Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Deworming For Gi Parasites In Sheep And Goats, Lulani Haslinger

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project examined gastrointestinal parasite control in both sheep and goats, focusing on the prevalence and management of barber pole worms. Goats and sheep carry varied parasite loads, with goats being more susceptible due to their grazing habits and lower tolerance. High parasite loads can lead to anemia, reduced growth, lethargy, coma, and sudden death within the herd. These risks highlight the importance of proper deworming methods for both sheep and goats. Strategies researched included pasture management, salvage deworming using the FAMACHA scoring, tactical deworming based off fecal egg counts, and strategic seasonal treatments. Challenges such as drug resistant parasites …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) In Immigrants, Maria Fana Mejia Bsc

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are severe or chronic stressors before age 18, including domestic violence, neglect, abuse, financial hardship, and parental separation (Loria & Caughy, 2018).

Research on ACEs in immigrants is limited, despite Latinx immigrant children being the fastest-growing child population in the U.S.

From Skeleton To Name: Profiling Cold Cases, Eddily Caridad Polanco

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This research examines how forensic investigators use skeletal remains to develop a biological profile that aids in identifying unknown individuals and advancing cold case investigations. A biological profile includes estimated sex, age-at-death, stature, and ancestry, which provide critical information that helps narrow potential matches among missing persons. This project will explore the forensic anthropology methos used to analyze skeletal indicators, estimate post-mortem intervals (PMI), and identify distinguishing skeletal traits. It will also examine the role of DNA recovery from bones and teeth, including how modern genetic comparison methods can confirm identity when traditional identification is not possible. In addition, the …

Unrecognizable, Jawon Parker

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project's objective was a magazine that primarily glorifies God. Jawon follows the religion of Christianity and he is a big follower of Jesus. Goals for this project were to be able to understand how to get closer to God and follow His principles and enjoy life with Him Vs. living life without Him. The target audience includes Non believers and Believers in Jesus. Whoever you are, this project is for all eyes, all minds. Becoming "Unrecognizable" means becoming more like Jesus and less like your former self before you knew Him. Everything in this Project was hand designed and …

Discovering Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Jaelyn Holt

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a rare disorder where inappropriate activation of mast cells causes an allergic inflammatory reaction. This project examined the immunological aspect of MCAS, clinical manifestations, current diagnostic approaches, therapies, and future directions for research. MCAS is recognized as a distinct clinical entity identified by inappropriate or excessive activation of mast cells, rather than increased cell proliferation. Mast cells are an important in the innate immune system and play a role in immune system responses such as allergic reactions, tissue repair, neuroimmune signaling, and the elimination of bacteria. Mast cell hyperactivation leads to the release of …

Effectiveness Of Social Media In Law Enforcement, Abigail O'Brien

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Over nearly three decades, social media has evolved from simple networking sites to a powerful communication and information-sharing tool with billions of users worldwide. The widespread use of social media has significantly transformed how law enforcement agencies interact with the public, particularly regarding crime prevention and criminal investigations. As social media gains relevance, law enforcement agencies have turned to these platforms as a means of connecting with their community. Additionally, agencies have begun to use these platforms as a tool for crime prevention and investigation support. This project examined the effectiveness of social media as a tool for law enforcement …

Silenced Spaces: The Suppression Of Black Culture, Anita James

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project examined the social and emotional experiences of Black students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Using a qualitative interview approach, the researcher conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with Black undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni to explore perceptions of campus culture, belonging, representation, and identity. The study highlighted recurring themes related to cultural navigation, emotional well-being, and adaptive strategies across different stages of higher education. Findings emphasized the importance of centering Black student voices to better understand institutional impact and to inform future research and equity-focused practices in higher education.

Autism In Higher Education: A Systematic Review, Katherine Webber

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

As students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly represented in higher education, these students need to have their needs met, and many institutions lack the resources to do so. This systematic review synthesizes research on the experiences of students with autism in college, focusing on barriers, support services, and institutional interventions. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2025 identified 17 relevant articles. Findings reveal that students often experience difficulties with social integration, executive functioning, sensory sensitivities, and mental health, all of which can affect academic performance and retention. Evidence suggests that individualized supports, mentoring, structured …

Linking Physical Evidence To Bryan Kohberger, Taylor Crowley

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project examines evidence from the criminal case of Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old male who murdered four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. The qualitative project utilizes online investigation documents, as well as court records, video footage from court hearings, and recent interviews with Kohberger's sister, along with past interviews with surviving roommates, to evaluate how the collected evidence was analyzed and presented in the case.

Viral Ecology Of Mid-Atlantic Ridge Vents, Kylie O'Keefe

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Viruses are abundant biological entities that influence microbial population dynamics, evolution, and biogeochemical cycling through infection, cell lysis, and gene transfer. Viruses remain understudied in deep-sea environments characterized by extreme conditions that limit survival to specialized microorganisms. This study investigates viral diversity, distribution, and functional potential at hydrothermal vent ecosystems along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Viral and microbial communities were sampled from three vent sites - Puy des Folles, EMARK, and Hydra - ranging in depth from 1,100 to 4,000 meters. Metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were used to identify viral taxonomy and identify auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) encoded within viral …

Sustainability In Culinary Kitchen, Nimra Farooqui

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Sustainability is defined in its most basic form as the capacity to continue utilizing a certain system or activity for an extended period of time. This essential concept is of the highest priority since the capacity of any society to survive in the long run is dependent upon its ability to adopt sustainable practices (UNESCO, 2017). Although the term "sustainability" is of considerable relevance, it has been utilized in a somewhat inaccurate manner, frequently leading to a loss of its significance in the process (Sterling, 2001). "The Simply Sustainable Plate" is something that has not been practiced at Snowden Dining …

Influencers Over 50+, Kelsea Lawrence

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

50+ influencer Project This project will explore the emergence, impact, and significance of social media influencers aged 50 and over, and analyze how they challenge stereotypes, shape consumer behavior, and foster intergenerational dialogue. Name of influencer About them (their story) What category are they in? When they started? Images of what they are currently doing? Any brands they represent? Content style Audience demographics and engagement Brand partnerships or campaigns Social or cultural impact Statistics (followers, etc.) and social platforms.

Playing The Man: The Age Old Struggle To Get Ahead, Emily Patenaude

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Lisa Gottlieb's Just One of the Guys is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It is a modern take on the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a young man to get a job. Each of their journeys is quite different, but they drive home the same point that sometimes, to get ahead in life, you just need to be a man. Interestingly enough, though Twelfth Night was likely written in 1601-1602, it has a more modern take on the fluidity of sexuality and gender identity than the movie produced in 1985. I find it quite …

Building A Brand's Online Presence: Due Signori, Harper Ellis, Carmella Reed, Laura Romero

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Building their brand through one personal Facebook account and pure word of mouth, Due Signori had the goal of creating a professional online presence. Mike Morocco and Dan Bouchard share a passion for singing and performing, standing out from local competition by straying from traditional, formal performance tendencies and leaning into their charismatic and interactive ways. However, without access to popular online communities, growing a customer and fan base would have been increasingly difficult. The singing group had the choice between two different class-wide creative teams in charge of creating a social media and marketing plan for the brand to …

Wearable Aac Lanyard For Communication Support, Sadie Davignon, Hailey Soares, Kristen Martinez

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Selective Mutism (SM), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face consistent and situational challenges with verbal communication. Communication can also be difficult for individuals acquiring a new language, such as English language learners (ELL), many of whom experience SM during language acquisition. Current assistive and augmentative communication (AAC) technologies are often expensive, complex, and bulky. Many rely on sound output or visually obtrusive displays, making them unsuitable for users with sound aversion or for environments like classrooms. To address this need, this project incorporates AAC technology into a common wearable device, a standard lanyard with …

Recipes For Shared Community: Rhode Island In Action, Jahnele Williams

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project submission will be a creative retelling of the exhibit mentorship, museum collections, departmental collaborators, and external partners that came together to inspire an exhibit that advances the shared educational goals and historic celebration of RI250. The resulting exhibit was inspired by the RI250 Commission and Rhode Island’s place in America250, the nation's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. Sometimes inspiration comes from outside your own institution, and you find a way to insert your own resources into a broader initiative. Being part of something bigger has its …

Feeding Futures: Jwu Vs. Student Food Insecurity, Ava Zajczenko

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

For my project, I am exploring the question: How does Johnson & Wales University combat food insecurity for its students on campus? I will be writing an action-based thesis paper that includes interviews with people on campus, such as dining staff, professors, and chefs. Along with this, I will use research from one of my classes and my experience volunteering with a nonprofit focused on food insecurity. Together, these sections will help me better understand what JWU is currently doing to address food insecurity as a whole, and what more can be done to close the gap on this issue …

Ai Detection In Academic Writing: Evaluating Performance, Ashley Kulp, Ruth Mckinnon, Steve Jacob, Samantha Bruno, Marygrace Kasprzak, Shayanne Silva, Hannah Pereira, Miriam Liz Villa

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

AI-generated text is becoming increasingly common in educational and research settings, leading to a greater reliance on AI detection tools. While prior research has assessed the performance of AI detection tools, few studies have examined their performance at determining humanized and/or hybridized text This study intends to evaluate the accuracy of five publicly accessible AI detectors in distinguishing between human-written, AI-generated, humanized, and hybrid academic text. Discussion sections from 200 Alzheimer's disease research articles were collected. Of these articles, four versions were created: human only, AI only, humanoid, and hybrid (30% rewrite), resulting in 800 total samples. In the primary …

Changes In Gambling Behaviors Among Young Adults, Madalyn Lyons, Shayanne Silva, Jadyn Torres

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Background: Following the repeal of PASPA in 2018, sports betting and mobile gambling have expanded rapidly across the United States. Young adults are particularly vulnerable to gambling-related harms, yet state-level post-legalization surveillance data remain limited.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 2022 (n=1,022) and 2024 (n=1,008) Rhode Island Young Adult Surveys were analyzed. Gambling behaviors and problem gambling (Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen) were compared across years. Multivariable logistic and Poisson regression models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, sexual/gender status, and subjective social status.

Results: Overall gambling participation remained stable (40.6% in 2022 vs. 38.6% in 2024). However, among gamblers (n=803), participation increased …

From Transducer To Force Field: A Validated Simulation-Inference Pipeline For Lipus Mechanobiology, Davis Bone

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Quantifying the mechanical forces that drive cell motility under acoustic stimulation requires linking physically defined pressure fields to measurable cell behavior. We present a computational framework coupling k-Wave acoustic simulation to Underdamped Langevin Inference (ULI) to recover radiation force fields from synthetic cell trajectories. Two geometries – a 12-well plate and a microscope slide – were simulated at 1 MHz using 1, 2, 4, and 8 transducer elements with uniform, Gaussian-apodized, 5°/10°/15° beam-steered, and randomized-amplitude configurations (132 total simulations). For each acoustic field, 48 synthetic cells were propagated via the underdamped Langevin equation for 50 seconds and submitted to ULI …

Hallucinogen Use And Witnessing Community Violence, Euphoria Brown, Alejandra Marin, Brianna Weimert

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Current research shows that those who witness community violence (CV) at a young age have a higher likelihood of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) in their future compared to those who do not witness CV (Basedow et al., 2021). CV can include, but is not limited to, gang violence, terrorist attacks, shootings, robberies, and assaults that happen outside of the home. SUDs consist of a severe dependency on illicit substances, such as hallucinogens, opioids, alcohol, or other drugs. This study’s purpose is to examine the correlation between witnessing CV and use of hallucinogenic drugs and the development of hallucinogen-related …

Association Between Living Situation And Social Support, Paulina Zambrana, Julianna Hoyt

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Previous research has shown that living situation can influence perceived social support across different developmental stages. Social support can be defined as assistance provided by other sources like teachers, counselors, family, etc., to help an individual manage diverse circumstances. Particularly in youth, it has been demonstrated that strong perceived social support can be associated with positive outcomes like strong academic and behavioral functioning; however, unstable living environments can often affect the amount of perceived support and, therefore, generate poorer outcomes in young individuals. The purpose of this study is to analyze the association between living situation and social support among …

Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Taytum Camacho, Denise Meyer, Dylan Roznoy, Marleesa May

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and smartphone addiction among young adults. The objective was to explore whether exposure to early life adversity was related to patterns of problematic smartphone use. Researchers used data from the 2022 Rhode Island Young Adult Survey, a behavioral survey administered to adults aged 18–25 who resided in Rhode Island for at least part of the year. The study focused on identifying potential relationships between reported childhood experiences and current technology use behaviors. We believe that people who have experienced ACE’s before the age of 18 have a higher risk of …

Adverse Childhood And Disability Status, Abigail Vest, Sarah Chery, Mawlne Kyne

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This study focused on adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and disability status of adult individuals. Research shows that ACE has been seen to increase the risks of disabilities later into adulthood (Morgart, 2021), which may include cognitive, physical, and intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible association between ACEs and disability status, which could potentially contribute to prevention and intervention strategies. The study included 1,022 participants who were recruited from flyers, social media, and email and participated in a digital quantitative cross-sectional survey, which was conducted in 2022. The survey focused on the experiences of 18- …

Association Between Tbi And Behavioral Addictions, Siera Creekmore, Amanda Adams, Andrea Trejo, Olivia Castagno

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) encompasses a variety of symptoms that impact cognitive functioning and can result in altered consciousness. Previous research (Herrold et al., 2015; Miller et al., 2013; Davies et al., 2023) has identified a correlation between TBI and addiction-related disorders, including alcohol use disorder, as well as the usage of addiction services. Addiction-related disorders can also include behavioral addictions, which include persistent and recurrent problematic behaviors that result in clinically significant impairments or distress (American Psychological Association, 2013), and additional research findings suggest correlations between TBI and behavioral addictions such as pathological gambling (Bhatti et al., 2018; Regard …

The Pseudonumber Phenomenon: An Analysis, Grace Williams

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Studies have shown that people pronounce certain groups of letters the same way, even in situations where they are presented with words that are not real, such as "rop" or "toin." These cases are called "pseudowords." This theory can be also be applied to certain sets of numbers called "pseudonumbers." An experiment was conducted to test one specific type of pseudonumber: telephone numbers. A group of thirty JWU students were separated into a control and treatment group. The control group was given an unbroken string of numbers, while the treatment group was given the same set of numbers hyphenated to …

Chaos Media, Kelly Reid

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Digital media company built on a hybrid model of for profit channels of podcasts, documentaries, and stories that funds a non profit leg around veteran stories.

Negotiating Independence And Representation: The Role Of Galleries In Shaping Emerging Artists’ Careers In London, Filippo Fazzini Matteucci

MA in Art Business Dissertations

This dissertation analyses the impact of gallery representation on the career progression of emerging artists in the London art ecosystem. The research draws on qualitative data, gathered through the completion of four semi-structured interviews. Participants were selected between two London galleries - Almine Rech and Gallery Rosenfeld - and included two artists and two managers. The study examines four interrelated themes: the negotiation between representation and independence; the role of trust and informality in shaping artist–gallery relationships; the influence of visibility through social media platforms; and the participants’ definitions of success. The research reveals that representation and independence are not …

Entrepreneuring Otherwise: Reimagining Value In Art Business At Ɛdan, The Ano Institute Of Arts And Knowledge, And Nubuke Wa, Chantel Thompson

MA in Art Business Dissertations

This dissertation examines how three Ghanaian women-led art institutions practise what this study terms “entrepreneuring otherwise”: a feminist and decolonial mode of enterprise grounded in care, community, and epistemic sovereignty. Focussing on Ɛdan, ANO Institute of Arts and Knowledge, and Nubuke Wa, the research investigates how they navigate their environments, illustrating the strategies used to respond to both the rich cultural histories of Ghana and the systemic conditions shaped by limited state support, fragmented cultural policy, and predominantly informal economies, which ultimately create fertile ground for reimagining and innovation.

Situated within feminist epistemologies and decolonial thought, the study applies the …

How Do Female Artists In The Middle East Navigate Art Market Legitimacy, And How Do Experiences Differ Between The Levant And Gulf Regions?, Noura Alzaim

MA in Art Business Dissertations

This dissertation examines the journeys and challenges faced by female artists in the Middle East as they strive for recognition and legitimacy within the region’s evolving art markets. By comparing the lived experiences of artists from the Levant, where creativity often flourishes in grassroots and diaspora circles, to those cultivating their careers amid the state-driven, rapidly expanding cultural landscape of the Gulf, the research brings distinct artistic perspectives into conversation. Combining interviews, theoretical inquiry, and analysis of press releases, essays, and market data, the study highlights how history, political context, and institutional structures shape opportunities and obstacles. Central chapters show …