Digital Commons Network^™

Gαi Megabodies As A Structural Scaffold: Complexing Megabody Ca15960 And Δn31g⍺I, Sylvie-Aganoti T. Tower

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a major and diverse group of membrane receptors, are responsible for transducing extracellular signals (ligands) to activate intracellular metabolic pathways. In fact, over a third of FDA approved drugs target GPCRs. Research on GPCR activity contributes significantly to pharmacology and medicine. Signal transduction results in a conformational change activating guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) by exchanging GDP for GTP. G proteins form heterotrimers consisting of alpha (𝜶), beta (β), and gamma (γ) subunits. From a Gαi specific nanobody (~15 kDa), we have derived 3 megabody constructs ranging in molecular weight from ~55-100 kDa. Megabodies …

Evaluating Strategies To Reduce Human-Bear Conflicts: A Synthetic Review, Cailin K. Bell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Human-wildlife conflicts involving large carnivores, such as bears, pose a significant challenge to conservation efforts. As humans encroach into wildlands, expanding overlap with black bear populations, their interactions and conflicts increase. Conflicts are defined as any action by bears resulting in the destruction of property or threatening public safety. Though conflicts continue to rise, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of different approaches for prioritizing management actions. To address this gap, this study conducted a synthetic review, identifying current approaches being used, the effectiveness of these methods, and which of these may be useful for Montana. Google Scholar was …

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 …

The Ethics Of Meditation Instruction: Practice, Risk, And Responsibility, Wade Allen Pose

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Western clinical and commercial adoption of meditation and mindfulness practices has achieved remarkable reach, offering documented benefits for stress reduction, emotional regulation, and well-being. However, this rapid adoption has outpaced systematic attention to certain questions that traditional contemplative frameworks addressed through established protocols. This paper proposes a three-tier model distinguishing contemplative practice, mindfulness training, and intensive meditation, each with distinct characteristics warranting differentiated guidance. Drawing on comparative analysis of contemplative traditions, the regulatory parallel of clinical hypnosis, contemporary adverse event research, and a first-person case study, the paper identifies areas where current practice might be strengthened. Recent population-representative data indicate …

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 …

Exploring Parental Barriers Contributing To Vaccine Hesitancy In An Urban West Philadelphia Population, Ryan Pinto, Simone Mileto, Autumn Dye

Research Day

Vaccine hesitancy has been a growing phenomenon over the past two decades due to a variety of social, informational, and political factors with families becoming skeptical of the established childhood vaccination schedule. This skepticism provides increased risk of vaccine preventable illnesses and death amongst the childhood population. This study aims to find why families in the urban West Philadelphia community, which has lower vaccination rates compared to the greater Philadelphia area, are skeptical to adhere to childhood vaccination schedules. Using the Vaccine Based Assessment Tool (VBAT) questionnaire, we gathered parental responses regarding their views on vaccinating their children from October …

The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Motivation For Psychological Services, Nicki Nazarski, Richard Allen, Sophia Pham

Research Day

Prior research has linked social media use to psychological distress and shifts in help-seeking attitudes. However, the literature is limited on how social media engagement relates to motivation to seek formal psychological assessment. The current study will examine the relationships between social media use, in regard to time spent on social media, with attitudes, intentions, and motivation to seek psychological assessment among individuals aged 18 to 29. It is hypothesized that greater social media use and increased exposure to mental health-related content will be associated with more positive attitudes towards psychological support, increased intention to seek help, and higher motivation …

Development And Validation Of The Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, And Engagement Scale (Lakes) Among Rural Adults, Anna Morrison, Robert A. Ditomasso

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Adults living in rural regions experience mental illness at rates comparable to those in urban areas yet utilize mental health services significantly less often. Underutilization of psychotherapy in rural populations has been attributed to structural barriers (e.g., geographic inaccessibility, limited provider availability, reduced anonymity) and sociocultural factors such as stigma. However, rural adults may also remain reluctant to initiate treatment due to attitudes toward psychotherapy, limited help-seeking engagement, or inaccurate knowledge about psychotherapy services. The present study developed and examined the psychometric properties of the Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, and Engagement Scale (LAKES), a self-report measure designed to assess psychotherapy-related …

Efficacy Of Phone Call Intervention For Vaccine Participation - A Retrospective Chart Review, Jenna Taha, Paige Schlechter, Autumn Dye

Research Day

Vaccine hesitancy is on the rise in the United States due to multiple factors. Causes of vaccine hesitancy in pediatric patient populations include fear of harmful side effects due to misinformation and social media (Lafnitzegger, A) as well as questioning the necessity of vaccination (Cataldi, J). Previous efforts to increase rates of pediatric vaccination include community efforts such as partnering with faith-based organizations in an attempt to campaign for increased vaccination rates (Crosby, L), as well as acknowledging the need to tackle the pain and fear of needles associated with vaccinations in pediatric populations (Taddio, A).

In the city of …

How Emergency Medical Service (Ems) Work Is Understood: A Study Of Public Perceptions And Provider Perspectives, Lisel Keller

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This project aims to examine whether a gap exists between how the general public perceives Emergency Medical Services (EMS) work and how EMS providers experience it. EMS is widely recognized as a stressful profession, and public narratives often focus on the emotional intensity without an understanding of the different sources of stress. Providers work extended shifts, respond to unpredictable incidents, are frequently woken from sleep, and complete operational tasks while fatigued. Although these demands are expected, their cumulative impact shapes the day-to-day reality of the profession. While stress in EMS work has been discussed broadly, less attention has been given …

Side Effects Of Antibiotics: Beta Lactams And Tetracyclines, Jalen Love, Airam Viennelu Aliwalas, Zuhal Saadat, Jeffery Mccanless, Phuongloan Hoang,, Julie Lu-Duong, Essie Samuel

Research Day

Background

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prescribing reports for 2024, an estimated 255.9 million oral antibiotics were prescribed in the outpatient setting, corresponding to a rate of 752 prescriptions per 1,000 persons. This volume of prescribing reflects the effectiveness of antibiotics in reducing infection-related morbidity and mortality. However, no pharmacologic therapy is without risk. Beta-lactams and tetracyclines remain among the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes in the United States. The purpose of this study is to conduct a narrative literature review examining the reported side effects associated with these and discuss their clinical significance.

Methods …

Studying A Case Of Dementia Associated With Thoracic Kyphoscoliosis And Potential Implications On Csf Clearance, Morgan L. Brown, Sara G. Roman, Collins D. Nelson, Anna Beth Boyette, Rasheed Agboola, Joshua Owolabi, Kristie Petree

Research Day

Purpose: This work presents a case of clinically established dementia associated with thoracic kyphoscoliosis in an effort to study the relationships between these presentations and cerebrospinal fluid clearance. Given the previously identified relationship between impaired CSF clearance and the development of Alzheimer’s disease, this case study aims to further explore the relationship, using a combination of gross pathological observations and histopathological methods to examine specific brain regions, including the choroid plexus. The observed kyphoscoliosis and its effects on CSF clearance, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of dementia, are also considered.

Methods: Samples were collected from an 81-year-old male cadaver with …

Making Menopause Manageable: A Literature Review And Practical Guide For Clinicians On Menopause Education, Regan Flagg, Emily Rein, Joy Zarandy

Research Day

INTRODUCTION

Menopause is the natural cessation of female reproductive function, accompanied by a wide range of symptoms. Medical training in menopause is widely varied. Resultantly, resident and attending physicians report a varying degree of comfortability in having in depth conversations regarding symptom management and how to best address patient questions. Our goal is to provide primary care physicians with an easy-to-use guide that can bring awareness to the importance of this topic as well as strengthen the confidence of the providers using it. Upon concluding this project, we hope to reach more women, reduce stigma, educate, and support patients in …

Disparities In Urology Match Outcomes For Osteopathic Students And Students Without Home Residency Programs In The Southeastern Section Of The Aua, Adam Davis, Alp Turgut, Caroline Wade, Martha Terris, Ching Man Carmen Tong

Research Day

Urology remains one of the most competitive specialties. Students at schools without home urology residency programs (NHPs) often have limited access to early clinical exposure, mentorship, and research, reducing their likelihood of applying and matching. Osteopathic (DO) students have historically faced additional barriers in surgical subspecialties, raising concerns about equity in access to fields like urology. We hypothesized that students at NHPs, particularly DO students, would apply and match at lower rates. Using SESAUA match data from 2020–2025, we analyzed applicant and match outcomes across medical schools in the region. Medical schools for unmatched applicants were identified using publicly available …

Regional Differences In Routine Vaccination Coverage Before And After The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis Of School-Aged Populations In Michigan And Georgia, Shwan K. Noori, Ivey Ginn, Emily Mabry, Audrey Arona

Research Day

Introduction: Social media plays a powerful role in shaping public opinion nationwide, especially regarding vaccinations in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This data analysis aims to determine whether social media has significantly influenced regional differences in how vaccines for preventable diseases are perceived across the United States. This study aims to explore the potential difference in vaccine compliance rates in Michigan and Georgia before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to compare Michigan and Georgia was based on their similar population sizes and the opportunity to explore how regional differences may influence data trends within the U.S.

Methods: …

When Red Isn’T Red: Skin Tone, Education Gaps, And Delayed Diagnosis, Evelyn O. Orusa, Blessed D. Jordan, David Adelstein

Research Day

Background: Early recognition of many dermatologic and systemic conditions including infectious exanthems and inflammatory disorders rely on identification of erythema. Traditional medical textbooks predominantly describe these findings using redness-based terminology derived from lighter skin presentations. In darker skin tones, however, inflammation may present as violaceous, gray, or hyperpigmented changes rather than visible redness. The extent to which textbook descriptions align with real-world clinical presentation across skin tones remains insufficiently examined. This study aims to evaluate how widely used medical textbooks describe erythema-dependent conditions and compare these descriptions with clinical images of confirmed diagnoses across lighter and darker skin tones.

Methods: …

The Affect Of Technology On Parenting Toddlers, Ashia Cannon

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Testing Queer Theory: Body Image Diversity In Lesbian/Bisexual And Heterosexual Women’S Social Media Content, Johnathon E. Byrd, Cara S. Brauen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Queer and feminist theory explore the concept of the “male gaze”, referencing the social expectations placed on women’s bodies to conform to the socially constructed expectations of how women should look and act to be more “appealing” to men. Queer theory discusses the way that Lesbian and Bisexual women “de-center” men in their lives and move away from this expectation to conform to the male gaze. In turn, this distance from the male gaze allows for more diverse representation of appearance in body size, clothing, and age as they reject the concept of needing to appeal to men.

This qualitative …

Passenger Rail For Montana College Students Survey, Emmi Highness, Elizabeth Kamminga

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The objective of this survey is to collect data to inform the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) about college student perspectives on passenger rail. BSPRA is the main organization in Montana advocating for the reinstatement of the Big Sky North Coast Corridor (formerly called the North Coast Hiawatha) passenger rail line, which would span from Chicago to Seattle and/or Portland with 10 to 12 stops in southern Montana and an additional 30 to 40 stops in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Through our research, we determined that Montana university students are an under-informed demographic about …

Exploring Dental Health Behaviors And Access To Care At The University Of Montana, Kylee J. Bridges

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Oral health is a very important part of everyone's health. But regular dental care is often overlooked among college students. This project explores how frequently college students visit the dentist and identifies the barriers that prevent them from receiving routine dental care. Young adulthood and coming into college is a transitional period that explores new independence, and financial responsibility. These things may influence health related behaviors, including dental care utilization. The research question of this study is: How frequently do college students visit the dentist, and what barriers contribute to irregular dental visits?

To address this question, a cross sectional, …

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 …

Invection: Implementation Of Visual Effects In The Unity Game Engine, Bridger H. Burkes

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Invection is the title of a prototype game I’ve been building within the Unity game engine to explore the implementation of visual effects (VFX). In this presentation I will discuss how I’ve developed Invection and the challenges I’ve learned from when creating a cohesive visual style for the game. Invection uses several outside software, such as Blender and Touchdesigner, and built-in rendering frameworks within the Unity Technologies engine to develop lighting and environmental effects. These effects are linked to the aesthetic quality of the game, and use worldbuilding to communicate to the player a sense of danger and unease. Compared …

The Impact Of The Protracted Conflict In Ukraine On Communication And Cultural Strategies For Refugees And Other Stakeholders, Kimberley Barker, David A. Victor, Christine R. Day

Global Advances in Business Communication

The Impact of the Protracted Conflict in Ukraine on Communication and Cultural Strategies for Refugees and Other Stakeholders

This research analyzes the complex challenges related to the impact of the protracted conflict in Ukraine on communication and cultural strategies for refugees and other stakeholders. The scope of those involved include the refugees, host families, related communities, paid or volunteer staff from governmental and non-governmental agencies, educational professionals, prospective employers, and colleagues.

On February 24, 2022, Russian armed forces enter Ukraine at the eastern border, their common border with Russia. This precipitates a massive refugee movement of millions of Ukrainians fleeing …

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 …

Penerapan Model Direct Instruction Untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Siswa Menyusun Laporan Keuangan Di Smk Negeri 1 Tarakan, Usman Usman

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan siswa menyusun laporan keuangan di SMK Negeri 1 Tarakan dengan menerapkan model direct instruction. Subjek penelitian adalah siswa kelas XI Akuntansi 2 yang berjumlah 33 siswa. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan rancangan penelitian tindakan kelas model Kammis dan Taggart dilaksanakan dalam 2 siklus tindakan, setiap siklus terdiri dari 4 tahapan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa penerapan model direct instruction pada siswa kelas XI Akuntansi 2 di SMK Negeri 1 Tarakan dapat meningkatkan kemampuan siswa menyusun laporan keuangan. Disarankan kepada guru untuk memahami sintak model direct instruction, sehingga dapat menerapkannya dalam kegiatan belajar mengajar …

Self-Assessment Of Certified Efl Teachers In Central Sulawesi On Their Professional Competence, Anshari Syafar

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

The study intends to describe the level of certified EFL teachers’ self-assessment of their competence to teach English. A cross-sectional survey design and systematic random sampling strategy were applied to take 227 research respondents. Questionnaire and interview were used for collecting data whereas frequency, percentage and descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. Most respondents self-rated their abilities to teach English at ‘competent’ and ‘strongly competent’ levels. Yet, their self-rating of English teaching competence did not match up with the results of teacher competence test done by the government. Accordingly, the self-assessment should be endorsed with teaching performance assessment …

Writing Workbook As Scaffolding Aid For Junior High School Students, Ima Melati Dewi

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study was conducted to develop a writing workbook as a supplementary material for the eighth graders of SMPN 3 Jember. The result of the preliminary study showed that there was only small portion of writing activities in the existing textbook. As a result, students got many difficulties in writing skills. The research and development (R&D) procedure was employed in this study. The design used in developing the workbook was the adaptation model of development by Borg and Gall (1983). The procedures employed in this study were needs analysis, instructional goal, material development, expert validation, try-out, and final product. The …

Peningkatan Kemampuan Menyimak Isi Cerita Dengan Menggunakan Media Audio Storytelling Terekam Di Kelas V Sdn 3 Panarung Palangka Raya, Carolina Fransiska

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menjelaskan tentang aktivitas pembelajaran dan hasil pembelajaran menyimak di Kelas V SDN Panarung-3 Palangka Raya dalam hubungannya dengan penggunaan media Storytelling Terekam. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Penelitian Tindakan Kelas yang melibatkan 30 siswa. Data penelitian dikumpulkan dengan lembar observasi dan tes hasil belajar. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa: pengelolaan pembelajaran, proses pembelajaran, dan hasil pembelajaran menyimak Kelas V SDN Panarung-3 Palangka Raya setelah menggunakan media Storytelling Terekam menunjukkan peningkatan yang berarti.

Internalisasi Mind Skills Mahasiswa Bimbingan Konseling (Bk) Melalui Experiential Learning, Ribut Purwaningrum

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui bagaimana menerapkan model pembelajaran experiential learning untuk internalisasi mind skills mahasiswa jurusan BK. Rancangan penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian tindakan kelas. Subjek penelitian adalah mahasiswa BK offering C angkatan 2011 peserta matakuliah Konseling Individual. Penelitian dilakukan selama tiga siklus dengan jabaran siklus I sebanyak 6 pertemuan, siklus II sebanyak 6 pertemuan, dan siklus III sebanyak 3 pertemuan. Pengumpulan data dilakukan menggunakan metode kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Data kuantitatif diolah menggunakan statistik dan diinterpretasi secara kualitatif. Analisis data dilakukan secara kualitatif merujuk pada Miles dan Huberman, meliputi reduksi data, penyajian data, dan pengambilan simpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa …