relationship between hyperactivation of the parietal cortex in 3xTg-AD mice and spatial learning and memory (i.e., more active PC cells was associated with worse performance), suggesting that hyperactivity in PC may be reflective of pathophysiology of AD. | Dr. Aaron Wilber | Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience | |||||||||||||||||||
25 | Josie Dreier | A | 2:00-3:00PM | The Empire of American Science | The history of science has been documented in many ways; however, the photograph collections from the various archives that our team has examined uncovered a different narrative concerning science’s progress than what meets the eye. The subjectivity of photographs gave us the opportunity to interpret different ideas and scenarios that might have been occurring in each photo (Sandweiss, 2002). Recording and analyzing various archival collections led us to uncover certain themes in the history of science including diversity, inclusion, and exploration. While focusing on newspaper articles that included both photographs and an accompanying story or caption, I was individually able to determine that science’s progress throughout the 20th century can be attributed to a diverse group of people including not just white men, but men and women of all races and backgrounds (Bernal, 1971). Newspaper articles in general tend to highlight certain people or contributions over others; by taking a closer look, one can see how the seemingly stark lines of contrast are blurred as these people collaborated with one another and maintained a devotion to change (Schwartz, 2002). American change in science and technology is important when considering the obstacles that our nation has overcome by using science alone; the photographs that we have analyzed show how some people and changes can be lost in translation or distorted to tell different historical narratives than what was included in the original plotline (Ketelarr, 2001). | Dr. Ronald Doel | History | |||||||||||||||||||
26 | Noelle Du Bois | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Banking the Unbanked: Increasing Financial Service Access | With 7.1 million U.S households who identify as unbanked and another 24.2 million U.S households who are underbanked, financial inclusion is a major economic policy issue. Having a savings account helps promote individual wealth accumulation and the ability to secure loans to start small businesses or finance housing is essential. Barriers to banking include account minimums, overdraft fees, involuntary account closures, and potential distrust of the financial system. To help address this financial disparity, this research uses Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Economic Inclusion data to examine which sector of banking correlates the most to the number of unbanked individuals. This study uses FDIC survey data from the years 2015, 2017, and 2019 for eighteen Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) spanning from the midwestern to the southern United States. Using regression models, this study investigates the impact of savings versus credit aspects of financial institutions. The first regression model uses the independent variables of the use of nonbank services and concerns of not being granted a loan. The other regression model uses independent variables including the use of prepaid cards, rates of savings for unexpected emergencies, and income volatility. These models reveal that savings have a stronger correlation to the number of unbanked over the use of nonbank services. This study recommends creating bank account policies that cater to low-income individual’s needs in order to improve financial access. Future research could investigate the potential impacts of re-establishing a postal savings system in America through partnerships with private banks. | Dr. Crytal Taylor | College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | |||||||||||||||||||
27 | Andrew Fairley | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The Social and Environmental Sustainability Practices of Social Enterprises in the European Fashion Industry: A Multi-Case Study | Rapidly accelerating environmental destruction and a continued focus on profits over people have led many individuals within the fashion industry to question if their traditional business model is still viable in the 21st century (Elkington, 1994; Hubbard, 2009). Alongside the search for more desirable business practices, attention to social enterprise has increased, resulting in a growing number of studies on social enterprises and how they address social problems while providing products or/and services at a profit (Austin et al., 2006; Zhara et al., 2009). However, many of the previous studies focused more on the individuals who started the social enterprises rather than their best practices and successes (Bornstein 2007). To fill the void, this study aims to analyze the business models of selected European social enterprises as well as their social and environmental sustainability practices to assess their values and impacts on social change using empirical data. A qualitative method was used for the multi-case study, employing document analysis and in-depth interviews of the founders or key employees from three successful social enterprises in the fashion industry in Europe. Data analysis is in progress, using open coding and the constant comparative method. This study will provide educators and researchers with valuable insights on the role and successful business models of leading social enterprises in the fashion industry in Europe. | Dr. Eundeok Kim | College of Entrepreneurship | |||||||||||||||||||
28 | Cosette Falker | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Measuring National Well-Being | -The purpose of this study is to determine the primary components which contribute to both individual and societal levels of well-being. -To conduct the study, we complied and analyzed the different philosophical dimensions of well-being as well as the 12 indexes currently being used in global and national measures. -Once doing so, we will compile the dimensions which are most prominent and measure them against the countries which are currently operationalizing these dimensions. -We will then determine the philosophical theory of well-being best aligns with the indexes. | Mr. Jorge Oseguera Gamba | Philosophy Department | |||||||||||||||||||
29 | Krista Fauni | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Metabolic Response to Food Deprivation among Heterandria formosa Populations | Two populations of Heterandria formosa, from the high-density/low predation Wacissa River population and the low-density/high-predation Trout Pond population, were used in an experiment to examine how they are adapted to different per-capita food levels. It has been shown that selection at a higher density at Wacissa causes a greater ability to cope with low per capita food availability in young Heterandria (Felmy et al.). We wish to investigate whether this higher survival rate of the Wacissa population at lower food levels is related to respiration rate. It is also known that certain fish populations that evolved a fast-paced life history in high-predation environments have higher metabolic rates than those that evolved a slow-paced life history in low-predation environments (Auer et al.). We predict the Wacissa population to have evolved a lower respiration rate, as a higher density environment could have evolutionarily caused a faster metabolism. To study this, we measured respiration rates in the two fish populations under different food conditions. We fit a Gamma generalized linear model using a log link function to predict post-treatment metabolic rate relative to pre-treatment metabolic rate and found that there was no statistically significant difference between food level and respiration rate change between the populations. | Dr. Daniel Okamoto | Department of Biological Science | |||||||||||||||||||
30 | Hunter Fazler | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Analysis of Procedures and Techniques for RNA Isolation and Purification | Ribonucleic acid (RNA) plays a large role in the genetic coding of lifeforms all over the Earth. Regarding research, RNA is the source and the focus of many kinds of genetic research. RNA studies have been especially highlighted this past year in studies of COVID-19. Having consistent ways to purify or isolate RNA is very important to the integrity of the research being done. The procedure must be consistent and be successful for the experiments to progress. Experiments that need RNA purification include genomic mapping, Structural studies, CRIPSR Cas9 and others. Different types of experiments require different types of RNA isolation and purification. The isolation techniques include, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE gel) and acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction (AGPC). Examples of RNA purification techniques include RNA purification via reversed-phase (RP) chromatography and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). While there are many types of RNA purification, and all of them were valid, there are different rationales as well as strengths and weaknesses in the processes and methods of each procedure. | Dr. Zucai Suo | College of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||
31 | Jaelynn Florence | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Positive Religious Coping, Perfusion Time, and Post-OHS ADL and IADL in Cardiac Patients | Open heart surgery (OHS) is a common procedure in older patients to help regulate activities of every day living. This study analyzes the role of characteristics such as hope and spirituality in post-OHS activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL). Three series of interviews and cardiac/ surgical indices in the Society of Thoracic Surgeon national database were collected for 481 patients. We used multiple linear regression to identify pre-OHS predictors of post-OHS functional status. The reports of ADL and IADL after OHS were better for those who engaged in positive spiritual/ religious coping in pre-OHS in comparison to patients who did not. Thus, it is likely that pre-OHS positive spiritual coping had a positive effect in post-OHS functional status during the recovery month, but more interdisciplinary research ought to be conducted to identify the mechanisms underlying these associations. | Dr. Amy Ai | College of Social Work | |||||||||||||||||||
32 | Flavia Franco Saucedo | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Resilience and the Latinx FSU Community | Previous research has shown that the Latinx/Hispanic community is at higher risk of experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s), which can result in long-term negative physical and mental health consequences. For example, studies by Allem et al. (2015) have shown that the prevalence of ACEs in emerging adults results in dissociating and emotionally detaching from their immediate surroundings as a defense mechanism, thus negatively affecting their development. With 19.9% of the student body at FSU identifying as Latinx, considerations of this population are essential. The Student Resilience Project (SRP) at FSU (http://STRONG.FSU.edu) has prioritized addressing this vulnerable group by implementing new content that would provide options for functional coping mechanisms to address stress and negative emotions for our targeted audience. The SRP team plans to acknowledge childhood adversity through the lens of empathy and to present new tools with the objective of strengthening a sense of community, sense of self, and self-awareness. To build a sense of community, the Student Resilience Project is looking forward to adding Spanish-language content that discusses all previously mentioned topics. Additionally, the acknowledgment of some students’ spirituality is key in our process as the latter paves the way of core beliefs and one’s own understanding of oneself and our environment. The inclusion of art, language, culture, and other relevant new content will provide benefits to the FSU Latinx community. | Dr. Karen Oehme | College of Social Work | |||||||||||||||||||
33 | Isabella Frazier | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The New Republic? Côte d'Ivoire's 2016 Constitution, the Dilution of Democracy, and Rise of Religion. | Abstract: Côte d’Ivoire’s 2020 presidential election has been a source of immense debate and controversy. Many argue that incumbent president Alassane Ouattara has the right to run for a third term by means of the constitutional amendment of 2016. Contrarily, many observers argue that Ouattara’s pursuance of a third term is unconstitutional. It can be argued that Ouattara’s actions are pushing the country into democratic backsliding and down an all too familiar path that parallels the country’s history of authoritarian leadership. The implications of Ouattara’s reelection are expansive, but this project analyzes the ethical justification and opposition to Ouattara seeking a third term and also evaluates the current state of religious mobilization in the country. Through a literary analysis and historical contextualization, this project supports the argument that Ouattara’s reelection serves as an informal divergence from democratic principles and that his time in office will signify an active pursuit of religious mobilization within the political community in Côte d’Ivoire. This argument has implications for the study of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2020 elections, democratic backsliding, ethics, and religion. | Dr. Joseph Hellweg | Religion | |||||||||||||||||||
34 | Sean Gabany | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Undernutrition in the pediatric population of rural Honduras: monitoring and addressing causes and related illnesses | Undernutrition refers to insufficient nutrient intake to maintain good health. According to the World Health Organization, undernutrition consists of four general categories: wasting, stunting, underweight, and deficiencies in nutrients. Growth stunting is linked to decreased verbal vocabulary and lower quantitative test scores compared to non-stunted counterparts. Undernutrition leads to lower resistance to diseases, causing 44-60% of deaths of children suffering from measles, malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Children living in developing nations like Honduras experience higher rates of undernutrition. In Honduran children under 5 years old, 1% experienced wasting and 23% are stunted compared to 0.4 % and 3.5% of United States children respectively. Overall, a multifaceted problem moderated by major issues including food insecurity, environmental, and societal conditions. 51% of individuals in Honduras live rurally with unreliable access to healthy food. Diarrhea is prevalent in rural Honduras due to inadequate sanitation and excretion disposal methods. It contributes to undernutrition, dehydration, electrolyte disorders, caloric deficiency, and is the leading cause of death among these children. Our goal is to find sustainable, culturally sensitive measures to monitor undernutrition in children and to address diarrhea in the rural village of Gracias a Dios, Honduras. We will install water filters and latrines, provide educational materials on hand hygiene and train Village Health Workers on ways to monitor undernutrition, including height-weight growth charts and mid-upper arm circumference measuring. We will maintain contact with local healthcare workers living in Honduras to better assess for other potential interventions to help prevent and monitor undernutrition in children. | Dr. Charles Fleischer | College of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||
35 | Cathrina Gagni | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Generation of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7A Stable Cell Lines | Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. As of March 2021, COVID-19 has caused just over 2.7 million deaths worldwide and 500,000 deaths in the United States. It is of immense importance to study the mechanisms which cause inappropriate cellular responses to the virus. By investigating how its individual proteins impact human cells, we can better understand this pathogen’s basic biology, and why some individuals develop severe disease or asymptomatic infections. There are eight genetic open reading frames found within coronaviruses which code for lethal accessory proteins. An accessory protein of interest is called ORF7A. It is responsible for inducing apoptosis and affects interferon-producing cells by directly tethering budding virions to the host cell. To explore how host cells respond to this specific protein, we have developed a reductionist system to express ORF7A in any cell type and validated our system in human kidney and lung cells with fluorescence microscopy. This system was used to develop stable cell lines which will be used to understand how chromatin dynamics is altered in host cells expressing ORF7A compared to other SARS-CoV-2 proteins. | Ms. Jane Benoit | Biology | |||||||||||||||||||
36 | Miranda Garcia | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | COVID-19, Crises and Support for the Rule of Law | The pressure placed on citizens adapting to new governmental measures and policies during a crisis can affect public support for the rule of law. If a crisis diminishes citizens’ support for the rule of law, it can provide incentives for autocrats to manipulate outbreak responses to consolidate political power. Autocrats may also take advantage of the declining support for the rule of law and pass policies which they directly profit from. The authors argue that this pressure on the rule of law should decrease citizens’ support for the rule of law with potentially long-lasting political, social, and economic effects. The study focuses on the COVID-19 outbreak to decide “(a) whether governmental responses to crises affect citizens’ support for the rule of law, (b) whether citizens’ faith in government efforts is buttressed or undermined in response to elite and expert cues, and (c) how these attitudes shift as the crisis continues to evolve”. The authors expect to see an inclination to grant more power to the government in places where the public health crisis is critical and where the government’s response is at its weakest. The authors also predict that cues from political experts and elites could affect the flexibility of public support for the rule of law during a crisis. | Dr. Amanda Driscoll | Political Science | |||||||||||||||||||
37 | Carissa Garde | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Co-Occurrence of Mathematical Expressions and Their Connections in the Minds of Children | The purpose of this study is to investigate the structure of children’s whole-number arithmetic knowledge. The assumption is that the more closely related two mathematical expressions are in children’s minds, the more likely they are to co-occur. Therefore, I would like to find a set of relations that would explain why certain expressions occur together more than others. Through analysis of the data from the Adaptive Number Knowledge task, I have discovered a relation between mathematical expressions, commutativity, that does have a significant impact on co-occurrence and am working to find more examples of such relations in the futures. | Dr. David Braithwaite | Psychology | |||||||||||||||||||
38 | Makoto Gazzara | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Three-Tier Biology Assessment to Measure: Application, Content, and Reason. | Improvements in the scientific field does not always correlate to a discovery of new scientific knowledge. This research focuses on the students which are the future of this society’s scientific community. Students become scientists by applying the conceptual knowledge that they are taught in school to everyday situations to either fix an issue or to expand upon the accepted scientific knowledge. To make improvements in the scientific field, one must have a solid conceptual foundation which to grow on and to gauge that knowledge; this research created an “instrument” to measure the capacity of the student to apply what they learn to real life scientific issues. The “instrument” that was created is a three-tier assessment that focuses on the thought process of the test taker and shows their logical problem solving abilities. The first question is a conceptual knowledge based question. The second question is a scientific application based question. While the last question seeks for the justification of the test takers on why he or she choose the answers to the previous two questions. This assessment’s methodology is different to those of standardized tests and other instruments that measure the student’s ability to apply what they know. It keeps subjectivity in assessments as low as possible to both the test taker and to the test graders. Lastly, the validity of this assessment was tested on undergrads on both biology majors and non-biology majors while satisfying construct, content, face, concurrent, and discriminant validity checks. | Dr. Jennifer Schellinger | College of Education | |||||||||||||||||||
39 | Jasmine George | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Dante in Modern Society | The works of Dante Alighieri are frequently referenced throughout many forms of media and everyday life, whether it be through television, advertisement, literature, or music. Often, pop culture pays homage to Dantean works such as Divine Comedy, inciting a fervent appreciation of medieval literature. The researchers at Dante Today and I study this interest in Dante’s writings. Dante Today was founded by Bowdoin College’s Arielle Saiber in 2006, with Florida State University’s Elizabeth Coggeshall joining the project in 2012. With citings and references discovered and submitted to the archive by ordinary people around the world, this archive succeeds in creating a community of those who are intrigued by Dante and yearn to learn more about his works. By showcasing such findings on the digital archive, as well as maintaining accurate documentation of these sources on the archive’s publicly accessible bibliography, we strive to emphasize the importance of Dante’s work and the influence it has on this contemporary era. | Dr. Elizabeth Coggeshall | Modern Languages and Linguistics | |||||||||||||||||||
40 | Zehta Glover | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Genome-wide Bioinformatic Analysis of Maize (Zea mays L.) DNA Sequence Motifs through Gene Ontology | Understanding maize genomics is vital for agricultural purposes. I undertook a bioinformatic analysis of presumed regulatory DNA motifs recently discovered in our lab (HW Bass, Biol. Sci, FSU). Our lab uses nuclease to map DNA-protein particles producing footprints with known genomic locations. These footprints define candidates for the regulatory DNA motifs, nucleotide sequence patterns assumed to have biological functions. We have identified over 200 DNA sequence motifs but their biological significance remains unknown. In order to address this gap in our knowledge, I assigned motifs to genes and examined their biological functions through gene ontology analysis (using AgriGO). Using the Genomaize browser tools, I first intersected motif locations with gene promoters (P3 and P63), genome-wide, producing gene lists for individual motif families. For example, the motif family "dym46" was present in 216 genes which were then submitted to the AgriGO gene ontology (GO) database for singular enrichment analysis (SEA). The GO-SEA report for dym46 identified a significant enrichment for the GO term GO:0050826 (response to freezing). Interestingly, freezing response genes in plants overlap with other stress responses including water stress (drought), possibly more relevant to Florida weather. Based on the initial success with dym46 and a few other motif families, we will extend this analysis to the entire list of motif families. This project has the potential to discover suggested biological functions for many of these uncharacterized DNA sequence motifs in maize. This knowledge could be useful to guide crop improvement strategies through precision engineering of gene regulatory regions. | Dr. Hank Bass | Department of Biological Science | |||||||||||||||||||
41 | Natalie Griffiths | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | eHealth Information-Seeking Behavior of Pregnant Women | Women are increasingly using the internet as a source of information about pregnancy, as it provides instant access to a trove of information that may resolve questions left unanswered by their doctors, family, or friends. This study aimed to investigate the ways in which women use the internet to seek information about their pregnancy, i.e their information-seeking behavior. This was done through a literature review of US-published papers related to information-seeking behavior in pregnant women or women experiencing infertility, in which data related to the type of information need expressed was encoded, as well as a summary and analysis of the benefits/issues of the information type addressed in each paper. | Dr. Zhe He | School of Information | |||||||||||||||||||
42 | Jiayi Guo | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The Marquis de Lafayette and Florida's Territorial History | The program is going to focus on the Marquis de Lafayette, an internationally significant historical figure who came to own 23,000 acres of land in central Leon County, Florida. By working with a team of scholars and performers from the group Theater with a Mission, researchers clearly see Lafayette’s influence on the United States from a new angle – how this hero from the US War for Independence played a pivotal role in promoting settlement in Florida Territory. That makes Lafayette the focus of the study. This project covers research ranging from tertiary resources to primary-source letters and a memoir that directly describes Lafayette’s visit to the United States in 1824, which is the visit that set the stage for the negotiation between Lafayette and Florida’s Territorial Governor William Pope DuVal resulting in the Lafayette land grant. The Marquis’ decision about the location of the land granted to him in gratitude for his leadership in the American Revolution had a great impact on today’s Florida. In the research, the emphasis is to learn about the meeting between two influential people – Lafayette and Gov. DuVal – and to build a dramatic scene reconstructing that discussion. Creating a research basis for reconstructing the imaginary dialogue can raise people’s awareness of that forgotten dramatic decision and give people a more precise understanding of the Marquis de Lafayette, the historical moment that shaped the Lafayette land grant, and Florida Territory’s place in international affairs. | Dr. Benjamin Gunter | Theater | |||||||||||||||||||
43 | Heeseo Han | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | An Assessment of Social and Environmental Sustainability Practices of Social Enterprises in the US: A Multi-Case Study | The broadening interest in non-traditional entrepreneurial dynamics led to the emergence of the new concept of the social enterprise (Defourny & Nyssens, 2006). Social enterprises are businesses with specific social objectives that serve their primary purpose over profit (Barone, 2020). The field of social enterprise is rapidly growing and attracting attention from many sectors. Social enterprises use innovative solutions to seek a company’s long-term value, sustainability, through its social, environmental, and economic performance. This study aims to describe the social and environmental sustainability practices of selected social enterprises, analyze their values, and assess their impact on social change in the global culture through a multi-case study. For data collection, in-depth interviews with founders or key employees from three successful social enterprises in the US fashion industry were conducted, focusing on their business models and social and environmental sustainability practices. Additional relevant documents concerning the enterprises were collected. Data analysis is currently in progress using open coding and the constant comparative method. This study will provide a glimpse of how social enterprises in the US fashion industry play a role in solving global societal issues. | Dr. Eundeok Kim | College of Entrepreneurship | |||||||||||||||||||
44 | Wesley Harris | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | History of Race Relations in Tallahassee | The aim of this study is to gather primary source materials related to the history of race relations in Tallahassee, with a specific evaluation of FSU’s involvement. This included FSU’s connection to slavery and its involvement in and perspective of integration. We conducted qualitative research and used catalogues of the Seminary West of the Suwannee River from 1886-1896 to determine what staff, students, and faculty had connections to slavery in Tallahassee through genealogical research. We also reviewed copies of FSU’s newspaper the Florida Flambeau from the years 1949-1952 to find evidence regarding integration. There were significant connections between students of the Seminary West with slavery, many students were from families that owned plantations in and around Tallahassee. While the evidence collected from the Florida Flambeau is limited, the absence of evidence in and of itself says that FSU was not integrated and had yet to take up the issue. We expect to see shifts in this close to the ‘60s when FSU had its first black students. | Dr. Jennifer Koslow | History | |||||||||||||||||||
45 | Eva Hasenhuttl-Bishop | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | NADPH Oxidase and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk | Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death in America, resulting in about 655,000 deaths each year. CVD is partially caused by genetics, but it is also brought on by age, life choices, diet, and other ailments, such as insulin resistance. CVD has been linked to increasingly sedentary lifestyles too. Also linked to a sedentary lifestyle, obesity has seen a drastic increase in recent decades, and as of 2018, 42.4% of Americans have been determined obese. Studies have shown that in obese individuals, there are increased levels of NADPH oxidase (NOX), and these heightened levels have been determined to play a key role in insulin resistance and endothelial function. However, the metabolic processes causing this are unknown. In this research, we target NOX, to investigate how the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by NOX contribute to increased CVD risk. | Mr. Cezar Meza | Department of Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
46 | Mikayla Heath | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | La Educación es Poder: A Cultural View of Education in the Latino Community | Abstract goes here The present study qualitatively examined the meaning of education in the Latino community, specifically those originating from rural Mexico, through the use of in-depth interviews facilitated by a semi-structured interview guide. In this context, the “meaning of education” not only refers to the word itself but also the implications that the word holds. Interviews (N=18) were conducted to clarify the role of education in the lives of Mexican immigrants and how this translated in their children’s lives. The interview guide was centered around four main parts: 1. Background of the participant, 2. Meaning of the word education, 3. Respondent’s experience of education in Mexico, 4. What a “better” future or life implies. The interviews were conducted in Spanish and then translated into English verbatim. Each transcript was read, and a case summary was created for each participant. The transcripts and summaries were then coded to find common themes across interviewees’ perspectives. The results indicated that the respondents have two basic definitions of education– moral and behavioral education and hard-skill education. Moreover, the importance of education in obtaining a “better” job, was emphasized clearly. In this case, a better job refers to a career out of the sun, where a person works less and earns more. The interviewees continuously mentioned the privilege their children have by living in the United States, and that they should not waste the opportunities afforded to them. There was also a standard for each generation to achieve what could not be done by the previous generation. | Dr. Joseph Grzywacz | Family & Child Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
47 | Sarah Helgeson | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Using EHR Data for Predicting Health Outcomes of Organ Transplantation Patients | With a wide adoption of electronic health record systems in the United States, an enormous amount of EHR data is present for secondary reuse to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes. EHR data contain a patient's medical history and treatment plan. Thus, they can help predict future health outcomes of patients using traditional statistics-based machine learning and deep learning methods. A lot of research has been conducted to predict health outcomes such as mortality and readmissions for patients with various diseases using EHR data, but rarely for organ transplantation patients, who could benefit from these models. Through the review of various published work in this area of study, a thorough conclusion can be drawn for using EHR data for predicting health outcomes among patients who have undergone organ transplantations. Through the review of previous research, a general trend showed that EHR data are capable of predicting certain health outcomes among a variety of organ transplantation patients. However, the performance of these models is suboptimal, yielding limited value for patient care. In this project, relevant papers were retrieved using a variety of search engines such as Mendeley, Google Scholar and JSTOR. Keywords “Electronic Health Records”, “Prediction Models” and “Organ Transplantation Outcomes” were used. Throughout this review, a variety of summary statistics were generated including sample size, datasets, analytical methods, type of data and more. A number of different models have been developed to predict health outcomes, and they all vary in their feature selections that allow for prediction of outcomes such as mortality, onset, quality of life and organ transplantation outcomes. Overall, we found that machine learning with EHR data is capable of predicting future health outcomes for patients who underwent organ transplantations, especially for pediatric patients. | Dr. Zhe He | Associate Professor and Chair of MSIT Program | |||||||||||||||||||
48 | Victoria Hernandez | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Using the Arts as a Proactive Mental Health Strategy for Generation Z | College students tend to have high stress levels due to the surrounding academic environment. This study focuses on using the Arts as a Proactive Mental Health Strategy for Generation Z. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted through a web-based approach to determine if arts-related interventions activate unique and distinguishable mechanisms of change. The researchers will reveal the unique role of the arts as a proactive mental health strategy for college students in Generation Z. | Ms. Andrea Chesure | Art Therapy | |||||||||||||||||||
49 | Kaleigh Herz | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Students, Social Media & Schools: Teen Social Media Use During COVID-19 | Social media use is incredibly common among adolescents, especially now in a time when social interaction is scarce. Past research has examined the relationship between social media use and well-being, however, past research has not examined the role of social media in learning. During this time there was not only an unprecedented increase in use of technology to spread information about a global pandemic, but also because of civic unrest. Social media platforms have become a place of informal learning and raising awareness. Using data from surveys and interviews conducted in summer 2020, this research aims to examine social media habits to get a better idea of how these global events have altered the way we use social media for learning. | Dr. Vanessa Dennen | Education | |||||||||||||||||||
50 | Kameron Higginbotham | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | How does mental health affect academic performance in low income college students? Evidence from a randomized housing scholarship study. | This research focuses on bringing awareness to mental health issues such as stress and anxiety in low-income college students who have housing insecurities and how it affects their academic performance. In partnership with SSF housing, which provides affordable rent prices to students who may have trouble paying rent we measure how having the housing scholarship or not will affect the student’s mental health and grades. By looking at the student’s academic reports we can see if there is any correlation between a student's self-reported mental health and academic performance. A survey was conducted through four cohorts of students based on whether they received the scholarship or not. The survey contains questions relating to the person’s current mental state, economics, home life, and previous experiences. The data suggests that there may be a negative correlation between anxiety/depression levels and GPA, but it is too soon to tell. The surveys that were analyzed so far were from before the COVID-19 pandemic, which may cause increased anxiety levels and with classes being online, students are forced more than ever to be on top of their studies. This study seeks to understand the correlation between mental health issues and academic performance in low-income students who applied for a housing scholarship. | Dr. Lara Perez- Felkner | Educational Leadership and Policy Studies | |||||||||||||||||||
51 | Lauren Hinrichs | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Potential of epibiotic turtle barnacle (Chelonibia testudinaria) size to discriminate between foraging regions used by loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Gulf of Mexico | Sea turtle carapaces host numerous epibionts, including the turtle barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria. Barnacle growth may be a function of environmental conditions where nesting turtles forage, and identifying where nesting turtles forage is important for conservation. The barnacles were separated into four different categories depending on what foraging region they were in. This helped create a pattern to differentiate if the baranclers were smaller or bigger in said region and made it easier to compare one region's average barnacle size to another. The software that was used to analyze the data took the average barnacle size from two regions and found the difference. Barnacle size difference between foraging regions (ANOVA: df=4, F=9.389, p=0.000). Barnacles in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico were smaller than the ones found in the Southern Gulf of Mexico by 0.597 cm (p=0.038). Barnacles from the Northern Gulf of Mexico were also found to be larger than Southern Gulf of Mexico barnacles. The p-value was 0.000, making it significant as well.The Southern Gulf of Mexico barnacles were consistently smaller in size which could be caused by lower net productivity of the ocean in that area than other areas of the Gulf of Mexico. | Mr. Ian Silver-Gorges | Environmental Science | |||||||||||||||||||
52 | Kindle Hon | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Analysis of Penguin Species | New research suggests that the waddling gait of a penguin is energy efficient, and a helpful resource for understanding how to navigate slippery terrains. Obtaining the gait dynamics of penguins could lead to a revolution in robotic software. Many engineers today are using animal models to understand how they move over difficult terrain and then relating that back to robotics. So, this research is vital. Before any experimentation can be done, research must first go into understanding which species of penguin would be the ideal candidate to extract gait information from. In this study, research was done vetting 6 different penguin species. The perfect candidate out of these penguin species needed to be on ice for a majority of their lives. So, research was put into going through records where scientists spotted the different penguin species and identifying the locations they were in. The penguin species that was most often located in an area where ice was likely to be found was considered the best candidate for gait research. This best candidate penguin was the Chinstrap penguin. The Chinstrap species was most often spotted by scientists in either the Antarctic Peninsula or on floating ice sheets. This suggests that the Chinstrap penguin is best for gait research since they are most often found navigating icy surfaces, providing an excellent model for how robots could do the same. | Engineering | ||||||||||||||||||||
53 | Kori Houston | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The Early Incarceration of Indigenous and African-American People. | Imprisonment is one large way that society and the government keep people of color from receiving the same treatment as their white counterparts. An example of this would be the first initial development of the police force. The first major example of the police forced being formed is The Railroad Strike of 1877. This event resulted in a new emphasis on legitimizing and expanding the police. Changes to policing coincided with the reorganization of the militia into the National Guard (Ovetz, 2020). The governors called on state militias or even federal troops to break them and restore rail service (Allosso, 2018). As a result, the police forced was now servicing the high-class which was only white people who could afford to call them whenever they pleased via callboxes in their homes. This caused the high-class to be empowered and control society. Overtime, the continuous expansion of the police along with the plan of oppression of people of color started mass incarceration | Dr. Dyan Neary | English and Literature | |||||||||||||||||||
54 | Anthony Insinna | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Disaster Recovery Resources after Hurricane Michael | On October 10th, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida’s Panhandle as a Category 5 storm, causing severe damage across the region before moving north through Georgia and weakening to a tropical storm soon after. Michael is estimated to have caused over $25 billion in total damage, with coastal areas bearing the brunt of the storm. As a part of the federal disaster response, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Defense, and several other agencies awarded contracts collectively worth over $4.6 billion to various businesses. The contract recipients operate in a variety of sectors and range from large, national corporations to small, locally-owned businesses. This research seeks to determine the extent that federal agencies utilized businesses based in the affected areas when contracting. | Dr. David Berlan | College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | |||||||||||||||||||
55 | Wesley Jean-Pierre | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Creating a CAD UGV Robot for Simulation Missions | The goal of this project was to design a new Unmanned Ground Vehicle, creating a new captivating design, based on the original designs. After creating each part of the UGV robot it would ultimately be put together into a simulator to be tested through different obstacles. Just as cars come out with new designs for the same model, the goal of this project is to create a new design of the UGV robot. | Dr. Cristian Hubicki | Robotics | |||||||||||||||||||
56 | Rebecca Kanter | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Politics of Rare-Earth Minerals | Rare-earth is extracted from bastnaesite ore found in Mountain Pass Mine, CA to be used in technological components, ranging from a rechargeable battery to a high power magnet. The finite supply and importance of bastnaesite gives it high value on the global market and relevant in diplomatic exchanges and goals of maintaining hegemony. Molycorp Minerals LLC. has land ownership over Mountain Pass Mine and the processes contained within it, however, there are national and state regulations in place that must be followed to protect the environment during these processes. Molycorp compiled a report of their mill and mine operations to produce a 30-year environmental impact report and outline future developmental plans on behalf of The California Regional Water Quality Control Board. Molycorp addresses their compliance with environmental statutes under different treatments found on Mountain Pass Mine as well as designated future plans for the land, however, there is little physical evidence or knowledge about these processes that confirm reports. In addition, there is little research done to validate the statutes created by the state and federal government for limiting the actions of mine and mill operations. The value of rare-earth and its production brings into question the reliability of both Molycorp and the United States government, in their doing of creating environmental protective policy and claiming processes follow environmental regulations, due to the profit and global leverage rare-earth elements provide to both parties. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the report by Molycorp, in combination with third-party, unbiased data on Mountain Pass Mine and its processes, to gain insight towards the reality of rare-earth politics and the reality of environmental protective stances by the United States. Legal writing in the report produced by Molycorp is used to identify the environmental protection being addressed and Molycorp’s compliance or involvement with it based on the report, other research about this topic is used to confirm, deny, or further question the information in the report. Environmental policy is also analyzed to review the impact of current and past advancements. | Mr. Alex Adkinson | Fine Arts | |||||||||||||||||||
57 | Emma Kiely | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Confronting COVID-19: An Evaluation of the Evolving Role of Emergency Management During the Pandemic | Over the past decade, opensource intelligence has become an important tool in emergency management strategies. The onset of COVID-19 in the U.S. has presented emergency managers with a new multidimensional challenge to navigate; prompting an even greater reliance on social media for information. The rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic, in contrast with more localized threats and natural disasters, has created new obstacles for emergency management professionals looking to raise situational awareness. To efficiently meet the needs of local and state partners, professionals are struggling to remain relevant to policy makers. Additionally, our access to real-time information through social media challenges us to retain our credibility through threats of misinformation. Despite these challenges, the pandemic has shown us the potential of disaster intelligence during unprecedented crises. Social media and other outlets at FSU’s Center for Disaster Risk Policy are used to create situation reports regarding the COVID-19 crisis. These situation reports have served partners like the State of Florida's State Emergency Response Team (SERT) in decision-making regarding the pandemic. Last spring, the DISINT team relied on nearly 120 student volunteers to gather information in order to properly support partners at FSU, in two counties, and at hospital systems in New York. In the year 2021, we act as a historical archive for future emergency management professionals and work to support the university in their efforts against COVID-19. | Mr. David Merrick | Emergency Management and Homeland Security | |||||||||||||||||||
58 | Jason King | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Applications of Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) and Data Automation | The combination of Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) with complementary spectroscopic methods has been shown to be a new and valuable technique for investigating electronic transitions of plasmonic semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). MCD allows for the detection of electronic transitions that are normally too weak to be detected and measured through traditional absorption spectroscopy. After collection, the data must then be processed. Data processing encompasses the cleaning of data, assembling a new data product, and then outputting the data in a common and coherent format. This can become a tedious task which has prompted the growing popularity of automating data processing. Automating the process allows for a reduction in time and improvement in final result consistency. Through access to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), we can investigate plasmonic semiconductor NCs with MCD in a magnetic field of up to 10 T. The use of a high magnetic field in tandem with MCD is what allows for greater sensitivity for the detection of transitions that are convoluted when we attempt to observe them at a lower field or with different methods. Experimentally collected data was subsequently processed through a custom script written in Python 3. This script combs through a directory for our specified file type, appends all the data into a single repository, removes unnecessary inputs, transforms the data into our preferred units, and then produces graphs in a consistent and coherent format that allows for data analysis for MCD in addition to other spectroscopic techniques such as Raman. | Jason Kuszynski | Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry | |||||||||||||||||||
59 | Michael Kopelman | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Structure of Moist Static Energy Variability in Tropical Cyclones and its Impact on a Tropical Cyclone’s Intensity and Development | Abstract Around the world, tropical cyclones pose a threat to millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions. Therefore, research is needed on the physics of tropical cyclone development so that the best understanding of the phenomenon is available to better prepare and protect these vulnerable populations around the globe. In this project, the topic of research is the structure of moist static energy variability in tropical cyclones and its impact on a tropical cyclone’s intensity and development. The project uses dropsonde observations from the 2020 NOAA Hurricane Field Campaign. A dropsonde is a device dropped from an airplane into a tropical cyclone to obtain profiles of atmospheric data for study and prediction. Matlab, a computer programming language, was used in in this project to help analyze and plot the data collected from the dropsondes dropped into Hurricane Teddy in September 2020. Though the project is still ongoing, we have analyzed profiles of temperature, humidity, and winds and computed column-integrated moist static energy. Moist static energy depends on temperature and humidity. We found that moist static energy decreases with distance from Hurricane Teddy’s center, consistent with expectations from theory and models. Altogether, the dropsonde data are crucial to getting a view of inside the Hurricane to help science get a better understand these Meteorological beasts. goes here | Dr. Allison Wing | Meteorology | |||||||||||||||||||
60 | Matthew Lagana | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Helping FSU License Plate Stand Out in a Crowded Market | FSU’s license plate is the 4th most popular specialty plate in the state of Florida, but new plate registrations have fallen in recent years. We want to know why members of the FSU community choose to – or choose not to – purchase our license plate, and accordingly adjust our marketing strategy to target new consumers. In this study, we designed and administered a survey to FSU alumni that identifies why they choose to, or not to, purchase our license plate. The results of our study will carry implications for our future marketing strategy. Using this data, we can target our general marketing efforts to more likely subscribers, thus allowing us to advertise more efficiently. | Ms. Ayne Markos | FSU University Relations | |||||||||||||||||||
61 | Dante LoCicero | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Taking the Bus to the Polls: Public Transit Accessibility and Voter Turnout in the Sacramento Area | Voter turnout is one of the most studied areas of political science. Previous research has shown that reducing costs associated with voting will make people more likely to vote. Two pieces of previous research showed differing results when analyzing the effect of public transit accessibility on voter turnout. I constructed an original dataset using data from the State of California and from the FFIEC. Multivariate OLS regression (with controls) was used to test the hypothesis that census tracts in the Sacramento area with more access to transit would see higher voter turnout in the 2008 presidential election. The results showed that tracts with higher percentages of people living within half a mile of a transit stop that was served at fifteen-minute frequency or faster did not have differing levels of turnout, holding all else constant (thus supporting the null hypothesis). Further research into the effect of public transit accessibility on voter turnout would benefit from analysis of more urban areas with differing amounts of transit modes and accessibility, as well as difference-in-difference studies of urban areas that saw significant changes in transit accessibility over time. | Dr. Douglas Ahler | Political Science Department at FSU COSSPP | |||||||||||||||||||
62 | Andrea Lopez | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Comparing Phonological, Orthographic, and Morphological Spelling Errors of Peer Review English Learners to their English Proficient Peers | This study aims to describe and quantify the types of spelling errors produced in the writing samples of students who are English Learners (EL) and students who are English proficient. The spelling errors in 100 writing samples, 50 written by ELs and 50 by students who are English proficient, will be coded on the basis of English phonology, orthography, and morphology. The study also aims to identify if the type and quantity of spelling errors significantly differ between students who are English proficient and ELs and if there is a consistent and identifiable error pattern between the writing samples of ELs that differs from the error patterns of the students who are English proficient. | Dr. Kelly Farquharson | College of Communication & Information | |||||||||||||||||||
63 | Belle Lowke | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Women in the US Military | Most countries have experienced war at some point in their history. Historically males are associated with the military, however, history should not forget about the women who supported their military as well. This research project aims at uncovering the various military positions that women have held in the military from the American Revolution until present day. A master annotated bibliography will be created with assistance from the history department and the Institute of World War II and Human Experience. It will contain primary and secondary sources ranging from different dates and perspectives. The bulk of the sources identify the important roles women have held in the US military. The master annotated bibliography will then be narrowed down to the most important sources to be made into a planned printed volume of documents giving voices to the individual servicewomen. In addition to the printed volume, a documentary on military women during WWII is in the works. My research focused on women at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. A recurring theme is the want for gender equality as well as sexual harassment experienced for several women in service. Overall, this research project will shed light on the women who served for the United States and created a path for future women to fight. | Dr. Kurt Piehler | History | |||||||||||||||||||
64 | Carolina Macchi | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Word Knowledge Instruction | The aims of the present pilot study are to test whether an increase of instruction in morphological awareness will improve the reading comprehension of upper-elementary school students. Morphological awareness is the understanding, recognition and use of morphemes, or the smallest unit of meaning within a word. By applying morphological awareness, it is easier for individuals to ascertain the meaning of an unfamiliar word by piecing the meaning together from its components. Previous literature suggests that increased morphological awareness has been shown to lead to better reading comprehension. For the current project, certain affixes were targeted for third, fourth, and fifth grade students, and digital lessons were compiled for each affix, each containing activities, word matrixes, a quiz, and a story containing words with the affix (to clarify, an affix is a morpheme added to either the beginning of a base word (a prefix) or to the end of a base word (a suffix)). Once finished, these lessons will be introduced to a trial group to determine if they effectively improve the students’ reading comprehension. The project is currently ongoing, so no formal conclusion has been reached. Keywords: reading comprehension, affixes, morphological awareness | Dr. Carla Wood | Communication Science and Disorders | |||||||||||||||||||
65 | Morgan Marisa | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Analyzing Written Communication Errors of Young Dual-Language-Learners | Possessing effective communication skills is crucial in today’s world. Young dual language learners often fall a step behind their native-English speaking counterparts in oral and written communication due to multiple possible factors such as a lack of English speaking in their home environment or a late introduction to the language. This research looks into common grammatical, conventional, and spelling errors that impact second-graders’ dual-language-learner’s written communication. The study used writing samples from classrooms from different school districts along the East Coast. Additionally, basic demographic information was gathered on the students who participated in the study. Two groups of samples were taken, one in the Fall and one in the Spring of 2020. Both groups of samples were analyzed and coded for grammatical, conventional, and spelling errors. The results showed that while overall word variation increased, the total grammatical and conventional errors also increased, showing negative improvement from fall to spring. | Dr. Carla Wood | College of Communication and Information | |||||||||||||||||||
66 | Johanna Marquez Diaz | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Patient Care, Information Intake, & Social Support: A Data Analysis | A critical component of patient care includes the social support received by people not involved with the patient’s medical treatment. Information overload can overwhelm patients and add to the burden of the complex situation. To alleviate some of the stress, patients are encouraged to find social support. The primary interest of this research project investigates the correlation between reported social support outside the medical profession and actively seeking information regarding medical treatment concerning patients diagnosed with cancer. Information can be obtained through various channels. For example, the internet, other patients, and from the individuals providing professional medical treatment. I hypothesized that people with social support outside medical professionals will be related to seeking cancer information online. The information utilized for the project will be obtained from the HINTS 5 Cycle 1 Public Codebook. Through a cross tabulation, this hypothesis will be evaluated. Additional secondary findings will be reported for this research project. This research is being conducted in hopes that the patient’s health information seeking is understood. Information and technology constantly evolve and understanding trends can help communicate accurate information to patients regarding their medical treatment. | Ms. Lynette Hammond Gerido | College of Communication & Information | |||||||||||||||||||
67 | Michelle Martinez | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Factors associated with parent-portal use after screening for autism and communication delay in primary care | The implementation of technology has evolved across time, and it has particularly been represented in the use of online portals to connect patients with their provider and increase access to health records, appointment creation, and education resources. Online portals may also prove beneficial to parents of young children, especially after developmental screenings. An important step in examining the potential utility of an online parent portal is assessing engagement in the portal and the factors that influence use. Thus, this study aims to examine parent-portal use after screening for autism or communication delay in primary care for children under 26 months. A secondary aim of this study was to determine whether there are factors that influence parents’ use of the online portal. This study examined a subsample of 730 families collected as part of a large-scale, community-based screening study. The data analyzed in this study was collected from families in Florida who registered for the web-based platform during a routine well-child visit and completed screening for autism and communication delay for their children. Key variables of interest for this study include parent demographic information such as gender, age, race, and educational level. There were no statistically significant correlations between the factors assessed and likelihood of parents logging back into the portal, except in maternal education level where mothers who had some college education were more likely to log back in than those who had high school education or less. Limitations of this study included parents’ access to technology and level of understanding of portal use, future research should focus on how technology resources can impact parent portal use. | Dr. Jessica Hooker | College of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||
68 | Dyshia Maxwell | A | 2:00-3:00 | Take a Breath: A Population-oriented Prevention Approach using Mindfulness Training to Impact College Students’ Sense of Coherence, Stress Levels, and Help-seeking Intentions | Mindfulness practice has been positively associated with mental health wellbeing and has aided in behavioral problems related to suicide and self-harm (An et al., 2019). College students experience daily life stressors affecting their academic life (Wyatt et al., 2017) and their help-seeking behaviors (Shankland et al., 2019). Sense of coherence (SOC) is a valid indicator of mindfulness and is positively correlated with general mental health. This study aims to analyze college students’ sense of coherence (SOC), mindfulness strategies, perceived stress, and help-seeking intentions while utilizing the “Headspace” application. “Headspace" is a meditation app that aids in gaining mindfulness skills whilst guiding users through a series of meditative practices. During this study, sixty-two participants will be assessed over a 60-day period. Mindfulness practice has been shown to have a positive impact on sense of coherence levels. We expect that greater SOC will predict reduced stress and increased help-seeking behaviors. | Ms. Diana Carbonell | College of Education | |||||||||||||||||||
69 | Caroline McCullough | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Gender Differences in PTSD-like Symptoms Before Open-heart Surgery and the Role of Psychosocial Factors | Open-heart surgery (OHS) is a life-altering event in late life. The highly stressful month waiting for surgery can lead to PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder)-like symptoms that have been associated with poor cardiac outcomes. Women with heart diseases (HD) tend to be more disadvantaged in medical and psychosocial aspects than their male counterparts. This study aimed to investigate: sex/gender differences in pre-OHS PTSD symptoms, and the role of psychosocial factors (quality-of-life/QOL, character strengths) in symptom levels. Methods: We recruited 481 pre-OHS patients (male=58%; mean age=62) for two interviews. Medical indices/factors were obtained from the Society of Thoracic Surgeon’s (STS) national database. Multivariate analyses were performed following pre-planned steps and adjusting medical factors in the Society of Thoracic Surgeon’s/STS database. Results: As we hypothesized, women reported more PTSD-like symptoms, chronic medical comorbidities, and impacted mental wellbeing more. Multivariate analyses indicated that gender differences were explained by poor mental wellbeing, alongside comorbidities; both related to PTSD-like symptoms. Dispositional optimism was inversely associated with symptom levels. Conclusion: To improve OHS outcomes, cardiac care providers should be attentive to pre-OHS PTSD-like symptoms and to amend mental wellbeing in women, and to enhance personality strengths. | Dr. Amy Ai | College of Social Work | |||||||||||||||||||
70 | Rachel McDougall | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Lewy Body Dementia in the Context of Protein Misfolding and Biomarkers | Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is a 2nd most common type of degenerative disease that is often-times misdiagnosed. This is largely due to the limited knowledge on its complex neurodegenerative pathology and the vast number of clinical similarities to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Although many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of various degenerative diseases have been made, there has been little progress in understanding the major mechanisms involved in the DLB neurodegeneration. This study aims to provide an overview of the current literature on the recent findings regarding pathogenesis of DLB, with a specific focus on biomarkers and prodromes. A comprehensive review of 50 articles was conducted utilizing the PubMed and UpToDate database. What emerged in this literature review, was numerous studies suggesting a protein pathology through the misfolding of α-synuclein, leading to formation of aggregates (Lewy bodies) in the brain. Several screening and biofluid techniques, including MRI scans and cerebral spinal fluid analyses, have also highlighted this protein as a possible major contributor to the pathology. β-amyloid and Tau proteins also appear to be involved, correlating the DLB pathology to that of AD. By gaining more insight into these pathogenic mechanisms and establishing concrete DLB biomarkers, an early and more accurate diagnosis can be achieved, which would enable early intervention and treatment. Future research should be multifaceted, including structural, proteomic, and genetic approaches, to identify the key factors of the disease and reveal the correlation between clinical symptoms and pathological findings. | Ava Bienkiewicz | College of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||
71 | Peter McGoron | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Building a Low-Noise Programmable Digital-Analog Converter | Low noise voltage sources are important for taking proper scientific measurements. Here an open hardware Digital Analog Converter, the Seekat Quad-AD5780 is built and evaluated. This DAC should have low voltage noise spectral density compared to other recorded noise for commercially available DACs. The DACs open-source firmware should allow for easy extension and modification of the DACs behavior, and the DAC itself can be communicated over a serial cable with using a simple protocol. The DAC should be robust to failures to most component failures and should also facilitate easy replacement of any failed component. | Dr. Guangxin Ni | Department of Physics | |||||||||||||||||||
72 | Catherine Medina | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Guinea's Illiberal Legacy: Reversing Democracy under Alpha Condé | Prior to the 2020 Guinean presidential elections, current president, Alpha Conde, successfully sought out a constitutional referendum to extend his term limits. Conde’s inability to relinquish power to the nation’s democratic institutions calls the legitimacy of the regime further into question. The post-referendum and post-election civilian unrest was met with a bloody government crackdown on opposition forces after having successfully won the election through questionable processes. Thus, the recent election in Guinea offers an opportunity to understand the current climate of human rights in the state. The current regime has used democratic processes to confirm and extend autocratic power, conditioned by the former CNDD military regime under Moussa Dadis Camara and former presidency of Lansana Conté. Through historical and literary analyses, I provide an in-depth look at the 2020 presidential election, an examination of practices in past elections and, finally, human rights reports about broader violations in the country. This research finds historical trends of ethical violations, extreme violence, and the employment of intimidation tactics to extend the power of the regimes currently in question. Similarly, it finds the state under Alpha Conde continuing to act in exceptional ways to maintain the power of the ruling elite. | Dr. Joseph Hellweg | Religion | |||||||||||||||||||
73 | Charlinda Megene | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | This is America’: African American History, Culture, and Socio-Political Commentary. | In 2018, rapper Childish Gambino released the video for his song “This Is America” which showcased a violent side of America that African Americans have known too well. His video uses popular culture as a means to address issues experienced by African Americans, opening the door for dialogue about racial inequity. This research project explores Gambino’s video in detail, investigating its symbols and historical context. We explore topics such as blackface minstrelsy, African American social dance history, recent church shootings, and racial profiling. To delve into the music video, we analyze scholarly articles, journals, and books related to its imagery, including azonto dance, hip hop music, Afrofuturism, police brutality, the Charleston church shooting, and the Jim Crow character and laws. With this information, we construct a workshop around Gambino’s video to explore how its symbolism delivers a political message that calls out a legacy of racism in America. This workshop offers insight into African American social dance and how African American art responds to America’s political landscape. This research project hopes to not only examines the history behind the systemic injustices but also explores its relevance today and how it shaped and sculpted American culture. | Dr. Jen Atkins | Dance | |||||||||||||||||||
74 | Michael Mellquist | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Investigation of NADPH oxidase as a link between vascular and metabolic dysfunction. | The purpose of this study is to investigate how excess calories from consumption of meals high in glucose, fat or mixed nutrients affect blood glucose profiles and lipolytic rates in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Additionally, we will determine if excess calories affect the ability to suppress lipolysis due to heightened NOX activity and if the resultant exposure to plasma free fatty acids impair endothelial function. We hypothesize that overeating high fat meals will increase NOX-mediated lipolytic rates in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, thereby impairing the postprandial suppression of lipolysis and reducing endothelial function in the microvasculature of both tissues. We are using our lab’s novel microdialysis technique to detect specific sources of ROS production in the human muscle microvasculature. We have yet to obtain results because of covid restrictions on human research, thus, we cannot conclude anything at the moment. | Mr. Cesar Meza | Human Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
75 | Kevin Miller | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Changes in Literacy Knowledge in Parents of Children with Hearing Loss | Children with hearing loss typically experience slower or poorer reading outcomes when compared to their hearing counterparts, even with current intervention methods employed (Entwisle, 2016). Research suggests that parents could be key to reducing this gap through emergent literacy training (Whitehurst, 1998). Emergent literacy refers to the developmental continuum along which reading develops. It also acknowledges important “pre-reading” skills, such as language ability and concepts about print. Reading interactively requires parents asking questions to their children while pointing to target words (Dirks, 2018) but parents may not be aware of these techniques and their importance. Currently, there is a deficit in the literature regarding how training can improve parents’ knowledge of literacy. This project aims to provide literacy training to parents of children with hearing loss and evaluate changes in parents’ literacy knowledge. After parents undergo a four-part training on emergent literacy techniques and related information, it is hypothesized that there will be an increase in parental literacy knowledge. | Ms. Briana Acevedo | College of Communication and Information | |||||||||||||||||||
76 | Hailey Mira | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Role of NADPH Oxidase Activity on Muscle Microvascular Endothelial Function in Human Obesity | Women served in unofficial roles before being granted legal entrance into the U.S. military and even those permitted to serve were not always acknowledged or credited for the roles they had. Through the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, we researched the roles of servicewomen in the American military spanning from the American Revolution to the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This study focuses on female servicemembers in the Persian Gulf War and female physicians in the American military. Specifically, we focused on the arguments for and against the integration of women into the military, combat exclusion laws, the combat roles of women during the Gulf War, and noteworthy women who served during the war. Regarding female physicians, we focused on the general timeline and appointment of female physicians and specialists as well as notable women who held medical billets. | Mr. Cesar Meza | Department of Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
77 | Kelsey Mira | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Women in the American Military: Combat Roles During the Persian Gulf War and Female Physicians | Impaired endothelial function is observed in several disease states that are related to obesity. The enzyme NADPH oxidase is a major source of oxidative stress within the vasculature and has been linked with Metabolic Syndrome. We will investigate the mechanism of exercise training-induced alterations in ROS, reactive oxygen species, production and action on endothelial dysfunction in obesity using the newly developed microdialysis methodology of monitoring ROS production, in combination with analysis of muscle biopsy samples obtained before and after our previously tested 8-week intervention of aerobic interval exercise training. The objectives of this study are to determine the impact of in vivo NADPH oxidase activity on endothelial function in obese individuals, and to determine the mechanism of training-induced improvements in endothelial function. Our unique microdialysis methodology will allow monitoring of microvascular/endothelial function and ROS generation, as well as the administration of pharmacological agents directly into muscle. The central hypothesis is that it is up-regulation of both mitochondrial ROS and NADPH oxidase-derived ROS that results in endothelial dysfunction in obesity, and that exercise training down-regulates mitochondrial-derived ROS, and NADPH oxidase, thereby improving endothelial function. | Dr. Guenter Kurt Piehler | History | |||||||||||||||||||
78 | Owen Moore | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Impaired nest building behavior in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome | Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disabilities. Symptoms of FXS include anxiety, attention deficit, hyperactivity, and changes in social interactions consistent with autistic behavior. FXS is a result of a mutation in which a DNA segment, known as a CGG triplet repeat, is expanded within the fragile- X mental retardation – 1 (FMR1) gene. The Fragile X mouse model is a transgenic mouse in which the Fmr1 gene is deleted. The mouse model displays behavioral impairments that are consistent with the behavioral symptoms reported in humans with FXS. I focused specifically on nest building behavior in the mouse model. Nest building is a natural and spontaneous behavior in both male and female mice. It is an excellent proxy for compulsive behavior and social behavior. Nest building is easily quantified by using a nest scoring system. The mice are given nesting material at hourly intervals. The score range is 1 through 5, in which 5 represents a fully formed nest. Mice typically build a nest with a score of 5 within 4 hours. We found that both male and female Fmr1 KO mice have a significant impairment in nest building behavior when compared to their wildtype littermates. We are currently investigating novel therapeutics for FXS based on their ability to improve nest building behavior in the Fmr1 KO mice. | Ms. Deirdre Mc Carthy | Department of Biomedical Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
79 | Sydney Mullen | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Investigation into the History of Race Relations in Tallahassee | In order to fully understand this nation’s history, acknowledgement must be made of the oppressive institutions that laid the foundation for the country, and the consequences of these systems of inequality in modern times. Florida State University is among many U.S. colleges that benefitted directly from the enslavement of African Americans and the forced labor that upheld the formation of the university. This UROP project aims to further investigate the extent to which FSU depended on those oppressive operations, as well as the history of race relations in Tallahassee during the Jim Crow Era. Information is to be compiled into an interactive module that educates students on the university’s involvement in oppressive institutions. To do this, primary sources such as genealogy records, yearbook archives, and newspapers are analyzed by participating researchers and relevant information is compiled into excel sheets. Current findings indicate that there is still much left to investigate in terms of primary sources, and this gap in research is wider than initially realized. This is significant because it sheds light on the hidden history of this university’s past in terms of race relations and emphasizes the need for such education of the past. | Dr. Jennifer Koslow | History | |||||||||||||||||||
80 | Alexa Naparstek | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | White Masculinity in Contemporary Japan | The racialization of the U.S.-Japan alliance has been pervasive during the postwar period and continues to be seen in both military presence and U.S. cultural presence in programs like the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. White U.S. migrants living in Japan working as English teachers today are embedded within this racialized history, which is defined by tensions between white privilege and various forms of Japanese nationalist sentiment. White men arriving in Japan have historically been conceptualized as embarking on a transformational journey in which the man becomes a neo-colonial figure representing the power and desirability of the United States. The purpose of this research is to analyze examples of white masculinity in contemporary Japan and the sense of white male victimhood that emerges from the inability to fulfill their imperialist hopes when faced with ethno-nationalist resistance and precarity within the labor market. The research into white male experiences in Japan brings together ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, white activist texts, and popular culture texts such as the “Charisma Man” comic. This data has been analyzed in light of various secondary scholarly sources, including Japan Studies scholarship on diversity, as well as American Studies scholarship on white male victimhood discourse. The director of the project, Dr. Christina Owens, has collected this information for her book. Findings so far have discussed the blatant prejudice against non-white English teachers in Japan’s language industry, the exclusionary displays of “Japanese Only” signs in public places, and the imperialist psychology of the white male expatriates in Japan. | Dr. Christina Owens | Honors/Humanities | |||||||||||||||||||
81 | Alejandro Narvaez | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Validating SARS-CoV-2 stable cell lines through PCR and development of sgRNAs for gene pull-down. | The novel SARS-CoV-2 has killed well over two million people and has infected more than one hundred million worldwide to date. It is of most importance to understand its mechanisms of infection and disease. The overall goal of this research is to determine differences in cell impact between this novel Coronavirus, endemic Coronaviruses that cause common colds, and other pandemic Coronaviruses. To achieve this goal, plasmid constructs were used to infect mammalian lung and epithelial kidney cells with open reading frames for individual viral proteins. This project focuses primarily in confirming that these transgenes were successfully inserted into our cell lines. For this purpose, Polymerase Chain Reaction primers and probes were carefully designed, along with small guide RNAs. The results of the PCR runs showed that all fifteen of our transgenes were present in our cell lines. In addition, the transgenes were sequenced and compared to the original viral gene sequences. Our sequences matched our original viral sequences, also showing the success of the transfection. This project is meant to lay the groundwork for many future studies, including a more in-depth research into chromatin dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. For instance, the sgRNAs designed in this project will be used in the future for a CRISPR-dCas9-mediated pull-down of specific mammalian genes impacted by viral proteins. This will help determine which DNA-binding factors are involved in Covid-19 progression and severity. We aim for our work to be replicated and used for a great variety of future inquiries related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. | Ms. Jane Benoit | Molecular Biology | |||||||||||||||||||
82 | John Nusbaum | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Observing Macromolecule Binding Patterns Through Single-Molecule Spectroscopy | All life is dependent upon complex enzymatic pathways. Attempting to study and understand the binding characteristics of different enzymes can quickly become overwhelming due to the simultaneous binding and unbinding of thousands of enzymes per second at the macroscopic scale. Using single molecule spectroscopy techniques, individual molecules can be fluorescently tagged and colocalized to gain valuable information about enzymatic complex formation and timeframes to better understand macromolecule assembly. | Dr. Zucai Suo | College of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||
83 | Albert Oleksy | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Seeing the Light: The Potential Alzheimer's Treatment Ability of 40 Hz Flickering Light | In early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) spatial navigation is one of the first impairments to emerge; however, the precise cause is unclear. Previously, we showed that, in a mouse with tau and amyloid beta (Ab) aggregation, getting lost represents at least in part a failure to use distal cues to get oriented in space and that impaired parietal-hippocampal network plasticity during sleep may underlie this spatial disorientation. The relationship between tau and Ab aggregation in the parietal-hippocampal brain network and impaired spatial orientation has not been causally connected. Therefore, as a first step towards testing this hypothesis, we assessed the effects of a novel non-invasive treatment for clearing amyloid and tau pathology in this network. We used the 3XTG-AD mouse which accumulates Tau and Ab, key features of human AD . 3XTG-AD mice were exposed to a 40 Hz light, a treatment that has been shown to entrain a 40Hz rhythm in neurons in several brain regions (Iaccarino et al., 2016) and to clear Tau and Ab in those brain regions. After 1 week of treatment, brain sections were processed using immunohistochemistry to label Ab conformations previously shown to be more strongly linked to impairments (M78) than other conformations of Ab (e.g., M22; Pensalfini et al., 2014). Then sections were mounted on slides and imaged. Finally, I obtained M78 positive neuron densities in the dCA1 region of the hippocampus as well as the parietal cortex, two key components of the parietal-hippocampal brain network which have not been examined following this treatment. | Dr. Aaron Wilber | Department of Psychology | |||||||||||||||||||
84 | Carly Orenstein | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The History of Race Relations in Tallahassee: How it has impacted our lives today | The research that we have been conducting is ‘The History of Race Relations in Tallahassee’. We have been looking at the impact of slavery in Tallahassee and at Florida State University. We have been conducting genealogy research to figure out who has connections to FSU that owned slaves. It could have been professors, students, staff, or anyone with any ties to the university. We went through old FSU yearbooks that date back to 1915 to find names and used those names to research their families in databases and attempt to find ties to slavery. We are still in the process of conducting research so we do not have any results yet. With this project, we hope to educate the community of Tallahassee on the history of race relations and how it impacts our lives today. | Prof. Jennifer Koslow | Historical Administration & Public History Program | |||||||||||||||||||
85 | Louisena Osias | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Instructional Explanations in Mathematics | Instructional explanations are often used in learning and teaching math. However, there is little research on the types of explanations provided or if those explanations are effective in improving the academic success of the student. The purpose of this research project is to create a scheme for categorizing instructional explanations in math. We have created a database of explanations using three sources from grades 4 to 8 teacher manuals; Khan Academy, Eureka Math, and GoMath!. Currently, we are creating a scheme for categorizing the explanations. Lastly, we hope to use the categorization scheme to code explanations found in the database. To date, our current findings report that textbooks like GoMath! provided a general explanation in which it used procedural steps to solve a problem. Whereas, Eureka Math and Khan Academy, consist of explanations that explained why a solution is reasonable using a thorough clarification of different concepts. Overall, we expect our project to provide teachers and math textbook editors an effective way to develop explanations to difficult topics that will thoroughly explain concepts to students when solving a problem. | Dr. David Braithwaite | Department of Psychology | |||||||||||||||||||
86 | Katherine Parker | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Observing a Buoyant Plume within a Flume | The study of buoyant plumes is crucial to understanding fluid dynamics within an environment. This can often be applied to real world events when discussing the spread of buoyant pollutants in air and water. In this study, we investigated the turbulent nature of a buoyant plume within a background flow. In order to do this, we used a flume to create the background flow and a flow meter to create a buoyant plume. The flow meter pushed a buoyant blue liquid solution through a tube into the flume. The different flume speeds used were 0.04m/s 0.1m/s, 0.2m/s, and 0.3m/s. The size of the plume was controlled by the flow meter, and we used flows of 10 ml/min, 20 ml/min, 30 ml/min, 40ml/min, 50ml/min, 100ml/min, and 140 ml/min. We used the programming platform MatLab to quantify the results into dark, medium, and light shades of the blue solution, to determine the light, medium, and high concentrations of the plume as it is dispersed within the flume. With the Vectrino profiles, we measured 3D velocities allowing us to create velocity maps at three locations down the flume and away from the plume source. The results of this study have shown that the highest concentration of the plume is located near the source of the plume with an increase of mixing as the plume moved down the distance of the flume. We also found that most of the 3D mixing occurred within 1cm of the bottom boundary, due to the large vertical shear seen in the along and across flow velocity components. The shift in shear between the along and across velocity component along the flume, could be due to the vortices's created downstream of the buoyant plume point source. Data from this study can provide a background for further investigation of buoyant plumes of varying buoyancies, from different source configurations and within different background vs plume flows environments. | Dr. Catherine Hancock | Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute | |||||||||||||||||||
87 | Laina Parry | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | From Service to Scholar: Exploring the Transition Support for Student Veterans in Higher Education | Upon entering the military there are many resources and opportunities that are given to those serving. One specifically is the GI Bill; this bill gives money to those in service to push them to receive a higher education. Those preparing to leave the military go through a TAP program, Transition Assistant Program, this program helps those gain knowledge on the opportunities and responsibilities that lie ahead. Within the TAP program there is a separate track for education which is where this project focuses. This project is working on helping determine how beneficial the TAP program education track is from those entering a higher education. The council on military transition to education, CMTE, put together a Qualtrics Survey and sent it out to thirty military friendly institutions. In the survey there were questions such as their branch, classes taken, opinions of the TAP program, and education goals. Once those entered their information, and the data was analyzed and documented to find trends and patterns of the survey results. The data from the survey has shown that the track education program overall is beneficial for incoming student veterans but there is work and steps that can be taken to better advance the program. The next steps of the project is performing interviews of those who showed interest in progressing in the study. After the interviews are completed the data can be collected in total to find trends and report how effective the TAP education track has been for student veterans. | Ms. Holly Hunt | Academic Center for Excellence | |||||||||||||||||||
88 | Nicole Perez | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Moving through American Studies: Dance History and Pop culture in the Classroom | Movement is all around us and throughout history. Historical figures, whether political or popular, have had to maintain a certain appearance through their physical actions, diction, and poise. Through four teacher workshops and seven student workshops, this project will shine a light on different historical issues and push both students and teachers to see these events through a lens of movement and dance. These workshops will range from topics within American Studies, dance history, and popular culture. The workshop, “The Presidential Body and Political Language, From Wooden Teeth to a Shimmy Meme”, will lead students to ask and analyze questions such as “What makes an American leader?” and “What trends or “cracks in the consensus” can we identify and how do they reflect American values, desires, and tensions?” This workshop will focus on past presidents and running candidates and how their physical presence and movement affects their overall image. These workshops will lead students to recognize the power of movement throughout past and future history. | Dr. Jen Atkins | Dance | |||||||||||||||||||
89 | Gabriel Pfeuffer-Ferguson | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Morphological Knowledge & Self-Efficacy: A Comparison Between Title I and Non-Title I Educators | In the area of understanding and applying knowledge and skills to build our students’ vocabulary skills, morphological instruction has been recently identified as a mechanism of language that can vastly improve one’s mastery of a language. The use of morphological instruction to help students gain a better understanding of how prefixes, suffixes, and roots can affect the grammatical class and/or meaning of a word. Unfortunately, the implementation of explicit morphological instruction is not popular within most curriculum or intervention plans, and the cause of this is not widely studied. The current study aims to understand the extent to which Title I teachers and non-Title I teachers differ in access to professional development in the area of morphological instruction. In this study, 445 teachers were surveyed on their understanding of morphological instruction, their professional experience and training related to morphology, and their self-rated confidence levels related to morphological instruction. An analysis of variances (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze differences between MA skills and confidence levels by schools (e.g., Title 1 school and Non-Title 1 schools). According to the results of the analysis, teachers from Title I schools felt [more/less] confident in their ability to implement morphological instruction. Additionally, teachers from Title 1 schools performed [higher/lower] than educators from non-Title 1 schools. Finally, Educators from Title I schools engage in [more/less] professional development courses on the subject, which leads to a [higher/lower] quality of performance on the subject itself. Conclusions and implications will be further discussed. | Ms. Keisey Fumero | School of Communication Science and Disorders | |||||||||||||||||||
90 | Miranda Phillips | A | 2:00-4:15 PM | Using Machine Learning to Track COVID-19 Progression through Social Media Data | COVID-19 as a whole has taken a major toll on the physical and mental health of the majority of the United States. Individuals have found many ways to share their emotional responses to this global pandemic; Twitter being one of the main outlets for these expressions. Using Machine Learning, we were able to analyze the emotions behind millions of tweets regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. After hand-labeling the emotions of a major base dataset of randomly selected tweets (all regarding different subjects), the dataset was used to train the computer to determine which emotion was portrayed in a given tweet. This method of Machine Learning allowed for the creation of a computer code that would automatically do this analysis with any tweet it was supplied with. The COVID-19 related tweets were run through this program and analyzed for any trends or patterns based on geographical location, age, etc. | Dr. Paul van der Mark | Research Computer Center, ITS | |||||||||||||||||||
91 | Michael Placeres | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Power in Performance: Physiology, Philosophy, Psychology. | Our research problem consists of how we can empower our performance by using three key words starting with the letter P: Physiology, Philosophy, Psychology. All three are human possibilities and have a direct correlation with power and performance. Our objective is through trial and error and try to understand optimal ways to increase physical, mental, and spiritual performance. We are connecting the body, mind and spirit, and making correlations with preparation and performance. | Dr. Darell Jones | Art & performance | |||||||||||||||||||
92 | Angela Poole | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Perceived Fairness in Performance Appraisal and Political Behaviors: A List Experiment of Employees’ Reaction to Performance Appraisal | • This study is interested in understanding the perceived fairness of performance appraisal as a motivating factor for public employees to engage in political behaviors at their workplaces. • Political behavior is relating to, affecting, or acting according to the interests of status or authority within an organization rather than matters of principle. • This study adds to the literature by experimentally investigating how the fairness perceptions of the performance appraisal may influence the probabilities of individuals to be involved in proactive and reactive political behaviors. • Using a list experiment method, this study aims to capture individuals’ true intentions to behave politically based on their performance ratings. • The findings suggest that the fairness perception of performance appraisal does influence one’s intention to engage in political behaviors. It turns out that perceived unfairness is related to more proactive political behaviors while perceived fairness is related to more reactive behaviors. **Limitations and future study implications are also discussed** | Ms. Joohi Kim | Askew School of Public Administration and Policy | |||||||||||||||||||
93 | Julia Prascak | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | The Effects of Hurricane Michael on the Health Care in Florida's Panhandle | In October 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida panhandle. The trajectory of the hurricane had a major impact on the coastal and agricultural communities that comprise Florida’s northwest region. This study seeks to assess damages the storm had on the hospitals and healthcare in the primarily rural Florida panhandle. Through considering the specific health care grants on the federal and local level we can distinguish the extent to which Hurricane Michael had an impact on Florida public health. The intentions of this research is to highlight the impact of health care services ruined by natural disasters and the role of federal grants in renewing public health in affected areas. | Dr. David Berlan | College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | |||||||||||||||||||
94 | Chandler Pruett | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Meteorological Equations Rooted in Fractional Dimensions | This study builds upon past research focused on the fundamentals of numerical meteorology. This study is intended to provide insight into the methodology used by forecasting models. Predictive modeling relies on equations known as Fourier series, as well as other numerical formulas, in order to estimate the behavior of air parcels. Considering these numerical models work for estimating the behavior of atmospheric fluids, our research question revolves around the behaviors and qualities that allow the formulas to work. Comparing atmospheric fluids and air parcels to other elements found in nature, such as a country's coast, a dimensionally dependent factor is revealed. Accuracy depends on the scaling of the figure, thus as the scaling increases the behavior of the object fluctuates rapidly and non-continuously. Because of this fractional behavior, non-meteorological equations -- such as Weierstrass Function -- have non-existent derivations. Meteorological equations break this pattern; however, they have been proved to have existent derivations. This has prompted our research into the fundamentals of Fourier series and other equations so that we can determine the underlying causes for this unusual behavior. | Dr. Jon Ahlquist | Department of Earth, Oceanic, and Atmospheric Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||
95 | Jason Puwalski | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Women in the United States Armed Forces | In preparation to contribute to a non-fiction book about women in the United States Armed Forces, this particular project focuses on female service in World War I and World War II when women began to integrate into branches of the American military. With regard to World War II, this project focuses on the Coast Guard Women’s Auxiliary, known as the SPARS, which stands for the Coast Guard motto in Latin and English “Semper Paratus, Always Ready”. The researcher reviewed primary and secondary sources that document the roles of females in World War I and of women serving as SPARs in World War II, as well as their interaction with servicemen, how women were recruited, and their overall impact on America’s efforts in the early twentieth century. These women allowed more men to go to the front lines as they took on crucial duties on the homefront. This research was conducted in collaboration with other researchers who had their own respective areas of expertise that ranged from women in the American Revolution all the way to female military service in the present day. This research is important because female military service is often overlooked. It is important to recognize and give credit to the brave women who have served our country. | Dr. Guenter Piehler | History | |||||||||||||||||||
96 | Alyssa Ranieri | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Dosage in School-Based Speech Sound Therapy | The current study aims to analyze the frequency and context of use of various therapy approaches utilized by school-based speech-language pathologists throughout the United States. Speech-language pathologists are professionals who specialize in assessing, diagnosing, and treating disorders related to language, communication, cognitive function, and swallowing. Participants were asked to write a freeform response to the question, ”for the target child, which treatment approach were you using?”, after the conclusion of each session they facilitated. From the resulting data, a coding system was established with 31 possible codes, which was then used to quantify the data given from the speech-language pathologists in order to identify the manner and frequency of usage within a pediatric therapy setting. Due to the ongoing nature of this study, no concrete conclusions can be drawn yet, but future analyses will include descriptive and central tendency statistics drawn from the coding scheme and data analysis. | Dr. Kelly Farquharson | Communication Sciences and Disorders | |||||||||||||||||||
97 | Emma Reed | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Military Women in the Cold War | Women, until modern times, traditionally did not serve in the military in any capacity aside from being nurses who would treat soldiers in the battlefield. After World War II, that changed when women joined various aspects of the military. However, society demanded they go back to the homes and fulfil their traditional roles as mothers and homemakers. During the Cold War, particularly during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, not as many women joined the service, and of those that did, very few saw combat. Their memories and legacy have been almost erased from American history. The objective of this project is to record these stories and experiences of all women who served in American wars since the Revolutionary War and this presentation’s objective was to cover the Cold War Era, focusing on the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Much of their history was found in biographies and autobiographies for their stories. | Dr. Guenter Piehler | History | |||||||||||||||||||
98 | Kyle Ringers | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Creating a Sense of Place in Midtown Tallahassee | American cities are struggling with a public health crisis that includes the negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle and depression due to feelings of isolation. Planners are looking towards urban design strategies to help create a sense of place to increase physical activity levels and connect individuals to their communities. Planners in Tallahassee, Florida produced the 2011 Midtown Action Plan in an effort to explore how a sense of place could be developed in the Midtown area. This research examines the plan’s approach to creating a sense of place by reviewing government documents and interviewing planners as well as key stakeholders involved in the planning process. Using survey methodology, this study also analyzes the perceptions of local residents, business owners, and patrons who live in, work in, or visit the area. This study explores the creation of a sense of place by measuring the levels of pedestrian traffic, features of the built environment, the presence of mixed-use zoning, demographic composition, and feelings of community. Preliminary results reveal that an immediate resident population is the primary catalyst in the creation of a sense of place. This ongoing study suggests that residents define their neighborhood boundary differently than what is found in government plans. This begs the question, “Does a strong sense of place amongst local residents translate to a high level of place attachment but a low level of resource dependence?” | Dr. Crystal Taylor | NA (DeVoe L. Moore Center) | |||||||||||||||||||
99 | Jordan Rose | A | 2:00-3:00 PM | Study of dRP lyase mutant of human DNA polymerase beta | A recent study suggested a possible mechanism of switching to long-patch BER, wherein if K72 is rendered useless, either through mutation or through acetylation by acetyltransferase, the dRP moiety can interact with other lysines in the lysine pocket and ‘tether’ the hPolβ to the substrate. This forces the polymerase active site to become processive and initiates strand displacement, possibly due to the dRP lyase domain’s inability to form stable intermediate with K72. In vivo, the acetylation can act as a switch to determine and possibly regulate the mode of. Our current research builds inspiration from these previous sources, and dives deeper into the subject. However, due to ongoing research, the exact nature and results of such research must remain disclosed. As a result, we will take a closer look into the methods and results one of the specific papers on the prevention of trinucleotide repeat (TNR) instability. | Dr. Zucai Suo | College of Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||
100 | Hannah Rosenblum | A (Recording) | 2:00-3:00 PM | Identification of Vestibular Dysfunction in the Examination of the “Dizzy Patient” | Dizziness is a common complaint among older individuals in society. Dizziness is a recurrent symptom among the elderly that is a significant cause of hospitalization and death. Dizziness is a sensation of instability and disequilibrium that can potentially lead to falling. Several studies reveal that more than 60% of “dizziness” cases are a result of peripheral vestibular dysfunction. Evaluation of patients presenting with the complaint of dizziness can be extensive and require expertise in multiple disciplines of medicine. There is a demand for tests that are efficient, straightforward, and accurate. This study conducted by Kayla Shusterman, Anthony Thompson and principal investigator Charles Maitland is an observational study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Quix test compared to other tests identifying the presence of a vestibular element in the patients who present with dizziness, imbalance, and/or falling. Patients will participate in an examination consisting of a history of present illness, screening for nystagmus, head thrust, Romberg, Quix test, and past-pointing tests to test for vestibular dysfunction. The appearance of vestibular dysfunction will be confirmed by canal paresis and visually suppressed nystagmus as revealed in the VNG or failure to maintain balance in the DPP. Using the Quix test to identify the presence of vestibular dysfunction could be a valuable tool in efficient evaluation and treatment of the dizzy patient. | Dr. Charles Maitland | FSU College of Medicine |