Digital Commons Network^™

Others: A Magazine Of The New Verse And The Correspondences With Amy Lowell, Jeanie Huynh, Andrew Zero, Adrianna Rodriguez Diaz, Liam Anderson

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This edition presents the correspondences between Imagist poet, Amy Lowell, and main editor Alfred Kreymborg and associate editor William Carlos Williams from the span of an entire decade, 1915-1925. These showcase the relationship between her and those involved in the little magazine Others: A Magazine of the New Verse, which ran for only four of those years, from 1915-1919, with interests of publishing, at the time, unknown authors, outside of the already-known literary circles of the period, hence Others and what made Lowell ultimately decide to cease any involvement in its further editions and anthologizing of any kind after 1916.

Investment Pitch - Ulta Beauty, Brynn L. Poppen

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Investment pitch issuing a BUY recommendation on Ulta Beauty, Inc

Egle - Investment Pitch, Valeria Mossi-Gutierrez

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Investment Pitch Presentation on Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.

Kareena Patel - Operations Intern At Matter, Kareena Patel

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Hello! My name is Kareena and I was an Operations Intern at MATTER during the Spring 2024 semester. This presentation goes into what MATTER is, an explanation of the different projects I worked on, and the skills I acquired throughout my internship.

Developmental Internship At Catholic Charities Chicago, Alexandra Alanis

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will describe my experience supporting underserved populations in Chicago as a volunteer engagement intern at Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities provides different supportive resources regardless of the person’s background. Over the Fall 2023 semester to now, I have helped create a more welcoming atmosphere for people in need Chicago by using my bilingual skills to overcome language barriers, preparing and organize projects, and developing resources to get younger people involved in volunteering. Loyola's mission involves serving diverse communities through justice and faith, and my experience at Catholic Charities embodies the mission. I hope to inspire more young people to …

Immigration And Naturalization Internship With Catholic Charities, Lizbeth Zamora-Torrijos

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will describe the journey interns go through with the Immigrant Survivors Project Specialists. Over the course of the 2023 Fall Semester my work entailed of assisting with advocacy on behalf of victims of domestic violence, violent crimes, and sexual assault. Including writing and/or translating victims' personal statements for declarations of character, or qualifying crimes, which are crucial in the immigration process. Interns were required to investigate, interview, and research applicants as well, and this work could entail; taking fingerprints for FBI background checks; writing executive case summaries; reviewing and summarizing medical, court, and police records, helping maintain database …

“Private Paths To Peace” Examining The Role Of The Private Sector In Peacebuilding Through Disarmament, Demobilization, And Reintegration In Northern Ireland, Chicago, And Colombia, Michael Clausen

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

International efforts to end protracted conflicts have included sustained investments in combatants' disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR). While policy analysts have discussed factors that contribute to successful programs and have reasoned about the macro conditions that facilitate peacebuilding, there is limited information surrounding the factors that account for successful reintegration at the community level. This project considers the impact of entrepreneurship by communities and formerly incarcerated individuals on peaceful coexistence and focuses on DDR from the perspective of Chicago’s 77 official Community Areas.

Infrastructural Violence And Women's Health In Northern Peru, Aman Kothadia

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Evidence suggests that communities lacking access to water and water-related resources see increased health disparities due to structural and environmental factors. In this poster, we contend that a lack of water resources acts as a form of “infrastructural violence” that impacts the lives of women. Specifically, we draw from a broader research project on water insecurity and gender-based violence conducted in Peru from 2021-2022 to highlight the differential experiences of women living in two communities, one with water infrastructure and one without it. We conclude that infrastructural and societal inequities pose a significant health risk to women in water-insecure regions.

You're Covered... In Staphylococcus Epidermidis, Sandra M. Jablonska

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a prominent and often benign member of the human microbiota. While it predominantly colonizes the skin, it can also be found in areas of the human body, such as the urinary, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tract as well as the oral cavity. Comparative studies of S. epidermidisstrains isolated from different anatomical niches on the same individual are limited. These studies include investigating strains isolated from different skin surfaces or different skin surfaces, an oral swab, and a nasal swab. Resident strains of S. epidermidis have been identified from the skin. Other anatomical sites have yet to be considered. …

Cultivating Gratitude In Christian Sport Professionals, Julie Powell

CSKLS Annual Conference

Using the framework of the eight dimensions of wellness and the five habits of a flourishing life, this presentation will focus on how to cultivate the virtue of gratitude and thanksgiving in order to combat the undesirable vice of entitlement. This presentation will outline what gratitude is, how we express it, and how to embody it as a part of our character. Cultivating a grateful disposition can be the result of practicing spiritual disciplines and the session will brainstorm ideas of how this might look in our current profession and in our personal lives.

Quantifying Phosphatidylethanol From Dried Blood Spots By Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry​, Samantha J. Morey

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a phase II biomarker formed in the walls of red blood cells that shows excellent sensitivity and specificity as a screening biomarker for chronic alcohol use and abuse. The goal was to develop a “point of care” means of detection and quantitation of PEth to identify alcohol misuse by patients in a clinical setting. This new method is effective at measuring the total amount of ethanol incorporated into the blood phospholipids in whole, dried, and potentially decomposed blood (ex. postmortem). This work is based on US patent 11,085,939 B2 titled “Quantifying Phosphatidylethanol from Blood Samples” published in …

The Bacterial Implications Of Red Swamp Crayfish In Chicago's North Shore Channel, Mikayla Ballard

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Red swamp crayfish are invasive to the Chicago area, and they are known to live in sewage outfall waters in the North Shore Channel. Through calculating average bacterial load, I determined that red swamp crayfish living in sewage-polluted water carry higher amounts of bacteria than crayfish living in non-contaminated waters. This adds a new layer to their invasion in Chicago, with red swamp crayfish potentially serving as a vector for high concentrations of sewage-associated bacteria to enter the food chain.

Landstar System Stock Pitch - Zach Ochab, Zachary Ochab

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Landstar System is a large firm within the freight and logistics industry, founded in Jacksonville, Florida. What I plan to accomplish through this pitch is to persuade potential shareholders to invest in this firm while doing a total breakdown of their financials, the industry, and investment risks to create a well-rounded analysis.

Confronting Cruelty: Ethical Insights Into The Treatment Of Model Organisms In Contemporary Research, Marcus Piattoni, Isabella Gates, Alexis Rossi

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This research seeks to investigate the ethical treatment of model organisms within recent scientific studies, focusing on Zebra Finches, Cotton Rats, Zebra Fish, African Clawed Frogs, and Rhesus Monkeys. Using the "Web of Science” database, articles concerning each model organism were reviewed to assess the quality of treatment afforded to each species. Special attention was given to inter-species differences, evaluating how the discussions on research subject treatment differed between species. Ensuring ethical treatment of all animal subjects in medical research is critical for maintaining the integrity and efficacy of scientific research.

Balancing The Scales: Investigating The Potential Impact Of Risug And Adam As Novel Male Birth Control Methods, Marcus Piattoni, Ryan Chang, Saniyya Butler, Grace Acosta, Geena Fajardo

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

ADAM is a newly invented, non-hormonal form of male birth control that is projected to be FDA approved and widely available in 2027. This project seeks to examine the science of how ADAM, and its precursor RISUG, work, alongside the social and ethical implications of a widely available method of male birth control. We will discuss the unique composition of ADAM and RISUG and how it maintains azoospermia or oligospermia in men. Then, we will discuss the social and ethical implications of having a widely-available, long-term male birth control, including its effects on male reproductive autonomy, gendered implications, and what …

The Problem With Maternal Health Disparities, Gabriella Schneider

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

A growing problem in health care is the severity of maternal health disparities, which include maternal and infant mortality rates being disproportionately high in minority communities. In order to address these disparities, it's important to ask why should maternal health disparities be minimized? In this presentation, I will provide background on maternal health disparities, and how they impact communities, especially minority communities. I will then argue that maternal health disparities should be minimized because they are rooted in structural racism and adverse socio-economic factors, such as income and access to health care inequalities. Structural racism is bad because it fosters …

Enhancing Default Mode Network Connectivity: Experimental Neuroscience And Computational Methods, Rachel Abbe

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The default mode network (DMN) in the human brain is involved in a broad array of cognitive functions, including creative thinking. Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) is a popular non-invasive brain stimulation. TES has three types: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), and Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS). The mechanisms of each TES method still need to be better understood. This study proposes simulation of the DMN using HD-tDCS, alpha-HD-tACS, high-frequency HD-tRNS, and sham. We intend to reveal how the three TES methods impact DMN activity and connectivity using scalp electroencephalography (EEG). Co-Authored by: Kahiau Among, DJ …

Enhancing Creativity Through Stimulation Of The Default Mode Network: Experimental Neuroscience And Computational Methods, Diego Capetillo, Rachel Abbe, Kahiau Among, August Decz, Maria Dima, Kyle Kovich, Emily Rokos

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Creative thinking involves generating and evaluating new ideas in response to problems. Generation of new ideas, or divergent thinking has recently been shown to be associated with activity in the default mode network (DMN) of the brain. In this project we attempted to demonstrate the causal role of the DMN in divergent thinking by using α-tACS to stimulate alpha brain waves in Posterior Cingulate Cortex and enhance DMN connectivity while participants completed an array of creativity tasks. Resting state EEG was recorded before and after stimulation to determine whether changes in brain activity mediated the relationship between stimulation and creativity.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Gnostic Retelling Of Genesis 1-3, Lucie Pitt

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Gnostic Retelling of Genesis 1-3 examines the parallels between various Gnostic interpretations of Genesis 1-3 and the 1975 film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This project highlights the influence of the biblical Creation and the Fall narrative on modern popular culture in the United States.

Deliberation And Determinism: Two Processes Affecting The Soul From Antiquity To Modernity, Morgan Fuksa

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Notions of the soul, its corporeal and tangible makeup, and its division amongst gender has increasingly varied from Antiquity to Modern periods. For writers such as Origen, the soul implicates an inherent identity, seen through his belief in free will, and levels of rationality embedded into the soul based on gender. In modernity, notions of the soul have changed drastically based on the genre of literature surveyed. For Kate Chopin, a modernist writer, the soul is subjected to determinism, an inescapable process that subscribes to the idea that free will is absent, as outside factors will determine you to act …

Ephrina’S Repel Embryonic Gustatory Geniculate Axons In Vitro And In Vivo And Are Expressed In The Adult Gustatory System, Rohan Jaiswal, Anna Grundhoefer

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Ephs and ephrins are cell surface proteins that act as ligands and receptors for one another and typically mediate contact-dependent axon repulsion. We explored whether there is a role for this signaling system in the rodent tongue. We examined expression patterns of EphAs and ephrinAs in the tongue and geniculate ganglion, in-vitro responses of neurites to ephrinAs, and in-vivo knockouts of ephrinA1, -A3, and -A4. Together, this data supports a role for EphA-ephrinA signaling in axon targeting in the embryonic rodent tongue. Preliminary data shows that EphAs and ephrinAs are expressed in the adult rodent gustatory system as well.

The Consequences Of Blame: Media Coverage, Environmental Degradation, And Public Support For Environmentalism In The Global South, Jameson Walker

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Although colonialism and industrialization from the Global North significantly contributed to environmental degradation, contemporary media coverage increasingly shifts blame for environmental disasters onto the Global South. How does media coverage in the Global North assign blame for environmental degradation in the Global South, and how has this changed over time? What effect do these rhetorical tactics have on public support for environmentalism? We argue that rhetorical tactics employed by the media of Global North states have slowly but surely impacted the perceived blame held by the public and that this blame tempers support for environmentalism. In order to analyze the …

The Buddhist Temple Of Chicago, Mariam Elhaje, Athena Lezondra

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

We visited The Buddhist Temple of Chicago and reflected on our experiences in a brief overview of the highlights of the trip.

Assessing Biochar’S Influence On Soil Nutrients And Native Plants In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Eva Bednard

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Native species in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands (GLCWs) are threatened by rampant invasion of aggressive species such as Typha spp. and Phragmites australis. Anthropogenic activity alters GLCW ecosystems through nutrient runoff that results in eutrophication, creating favorable conditions for aggressive plant invaders. An emerging mitigation strategy to address invasion via pollutant and macronutrient capture is the application of the soil amendment product, biochar. Research suggests that biochar has the potential to remove nutrients and pollutants from soils and thus mitigate invasive growth. However, little research has been done on GLCW native response to the addition of biochar. This project addresses …

The Past, Present, And Future Of The Anti-Vax Movement, Burhan Habib Sufi

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The Anti-Vax movement is a social movement that opposes vaccine usage for various reasons. In this presentation, I’ll be exploring some of the history of this movement dating back to the 18th century and examining its evolution over the years. The anti-vax movement is deeply rooted in socio-political issues across America and is an important example of the active dangers of misinformation and disinformation. I’ll explore major players contributing to the mis/disinformation of vaccines, those who seek to profit from this rapidly growing movement, and how this mis/disinformation is spread. This presentation seeks to shed light on the anti-vax movement’s …

Growing Resilience: Combating Food Insecurity Through Urban Farming In Bronzeville, Olivia Muth, Jera Moses, Andrew Lane, Brandon Folson

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This project addresses the pressing problem of food insecurity due to historical racial and economic disparities in the predominantly African American community on the southside of Chicago. Our product contributes to creating a sustainable model for urban farming that tackles racial and economic inequalities in food access.

The Association Between Exercise And Treatment Seeking In College Students Diagnosed With Substance Use Disorder, Shanti Oneil

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will discuss our investigation of the relationship between exercise and seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) in college students. Data from Fall 2015 through Spring 2019, from the National College Health Assessment, were used in multivariable logistic regression models. Students who met the guidelines had a 30.6% increase in the odds of seeking SUD treatment compared to students who did not meet the guidelines (aOR = 1.306; 95% CI 1.142–1.493). The observed association underscores the potential value of considering exercise and physical activity in the development of SUD treatment strategies for college students.

Sex Differences In Synapse Of The Hippocampus And Cognitive Behavior, Rumyr Sobrepena

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will describe the sex differences in the synapse of the hippocampus and cognitive behavior. Estrogen impacts the expression of AMPA-type receptors and has been shown to impact dendritic spine density. Over the 2023 Fall semester and 2024 spring, we tested the hypothesis that males and females have differing levels of cognitive function due to differences in synaptic morphology and glutamatergic expression in the CA1 of the hippocampus. We used structural analysis methods and behavioral tests to test this hypothesis. This work has the potential to identify novel targets for the development of drugs that enhance cognitive performance.

The Intersection Of Sleep, Pain, And Executive Function In Girls Following The Menarcheal Transition, Sofia Khatoon

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Menarche, the onset of menstruation, is marked by numerous psychological, physiological, and cognitive shifts, including pain, sleep (timing and quality), and executive functioning (EF). Pain impacts executive function; however, less is known about how pain and sleep might interact to impact EF. The current study addresses this gap and examines the relation between pain and various domains of EF, and whether sleep buffers this association in a sample of menarcheal girls.

A community sample of menarcheal girls (n = 159; M age = 12.8; SD age = 1.1) and their caregivers were recruited from a Midwestern metropolitan area. …

Exploring The Relationship Between Microplastics And Neurotoxicity, John Stathopoulos

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will look at the relationship between microplastics and neurotoxicity, focusing on the limits of our current knowledge. Despite being an especially relevant topic of conversation in the realms of environmental and public health, little is known about the effects that microplastics have on the brain. As a neuroscience student with interests in medicine, neurodegeneration, and public health, I found the lack of research shocking. Throughout this semester, I looked at primary research and news articles to explore the extent of our knowledge and limits of current microplastic research, as well as their potential neurotoxic effects and future steps.