Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tropical Fish Study In Tahiti, French Polynesia, Miranda Brainard, Caitlyn Swango, Paityn Houglan, Richard Londraville

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In May of 2023, I embarked on an exciting research journey to Moorea, French Polynesia, alongside fellow students and faculty members from the University of Akron and Syracuse University. This expedition was part of the university-sponsored Tropical Vertebrate Biology course, where we delved into the exploration of various tropical species inhabiting the island, including sea urchins, geckos, and my primary focus, the blackspotted rockskipper.

My research team, composed of my co-authors and me, was particularly intrigued by the unique refuge-seeking behavior displayed by blackspotted rockskippers. These amphibious fish are renowned for their remarkable ability to inhabit tide pools and rocky …

Impacts Of Covid-19 On Industrial Growth In The United States, Emily G. Warthman, Charles J. Landis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COVID-19 has caused massive ramifications on all parts of life in the world and industry growth/decline is not immune to it. This report will analyze nine different industries’ profit and revenue from quarterly data during the years 2009-2022. Forecast models will be generated using various methods and different techniques of validating to predict the values from Q2 2020- Q4 2022 based on historical data. After which, a comparison will be conducted between those predicted values to the actual average revenue and profit generated by order of greatest error percentage made. Thorough research will then be completed to determine if there …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Construct Measurement Techniques Used In Industrial/Organizational Research, Benjamin Michael, Andrea F. Snell, Katie Rosneck

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to challenge the appropriateness of the methodological strategies and tools utilized within psychological research. We will look at the types of statistical modeling used and the context in which they are used, such as measurement modeling, confirmatory factor analysis, and bifactor analysis within survey development, as well as the use of psychological constructs such as extraversion and leadership. The objective of this research is to search for and recognize patterns from the content of some of the top journal articles in the field of industrial and organizational psychology. The information gained from analyzing the content of the …

Analysis Of Minor League Rule Changes Effect On Stolen Bases, Zachary Houghtaling

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study uses various statistical analyses to evaluate the justification of rule changes for Major League Baseball that were implemented within the Minor Leagues during the 2021 minor league season. The primary focus of the study is predicting how some of these Minor League rule changes could affect the stolen base success rate and the number of attempts per game within the Major Leagues. A survey was conducted to evaluate how fans feel about stolen bases within the current game and if rules should be altered to increase the number of stolen bases that occur. Additionally, recorded Major and Minor …

Applying Machine Learning Algorithms For Face Mask Detections, Mackenzie Frato

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Goal: Apply multiple machine learning techniques to Face Mask images to detect if a student is wear a Face Mask and/or wearing it incorrectly or not at all. Methodology: Use 2-3 different machine learning techniques to develop this program. Will choose these techniques as I research over the semester. The best technique will be the final one used, but many will be explored. Validation techniques will be used to see which is the best technique. Timeline: Choose Dataset - October 1st, Choose techniques - October 31st, Research techniques/validation - November 31st, Begin writing code - December 13th, Finish code - …

Design Project: Smart Headband, John Michel, Jack Durkin, Noah Lewis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Concussion in sports is a prevalent medical issue. It can be difficult for medical professionals to diagnose concussions. With the fast pace nature of many sports, and the damaging effects of concussions, it is important that any concussion risks are assessed immediately. There is a growing trend of wearable technology that collects data such as steps and provides the wearer with in-depth information regarding their performance. The Smart Headband project created a wearable that can record impact data and provide the wearer with a detailed analysis on their risk of sustaining a concussion. The Smart Headband uses accelerometers and gyroscopes …

Technological Software In Mathematics, Courtney Kish

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Technology has been advancing significantly over the years. One area that has been affected is mathematics. Technological software has been developed that has allowed for mathematics to be done using software programs. For example, WebAssign allows students to complete online math homework and example practice problems, as well as watch videos to explain topics in math. However, like all things, this is not without downfalls. While this technology offers students access to online lectures and instant feedback, cheating and costly expenses also come with it.

In this research paper, I will discuss the benefits and shortcomings of different technological software …

Ai And Machine Learning Usage In Actuarial Science, Joanna Riley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Some people in the world work hard and do whatever it takes in order to get a job that they love. There are others that don’t care about their jobs and solely perform them in order to make money. So, there are individuals or groups that wouldn’t care if a machine or computer were to replace them in their job, but others would be devastated. The question for this paper is: Can actuaries be completely replaced by computers, or do we need the human mind in order to make proper decisions and judgements?

Key words and phrases: actuarial science, artificial …

Home Sales As A Time Series Model, Noah R. Hellenthal

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Rational Expectations Hypothesis is an economic theorem that states that our best way to predict the future is by looking at the past. While this theory is typically used to address inflation, the same concept can be used when predicting future home sales. With the failure of subprime mortgages and the burst of the housing market bubble in 2008, home sales are proven to be an appropriate indication of how the U.S. economy is performing. Through time series analysis, I will be able to construct a model with monthly home sales data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Due to seasonality …

An Examination Of Covid-19 Statistical Modeling, Shane Vaughan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is an infectious disease which was first reported in late 2019 and soon spread to become a global pandemic, prompting major action from world governments. Soon after, many institutions began attempts to analyze and predict the spread and severity of the disease via statistical modeling. Some information is not available for public consumption; however, a number of institutions have published the results of their analyses and some have made public repositories of the code used to build the models. This research paper attempts use these and other resources to examine the modeling …

Lack Of Vaccination Risks, Abigail Sebunia

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper is a study regarding how vaccination rates are related to the number of measles cases that occur in a particular state. First, I will review the history of vaccines and the motivations for the refusals of this medical procedure. In addition, I will examine the various regulations regarding vaccinations and which states allow non-medical exemptions for religious or personal reasons. Within my analysis, I will provide examples of recent outbreaks to represent the extent of this current dilemma. Furthermore, I will offer potential solutions to mitigate measles outbreaks and the science regarding Herd Immunity Thresholds (HIT) to limit …

Global Warming Statistical Analysis, Jared Skinner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper will investigate global warming and its effects on natural disasters. I will review the historic movements of climate change and activism, as well as the current discussions surrounding global warming. Secondly, I will examine various datasets, paying attention to the severity and frequency of specific natural disasters. I will then touch briefly on the topic of catastrophe modeling as it relates to the increased risk and losses associated with the discussed natural disasters and how those put the problem of global warming in a framework which financial and government institutions can grasp. I will also be analyzing economic …

Microarray Data Analysis And Classification Of Cancers, Grant Gates

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

When it comes to cancer, there is no standardized approach for identifying new cancer classes nor is there a standardized approach for assigning cancer tumors to existing classes. These two ideas are known as class discovery and class prediction. For a cancer patient to receive proper treatment, it is important that the type of cancer be accurately identified. For my Senior Honors Project, I would like to use this opportunity to research a topic in bioinformatics. Bioinformatics incorporates a few different subjects into one including biology, computer science and statistics. An intricate method for class discovery and class prediction is …

Effects On Perception And Accuracy Of Live Putting When Leaving The Flagstick In The Hole, Danielle Nicholson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the preferences of golfers and how those preferences affected their putting. This study involved participants who were golfers with a four-handicap or better taking a survey of their preferences of having the flagstick in and out and then assessing their putting from various distances with the flagstick in and out. The researcher measured the distance of the golf ball away from the hole after it had finished rolling. Then, t-tests were used to compare the data with the flagstick in and flagstick out to determine if there is a significant difference. The …

The Importance And Development Of Catastrophe Models, Kevin Schwall

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Importance and Development of Catastrophe Models

I thought this was a very interesting project to work on. I was intrigued by catastrophe models and how the insurance industry will be able to use them to better predict natural disasters moving forward. From my research, I found that these models are quite effective, and will only improve as time goes on. As more data is gathered and input into the models, the quality of output will only improve, helping insurers and all of us, in the form of more accurate insurance rates. I was surprised to see just how devastating …

A Review Of The Utility Of Bayesian Network Models, Luke Magyar

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Bayesian Networks are probabilistic models built from conditional probability tables that relate two observable instances to one another in parent-child fashion. The networks’ strength lies in their ability to use inferential logic to make likelihood assessments about a parent node based on an observation of its child. Additionally, they make it very easy to combine quantitative data with qualitative knowledge from industry experts. These abilities make them very attractive for use as formulation tools in the paint and rubber industries. Paint and rubber formulation has long proven to be a challenging task because companies have a difficult time compiling the …

Campus Climate Sexual Assault Survey (2015) Analysis, Felicia Rosin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The issue of sexual assault has garnered widespread attention in recent years, as is evident by the growing number of high-profile cases and mainstream social movements. With this increasingly bright spotlight, it is no surprise that The University of Akron has interest in improving the sexual violence education programs offered to students. In 2015, the university conducted a survey to gather information on the campus climate surrounding sexual assault. This analysis dives into a deeper analysis of the data gathered in an attempt to pinpoint areas that require the university’s attention. The analysis covers topics identified by Dean of Students …

Catastrophe Modeling With Financial Applications, Jeremy Gensel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Catastrophe modeling is used to prepare for losses caused by natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes and man-made catastrophes such as terrorism. Modeled data can be used to create a comprehensive distribution of possible disasters. The distribution gives probabilities of potential catastrophes of different severities occurring over a certain time frame. Calculating potential losses and probability of those losses occurring allows insurance companies to plan and reserve enough money to protect themselves from catastrophic events. Using a catastrophe case study posted online from the Casualty Actuarial Society and R software, this paper shows the use of statistical techniques …

Decision Trees: Predicting Future Losses For Insurance Data, Amanda Lahrmann

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Big data is a term that has come to the spotlight for companies within recent years. Data analysis and business intelligence have become prominent sectors of companies and agencies. But what is big data? How has it impacted large companies and agencies? Why must it be embraced?

The best way to approach utilizing a big data set is to establish a question to answer. For this data set, the question that must be answered is “What variables cause a loss to occur?” To answer this question, first, we must understand what is meant by a “loss”, and take a look …

Comparing Various Machine Learning Statistical Methods Using Variable Differentials To Predict College Basketball, Nicholas Bennett

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this Senior Honors Project is to research, study, and demonstrate newfound knowledge of various machine learning statistical techniques that are not covered in the University of Akron’s statistics major curriculum. This report will be an overview of three machine-learning methods that were used to predict NCAA Basketball results, specifically, the March Madness tournament. The variables used for these methods, models, and tests will include numerous variables kept throughout the season for each team, along with a couple variables that are used by the selection committee when tournament teams are being picked. The end goal is to find …

Car Insurance Rate-Making With An Eye Toward The Future, Stephen Howard

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my project, I investigated car insurance rate-making. I took an in-depth look at the car insurance industry. I also studied driverless cars, and the expected timeline surrounding them. I also took a look at how driverless cars are expected to change the car insurance industry in the coming decades. In general, what I found did not surprise me. I did, however, glean insight from various opinions that I read about how the insurance industry is likely to change. Change of some sort in the car insurance industry is sure to come, with companies likely to become much more multi-faceted. …

Statistics-Bierce Library Study, Tyler J. Hushour

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This is a report from two surveys that I created and administered to students and faculty at Bierce library who came to the Circulation Desk or the Tech Desk, as well as some of my other findings when periodically looking around the library to see where students like to study or hang-out. There was a written survey given at the Circulation Desk, and a different survey given at the Tech Check-Out Desk. The project is for Melanie Smith-Farrell, the head of Access Services, and is based on a similar study Ian McCullough did in the science library. While this is …

Diversification And Market Neutral Portfolios In S&P500, Alan S. Agnew

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our goal is to investigate strategies to deal with the risks associated with holding asset in the stock market. We first deal with risk of holding a specific stock, by the use of diversification. Later, we’ll attempt to deal with the market risk, which is the risk of entire market going up and down. Data used in this project comes from daily adjusted closing price of stocks listed in the S&P500 index ranging from January 3^rd, 2000 to December 31^st, 2015 and the data is processed using statistical software R.

Sections 2 through 4 of this …

Comparison Of Option Price From Black-Scholes Model To Actual Values, Matthew J. Krznaric

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Black-Scholes model is a widely used method for pricing European-style options in a straightforward way, through the use of calculations and ideal market assumptions. Due to certain unrealistic ideal conditions exercised by the model, The Black-Scholes technique of pricing options may not be entirely accurate in implementation. This paper addresses these problems due to the model limitations, determining how The Black-Scholes method compares to the results when using the actual data. Using a mix of historical S&P500 data and generated normal distributions, we first calculated and graphed option prices through the Black-Scholes formulas. With the help of R, we …

Black Cloud Randomization Test, Nicholas S. Vanni

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Black Cloud Randomization Test looks at a nontraditional question and attempts to answer the question using unique statistics. The purpose of this paper is to apply what has been learned throughout the years and apply this knowledge to a final project. Data for this project follows an emergency room’s on call schedule, as well as the number of traumas that came in during each day shift. The project builds on what has been already learned and helps to open a different way of working with statistics. The project was coded in the R software. With different restrictions, there are …

Investigating Use Of Beta Coefficients For Stock Predictions, Jeffrey Swensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

By using previous stock market data, investors can get a good sense of how to invest for the future. A common way to determine what stocks are riskier than others is by using the beta coefficient. This paper investigates the relationship between the overall S&P 500 market and certain individual stocks to see if we can use past stock return data to predict the future riskiness of certain stocks. Correlation between the individual stocks and the S&P 500 will allow us to determine the relationship between the two. Finding the beta coefficients for the individual stock market will allow investors …

Evaluation Of The Signature Molecular Descriptor With Blosum62 And An All-Atom Description For Use In Sequence Alignment Of Proteins, Lindsay M. Aichinger

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This Honors Project focused on a few aspects of this topic. The second is comparing the molecular signature kernels to three of the BLOSUM matrices (30, 62, and 90) to test the accuracy of the mathematical model. The kernel matrix was manipulated in order to improve the relationship by focusing on side groups and also by changing how the structure was represented in the matrix by increasing the initial height distance from the central atom (Height 1 and Height 2 included).

There were multiple design constraints for this project. The first was the comparison with the BLOSUM matrices (30, 62, …