Digital Commons Network^™

Impacts Of Culture Conditions For Rhizobium Rhizogenes-Mediated Hairy Root Transformation Of Tomato, Jill Graner, Ellen Cha, Justin Larkin, Sarah Hind

Parkland Science Scholars

Rhizobium rhizogenes is a plant pathogen that is used to generate transgenic “hairy roots” in a variety of plant species. However, it was observed that repeated freeze-thaw cycles decreased transformation efficiency. Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to determine if transformation efficiency could be recovered by re-culturing the bacteria. Rhizogenes was thawed either 1 or 5 times and then regrown using either solid or liquid media. We found that freeze-thawing alone was not enough to decrease transformation efficiency, as the 1 thaw and 5 thaw treatments both yielded a high number of transformed plants. Future work will investigate other …

Change Through Social Media: Sparking Wildlife Conservation One Click At A Time, Bryce J. Fable, Lauren Fitzsimmons, Noshi Kapoor, Anne Reichle, Sara Wise, Robin O'Meallie, Greg Zboch

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

As the natural world faces unprecedented threats, conservation efforts depend not only on research and policy but also on public awareness and engagement. This project partnered with the Zoo Miami Foundation to promote awareness through social media initiatives and interactive educational events at the University of Central Florida.

The authors began by studying Zoo Miami’s ongoing conservation projects and the specific environmental pressures faced by endangered species and habitats. To align with Zoo Miami’s exceptional standard of credibility, the team conducted in-depth research that extended beyond the foundation’s website to create material that served to both inform the general public …

What Kind Of World Do I Want To Live In?, Gabriel T. Silva

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

Marine Conservation and Restoration is one of the most influential courses through community engagement and class discussion on conservation and restoration strategies. I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Walters’ CEE (Coastal & Estuarine Ecology) Lab to plant mangroves and census oysters for restoration projects and to contribute to microplastics research based out of the Indian River Lagoon. Through this course, I gained experience that can be utilized in active research and active restoration through hands-on work both in the field and in the laboratory which will strengthen my academic CV and personal skill development. Engagement with the local …

Sir Francis Drake, Pirate Or Privateer, Sarah Green

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

This project explores the early life of Sir Francis Drake and the legacy he left. I will be focusing on how he operated as both a loyal servant to Queen Elizabeth I and a controversial figure in the eyes of Spain and Ireland. Using sources, I examine how his actions were framed as patriotic service, even though they often involved looting and destruction. Some key focuses that I go into are his failed voyages; one with John Hawkins and the Portuguese, and the other focus is the raid on Nombre de Dios. I also look at his role in Ireland …

Enhancing Ulcerative Colitis Care: Combining A Fasting Mimicking Diet With Induction Therapy, Umed Norkulov, Arianna Rivera, Fawaz Qazi

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

This project analyzed a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of adding a Fasting-Mimicking Diet (FMD) to advanced induction therapy for patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) The study (NCT0405410) was a Phase 3, randomized controlled trial involving 32 active participants. The intervention group (n=14) received advanced therapy plus the FMD, while the control group (n=18) received therapy alone. The primary objective was to determine if the FMD could improve remission rates and biomarkers. The trial found a statistically significant (P=0.05) benefit for the combined treatment group. The intervention group achieved a 57% clinical response rate compared to 38% in the control …

The Complete Picture: Bird Behavior On Fragmented Vs. Intact Oyster Reefs, Sophia L. Mcgarrity, Natalia Knapp-Seale, Gwyn Kirby, Enno Turner, Laura Ramsey

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

The presence and health of Florida’s coastal birds rely heavily on the integrity of oyster reefs, which house their crawling and swimming prey items. During this project, we observed bird behaviors across oyster reefs in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) via camera trap footage. The IRL is an important coastal ecosystem that preserves numerous bird species. A previous study in the IRL suggested that live oyster reefs have birds exhibiting more foraging behaviors than on dead reefs, suggesting a need to maintain connected reefs. Our work supports the research of Ph.D. candidate Tara Blanchard, whose work will inform decision-making for …

Temporal-Spatial Occupancy Estimation Using Transformer Encoders, Somaya Ahmadi

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

No abstract provided.

Facilitation Of Historic Preservation In Parramore, Aiyana Gross

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

The Parramore Speaks project is an initiative hosted by the UCF Public History Department designed to give agency back to the resident’s of Parramore by putting the preservation of their history back into their hands. Through a collaborated with the City of Orlando, RICHES and the PHC Internship, I had the unique opportunity to be a part of a team dedicated to preserving and sharing the endangered local histories of communities located here in Central Florida. I worked personally with the oral interviews and transcriptions for individuals such as Reggie McGill, Alzo J. Reddick, Walter Hawkins and Paul Perkins, tirelessly …

Threading The Needle: Teaching Critical Reading And Writing In The Age Of Ai, Emily A. Durham, Andrea A. Berta

Humanities

All instructors--but particularly instructors who must teach students specific disciplinary ways of reading and writing--face a difficult position with AI. Students will need to use AI in collegiate and professional writing, but using AI for assignments can hinder critical thinking skills crucial to analyzing and correcting AI output. This presentation demonstrates three practices from our developmental English classrooms: a critical reading and writing summary assignment, AI-resistant rubrics, and an exercise to help students evaluate AI-generated suggestions on how to review their work. These activities are designed to help students develop crucial AI-literacy skills to help them succeed in an increasingly …

Addressing Ai Usage In Your Course Syllabus: A Guide For Faculty, Diana Almodovar Ph.D.

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Stigma Toward Prep Is Higher Among Men And On Subscales Referencing Sexual Behavior And Substance Abuse, Sarah E. Boslaugh, Brandon Park, Rachel P. Winograd P.

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Authors: Sarah Boslaugh, Brandon Park, Rachel P. Winograd, PhD

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe, approved, and effective medication for preventing HIV infection through sex or injection drug use. PrEP use should be compatible with recovery housing stay for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), but negative perceptions (stigma) of PrEP users endorsed by housing operators may obstruct PrEP use in these settings.

Methods: Between January and July 2024, a national sample of current recovery housing operators, owners, managers, etc. (N=145) completed online questionnaires including demographics; Community PrEP-related Stigma Scale (CPSS), which has four subscales (Stigma of …

Student Research Symposium Presentation Template, Haley F. Wicklein, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

Resources

No abstract provided.

Developing Staff Training Modules To Enhance Neurodiversity-Affirming Care In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Haley Morris

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Introduction: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are admitted to psychiatric hospitals at higher rates and for longer durations compared to neurotypical individuals (Kuriakose et al., 2018). Externalizing behaviors, such as aggression and self-injury, significantly increase hospitalization risk, yet standard psychiatric interventions (e.g., traditional process groups) are often ineffective for this population. A key barrier is the lack of ASD-specific training among hospital staff (Siegel & Gabriels, 2012). This capstone project aimed to address this gap by developing and implementing an educational training program to improve patient-centered, neurodiversity-affirming care across all inpatient psychiatric units. The primary aims were to: …

Educational Resources For Social-Emotional Regulation In Children, Gabrielle A. Walker

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Emotional dysregulation is defined as patterns of emotional experience or expression that interfere with goal-directed activity (Thompson 2019). Emotional development is built on the relationships created between a child and primary caregivers including parents, extended family, and/or teachers (Stern, 2010). This project supports the development of educational resources to implement social-emotional regulation tools with children. There were some resources at the site that already existed. These were updated and revamped, along with new resources created to address social-emotional dysregulation in children.

Two passionate pediatric occupational therapists based in the Charleston area created a self-regulation education program that is implemented by …

Franco-American Collection Showcase Presentation, Anna Faherty

Events and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effects On Surface Skin Dose When Using Linen During Pelvic Radiation Therapy, Chantilly Artiga, Luke Bogar, Liliana Guardiola, Katherine Kelley, Shaun T. Caldwell

Research Methods Poster Session 2025

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Surface Dose Using Various Types Of Bolus, Abrianna Elliott, Zahra Aldawood, Rachel Huffman, Danny Samad, Julie Treviño, Shaun T. Caldwell

Research Methods Poster Session 2025

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Breast Tissue Expanders On Radiation Therapy In Breast Cancer Patients, Nohemi Calderon, Thuc Dinh, Tram Nguyen, Ying Rath, Shaun T. Caldwell

Research Methods Poster Session 2025

No abstract provided.

Spring 2025 Oer Seminar, Pamela Thielman, Katherine Tsan

Open Educational Resources

This slide presentation was created by Pamela Thielman and Katherine Tsan for the Baruch College Center for Teaching and Learning.

Working Together, Making It Better, Reinette F. Jones, Kopana Terry, Taylor Leigh

Library Presentations

Communication and collaboration, answering questions, and accomplishing goals related to the history of Spanish-speaking people in Kentucky.

Empowering Faculty With Open Education: A Three Week Training In Oer, Ztc And Open Pedagogy At Bronx Community College, Michael Kahn

Publications and Research

This poster defines Open Educational Resources, Zero Textbook Cost courses and Open Pedagogy and the course structure of the 2025 OER/ZTC faculty training delivered at Bronx Community College.

Evaluation Of A Pharmacist-Driven Electrolyte Replacement Protocol In A Community Health System, Corey Uetrecht Pharmd Candidate

Pharmacy Residency

This evaluation found a higher rate of pharmacist consults for electrolyte management, though these were not always indicated. Repletion via oral route was not optimized and there were opportunities for improvement in protocol alignment.

Presented at Great Lakes PRC

Implementation Of An Evidence Based Skin And Soft Tissue Infection Algorithm At A Large Community Health System, Jennifer Mccarthy Pharmd, Ms

Pharmacy Residency

This study found a continued need for an updated skin and soft tissue infection algorithm. Ongoing reliance on IV antibiotics suggests underutilization of oral options. Promoting oral antibiotic use may reduce inpatient admissions and length of stay.

Presented at OHIO PRC

Silent Pressure: Outcomes Of As-Needed Antihypertensives In Hospitalized Adults*, Corey Uetrecht Pharmd Candidate

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at ACCP

This study found that PRN antihypertensives are frequently used for AEBP in hospitalized patients, despite limited benefit and potential risk of hypotension-related adverse events.

Development And Implementation Of An Analgesia, Sedation, And Paralysis Order Panel For Mechanically Ventilated Pediatric Patients At A Large Community Health System, Kristin Lytal Pharmd, Mspgx

Pharmacy Residency

This project describes best practices and steps taken in development of a protocol for analgesia, sedation, and paralysis in pediatric patients.

This was presented at OHIO PRC.

Student Retention And Persistence At Jccc, Eve Blobaum

Sabbatical Projects

Community colleges enroll diverse student populations with varied academic preparation, socioeconomic backgrounds, and personal circumstances. These factors contribute to lower retention and persistence rates compared to four-year institutions. This work adds to the research on community college retention and persistence by attempting to identify factors related to student retention and persistence at Johnson County Community College, a large suburban community college in the American Midwest. Using 21 variables drawn from Community College Survey of Student Engagement data collected online in Spring 2021, a sample of 289 students was analyzed to identify variables with a statistically significant (p < 0.05) association with next-term retention, fall-to-fall retention, or persistence. The findings reveal that only credit hours completed is consistently associated with retention and persistence. While credential-seeking and financial aid are associated with next-term retention (p = .002 and p < .001, respectively), neither was associated with long-term outcomes. Age group was associated with fall-to-fall retention (p = .043) and persistence (p = .031) but not with next-term retention. Additionally, while being married and living with dependent children were associated with persistence (p = .005 and p = .002, respectively), neither was related to either of the retention measures. These results underscore the complexity of retention dynamics and highlight the need for further research to validate the utility of the CCSSE instrument at the institutional level and explore whether these results are anomalous.

A Critical Approach To Analyzing And Addressing Worldview-Based Cultural Conflict Between Indigenous Peoples And Western Science In Education And Research, Deborah H. Williams

Sabbatical Projects

Intercultural conflict exists in science education and research, I argue as a result of differences between the Western scientific worldview and the Indigenous worldview. Native Americans are the most underrepresented group in STEM, and this has been the case, in my personal experience for over two decades. Western science is not universal or acultural, Indigenous peoples have their own ways of knowing founded on different philosophical assumptions and recognizing metaphysical phenomena and explanations that are rejected by Western science and the positivist/post-positivist paradigm. Through the power of colonial privilege, scientists, science departments, and science disciplines have been able to erect …

Classroom Management Procedures In Elementary Schools In The Usa And Colombia, Marley Gertler

International Professional Development Partnerships (IPDP) Consortium

This research examines classroom management procedures in elementary schools in the United States and Colombia, highlighting how cultural and educational contexts influence first-grade classrooms. By comparing these approaches, the study explores their impact on maintaining instructional focus and minimizing disruptions. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of global practices, equipping educators with diverse strategies to enhance learning environments.

Teacher Perception Of Standardized Curricula In Colombia, Zoe Dudzic

International Professional Development Partnerships (IPDP) Consortium

Standardized curricula are frequently critiqued for limiting professional autonomy. Despite extensive preparation in pedagogical best practices, teachers' enacted instruction is often constrained by externally imposed, scripted programs. In contexts like New York State, these curricula are explicitly designed to align with high-stakes standardized tests, directly shaping classroom practice toward assessment outcomes. Seeking to contrast with U.S.-centric, test-focused frameworks, this study investigates how teachers in a Colombian multilingual school perceive and enact internationally sourced, standardized curricula within their specific local context.

Adapting Instruction In Germany: Differentiation Strategies In Diverse Classrooms, Grace Hull

International Professional Development Partnerships (IPDP) Consortium

This study explores differentiation in German public and special education schools. Special schools, with smaller classes and specialized training, provide individualized, systematic instruction. In contrast, public schools face large class sizes and limited resources, leading to surface-level differentiation such as ability grouping. While grouping strategies appeared across settings, personalization was deeper in special schools. Hands-on and movement-based activities were common in public classrooms, enhancing engagement. Findings emphasize the impact of class size, teacher preparation, and support on the effectiveness of differentiation in meeting diverse student needs.