Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

There's A Method To This Physics Madness, Hanna J. Ross

Physics and Astronomy Presentations

Physics tends to be seen by the general public as scary and unattainable, especially for students who are non-STEM majors. However, at Ursinus College (as well as many other institutions) the professors employ the use of specific problem-solving strategy instruction to mitigate these fears and further general problem solving skills. This study reviews previous experiments evaluating the merit of this strategy and analyzes its results as it relates to Physics on Screen, a physics class at Ursinus geared specifically towards non-majors.

Designing A Statistical Plan For Measuring Self-Efficacy Using A 2k Factorial Design​, Rachel A. Hart, Eugene H. Thompson

Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics Presentations

This study focuses on designing a statistical plan that measures the effects of self-efficacy using a 2k factorial design. Specifically, we simulated data on physical, mental, spiritual, and social health, so we could focus on their interaction with self-efficacy. By using ANOVA to see the main and interaction effects, we can see the impact of individual autonomy on health. Our findings show the need for experimental data on the demographic of interest, peri-and post-menopausal women.

Analyzing The Sentiment Of Feminist And Non-Feminist Works, Jasmine Borie, Megan G. Falschlehner

Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics Presentations

This presentation focuses on a group of texts that advocate for a change in the current belief system. These texts are the Feminist Manifesto, Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman?, and Civilization and Its Discontents. These first two texts advocate for women’s rights, while Freud’s book is focused on civilization’s decline and how our understanding of community can affect this. Through our presentation, we want to examine the differences in sentiment and language between the feminist texts and Freud’s texts to pinpoint whether or not sentiment changes when advocating for different beliefs.

Analyzing Cie Texts Through History Using R, Rachel A. Hart, Aaron Ditto

Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics Presentations

In this presentation, we analyzed three separate CIE texts from different time periods. First, “The Allegory of the Cave” from 380 BC, then “The Declaration of Independence” from 1776, and lastly “The Lottery” from 1948. We compared them using tidy text techniques like sentiment lexicons, creating word clouds, and bigram analysis to see if the types of words and sentiments used have changed over time in these short texts.

A Statistical Comparison Of Selected Old Testament And New Testament Books, Branden F. Stahl, Kevin Guan, Adam Denn

Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics Presentations

The purpose of this project was to discover similarities between sentiments in Old Testament and New Testament books of the Bible, track emotional valence and find the most common words and sentiments in the books. Text analysis was performed on Genesis, Exodus, Matthew and Luke. Word clouds were also created for these texts.

Using Text Mining In R To Explore How Three Cie Related Texts Answer One Of Ursinus College’S Quest Curriculum Questions: “How Should We Live Together?”, Elizabeth Dill

Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics Presentations

This presentation explores the application of text mining techniques using R programming to analyze literary text. In the process of this project, I performed data cleaning, tokenization, sentiment analysis, and frequency analysis on selected literary works. This study illustrates how R enables the transformation of unstructured textual data into meaningful insights through visualizations and statistical summaries. My presentation highlights both the technical process and the interpretive results, demonstrating how computational methods can be used to explore traditional literary analysis.

A Text Mining And Sentiment Analysis Of Valuable Cie Texts Using R, Eric Sugarman, Ethan Turber-Ortiz, Hannah Quinn

Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics Presentations

The purpose of this project was to perform a sentiment analysis of three texts used in Ursinus College's Common Intellectual Experience (CIE) course: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Discourse on Method by Rene Descartes. Word count and word cloud analysis were also performed on the texts as well as term frequency and bigram analysis.

Diversity And Habitat Use Of Bats In Modified Suburban Landscapes, Brittany Morgera

Biology Presentations

Bats occupy critical ecological niches and perform important ecosystem services like controlling insect populations. However, humans have altered bat habitat substantially, resulting in the reduction of bat populations. The goals of this research are to assess bat diversity and habitat use across different levels of suburban habitat modification. To accomplish this, we deployed passive acoustic recorders at twelve locations with varying human impact in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In accordance with The North American Bat Monitoring Program’s standards, acoustic analysis software was used to identify bat species. Manual identification methods from The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative were used to verify these …

Solar Parking, Glen Welch, K.C. Green, Catie Bean, Makenzie Keith, Connor Patterson

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

No abstract provided.

Energy Efficient Dorms, Antonio Soares, Zachary Nassar, Aidan O'Neill

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

No abstract provided.

Reducing Energy Consumption At Bryant University, Joey Madan, Jake Chernin, Brandon Kemp

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

No abstract provided.

Dry Paths, Safe Steps, Andrew Gamper

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Cybersecurity Threats And Mitigation Strategies: Theory In To Practice, Project Proposal, Fransly Dutervil

Student Academic Conference

Cybersecurity threats pose significant risks to individuals and organizations, leading to data breaches, financial losses, and operational disruptions. This presentation explores key threats such as malware, phishing, DDoS attacks, insider threats, and zero-day exploits. It also discusses mitigation strategies, including network security measures, multi-factor authentication, encryption, and incident response planning. Through case studies of real-world cyber incidents, we highlight lessons learned and best practices to strengthen security defenses. The goal is to enhance awareness and promote proactive cybersecurity measures in an increasingly digital world.

Ionospheric Evidence Of Lobe Reconnection For Northward Imf, Dora Csonge, Gerard Fasel, John Mann, Audrey Daucher, Owen Bradley, Aidan Hulbert, Thomas Lewer, Sun-Hee Lee, F. Sigernes, D. Lorentzen

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

It is believed that magnetic reconnection is one of the main mechanisms to transfer energy and momentum from the for the solar wind into the terrestrial environment. Dungey suggested that magnetic reconnection occurs on the dayside magnetosphere when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is southward. Poleward moving auroral forms (PMAFs) have been identified in past studies as Ionospheric signatures of magnetic reconnection on the dayside.

However, magnetic reconnection can also occur for other geometrical orientations of the IMF. This presentation presents possible examples, 1 December 2021, for lobe reconnection during periods when the IMF x-component is negative, coupled with a …

Dayside Auroral Oval Expansion, Magnetic Flux Erosion, And Substorms, Dora Csonge, Parker Para, Gerard Fasel, Owen Bradley, Gasia Excel, Makena Swenski, Rachel Rodriguez, Sun-Hee Lee, John Mann, F. Sigernes, D. Lorentzen

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Magnetic flux is eroded from the dayside magnetosphere when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) turns southward. During this period, the dayside auroral oval shifts equatorward as magnetic flux is transported anti-sunward to the magnetotail. Poleward-Moving Auroral Forms (PMAFs) are thought to be the ionospheric footprints of the flux tubes which are formed and transported tailward. Afterwards, magnetic reconnection occurs in the magnetotail, resulting in a substorm.

This study looks at the time between the onset of dayside magnetic reconnection and the onset of a substorm. Rates of dayside auroral oval equatorward shifts after southward turnings of the IMF are presented, …

Predicting Capture And Survival Probabilities Of The Arizona Tiger Salamander: A Comparison Of Capture-Recapture Models, Brittney Nelson

Scholars Week

Capture-recapture models are essential tools for estimating population dynamics in ecological studies. A fundamental component of these models is the capture history matrix, which records individual detection over time and serves as the basis for estimating survival and capture probabilities. This presentation explores three statistical approaches to these estimations: the Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model, the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for CJS, and the Bayesian CJS model. The CJS model provides a likelihood-based framework for estimation, and the HMM CJS incorporates latent states into the model to account for uncertainty in detection. The Bayesian CJS extends this same analysis by integrating prior …

Depth Patterns Of Redear Sunfish Lepomis Microlophus In Kentucky Lake, Justin Graben

Scholars Week

Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus are a highly sought sportfish known for their size potential, but their ecological behavior in large reservoirs remain poorly understood. In this study, we looked at how Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus move vertically in Kentucky Lake. We used acoustic tags with depth sensors to measure the movement of Redear Sunfish both diurnally and seasonally within Kentucky Lake.

During the day, Redear Sunfish occupied significantly deeper waters compared to dawn, dusk, and night (p < 0.0001.). Many fish, including the species in the Lepomis genus, may have a preference for specific light levels for optimal foraging and predation avoidance, even if predation is not the primary concern at larger sizes. This daily pattern was consistent through most seasons, except on average the fish were deeper during the winter season (p < 0.0001).

Understanding the movement patterns of Redear Sunfish is essential for effective species management, especially as their popularity grows and they potentially compete with …

Microcanonical Analysis Of Semiflexible Homopolymers With Variable Bending Potential Width, Michael Gray

Scholars Week

I have developed an algorithm for finding phase transition in microcanonical data of simulations of homopolymers. These simulations model the behavior of homopolymers in an array of different conditions. This algorithm is generalized and can be applied to a variety of different systems. It works by taking repeated derivatives of the microcanonical entropy of the system and applying several filters, whose parameters are tuned algorithmically as well. Identification of phase transitions allows for the construction of a phase diagram.

Computational Modeling Of Astrophysical Systems, Leleya Iris Stallard

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This research project focuses on the computational modeling of astrophysical systems using Femap with NX Nastran. The goal was to simulate and analyze the vibrational behavior and structural deformation of celestial bodies under different material compositions and collision conditions. Materials such as iron, granite, titanium, and models for white dwarf stars were used to investigate how varying physical properties affect the systems' dynamic responses. Both isotropic and anisotropic models were created to represent realistic astrophysical materials. Through static and modal analyses, the study explored how internal structure and material stiffness influence the reaction of celestial objects to applied forces and …

Brother Nature: Pursuing Zero-Waster At Casa Maria, Isaiah Charles, Giuliana Porzio Cuenca, Tatiana Flores, Isabella Lopez, Antonio Martinez, Kelly Sawyers

Presentations - 2025

This presentation focuses on evaluating waste production and management at Casa Maria, a Marianist community on campus, with the goal of establishing baseline data and offering sustainability recommendations grounded in the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Insights from this initiative aim to inform broader sustainability efforts across the university.

How Does Honey Make Gold Nanoparticles? Optical Analysis Of The Effects Of Temperature And Composition, Lydia Alvarnaz, Davon Ferrara Phd

SPARK Symposium Presentations

In recent years, with an increasing interest in green chemistry, there has been an effort to find and understand synthesis methods using biologically-produced reducing and capping agents to produce stable gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Previous research using honey has shown this substance is a viable reducing agent in the formation of nanoparticles but have not looked at the stability of the colloidal gold nanoparticles. In this work, gold nanoparticles were reduced from an aqueous solution of gold chloroauric acid and a solution of varying concentrations of honey and water. The formation of NPs was analyzed using UV-Visible transmission spectroscopy to confirm …

Fostering & Understanding Diversity Within The Ant Microbiome & Research Group, Manuela O. Ramalho

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Manu Ramalho of the Biology Department presents: Fostering and understanding diversity: within the ant microbiome and our research group.

Sustainable Synthesis Of Cellulose-Derived Carbon Materials, Abbie S. Ganas

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Abbie Ganas, Chemistry, presents "Sustainable Synthesis of Cellulose-Derived Carbon Materials".

Getting “Out In The Woods” With Students: Intergenerational Work Centering Learners As Creators Of Sustainable Futures, Kate Southerton-Castillo, Emily Southerton

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Kate Southerton-Castillo, student, M.S. in TESC, and Emily Southerton, Ph.D. Learning Sciences present on "Getting “Out in the Woods” with Students: Intergenerational Work Centering Learners as Creators of Sustainable Futures".

Special Purpose Epr Resonators, Gareth R. Eaton

TeachEPR Submissions

Many types of EPR resonators are described.

Special applications that use various resonators are mentioned.

How To Measure B1, Gareth R. Eaton

TeachEPR Submissions

• CW Methods
• Pulsed EPR Methods

How To Measure Q, Gareth R. Eaton

TeachEPR Submissions

•Frequency bandwidth
–Using spectrometer frequency sweep
–Using a network analyzer

•Ring down following a pulse

Using Walk Audits To Understand Neighborhood Environmental Problems, Megan Heckert, Randall Cream, Christina Rosan

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Megan Heckert, Geography and Planning, Dr. Randall Cream, English, and Dr. Tina Rosan, Temple University Geography, Environment, and Urban Studies, present "Using Walk Audits and Storytelling to Understand Neighborhood Environmental Problems".

Workshop On Quantitative Epr, Dave Barr, Sandra S. Eaton, Gareth R. Eaton, Ralph T. Weber, Patrick Carl, Peter Höfer, Richard W. Quine, George A. Rinard, Colin Mailer

TeachEPR Submissions

Presentations on quantitative EPR at the workshop that preceded the writing of our text, Quantitative EPR.

Presented at the 31^st Annual EPR Symposium in Breckenridge, Colorado on July 27, 2008.

Types Of Epr Resonators, Gareth R. Eaton

TeachEPR Submissions

Fundamental properties of resonators are described with photographs of a variety of actual EPR resonators.