Program for the Spring 2017 Multidisciplinary Research Day


DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

Empirical Projects

Aarons, Adrianna Bryant, Will Lindstrom, Devon. BACTERIA ON THE BACK OF PHONES.
We did an experiment where we took swabs from the back of phones from 10 students. We incubated these samples and looked at how many bacteria colonies have grown.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Aguilera Tovar, Sofia. Sapp, Caleb.. THE EFFECT OF SUGAR ON OSMOSIS IN PLANTS.
In our experiments we studied the effect that varying sugar solutions have on osmosis in plant cells. We did this by examining purple onion cells after being immersed in different sugar solutions. For our second experiment we measured the change in weight of leaf disks after being put into different sugar solutions at two different temperatures.
Faculty Sponsor: BARTA CSANGELE

Brown, Steve, McDowell, Michelle, Stewart, Lauren. AVIAN NEST SITE SELECTION AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS.
Many native bird species require cavities for building nests and raising young, and will utilize artificial cavities, such as nest boxes. While wooden nest boxes are more common in the U.S., concrete mix boxes are popular in Europe because they are highly durable and are known to last several decades. We hypothesized that bird species differ in their nest site selection. Campus nest boxes produced 82 fledglings from three native species. Black-capped Chickadees and Eastern Bluebirds significantly preferred concrete nest boxes, with no attempts made in wood boxes. This was despite the fact that wood boxes were cooler during the warm months of May-July. House Wrens nested later in the season, and although there was no difference in the composition of boxes selected, significantly more House Wren young fledged from concrete boxes. There was no evidence of mammalian predation, but snake predation needs to be monitored in the future by trimming nearby tree limbs and ensuring PVC predator guards are flush to the ground.
Faculty Sponsor: JULIE JEDLICKA

Bryant, Will Kessler, Dakota Brandon, Dorris g. DUCKS UNLIMITED.
We did a research project on Ducks Unlimited. We talk about \r\n\\r\\nmany aspects of the company such as mission, office \r\n\\r\\npositions, and federal aid projects.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C

Nick Darling, Ethan Baker, Chance Vose. NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM.
This poster provides an overview of the National Wildlife Refuge System, it goals, and how the Refuge System accomplishes those goals.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C. CHEVALIER

Nicholas Darling, James Filley, Abi Kreek. EXTRACTION OF FRUIT DNA.
In our experiment we tested the amount of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that can be extracted from different fruits. We tested three different fruits. The fruits we tested were bananas, strawberries, and grapes.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

DePietro, Noelia; Harrison, Kaitlyn. EFFECT OF COLOR OF LIGHT ON RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
We tested the effect of color of light on rate of photosynthesis in spinach leaves. We found that white light increased the rate of photosynthesis the most compared to black, blue, red and green light.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

DeShazo, Madi; Rosinski, Bryan; Smith, Toby. CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL .
Conservation International is a non-governmental organization dedicated to preserving earth's natural resources for the sake of humanity.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. CARY CHEVALIER

Euler, Michael. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMPASS PLANT.
The goal of this paper is to highlight the history and importance of Silphium laciniatum or Compass Plant in North America and how to best manage this plant from reaching the endangered plant list.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Heinz, Sarah Davis, Sarah Davis, McCabe. PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFECTS FROM HOT AND COLD.
Photosynthesis is an important process plants undergo that produces oxygen that other organisms need to survive. It is important to know what an increase or decrease in temperature does to this rate of photosynthesis, so we tested four different temperatures and compared the different rates of photosynthesis that each group underwent. Our hypothesis being that as temperature decreases so will the rates of photosynthesis was accepted as our results showed that as temperature increased so did the rates of photosynthesis and similarly as temperatures went down the rates of photosynthesis went down. Extreme high temperatures were found to kill the enzymes within the plants and as a result the plants also died. Extreme cold temperatures showed a drastic decrease in rates of photosynthesis.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Herron, Jackie; Miller, Sam; Whitman, Isaac. NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS.
Our group will be informing people about Nebraska Game and Parks. We'll talk about their mission statement, history, goals and objectives, and their emphasis areas.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. CARY CHEVALIER

Kaneer, Josh. AFFCTS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI ON TOMATO PLANTS.
Tomato plants can be affected and changed, or \r\n\\r\\ndiffer in many ways, which are morphological, \r\n\\r\\nphysiological, and trait based based on \r\n\\r\\nenvironmental stimuli and genetic engineering. \r\n\\r\\nThese factors or can cause changes in smell, \r\n\\r\\ntaste, structure, morphology, blooming times, \r\nand \\r\\nthe physiology, as well as the function of \r\nthese \\r\\nplants.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Kaneer, Josh. AFFCTS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI ON TOMATO PLANTS.
Tomato plants can be affected and changed, or \r\n\\r\\ndiffer in many ways, which are morphological, \r\n\\r\\nphysiological, and trait based based on \r\n\\r\\nenvironmental stimuli and genetic engineering. \r\n\\r\\nThese factors or can cause changes in smell, \r\n\\r\\ntaste, structure, morphology, blooming times, \r\nand \\r\\nthe physiology, as well as the function of \r\nthese \\r\\nplants.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Pitts, Luke; Flowers, Tyler; Kaufman, Robert. RATE OF FERMENTATION.
We studied the rate of fermentation in quick rise yeast and active dry yeast. We also compared the rate of fermentation between honey, apples, grapes, potatoes, and used dextrose as our positive control variable in this experiment. When yeast ferments it produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. We measured the rate of carbon dioxide output between the samples over a 25-minute time frame.
Faculty Sponsor: BARTA

Lewis, Miyoshie. Atkins,Kaitlyn. Doggett,Allison. Sanders,Cheyenne. Noll, Julia. HOW DOES THE CONCENTRATION OF ALCOHOL AFFECT THE DENATURATION OF PROTEINS?.
Protein denaturation can occur when there are large changes in the pH, salt concentration, or temperature of the protein?s surroundings. Our experiment uses different alcohol to water volumes to test if a higher concentration of alcohol causes more denaturation in proteins. Our null hypothesis is, there will be no change in mass of proteins loss as the total alcohol concentration increases in solution.
Faculty Sponsor: BARTA

Murfin, Hannah, Curran, Mandy, Potter, David. BATTLE OF TEMPERATURE AGAINST DAPHNIA HEARTRATE.
Daphnia, members of the order Cladocera, are a small aquatic crustacean found in various aquatic environments ranging from swamps to freshwater sources, like lakes, ponds and rivers. They are also referred to as water fleas because their body shape and swimming style is similar to the common fleas found on animals.
Faculty Sponsor: BARTA

Butler, Hayley Frazier, Emily Allen, Ben Meers, Harrison. THE FERMENTABILITY OF MULTIPLE FOOD ADDITIVES.
Sugar additives are present on a daily basis in the average American?s life. Fermentable simple sugars are good indicators of human body blood sugar responses. Simple sugars are easily broken down by the yeast and similarly, they are easily broken down by the body by microbes in the gut. Fermentation is an anaerobic process by which enzyme-controlled reactions break nutrient bonds to be released as small amounts of ATP. The purpose of this experiment is to test how different sugar additives affect the rate of fermentation, and thereby deriving the simplest sugars in common food products.
Faculty Sponsor: BART

Phillips, Merle and others . UNDERSTANDING PINK OAK ISOPRENE SYNTHASE - PCR ELECTROPHORESIS ON AN UNKNOWN PINK OAK GENE .
PCR and electrophoresis trial on unknown segment of Pink Oak tree species DNA using engineered primers from close relatives to the Pink Oak.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Prawitz, Rachael; Kirschner, Cody; Helsel, Makenzie. SUGARS IN VARIOUS BEVERAGES.
The Benedict’s test is used to test for monosaccharides. The Lugel’s Iodine test is used for testing for polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are composed of two or more monosaccharides. A water bath was used to heat the liquids with the Benedict’s test. Water was used as the control group.
Faculty Sponsor: BARTA

Internship/Practicum Experience

Lord, Jeremy. ZOOLOGICAL PRACTICES AT DICKERSON PARK ZOO.
There are plenty of different exercises and practices that go into the upkeep of zoological collections such as the Dickerson Park Zoo
Faculty Sponsor: DR. CARY CHEVALIER

Wells, Morgan. Phelps, jessica. Doeing, Branden. GROWTH OF BACTERIA ON PHONE CASES .
Modern society humans carry their phones around with them most of the time. For this experiment our group decided to look at what type and how much bacteria grow on the back of our cellphones. We are not sure what species or how much bacteria is on our three phones. We will also be able to identify species of bacteria based on color, colony type and shape. Our group will be gram staining (“fast gram” technique) our cultures with procedures shown to us by Dr. Jason Baker. With this we will be able to look at gram positive and gram negative bacteria.
Faculty Sponsor: DR BARTA

Literature Reviews

Arney, Brett. ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS.
"Odocoileus virginianus" or the whitetail deer is a common large mammal of Missouri with an estimated population of 12 million. They have adapted well to Missouri's changing landscape of agricultural fields, woodlots, and despite an ever increasing human population continue to thrive. The whitetail deer lives through an annual cycle of plentiful food, high activity during a lengthy breeding season, and survives through long and cold winters with little food. The whitetail is economically important to Missouri, with positive elements and also negative elements. Lastly, not only do these deer maintain their population through hunting and predation, but also disease.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. MILLS

Arney, Brett. ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS.
Odocoileus virginianus or the "white-tailed deer" is a common large mammal found in Missouri. After unregulated hunting in the early 1900s reduced their population to less than 500,000 in North America, conservation efforts have brought this species to the forefront of important game species in Missouri. Half of all revenue from fish and game permits come from the sale of deer permits. This revenue supports continued conservation efforts for deer and all other species in Missouri. Despite hunting, predation, and human development the white-tail abounds in this adjusted landscape of agricultural fields and woodlots.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. MILLS

Bolander, Bethany. LITERATURE REVIEW OF MILKWEED.
As an important factor in ecology and evolution, milkweed plants are essential to study. This literature review provides an insight into many aspects of milkweeds especially focusing on common milkweed and Mead's milkweed. The aspects that are included in this project are morphology, ecology, distribution, and evolution; all of which emphasize the importance of these plant species.
Faculty Sponsor: CSENGELE BARTA

Bolander, Bethany; Pauley, Brittney; Marks, Mackenzie. NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION.
Non-government organizations are essential to wildlife conservation and management. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is one of these NGO's that is particularly helpful in providing grants for research. Our poster covers many aspects of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation such as its mission statement, objectives, projects, legal context, organization, partnerships, and challenges. An understanding of the fundamentals of this organization can aid further in the understanding of policy in the field of wildlife conservation.
Faculty Sponsor: CARY CHEVALIER

Lee, Brian; Atkins, Kaitlyn; Brown, Steven. MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION: A REVIEW.
A brief review of the functions and responsibilities of the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. CARY CHEVALIER

Campbell, Kaitlyn, Lavelle, Hersh, Lex, Lavelle, Katie. COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE.
This literature review gives an overview of our research done on Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which is a state wildlife agency. Our poster discusses the mission, responsibilities, and goals of this organization as well as how they manage wildlife and habitats and how they work with the public on outdoor activities.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. CARY CHEVALIER

Darling, Nick, Baker, Ethan, and Vose, Chance. NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM.
This poster provides an overview of the National Wildlife Refuge System, its goals, and how it achieves those goals.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C. CHEVALIER

Doering, Branden Bryant, Will Kessler, Dakota. DUCKS UNLIMITED.
Literature review over the organization called Ducks Unlimited. This poster was made from an in class PowerPoint.
Faculty Sponsor: DR.CHEVILER

Filley, James Burns, Mitchell. PHEASANTS FOREVER.
We are doing an overview of the organization Pheasants Forever. They are an Organization that protects and educates individuals on the importance on the preservation of pheasants and quail across the country.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C

Hayes, Olivia Koelling, Blake Lowe, Koby. MISSOURI TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION.
Review of Missouri Trappers Association\\\'s \r\n\\r\\npoilicies. Review of mission statement, \r\nofficers, scholarships, and sponsors. Overview of \r\nhow they run business and how they raise money.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. CHEVALIER

Hayes, Olivia. LUFFA AEGYPTIACA (SPONGE GOURD).
This literature review describes the development process of the sponge gourd along with where it originated and it's plant morphologies. Luffa aegyptiaca is a fascinating plant with numerous benefits.
Faculty Sponsor: CSENGELE BARTA

Hoover, Cole; Herring, Aaron; Gawley, Nick. NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION.
We did research on the National Wild Turkey Federation. The poster will reflect the organizational structure, mission, activities, objectives, goals, responsibilities, and challenges of the organization.
Faculty Sponsor: CARY CHEVALIER

Josie Kiefer, Rachael Domann and Tasha Hayden. WORLD WILDLIFE FUND.
World Wildlife Fund is one of the world?s largest non-profit conservation organizations. Their mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. WWF focuses on 6 key areas to influence assets and direct all resources to protecting vulnerable places, species and communities worldwide. They do this by following regulations they established to assure they strive to build partnerships with other organizations, governments, business and local communities to enhance WWF?s effectiveness run its operations in a cost effective manner and apply donors? funds according to the highest standards of accountability.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C. CHEVALIER

Josie Kiefer, Rachael Domann and Tasha Hayden. WORLD WILDLIFE FUND.
World Wildlife Fund is one of the world?s largest non-profit conservation organizations. Their mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. WWF focuses on 6 key areas to influence assets and direct all resources to protecting vulnerable places, species and communities worldwide. They do this by following regulations they established to assure they strive to build partnerships with other organizations, governments, business and local communities to enhance WWF?s effectiveness run its operations in a cost effective manner and apply donors? funds according to the highest standards of accountability.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C. CHEVALIER

Kiefer, Josie. JOHNSON'S SEAGRASS.
Johnson's Sea grass is the most threatened and endangered sea grass. My poster will discuss the taxonomy, morphology, history, threats, and plans for reintroduction of the plant into the ocean.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C BARTA

Malone, Steph. A LITERATURE REVIEW OF TWO TYPES OF HEMLOCK.
Of all the poisonous plants in the world, the plant called ?hemlock? is one of the most known ones. There are no less than five species of plants that have been given the common name of ?hemlock?, but they can be identified from each other. The most virulent hemlock is the Water Hemlock, but this is the common name of an additional four species of hemlock in the Circuta spp. The most widespread hemlock is the Poison Hemlock, and because of how closely it resembles edible plants, been mistaken for those such plants and consumed, thus causing a poisoning case.
Faculty Sponsor: BARTA, CSENGELE

Marks, Mackenzie. NAIAD(NAJADACEAE).
The project and paper discusses the many species within this family,variations in plant structure between species, morphology, and distribution of a nuisance aquatic plant like Naiad.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

Rosinski, Bryan. CHEMISTRY & MORPHOLOGY OF TITAN ARUM, "THE CORPSE FLOWER".
The titan Aaron is the largest flowering plant in the world, it is most famous for the fowl oder it emits when it blooms. This poster is a fact sheet on "the corpse flower" and the science behind it's notorious stench.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. BARTA

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS

Empirical Projects

Farrell-Thomas, Kev. A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRY VARIABLES ON THE SALARIES OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES..
The salaries of professional athletes in North American sports varies largely depended on the industry type. This study examined the effect of two common industry variables, average teams and average games played, on the average salary of the athletes. Twenty years of data (1995-2015) was collected from four different sport?s industries in North America: the National Football League (NFL); the National Basketball Association (NBA); Major League Baseball (MLB); and the National Hockey League. The results show that the number of teams had a significant effect on salaries for the NFL and MLB, but not the other two industries. There was no support found for the number of games played in an industry having an effect on the salaries of athletes.
Faculty Sponsor: LOGAN JONES

Finch, Payton. ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONAL VARIABLES ON ACCREDITED MBA PROGRAMS.
In the United States, students have many choices \r\nfor achieving a graduate degree in business \r\nadministration (MBA) at an AACSB accredited \r\nbusiness school. This study examined what factors \r\nmay have an influence on student enrollment in MBA \r\nprograms for both private and public universities. \r\nThe model tested in this study contained a sample \r\nof 236 accredited business schools. Results \r\nindicated that there is a strong relationship \r\nbetween the average tuition costs of the graduate \r\nprogram and the number of students enrolled. The \r\nstudy also supported a slight effect between the \r\ntotal hours required for MBA and average \r\nenrollment. For accredited MBA programs, the \r\nresults suggest limiting increases in tuition \r\ncosts and required total credit hours to maintain \r\nenrollment.
Faculty Sponsor: LOGAN JONES

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Empirical Projects

Cribb, Amelia and Hillebrand, Carrie. ADDITION OF A MICROBIAL BIOTRANSFORMATIONS RESEARCH PROJECT INTO THE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I CURRICULUM.
In the Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) experiment of microbial biotransformation extracts, Organic Chemistry I lab students were able to learn TLC through first-hand application of the technique, using organic solvent extracts of microbial cultures of Bacillus subtilis that had been provided a solution of vanillin. This project exemplified the first stage of a proposed three-stage research project, which wwas the adaptation of a biocatalysis/biotransformation protocol to the technique development required in the Organic Chemistry I course, giving an opportunity for students to become involved directly in a research project as a part of the required course curriculum. The experiment was first utilized in the Fall 2016 Organic Chemistry Laboratory course at MWSU, using an additional organism, Bacillus cereus, as well. The protocol was modified and pared down to using one organism and changing the solvent systems to be more instructive to students in this introductory laboratory course, and delivered again in Spring 2017. In addition to the gathering the results from the TLC experiments, students were given the opportunity in both semesters to participate in a survey that assessed their reactions to the experiment. A majority of the students agreed with most statements in the surveys in the fall and spring semesters, and provided very useful comments for further modification of the experiment in subsequent semesters.
Faculty Sponsor: JANELLE TORRES Y TORRES

Internship/Practicum Experience

Bashaw, Ben. DEVELOPMENT OF A POINT-OF-CARE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE DIAGNOSTIC TEST UTILIZING HUMAN SALIVA.
Human physiological fluids for less invasive and more rapid diagnostic test have been the focus of recent biomedical research. A major biomarker of Alzheimer?s disease is elevated amount of Tau protein. Tau protein is released by microtubules when they are destroyed by toxic beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. The goal of this project was to apply ELISA method to detect Tau protein concentrations in multiple saliva samples in order to test our hypothesis that there is a significant difference between tau protein concentrations from samples representing the group of Alzheimer?s patients vs group of healthy individuals.
Faculty Sponsor: SVOJANOVSKY, STAN

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE MATH AND PHYSICS

Empirical Projects

James, Ryan Miller, Evan Nelson, Drake Bensouna, Yacine. 2017 NATIONAL BOY SCOUTS JAMBOREE LODGING WEB APPLICATION.
A Web Application designed to help the Boy Scouts of America lodge over 50,000 scouts and volunteers for their 2017 National Scout Jamboree.
Faculty Sponsor: CONNIE HECKER

Paolillo, Casi; Royle, Josh; Czarnecki, Zachary; Miller, Isaiah. 2017 BUCHANAN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WEB APPLICATION.
The Buchanan County Emergency Management Office is responsible for reporting the use of government resources to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) when requesting reimbursement for disaster relief. The Emergency Management Office currently must organize hand-written daily logs for each Road and Bridge district within the county. The Emergency Management Director then must manually enter each log into a digital spreadsheet to report to FEMA and SEMA. The Emergency Management Director has requested software that will allow each office to enter their daily logs directly into a central database.
Faculty Sponsor: CONNIE HECKER

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE/LEGAL STUDIES/SOCIAL WORK

Analytical Papers and Analyses

Braxton, Keonte & Vick, Will. TROUBLE IN THE HOME .
Drug and Alcohol abuse has been a growing epidemic in our Greater Kansas City area, and with the rapid rate of growth it is beginning to show in our youth. This research looked to gain deeper understanding of the perspective of parents who are practicing sobriety. The characteristics that are present in these family systems were looked at using qualitative methods. Purposeful sampling techniques were utilized along with intensive interview methods. Content analysis of the data was conducted by this research team.These results are discussed from a Strength's Perspective.
Faculty Sponsor: MATT LOEHR

Jefferson, Geornesha, Simmons, Christy. BURNOUT, STRESS, AND SELF-CARE IN HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKERS.
This research will discuss the burnout, stress, and self-care of hospital social workers; with a focus on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) social workers. The study used a qualitative approach with purposeful sampling as well as a strengths perspective. We interviewed multiple social workers from two different hospitals, in two different states; Missouri and Mississippi. We believe that this research can be used to create strategies to help social workers combat burnout and stress, and maintain self-care.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. MATT LOEHR

Cable, Sabrina & Oswalt, Nichole . WHY DO FOSTER FAMILIES TAKE OLDER FOSTER CHILDREN .
In our qualitative approach, we interviewed two families that we were in touch with, by asking them a series of four questions.Why do some families choose to take older foster children into their home? What are the benefits to having older foster children as opposed to younger foster children? What are the benefits of keeping siblings together in the same foster home? What are the children’s characteristics that you take into consideration?
Faculty Sponsor: MATT LOEHR

Richardson, Marissa - Franks, Rachel. MENTAL HEALTH EMPLOYEE BURNOUT.
When working on an inpatient adult mental health unit across the nation, you will often find a large burnout rate. We have learned that the mental health field can be a difficult place for a social worker or nurse to maintain employment. These settings bring high emotional exhaustion and high depersonalization rates. The staff deal with a stream of trauma, depression and negativity in their every day work. Burnout can make working in a mental health unit less rewarding, interfere with the staff's well-being and even undermine the quality of treatment the patients receive. We wanted to know the following: what are the characteristics present to work on an inpatient adult mental health unit? In our qualitative proposal we interviewed social workers and nurses employed in inpatient mental health settings. We interviewed staff from two different settings and utilized an intensive technique. Through content analysis we examined reoccurring themes that were present in these transcribed interviews
Faculty Sponsor: DR. MATT LOEHR

Saltsgaver, Kayla. AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON STUDENT GRADES .
This research served as a guide to find the answer as to what factors are present in after school programs that help students perform better. I found articles that emphasized the importance of participation, quality, faculty, extra time spent at school after hours, other skills gained by the students, and test grades. To conclude if these really are big influences, I visited an elementary school that provides an after school program. While there I interviewed three elementary teachers who also help with the after school program, to see what they see as first hand being the most influential factor. They agreed that participation, quality, and positive teacher/student relations help to improve grades.
Faculty Sponsor: MATT LOEHR

Empirical Projects

Bradley, Nora . MOSAIC HOME HEALTH CARE .
This is over my practicum placement at Mosaic Home Health Care this semester (HHC). I will present what services Home Health Care provides, adn the demographics of patients currently receiving HHC services. What a social worker duties might contain working in the HHC profession. A sample of the discipline summary I write for every patient I see. The sample will allow viewers a better understanding of how a social worker finds what needs are being met or not being met.
Faculty Sponsor: JANA FRYE

Diefenbach, Lucas. BODY WORN CAMERAS IN US LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Body worn cameras (BWC’s) have been implemented in many agencies throughout the U.S. Four studies explain the benefits of BWC’s in my research.The most notable circumstance that sparked a great need for BWC’s involved the crisis in Ferguson, Missouri. This research paper details the pros and cons associated with body cameras. These incidents called for BWC’s to improve accountability, reduce use of force, speed up trails and repair community police relations. Some of the downfalls of this new technology include privacy, cost, ability to alter and choose when to record and availability of files for public use. The research examined the effects of body cameras on society and their application in police departments.
Faculty Sponsor: MATTHEW LOEHR

Farquhar, Mariah. SUCCESSFUL YOUNG ADULT TRANSFER FROM JUVENILE CUSTODY.
The author of this work conducted a qualitative study on the positive factors contributing to a successful transition from Juvenile Detention into a “normal adulthood.” This was done by conducting interviews with Juvenile officers that have worked with juveniles that have either been detained/incarcerated, as well as Juveniles that had participated in some type of preventative program. It is important to understand juvenile delinquents more thoroughly, and with this research, the reality of success of overcoming the juvenile delinquency habits. This research provided increased insight on what preventative factors can help juveniles transition into a non-criminal adulthood.
Faculty Sponsor: LOEHR, MATT

Franks, Rachel. MOSAIC WOMENS HEALTH.
Practicum experience done at Mosaic Womens Health - semester long - experience included: interaction with patients, connection with other agencies, case management
Faculty Sponsor: DR. JANA FRYE

Talley, Antwanette Clark, Victoria. THE UNWANTED: CHILDREN WHO AGE OUT OF FOSTER CARE.
Our literature review explores how foster care placement correlates with a number of negative impacts on adolescents that "age out" of the system. We explored placement instability, child maltreatment, intergenerational transmission of child abuse, and independent living that causes problems while transitioning into adulthood. Utilizing a Strengths Perspective our research proposal looks at what are the characteristics present where adults have successfully transitioned out of foster care? While performing in depth interviewing, and purposeful sampling our interview subjects helped point out the aspects of foster care or programs that these individuals saw as helpful. This exploratory study was pursued so that we might gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of successful transition from foster care to adulthood.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. MATT LOEHR

Graduate Student Research

Boley, Kelly. USING GIS TO DOCUMENT A MASS DISASTER.
Since September 11, 2001 law enforcement has learned how important working throughout different fields of study can be when investigating and documenting mass disasters. Collecting evidence during a mass disaster can be time consuming, costly, and disorganized. Evidence can be lost, misconstrued or even go undocumented. In this paper, I will demonstrate how a mass disaster can be documented and analyzed using a simple GPS unit. I will show how a map of the location can then be created using that data. I hope to show that it can be done easily, and in a cost-effective way in which all departments could reasonably acclimate too.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. DAWN DRAKE

Internship/Practicum Experience

Cooper, Magen. FAMILY GUIDANCE CENTER.
Family Guidance Center for Behavioral and mental health is a nonprofit agency. They work with adults and children who have been diagnosed with a mental health disease or a behavioral disorder to overcome obstacles or barriers that keep them from living successfully. Family Guidance Center has a crisis team team and hotline number available 24 hours a day. My practicum hours were completed in the children and youth division. I was a community Support Speciaist at Edison Elementary. My practicum field supervisor was Ellen Hamilton.
Faculty Sponsor: JANA FRYE

Gawatz, Jennifer. HILLCREST TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
The learning experiences at Hillcrest Transitional \r\nHousing for practicum during my last semester. I \r\nhave learned that they assist the resident?s with \r\ngetting back on their feet with budgeting and \r\nliving rent free in the apartments to help pay off \r\ndebt within the 90 days in the program.\r\n
Faculty Sponsor: JANA FRY

Johnson, Jaime. COMFORT OF HOME FIELD PRACTICUM.
Jaime completed her 456 hours of Practicum at Comfort of Home Health Care. This is the population she has chosen to work with and wanted to know more about management of an agency.
Faculty Sponsor: JANA FRYE

Richardson, Marissa. MOSAIC LIFE CARE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
Practicum experience done at Mosaic Life Care Mental Health Unit. Experience included: rounding with patients, conducting assessments, making follow up appointments for patients, collaborating with psychiatrists and nursing staff.
Faculty Sponsor: JANA FRYE

Robinson, Sabrina. SPRING 2017 PRACTICUM PLACEMENT.
This project is an visual display of some of my practicum experiences at the City of St. Joseph Health Fair. It was some explanations of what they do, as well as other information about my time there.
Faculty Sponsor: JANA FRYE

Literature Reviews

Angle, Jacob; Chapman, James; Clark, Chrissy; Corhn, Krystal; Dodge, Eli; Horinek, Ryley; Johnson, Travis; Lyon, Matt; Parra, Rhonda; Riggins, Stephanie; Ward, Jacob . BEST PRACTICES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
This project was done by the students in LAW470, Senior Seminar. Through a collaborative process, the students decided to explore evidence-based "Best Practices" in the criminal justice system. Each student picked a topic which related to their career choices. Each student researched the empirical data available for his/her topic, and made recommendations for programming based on analyzing that data.
Faculty Sponsor: JOANNE KATZ

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS POLITITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY

Empirical Projects

Brooks, Lesa. FOSTER CARE PERMANENCY OUTCOMES IN FAMILY, KINSHIP AND FOSTER SETTINGS.
Abstract This study is an effort to determine permanency outcomes in various types of foster homes. Relative and kinship foster homes take children mostly on an emergency basis and are not as prepared as traditional foster homes that are pre-licensed and more prepared. Information gathered from the literature review suggests that family/kinship foster homes do provide better outcomes of permanency for children. The information also suggests that the family/kinship homes face more barriers in order to comply with State licensing regulations. Furthermore, studies show the family/ kinship foster homes could benefit from services that are more direct at the time they take placement of children. The methodology includes a data analysis of one hundred fifty (150) closed adoption files, chosen randomly from approximately six hundred (600) from a local foster/adoption agency. This study addresses the research question, “Do family/kinship foster homes produce more permanency than traditional foster homes?” This study suggests that family/kinship homes do produce more permanency. In conclusion, it is important to recognize this factor and find ways to assist those families in order to help children receive the best permanency outcomes. Keywords: adoption, kinship foster parent, foster care permanency, grandparent foster caregivers
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

Dossous, Vanel. DIVORCE AFTER MARRIAGE.
My project is about children being affected by their parents’ divorce. Most parents do not want their children separated. Divorce can strain parent-children relationship which can lead to loss of contact with that particular parent and increase conflict between both spouses. My data was collected from different readings along with my surveys from various individuals. I found that women will enforce a divorce more than men; many children have a hard time during the divorce transition. Another finding was that divorce increases the risk that children will suffer from psychological and behavioral problems. \r\n
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

Dunaway, Rebecca. EFFECTS OF ADOPTION.
The economy has had ups and downs which effect everything, including adoption. There are many views on adoption, and the best thing to do is to do what is best for the child. I made and passed a survey around to ten of those on Facebook that I knew had experience with adoption and asked questions based on their views and preferences. Many wanted an open adoption, and a small amount wanted closed. But no matter the outcome, adopting a child is a beautiful thing. Overall, the group that I surveyed agreed with the research, concluding that the economy has an effect on adoption and that adoption is an experience worth any trouble. In conclusion, although a very complex situation, the data and the surveyed believed that adoption was best kept open and knowledge readily available for the child.
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

Fears, Jazmine. THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN.
The purpose of this work is to show the effects divorce has on children of all ages. The divorce process will be separated in pre-divorce, during divorce, and post-divorce stages, and the effects will be assessed. The information and findings contained in this work were obtained through academic journals pertaining to divorce and a divorce questionnaire administered independently. The goal of this work is bring the effects of divorce to light for those whose voices are not heard during the divorce process (i.e. the children) and to show parents how to prevent these effects on their children upon divorce.
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

Hansson Ferreira, Emelie . HOW PARENTS EXPECTATIONS EFFECT A CHILD?S CHOICES IN LIFE.
This research is to determine how much influence parents have on their children's academic, work and personal life. Do we or do we not follow the dreams we have as children and are our parents directly involved in our final choices. I find it important to see what happened to these dreams of being astronauts and presidents and whether or not the motivation from our parents help us reach them and encourage us to shoot for the stars or to choose a ??safer?? path. And what would have happened if you do not follow the path your parents imagined for you. For my research I have used the work of other people to compare with research of my own to try to get a big picture of how involved parents are in the life choices of their child but also to see if this varies depending on culture. I made a survey with 15 questions that was filled out by 24 people at MWSU. My research resulted in findings that showed a bit of a difference between people growing up in different cultures but also difference between the male and female sexes.
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

Kriebs, Kathryn. NEGATIVE BODY IMAGES AMONG WOMEN AND MEN CAN LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS .
Abstract: The media?s standard of ideal beauty as set by cultural standards does negatively affect families. These norms can cause individuals to develop problems such as depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders that can cause negative effects on the family unit. Therefore, this article evaluates if negative body images among women and men can lead to health problems and discord in a family. The article also determined if social cultural norms are to blame for the family dysfunction. This article supports that media images do influences and shape social cultural norms. It was also found that they have negative consequences on the individual, the family and society.These norms help develop and foster negative body images among families. The following article supports the use of interventions for helping adults to counteract theses negative effects. Accordingly, new research should evaluate if interventions are effective in counteracting social cultural norms in children before they internalize these unhealthy norms. Keywords: Social cultural norms, body esteem, depression, eating disorders, intervention.
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI, PH.D

Ramirez, Stephanie . ARRANGED MARRIAGES : THE EFFECTS ON FAMILY .
In this paper I will be focusing my research on the history of arranged marriages, of its religious and cultural origins. Bringing to light many of the consequences and challenges the families and the individuals themselves face in protest on arranged marriages. Touching on how arranged marriages has transitioned from 1st and 2nd generation migration to the United States and the effects it has on the foundation of the family and its extended family and society.\\r\\nIn Western culture, the choice of whom an individual chooses to seek a romantic relationship and marry is solely up to that one person. This is relatively based on dating, seeking common interests, creating bonds and mutual connections with that partner. But, imagine a culture where the choice of finding love, marriage and unity is out of your hands, and you have no say. It is based not on the choice of the individual themselves but, through the religious and cultural beliefs of their family. How would you feel if you were already promised to someone you have never met before? \\r\\n In Western society, the concept of leaving such an intimate decision in choosing on whom you plan to share a life with, procreate and love is portrayed to be taboo. Meanwhile in non-Western collectivist cultures, the decision of having one’s family chose a partner isn’t seen out of the ordinary. \\r\\n \\r\\n
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

Reser, Shane. THE EFFECTS OF HAVING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES ON THE FAMILY.
The research completed was to determine the effects of having a child with a disability on the immediate family. Metrics measured included financial, social, family stresses as well as positive outcomes in the same categories. Data was gathered by interviewing 11 people form the St. Joe area and administering a survey. The data collected indicates a strong correlation between severity of the disability in relation to the level of stresses (most prominent in the financial aspect). It was also found that even though stresses occurred, positive outcomes still took place and could even happen in the same area with added stress.
Faculty Sponsor: ALI KAMALI

DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Analytical Papers and Analyses

(Albensaad, Ali). REDUCE THE CROSSOVER DISTORTION OF B PUSH-PULL AMPLIFIER.
Illustrate a circuit of Explain the simple basic operation of an AB push-pull amplifier. Observe the signal input and output. Fixing the distortion of the amplifier. Observe the signal input and output of the new circuit
Faculty Sponsor: DR. JINWEN ZHU

Empirical Projects

Bentley, Myra; Nguyen, Hung. PRODUCTION LINE CONTROL SIMULATION.
The purpose of the project is to make a product line control simulation using modern industrial equipment. This project has helped us become more accustom to using equipment such as: Allen-Bradley PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), relays, sensors, a motor, and many more. It was a great learning experience to wire each and every component together, and write PLC programs to make the equipment perform different functions.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. SHENSHENG TANG

Cossyleon, Ruben; Stabe, Austin; Davidson, Jacob. 10X10 PROGRAMMABLE LED GRID.
This project shows how to build a colorful 10x10 LED Matrix. The 100 RGB LEDs are controlled by an Arduino Nano microcontroller. Different programmable sequences are developed in Laptop computer and loaded to the project circuit to flash the 10x10 LEDs. The 100 RGB LEDs light up with dazzling images or animations in programmable sequences and utilize the entire color spectrum. The Arduino Uno used is an open source programmable microcontroller. The grid can either be powered by a USB-B cord or by a DC power supply.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. SHENSHENG TANG

Calan Hensley, Caleb Ray, Darius Griffin. OP. AMP COMBINED WITH CLASS AB AMP.
The goal of this project was to amplify an audio signal using an operational amplifier in combination with a class AB power amplifier. To accomplish this, we connected them in such a way that the operational amplifier's output signal becomes the input signal for the class AB amplifier. These particular amps were chosen because we theorized that the high voltage gain of the op. amp would give us an advantage when combined with the ability of the class AB amp to drive larger loads.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. JINWEN ZHU

Johnson, Sarah, Dovel, Jacob, Wutke, Mitch, Klindt, Devin. CLASS AB PUSH-PULL POWER AMPLIFIER.
Class AB Push-Pull Amplifiers are an iteration on Class B Amplifiers. The Class AB Push-Pull Amplifiers resolve a problem of crossover distortion which is evident in the output signal of a Class B Amplifier. This amplifier is usually on the end of a multi stage amplifier and provides voltage and current amplification. This amplifier is also more efficient than a Class A Amplifier, has no need for bulky transformer couplings, and produces no hum. Disadvantages include being slightly less efficient than a Class B Amplifier and being more difficult to implement the circuit in order to get a linear reproduction of the input waveform. This circuit uses transistors, diodes, and resistors. A signal generator provides an input signal for testing purposes. An oscilloscope may be used to monitor the output signal of the Amplifier.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. JINWEN ZHU

McDevitt, Brandon. MOBILE ELECTRIC BLANKET.
This poster shows how to build an electric blanket. The poster will show how to change the dc voltage from a battery into an ac current that passes through a step-up transformer, then back into a higher dc voltage that passes through a heating element in a blanket.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. JINWEN ZHU

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PE AND RECREATION

Empirical Projects

Lafaver, TJ, & Short, Kendall. HOW DO COLLEGE ATHLETES DIFFER IN THEIR NUTRIENT TIMING KNOWLEDGE VERSUS REGULAR EXERCISERS?.
Nutrient timing is defined as macronutrient consumption in relation to the three different phases of skeletal muscle growth. Dietitians and physicians focus on what you eat and not when you eat it. Research supports that when you eat has a greater effect on exercise performance and body composition than what you eat. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge of nutrient timing in college athletes in comparison to regular exercisers. Study participants were collegiate athletes (n=20), and regular exercisers (n=20). Participants who consented to participate completed a survey measuring their general knowledge base of nutrient timing. Results from an independent t-test were significant (t(38) =2.60, p<.05), and revealed that college athletes had significantly greater knowledge in nutrient timing (M=8.40, SD=1.98) compared to exercisers (M=6.75, SD=2.09).
Faculty Sponsor: WILLIAM RUSSELL

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY PHILOSOPHY AND GEOGRAPHY

Empirical Projects

Bolander, Bethany. HABITAT USE BY BLANDING'S TURTLES.
Using techniques from Geographic Information Systems, this project analyzes habitat use of state-endangered Blanding's turtles. Students from Missouri Western State University have paired up with the faculty at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge to collect data on these endangered turtles. In my project, I used methods such as ArcMap to analyze their locations and possible causes of movement.
Faculty Sponsor: DAWN DRAKE

West, Matt. PREDICTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN CHEROKEE COUNTY IOWA.
Using geospatial data gathered by third parties, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, a geographic model of Cherokee County, Iowa was prepared to predict potential cultural sites for future archaeological investigation.\r\n
Faculty Sponsor: DAWN DRAKE

Literature Reviews

McNutt, Tori Bishop, Deric Doering, Branden. HABITAT USE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE ON LOESS BLUFFS WILDLIFE REFUGE.
In this project we mapped the locations of the massasauga rattlesnake on Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge. We mapped locations from 1979- 1981 and compared them with locations from 2014- 2016.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. DAWN DRAKE

URSI Project

Curley, Cheyenne. HOME VALUES ACROSS MISSOURI.
This project involves looking at recorded home values across Missouri. The goal of this presentation is to show the variety of home values and point out the clusters. This has been done by using ArcMap, and analyzing each set of data individually to bring together a conclusion.
Faculty Sponsor: DRAKE

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

Literature Reviews

Phillips, Hillary and Brixey, Jessi. MILLENNIAL NURSES WITH GENERATIONAL NEEDS .
A literature review was conducted on retaining the millennial generation within the nursing workforce. In order to better understand this generation, becoming educated on their values and characteristics is required. Three influencing factors to retain millennials that were identified include the type of management Millennials are hired under, the type of environment Millennials are working in, and the type of preceptors Millennials are assigned. Organizations need to consider millennial expectations to better retain this generation. By addressing these concerns, the quality and safety of patient care may be improved.     Keywords: millennial generation, millennial nurses, generation Y, generation Y needs
Faculty Sponsor: HARRIS, CRYSTAL

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Empirical Projects

Michael Babbitt, Sydney Cluck, Aaron Drake, Amanda Kephart, Susan Kirsch, Marissa Sunderland, & Alexandria Wilson. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MECHANISMS AND WARNINGS IN CREATING FALSE MEMORIES.
Given our understanding of memory is influenced both by failures of memory and typical memory processes, we examined the creation of false memories. To do so, in the current study we suggested to participants that, as children, they had a negative experience with two critical food items. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of warnings about memory failures on the creation of false memories using one of two mechanisms for the suggested memory: 1) elaboration and 2) scenario.
Faculty Sponsor: BENJAMIN D. ENGLAND

Drake, Aaron. THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL COMPARISON ON PROBLEM SOLVING.
Thus, the current study seeks to examine if the presence of a coactor \r\nor comparison to an average performance negatively impacts \r\nparticipants\' performance on insight problems due to attentional \r\nfocusing. A within-subjects (problem type) and between-subjects (no \r\ncomparison, comparison to coactor, or comparison to average) \r\ndesign was used.
Faculty Sponsor: BENJAMIN D. ENGLAND

Hamel, D., Hillyard, S., Hurd, D., McNeely, M., Patchett, T., Stockton, E.. THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND DIVERSITY ON OCCUPATIONAL ATTRACTIVENESS TO MINORITIES.
We examined organizational culture and recruitment of minorities. A 2 (minority vs. non-minority) x 2 (competitive vs. supportive culture) x 2 (diverse vs. traditional) design was employed with the following dependent variables: organizational attractiveness, application intention, intent to recommend, and self-efficacy. We predicted a 3-way interaction where minorities would prefer commitment to tradition over commitment to diversity in competitive work cultures, but the opposite would occur for non-minorities. Under conditions of supportive work culture the pattern was predicted to reverse. Results supported predicted pattern but were not significant F(1, 102) = .15, p > .05). Potential explanations are discussed.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. KELLY HENRY

Hicks, Shelby. PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES (CAM) ACROSS AGE GROUPS.
CAM (complementary alternative medicines) are health care methods that deviate from conventional medicine (Holden, Gardiner, Birdee, Davis, & Yeh, 2015). The National Health Information Survey (NHIS) (Black, 2015; Clark, 2015) reported that 34% of adults and 11.6% of children in the United States used some form of CAM in 2012. With health care costs soaring and CAM use rising, it is important for health care systems to target programs that will simultaneously appeal to their consumers and help them achieve wellness. This study aims to examine the relationship between individuals? perceptions of CAM and age using an online questionnaire to gather responses from participants of a large age range.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. TEDDI DEKA

Hicks, Shelby. PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES (CAM) ACROSS AGE GROUPS.
CAM (complementary alternative medicines) are health care methods that deviate from conventional medicine (Holden, Gardiner, Birdee, Davis, & Yeh, 2015). The National Health Information Survey (NHIS) (Black, 2015; Clark, 2015) reported that 34% of adults and 11.6% of children in the United States used some form of CAM in 2012. With health care costs soaring and CAM use rising, it is important for health care systems to target programs that will simultaneously appeal to their consumers and help them achieve wellness. This study aims to examine the relationship between individuals? perceptions of CAM and age using an online questionnaire to gather responses from participants of a large age range.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. TEDDI DEKA

Hicks, Shelby. PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES (CAM) ACROSS AGE GROUPS.
CAM (complementary alternative medicines) are health care methods that deviate from conventional medicine (Holden, Gardiner, Birdee, Davis, & Yeh, 2015). The National Health Information Survey (NHIS) (Black, 2015; Clark, 2015) reported that 34% of adults and 11.6% of children in the United States used some form of CAM in 2012. With health care costs soaring and CAM use rising, it is important for health care systems to target programs that will simultaneously appeal to their consumers and help them achieve wellness. This study aims to examine the relationship between individuals? perceptions of CAM and age using an online questionnaire to gather responses from participants of a large age range.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. TEDDI DEKA

Hicks, Shelby. PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES (CAM) ACROSS AGE GROUPS.
CAM (complementary alternative medicines) are health care methods that deviate from conventional medicine (Holden, Gardiner, Birdee, Davis, & Yeh, 2015). The National Health Information Survey (NHIS) (Black, 2015; Clark, 2015) reported that 34% of adults and 11.6% of children in the United States used some form of CAM in 2012. With health care costs soaring and CAM use rising, it is important for health care systems to target programs that will simultaneously appeal to their consumers and help them achieve wellness. This study aims to examine the relationship between individuals? perceptions of CAM and age using an online questionnaire to gather responses from participants of a large age range.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. TEDDI DEKA

Lynch, Jordan. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIVING ARRANGEMENTS, EMOTIONAL SETBACKS, AND STUDENT SUCCESS.
A simple questionnaire was created to find out whether or not a students? living situation, parental support and anything they considered an emotional setback would impact their GPA. Students living in residence halls actually have a higher average GPA than do those living off-campus, either at home or in an apartment. Emotional setbacks did impact GPA.
Faculty Sponsor: BRIAN CRONK

Lynch, Jordan. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIVING ARRANGEMENTS, EMOTIONAL SETBACKS, AND STUDENT SUCCESS.
A simple questionnaire was created to find out whether or not a students? living situation, parental support and anything they considered an emotional setback would impact their GPA. Students living in residence halls actually have a higher average GPA than do those living off-campus, either at home or in an apartment. Emotional setbacks did impact GPA.
Faculty Sponsor: BRIAN CRONK

Sunderland, Marissa & Booth, Jordan. TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED THEORY OF SUICIDE.
The Psychache Theory suggests that people become suicidal due to experiencing mental anguish and pain to the point that it becomes unbearable, and they consider suicide as the only means of escaping their extreme ?psychache.? The Interpersonal Theory, on the other hand, suggests that people experience the most severe form of desire to die by suicide when they believe they are a burden on other people and are socially disconnected from others. The Interpersonal Theory also suggests that many people who experience the desire to die by suicide are unable to engage in behavior that threatens their own life because of the innate barriers to do so, and so only those who have acquired the capability to engage in this type of behavior are able to die by suicide. Although these theories have each received empirical support in accounting for suicidality, these theories are often described as competing conceptualizations. However, the psychological experiences described by the two theories may apply to a broader and more inclusive explanation of suicide. As such, the purpose of this study is to explore the potential interrelations between aspects of the Psychache and Interpersonal theories of suicide among a community sample.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. JON MANDRACCHIA

Sylvara, Ashley. INVESTIGATION OF PROFESSORS???? SELF-EFFICACY IN ASSISTING STUDENTS AT RISK FOR SUICIDE.
Suicide and suicidal ideation is especially alarming in college and university students, the awareness of suicide in college and university students is a pressing issue due to the impact suicide can have. Professors and teachers have the most interaction with students and are the first line of defense against student suicide. Most teachers believe that they have a duty to prevent student suicide (Heath, 2016), in a survey of high school health teachers in the U.S. found that most teachers believe it is their role to identify at risk students and that it would reduce the student’s risk of suicide (King, Price, Telljohann, & Wahl, 1999). However, not all faculty and staff are trained to be gatekeepers. Most of the current studies on teacher’s perceived role in assisting at risk students examines high school teachers. Therefore, the present study attempts to investigate the (a) self-efficacy of university/college faculty and staff in identifying and assisting students who are at risk for suicide and (b) their knowledge of their school’s policies regarding intervention with students who present as suicidal.
Faculty Sponsor: JON MANDRACCHIA

93 submissions listed.
BIOLOGY39
BUSINESS2
CHEMISTRY2
COMPUTER SCIENCE MATH AND PHYSICS2
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/LEGAL STUDIES/SOCIAL WORK17
ECONOMICS POLITITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY8
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY6
HEALTH PE AND RECREATION1
HISTORY PHILOSOPHY AND GEOGRAPHY4
NURSING1
PSYCHOLOGY11
ANALYTICAL PAPER/ANALYSIS6
EMPIRICAL51
GRADUATE1
INTERNSHIP8
LITERATURE REVIEW21
PROTOTYPE5
URSI PROJECT1