Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing Atmospheric Gravity Waves Over Antarctica And Visualizing Machine Learning Data, Anastasia Brown

Student Research Symposium

• Gravity Waves are buoyancy waves that propagate in the atmosphere [1]
• Mostly generated by tropospheric weather,
• Can vertically propagate above 100 km altitude,
• Affect the temperature structure of the atmosphere, 
• Drive pole-to-pole circulation.

The Dynamics Of An Asian Family, Katrina Lam

Student Research Symposium

Spilt-household

Men earn income but also maintain the family (1850s &1920s was a common time for Chinese-American families)(1930s Filipino families also reflect spilt households due to men exceeding the women population).

A Pirate Brand For Me: Piracy As A Model For Contemporary Design Practice, Rosie Davis

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Design In Sports, Madeline Anderson

Student Research Symposium

With the emergence of discussion about the return of the Seattle SuperSonics, this project aims to blend the world of sports with contemporary design. To make a contemporary brand, means to think about every single aspect and detail of the brand with a reason. This re-brand explores the vintage feel of the team that ran the court in the late 20th century as well as influences from modern day branding. With references such as the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Athens Kallithea F.C., Borussia Dortmund and Venezia FC- the new Seattle SuperSonics use expressive typography, modernized colors, and contemporary references to …

Wake Characteristics Of In-Phase And Out-Phase Array Of Oscillation Airfoils, Yi-Cheng Chen

Student Research Symposium

In order to solve the hydrodynamics of a school of fish using the open-source SEM solver Nek5000, an oscillating mesh is required to simulate fish oscillations and at the same time simplify the process of mesh partitioning and satisfy the limitation of nek5000 that the mesh must be quadrilateral.

Microbial Diversity Analysis Of Utah Native Plant Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus Iedifolius), Satwinder Pal Gill

Student Research Symposium

• Climate-induced Environmental stressors such as drought and salinity are the main threat to crop production and food security.
• Continuous use of chemical fertilizers deteriorates soil health. 
• New strategies to mitigate the effect of stress in plants and alternatives for chemical fertilizers are needed.
• The Intermountain West region of the US is rich in native plants adapted to arid and semi-arid climates, which are recommended for low-water-use landscaping.
• Curl-leaf Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifoius Nutt.) is a native plants of IW and abundant in Utah. It is widely distributed nutrient-deficient soils, drought, and pathogen resistance actinorhizal plants that can fix atmospheric …

Contemporary Korean Photographers Reestablishing Cultural And Individual Gender Identity In Modern-Day South Korea, Samantha Greene

Student Research Symposium

“The modern-day society of South Korea continuously transforms old traditions in hopes of establishing what Korean cultural and individual identity is in today’s contemporary world.” – Kevin Cawley, Korean Confucianism

Survival And Growth Of Early Stages Of Solanum Spp. After Insect Herbivory, Aj Hammond

Student Research Symposium

• Early survival and performance are key life-history traits that account for the variation in individual fitness and shapes population dynamics (Fig 1).
• The early stages of a plant’s life cycle (Fig 2a) are usually the most critical, being vulnerable to pressures such as herbivores and parasites more than later stages.
• Questions: How do natural enemies impact early survival and regrowth of plants?

Variability In Indoor Free Play Physical Activity Over One Week In Preschool-Aged Children, Benjamin B. Johnson

Student Research Symposium

• Indoor free play during preschool or childcare provides children with an opportunity to engage in total (light-to-vigorous) physical activity (TPA).
• Researchers may collect indoor free play TPA during a single indoor free play period, multiple indoor free play periods over a single day, or over multiple days.
• Little is known about the variability in TPA over indoor free play periods or if a single indoor free play period is representative of weekly indoor free play TPA.

Purpose: To assess within- and between-day variability in indoor free play TPA in young children.

Buckling Analysis Of A Novel High-Throughput Assembly For Accelerated Fatigue Test, Mehedi Hasan Mahfuz

Student Research Symposium

The novel high-throughput assembly was developed by Singh et al.[2024] previously to study creep, which we are using to study fatigue instead.

The main difference of testing creep and fatigue is, during fatigue test, the specimens are loaded with half-time compression and half-time tension where creep is only subjected to tensile load.

Mexican Food Vs Chicano Food, Andrew Mccann, Jonathan Mitchell Bagley

Student Research Symposium

The challenging and windy road that was the mixture of american and mexican cultures created many ripples in the history books. Families finding themselves in new countries by ways of war, land grabs, and danger continued to do what the Mexican culture does best; proper against all odds. The identity collaboration of mexican families in american cultures is none more apparent in one of the world's favorite foods. The challenge we face today, is whether to go for seconds.

Impact Of Language Barriers On Healthcare Outcomes, Kaylie Sharp, Abigail Stanger

Student Research Symposium

Thousands of immigrants of varying linguistic and national origin live in the United States today. They need the same quality medical care as natural-born citizens of the U.S., and yet, many of these people experience great discomfort obtaining medical help due to language barriers and the issues that they can create.

Native Spanish speakers present the highest minority in the United States and Utah. Despite the many resources available to them, Spanish speakers often are faced with linguistic barriers that diminish the quality of care they and their families receive in healthcare across Utah.

Beaver Fever: An Oral History Of Beaver Mountain Resort, Mia Shumway, Drake Hansen, Rory Olsen, Melanie Kimball

Student Research Symposium

Research Question: What does Beaver Mountain mean to the people of Cache Valley?

Beyond Words: Legibility, Readability, And The Subtle Art Of Type Persona A Comprehensive Exploration Of Typographic Pairing And Its Impact On Communication, Sadie Stewart

Student Research Symposium

In graphic design, understanding the elements and parts of a letter is essential for creating well-crafted typography. Each letter compromises various components, including the stem, bowl or counter space, ascender, descender, serif (in serif typefaces), and terminal. The stem forms the main vertical stroke of a letter. Counters are the negative spaces within letters like ‘o’ or ‘e’. Ascenders extend above the x-height, while descenders drop below the baseline. Serifs are the decorative strokes at the ends of certain letterforms, adding visual interest and aiding readability. Terminals mark the end of strokes, contributing to the overall aesthetic and style of …

Designing Graphic Props For Movies: Retro Methodology In A Digital Age, Mckenna Sprouse

Student Research Symposium

Subject Movie: The Irishman

After-School Care Centers, Annalise Vasquez

Student Research Symposium

The current educational landscape highlights significant disparities in funding, with schools in predominantly Black or Hispanic areas receiving less funding compared to those in predominantly White areas, largely due to disparities in property tax revenue. Biased appraisals and devaluations of homes in Black neighborhoods further exacerbate this issue. This lack of funding leads to fewer resources for Black youth, increasing their likelihood of economic struggles and involvement in the criminal justice system, perpetuating a cycle of inequity. To address these challenges, many states are focusing on legislation to secure and increase funding for afterschool programs. Efforts include allocating state resources, …

Machine Learning Based Control Of Digital Throttle For Impulse Design In Hybrid Rockets, Eric Larsen

Student Research Symposium

Research Goals

• Develop a Hybrid Rocket model to generate expected thrust profiles given a CD profile
• Create a ML method to generate expected Thrust profiles given an Injector CD Profile
• Develop a method to then generate CD profiles from a desired Thrust profile of a motor

Creating Sensory Poetry: An Accessible Exhibit And Workshops, Basil Payne

Student Research Symposium

This is an 2023-2024 URCO project that originally began as a 2023 summer Peak Fellowship project. In summer 2023, I researched 19th-century Utah herbaria specimens to create my own botanically-influenced poetry and art. In fall, I received an URCO grant with the Impact Initiative to create a sensory-friendly art exhibit that would be accessible to people with sensory sensitivities. In addition, I planned to offer two workshops to members of the community with disabilities. From February 12-16, 2024, I displayed my sensory-friendly poetry and art in USU’s Projects Gallery and hosted two accessible workshops for people of all abilities.

Wild, Wild Wyoming: Youth Sport Leaders' Perspectives On Challenges And Opportunities For Youth Sport Participation, Daxon Toone

Student Research Symposium

• Leaders in Wyoming navigate various challenges and contextual factors that shape participation.
• This study focuses on the perspectives of youth sport leaders in the state of Wyoming to better understand how leaders perceive challenges and opportunities to shape youth sport participation.

Exploring Nitrogen Uptake Dynamics Of Wetland Plants In Floating Treatment Wetlands, Saroj Burlakoti

Student Research Symposium

• Nitrogen (N) is major plant nutrient that limit plant growth and are often over used aiming to improve plant growth and quality.
• Generally, only 2-10% of applied N is taken up by crops. Excess N can move into water and air impacting biodiversity, human health, air, and water quality (Fields, 2004; Sengupta et al., 2015).
• U.S. EPA has imposed regulations limiting the discharge of water containing nitrate-nitrogen concentrations exceeding 10 mg/L or 45 mg/L when expressed as (NO₃-) (U.S.EPA, 1986).
• Increasing demand for fertilizers – high cost
• Excess use – effect on ground and surface water quality
• Leachate …

Snac Patrons' Typical Use And Overall Evaluation Of Services, Joy Bruneel, Melody Loutzenhiser

Student Research Symposium

Food insecurity among students in higher education programs is a relatively new area of research with the first study being published only 14 years ago.¹ Over the years, the costs associated with higher education have steadily increased leading to more financial burdens for students than ever before. According to the 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, over 4 million students nationwide struggle with food insecurity.²

While the incidence of food insecurity among students is increasing, many students are not taking advantage of community and university resources aimed at targeting this issue on college campuses.³ In a study …

Narcissism Online: The Impact Of Psychology Misinformation On Social Media, Alana Haupert

Student Research Symposium

a. Instagram and Tiktok have provided a platform for information to be received in bulk quantities. This has produced mixed results as this has affected psychology positively and negatively.

• Climate Change
• Covid Vaccines (Rousseau, 2021)
• Science deniers (Hyperskepticism)

b. In this presentation, I argue that Danish Bashir, an Instagram “Narcissist Abuse Recovery Coach,” uses Aristotelian appeals to establish himself as an expert and then overgeneralizes/overdiagnoses to gain more followers for a disorder that impacts only 6% of population (Stinson et. al, 2008).

c. To do so, I am analyzing Danish Bashir’s Instagram account with 474k followers and his reels for …

Response Adjustments In Math Anxiety: A Comparative Analysis Of Post-Error Speeding And Slowing, Leyla Karami, Tori Dehlin

Student Research Symposium

• Math anxiety is a worry or fear that occurs when people try to solve math problems, take tests, or even think about numbers” _{(Weir, 2023)}.
• Individuals with math anxiety avoid taking math courses or selecting math-related majors; Global Avoidance Effect _{(Suárez-Pellicioni et al., 2016)}.
• They show a tendency to complete the math task as soon as possible to leave the uncomfortable situation of math problem solving; Local Avoidance Effect _{(Suárez-Pellicioni et al., 2016)}.
• They are slower & more error-prone in math tasks _{(Núñez-Peña et al., 2017; 2024)}.

Solar Factors Influence High Frequency (Hf) Radio Propagation, Jayson Wiggins

Student Research Symposium

Although it has been around for over 100 years, high frequency (HF) radio is here to stay.

HF radio is in the range from 3-30 MHz, and is used by amateur radio enthusiasts, commercial airlines, and the Department of Defense.

Communication over greater distances than other methods is possible due to skywave propagation, a process in which radio waves are reflected by the lower regions of the ionosphere. This means changes in the ionosphere have important effects on propagation.

Lingering Effects Of Redlining On Secondary Education In Waterloo, Iowa, Emily Brennom

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

The Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) of the federal government implemented the racially discriminatory housing policy known as "redlining" in the 1930s, which still has an effect on Waterloo, Iowa's educational system to this day. The practice targeted neighborhoods considered to be undesirable due to their racial or ethnic makeup, regularly denying residents services or putting tight restrictions on investment, insurance, and mortgage lending. The color-coded maps that HOLC assessors used to identify high-risk zones - areas populated by ethnic minorities were frequently designated in red - are where the term "redlining" first appeared. These laws lead to differences in …

How Rural Identity, Self-Reliance, And Stoicism Relate To Attitudes Toward Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Iowans, Taylor Brown

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

PROBLEM

• Rural areas represent 20% of the U.S. population (United States Census Bureau, 2022)
• Similar rates of mental illness among rural and urban people (Morales et al., 2020)
• Higher suicide rates among rural people (Brunk, 2010)
• Lower psychological help-seeking rates among rural individuals (Caldwell et al., 2004; Kirby et al., 2019)
• Rural residents tend to wait longer and until symptoms become severe to seek help (Stewart et al., 2015)

Aerobic Exercise Improves Cognitive Functioning In Older Adults, Emily Swanson, Stephanie Rasco, Holden Sevening, Ava Schupbach, Terence Moriarty

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Cognitive Impairment

What is it?

• An early stage of memory loss or other cognitive ability loss (such as language or visual/spatial perception) in individuals who maintain the ability to independently perform most activities of daily living.

Risk Factors

• Age
• Physical Inactivity
• Early stages of Alzheimers
• Cerebrovascular Problems

Shadows Of Redlining: Unveiling Disparities In Essential Social Services In Waterloo, Ia, Luke Abels

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

This study explores the enduring impact of redlining on the distribution and upkeep of Waterloo, IA's community resources such as schools and childcare facilities. It assesses how these historical policies affect community development and individual well-being. Through a combination of GIS and qualitative methods, the goal is to highlight disparities in the availability and standard of vital services due to past and present socio-economic factors. This analysis will aid policymakers, urban planners, and advocates in bridging Waterloo's social equity gaps.

Education For Ethiopia Research Project Proposal, Shelby Hull

Student Research Symposium

In Ethiopia, it was found that within the population, only 24% of adults have finished their primary education (William Saint). The post-secondary enrollment ratio in Ethiopia is 0.8 percent in 2000. This puts Ethiopia at the bottom of the rankings, in the world, for attending secondary school (William Saint).

Violence And Danger In Children's Folklore, Alleyah Murphy

Student Research Symposium

Children's Folklore is described as games, traditions, songs, and rhymes that are passed down from person to person, anonymous in origin, have variation, and often have association with a group.

I decided to examine violence and danger in Children's Folklore.