Digital Commons Network^™

Revitalizing St. John Nepomuk Church, Elizabeth Fischer, Hannah King, Hunter Rust, Grace Desjardins, Patrick Clover, Kyle Ater

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Our project focuses on the Czech immigrant community of St. John Nepomuk Church in St. Louis, one of the oldest historically Czech parishes in the United States. To promote awareness of the church’s cultural and historical significance, we are creating a dedicated website, informational pamphlet, and social media presence that highlight its history, architecture, and ongoing role in the community. We are also producing a video tour led by a prominent church member to introduce the site, alongside a testimonial video that preserves a personal perspective on the church’s legacy. Through these efforts, we aim to support cultural preservation and …

Habitat Disturbance And Biodiversity In Glade Habitats, Maddie Smith, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Phd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Ozark glades are home to a variety of reptiles, amphibians, rodents, and invertebrates such as tarantulas and scorpions. Glade inhabitants face challenges like habitat fragmentation and degradation, but they could be facing even bigger challenges as outdoor recreation becomes more popular. People looking for wildlife to photograph or collect often look under rocks without leaving them how they were found. This study focused on monitoring rock disturbance at two protected glades- Shaw Nature Preserve and a more accessible undisclosed glade in Jefferson County. Disturbing the glade habitat to look for wildlife is prohibited at both sites. Twenty rocks at …

Pixel-Perfect Segmentation Of Solar Filaments, Jamie Harris

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The observation and classification of solar filaments has a drastic impact on the ability to predict solar-magnetic weather phenomena that threatens to put both satellite infrastructure and astronauts at risk. Using the Hɑ filter provided by the Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG), a network of six telescopes around the world dedicated to 24/7 surveillance of the sun, we are able to get images that clearly and prominently display filament activity. With the vast amount of images the GONG takes, it is not possible to manually analyze every image. Using the U-Net model for computer vision, we were able to train …

Face Value: A Computational Approach To Subjective Impressions Of Faces, Kevin Kpankou

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Various computational models of first impressions have been developed to uncover the mechanisms driving these judgments. However, the implicit notion of a singular ``human'' often overlooks meaningful individual differences in beliefs, attitudes, and associations, as well as culturally grounded group-level constructs. In this paper, we extend Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT) to estimate culturally shared beliefs about faces by incorporating latent constructs structured around interpretable facial features extracted via computer vision algorithms. We apply our model to a large-scale dataset of people’s first impressions of faces. Our approach reveals a robust mapping between facial features and culturally constructed impressions, allowing us …

Photoflow Synthesis And Characterization Of Cis- And Trans-N-Isohumulone, Gregory M. Giovine, Bradley Gallow, Trevor Smith, Bruce Hamper

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Previously published efforts by the Hamper group demonstrated the viability of photochemistry in the isomerization of n-humulone to n-isohumulone. Photochemical isomerization reactions of n-humulone performed under 400nm light over 8 hours resulted in high yields (84% reported) of largely trans-n-isohumulone (>95%). These promising results invited further examination of the photochemical process and the application of photoflow procedure. Herein we report the beginnings of a comprehensive slate of n-humulone isomerization reactions performed under iterative photoflow conditions.

Caffeinated Bees: Investigating The Impact On Foraging Behavior, Taylor Boaz, Becky Hansis-O'Neil, Aimee Dunlap Phd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Caffeine, a naturally occurring stimulant found in the nectar of some flowering plants (e.g., coffee, citrus), has been shown to affect insect behavior, including learning and memory in bumblebees. The presence of this compound in floral resources suggests a potential role in shaping pollinator foraging strategies. This study investigated the impact of caffeine exposure on the foraging behavior of bumble bees (Bombus impatiens).

Individually tagged bees were trained to forage on an artificial flower wall to establish a baseline foraging pattern. Following training, the bees were isolated and randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: a control …

Diary From Unnamed Union Army Chaplain, Circa 1862 20 October To 28 October, Unknown

Civil War Collections

Diary Fragment likely written by a chaplain serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It recounts travels through the border state of Kentucky during the war, notably a retelling of a widow's story of her husbands resistance to the Confederate army, a visit to the Jeffersonville State Prison, and an army hospital.

Letter To E.B. Fellows From Sister, 1862 October 19, E. B. Fellows

Civil War Collections

Letter written to E.B. Fellows, a soldier serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The letter is written by his sister and is dated October 19th, 1862. It containse details of daily life for the sister as well as hoping for peace and Fellow's safe return home when the war ends.

Dying To Belong? The Impact Of Thwarted Belongingness Among Those Who Attempt Suicide In Jail, Dayana R. Escobedo, Mckenzie Wood

The Guardianship Journal

Suicide and attempted suicide remain a major concern in correctional facilities. Jail personnel have developed unique ways of responding to incarcerated individuals who display signs of suicidal ideation, but may be less equipped to identify who may be suicidal upon arrival at the facility. Among potential markers for suicidal behaviors are incarcerated individuals struggling with feelings of thwarted belongingness, or a feeling of disconnection and lack of closeness. Applying a quantitative methodology, this study utilized data obtained from a mid-sized jail in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. The data, retrieved from correctional officer reports and intake …

The Equity Dead Zones: Legal Intersectionality Failure Points In Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Tearria N. Simmons

The Guardianship Journal

Legal intersectionality failure points describe the systemic fractures that occur where overlapping legal, social, and economic inequalities converge, potentially producing compounded barriers to relief. Each failure point marks a site of marginalization. In what ways do individuals already recognized as vulnerable in Chapter 13 bankruptcy face a heightened risk when multiple forms of disadvantage intersect? When these intersections combine in mutually reinforcing ways—racial, economic, and relational disparities colliding with structural deficiencies in family, property, and bankruptcy law—does it result in pronounced negative outcomes, and, if so, what are those outcomes? Within this convergence, could there be a space where compounded …

Influencing The Meteoric Rise Of Ai: Centering Ethics, Law, And Society In Urgent Policy Reform, Erin L. Shah Mspm, Heath A. Clark Mba, Xarlene B. Choi Bs, Garrett K. Chan Phd

The Guardianship Journal

Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a transformative technological advancement with the potential to yield extraordinary societal benefits while simultaneously introducing significant potential harms to individuals, governments, and society. The adoption of AI has outpaced the ability of society to collectively and cohesively respond through the implementation of adequate regulatory guardrails. While AI presents novel benefits and challenges, the broader dynamic of responding to new, uncharted technologies has historical precedence. The article's methodological approach employed empirical research using law articles and policies. As such, the article explores the benefits, challenges, and actual or potential harms in three business sectors: business and finance, …

Engaging Seminars: The Impact Of Storytelling In Public Safety Education, Mimi Gough, Glenn L. Walton

The Guardianship Journal

This paper examines the important role of storytelling in higher education as a technique for engaging students in course content and applies its relationship to the experiential learning theory (ELT) in which learners are actively seeking knowledge through authentic application. Storytelling can be a particularly effective method when used during live online seminars in public safety education, since this particular program of study often relies on verbally communicating realistic and credible information. Sharing various examples of actual encounters can help students better prepare for these types of situations when they face them in their future careers. Incorporating evidence to support …

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about the smell on the ships in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about Danny Walker.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about Lieutenant Bob Wood.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Part of an article draft by Bob Schieffer about Viet Cong attack.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about Staff Sergeant Cecil (Steve) Stibbons.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about Corporal Joe Beaver Jr. in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about three marines, Carl Kirksey, Jerry Mills and Jim Turner, in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about Korean Marine Tiger Division.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about several soldiers in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about Major Baylor Haynes.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Bob Schieffer's notes of several soldiers and events in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer on the Saigon press corp.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer of the Air Force's actions in the war.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer on antics occurring in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer of Vietnamese authorities wanting to keep certain Air Force activities from the public.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer of several different stories.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Bob Schieffer's notes of several soldiers in Vietnam.

Article Draft, Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer Vietnam War Collection

Article draft by Bob Schieffer about low air pilot morale in Vietnam.