Digital Commons Network^™

Are Anti-Corruption Sanctions The New Fcpa? A Comparison Of The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, The Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, And Sanctions, Karen Peters-Van Essen

Faculty Law Review Articles

With the rise of globalization, international corruption has been linked to a host of economic and social ills, including inter-state conflict.  By 2021, the U.S. government had identified corruption for the first time as a national security threat that required a broader range of inter- and cross- governmental policy tools to address the identified scope of the problem.  This national security focus was reinforced with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has been seen as being facilitated by corrupt oligarchs.  To be sure, the U.S. had decades prior passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. businesses …

Montana Kaimin, April 30, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

A Narrative History Of The Great Burn Proposed Wilderness, Cameron M. Kirwan

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

I spent autumn of 2025 interning with the Great Burn Conservation Alliance as a Heart Lake Ambassador, keeping a field journal to document the land as I saw it. The Great Burn Proposed Wilderness lies straddled across the border of northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, a swath of roadless area at the center of the Great Fire of 1910. Today, the landscape is a thriving ecosystem spanning across the rocky slopes of the northern Bitterroots.

Over the course of the late summer and early fall, I fell in love with the area and I wanted to immerse myself in all …

Four Decades Of Wilderness Work: The Legacy Of The Matthew Hansen Endowment, Daniel Martin

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This project analyzes and interprets 40 years of projects supported by the Matthew Hansen Endowment (MHE), an endowment within the Wilderness Institute at the University of Montana that provides funding for artistic, scholarly, and community-based work with connection to wilderness. To carry out this project, we examined hundreds of physical and digital documents, including proposals, reports, correspondence, and creative works, to reconstruct the history and evolving impact of the MHE. We also contacted hundreds of past recipients, collaborators, and affiliated organizations to recover missing materials and contextualize existing records.

The culmination of the research is a publicly accessible online exhibit …

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: …

The Gamification Of Investing: Young Investors And The Dopamine Desktop, Calvin Caplis

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

ABSTRACT

While traditional methods of investing remain, such as utilizing established financial advisory services and trading applications, neo-brokerages have gamified their trading platforms. These platforms have become increasingly popular among younger generations. The “gamification of investing” is a phenomenon that involves the integration of game-like features (e.g., haptic feedback, neon colors, confetti) into brokerage applications. This “gamification” has lowered the barriers to entry for investing in capital markets for younger generations but has simultaneously coaxed them into being more risk-tolerant and potentially unaware of the consequences of high-risk investing strategies. This is partly because neo-brokers make it easy to gain …

Dissecting Word And Song: Observing The Interplay Between Linguistic Analysis And Ethnomusicology, Dashiell Elliot Schindler

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Ethnomusicology is a subfield within cultural ethnography that aims to provide detailed, descriptive analysis on contemporary music culture, applying cross cultural comparison to trace musical lineages and identify sounds significant to a select society. The field serves as an interdisciplinary measure to accurately index musical styles that serve as a cultural marker to the heritage to which they are ascribed. Linguistic analysis aspires to many of the same goals. It is one of the four major disciplines within anthropology, and has its sights focused critically on the examination of language in its spoken form. Linguists apply research methods such as …

How Do Individual And Environmental Covariates Impact The Immune Response Of Deer Mice In Western Montana, Rachel A. Throckmorton

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Sin Nombre Virus (SNV) is an exceptional model system for studying wildlife disease because of how simple it is to capture, take samples, and obtain disease status from the primary host. Immune response is an important factor to consider when testing for SNV because it can affect susceptibility of the host as well as transmission of the virus. We examined individual and environmental conditions that may influence immune response and therefore possibly SNV transmission in wild populations. We investigated whether SNV infection status, reproductive status, sex, and season influenced immune response through examining total white blood cell (WBC) counts and …

“The Real Guards Are The Jungle And The Sea”: The History Of Island Prisons As Landscapes Of Fear And Discipline For Migrants, Dissidents, And Others, From Devil’S Island To The Contemporary United States, Iliana Capozzoli

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

By the 1850s, France established the infamous “Devil’s Island” penal colony in tropical French Guiana, an isolating place of punishment described as “the dry guillotine,” where the commandant would declare, “the real guards here are the jungle and the sea.” Upon being "freed," convicts were required to stay and work to build the "colony." Decades later, France would later send Vietnamese and Algerian political dissidents to the prison, which remained open until 1938. The threat of being sentenced to offshore detention has endured. Refugees crossing the Mediterranean are kept by the European Union on island sites, while Australia has received …

Inclusion And Responses Of Microbial Communities In Ecological Restoration, Simon C. Bickel

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Ecological restoration aims to restore degraded ecosystems to the condition they would have been in had degradation not occurred. A critical component of ecosystems is microbial communities, which regulate ecosystem functions such as respiration, nutrient cycling, and decomposition. Unfortunately, microbial communities can be easily overlooked in ecological restoration due to their small size and the need for specialized technical knowledge and equipment to investigate them. I conducted a systematic review of articles published in the journal Restoration Ecology between 1997 and 2022 to assess temporal trends in the frequency of articles on microbial communities and specific taxa. Mycorrhizae fungi were …

Crystallographic Insights Into The Biological Roles Of Α,Α- Trehalose, Sydney Mcgrath, Ashley Freeman, Asia Marie S. Riel, Daniel Adam Decato

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

α,α-trehalose is a naturally occurring molecule comprised of two glucose molecules linked together, is biologically active. Immunomodulatory compounds have used α,α-trehalose as a core structure to activate an immune response in proteins such as the Macrophate-Inducible C-type Lectin receptor. Activation of this receptor is hypothesized to occur through ligand-induced oligomerization, driven by small-molecule (pathogen-derived or endogenous) aggregation and self-assembly. However, this has not been fully investigated. This work set out to evaluate reported α,α-trehalose crystal structures from the Cambridge Crystal Structure Database. We evaluated 41 different α,α-trehalose supramolecular structures, understanding their application and categorizing their self-assembly through hydrogen bonding and …

Mindful Machines: Do Children Trust Ai More When They Think It Has A Mind?, Juhi Singh

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Children are increasingly interacting with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to seek information. Yet little is known about how children discern whether to trust AI responses. This study investigates two related questions. First, children prefer to learn from confident over hesitant people, but do they similarly prefer to learn from confident AI? Second, individual differences in children’s attributions of human-like mental states to non-human entities (anthropomorphism) predicts their social conceptions of AI-embedded technologies. Accordingly, are individual differences in anthropomorphism related to their learning from AI?

Child participants (N=64; ages 5-8) viewed videos of AI and human informants answering questions. Across …

Effectiveness Of Common Treatment Approaches On Pain And Disability For Chronic Low Back Pain, Brooke Williams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in adults worldwide. Common treatment approaches for low back pain include chiropractic care, physical therapy, medical care, and educational interventions. Although some randomized controlled trials have compared specific treatments, few studies have synthesized outcomes across multiple treatment approaches to determine relative effectiveness in individuals with chronic low back pain. This study performed a quantitative comparative analysis using aggregated data from published randomized controlled trials. Treatment groups included chiropractic care, physical therapy, medical care, and educational interventions. Outcomes related to disability, pain intensity, and symptom bothersomeness were assessed using the Roland Morris …

How Racism Affects Immigrants At The Us-Mexican Border, Meghan Schaeffer

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In recent years, the United States has been cracking down on immigration control, its political actions enforced by growing anti-Mexican sentiments that initially gained traction during the Great Depression. In March of 2025 I took a trip down to El Paso, TX to learn about the US-Mexican border crisis. I stayed with a refugee safehouse and listened to court officials, border patrol agents, immigration lawyers, and a number of refugees who had recently crossed the border and were in the process of applying for citizenship. The unjust and horrific stories I heard from all sides of the crisis were extremely …

Rhythms Of Learning, Eli W. Flaim

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Rhythms of Learning

Eli Flaim

Traditional Western education has typically assumed that learning occurs best at a desk in a classroom. However, much of my personal development has taken place outdoors and in motion through participating in and facilitating experiential learning. My capstone project aims to bridge these two worlds by exploring how outdoor education can be effectively integrated into higher education without necessitating wilderness expeditions or significant structural changes. I will discuss my journey in developing this project and share the findings of my research, highlighting the importance of outdoor education and practical ways to implement it in the …

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 …

Connecting The University Community To Passenger Rail, Evyn L. Kolczak-Hardy, Delaney A. Stewart, Eleanor R. Hollingsworth

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Abstract

The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) is a regional coalition of 12 Montana counties with a mission of improving and expanding passenger rail service throughout Montana and the greater northwest region. The BSPRA seeks to restore a passenger rail route that would connect Chicago to Seattle, passing through Montana, known as the Big Sky North Coast Corridor (BSNCC). The goal of QUEST is to provide a relevant, realistic, and research-based recommendation that assists the mission of the BSPRA. We identified a need to actively engage the BSPRA with the University of Montana which is a regional hub and …

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 …

Ear Differences And Working Memory, Taci Lane Watkins

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Title: Ear Differences and Working Memory

Introduction: Previous research has demonstrated performance differences between the right and left ears on auditory perception tasks, suggesting a right ear advantage in auditory processing and speech perception. The present study investigated whether such ear-related differences extend beyond perception into the cognitive domain of working memory, specifically during tasks that require the manipulation and recall of verbal information.

Methods: Twenty-four right-handed adults (ages 18–30) with normal hearing completed backward digit span tasks under three listening conditions: right ear, left ear, and binaural presentation. Stimuli consisted of digit sequences ranging from three to eight numbers. …

Missing Puzzle Piece: Adding Novel Locations To The Map Of Synechococcus A/B Diversity, Max Q. Berndt

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Synechococcus A/B (SynAB) cyanobacteria are found only in North America and include the most thermotolerant photosynthetic organisms on Earth.  As thermophiles, SynAB have intriguing implications for understanding the process of thermal adaptation with potential insights for how organisms may respond to our steadily warming climate. This study aims to compare the genomes and thermotolerance of three newly isolated strains of SynAB from previously unstudied Idaho hot springs. I will first place the isolated strains into an existing phylogenetic tree of SynAB comprised of samples from Oregon and Yellowstone National Park. Next, I will use growth …

Indirect Effects Of Climate Variation On Pollinator Foraging Behavior, Ainsley Jajack

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Many species exhibit intraspecific trait variation in response to climactic factors. When those traits mediate species interactions, the outcome of the interaction may change as a result.  For example, floral color and size have been demonstrated to change in response to temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture. Additionally, floral color and size are important influences on pollinator foraging behavior, which can in turn directly impact plant reproductive fitness. As western Montana’s climate patterns trend towards increased seasonal highs and fewer frost/freeze days, it is important to understand how floral traits may shift under changing conditions, and how those shifts may impact …

Representation And Placement Of Emerging Bilinguals In Gifted Education, Morgan Bailey

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The underrepresentation of bilingual students and students from diverse cultural backgrounds in gifted education programs remains a persistent equity concern in the United States. As of 2021, 10% of public school students were emerging bilinguals, yet they comprise only 3% of gifted education classrooms (Serrano, 2019). This disparity highlights systemic barriers in identification and placement practices.

This presentation will provide a comprehensive review of research on gifted identification practices and their impact on emerging bilinguals, with the goal of promoting increased equity in education and improving understanding of how better practices can be implemented.

Sources include peer-reviewed journal articles from …

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 …

Byline Magazine “Meant To Burn”, Marly Graham, Samantha Dunne

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Despite wildfire's increased prevalence in the state of Montana, parts of the wildfire story in the West are rarely reported. As students in the School of Journalism's Magazine Production and Design class, we reviewed those underreported topic areas, covering behind-the-scenes support of dispatchers, forest recovery, ever-changing management practices, preventative measures, long-term ecological effects and positive impacts of fire. Over the course of the semester, students pitched, researched, reported, fact-checked, designed and copy-edited to produce Byline Magazine-The Wildfire Issue. Despite obstacles, such as a government shutdown, the class gave students the opportunity to produce an in-depth magazine and gain real-world experience …

Ursine Transitions: An Analysis Of The Role Of The Bear Attack As A Transitionary Force In The Winter’S Tale And Beyond, Alison R. Liwosz

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale features a curiously specific bear among the pastoral romantic comedy, a bear that chases a character off stage and ends up eating him and another character. This bear’s symbolism and significance to the narrative will be the focus of this essay. This event occurs in the simple stage direction “Exit, pursued by bear” to close out the third act and court setting of the play. A description of the murders come from a character introduced from the pastoral latter half of the narrative, with the bear acting as the hinge between the two. The bear also …

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 …

Computing The Tree Packing Conjecture, Nathaniel T. Adams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Gyárfás tree packing conjecture [1] states that any collection of trees (T1, T2, . . . , Ti) on 1, 2, . . . n vertices can be edge-disjointly packed into a complete graph on n vertices. Alternatively, this conjecture states that such a family of trees can be “glued” together to produce a complete graph on n vertices. Although many partial results are known (See Cisiński and Zak [2], Janzer and Montgomery [3], Balogh and Palmer [4]), ˙ the conjecture has remained open since 1970. This conjecture is computationally challenging, naively requiring superexponential number of computations. This paper …

Inside The Study: A Meta-Exploration Of Undergraduate Ra Experiences In Social Work, April Janel Jackson-Andal

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Social work is not generally seen as a research-based field, yet social workers rely on evidence-based practices to address clients’ needs (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2022; National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). Research has shown that social work students often avoid research due to disinterest or anxiety (Gredig et al., 2022). Professors typically favor master’s-level students, providing few hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates (Inoue et al., 2017; Sidell, 2007). This creates a gap in understanding undergraduate experiences.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of 5 undergraduate research assistants in the social work department at The University of …

Montana Kaimin, April 16, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

The Role Of The Context For Pupils’ Choice Of Solution Strategies And Representations When Working With Combinatorial Problems, Frode Rønning

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This paper reports on a study based on two classroom sessions in a Norwegian school where pupils in Grade 4 (age 9) worked on two combinatorial problems. Data were collected by video-recording two pairs of pupils collaborating in each session, as well as a whole-class session at the end of the second session. The pupils’ written work during the sessions was also collected as data. The classroom sessions were designed based on principles from the Theory of Didactical Situations. Data were analysed using a dialogical approach and based on theory for multiplicative structures and semiotic representations. The study shows that …