Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Contributing To Learners’ Autonomy In Efl Reading, Sri Endah Tabiati

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study aims to discover factors that assist learners develop their autonomy in EFL reading. The approach employed is qualitative involving EFL learners in an English Department of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, Brawijaya University Malang. There are two stages in the study: the subject selection stage intended to gain potential subjects and the main study intended to find the answer of the research questions. The findings of the study show that the autonomy of EFL learners in reading is influenced by 14 internal and 14 external factors. These factors appear to happen naturally. It seemed that autonomy in reading …

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 …

Exploring The Misdiagnosis Of Schizophrenia In The Setting Of Underlying Neurological Disorders, Jade M. Mcnulty, Andrea N. Weir

Research Day

Introduction: Hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorganization are hallmark features of schizophrenia; however, these symptoms are not pathognomonic and may occur in a variety of neurological conditions. Current guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association during initial evaluation of psychosis recommend comprehensive psychiatric assessment and medical history, but routine neuroimaging is not considered standard of care in typical presentations. Failure to adequately investigate organic causes may result in delayed diagnosis and suboptimal treatment. In cases of atypical features or poor response to antipsychotics, clinicians should broaden the differential diagnosis and reconsider underlying neurological etiologies.

Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted to …

Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, And Psychological Flexibility In Nicu Mothers: Implications For Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Riya Desai, Alexa Bonacquisti

Research Day

Pregnancy and the postpartum period may be physiologically and psychologically demanding for women as they navigate a multitude of factors. This experience may be further complicated by stressful reproductive events, such as newborn admission into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Having a baby admitted to the NICU is often particularly challenging for mothers from a psychological perspective, serving as an added layer that may contribute to postpartum depression and anxiety. Psychological flexibility is the concept of openness, adaptability, and readiness in the face of adversity. For NICU mothers, psychological flexibility serves as a possible therapeutic target to address postpartum …

A Preliminary Investigation On The Relationship Between Established Dietary Habits And Willingness To Adopt New Food Groups, Graziella Greco, Rasika Singh, Kristen Berry, Autumn Dye

Research Day

Introduction: Obesity is a nationwide health crisis that predisposes individuals to a host of other diseases including hypertension and diabetes. In Philadelphia alone, approximately 41% of children between the ages of 6-17, and 33% of adults are obese. It has been shown that education on nutrition positively correlates with healthy eating behaviors, which can minimize the chances of obesity developing into its comorbidities. This study aims to see if food demonstrations and healthy recipe samples will lead to patients incorporating new foods into their diets. Adult patients in a combined adult and pediatric primary care office are offered three healthy …

Increasing Lead (Pb) Screening Participation Rates In The Pediatric Patient Population At The Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine Lancaster Avenue Community Healthcare Center, Jacob P. Varrato, Autumn Dye

Research Day

Elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) are an ongoing public health crisis predominantly affecting children under six in low-income communities located in major cities across the United States. Chronic lead exposure due to outdated housing, polluted water, and contaminated soil is especially harmful in early childhood when a high rate of hand to mouth contact increases the risk of ingesting particulate matter containing lead (CDC). EBLLs can lead to neurocognitive deficits, cardiovascular disease, and epigenetic modifications to gene expression patterns. While precautionary measures and timely screening protocols greatly reduce the risk of developing severe disease, families within these communities continue to …

Rehabilitation Of Dipeptidyl-Peptidase-Like Protein 6 (Dppx) Encephalitis: A Case Report, Madison James, Emily Andrews, Mithra Maneyapanda

Research Day

Introduction

A 50 year old man presented to the emergency department after a seizure. He had gastrointestinal upset, cognitive impairments, ataxia, and myoclonus. Workup was normal except for an inflammatory CSF profile. The patient was trialed on carbidopa-levodopa, intravenous methylprednisone, and intravenous immunoglobulins with minimal improvement. Myoclonus was resolved with clonazepam. The patient was discharged with a diagnosis of possible autoimmune encephalitis.

One month later, serum and CSF analysis resulted positive for DPPX antibodies. He was readmitted to the hospital for plasma exchange with minimal neurologic improvement. Subsequent treatment with Rituxan resulted in mild improvement. He was then transferred to …

Anatomical Basis Of Symptom Presentation In Pancreatic Cancer: A Cadaver-Based Study, Emma L. Davis, Daniel T. Zelch, Kelsey J. Short, Vanesa M. Brecher, Jasmine Sethi, Alexandra C. Olanescu, Michael Mcguinness

Research Day

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most aggressive malignancies in the United States today. In 2025, it was estimated that 67,440 Americans would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.S., and more than 51,980 would die from the disease. It is currently the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., with an overall five-year survival rate of approximately 13%. Early detection of the disease proves to be difficult due to the fact that symptoms appear only after the disease has progressed. A case study was conducted with an 86 year-old female cadaver whose cause of death was pancreatic …

Osteoporosis Is A Risk Factor For Complications And Reoperations At 1 And 3-Years After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair, Cameron M. Brown, Andrea H. Johnson, Jane C. Brennan, Matthew A. Peterman, Daniel E. Redziniak, Justin Turcotte

Research Day

Introduction

Osteoporosis is associated with compromised bone quality and healing potential. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) restores shoulder function and reduces pain in patients with rotator cuff pathology. The influence of osteoporosis on complications and long-term outcomes following RCR remains underexplored. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between osteoporosis and outcomes after arthroscopic RCR.

Methods

The PearlDiver Mariner 170 dataset was retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by whether they had a diagnosis of osteoporosis within the year prior to RCR. The two groups were propensity score matched 1:1 on age, gender, and comorbidities. Outcomes were assessed at 1-year and …

Corneal Tissue Addition Keratoplasty For The Treatment Of Keratoconus, Michelle Diamandi, Brad H. Feldman

Research Day

Introduction: Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive eye disease where the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape, causing significant vision distortion, blurred vision, astigmatism, and light sensitivity, and is usually diagnosed in teens and young adults (ages 10-30). Currently, corneal cross-linking (CXL), rigid gas permeable (RGP) or scleral contact lenses for vision correction, and corneal transplant in advanced cases are the primary treatment options for KC. Previous studies have shown significant results in improving vision and corneal steepness in KC using intrastromal inlays, most notably synthetic Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments (ICRS) and Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments (CAIRS). Like …

Primary Cutaneous Endometriosis Of The Umbilicus: A Case Report, Justin A. Spatar, Camryn C. Butera, Paula S. Youngdahl

Research Day

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic condition, though cutaneous endometriosis is a rare presentation. Patients with cutaneous endometriosis often have concurrent intra-abdominal disease. We present a case of primary cutaneous endometriosis of the umbilicus with concurrent intra-abdominal endometriosis. The conditions were managed with surgical excision of the cutaneous lesion and diagnostic laparoscopy, respectively. This case outlines the diagnostic process for primary cutaneous endometriosis and its management. Although rare, cutaneous endometriosis should be considered when evaluating a painful umbilical lesion, particularly when symptoms occur cyclically. When this diagnosis is suspected, surgical excision of the cutaneous lesion may be paired with diagnostic laparoscopy …

Radiologic And Clinical Characterization Of Osteoporosis And Osteomyelitis, Jacob H. Rachwal, Madelyn Sine-Karasick

Research Day

Background: Osteoporosis and osteomyelitis are two clinically significant bone pathologies with distinct etiologies but overlapping diagnostic challenges. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and structural deterioration, leading to increased fracture risk. Osteomyelitis is an infection of bone that may arise from hematogenous spread or direct inoculation and can result in significant bone destruction if not promptly identified. Radiologic imaging plays a critical role in the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of both conditions.

Methods: Clinical presentations and imaging characteristics of osteoporosis and osteomyelitis were reviewed and compared using illustrative educational case examples and radiologic diagnostic criteria. …

Evaluating Motivation In Stem Education: A Positive Self-Talk Intervention, Tiffany Copeland, Richard Allen, Sophia Pham, Kristin Gagnier

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated a social-emotional learning intervention that taught positive self-talk to high school students from underrepresented minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The setting of this study was a place-based program that immersed students in hands-on STEM activities while located in Philadelphia’s life science hub. Before taking a science assessment, students set effort-based goals and learned to say self-talk statements such as “I will give my best effort” and “Even when it's hard, I will give 100%.”

METHODS: This mixed-methods program evaluation compared pre- and post-intervention data using a paired-samples t-test, linear regression, and correlation …

Hypertensive Scotomas In The Setting Of Thrombotic Microangiopathy, Vincent Bulzoni, Isabel Eaddy, Kiersten Dawson, Michael Dellavecchia

Research Day

Introduction: Hypertensive retinopathy is a relatively common pathological finding in individuals with elevated blood pressure. Acute spikes in blood pressure may cause pathophysiologic changes that may trigger rapid changes in the posterior pole of the eye. On the other hand, thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is rare with a multitude of causes ranging from complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy TMA, also known as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), to severe hypertension. This case exemplifies an episode of malignant hypertension with acute-on-chronic TMA causing retinal ischemia. Initial visual assessment noted scotomas nasally and temporally on central visual field testing, along with uniocular reduced color vision …

Examining Patient Experiences And Interactions With Healthcare Providers In The Context Of A Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pcos) Diagnosis, Ashlyn George, Marina Melero, Sydni Yadin, Alexa Bonacquisti

Research Day

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting 15-20% of individuals of reproductive age, yet its impact extends far beyond the boundaries of reproductive health1. PCOS is characterized by a hallmark feature of hyperandrogenism, which manifests through a variety of clinical presentations including acne, hirsutism, anovulation, and irregular menstrual cycles2. The excessive production of androgens can lead to lifelong challenges such as insulin resistance, infertility, and difficulties with weight management3. Although the reproductive and metabolic features of PCOS are well-researched, the psychosocial burden and patient experiences surrounding diagnosis and treatment are less understood. Many individuals with PCOS report …

A Case Of Extensive Suprasellar Meningioma Presenting With Insidious Visual Impairment, Vincent Bulzoni, Benedict Uzorka, Peter Maduka Jr

Research Day

Introduction: Meningiomas are generally benign CNS tumors with a propensity to occur in individuals with predisposing risk factors, such as, neurofibromatosis type II. These tumors can arise via de novo mutations, or through inheritance via NF2, and SMARCB1 mutations. They can also arise idiopathically. In this case, A 33-year-old female presented to the ophthalmology clinic for a routine diabetic fundus exam. She also complained of worsening left eye (OS) vision, which had historically been her weaker eye. She had been a type II diabetic for 2.5 years with a most recent HbA1c of 13.6. The patient reported poor OS vision …