1

Research:BuildingKnowledge“EveryyearourundergraduatestudentsattheUniversityofSt.Thomasamazemeandallourvisitorswiththeirimagination,hardworkandloveoflearning.Thankstothededicationofourfaculty,thesestudentshavethegoodfortunetoreceiveinvaluablementoringandinstructionallowingthemtocreatesuchimpressiveandrelevantresults.”

Dr.RobertIvanyPresident

“Americaandotherpost-industrialnationsareknowledgesocieties,whereinknowledgeandthebuildingofknowledgearethemarkersofnationalwealthandpersonalflourishing.Weasparticipantsinaknowledgesocietycommittoalifeofdiscovery,oflearningandre-learning,andsharingourlearningincommonwithothersforthebenefitofthecommunity.TheannualResearchSymposiumshowcaseshowstudentsattheUniversityofSt.Thomasbecomeactivecitizensinourknowledgesociety.IntheprocesstheygrapplewiththeperennialquestionsthatformtheessenceofaCatholicliberalartseducation:questionsofvalue,self-discovery,vision,andbelief.Inotherwords,theverythingsthatholdoursocietytogetherandprovidemeaningforourlives.”

Dr.DominicAquilaProvostandVicePresidentofAcademicAffairs

“Atthismoment,wehaveseveralbuildingsunderconstructionontheUSTcampus.Eachofthebuildingsbeginswithafirmfoundation,thentheymoveupwardsintotheairwithsupports,andthentheyarecoveredwithanexteriorandroof.WithineachareaofstudyattheUniversity,weworkinmuchthesameway.Webeginbybuildingafirmfoundationofgeneralknowledgeofthesubject,scaffoldfromthatknowledgeintotheframeworkforfuturestudy,andthenletourstudentsmovefromtherebyallowingthemthechancetocompletetheirownexteriorsthroughresearchwithintheirfields.”

Dr.MauryHarrisChair,CommitteeonStudentResearch

2

POSTERPRESENTATIONS

Thursday,April7,2016PosterReception,4–6p.m.

PRESENTERSSHOULDATTENDJerabeckGymnasium

Friday,April8,2016PostersonDisplay,9a.m.–4p.m.

JerabeckGymnasium

Friday,April8,2016PosterJudging,5:30p.m.–8:30p.m.

ALLPRESENTERSAREREQUIREDTOATTENDJerabeckGymnasium

NOTE:POSTERSMUSTBEREMOVEDAT8:30P.M.

ORALPRESENTATIONS

Friday,April8,2016AhernandOldBookstore

OralPresentations,10a.m.–3:00p.m.

HONORSCOLLOQUIUM

Friday,April8,2016HonorsColloquium

JonesHall4p.m.–5p.m.

3

ORALPRESENTATIONS

Friday,April8,2016Ahern,Crooker

10:00AM Barnes,Alyssa,PersianSlippersinthePolis:ThePerfectPossibility,TomHarmon,

MichaelBoler,UndergraduateTheology,HonorsIndependentStudy.10:20AM Kyle,Joni,AStructuralCriticism:TheUniversaltruthoftheMentallyIllintheLate

NineteenthandEarlyTwentyth,ShannonForbes,English,NicholeCasarez,Communication,Capstone.

10:40AM Lastrapes,Gabrielle.TheWalsinghamBallads:VirginQueens,BalladPoetry,andthe

EnglishReformation,ClintonBrand,KerryJ.MacArthur,English,Capstone.11:00AM Otero,Cristina,TheBeginningofModernConsciousness:Intra-PsychicConflictIn

ShakespeareanTragedy,ClintonBrand,English,Capstone.11:20AM Tierney,JannaD.,TheForeverlandChronicles,JanetLowery,English,Capstone.11:40AM Reinhardt,Heidi;Lam,Quy;Ledesma,Elmer;Rosell,RosemarieC.,Determining

Toluene’sEffectonDrosophilamelanogaster’sFecundityandOffspringDevelopment,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology,ElmerLedesma,ChemistryandPhysics,Capstone.

NOON LUNCH,JerabeckGymnasium1:00PM Garcia,Cristina;Ufomadu,Ezinne;Rosell,Rosie;Larios-Sanz,Maia,Metagenomics

approachprovidesinsighttomicrobiomesofHoustonmosquitos,MaiaLarios-Sanz,RosmarieC.Rosell,Biology.

1:20PM Chidi,C.;Chandra,R.;Ribes,A,EvaluationofAntioxidantProtectioninHumanSerum

ViaaFerricReductionAssay,RichaChandra,ChemistryandPhysics,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology,Capstone.

1:40PM Garza,Kyana;Hameed,SameeA.;Jurica,JamesM.;Mittal,ChandraK.;Chandra,Richa;

Mellis,Birgit,RemnantLipoproteinSizeDistributionProfilingviaDynamicLightScatteringAnalysis,RichaChandra,ChemistryandPhysics.

2:00PM BREAK2:20PM Logue,Claire,PositivelyPersuasive:LanguageExpectancyTheoryandEffective

MarketingStrategies,RobinN.Williamson,Communication,Capstone.

4

2:40PM Castellanos,Anabel,ChristianIconographyinWilliam-AdolpheBouguereau'sNotreDamedesAnges(OurLadyandAngels)CharlesStewart,ArtHistory.

3:00PM Douglas,Rebekah,2ndLanguageLearning,ElizabethCoscio,ModernandClassical

Languages,Capstone.3:20PM OPEN3:40PM OPEN

Friday,April8,2016OldBookstore,Crooker

Friday,April8,2016

OldBookstore,Crooker10:00AM Alalsayednasser,Zahra;Phung,Truc;Onuchic,Lucas;Flagg,Mary,Powerdomination

andzeroforcing,MaryFlagg,Mathematics.10:20AM Cagyle,Katie,Imperialism,Nationalism,andtheBalfourDeclaration,Thomas

Crow,LeeWilliames,History,Capstone.10:40AM Erickson,Caprice,APathwaytoPeace:TheLifeofGerryAdams,LeeJ.Williames,

History,LoriM.Gallagher,IrishStudies,Capstone.11:00AM Whitaker,Jesse,VictoryandDefeat:HowtheRussianRevolutionLeftaLegacyofAnti-

SemitisminEurope&America,LeeWilliames,ThomasCrow,History,Capstone.11:20AM Sleezer,Allyssa,CommonCore:ControversyandClarifications,RickKrustchinsky,

Education,Honors.11:40AM OPENNOONLUNCH1:00PM Vauk,Evan;Sharaf,Sarah,#Trump&#Hillary:SentimentAnalysisofPresidential

Candidates,JackLeonardFollis,Mathematics.1:20PM Hameed,Samee,AnExplorationofAvicennaandHisCanonofMedicine,R.E.Houser,

TerryR.Hall,Philosophy,Capstone.

5

1:40PM Nash,Kathleen,TheFoodCrisisandIndigenousPopulationsinNorthernCanada,KellyBronson,ScienceandTechnologyStudies,St.ThomasUniversity,Canada.

2:00PM BREAK2:20PM Singh,Rubaina,AnIntersectionalFeministDiscourseAnalysisofthe

documentaryfilm,“India’sDaughter”,KarlaO’Regan,CriminologyandCriminalJustice,St.ThomasUniversity,Canada.

2:40PM Ontiveros,Sarah,JapaninRetrospect,JimKumahata,ModernandClassicalLanguages,

Capstone.3:00PM McCormack,William;Cawley,Andrey;Foust,Henry,Studyoftheheataddition

stepforaRotationalDetonationEngine,HenryFoust,Mathematics.3:20PM Stevenson,Connor,StudyoftheSpanishIdentityofFedericoGarciaLorca,Elizabeth

Coscio,Rev.EdwardBaenziger,CSB,ModernandClassicalLanguages.3:40PM OPEN

6

Friday,April8,20164PM–5PM

HonorsColloquiumJonesHall4:00PM

Presenters:Barnes,AlyssaMarie;Do,TonyDang;Hameed,SameeAbdul;Jurica,JamesM.;Lam,

QuyNguyen;Logue,EmmaleeClaire;Nguyen,ThyThanh;Reinhardt,HeidiMarie-Ling;Sleezer,AllyssaMarie;Vass,ElizabethAshley;Vo,Jacqueline;Webb,JasmineSarah

FacultySponsor:JoAnnMeier-MarquisTitle: AMBITION:MAKINGAMERICAGREATAGAIN?Abstract:AmbitionhasfueledtheAmericanlifestyle.Fromtechnology,massmedia,andeven

withinourhomes,ambitionisingrainedintotheAmericanmind.InadditiontofocusingonthesocialprogressthathasresultedfromthisambitiousAmericanmindset,weprovideacautionarytaleaboutthedarksideofambitionandtheconsequencesofunboundambitiousdesires.Overall,wewilladdressthefollowingissues:1)Ifambitionisprogressiveorregressive;2)Ifambitionisadistinctlyhumanquality;and3)Ifambitionneedstobemoderated.

7

PosterPresentationsandTitles

1. Abdulaziz,Sarah;DellaCosta,Jessica;Hinh,Steven;Nguyenphat,Richie;Novak,Erin;Sdringola,Chiara;Vo,Jackie.Diversityofthemicrobiomeoftheseaanemone,Aiptasiapallida,MaiaLarios-Sanz,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology.

2. AddisonAngela,BhallaSean,ChowGordon,ErwinEmily,HaydenNicolas,HeinzMontoyaRafael,

Perli,Elias,VuLan,Olaleye,andOmonikeA.MethionineAminopeptidaseInhibitorsInduceaCytotoxicResponseinLungCarcinomaCells,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology.

3. Akpati,Lois;Shamoon,Ushna;Tirgar,Reyhaneh;Nam,Edward,Replicationstress

attenuatesplanarianregeneration,EdwardNam,Biology.4. Benitez,M.:Day,A.;Phan,A.;Garcia,C.;Hoballah,Y.;Powell,J.;Agudelo,P.;Ufomadu,E.;

Rosell,R.;Larios-Sanz,M.,SettingupaMetagenomicsStudyfortheCharacterizationofVirusescarriedbyMosquitoesintheGreaterHoustonArea,MaiaLarios-Sanz,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology.

5. Fahmy,Nicole;Zaibaq,Pilar;Pham,Quoc-Khanh;Castle,Eric;Vu,Kimberly;Guirette,

Melanie;Ruff,Aaron;Aviles,Yicenia;Jain,Renu;Hou,Jianyi;Jabbur,James;Ribes-Zamora,Albert,XLFandXRCC4InteractwithTelomericProteins,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology.

6. Farmer,Taylor;Rubio,Anabel;Larios-Sanz,Maia,DevelopmentofanExperimental

MicrobialSystemtoEvaluateBioresistantAdditivesinMetalworkingFluid,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology.

7. Foss,K.;Guardado,C.;Rodriguez,O.;Baenziger,E.;Ribes-Zamora;A.,Simmons;AD.,

PhylogeneticplacementofGongoraspecies(Orchidaceae)relativetootherorchidsubfamiliesusingD,AlexandraSimmonsNout,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology,Capstone.

8. Foss,Keagan;Guardado,Christopher;Rodriguez,Olivia;Baenziger,Edward;Ribes-Zamora,

Albert;Simmons,Alexandra,PhylogeneticclassificationofGongoraspecies(Orchidaceae)usingDNAbarcoderegionsmatK,rpoB,r,AlexandraSimmonsNout,Biology,Rev.EdwardBaenziger,CSB,ModernandClassicalLanguages.

9. Ladner,Aaron;Shields,Kelly;Gonzalez,Jonathan;Nguyen,Landon;Vaughan,Ellen;Martinez,

Antoinette;Shivas,Amin;Larios-Sanz,Maia;Sen,Pramila;Johnson,Cassidy,ResearchingtheRelationshipBetweenTallGrassPrairieMicrobialLandscapesandPlantDiversity,AminShivas,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology,Capstone.

10. Martinez,Antoinette;Leemann,Kate;Solis,Minerva;Amin,Shivas,Selectionof

PsychrophilicE.coliviaMutationalScreening,ShivasAmin,Biology.

8

11. Nguyen,Sandra;Nguyen,Gina;Tran,Tam;Kral,Jessica;Dodge,Jason,Restrictionmappingofa'trembler'mutationofC.elegans,AlexandraSimmonsNout,Biology,Capstone.

12. Nguyen,ThaoK.;Simmons,AlexandraD.;Ribes-Zamora,Albert,Exploringtheimpactof

theGeneticsLaboratoryonstudents’overallunderstandingofGenetics,AlexandraSimmonsNout,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology.

13. Pinzon,Karina;Flores,Maria;Truong,Anh,InvestigationofDNArepairsystemsin

Escherichiacoli,ShivasAmin–Biology.14. Ribadeneyra,Clara;Hamor,Clark;Amin,Shivas.,EWSR1potentiallyfunctionsasanRNA

chaperoneinthestressresponse,ShivasAmin,Biology,Capstone.15. Rollo,Debra;Larios-Sanz,Maia,Aerosolizedbacteriafromafreshwaterfishtankasa

possiblesourceofacquisitionandcolonizationofPseudomonasaeruginosaincysticfibrosispatients,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology.

16. Trivino,Vanessa;Hebert,Luke;Reinhardt,Heidi;Lam,Quy;Lodhra,Zara;Castillo,Laura;

Donnelly,Anna;Nguyen,Tang;MacGregor,Michael;Nunez,Brenda,DeterminingToulene’sEffectonDrosophilamelanogaster’sFecundityandOffspringDevelopment,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology,ElmerLedesma,ChemistryandPhysics.

17. Dang,Phuong;Evans,Elena;Nguyen,Andrew;Young,Crystal,Poly(phenylenevinylene)

PPVderivativesandtheirsolubilityeffectsinorganiclight-emittingdiode(OLED)devices,CrystalYoung,ChemistryandPhysics.

18. Hernandez,Ana;Do,Tony;Chandra,Richa,SeparationofLipoproteinsUsingHPLC,Richa

Chandra,ChemistryandPhysics.19. Johnson,Tretitia;Flores,Elaine;Gueverara,Astrid;Heerensperger,Laura;Palasota,JohnA.,

SalicylicAcidDeterminationInFaceWashByHPLC,JohnA.Palasota,ChemistryandPhysics..

20. Jurica,James;Samee,Hameed;Birgit,Mellis;Richa,Chandra,RemnantLipoproteinSize

DistributionProfilingofSerumSamplesofVaryingMetabolicDisordersvia,RichaChandra,ChemistryandPhysics,Capstone.

21. Loth,Matthew;Gibbons,Chad;Belaiter,Sami,MomentsofChaos,JamesClarage,Chemistry

andPhysics.22. Nguyen,Thy;Hollingsworth,Jarvoris;Mellis,Birgit,EnhancementofMonodispersity

DuringtheSynthesisofGoldNanoparticleswithCyclodextrinDerivative,BirgitMellis,ChemistryandPhysics,Capstone.

9

23. VanderWal,Arica;Urbaningsih,Mustika;Grisales,Sara;Steiger,Michelle;Mellis,Birgit,PhotothermalEffectsofBiotinylatedGoldNanoparticlesonCellViability,BitgitMellis,MichelleSteiger,ChemistryandPhysics.

24. Maksymiak,Jenna;Pollack,Jared;Quinones,Erin,TeachingMathOnline:BeingCorrect,

Complete,andEffective,MaryFlagg,Mathematics.25. Cancelled.26. Patel,Nipa,PublicOpinionandRationality:ADeeperLookintoPoliticalParticipation,

Bias,andApproval,Jean-PhilippeFaletta,PoliticalScience,Capstone.27. Flores,Jallesse;Perez,Stephanie,PredictorsofRelationalSatisfaction,CarlW.Scott,

Psychology,Capstone.28. Garcia,Carlos;Mendez,Francisco,CollegeStudents'AttitudesTowardLesbian,Gay,and

BisexualIndividuals,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.29. Garcia,Cassandra,UrbanizationasPredictorofMexicanImmigrants’Acculturation,

CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.30. Garcia,Cassandra;Aguilar,Jason,MexicanImmigrants’PerspectiveonCurrentPolitical

DebateOverUnauthorizedImmigration,SrijanaShrestha,Psychology,Capstone.31. Garcia,Krystal,BodyDissatisfactionVariedbyRaceandEthnicityinCollegeFemales,

JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.32. Grant,Robyn;Escoto,Maria;Ardila,Vanessa,InterpretationsofCross-SexFriendships,

ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.33. Pinzon,Karina,AnExaminationofAssertivenessinRelationtoSocialRankMentality

andSelf-Compassion,JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.34. Kiabi,Steve,AcculturationandPersonalityinPredictingLifeSatisfaction,CarlW.Scott,

Psychology,Capstone.35. Lara,David,AttitudesonMentalHealth,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.36. Madewell,Ashleigh;Alvarado,Julissa;Bahlas,Reem;Dogan,Kaan,PerceptionsofPublic

Breastfeeding,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.37. Moreno,Nathaly,PerceptionsofCheatingBehaviorsVarywithGenderandOne’sOwn

CheatingExperiences,JoAnneMeier-Marquis.Psychology,Capstone.

10

38. Nguyen,Megan;Tran,Vivian,TheEffectsofSleepInterventionsonCollegeStudents,CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.

39. Parrish,AlexandriaG.;Keller,SydneyC,IndirectAggression,AcademicStanding,and

LifeSatisfactionamongCollegeFemales,CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.40. Ramirez,Deanna,Self-MonitoringandthePerceptionofJobApplicantsBasedonStyle

ofClothing,JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.41. Sanchez,Veronica;Velasquez,Cassandra,DatingExperiencesandTechnologyUse

AmongCollegeStudents,SrijanaShrestha,Psychology,Capstone.42. Tlapanco,Carina;Razuri,Carlos,CollegeExperiencesofFirst-GenerationCollege

Students,SrijanaShrestha,Psychology.Capstone.43. Vass,Elizabeth,GunControlandGunLaws:AttitudesofStudentsataPrivate

Institution,JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.44. Vauk,Evan;Garcia,Stephanie;Habet,Analisa,ReactionstoSocialSituations:

UnderstandingtheLinkbetweenInformationandBehavior,CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.

11

OralAbstracts

Alalsayednasser,Zahra;Phung,Truc;Onuchic,Lucas;Flagg,Mary,Powerdominationandzeroforcing,

MaryFlagg,Mathematics.

Powerdominationandzeroforcingaretwodiscretemathematicalconceptswhichareappliedtoreallifeapplicationsuchasefficientlymonitoringandelectricpowergrid.Thepowerdominationnumberofagraphistheminimumnumberofverticesneededtobechosentomonitorthewholegraphaccordingasetofrules.Wefoundboundsforthepowerdominationnumberofspecialgraphssuchas:cycleciclos,houseciclosandcompleteciclosusingtheconnectionbetweenpowerdominationandzeroforcing.Intheprocess,wehavefoundandprovedtheexactpowerdominationnumberforcycleciclosandsomecompleteciclos.

Barnes,Alyssa,PersianSlippersinthePolis:ThePerfectPossibility,TomHarmon,MichaelBoler,

UndergraduateTheology,Capstone.

Thequestionofwhoshouldrulethepolisisaperennialquestion.Sincethegreatestpowertherulerpossessesisthatofeducation,thequestionofwhoshouldrulebecomeswhoshouldcontroleducation.In“TheClouds”thepoetsaretheeducatorsprovidinganattachmenttoone’sown,whichdestroysthefamily.Inthe“Republic”thephilosophersuseapoeticeducationforanattachmenttothegood,ratherthanone’sown;however,suchacitycanonlyexistinspeechsinceitneglectsbothhumannatureandthephilosophicnature.Thus,Ishallexaminehow“TheClouds”presentsthedangersofthepoet’scity;then,Iwillshowhow,inthe“Republic”thephilosophermoderatespoetrybutneglectshumannature;consequently,Iwillshowhowbothregimesfailandthathumannaturemakesitnecessaryforthemarriageofthephilosophersandthepoetsastherulers.

Cagyle,Katie,Imperialism,Nationalism,andtheBalfourDeclaration,ThomasCrow,LeeWilliames,

History,Capstone.

On November 2, 1917, the foreign secretary of Great Britain Arthur James Balfour penned a letter to Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild, a well known patron of the British Zionist movement. The letter stated that the United Kingdom would support the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East. The letter is comprised of two short paragraphs and is simple and straightforward. The events leading up to the creation of the document were complex and circuitous. British and French imperialism played a role, as did Jewish Nationalism and Arab Nationalism. Deception and intrigue were prevalent and contemporaries were unsure whether or not the declaration would ever come to fruition. The Balfour Declaration was the first major step in the creation of Israel but it was far from a guarantee that such a state would ever exist.

12

Castellanos,Anabel,ChristianIconographyinWilliam-AdolpheBouguereau'sNotreDamedesAnges(OurLadyandAngels)CharlesStewart,ArtHistory..

OneofthemostremarkableimagesoftheVirginMarywascreatedbythenotableFrenchpainter—William-AdolpheBouguereau(1825-1905).Thepainting,titledNotreDamedesAnges(OurLadyoftheAngels),invitestheviewertoidentifykeyvirtuesoftheBlessedVirgin.Obedience,faith,purity,andgrace,areabstractconceptsthataremanifestedthroughitstangiblestyle,manner,andgesturesofthesepaintedfigures.Thoughthiscanvasiscalmlysilent,itvisuallybeckonstheviewertostop,contemplate,andeventuallytoprayindevotion.TheartistpaintedseveralrepresentationsoftheBlessedVirginMary,invokinghertitleasTheotokos(MaryasMotherofGod)—assignifiedbytheinfantJesuscradledinherarms—butthisexampleisonlyoneoftwolife-sizecompositions.Bouguereauwasperhapsthemost-celebratedacademicpainterinlate-19thcenturyFrance,evenifarthistorianstodayoftenoverlookhisworkordismisshimas“toosentimental”.Nevertheless,theartistwasamaster-craftsman,technically-flawlessinpaintingidealized-humanfiguresthatpersonifiedclassicalandChristianconcepts.Thispaperdiscussesthesubtle,yetclearmessagethattheartistcommunicatedusingconventionalsymbolsandartisticforms.InpaintingNotreDamedesAngesBouguereauwasnotonlycreatinganartwork,butrathercomposingathen-contemporary,modernicon,usingtheillusionofatmosphericperspective.HiscombinationofChristianiconographyandGreco-Romanclassicismsummed-upprevious19th-centurymovements(neoclassicism,romanticism,andrealism)whileforminganewstyleallofhisown.Alltheelements—colors,figure-placement,gestures,texture,andsymbols—ledviewerstoexperience“OurLady”,paradoxicallyandpoetically,inbothaphysicalandmysticalway.Despitetheapparentlystaticscene,thereisadynamicmessageworthexploring.The main thesis is that Bouguereau was not only conveying his own religious beliefs, but he was advocating traditional Catholic practices. That is, the painting Notre Dame des Anges served Pope Leo XIII’s mission to strengthen Marian devotion in response to radical modernism that distracted people away from prayer and, ultimately, salvation.

Chidi,C.;Chandra,R.;Ribes,A,EvaluationofAntioxidantProtectioninHumanSerumViaaFerric

ReductionAssay,RichaChandra,ChemistryandPhysics,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology,Capstone.

Thisresearchexaminestheprotectiveeffectsofvariousnaturalantioxidantswithdifferentstructuralpropertiesinserumandaloneviachemicaloxidationcoupledtoanadaptedmeasuredcolorimetricferricreductionknownastheferricreducingabilityofplasma(FRAP).Wefocusoncatechinandresveratrolashydrophobicantioxidantsandcomparethesetothehighlyhydrophilicascorbicacid.Wedevelopedthismethodatthemicroscaleandadaptedittotheserumenvironmentthroughtime-basedstudies.Ourresultsindicatethatcatechin,themosthydrophobicantioxidantexamined,displaysenhancedantioxidantactivityinthebiologicalserumenvironment.TheevaluationoftheprotectiveeffectsofantioxidantsthroughtheFRAP

13

assayisaninventivetoolthatprovidesusefulinformationonthepotentialtherapeuticvalueofdifferentantioxidantsinnativebiologicalenvironments.

Douglas,Rebekah,2ndLanguageLearning,ElizabethCoscio,ModernandClassicalLanguages,Capstone.

Thispresentationcoversthestudyoflearningasecondlanguage.Thisstudywillsurveywhenpsychologymeetslanguagelearning.Manydifferentteachingmethodshavebeentriedtohelpstudentsacquireasecondlanguage.However,manyhaveprovenunsuccessful.Recentlypsychologistshavebegantostudywhatitisthathappenswhenacquiringalanguageandfoundthatchildrenacquirelanguagessometimesmorethanonemuchfasterthanadults,andtheylooktofindouthowtotransferthateasetoadults.Psychologistfoundthatthesocialenvironmentisoneofthebestmethodsforacquiringalanguagebutitwasnotthefirstlearningmethodused.Iwishtoexplorethehistoryoflanguagelearninganditsevolutiontoknowbeexaminedunderapsychologymicroscope.

Erickson,Caprice,APathwaytoPeace:TheLifeofGerryAdams,LeeJ.Williames,History,LoriM.

Gallagher,IrishStudies,Capstone.

GerryAdamsstandsasacompellingfigureinIrishhistoryandpoliticsthroughhisinvolvementintheNorthernIrelandconflictknownas“theTroubles,”hisroleinfacilitatingapeaceagreementandapower-sharinggovernmentinNorthernIreland,andasapoliticianintheRepublicofIrelandasPresidentofSinnFéin,theonlyall-Irelandpoliticalparty.Hisreputationisdualistic;heiseitherreviledforhisadvocacyofviolencetoachieveindependenceforNorthernIrelandfromBritainorreveredasanIrishrevolutionaryfightingtoachieveafreeandunitedIreland.HecontinuestodedicatehislifetoIrelandandIrishunificationintheRepublicofIreland'sgovernment,theDáilÉireann,and,despitehiscontroversialreputation,remainsoneofIreland'smostprominentpoliticalandhistoricalfiguresofthelatetwentiethandearlytwenty-firstcenturies.HispathwaytopeaceinterestsmebecauseIinterviewedhimonStudyAbroadinIreland.

Garcia,Cristina;Ufomadu,Ezinne;Rosell,Rosie;Larios-Sanz,Maia,Metagenomicsapproachprovides

insighttomicrobiomesofHoustonmosquitos,MaiaLarios-Sanz,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology.

Metagenomicsisanovelsequencingapproachtostudythecompletegeneticcontentofasample.Metagenomicshasbothecologicalandindustrialapplications,asitallowsforthecharacterizationofunculturedmicrobepopulationsfoundeverywherefromwithinthegutinhumanstothehiddencornersofEarth.Thisapproachisrevolutionarybecauseitprovidesinsightintoimmenselydiversemicrobialcommunitiesthathadgonelargelyundiscovered.Forexample,ithasbeenusedtocharacterizeviralpopulations,whichhavebeentraditionallydifficulttostudy.Inthistalk,wewillpresentanoverviewofmetagenomicsanditsuseinthecharacterizationoftheviralecologyofHoustonmosquitos,whichcantransmitseriousemergentdiseaseslikeZika,WestNile,DengueandChikungunya.

14

Garza,Kyana;Hameed,SameeA.;Jurica,JamesM.;Mittal,ChandraK.;Chandra,Richa;Mellis,Birgit,RemnantLipoproteinSizeDistributionProfilingviaDynamicLightScatteringAnalysis,RichaChandra,ChemistryandPhysics.

Remnantlipoproteins(RLP)areametabolicallyderivedsubpopulationoftriglyceride-richlipoproteins(TRL)inhumanbloodthatareinvolvedinthemetabolismofdietaryfatsortriglycerides.RLP,thesmalleranddenservariantsofTRLparticles,arestronglycorrelatedwithcardiovasculardisease(CVD)andwerelistedasanemergingatherogenicriskfactorbytheAHAin2001.VaryinganalyticaltechniquesusedinclinicalstudiesinthesizedeterminationofRLPcontributetoconflictinghypothesesinregardtowhetherlargerorsmallerRLPparticlescontributetoCVDprogression,thoughmultiplepathwaysmayexist.TheworkpresentedheredemonstratesauniquecombinatorialbioanalyticalapproachinvolvingthepreparativeimmunoseparationofRLP,anddynamiclightscatteringforsizedistributionanalysis.ThisisanewfacileandrobustmethodologyforthesizedistributionanalysisofRLPthatinconjunctionwithclinicalstudiesmayrevealthemechanismsbywhichRLPcauseCVDprogression.

Hameed,Samee,AnExplorationofAvicennaandHisCanonofMedicine,R.E.Houser,Philosophy,

Capstone.

ThepurposeofthistalkistoelucidateAvicenna’sCanonofMedicine,andtoprovideathoroughexplanationofhistheoriesregardinghumanphysiology.Inaddition,IwillexplorehowAvicenna,usingthepostulatesderivedfromhistreatise.ThePhysicsoftheHealing,isabletomakeconclusionsconcernedwithhumanphysiologythroughouthisCanonofMedicine.Finally,Iwillcomparehisassertionsdealingwithhumanphysiologywiththecurrentscientificknowledgewehave,andreflectonhowwehavegrownbothscientificallyandphilosophicallywithourendeavorsinmedicine.

Kyle,Joni,AStructuralCriticism:TheUniversaltruthoftheMentallyIllintheLateNineteenthand

EarlyTwentyth,ShannonForbes,English,NicholeCasarez,Communication,Capstone.

“LadyAudley’sSecret,”“Mrs.Dalloway,”and“TheYellowWallpaper”areauthoredbyfemalewritersinthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturiesthatexploretheramificationsofmentalillness.Thepresentationofmythesisaimstoexaminetheuniversaltruththatthosesufferingfrommentalillnessshouldbeexcludedfromsociety.Theemergenceofthisuniversaltruthisgatheredfromcriticallystudyingtheworksthroughastructuralismlens.Further,thepresentationofthisthesisexploresifthisuniversaltruthdoesjusticetothementallyillbasedonthefirstinvestigatejournalist,NellieBly,inherwritingsof“10DaysinaMad-House.”

Lastrapes,Gabrielle.TheWalsinghamBallads:VirginQueens,BalladPoetry,andtheEnglish

Reformation,ClintonBrand,KerryJ.MacArthur,English,Capstone.

ThepurposeofthisthesisistoexaminethreeballadsofthesixteenthcenturysurroundingthesiteofMariandevotioninEngland:OurLadyofWalsingham.ThesepoemschronicletheMarian

15

pilgrimagesitebeforeandafteritsdestructionbyHenryVIIIin1538.ThePynsonBalladrecountsanddefendstheconstructionoftheshrineintheyear1061,whileTheArundelBalladmournstherecentlydestroyedHolyHouseandAbbeyatWalsinghamfivecenturieslater.ClosingthecollectionisTheRaleghBalladwhichiswrittenasanexchangebetweenpilgrimsduringElizabethanrule.IwillreadandanalyzethesepoemswithanunderstandingofthesixteenthcenturyEnglishpoliticalandreligiousenvironmentinordertoaddresshowthethreeBalladstogetherillustratethemetamorphoseswithintheEnglishheartawayfromtheuniversalreligiontowardareligionofbothprivatedevotionandnationalism.

Logue,Claire,PositivelyPersuasive:LanguageExpectancyTheoryandEffectiveMarketingStrategies,

RobinN.Williamson,Communication,Capstone.

Howcanfirmsincreasepositiveattitudestowardbrandingandbusinessthroughcommunicationwithconsumers?LanguageExpectancyTheoryanalyzesthewaysinwhichindividualsdevelopcommunicationexpectationsandhowspeakerscanusethoseexpectationsinordertopersuadeorcreateapositiveresponsefromtheaudience.Thistheorywasappliedtocurrentbusinesspracticesbyanalyzingspecificpropositions,thenapplyingthosepropositionstoexistingmarketingcampaigns.Theresultshaveshedlightonwhathasandhasnotbeensuccessfulinregardstopreviousmarketingcampaigns,andrecommendationshavebeenmadethatidentifywaysforbusinessestoincreasepositivebrandidentity.

McCormack,William;Cawley,Andrey;Foust,Henry,Studyoftheheatadditionstepfora

RotationalDetonationEngine,HenryFoust,Mathematics.

Lastsummer,Dr.FoustwenttoWrightPattersonAirForceBasetolearnaboutdetonationengines.Hedevelopedamodelthatdeterminestheentropychangeforagiventemperaturerisewithintheheatadditionstep.TherelationshipbetweenpercentreactioncompleteversusT(temperature)forarotationaldetonationengine(RDE)duringtheheatadditionstepwasdetermined.ThisinvolvedknowledgeofthermodynamicsaroundRDE’s,combustionchemistry,solvingstiffOrdinaryDifferentialEquations[ODE’s],andnumericalanalysisschemes.Whentheworkingfluidwithinthecombustionchamberisassumedtoanideal,perfectgas,thentheenergyandentropyequationsarealgebraic.Whentheworkingfluidisanimperfectgas,thentheenergyandentropyequationsaredifferentialequationsthatincludecombustionchemistry.ThisresultsinasystemofstiffODE’s,whichweresolvedusingMatlab’sODESolverusingaformofRosenbrock’smethod(implicitRungeKuttaMethod).

Nash,Kathleen,TheFoodCrisisandIndigenousPopulationsinNorthernCanada,KellyBronson,Science

andTechnologyStudies,St.ThomasUniversity,Canada.

InNorthernCanada,IndigenouscommunitiesarefacingmanyhealthproblemssuchasTypeIIdiabetesandheartdiseaseasaresultofalackofhealthyfoodchoicesingrocerystoresandtheintroductionofprocessedfoodsintonorthernfoodenvironments(RudolphandMcLachlan,

16

2013).Mainstreamtechnologicalapproachestofood-relatedhealthcrisesaroundtheworldtendtofocusonthefoodchoicesthatindividualsmadeandtheyignorethefoodsystem’splaceintheproblem.Theseapproachesfocusonsolvingtheproblemthroughexistingpolicies,corporationsandregulatoryagencies(EdsonJonesandDavidson,2014).Takingasocio-technicalapproachtothefood-relatedhealthcrisisamongAboriginalcommunitiesinNorthernCanada,mypapernotonlylooksatexistingpoliciesbutalsothesocialsituationsthathavecontributedtothisproblem.ThefoodcrisisthatiscurrentlyplaguingaboriginalcommunitiesinNorthernCanadacanbeattributedtoalackofaccesstohealthy,freshfoodsaswellasthehighratesofunemploymentandpovertythatthesecommunitiesareexperiencing.Bothoftheseareassociatedwithhistoricalinjusticesthathavetroubledaboriginalcommunitiessuchastheresidentialschoolsystem,aswellasresourceextractionsthathavechangedtheenvironmentwithinwhichtheylive(RudolphandMcLachlan,2013).

Ontiveros,Sarah,JapaninRetrospect,JimKumahata,ModernandClassicalLanguages,Capstone.

AsastudentmajoringinEnglish,withaconcentrationinCreativeWriting,ImadethedecisiontowriteacreativeandexpressivepieceaboutmyrecenttriptoJapanwiththeUniversityofSt.Thomas.Itisapersonal,althoughresearched,explorationpiecethatissomethingakintoatravelarticle,dividedintothreechapters.Thefirstchapter,isanintroductiontotheKakehashiProject,aculturalexchangeunder“Japan’sFriendshipTiesPrograms”launchedbytheMinistryofForeignAffairsofJapan.ItisalsoarecollectionofmyexposuretotheJapanesepeopleandtheirculturewhileapartoftheKakehashiProject.Inthesecondchapterofmythesisproject,IexploreoneofJapan’sbiggestculturalstaples,matchatea.Iwilldiscussthetea’shistory,origins,howitsexportationhaspositivelyaffectedtheUnitedStates,andfinally,myownexperiencewithmatcha.InthefinalchapterIwilldiscussJapaneseliteratureandhowitcomparesandcontrastswithwhatIhavelearnedasastudentstudyingWesternliterature.Overall,itisathesisprojectgearedtowardstheunderstandingandappreciationoftheJapanesecultureandtheimportanceofourunitedfuture.

Otero,Cristina,TheBeginningofModernConsciousness:Intra-PsychicConflictInShakespearean

Tragedy,ClintonBrand,English,Capstone.

ThisprojectattemptstoanalyzeShakespeare’sfivetragedies–Hamlet,RomeoandJuliet,Macbeth,Othello,andKingLear–fromamodernistperspective,exploringtheintra-psychicconflicteachplaycreatesintheirdramaticsituations:Thepsychologyofconsciousness(Hamlet),Eros(RomeoandJuliet),guilt(Macbeth),andmasculinehonor(OthelloandKingLear).IntheseworksShakespearecreatescharactersofpsychologicalcomplexity,inhabitingdifferentstatesofconsciousness,andposesethicalandmoralquestionsthroughthedramaticsituationsofhisplays.InthatsenseShakespeareisthefirstoftheearlywriterstoshowamoremodernviewofman:Self-divided,susceptibletopassion,butcapableofchangeandofachievingandoccupyinghigherorlowerstatesofconsciousness.Thisviewcontrastswiththeheroofantiquitydefinedandsubsumedbyhisideals,andischaracteristicofamodernagethathas

17

steadilyrejectedanddeconstructedtraditionalmoralsystems,embracingindividualsubjectivityandmoralambiguity.

Reinhardt,Heidi;Lam,Quy;Ledesma,Elmer;Rosell,RosemarieC.,DeterminingToluene’sEffecton

Drosophilamelanogaster’sFecundityandOffspringDevelopment,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology,ElmerLedesma,ChemistryandPhysics,Capstone.

Tolueneisanairtoxicchemicalthatnegativelyaffectsreproductivefunctionsofhumans.ToluenemetabolitesdamageDNAintestes,aswellasadverselyaffectovariancells,whichmaycausedefectsintheoffspring.Tostudythis,weareusingthemodelorganism,Drosophilamelanogasterbecauseitsreproductivestructuresfunctionsimilarlytohumans.Wehypothesizethattolueneexposuretoflyparentswillcauseadecreaseinfecundity,pupationrate,andmorphologicalchangesinoffspring.WehavedevelopedasystemthatdeliversspecificconcentrationsofgaseoustoluenetoD.melanogasterandhavedeterminedtheLC50,theconcentrationoftolueneatwhichhalfofthepopulationdies,tobe279ppm.WearecompletingdevelopmentalstudiesonthefirstgenerationofoffspringfrommalesandfemalesexposedtotheLC50tolueneconcentrationbyscoringfecundityofexposedparentsbycountingthenumberofoffspringateachdevelopmentalstage.Thesedata,withmicroscopytoobservemorphologicaleffects,wereusedtodetermineifandwhendevelopmentprocesseswereaffectedinoffspring.

Singh,Rubaina,AnIntersectionalFeministDiscourseAnalysisofthedocumentaryfilm,“India’s

Daughter”,KarlaO’Regan,CriminologyandCriminalJustice,St.ThomasUniversity,Canada.

MythesisisaboutIndia’sDaughter,adocumentaryfilm,basedonthebrutalgangrapeofJyotiSinghthathappenedinIndiain2012andsparkedprotestsandseriousdebateaboutgenderinequalityacrossIndia,attractingnationalandinternationalattention.TheIndiangovernmentbannedthisdocumentaryevenbeforeitwasreleased.Thissparkedinternationalrhetoricabout‘India’sRapeproblem’.Ihavetranscribedtheentiredocumentary,includingbothwordsandvisualimages(e.g.useoflight,music,etc),usingacriticaldiscourseanalysis.Itusesintersectionalandpostcolonialfeminismtothematicallycodethedocumentary.ThesethemeshelpusunderstandthecomplexinterplayoffactorsthatconstructthestatusofwomeninIndiainawaythatsanctionssexualviolenceagainstthem.MyworkalsoseekstounderstandhowthisstatusischallengedbothwithinIndiaandthelargerinternationalcommunitybybothmenandwomeninwaysthatcatertoa‘westerngaze’or‘coloniallens,’positioningviolenceagainstwomenasaproblemthatisinherenttoIndianculture.

Sleezer,Allyssa,CommonCore:ControversyandClarifications,RickKrustchinsky,Education,Honors.

TheCommonCoreEducationStandardsareacontroversialtopicintheUnitedStates.Thereareextremelyvocalproponentsandcriticsofthestandardsoneithersideofthepoliticalspectrum,manyofwhomdonotdisplayanunderstandingofwhatCommonCorereallyis.Pollscontinue

18

toshowthatAmericancitizensaresplitonthisissue.ButwhatexactlyisCommonCore,andwhyaretheresomanymisunderstandingssurroundingit?WiththispresentationIseekto1)ProvideaclearandconciseoverviewofwhattheCommonCoreEducationStandardsare;2)Analyzehowtheyhavebeenputintoplaceinthe43statesthathaveadoptedthem;and3)Provideargumentsbothforandagainstthestandards.

Stevenson,Connor,StudyoftheSpanishIdentityofFedericoGarciaLorca,ElizabethCoscio,Rev.

EdwardBaenziger,CSB,ModernandClassicalLanguages.

Inthisproject,IwillstudythenativecultureofFedericoGarcíaLorca–thatofAndalucíaandSpainingeneral–andwhatroleitplaysinhisliteraryworks,andalsotheinteractionsthathehadwithforeigncultures,namelythoseofFranceandtheUnitedStates.ThegoalinstudyingtheseinteractionsinhisworkistoprovethathestayedtruetohisSpanishroots;whilehisinteractionswithFrancemeshedwellwithhisnativeculture,thosewiththeUnitedStatescausedaprofoundbreakdownintheauthor,causinghimtoreevaluateandreaffirmhisidentityasaSpaniard,whichproducedsomeofhismostbrilliantandchallengingworks.

Tierney,JannaD.,TheForeverlandChronicles,JanetLowery,English,Capstone.

Mysymposiumpresentationisanexcerptfrommythesis,TheForeverlandChronicles,acollectionofprosestorieswritteninpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsformyBachelorsofArtsinEnglishdegreewithaWritingConcentration.Eachofthefivestoriescentersondifferentmembersofafictionalfamily.Thecollectionisprefacedbyashortessayexploringsemi-autobiographicalandliteraryinfluencesthroughoutthework.UnlikePeterPan’sNeverland,whichweabandonwithage,Foreverlandexistseternallyinoursouls;itisaplacewealwaysrememberasifwearelookingbackonawonderfulthingthathasbeenlost.Thesearethemomentswhentimestandsstillbecausewearemovingforward,whenwecatchupwiththespinningoftheEarthandleaveouroldselvesbehind.

Vauk,Evan;Sharaf,Sarah,#Trump&#Hillary:SentimentAnalysisofPresidentialCandidates,Jack

LeonardFollis,Mathematics.

InthefieldofDataScience,researchersutilizeavarietyofmethodstodrawmeaningfulconclusionsfromeventhemostabstractdatatheycollect.The2016racefortheUnitedStatesPresidencyhasgeneratedagreatdealofstatisticalinformation.Inthisexploratoryvisualanalysis,wewilluseRStatisticalPackagetogathertweetsandmetadatafromTwitterregardingeachofthemaincandidatesfromDemocraticandRepublicanparties.Thedatawillbeanalyzedfordailychangesinsentimentoveratwoweekperiodbyusingsentimentanalysispackages.

19

Whitaker,Jesse,VictoryandDefeat:HowtheRussianRevolutionLeftaLegacyofAnti-SemitisminEurope&America,LeeWilliames,ThomasCrow,History,Capstone.

TheOctoberRevolutionof1917inRussiaproducedananti-SemiticbacklashfromtheEuropetotheUnitedStates.Thiscanbewitnessedinfourincidences:inBerlinwithRosaLuxembourgandKarlLiebknecht;inMunichwithEugenLeviné;inHungarywithBélaKun;andintheUnitedStateswiththeRosenbergs.Theseoccurrencesstrengthenedanti-SemitismintheWest.Thiswasseenintwomajorcountries:GermanywithAdolfHitlerandtheUnitedStatesintheFirstandSecondRedScares.AfterWWII,Americawitnessedaresurgenceinanti-SemitisminJosephMcCarthyandevenmoresowithGeorgeLincolnRockwell.Rockwell’sAmericanNaziPartywouldlatermetastasizeintothemanywhitesupremacistorganizationsthatAmericansandEuropeanswitnessincontemporarysociety.

20

PosterAbstractsBiology1. Abdulaziz,S.;DellaCosta,J.;Hinh,S.;Nguyenphat,R.;Novak,E.;Sdringola,C.;Vo,J.;Larios-

Sanz,M.;Rosell,R.C.,Diversityofthemicrobiomeoftheseaanemone,Aiptasiapallida,RosemarieC.Rosell,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology.

TheseaanemoneAiptasiapallidaservesasamodelorganismforthestudyofthesymbioticrelationshipsofcoralreefswithalgalandbacterialpartners,asbothcoralreefsandseaanemonesexpeltheirsymbioticpartnersduringenvironmentalstress.ThepurposeofthisresearchistoidentifythemicrobiotaofA.pallidainordertostudyitsrole.WehypothesizethatresidentbacterialcommunitieswithinA.pallidaarediverseandprovideadditionalmetabolicabilities.WholeseaanemonesfromacommercialsourcewerehomogenizedandtotalDNAwasextracted.BacterialDNAwasamplifiedusinguniversal16srDNAprimers.ThePCRproductsweresequencedandbacterialspeciesidentifiedusingBLASTanalysis.Severalmarinebacterialspecieswerefound,manyofwhichpossessuniquemetaboliccapabilities.Furtherresearchwillcomparemicrobiotaincommercialandwild-caughtanemones,andtreatanemoneswithantibioticstotesttheeffectofareducedmicrobiomeonhealth.

2. AddisonAngela,BhallaSean,ChowGordon,ErwinEmily,HaydenNicolas,HeinzMontoyaRafael,

Perli,Elias,VuLan,Olaleye,andOmonikeA.MethionineAminopeptidaseInhibitorsInduceaCytotoxicResponseinLungCarcinomaCells,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology.

Inmedicaltoxicology,compoundsaretestedforefficacyandlethalityinpathogenicorganismsandtheirhosts.IncollaborationwithTexasSouthernUniversity,wetestedacompoundthatisaMycobacteriumtuberculosismethionineaminopeptidase(MtMetAP1)inhibitor,whichblockstheremovalofN-terminalmethionineofnascentpolypeptidechains.PreviousknockdownstudiesindicatethattheremovalofMtMetAP1decreasesM.tuberculosisviability.Thefollow-upstudywastofindtheconcentrationofdrugthatkilledhalfofthemammaliancellpopulationinvitro,theLC50.Todeterminethisvalue,weexposedH1299lungcarcinomacellstodifferentinhibitorconcentrations,andfoundtheLC50at11.35µMforthiscellline.Futurestudieswillruleoutcellline-specificresponses.Additionally,twootherMetAPinhibitorswillbetestedfortheircomparativeLC50’s.Ultimately,theseinvitrostudieswillbeusedasareferencepointforinvivostudies.

3. Akpati,Lois;Shamoon,Ushna;Tirgar,Reyhaneh;Nam,Edward,Replicationstress

attenuatesplanarianregeneration,EdwardNam,Biology.

Adultstemcells(SCs)dividemanytimesoveranorganism’slifespantorenewtissues.ThereducedcapacityofadultSCstoregenerateoldanddamagedtissueresultsinaging.Replicationstress,DNAdamageduringcelldivision,isonemechanismcentraltoaging.

21

ReplicationstresscancauselossofadultSCsaccompaniedbyadeclineintissuerenewalandanincreaseinaging.Incontrast,planarianspossessSCscalledneoblaststhatexhibitunlimitedregenerativepotential,andplanariansdonotage.However,itisunknownwhetherreplicationstressaffectsneoblastsandplanarianregenerationsimilartoorganismsthatage.Ourpreliminaryresultsshowthatreplicationstressdelaysplanarianregeneration.Surprisingly,wormsexposedtoreplicationstressdiedafterregeneratingwhilenon-regeneratingwormswithreplicationstressdidnotdieordiedlater.Ourresultssuggestreplicationstress-inducedstemcelllossandagingalsoapplytoplanariansandmayestablishanovelagingmodelsystem.

4. Benitez,M.:Day,A.;Phan,A.;Garcia,C.;Hoballah,Y.;Powell,J.;Agudelo,P.;Ufomadu,E.;

Rosell,R.;Larios-Sanz,M.,SettingupaMetagenomicsStudyfortheCharacterizationofVirusescarriedbyMosquitoesintheGreaterHoustonArea,MaiaLarios-Sanz,,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology.

Houston’shot,humidenvironmentservesasanoptimalhabitatformosquitos.Asaninternationalhub,thecity’spopulationissusceptibletoglobalepidemicssuchasDengue,WestNile,ZikaandChikungunya,whicharetransmittedviamosquitos.Withtheincreasingnumberofviraloutbreaks,itisimperativetoadvanceourunderstandingoftheviruspopulationscarriedbymosquitos.Onewaytodothisisthroughtheuseofmetagenomics:thestudyofthecollectivegenomesinanenvironmentalsample.Here,wepresentthebeginningofametagenomicapproachtoanalyzesequencedatafromtotalDNAandRNAisolatedfrommosquitoscapturedinHouston.

5. Fahmy,Nicole;Zaibaq,Pilar;Pham,Quoc-Khanh;Castle,Eric;Vu,Kimberly;Guirette,

Melanie;Ruff,Aaron;Aviles,Yicenia;Jain,Renu;Hou,Jianyi;Jabbur,James;Ribes-Zamora,Albert,XLFandXRCC4InteractwithTelomericProteins,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology.

Non-HomologousEndJoining(NHEJ)isadouble-strandbreakDNArepairpathwaythatisfoundmutatedinpatientssufferingfromSevereCombinedImmunodeficiency.Thispathwayrecruits3subunitsoftheDNA-PKcomplex(Ku70,Ku80,DNA-PKcs)andtheXLF/XRCC4/LIG4complextositesofDNAdamage.SinceseveralNHEJproteinscanalsobefoundattelomeres,wehypothesizedthatXRCC4andXLFmayalsobepresentatthetelomerethroughinteractionswithTRF1andTRF2,twomembersoftheShelterincomplexpresentattheendofchromosomes.Usingprotein-fragmentcomplementationassay,wehavefoundthatmammaliancellstransfectedwithV1-XRCC4orV1-XLFandV2-TRF1orV2-RAP1showhighfluorescenceintensity,suggestinganinteraction.Furthermore,co-localizationstudieswithdsRed-TRF2showedthatthisinteractionisoccurringattelomeres.Wearecurrentlyusingco-immunoprecipitationstudiesusingmagneticbeadstaggedwithFlagepitopestoconfirmtheinteractionsofXLFandXRCC4withRAP1andTRF2.

22

6. Farmer,Taylor;Rubio,Anabel;Larios-Sanz,Maia,DevelopmentofanExperimentalMicrobialSystemtoEvaluateBioresistantAdditivesinMetalworkingFluid,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology.

Metalworkingfluids(MWF)areusedinindustrialmachiningtocoolandlubricatemetalworkpieces.MWFcanbebiodegradable,whichisanadvantageforsafedisposalbutmakesthemhighlysusceptibletomicrobialcontaminationinuse.ThiscanhamperMWFutility,causingdamageandlossofperformanceofmetalworkingprocesses.BiocidescanbeaddedtoprolongMWFutilitybuthavebeenfoundtocausedermatitisthroughexposuretoMWF.WedevelopedanexperimentalsystemusingcommonMWFcontaminantstoevaluateaminesinmetalworkingformulations.Mixedbacterial(EscherichiacoliandPseudomonasputida)andfungal(CandidaandSaccharomyces)cultureswereconditionedin3%MWFprototypeandthensubjectedtoMWFcontainingaminesoftest.Directplatingmethodswereusedtodeterminemicrobiallogcounts.WehavesuccessfullyconditionedbacterialandfungalculturesthatwillbeusedtoevaluatetheefficiencyoftheseaminesincontrollingmicrobialgrowthintheMWFenvironment.

7. Foss,K.;Guardado,C.;Rodriguez,O.;Baenziger,E.;Ribes-Zamora;A.,Simmons;AD.,

PhylogeneticplacementofGongoraspecies(Orchidaceae)relativetootherorchidsubfamiliesusingD,AlexandraSimmonsNout,AlbertRibes-Zamora,Biology,Capstone.

Fromitstaxonomicinceptiontwoandahalfcenturiesago,theclassificationoforchidshasevolvedfrombeingprimarilymorphologicallybasedtonowusingphylogeneticmolecularanalysistohelpvalidateorimproveuponpreviousclassificationschemes.RobertDresslercreatedanin-depthmorphologicalclassificationstandardamongstorchidenthusiastsbypublishinghisPhylogenyandClassificationoftheOrchidFamilybook(Dressler1993).Thisprovidedtheimpetusformoreconclusivespeciesclassifications,leadingtophylogeneticinvestigationsbasedonDNAanalysiswhichprovidebettertaxonomicresolution(Chase2015).Tothatend,wecomparedovertwodozenindividualspeciesfromvarioussubfamiliesoforchidstoapreviouslyestablishedcladeofGongora.Toincreasethetaxonomicresolution,weusedamulti-locusapproachincorporatingfourplastidDNAbarcodeloci:matK,trnH-psbA,rpoB,andrpoC1(Siripiyasingetal2011).WeexpectthattheGongoraswillremaininacladerelativetotheotherorchidsubfamilies.

8. Foss,Keagan;Guardado,Christopher;Rodriguez,Olivia;Baenziger,Edward;Ribes-Zamora,

Albert;Simmons,Alexandra,PhylogeneticclassificationofGongoraspecies(Orchidaceae)usingDNAbarcoderegionsmatK,rpoB,r,AlexandraSimmonsNout,Biology,Rev.EdwardBaenziger,SCB,ModernandClassicalLanguages.

MembersoftheOrchidaceaefamily,commonlyreferredtoas“orchids,”compriseoneoftheoldestandmostdiversefamiliesamongstthefloweringplants.WithintheOrchidaceaegroupwefindthegenusGongora,whosemembersexhibitsuchstrikingsimilaritiesthatclassifyingthembasedonmorphologicaldifferencesaloneischallengingevenamongst

23

experts.Similarly,thephylogeneticrelationshipsamongstGongorasbasedupontheirmorphologyarequestioned.GiventhegrowingsuccessofDNAbarcodingtodistinguishbetweenorganismsbaseduponspecificconservedgeneticregions,thegoalofourprojectistousematK,trnH-psbA,rpoB,andrpoC1plastidbarcodesequencestoexplorethephylogeneticrelationshipbetween38differentGongoraspecies.

9. Ladner,Aaron;Shields,Kelly;Gonzalez,Jonathan;Nguyen,Landon;Vaughan,Ellen;Martinez,

Antoinette;Shivas,Amin;Larios-Sanz,Maia;Sen,Pramila;Johnson,Cassidy,ResearchingtheRelationshipBetweenTallGrassPrairieMicrobialLandscapesandPlantDiversity,AminShivas,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology,Capstone.

Thecoevolutionofplantsandbacteriahasbeenestablishedinpreviousstudies;however,littleisknownabouthowsoilbacteriadiversityinfluencesthereestablishmentoftallgrassprairies.Tostudythisrelationship,wecollectedsoilsamplesfromseveralrestoredandremnantprairiesaroundHouston.WewillextracttotalDNAfromthesoilandusehigh-throughputsequencingtodeterminebacterialdiversitywithinthesequadrants.Usingthismethodology,wehopetoidentifycoevolutionaryrelationshipsthatexistbetweenspecificplanttypesandbacteriaintheserestoredprairies.Byidentifyingthesepatterns,wecanhelplocalconservationistsrefinefutureprairiereestablishmentmethodsbyadvisingthemaboutwhichbacteriaspecificplantsneedtothrive.

10. Martinez,Antoinette;Leemann,Kate;Solis,Minerva;Amin,Shivas,Selectionof

PsychrophilicE.coliviaMutationalScreening,ShivasAmin,Biology.

Manyadaptationsthatallowlifetopersistinpsychrophilicconditionshavebeenidentified.Studieshavesuggestedthatimpairedproteinfoldingaloneisthelimitingbarriertogrowthatcoldtemperatures.Inparticular,theexpressionoftheOleispiraantarticaCpn60andCpn10proteins,homologsoftheGroEL/ESchaperonesystem,issufficientforgrowthatcoldtemperatures(≤4ºC)inE.coli.Inordertovalidatethesefindings,wecreatedfourdifferentplasmidscontainingtheO.antarticaCpn60/Cpn10system.Interestingly,all4systemshavefailedtopermitgrowthat4ºC.ItispossiblethatpreviousstudiesthatdemonstratedthecryoprotectantpropertiesoftheCpn60/Cpn10systemmayhaveisolatedadaptivemutants.TotestthishypothesisweareconductingamutationalscreenbyinsertingtheCpn60/Cpn10plasmidsintothemutD5/mutLE.colistrainandscreeningforgrowthat15ºCand4ºC.Usingthismethodology,wehopetoisolateacold-adaptedstrain.

11. Nguyen,Sandra;Nguyen,Gina;Tran,Tam;Kral,Jessica;Dodge,Jason,Restrictionmapping

ofa'trembler'mutationofC.elegans,AlexandraSimmonsNout,Biology,Capstone.

CMW230,astrainofmodelorganismCaenorhabditiselegans,hasamutationthatcausesthewormstohavecontinuousmusclespasms,whichiswhywecallitatremblermutant.ThefinalgoalofourresearchistofindanddescribethegenethatcausestremblinginCMW230worms.Sofar,throughsnip-SNPgrossmapping,welocatedthecausalmutationon

24

chromosomeIIIoftheorganismandconcludedthatthemutationisrecessive.Theresultsalsosupportthatthephenotypeismostprobablycausedbyasinglemutation.Thenextstepofourresearchistoconfirmtherestrictionsnip-SNPpatternsoftheN2strainofC.elegans,aswellasdescribetherestrictionpatternoftheCMW230strain.Oncewecompletethisstep,weexpecttobeginusingRNAitofinemapthecausalmutationonchromosomeIII.

12. Nguyen,ThaoK.;Simmons,AlexandraD.;Ribes-Zamora,Albert,Exploringtheimpactof

theGeneticsLaboratoryonstudents’overallunderstandingofGenetics,AlexandraSimmonsNout,AlbertRibes-Zomora,Biology.

GeneticsisaverycomplexandchallengingsubjecttoteachinBiology.AGeneticsLabwasdevelopedafewyearsagointheBiologyDepartment.WiththepurposeofunderstandingtheimpactoftheGeneticsLabontheoverallcomprehensionofGeneticconcepts,wehavecollectedanonymousdataover2semesters(141students)tocomparepre-testandpost-testscoresofstudentsthatdidordidnottakethelaboratory.TheGeneticsLaboratoryistaughtinthecontextofaresearchproject(DNAbarcoding)insteadofunrelatedexperiments.Additionally,itincludesotheractivities,likeoneusingPyMol,whichwehavedemonstratedincreasesunderstandingoftheconnectionbetweengenotypeandphenotype.Webelievetakingthegeneticlabreinforcesandexpandstheconceptscoveredinthelecturethroughdirectapplicationofknowledgeandproblemsolving.WefoundthatundergraduatestudentswhotooktheGeneticLectureandtheLabconcurrentlyhaveahigheraveragepost-testgradethanstudentswhoonlytookGeneticslecturecourse.However,thisdifferenceisnotstatisticallysignificant.FurtherdataanalysiswillallowustounderstandifthelabactivitiesonlyenhanceperformanceofstudentswithspecificGPA’s,andtheimpactofreadingcomprehensionandquantitativeskillsontheirscores.

13. Pinzon,Karina;Flores,Maria;Truong,Anh,InvestigationofDNArepairsystemsin

Escherichiacoli,ShivasAmin–Biology.

DNAdouble--strandedbreaksareamongthemostcytotoxicformsofDNAdamage.InducedbyexogenousfactorssuchasUVradiation,theirrepairisessentialformaintaininggenomicintegrityandcanresultincelldeathifleftunrepaired.InEscherichiacoli,double-strandedbreaksarerepairedbyhomologousrecombinationviatheRecBCDpathway.ThispathwayisinitiatedwhenRecAsensesadouble-strandedbreakandrecruitsRecNtothedamagesite.RecNfacilitatestherepairofdouble-strandedbreaksbytetheringDNAtogetherandproperlyaligningthestrandsduringrecombination.Therefore,wehypothesizethatbacterialstrainsdeficientinRecAorRecNwillexperienceadecreaseincellviabilitywhenexposedtoUV-radiation.InvestigatingtherequirementoftheseDNAdamagerepairsystemsmayrevealinsightintohowcellsprotecttheintegrityoftheirgenomefollowingUV-induceddamage.

25

14. Ribadeneyra,Clara;Hamor,Clark;Amin,Shivas.,EWSR1potentiallyfunctionsasanRNAchaperoneinthestressresponse,ShivasAmin,Biology,Capstone.

EWSR1isahumanRNA-bindingproteinknowntodrivecancerssuchasEwingsarcoma[1]andthoughttopromoteproteinaggregationinLouGehrig’sdisease[2].However,despiteitsclearinvolvementindrivingdisease,anormalphysiologicalfunctionhasyettobeestablishedforEWSR1oranyoftheclosesthomologs.Tosolvethisproblem,weperformedsimpleyetdirectedbioinformaticanalysistoidentifydistantlyrelatedhomologswithexperimentallyvalidatedfunctions.Wespecificallyidentifiedafamilyofglycine-richRNAbindingproteinsinArabidopsisthalianawhichhaveasimilardomaincompositiontoEWSR1,aswellassimilardomainassociations.TheseproteinsareknowntoactasRNAchaperones,whichhelpRNAstofoldandprocessproperlyunderstress[3].Basedonthesimilardomaincompositionandinteractions,wehypothesizethatEWSR1functionsinhumansasanRNAchaperone,ensuringcorrectfoldingofRNAs,andmayhaveenhancedactivityunderstressconditions.

15. Rollo,Debra;Larios-Sanz,Maia,Aerosolizedbacteriafromafreshwaterfishtankasa

possiblesourceofacquisitionandcolonizationofPseudomonasaeruginosaincysticfibrosispatients,MaiaLarios-Sanz,Biology.

PseudomonasaeruginosaisthemainpathogenassociatedwithdeterioratinglungfunctionandhighmortalityratesinpatientswithCysticFibrosis(CF).Althoughthemodeoftransmissionisrelativelyunknown,watervesselssuchaspetfeedingbowlsandsinkshavelongbeenimplicatedasreservoirs.ApreviousstudysuggestedthatCFpatientswithin-homeaquariumsequippedwithaeratorsystemsmaybeatagreaterriskofcolonizationduetoaerosolizationofbacteriapresentinthetank.Inanattempttovalidatethisclaim,weusedstandardmicrobiologytechniquestoisolatebacterialcontaminantsfromaroomhousinganaquariumequippedwithanaerator.Fourdistinctcolonieswereisolatedfromtheplateclosesttothetank.Theisolateswerecharacterizedusingbothphysiologicaltestsand16SrRNAsequenceanalysis.IdentifyingtheseenvironmentalisolateswillhelpusdetermineifPseudomonasandrelatedcontaminantsentertheenvironmentviaaerosolizationandiffishtanksareindeedreservoirs.

16. Trivino,Vanessa;Hebert,Luke;Reinhardt,Heidi;Lam,Quy;Lodhra,Zara;Castillo,Laura;

Donnelly,Anna;Nguyen,Tang;MacGregor,Michael;Nunez,Brenda,DeterminingtheCorrelationbetweenDrosophilamelanogasterTolueneExposureandtheResultingToxicityEffectsonFlySurvivalandFecundity,RosemarieC.Rosell,Biology,ElmerLedesma,ChemistryandPhysics.

Tolueneisavolatilehydrocarbonfoundinindustrialsettingsandinhouseholdproducts.Ourpurposeistoinvestigatetheeffectsoftolueneonapopulationofthemodelorganism,Drosophilamelanogaster.SincehumansandD.melanogasterhavesimilarnervoussystemstructureandfunction,andexposuretotolueneresultsinpermanentdamagetothecentralnervoussystem,weanticipatethatD.melanogasterwillshowsimilarresults.Wedevelopeda

26

continuousflowsystemthatdeliversknownconcentrationsofgaseoustoluenetopopulationsofD.melanogaster.Wehaveinterpolatedthelethalconcentrationofgaseoustoluenethatkills50%ofthepopulation(LC50)tobe279ppm.AdultsexposedatconcentrationsintheLC50rangewerematedandtheresultingoffspringwerecountedategg,larval,andpupalstages.Thesedataallowustotrackfecundityandprogressionofflydevelopmentundertheinfluenceofparentaltolueneexposure.Inaddition,lightmicroscopyisusedtoobservetheeffectsoftolueneexposureontheoffspringlarvae’smorphologyincomparisontothemorphologyoflarvaefromunexposedparents.Interpretingthedatawillallowustoidentifythedevelopmentalstage(s)atwhichfruitfliesareaffectedbytolueneexposure.

ChemistryandPhysics17. Dang,Phuong;Evans,Elena;Nguyen,Andrew;Young,Crystal,Poly(phenylenevinylene)

PPVderivativesandtheirsolubilityeffectsinorganiclight-emittingdiode(OLED)devices,CrystalYoung,ChemistryandPhysics.

Poly(phenylenevinylene)(PPV)derivativesareacommonlight-emittingcomponentinorganiclight-emittingdiode(OLED)devices.OnewaytoenhancetheperformanceofOLEDdevicesistoalterthesolubilityofthePPVderivative.SidechainsplayamajorroleinPPVderivativesolubility.Ourgoalistoinvestigatedifferentsidechainstoincreasesolubility,resultinginanimproveddeviceperformance.WearecurrentlyinvestigatingthreePPVderivatives.Poly[2,5-(3-heptyloxy)propyl-1,4phenylenevinylene](PHOPPV),poly[2-methyl-5-(2-octyloxyethyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene](MOOPPV),andpoly{2,5-bis[4'-(2''ethylhexyloxy)phenyl]-1,4-phenylenevinylene}(BEHOPPV)willbesynthesizedbyHorner-Emmonspolycondensation.PHOPPVhastwoalkoxysidechainswiththeplacementofoxygenthreecarbonsawayfromthering.MOOPPVrelocatestheoxygeninPHOPPVtothegammapositionofthebenzenering.WhileBEHOPPVchangesthesidechainstoincludeanadditionalaromaticringwithabranchedsidechain.Intermediateswillbecharacterizedbygaschromatography-massspectrometry(GC-MS),nuclearmagneticresonance(NMR)andinfraredspectroscopies.

18. Hernandez,Ana;Do,Tony;Chandra,Richa,SeparationofLipoproteinsUsingHPLC,Richa

Chandra,ChemistryandPhysics.

Cardiovasculardiseaseremainsoneoftheleadingcausesofmortalityandalthoughindecline,itisnecessarytofurtherourknowledgeofitforfurtherprevention.Thepurposeofthisresearchistodevelopamethodtoanalyzeandisolatelipoproteins(HDL,LDL,VLDL,andchylomicrons)inhumanserumsamples.Wearemodifyingapublishedtechniqueinvolvinghighperformanceliquidchromatograph(HPLC)andadaptingthescaleanddetectionmethodutilizingafluorescentprobe,NBDC-6ceramide.OurmethoddevelopmentshowspromiseinthatserumalbuminisdetectedthroughUVabsorbanceandfluorescence.Thelipoproteinsshowaffinitytothefluorescentprobe,andwearecurrentlyfocusingonmodificationstooursamplepreparationandcalibrationofthetechnique

27

utilizingllipoproteinstandards.TheresearchwillfurtherclarifyourunderstandingofthedevelopmentofCVDandviabioanalyticalmethodsprovidepotentialclinicalapplicationsinthediagnosis,treatmentandpreventionofCVDincidence.

19. Johnson,Tretitia;Flores,Elaine;Gueverara,Astrid;Heerensperger,Laura;Palasota,JohnA.,

SalicylicAcidDeterminationInFaceWashByHPLC,JohnA.Palasota,ChemistryandPhysics.

Inthisstudy,salicylicacidinNeutrogena’s®Oil-FreeAcneWashisisolatedandquantifiedviareversedphasehighperformanceliquidchromatography.Thepurposeofthisexperimentistodeterminewhethertheamountofsalicylicacidpresentinover-the-countercosmeticproductsissafeandeffective.ThesampleispreparedbysolidphaseextractionusingaC18stationaryphase.Calibrations,rangingfrom0.30to1.5mg/mLproducedalinearcurvewitha0.9997coefficientofcorrelation.Usingthesecalibrations,theconcentrationofsalicylicacidisdeterminedtobe0.77mg/mL.Thisconcentrationcorrelatesto1.71%ofsalicylicacidrecovered.Fromthis,itisdeterminedthattheamountofsalicylicacidpresentinNeutrogena’s®Oil-FreeAcneWashisindeedsafeandeffectiveandregulatorystandardsimposedarebeingmet.

20. Jurica,James;Samee,Hameed;Birgit,Mellis;Richa,Chandra,RemnantLipoproteinSize

DistributionProfilingofSerumSamplesofVaryingMetabolicDisordersvia,RichaChandra,ChemistryandPhysics,Capstone.

Remnantlipoproteins(RLPs),whichareinvolvedwiththetransportofdietaryfatsinbloodcirculation,arestronglycorrelatedwithcardiovasculardisease(CVD).ItishypothesizedthattheatherogenicnatureofRLPcanbeattributedtoitssize,composition,andpotentiallyitsretentioninthearterialintimaorfaultymetabolismbytheliver.ForthisreasonIamexaminingtheRLPsizedistributionofprevalentmetabolicdisorders;namelyhypertriglyceridemia,diabetesmellitus,coronaryarterydiseaseandnormolipidemiccontrols.WereportarobustmethodforsizingRLP,byperformingapreparativeimmunoseparationfollowedbyasizedistributionanalysisusingdynamiclightscattering.WepostulatethatthismethodologywillhelptoelucidatethemetabolicconnectionsbetweenRLPsizeanditsatherogenicpotential.

21. Loth,Matthew;Gibbons,Chad;Belaiter,Sami,MomentsofChaos,JamesClarage,Chemistry

andPhysics.

Ourresearchreinforcesthatmomentsofinertiaplayacrucialroleinbothchaosandstabilitytheoriesforobjectstossedintotheair(books,bricks,laptops)orspace(asteroids,satellites).Wemappedtheinstabilityofarotatingobject(inourcaseasmartphone)abouteachofitsprincipleaxes,usingtheinertialsensorsbuiltintothephone’sonboardorientationandnavigationalsystem.Thisresearchdemandedtheintegrationofseveralbranchesofexperimentalandtheoreticalstudy,includingNewton’sandEuler’sequations

28

forthedynamicsofarotatingbodywithzerotorque,statics,coupledsystemsofdifferentialequations,computationalmethods,andchaostheory.Ourcomparisonofexperimentalandcalculatedcentripetalaccelerationsofthephone,undervaryinginitialconditions,verifiestheclassicallyexpectedresultthatarigidbody(inthiscaseanordinarysmartphone)canexhibitbothstableandchaoticmotions.Futureresearchwillmodelothereffectssuchasaerodynamics.

22. Nguyen,Thy;Hollingsworth,Javoris;Mellis,Birgit,EnhancementofMonodispersity

DuringtheSynthesisofGoldNanoparticleswithCyclodextrinDerivatives,BirgitMellis,ChemistryandPhysics,Capstone.

Goldnanoparticlesexhibitmanyusefuloptical,electronic,andchemicalpropertiesthatareimportantforpotentialapplicationsincatalysis,sensing,andbiomedicine.Inthisstudywedemonstratethesynthesisofgoldnanoparticlesusingvariousderivativesofthebiomoleculecyclodextrin,whichactsasareducingagentaswellasaligand.Also,duetotheirnontoxicity,thesebiomoleculesareexcellentligandsforbiomedicalapplicationsasshowninpreviousstudies,wherecyclodextrinswereusedasadrugcarryingagent.Inourexperiments,goldnanoparticlesweresynthesizedwithdistinctcyclodextrinscomposedof6,7,and8glucosesubunits(alpha,betaandgammarespectively).Todeterminethenecessarycircumstancesforenhancingmonodispersityofthegoldnanoparticles,thesynthesiswasperformedundervariousreactionconditions.Thephotophysicalpropertiesandsizedistributionofthepreparednanoparticleswerecharacterizedusingultraviolet-visiblespectroscopy(UV-Vis)anddynamiclightscattering(DLS).Stabilitymeasurementswerealsoconductedaspartofthestudy.

23. VanderWal,Arica;Urbaningsih,Mustika;Grisales,Sara;Steiger,Michelle;Mellis,Birgit,

PhotothermalEffectsofBiotinylatedGoldNanoparticlesonCellViability,BirgitMellis,MichelleSteiger,ChemistryandPhysics.

Overthepastdecades,goldnanoparticles(AuNPs)haveemergedaspromisingagentsfortherapy.Duetotheeffectofsurfaceplasmaresonance,theAuNPsheatupthecells’immediatesurroundingsifexcitedbylightofacertainwavelength.Weareinvestigatingtheeffectivenessofthisinteractionindiminishingcellviability.Inthisstudy,wecomparetheeffectsofAuNPswithtwodifferentligands,citrateandcyclodextrinonH1299cellviability.TheAuNPsarecrosslinkedtobiotinandstreptavidinforlabeling.Followingananalysisofthebioconjugatedsystemwithdynamiclightscattering(DLS)andUV-Visspectroscopy,thenanoparticlesolutionisappliedtothecellsandundergoeslaserheattreatmentofvarioustimeincrementsusingaMGLIII532nm-300mWlaser.Afteranincubationperiodthecellviabilityisanalyzedquantitatively.

29

Mathematics24. Maksymiak,Jenna;Pollack,Jared;Quinones,Erin,TeachingMathOnline:BeingCorrect,

Complete,andEffective,MaryFlagg,Mathematics.

Forthepastfewdecades,methodsofacademiclearninghavebeendriftingawayfromclassroomsandtextbooks,andadvancingtowardsonlineeducationresources.Webinstructionhasmadenotablestridesadaptingtothenewlearninglandscape,butithasyettosupplanttraditionalapproachestoteaching.Tomaximizetheeffectivenessofweb-basedinstruction,theinstructionitselfmustbecredible,andthewebsitemustadheretosensibleweb-designprinciples.Mathematicalcontentinparticulardemandsapresentationmarkedbyprecisionandfluidity.Usingacustomarytopicinhighschoolalgebra–quadraticequationsandthequadraticformula–ourresearchexaminestheeffectivenessofseveralpopularonlineteachingtoolsinanefforttodeterminethemostfavorableinstructionalmethodsandpinpointareasinneedofrefinement.

25. CancelledPoliticalScience26. Patel,Nipa,PublicOpinionandRationality:ADeeperLookintoPoliticalParticipation,

Bias,andApproval,Jean-PhilippeFaletta,PoliticalScience,Capstone.

Doespublicopinionreallyinfluencerationalitytowardsthegovernmentandpoliticians?Thepoliticalrealmconsistsofanumberoffactorsfromideology,toactualpartyaffiliation,tovoterturnoutandapproval,includingnumerousothervariables.Inaddition,theobjectivityandrationalityofvotingageadultsinthegeneralpopulationoftheUnitedStatescanoftenbeskewedbyindividuals’age,gender,race,politicalaffiliations,andbeliefsonmajorsocialandeconomicconcerns.Howdotheaforementionedfactorsaffectapprovalofgovernmentandpoliticians?Thisstudyarguesthatpublicopinionalongwithanindividual’spoliticalinvolvement,backgroundandaffiliationcanoftenbehighlyinfluentialandtendstoskewtherationalityorobjectivityofthevotingagepopulationregardingthegovernmentandpoliticians.

Psychology27. Flores,Jallesse;Perez,Stephanie,PredictorsofRelationalSatisfaction,CarlW.Scott,

Psychology,Capstone.

Previousresearchfoundthatadultattachmentstylestronglypredictedrelationalsatisfaction.However,researchershaveneglectedotherpotentialpredictorslikegender,ethnicity,sexualorientation,andage.Wesurveyedtheattachmentstylesandrelationalsatisfactionofadultsanduniversitystudents,andincludedadditionaldemographic

30

predictors.Wewillcomparetwomodelsforpredictingrelationalsatisfaction:typeofadultattachmentstyleordemographics.Potentialusesofthisresearchincludetheconsiderationofthesepredictorsinrelationshipcounselingtobetterunderstandandhelpimproverelationalsatisfaction.

28. Garcia,Carlos;Mendez,Francisco,CollegeStudents'AttitudesTowardLesbian,Gay,and

BisexualIndividuals,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.

Thecurrentstudyexaminescollegestudents’attitudestowardlesbian,gay,andbisexual(LGB)individualsinaprivateeducationalinstitution.Atleast50participantswilltakeasurveythatincludesdemographicinformationandtheHomosexualityAttitudeScale(HAS;Kite&Deaux,1986).ResultswillbeanalyzedusingaregressiontodeterminewhichvariablesaremostpredictiveofattitudestowardsLGBindividuals.Withpreviousliteratureinmind,wepredictthatoverallattitudestowardsLGBindividualswillbemoderatelynegative.WehypothesizethatageandreligiositywillhaveanegativeassociationwithattitudestowardsLGBindividuals.Secondly,wehypothesizethatgender,familiarity,andeducationwillhaveapositiveassociationwithattitudestowardsLGBindividuals(Chonodyetal.,2009;Hinrichsetal.,2002;Lambertetal.,2006).FindingswillaidinunderstandingcampusclimatetowardsLGBindividuals,whichaffectstheabilityofLGBstudentstoreachtheirfullpotential(Gortmaker&Brown,2006).

29. Garcia,Cassandra,UrbanizationasPredictorofMexicanImmigrants’Acculturation,

CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.

Acculturationdescribesthechangesthatapersonexperienceswhenmigratingtoanewculture.ManystudieshaveexaminedtheacculturationoftheHispaniccommunityintheU.S.Fewacculturationresearchershaveconsideredtheinfluenceofrelativeurbanizationinassessingimmigrants’adjustment,eventhoughsomeresearchershaveidentifiedtheimportanceofurbanization.ThisstudyexaminestherelationshipbetweenurbanizationandacculturationinMexicanimmigrants.ImmigrantadultswillcompleteasurveyinSpanishwithmultiplemeasuresofacculturationandurbanization.Ifurbanizationisanimportantpredictorofacculturation,thisstudycanhelpprovidersofimmigrantsupporttoimprovetheirservices.

30. Garcia,Cassandra;Aguilar,Jason,MexicanImmigrants’PerspectiveonCurrentPolitical

DebateOverUnauthorizedImmigration,SrijanaShrestha,Psychology,Capstone.

Intherecentpresidentialrace,immigrationisontheforefrontofpoliticaldiscourseandisacontroversialtopic.Mexicanimmigrantsmakeupapproximately49%ofundocumentedimmigrantsintheU.Sand5.1%oftheU.S.workforce(PewResearch,2015).ThepurposeofourqualitativestudywastoexamineMexicanimmigrant’sperspectivesonthecurrentpoliticaldebateonimmigration,analyzetheirexperiencesandmotivesformigratingtotheUSandprejudicestheymayhaveexperiencedinthecurrentpoliticalclimate.Participants

31

wereidentifiedusingsnowballingandconveniencesampling.CommonthemesidentifiedinthenarrativesincludedchallengesassimilatingtoU.S.culture,reasonsformigrationtotheUS,viewpointsofimmigrationreform,andpoliticalviewsconcerningthecurrentpresidentialrace.Theinterviewsshowedthatimmigrantswerehopefulaboutimmigrationreform,thoughtmassdeportationwasunfeasible,andhadmultiplesuggestionsforimmigrationreform.

31. Garcia,Krystal,BodyDissatisfactionVariedbyRaceandEthnicityinCollegeFemales,

JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.

Thepurposeofthecurrentinvestigationwastoexaminebodyimagedissatisfactioninfemales,allowingforcategorizationbyraceandethnicity.ThecategorizationincludedHispanicandnon-Hispanic.Participantswererecruitedfromasmall,private,Catholic,liberalartsuniversity.Therequirementsforparticipationwereparticipantsmustbefemalesandenrolledasanundergraduate.ParticipantscompletedanonlinesurveywiththeBodyShapeQuestionnaire(BSQ-34)(Copper,Taylor,Z.Copper&Fairburn,1986)anddemographicquestions.Thequestionnairemeasuredbodydissatisfactionbyusinga6pointscalerangingfrom1(never)to6(always).HigherratingsintheBSQ-34meanthigherbodydissatisfaction.Theresultsofthestudyshowedthattherewasnosignificancebetweenethnicityandbodydissatisfaction,t(108)=-.22,p>.05.However,therewasasignificancebetweenraceandbodydissatisfaction,t(74)=2.135,p=.036.Theresultsofthestudycorrelatedwithpastliterature;femaleswhoarenon-whitehavealowbodydissatisfaction.

32

32. Grant,Robyn;Escoto,Maria;Ardila,Vanessa,InterpretationsofCross-SexFriendships,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.

Lateadolescenceandearlyadulthoodisacrucialtimefordevelopingsocialrelationshipswiththesameandoppositesexes.Previousresearchhasevaluatedintimacyinfriendshipsandfoundthatfemaleshaveahigherlevelofintimacy.However,itisunclearifintimacyincross-sexfriendshipsisinterpreteddifferentlybymalesandfemales.Thepresentstudyconsidersmultiplefactorsthatcouldinfluencehowpeopleinterprettheintimacyoftheircross-sexfriendships,includingnumberofclosefriends,lengthofthefriendship,andourmainvariableofinterest,thesexoftheparticipant.StudentsfromtheUniversityofSaintThomasbetweentheagesof18-25completedanonlinesurveywithquestionsaboutthemselvesandtheirclosestnon-romanticcross-sexfriendship.Statisticalanalyseswillexaminehowthesexoftheparticipantinfluencesinterpretationsofintimacy.Itishypothesizedthatfemales’interpretationofintimacyincross-sexfriendshipswillbegreaterthanmales’.

33. Pinzon,Karina,AnExaminationofAssertivenessinRelationtoSocialRankMentality

andSelf-Compassion,JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.

Recentstudiesshowthatself-compassionhasbeennegativelyassociatedwiththesocialrankingvariablesofself-criticism,shame,andnegativesocialcomparisons,whichallowindividualstoexperiencegreaterlifesatisfactionandincreasedsocialconnectedness.Todate,nostudyhasexploredtherelationshipbetweenassertivenessandself-compassion.Thepresentstudyexaminedassertivenessinrelationtoself-compassionandvariablesofsocialrankmentality.208collegeundergraduatescompletedmeasuresassessingassertiveness,self-compassion,externalshame,socialcomparison,andself-criticism.Theresultsshowaclose,negativerelationshipbetweenrespondents’perceptionsofinferiorsocialrankandtheirlevelsofassertivenessandself-compassion,thusdemonstratingthatassertivenessfavorsself-compassionlevelsandisassociatedwithadecreaseinsocialrankmentality.Beyonddemonstratingtheassociationbetweenassertivenessandself-compassion,thesefindingscanfacilitatetheworkoftherapistsandresearchersastheyspecifyclassesofbehaviorsthatinfluencelowlevelsofself-compassionandmaladaptiveformsofsocialrankmentality.

34. Kiabi,Steve,AcculturationandPersonalityinPredictingLifeSatisfaction,CarlW.Scott,

Psychology,Capstone.

Pastresearchhasshownthatmajorlifechanges,suchasmovingtoanothercountry,canreducewell-being.Thisstudyexploreshowpersonalitypredictsacculturativestress.Iexpectthatpeoplewithhighagreeablenessoropennesstoexperienceandlowacculturativestresswouldhavethehighestlifesatisfaction.Thestudyusedmultiplemeasuresofacculturativestress,personality,andlifesatisfaction.InternationalstudentsattheUniversityofSt.ThomasparticipatedusingSurveyMonkey.Demographics--nationality,

33

age,timespentintheUS,andclassification—providedamorecompletedescriptionoftheparticipants.Thisresearchseekstoeasethechallengesofadjustingtoanewcountry.

35. Lara,David,AttitudesonMentalHealth,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.

Thisstudyinvestigatestherelationshipbetweenself-esteemandperceptionsofstigmatowardmentalhealthservices.Paststudieshaveidentifiedarelationshipbetweentwotypesofstigma:self-stigmaandpublicstigma.However,therelationshipbetweenself-esteemandstigmahasnotbeenexamined.UndergraduatestudentsatUSTwillcompletethreescales:TheRosenbergSelf-EsteemScale(1965),TheSelf-StigmaofSeekingHelpScale(Vogel,2006),andThePerceptionsofStigmatizationbyOthersforSeekingPsychologicalHelpScale(Vogel,2009).Regressionanalyseswilldeterminetherelativecontributionofself-esteem,gender,politicalorientation,andethnicityonself-stigmaandpublicstigma.Itishypothesizedthatallindependentvariableswillpredictself-stigmaandpublicstigma.Theexplorationofthesevariablesisimportantasitcouldsuggestwaystodecreasestigmatowardsmentalhealthservices.

36. Madewell,Ashleigh;Alvarado,Julissa;Bahlas,Reem;Dogan,Kaan,PerceptionsofPublic

Breastfeeding,ElizabethWoods,Psychology,Capstone.

Previousresearchhasexaminedtheperceptionsofpublicbreastfeedingfrommenandwomenintheworkplace,peoplewhoalreadyhavechildren,andmotherswhouseotherfeedingmethodssuchasformulaorpumpedbreastmilk.However,littleisknownaboutcollegestudents’perceptionsofpublicbreastfeeding.ThepresentstudyaimstogaininsightintohowstudentsattheUniversityofSt.Thomasperceivepublicbreastfeeding,throughmeansofanonlinesurvey(SurveyMonkey.com).Halfwaythroughthesurvey,aninterventionwillbeadministeredintheformofashortvideowithanexpertdiscussingthebenefitsofbreastfeedingforbothmotherandchild.Itishypothesizedthatstudentswhoarenotfamiliarwiththebenefitsofbreastfeedingwillinitiallyseepublicbreastfeedinginanegativeway,butwillchangetheirperceptionspost-interventiononcetheyaremoreknowledgeableaboutthetopic.

37. Moreno,Nathaly,PerceptionsofCheatingBehaviorsVarywithGenderandOne’sOwn

CheatingExperiences,JoAnneMeier-Marquis.Psychology,Capstone.

Thepresentstudyexamines(1)ifprevioushistorywithinfidelityinfluencesperceptionsofcheatingbehaviors,and(2)whethermalesandfemalesratecheatingbehaviorsdifferently.Atotalof83undergraduatestudentsenrolledinpsychologycoursesvolunteeredtoparticipatethroughananonymousonlinesurvey.Overall,individualsratedsexualbehaviorsasthemostindicativeofcheatingincomparisonwithemotionalbehaviors.Victimsofinfidelityratedsexualbehaviorshigherthanthosewithnoexperiencewithinfidelity.Malevictimsratedsexualbehaviorsasmoreindicativeofcheatingthanfemalevictims.Perpetratorsofinfidelityratedsexualbehaviorshigherthanindividualsthathavenotcommittedaninfidelity.Maleswhohave

34

notcommittedaninfidelityratedsexualbehaviorsaslessindicativeofcheatingthananyothercategory.Theresultsprovidefurtherevidencethatperceptionsofcheatingbehaviorsareinfluencedbygenderandone’sownhistoryofinfidelity,includingbothvictimandperpetratorviewpoints.

38. Nguyen,Megan;Tran,Vivian,TheEffectsofSleepInterventionsonCollegeStudents,

CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.

Increasingevidencepointstotheimportanceofsleepquantityandquality.Sleepinterventionswithcollegestudentshavedecreasedsleepdisturbancesandimprovedtheiremotionalandphysicalhealth.Texascollegestudentsparticipatedinasleepintervention,respondedtoquestionnairesrelatedtomentalhealth,andrecordedaspectsoftheirdailysleep.Theinterventionhadstudentsincreasetheirsleepquantityby30minforoneweekandanother30minutesthesecondweek.Eachstudentfollowedaspecificsleepinterventionforbothweeks,suchasavoidingbluescreens30minutesbeforebed.Measurestrackedchangesinsleepquantityandquality,willpower,anxiety,andaggressionoverthreeweeks.Effectiveandlow-costsleepinterventionslikethiscanbeimplementedwidely.

39. Parrish,AlexandriaG.;Keller,SydneyC,IndirectAggression,AcademicStanding,and

LifeSatisfactionamongCollegeFemales,CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.

Weinvestigatedtheprominenceofindirectaggressioninyoungadultwomenandascertainedwhetherbehavioralandemotionalpatternsknowninadolescencealsopersistintoadulthood.Thisresearchaddressedagapinpastliteraturebyfocusinguponcollege-agedfemales.Undergraduateandgraduatefemalestudentsatasmallliberalartsuniversitycompletedsurveysthatexaminedrelationsamongindirectaggression(bothtargetandaggressor),lifesatisfaction,andacademicstanding.Weexpectpositiverelationsamonglifesatisfaction,academicstanding,andactingaggressively.Weexpectanegativerelationamonglifesatisfaction,academicstanding,andaggressiontargets.Wepredictthattargetsofaggressionwillhavehigherlevelsofaggressiontowardsothers.Ourfindingswillcontributevaluableknowledgetouniversitiesontherelationshipbetweenaggressionandstudentsuccess.TheseresultsarebeneficialtoCounselingandDisabilityServiceswhenassistingstudentswiththeiroverallwell-being.

40. Ramirez,Deanna,Self-MonitoringandthePerceptionofJobApplicantsBasedonStyle

ofClothing,JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.

Personperceptionisinfluencedbycharacteristicsofthetargetandcharacteristicsuniquetotheperceiver.Self-monitoringisrelatedtopersonperception(Ambady,Hallahan,&Rosenthal,1995;Snyder,1974;Snyder,1987)becausehighself-monitorsmaybemoreskilledatinterpretingsocialsituationsandjudgmentofothers.Highself-monitorstendtovaluesocialacceptancemorethanlowself-monitors,(Day,Schleicher,Unckless,&Hiller,

35

2002)thisinfluencemayimpacttheirjudgmentsofothers.Thisresearchexaminedtheroleofanapplicant’sattireandtheemployer’slevelofself-monitoringontheperceptionofthejobapplicant.Thecurrentinvestigationtriestodeterminetheinfluenceofbothindependentvariablesintermsofhowfictitiousjobapplicantsareratedonavarietyofcharacteristics.Theresultssuggestthatbothattireandself-monitoringarestatisticallysignificantinfluencesontheperceptionofjobapplicants.Whilebothindependentvariablesaresignificantalone,theybothinteracttobestatisticallysignificant.

41. Sanchez,Veronica;Velasquez,Cassandra,DatingExperiencesandTechnologyUse

AmongCollegeStudents,SrijanaShrestha,Psychology,Capstone.

Thepurposeofthecurrentstudyistounderstandhowcollegestudentsnavigatethedatingprocessandusetechnologyinthedatingprocess.Datawascollectedbyconductingopen-ended,face-to-faceinterviewswithfiveparticipants.Participantsconsistedofmaleandfemaleundergraduatestudentsbetweentheages18-25,recruitedthroughconveniencesampling.Theinterviewslastedbetween30-60minutes.Theresponsesweretranscribedandanalyzedtoidentifycommonthemes.Pastandpresentexperiencesaboutdatingwereexamined,aswellastechnologyuseanddevelopmentsthroughoutparticipant’sdatingexperiences.Resultsshowedtechnologyuseforcommunicationwascommon.Commonthemesacrossinterviewsincludedtheroleofoutsideinfluences(parentsandfriends)onapotentiallong-termdatingpartner,commoncharacteristicsofabaddate,theimportanceofchemistry,positiveandnegativeaspectsofsocialmedia,genderdifferencesinhowmenandwomenplannedfordatesandtheimportanceofsafetyconcernsforwomenparticipants.

42. Tlapanco,Carina;Razuri,Carlos,CollegeExperiencesofFirst-GenerationCollege

Students,SrijanaShrestha,Psychology.Capstone.

Thecurrentqualitativestudyexploredtheexperiencesoffirst-generationcollegestudents(FGS)ataprivateliberal-artsuniversity.AccordingtoMuseus(2011),FGStendtoberacial/ethnicminoritieswithuniqueneeds.QualitativestudieshavefoundthatFGSareinneedofsupport(Wang,2014),lackenoughresourcestoovercomechallenges(Tate,2015),andexperienceconflictwhentheyarerequiredtodecidebetweenschoolandfamily(Lowery-Hart&Pacheco,2011).TheincreasingnumberofFGSinhighereducationmakesnewresearchinthisgroupmorepressing.Byusingface-to-faceinterviews,weaimedtoexaminethesuccessesandchallengesencounteredbyFGS.Participantswererecruitedthroughsnowballandconveniencesampling.Theinterviewswereaudio-recorded,transcribed,andanalyzedforemergingthemes.Analyseshighlightedthefollowingthemes:challengesfacedinthefirstyear,lackofnavigationskills,importanceofhavingasupportsystem,beingabletoofferauniqueperspective,andvaluingleadership.

36

43. Vass,Elizabeth,GunControlandGunLaws:AttitudesofStudentsataPrivateInstitution,JoAnneMeier-Marquis,Psychology,Capstone.

Recently,theTexasLegislaturepassedtheCampusCarryS.B11bill,whichcoversthetopicofthecarryingofconcealedhandgunsonthecampusesof,andcertainlocationsassociatedwith,institutionsofhighereducation.Thepurposeofthisinvestigationwastoexaminesprivateuniversitystudents’attitudestowardsgunsafety,gunlaws,andthepossibilityofprivatecivilianscarryingconcealedgunsoncampus.Severalfactorsreliablypredictattitudestowardsgunsandmeasurestocontrolguns,includingpoliticalaffiliation,geographiclocation,andgunownership.Bennet,Kraft,&Grubb(2012)foundthatamajorityofuniversityfacultyfromGeorgiathatweresurveyedopposedlegislationsregardingtheexpansionoflocationswhereconcealedhandgunsmaybecarried,whichincludedcollegecampusesandchurches.However,theresearchersalsofoundthatsupportoroppositionwassignificantlydeterminedbypoliticalpartyandgunownership.Cooke(2004)surveyedyoungpeoplefromtheUnitedStates,GreatBritain,andWesternAustralia,andshefoundthatAmericanrespondentsfavoredgunpossessionthemost.Datawerecollectedduringthefallof2015whenastate-widemandatetoallowopencarryoncollegecampuseswasbeingimplemented.Participantsincluded138undergraduatestudents.Theycompletedanonlinesurveymeasuringtheirpoliticalattitudes,withpoliticalviewsmeasuredonascalefrom1(veryconservative)to5(veryliberal).Inaddition,theAttitudeTowardGunsscale(ATGS,Branscombeetal.1991;CookeandPuddifoot,2000)wasused,whichmeasurestheextenttowhichparticipantsfeelthatgunsarenecessarytoprotectoneselfandproperty,gunrightsaretiedtoconstitutionalrights,andthatgunscontributetocrimes.Higherscoresindicatedalowerendorsementofgunrights.ParticipantsalsoindicatedtheirsupportoftheCampusCarryS.B11bill,whichallowsthecarryingofconcealedhandgunsonthecampusesof,andcertainotherlocationsassociatedwith,institutionsofhighereducation.Participantsindicatedona5-pointscaletheextenttowhichtheysupportedthemeasure,withhigherscoresindicatinglesssupport(1–stronglyagreewithbill,5–stronglydisagreewithbill).Aseriesofcorrelationswereconductedtodeterminewhetherattitudestowardcontrolcontrolwererelatedtogenderorpoliticalaffiliation.Therewasanegativecorrelationbetweengenderandgunrights,inthatmalesweremorelikelytoendo.

44. Vauk,Evan;Garcia,Stephanie;Habet,Analisa,ReactionstoSocialSituations:

UnderstandingtheLinkbetweenInformationandBehavior,CarlW.Scott,Psychology,Capstone.

Inthedigitalage,informationtravelsfasterthaneverbefore,andweusethisinformationtomakedecisionsabouttheworldaroundus.Ourstudyevaluateshowsomeinformationaffectsbehavior.ParticipantslearnedofourstudythroughFacebook,andself-selectedtoparticipateinanonlinesurvey.Througharandomizedpretest-posttestdesign,wegatheredtwodifferenttypesofbehavioraldata.Ourresultsmayallowbehavioralresearchersandhealthcareprofessionalstohelppeopleperformmoreeffectivelyinsocialsituations.

37

UndergraduateResearchatUSTStatementfromthe2014–2016UndergraduateCatalog

Engaginginresearchprojectswithfacultymembersprovidesstudentswithspeciallearning

opportunitiesthatdeepentheirknowledgeofasubject.Studentsdevelopanalyticalandwritingskillsandemergefromtheexperienceascriticalthinkersandconfidentspeakers.Undergraduateresearchisanincreasinglyimportantcomponentofstudents’educationalexperienceacrossthecurriculum.MostmajorprogramsandtheHonorsProgramofferacapstoneexperienceconsistingofcreativescholarshipinthestudent’smajor,guidedbyafacultyadvisor.Annually,duringthespringsemester,theCommitteeonStudentResearchsponsorstheUniversityofSt.ThomasResearchSymposium.Students,bothgraduateandundergraduate,presenttheresultsoftheirresearchatthisevent.Studentsmayalsopresenttheirresearchatlocal,regional,national,andinternationalconferences,andsomestudentspublishtheirfindingsinpeer–reviewedpublications.

Moststudentscalltheirundergraduateresearchprojectthehighlightoftheiruniversityexperience.TheUniversityprovidesfinancialassistancetostudentsconductingresearchthroughtheCommitteeonStudentResearch.Inaddition,theUniversityofSt.ThomasisamemberoftheCouncilofUndergraduateResearch,anationalorganizationthatpromotesstudentresearchacrossthecurriculumasanintegralpartoftheacademicexperience.Studentsshouldconsulttheiracademicadvisorand/orthechairofthedepartmentinwhichtheyareinterested,orcontactthechairoftheCommitteeonStudentResearch.

TheCommitteeonStudentResearchorganizedthis22ndannualsymposiumtoshowcasescholarshipat

theUniversityofSt.Thomas.Themembersforthe2014–2015Committeewere:

MauryHarris(CommitteeChair,OralsChair)ShuoyangZhang(ResearchandTravelSubcommitteeChair)

LiviaBornigia(PosterCo-Chair)JoMeier---Marquis(PosterCo-Chair)

BergitMellisJaniceTaylor

PamelaHodgesTimCarrizalTomHarmonYiyingCheng

TheCommitteeonStudentResearchthanksmembersofthestaffofPublicAffairs,InstitutionalAdvancement,theGeneralOffice,FacilitiesOperations,MediaServicesandPublicationsfortheir

assistanceinplanningandpreparingforthisevent.ProgramcoverphotographytakenbyBrendaCooper,programdesignedandproducedbyMauryHarris

And,asitshouldbe,wethankthestudentsfortheirhardworkconductingtheirresearchprojectsandtheirprofessorsfortheirguidancethroughouttheprocess.