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The Effectiveness Of Spiritual Wellness In The Classroom To Promote Resilience, Tori Horton, Emma Normand, Ben Smoot

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Effectiveness of Spiritual Wellness in the Classroom to Promote Resilience

*Tori Horton, Emma Normand, Ben Smoot

University of Montana, Missoula

Abstract

Spirituality is a crucial aspect of a child's development but is often overlooked and misinterpreted in school settings. The purpose of this research study is to examine teachers’ approaches and activities in the classroom to foster students’ spiritual wellness and mental health. The current study is part of a larger project examining educators’ perspectives of social-emotional learning (SEL) and spirituality in the public-school setting. SEL has been suggested to cultivate spirituality in children leading to overall wellness. Public …

Preparing Students Who Stutter For Life After Graduation, Zayna Fairhart, Sami Siems, Bridget Johnson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Title: Preparing Students who Stutter for Life After Graduation

Purpose: The purpose of this national survey is to collect data on current high school-based speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) practices when developing individualized transition plans (ITPs) for students who stutter (SWS).

Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed nationally to high school-based SLPs via Qualtrics. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participant demographics, training/education of ITP practices, characteristics of ITP practices, and their self-efficacy in guiding the ITP process with SWS. Qualitative content analysis will be used to identify major themes in the sample ITP goals that SLPs provide on the …

Measuring Dose And Teaching Moment Cues In Speech Sound Disorder, Zoe G. Sullivan, Abby Marshall

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Speech sound disorder (SSD) occurs when children have difficulties saying sounds appropriately and need specialized instruction by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to be understood. The best treatment approach is not always known to SLPs due to the individual needs of a client and the effects of different elements within interventions. By researching teaching strategies and dose in therapy, we can explore procedures that result in better outcomes and speed the learning process (Baker et al., 2018). Thus, the purpose of this research is to describe and quantify the elements that occurred within treatment of SSD to answer: How can we …

Wildland Firefighter Off-Season Mental Health, Luke Santore

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Wildland firefighter suicide rates are ten times that of the general population and lower than only a handful of other occupations in the US. Comorbid mental and behavioral health issues are similarly disproportionately common. In this paper I interview fourteen current and former wildland firefighters about their mental health before, during and (when relevant) after their occupational exposure to wildland fire. My intent is to provide a qualitative assessment of commonly reported mental health issues, their causes and possible solutions. Starting with ex-coworkers I utilized snowball sampling to gather interview subjects. I utilized concept-driven coding supported by memo notes. I …

Heart Of Cold: Cold Hardiness Of The Golden Stonefly Nymph, Jack Hanson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The golden stonefly (Hesperoperla pacifica) is an ecologically important aquatic insect native to western North America. These large-bodied predators prey on other insects and support healthy trout populations. Despite their importance, little is known about the cold hardiness or freeze tolerance of golden stonefly nymphs. In winter, stonefly nymphs experience temperatures down to 0 °C, and may experience even colder temperatures as they make contact with ice forming within stream substrates. I carried out a set of experiments to determine the cold tolerance limits of H. pacifica nymphs, and whether they are freeze tolerant or freeze avoidant. Freeze avoidant insects …

Firewise Landscaping: Homeowner Knowledge, Behaviors And Educational Preferences, Kendal Beauvais, Rowan Grassi, Frederick Gleasman

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Although wildfire is a natural process in fire-adapted forests, it poses growing socioeconomic and health threats. Urban development and expansion into the wildland-urban interface (WUI) has heightened wildfire exposure, putting thousands of homes at risk in Montana alone.The Firewise USA program was created in an effort to reduce the risk of home ignition and loss in the WUI. The program encourages homeowners within WUI communities to engage in mitigation efforts such as using Firewise landscaping strategies to create a defensible zone around their homes and promotes the use of building materials that decrease overall ignition risk. Despite a growing body …

Estimating Elk Abundance In The Ruby Mountains, Wyatt Nielsen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Human recreation and wildlife overlap is a growing concern. The amount of people who visit public land grow in numbers every year, and it is important to understand how these large visitor numbers are affecting the local ecosystem. Elk are particularly affected, since they need space to raise calves, find food, and sleep as a large herd. With the largest elk population in the United States, the state of Colorado is investigating how humans that hike and camp affect where elk spend their time and raise their calves. To this end, study sites have been set up with trail cameras …

Wilderness Ideology: Understanding The 1964 Wilderness Act And Wilderness Recreation, Allison Simko

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The 1964 Wilderness Act was a landmark legislation created under unique circumstances, but its legacy no longer pertains solely to the culture it was created in. This paper seeks to address the present impacts of the themes and emotionality of language used in the Wilderness Act, specifically the term “untrammeled,” on modern Wilderness recreation policies and individual opinions. To fully understand the impacts of describing wilderness as an area that is “untrammeled,” this research is split into two parts. In the first part, I review and analyze outstanding literature regarding the variables that led to the creation of and specific …

Women And Water In Mountain Communities: Interactions Between Resource Access And Gender-Based Development, Jenna Mccrorie

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Potable water and safe sanitation services are some of the most crucial resources to communities all around the globe. Currently, as many as 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, and it is predicted that 1.8 billion people will be living in countries with absolute water scarcity by 2025. This indispensable resource and lifeblood of civilization originates in the “water towers of the world”: mountains. It is estimated that over half of the human population relies on major streams and rivers flowing out of mountainous areas. Communities in these areas face serious challenges when there is not …

Do Soil Characteristics Mitigate The Effects Of Herbicide On Plant Germination?, Lauren E. Spaeth

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Invasive species have negative consequences on biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and the economy. In order to control invasive species, herbicides are used in natural areas where native plant abundance is a concern. Although, herbicides have been showed to adversely affect the germination non-target native plants. The extent to which soil characteristics, such as soil texture and duff depths, mitigate herbicide effects is unknown. I am proposing to assess the influence of soil factors on germination of the native plant species Gaillardia aristata (blanket flower) in soils that have been sprayed with herbicide. Specifically, I will set up a greenhouse experiment that …

Food Systems Relating To Greenness, Aidan Morton, Madison Seigler, Jacob Tutty, Victoria Bloomgren, Cassie Williams, Julia Anderson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Our understanding of the science of anthropogenic climate change and its immediate and indirect impacts has grown within the last decade. Alongside an increase in concern for the inequities within the industrialized food system, climate change is impacting agriculture and the communities that depend on it in myriad ways. These challenges have catalyzed investment in sustainable agriculture, “eat local” food movements, and rethinking of all aspects of food systems, including consumers, producers, retailers, and distributors. The body of literature on food systems primarily focuses on the connection between consumers and retailers; however, there is a notable absence of literature on …

Learning To See Human: Universal Aspects And Cultural Variations In The Development Of Anthropomorphism, Kit Smith

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Anthropomorphism is the tendency to attribute human characteristics (i.e. emotions, intentions) to nonhuman animals, technologies, and nature. This disposition varies by individual, but there may be factors that contribute to one’s tendencies. The current study investigates cultural contributions to the development of individual anthropomorphism by assessing the anthropomorphic tendencies of children and adults from China and Canada. The Chinese sample included children (4-6 years; N=299) and adults (16-28 years; N=294); the Canadian sample included children (4-6 years; N=103) and adults (17-52 years; N=158). All participants were administered the Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire - Child Form …

Pulmonary Response To Exercise, Woodsmoke Smoke Inhalation, And Acute Sleep Deprivation, Aidan Daniel Anton Mccloy

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

As the prevalence of woodsmoke exposure from wildfires increases in the western US population, so does the need to understand the long-term deleterious effects of smoke exposure. In addition to strenuous physical activity while exposed to woodsmoke, populations such as wildland firefighters may operate under sleep-deprived conditions. To this end, our laboratory studied the combined effects of smoke exposure, exercise, and sleep deprivation by measuring vascular inflammation, differential gene expression, heart rate variability, pulse wave velocity, and pulmonary function both before and after a 45-minute stationary bike workout. The focus of this analysis was to evaluate forced vital capacity (FVC), …

Developing Quality Of Life Indicators For Open Space And Parks Management: A Three-Pronged Approach, Lane J. Arthur

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The City of Boulder Outdoor Space and Mountain Parks manages open space land for its “recreational value and its contribution to the quality of life of the community”–amongst other values (Boulder, Colorado Charter art. XII, sec. 176). Resulting, OSMP is currently utilizing an outcomes-focused management (OFM) approach to understand how OSMP lands affect quality of life and well-being in the community. However, little guidance has been provided in the literature on how to identify which outcomes are most relevant to park and protected area users (Driver & Bruns, 2008). Since 2008, efforts have been made to understand outcome relevancy and …

The Global Credit Score Panel, Esther Lyon Delsordo, Cory Emlen, Betta Lyon-Delsordo, Trinity Kurr

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Credit scores are used around the world to measure creditworthiness in lending, but they can also act as barriers to entry into financial systems and as barriers to economic mobility. The purpose of our project is to raise awareness of how credit scores function as these barriers, as well as provide valuable information to help people enact solutions to these problems at a variety of levels.

Our team has put together a series of interviews with credit scoring experts from home and abroad to give their perspectives on the ways credit scores are used and how they affect people’s lives. …

Graduation Rates And Property Taxes In Montana Impacting Accessibility To Education, Abigail K. Robideaux

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

1. The question being asked is how property taxes correlate with graduation rates in Montana and if there is a way to change the funding of the education system to increase accessibility to higher education.
2. The purpose of this research is to advocate for changing how the education system is funded. Currently, public schools are being funded based off the property taxes in a certain neighborhoods and counties and there is greater need to understand how those numbers relate to who is graduating where. The intention is to collect this data so in the future, students who have higher need of …

There Is No Planet B: Lessons From My Experience With Sustainability Planning, Elani G. Borhegyi

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The development of plans directed at sustainability is crucial to greening institutions, holding parties accountable, and promoting justice. The process of forming such plans is complex and interdisciplinary, as I have experienced as a student working on the University of Montana (UM) Sustainability Action Plan (SAP). Since working on the UM SAP, I have learned many lessons that demonstrate the importance and impact of sustainability planning that are worth sharing with a wider audience to motivate participation in sustainability.

Work on the SAP began in summer 2021 with student-led research on strategies to make the UM more sustainable. In fall …

An Improved Method To Study Viral Entry Of Human Cytomegalovirus, Lars Ponsness

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes significant disease in immunocompromised adults and congenital infections are a leading cause of hearing loss and cognitive delays. Development of a broadly effective vaccine has been limited by the lack of a method to study receptor-engagement and membrane fusion mediated by HCMV glycoproteins. Additionally, these methods have lacked a convenient way to account for the genetic diversity of the HCMV glycoproteins. Transient expression of the viral glycoproteins in human cells can induce cell-cell fusion. The induction of cell-cell fusion can be used as a surrogate measure of virus entry and is known as a cell-cell fusion …

Reading As Bearing Witness: Incorporating The Voices Of Incarcerated Youth In Honors Education, Amelia Hawes, Jorgia Hawthorne

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Honors faculty often engage students in service-learning and community-engaged courses to help them learn curricular concepts, develop skills in responsible citizenship, and positively impact their community. In fall 2020 and spring 2021, the Davidson Honors College worked with the Free Verse Writing Project, a nonprofit organization serving incarcerated youth, with the primary goal of bringing the writing and voices of young, incarcerated authors into the college classroom to give their stories a wider audience. Our presentation will explore a case study of this successful partnership and its ongoing development, with a particular focus on our perspective as honors students. We …

Mindful Youth: Empowering Adolescents To Own Their Mental Health Through An Interactive Online Platform, Rachel Gebhardt, Jesse Jewel, Jewel Wicks, Serena Gardner, Kate Hess, Diana Urey

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Depression and anxiety are prevalent issues with rates that continue to increase each year for adolescents within our society. This project focuses on creating a website that will engage adolescents to own their mental health and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by equipping them with self-help tools. The website includes situational videos, journaling prompts, and other interactive resources based in Positive Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The online toolkit is designed to be available to people who use online accessibility functions. We created a pilot version of the website using the platforms Toonly and Wix, and then hosted …

Healthy Dialogue As The Impetus Of Change: Emotional, Intellectual, & Substantive Conversations About The Environment And Climate Change, Abigail Vogt, Damara Stewart, Sierra Franklin, Cara Shepard, Sarah Griffin, Rowan Ulrigg

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

As six students of the Resources and Sustainability Global Theme of the Franke GLI program our capstone project addresses the need for emotional, intellectual and substantive environmental conversations, a lack thereof we all have observed in our studies and daily lives. We conducted research of scholarly sources that found experience, upbringing, biases, and emotions are influencers of a person’s attitude and behavior toward the environment and climate change. Attitude is expressed through a person’s morals that inform behavior. The topics of environment and climate change are largely interpreted and expressed through pathos, which is easily manipulated by social media, marketing, …

Assessing The Accuracy And Deficits Of Popular Drug-Interaction Software Programs In Detecting Interactions Between Cannabis And Pharmaceutical Drugs, Nathan C. Ramsbacher

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

- Purpose – The management of drug interactions in healthcare is a large concern for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, especially for patients requiring large amounts of medications. Healthcare professionals and patients alike utilize drug-interaction software programs (DISPs) frequently to manage medications and make clinical decisions. There is a large discrepancy between DISPs in terms of detecting clinically significant drug interactions. Notably, cannabis does not flag as an interaction as reliably as pharmaceutical drugs on many DISPs. With rising cannabis use in the United States, patients deserve to make decisions on how to safely use cannabis with their prescription drugs …

Effects Of Subtype-Specific Nmda Receptor Modulation On Neural Activity In Behaving Rats, Sarah Schreiber, Lauren Cornelison, Kasper Hansen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Removed by request

Investigating The Protein-Protein Interactions Of Riok3 During Viral Infection, Hunter L. Grimes, Luke A. White, Thomas C. Bisom

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In response to viral infection, cells initiate a series of innate immune signaling cascades that result in inflammation. This process is highly regulated to prevent a damaging hyper-inflammatory response while still fighting off the infection. Infection with Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), an RNA virus endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, can result in severe disease in humans and livestock. Infection in pregnant livestock can result in abortive pregnancies and high mortality rates. RIOK3 is an understudied protein expressed in most mammalian cells that has an unclear role in the response to viral infection. Recent work in our laboratory has shown that …

Social Communication After Isolation In Adolescent Degu, Sky Nyberg, Kendra Kuehn, Amber Thatcher

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Removed by request

Combating Loneliness: An Intergenerational Pen Pal Program, Hailey Powell, Addie Slanger, Maria Goheen, Brenna Spurling, Mazana Boerboom

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In an effort to both analyze how COVID-19 has impacted traditionally isolated communities and prevent loneliness, we have created a pen-pal program between UM students and senior adults. We have implemented a pilot pen-pal program to create lasting social bonds without exposing seniors to COVID-19. The program is currently running through the Davidson Honors College “Intro to Honors” course, with plans to leave the program self-sustaining in future semesters. To pair partners, we distributed interest surveys and matched relevant interests. To inform people of how loneliness affects seniors, we created a brochure that highlights our research, with plans to distribute …

Synthetic Anion Foldamers Utilizing Halogen Bonding, Madeleine Rose Boller

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Ion transport is critical to cellular function. Cells use molecular channels embedded in cell membranes to transport ions across the cell membrane. The movement of ions regulates pH and ion gradients, forms ATP during aerobic respiration, and mediates action potential in neurons. When these transporters mutate, ions cannot cross membranes, resulting in “channelopathies” — diseases that include cystic fibrosis and neuronal disorders like epilepsy. However, synthetic ion channels can combat these channelopathies by acting as replacement transporters that integrate into the membranes and restore ion permeability.

Unlike natural transporters that use amino acids as building blocks, our research focuses on …

How Students Can Help Other Students Learn, Erica Braig

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Learning Assistant program is designed to support instructors implement active and group learning in classrooms. Learning Assistances (LAs) are students who complete a course and return to help assist current students in that course. During the fall of 2021, I was an LA for Intro to Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry during recitation. Recitation is time where students work on problems from the class and complete a quiz. My role in recitation, was to help students work through questions, and facilitate group learning. Initially, I observed students mostly chose to work alone. The LA program emphasizes peer learning and the …

Investigations Of Personalized Medicine In Mesothelioma, Abigail Harmon, Mark Pershouse, Cooper Parsons, Caitlin Peaslee

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Malignant mesothelioma is a neoplasm that involves lesions on the pleural linings of the lung or the peritoneal lining of the abdominal cavity. Current standard of care involves a multi-targeted antifolate drug Pemetrexid and an alylating agent, Cisplatin. This regimen results in regression of tumors in 25% of patients. As the genetics lesions that cause mesothelioma have been elucidated, our understanding of possible targets of therapeutics has grown. Rational drug design (personalized medicine) would dictate that we consider genetic alterations specific to mesothelioma tumor cells and use those to target our therapy. The most common genetic alterations in human mesotheliomas …

A Comparison Of Predicted And Observed Ocean Tidal Loading Displacements Around The Puget Sound, Tanessa C. Morris

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Around coastlines and in shallow oceans, models of ocean tidal loading (OTL) are not highly accurate and can create sources of error in OTL analysis. OTL is tides moving ocean water that cause the surface of Earth to deform. In this study, forward-modelled predictions of OTL are compared to observations from Global Positioning System (GPS) data to explore the elastic deformation response of Earth to OTL around the Puget Sound. Data from 75 Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) stations were processed to yield position estimates at intervals of 5 minutes for a year. The OTL model used for comparison was …