Digital Commons Network^™

Nba Spread Betting Outcomes, Jacob Tyler Harmon

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

This study attempts to find the best explanation for individual NBA games outcomes. Using econometric regression analysis, the research shows a methodology for predicting whether a team covers the spread in any given game. The focus is the betting market of professional basketball, as sports betting continues to garner momentum in North America. The purpose of the research is income maximization.

Economic Analysis Of The S&P 500 Index Valuation And Household Wealth, Eric Albios

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

This economic analysis focuses on the valuation of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index. Using economic, monetary, and behavioral indicators, and annual data during the period 1990 - 2024, these indicators serve as independent variables in an economic regression, which quantifies the statistical relationship between key factors and the average annual market price of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Resulting in a linear model that can be used to demonstrate accuracy in valuating the S&P 500 Index, in comparison to the average annual market price, along with anticipated effects on households invested in the financial markets.

Determinants Of College Major Choice, Nick Reggiani

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

This study identifies the economic determinants of college major choice at Linfield University. Grounded in a utility maximization framework adapted from Arcidiacono et al. (2010), the theoretical model posits that students select majors by maximizing utility through personal preference against the expected value of future earnings and career outcomes. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to analyze institutional census data matched with national labor market indicators, the research finds that major declarations are strongly predicted by high early-career wages and low unemployment rates. Ultimately, measurable economic returns are critical drivers of student academic decisions.

The Impact Of Marine Reserves On Recreational Salmon Catch And Salmon Angler Behavior Along The Oregon Coast, Zharyck Lopez

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

Salmon populations along the Pacific Northwest coast are vital to regional ecosystems, local economies, and recreational fisheries, yet they face increasing pressure from overfishing, habitat degradation, and environmental changes, promoting the implementation of marine reserves (MRs). This study evaluated both ecological and behavioral effects by integrating stock dynamics with angler decision-making within a Gordon-Schaefer framework. Ecological impacts are measured through changes in salmon abundance and potential spillover into adjacent fishing areas. Angler effort is modeled as a function of stock changes, catch success, travel distance, ocean conditions (Pacific Decadal Oscillation), angler knowledge, and proximity to MRs. Results indicate that MRs …

A Gis Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ndvi Value, Slope, And Aspect Of The Terrain Of The Prairie Restoration Project, Basil Lund

2026 Symposium

The Prairie Restoration Project (PRP) encompasses 115 acres of land on the west side of the EWU campus. The goal of the PRP is to restore what was once a section of wheat farm back to its original Palouse prairie state. Here, I am using publicly available satellite data to examine some potential variables affecting the health of wheat plants planted in the years 2009 to 2017. I have used 4-band aerial imagery to create a map of NDVI values within the bounds of the PRP, which visualizes the near-infrared wavelengths that are reflected by healthy, chlorophyll-rich plants. I have …

Native Wayland Compositing On Apple Ecosystems: Assessing The Feasibility Of “Wawona” Compositor, Alex Spaulding

2026 Symposium

The Wayland display protocol is the modern standard for Linux window management, emphasizing security, performance, and simplicity. Expanding this ecosystem to macOS, iOS, and Android introduces technical hurdles due to proprietary windowing systems and divergent hardware APIs. This research evaluates the feasibility of developing a native Wayland Compositor for Apple and Android, given the closed nature of these ecosystems.

“Wawona” bridges this gap by architecting a native Wayland Compositor capable of executing unmodified Linux applications. The methodology involves implementing the Wayland protocol stack into native abstractions leveraging Metal, Android’s graphics pipeline, and CoreAnimation.

Community Engagement In Utah’S Clean Ports Program: Empowering Near-Port Communities In The Energy Transition, Michelle Bohnen

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

As Utah expands clean energy efforts, it’s important that nearby communities share in the benefits. This session highlights community engagement in the Utah Clean Ports Program, an EPA-funded initiative to reduce emissions at the Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal. Presenters will share lessons from designing inclusive engagement strategies, including a resident-led steering committee that helps guide decisions. Approaches like stipends, childcare, and local co-facilitation have made it easier for community members to participate. Participants will learn practical ways to build trust, incorporate local knowledge, and create more equitable, community-informed projects in clean energy, transportation, and industrial settings.

Emergency Food Response, Rhiana Medina, Malcolm Campbell-Taylor

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

What should you consider when a crisis suddenly increases demand for essential services? This session explores how programs can shift from routine operations to effective emergency response. Presenters will share practical strategies for acting quickly, using simple tools, and communicating clearly with community members and partners during high-pressure situations.

Concurrent Panels: Track B, Chief Operations Officer, Assistant Secretary Will N. Watts, Jr., P.E., Brett Fay, C.M., Dr. João S. D. Garcia, Jessica Ottaviano, Sierra Lepore, C.M., Env Sp, Mark Wilson, Charlie Cope, Andrew Bennett, C.M., Cpm, Greg Britton, Emir Pineda, J. Alex Kelly

Florida Advanced Air Mobility Symposium

• 8:30 – 10:00 AM | Session B1 - Integrating AAM Operations and Consumer Acceptance into Florida 
• 10:20 – 11:50 AM | Session B2 - Florida’s Aerial Network Entry Points and its Economic Impact 

Concurrent Panels: Track A, Carina Maloney, Mike Hardin, Lindsey Mcfarren, Ryan Naru, Marcus Johnson, Courtney Hance, P.E., Nick Hartley, P.E., Julie Womble, M.A.,Fra-Fa, Morgan White, Justin Thames, Melissa Mccaffrey, Yasmina Platt, C.M., Cfi/Cfii, Kristina "Tina" Buelo, Kevin Thompson, C.M., Ace, Eric Mueller, Will Hutson

Florida Advanced Air Mobility Symposium

• 8:30 – 9:15 AM | Session A1 - Security and Automation
• 9:15 – 10:00 AM | Session A2 - Infrastructure
• 10:20 – 11:50 AM | Session A3 - Airspace and Air Traffic

Uncovering The Impact Of Youtube's Hidden Algorithm On Its Users, Oscar Perez

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

YouTube is a well-known platform that offers users endless hours of news, entertainment, and education. This research seeks to understand how the algorithm functions and uncover the effects of allowing a system to curate content for viewers. The research combines academic sources with fieldwork to understand the impact of YouTube's algorithm.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Jacqueline McGrath

There's Nothing Tragic About Being Fifty: An Introduction To Hagsploitation, Kayla Brabant

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

A brief introduction to Hagsploitation, a subgenre of Exploitation film both established and popularized by the release of Robert Aldrich"s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). Notable examples of these films will be discussed, as well as historical context, and the potential for a feminist reading on the subgenre.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Dylan Simons

When Healing Becomes Horror: Medical Malpractice And Institutional Fear, Taryn Prater

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

I studied medical malpractice through the lens of Monster Theory, examining how systemic failures, institutional silence, and cultural ideals shape harm in healthcare. I learned that malpractice is not only a legal issue, but a structural and ethical one, where fear and lack of transparency erode trust and impact both patients and providers.

Monstrous Medicine website

Faculty Sponsor: Professor Aleisha Balestri

Neuroplasticity And Hippocampal Impacts Associated With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Rumaysa Aliniazee

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

A review on the implications of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Hippocampal Brain Health. It explores the role of sleep medicine, its effect on the hippocampus, its influence on cognitive function, and emphasizes the need for continued research and intervention to preserve cognitive health.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Felipe Armas

The Effects Of Water Quality On The Physiological Responses Of Daphnia Magna, Sara Al Shekha, Alexis Avila-Hernandez

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

After conducting research on the effects of water quality on the physiological response of Daphnia magna, a common freshwater invertebrate, the biological stress response significantly differed in heart rates among groups, which differed from the original hypothesis after exposing the invertebrates to various samples of local pond water.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Lynda Randa

Bdnf Signaling Dysfunction In College-Aged Males: Mapk/Erk Contributions To Mood, Cognition, And Motivation., Abdul-Rahman Kassak

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

BDNF Signaling Dysfunction in College-Aged Males: MAPK/ERK Contributions to Mood, Cognition, and Motivation.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Liane Cochran-Stafira

A Three-Criteria Framework For U.S. Immigration Reform: Humane Treatment, Resource Reallocation, And Proportional Fallback, Eddie Contreras

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

This project examines how U.S. immigration enforcement could be restructured around three criteria: humane treatment, resource reallocation, and proportional consequences. The evidence, drawn from journalism, peer-reviewed research, government data, and international comparisons, consistently shows that current enforcement is poorly targeted, fiscally costly, and harmful to the community it depends on. At the same time, the picture is not one-sided: a real population of serious offenders exists, some workers benefit economically from restrictive policies, and even the strongest international models have real flaws. Administrative reforms within DHS could begin moving the system in a slightly better direction now. However, durable change …

Ramen: A History Of The Globally Loved Delicacy, Abigail Hendricksen

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

This project examines the history of ramen, tracing its development from Chinese noodle traditions to its adaptation in Japan and its global spread through industrialization and postwar change. It highlights how migration, war, and globalization shaped ramen into a widely consumed food and a symbol of cultural exchange and adaptation.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Maria Ritzema

Shaped By The Feed: Big Data, Identity And Power, Ana Paula Andrada

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

I explored how big data and algorithms shape the way we think and interact at an individual and societal level. This started from things I kept noticing in everyday life. Through my research, I learned how the personalization and predictability in feeds can reinforce beliefs, limit our critical thinking, deepen polarization and threaten our freedom.

Faculty Sponsor:  Professor Aleisha Balestri

Preliminary Results Of An Interview Study To Assess Services For Lgbtq+ Youth And Families In Box Elder County, Utah, Maureen Boyle, Manuel Quijas Ornelas, Jamielyn Gibson, Jayme Walters, Dorothy Wallis

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

This qualitative study is part of a larger community assessment project to understand the health and social support service needs of LGBTQ+ youth and their families in Box Elder County, Utah. Assessment research was designed in response to community concerns about limited availability of LGBTQ+ specific services in the rural county and a critical need to address suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth as a health disparity population. The project consists of an online survey and interview study facilitated by the Utah State University’s Transforming Communities Institute in collaboration with a panel of community partners and two graduate classes in the …

Pro Se Community Clinic Effect On Eviction Diversion, Meltia Hickman, Crystal Bell, Sydney Fisk, Keenan Carroll

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

This poster highlights the Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), funded by the National Center for State Courts with services provided through Utah Legal Services, and the role of the Pro Se Community Clinic in helping prevent evictions before they reach the courtroom.
The clinic creates a space where tenants and landlords can connect early with attorneys, mediators, and service providers to work toward practical solutions. So far, more than 20,000 individuals have accessed diversion resources across 24 jurisdictions. Among those who engaged with the program, 89% were able to resolve their cases through settlement or dismissal, avoiding a formal eviction judgment.

Beyond Casework: Community Engagement As System Diagnosis, Melaine Webster, Shara Young, Becca Wilson

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

The Case to Cause framework helps people connect an individual problem to the broader patterns, systems, or policies that may be causing it. This handout guides participants in listening to frontline stories and identifying root causes to create lasting change.

Leadership Fireside Chats, Chief Operations Officer, Assistant Secretary Will N. Watts, Jr., P.E., Melissa Mccaffrey, Blain Newton, Diana Siegel, Ryan Naru, Jc Asencio, Andrew Gappy, Megha Bhatia, Rani Plaut, Charlie Hillis, Warren Carroll, Kevin Cox, Mike French, C.M., Addison Ferrell

Florida Advanced Air Mobility Symposium

• 3:00 - 4:00 pm Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)
• 4:00 - 4:30 pm Operators
• 4:30 - 5:15 pm Infrastructure Developers

Developing Antibodies Against Galectin-3 And Galectin-9 To Target Endometriosis, Ashleigh Burger, Noah Farnsworth, Jared J. Reisnouer, Cheyenne Vue

2026 Symposium

Endometriosis is a disease characterized by pelvic pain and the formation of endometrial-like tissue on the outside of the uterine lining. This condition affects nearly 10% of women across the globe and confirming whether someone has endometriosis requires visualization in surgery. While the specific causes of this disease remain unclear, the over-expression of the Galectins 3 and 9 in ectopic endometrial tissues suggests a role in the development and maintenance of the condition. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are highly specific proteins with potential as diagnostic or treatment tools. The goal of this study is to generate antibodies against Gal3 and Gal9. …

Civic Learning And Community Engagement Through Civically Engaged Scholars, Patton Kirkpatrick, Lucy Smith, Aziz Djibirdne Abdelaziz

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

This is the PowerPoint that we will use for our panel for the conference on Monday.

A Statistical Analysis Of Current And Future Hurricane Activity In The North Indian Ocean, Basil Lund

2026 Symposium

A hurricane is defined as a tropical storm with winds sustained at 74 mph or greater. I examined major (category 3 and above) hurricane activity over the North Indian Ocean from the years 1972-2019 as reported by Colorado State University Hurricane Forecast Archive. Using RStudio, I conducted a binomial analysis of the CSU dataset to calculate probabilities of zero to ten years with one or more major North Indian Ocean hurricanes in the next decade. I conducted a geometric analysis to determine probabilities associated with waiting periods for the next year with a major hurricane, as well as a Poisson …

A Geotechnical Analysis Of Mid-Slope Soil Sample Pp-15 From The Palouse Prairie Restoration Project In Cheney, Wa, Basil Lund, Robin Roose, Chloe Jensen

2026 Symposium

The Palouse is an Inland Northwestern ecoregion with loess hills created by aeolian processes related to Pleistocene glacial events. Eastern Washington University’s Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore a 120-acre site located in Cheney, Washington. EWU is gradually seeding bunchgrasses and perennial forbs to increase biodiversity of the site, which will be used for educational and recreational purposes. The objective of this project was to determine to what extent the engineering properties of soil on the site varies along a slope. To determine if location on the slope affects soil properties on the site, we sampled and performed a geotechnical …

2026 Utah Conference On Community Engagement Program, Utah State University, Erin Jensen

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

Conference Program

Setting The Stage, Jeremy Ernst, Mike Hardin, Jeffrey Vincent

Florida Advanced Air Mobility Symposium

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Surface Water And Groundwater Interactions From Pfas Contamination In The West Plains Region Of Spokane County, Jerusha R. Hampson

2026 Symposium

The West Plains region of Spokane County has been significantly impacted by PFAS contamination due to the decades-long use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for firefighting training at both Fairchild Air Force Base (FAFB) and the Spokane International Airport (SIA). Groundwater contamination is significant, but surface waters are impacted by the contamination as well. Groundwater flows to the north and east, meaning surface water bodies that make up the northern and eastern boundaries (Deep Creek, Hangman Creek, and the Spokane River) can be impacted by PFAS contamination. The West Plains aquifer system is complex but combining data about aquifer flow …