Digital Commons Network^™

Disparities In Covid-19 Rates Among Various Demographics And Lack Of Racial Representation In Medical Texts, Diangelo Gonzalez

Celebration of Learning

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China in December of 2019, has impacted nations all over the globe. Given the health disparities which existed within the United States prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this pandemic continued to pose a significant challenge to the health of the public. The aims of this research study were twofold: (1) to analyze the incidence rates of COVID-19 among different racial and ethnic groups within the United States and (2) to describe the occurrence of diversity within medical texts. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health disparities within the United States. Understanding …

Spanish Nominalizations And Case Assignment, Dr. Jeff Renaud, Tania Leal

Celebration of Learning

Nominalizations are syntactic structures wherein verbal roots co-occur with verbal and nominal properties, classifying them as verbal (VN) (El andar el niño tan tarde) or nominal (NN) (El andar errabundo del niño). While NNs mark agents genitive (del niño), VNs require nominative agents (el niño). NNs co-occur with adjectives (errabundo), whereas VNs co-occur with adverbs (tan tarde). Alexiadou et al. (2011) posit separate syntactic structures for the two. In this study, we investigate via self-paced reading task the types of case available in each structure, providing evidence of …

Standardization Of Methods For Characterizing The Physiological Profiles Of Aquatic Microbial Communities Using Ecoplates, Kim Phan, Madalyn Murillo

Celebration of Learning

Microbial physiology is often studied by observing pure cultures of isolated organisms grown in a lab setting. This approach is not realistic when trying to understand how a community of bacteria, which includes a variety of bacterial species, is functioning while coexisting in a specific ecosystem.

By using BioLOG EcoPlates, the metabolic functioning of a microbial community in response to 31 different carbon sources may be assessed in just one plate. Each well in an EcoPlate contains a single common carbon source and a tetrazolium dye that will turn purple in color if any microbe in the sample is able …

Ecological Researcher, Alex Demmers

Celebration of Learning

This is my field research I complete during the summer of 2018.

Graphs And Cad: Analyzing The Experience Of A Mechanical Engineering Intern, Matthew Des Biens

Celebration of Learning

A reflection on the experiences of a mechanical engineering intern at Bergstrom Inc., this presentation, by Senior Matt Des Biens, will discuss what it was like working for a manufacturing and design company making HVAC units for large customers across the world. The highlights will be on the projects he worked on, the things that he learned, and his views on working for the company as a whole.

Lewis J. Sundquist: Augustana Alum Of 1886, Zoe L. Arvanitis, Rachel A. Bresnahan, Bryn E. Gatz

Celebration of Learning

Lewis J. Sundquist graduated from Augustana in 1886. We will discuss his career as a pastor, his family history, and his genealogy.

Erik S. Tjernberg : Augustana Alum Of 1886, Maame Araba Vander-Pallen, Sosena Gebremariam, Drew Davis

Celebration of Learning

Erik S. Tjernberg graduated from Augustana in 1886. We will discuss his career as a pastor, his family history and his genealogy. We will include information about life in Augustana in the 1880s. We will use sources from Augustana's special collections and original Swedish Parish records.

John Fredrik Seedoff: Augustana Alum Of 1886, Anthony M. Cozzi, Jaden W. Dellitt, Luke J. Johnson

Celebration of Learning

John Seedoff was a graduate from Augustana in 1886. We will discuss his career as a pastor, his family history, and his genealogy. We will include when he arrived at Augustana, and what he did as a student here.

Carl Erik Elving: Augustana Alum Of 1886, Adrian Sowicz, Evan Webber, Emma Gannaway

Celebration of Learning

Carl Erik Elving was a graduate from Augustana in 1886. We will discuss his career as a pastor, his family history and his genealogy. We use historic records from Augustana's Special Collections and Swedish parish records.

Peter Olof Hansen; Augustana Alum Of 1886, Elizabeth J. Merrill, Abby R. Redlinger, Joshua R. Anderson

Celebration of Learning

Peter Olof Hansen graduated from Augustana in June of 1886. We have researched his immigration to the United States, his family history and genealogy, and his career as a pastor after Augustana.

Peter Mathias Lindberg: Augustana Alum Of 1886, Nicole Kunz, Anna Matava, Rebecca Casad

Celebration of Learning

Peter Mathias Lindberg graduated from Augustana in 1886. We will discuss his career as a pastor, his family history, and his genealogy.

More Than Man's Best Friend, Sarah Rushing

Celebration of Learning

With Viking Pups starting to be more active again, we wanted to do a presentation to remind people of different laws that protect service dogs and service dogs in training. We also would like to cover the differences between service dogs and other working dogs. And if it would be allowed, we would like to share some of our clients testimonies, in order to give individuals a better glance at how much of a difference a service dog can make. We originally decided to propose a symposium day presentation because one of the main goals of the club is to …

Identifying Dietary And Migratory Patterns Of Illinois Woolly Mammoth Populations Using Isotope Analysis Of Carbon, Oxygen, And Strontium, Matthew Harrington, Chris Widga, Al Wanamaker, Doug Walker

Celebration of Learning

The extinct woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) ranged from Alaska to the Northeastern Seaboard throughout the Late Pleistocene (100-10 Ka). Although it is recognized that woolly mammoths coincided with and lived in a region heavily influenced by glacial ice sheets, little is known about their dietary or migratory behavior. This study classifies and provides insight into the diet and mobility of Midwestern mammoths by analyzing stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen, and strontium preserved in the tooth enamel of these extinct elephantids. A woolly mammoth tooth from Moline, IL, was bulk-sampled and micromilled to extract the aforementioned isotopes from the …

The Effect Of Democracy, Development, Religion And Science On Animal Welfare, Sydney Richardson

Celebration of Learning

This project examined the determinants of animal welfare across five countries: India, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the United Stated. The dependent variable of animal welfare was measured based on the Animal Protection Index (API) developed by the World Protection, a global non-profit organization. Democracy, development, religion and science were major areas that were evaluated to determine if there were correlations with the API. Correlation with the API was tested by using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. A Country’s Freedom House scores were used to evaluate Democracy. Development examined each country’s Human Development Index from the UN’s Human Development Reports and …

Snake Fungal Disease In Lake Eerie Water Snakes And Its Affect On Attitude And Behavior During Treatment, Kelcie Fredrickson

Celebration of Learning

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Infection occurs when the outer skin is breached, and the organism enters the epidermis. The epidermis becomes necrotic and produces a yellow/brown crust. When the crust breaks off, ulcerations/lesions are formed along the snake’s body, head and tail. It has been found that SFD can be treated with a terbinafine nebulization treatment. Ellen Haynes, a PhD student, created a study in which 26 Lake Eerie water snakes are separated into treatment and control groups to determine the effectiveness of the nebulization treatment. Through daily observations, this research aimed …

Assessing The Rock Island Community Garden Program, Christian Elliott, Hunter Ridley, Robert Burke, Alexander Disabato, Abby Huffman, Dr. Christopher Strunk

Celebration of Learning

As part of Sustainable Working Landscapes Initiative with Augustana College’s Upper Mississippi Center, students in Urban Design and Environmental Justice (Geography 325) conducted research on Rock Island’s community garden program this fall. The City of Rock Island currently has 21 vacant-lot community gardens and plans to expand the program to 24 gardens in 2019. The purpose of this project was to develop an initial assessment of the community garden program and provide general information about the benefits of urban gardens. Students worked with Dr. Strunk to conduct a survey with current garden program participants and tested soil from 14 gardens …

Diversity Of The Brown Alga Dictyota Between Deep And Shallow Reefs Of Hawaii, Mary Ade, Rachael M. Wade, Heather L. Spalding, Alison R. Sherwood

Celebration of Learning

In this presentation, I compile the results of 10 weeks of an NSF-funded REU during the summer of 2018. This research is regarding the biodiversity of Dictyota species found in the mesophotic and shallow reef ecosystems in the Hawaiian islands.

Retelling The Classics: The Harlem Renaissance, Biblical Stories, And Black Peoplehood, Mina Magalhaes

Celebration of Learning

Applying social identity theory to the process of creating peoplehood can illustrate the positive power that literature has in uplifting marginalized communities by showing their worth. James Weldon Johnson’s “The Creation” and Zora Neale Hurston’s Moses, Man of the Mountain, both composed during the Harlem Renaissance, offer one way to create Black peoplehood by creating depictions of God’s love for His Black people through the repurposing of biblical stories. Through the implementation of social identity theory to Hurston’s Moses, Man of the Mountain and Johnson’s “The Creation,” I argue that these two authors addressed the need among African Americans to …

Motivation And Confidence: More Than Cheerleading, Dr. Paul Olsen

Celebration of Learning

What empowers self-confidence in athletic performance? Most of us know the psychology and language of motivation in positive reinforcement: "way to go"; "good work"; "I believe in you" are some examples. It's a sort of "cheerleading." But confidence goes much deeper into the realm of how the athlete understands the "existential self" in the world. Is he more than a point getter? Is she more than "all-conference" or a "record holder"?

Literature (novels, poetry, essays) often demonstrates that the depth of confidence is found in demonstrative love. If one feels worthy of love, and the love is demonstrated, fear of …

Analyzing Social Issues Within Rock Island’S Christian Communities, Daniel Warren

Celebration of Learning

This research asks how Christians within the Quad Cities Area understand prevalent American social issues. Through my research, I explored how homophobia, racism, and gender discrimination fit within the context of American Christianity. I conducted interviews and participant observation with two different communities within the Rock Island area: Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and the Quad Cities Mainspring Ministry. My research examines several major themes: race, sexuality, gender, and socioeconomic status, and through my research I concluded that religion is a major factor in contributing to how my participants have viewed these themes.

Code Switching In A Bilingual Workplace, Montserrat Ricossa

Celebration of Learning

Bilingual people often find themselves in a situation where they switch from one language to another. As with the number of Spanish speakers exponentially increasing in the United States, “code-switching” within Spanish and English is more noticeable within work spaces. When and where does code switching occur? Why does it occur? And how will it affect a work space? This essay will argue that code switching can be used within any environment, regardless of class or education. First, it’s important to know the history of code switching and how it differs from Spanglish. “In-groups” can be formed with basic similarities …

The Last Digits Of Infinity (On Tetrations Under Modular Rings), William Stowe

Celebration of Learning

A tetration is defined as repeated exponentiation. As an example, 2 tetrated 4 times is 2^(2^(2^2)) = 2^16. Tetrated numbers grow rapidly; however, we will see that when tetrating where computations are performed mod n for some positive integer n, there is convergent behavior. We will show that, in general, this convergent behavior will always show up.

Marketing Channel Effectiveness Of New Medications/Medical Technology, Hadley Mccormick

Celebration of Learning

This research project will study what marketing platforms/channels are most effective in the dissemination of new medical product news. Many people like myself have an illness/disease that requires daily medication, or require the daily use of a medical device. Due to the increasing influence of Direct to Consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals and the constant development of new medications and devices, patients may now more often go to the doctor with perceptions of what they should do to manage their illness/disease. This study aims to look at how the developers of these medications/medical devices promote their products currently and how certain …

Effects Of Heat Treatment Of Spinels As Determined By Vis/Nir And Raman Spectroscopy And Xrd, Jill Reale, Dr. Michael B. Wolf

Celebration of Learning

Heat treatment is done to improve the color and clarity and, therefore, the value of gemstones. The objectives of this study include observing color and inclusion changes in pink spinels after heat treatment, and analyzing structural changes within differently colored spinels using Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction with a Paris Edinburgh Press. We expected the heat treatment to yield color changes and fading of small inclusions. Cut and polished spinels were heated to 1400C for 2 days or 850C for 3 days. Future experiments involve 800C, 750C, and 700C all for 1 week, 1500C for 4 days, and 1600C for …

Beware The Cat In The Hat: How Children's Literature Is The Modern Form Of Segregation, Lucy Kebler

Celebration of Learning

Every person grows up exposed to children’s literature. Unfortunately, much of the children’s literature that is published is racially discriminatory, historically inaccurate, blatantly offensive, or pure propaganda. The research for this presentation began in Augustana College’s library and has transitioned to a much broader space: The Saint Louis Country Library. Through this research, it has become obvious that diverse literature is hard to find and is often marketed as only readable for those in the minority race depicted. Many libraries mark literature that contains African Americans, as to help “guide” readers in their selections. Books labeled in this way make …

Love Through Justice In Niebuhrian Thought, Giselle Loucks

Celebration of Learning

It is not a rare occurance to hear that love is the main principle of Christianity. And certainly that is justified. After all, when asked what is the greatest commandment, didn’t Christ respond that loving God with all one’s mind, heart, soul, and body along with loving thy neighbor as thyself? But what does that mean and how does it play into how Christians interact with the world around them? I plan to use Reinhold Niebuhr, a celebrated theologian of the 20th century, to investigate this very question. I will examine his view on love in Christianity but particularly in …

Like Lighting: An Investigation Into Bainton And Marius’S Account Of Luther Through Biography, Autumn Loucks

Celebration of Learning

Synthesizing and critically analyzing Roland Bainton and Richard Marius’ biographical approach to Luther, I will argue that Martin Luther’s theological development of Justification of Faith was partially triggered as a method that absolved Luther of his religious fears.

Feminism And Faith: How Women Find Empowerment In The Roman Catholic Church, Amanda Schar

Celebration of Learning

This project examines the relationship between feminism and Catholicism, focusing on whether or not women feel empowered by the Roman Catholic Church. Female members of the Augustana community were surveyed and asked to share their own experiences with their Catholic faith.

Themes discussed include the decision to stay in the Church versus the decision to leave, the importance of Catholicism as a cultural identity, and the multitude of ways women have found to empower themselves within the existing Church structure.

Consumer Capitalist Christmas: How Participation In Christmas Frames Us As Religious Subjects, Shelby Burroughs

Celebration of Learning

Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier every year. It starts with the music that plays on the radio, then retail stores begin to drape their shelves with red and green streamers, followed by Christmas movies running on every other channel. Every December, Christmas feels almost inescapable. The holiday manages to find its way into every facet of public life in the United States. Christians and non-Christians alike find themselves exchanging gifts with friends and loved ones on the 25th of December every year. Christmas is able to be so pervasive because of how unassuming it is. You participate in …

Avoidant Coping Mediates The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Stress, Amanda Schar, Julia Fraterrigo, Emma Slattery, Alyssa Rogalski, Kathryn Steininger

Celebration of Learning

The current study will examine how socioeconomic status affects perceived social support and coping strategies and how these two factors affect stress levels and post traumatic growth. This could lead to developments in how to better educate people on the most effective ways to deal with stress and providing community resources to populations particularly vulnerable to stress. Perceived social support and coping have been shown to affect post-traumatic growth and stress. Differences in coping strategies and availability of support may be partly driven by an individual's socioeconomic status. Perceived social support is defined as the extent to which someone believes …