Fall 2023 HRC Presentations

Deployment during the Second World War provided the opportunity for an international experience for many young Americans. This is especially true for members of the African American community. At the time the United States was still in what is now known as the Jim Crow era, an era that is remembered as one that “legally” and culturally kept the community subject to poverty and second-class citizenship. As a result, deployment to Europe provided the opportunity for men and women to experience and learn of life outside of Jim Crow society. By looking at a variety of sources such as archived period sources and saved Oral histories, it can be understood how the types of experiences, and the cultural differences of Europe influenced the mentalities and expectations of Soldiers upon their return home to the States. This mental shift is an understudied and undervalued part of the leadup and eventual takeoff of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Mentor: Dr. Miranda Sachs

This paper explores plausible steps toward reaching a state of global zero nuclear weapons. The topic of nuclear disarmament is heavily debated among international relations scholars and considered by some to be a pipe dream; I assert that it is both possible and necessary for the global community to work together to create an environment free of nuclear weapons, which are too costly to human health and the environment to ever be used again. This paper tackles questions of how to build trust between adversarial nations in an increasingly multipolar world order, what obstacles must be overcome to achieve this, and how economic organizations might play a role in incentivizing denuclearization. In short, the primary inroad must be a mitigation of the security dilemmas between the major powers (United States, Russia, and China) through diplomatic and economic relations. Rogue states like the DPRK, as well as countries in conflict with nuclear weapon states (NWS) such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, pose specific obstacles that will take the concerted effort of the international community to overcome. Economic institutions can disincentivize nuclear weapons by divesting themselves of relevant manufacturing contracts on ethical grounds, thus creating a cost burden on NWS. Jobs lost in this transition would make lateral moves into aerospace, nuclear energy, and conventional defense industries. Once production and modernization have ceased, NWS would gradually reduce their arsenals through treaties with verification through the International Atomic Energy Administration (IAEA) or a similar body. These steps also serve as signals to other states which will in turn further reduce distrust and strengthen the norm of disarmament. The end goal of this model is a world free of all nuclear weapons with strong enforcement measures in place to guard against future re-development, as well as existing enriched material repurposed into civilian nuclear energy projects.

Mentor: Dr. Thomas Doyle

Urbanization significantly affects animals, but not all species react similarly to
urbanization. Before I formulated my hypothesis, I did some research to see the relationship between other mesopredators and urbanization. I found evidence suggesting that mesopredators avoid highly urban areas while benefiting from urban resources. From this and other research, I hypothesized that Virginia Opossums would have a significant positive relationship with urbanization. For the methodology, we gathered camera data from x location to equal x trap nights of x species. We used suits of anthropogenic covariance and weather covariances. The results suggest that Virginia Opossums had a positive relationship with the cultivation of land in the area and both the mean precipitation and minimum temperature of an area. The results also suggested there is a negative relationship between Virginia Opossums and wild vegetation. The results suggest that Virginia Opossums do not avoid urban areas, but instead gravitate toward them. This aligns with the evidence I found suggesting mesopredators gravitate towards urban areas. Furthermore, studies on the difference in body mass of Virginia Opossums between rural and urban areas suggests that those living in urban areas were heavier on average than those living in rural areas. This could be a result of a difference in predators and food between urban and rural areas.

Mentor: Dr. Sarah Fritts

The first year of college marks for many young adults the first chance to live independently from their childhood homes and meet new people with whom they will form a community. A residence hall, formerly known as a dormitory or dorm for short, is housing for the special audience of university students. They allow students to live on campus and live with other students. This experience is at a critical moment in many of these students’ lives, and the relationships they build within these environments help shape their formative social ideas. The thesis of this paper is that the intentional design of residential halls can promote positive socialization and allow residents to build  mature relationships with their peers. Extensive study of available research reveals that certain configurations of spaces can promote or deter student social relationships. Certain features and amenities, like study rooms and shared living spaces, allow students to become involved within their hall’s community, while other additions like suite-style rooms and computer rooms, either inhibit socialness or leave students apathetic at their inclusion. Following the review of literature will be sketches of pro-social architectural additions residential halls could include in existing and future developments. The investigation of residential halls allows universities and architects to imagine what students’ lifestyle and perceptions of both their selves and others can become. Expanding on the role of community entails discussion on what positive behaviors and ideas future members of our society should have. The residential hall is essentially an incubator forming the future members of our society’s ideas about housing and community.

Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Prince

"Beyond the Tournament” is a podcast series that interviews collegiate forensics competitors—that is, collegiate speech and debate competitors—about the speeches and pieces they competed with during the 2022-2023 academic year. Each episode interviews a unique competitor from universities across the United States, speaking about an individual speech and debate “event.” The format of each episode first explores the nature and rules of the event in question, then interviews a competitor about their experience performing that event, and finally concludes with a recording of the piece itself. Through the podcast medium, this project attempts to examine the gap between the insular speech and debate community as the typical audience of these competitors and a more diverse, outside audience. Though not all speech and debate events are persuasive in nature, all seek to examine a social or political phenomenon and either persuade an audience to shift their perspective or broaden their knowledge base. Because of the inherent demographic similarities among the competitors and judges who traditionally view these events, I ask competitors to examine whether the typical tournament audience can be persuaded or affected by their pieces. Finally, by publicly posting their interviews, I give them access to a more diverse audience typical of the world outside of collegiate forensics and open the door to outside engagement with the speech and debate community.

Mentor: Dr. Joshua Miller

The human nervous system is an intricate and delicate network comprising two distinct components: the central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system contains the brain and the spinal cord that perform specialized functions, including receiving, processing, and responding to sensory information sent from the peripheral nervous system. The fetal central nervous system develops rapidly at three weeks gestation, continuing throughout infancy and in some regions until early adulthood. A teratogen is a substance that causes congenital disorders within different developing systems within a fetus. A critical period is the length of time a bodily system is most at risk for teratogenic consequences; the central nervous system has the most extended critical period, ranging from three weeks gestation until the fetus's birth. This thesis explores different abuse substances, including illegal drugs, caffeine, nicotine, opioids, and alcohol, and the varying effects each substance has on the developing fetal central nervous system.

Mentor: Dr. Rachel Davenport

Increasing steroidal estrogen levels in water have proven to be detrimental to aquatic wildlife. The most prominent of the naturally occurring estrogen hormones are 17-ß estradiol (E2b), estrone(E1), and estriol (E3). In the natural environment, E2b has caused the feminization of fish leading to a population's inability to reproduce, negatively impacting the ecosystem of that region. Most wastewater treatment plants are not properly equipped to detect and remove low concentrations of steroidal hormones. Current solutions include nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and advanced oxidation processes. These options are costly, energy-hogging, and not applicable on a large scale. I am proposing a cost-effective passive water treatment option that will utilize energy from natural sunlight. By combining an electroactive polymer (EAP) with a photocatalyst, it is possible to reduce the energy needed to affect photocatalysis. In my research project, I will be evaluating the ability of polymer nanofibers to affect the photocatalytic degradation of 17-ß estradiol (E2b) in aqueous solutions. I will be using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as my substrate polymer, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as my photocatalyst, and poly-bithiophene (PBT) as the conductive polymer. The substrate polymer photocatalyst blend will be electrospun into nanofiber sheets and coated with the PBT through vapor phase deposition. The sheets will then be exposed to the E2b contaminated solutions and placed in a solar simulator. Results will be interpreted after the E2b concentrations post-UV exposure are determined. 

Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Irvin

My research explores long distance relationships (LDRs) use of various virtual worlds including online video games, social virtual worlds, and virtual reality. Exploration revolves around cataloging what virtual worlds LDR use, the dynamics of the interactions within these digital spaces, and the influence of virtual world use on relationship satisfaction. I will utilize a survey partly adapted from Andersons and Emmers-Sommer’s study on predictors of relationship satisfaction in online romantic relationships (Anderson & Emmers-Sommer, 2006), to gather data on virtual space use and relationship satisfaction. Survey data will undergo correlation coefficient analysis to measure the strength and direction of associations between virtual world use and relationship satisfaction. Additionally, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used to assess significant differences in relationship satisfaction across various virtual world types. 2 participants each that used online video games, social virtual worlds, or virtual reality in their LDR will be interviewed. Interviews will explore how participants use their chosen virtual world in their LDRs and how they perceive its impact. I will use a mixed method design to provide a balanced understanding of LDRs and contextualize the survey data with personal narratives. This study strives to fill a significant gap in the literature by investigating the underexplored intersection of long-distance relationships and virtual world usage.

Mentor: Dr. Toni Watt

The Sagas of Iceland offer dramatized depictions of life in medieval Iceland 
including familial tales, legal issues, and the ways in which various families came to the island. While most of these stories focus on larger-than-life male leads and heroes, they also showcase a number of strong and willful women that impact the plots of their respective tales in a variety of ways. Several of the women from these Sagas have been amply studied before. Scholars have theorized how their lives and characters might reflect the lives of historical women.  However, this research seeks to compare female characters of related works of the time period in order to deepen and nuance our understanding of their roles. For this purpose, the characters of Saint Helena from Elene by the Old English poet Cynewulf as well as Queen Wealhtheow and Grendel’s Mother from the epic poem Beowulf are brought in for comparison. From the Sagas, the characters of Gudrun from Laxdæla’s Saga, Hallgerd and Bergthora from Njal’s Sagas, and Queen Gudrun of Norway who is featured in both sagas are discussed. The saga women’s use of power and grace sets off the royal characters of Saint Helena, Queen Wealhtheow, and Queen Gunnhild with the contrasting violence and passion of Grendel’s Mother, Gudrun, and the warring wives of Njal’s Saga.  Overall, it is found that these women have more power and influence than might be expected of their time, and opens the question of why these women are portrayed so differently from their more amenable, obedient counterparts often found in later courtly medieval literature.

Mentor: Dr. Susan Morrison

Panel Chair: Jordan Morille, Honors College

Audra Wright - ART, MUSIC, AND DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: AN EXPLORATION OF CHANCE IN POSTMODERN CREATIVITY 

Gina Yoo - CONNECTIVITY AND CREATIVITY IN ART: A DOCUMENTARY 

Nicole Soria - HOMECOMING: A SHORT FILM ON UNRAVELING IDENTITY AND GENERATIONAL PRESSURES

Room 309 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

When human and animal cells divide, they go through the cell cycle to replicate their DNA and ensure that all new cells receive a copy of each chromosome. Most of the chromosomal DNA is replicated accurately and efficiently by large enzyme complexes called DNA polymerase delta and DNA polymerase epsilon. A problem arises, however, with DNA replication at the ends of chromosomes in regions called telomeres. Telomeres are short in comparison to the full length of a chromosome and act as protective caps at the ends to prevent degradation. The two major DNA polymerases cannot replicate the ends completely and small numbers of base-pairs are lost from the telomeres with each replication cycle. Such ends must be replicated by a specialized DNA polymerase called telomerase. Most human cells stop producing telomerase during embryonic development and the telomeres subsequently get shorter over time. The rate of telomere shortening varies among individuals and evidence suggests that people with shorter telomeres have increased vulnerability to age-associated diseases such as heart disease, cancer and other ailments. Rates of telomere shortening are influenced by several factors. These influences include nutrition, psychological factors, lifestyle/behavioral choices, plus other predetermined factors like biological sex and genetics. In the current study the medical literature related to telomere shortening and human health has been comprehensively reviewed and the results summarized.

Mentor: Dr. Kevin Lewis

Anxiety is the intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations and is often accompanied by fast heart rate, sweating, and feelings of tiredness. Everyone will experience anxiety sometime in their life, some people more than others. In today’s world, one important group of people that tends to suffer from anxiety is athletes. People tend to idolize them and put pressure on them to perform their absolute best. But at what cost? This research compares causes of anxiety in the general population versus athletes. Research shows that most anxiety in the general population is caused by things like sleep deprivation, being over-caffeinated, or sitting down for too long. On the other hand, athletes’ anxiety mainly stems from fear of failure, public scrutiny, impractical expectations, and so much more. This research also addresses the most commonly used techniques for treating anxiety in athletes versus the general public. Although some of these techniques can work for both – such as breathing techniques, positive self-talk, and muscle relaxation – there are treatments that are more specific for the primary causes of anxiety in athletes. Furthermore, this work explores the differences in causes of anxiety in individual versus team sport athletes and considers whether the treatment techniques differ. Lastly, to understand how this relates to athletes today, a case study is proposed, and a treatment plan is developed that works best for this athlete. 

Mentor: Dr. Randall Osborne

Room 310 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Our research focuses on investigating a gene pathway involving characteristic protein enzymes and their activity in Baker's yeast. Specifically, we are examining a molecule responsible for the acquisition of micronutrients from the host. Our methodology involves the use of Nickel Affinity Chromatography. We started by digesting Plasmid p423TEF with the enzymes SPE1 and ECOR1-HF to obtain our destination vector backbone. PCR amplification was performed to amplify the genes from plasmid pAS30, followed by a transformation process to select clones on AMP plates. Further details of our experimental procedures will be discussed in the subsequent sections.

Mentor: Dr. Ryan Peterson

Panel Chair: Dr. Randall Osborne, Department of Psychology

Madison Klovenski - PHANTOM LIMB PAIN: THE PAIN OF A MISSING LIMB

Kara Lee - JURORS’ EVALUATION OF EYEWITNESS EVIDENCE 

Carley Hewig - ANXIETY IN THE GENERAL POPULATION VS. ATHLETES: DIFFERENTIAL CAUSES AND TREATMENTS 

Panel Chair: Dr. Miranda Sachs, Department of History

Trinity Abels - HOW WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS INFLUENCED BY THEIR EUROPEAN DEPLOYMENT DURING WORLD WAR TWO? 

Victoria Vela - EXPOSED: LA DOLCE VITA 

Panel Chair: Dr. Benjamin Prince, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

Kera Daughtery - SUSTAINABLE SYNERGY: A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN APPROACH TO INTUITIVE SUSTAINABLE ENGAGEMENT AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Michael Quinto - BOBCATS REPURPOSE: A LOCAL SOLUTION TO PLASTIC POLLUTION 

Jackson Barr - SHAPING COMMUNITY: HOW INTENTIONAL DESIGN IN RESIDENCE HALLS CAN INFLUENCE COMMUNITY

Phantom limb pain is the perception of pain in a limb that has been amputated; this sensation has been described as cramping, burning, stabbing, crushing, etc., and can be an excruciating pain lasting years. The feeling of pain in a region of the body that is no longer there is a phenomenon that does not have one explanation or treatment, yet a variety of theories and treatment options exist. The term Phantom Limb Pain was first coined after the Civil War because of the large number of veterans with amputations, yet this pain existed long before the medical terminology. Over 200 million Americans are living with an amputation; 85% of amputees experience PLP but each individual has different experiences. Amputations can be the by-product of tragic motor vehicle or war accidents but also planned surgeries because of diabetes and vascular disease. There is a wide range of theories that describe PLP, most involving the central nervous system. These include cortical remapping which is brain regions taking over portions of the brain that were once controlled by the amputated limb, somatosensory plasticity which is the brain's ability to alter over time, and nerve theories such as Dorsal Root Ganglion Abnormal Activity. Additionally, there has been much more research on different types of treatment that can alleviate phantom pain such as mirror therapy, virtual reality, and cortical stimulation. In my capstone, I will go into detail to describe these theories as well as the variety of therapy options that exist today which I support by including real-life experiences. It is important for amputees and the public to understand what phantom limb pain is so that there can be more research done to find out more treatment options to lessen this life altering chronic pain. 

Mentor: Dr. Joseph Etherton

Since 1989, there have been 920 exonerations due in part to mistaken identification of eyewitnesses. The vast majority (94%) of these cases came from jury trials. These statistics suggest jurors lack understanding of what affects eyewitness’ memories and decisions. However, limited evidence also suggests jurors are sensitive to improper lineup procedures. The current study assesses general knowledge of eyewitness procedures as well as mock jurors' evaluation of a hypothetical case that varies in the use of two lineup procedures to secure an identification. We will examine mock jurors’ verdict decisions using a 2 (lineup instructions: absent vs. present) x 2 (lineup administration: single-blind vs. double-blind) between-subjects factorial design. We hypothesize that mock jurors will be more likely to convict the defendant when lineup instructions are unbiased and the lineup is double-blind compared to either biased lineup instructions or single-blind lineups.

Mentor: Dr. Angela Jones

Room 310 | 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m

The early 2000s was a time of Juicy Couture, iPods, Beyblades, and more, but it was also when multiculturism was starting to be reflected more in English-language films and shows. South and Southeast Asian women were a group who began to be showcased but were only authentically portrayed on occasion. This research uses framing theory to reflect how the creators of early 2000s media depicted and viewed South and Southeast Asian women. It also operationalizes "framed narratives” to look at how perceptions manifest into stereotypes and archetypes that can affect how adolescents and society see certain groups. To explore further, this study analyzes how Jess Bharma from Bend It like Beckham and London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody are framed through feminist and critical race theories and compares them to broadly known stereotypes and archetypes derived from those theories such as “the nerd,” “the comedic relief”, and the “exotic other”. Before going further, is important to note that this project is severely limited as South and Southeast Asians, especially women, were not given lead roles in English language media as often, especially with character traits that differed from common stereotypes, so when Jess and London were, audiences perceived them as exceeding the norm. This research compares these characters, stereotypes, and archetypes to identify whether Jess’s and London’s individuality beyond stereotypes is surface level, fully developed, or a little bit of both. These results then discuss how the characters socially mirror the creator’s worldview, which can further reflect collective societal and individual perceptions and give a lens into a fragment of the early 2000s. 

Mentor: Deborah Balzhiser

Panel Chair: Dr. Jennifer Devine, Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences

Diego Vila Peña - MEMORIES OF A SIMPLE LIFE: A MEMOIR 

Karina Rodriguez Leal - UNVEILING VULNERABILITY: ANALYZING INSECURITY AMONG ASYLUM SEEKERS AT THE U.S-MEXICAN BORDER 

Alexandra Smith - MAPPING THE GENOCIDE AGAINST INDIGENOUS AMERICANS 

Room 309 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Our study will provide insight into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pre-veterinary students and recent veterinarian graduates, specifically from the perspective of established veterinarians. This qualitative study will explore these perspectives via interview-style data collection and further analysis. The goal of this study is not only to review the effects of COVID19 on veterinary professionals and pre-veterinary students but also to discuss the implications on the profession's future. How will newly graduated veterinarians practice clinical medicine, and to what degree? How will pre-veterinary students perform in veterinary school? Overall, how did the COVID-19 pandemic impact a future generation of veterinarians? To answer these questions, our study will provide a unique perspective strictly from veterinarians, which has yet to be evaluated.

Mentor: Dr. Reagan Sims

Panel Chair: Dr. Joel Bergh, Department of Biology

Melany Bouyer - USING POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES AND SUNLIGHT TO REMOVE ESTROGENS FROM WASTE WATER EFFLUENT VIA PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION

Karissa Hopes - THE EXPRESSION OF THE SINGLE GENES IN BAKER’S YEAST 

Mackenzie Otakpor - INVESTIGATION OF THE INJECTABILITY, CYTOCOMPATIBILITY, THERMAL RESPONSE, AND DRUG RELEASE CAPABILITY OF DYNAMIC POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) HYDROGELS 

Panel Chair: Dr. Rachel Davenport, Department of Biology

Maddison Benoit - SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE AND THE DEVELOPING FETAL CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Kennedy Hearn - IMPACT OF LIFESTYLE, NUTRITION, AND STRESS ON TELOMERE SHORTENING AND INCIDENCE OF AGE-ASSOCIATED DISEASES AND MORTALITY IN HUMANS

Kelly Thornton - TARGETING INAMPT TO BREAK THE OBESITY-ASSOCIATED LIVER CANCER LINK: AN IN VITRO AND IN VIVO APPROACH 

Room 310 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials composed of hydrophilic polymers that are cross-linked to form a network. Hydrogels are often used to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM), which contains macromolecules and minerals that aid in the physical and chemical support of cells. In addition, they can be utilized as drug delivery systems, wound healing dressings, and materials for cell growth. In all of these applications, the properties of the hydrogels must be tailored to match the distinct characteristics of various tissues in the body and to provide the function needed. For this reason, the hydrogel’s stiffness, stress-relaxation properties, ability to release therapeutic agents, cell encapsulation capabilities, and cytocompatibility must be optimized. Our collaborative group previously reported the development of dynamic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels crosslinked via thiol-Michael reversible covalent bonds. The equilibrium nature of these bonds permits modulation of the properties of the hydrogels in response to changes in pH, temperature, and photothermal stimuli. Our laboratory is specifically interested in photothermal modulation of the hydrogels through the laser activation of entrapped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanoparticles since this provides the means to tailor the hydrogel’s properties externally with spatiotemporal control and opens the doors to applications in on-demand drug delivery. The work herein described focuses on studying the factors that affect the hydrogel’s injectability, cytocompatibility, stability, thermal response, and drug release capabilities. This thesis is broken up into two parts. One part focuses on the injectability, rheology, and cytocompatibility of dynamic hydrogels prepared with 4-arm poly(ethylene-glycol) macromers with benzalcyanoacetamide end groups (PEG-RBCA) and 4-arm PEG macromers with thiol end groups (PEGSH). The second part focuses on the thermal behavior, stability, drug release, and cytocompatibility of non-dynamic hydrogels including dynamic PEG-RBCA/PEG-SH crosslinks and nondynamic PEG-SH/PEGMaleimide crosslinks.

Mentor: Dr. Tania Betancourt

Panel Chair: Dr. Thomas Doyle, Department of Political Science

Mackenzie Acree - PUTTING THE CAT BACK IN THE BAG: A MODEL FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Haley Bass - BEYOND THE TOURNAMENT: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN COLLEGIATE FORENSICS AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Jason Cano - BETO’S APPEAL: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HOW BETO O’ROURKE 2018 SENATE AND 2021 GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGNS DIFFERED IN TACTICS AND HOW THEY AFFECTED VOTER TURNOUT

Room 306 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Plastic pollution is a well-known issue across the globe with staggering facts such as: “Only 9% of all plastic produced has been recycled,” and “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island of plastic waste spanning an area that is over twice the size of the state of Texas.” Locally, this issue persists as 73% of Texas resident’s recycling bins go to the landfill and most municipal recycling facilities only recycle two types of plastic. The driving question behind my capstone was: How can we as consumers take plastic recycling into our own hands? Over the past three years I have been working to build a plastic recycling workspace on campus. Using the available equipment in the Ingram Hall Makerspace I have built a series of small-scale machines to process plastic for recycling. Using compression and injection molding techniques, we can take post-consumer plastic waste and repurpose it into new products. But there is more work to do like improvements to the machines and optimized processes that future Texas State students can tackle in the next three-to-five years.

Mentor: Dr. Austin Talley

Growing numbers of families and children arrive at the U.S-Mexican border seeking asylum facing a process that profoundly impacts individuals in search of safety, prosperity, and new beginnings beyond their home borders. U.S. Border Patrol and the National Security Agency prioritize deterrence policies, increasing danger and trapping asylum seekers in Mexican border cities where they face robbery, kidnapping, and extortion from criminal groups due to their immobility. This study connects how these policies affect asylum seekers' experiences and advocates for a humanitarian perspective on immigration. By identifying the root causes of insecurity, this study underscores the necessity for immigration system reforms. Quantitative data from the past decade supports these findings, focusing on migration factors, changes in migration patterns, and border security. Primary sources include asylum seeker testimonials, providing a comprehensive view of migration drivers, while secondary sources like U.S. Customs and Border Protection website statistics offer insights into border apprehensions. Policy analysis supported by both primary and secondary sources identifies the policies responsible for migrant border challenges. Through an analysis of interviews with asylum seekers in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley in January and May 2023, this research will examine the narratives of vulnerability and insecurity shaping their journeys, including motivations, dangerous border crossings, and challenges they endure. This research contributes to a more empathetic understanding of asylum seekers’ challenges, informing the public and policymakers about the imperative need for systemic changes within the immigration framework. 

Mentor: Dr. Sarah Blue

Room 306 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

In the past, numerous maps have been created to show the forced migration west of Native tribes in the early nineteenth century, however there are few depicting other examples of the racial and cultural erasure of the First Americans. Through the creation of a map and literature review, this study aids in a better visual understanding of American history and its spatial characteristics. The research focuses on spatial dispersion of the ten stages of genocide; classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, persecution, extermination, and denial.

Mentor: Dr. Alberto Giordano

In this drama short film, "Homecoming," we meet Gabriela, an art student facing the dual challenge of completing a painting of her childhood home for her art final while longing for her parents' asylum and return from Mexico. While Gabriela struggles to capture the essence of her childhood on canvas, an enigmatic presence in a hallway closet consistently disrupts her creative process with haunting knocks that are only audible to her own ear. Each knock torments her inner turmoil of choosing her passion instead of following tradition and longing for her parents' return. In the conclusion, we see that after Gabriela allows herself to fully accept herself and her art, she falls into a dream-like state; waking up to find her finished painting in the very closet that tormented her. Gabriela's painting becomes a metaphor for finding a way to finally piece her fragmented sense of self together in her own way. This film explores the impact of generational pressures and sheds light on the struggles immigrant children face to embrace their identity without guilt.

Mentor: Annie Silverstein

Panel Chair: Dr. Sarah Fritts, Department of Biology

Sarah Barnes - THE EFFECT OF WEATHER AND URBANIZATION FACTORS ON THE ACTIVITY OF VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS IN THE UNITED STATES

Madi Vasquez - COYOTE DETECTIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES 

Room 309 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Objective: Obesity can promote cancer through metabolic impairment, decreased lipid metabolism, and interference of energy balance in the liver. NAMPT is an enzyme expressed in the liver and is involved in the progression of tumors in obesogenic environments. iNAMPT is known to be the rate-limiting enzyme in NAD synthesis involved in ATP synthesis which promotes a pro-growth environment. Because iNAMPT plays an important role in liver cancer, it is a target for therapies focused on inhibiting its behavior in cancer cells. The study objective is to determine the contribution of NAD biosynthesis in obesity-induced liver cancer progression. Methods: Cell studies were conducted with serum from mice randomized to a diet-induced obesity (OB) or control chow (CR) + FK866 (iNAMPT inhibitor) in SNU, HepG2 human liver cancer cells and Hepa 1-6 murine cells. Analysis of proteins pAkt and pErk was performed by immunoblot. Proliferation, ROS, cytotoxicity, and invasion were measured in liver cancer cells. On-going mouse model: C57/BL mice were randomized to OB or CR chow. At 14 weeks of age, mice were injected subcutaneously with Hepa 1-6 cells. Mice received an I.P injection of FK8666 (30 mg/) for 3 weeks. Results: Cells exposed to OB sera increased proliferation, LDH secretion, and ROS. FK866 decreased proliferation and ROS in liver cancer cells. Cells exposed to NW sera and OB + FK866 resulted in more LDH suggesting increased apoptosis compared to OB sera. OB sera increased NF-kB and phosphorylation of Akt which was suppressed by FK866 compared to OB. Conclusion: In liver cancer cells, physiological and cellular signaling are differentially affected when inhibiting NAD biosynthesis in an in vitro model of obesity and liver cancer. Identifying pre-clinical strategies to reverse the impact of obesity on liver cancer progression is important due to the increased risk of liver cancer and its poor prognosis.

Mentor: Dr. Ramona Salcedo Price

Room 309 | 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

One of the major causes of species extinction is urbanization. In fact, urbanization endangers more species and affects more land space in the United States than any other human activity. Recent research on urban mesopredators suggests a consistent trend toward declining species richness with increasing urban intensity. However, not all research areas or species exhibit these patterns. One of these mesopredators, the coyote (Canis latrans) is an opportunistic carnivore that has adapted to the spread of urbanization and are now present in previously uninhabited metropolitan areas. In this study, we will use camera trap data collected from 2019 - 2020 to perform a comparison of coyote detections along an urban gradient and look at different weather patterns in various areas in the United States. We hypothesized that there will be greater coyote detections in urban areas than rural areas and large urban areas will have a greater coyote detection than small urban areas. We used camera trap data from Snapshot that is a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations across the United States. The study is designed to sample sites stratified across habitats and development zones (suburban/rural/urban/wild). We used a linear regression model with count of coyotes as the response variable and a suite of weather and metrics of urbanization as continuous predictor variables. Our results suggest that the mean road density, cultivated lands, and GPP (gross primary productivity) had the greatest effect on coyote counts.

Mentor: Dr. Sarah Fritts

Room 306 | 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

When signing up to go on a study abroad trip everyone tells you how it will be a life changing experience and that you will come back a different person. Throughout listening to my podcast, you will listen to the firsthand experiences from students who stayed in Sorrento, Italy this past summer as part of a faculty-led study abroad program. Through these interviews you will get to hear how this experience has changed, shaped, and encouraged students since returning from La Dolce Vita lifestyle.

Mentor: Dr. Moira Di Mauro-Jackson

This capstone project consists of a memoir from my childhood and adolescence years in Cuba (1998-2016). It is divided into three chapters, with chapter one covering my early childhood years growing up in the province of Las Tunas, chapter two covering my adolescence years living in the province of Camagüey, as well as my school years from 7th to 12th grade, and chapter 3 which focuses on the last months before I left Cuba, as well as my first years as an immigrant in Texas. Through this project, I plan to navigate the topics of mental health and indoctrination through a collection of short stories of key events from my life growing up in Cuba. Using a narrative memoir style, this project takes a personal and emotional approach in order to provide the reader with a window into Cuban society from a time before the internet and during Fidel Castro’s rule.

Mentor: Dr. Louie Valencia

Panel Chair: Dale Blasingame, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Robert Cortez - VIRTUAL WORLDS AND LONG-DISTANCE LOVE: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION

Ivan Zarate - A GUIDE TO NAVIGATING TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY AS A NEW ARTIST

Lauren Martin - HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACTED A FUTURE GENERATION OF VETERINARIANS 

Panel Chair: Dr. Deborah Balzhiser, Department of English

Raylen Davis - THE CHARACTERS OF MEDIEVAL WOMEN: HOW ICELANDIC SAGAS CONVEY A SPECTRUM OF POSSIBILITIES

Preethi Mangadu - BEYOND THE FRAMES: UNVEILING THE DEPTH OF EARLY 2000S SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN FEMALE CHARACTERS 

The element of chance is a fundamental aspect of life that has been the topic of much philosophical exploration. Throughout history and flourishing in the 20th century artists, musicians, and other creators alike sought ways to include aleatory, or chance, in their work. Through a personal exercise in using chance in the creative process, I composed a musical work which utilizes the dice rolls from a Dungeons & Dragons campaign and converts them into pitches. As the world of indeterminate artworks continues to grow, this paper seeks to explore the various ways in which creators have worked in tandem with chance to imbue their creations with a certain humanity that determinism cannot replicate. That is, how can leaving some elements of creative endeavors up to chance, paradoxically, make them more “human,” and how has chance given my composition a life of its own?

Mentor: Michael Ippolito

This documentary plus its accompanying written script provides ocular evidence to creativity in art, both in and beyond the classroom. Society—especially its students—need examples of visual expression, in part through art within school contexts. I explore how art teachers offer fun alongside policy constraints. Through this documentary I explore how educators, parents, and art in public spaces and student portfolios inspires and affirms community, connection, and individual points-of-view. I conducted interviews with parents and art teachers, alongside capturing public and student-created art. My two field sites were Seoul, South Korea and San Marcos, TX, USA, connecting TXST students where I live to the cultural roots in the world. For me, connectivity means a sense of belonging, a community, and these two field sites greatly emphasized that. In both field sites, I filmed public art, including sculpture, and student-created art. I emphasized student art that foregrounded feelings, such as financial pressures or reactions to social forces. I also prioritized art that responded and amplified emotive responses and connections with the environment. Seoul provided a global world-wide cultural hub; whereas San Marcos provided an everyday college town experience. My research questions were: (1) How do teachers and parents conceptualize art and art education? (2) How does art convey emotion, especially from subjective experiences and the environment? (3) How do different parts of the world overlap in their experiences as viewed through connectivity in art? I chose to produce a documentary to answer my research questions in a visual way to help them connect with and understand passion in art.

Mentor: Dr. Emily Summers

Room 309 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

The music industry we see today has become the subject of a massive overhaul with the introduction of social media. Social media has amplified the presence of music in each person's everyday life, and it has affected the way an artist navigates the music industry. Using present and past literature along with an interview with an amateur artist I will attempt to create a guide for a new artist. The problems we see major artists go through are a great example of how change in an industry so big must come from the top down. These problems are universal and new artists face these problems at a minuscule scale though the implications they have on their financial livelihood are greater. Social media has made an impact on the music industry, though has it benefited artists? These findings will present knowledge to newcomers to the music industry and address some of the issues that must be solved.

Mentor: Dr. Gilbert Martinez