Digital Commons Network^™

Contemporary Mythology: Poems Of Creatures And Grievances, Zane G. Segal

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Urban legends and modern folklore have never been popular subjects in the canon of serious poetry, despite their more ancient counterparts being frequently coveted content. In a post-science world, the uncanny hearsay of yesteryear has lost its star power, and the act of believing in such myths has been relegated to an embarrassing pastime of drunk uncles and gullible dimwits. However, Contemporary Mythology is a collection of poems which are not afraid to be embarrassed. By entertaining the lovable qualities of unlovable monsters, these poems seek the resonance which keep urban legends comfortably lodged in the backlogs of American culture. …

Dispossession Of Ancestral Land: Effect Of Displacement On Indigenous Peoples' Life Satifaction, Kaitlyn Bird, Hailey Shangin, Alana Smutz, Julisa Lopez, Adam Farero, Stephanie Fryberg

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

North America's history of forced displacement and relocation of Indigenous tribes continues to affect contemporary Indigenous peoples (Wolfe, 2006). As climate change, socioeconomic disparities, and industry encroachment shape displacement, Indigenous people continue to be negatively impacted (Covey, 2021). The current work explores how displacement impacts life satisfaction for Indigenous Peoples, and whether cultural embeddedness modifies this relationship. Using the Indigenous Climate Justice survey (N=282), regression analysis illustrates that those who have not been displaced generally report higher life satisfaction than those who have been displaced (β=-0.255, SE= 0.108 p= 0.019). Lower reported life satisfaction is especially prevalent when those displaced …

The Impact Of Mental Health On Recidivism: A Logistic Regression Analysis Examining Federal Probation Outcomes, Stephanie Kowal

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

My research study examines the relationship between mental health and a person’s success in probation. I used secondary data that was sourced by the Criminology research group at UM that collected probation data from the Feder Probation District in Montana during 2022. I wanted to specifically understand whether probationers that were receiving mental health treatment were more likely to recidivate while in the probation program. In this study, recidivism refers to an instance in which a probationer violated a condition of their release and was sent back to prison. From the binary logistic regression analyses I estimated, I discovered that …

Assessing American Attitudes: Welfare Perceptions Over Time By Race, Gender And Education, Liliana H. Silver

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Income and wealth inequality in the United States have skyrocketed since the 1970s, making the country increasingly unequal (Hout 2021; Lee 2023; Piketty and Saez 2014). Researchers disagree on whether overall support for redistribution in the United States has changed in the last several decades (Ashok et al. 2016; Lee 2023; Pittau et al. 2016) but recent studies suggest the country has seen a significant political realignment based on race and education. Education levels are increasingly becoming major determinants in this voter realignment (Kitschelt and Rehm 2019). Much of the literature on attitudes toward welfare exists in political science or …

The Impact Of Past Experiences Of Intimate Partner Violence And Coercion On Abortion Attitudes, Grace M. Bintz, Selina Hardt

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Recent changes to the abortion laws across the United States have had a profound impact on the psychological well-being and overall health of women. The extent and ways that people support or oppose access to abortion may be influenced by personal experiences of sexual violence and coercion. To understand the implications of legal actions towards women’s reproductive health, this study explores associations between abortion attitudes and experiences of reproductive coercion, non-partner sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and perceptions of people actively seeking abortion access. In this study, participants were asked about their personal attitudes towards abortion, and their experiences of …

The Psychological Impact Of Climate Change Reminders, Brit King

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

In addition to the ongoing and anticipated destruction of the environment, climate change threatens the mental well-being of humanity on a global scale. Climate change has been conceptualized as a form of existential anxiety due to its acute, chronic, and expected (yet uncertain) effects (Zotova & Karapetyan, 2018). Younger generations will be more directly impacted by the long-term effects of climate change and have been burdened with a greater responsibility to minimize its destruction (Hausfather, 2020). Furthermore, young people are at an increased risk of psychological impacts from climate change and have reported high levels of climate-related anxiety and distress …

Cigarettes And Ice Cream For Lunch: Parent And Student Rights At The Butte Industrial School In The Long Progressive Era, Lauryn N. Tecca

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

In 1903, Butte opened the doors of the Butte Industrial School for truant children. Following the guidelines of truancy schools in places such as Chicago and Cleveland, the school was an attempt to deal with Butte children who habitually skipped school and hold them accountable for their actions. Quickly after opening, juvenile court proceedings became a fixture in The Butte Miner. Scholarship on the school centers around the children's experiences and their treatment in the juvenile courts that sentenced them there. Very little is said about the parents of these children. According to a 1915 U.S. Bureau of Education report …

The Role Of Advisors’ Sexual And Gender Minority Status In Gender And Sexuality Alliances, Bennett Ilac, Kelly M. Davis

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Research has consistently shown that sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience higher rates of mental health issues. One protective factor against these issues is the presence of Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) in schools. The presence of a GSA at school has been associated with lower rates of depression and higher levels of academic achievement, self-esteem, and belonging for SGM youth. Though the benefits of GSAs are well-documented, less research exists about the practices of GSAs and the advisors leading them. This study is based on data from a survey of 170 GSA advisors, 86 of whom self-identified as …

Is Circle Time Enough Language Input To Learn Grammatical Gender?, Madeline Grace Strah

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

In the United States, little is known about second language learning in the context of public preschools. However, we do know that dual immersion programs have for the most part been limited to private or charter schools, with fewer than 3600 programs available nationwide. This raises the question of whether it’s even possible for public educators to facilitate second language learning through small group activities. Additionally, is the language input received during this small group enough language input for children to acquire a feature absent from their first language, like grammatical and lexical gender? Research has shown that opportunities where …

Stem Course Taking Patterns Of Transferred Students From Tribal College, Shurong Li

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Montana largest race/ethnic non-While population is Native Americans (NAs) - 8.2% of the population compared to 1.7% nationally (American Community Survey 2017; U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Montana, known for its expansive Native American reservation territories, is also home to a significant number of tribal colleges.

While tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) play a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage and fostering academic growth, Native American students face distinctive challenges when they graduate from a TCU and transfer to a 4-year institution outside their reservations. These challenges include maintaining a sense of community connection, encountering a lack of cultural competence in …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Behavioral Symptoms Associated With Trauma, Hannah G. Hall

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

School is an integral environment for students to learn the academic and social-emotional skills they need to be successful. However, students are inseparable from the challenges they face at home or in the community, and these dynamics affect their behaviors at school. Children with histories of trauma are often identified through a range of emotional and behavioral concerns and there is an increasing need to intervene. It is reported that by age 16, more than two-thirds of children will be exposed to one traumatic event (SAMHSA, 2022). Despite the prevalence of trauma, the signs manifest differently, making it difficult to …

Manbox: A Goodbye Play, Jadd Davis

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

"ManBox: A Goodbye Play" is an original short play that explores the limitations an individualistic patriarchal society forces on members of the dominant hegemony - in this case semi-autobiographically as I am a white male who grew up in the Western United States. In it, the protagonist runs up against multiple walls as he attempts to say something meaningful to a loved one, trying to access something more significant than his rudimentary emotional vocabulary will allow. I wrote this play in response to watching my father grapple with the loss of his own father, seeing him tie himself in knots …

Depictions Of Strikes On Social Media, Zachary D. Mangels

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Social media provides a rich source for the study of social movements. Not only do movement organizations use social media as a platform to spread their message and organize, but users can also share their thoughts about a particular movement with ease. This project seeks to understand how the socioeconomic status and gender of a social movement’s participants affect the public’s reaction to their activities. This is done by studying how these movements are described on Twitter, and if these descriptions differ among different striking professions. The types of social movement I intend to study are all strikes which were …

Barriers To Outdoor Recreation For Marginalized Communities At The University Of Mt, Beatrix A. Frissell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Exclusion from outdoor recreation reflects legacies of oppression of marginalized communities and makes access to the outdoors not equally available. In the United States approximately 38% of Black Americans and 48% of Hispanic Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2020. This is compared to 55% participation among Caucasian Americans. Many other intersecting identities are actively excluded, including people with disabilities, fat populations, and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community; furthermore, class-based hierarchies are shown through the restricted outdoor access of low income populations.

While numerous studies show lack of diversity in outdoor recreation, there has been little to no research conducted …

Alienation As A Global And Local Issue, Sequoia Gregorich, Cole Mathews, Daniel Ryan, Alexandra Berna, Olivia Kalvig

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Title: Alienation as a Global and Local Issue

Purpose: We asked questions to determine if alienation is an issue that needs to be addressed and how to address it. With the help of our University of Montana campus and experts, we now better understand alienation as it exists and doesn’t exist on campus.

Methods: We analyzed data and responses collected from a survey advertised across campus, as well as conducted interviews with students and experts in the field of alienation.

Significance: Provide valuable information and data to empower our campus community to live in such a way that eradicates and …

The Beauty And The Beast: Beauty And Misfortune In Maria De Zayas's Novellas, Clarise Ann Sviatko

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The age-old question of what beauty is has been a common discussion among artists and philosophers for centuries. Maria de Zayas, a 17^th century Spanish novelist mostly known for her novella collections Amorous and Exemplary Novels (1637) and The Disenchantments of Love (1647), which describe violence and deception of beautiful women at the hands of men. In this paper, I will explore Zayas’s motives for all the female heroines being beautiful and how this all relates to the connection between beauty and misfortune that is seen throughout her works as well as many other pieces of literature. By comparing …

Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In West Mexico, Emma Zoiss

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Despite attempts at systematic research, we are still missing critical information about pre-Hispanic populations in the Aztatlán region, one of the least studied regions of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. The Aztatlán region is located in West Mexico and extends from Sinola to Jalisco, including regions in Durango, Michoacán, and Zacatecas. This research will focus on those individuals recovered from an archeological site referred to as Tizapán el Alto, located in the highlands of the Lake Chapala Basin. The integration of genetics into our understanding of the past affords a better understanding of the archaeological record, and broader context of the populations of …

Identity And Performance Anxiety In Classical Singing: A Counseling Perspective, Jadd D. Davis

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

In this practical research, I propose that performance anxiety in classical singing is more than simply “stage fright”, but a mental health concern directly tied to perceived identity. Classical singers, for whom professional preparation is lengthy and rigorous, are often referred to solely as their function in the fabric of a performance. For example, a soloist in oratorio or opera is simply seen as “the tenor”. This limiting of the totality of human embodiment weds performance outcomes with sense of self. The singer’s positive or negative perception of identity hinges upon a subjective measurement of success. The rigor of classical …

Moonlighting And Wage Differentials: A Case Study Of The Public And Formal Private Sectors In Ghana, Matilda Kabutey-Ongor

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

In comparison to private sector workers, workers in the public sector in Ghana are far more likely to supplement their incomes by taking on additional jobs, which is also known as moonlighting. Previous research on the moonlighting phenomenon in Ghana has focused on general motives for taking on a second job, but the workers’ decision to moonlight may differ across sectors. With an increasing wage gap between private and public sector wages in Ghana, the differentials in these sectors could have a significant impact on the individual’s decision to moonlight.

This paper examines the incidence and motivations for moonlighting with …

Interpersonal Protective Factors Of Suicide Ideation And Attempt Among Adolescents, Lillian Martz, Emily Sallee, Abraham Cazares-Cervantes

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

The purpose of this research study is to contribute positively to the literature and research related to the growing epidemic of suicidality among adolescents in the United States. More than one in three high school students report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness and one in six youth report making a suicide plan in the past year. Nearly 22% of Montana teens seriously considered suicide in the past year with a full 10.2% of teens making a suicide attempt. The researchers are interested in applying the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) to the adolescent population. ITPS posits that the …

Student-Athlete Well-Being At The University Of Montana, Olivia Oosterbaan

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Student-Athlete Well-Being at the University of Montana

Psychology

At the University of Montana, there are very few resources and outlets for student-athletes to talk about the challenges that come with high-pressure situations in competition and during everyday life. There is also a large stigma in athletics about addressing the many issues and struggles that student-athletes face. My goal is to give the athletic program at the University of Montana a different perspective on the student-athlete lifestyle. This research project will focus on creating a social media profile and website for student-athletes at the University of Montana concentrating resources to support …

Racial Stacking Of Black High School Quarterbacks As Dual-Threats, Zachary D. Mangels

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Since the turn of the millennium, Black quarterbacks have made a significant impression on the landscape of American football. While in previous decades Black quarterbacks were outright prevented from playing that position in the NFL and on certain college teams, in recent years this outright discrimination has seemingly ended. I sought to examine whether Black quarterbacks have achieved true equality with their White counterparts by analyzing the categorization of high school quarterback recruits as dual-threat or pro-style. Given the stereotypes that exist regarding Black athletic advantages, I hypothesized that Black quarterbacks would be more likely to be categorized as dual-threats, …

An Exploration In Museum Diversity And Inclusivity, Jaimie L. Davis

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Establishing equity in museum staffing will widen the range of potential visitors. By contrasting the way museums were in the past with the present, this exploration will outline diversity and inclusivity issues in the museum world. I will take the information I have gained from lectures and my own research and present an argument for museum inclusivity and diversity. Encouraging the general public and internal museum workers to consider diversity and inclusivity in museum studies is conducive to the overall success of the institution. In this independent study, I will explore diversity and inclusivity in the museum world. I will …

Wildland Firefighter Off-Season Mental Health, Luke Santore

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Wildland firefighter suicide rates are ten times that of the general population and lower than only a handful of other occupations in the US. Comorbid mental and behavioral health issues are similarly disproportionately common. In this paper I interview fourteen current and former wildland firefighters about their mental health before, during and (when relevant) after their occupational exposure to wildland fire. My intent is to provide a qualitative assessment of commonly reported mental health issues, their causes and possible solutions. Starting with ex-coworkers I utilized snowball sampling to gather interview subjects. I utilized concept-driven coding supported by memo notes. I …

Women And Water In Mountain Communities: Interactions Between Resource Access And Gender-Based Development, Jenna Mccrorie

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Potable water and safe sanitation services are some of the most crucial resources to communities all around the globe. Currently, as many as 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, and it is predicted that 1.8 billion people will be living in countries with absolute water scarcity by 2025. This indispensable resource and lifeblood of civilization originates in the “water towers of the world”: mountains. It is estimated that over half of the human population relies on major streams and rivers flowing out of mountainous areas. Communities in these areas face serious challenges when there is not …

Differences In Childhood Bullying Experiences And Self-Harm And Suicidality Across Subgroups Of Sexual Minorities, Jesse Jewell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Sexual minorities (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) are at greater risk for childhood bullying, self-harm, and suicidality than the heterosexual population. Research has also shown that bullying victimization is related to increased negative mental health outcomes. Additionally, some subgroups of sexual minorities, such as bisexuals, have been reported to experience higher rates of adverse mental health than their gay and lesbian peers. However, less is understood about how the relationship between childhood bullying and deleterious mental health may impact different subgroups of sexual minorities.

The current study examined responses from 1,507 sexual minority participants in the Generations: A Study of …

Spotify: A Strategic Analysis Of Its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, And Threats, Kian Dei Bertin

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Spotify is an online streaming platform that allows consumers to listen to music and podcasts for free with advertising or paying a monthly subscription for ad-free access. Since its founding in 2006, it exploded into the music scene, taking hold of a significant portion of market share in the media and entertainment industry. As always in the business world, however, there is room for growth. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate how Spotify is performing as a company, both internally and compared to its competitors. After exploring Spotify’s business practices and the state of its industry through business …

Indigenous (Mis)Representation: Implications For The Mmiwg2s Epidemic, Emma Swartz, Chloe Burnstein, Desi Greer, Danara Greer, Jillian Topsky, Sam Severson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In the United States and Canada, Native women, girls, and two-spirit people are stolen and killed at a disproportionate rate. Despite their pleas for justice, non-indigenous media are reluctant to give Indigenous voices a platform to incite change. Critically, the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) is not endemic to North America, but permeates through aboriginal life on every continent as a tool of settler colonialism. Existing literature on the topic ofMMIWG2S has traced the roots of the crisis to settler colonialism and to non-Indigenous popular culture, but there is a gap in knowledge …

Effects Of Concussions On Balance: A Systematic Review, Jason R. Nielsen, Shane Murphy

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Purpose: Concussions can cause many disturbances and or issues to the body whether it be mental or physical. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to identify how balance can be disturbed during and throughout rehabilitation with people suffering from concussions via center of pressure measurements. Methods: Only one database was used in searching for articles related to this topic, which was PubMed published from 2013 to present. For studies to be eligible they were peer reviewed research on the use of center of pressure to measure differences in balance measurements between concussed and non-concussed. No restrictions for age, ethnicity, …

Genetic And Seasonal Determinants Of Vitamin D Status In Confederated Salish And Kootenai Tribes (Cskt) Participants, Jack W. Staples, Kathleen M. George, Rachel Dalton, Erin E. Ellerbeck, Genevieve Krause, Tianna Lietch, Theresa Aliwarga, Matthew G. Mcdonald, Brian Phillips, Leeanna I. Muzquiz, Deborah A. Nickerson, Timothy A. Thornton, Kenneth E. Thummel, Erica L. Woodahl

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: Vitamin D is a hormone produced in the skin upon ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Vitamin D is a crucial regulator of calcium and phosphate levels for bone mineralization and other physiological roles. Vitamin D levels vary globally in human populations due to genetics, geography, and other demographic factors. It is estimated that 20-85 % of the variability in vitamin D levels is driven by genetic variation. To improve our understanding of contributors to vitamin D levels, we conducted a candidate-gene study in partnership with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).

Methods: We recruited 472 CSKT study participants on …