2016 symposium booklet final - frostburg.edu · the goal of this experiment ... differential based...

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract Booklet Credits ............................................................................................................................... 2

The Abstracts ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Department of Biology .................................................................................................................................. 4

Department of Chemistry ........................................................................................................................... 14

Department of Communication .................................................................................................................. 21

Department of Computer Science and Information Technologies ............................................................. 38

Department of English ................................................................................................................................ 45

Department of Geography .......................................................................................................................... 46

Department of History ................................................................................................................................ 50

Department of Mathematics ...................................................................................................................... 56

Department of Philosophy .......................................................................................................................... 57

Department of Physics and Engineering ..................................................................................................... 58

Department of Political Science .................................................................................................................. 66

Department of Psychology ......................................................................................................................... 67

Department of Social Work ........................................................................................................................ 72

Department of Sociology ............................................................................................................................ 73

Department of Theatre and Dance………………………………………………………………………………………………………..74

Department of Visual Arts……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..75

Special Thanks ............................................................................................................................................. 76

Map of the ARMAH.....................................................................................................................................77

ABSTRACT BOOKLET CREDITS

Cover Design ................................................................................ Andrew D. Ravenscroft, Mr. Robert Hein

Program Editing and Layout ................................................................................................ Dr. Karen Keller

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium

3 May 6, 2016

THE ABSTRACTS

This Symposium includes 127 presentations featuring the work of 221 students,

mentored by 73 Faculty and Staff across 16 departments. The projects presented at this

Symposium took place in 2015 and 2016 and include coursework and independent study

activities. Abstracts are organized alphabetically by department and by project title. The

Presentation number in parentheses following the title refers to the table locations of

the Poster and/or Physical Displays in the ARMAH. A map of the ARMAH is on the last

page of this booklet. Oral presentations are scheduled in Lane Center 108, 110, 111 and

113 and a schedule for the oral presentations will be available at the Registration Table.

Each presentation includes the following information:

Project Title (Poster, Physical Display, Oral Presentation, Table #)

Name(s) of presenting student(s) Name(s) of contributing student(s) (if applicable) Name(s) of faculty/staff mentor(s)


May 6, 2016 4

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Essential Oils on Microbes (Poster, Table 9) Presenting Students: Nelson Dozier, Ruth Fabre Mentor: Dr. Catherine Vrentas The goal of this experiment (completed as a part of the Biology 304—General Microbiology—

course) was to test various types of organic oils for their antimicrobial properties. Orange,

grapefruit, lemon and clove essential oils were each tested. These oils have a variety of

everyday uses, from cleaning products to dentistry. The experiment was performed by first

creating spread plates of E. coli and B. subtilis on TSA (Trypticase Soy) agar. Next, we took

forceps sterilized with ethanol and coated paper disks with the various oils, and placed them on

the lawns of bacteria; bacterial plates were incubated at 37 °C before observation. To measure

the efficacy of each of the oils’ antimicrobial properties, the zone of inhibition around each disk

was measured using a ruler. We hypothesized that the lemon oil would have a larger zone of

inhibition on both plates because of the acidic nature of lemons and their uses in cleaning

products. However, our hypothesis was incorrect; clove oil had the largest zone of inhibition.

Clove oil is known to have antimicrobial, antiseptic and antiviral uses. Clove oils are present in

several of today’s oral health care products, skin care products and vitamins. Eugenol is in clove

oil and is used by dentists around the world for pain relief.

Characterization of Structure‐Function Relationships of a Gram‐Positive Bacterial Hfq (Poster, Table 10) Presenting Students: Lorenzo Jones, Harrison Shore, Alexcia Aka, Elizabeth Meredith,

Serge Owoukor, Bethany Henson Mentor: Dr. Catherine Vrentas The Hfq family of proteins is important in RNA binding and regulation in Gram‐negative

bacteria, such as E. coli. Deletion of Hfq from some bacteria leads to defects in growth and/or

virulence. Hfq3 is a homolog of the protein from the Gram‐positive bacterium Bacillus

anthracis, the causative agent of the lethal disease anthrax. Lower levels of His‐Hfq3

expression can complement Hfq regulatory phenotypes in E. coli, whereas higher levels of His‐

Hfq3 expression are toxic to E. coli as well as the Bacillus anthracis cell itself. Here, we

examined the activity of the Hfq3 protein via a genetic screen. A variety of mutants of the Hfq

gene were produced via mutagenic PCR. The PCR mutants were cloned into a plasmid and then


5 May 6, 2016

were transformed into Δhfq E. coli and plated to MacConkey agar. The MacConkey agar is

differential based on the fermentation of lactose. Only the bacteria with the gene of interest

(Hfq3) broke down lactose. Lactose breakdown causes plated mutants with Hfq3 function to

turn pink, while those that lack Hfq function turn tan. Bacteria that had changes in color were

cultured further. The Hfq3 plasmids were extracted from the cells by minipreps and sequenced

in order to display the location of mutations on the Hfq protein structure.

Confirmation of a SNP in the Anthocyaninless Gene of Wisconsin Fast Plant (Poster, Table 8) Presenting Student: Mitchell Mills Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff This project’s purpose is to identify and amplify the dihydroflavanol‐4‐reductase (DFR) portion

of the anthocyaninless gene of Wisconsin Fast Plant (WFP), where a single nucleotide

polymorphism is thought to be the cause of the purple and non‐purple phenotypic variation.

DNA was first isolated from 10 purple individuals and 10 non‐purple individuals followed by PCR

reactions using 4 different combinations of primers, in order to determine the most consistent

amplification combination. The primer pair combination resulting in the best PCR was using the

primers DFR forward and RC anl reverse. Amplified fragments were purified and subjected to

enzymatic digestion with restriction endonucleases. It was determined that the fragments were

too small and an intron was present. Using B. rapa new primers were determined that would

produce a significantly larger length of DNA. PCR optimization was done to determine the best

primer combination. This was found to be DFR Forward, and Reverse #2. Finally these were

used followed by digestion to produce a favorable result.

Conservation Implications of Decreasing Misidentification among the Genus Actaea (Poster, Table 8) Presenting Students: Karen Johnson, Laura Price Mentor: Dr. Sunshine Brosi State imperiled mountain bugbane (Actaea podocarpa DC, Ranunculaceae) is threatened by

ecological and anthropogenic pressures such as species misidentification, resulting in

unintentional harvesting. By developing comparative outreach material for herb diggers, lay

botanists, and the general public that differentiates A. podocarpa from similar‐looking related

species such as A. rubifolia, A. pachypoda, and A. racemosa, the anthropogenic pressures on A.

podocarpa will be decreased. Outreach material using simple observation techniques with both


May 6, 2016 6

textual and online resources will ensure positive access and usability. With a decreased

knowledge gap of species in the genus Actaea, there is further protection and benefit for both

the subordinate taxa as well as the herb‐identifiers.

Creation and Phenotypic Characterization of Mutations in the Hfq3 Protein of Bacillus anthracis (Poster, Table 11) Presenting Student: Eugenia Asare Mentor: Dr. Catherine Vrentas Bacillus anthracis, a Gram‐positive and highly resistant spore‐forming bacterium, is the

causative agent of anthrax. This bacterium is unusual in that it produces three variants of a

small RNA‐binding protein called Hfq: Hfq1, Hfq2, and Hfq3. Hfq plays an important role in

facilitating the interaction between messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and small non‐coding RNAs

(sRNAs) in order to post‐transcriptionally regulate gene expression in eubacteria. While the role

of Hfq in growth and virulence of Gram‐negative bacteria is well described, its role in the

physiology of Gram‐positive bacteria, such as Bacillus anthracis, is less clear. For the purpose of

this study, we focused on the B. anthracis Hfq3 protein, which was previously shown to partially

complement the function of E. coli Hfq. Six specific mutations were created on the proximal and

distal surfaces of the B. anthracis Hfq3 hexamer to observe how these changes would affect the

complementation activity of the protein, as assessed in a Δhfq E.coli strain. Residues were

selected based on their role in E. coli Hfq in binding mRNAs or sRNAs on the Hfq hexamer. On

the proximal surface of the Hfq3 protein, the “Rim Revertant,” Q8A and K56A mutations were

created, and on the distal surface of the protein, the Y25D, K31A and I30D mutations were

created in a His‐Hfq3 expression vector via site‐directed mutagenesis. Using the Basic Local

Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), an algorithmic sequence alignment program, the amino acid

sequences of the mutant Hfq3 plasmids were aligned with the amino acid sequence of

B.anthracis Hfq3 to confirm the presence of each mutation. The mutant plasmids were

transformed into Δhfq E.coli competent cells carrying an Hfq‐dependent lacZ reporter construct

and streaked onto MacConkey agar plates for later observation. After incubating overnight,

both agarose and protein gel electrophoresis were conducted to ensure the retention of DNA

and protein in each strain after mutagenesis. The phenotypes of each Hfq3 mutant were then

observed using the Hfq3 wild‐type strain and the inactive Hfq1 strain as positive and negative

controls, respectively. Three mutations created on the proximal surface of the Hfq3 protein—

the “Rim Revertant,” K56A and Q8A— produced pink phenotypes, thus indicating partial

retention of protein activity. In contrast, mutations created on the distal surface of the

protein—Y25D, K31A and I30D—exhibited complete loss of complementation activity, as

observed from their tan phenotype. Therefore, it appears that that the distal face of the protein


7 May 6, 2016

plays a more critical role in the B.anthracis Hfq3 complementation phenotype and, likewise, the

Hfq protein activity. Further experimentation on Hfq3 protein complementation activity when

assessed without an N‐terminal His‐tag neither supported or contradicted earlier experimental

results, due to the low expression of Hfq3 lacking the His‐tag, as evidenced by the phenotypic

appearance of the strains when streaked on MacConkey agar as well as a protein gel of cell

lysates. The His‐tag may reduce degradation of Hfq3 in this system.

Developing Microscale Biology Outreach Activities Using a Pocket Refractometer to Measure Sugar Concentrations (Poster, Table 11)

Presenting Student: Cameren Jennifer Mentor: Dr. Catherine Vrentas Creating homemade products, such as fruit juices and soft drinks, can become a hassle if one

does not know the amount of sugar in the product and cannot rely on simple taste tests.

Similarly, farmers and gardeners may be interested in tracking the sugars and/or total solids in

their fruit and vegetable crops over time. Microscale activities for the general public were

developed around the use of a pocket refractometer to increase awareness of ways to measure

these biochemical differences. A refractometer is a simple optical device that is able to measure

the concentration of sugar contained in a liquid. Currently, one activity in development utilizes

the refractometer and different types of grapes to measure and compare grape juice sugar

concentrations while creating a puzzle for people to think about the science and real world

applications of the activity. Progress has been made in the lab with the use of the

refractometer, development of a handout, and testing of the microscale refractometer

activities, with plans to test this activity in the field in a larger group setting for the impact on

participant learning.

Dietary Analysis of Black Bears in South Central Pennsylvania (Poster, Table 8) Presenting Student: Jonathan Yoder Mentor: Dr. Thomas Lambert The North American Black Bear is an economically important species that is not only harvested,

but can cause significant crop damage and can be a nuisance in peri‐urban environments. Black

bears are opportunistic in their use of habitat and considered dietary generalists. Therefore

their diet likely varies depending on location. A fuller understanding of how habitat influences

the diet of the black bear could aid in bear management and mitigating the negative impacts of

nuisance bear. In order to evaluate black bear diet, scats were collected from two different


May 6, 2016 8

sites in South Central Pennsylvania; a heavily forested area with little to no agricultural

influence and a primarily agricultural region. In order to search for scat, I would locate a

potential food source and follow tracks until a sample was found. Alternatively edges of laurel

stands and corn fields, as well as stream were searched. More scats were located in the fall

than in the spring, likely as a result of spring detections being hindered by rain, melting snow,

and fallen leaves and trees. After samples were collected, they were weighed and percentage

of vegetation, mammal bone, avian bone and feather were estimated for each scat. In Both

regions most samples collected contained vegetation but, samples collected from the

mountainous forested area contained a higher percentage of hair and bone from small

mammals and birds. Based on rates of scat detection, bears in the agriculture area were active

earlier in the spring than the forest area bear population with bears active in February and early

March in the agricultural areas whereas the forest bears not becoming active until the middle

part of March. The sample locations varied throughout the agriculture area region but in the

forested region samples where usually found near logging roads, streams, or laurel stands.

Food Production for Migrating Waterfowl at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey (Poster, Table 9) Presenting Student: Edward McDonald Contributing Student: Sean Knox Mentor: Dr. Frank Ammer Managed wetlands at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey serve as

valuable stop over sites where waterfowl can rest and feed. To effectively manage wetlands for

certain waterfowl species, knowledge of area‐specific migration trends, wetland food

production, and water depth is key. This study will document food production of five managed

freshwater wetlands located within the refuge. A total of 100 invertebrate samples were

collected in the spring and fall of 2015. Invertebrate samples are currently being classified to

the family level. Samples are also being measured for length‐mass regression analysis to

determine total biomass. Preliminary results suggest that the Gammaridae and Coenagrionidae

families comprise the majority of the collected samples. Invertebrate sampling will continue in

the spring and fall of 2016. Final results will provide an estimate of available food for migrating

waterfowl using the refuge. These data will be incorporated in future management plans for

the impoundments on the refuge.


9 May 6, 2016

Habitat Selection of Spotted Salamanders in Western Maryland (Poster, Table 9) Presenting Student: Crystal Tippett Mentor: Dr. Frank Ammer The purpose of this study is to determine what physical characteristics aid spotted salamanders

in selecting vernal pool habitats in western Maryland. The study sites selected provide a

mixture of habitats that will allow estimates of amphibian use. Measured characteristics at each

site include pH, size of vernal pool, temperature, depth of leaf litter in pool, and canopy cover.

By using Visual Encounter surveys and double observer protocols, vernal pools will be identified

as occupied or unoccupied. A student t‐test will compare the pH levels and a one‐way ANOVA

will be used to examine leaf litter depth and canopy cover. These comparisons will provide

preferred characteristics as well as differences between occupied and unoccupied vernal pools

in the region.

Hydrogen Isotope Ecology: Analysis and Application to the Study of Bat Movement (Poster, Table 8) Presenting Students: Jake Blakely, Kamren Jefferson Contributing Student: Crystal Tippett Mentors: Ms. Caitlin Campbell, Dr. David Nelson The study of animal movement is important to understanding ecological and environmental

factors crucial to conservation efforts. Animal migration is particularly vulnerable to disruption,

but traditional methods of tracking long‐distance animal movement can’t be applied to many

species due to small size, difficulty of capture, and unpredictable movement. Stable hydrogen

isotope ratio analysis presents a solution, as it necessitates only a single sampling event to infer

the geographic origin of animal tissue. Inferring the origin of animal tissue using stable

hydrogen isotope data requires three inferences: (1) The variation of hydrogen isotope ratios

within precipitation, (2) the tissue‐specific discrimination factors affecting how stable hydrogen

isotope ratios change when incorporated into animal tissue, and (3) the time period over which

environmental isotopes are incorporated and retained within tissue. We will discuss the

process of determining precipitation baseline values, tissue sample acquisition and preparation,

chemical analysis and standardization, and incorporation into probability‐of‐origin models.

These methods are being applied as part of a study of the seasonal migrations of wind‐

development impacted tree bat species.


May 6, 2016 10

Lyme Disease in Western Maryland: Analysis of Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and Tissue Samples from White‐footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus) by PCR and Immunofluorescence Microscopy (Poster, Table 10) Presenting Students: Drew Brown, Mallary Granger, Nicole Lloyd, Fred Nyachieo,

Amy Weakland, William Wygal Mentors: Dr. Rebekah Taylor, Dr. Karen Keller Lyme disease is the most common vector‐borne disease in the United States. The bacteria that

causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to mammals by the bite of an infected

blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). The white‐footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is the most

common reservoir host of the bacterium. The prevalence of Lyme disease in humans has

increased dramatically over the past 20 years, spreading westward and southward from its

origins in coastal New England. The aim of this project was to test samples of ticks and blood

samples from white‐footed mice that were locally captured. DNA was extracted from these

samples and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of a Borrelia gene.

Futhermore, tissues from mice whose blood tested positive for Borrelia antibody were

harvested, sectioned, and analyzed for the presence of Borrelia bacteria by

immunofluorescence microscopy. Interestingly, Borrelia bacteria were found in the red pulp

and in specific locations of the white pulp in the spleen of one of the mice.

Lyme Disease in Western Maryland: Collection of Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and Blood Samples from White‐footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus) (Poster, Table 10) Presenting Students: Drew Brown, Mallary Granger, Nicole Lloyd, Kassondra Greis,

Amy Weakland, William Wygal Mentors: Dr. Rebekah Taylor, Dr. Karen Keller Lyme disease is the most common vector‐borne disease in the United States. The bacteria that

causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to mammals by the bite of an infected

blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). The white‐footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, is the most

common reservoir host of the bacterium. The prevalence of Lyme disease in humans has

increased dramatically over the past 20 years, spreading westward and southward from its

origins in coastal New England. The aim of this project was to survey tick and mouse

populations in our area for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi. The presence of Borrelia in

local ticks and mice presents a higher risk of human contraction of Lyme disease. Here we

present our methods of collecting ticks and blood samples from white‐footed mice. Some of


11 May 6, 2016

the blood samples tested positive for Borrelia antibodies, indicating that the mice were infected

(or had been infected) with Lyme‐causing bacteria.

Molecular Characterization of the Microbiome—Using 16S PCR to Explore the Microbial Community (Poster, Table 11) Presenting Students: Alyssa Savage, Alexa Gallagher, Olivia Hager, Kylan O’Baker,

Casey Hymiller, Maci Quintanilla Mentor: Dr. Catherine Vrentas The purpose of this project was to characterize the microbiome of soil and environmental

samples from the Frostburg area. A microbiome is a community of microbes that are present in

a location or biome. A test run of PCR (with the 27F and 1492R universal bacterial primers) and

gel electrophoresis was conducted with B.burgdorferi (Lyme disease bacterium) genomic DNA

in order to ensure that the methods used here would successfully amplify the 16S ribosomal

DNA sequences that are specific to each bacterial species. This test proved successful, so two

soil samples were obtained from Frostburg, MD; two soil samples were obtained from

Grantsville, MD; and four swab samples were obtained from the Brady Health Center on

campus for microbiome characterization. Additionally, sediment samples were retrieved from

sediment cores taken from Cranberry Swamp in western Maryland by graduate student Jade

Llewellyn and Professor Phillip Allen. Swamp sediment samples included recent sediments as

well as samples dated to >7000 years old. To extract genomic DNA from the associated

microbial communities, DNA purification of each of the 12 samples was performed using the

Purelink Microbiome DNA purification kit. Next, PCR was performed on the purified DNA

samples to amplify the 16S ribosomal DNA sequences. PCR cleanup will be completed and a

cloning kit and bacterial transformation will be used to create a library of 16S RNAs from each

sample. By sequencing of a sample of the 16S library and comparison to reference genomes of

bacterial species, a sample of the bacterial microbiome of each soil or environmental

community will be determined this summer.

Optimizing the Technique of Isolating Chromosomes from Dividing Cells and the Production of a Karyotype (Poster, Table 12) Presenting Student: Colby Swisher Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor For the project I’m presenting at the CLAS Undergraduate Research Symposium, I plan to do

multiple variations of a metaphase chromosome spread protocol. Each variation will test the


May 6, 2016 12

most effective way to carry out different steps of the protocol to achieve the best chromosome

spread, such as the length of exposure to colchicine, distance the cell solution is dropped onto

slides from, and concentration of the lysing buffer. Not only will this improve the results of the

protocol, but demonstrate the role of each step and allow observation of which cellular

conditions display the best results with this technique. I believe the altering of each condition

of the experiment will cause observable differences in the resulting karyotype, allowing the

conditions to be adjusted for a more desirable product.

Reevaluating Appalachian Cottontail Status Using Fecal Pellet mtDNA Analysis (Poster, Table 9) Presenting Student: Alicia Matthews Contributing Student: Kelly Russo Mentor: Dr. Frank Ammer The Appalachian Cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus) is dispersed across patchy mountainous ranges

and is suspected to be in decline in MD due to habitat fragmentation caused by development,

degradation, conversion. The Appalachian Cottontail and the Eastern Cottontail are similar in

appearance and are difficult to differentiate the species using morphological characteristics.

Fecal pellets are a non‐invasive method that can be used to discriminate the Appalachian

Cottontail from the Eastern Cottontail without disturbance or stress on the populations.

Analysis of the mtDNA genome using fecal samples allows the reevaluation of the Appalachian

Cottontails status, relative abundance, and habitat associations in western Maryland. Habitat

assessment and pellet surveys were conducted at historic sites in western Maryland from Jan.1

to April 1, 2016. DNA from the fecal samples is currently being isolated using modified

protocols to maximize DNA concentrations. Data obtained from this study will facilitate the

conservation, management and recovery of the species in this region.

The Effect of Acetaminophen on the Growth of Murine Splenocytes, Lymphocytes, and Hepatocytes (Poster, Table 12) Presenting Student: William Wygal Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor The purpose of this experiment will be to study the effect of acetaminophen on the spleen,

liver, and lymph nodes of a mouse. The experiment will expose the three types of tissue cells to

varying concentrations of acetaminophen. The effects of the drug on the cells of the three types

of tissues will be monitored over a total period of three weeks. During that time cell growth and


13 May 6, 2016

cell death will be recorded. Acetaminophen is known to cause liver damage in high doses, with

that in mind the cells from the liver tissue should experience the most cell death at each

concentration. The lymph node and spleen tissues should be affected minimally, if at all. None

of the tissues should show expansive growth regardless of the acetaminophen concentration.

The Effect of Osmotic Pressure on Transfection Efficiency in Mammalian Cells (Poster, Table 10) Presenting Student: Harrison Shore Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor Transfection is necessary to introduce genetic materials into mammalian cells. The

Lipofectamine 3000 reagent protocol was used to introduce a gene of interest (green

fluorescent protein) into HEK‐293 human kidney cells. This reagent produces a lipid‐DNA

complex that allows the cells to uptake the DNA through their phospholipid membrane. This

experiment focuses on finding the most effective transfection conditions. RPMI media at

different concentrations was used to produce an array of cellular stress. Transfection rates will

be calculated to find the effect of osmotic pressure on transfection efficiency.

Using Molecular Genetics to Determine River Otter Genders (Poster, Table 11) Presenting Student: Holy Mbah Mentors: Dr. David Puthoff, Dr. Thomas Serfass While North American river otters are not endangered, their populations are still threatened by

humans through habitat destruction, water pollution and fur trade. In order to understand

more aspects of otter biology such as otter group structure, the relatedness of otters occupying

a specific area will be important. In addition, the breeding of captive river otters in order to

introduce offspring into wild populations could have a detrimental impact on the genetic

diversity of future populations. Therefore, the result of this project (a noninvasive method)

reduces contact from little to no contact with the organism. This study examines only the

gender of individual otters, but could be applied to other more specific genetic testing. From a

“big picture” point of view results from this and future studies will highlight the important

evolutionary implications for river otter conservation.


May 6, 2016 14

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Analysis of Heavy Metal Content in Ginseng Berry Juice (Poster, Table 5) Presenting Student: Lauren Rosch Mentors: Dr. Peggy Biser, Mr. Blair Knouse Recent studies suggest that ginseng berry juice is linked to reducing blood sugar levels and aids

in weight loss. It is believed that ginseng berry juice has components that are beneficial to

consumers with diabetes. Chromium dietary supplements are consumed to aid in the treatment

of type 2 diabetes. This research is designed to explore the chromium content in ginseng berry

juice and if the levels of chromium might contribute to the health benefits of ginseng berry

juice. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was utilized to determine

various metal concentrations in a sample of berry juice. Samples are analyzed for chromium

content using atomic absorbance spectroscopy.

Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Local Honeycomb using Headspace Gas Chromatography (Poster, Table 4) Presenting Student: Kaitlyn Crissinger Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Norris If bees collect pollen and nectar from locations with specific types of flowers, then the volatile

compounds from the resulting honey comb should be able to show differentiation between the

locations. To determine the volatile compounds in honey comb, we developed a method of

using head‐space gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This method consists of

agitating and heating vials of honeycomb to cause pyrolysis and release of the volatile

compounds. We anticipate that the profile of volatile compounds will vary depending on the

pollination source or location. We will then compare the volatile compound profiles of honey

comb from multiple locations within the Mid‐Atlantic region.


15 May 6, 2016

Biomedical Applications to Nanotechnology (Poster, Table 3 and Oral Presentation) Presenting Students: Steven Lowery, Brian Day Mentor: Dr. Robert Larivee Nanotechnology is a growing buzz word amongst scientists and engineers because it is directly

applicable to every area of science. By definition, nanotechnology is the controlled variation of

materials that measures from 1 nm to 100 nm; however, this range can be flexible and can be

considered to be nanotechnology up to 1000 nm. Some of the more common examples of

nanotechnology include integrated circuits, light emitting diodes, and solar cells. Lately,

nanotechnology has made a huge presence in the field of medicine giving the size of cells and

cellular organelles. The area we are most interested in is designing nanoparticles for

biomedical drug delivery, microfluidic assays, and novel therapeutic techniques. With drug

delivery, there are two major mechanisms. The first involves a solid nanoparticle which has

dendrimers attached and the drugs are then attached to the dendrimers. Typically these

particles are on the order of 10s of nm in diameter. This mechanism has shown to increase the

potency of the drugs by directly targeting the area of interest. The other mechanism involves a

hollow core nanoparticle which is able to house a drug within such as a liposome. The

advantage with this mechanism is that the fabrication of a liposome is facile. These particles

can also be functionalized with shells and/or dendrimers. This is the particular area of interest

in our research. Liposomes are made at the 200 nm size then coated in silica and then gold. The

nanocomposites are analyzed and characterized with a particle size analyzer, scanning electron

microscope, and UV‐vis‐NIR spectrometer. This nanostructure shows strong promise for the

future of drug delivery because of its versatility. This structure can potentially house insulin and

be used as a vehicle for diabetes therapy. Also, this structure could potentially be functionalized

to be an antibiotic.

Comparison of Metal Ion Selectivity of Fluorophore 1,4‐bis(2‐quinolyl)‐2,3‐diaza‐1,3‐butadiene in THF/Water and Acetonitrile (Poster, Table 4) Presenting Student: Connor Riahin Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Norris In 2010 and 2011, two separate papers were published on the fluorescence enhancement

selectivity of the fluorophore 1,4‐bis(2‐quinoyl)‐2,3‐diaza‐1,3‐butadiene (Compound L). Suresh,

et al, reported that Compound L showed selective fluorescence enhancement selectivity

towards Hg2+ when excited at 330 nm in a THF/Water mixture (60:40 v/v), producing a single


May 6, 2016 16

peak. Ichimura, et al, confirmed the Hg2+ peak, but also reported a moderate fluorescence

enhancement from Cu2+ over a wider range of excitation wavelengths in acetonitrile. The

purpose of this study was to determine if the different solvents used in the two experiments

caused these different results. As of now, experiments have only been performed in the

THF/Water mixture. Despite great effort, Compound L would not dissolve in acetonitrile. A test

of Compound L’s solubility in a range of solvents showed that it only dissolved in THF and

chloroform. It should be noted that we used Ichimura’s synthesis method; but only Suresh’s

experimental procedure has worked up to this point. This greatly reduces the possibility that

the cause of the differing results was an impurity in either of the two synthesis procedures. The

data that has been collected does not support either paper. A fluorescence study showed that

all metal ions added to Compound L produced fluorescence enhancement. Furthermore,

Compound L produced some fluorescence on its own; which was not previously reported. A test

of the metal and L standards used in the experiments showed that their pH had decreased

significantly over time. This would suggest that H+ ions in the standards are interfering with the

metal ions and producing erroneous results. To reduce this error, future experiments will

employ a neutral buffer to maintain H+ concentrations well below experimental parameters.

This should give us much more accurate data on Compound L’s fluorescence selectivity in

THF/Water.

Determination of Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) in Cosmetics (Poster, Table 3) Presenting Student: Amie Lette Mentors: Dr. Benjamin Norris, Dr. Robert Larivee, Mr. Blair Knouse The quantity of butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) will be

determined in two different cosmetic brands: a foundation from MAC cosmetics (an expensive

brand of make‐up) and a foundation from Maybelline (a less expensive brand). BHA and BHT

are both antioxidant preservatives for food and personal care products which are known to

cause cancer depending on the amount being consumed or exposed to the skin. The purpose of

the experiment is to see if these cosmetics brands contain “safe” amounts (1‐2% in the

products being analyzed, thus 0.5‐1 μg/mL according to the first peer reviewed journal). The

European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has also determined that there is strong

evidence that BHA is a human endocrine disruptor (chemicals that cause birth defects, cancer

tumors and disorders). This project is designed to help educate the Frostburg community and

beyond of what is actually going on in their skins when they apply these cosmetic products,

thus determining the quantity of these two parabens. Stock solutions of the compound (BHA

and BHT) will be prepared using acetone. Followed by 5 standards. The cosmetic samples will


17 May 6, 2016

be collected by weighing out 0.5 g of each, adding acetone and extracting it using soxhlet. After

extraction is done, the products will be analyzed using GC/MS, the expected results that will be

used for statistical Analysis is that there will be more BHT and BHA in each of the cosmetics.

Determining the Identity of Liberated Gases Produced by the Oxidation‐Reduction Reaction between Sodium Hypochlorite and Hydrogen Peroxide (Poster, Table 5) Presenting Student: Scott Bingaman Mentor: Dr. Matthew Crawford, Mr. Blair Knouse It has been proposed in the past that hydrogen peroxide can be used to neutralize sodium

hypochlorite. This is important because many households use hydrogen peroxide to neutralize

spills of bleach. The exact mechanism of this reaction is unknown, which has led to

counterproposals on what is actually produced from a mixture of the two compounds. One of

these counterproposals actually liberates chlorine gas as well as oxygen. This idea stems from

the fact that this reaction most likely involves the production of radicals due to the presence of

hydrogen peroxide, and thus the production of chlorine radicals would not be impossible. Using

gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, the gaseous product(s) of this reaction will be

analyzed to determine if oxygen gas, chlorine gas, or a mixture of the two are produced. This

will be accomplished by injecting one reagent into an air tight vial of the other reagent, and

then having the gases inside the vial analyzed by the aforementioned instrument.

Extraction of Essential Oils (Poster, Table 3) Presenting Students: James Larrimore, James West Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Norris The goal of this project was to design an experiment for undergraduate organic chemistry

courses that introduces isolation and characterization of natural products from plant sources

using extraction, chromatography, and mass spectrometry. The essential oils of three spices

(caraway, clove, and cumin) would be extracted using one of two solvents (acetone or

methanol). The essential oils would then be isolated from other compounds that were

extracted using microscale column chromatography, using either silica or C18 as a stationary

phase. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry would be used to identify the compounds that

remained in the solvent and determine their relative abundances. Initial testing using caraway

in acetone has shown the microscale chromatography to be sufficiently effective at isolating the

desired essential oils, with few other compounds remaining in the solutions. Further testing will


May 6, 2016 18

be done to determine if there is an optimal combination of spice, solvent, and stationary phase

that will yield higher purities and clear chromatograms.

Quantitative Analysis of Theobromine and Caffeine in Chocolate (Poster, Table 4) Presenting Students: Robert Mfuh, Amie Lette, Zachary Bosley Mentor: Dr. Matthew Crawford The purpose was to extract caffeine and theobromine from nestle dark chocolate, white

chocolate, and baker’s chocolate to see if the amount in the product is similar to the amount

set forward by the companies online. This experiment utilizes a high performance liquid

chromatography instrument as a means to measure signals produced when samples of

different concentrations are run. The techniques of normal standard calibration and standard

addition provided two methods to determine the unknown concentrations of chocolate

samples. Further testing is needed to validate the results.

Soil Analysis by Ion Chromatography (Poster, Table 3) Presenting Student: Steven Lowery Mentors: Dr. Robert Larivee, Dr. Philip Allen, Mr. Blair Knouse Soil analysis has become increasingly popular because not only does soil affect the diet of many

individuals but has a large impact on air quality, stabilizing lands, medicines, fiber, and climate

control. Two of the most popular instruments for soil analysis are atomic absorbance

spectroscopy and atomic emission spectroscopy. The problem with both of these techniques is

that neither can measure polyatomic ions. Polyatomic ions such as nitrate and phosphate play a

very important role in soils. High performance liquid chromatography for ion exchange (IC) has

the ability to detect these polyatomic ions. Frostburg State University’s geochemistry lab had

an IC system that was not functioning. The IC system needed to be reconfigured, plumbed, and

wired. Our research project was to make this instrument operational again. This required

putting the instrument back in operational order and testing to ensure the different

components were working correctly. The pump was tested by timing the pump at a constant

flow rate then weighing the tared beaker. Next, the mixer was tested with UV‐vis spectroscopy

by observing the absorbance at �=500 nm as the concentration of a red solution increased.

Lastly, the detector was tested by letting a salt solution flow through the system. The system

was standardized and methods were developed for optimal chromatography. The plans for the


19 May 6, 2016

geochemistry lab are to create better analytical software for the IC system, explore the

possibility for a soap extraction, and to do general soil surveys.

Sun Grown Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) Polyphenol Analysis (Poster, Table 5) Presenting Student: Ian Cheek Mentors: Dr. Peggy Biser, Mr. Blair Knouse Black cohosh, Actaea racemosa, is an herbaceous perennial native to the Appalachian region

that has been, and continues to be overharvested for the medicinal plant trade. It is commonly

used to treat menopausal symptoms, and menstrual disorders or discomfort. It has been

hypothesized that specimens grown in full sun contain higher levels of medicinally active

compounds than specimens grown in full to partial shade. Evergreen Heritage Center, a non‐

profit located in Mount Savage Maryland is home to a sun grown black cohosh plot that was

transplanted into woodland plots in the fall of 2015. To begin testing this hypothesis, sun

grown rhizomes were donated from the Evergreen Heritage Center in the fall of 2015 for

chemical analysis of 3 common polyphenols using high performance light chromatography and

PDA. These polyphenols are active medicinal constituents of the plant and can be used as a

measure of medicinal activity. The results of this study could later be compared to an

analogous study of shade grown black cohosh rhizomes from the same population at Evergreen

Heritage Center. These studies could then be applied to the question of whether large scale

field cultivation of black cohosh is feasible for sustainable future supplies of the plant to the

medicinal trade. Currently cultivation of this perennial is very limited, but cultivation of this

plant on a large scale is necessary to the long term survivability of the plant in the wild and for

continuing supplies for medical use to meet growing demands.

Upper Potomac River Water and Soil Analysis (Poster, Table 4) Presenting Students: Alison Sappe, Jericka Murphy Mentor: Dr. Matthew Crawford The Potomac River is an important part of Maryland for recreation, the water we drink, and the

food we eat. Its condition is affected by various wastes and can ultimately impact the

Chesapeake Bay. The purpose of this research is to assess the quality of the upper Potomac

River by analyzing the chemical components of the soil and water at different sites. In this

experiment, soil and water samples are collected from Allegany, Washington, and Frederick


May 6, 2016 20

Counties to determine the anion levels and pH of the soil and the turbidity, absorbance and pH

of the water.

Using Differential Refractive Indexes and Light Scattering to Determine Molecular Weight (Poster, Table 5) Presenting Students: Lauren Rosch, Christopher Shore, William Wygal, Colby Swisher Mentor: Dr. Peggy Biser A new method for calculating the differential refractive indexes of proteins is explored. A graph

of refractive index values of solutions with increasing concentrations of protein is plotted. The

slope of the curve represents the differential refractive index. Using statistics, the experimental

values are compared to known literature values for specific proteins. If the values are not

significantly different, then this method can be used to obtain differential refractive index

values for the protein lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The experimentally determined differential

refractive indexes can then be used to measure the molecular weight of LDH with light

scattering technology.

Using Picazoplatin to Detect and Quantify DNA in Solution (Poster, Table 12) Presenting Students: Nanxi Xu, Christopher Lodder Mentor: Dr. Jerald Simon Our overall goal is to develop an undergraduate laboratory experiment for the Research

Methods in Chemistry class based on the results presented in the paper “Picazoplatin, an Azide‐

Containing Platinum(II) Derivative for Target Analysis by Click Chemistry”, by V. DeRose, et. al.,

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135, 11683, 2013. Currently, procedures are being

developed to utilize the previously synthesized picazoplatin complex in detecting and

quantifying DNA in solution using luminescence methods. Work is proceeding to determine the

optimal reaction conditions for the binding of the picazoplatin to the DNA, attachment of the

dansyl alkyne fluorophore to the azide moiety of the picazoplatin using “Click” chemistry and

separating fully assembled fluorophore‐picazoplatin‐DNA complexes from partial products

using size exclusion chromatography. Reactions are being monitored using UV‐Vis, IR, and

fluorescence spectroscopy.


21 May 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION #JeSuisCharlie (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Justice Sifford Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Melinda Farrington This paper looks at the #JeSuisCharlie movement which took place in 2015 following the Charlie

Hebdo shooting in January of that year, in which twelve people were killed. The gunmen were

Islamic extremists who committed the attack in response to a comic which was featured in the

magazine and painted the Prophet Muhammad in a bad light. The gunmen shot security guards,

cartoonists, as well as a front desk clerk. Charlie Hebdo is a magazine that is well known for

pushing the limits with its political cartoons, so the cartoon which sparked this attack did not

come as a major shock to many. After the massacre, artist Joachim Roncin started the

movement by creating the now famous graphic which reads “Je Suis Charlie.” The social media

hashtag and phrase itself became a way for people all around the world to show support for

freedom of speech and especially freedom of the press. The hashtag started trending quickly

after its conception as news began to break of the attack. Social media outlets such as Twitter,

Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat all had its users posting using the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie. It

was used as a simple way for the common person to show support for the families of the

people who were killed as well as a way for them to show their opposition against censorship.

This research looks into the issues of freedom of speech and freedom of the press as related to

magazines such as Charlie Hebdo and political cartoons as a medium for published opinions. It

will also examine how freedom of the press and freedom of speech differ between different

places (e.g. countries in Europe versus countries in the Middle East.)

African Americans in the Area: Creating a Diverse Frostburg (Poster, Table 14) Presenting Students: Melani Finney, Kendra Stephenson Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Amy Branham Armiento In Frostburg, there aren't many businesses geared toward the African American community. If

there were more places such as salons, barber shops, and music stores, African Americans

would feel more welcome in the Frostburg area. Business owners from years ago, such as Cecil

Randolph of the blacksmith shop; the Redman’s The Lunch Box; and the Jackson’s The Blue

Room helped to create diversity in the Frostburg area. Minority‐owned businesses that are still

in operation today include the Frostburg Bridge Program (a day care and preschool), A Place to


May 6, 2016 22

Eat, and Paradise Home Improvements. Today, however, more businesses like that are needed

to help this community flourish. Many African American students that attend Frostburg State

reside in the Baltimore and Washington DC area, and these students are used to a more

integrated culture. When students come to college, they long for the “home away from home”

feeling. By conducting surveys and researching the growth of the African American population

over the past decades, this presentation will explore the opportunities for African Americans to

feel like Frostburg can be their permanent home.

Analyzing Friendships through the Eyes of Aristotle and the Attachment Theory (Poster, Table 14) Presenting Students: Ashleigh Eisentrout, Kaytie Riley Mentor: Dr. Elesha Ruminski Have you ever wondered why some of your friends' personalities differ from yours? Or perhaps

you have that friend of whom you have known for years who went through a traumatic event in

their life and now seems like a completely different person. Based off these and similar

inquiries of why people act, think, and respond the way they do, this presentation analyzes

friendships using Aristotle's three levels of friendship, as well as the communication theory of

attachment and various attachment styles. Personal examples of friendships are used to better

relate understandings of friendships and what makes them tick as well as how to understand

better those with different attachment or personality styles.

Capital Punishment: History, Methodologies, and Opinions (Poster, Table 14) Presenting Students: Tezeta Gant, Nicholas Morris Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Mr. Skott Brill, Ms. Melinda Farrington Many aspects of the death penalty will be shown, with a focus on the history of its

implementation in the United States and the population’s consensus on the pros and cons and

how those pros and cons have impacted methodologies of implementation in the United

States. This research will focus on cases throughout time explaining how the death penalty has

changed. Different sides of the argument will be shown and how those arguments have

changed throughout time, including where the state of Maryland stands on the death penalty.

Several questions will be explored: Is the death penalty practical and a cost effective method?

Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?


23 May 6, 2016

Changes in Leadership in Latin America: A Brazilian Focus (Poster, Table 14) Presenting Student: Ebony Brawner Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Jeffrey McClellan The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 settled disagreements of newly found land. The Spanish Pope,

one of great power at the time, issued a line of demarcation in order to divide the territory

between Spain and Portugal. The treaty awarded Spain any land West of the line and Portugal

any land East of the line, thus awarding present day Brazil to Portugal and the rest of South

America to Spain. This historical event shaped a very different culture and the way leaders lead

in Brazil than in the rest of South America. This presentation will discuss the differences in

culture and leadership theories. This will include research on transformational leadership as it

relates to organizational culture, cultural schemes, and a Global Experiential Learning (GEL) trip

that exposed students to the leadership of Brazil. This research will then help suggest a

leadership model that will help understand and appreciate Brazilian organizational leadership.

Coke Bottle Body: Why is My Body Type Not Represented? A Content Analysis of the Top 30 Hip Hop Music Videos Ideal Body Figure (Poster, Table 20) Presenting Student: Dominique Francine Elias Mentors: Dr. Marcus Hill, Dr. Elesha Ruminski In today’s society, images are constantly being presented to young women, and such images

shape their idea of what is deemed attractive in reference to their bodies and ultimately what

they should strive to obtain physically in their appearance. This exposure affects the way they

see themselves in comparison to the body figures they see and to the rest of the world. A

plethora of research has been done on hip hop culture’s influence on society and women, but

specifically on hip hop music videos’ influence on our society’s ideologies of what is an

attractive body type. The portrayal of women in the hip hop culture is a topic as well as a

concern for many researchers and how it affects our society today. In this research project the

focus will be on the various body images and the platform African American women hold in

relationship to other races and ethnicities. It is relevant for our society to ask what hip hop is

saying to our women.


May 6, 2016 24

Cognitive Dissonance and Our Daily Encounters: What The Boondocks Reveals (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Asean Townsend Mentors: Dr. David Stern, Dr. Elesha Ruminski Cognitive dissonance is the fork in the road within your morality and decision you truly want to

make. This presentation will explain what cognitive dissonance is and help people understand

how it impacts their daily lives. The show The Boondocks will be analyzed to reveal sample

situations in which cognitive dissonance appear and how it effects everyone involved.

Do Black Lives Really Matter? (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Alexis Harvey Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Melinda Farrington African Americans are not only suffering from police brutality at the hands of white police

officers, but also recently black police officers as well. African Americans are dying at a faster

rate than any other race, and by the same people who swore under oath to protect the citizens,

that is all‐inclusive. The African American deaths committed by police officers appear to be

committed for some sort of personal gain. African Americans barely can walk down the street

without being scrutinized by the police because they are black. Segregated laws and

regulations were abolished in the late 1960s; yet today, police officers are able to murder

innocent African Americans will little to no consequence. A 25 year‐old African American

Baltimore Maryland civilian was murdered at the hands of six officers: three black officers and

three white officers. Freddy Gray was being arrested by the officers on weapon charges. The

officers then proceeded to put Gray in the police van handcuffed. Gray screamed and yelled

stating he could not breathe as he was put into the police van. When the officers finally made it

to the police station after answering other calls and not strapping him in taking him on a rough

ride through the city, Gray was unconscious. It was at that point, that the officers called an

ambulance and discovered Gray suffered from a spinal injury from which he later died. In this

paper, research will be conducted on police brutality enacted on African Americans, to include

the multiple cases that stream from such actions, and the history of violence against African

Americans. When many Americans think about racially influenced police brutality, they think of

just white police officers committing these injustices, but in reality there is no specified race of

officers committing unjust crimes against African Americans. Statistics show that African

Americans are four times more likely to die while in police custody than whites. Statistics have

also shown that 776 African American people have been killed by police officers, and 161 of


25 May 6, 2016

them were completely unarmed. African Americans do not intend to be deemed victims to

America, but we are tired of being falsely perceived due to the color of our skin.

Do the Right Thing: Strong Ethics and Its Impact on Leadership (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Brandon Stover Mentors: Dr. Evan Offstein, Dr. Jeffrey McClellan, Dr. Elesha Ruminski The purpose of this research is to examine ethics and emphasize its profound effect on leaders

and their decision‐making. According to Business Dictionary, leadership is defined as the action

of leading a group of people or an organization. The role of leadership includes directly

influencing one’s immediate followers and aiming to accomplish set goals. In attempting to

perform the role successfully, individuals in the position exhibit personal characteristics that

affect their unique leadership style. This research will provide information on specific types of

leadership and various styles of leaders. Though leader’s styles differ in technique and

execution, the foundation of strong ethics is imperative to the effectiveness of an honorable

leader. Ethics serves as the primacy of honorable leadership, according to Merriam‐Webster; it

is defined as rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good or bad. This focus

draws on the fundamental need for leaders to develop and portray a strong ethical base and

applies it to the influence on one’s followers and ability in making critical decisions. Cases that

involved corruption at the executive level in organizations will be analyzed. The cases will then

be cross‐examined to describe the impact a strong ethical base in leadership would have had on

the outcome of those organizations. This research will also offer steps toward building that

strong ethical base, which will ultimately translate to honorable leadership.

“Forced Job”: Women and Society’s Inconceivable Expectations (Poster, Table 15 and Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Gabrielle Atwell Mentors: Ms. Christine Willingham, Dr. Elesha Ruminski Using Bakhtin's theory of dialogics, the formation of societal expectations placed on women are

analyzed. Ideas, or what Bakhtin calls “utterances,” of who women are and what they need to

be are pushed and perpetuated through media. Research initially began with an optimistic

critique of the amateur porn industry and quickly brought light to every media for all ages

showing oppressive and confusing ideas for women's roles in society. A “forced job” is a specific

act popular in pornography made to look nonconsensual; women are insulted and obligated to


May 6, 2016 26

perform. Just as these women are forced and demeaned for this job in pornography, everyday

women are required to work a full time job of comprehending the conflicting presumptions.

This research reveals that the sexism in the amateur porn industry is a symptom of the overall

epidemic of accepted cultural misogyny girls have to grow up with and women have to navigate

through every day.

Have No Fear, Printable Organs are Here: A Look at the New Technology of 3‐D Printing a Functional Human Organ (Poster, Table 13) Presenting Students: Jacob Turskey, Nicole Leighty Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. William Seddon This presentation will explain what 3‐D printing is and highlight the implementations and future

uses for 3‐D printed organs. The presenters have combined their personal and scholarly

experience to develop this unique presentation. Leighty, whose father passed away recently

from heart disease, has been heavily interested in medical treatments for those with heart

complications, and Turskey has a strong passion for the healthcare field and is currently

pursuing new technologies for the medical sales world. The technology of printing organs is

now advanced enough to create working and reliable products, meaning that there are more

possibilities to enhance the quality of life for patients in need. However, this technology is not

quite advanced enough to be in full production and worldwide use. Due to the current price

point of a printed organ, this is also a very expensive option. Whether the patient’s liver is

failing or a kidney is needed, an organ is able to be printed using the patient’s own cells. Organs

can be printed in roughly eight hours, and the patient receiving the printed organ does not

need to worry about the common issues associated with a donor transplant (such as finding a

donor, finding a donor of matching blood type, transporting the organ, possible infection, and

fighting the body’s rejection process). The 3‐D printed organs are tailored to the individual,

greatly reducing the risks associated with a regular transplant, all the while reducing the wait

time for the patient in need. The technology to print a working human organ has limitless

possibilities, and it is only a matter of time before society realizes just how world changing this

medical breakthrough is.


27 May 6, 2016

How Culture Based Organizations have a Positive Impact at Predominantly White Institutions (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Dasia Scott Contributing Student: Shaniya Johnson Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Daniel Fiscus, Dr. Terri Massie‐Burrell This research will present how African American students attending Frostburg State University

(FSU), a predominately white institution, finds FSU very welcoming because of the numerous

culture‐based organizations that the university has to offer. These culture‐based organizations

have positively impacted the campus and have ultimately increased the retention rates of

minority groups at FSU. Due to the high retention and involvement rates of minority groups at

FSU, this presentation suggests that cultural minority groups should receive more funding for

the programming of cultural, educational, and social activities/events. This research will consist

of surveys derived from minority students, as well as research with the Center for Academic

Advising and Retention (CAAR) office.

How Skill Players and Athletic Players Impact the Game of Basketball (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Isaiah Sutton Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Marcus Hill The National Basketball Association consists of players that occupy either one of two attributes,

athleticism and skill. The difference between the two attributes can be accurately measured

through statistics from the game. For example, a more skilled player may acquire more assists

or three‐point shots, while a more athletic player may acquire more rebounds or dunks. The

purpose of this research is to come to a conclusion of which attribute is more valuable to an

NBA team in the 21st century. A few questions that one may ask to research this topic include,

"Are assists more important than rebounding in basketball? At the point guard position, is it

more important for the starter to have a higher IQ, or to be able to physically outwork

opponents? And lastly, do the league’s most successful teams have star players that acquire

more hustle stats (athletic stats) or skill stats?"


May 6, 2016 28

“I’m a dude! He’s a dude! She’s a dude! Cause we’re all dudes!”: A Look At Gender Self Identification and How it Affects the Way We Communicate (Oral Communication) Presenting Student: China Pinkney Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Amanda Vandivier In the 1997 movie Good Burger, the character Ed casually refers to everyone as a “dude.” This

may seem meaningless enough at first, but upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the use

of language can tell a lot not only about how a person identifies themselves, but also how they

characterize others. The topic of gender is a very controversial one in our world today. Where,

in decades past, gender was a stricter and more explicit concept, in more recent years these

clear perimeters have become increasingly blurred. The American Psychological Association

defines gender as, “Gender refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture

associates with a person’s biological sex. Behavior that is compatible with cultural expectations

is referred to as gender‐normative; behaviors that are viewed as incompatible with these

expectations constitute gender non‐conformity.” The way people communicate with one

another is a large part of this social and cultural behavior. This presentation will explore how

elements such as the words we use and the way we use them affect our self‐identification and

perceptions of others. This is an important topic to consider because the way people

communicate and perceive others, as a result, has a great impact on their daily lives in careers,

friendships, and romantic relationships.

Is Cultural Appropriation Within the Media a Byproduct of Racism Against Colored People? (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Najah James Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Melinda Farrington, Dr. David Stern While the physical appearances of colored people are rejected, their practices and customs are

idolized and domesticated for media purposes without consent. Racism is evident in the

undertones of cultural appropriation throughout the prejudiced view of people of color within

society and the mockery of their norms through poor imitation within the media (as this is the

only way for their cultural norms to be accepted). Spike Lee addresses this issue throughout his

film, Do the Right Thing and evidence of cultural appropriation is insultingly consistent within

pop culture and American traditions such as Halloween. I was inspired to conduct my research

on Cultural Appropriation during the fall semester of my sophomore year after reading an

article on Cosmopolitan that expressed “hair tattoos” as a new trend within the fashion


29 May 6, 2016

industry. The article showcased a picture of a Caucasian, teenaged girl sporting an undercut (or

buzz‐cut) on the back of her head that I noticed African American men and women have been

doing for decades. The purpose of this presentation is to redefine “cultural appropriation” to

create a better understanding of what is an acceptable adaptation of culture versus a joke to

the masses. The struggle of any human being should not be taken lightly, but the mockery of

the attempted elimination against groups of people through offensive impressions is

unacceptable.

One Communication Leadership Lab, A World of Experiences: Supporting Communication and Leadership Competencies through Student‐led Experiential Learning at FSU (Poster, Table 15) Presenting Students: Waleed Alsahli, Manir Alandijani Contributing Students: Alexis Harvey, Austin Riley, Phillip Wheeler, Lekia Clark, LEAD 101 and CMST 345 classes Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Christine Willingham This presentation will provide an overview of two student‐led experiential learning projects

during the Spring 2016 semester. These projects were supported through the newly formed

“communication leadership lab,” a hub of communication projects, internships, and

partnerships that support campus and regional oral competency and communication

leadership. Students in CMST 215/Small Group Communication and CMST 322/Presentational

Communication learned what TED Talks are and worked on a strategic plan to host a “TEDx

Frostburg” in the future. Their learning included a field trip to the TEDx Foggy Bottom, funded

by a PELEF grant. The other project involved students in CMST 345/Conflict Management and

LEAD 101/Introduction to Leadership Studies working across three committees to plan, host,

and facilitate a potluck dinner dialogue called “Eat, Learn, Shift” that featured Middle Eastern

cuisine and culture as a starting point to cross‐cultural dialogue. Students learned how to work

together, how to facilitate dialogue, and how to lead efforts to build campus and community

relationships. Through the dialogue, people had a chance to understand each other’s culture

and enjoy the food at the same time. The food was prepared by Jes Clay of Shift Restaurant,

along with students on the Food and Culture Committee. Other students planned the event and

learned how to facilitate dialogue, working with FSU leader‐in‐residence Blaine Siegel of

Conflict Kitchen of Pittsburgh, which serves international cuisine of countries with which the US

has conflict. Students were inspired to do their event after traveling to Conflict Kitchen with

support from an FSU Foundation grant. Finally, students on the Promotion and Outreach

Committee worked with Charles Schelle, new communication specialist at FSU, to invite

participants, build relationships with community members, and tell the story of the event using


May 6, 2016 30

photography, video, and a hashtag social media campaign using #eatlearnshift. This

presentation will capture what students learned about communication leadership by these

projects being integrated into their classes and will share information about the vision and

strategic planning process of the lab, which is supported by the Kettering Foundation.

Overcoming Cultural Differences: Expectancy Violations in North and South (Poster, Table 15) Presenting Student: Caitlin Taylor Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Christine Willingham The conflict between Margaret Hale and John Thornton comprises a significant portion of

Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South, which was adapted into a film miniseries by the BBC

that is this research's artifact of study. The two characters appear to be diametrically opposed

in nearly every conceivable area, yet the story ends with Margaret and Mr. Thornton confessing

their love for each other. The journey to that place, however, is long and rocky due to their

many initial differences, many of which stem from their different cultural backgrounds; neither

behaves in the manner in which the other expects. For this reason, expectancy violations theory

is an excellent theory to apply to North and South. Although Margaret and Mr. Thornton

initially frequently violate the other's expectancies, which are generally negatively evaluated,

learning about the other's culture and the other as an individual gradually shift their

expectancies, leading to fewer violations and a better relationship. The conclusions drawn by

this research are applicable to current campus and community diversity struggles; by better

understanding a different culture and learning to appreciate individual differences,

communicators can help bridge cultural differences to help foster a thriving diverse community

in Frostburg.

Police Brutality: A Closer Examination of the Possible Influences (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Jordyn Chaplin Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Melinda Farrington Police brutality is a widespread problem across the United States. There are many possible

causes and influencing aspects that may lead to police brutality, but within this presentation

only three factors will be examined: 1) the media influences that could possibly contribute to

the issue, such as terms and images used for certain races in news broadcasting; 2) next, the

culture, such as the set norms and values among differing races; and 3) physiological factors,


31 May 6, 2016

including research that shows how the brain reacts to different races versus the same race. This

presentation will reveal how all of these influences could be play a factor in the problem with

police brutality.

Prevention and Awareness of Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus for Frostburg Student Athletes (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Tiffany Cancel Mentors: Dr. John Wright, Dr. Elesha Ruminski Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial infection that can be obtained

through direct contact with an infected wound or by sharing personal items. MRSA is a

dangerous type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics and can cause skin and

other infections. Recognizing the symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and precautions for MRSA

can help empower students and athletic directors to reduce the risk of infection at Frostburg

State University. Participants will not only test their knowledge of MRSA through this

interactive presentation but will be able equipped to take action and use resources available on

campus.

Promoting Positive Discourse: An Analysis of the Impact Campus Efforts Have in Building the Relationship between the Frostburg Community and African America Students (Poster, Table 15) Presenting Student: Davone Walker Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Cristine Willingham As tensions increase between the Frostburg community and Frostburg State University (FSU)

students, the need for positive discourse on the issues of race is at an all‐time high. Social

media has become the main source for information on what’s happening around campus.

Information about negative events that have taken place on and off‐campus involving primarily

African America students has spread through social media platforms such as Facebook and

Twitter. This study’s objective is to analyze the effectiveness of University efforts to create

positive dialogue between the community and the students when it comes to the issue of race.

A qualitative survey of local community members and FSU students will be conducted. The

results will be used to suggest alternative ways the university can create positive dialogue

between campus and local community members.


May 6, 2016 32

Sustainable Living in Western Maryland: The Benefits of Raised‐Bed Growing (Oral Presentation) Presenting Students: Victoria Tucker, Brittany Ebb Contributing Students: Aldo Batubara, Angelina Darling, Derek Yoder Mentors: Mr. Corey Armstrong, Dr. Daniel Fiscus, Dr. Elesha Ruminski Based on research from the previous semester for Frostburg Grows, this

presentation will educate the community on sustainable growing and living. This presentation

will show the benefits that individuals and communities can gain through sustainable growing

practices, such as raised‐bed growing. This research looks deeper into national trends in this

market, such as who is buying/growing sustainable products, how much it costs to be

"green," the economic benefits of sustainable practices, and the individual health benefits from

living a sustainable lifestyle. By presenting findings from a survey of potential users

of Frostburg Grows' products and services, local trends will be revealed concerning

living healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

The Effect of Social Media on Attention Span and Relationship Dynamics (Poster, Table 16) Presenting Students: Ramone Turner, Dana Gordon Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Melinda Farrington This project is aimed to look into the effects that social media and cell phones have on various

communication skills within our current generation. Specifically, the goal is to show the effects

on people's attention span as well as how relationships have been redefined due to the

constantly updating technology and social media. The research includes interviews with people

of different age groups to help compare and contrast the difference effects. This research will

show some of the negative effects that social media and cell phones could have on our

upcoming youth in future generations.


33 May 6, 2016

The Historical and Contemporary Relevance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Trevor Jones Mentors: Mr. Timothy Magrath, Dr. Elesha Ruminski Like many other pieces of Civil Rights legislation, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was one of the

most monumental bills passed in the history of the United States. After a century of deliberate

and violent denial of the right to vote for African‐Americans, the signing of this legislation into

law would have not been possible without the perseverance and determination of senators,

representatives, special interest groups (i.e. civil rights leaders), and more importantly

President Lyndon B Johnson. Ever since its enactment, the Voting Rights Act has been

reauthorized and amended five times: in 1970, 1975, 1982, 1992, and 2006. However, judiciary

actions to this day are still working to eliminate the most important features of this legislation.

This presentation will explain in rich detail the historic legislative actions that ultimately

propelled this bill forward to being signed by President Johnson and will elaborate on recent

Supreme Court rulings that are having a major impact on voting rights today.

The Impact of Media and Marketing on Children's Health (Poster, Table 16) Presenting Student: Anna D’Agostino Mentors: Ms. Michele Bennett, Dr. Elesha Ruminski This presentation will show how marketers target children to eat unhealthy food, one of the

contributing factors to the rise in childhood diabetes and obesity. Multiple documentaries have

documented the rise in childhood obesity/diabetes and how it is linked to marketers trying

exposing them to unhealthily food. For example, film Fed Up focuses on the childhood diabetes

and obesity epidemic our nation is currently facing and marketing’s role in this epidemic.

Another film Consuming Kids focuses on marketers’ efforts to target children to sell their

unhealthy products. This presentation was developed because there is a need to show people

how much the media and marketers play a role in the childhood obesity and diabetes epidemic

and how to deal with it.


May 6, 2016 34

The Manifestation of White Privilege through Lack of Awareness and Denial (Poster, Table 16) Presenting Student: Samuel Smith Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Marcus Hill White privilege isn't something white people individually do, create or enjoy purposely

(Crandall, Dostie & Douglass Books, Inc., 2000); white privilege has to do with systematic racism

that has been institutionalized over hundreds of years that has shaped the world we live in

today. Lack of awareness and the denial of this privilege only manifests institutional racial

discrimination, while the awareness of it can help society combat this issue. This presentation

aims to shed light on the issue by identifying situations that would be a symptom of white

privilege and giving specific examples of white privilege to make people think more broadly of

the term "equal opportunity."

The Portrayal of Transgender Women in the Media (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Imani Martin Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Ms. Melinda Farrington In the year of 2015, twenty‐one transgender women have been murdered. With little to no

media coverage, there has been a consistency in these specific crimes. In the first seven weeks

of the 2015, seven transgender women were murdered. News stations have covered this issue

very little in the past; but recently have reported more on the transgender community, after

celebrity transgendered women began bringing attention to the issue. Popular women such as

Caitlyn Jenner, father of the Kardashians, Lavern Cox, star of Orange is the New Black, and Janet

Mock, author and writer, help bring awareness and continue to show their bravery in support

of their community. Although it is not easy going through the transformation, these women

should be treated like anyone else which supports the Judeo‐Christian ethic of treating other

the way someone would expect to be treated. The media seems to gravitate towards issues

when they are addressed by celebrities who are experiencing something similar. The media has

budged in covering transgender murders but not completely in instances such as the murder of

Zella Ziona, a resident of Gaithersburg, Maryland, or Gwen Araujo of Newark, California. While

researching cases studies and the consistency of the murders the Judeo‐Christian ethnic comes

into play. The Golden Mean, which is also known as the Judeo‐Christian ethic, describes treating

others the way a person wants to be treated. All persons have the right to equality and the

coverage of murders, no matter the gender identity. News stations have begun choosing what

they consider important based on significance and popularity. The topic of the transgender


35 May 6, 2016

community tend to make it onto talk show platforms rather than news stations. In this instance,

murders of transgender women have not been covered by the media. Categorizing people

because of ideals violates their First Amendment rights and discourages their ability to express

and inform others on incidents in their environment. Julie Hollar, of Extra! Magazine, explains

that transgender news is not serious enough for news programs (28). Rhonda Gibson

conducted a content analysis on the coverage of LGBT community in newspapers and found

that relatively few stories deal with lifestyle issues, but are more about popular entertainment

such as: books, television shows, plays, or movies (2). Julie Hollar, broadcasters’ coverage of

this issue has been flooded with uniformity and more absorbed with their anatomy rather than

justice for these persons (Hollar 28). I will show that if news broadcasters follow the Judeo

Christian ethic the issue needs to be covered and broadcasted just as any other crime.

The Tension between the Regression of Reproductive Rights and Self‐Disclosure Consciousness Raising about the Importance of Safe Access to Abortion (Poster, Table 16) Presenting Student: Cesi Taboada Mentor: Dr. Elesha Ruminski Similar to many other civil rights issues, the discourse of abortion is currently in a state of

regression. The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of how recent cases and

legislation are making it difficult for women to receive safe access to terminate their pregnancy.

Additionally, this analysis will reveal a tension between those diminishing rights and a

movement of women using self‐disclosure of their own experiences to bring awareness to the

pro‐choice argument. Finally, the position of each political candidate for the upcoming

presidential election concerning reproductive rights will be shared to reveal the significance of

understanding this tension.

Three Innovative Ways of Solving Food Deserts in American Cities (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Patrick Broussoul Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Daniel Fiscus The research will consist of three methods previously used to reduce the amount of food

deserts in our American cities. Food deserts are defined as parts of the country vapid of fresh

fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is

largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers. There


May 6, 2016 36

have been many methods of solving this nationwide epidemic, but the three this study will

research are grocery incubators, farmers’ markets, and nutritional training. Grocery incubating

was implemented by Detroit to bring grocery stores to its low‐income residents. The approach

aims to combat food deserts by increasing the number of grocery stores in impoverished

areas. Even with the addition of grocery stores, fresh fruits and vegetables often cost

significantly more than processed, and package foods, so affording these products can be too

much for low‐income families. Farmers markets are working diligently to expand not only the

accessibility of healthy produce but, also accommodating for the lack of income in certain

areas. Grocery stores and farmers’ markets are only half the battle; providing education is

arguably the most important factor in diminishing food deserts. Teaching hands‐on nutritional

training can go a long way in cutting the habits of unhealthy living. Frostburg Grows, located in

Western Allegany County, provides sustainable farming and training programs. However,

providing the necessary tools for a healthy lifestyle does not promise a better outcome in food

deserts, which is why efforts must be aimed at educating the public on how to provide for

themselves.

What Does Your Name Say About You? A Look into How Names Can Affect Our Lives Personally and Professionally (Oral Presentation) Presenting Students: Shavonne Hamilton, Nelson Mwanza Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. David Stern Have you ever thought that if you had a better name, you would have a greater destiny? Names

can influence how people are perceived in today's world. Judgment not only comes

intrapersonally but also in individual’s personal lives and in the workforce. Exploring factors

such as race, gender, and social class, this research will discuss how names can affect

individual’s lives as a whole. This presentation can help those who struggle with their names

and identity while also giving insight on how to adjust to those challenges.

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks: Using Music as a Teaching Tool (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Samantha Politis Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Keith Hanlon This study looks at the importance of using music in a learning environment. Music is an

important component of multisensory learning. It adds variety and interest to the curriculum

while providing an enjoyable opportunity for socialization and learning. Combining music with


37 May 6, 2016

lessons in teaching does not negatively affect learning or prevent children's performance in the

classroom. It serves to help children learn to express themselves, be creative, learn while

having fun, and develop a variety of skills.


May 6, 2016 38

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

2D top‐down Dungeon Adventure Unity C# Game (Poster, Table 1) Presenting Student: Kristopher Misey Contributing Students: Andrew Brust, Eric McNally, Kuo Zhang, Cameron Shaffer Mentor: Mr. Steven Kennedy 2D top‐down Dungeon Adventure Unity C# Game is game software developed in Unity 3D using

C# language scripts. This project is mainly to experiment with how game programming works.

The main goal of the project is to focus on making completely playable video game from

beginning to end. Some ideas are taken from RPG styled games by using a stats system to

calculate damage, and to keep track of the player’s score and level. It is still based mainly off of

an adventured styled game. Throughout the game the player will be able to talk to NPCs and

attack enemies to move their way throughout the game. The software displays established

Object‐Oriented Programming principles and exercises object interaction and software

engineering.

Bobcat‐Chat: From Framework to Fruition (Poster, Table 25) Presenting Students: Benjamin Childs, Nicholas Revell Mentor: Dr. Michael Flinn In modern society, many rely on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to

stay connected. However, there is not a product that can be used to connect with fellow

classmates, professors, and other campus support at the local level. The purpose of this project

was to explore connecting people at a local level, such as at Frostburg State University. Our

project uses Node.JS, javascript, HTML5, and CSS to begin creating a responsive website/app,

BobCat‐Chat, to connect people at FSU. This project enabled the developers to gain valuable

experience using modern development techniques. The project is currently in the alpha stage

of development and will be expanded upon over the summer and fall semester.


39 May 6, 2016

Creating Art with Object Oriented Programing (Poster, Table 1) Presenting Students: Casey Hayes, Rasheed Billy Mentor: Mr. Steven Kennedy Our motivation was the desire to understand how to create systems using objects in our own

creative manner. We wanted to use this experience to help draw inspiration for other projects

further down the road. We knew that working with large groups of objects to simulate various

systems can help us understand how to use objects more effectively. Our main goal with these

projects was to independently build on our own understanding of what is possible with regards

to object oriented programing. After creating a few simple projects involving manipulating

particles we learned how to effectively manage objects. The first couple projects we made have

particles that bounce off of walls or spawn new particles with slight changes in color and

direction. We chose to use similar particles in the background of Free Faller (a free falling bird

smashing game) and in the animations of Storm Runner (a moonwalking ‘stunt on them’ game).

CSIT Running Game for K‐12 CS (Poster, Table 1) Presenting Student: Matthew Dameron Contributing Students: Rebecca Flinn, Alexander Onukwugh Mentor: Mr. Steven Kennedy CSIT Runner is local multiplayer running game developed within the Computer Science and

Information Technology department in order to reach out and give taste of various projects

done in the department. The game features multiple methods of input via the Arduino micro

controller and the Makey Makey board. CSIT runner was created using the Unity game engine

and features art made by various people in the department.

Encrypted Key File Chat (Poster, Table 1) Presenting Student: Christopher Gill Mentor: Dr. Xunyu Pan Encryption is important to many of the applications that are in used in the modern world.

Everything from banking details to messages posted on Social media goes through encryption

schemes. The mathematics behind the algorithms which do this when properly implemented

would require someone with more computer power than present on Earth to break the

encryption and read the hidden messages. On a daily basis however encryption is broken and


May 6, 2016 40

data is exposed, this is due to the ever present factor in computer security that cannot be

improved. The Human being. A human selected password is the most vulnerable aspect of an

encryption scheme, and a remedy is not easily found. One method to circumvent the human

factor is to rely on key files, where instead of a password for which an encryption scheme is

based the (to a human at least) random data inside of any particular file is used. This vastly

increases the security of the encrypted data, and reduces the human factor to one of security

through obscurity. If someone wanted to then break the encryption they would have to possess

an identical file. Given that even a modern smart phone has millions of different files on them

this is a near impossibility. This does not eliminate human factors with encryption, but it does

lessen the effect. The chat program is a demonstration of this principal. Two or more users are

able to communicate with one another through a process that is almost impossible to decrypt

using standard password guessing attacks. No computer security system will ever be foolproof,

but this does eliminate some of the risks.

Exploring Artificial Intelligence through the Sims (Poster, Table 26) Presenting Students: Rebecca Flinn, Rebecca Lee, Alexandria Alvarez Mentor: Dr. Michael Flinn Artificial intelligence (A.I) is currently applied in most video games. In gaming, A.I is used to

emulate the behavior and actions of non‐playable characters (NPCs). In video game

development A.I has made NPCs more human‐like and able to function without specific

directions given from the user. The purpose of this research project was to explore

advancements in artificial intelligence via the Sims game series. In the Sims, A.I is used to

process the Sims’ needs, movements, and decisions during the game. The Sims utilizes goal‐

oriented behavior as a technique to satisfy their needs, and actions, in the game. The

complexity of A.I in the Sims has improved over the four editions. Artificial intelligence is

explored by observing the outcomes of decisions made by the NPCs across the Sims games. A

video was compiled which compares NPC decision making in similar situation across the four

editions of the game. Exploring artificial intelligence through games has allowed the team to

gain better understanding of the exponential growth A.I. Further, it has allowed them to begin

exploring how A.I. will impact humanities’ future.


41 May 6, 2016

Indoor Automated Hydroponics (Poster, Table 27) Presenting Student: Jackson Burton Contributing Student: Alison Jamison Mentor: Mr. Steven Moon The goal in creating an automated hydroponics system is to improve accessibility of cultivating

one’s own produce in an urban environment while avoiding problems associated with growing

plants in small enclosed areas. Living in a flat or apartment building causes challenges in

growing plants and herbs. In addition to dealing with space constraints, this project aims to

automate the provision of light and water to the plants. The anticipated outcome of this project

is to have a device that provides fresh vegetables and herbs with the ability to sustain itself for

over a week without human interaction. Data associated with temperature, humidity, light

amount, and water salinity will also be collected for further research purposes. Analysis of this

data will be useful in innovating hydroponic systems and providing fresh produce to those

within restrictive environments.

Itinerary Builder (Poster, Table 28) Presenting Students: Kerwin Yoder, Russell Gilmore, Dakota Fearon, Seyed Raoofi,

Peter Wolodkin, Alexander Treasure Contributing Student: Jonathan Butler Mentors: Dr. Michael Flinn, Dr. Brad Rinard, Dr. Xinliang Zheng Frostburg State University department of Computer Science & Information Technologies was

awarded a Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) grant in conjunction with Silicon Travel, a

local business. Student workers were hired to develop an itinerary builder application. The

purpose of the itinerary builder was to supplement a vacationers trip at a managed Silicon

Travel destination. The itinerary builder helps vacation goers plan their trips by showing them

local activities, allowing them to manage group activities, fetching information about the area,

and providing group coordination tools to help communicate preparations and activities. The

itinerary builder is a web application created with Symfony, a PHP Model‐View‐Controller

framework that has libraries such as Twig and Doctrine to generate HTML and create database

queries, respectively. Students working on the grant received valuable insight into

development practices, project management skills, and many other experiential skills to better

prepare them for industry.


May 6, 2016 42

Japanese Kanji Trainer (Poster, Table 2) Presenting Student: Daniel Wojnar Mentor: Mr. Steven Kennedy This presentation is about a tool for learning to read and write Japanese kanji and vocabulary

words. The tool uses a handwriting recognition algorithm based on the dynamic time warping

algorithm to check user‐drawn kanji for correctness. Additionally, a spaced repetition algorithm

is used to maximize memory retention per time spent studying. The result can be used to

effectively learn around 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words in one to two years.

Musical Instrument Simulator on Smartphone (Poster, Table 2) Presenting Students: Keon Triplett, Ibrahima Barry Mentor: Dr. Xunyu Pan In this project, we develop a mobile app which simulates the musical instruments on

smartphones. In practice, we create a friendly user interface on the touch screen of mobile

devices to simulate a string or keyboard instrument. The action of finger touch is also visualized

on the touch screen in a graphic format. The fusion of music playing and visual responding

provides users tactile feedback and better playing experiences. We also intend to color code

the keys on the app to change color when they are pressed. The program will mostly be

developed in Android Studio and should be ported to the actual phones. This system

incorporates many different tones and keystrokes to make different sounds that the user can

play with. The app is developed for an Android phone and should work fine whenever accessed.

The ultimate goal of the mobile musical system is to demonstrate the feasibility and the

potential for converting mobile devices into a particular musical instrument. The described

system plays an important role in not only serving as a powerful tool for personal

entertainment, but also assisting individuals interested in learning and editing electronic music.

Penetration Testing on Android Mobile Phone (Poster, Table 29) Presenting Students: Kelvin Coates, Martika Trimble, Jeremy Johnson, Cedric Dyer Mentor: Dr. Wenjuan Xu Now‐a‐days, mobile phones are more and more functioning like a personal computer. A lot of

people are using their mobile phones for activities such as browsing news, viewing emails,

depositing money, paying bills, downloading and uploading files and applications. As an open


43 May 6, 2016

source operating system, Android is rapidly increasing in the mobile phone industry. At the same

time, due to the increasing applications developed on the Android phone, more security risks are

facing in the Android phone. However, a lot of users are often unknowing about the security risks

they are facing while they use their phones. Our work focuses on the security testing of the

Android phone through penetration testing. We will apply the different hacking technologies on

the Android phone. Through applying these technologies, we will identify what technologies can

successfully exploit the mobile phone, what may bring security risks and what cannot work well.

Based on the result of our practice, we will further discuss how secure the Android phone is and

how much trust that we can put on it.

Raspberry Pi Magic Mirror OS (Poster, Table 29) Presenting Student: Matthew Benson Mentor: Mr. Steven Kennedy This project involves creating a distribution of Linux with the purpose of displaying up‐to‐date

information about the user’s day such as schedule and weather. The goal is to embed a

Raspberry Pi in a housing that contains a one‐way mirror in front of an LCD display with a touch

screen over the front so the user can interact with the system. This was accomplished by

bringing together the necessary Linux packages for a simple interface controlled by a Raspberry

Pi and using a USB touch panel with driver support for Linux systems. This project shows how

simple it can be to make a unique Linux distribution and create a simple computer system with

a big impact.

Touchscreen Research Application for Cotton‐Top Tamarins (Poster, Table 2) Presenting Student: Johnathan Tripp Mentor: Mr. Steven Kennedy The purpose of this project is to develop a touchscreen desktop application in collaboration

with FSU Psychology students conducting research with Cotton‐Top Tamarins. Through a

configuration interface within the application, the researchers are able to prepare trials during

which they will study Tamarin behavior as they interact with the application. The interaction

interface is comprised of an image centered at the top of the screen, known as the sample, and

two buttons, which also contain images. One button on the screen contains the image at the

top of the screen, while the other button displays another image. The side of the screen on

which the matching image displays is randomized, and the matching images are randomly

selected from a collection of images. Data collection for this application consists of determining


May 6, 2016 44

whether or not the test subjects are accurately selecting the button that matches the sample

image, the image contained in the selected button, and information concerning the duration of

each trial. The intended use of this application is to study Tamarin behavior as it relates to

understanding similarities between objects.

Utilizing Scapy for Penetration Testing (Poster, Table 2) Presenting Students: Daniel Wade, Thomas Kraemer, Jarrod Williams, Raphael Azenadaga Mentor: Dr. Wenjuan Xu As a powerful interactive packet manipulation program, Scapy is applied widely in the

penetration testing field. Scapy can be used to forge or decode packets, send packets on the wire,

capture packet and so one. It can be used easily for handling port scanning, tracerouting, probing,

unit testing, attacking and network discovery. Especially, Scapy can run with python for providing

more penetration testing abilities for the penetration testers. In this presentation, we are going

to demonstrate how we apply the Scapy tool to perform different penetration testing and how

to utilize python in scapy for more complex penetration testing tasks.


45 May 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Drinking Water Quality Testing Using Test Strips and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP) (Poster, Table 32) Presenting Students: Edwin Pitt, Tommelynn Raine Contributing Students: Brandy Barnes, Connor Riahan, Michelle Dunaway, Ijeoma Ugah Mentor: Dr. Dawn Armfield The purpose of this research was to determine the water quality of the different buildings on

campus: Old Main, Pullen, Gunter, Annapolis, Dunkle, Fine Arts, Westminster, Chesapeake, Lane

University Center, Cambridge, Ort Library, Cordts P.E. Center, Guild, Performing Arts Center

(PAC), Compton, Edgewood, Center for Communications and Information Technology (CCIT), and

the Veteran’s Center. We proposed that the water in each building tasted slightly different as a

result of the buildings being built at different times. Because the buildings were built at different

times, water fountains are different and might affect the water. To test the water quality, we

collected samples from the 16 buildings on campus in sterile bottles and kept them cold until we

were ready to test them. For each sample we tested the pH, alkalinity, total hardness, and free

and total chlorine using Aquacheck Water Quality Test Strips for 5‐in‐1 by Hach. The metal

concentrations in the water samples were found using inductively coupled plasma mass

spectrometry (ICP). The results of the study indicated that the water around campus meet the

EPA requirements and are relatively the same. There were no correlations between the age of

the buildings and the water quality.


May 6, 2016 46

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

A Tourist Map for Greater Grantsville Business Association (Poster, Table 19) Presenting Student: Kaitlyn Roush Mentor: Dr. James Saku Tourism is an important component of Garrett County’s economy. About 1.2 million people

travel to the county each year to enjoy the natural geographic landscape, Deep Creek Lake,

trails and State Parks. During the winter, the Wisp Ski Resort serves as an excellent destination

for urban dwellers. When visiting Garrett County, tourists patronize a variety of businesses.

These businesses may include those that are owned, and operated by The Greater Grantsville

Business Association (GGBA). To make these businesses known, and accessible to tourist visiting

or travelling through Garrett County, GGBA initiated a tourist map making project. The purpose

of this project is to use ArcGIS to create a tourist map of the Greater Grantsville area. Two

maps, including a street map and a map detailing local businesses within the Grantsville area,

have been created for distribution to tourist centers around the county. Businesses that are

GGBA members are especially highlighted on the map to encourage their patronage by

tourists.

How the Eruption of Yellow Stone Could Impact the Climate of North America (Physical Display, Table 20) Presenting Student: Katrina Wesley Mentor: Dr. Tianna Bogart Yellow Stone is popularly known to be a super volcano that resides in Yellow Stone National

Park, Wyoming. Volcanologists and scientists make sure that they are as up to date as possible

on the activity and behavior of this volcano. Research has been conducted to infer that the

eruption of this volcano could cause detrimental issues in North America as a whole. Wyoming

alone, could be completely wiped out, as well as the entire west coast of the U.S. Overall the

entire North American continent could experience an era of below normal temperatures due to

volcanic debris blocking out incoming solar radiation. This, in‐turn, will have traumatic effects

on the environment, for instance, certain forms of vegetation that need warmer weather to

survive (e.g. Florida palm trees) may not have the ability to survive such an extreme

temperature change. Animals and insects that are used to thriving in a warm environment, will

find it elusive, since it is not in their nature to be exposed to such cool temperatures. The only


47 May 6, 2016

way to predict whether or not this is true, is to do prehistoric research on the behavior of the

Yellow Stone super volcano, which is what I plan to accomplish.

Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels in Correlation to Transportation (Poster, Table 19) Presenting Student: Wyatt Rudasill Mentors: Dr. Tianna Bogart, Dr. James Saku Transportation has been one of the most innovative and impacting forces on the past century.

Mass production of transportation as well as advancement in technology of current

transportation has led to some of the most ground‐breaking systems of transportation,

including the movement of information, freight, and the population. Unfortunately just about

every system of transportation or at least the greater percentage of the total transportation

systems emit carbon dioxide. Through this research, factors of transportation that play a role in

emissions are looked at and studied. Problems that arise with carbon dioxide are also reviewed

as well as potential solutions at cost effective levels.

Socio‐Economic Indicators of Nunavut (Poster, Table 19) Presenting Student: Andrew Boch Mentor: Dr. James Saku The focus of this research is to examine selected socio‐economic variables in Nunavut. As a

remote territory in the Canadian Arctic, Nunavut was created in 1999 and consists of small

Aboriginal communities. The objective of this research is to examine Nunavut as a territory and

its socio‐economic characteristics. Specifically, the population structure, ethnic origin, use of

non‐official languages spoken and income within the territory are examined. While this analysis

focuses primarily on the 2011 National Household Survey, Nunavut is characterized by very

young population, the dominance of Inuktitut language and low income.

The Effect of Location on Climatic Variables (Poster, Table 20) Presenting Student: Kashaud Bowman Mentor: Dr. Tianna Bogart The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of certain climatic variables on

temperature and precipitation recorded in the Northeast region of the United States. Large


May 6, 2016 48

scale and global events such as teleconnections (ENSO) and sunspot frequencies were

investigated. The direct correlation between these variables and weather in the region were

found to be weak. However, through a locational analysis a strong relationship from climate

control factors was established. Latitude and proximity to large bodies of water were among

the few of the recorded trends, the region was compared to the regional analysis report by the

National Climate Assessment.

Using Geospatial Imagery to Assess Impacts of Mountain Top Removal (MTR) Mining: Central Appalachia Case Study (Poster, Table 32) Presenting Students: Erik Geiser, Olivia Lewis, Austin Hampshire Mentor: Dr. Matthew Ramspott The Central Appalachia region is populated with numerous Mountain Top Removal (MTR)

mining sites which are producing disastrous impacts on basic life support systems such as clean

air, water, surrounding soil and Earth’s rich bio‐diversity. Coal companies engaging in MTR

mining blast away ridge tops with explosives to expose the coal seams underneath. When all

the available coal has been removed, giant earthmovers dump the “spoil” (any part of the

mountain that isn’t coal) into the valleys below. Monitoring these sites with geospatial imagery

will aid in understanding the scope and severity of these impacts. The objective of this project

is to examine the environmental impacts of MTR mining through the lens of Earth remote

sensing. The project makes use of moderate‐resolution image data from the USGS Landsat

archive, complemented at specific sites with high‐resolution imagery. Assessments of

landscape change are developed using individual image bands, multiband composites, and

computed indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. These results are presented

to document the growth and impacts of MTR in Central Appalachia. Multi‐temporal image

compositing techniques provide effective visualizations of MTR growth over time, and are

supplemented by other Landsat‐derived visualizations and datasets available through Google

Earth Engine and the National Land Cover Database. MTR growth is readily observable over

time scales ranging from years to decades. This study highlights two geographical areas, each

containing several MTR sites. The first extends from western Maryland into southwest

Pennsylvania, and the second includes a swath of central to southern West Virginia.


49 May 6, 2016

Utilizing GIS Technology to Predict Local Predatory Animal Movement (Poster, Table 19) Presenting Student: Jacob Wheel Mentor: Dr. Francis Precht This project utilizes GIS (Geographic Information System) technology to model Eastern Coyote

behavior in Garret County, Maryland. It was hypothesized that a deforested high speed

transmission line right of way provided an ideal movement corridor for coyotes to travel

between more developed and open lands around the Frostburg‐ Carlos area in the east and

isolated public forestland in the Grantsville area to the west. Field research at study areas

yielded numerous instances of coyote sign, concentrated on and nearby the proposed

movement corridor. The studied section of the right of way and the theorized animal origin/

destination areas were digitized into GIS ready files (ESRI polygons) generated from satellite

imagery of the sites. After acquiring publicly available land use/ land cover, elevation, and

public land boundaries data from the state of Maryland and federal databases, elevation rates

of change and land cover types were weighted by favorability to movement. A “movement cost

analysis”, considering these weighted factors, was performed along this right of way to

determine the suitability of this route for animal movement. Results were then visually

displayed across multiple overlay layers on several ArcGIS map documents. The movement cost

analysis did indeed support the hypothesis that the studied terrain was favorable for animal

movement.


May 6, 2016 50

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Effectiveness of Cleaning the Chesapeake Bay (Poster, Table 17) Presenting Students: Lyle Fugate, Christopher Ranker Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell For years before the EPA was created the United States was polluting its natural resources with

everything from dumping waste into the Chesapeake to clearing forest buffers to make way for

developing the region. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 and grants the EPA the power

“to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”.

Over the decades the EPA has used this ambiguous and open statement to establish Total

Maximum Daily Loads (TDML) of pollution. This sets strict limits on the amount Nitrogen and

phosphorous in the bay that can be discharged through the 478 major facilities in the

watershed. The theory of regulating pollution seems like a great idea and will help the bay

become fishable and swimmable again but is it actually working? Research says that the push to

clean the bay is certainly helping the water quality of the bay but it is a slower process than

anticipated and may be too little too late.

Environmental Impacts in the Unique Chesapeake Bay Environment (Poster, Table 17) Presenting Student: Kerry O’Malley Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell Early accounts of the Chesapeake environment include crystal clear waterways and an

abundance of flora, fauna, and other resources that were critical to the survival of early

settlers. Since then, the unique ecology of the Chesapeake region have shaped industry in a

way that is different from other parts of the U.S., and the plants and animals of this region have

made these industries incredibly successful and lucrative. However, changing demographic,

social, economic, and cultural factors in the Chesapeake has had a strong influence on the

ecology of the region has led to major challenges to sustaining Maryland’s quality of life. This

project will examine the people and industry of the Chesapeake, such as the watermen and

fishing industry, while looking for potential methods of aiding the effort to conserve the

environment and the future of the Chesapeake.


51 May 6, 2016

Life and Work on the C&O Canal (Poster, Table 17) Presenting Students: Mike Wright, Jacob Davis Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell Spurred on early by George Washington, the C&O Canal was to be a life line from the coast to

points further west. The Canal, which ran from Washington D.C. to Cumberland Maryland, had

74 locks which required families to live in nearby lock house to operate them. During the canals

peak operation as many as 500 boats moved goods up and down the canal. These boats were

typically manned by whole families, some who were born, lived and died on their canal boats.

This project is focused on the workers and their families who lived and worked on the C&O

Canal. From canal boats to lock houses there were many different life styles that were seen on

and along the C&O Canal from Washington D.C. to Cumberland Maryland.

Maryland Newspapers: The Nile’s Weekly Register (Poster, Table 17) Presenting Students: Mia McCaslin, Micah Ross Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell In America’s formative years, newspapers were abundant. If there was a demographic with a

bias, they published and distributed their ideas. While many publications were centered on an

idea, some newspapers were more modern in their content and were a collaboration of reports

on local events and happenings. The Niles’s Weekly Register was one such newspaper. The

Weekly Register was founded in Baltimore by Hezekiah Niles in 1811. The Weekly Register, as it

was located in the central locale of Baltimore, covered many national events, and had a

surprisingly large circulation for the time period. Because of its size and location, The Weekly

Register covered and subsequently shaped much of 19th century Maryland history. This paper

will illuminate some of the more notable coverings from the Weekly Register, including their in

depth coverage of the War of 1812.

Maryland’s Seafood Identity (Poster, Table 18) Presenting Students: Andrew Ryznar, Jasper Tasker Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell Our project has to deal with the rise of the seafood industry in our home state of Maryland.

Today, Maryland is characterized by their seafood industry and is one of the highest producers

and distributors of this type of food. We will start our project by discussing how our colonial


May 6, 2016 52

ancestors fished and how they relied on the seafood for their survival. This part of the project

will cover the strategies, techniques, and how important the new fishing industry was to the

people. At this time, commercial fishing was not as widespread, however, thousands of pounds

of fish were still caught for food and to trade for other good. Now, the seafood industry of

Maryland did not expand and boom until the 19th century. Seeing as this is when the seafood

industry takes off, we will jump to this era in Maryland history. For the section, we will include

data and statistics involved with the amount of seafood caught and sold around the world. We

will also include how the creation of refrigeration helped the boom and the regulations that

were established in order to control the number of seafood being caught and sold. The seafood

industry of Maryland revolutionized the economy, major cities, amount traded and the amount

of jobs available. When the seafood industry takes off in the 19th century, people were hired to

catch the fish, package the fish, ship the fish, and deliver the fish to market. We are talking

about the creation of thousands of jobs that helped stimulate the Maryland economy and

provide work for countless Maryland citizens. We will be discussing the how at the end of the

Civil War African Americans residing in Maryland will now be able to find jobs in order to

support themselves. The seafood industry offered great jobs for these African Americans, and

many flocked to these new jobs while they were still available. When the United States made it

possible to ship seafood, countless packaging companies and seafood distributors arose in the

city of Baltimore. This is where many people relocated in order to find work in the new seafood

industry. After discussing how the seafood industry expanded and helped change the economy

and job availability of Maryland, we will shift our attention to the economy today. The project

will include facts, statistics and data covering the amount of seafood Maryland produces. After

this we will be comparing the two eras and explaining how much the industry has increased as

time went on. At the end, we will include how Maryland is characterized and identified by their

seafood. They dominate the seafood industry within the United States, and even

internationally. Since we have shifted to more modern times, we will also provide a

comparison of Maryland to other coastal cities such as Delaware or California.

Monetary Contraction: The Great Depression Revisited (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Andrew Blank Mentor: Dr. Sally Boniece The United States economy during the Roaring Twenties experienced one of the greatest

economic expansions in history. However, by the early 1930s, the United States economy and

the world economy contracted into a massive depression. What triggered this massive financial

crisis? Where did the Great Depression originate? First published in 1963, Milton Friedman and

Anna Schwartz’s A Monetary History of the United States 1867‐1960 redefined how economic


53 May 6, 2016

historians perceived the Great Depression in the United States. Friedman and Schwartz

empirically proposed that the quantity of money within the United States economy declined,

resulting in the “Great Contraction” from 1929‐1933. While Friedman and Schwartz criticized

the Federal Reserve for not implementing a preemptive monetary policy to combat the market,

I argue that the Federal Reserve acted in accordance with the polices and given circumstances

of the era to combat an unprecedentedly weakened economy in the United States.

Prohibition: Bootleggin’ in Maryland (Poster, Table 18) Presenting Students: Billy Ward, Hart Weaver, Renay Aubel Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell National prohibition took affect January of 1920. Although prohibition lasted for almost

thirteen years, it has been ridiculed and scrutinized, and many American historians see it as a

failure. The biggest state to see prohibition as a failure was no other than Maryland.

Throughout the roaring twenties and early thirties, Maryland had a very uncommon reaction,

compared to other states, to prohibition. Under a nation that was supposedly “dry”, Maryland

didn’t follow Federal laws. Out of all the states, at this time, Maryland was the only one who

didn’t pass a state enforcement act. With that being said, Maryland labeled itself as a “wet”

state. With Maryland being a leader in the Temperance Movement, its location on the

Chesapeake Bay also gave it an undisputed advantage for bootlegging. The variations in

topography throughout Maryland’s regions also played a big role in the fabrication, selling, and

transportation of alcohol. The City of Baltimore was considered and perceived as Maryland’s

“center of resistance to prohibition.” Maryland’s views on prohibition, during the 1920’s, was

shaped and molded by Governor Albert C. Ritchie. He believed that it was Maryland’s right to

create, enforce, and control the liquor trafficking within the Maryland’s boarders.

Rediscovering Forgotten Battles: The Battle of the Monocacy River (Poster, Table 18) Presenting Students: Eric Dodson, Kayla Hutson Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell During the nineteenth century the city of Frederick, Maryland was a thriving industrial and

commercial hub that was centrally located along many major transportation routes.

Unfortunately, this factor made the city a prime target during the American Civil War as its

location was a strategic position for either side who could maintain control over this territory.

In this study we will conduct an in depth analysis of the Battle of the Monocacy River that took


May 6, 2016 54

place on July 9th, 1864. By closely analyzing the elements that led up to this armed conflict,

interpreting primary documents from soldiers, and evaluating the outcome of this battle, we

can then fully understand the impact it had on the American Civil War.

Religious and Cultural Effects in Maryland between 1600‐1800 (Oral Presentation) Presenting Students: Nicholas Tressler, Kayla Johnson Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell In this paper, we will examine and evaluate the religious and cultural makeup of Maryland by

researching Maryland’s Immigration records from 1600 to 1800. Maryland is made up of

several different types of religion, and several different cultures. Looking over this time period

will help connect modern day Maryland to past events. In order to makes these connections the

research will be based off of primary sources such as census’s, docking records, immigration

records, newspapers, etc.; as well as secondary sources like research papers and journals that

discuss the cultures that have come into Maryland over the time period. The research will be

presented at the Undergraduate Symposium along with a Power Point Presentation to show

our findings. Our findings will be collected in the form of numbers, charts and graphs. We will

use these finding to explain how these religions and cultures affected the development of

Maryland. The collections of census documents and docking records will be our primary source

of information to gather numbers of people. We will be looking specifically for people who

were Catholic, Puritans, Quakers, African American, Irish, German and English. The Maryland

Census will also allow us to take a deeper look at the growth of Maryland and explain why

specific areas, like Western Maryland, have slowed in growth over the years. We hope to make

connections between the people living in these areas and area growth by the end of our

research.

The Financial, Social, and Political Costs of the US War in Iraq (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: David Harper Mentor: Dr. Gregory Wood This paper examines the many costs that accompanied the US war in Iraq that began in 2003

and lasted until 2011. It considers the financial costs of the conflict and the occupation, as well

as the social, political, and cultural consequences of the war. This paper argues that the US war

in Iraq and the long occupation rank among the costliest of America’s wars.


55 May 6, 2016

“The Two‐Fisted Types”: Nixon, the AFL‐CIO, and the Blue‐Collar Strategy” (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: William H. Fey Mentor: Dr. Paul Charney After Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968, organized labor, especially the AFL‐CIO,

entered into a crisis of identity. All one had to do is look at any of the many chaotic scenes at

the 1968 Democratic National Convention to understand why labor would be enthusiastic to

possibly find a new partisan home. Meanwhile, many ordinary lower middle‐class or working‐

class white Americans were becoming distanced by the Democratic Party, a party they had

called home ever since Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired them or their parents and

grandparents to support the Democratic Party during the Great Depression. A feeling of

“working‐class backlash” started to take a serious toll on how the Democratic Party related to

its base. Richard Nixon looked upon this state of affairs in absolute jubilation and sought to try

and reform the Roosevelt coalition into a coalition of conservatives who voted on commonly

shared values like patriotism, hard work, and law and order, not economic interests and

concerns. In seeking out this coalition (a “new majority” in the words of Nixon) Nixon targeted

Southern and Northern blue‐collar workers for Republican cultivation. Nixon also, unlike his

Republican predecessors, sought out a serious relationship with the organized labor

establishment, especially the AFL‐CIO and its head, George Meany. At the same time,

disturbances inside organized labor’s long time partisan home, the Democratic Party, only

ended up strengthening a potential relationship between the Republican Party and American

workers. In trying to court both the average white blue‐collar worker and organized labor,

Nixon and his cabinet had mixed results. In seeking a new Republican majority, Nixon failed to

create a sustained relationship with organized labor, but he did set an unmitigated precedent

for a strong relationship between the white working‐class and the Republican Party.


May 6, 2016 56

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

On the Number and Distribution of the Primes (Poster, Table 18) Presenting Student: Jocelyn Williams Mentor: Dr. Mark Hughes Prime numbers have been one of the most closely studied phenomena in all of mathematics.

The early Greeks recognized the profound nature of prime numbers, and Euclid proved that

there are infinitely many primes. In the eighteenth century, Euler obtained another proof of

the infinitude of the primes through the development of his formula relating a particular

infinite product involving primes to the harmonic series. This formula, referred to as Euler’s

product formula, is viewed as the birth of the field of analytic number theory. Euler further

proved the divergence of the reciprocals of the prime numbers. The infinite nature of prime

numbers led to a critical question: can we determine how many primes there are within a given

interval? The distribution of the primes is described by the prime number theorem, which was

first published by Legendre in 1808 and gives an estimate for the number of primes less than or

equal to a given number. Gauss made a more refined conjecture, and nearly 100 years later,

the prime number theorem was proven independently by Jacques Hadamard and Charles de la

Vallée Poussin. An application of this theorem answers the earlier question of how many

primes there are within some interval. This project explores the details of the aforementioned

proofs and other important proofs in prime number theory, as well as applications of the prime

number theorem.


57 May 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Karl Marx and Henry David Thoreau as Defenders of Individualism (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Dillon James Mentor: Dr. Jean‐Marie Makang At a cursory glance, the theories of Karl Marx appear to promote collectivism and reject

individualism. Marx does indeed emphasize a collectivist mode of production and social

organization as a way of achieving an egalitarian society and relations of production. But the

ultimate goal of Marx’s ideal society is to promote the growth and development of all

individuals. This paper examines ways in which Marx’s philosophical principles are compatible

with individualism. This may seem shocking to a number of Marx’s critics, but it may not be so

when compared with the kind of individualism that was promoted by the 19th century

American philosopher and civil rights activist Henry David Thoreau. In this paper, we argue that

Marx and Thoreau share similar values concerning the importance of intellectual and spiritual

cultivation. Both see these aspects of self‐development as more necessary to the flourishing of

the individual than the procurement of material wealth. The goal of Marx’s project of society is

to allow each member of society to be free from industrial servitude so that each can

concentrate on living a fulfilling and meaningful life. Concepts such as alienated labor and quiet

desperation are examined for congruencies, and Marx’s own vision of what a fully Marxian

society might look like is examined for ways which it may promote individuality (in the

Thoreauvian sense) among its members.

The Philosophy of Perception (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Darik vonRigler Mentor: Dr. Shoshana Brassfield Perception is something we do every day. In an average day we smell, we taste, we hear, we

see, and we feel, yet we take them for granted. But, have you ever wondered what perception

really is? Are there things that I perceive that others cannot? If I don’t perceive something does

that mean it does not exist? If a tree falls, and no one hears it, does it make a sound? Could we

be “seeing” an illusion without knowing that there is one? Should we believe in reality if our

perceptions might be illusions? Do things really exist outside of our minds? These puzzles about

perception will be introduced and possible answers considered.


May 6, 2016 58

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING

2 Meter Kilowatt Linear Amplifier (Poster, Table 24) Presenting Student: W. Michael Prohonic, III Mentor: Dr. Gregory Latta This research looks at the mechanical and electrical design, as well as test and assembly of a

144MHz, 1000 watt RF amplifier. The goal is to produce a design that appeals to the market

and is easily mass produced. The amplifier is designed around a preassembled 1kW LDMOS

amplifier pallet. The first part of this research determined which electrical parts were

necessary to create a working control and safety support system for the amplifier pallet. Next

were design calculations and testing of the amplifier support systems. Finally, the mechanical

drawings were produced, and the parts were assembled to specifications to produce a viable,

marketable product.

A Shot Heard Around the World (Poster, Table 22) Presenting Students: Vernon Lipscomb, Stephen Linnenkamp Contributing Student: Felix Bruno Mentor: Dr. Marjorie Rawhouser The “Shot Heard around the World” project is devoted to the acquisition and transmission of

data using NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS‐S). The transmission will

originate from the Frostburg State main campus and will be looped back using standard

network protocols. One of the primary goals of the project was to maximize the use of

commercial‐off‐the‐shelf (COTS) hardware and industry standard protocols. A major challenge

was to change the format of the transmitted data at the bit level to match the format used by

NASA’s space network. Changing the format of the transmitted data is what allowed the use of

easily obtainable COTS devices. The TDRS system consists of three segments: the space

segment which has eleven satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the earth, the ground

segment which includes the White Sands Complex (WSC) in New Mexico, and the Guam

Remote Ground Terminal (GRGT). The TDRS system was designed to provide communications

and tracking services to manned space missions and low‐earth orbiting satellites. The “Shot

Heard around the World” project can be subdivided into three subsystems: a data acquisition

subsystem, a transmitter subsystem, and a satellite antenna subsystem. The data acquisition

subsystem is comprised of COTS Wide Area Network (WAN) devices, environmental sensors,


59 May 6, 2016

and low cost micro controllers; while the transmitter subsystem and antenna subsystem are

comprised of NASA issued equipment which was integrated into the final design. Frostburg

students were responsible for collecting environmental data at a remote site designated by

NASA and packaging it with a multimedia image of the person collecting the data. The size of

the data, including the multimedia image, must be less than 10KB. This size restriction is a

direct result of the limited satellite bandwidth available on NASA’s TDRS‐6 satellite. After

acquiring the data, the transmitter and antenna subsystem will be used to send the data via

NASA’s TDRS‐6 satellite. TDRS‐6 will then relay the data to the White Sands Ground Terminal

located at WSC, where the data will be returned to Frostburg students using Internet Protocols.

The “Shot Heard around the World” project was created with mobility in mind. Once fully

developed, the design can be used as an automatic collection point deployed in remote areas to

serve NASA’s global mission in environmental studies, the needs of commercial businesses, and

other government agencies.

At Home Quantum Entanglement (Poster, Table 22) Presenting Student: Dustin Ullery Mentor: Dr. Jason Speights Quantum entanglement, when fully understood, will make science fiction a reality. It will

exponentially increase computing power, and scientists are already using it for experiments in

teleportation. In this poster we demonstrate entanglement arising from the decay of

radioactive Sodium. We use two Geiger counters and a coincident counting circuit to detect

entangled pairs of gamma ray photons. To show that the particles being counted are entangled,

we place aluminum prisms in the path of the emitted photons and place the Geiger counters at

90 degree angles to one another. The entangled photons are “orthogonally polarized” which

will cause them to always scatter at 90 degree angles when passed through the prisms.

Battery Powered Electric Scooter (Poster, Table 22) Presenting Students: Alexander Roman, Papa Amoah Mentor: Dr. Oguz Soysal The overall goal of this project is to design a regenerative braking circuit that will allow the

scooter to decelerate using the motor turning in the reverse direction. This will also cause a

positive voltage that can be stored in the battery. There are electric bicycles that can be

purchased that utilize regenerative braking circuits similar to this design. However, there are no

small electric toys that implement this concept. It could potentially increase the run time of the


May 6, 2016 60

devices without adding extra battery weight. This allows the device to run longer on a single

charge, which would make the product more appealing to consumers. Some of the weaknesses

of the design involve the fact that only one of the drive wheels of the scooter will produce a

charge. The weight of the scooter will not be significantly large so the potential energy of the

system will not be as significant as a heavier device such as a car. Another concern is how to

safely slow the device using the DC engine as a generator. To safely slow the device we will

incorporate a pulse width modulation circuit that will control the duty ratio of the dc engine.

This will allow the device accelerate or decelerate at different rates.

Beam Deflection Tube Characteristics (Poster, Table 22) Presenting Student: Jerome Burgo Mentor: Dr. Gregory Latta The 7360 beam deflection tube is a miniature particle accelerator and was one of the most

versatile and sophisticated vacuum tubes for balanced modulation and signal mixing of its time.

Balanced modulation and signal mixing are still done today, but with smaller solid state devices.

However, the construction of the 7360 allows one to observe the inner structure of the device

and see the function of each component. I explored the construction of the inner components to

learn and describe their functions and measure their electrical properties to see how they

produce and affect the particle beam. By testing the tube in several circuits I was able to measure

the characteristic curves of the tube and show how the particle beam was affected by external

influences. The process of signal mixing as the multiplication of two cosine functions was studied,

along with how the multiplication is performed by the 7360.

Car Detection Network (Poster, Table 33) Presenting Students: Stephen Rackley, Ryan Aldridge, Craig Reiner Mentor: Dr. Oguz Soysal The overall goal of this project is to solve a safety issue drivers might encounter; a hidden

driveway. A hidden driveway is a one lane road that intersects with a 2 lane road, where the

one lane road has a limited field of view that can be caused by numerous factors. Currently the

only system in place to help drivers is the use of convex mirrors that are designed to be looked

at by the driver in the driveway. This convex mirror helps expand the driver’s view by 90

degrees. The main issue with these mirrors is that they are very inaccurate. Due to the shape

of the mirror, the image the driver sees is distorted and hard to read. Another issue is it is

difficult to use at night because of the lack of light as well as during the day the sunlight can


61 May 6, 2016

reflect off the mirror making it hard to view. The way we decided to improve that system is to

take the human element out of the decision making process through the use of sensors. Our

design will use different sensors at different locations to alert both the driver in the driveway

and the drivers on the main road of the presence of each other by means of a traffic signal light.

The three sensors we will focus our efforts on will be triggered in different ways, such as by

presence, speed, or weight. These sensors all communicate to an Arduino, a programmable

microprocessor, where we are able to code what the display should be based on the multiple

cases of the input signals. We believe with our new system in place, that this will greatly reduce

the number of accidents caused by the limited field of view in a hidden driveway.

Composite Turbine Blade Modeling & Testing (Poster, Table 34) Presenting Student: Michael Campbell Mentor: Dr. Mahdi Norouzi The goal of the project is to test the XZERES Skystream 3.7 turbine blade to its structural

limitations. There are 3 components to this project ‐ modeling, testing, and analysis. I started by

cutting the blade into cross sections and input all the geometry into SolidWorks. This is called

digitizing. 2nd came the testing. Following ASTM’s I tested the blade for applicable material

characteristics. Last was the analysis. After applying the material properties to the digitized

blade, SolidWorks was able to yield the maximum stresses that the blade can handle using a

process called Finite Element Analysis (FEA). From the maximum stresses, we can determine

when the blade will fail.

Dizzy Microbes: The Effect of Increased Gravitational Fields on the Growth Rate of E. coli (Poster, Table 21) Presenting Students: Nicholas Revell, Benjamin Childs, William Silva, Joseph Becraft,

Matthew Skillman, Alison Sappe, Nelson Dozier, Aili Wade Mentors: Dr. Jason Speights, Dr. Catherine Vrentas, Mr. Duane Miller, Mr. Stephen Bevan Understanding the limits of life is important for exploring the possibility of life on other planets.

The most common type of planets found to date are classified as “Super Earths,” with

gravitational forces greater than that of Earth’s. Microbial life is more likely to be found on

other planets because it is simple and can thrive in extreme environments. In this project we

grew E.coli in a centrifuge to simulate increased gravitational (g) forces. We then calculated the

growth rate of the centrifuged phase and compared it to the growth rate of stationary E. coli.


May 6, 2016 62

Effects of an Electric Field on a Wire (Poster, Table 21) Presenting Student: Stephen Rackley Mentor: Dr. Oguz Soysal This project explores the relationship of electric fields and circuits. The Electric field is used to

alter the current, voltage or resistance of a circuit. An electric field is described as an electrical

potential difference over a certain distance. This electric field can move and even change

directions of electrons. Electrons moving through a wire is represented by current, which can

power light bulbs, sensors, or any electrical system. An externally applied electric field can have

an effect on these electrons flowing through a wire and cause changes in current and possibly

resistance. In this project, a potential difference (i.e. Voltage) is applied across conducting

washers. A rubber washer is placed in‐between them to prevent short circuits. A wire runs

through the center of the washers and connected to a Multimeter. This Multimeter measures

the current in the wire induced by the electric field from the washers. The Multimeter is also

used to measure voltage changes across a Wheatstone bridge circuit with the washers. This

would show a resistance change in the wire.

Fabrication and Construction of a Composite‐Hybrid Bicycle Frame (Poster, Table 35) Presenting Students: Marcos Crabtree, Jocelyn Williams Mentors: Mr. Craig Wilson, Dr. Mahdi Norouzi Stronger, lighter, faster. In the world of competitive bicycling, these are crucial factors.

Composite materials are recognized in both the industrial and commercial markets for their

favorable characteristics in all three of these categories, and there are a myriad of carbon fiber

bicycle frames available on the market today. Since carbon fiber bicycles are expensive, they

have been predominantly used by professional or competitive bicycling enthusiasts. However,

carbon fiber is not the only composite material with these desirable qualities. Fiberglass, or S‐

glass, is an affordable composite alternative with high tensile strength that is typically used in

applications where structural integrity is of the greatest importance. The objective of this

project was to design and manufacture an affordable, lightweight prototype composite‐and‐

metal hybrid bicycle for amateur bikers. To manufacture fiberglass components for this

project, a composite hand lay‐up process on an open mandrel was utilized. This process

required a metal mandrel as a form, around which sheets of S‐glass were wrapped with epoxy

resin applied between each layer to bind the matrix together. This process produced uniform

S‐glass tubes which were inspected for disparities according to a strict set of project


63 May 6, 2016

requirements and then used to assemble a composite‐hybrid bicycle frame. By removing

critical structural components of the frame of an old mountain bicycle, we were able to

reassemble the frame using S‐glass tubes in place of the removed steel tubes. Finite Element

Analysis (FEA) was conducted using Ansys to assess critical sections of the bicycle frame under

worst‐case loading conditions at locations where stress concentrations were high; this

analytical approach drove the determination of layering methods used during manufacturing.

The resulting composite‐hybrid bicycle provides an alternative to current composite bicycles on

the market at a fraction of the cost, but with increased strength and decreased weight

compared to typical steel‐framed road and mountain bicycles.

Frostburg’s Synthetic Aperture Radar (Poster, Table 36 and Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: Joseph Gleason Mentors: Dr. Jason Speights, Dr. Wudyalew Wondmagegn Synthesis aperture radar (SAR) reads the bounce back patterns from the transmitted signal. In

military applications it is used for tracking targets and flight patterns, commercially, it is

sometimes used to track weather. We built and tested a SAR instrument using simple, off the

shelf components. In this poster we demonstrate some of its abilities.

Iceless Cooler (Physical Display, Table 37) Presenting Students: Jared Michael, James Singo, Daniel Wiacek Mentor: Dr. Oguz Soysal The idea of portable cooling has remained the same for the last 50 years. Fill a plastic tub with

ice and take it with you to provide refreshments on the go. The issues surrounding traditional

coolers lie in the use of ice as a means to cool food and beverages. Our group wishes to

eliminate this hassle by creating a thermoelectric cooler that is sustainable through solar

irradiation. A stand‐alone system of this type has many benefits over traditional cooling and will

be a must have for anyone who spends time outdoors or traveling. Virtually everyone has used

a cooler at some point in their life and experienced the problems surrounding ice. The iceless

cooler will transform the way we enjoy portable refreshments.


May 6, 2016 64

Oscillating Variable Capacitor (Poster, Table 21) Presenting Student: Craig Reiner Mentor: Dr. Oguz Soysal The best way to store electricity is the use of capacitors and this technology has been around

for a long time so we know a lot about capacitance. One of the standard configurations that

capacitors use is the parallel plate configuration. There are two plates of the same shape and

size separated by a set distance. This experiment was designed to determine the effect that

oscillating parallel plates had on the capacitance created by the plates. My experiment uses a

similar configuration to the parallel plate configuration; the only difference being that one of

the plates is no longer stationary and instead oscillates back and forth. Through the use of a

piston mechanism I designed and built and a DC gear motor, I was able to build a variable

capacitor that would move back and forth, closer and farther away from the stationary plate.

By connecting the plates to a capacitance meter I recorded the capacitance and the changes

that the oscillation caused. From this experiment, I explored the dependence of capacitance on

speed of motion.

Solar Powered Cell Phone Charger (Poster, Table 23) Presenting Students: Nicholas Huff, Heather Lesniowski Mentor: Dr. Oguz Soysal This project shows two different methods of using the sun as an energy source in order to

charge a cell phone. The chargers will meet requirements for USB 2.0 charging because most

standard cell phones have chargers with a USB connection. One method demonstrates a

portable charger while the other one is fixed onto an umbrella. Both concepts use solar cells to

capture energy from the sun, the energy is manipulated through electrical circuits in order to

convert the energy into usable electrical power. The portable charger is made with

monocrystalline solar cells in order to maximize the efficiency and power production while

minimizing the surface area of the charger. These cells sit on a swivel where the user can

manually adjusted its angle in order to track the sun. The connection for the USB port will be in

the base of the stand for easy access. The umbrella uses flexible thin film amorphous solar cells

that are attached to the top of the umbrella for optimal sunlight. The wiring runs down through

the pole of the umbrella, where the USB port will be at a level for convenient use. The two

different concepts show the versatility of solar cell applications. The chargers contain an

electrical circuit that outputs a constant 5V in order to power the USB port. This allows the user

to plug in a standard USB cell phone cord to charge their phone without a power outlet.


65 May 6, 2016

Stair Assist Dolly (Poster, Table 21) Presenting Students: Heather Lowe, Spenser Love, Alexander Zephir Mentor: Mr. Craig Wilson Currently it is very difficult to move heavy objects up or down multiple stairs without hurting

yourself or dropping the object. Our objective was to design a product that will solve this

problem. We designed a stair assist dolly which is targeted toward a typical household looking

for an affordable, reliable way to move heavy objects up and down stairs. A 28 inch pulley

system was implemented to span 3 steps at a time for ideal stability. This concept utilizes a belt

which moves on pulleys and roller bearings within glide ways. The handcart has a braking

system to increase safety when moving objects down the stairs. Our hand cart has a weight

limit of 700 pounds.

The Rock Picker (Poster, Table 38) Presenting Students: Caleb Friend, Daniel Sisler, Ryan Diehl Mentors: Mr. Craig Wilson, Dr. Mahdi Norouzi, Dr. Eric Moore, Mr. Duane Miller,

Mr. Stephen Bevan The goal of this project was to generate a concept and then proceed through the stages of

engineering design to develop a complete design supported by testing and computer

simulation. This group’s concept is a skid steer attachment that is capable of separating rocks

from usable dirt, thus solving a problem common in farming, landscape and construction

environments. The team’s primary goal for the design was that it should effective at sorting

both large and small sized rocks, while having low cost, high durability, high reparability, and

high versatility. The design process began with three ideas generated by each member of the

team. These ideas were then adjusted and combined into a single concept that was developed

collaboratively between team members. Once the initial concept was created, the team began

the detail design process and developed a complete design using computer modelling software.

It was determined that it would not be feasible to test the entire model physically, so the team

decided to construct a proof of concept that would prove the effectiveness of the design while

limiting cost. All other testing and simulation would then be completed using modelling

software. At this time the team is still in the process of building the proof of concept and has

not yet begun the physical testing. The group plans to complete extensive testing of the proof

of concept and present the results along with the full design at the FSU Research Symposium.


May 6, 2016 66

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

The Declining State of Cuba’s Education Policy: How International Relations and Industry Impact Public Education (Oral Presentation) Presenting Student: James Kirk Mentors: Dr. Steven Simpson, Dr. Suzanne McCoskey In this paper, I will discuss how Raúl Castro’s administration prioritized economic growth over

social equity, ultimately leading to a decline in public education and a falling Human

Development Index ranking for Cuba. In the economy’s circular flow, these decisions about

education spending primarily occurred in the government block, where the Cuban government

reduced funding for education. The government also impacted the nation’s education system

within the labor market, where officials reduced enrollment in universities to drive more

citizens towards industrial jobs and away from professional careers. After rising to power in

2008, Raúl Castro has led a series of government reforms that, while intended to grow Cuba’s

economy, have decreased government expenditures on education and limited access to public

schools. I believe these negative effects on the Cuban education system were a result of the

Communist Party’s gradual attempts to transition the economy away from strict command

socialism, but ultimately have damaged the nation’s overall development.


67 May 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Comparisons of Auditory and Visual Enrichment Techniques for Cotton Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) (Poster, Table 30) Presenting Students: Brittany Reed, Alexander Bernett, Lorenzo Jones, Jaron Winters Mentor: Dr. Erica Kennedy In order to determine which stimuli are most effective for enrichment for primate species, a

colony of cotton top tamarins were tested for their preferences for various visual and auditory

stimuli. Tamarins were presented with images from four categories including jungle, desert,

ice/tundra, and savannah trees. Looking time data as well as behavioral data was collected for

tamarin pairs for every trial. Behavioral data was collected to determine if the images had a

positive effect (such as increasing grooming and social activity) or negative effect (such as

increasing alarm calls or scent marking). We also presented a series of nature sounds including

rain and wind in order to determine the effects of these sounds on the behaviors of the

tamarins. Both the visual and auditory stimuli were presented for 10 minute trials. We then

analyzed the behavioral reactions to the various stimuli in order to determine if tamarins have a

preference for certain images or sounds and are which would serve as most effective

enrichment for primates in captivity.

Development of a Scale to Measure Skepticism (Poster, Table 7) Presenting Students: Katrina Gagliano, Maci Quintanilla Contributing Student: Crystal Rainey Mentors: Dr. Alan Bensley, Dr. Christopher Masciocchi The purpose of our study was to develop and test a new self‐report inventory of scientific

skepticism called the Skepticism Scale (SS). Scientific skepticism views skepticism as critical

thinking (CT) disposition, emphasizing that claims should be accepted only after high‐quality,

empirical evidence has supported them. Few researchers have developed skepticism measures

for specific fields. For example, Hurtt (2006) developed a scale to measure skepticism in

auditors. Yuan et al., (2014) developed a scale to measure skepticism as a CT dimension in

medical care professionals. Obermiller and Spangenberg (1998) developed a scale to measure

skepticism toward advertising among consumers. None however, have measured scientific

skepticism in psychology students. Accordingly, we developed the new 32‐item SS,

administered it to psychology students and examined its psychometrics and factor structure.


May 6, 2016 68

We administered the SS to 251 psychology students, mostly psychology majors, aggregating

data from different classes at a small midAtlantic university. Of those reporting, 27.3% were

males, ranging in age from 18 to 54 years (M = 21.2 ; SD = 4.93). After researching the literature

on scientific skepticism and self‐report measures of CT dispositions, the first author drafted an

initial pool of statements from which he selected 32 items. Items were intended to capture the

importance of taking a questioning approach to inquiry, accepting claims when good reasons for

believing them have been provided, questioning the claims of others, and the tendency to self‐

assess a respondent’s reasoning and thinking. The SS instructions ask participants to rate “how

often you experience the thought or action described” in each statement on a 7‐point scale

from 1 = Never to 4 = Sometimes to 7 = Very Often. See Appendix A for the 32 items. The items

were randomized, including 16 positively stated and 16 negatively stated items. We

administered the SS in a booklet of measures during our regular classes. The first two pages

contained the consent form followed by the SS and then measures of psychological knowledge

and CT dispositions. The results from these other measures are reported elsewhere

(Masciocchi, Bensley, Rainey, Gagliano, & Quintanilla, 2015). After recoding the 16 negative

items, we conducted a factor analysis on the 32 items using principal components extraction

and Varimax rotation. Eigenvalues of factors greater than 1 and a Scree plot suggested the

presence of four factors. A second factor analysis, using principal components to extract four

factors and Varimax rotation, revealed that the four factors accounted for 39% of the variance.

The loadings in the rotated factor matrix showed good simple structure for the factors,

corresponding to four different skeptical tendencies, i.e. the tendency to: Factor 1: question,

look for understanding, and evidence (11 items). Factor 2: be reluctant to believe (7 items).

Factor 3: oppose untrue, exaggerated, unsupported claims (6 items). Factor 4: question the

claims of authorities, experts, and others (5 items). Three items with relatively lower loading

did not uniquely load on only one factor. Chronbach’s alpha = .84 for the 32‐item scale,

suggesting good internal consistency.

Examination of Quantity Discrimination in Cotton Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) (Poster, Table 30) Presenting Students: Kathryn Bell, Jeremy Cassidy Mentor: Dr. Erica Kennedy Animals that are able to discriminate quantity have an advantage because they are able to

optimize their decisions about their environment, such as amount of food or number of

predators. We tested the ability of twelve cotton‐top tamarins to discriminate quantities and

examined which cues they used in making these decisions. Two experimental conditions were

used to determine if the tamarins choose quantity using a discrete number or relied on other


69 May 6, 2016

cues. Both conditions involved two plates of food being presented to the tamarins. The first

condition kept the volume of food constant in order to test their choice based on number. The

second condition kept number of food constant and let the volume vary. In each condition,

latency, choice, and amount of food taken for each trial were recorded. Analysis of the data

examined which cues were favored by the tamarins in order to determine how cotton‐top

tamarins make quantity decisions.

Factors Influencing Weaving Behavior in Cotton Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) (Poster, Table 31) Presenting Students: Kathryn Bell, Kristina Kuss, Renee Anderson, Jennifer Tyrell Mentor: Dr. Erica Kennedy Tool use is often seen as a hallmark of higher cognitive abilities in primate species. Cotton‐top

tamarins are a New World primate species who have used simple tools in captivity, but have

not been reported to use tools in the wild. Our colony of twelve cotton‐top tamarins

manipulates small sticks and uses them to “weave” through plastic mesh repeatedly, even

without any associated food reward. The goal of this project was to investigate this unusual

behavior further in order to determine if this object manipulation is a possible precursor to

tool‐use and what properties of objects the tamarins prefer for use when “weaving”. Tamarins

were presented with seven objects that varied in terms of length and flexibility and we

measured the duration of time the monkeys handled these objects and recorded their

interactions with them. We analyzed differences in the properties which the tamarins preferred

and differences in frequency of weaving behavior for individuals. From this study we are hoping

to gain a better understanding of object manipulation in cotton‐top tamarins and attempt to

determine the possible purpose of this unusual weaving behavior.

How Is Skepticism Related to Critical Thinking Dispositions, Misconceptions, and Pseudoscientific Beliefs? (Poster, Table 7) Presenting Students: Maci Quintanilla, Katrina Gagliano, Tyler Black Contributing Student: Crystal Rainey Mentors: Dr. Christopher Masciocchi, Dr. Alan Bensley A skeptical attitude is thought to involve a questioning mindset, an intellectual curiosity, and a

commitment to evidence‐based conclusions and scientific inquiry (Beyer, 1995; McPeck, 1990;

Paul, 1993). Consequently, a skeptical attitude is an intellectual virtue to be fostered in

students. While a few studies have developed measures of skepticism in other fields (e.g.,


May 6, 2016 70

Hurtt, 2006; Obermiller & Spangenberg, 1998; Yuan et al., 2014), we have recently developed a

new scale, the skepticism scale (SS), to evaluate scientific skepticism in psychology students

(Bensley et al., 2016). Specifically, we examined how skepticism is related to the belief of

scientifically accepted knowledge and the concurrent rejection of pseudoscientific ideas and

misconceptions. We also examined how skepticism relates to various critical thinking (CT)

dispositions, such as open‐mindedness, endorsement of a scientific, rational approach to

psychological questions, taking an objective stance to evidence, and intellectual engagement.

We expected that scores on the SS would be positively correlated with correct psychological

knowledge and with measures of CT dispositions as measured by other scales. We administered

the SS to 251 psychology students, mostly psychology majors, aggregating data from different

classes at a small midAtlantic university. Of those reporting, 27.3% were males, ranging in age

from 18 to 54 years (M = 21.2 ; SD = 4.93). We administered the SS, which has four factors and

good internal consistency (Bensley et al., 2016), in a booklet of measures during our regular

classes, along with these scales: Test of Psychological Knowledge and Misconceptions

(TOPKAM): Accurate knowledge and lack of misconceptions in psychology (Bensley, 2015). Test

of Evidence‐Based Theories and Practices–Revised (TEBTP): Knowledge of well supported

versus poorly supported or pseudoscientific practices (Bensley, 2015). Inventory of Thinking

Dispositions in Psychology‐Revised (ITDP‐R): Thinking dispositions related to taking an active,

rational and scientific approach towards psychology (Bensley, 2011b). Objectivism scale: A

disposition to adopt an objective, rational approach to information (Leary et al., 1986). Rational

Experiential Inventory (REI): Need for cognition, openness to experience and need to evaluate

information (Pacini & Epstein, 1999). As expected, we found that scores on the SS were

positively correlated with both measures of psychological knowledge: The TOPKAM , r(179) =

.29, p < .001, and the TEBTP, r(92) = .48, p < .001. Also, scores on the SS were positively

correlated with most measures of CT disposition, including the ITDP‐R, r(145) = .54, p < .001,

the Objectivism scale, r(145) = .44, p < .001, and the rationality scale of the REI, r(141) = .51, p <

.001. SS scores were not correlated with the Experientiality scale of the REI, r(92) = .‐13, p =

12. This pattern of correlations supported both predictions. Psychology students who were

more skeptical had more correct knowledge of psychology and rejected more psychological

misconceptions and pseudoscientific claims. They also had higher scores on the measures of CT

dispositions. Taken together, these results support the concurrent validity of the SS as a

measure of accurate scientific knowledge and tendency to think critically in psychology.


71 May 6, 2016

Touchscreen Match to Sample in Cotton Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) (Poster, Table 31) Presenting Students: Renee Anderson, Danielle Greene Contributing Student: Johnathan Tripp Mentor: Dr. Erica Kennedy Match‐to‐sample (MTS) is a method of testing categorization in animals in which a sample

image (such as a banana) is presented, and then two stimuli (an apple and a banana) are

presented and the animal chooses which of the two stimuli match the original sample stimulus.

A variety of species have been trained to perform this task using touchscreen computer

monitors. The goal of this study was to present our colony of cotton‐top tamarin monkeys with

a MTS task using this touchscreen format in order to analyze their performance. A previous

study trained our colony of tamarins to use the touchscreen monitor. In the current study, 6

tamarins were presented with a MTS task in which a fixed symbol in a specific color was

presented on the screen, with two shapes below for the monkey to press in order to select a

match. Each monkey was presented with trials with a variety of images and we analyzed the

percentage of correct responses as well as the errors the monkeys made. By analyzing the

choices made by the tamarins when performing this touchscreen task, we hope to gain a better

understanding of how tamarins categorize objects in their environment.


May 6, 2016 72

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

Academic Success in Students with Mental Illness (Poster, Table 7) Presenting Student: Joyce Bradshaw Mentor: Dr. Terry Russell To be an efficient and effective social worker research is essential. Bachelor level social work

students are required to take a Basic Research Methods Course. A single system design was

conducted on a social work student throughout the semester. The purpose of the research was

to explore the relationship between receiving a treatment of participating in a research

methods course and academic success of one social work student. Some treatment consisted

of reading textbook assignments before class, note taking, class attendance and class

participation. Outcome was measured by the student’s weekly quiz scores. The visually

significant results indicate class participation improves academic success.


73 May 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

GPA v Types of Video Games (Poster, Table 7) Presenting Student: Joshua Guy Mentor: Dr. Robert Moore My research project is based on video games. I wanted to see if there is a correlation between

certain types of video games and GPA. I feel that Role Playing, Massive Multiplayer, and

Strategy gamers have a better GPA than others because of the excessive amount of reading the

players have to read. The reading is filled with plenty of vocabulary so the players can use it in

real life scenarios. To obtain the data, I needed 40 gamers (juniors through super senior) to fill

out a 7 question free response survey. The items on the survey are age, gender, parental level

of education, college level, favorite type of video game, favorite game from that types, and

GPA. For GPA I made a scale for those whom did not remember the exact number. The project

will be presented on cardboard to avoid electronic difficulties.


May 6, 2016 74

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: Yesterday and Today (Poster, Table 12) Presenting Student: Kenneth Waters, Jr. Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Goff The opportunity to create lobby content for the stage production of To Kill A Mockingbird,

became a project that went down three different avenues of dramaturgical research. First: I

explored the historical echoes from the novel’s central conflict – social discrimination – with

Emmitt Till, The Scottsboro Boys, Leo Frank, and Matthew Shepard, showed that even today,

social discrimination is still an issue. Through a local connection from a college professor,

information about the book jacket’s little known artist, Shirley Smith, was provided to bring the

artist of this work to light to get the recognition she deserved for creating the original and most

recognizable book jacket in the To Kill A Mockingbird publications, albeit posthumously.

Because of this research, people in our community now know who she is and why she is an

important figure in Women’s History for artists. The death of Harper Lee on February 19th, a

week before the production opened, led to further exploration of the work and words of the

author with pictures and quotes from her past and present, including when she was awarded

the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to literature in 2007. Harper Lee left a

mark on American Literature and her legacy will live on with her classic novel and her newest

work, Go Set a Set Watchman. From the three topics of interest, a display was created in the

atrium of the auditorium and in the front lobby of theater for the audience to view, learn from,

and enjoy before coming into the theater, during intermission, and after the play was over.


75 May 6, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL ARTS

Representations of Nature in Painting and Drawing (Physical Display, Table 6) Presenting Students: Danielle Greene, Tiffany Howe, Emily Martin, Wan‐Hua Lin Mentor: Ms. Judith Dieruf Art students often draw on Nature for inspiration or subject matter. Four students working this

semester have chosen to draw and paint flora and fauna. Danielle Greene, a Wildlife major

with an Art minor, includes a representational life‐size bear, an ocelot, and a wolf from her

studies. Tiffany Howe works with stylized flowers and sea life, designing their configurations to

work with the size and shape of her canvases. Emily Martin has studies the growth and decay

of life from a single window and is working with Expressionism on animal portraits. Wan‐Hua

Lin Lin pictures an Eden of animals living in harmony in a single space.


May 6, 2016 76

CLAS Undergraduate Research Working Group

Karen Keller, Biology (Chair)

Phillip Allen, Geography

Matthew Crawford, Chemistry

Judith Dieruf, Visual Arts

Justin Dunmyer, Mathematics

Robert Hein, Visual Arts

Mark Hughes, Mathematics

Erica Kennedy, Psychology

Jean‐Marie Makang, Philosophy

Eleanor McConnell, History

Jill Morris, English

Benjamin Norris, Chemistry

Xunyu Pan, Computer Science and Information Technologies

Terry Russell, Social Work

Rebekah Taylor, Biology

Catherine Vrentas, Biology

Ahmad Tootoonchi, Interim Provost

(Opening Remarks)

Linda Steele, Program Specialist, CLAS

Cindy Troutman, Executive Administrative Assistant, CLAS

Shannon Gribble, University Advancement

SPECIAL THANKS Additional funding for the Symposium was provided by The FSU Foundation and a PELEF Grant.

In addition, many projects featured in the Symposium were funded by Foundation grants,

Faculty Development grants, PELEF grants, and the Student Government Association.

We would like to thank the staff of the Print Shop, the Lane Center, the Physical Plant, and

Chartwells for all of their assistance in the preparation of the Symposium.

Most importantly, we would like to thank the Students and their Faculty and Staff Mentors for

making the Symposium possible.


77 May 6, 2016

Oral Presentations are in Rooms 108, 110, 111, and 113

Registration

Information

Extra CreditSign‐In

Food

1

33

322

3

4

5

6 12

11

10

9

8

7 13

14

15

16

17

18 24

23

22

21

20

19

25

26

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28 29 30 31

34

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38

Department Biology ChemistryCommunicationCSITEnglish & Foreign

LanguagesGeographyHistoryMathematicsPhysics & Engineering

PsychologySocial WorkSociologyTheatre & Dance Visual Arts

Tables8‐123‐5, 1213‐16, 201, 2, 25‐29

2019, 20, 3217, 1818

21‐24, 33‐387, 30, 3177126

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium 2016

Poster and Physical Displays by Department

2016 symposium booklet final - frostburg.edu · the goal of this experiment ... differential based...

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