Digital Commons Network^™

A Weapon Waiting To Be Used: The Strategic Importance Of The Women Airforce Service Pilots Of World War Ii, Piper Hanson

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, were a group of women pilots who worked in a civilian capacity with the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) during World War II. The air war in both Europe and the Pacific Theaters was extremely deadly with high casualty rates, and the USAAF struggled to train new aircrews. Established in 1943, the WASP program aimed to free male pilots on the home front for combat duties by allowing women pilots to take over non-combat roles. WASPs ferried military planes from manufacturers to bases, test-piloted damaged or dangerous aircraft, and trained military personnel …

Between Authenticity And Exploitation: Rethinking The Intended Audience Of Sean Baker's Tangerine, Ava Brandt

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Sean Baker's Tangerine (2015) has generated genuinely divided responses among trans critics, and for good reason. This paper takes that division seriously, using two reviews published on Autostraddle within six weeks of each other to frame a central question: who is Tangerine actually for? Existing scholarship on trans cinema has tended to evaluate films on a spectrum from exploitative to affirming, but this paper argues that framework is insufficient for a film like Tangerine, which operates as both simultaneously. Through close reading of the film alongside its production history, paratexts, and reception, and drawing on Paige Macintosh's scholarship on trans …

Trust In Mainstream Elites And Right-Wing Voting Among Young Voters: A Comparative Study Of Germany And The United States Since 2016, Samantha Parrish

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines how trust in mainstream elites influences the likelihood that young voters (ages 18-25) support right-wing parties in Germany and the United States. While existing research links declining trust in political elites to the rise of populist and right-wing support, less attention has been given to the relationship among young voters. This project addresses that gap by analyzing whether discrust in elite independently drives right-wing voting or whether it interacts with other potential attitudes. I argue that lower trust in mainstream elites increases the likelihood that younger voters will support right-wing parties, but this relationship is also shaped …

Information Exposure And Vote Choice: The Role Of Social Media In The 2020 U.S. Election, Brooke Beardsley

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

How does social media use affect vote choice during the 2020 election in the United States? Research shows that social media can shape political attitudes and behaviors by increasing exposure to political information and like-minded communities. However, much of the recent literature focuses on specific platforms or broader political participation, leaving open the question of how much social media use influences party vote choice. I argue that individuals who use social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram are more likely to support Democratic candidates than individuals who do not use these platforms. To test this argument, I used …

Ai Is Taking Over!: A New Generation Of Unemployment Fears, Amaya V. Hepburn

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The growing panic surrounding AI taking over the workforce is strong in a distinct group of demographics, in contrast to the fear of computers taking over the workforce that was seen in previous generations. This suggests that AI developments have sparked a wave of fear that is unlike the fear of tech developments in the past. I have discovered that this fear is prevalent across several demographics: age, employment, and income. By cross-analyzing through the 2017 and 2025 fear surveys, I discovered that fear of AI is more prevalent in younger generations and is more threatening to students entering the …

Education’S Role In Indian Democracy, Kiranjot K. Atwal

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

What impact do higher levels of education have on support for democracy in India? Existing research has largely demonstrated that education can foster democratic values through increased political awareness and civic involvement; however, researchers have only just begun to explore how education contributes to developing democracies, where social and political contexts may influence the formation of attitudes in distinct ways. This gap creates a question as to whether or not the positive impacts of education on democratic support hold true across diverse populations. I argue education promotes democratic governance by serving as a catalyst for increased engagement and interaction between …

Freshman 15? Freshman 50?? The Reality Of Daily Life Habits Of A First Year College Student, Gregorio R. Salgado

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This project presents a personal data tracking study in which I collected daily self-reported metrics over the course of the Spring semester using Excel. The variables tracked include sleep duration, caloric intake, screen time, social media usage, phone checks per day, family communication, and personal spending. The goal of this project is to identify meaningful patterns and correlations between daily habits and personal well-being.

Data was collected through a combination of manual logging and smartphone-generated daily reports. This study explores potential relationships between variables such as sleep duration and social media usage, as well as the association between family communication …

Acculturation Pressures And Substance Use Among Latino Populations In The U.S., Julie Misiewicz, Dr. Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In 2001, the Office of the Surgeon General classified Latinos with substance use disorders as a vulnerable population (Villalobos & Bridges, 2018). Although Guerrero et al. (2013) found that rates of substance use among Latinos were comparable to or exceeded those of other ethnic groups, disparities remain in access to and quality of treatment. Early adulthood is considered a high-risk period for substance use, yet Latino individuals may face additional pressures during this developmental stage while exploring identity and navigating acculturation (Unger et al., 2014). Despite documented links between acculturation pressures and substance use, little was understood about how these …

Raised To Hold Firm: Authoritarian Child-Rearing Values And Opposition To Political Compromise, Morgan Romine

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This research project examines how at-home values might explain an individual's view on political compromise. Using the 2024 American National Election Studies (ANES) survey data, I study the relationship between authoritarian child-rearing preferences and support for political compromise. While existing research has linked authoritarian values to attitudes such as prejudice and support for strong leaders, less attention has been paid to how those same values shape attitudes toward political negotiation. My hypothesis is that people who prioritize obedience, respect, and good manners over independence and curiosity in children reflect broader goals toward order and stability, and that those preferences translate …

Evaluating Team Formation Strategies With Algorithms, Ethan E. Lopez, Andy Vo

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Effective teamwork is essential for collaborative learning, yet forming compatible student groups remains a persistent challenge. This study explores how algorithmic team-building methods influence students’ social and academic compatibility overtime. To support this investigation, we designed a visual survey system called “The Disco Ball." Evaluating work ethics, lifestyles, behaviors, and communication styles, students were initially assigned to project teams using one of three conditions: (1) random assignment (control), (2) a “most matches” condition maximizing similarity between students, and (3) a “diverse communication styles” condition designed to balance differing interaction preferences. After an initial collaboration period, students were given the opportunity …

Through A Partisan Lens: How Political Identity Shapes Economic Evaluations, Daniel Shin

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

People often disagree about the state of the economy, even when faced with the same facts. These differences are especially highlighted during times of inflation, changing employment trends, and public debate over the economy.  Relying on data from the American National Election Studies (ANES), a representative survey of U.S. adults, I examined how general partisan alignment, along with other factors, shapes perceptions of the national economy and influences citizens’ judgements about economic conditions. The results show that partisanship strongly biases economic evaluations, demonstrating that people who align with the incumbent party express greater optimism, with the opposition partisans showing greater …

L'Empire De L'Élégance: Histoire Et Marketing Du Luxe En France (The Empire Of Elegance: The History And Marketing Of Luxury In France), Kayleigh Gilbert

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This thesis explores how France established and maintains its global leadership in the luxury sector by transforming high-end consumption from a tool of royal power into a modern economic pillar. The central research examines the historical evolution of French luxury, moving from the court of Louis XIV at Versailles to current global marketing, as well as how the strategic use of France’s national identity creates a manufactured desire that goes beyond a physical product. Within the context of luxury history and consumer economics, the project builds upon the work of scholars like William Beik and Michael Kwass to show how …

Soil Greenhouse Gas Dynamics Across Depth, Space, And Time In A Tropical Forest, Natalie Peterson-Hunt, Rachel Cruz-Perez, Tatiana Barreto, Gabriele Larocca Conte, Tana E. Wood, Christine S. O'Connell

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Tropical forests play a disproportionate role in regional and global greenhouse gas budgets, exchanging significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane with the atmosphere in comparison to other terrestrial biomes. Accurately characterizing tropical soil gas dynamics is therefore critical for ensuring meaningful greenhouse gas budgets, yet these dynamics can vary extensively across depth, space, and time. In this study, I assess how surface carbon dioxide and methane fluxes, and subsurface carbon dioxide and methane concentrations, vary across time of day, slope position, and for the latter, soil depth profile, in a tropical forest in eastern Puerto Rico across a five-week …

Democratic Legitimacy And Data Governance: Data Privacy Philosophy And Regulatory Preferences In The U.S. Vs Eu, Mia H. Truong

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and large-scale data collection has intensified tensions between commercial innovation and consumer privacy, raising a fundamental democratic question: do Americans understand their data protections–and does this shape their demand for regulation? The EU and U.S. represent two fundamentally opposed approaches to data privacy regulation: the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) treats personal data as a fundamental human right, rooted in post-WWII constitutional protections against state surveillance and authoritarianism, while the U.S. operates through fragmented, sector-specific state laws that treat personal data as a market commodity. This study is the first to empirically investigate …

Fear Of The Other: Explaining Immigration Anxiety In The United States, Ramon Arguelles

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Illegal immigration has become one of the most politically divisive issues in the United States, with many Americans fearing its social, political, and economic effects. This paper examines possible causes of the fear of illegal immigration, specifically focusing on media consumption, employment status, and education level. Using Wave 11 of the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, this paper analyzes whether these variables can serve as indicators of fear of illegal immigration. Drawing on media framing theory, labor-market competition theory, and theories of education and cognitive sophistication, three hypotheses were tested using Pearson correlation …

Voter Gender And U.S Senatorial Candidate In 2024 Election, Gwenn Ricordel

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines whether gender influences voters' decisions to support candidates based on the political party of the senatorial candidate in the U.S. Senate elections. While research suggests that gendered stereotypes and perceived issues on ability create a clear gender gap in voting behaviors, this research argues that in high-information national elections, these identify factors come second to party identification and economic outlook. The main goal of this research is to determine whether the gender of the voter truly impacts whether they vote for a candidate based on political party, or whether their decision is rooted more on identity based …

Alone And Radicalized: The Hidden Link Between Isolationism And Political Violence, Zaina Siddiqui

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

As some socially isolated individuals come to view political violence as legitimate, what exactly draws the line towards political extremism? My findings examine the relationship between loneliness, social marginalization, and support for political violence through psychological theories on radicalization. Using Chapman University’s American Fear Survey Wave 11, I examined the correlation between isolationism and a sense of belonging, with the latter leading to support for political violence and extremism. The project contributes to research on political extremism by focusing on loneliness as a loss of belonging and personal significance rather than on ideology or pathology alone. In my research, I …

Beyond Clicktivism: Analyzing The Most Effective Forms Of Civic Engagement, Charlotte Grace Iribarren

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Civic engagement is not only characterized by voting, it can take the form of protesting for a political cause or donating to campaigns. Today, a highly common form of political involvement is posting online or signing online petitions, also referred to as “clicktivism.” In this paper, I intend to examine the extent to which voting in general presidential elections correlates with individual engagement in protests, donations to campaigns, or engages in “clicktivism”. Using the American National Election Survey which measures voting behaviors, political participation and public opinion, I find that the most consistent voters are clicktivists and campaign donors. Conversely, …

Discrepancies In Pediatric Oral Health, Tyler B. Truong

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In 2024, data was collected by the CDC on untreated tooth decay. From that data, children living in low-income households had an estimated 18.8% of tooth decay untreated, almost triple the amount when compared to children from middle to high income households (6.6%). As the income disparity continues to grow in the US, it is critical that we implement strategies to aid lower income communities in providing their children with proper oral hygiene tactics. In order to understand how communities can help promote healthy oral hygiene for their children, a survey of dentists from various areas was conducted to see …

Behind The Self-Report: Cognitive Symptoms And Moderating Variables During Covid-19 Quarantine, Ashley H. Jo

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

A lesser-known impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic is the impairment of cognitive functioning among seemingly unsusceptible, healthy, and young populations. Research suggests that the circumstances of extreme social isolation, incited by the pandemic, have had significantly negative effects across various social, cognitive, and psychological dimensions, with a specific focus on adolescents who are at a unique and more extreme risk than adults and children. By applying the cognitive load theory (CLT) to the COVID-19 quarantine landscape, this study measured the effects of the COVID-19 quarantine on cognitive functioning among those who were adolescents and young adults at the time …

Breaking Down A.B.C.D. (American Born Confused Desi): Dual Identity Struggles & Mental Health Outcomes In South Asian American Youth, Sanchi Kohli, Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

South Asian American youth are an understudied population in mental health-related research. When looking at data, we saw that in Asian American youth, suicide is the leading cause of death. The current study examined South Asian youth mental health and the confounding factors that lead to suicidality. Including parental pressures, dual identity struggles, and internalized racism. This was done specifically under the guidance of Benet-Martínez & Haritatos’ (2005) theory of Bicultural identity integration. The study described how individuals with compatible or opposing cultural identities perceived their dual identities. In the case of this study, we identified whether South Asian American …

“Sink Or Swim” : Autonomy And Hustle Culture As Products Of Negotiations Between Restaurant Servers And Restaurant Structure, Coco Ridge

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Industrial and white-collar work has been thoroughly examined as exploitative and alienating in the sociological study of work. As the nature of work rapidly evolves, service work has emerged as the dominant sector of the economy. The literature identifies significant structural differences in service work, which complicate the historical understanding of workers’ experiences. Existing food service ethnographies have found that workers ultimately experienced autonomy in their work across varying conditions. I seek to examine how restaurant servers experience their work within the restaurant structure. This ethnography examines a large brewery in Orange County, CA, drawing on four months of detailed …

Blue, Red, And Bordered, Estefania Morales Vilchis

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The paper will explore the various social and individual variables that will impact how people perceive immigration as either beneficial to society or a societal threat. Some of the primary variables that will be examined in detail are one’s political affiliation, age, and geographical location; this will address the profound "why" behind our current beliefs on newcomers. The study will particularly address the "Contact Hypothesis" versus "Group Threat Theory" through the lens of how one's personal experiences with immigrants, or lack of, will shape public opinion. The study will focus on the rising psychological issue of "demographic anxiety", specifically, fears …

Kl Dra As A Benchmark Laboratory For Accretion-Disk Physics: Constraints From Tess And Ground-Based Surveys, Luis E. Salazar Manzano, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval, Jean-Marie Hameury, Craig O. Heinke, Iwona Kotko, Thomas J. Maccarone, Manuel Pichardo Marcano

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present the longest-term optical analysis of the AM CVn system KL Dra using ∼11 yr of monitoring from TESS and wide-field ground-based surveys. The continuous TESS coverage allows us to characterise its frequent outbursts with unprecedented detail, providing the first comprehensive study of an AM CVn during outbursts and enabling detailed modelling of these systems. The superoutbursts in KL Dra generally include a precursor and are followed by a series of rebrightenings after which a sequence of 3–4 large amplitude normal outbursts is observed. We fit parametric profiles to each superoutburst component (precursor, rise to plateau, plateau, and decay), …

Proteomics And Alkaloid Signature Of Narrow Leaf Lupin Leaves Reveal Key Enzymes In Quinolizidine Alkaloid Biosynthesis And Transportation, Tawfeek Khedr, Ling Ling Gao, Lars G. Kamphuis, Utpal Bose, Mitchell G. Nye-Wood, Angéla Juhász, Michelle L. Colgrave

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs) are toxic secondary metabolites in narrow-leafed lupin that defend against herbivores but constrain food and feed use. We developed a single-sample multiomics workflow for simultaneous extraction and quantitative analysis of QAs and proteins from individual leaves using urea/thiourea/CHAPS extraction with acetone precipitation, validated for QA quantification by LC–MS/MS. Data-independent acquisition proteomics of eight lupin accessions (four bitter, four sweet) identified 4437 proteins, with 183 differing significantly between bitter and sweet groups. Bitter accessions were enriched in lysine biosynthesis and stress-response pathways, whereas sweet accessions showed enrichment in phenylpropanoid and other defense-related processes. Coexpression network analysis linked protein …

The Narrative Style In Abdo Khal’S Novel “Throwing Sparks”, Saeed Hadi Saad Alqahtani

UB Journal for Humanities

This study investigates the narrative configuration of Throwing Sparks by Abdo Khal through a contemporary narratological lens, employing the analytical framework of Gérard Genette. It addresses a critical gap in Saudi novel criticism, where thematic approaches predominate at the expense of systematic analysis of narrative techniques. Adopting a qualitative narratological methodology, the study examines temporal structure (order, duration, frequency), spatial construction, characterization, focalization, and linguistic style to uncover the mechanisms through which meaning is generated. The findings reveal a complex narrative system structured around layered temporal disruptions, spatial binaries that encode social hierarchy, and sustained internal focalization through a morally …

Belief That God Believes In His Servants As Described In The Prophetic Tradition "An Objective Study", Ahmed Bin Mashi Bin Awda Al-Anzi

UB Journal for Humanities

This research explores Manifestations of God’s sufficiency for His believing servants as mentioned in the Prophetic Sunnah. It highlights that this sufficiency represents one of the highest levels of trust (tawakkul) and faith in Allah. The study explains that Allah’s sufficiency covers all aspects of a servant’s life—religious, worldly, sustenance, protection, victory, and the prevention of harm and attainment of benefit. The paper analyzes various hadiths that demonstrate Allah’s sufficiency for those who rely on Him, such as the saying: “Hasbunallahu wa ni‘mal wakeel (Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs),” and the famous …

Satire In Classical Criticism: A Reading Of The Book Uncovering The Equals Of Al-Mutanabbi’S Poetry By Al-Sahib Ibn ‘Abbad, Jihan Bint Saad Bin Rashid Al-Hazzani

UB Journal for Humanities

Despite the abundance of writings about Al-Mutanabbi by his adversaries, he remained a uniquely distinguished poet whose creativity is clearly manifested in his poetry. Within this context, the treatise of Al-Sahib ibn Abbad, Revealing the Flaws of Al-Mutanabbi’s Poetry, emerges as a critical attempt aimed at evaluating his poetry. However, it does not rely on a balanced and objective critical perspective.Ibn Abbad heavily depended on the use of satire as a principal critical tool in his treatise. This approach can be attributed to the nature of the Abbasid era, which witnessed a flourishing of literary criticism, where satire emerged …

The Importance Of Enhancing Heart’S Servitude In Raising Children, Alaa Abdullah Ajaj

UB Journal for Humanities

This study, entitled “The Importance of Enhancing Heart’s Servitude in Raising Children” addresses the significance and necessity of fostering the servitude of the heart in the upbringing of children. It aims to highlight the evidences supporting this concept from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as well as to identify the means that facilitate its development and the consequences of neglecting it in the educational process. The researcher adopts an inductive, analytical, and inferential methodology. The study is structured into an introduction and four main sections: (1) the importance of childhood as a stage for instilling creed, (2) the …

The Spatial And Temporal Weeping Over Ruins A Reading Of The Poem “On The Heights Of Pain”, Sami Bin Saleh Bin Yahya Al-Ghamidi

UB Journal for Humanities

This study, entitled “The Spatial and temporal weeping over ruins”A reading of the poem “On the Heights of Pain’ by the Poet Saleh Al-Zahrani,” aims to explore the features of pain in contemporary Saudi poetry through an approach that examines grief and lamenting the ruins, and their creative impact on Saleh Al-Zahrani’s poetry. The reading, in its essence, is suggestively directed towards psychological and stylistic horizons this is what is brewing in the poet’s consciousness and what is happening with the reasons for vision and formation towards the poetic self and its relationship with the other in multiple contexts, the …