Digital Commons Network^™

Utility Under Uncertainty: A Critique Of Singer's Disability Replacement Argument, Jillian L. Wynne

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Peter Singer’s preference utilitarian defense of selective infant replacement in cases of severe disability remains one of the most controversial arguments in contemporary bioethics. The core of Singer’s position relies on the claim that replacing a severely disabled infant with a non-disabled infant increases overall preference satisfaction and is therefore morally permissible. In this paper, I argue that Singer’s argument fails to justify this conclusion. Singer’s replacement premise requires a utilitarian calculus that depends on reliable predictions about future preference satisfaction. While some critics maintain that Singer underestimates the quality of life of disabled individuals, I contend that, once this …

A New Framework For Intellectual Property In The Age Of Ai, Mitchell R. Clarkson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This paper will argue that the courts’ traditional view of damages inhibits its ability to uphold the principles of intellectual property in the climate of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Language learning models (LLMs), using the practice of scraping, allow large systems to train using the copying of copyright protected work. This harms creative communities in ways that intellectual property laws could help prevent were it not for the courts limited understanding of damages. The courts hold the economic consequentialist view which sees damage as having only two components, the tortfeasor and the victim. I propose the use of a deontological framework …

Feminism, Misdiagnoses Of Women And The Scope Of Medical Negligence Doctrine, Abigail J. Engstrom

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Are the objective standards in medical malpractice law, including reasonableness and professional norms, neutral in a general manner or do they encode gendered assumptions that are disadvantageous to women in the system? Women are 66% more likely to encounter the disparity of misdiagnoses than men. One view point that is demonstrative of this question is that the negligence doctrine supposes courts avoid bias on gender and remain neutral by applying the negligence doctrine and professional norms. Through this view the very disparity of misdiagnoses in women is seen as medical failures instead of structural legal doctrine failures. In Miss Diagnosis: …

250 Years Of Political Assassinations: An Exploratory Look Into Attacks On Political Figures In The United States, Jj Wesley

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Despite the salience of political assassinations in American history and culture, there isn’t a database that focuses on them, and those that do exist often lack detail and focus on broad trends over locations and time. This absence of centralized information has led to the creation of a database on these rare events, which contains political assassinations between 1777 and 2026.  The cases rely heavily on a variety of open-source data, which includes books, newspapers, databases, and other relevant information and documents. This presentation will be an exploratory descriptive analysis that emphasizes a general overview of contextual trends in these …

The Potential Role Of Soil Depth And Land Management History In Rangeland Soil Seed Bank Community Dynamics., Owen K. Palsic, Akasha Faist, Madeline Mayorga

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Rangelands provide critical ecosystem services for societies across the globe, yet land use changes, climate change, and invasive species are causing large-scale rangeland degradation. To maintain effective rangeland ecosystem function, it is critical we understand the comprehensive ecological dynamics of these systems. One crucial ecological variable that is often overlooked is the soil seed bank, which is otherwise defined as the community of germinable seeds stored in the soil of a given system. Many ecological studies and models leave out soil seed bank communities, despite their undeniable importance in rangeland ecosystems, and instead only consider the aboveground vegetation community. In …

Head Contact Incidence Study, Shane O. Jefferson, Hunter Naugle

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Due to the physical nature of the sport of hockey, head contacts are a common occurrence in games and practice alike. Youth athletes that are exposed to repeated head contact may be at risk for both acute conditions as well as neurological health conditions as they age. The purpose of this study was to identify head contacts and examine patterns and trends seen in those contacts in a population of 9–12-year-old youth hockey athletes during both game and practice. While checking is not allowed at these age groups, the physical aspect of hockey, still generates head contact exposures at a …

Documenting Supportive Communication Strategies In Prom Administration For Persons With Aphasia, Tyra Kucinski

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Documenting Supportive Communication Strategies in PROM Administration for Persons With Aphasia

Tyra Kucinski, Allison Marr, Emilia Waters

Introduction: Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that impairs speaking, listening, writing, and/or reading, with intelligence remaining intact. Aphasia also disrupts mental health, quality of life, and communicative participation. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are standardized questionnaires that allow patients to reflect on their functional health status, providing insight into how persons with aphasia (PWAs) perceive their condition and/or the treatment they are receiving. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) frequently provide a number of supportive communication strategies to ensure accuracy of patient responses on PROMs …

Combating Overdose: Production And Analysis Of Fentanyl Specific Antibodies, Elizabeth J. Florian

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Fentanyl overdose deaths are on the rise from both intentional use and accidental exposure. Our work focuses on identifying additional treatment options to Narcan, an opioid receptor antagonist which reverses overdose effects by receptor competition. One alternative method, that has been approved by the FDA, is the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This therapeutic method works by antibodies binding fentanyl in the bloodstream and preventing it from crossing the blood-brain barrier. Our group has begun identifying mAbs by vaccinating mice with a fentanyl hapten (F1) vaccine adjuvanted with a TLR 7/8 agonist. Vaccination leads to the production of antibodies that …

Quantity Vs Quality Tradeoffs In Black Brant Geese: What Is The Relationship Between Clutch Size And Egg Volume?, Bella Adams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Trade-offs between offspring quantity and quality are fundamental to life-history variation among species and may lead to fitness variation within populations of organisms. The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between clutch size and egg volume in black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) geese while controlling for age and quality of the parents to accurately gauge this relationship. Research on a brant population breeding at the Tutakoke River, Alaska, began in 1984, resulting in a dataset spanning >40 years. In 2025, I spent three months in Alaska contributing to the data collection for this long-term study. I assisted …

Pharmacogenetics To Enhance Personalized Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy In Montana, Shivika Agrawal, Jon Graham, Shayna R. Killam

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Purpose:

Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) is the primary drug-metabolizing enzyme for most proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), commonly prescribed for gastrointestinal disorders such as heartburn. Guidelines developed by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) indicate that genetic variants in CYP2C19 may influence PPI response and the likelihood of side effects, and they provide drug and dose recommendations. We systematically evaluated PPI prescribing patterns in Montana’s patient population to inform implementation strategies for pharmacogenetic (PGx)-guided PPI therapy.

Methods:

We analyzed the electronic data from the health information exchange, Big Sky Care Connect, of 1.15 million Montanans between 2017 to 2024. We identified …

Beyond Words: Unlocking The Child's Perspective In Speech Therapy, Olivia Lacasse

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Speech-language pathologists strive for patient-centered care, yet clinicians often face limitations when making collaborative decisions with children. Understanding a child’s unique emotional experience is vital for developing effective treatment plans for speech sound disorders; however, traditional assessments rely heavily on the perspectives of parents and teachers. This leaves the child’s internal world largely undiscovered. Our project evaluates the Sound Effects Study Drawing Protocol (SESDP) as a multimodal tool to bridge the gap between external observations and a child’s inner perspective.

We asked: During a drawing task, what developmental milestones and symbolic skills are evident over time for preschool-aged children with …

Distributed Iot Cyber-Physical System For Non-Invasive Acoustic Mineral Extraction Via Z-Scanning Phased Arrays, Nathan Johnson, Oliver Trost

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

A Distributed IoT Cyber-Physical System for Non-Invasive Acoustic Mineral Extraction via Z-Scanning Phased Arrays

Abstract: Traditional placer mineral extraction relies on energy demanding mechanical mobilization and high-water usage. This research introduces a novel Cyber-Physical System (CPS) that achieves non-invasive vertical migration of high-density within non-Newtonian slurries using low power usage for targeted depths. Unlike conventional vibration which induces segregation (sinking), this system utilizes a floating, waterproof phased acoustic array to generate a Z-Scanning Helical Wavefront carrying Orbital Angular Momentum. This acoustic vortex, in concert with Time-Reversed Acoustics (TRA), creates a "telescoping funnel" logic that entraps particles via centripetal force …

Questioning The Accusation That Francois Duvalier Impersonated Baron Samedi, Tess Rosbarsky

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Historians, anthropologists, and journalists have all claimed that Haitian dictator Francois Duvalier modeled his personal style after the Vodou spirit, or Loa, Baron Samedi. Guarding the crossroads between life and death, Baron Samedi is a member of the Gede family, a group of vulgar and mischievous spirits who mock authority. The Baron wears a top hat, dark suits, and sunglasses with one lens popped out. Duvalier’s signature look also included a black suit and hat which he paired with his thick lens glasses. This research provides evidence against this claim holding that these stylistic choices could more easily be explained …

How Emergency Medical Service (Ems) Work Is Understood: A Study Of Public Perceptions And Provider Perspectives, Lisel Keller

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This project aims to examine whether a gap exists between how the general public perceives Emergency Medical Services (EMS) work and how EMS providers experience it. EMS is widely recognized as a stressful profession, and public narratives often focus on the emotional intensity without an understanding of the different sources of stress. Providers work extended shifts, respond to unpredictable incidents, are frequently woken from sleep, and complete operational tasks while fatigued. Although these demands are expected, their cumulative impact shapes the day-to-day reality of the profession. While stress in EMS work has been discussed broadly, less attention has been given …

Gut–Brain Reprogramming Induced By Acute And Chronic Pathogen Exposures: The Role Of G Protein–Coupled Receptors In Male Aggression, Julia L. Kunau, Ashlyn E. Phillips

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Gut–Brain Reprogramming Induced by Acute and Chronic Pathogen Exposures: The Role of G Protein–Coupled Receptors in Male Aggression

Kunau, J, Phillips, A, Isern, E., and Certel, S. Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States.

Organisms must continuously interpret environmental change and rapidly adjust physiology and behavior. Ingested microbes are a powerful, understudied driver of this process because they can reshape gut to brain communication and alter behaviors such as feeding and aggression. Here we test whether acute, 24-hour ingestion of E. coli is sufficient to shift male aggression in Drosophila.

The gastrointestinal system communicates with …

Examining Cardiac Abnormalities In High School Athletes Through Ecg-Integrated Cardiac Screenings, Trevor Reed Held

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

ECG-integrated cardiac screenings serve as valuable tools, ensuring that athletes are healthy prior to the start of their competitive season. For sports that do not require these screenings or a standard physical, underlying cardiac conditions and abnormalities can often go unnoticed, leading to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during athletic activity. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify its feasibility, identify the potential risk factors for SCA, clear athletes for athletic participation that did not exhibit risk factors, and refer athletes with abnormalities to a medical professional. This study included 30 high school hockey athletes …

The Risks And Benefits Of Spaying And Neutering Your Dog, Laci Bernosky

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Spaying and neutering dogs is one of the first decisions pet owners make after acquiring a dog. It is a large component of what is understood to be responsible pet ownership in the US over the past 60 years, due to its great elimination of unwanted animals, reducing how many are euthanized each year in shelters from overcrowding. However, there has been research, mostly in the past 20 years, re-evaluating the benefits and bringing to light the costs dogs can pay from being spayed or neutered. This paper examines the health and behavioral effects of spaying and neutering dogs. The …

Coactivator Self-Oligomerization Through Auc, Anna Stensrud, Ephraim Mortenson, Borries Demeler, Nicholas Oconnor, Reece Lott, Travis Hughes

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Coregulator proteins bind to nuclear receptors, thereby modulating transcription activity. Coregulators are required by these nuclear receptors for efficient transcriptional regulation. [2] The equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of coregulator proteins to nuclear receptors can be measured in solution using techniques such as isothermal calorimetry (ITC) and fluorescence anisotropy (FA). Coregulators' ability to self associate is relevant in how nuclear receptors are activated. Furthermore, self-association of coregulators comprises the modeling reliability of ITC and FA data, thus introducing errors into ITC and FA data. [3].

The Hughes Lab has purified various coregulator proteins to be used for in vitro experimentation.

Using …

Exploring Dental Health Behaviors And Access To Care At The University Of Montana, Kylee J. Bridges

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Oral health is a very important part of everyone's health. But regular dental care is often overlooked among college students. This project explores how frequently college students visit the dentist and identifies the barriers that prevent them from receiving routine dental care. Young adulthood and coming into college is a transitional period that explores new independence, and financial responsibility. These things may influence health related behaviors, including dental care utilization. The research question of this study is: How frequently do college students visit the dentist, and what barriers contribute to irregular dental visits?

To address this question, a cross sectional, …

Can Ipad Lidar Measure Bark Rugosity?, Cooper E. Littell, Anna C. Ross, Sharon M. Hood, Kimberley T. Davis, Jonathan L. Batchelor, C. Alina Cansler

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Bark is one of the primary tree traits associated with fire resistance. Current research has focused on bark thickness as the dominant structural trait contributing to resistance, yet bark rugosity (e.g. roughness) has also been shown to influence the transfer of heat from fire into the living tissues of trees. Bark rugosity is a challenging trait to quantify, often requiring destructive measuring techniques. We applied the equation developed by Shearman and Varner (2021), which defines rugosity as the ratio of the actual cross-section compared to the area of a convex hull; higher values indicate higher rugosity. We compared contemporary, destructive …

Awe On The Brain: Exploring The Impacts Of Awe On Neural Oscillations, Elizabeth A. Kamminga

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This project explores how the human brain exhibits complex patterns of neural activity that interact through oscillatory dynamics controlling cognition and emotion. The main question is whether awe can be understood as a change in how neural oscillators interact, and if so, whether this framework can be applied to other emotions. This project was inspired after taking the Awe and Curiosity course at the Davidson Honors College, where awe was explored as a universal but under-researched emotion that can alter how the brain perceives and interprets the world. To examine this, case studies and experiments were reviewed on the psychological …

Impacts Of Air Pollution On Park And Fitness Area Visitation Across The Contiguous United States., Tara C. Brown, Vince Caristo, Vick Zuzia, Sophie Morris

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Air pollution, especially from wildfire smoke, has become an increasing threat to human health as drier, hotter conditions drive more frequent and larger wildfires across the United States. To reduce personal health risks, guidelines suggest staying indoors and limiting physical exertion during days with poor air quality. However, limiting physical exertion can also cause negative health outcomes, especially as the number of poor air quality days continues to increase. Quantifying when action is and isn’t taken to limit exposure is an important prerequisite for interventions designed to mitigate the negative health consequences of air pollution from wildfires, and the economic …

Impact Of Physician Assistant/Associate Integration On Healthcare Quality, Accessibility, And Operational Capacity In Rural United States Communities, Zella Grace Balkenbush

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

As the physician assistant/associate (PA) profession has broadened in scope throughout the United States from the mid-1960s to the 21^st century, rural communities have received the greatest systemic effects. The expansion of health insurance through Medicare and Medicaid, combined with increasing physician specialization, created a greater need for general providers. Physician shortages in remote areas have contributed to patients experiencing decreased access to routine checkups, longer wait times, and constrained emergency resources. This has led to delayed diagnoses and preventable complications. In response, the PA profession has exploded in popularity to fill the gap in providing all-around care. Rural …

Stress As A Potential Triegger: Investigating The Onset Of Myasthenia Gravis Following Major Life Events, Taylor A. Barney

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

I will be studying myasthenia gravis (MG) and its relation to stress, answering the question: Is there a correlation between highly stressful life events and the initial onset of myasthenia gravis by which acute emotional or physical stress triggers myasthenic crisis or exacerbation of symptoms? I am doing this project because my mother has MG and her diagnosis has shaped my outlook on the medical field in which I hope to enter. To carry out this project, I will be using cross-sectional analysis through stress assessment with MG disease severity assessment. This will include trier inventory for assessment of chronic …

Community Contribution As A Pathway To Purpose: Activism And Role Modeling In Lgbtq+ Adults, Emily M. Wahl

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Community resilience has been identified as a protective factor against the negative psychological effects of minority stress among LGBTQ+ individuals (Meyer, 2015; Ilac, 2025; McConnell et al., 2018). Less research has examined how community resilience factors contribute to positive psychological functioning. Rather than solely focusing on buffering distress, the present study explores whether engagement in activism and identification of one’s self as a role model may help transform faced adversity into a sense of life purpose.

This analysis used survey data originally collected to examine multiple community resilience factors in LGBTQ+ adults (N=420). Participants ranged from age 18 to 75 …

From Couriers To City-Dwellers: The Changing Human–Pigeon Relationship Through Historic Pigeon Messaging, Urban Perceptions, And Training Practices, Mallory Peterson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Their coos echo off the walls of skyscrapers and their wings beat faster than the cadence of footsteps. Whether dodging cars or pecking at food scraps, pigeons are a constant character of urban environments. Their unique history has allowed them to raise their young under bridges and on windowsills. Pigeons and humans are inextricably intertwined, to the joy and dismay of many. Once celebrated as couriers, pigeons carried messages of war, love, and survival across vast distances, shaping human connection and history. Today, they are more often dismissed as pests, their presence flattened into the city noise.

This narrative piece …

Meet Your Neighbor: A Houseless Services Program Proposal In Missoula, Montana, Victoria K. Hausman

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Within the last three years, Missoula, Montana, has developed a culture of pervasive, systemic, and negative actions against people experiencing houselessness. The transition from funding multi-tiered approaches, including encampments, shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing, has been replaced by decreased resource-availability and an over-funded policy enforcing fines, misdemeanors, and arrests on anyone unsheltered and experiencing houselessness. At the root of this public sentiment is stigma, which manifests itself at all levels of the socio-ecological system and negatively impacts the health, housing, employment, social, mental, and physical outcomes of people experiencing houselessness. To combat stigma, Meet Your Neighbor is a …

Mental Healthcare Providers' Clinical Approaches To Climate Concerns, Lauren N. Schulte

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Previous research has established that climate change poses a serious threat to physical and mental health. Increases in climate change-related mental health concerns, including traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression, highlight the need for climate-aware approaches to mental healthcare. Many mental healthcare providers already report encountering clients with climate-related concerns, but few feel adequately prepared to support these clients. Additionally, providers have expressed the need for further information, training, treatment, and assessment options to assist individuals with climate-related mental health concerns. The present study aims to investigate existing therapeutic strategies used to address climate-related concerns in clinical settings. Data collection from …

Mighty Mobile Microgrids, Nathaniel T. Adams, Charlie F. Marten, Delia J. Schmidt, Buddy G. Wilson, Oliver A. Suhrbier, Katherine B. Labuda

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

A microgrid is a collection of power-generating devices that boost power from the primary electrical grid or serve as a backup when the grid cannot provide sufficient power. Microgrid systems are used where primary grid connectivity can be unreliable due to remote location or natural disasters, serving as renewable alternatives to traditional fossil fuel power production. Recent innovations have given rise to new microgrid technology that can be conveniently deployed in times of need. Mobile microgrids– often in the form of trailers covered in solar arrays– are being used increasingly as tools in disaster response and community grid support. This …

Alaska Dep’T Of Fish And Game V. Federal Subsistence Bd., Mj Fiedler

Public Land & Resources Law Review

A subsistence hunt in Kake, Alaska, during the COVID-19

pandemic sparked a lawsuit from the State of Alaska Department of Fish

and Game challenging the authority of the Federal Subsistence Board to

open the hunt. This lawsuit is a recent addition to a long history of the

State of Alaska’s resistance to federal enforcement of the Alaska National

Interest Lands Conservation Act provision establishing priority for rural

subsistence users. The Ninth Circuit ultimately affirmed the Federal

Subsistence Board’s authority to open the subsistence hunt.