Program for the Spring 2021 Multidisciplinary Research Day
DEPARTMENT OF ART
Analytical Papers and Analyses
Joseph Christian, Bañez. WOMEN IN THE FRAME: POP (ICON) BRITNEY AND SAN VITALE’S EMPRESS THEODORA MOSAIC.
Utilizing the artwork Pop (Icon): Britney created in 2010 by R. Luke
DuBois, and San Vitale's Empress Theodora mosaic panel, I will
examine the similarities between these two powerful women and
former child actresses by how they were treated by society and
popular media. Although separated by over 1500 years, both
depictions of these women illustrate the limited existence we see
women in society instead of fully realized humans.
Faculty Sponsor: RISLOW jbanez@missouriwestern.edu
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
Empirical Projects
Boldridge, Remington; Thee, Brent; Houghton, Creed. AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
The goal of our poster was to explore the
structure, history, and responsibilities within
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We became
interested in the Organization because of the
unique responsibilities they have. Everything from
managing the nation's water supply, dealing with
invasive species, and restoring large-scale
ecosystems.
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER mhoughton1@missouriwestern.edu
Boss, Shawn. A FRESH LOOK AT THE PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE GENUS SILPHIUM.
The Silphium genus, also known as the
“rosin-weeds”, is a plant group native to
temperate North America. Many species within this
group, belonging to the sunflower family
Asteraceae, have been highly researched as a
potential source of biofuel. Moreover, several
Silphium species are native to Missouri, making
them important for local ecosystems. Our study
aims to provide more information on the
evolutionary diversification timings of the
Silphium genus. Our study used ribosomal DNA
sequences in addition to chloroplast DNA of the
rbcL and trnL regions. We used the bioinformatics
programs MrBayes on XSEDE, BioEdit, and BEAST for
the analysis of our study’s data. Faculty Sponsor: ROY sboss@missouriwestern.edu
Barriga, Jacobo; Bennie, Ethan; Nissen, Kylee. STRUCTURE OF THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS We researched this organization because we wanted to know what the organization does. We also wanted to know what some of the policies were that helped them achieve their goals. We are all interested in this organization since we're all planning to work with them in the future. Due to these interests, we thought it would be fun to understand both their organizational structure and some of their current policies for when we get the opportunity to work with them. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER jbarriga@missouriwestern.edu
Lewis, Jacob; Boss, Shawn; Par, Esther; Roy, Tilottama. EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE ROSINWEEDS THROUGH MATERNALLY INHERITED MOLECULAR MARKERS.
The genus Silphium, commonly known as the
“Rosinweeds”, belongs to the sunflower family
Asteraceae with around 23 species inhabiting
various regions of temperate North America,
including Midwestern native species. We are
interested in further understanding the deeper
evolutionary relationships between the different
members of this interesting plant group with
economic and ecological importance. We used two
maternally inherited chloroplast markers and the
bioinformatics programs to understand the
evolutionary relationship among the different
species, taxonomical sections, and subsections
within the group. Faculty Sponsor: ROY jlewis33@missouriwestern.edu
Par, Esther. A TANGLEGRAM METHOD TO STUDY THE MINTS.
Lamiaceae is one of the most species-rich angiosperm
(flowering plant) families, characterized by a suite
of interesting morphological characters. Lamiaceae
is further divided into seven subfamilies of which
Lamioideae is the second largest subfamily and
exhibits a remarkable diversity of morphology,
habitat, and migratory habitats. Lamioideae is
comprised of ten tribes (subgroups), of which
Gomphostemmateae and Pogostemoneae belong to mostly
Central Asia and the Mediterranean region with many
of their members being extensively used in medicinal
and cultural purposes. Some of those members have
further invaded temperate North America and
established themselves in various habitats,
presenting an ideal system for investigating the
evolutionary relationships, diversification, and
speciation patterns. Our previous study has shown
substantial incongruence between the phylogenetic
trees derived from the nuclear and organellar DNA
datasets. In this study, we have tried to
investigate this further with a tanglegram method. Faculty Sponsor: ROY epar@missouriwestern.edu
Redman, Ceirra; Bell, Christine; Mott, Rachel; Roberts, Sammy; Vogt, Sam; Firsching, Macioe. SEASONAL COMPARISON OF MACROINVERTEBRATE BIODIVERSITY IN CAMPUS PONDS.
Aquatic macroinvertebrates can be key
bioindicators (organisms that indicate ecosystem
health). Our objective was to compare
macroinvertebrate diversity across the nine MWSU
campus ponds in three seasons (summer, fall, and
winter/spring) and relate these diversity values
to physicochemical characteristics. We sampled
benthic macroinvertebrates, zooplankton,
conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and
turbidity in each pond at least once per season.
We will present comparisons of Shannon diversity
indices for the ponds in different seasons, as
well as correlation analyses of diversity and
physicochemical parameters. This study will
provide baseline data on seasonal differences
within and between ponds. Faculty Sponsor: GANONG credman@missouriwestern.edu
Robert Bremer; Aaron Brisco; Erica Fleckal; Sam Gazi; Mariss Gruetze; Jason Kuselik; Kylee Nissen; Chenoah Reeder; Jeremy Reynolds; Kelsi Schaberg. DIURNAL DEN SITE SELECTION OF MALE RACCOONS DURING WINTER IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI.
This is the first winter season for this project. We live-trapped a resident male raccoon and affixed a radio transmitter collar on him and released him. We then tracked him with a radio telemetry receiver during the day to determine the day resting sites he chose. The locations were then logged with a mapping-grade global positioning system receiver. We located and measured and characterized 7 dens this first season. Twenty-two variables associated with the resting site were measured as well as the type of site chosen. Then the same variables were measured for two randomly-chosen alternative potential sites. Our null hypothesis was: The multivariate characteristics of the raccoon-chosen resting sites equals those of randomly chosen alternative sites. In a related project, we, determined the minimum home range size of the male raccoon using the minimum convex polygon method. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER cchev@missouriwestern.edu
Romaker, Bailee; Boothe, Josiah. DOES LANDSCAPE URBANIZATION AFFECT NEST BOX SELECTION FOR EASTERN BIRDBIRD AND HOUSE WRENS?.
Dr. Julie Jedlicka has been collecting data on the
frequency of cavity-nesting birds inhabiting 62
nest boxes on campus. We are interested in habitat
preference of Eastern Bluebirds and House Wrens on
nest box selection. We are currently using ArcGIS
Desktop with the help of Dr. Dawn Drake to create
buffers around each box. Then, we will evaluate if
there is a correlation between habitat composition
of nest boxes and the frequency of species nesting
in each box. This research is still in progress. Faculty Sponsor: DRAKE jboothe@missouriwestern.edu
Root, Connor. WHERE TO LOOK FOR THE “ROSINWEEDS” (GENUS SILPHIUM; FAMILY ASTERACEAE)?.
The “Rosinweeds” (genus Silphium) are a part
of the sunflower family Asteraceae. There are
multiple species located all across temperate North
America. Some species are believed to be a potential
future source for biofuel. We used the USDA Plant
Database to find the native locations for each
species. We also used the mapping software called
ESRI ArcGIS Desktop 10.8.1 to map the native
locations of each species of Silphium, plus a
few out-group members to reference the
Silphium species. We will be focusing on the
species located specifically in Missouri and Kansas
for our current project. Faculty Sponsor: ROY croot4@missouriwestern.edu
Zahnd, Alyka, Buehre, Shannon, Haddock, Amie, Jenkins, Bryan, Lindstrom, Devon, Poush, Jessica, Prawitz, Rachael, Tai, Mehreen, and Barta, Csengele. GIBBERELLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION DECREASES THE NEGATIVE ALLELOPATHIC EFFECTS OF AMUR HONEYSUCKLE LEAF EXTRACTS ON FIELD MUSTARD SEED GERMINATION AND GROWTH..
Invasive species are a threat to biodiversity and a relevant concern for species conservation and restoration. The synthesis and release of a variety of allelopathic chemicals into the environment is a competitive strategy employed by invasive species, which directly or indirectly negatively affect native species. Decomposing leaves of Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) have been shown to leach a variety of phenolic molecules into the soil, with devastating inhibitory effects on native species in the region. Nevertheless, the action mechanism of inhibition has not been studied to date. In this work we explored the mechanism of inhibition by honeysuckle leaf extracts in germinating standard (control, Rbr), gibberellin (GA) synthesis deficient (Rosette-Dwarf, ros) and GA overproducing (Tall, ein) mutants of field mustard (Brassica rapa L. var. rapa), in a bioassay. Honeysuckle leaf extracts significantly decreased the germination of mustard seeds. The inhibitory effect was stronger with increasing extract concentrations, and most pronounced in the ros mutants, whose germination was arrested even at the lowest tested extract concentration. The ein seeds were able to overcome inhibition, with only a delay in their germination, at the highest extract concentrations. We observed a similar relationship when control seeds were exposed to extracts in the presence of exogenous GA (up to 100 M), with the strength of inhibition decreasing with increasing GA amounts. We hypothesize, that the allelochemicals in the honeysuckle leaf extract alter the hormonal balance in germinating mustard seeds, effect which however, can be alleviated by elevated GA concentrations. Faculty Sponsor: BARTA cbarta1@missouriwestern.edu
Ziebarth, Guthre. MWSU CAMPUS PRAIRIE.
This project begins to look at what our newly added
MWSU campus prairie has to offer. With this
project, I have mapped what data has been collected
from our campus prairie. Data comes from many
different people in the biology department as well
as some possible data from the Missouri Department
of Conservation. Going forward, this is a baseline
map that will be accessible online to anybody that
wishes to view it and will be available to other
students and faculty if they wish to add data or
interpret some of it on their own. Faculty Sponsor: DRAKE gziebarth@missouriwestern.edu
Literature Reviews
Allen, Nicholas and Vanvickle, Jacob. NORTH AMERICAN CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO PROTECT BIGHORN SHEEP.
The objective of our project was to research the
natural history and current conservation efforts
directed towards bighorn sheep in North America.
The species’ wide range and habitat diversity
establishes interagency conservation efforts
across western public lands. Our research also
focused on the protection of listed threatened and
endangered subspecies of bighorn sheep on both a
state and federal level. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER nallen6@missouriwestern.edu
Carter, Austin; Johnson, Brandon; Vanderhoorn, Cruz. GARBAGE IN THE OCEAN.
Garbage in the Ocean
AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE GARBAGE IN THE
OCEAN IS EFFECTING WILDLIFE AND THEIR HABITATS.
The goal of our poster was to research the
effects that garbage in the ocean have on
wildlife. This topic interested the group because
we constantly hear about the ocean and
the garbage that is collectively building up in
large masses, and the efforts certain groups
are taking to clean the oceans. It was
interesting to research and find how this garbage
effects specific species.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C.D. CHEVALIER
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER acarter18@missouriwestern.edu
Carter, Austin; Sedlak, Rylee; Vanderhoorn, Cruz. THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIRATION.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICIES OF THE NATIONAL
OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.
The goal of our poster is to research the
current policies and the partnerships of the
National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration. This topic interested the group
because of
the topic of global warming and how it effects
our lives and how it is changing our
planet, as well as the topic of the ocean as we
struggle to keep our ocean clean for the
inhabitants. Overall, we all found it very
interesting to learn more about this government
agency.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C.D. CHEVALIER
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER acarter18@missouriwestern.edu
Ballard, Dakota; Gunn, Emily; Reeder, Chenoah. AN OVERVIEW OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES: THE ASIAN JUMPING CARP IN THE UNITED STATES.
The goal of this paper was to explain how the
Asian jumping carp escaped from captivity in
America, their negative effects on the environment
as they spread, and conservation efforts being
done to reduce their numbers. The interest of this
paper spawned from the species invading the
Missouri River in recent years. This massive
spread has travelled to the Great Lakes, where the
issue has become problematic. This species was
very interesting to learn and research about since
they have travelled into Missouri as well as
having a peculiar reaction from being scared, that
is jumping out of the water. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER dballard1@missouriwestern.edu
Ballard, Dakota; Gunn, Emily; Reeder, Chenoah. WORLDWIDE FUND FOR NATURE CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION.
The goal of our poster was to provide an
informative overview of the WWF organization and
their conservation efforts. The poster details the
WWF’s history, management priorities, missions,
organizational structure, and how the public can
get involved. The interest of this organization
originated from the WWF being one of the more
globally known NGOs as well as their wide span of
differentiating conservation efforts being done. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER dballard1@missouriwestern.edu
Colner Jordon, VanVickle Jacob, VanGeison Caylee . CANO PALMA BIOLOGICAL STATION LIMON PROVINCE, POCOCI, COSTA RICA.
Our organization is the Canadian Organization for
Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation and
partnered closely with the Cano Palma Biological
Station, the sea turtle conservancy, the Toronto
Zoo, and others. The minae (The Minstery of the
Environment and Energy) is one of the ruling
policies of the station. Many species of flora nd
fauna are researched here including species of sea
turtle, birds, mammals, and plants. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER jcolner@missouriwestern.edu, jvanvickle2@missouriwerstern.edu, vangeison00@gmail.com
Davis, Dae; Larison, Teri. A LOOK AT THE MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY AND ITS OBJECTIVES.
The goal of our poster was to look into the Missouri Native Plant Society and how the organization assists with conservation efforts. The interest in this group stemmed from wanting to find organizations that promote native Missouri plants and coming across a supportive and active community on Facebook. It is exciting to discover that what at first appeared to be only a Facebook group actually had a history of people whose occupations were not in a conservation or botany field, but who wanted to promote the growth of Missouri native plants and share their understanding and identification skills of Missouri native plants with other people. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER tlarison2@missouriwestern.edu
Erica,Fleckal; Gaige,Blanton; Kelsi,Schaberg. Ducks Unlimited: A Review Of A Wetlands and Waterfowl Conservation Group.
The goal of this poster was to research and
highlight the work and research that Ducks Unlimited
does for waterfowl and wetlands conservation. Ducks
Unlimited is a very large non-government
organization that does a tremendous amount of
wetlands conservation and research. This sparked our
interest in this topic.The increasing popularity and
participation in the sport of duck hunting makes
this agency very important in the nations wetlands
and waterfowl management. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER gblanton@missouriwestern.edu
Gazi, Sam; Allen, Nick; Short, Luke. BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS AND ANGLERS.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE NON-PROFIT GROUP BACKCOUNTRY
HUNTERS AND ANGLERS.
The goal of our poster was to research the advocacy
group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Our interest
was created by the changing politics within the
Interior Department because of the Biden
administration’s policy changes and appointments
within the department. Backcountry Hunters and
Anglers is a fascinating group to study as they
will have to deal with these changes in public
lands policy.
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER sgazi@missouriwestern.edu
Gibler, Noah; Kanatzar, Zach; Zentz, Aden . FERAL HOGS: THEIR PRESENCE AND IMPACT IN MISSOURI.
The goal of our paper was to research the feral hog
population in Missouri and to educate others how
devastating feral hogs are to the ecosystem. The
interest for this topic came from our desire to
research the impact invasive species can have on
Missouri flora and fauna. This was an interesting
topic to research because it impacts close to home
and it is a current issue.
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER ngibler@missouriwestern.edu
Barriga, Jacobo; Bennie, Ethan; Pavini, Amadeu. ADVANCEMENTS IN DNA TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE ANIMAL CONSERVATION IN ZOOS.
Advancements in DNA technology to increase animal
conservation in zoos
Our team has been doing some research on zoos and
their conservation efforts. In particular we are
interested in the advancements relating to DNA
storage, records, and use. Technology has allowed us
to both preserve and conserve DNA of wildlife. We
wanted to explore the great work zoos are doing in
conservation and share it with other people that may
be interested.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C.D. CHEVALIER
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER jbarriga@missouriwestern.edu
Larison, Teri; Stafford, Katy; Zahnd, Alyka. INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL: BUSH HONEYSUCKLE (LONICERA MAACKII AND LONICERA MORROWII).
The goal of our poster is to explore research of an invasive species, Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii and Lonicera morrowii). We are looking at discoveries on the effects of Bush Honeysuckle on their ecosystems and different methods of controlling Bush Honeysuckle. The interest in this topic began with an overwhelming abundance of bush honeysuckle around the Missouri Western State University campus. Bush Honeysuckle is an interesting species due to its ability to thrive in its non-native habitat. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER tlarison2@missouriwestern.edu
Poush, Jessica; Zahnd, Alyka; Redman, Ceirra. THE SIERRA CLUB.
THE SIERRA CLUB
The goal of our poster was to research the history
and current actives of the Sierra Club
organization in the United States and their
outreach internationally. The organization has a
long history of political involvement, pushing for
park establishment and expansion, environmental
policy acts, dam construction, or outreach
education. The Sierra Club has many different
objectives to fulfill its mission; major policies
include agriculture and food, climate and energy,
and wildlife and native plants.
Faculty Sponsor: DR. C.D. CHEVALIER
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER jphelps2@missouriwestern.edu
Poush, Jessica; Jackson, Megan; Thompson, Katie. EFFICIENCY OF WILDLIFE PASSAGES.
EVALUATING THE EFFICIENCY OF WILDLIFE PASSAGES
The goal of our poster was to research the
efficiency of wildlife passages around the world.
The interest grew from the high rates of wildlife
vehicle collisions and genetic diversity of
animals effected by human made barricades. This
topic is an interesting approach on tackling a
conservation issue that will only grow larger with
neglect.
Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER jphelps2@missouriwestern.edu
Privett, Rose Antos, Anthony Larkin, Konner. AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION OF TROUT UNLIMITED.
The goal of our purpose was to research the policy and
administration of Trout Unlimited. Our interests for this came from
interests in fish management and the organization. It was interesting
to learn more about Trout Unlimited and the work they do with the
public and water quality for trout. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER rprivett@missouriwestern.edu
Vogt, Sam; Short, Luke. REINTRODUCTION OF GREY WOLVES INTO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.
The goal of our poster was to research the history
and current status of the grey wolves in
Yellowstone National Park. The interest in this
topic grew from recent studies of the grey wolves
in Yellowstone and their effects on the park. We
explained the cost and benefits of grey wolves in
Yellowstone National Park and people’s
viewpoints/perspectives on the grey wolves. This
is an amazing subject to study due to the constant
new research done and seeing how they are truly a
key species to the environment. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER svogt@missouriwestern.edu
Zentz, Aden; Garza, Marissa; Kanatzar, Zach. POLICIES OF THE NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION.
The object of our poster was to highlight the
internal and external operations of the NWTF, and
how they interact with government organizations and
landowners to better habitat for wild turkey. We
also showed how they work with the public to expand
the number of outdoorsman in the United States.
They are a great organization, and have a lot of
very interesting programs. Faculty Sponsor: CHEVALIER azentz@missouriwestern.edu
URSI Project
Larkin, Konner; Reeder, Chenoah; Vanfosson, CJ; Drake, Dawn. GEOSPATIAL DATA FOR CAMPUS PONDS.
Our poster is over the geospatial data for campus ponds. This
research is part of the Pond Biodiversity Project and is helping
set baseline geographic data. Our research has involved
conducting land use and land cover surveys, pond core
samples and methodology, and creating a story map. This
data will allow us to compare other variables within the Pond
Biodiversity Project and inform people about the history and
research of the campus ponds.
Faculty Sponsor: DRAKE konner77@hotmail.com
Larkin, Konner. LAND USE AND LAND COVER SURVEY OF CAMPUS PONDS.
For this poster I conducted a land use and land cover survey
on the campus ponds. This was part of the Pond Biodiversity
Project and focused on the geospatial data. The research
involved collecting location data points and analyzing them
with ArcGIS software. With this data you can compare
categories and variables of each pond to the overall Pond
Biodiversity Project. Faculty Sponsor: DRAKE konner77@hotmail.com
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS
Empirical Projects
Ewing, Preston. INEQUITY OF PIZZA DELIVERY EMPLOYEES.
Pizza delivery is a job function that is often
overlooked in the food delivery industry. Pizza
drivers are service employees that are paid hourly
and often get tips from customers upon deliveries.
We studied the wage structure and related amenities
of pizza delivery drivers. Some of these aspects
are widely different across the country because of
differences in the tipped minimum wage across
states and other company policies. Our study is
focused on two multinational firms: Dominos and
Pizza Hut. We conclude the study by highlighting
data analytics based techniques to address income
inequity among delivery drivers.
Faculty Sponsor: VERMA pewing1@missouriwestern.edu
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Analytical Papers and Analyses
Henning, Kindall James. GRAPE LEAVES OF WRATH: MEASUREMENT OF NUTRIENTS IN SOIL, SUGAR IN GRAPES, AND CALCIUM IN LEAVES.
The use of a vineyard was incorporated in a
general chemistry lab to offer a real-world
application of laboratory techniques. Soil, leaf,
and grape samples were collected from a local
vineyard. The soil was analyzed for the nutrient
content; the leaves were analyzed for the calcium
content; and the grapes were analyzed for the
sugar content. The calcium content in the leaves
was determined using wet chemical methods
(titration) and an instrumental method (atomic
absorption). The differences were noted and
compared. Furthermore, X-ray fluorescence was
implemented for leaf and soil samples. A
laboratory experiment procedure was designed and
implemented for second semester general chemistry
students.
Faculty Sponsor: WOODFORD khenning@missouriwestern.edu
Empirical Projects
Maxey, Nelson. THE FOURIER GRID HAMILTONIAN METHOD IN MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS.
The study of vibrational properties for molecular
systems is of great theoretical interest. The
Fourier Grid Hamiltonian (FGH) method is capable
of calculating vibrational properties in a fully
discrete manner. Previously, this method was
restricted to one-dimensional and two-dimensional
systems due to computational limitations. We have
written a program in Python to implement the FGH
method for an arbitrary number of vibrational
dimensions. Results of this program tested against
the exact harmonic oscillator model and simple
diatomic molecules are presented. Faculty Sponsor: WOODFORD nmaxey@missouriwestern.edu
DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
Analytical Papers and Analyses
Spilker, Craig. RECYCLING 3D PRINTING PLASTIC IN SPACE.
Different impurities in 3D printing plastics(ABS &
PLA) create blends that have different mechanical
properties than the pure material. These blends
were created in the lab, and sets of testing
pieces were made. Then they went through the
various tests. A second batch of parts were
created and tested in cold temperatures. It was
discovered that all of the polymers added to ABS
made it weaker, some worse than others. Some PLA
blends stayed tough even in the cold. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU cspilker@missouriwestern.edu
Empirical Projects
Blake, Stanton. THE AUTOMATED STREET LIGHT.
Abstract
Stoplights are all over the place in the real world.
Most of the time systems get overlooked because of
how often we see them, however, they are not an easy
system to effectively implement. The purpose of this
project is to show the difficulty of an electrical
system that we use everyday. The project is
simulating a 4 way intersection of single lane
traffic controlled by streetlights using a raspberry
pi as the logic board and external LED lights and
components. The street lights will run through a
specific sequence that allows for safe flow of
traffic. The sequence will be broken when a sensor
senses movement ( a car pulling up to the red light)
this will force the sequence to initiate the next
step and cut the sequence timers short. This allows
for the sensor to read where traffic is coming from
and change lanes to allow for the build up to flow.
Aspects that will be left out of this project will
be turning lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, and any
other advanced stop light configurations. This
project will allow for somebody to visualize,
breakdown, and understand the work that goes into
programming a 4 way traffic stop.
Faculty Sponsor: ZHU sblake3@missouriwestern.edu
Conserving energy and money is prominent for many companies and
the environment. It’s our
intention to help reduce these factors with an automated lighting
system in an effort to impact
power usage and environmental distress. The lighting system involves
infrared sensors that will
detect when an individual has exited a room so the lights can be
dimmed or shut off completely.
This will be done using a small microcomputer that will regulate the
voltage to the system which
will allow the lights to adjust accordingly. From this project, we hope
to introduce an idea to
reduce resources for companies and the environment. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU akafer1@missouriwestern.edu
Internship/Practicum Experience
Field, Carson; Mann, Courtney. CARSON & COURTNEY - MSC.
For MRD, Courtney and I will be discussing what it
is like to be interning at Midland Steel Company
in Wathena, Kansas. She works under one of our
Project Managers/Senior Estimators, as I work
under our Materials Supervisor/Purchasing
Coordinator, who also did a majority of the
programming until I started interning there. We
created a poster that will explain our
responsibilities more in-depth, as Courtney and I
are responsible for very different parts of our
process. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU Cfield5@missouriwestern.edu
Hildreth, Tim. GENERAL MOTORS INTERNSHIP.
In today's world of auto manufacturing, automation plays a key role in the production process. With automation, General Motors is able to provide vehicles to people around the globe, while keeping production cost low. Integration of technology into the manufacturing process means that GM needs teams of engineers at each facility to keep them running. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU thildreth@missouriwestern.edu
Mann, Courtney. MIDLAND STEEL COMPANY .
My experience of an internship at Midland Steel
Company as a Project Manager. This opportunity has
allowed me to further my knowledge in the
construction industry as well as earning field
experience for my major. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU cmann3@missouriwestern.edu
Norris, Nathan. RING CONTAINER TECHNOLOGIES INTERNSHIP.
Ring Container Technologies is one of the fastest growing HDPE and PET bottle and food container manufacturers in the United States. Ring Container uses various types of extrusion blow molding to produce high production output and product consistency. Ring Container St. Joseph primarily uses a continuous captured parison wheel, manufactured by Graham Engineering, due to its unique extrusion blow molding process that drives up production rates while maintaining, and even improving, quality. I will outline the continuous captured parison process as well as describe the job requirements of my internship position, that of a maintenance technician. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU nnorris2@missouriwestern.edu
Empirical Projects
Cossyleon, Arturo; Hildreth, Tim; Wing, Jeremie. THE WING DYNAMO.
The Wing Dynamo
The Wing Dynamo is a bicycle that has been adapted
with a small dynamo, or electricity producing
motor. This motor generates electricity via
rotational energy which is produced by being in
contact with the bicycle tire. The energy
generated is then stored in a battery that is
attached to the bicycle. The battery powers a
bright LED headlight mounted to the front of the
bicycle to assist in nighttime rides. This battery
has several connectors so the user may charge
various electronics via USB. The Wing Dynamo would
be ideal for the growing number of cyclists
worldwide.
Faculty Sponsor: ZHU jwing1@missouriwestern.edu
Cutler, Logan. BREAKING GROUND ON THE MOON.
This a section of my study for the 2021 NASA- Missouri Space Grant Consortium. The purpose of the section is to calculate the force required for a tool to tip over a rigid, stationary rover at a variety of applied angles on the moon based on the rover's basic specifications provided by NASA. This will be done by determining the force is required to cause enough rotational force to balance the force exerted from the center of gravity of the rover. The applied angles that will be used in my calculations will range in increments of 15 degrees with zero degrees referring to the force being applied directly in front of the rover to ninety degrees referring to the force being applied straight down into the ground. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU lcutler@missouriwestern.edu
This project is to design a simple, cheap,
intelligent environmental control for animal
housing. This system is designed to be robust so
that it may continue to operate in the worst
weather conditions, simple to operate so as to not
intimidate the user, low cost to attract the
interests of small format farmers, and safe for
the user and animals. This system will also offer
wifi connectivity for remote monitoring, and keep
temperature logs for later review. As proof of
concept, a house for feral cats with a sensor
package, an infrared heating element, and exhaust
fans is to be built. These are all controlled by a
Raspberry Pi to stabilize the temperature in
inclement weather. This system is intended to
target the interest of hobby farmers, animal
rescue concerns, and researchers. Faculty Sponsor: ZHU czuptich@missouriwestern.edu
DEPARTMENT OF NURSING
Literature Reviews
Cramer, Victoria; Heine, Kimberly; Par, Cer. PRIVACY OF MEDICAL RECORDS.
Protected Health Information, an integral part of
both our health care and health information
management contains some very personal and
potentially sensitive information that must be
protected. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act does just that. Aside from
HIPAA regulations, individual states have the
opportunity to enact additional regulations in
order to further protect that private information.
This raises the question “How does the
authorization requirements for the release of
Protected Health Information differ by state, in
the United States?” Data analysis shows us not all
states are consistently following the same or have
enacted stricter regulations. Faculty Sponsor: MCKINNEY vcramer@missouriwestern.edu
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Empirical Projects
Davidson, Whitney; Kitchen, Kiah; Dorris, Jennifer; Garrett, Lauren; Boland, Jenna; Deppen, Brittnie; Weese, Emily. CRIMINOGENIC THINKING LEVELS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Law enforcement officers accept a large amount of
responsibility as they serve the public. Poor
decisions made by this population are impactful to
society. One possible explanation for their
decision-making is their thinking pattern and/or
style. Criminogenic thinking (CT) styles perpetuate
poor decision-making among individuals, and thus
problematic behavior. Existing literature has not
investigated the CT among law enforcement to date,
which spans the purpose of the present study. CT
among law enforcement versus pre-existing data from
other populations is compared. Additionally, we
investigate the possible link between CT and job-
related behaviors. Data collection/analyses is
undergoing, and the current number of participants
(N=101) are randomly selected from different
agencies around the U.S. Faculty Sponsor: MANDRACCHIA lgarrett@missouriwestern.edu
Hibbs, Kennedy. INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND THE INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF SUICIDE.
The purpose of this study was to investigate how
individual facets of intimate partner violence
(IPV) correlate to components of the interpersonal
psychological theory of suicide: perceived
burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness
(TB). A college student sample completed a survey
entirely online that measured the frequency of
experiencing IPV, interpersonal needs, and suicide
ideation. Results indicate no evidence that
physical, psychological, sexual, stalking, or
coercive behaviors predict PB or TB. These results
suggest that effects from IPV may be less about
the frequency of experiencing abusive behaviors
and more about how disturbing these experiences
are to victims. Faculty Sponsor: MANDRACCHIA khibbs@missouriwestern.edu
Conformity has been studied under various
conditions, however it has not been examined
extensively in online environments. With many
classrooms moving to an online format it is
important to understand the variables in these
environments that influence conformity. For our
study, participants in one condition had to show
their faces on camera and the other condition did
not. Participants and confederates answered
questions during a video presentation using the
raise hand feature on Zoom. Confederates answered
the first question correctly and the rest
incorrectly. Conformity was measured based on
questions the participants answered in accordance
with how the confederates answered. Faculty Sponsor: ZIEMER jlewis32@missouriwestern.edu
Salcedo, Daniel; Simchy-Gross, Rhimmon. ECHOIC MEMORY, TEMPORAL REGULARITY, AND THE SPEECH-TO-SONG ILLUSION.
The speech-to-song illusion (STSI) demonstrates speech transforming to song when repeated. Does this emerge with long/irregular temporal gaps? Participants rated speech utterances from 1 ("Speech-like") to 5 ("Song-like") in a 2 (Regular; Irregular) by 2 (Short; Long) repeated- measures design. Each condition entailed participants hearing, rating, hearing 8 times, then again rating an utterance. The STSI emerged [M=1.8-2.6; F(1,52)=40.5; p<.0001] when the utterance repetitions were regular/irregular and within/outside echoic memory's timespan. This suggests the STSI persists despite rhythmic irregularities and beyond perceptual echoic memory rehearsal. This research provides insight for future music- language investigation. Faculty Sponsor: SIMCHY-GROSS rsimchygross@missouriwestern.edu