Digital Commons Network^™

Preliminary Geologic Assessment And Pfas Occurrence In Western Cheney, Washington, Sydney Frandsen

2026 Symposium

In 2021 Cheney Water Well #5 was closed due to toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels above the current State Action Limits and the National Drinking Water Protection Act (https://www.cityofcheney.org/207/Water), which is a concern since PFAS has been associated to types of cancer, birth defects, and other negative human and environmental health concerns (https://doh.wa.gov/communityand-environment/contaminants/pfas). The City of Cheney also tested two downgradient deep-groundwater-wells (Cheney wells #6 and 7) and halted investigation due to the wells being below state and federal drinking water standards. However, a local resident’s shallow groundwater well tested to be above federal and state levels of …

Geospatial Distribution Of Pfas On The West Plains Of Spokane County, Washington, Emersen A. Slanga

2026 Symposium

About 700 groundwater samples collected across the West Plains of Spokane County by the EPA and Eastern Washington University were analyzed for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using EPA Method 533. Additionally, the Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane international Airport remedial investigation reports added another 50 wells at the main PFAS sources for the West Plains.   Our preliminary mapping included about 300 wells, so the additional results from the late 2024 and 2025 summer field season over doubled the amount of groundwater locations and PFAS results, as well as filling in “data deserts” or spatial gaps in the West …

Opening Remarks - Integrating Aam Into Florida’S Transportation Future, Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E., President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D., Chief Operations Officer, Assistant Secretary William N. Watts, Jr., P.E.,

Florida Advanced Air Mobility Symposium

No abstract provided.

Improving Rounding Communication In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Timothy Burchard, Sarah Brunner, Kathlyn Baharaeen, Katie Macmillan

Research Showcase

Background: Effective communication during rounds is essential for safe, efficient, and high-quality care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where patient complexity requires timely interdisciplinary collaboration. Despite being standard practice, multidisciplinary rounds face barriers such as inconsistent structure, interruptions, absent team members, and variable attending physician preferences limiting full stakeholders' engagement. Baseline observations in our PICU highlighted a lack of shared mental models, with order read-back occurring only 13% of the time and respiratory therapist (RT) presence in just 31% of rounds. To address these gaps, our team initiated a project to standardize rounds for improved interdisciplinary communication of …

Increasing Concomitant Naloxone And Opioid Prescribing From A Pediatric Emergency Department: Qi Project, Justin Chu, Leslie Hueschen, Christopher Kaberline, Michelle Dephillips

Research Showcase

Problem Statement/Question: Opioid overdose is one of the leading causes of death in the pediatric population, primarily in adolescents. The 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) opioid prescribing guidelines recommend that naloxone be co-prescribed with opioids as prevention for future overdose deaths. However, in 2024, naloxone was co-prescribed with only 1% of opioids written from our emergency departments (ED).

Background/Project Intent (Aim Statement): This quality improvement initiative aims to increase the percentage of naloxone co-prescribed with opioids at a pediatric tertiary care ED and pediatric community ED from 1% to 50% by March 2026.

Methods (include PDSA cycles): Root cause …

Monitoring The Laboratory Frequency For Musculoskeletal Infections At A Tertiary Care Children's Hospital: A Diagnostic Stewardship Qi Project, Kedar Tilak, Ann L. Wirtz, Douglas Swanson, Alaina N. Burns, Christine Symes, Maria Deza Leon, Yorgo Zahlanie, Megan Hamner, Rana El Feghaly

Research Showcase

Problem Statement/Question:

Variations exist among providers regarding the frequency at which laboratory testing is done in patients admitted for musculoskeletal infections. Sometimes the labs are done too frequently.

Our question / problem statement for this project is :

Can standardization of recommendations for frequency of obtaining monitoring labs done for patients admitted with musculoskeletal infections minimize unnecessary blood draws?

Balancing measure: Readmissions to the hospital with the same diagnosis.

Background

Patients with musculoskeletal infections (MSKI) undergo several laboratory tests.  To promote laboratory stewardship, our Infectious diseases (ID) division recommended the following frequencies for labs: 1) C-reactive protein (CRP) every 2-3 …

Workplace English For Non-Profits: Using Visual And Specific Purposes Pedagogy, Emma K. Brown

2026 Symposium

Between April and June 2025, I designed and taught an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) workshop series for Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane (RICS) in Spokane, Washington. The purpose of this workshop series was to provide RICS’s employees, who were advanced English learners, instruction and practice with the nuances of professional communication, especially email communication, and vocabulary unique to their career in a non-profit organization. The workshop was entirely voluntary, provided online over Zoom after their workday had ended, and met once a week for one hour. I designed this workshop series using the pedagogy of ESP: conducting a thorough …

Creating Space For The Public In Anthropology, Madison Joseph, Grace Tucker

2026 Symposium

This ongoing collaborative research project between Grace Tucker and Madison Joseph aims to evaluate an overlooked gap of knowledge and linguistic understanding concerning how anthropological findings are presented to both disciplinary experts and the general public. We will examine ways to improve public anthropology through improving our understanding of how to utilize everyday speech and specialist jargon simultaneously in the field. This project will include an extensive literature review of educational barriers and language use in anthropological research to identify solutions to remedy accessibility to, and dissemination of, these findings. We argue that museums and libraries are designed with the …

Improving Documentation Of Pneumonia Diagnoses On General Pediatrics Inpatient Teams, Nicole Neeley, Timothy Burchard, Nicholas Clark, Jason Chandler, Hank Unterschuetz

Research Showcase

Problem Statement/Question:

Appropriate documentation of medical diagnoses is crucial to hospital billing and can limit insurance contention of medical treatments. Incorrect or vague documentation of diagnostic codes can decrease hospital reimbursement, and post-discharge queries can cause unnecessary time burdens on physicians.  Pneumonia diagnoses account for almost 25% of all queries at Children's Mercy Hospital, mostly due to failure to include specific details such as causal organism or location. From September 2023-2024 roughly 10% of pneumonia diagnoses required queries, of which 95% had suggested changes accepted, indicating that there is a need for improvement with initial documentation.

Background/Project Intent (Aim Statement): …

How Motivation And Engagement Lead To Meaningful Work In Creative Majors, Katherine Brobst

UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

This poster presentation is on a study that seeks to determine the factors that foster meaningful creativity in college students through their motivation and engagement tendencies. Many factors can contribute to how college students are motivated and engaged in the various aspects of their daily lives. The key to meaningful work is doing something that connects a person with their interests in a conscious manner. This study, conducted in the spring 2024 semester, included 9 upper classmen studying in creative majors including Studio Art and Photography with various minors at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Participants provided a myriad of …

Long Haulers, Zachary Roush

2026 Symposium

Long Haulers is a science-fiction short story.

Two long-haul space delivery drivers agonize about their love lives with a sarcastic android bartender.

The Immediate And Lasting Causes Of French Revolution, Scothorne Scothorne

2026 Symposium

In the late 18^th century France experienced its first revolution under the rule of King Louis XVI transforming its political and social climate. The revolution created immediate and lasting effects on France specifically up to the Reign of Terror. The Age of Enlightenment, Frances’s politics, financial decisions, food scarcity, its war against Europe, and the Reign of Terror that took over France for almost a year made it such a profound point in Europe’s history. France went from being a well-developed, respected country to a place subsumed by the Reign of Terror all within a span of four years. …

Supporting Student Use Of Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Deborah A. Mcallister, Jennifer R. Lynberg, Jason R. Gordon, Mary L. Buehner, Anna Grace L. Sorrells, Taylor L. Behrman

UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

This project has a focus of preparing presentations, regarding various artificial intelligence (AI) topics, for use by middle and high school students participating in a science enrichment program at a local school. The project is funded through a supplemental grant to the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Noyce Track 2 grant. In a separate project, the middle and high school students submitted a project to the Presidential AI Challenge (AI.gov, n.d.). The presentations created through this funding supplement will support student learning as the students continue to improve and expand skills with AI technologies. Topics for the …

Continuing To Assess The Programming Self-Efficacy Of Teachers Through Professional Development With Drones, Deborah A. Mcallister, Jennifer R. Lynberg, Anna Grace L. Sorrells, Taylor L. Behrman

UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

This project focused on work with the Robolink (n.d.) CoDrone EDU, which is programmable through block-coding or Python, or can be flown with a controller. Each teacher self-evaluated knowledge and skills, before and after a 2-day workshop. This project served as a replication of a previous study (McAllister et al., 2023) with a different educational drone. CoDrone EDU was selected to familiarize teacher participants with a drone used for student competitions. Menkhoff et al. (2022) discussed a college course that taught students how to use drones so that they could be used effectively in an educational setting. Walach and Harrell …

Assessing The Programming Self-Efficacy Of Teachers Through Professional Development Using The Ozobot Evo Robot, Deborah A. Mcallister, Jennifer R. Lynberg, Anna Grace L. Sorrells, Taylor L. Behrman

UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

This project focused on work with the Ozobot (Ozo EDU, Inc., 2025) Evo robot, which is programmable through block-coding and color-coding. Ozobots have been consistently proven to enhance student learning. Improvements in student motivation, engagement, collaboration skills, and computational thinking have all resulted from the implementation of Ozobots (Eure, 2023). A study by Powers et al. (2025) supports a co-design approach through the use of interdisciplinary teams to advance STEAM integration into the classroom. However, the students’ knowledge on robot concepts (coding, programming, and building) through the use of Ozobots was mixed, with a wider range of reported perceived knowledge. …

What Drives Migration To The United States From Latin American Counties?, Viviana Leon Guardado

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

This study examines how differences in Human Development Index (HDI) influence migration to the United States from Latin American countries, based on the idea that varying levels of development may shape individuals’ ability and incentives to migrate. The analysis uses a regression model that distinguishes between structural variables (Human Development Index and political conflict), economic variables (unemployment), and social variables (homicide rates). Data is drawn from the World Bank, United Nations, and Human Development Reports.

The results show that structural factors are the primary drivers of migration. Human Development Index (HDI) and political conflict are statistically significant and positively associated …

Role Of Superoxide Dismutase 1 (Sod1) In Yeast Lifespan And Model For Als, Devin J. R. Harrison

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

Superoxide is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by premature electron leakage from complexes of the electron transport chain directly to oxygen. A primary defense of ROS damage as a respiratory byproduct is the neutralization of the superoxide anion by the enzyme Superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) to the less harmful hydrogen peroxide molecule. ROS are harmful species that cause degradation of proteins and membranes like the cell well, as well as mutations to DNA. The Sod1 protein requires copper and zinc as cofactors in the conversion of superoxide to less harmful hydrogen peroxide. Copper plays an important role in yeast …

The Role Of Mterf-3 In Mitochondrial Transcription, Reese C. Jones

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

The Mitochondrial Termination Factor (MTERF) family is a protein group of mitochondrial termination factors that are classified as regulators. Each MTERF protein has their own specialized role with respect to mitochondrial transcription, and not all are terminator factors. The protein group is based on sequence similarly, and the MTERF-3 protein is the most conserved of the family showing a crucial role across species. This is supported by the knockout mice exhibiting embryonic lethality when the gene is removed. Understanding the regulatory role of MTERF-3 and its interactions with the mitochondrial transcription machinery is the major aim of this project. To …

Enhancing Pediatric Resident Trauma Education In The Pediatric Emergency Department, Dina Nassar, Elizabeth Kurian

St. Chris Research Day

No abstract provided.

Reducing Use Of Computed Tomography For Diagnosing Appendicitis In A Pediatric Emergency Department, Sharmaine Ross

St. Chris Research Day

No abstract provided.

Case Study Of Influenza-Associated Acute Necrotizing Encephalitis Complicated By Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Hasnain Bherwani, Abhijeet Pal

St. Chris Research Day

No abstract provided.

The Rate Of Burnout In Athletic Trainers In Collegiate Settings, Dorise Clark

Create@State

No abstract provided.

Producing Oral Medicines In Lettuce To Fight Chronic Diseases, Carlos E. Balmaceda, Megha Goyal, Anubhav Pal

Create@State

Chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, require patients’ commitment to their treatment, which can be challenging over time. Edible plants could help address this challenge by acting as living factories that produce a range of drugs, including medicinal proteins. Patients could eat the plants because their cells have a sturdy outer layer that protects and helps deliver the medicine. Lettuce is an example of a common vegetable that can serve this purpose. The main goal of this project is to develop a medicinal protein production and oral delivery system using lettuce plants. We will build a small version of …

‘Lucy Ngarbal Marshall Oration By The Nulungu Chair Of Indigenous Research’, Stephen Kinnane

Workshops and Presentations

In the fourth Lucy Ngarbal Marshall Oration, Chair of Indigenous Research, Steve Kinnane, will explore one of the central tenets of the Uluru Statement of the Heart, ‘Truth Telling,’ within a framework of Reckoning.  Having been engaged in truth telling as researcher, an oral historian, author, film-maker, curator and documenter of cultural rejuvenation on Country for almost 40 years, this idea, ideal and ethic of Truth Telling has underpinned his work. In sharing stories and investigating shared histories through collaborations guided by Elders, witnesses and Countrymen, and interrogating the archives, this work has involved coming to terms with our …

Synthesis And Preliminary Bioactivity Of Small-Molecule Inhibitors Of Arp2/3 Complex, Georgia White-House, Jorie Wogmon

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

Results of summer 2025 research project on developing small-molecule inhibitors of Arp2/3 complex.

2026 Program (Pdf), Dept Of Obsttrics And Gynecology

Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology Resident Research Day

Program with abstracts for the 38th Annual Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology Residents Research Day held May 8, 2026.

Private Assistant Agent, Bao Le '26

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

Our brain has limited fuel: every time we make a decision, it costs fuel. A Personal Artificial Assistant will help preserve that fuel by handling secretarial tasks and scheduling a daily timetable for its user. Personal Assistant Agent (PAA) is an AI assistant running as a text-based Windows desktop application to help users in scheduling and give reminders like a secretary. Users interact with the PAA conversationally. This project is a system of reasoning and a modular memory pipeline that makes any Large Language Model (LLM) behave like a personal assistant. The Language model is isolated inside a function to …

Arkansas Educators' Views On Corporal Punishment: Demographic Influences And Social Work Implications, Phillip Hill, Esaa Samarrah

Research and Creative Works Expo

Corporal punishment (CP) in U.S. public schools, defined as "the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain so as to correct their misbehavior" (Gershoff & Font, 2016), remains legal in 17 states despite mounting evidence of its ineffectiveness and disproportionate harm to marginalized students. This study presents survey data from 94 Arkansas public school educators, examining their knowledge of legality, personal and indirect experiences with CP, perceptions of its effectiveness, and attitudes toward its continued use. Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, with reverse coding applied to the negative-impact Likert items so …

Hormonal Seed Primimg As A Sustainable Alternative To Pesticides, Oyekemi Oyetoro, Swayamjit Ray

Research and Creative Works Expo

This study investigates the use of hormonal seed priming with Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and Methyl Salicylic Acid (MeSA) as a sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides. By inducing Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) and Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR), these treatments aim to prepare plant defenses for rapid response to future herbivory with reduced reliance on chemical applications. The research specifically explores the growth-defense trade off, evaluating how various hormonal concentrations impact both pest resistance and seedling vigor. The findings identify optimal priming protocols that balance robust protection against herbivores with the maintenance of primary vegetative growth

High-Frequency Vr-Native Eye Tracking: From Data Collection To Machine Learning Models, Meherun Nesa Shraboni, Aryabrata Basu

Research and Creative Works Expo

No abstract provided.