Digital Commons Network^™

Cosmic Displacement, Meg Slatton

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

In my work, I explore the concepts of humor, identity, and fiction. I have always had a desire to make others laugh and use humor to express broader concepts. I plant humor into my work through telling engaging stories. Being able to create fictional worlds and otherworldly experiences is something I have an interest in; and it’s something that I am continuing to pursue. Most importantly, I’m exploring issues of identity within my works. I am specifically focusing on the themes of ethnicity, race, sexuality, and self-acceptance in these current pieces. I am incorporating the unique elements of my identity …

Scavenging For Narrative, Jesus Gallegos Moreno

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

rowing up in a “rancho” (small farming village) in Durango, Mexico, I only learned one way to “live”: to move forward relentlessly, no matter how many barriers slow you down along the way. Some of the people in the village were stuck at a standstill in their life, with no clear ambition or trajectory on the horizon. With increasing stagnation surrounding me, the world I saw outside of that small village was so incredibly big and vibrant, with so many experiences just waiting to be lived.

I strive to show my way of life as …

The Essence Of Introspection, Skyler Pointer

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

In my youth, I grew up watching cartoons and I mean a lot of them. Animation has always been very important to me as I am fascinated by how we give characters movement and how it gives them a personality. Some people might look at these characters and see more than what others see in the sense that a viewer could assume how these characters are supposed to act based on how they walk or how their arms move. The storytelling that we can do with these characters gives us almost unlimited possibilities with where we can go within this …

The Essence Of Introspection, Mahaila Pinchot, Mahaila Pinchot

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

The work I create is experimental and stylized. I like to use certain art making processes such as photography or ceramics to document different events or emotions that are going on in my own personal life. The concept of taking something common and turning it into tangible art is a topic I am passionate about and continuously exploring. This particular body of work is a celebration of my journey working through my own personal experiences and highlights. As well as a way to honor my life, past and present.

The imagery used in these photographs are inspired by places that …

Clamor Of A Catalyst, Gretchen Ruth

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

The beauty of change and time are found in cycles of destruction and rebirth. Time is active, spitting out transformed versions of everything in a constant cycle it remains as an ever present inevitability of existence. To adjust with this transformation can be stifling as much as relieving. This body of work focuses on repurposing found materials while pondering the inherent nature of change.

Some objects are left to collect dust and remain as they are. Every object questions what is truly disposable. Do the things we throw away remain discarded forever? To challenge this, I cultivate an art practice …

Artistico, Alma Garcia, Alma Angelica Garcia

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

The word Artistico in Spanish references someone gifted with the arts, providing meaning to the name of this fictional self-branded stationary store. Artistico is a paper goods store that provides personalized items with unique and fun designs. The products are composed of elements like packaging, posters, illustrations, notebooks, pins, greeting cards and more. The body of work as weel as the logotype is unified by the bold and dynamic typeface, Comfortaa. Artistico embraces vivid colors, fun patterns and clean designs that create a strong brand identity.

Recieving a piece of high-quality perzonalized stationary feels meaninful. As an artist I express …

Corporeal Forms, Ella Curran

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

The human body is the only tangible thing that connects us to the earth. So much is contained within it, at the same time so much happens around it - including ongoing attempts to politicize and regulate bodies in our contemporary climate. We are bound by forces outside of ourselves. Whether the limitation is self-inflicted, relational, or societal, it asks for reflection. My practice is a response to these forces, an assertion of my physical self onto materials that become a record of my presence. Through the labor and performance involved in creating this work, I perceive myself. It gives …

Standardized Oral Care Regimen In Medical Surgical Hospitalized Patients, Abby Breite

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

-Purpose/goal statement: In medical surgical hospitalized patients, how does nursing staff education on the importance of a standardized oral care regimen in the prevention of non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia, compared to no oral care education, affect the documentation rates of oral care in a 23-day period?

-Relevance to conference themes and objectives: Oral care is considered a routine part of daily care for patients in acute care settings. However, education and implementation of standardized oral care regimens can be lacking (Lounsbury & Munro, 2020). Additionally, documentation of oral care is often overlooked and omitted in the acute care environment (Meehan …

Analyzing Post-Fledging Movements, Survival, And Space Use Of First-Year Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) In Kentucky, Philip Kavouriaris, Andrea Darracq

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The time span between a fledgling’s first flight from the nest and dispersal from its natal area is known as the post-fledging dependence period. This period is a critical life stage because it affects an individual’s survival and recruitment into adult populations. In Black Vultures, young birds learn to navigate their environment but remain dependent on their parents for food during this prolonged period. We analyzed movement data from nine fledglings equipped with backpack-mounted solar-powered transmitters (GPS/GSM 20-70 PTT, 45g, Microwave Telemetry, Inc.), which included over 450,000 locations collected over a period of approximately 250 days. Home range sizes and …

One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Simulations Of Helical Homopolymers: A Comparative Analysis Of Energy Stabilization And Efficiency, Matthew Hooks, Nathan Roberts, Matthew Williams Ph. D.

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The purpose of our work is to analyze the results of a two-dimensional parallel tempering simulation of a coarse-grained helical homopolymer. We aim to measure the efficiency of the simulation and apply this efficiency to the theoretical protein free energy landscape.The stable states for helical homopolymers will be analyzed using the folding funnel theory of free energy landscapes for given polymer configurations. The genesis of each simulation is defined by a randomly configured polymer; as time progresses, the energy of each structure decreases until equilibrium is reached. Data collected after equilibrium is reached is used to understand polymer behavior for …

Research Discussion With Philip Kavouriaris, Caroline Winnenberg, Philip Kavouriaris

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Chief Editor Caroline Winnenberg conducted an interview with Philip Kavouriaris on November 30th, 2022 in Waterfield Library at 3:00 pm. Kavouriaris discusses his passion for ornithology and the experience of working on a large-scale field study.

Caring For Those That Care For Us: Impact Of The Mexican Social Security Law Reforms On Pregnant Domestic Workers, Kaitlyn Sutton

Scholars Week

Kaitlyn Sutton

Kaitlyn Sutton is a senior Human Resources Management and Spanish double major from Louisville, Kentucky. She developed a passion for foreign language during her first semester at Murray State University and was able to further her interest by studying abroad on the Maya Mexico KIIS trip in 2023. It was during this program that she first learned about the importance of domestic workers in Mexico and was inspired to explore their workplace rights from the perspective of her other undergraduate degree in Human Resources. After graduation, Kaitlyn plans to attend Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee in order to …

Swelling Studies Of Poly(Ionic Liquids) In Different Solvents And Salt Solutions, Pierson Perdue, Ali Alshaikh, Creighton Baltier, Jason E. Bara, Sourav Chatterjee

Scholars Week

Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) represented a special class of polymers, which comprised of a polymeric backbone and ionic liquids (ILs) species in each monomeric repeating units. PILs has properties that combined the properties of ionic liquids (ILs) (i.e., high conductivity, better thermal and chemical stability, and tailor-made functionality) with the intrinsic properties of polymer (i.e., mechanical stability). This synergistic property makes PILs a good candidate for various applications such as stable-ion conductors, membranes for gas separations and sorbents. In the past, it was shown that PILs are capable of swelling when dissolved in different ILs but there are few literature reported …

The Importance Of Educating Adolescent Mothers In The Postpartum Period, Sydney Price, Madelyn Travis, Reagan Schwable

Scholars Week

Due to the lack of policy or procedure for individualized education for adolescent mothers, we concluded that a educational checklist in the charting system would be the most effective way to properly educate young mothers during this confusing stage in their life. Specific education helps to improve perceived quality of care, safety/wellbeing in the young mother and newborn, and reducing the risks of complications such as postpartum depression or issues with pregnancy later on. In summary, ensuring that teenage mothers are fully educated before discharge will provide for better mother and baby outcomes.

The Benefits Of Family Presence During Resuscitation, Abigail Harris, Payton Hale, Audrey Jeziorski

Scholars Week

The research provided analyzes the benefits and fears concerning Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR) as a standard practice in healthcare facilities. Evidence is available that FPDR supports increased familial satisfaction and psychological outcomes as well as benefits to the patient and healthcare team involved in resuscitation efforts, however this practice is not consistently implemented in healthcare facilities. Three main studies were analyzed throughout this research in order to determine the causation of inconsistent and absent policies regarding FPDR. The analysis of these studies determined that there is a lack of guidelines, education, and policies resulting in absence of family members …

Motives And Mental Health In Adults, Jessica Pendley

Scholars Week

The relation between depressive symptomology and SU has been previously established; however, there is a lack of a consistent pattern of comorbidity (Swendsen & Merikangas, 2000). Further understanding of factors that contribute to or strengthen this relation is essential as these may be targets for intervention. Models of both SU and depression include two motivational processes, approach and avoidance (Ertel et al., 2018; Trew, 2011).

SU motives, or the reasons why individuals use substances, can be subdivided based on the functions underlying SU; 1) to avoid unpleasant states, either externally (i.e., using substances to avoid rejection from others; conformity) or …

Does Self-Esteem And Gender Attitudes Affect Sexual Prejudice Among Young Adults?, Kaid Marek

Scholars Week

The overarching aim of the current research is to better understand what predicts prejudice associated with lesbian and gay individuals and eventually inform prevention and intervention efforts. Given that sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) individuals are 2.7 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes compared to heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, and 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide within 2022, this body of research is necessary and vital. The current study expands previous research by proposing two different models predicting sexual prejudice; both which combine individual factors (e.g., self-esteem), perception of group norms based on gender (e.g., dominance …

Student Characteristics And The Workplace, Macy Barron, Torrie E. Cline

Scholars Week

As the cost of higher education rises (Gardner, 2022) many are beginning to question just how much completing a college degree helps to prepare them for the workforce (Forbes, 2017, Gerth, 2017). The purpose of this investigation is to examine the perceptions of college students on their employability including the ways in which their own characteristics may relate to these perceptions. Data collection is currently underway. Students will report their perceived employability (EmployABILITY scale, Bennet & Ananthram, 2021; and Employability Scale, Rothwell et al., 2008), demographic characteristics (age, gender, major, year in college, etc.) temperament (Adult Temperament Questionnaire, Evans & …

Student Learning Characteristics And Preferences, Erin Mcdaniel

Scholars Week

Making the transition from high school to college can be a stressful event for any future college student; however, research shows that those difficulties were exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic (Husky et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021) In a previous study, data indicated that during the pandemic, students had a difficult time staying on task and expressing self-discipline when it came to school-work. Despite these difficulties, however, students still showed promising trends in being self-aware that they would have to increase their study habits thus resulting in a higher GPA. The purpose of this present study is to determine …

Faculty In Education: Perception Of Control And Alternative Disciplinary Methods, Samantha Freville

Scholars Week

Schools have the unique and important opportunity to teach students useful life and coping skills as well as positive behavior in their community. One way in which they may impact their students is through their choice of disciplinary methods. Research suggests that alternative disciplinary methods may be more beneficial to students than are traditional exclusionary policies. For part one of this study, undergraduate students reported their experiences with traditional and alternative discipline in elementary, middle, and high school as well as their engagement in school (school involvement and attitudes of school faculty). Previous studies showed that having alternative methods at …

Striking Out Or Hitting A Homer: Relationship Between Sport Fandom And Dating, Emily Kinsey

Scholars Week

Striking Out or Hitting a Homer: Relationship between Sport Fandom and Dating

Emily H. Kinsey

Murray State University

Sport fandom runs deeper than simply cheering for a favorite team. Rather, it assists in meeting powerful, innate human needs, such as sharing a connection that facilitates the need to belong (Wann & James, 2019). Previous research has suggested that men with a high interest in sport tend to view females who share this high level of interest more positively than females showing little interest in sport (Wann, Schinner, & Keenan, 2001). Given this, I was interested in extending this line of …

Adaptive Plasticity Of Coloration In Response To Environmental Change, Karissa Coffield

Scholars Week

When rapid environmental changes occur, different selective forces can create phenotypic trade-offs in which a trait can provide fitness benefits or costs under different environmental conditions. Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to environmental change, and previous research has revealed that some species will plastically respond to variation in temperature and ultra-violet radiation (UVR) by altering their coloration. Divergent selection on coloration may change with elevation and climate induced shifts in temperature because high temperatures are likely to result in lighter color morphs but as elevation increases, UVR exposure increases leading to the prediction that darker color morphs will be more common. …

Leaf Area Index And Light Interception In African Violets (Streptocarpus Sect. Saintpaulia), Chintakunta Keerthi Reddy, Venkat Sai Chatla

Scholars Week

LEAF AREA INDEX AND LIGHT INTERCEPTION IN AFRICAN VIOLETS

(Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia)

ABSTRACT Chintakunta Keerthi Reddy, Venkat Sai Chatla Hutson School of Agriculture Mentor: Dr. Megan Taylor

African violets are a genus of six flowering plants from tropical eastern Africa, commonly known as Saintpaulias. They can thrive indoors in low light conditions and bloom all year round. They require less light than other blooming plants and can bloom during regular daylight hours in the US and Canada if given proper exposure. Several light intensities were used for the African violet (Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia) experiment, which showed a significant variation in …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Semi-Interpenetrating And Double Networks Of Sulfonimide- And Imidazolium-Containing Poly(Ionic Liquids), Jeremiah Coughlon, Seth Taylor, Jason Bara, Kevin Miller, Sourav Chatterjee

Scholars Week

In recent years, there has been increased research interest in creating electrically conductive polymer membranes with materials that are widely available and environmentally safe. Herein, we report how polymeric membranes comprised of unique combinations of ionenes and poly(ionic liquids), including a recently developed sulfonimide- and imidazolium-containing methacryloxy-based monomer, were produced via UV photopolymerization. These membranes were specifically tailored to exhibit both ionic conductivity and an affinity for carbon dioxide, which are both crucial characteristics in such applications as electron transport in lithium-ion batteries and gas sorbency in separation techniques. Monomers, such as the aforementioned methacryloxy-based ionic liquid (IL) and C4VIm, …

Synthesis And Properties Of Bio-Based 3d Printable Resins, Cameron Woods, Seth Taylor, Jeremiah Coughlon, Turner Perdue, Sourav Chatterjee, Jason E. Bara

Scholars Week

A photopolymer resin is a monomer that, when introduced to light of a certain wavelength, starts to polymerize into a solid. This has become a growing part of the 3D printing industry. There have been many advancements in the field of 3D printing, however, a lot of these resins are not environmentally friendly and even harmful if not handled in the correct manner. Plant based resins are becoming more and more popular because of their biodegradability and for the possibility of using renewable resources. Glycerol is a plant-based compound that is produced in excess in industry. Glycerol obtained from bioethanol …

Effects Of Salinity, Alkalinity, And Acidity On Crop Growth And Development On Pea (Pisum Sativum), Laxmi Prasanna Shakamudi, Rasagna Chamakura, Vineela Bathula

Scholars Week

Effects of salinity, alkalinity, and acidity on crop growth and development

on pea (Pisum sativum)

Authors: Laxmi Prasanna Shakamudi, Rasagna Chamakura, Vineela Bathula

Mentor: Dr. Megan Taylor

Hutson school of agriculture, Murray state university

Pea (Pisum sativum) is one of the vegetables that belong to the Fabaceae family, is a pulse crop that has been widely used and cultivated in all parts of the world. As with many crops pea plants also experience abiotic stresses that affect the plant’s growth, development, and productivity. Abiotic stresses that affect crop growth and development include soil salinity, alkalinity, and …

One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Simulations Of Helical Homopolymers: A Comparative Analysis Of Energy Stabilization And Efficiency​, Nathan Roberts, Matthew Hooks

Scholars Week

The purpose of our work is to analyze the results of a two-dimensional parallel tempering Monte Carlo simulation of a coarse-grained helical homopolymer. The two-dimensional simulation allows Hamiltonian exchanges across both temperature and torsion values, while the one-dimensional simulation exclusively exchanges across temperature values. The genesis of each simulation is defined by a randomly configured polymer; as time progresses, randomly generated movements of monomers decrease the structure’s energy until equilibrium is reached. Equilibrium is determined by finding the absolute minimum of the data series, computing the mean of all remaining data, and finding the intersection between the rolling average and …

Effects Of Planting Depth Of Soybean (Glycine Max) On Growth And Development, Hannah Dejournett, Mallory White, Mason Welden

Scholars Week

Effects of Planting Depth of Soybean (Glycine max) on Growth and Development

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray, KY

Mentor: Dr. Megan Taylor

Hannah DeJournett, Mallory White, Mason Welden

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of soybean (Glycine max) seed placement on growth and development. Several abiotic and biotic factors influence germination and emergence, planting depth is no exception. Planting depth is a management practice that can be controlled at the time of planting, making it an ideal candidate for experimentation. To determine the effect of planting depth on soybeans, soybeans were established at different depths. Previous …

Lai As Affected By Flashing-Light Interception With Corn And Soybeans, Josh W. Pohl, Jondavid Mcclanahan, Jake Eaker

Scholars Week

LAI as Affected by Flashing-Light Interception With

Corn (Zea mays) and Soybeans (Glycine max)

Corn (Zea mays) and Soybean (Glycine max) are both staple crops in global agriculture. With growing concern regarding food security and production, indoor cultivation of corn and soybean plants has become a question of interest. This study looks at the application of different lighting regimes for corn and soybeans and effects on development. Light that can be used by plants is called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). PAR is the solar radiation range of energy that plants use for …

Soil Properties Associated With Land Management Practices In Western Kentucky, Ava Isaacs, Gracey Moffitt

Scholars Week

Soil Properties Associated with Land Management Practices in Western Kentucky

1. A. Isaacs, G. Moffitt, W. Sides, and Corey Hale

Mentor: Dr. I.P. Handayani

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Kentucky, USA

Abstract

One of the most important factors regarding soil and plant health is nutrient availability and fertility. Of these two factors that were mentioned available potassium is a key component. With that being said we decided that it would be beneficial to see how potassium can be traced within the soil in various locations after fertilizer is applied. There were two parts to this experiment. Part one was …