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Hope College Abstracts: 25th Annual Celebration Of Undergraduate Research And Creative Activity, Hope College

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

The 25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity was held on April 17, 2026 in the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse at Hope College and featured student-faculty collaborative research projects. This program is a record reflective of those projects between the 2025-2026 academic year.

Plastic Purgatory: Investigating The Effects Of Plastic Litter On Water And Organic Content In Topsoil In Holland, Michigan, Kamryn Bice, Annis Cairns, Maddie Devries, Sebastian Lema

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Plastic accumulation in soils can offer important insights into how human activity affects terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we examined the relationship between plastic litter and soil quality at several sites across Holland, Michigan to determine whether plastic abundance was associated with changes in soil properties. Soil samples from five different site types – construction, residential, commercial, nature, and a control – were collected over a threeweek period, then analyzed for pH, water contents, total organic carbon (TOC), and plastic abundance through field testing and laboratory methods. The number of plastic pieces ranged from 0 to 27 with the largest …

Writing Algorithm Demonstrations Using Ai, Caiden Sunlin, Connor Vachon

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

We describe the design and development of interactive algorithm demonstrations for an online undergraduate algorithms textbook, created with the assistance of large language models, specifically ChatGPT. The work focused on browser-based, step-bystep visualizations that highlight algorithm behavior and intermediate states. We discuss how ChatGPT was used during ideation, implementation, and debugging, along with the limits of its usefulness and the kinds of human guidance that remained essential. Using concrete examples, we reflect on how AI tools can support student-centered educational software development without replacing domain expertise or instructional judgment.

Eigenmode Decomposition Analysis Of Resistive Magnetic Reconnection, Isaac Q. Evans

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Recent work demonstrates that specific aspects of nonlinear magnetic reconnection in a collisionless regime are directly attributable to linearly damped eigenmodes. In this work, we apply similar eigenmode analysis tools to characterize nonlinear magnetic reconnection driven by resistivity. In contrast to the collisionless case which contains a single unstable/stable eigenmode pair, the resistive case contains an unstable eigenmode and a wide spectrum of stable modes. Calculating eigenmode amplitudes allows for a determination of the significance of each eigenmode in the nonlinearly-evolved resistive reconnection. Linearly stable modes are found to be important in determining properties of nonlinear systems. We discuss how …

A New Website For Aminoacids.Com, Camila Medrano, Gillian Donley

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Our client, AminoAcids.com, faced major issues with its previous website, including outdated design, poor accessibility, and unreliable order processing that often required manual intervention. Using the wireframes and content structure provided by the Center for Leadership, our team built a new website using WordPress as the content management system and WooCommerce to support e-commerce functionality. The new website provides a more stable infrastructure, minimizes order processing errors, and ensures a smoother user experience across all devices.

A Backend Database Architecture For Persistent Epilepsy Classification Records, Attiksh A. Panda, Deep Desai, Artem Zabarov, Katrina D. Prantzalos, Satya S. Sahoo, Shuai Xu

Student Scholarship

Epilepsy affects over five million people globally each year, yet consistent clinical diagnosis remains a persistent challenge due to the lack of standardized classification workflows across medical institutions. The Four-Dimensional Epilepsy Classification (4D-EC) framework, developed by Lüders et al., provides a comprehensive structure for characterizing paroxysmal events across four dimensions: seizure semiology, epileptogenic zone, etiology, and comorbidities. Despite its clinical and educational value, no dedicated informatics platform existed to support its routine use until recently, limiting widespread adoption among clinicians and trainees. This project addresses that gap by implementing a full-stack web application that operationalizes the 4D-EC framework for clinical …

Unseen, Unheard, Uninvited: Black Fathers And School Access In Redeveloped Spaces, James Dejong Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Abstract This qualitative study examined how three Black fathers in South Memphis's Foote Park/Foote Homes redevelopment area navigated school access for their children amid community displacement. Rooted in Community Cultural Wealth Theory (Yosso, 2005), which highlights the diverse forms of capital—aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial, and resistant—that communities of color possess but are often overlooked by mainstream institutions, the research focused on three individuals: Mister Miles, Mister Otis, and Mister Langston. These pseudonyms honor Miles Davis, Otis Kaye, and Langston Hughes and position the fathers as holders of valuable community wealth whose educational navigation experiences constitute legitimate knowledge. Documentary sources …

Enhancing The Well-Being Of Refugees With Disabilities Through Equitable Access To Essential Services: A Participatory Qualitative Study In The United States, Mustafa Rfat

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Access to services for refugees with disabilities (RwDs) is critically important for improving their well-being and enhancing their integration. This population often faces prolonged exclusion that begins in their country of origin and often continues to worsen during displacement, leading to accumulated disparities. Because the United States (U.S.) refugee program is structured around rapid employment, refugees who do not fit the fast-track employment criteria are often left behind. RwDs are often considered unemployable, which automatically shifts resources and services away from them. Abandoning RwDs during the critical period of resettlement puts them at heightened risk of increased and long-term exclusion. …

Behind The Curtain Of The Faculty Job Interview Process, Russell T. Johnson, Natalia Sánchez

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Securing a faculty position is the final milestone for many individuals completing their PhD or postdoctoral training. However, navigating the academic job market can feel like a full-time endeavor, which often has to be balanced alongside tasks like manuscript preparation, dissertation completion, or grant applications. Despite extensive training in research and teaching, many candidates report feeling underprepared for the multifaceted and often hidden nature of the faculty interview process. Furthermore, seeking guidance about this process can be intimidating for some, as individuals may lack access to a career development mentoring team. As part of the 2024 American Society of Biomechanics …

Hijacking The Prompt: A Survey Of Prompt Injection Attacks, Detection, And Defense In Large Language Models, Edward J. Griggs

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Prompt injection attacks, ranked the number-one vulnerability in AI systems by OWASP's 2025 Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications, remain largely unsolved, and this survey examines why. As large language models (LLMs) are deployed across enterprise workflows, agentic systems, and consumer tools, their fundamental inability to distinguish trusted instructions from untrusted user data has created a persistent and expanding attack surface. This paper presents a structured taxonomy of prompt injection attack vectors, including direct injection, indirect injection, multimodal attacks, tool and agent exploitation, hybrid chained techniques, and autonomous propagating threats. These vectors are mapped across five impact categories (data …

Draft Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Construction Completion Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Update Mechanisms In Event Models: Boundary Effects And Dimensional Influences, Xing Su

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

People construct working event models to comprehend dynamic, multimodal information such as movies and narratives, but how these models update remains debated. Two mechanisms have been proposed: incremental updating, which selectively modifies specific dimensions while preserving others, and global updating, which discards the existing model entirely to construct a new one. This dissertation investigated how event boundaries influence which updating mechanism people employ. Across two experiments, participants read narratives about everyday activities while we measured recognition memory response times and self-paced reading times. Participants also completed event segmentation tasks to identify perceived boundaries. Results revealed a consistent dissociation opposite to …

Re: Comment Letter For The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, 60% Remedial Design Documents For The Blacktail Creek Area Groundwater Hydraulic Control System (Dated March 2, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Diverse Directions - B.S. Senior Exhibition, Ellen C. Downing

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

Rooted in Faith, my work explores child development by examining how children interpret Biblical truth and the various narratives found in Scripture. I am fascinated by how children learn and interpret life, but more importantly, how children interpret faith. I grew up in a family where Christ is the center of our lives.

Using simplified forms, vibrant colors, and smooth textures, I create fun, illustrative paintings. The works of Joel Schoon-Tanis inspire me to incorporate aesthetic choices that reference childhood and make the work more accessible. Drawing from Biblical stories, my pieces incorporate themes of growth, compassion, and faith, using …

Tracing The Milky Way’S Evolution Through Its Star-Planet Systems, Rayna Rampalli

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

From individual planetary systems to the Milky Way's structure, stars are the linchpin connecting astrophysical scales. Through three complementary projects, my thesis leverages these connections and large stellar surveys to offer insight into the Galaxy's dynamical and chemical history and its role in shaping planet formation and evolution. (I) I developed Protify, an automated pipeline to measure stellar rotation periods in TESS light curves, enabling rotation-based ages for thousands of stars. Applying it to overdensities of stars in eccentric Galactic orbits, thought to be post-resonant signatures of spiral arm passages, revealed unexpectedly young rotators in dynamically old populations. Because such …

A Computer Vision Approach To Analyzing Taxane Effects On Prostate Cancer Cells, Diana Elizabeth Dancea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Actin is a family of proteins that help create the structure of the cytoskeleton, which gives shape to the cell. In many chemotherapy treatments, researchers target actin because it controls the cell division process. Therefore, if they are able to understand the actin fibers, that may help in formulating methods to stop or slow down cancer cells from reproducing. Another important protein is PAK6, which regulates actin. In our research, a collaborative effort with Prof. Michael Lu’s lab at Florida Atlantic University, we use machine learning techniques to analyze cells which had their PAK6 protein knocked out, and compare them …

Poor Peer Relations During Early Adolescence Amplify Bidirectional Pathways Between Body Dissatisfaction And Alcohol Misuse, Molly Selover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The current study focuses on the growth of body dissatisfaction and alcohol misuse, and factors that amplify their interplay. Participants were 221 sixth- and seventh-grade students (118 girls, 103 boys; ages 10–13) attending a public school in Florida. Self-reports and peer nominations were collected at three time points across the course of a school year. Results from parallel process growth models indicated that higher self-reported body dissatisfaction at the beginning of the school year predicted increases in self-reported alcohol misuse across the academic year. Conversely, higher initial alcohol misuse predicted increases in body dissatisfaction. Follow-up analyses revealed that loneliness, low …

Hypovolemic Shock In The Setting Of Third Spacing With Concentric Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: A Physiology-Guided Management Of Fluid Resuscitation—Case Report And Literature Review, Akram M. Eraky, Yasser Mokhtar, Guy Grabau, Adnan Khan, Mark Jarosz, Alisha Wright, Matthew Grounds, Kyle Kennedy

GME Publications

Patients with preload-dependent conditions are at high risk of hemodynamic instability from both hypovolemia and hypervolemia. In hypovolemic states, the presence of third spacing may be misleading and obscure true intravascular volume status. Therefore, management of critically ill patients should be guided by a thorough understanding of physiology and pathophysiology to appropriately address hemodynamic derangements. Overreliance on rigid protocols and protocol-driven care without adequate clinical judgment may, in some cases, adversely affect patient outcomes. Herein, we present a case of hypovolemia-induced hypotension in the setting of third spacing and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy.

Glossip’S Road Map To Nowhere, Vida Johnson

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Glossip v. Oklahoma was heralded as a victory for the defense. This essay argues that the 2025 Glossip decision does little to fix the myriad problems that led to Mr. Glossip’s wrongful conviction. While ultimately the Supreme Court reached the correct outcome this time, the ordinary judicial process and its purported safeguards were not what saved Mr. Glossip’s life. Rather, it was random chance that came to Mr. Glossip’s aid.

Ten years earlier, the Supreme Court, with many of the same Justices on the bench now, paved the way for Mr. Glossip’s execution. The …

Quantum Simulation And Nanoscale Sensing Of Many-Body Phenomena With Solid-State Spin Defects, Guanghui He

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Emergent phenomena in interacting quantum systems arise from collective behavior that cannot be reduced to single-particle physics. Understanding these phenomena requires platforms capable of both synthesizing many-body states under controlled conditions and probing them at the microscopic scale where correlations originate. Solid-state spin defects, including nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and negatively charged boron vacancy centers in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), offer precisely this dual capability. In the first part of this dissertation, a strongly interacting NV ensemble is subjected to periodic and quasi-periodic drives to access a long-lived prethermal regime and realize a discrete time quasicrystal (DTQC). In the …

Unraveling The Role Of The C-Terminal Intrinsically Disordered Linker In The Bacterial Cell Division Protein Ftsz, Jessica Louise Bullock

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

FtsZ is a highly conserved cytoskeletal protein that is essential for organizing the cell division machinery in bacteria. The first observable step in cytokinesis, FtsZ forms a ring at the future division site. The FtsZ ring serves as a platform for recruitment of other division proteins. FtsZ has three major domains: a tubulin-like GTP binding core domain, an intrinsically disordered C-terminal linker (CTL), and a conserved ~11-residue motif known as the C-terminal peptide (CTP). The core domain is sufficient for head-to tail assembly of FtsZ polymers in vitro. The CTP interacts with modulatory proteins to coordinate division, while the CTL …

Practices, Controls And Capabilities A Thematic Analysis Of Big Data In E-Retail Fraud Management, Chiwuokem Nwoko, Maureen Meadows, Justin Okoli, Alexeis Garcia Perez

Plymouth Business School

PurposePrior Big Data and fraud research emphasises technical detection or generic analytics, offering limited empirical insight into how Big Data is operationalised as practices and controls in e-retail fraud prevention. This study examines how e-retail firms translate analytics capabilities into fraud prevention practices and controls.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on 32 semi-structured interviews across 18 e-retail organisations and applies abductive thematic analysis to examine how Big Data resources are translated into fraud prevention practices and controls.FindingsFindings reveal that Big Data enables fraud prevention not merely through detection technologies, but through two empirically derived transformation practices: (1) Localised Exploitation, which translates complex analytics …

An Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Records Management On Service Delivery. A Case Study Of Ministry Of Local Government And Rural Development In Zambia, 'Pamela Lweendo Hangoma, Kadeyo M. Kuyela, Sututu Imasiku, Adrian Chisale, Glenda Ntalasha, Matilda Mercy Muchinga, Emma M. Ndalameta-Theo, Dalitso Mvula The

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assessed records management practices and their influence on service delivery in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in Zambia. The study was guided by the Records Continuum Model, which emphasizes the continuous management of records from creation, capture, organization, use, to preservation. The objectives were to examine current records management practices, assess their effect on service delivery, identify challenges, and propose strategies for improvement. A qualitative case study design was adopted, with data collected from 22 participants across 11 departments through face-to-face interviews, and analyzed thematically using content analysis. Findings revealed that records are generated through …

Nutrition Strategies To Help Children With Arfid Overcome Nutrition-Related Deficiencies, Saul Campos

The Agora

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a serious and relatively newly recognized eating disorder that affects children and adolescents. The disorder was formally introduced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and is characterized by restrictive eating patterns that lead to significant nutritional deficiencies, weight loss or poor growth, dependence on nutritional supplements, or interference with psychosocial functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Current estimates suggest that ARFID may affect approximately 1–5% of children and adolescents, though prevalence varies depending on the population studied and diagnostic criteria used (Białek-Dratwa et al., 2022). Unlike other eating disorders, …

The Genetics Of Sex, Fortis Brown

The Agora

Sex is a complex biological process that begins in the womb and lasts into puberty and beyond. It is often presented to society as a binary, chromosome-based system where XX means female and XY means male. In reality, chromosomes are just the beginning of a lifelong process involving hormones that influence biological changes. This process becomes apparent with its errors, known as Differences in Sexual Development (DSDs). DSDs can be caused in two main ways: through changes in either meiosis or in gene expression. While many consider these changes as ‘errors’, the processes that cause them to have been intentionally …

Tri Hita Karana Approach In Social Studies Learning For Grade Iv Of Sdn Mengani To Build Social And Environmental Harmony, Ni Luh Nopi Pujiani, Ida Bagus Putu Arnyana, I Wayan Suja

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study aims to explore the implementation of the Tri Hita Karana (THK) approach in Social Studies (IPS) learning in grade IV of SDN Mengani in order to build social harmony and environmental awareness. The THK approach that focuses on three harmonious relationships, namely Parhyangan (human relationship with God), Pawongan (human relationship with others), and Palemahan (human relationship with the environment), is applied through various relevant learning activities. This study uses a qualitative method with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The results show that the THK approach significantly increases students' social harmony and environmental …

Development Of Tpack-Based Learning Book To Improve Learning Outcomes Of Third Grade Students Of State Elementary School 16 Banda Aceh, Nurul Zikri Filina, Siti Mayang Sari, Zahraini Zahraini, Jiyeon Na

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This research aims to develop a TPACK-based Basic Science learning book as an effort to improve the learning outcomes of class III students at State Elementary School 16 Banda Aceh. This research is a type of research and development (R&D), using the ADDIE method (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). The research results prove that the TPACK-based Basic Science learning book is suitable for use with media expert validation results in the very good category (93%), material expert validation in the very good category (94%), language experts showing the very good category (90%). The TPACK-based Basic Science Book can improve the …

Enhancing Learning Outcomes Through The Utilization Of Digital Comics, Sri Mastiah, Rita Novita, Muli Putra, Syarfuni Syarfuni, Jonni Sitorus, Xiu Wen Tay

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Student completeness in learning mathematics is still low and interest in learning is relatively low, because the learning media is less varied and less interesting, and there are still students who have not achieved learning outcomes above the minimum completeness criteria. The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of digital comics in improving mathematics learning outcomes. The research approach used is qualitative and the type of research used is a literature study or literature review. The stages used in this literature study research design include the focus of scientific articles, data collection, data analysis, and conclusions. Based …

Using Tablet Pcs In Teaching, Sarita Veeraragavoodoo

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This research purposes is prove the impact of adopting tablet PCs on enhancement of teaching in secondary schools of Mauritius. The research was conducted by mixed method which comprised of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results from the studies and researches have shown more positive impacts than negative ones which affect teaching in secondary schools of Mauritius. The best means is to resort to applying Tablet PCs within education to promote teaching for efficiency and effectiveness.

Improving Students Reading Comprehension Ability Through Integrated Thematic Learning With School Literacy Movement Support, Ryan Dwi Puspita, Dadang Sunendar, Bachrudin Musthafa, Rully Agung

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

PISA's findings reported that Indonesian elementary school students (IESS) achieved their average reading comprehension ability which were below the standard set by OECD. This research proposed school literacy movement (SLM) as an apparatus to cultivate IESS reading and writing skill habit. This study applied quasi-experimental method with employed sample of 126 IESS of 5th and 4th graders and their teachers serving in four schools. This study showed that there was significant effect of ITL to improve IESS reading comprehension ability of 5th graders.