Oral Presentations: Three

This paper examines Pat Mora’s book, Borders, a collection of poems that addresses bicultural identity as a burden and a gift, revealing how political, cultural, and emotional borders divide people and how that forms their individual identities. In Mora's writing, she shines through her bilingual voice, using vivid imagery to depict the duality of living between cultures and also confronts the pressure of assimilation and preservation of her culture. The paper then goes on to connect Borders with the larger context of the myth, American exceptionalism, analyzing how Mora exposes its contradictions from a minority perspective. By challenging the idea that America is a unified and superior nation, Borders calls for an inclusive understanding of identity rooted in diversity and compassion rather than division. Drawing on several scholarly sources helping support the topics of biculturalism, and physical and figurative boundaries in America, this paper demonstrates how Mora’s poetry, language, and symbolism invite readers to rethink what it means to be an American. The essay incorporates scholarly sources that cover topics such as American exceptionalism, acculturation impacting Latinos, Chicano literature, and America's racial and ethnic minorities while examining Mora’s work. Borders reveals biculturalism as both a burden and a gift, exposing how the myth of American exceptionalism does not take into consideration minority experiences. Through Mora’s use of language, symbolism, and imagery, the author criticizes “exceptional” America by showing that identity and belonging are complex and are shaped by a mixture of cultures.

During the 1950’s, many individuals' experiences and companionships with the people around them were constantly under scrutiny. Tales of homophobia, paranoia, and normativity were very present in everyday conversations and at that point written into many novels of that time period. This essay examines the 1952 novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith and reviews the many aspects of homophobia, normativity, sexism, and paranoia the protagonists were experiencing in their story. My reading will show how they overcame these experiences and feelings to work together to allow themselves to finally be happy with one another. By focusing on these ideals, we can see how Highsmith works to help these two characters gain confidence in themselves and their sexuality, by overcoming these fears and trepidations. As they are constantly together as the novel progresses, we as readers get a first hand look as their love develops and grows, especially as they work to overcome the hurdles that stand in their way of being together. My paper will focus on some characters that work to oppose Therese and Carol, and fight against their relationship. Therese’s partner Richard, for example, diminishes Therese’s feelings and desires by telling her that what she is feeling is a crush, and that Carol and Therese simply could not be together since Therese is supposed to end up with him. Another aspect that I examine is the sense of paranoia Carol and Therese experience in reaction to Harge (Carol’s husband) who sends a detective after them. Through Highsmith’s writing and formal claustrophobia, we see the dread that these characters feel constantly throughout the novel, in a more personal and up close experience. Finally, my paper examines the novel’s consistent feeling of hope: that if one can just achieve that job, have that relationship they want, or even have that experience they so desire, things will work out for the better. In this novel, Highsmith highlights many of those feelings and reveals the hope her characters have for themselves and for their relationship. Highsmith closes this postwar American novel in order to both contest and protest homophobia, and to show readers that striving for perfection and the American Dream both have their limitations.

Miscommunication is prevalent in technical communication today, yet little is done to address the issue. This research investigates the following questions: (1) In what ways does Simplified English in technical writing assist or impede comprehension? (2) In what ways does standard American English in technical writing assist or impede comprehension? I use mixed methods research: instruction-based tasks, survey, and interview. The research addresses the prevalence of cross-cultural miscommunication. Current studies show that Simplified English is more effective at communicating information in technical documents. This study will contribute to the promotion of Simplified English in technical communication.

While The Bachelor has been the subject of its fair share of scholarship, its many recap podcasts—including the three my paper discusses, Bachelor Happy Hour, Love to See it, and Game of Roses—have gone largely unexplored despite their popularity. I posit that the role Bachelor recap podcasts fill for listeners is an inherently “pedagogical” one, to borrow the term Hannah McGregor uses for a similar genre, reread podcasts. More precisely, she argues that these podcasts are “pedagogical, either implicitly or explicitly, because they give hosts the opportunity to frame and guide rereadings through their own understandings of both specific books and reading in general.” In reality TV terms, Bachelor podcasts utilize their hosts’ ethos to teach listeners how to “read” the text of The Bachelor “through [the hosts’] own understandings of both specific [episodes] and reading [pop culture texts] in general.” In doing so, these hosts both read the text of The Bachelor and rewrite it; as Anne Korfmacher puts it in Fan Podcasts: Rewatch, Recap, Review, they “co-create the source text through their commentary,” often “challeng[ing]” the show’s canon. The podcasts “co-create” in distinct ways, catering to distinct audiences; Bachelor Happy Hour is an official podcast that encourages listeners to accept uncritical readings of the show, Love to See It applies a politically progressive and often academic lens, and Game of Roses sees The Bachelor as a sport with predictable plays and outcomes. Each show does acknowledge strategy to some extent, as seen through their recaps of a specific moment in Season 28 Episode 1, suggesting that audiences want instructors whose analysis goes deeper than surface readings afford. Additionally, each show competes with the others for authority, using carefully curated vocabularies to back up their ethos claims and maintaining a hierarchical distance between hosts and listeners. Still, the presence of their conflicting readings and their use of an accessible medium—anyone can host a podcast—democratize the readings of cultural texts, proving to listeners that they, too, can co-create the media they consume.

Climate change is a complex issue with widespread effects that are felt globally. To better recognize and appreciate how climate change is currently influencing ecosystems—and how it will continue to do so in the future—it’s essential to understand how ecosystems have responded to past climate shifts that occurred over timescales beyond direct human observation. High-elevation environments, which are especially sensitive to ecological change, offer a valuable lens for observing such impacts. This study investigates the impact of temperature fluctuations on the body size of small mammals over time by comparing pre-industrial paleontological cranial and mandibular samples from Thundershower Cave in the Bear River Basin to modern specimens. Following established methodologies six osteometric measurements were taken on both ancient and modern specimens. Radiocarbon dates confirmed the paleontological context of the cave assemblage, spanning from modern to over 6,700 cal BP. Statistical comparisons between paleontological and modern samples were conducted using t-tests to detect significant differences in size. Results show that five of the eight studied taxa exhibit statistically significant reductions in size in at least one measurement, consistent with Bergmann’s Rule, which predicts a decrease in body size with rising temperatures. The most pronounced changes were observed in Neotoma cinerea, suggesting that this species may be particularly responsive to thermal stress. These findings underscore the broader ecological implications of climate-driven body size change in small mammals, as these species play crucial roles in their respective ecosystems, shifts in their physiology may cascade across trophic levels.

During an undergraduate student-led dissection of an elderly female cadaver, the thoracic cage was removed, and the pericardial sac was isolated for full visualization. Dissection of the pericardium revealed suspected cardiac tamponade, followed by evidence of cardiomegaly. Further examination revealed a small focal dilation and suspected aneurysm at the aortic root. Within the right atrium, subsequent investigation uncovered a large myxoma attached to the right atrial fossa ovalis. Exploration of the left atrium and ventricles did not reveal any additional pathognomonic changes. Continued scrutiny of the thorax revealed extensive disease in the left lung, possibly influenced by the presence of the atrial myxoma, other cardiac pathologies, and the presence of reported co-morbidities.

Cardiac tumors are exceptionally rare, occurring in less than 0.05% of autopsies.1 Among intracardiac tumors, atrial myxoma are the most common presentation, comprising over 50% of tumors.2 Cardiac myxomas usually are located within the left atrium, and classified as benign but dangerous due to the high risk of embolization.3,4 Therefore, the presence of a myxoma within the right atrium of this cadaver further demonstrates the rarity of this anatomical anomaly.

The provided medical history of this cadaver included: hyperlipidemia, chronic hypertension, a congenital heart murmur, morbid obesity, and tobacco use, all of which are well-established risk factors for cardiovascular damage.4 It is plausible to suggest that these coexisting conditions, in conjunction with the intracardiac mass, are associated with elevated cardiac pressure and increased likelihood of aneurysm, as well as pericardial effusion.

Through this unique undergraduate, learner-driven experience, students discovered novel cardiovascular abnormalities, all providing invaluable insight into the relationship between post-mortem anatomical findings and complex cardiac pathologies.

The mechanistic relationship between aging and worse outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is unclear. In pilot studies, we find AIS-induced upregulation of cerebral endothelial cell (EC) autophagy is repressed in older vs. adult mice. If EC autophagy affords intrinsic cytoprotection, we reasoned that adult mice with EC-specific depletion of autophagy should display worse AIS outcomes and pilot data are supportive. These findings inspire the hypothesis that cerebral ECs from older vs. adult individuals display repressed indices of autophagy. My project is to develop and optimize the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). As a first step, iPSCs obtained from a healthy adult female were differentiated into BMECs by treating with E6 media (4 days) followed by human endothelial serum free medium containing basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), retinoic acid (RA), and B27 supplements (2 days). Next, iPSCs were transferred to collagen IV/fibronectin-coated plates, and RA and bFGF were withdrawn for 24 hours, thereby completing the iPSC-BMEC transition procedure. iPSC -BMECs were first validated through morphological analyses and cell viability assays, followed by assessing key BMEC characteristics. Specifically, we evaluated: (i) tube formation capacity; (ii) tight junction barrier integrity; (iii) expression of glucose transporter isoform 1 and claudin-5; and (iv) insulin-stimulated nitric oxide generation. iPSC-BMECs exhibited a spindle-shaped, cobblestone-like morphology, maintained high viability 48 hours post-seeding, and demonstrated paracellular barrier integrity comparable to immortalized BMECs. In ongoing studies, insulin-stimulated nitric oxide production and tube formation assays are being optimized. Once optimized and validated, we plan to reprogram iPSCs from PBMCs of adult and older volunteers into BMECs to test the hypothesis that cerebral EC autophagy is repressed in older vs. adult volunteers. Next, using similar procedures, we will test whether indices of endothelial cell autophagy are repressed to a greater extent in older individuals who have experienced acute ischemic stroke vs. age-matched controls.

Natural product-derived compounds offer greater chemical diversity compared to those artificially synthesized. Marine micromollusks, defined as mollusks measuring less than 1 cm in shell size, represent an untapped source of these compounds. Despite their ecological significance and pharmacological potential, micromollusks remain understudied—particularly in Southeast Asia, a region characterized by high marine biodiversity. In the Philippines, local fishermen collect micromollusks using a traditional method known as lumun-lumun, which involves submerging nets at different water depths, creating artificial microhabitats for mollusk larvae to settle. Taxonomic identification of micromollusks is necessary for meaningful study of their bioactive compounds, but is challenging due to their small size and similar shell morphology. Our study leveraged nanopore DNA sequencing technology and morphological classification to identify micromollusk specimens collected in 2023 using lumun-lumun collection methods. Using column-based DNA extraction methods followed by amplification with custom-indexed DNA primers, we were able to obtain 72 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA barcodes from 93 specimens. The 72 barcodes fell within 12 micromollusk families: Columbellidae (31), Cerithiidae (17), Triphoridae (6), Fasciolariidae (4), Turridae (3), Buccinidae (3), Pisaniidae (2), Drilliidae (2), Muricidae (1), Clathurellidae (1), Assimineidae (1), and Mitridae (1). The best barcode for each specimen was chosen based on the highest percentage identity when aligned against publicly available barcodes using NCBI’s Basic Local Alignment Search Tool+ (BLAST+). A custom Python script utilizing NCBI’s Entrez service was employed to filter for gastropod reads and provide identifications for BLAST+ results. In cases where a prior morphological assignment existed, it was used alongside percentage identity to determine the best reads. Of our 72 DNA barcodes, 29 BLAST+ results matched existing morphological assignments, 17 barcodes did not match their existing assignments, and 26 barcodes had no prior identification. By bridging traditional knowledge and molecular techniques (e.g., morphological identification and lumun-lumun collection methods), this study provides an integrative framework to enhance biodiversity cataloging in marine micromollusks. Our in-house nanopore sequencing pipeline can be used to overcome taxonomic ambiguities by combining DNA barcoding and a tailored bioinformatics pipeline with existing morphological data. By shedding light on this hyperdiverse group of organisms we unlock potential future discoveries into their natural product pharmacology.

The microbiome of the gut is an increasingly important area of research as it plays a key role in human health, influencing not only digestion but also mood, mental health, and behavior Often, this link is referred to as the gut-brain axis. The bacteria in the gut play an important role in this connection. These organisms are responsible for production of many neurotransmitters including serotonin and dopamine. They even affect levels of endocannabinoids, which help regulate voluntary exercise and motivation (Dohnalová et al., 2022), and produce short-chain fatty acids, which stimulate sensory neurons in the gut that run to the brain’s reward center.

We study a mouse model of voluntary exercise where mice have been selected for high levels of wheel running over many generations of breeding. These high-runner mice voluntarily run on wheels about three times more than their non-selected control counterparts.

The differences in the microbiomes of these groups of mice could help to uncover which bacteria are correlated with voluntary exercise behavior. While previous studies have examined the microbiome in weanling mice (McNamara et al., 2023), we plan to identify bacteria in the gut microbiome of adult mice. We will use Oxford MinION to perform 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing on fecal samples collected from six high-running and six control female mice, followed by BLAST analysis to identify bacterial taxa. This data will be compared to known functions of bacteria, especially those involved in neurotransmitter and endocannabinoid production.

We hypothesize that high-running mice have distinct gut microbiomes with a higher number of bacteria associated with neurotransmitter and endocannabinoid production, which may support their enhanced motivation for physical activity. Our research will help us understand the correlation between gut microbiome composition, voluntary exercise, and potential motivation for exercise behavior.

Dohnalová, L., Lundgren, P., Carty, J. R. E., Goldstein, N., Wenski, S. L., Nanudorn, P., Thiengmag, S., Huang, K.-P., Litichevskiy, L., Descamps, H. C., Chellappa, K., Glassman, A., Kessler, S., Kim, J., Cox, T. O., Dmitrieva-Posocco, O., Wong, A. C., Allman, E. L., Ghosh, S., … Thaiss, C. A. (2022). A microbiome-dependent gut–brain pathway regulates motivation for exercise. Nature, 612(7941), 739–747. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05525-z McNamara, M. P., Venable, E. M., Cadney, M. D., Castro, A. A., Schmill, M. P., Kazzazi, L., Carmody, R. N., & Garland, Jr, T. (2023). Weanling gut microbiota composition of a mouse model selectively bred for high voluntary wheel-running behavior. Journal of Experimental Biology, 226(4), jeb245081. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.245081

Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is a spreading perennial with a large but disjunct range in North America. In 1941, N.C. Fassett did mass collections throughout the United States of thimbleberry and assigned them varietal and form designations, finding no clear biogeographic patterns. We retested Fassett's work using a common garden approach to better understand if there were any genetic underpinnings to his findings. Fassett's approach looked at wild specimens collected from regions with differing environmental influences, while the common garden approach minimizes those influences. We expect to find that there is no distinction between the varieties and forms and their geographic location. We will discuss the relevance of the common garden approach and its importance in discerning these underlying patterns. This study underlies the importance of revisiting long held assumptions even if we come to the same conclusions.

In order for a gene to be expressed, its DNA sequence must be transcribed into RNA, which is able to leave the nucleus and perform cellular functions. Transcription has three steps: initiation, in which an enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to the promoter region just upstream of the gene; elongation, in which polymerase travels down the gene, transcribing it into RNA; and termination, in which polymerase completes its transcript and dissociates from the DNA. The structure of chromatin regulates the rate of transcription. Transcription rate, in turn, strongly influences gene expression.

The basic structural unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which is comprised of ~147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around eight histone proteins. Post-translational modifications (PTM’s) to the tails of histones are one of the primary ways that cells regulate transcription rate. However, there are over 200 known histone PTM’s, and the effects of most PTM’s and combinations of PTM’s have not been studied. Understanding the effects of histone PTM’s on transcription rate is critical to understanding cellular properties and behavior.

Additionally, there is a need for new methods that clearly elucidate the effects of histone PTM’s on transcriptional elongation versus initiation. Many common histone PTM’s are known to cause changes in the three-dimensional architecture of chromatin. These changes affect the promoter region’s accessibility to RNA polymerase and therefore transcription initiation. It is thought that histone PTM’s also affect transcription elongation, but these effects are not as well understood.

Here, we present a novel method for studying effects of histone PTM’s (and combinations of PTM’s) on transcription rate, independent of changes to local chromatin architecture. Our method utilizes an engineered DNA template consisting of a C. elegans promoter region, five DNA sequences that strongly bind to histones, and a fluorescent RNA aptamer. Upon completion of the RNA transcript, fluorescence is detected by a common qPCR machine, allowing for real-time quantification of transcription rate. We have successfully demonstrated a prototype of the method using naked DNA and are currently working on reconstituting chromatin in vitro, using C. elegans nuclear extract.

Grasses are difficult to identify and there are little resources to do so in the field.Further, these grasses are, ecologically, one of the most important aspects of our biota. This difficulty as well as lack of resources make grasses an often overlooked part of our flora, leaving these vitally important species as an after thought. Here we present a field guide to the grasses that occur at Capitol Reef National Park. We conducted a literature review, made several field trips, as well as reviewed herbarium specimens to create a comprehensive list of grasses present at Capitol Reef National Park. This guide covers 61 grass species with photographs, common name and scientific binomial, conservation status, state and global native status, occurrence rating, as well as morphological and ecological descriptions. In addition to species descriptions, the guide introduces botanical classification, clades within grasses, photosynthetic pathways to help species identification, grass morphology and anatomy, and a glossary to gather a foundational understanding of grasses and their unique vocabulary. With this guide, naturalists and students will be able to identify grasses in this area and develop skills in general grass identification.

Background: Aphasia is a disorder that affects a persons’ ability to comprehend and produce language. It results from damage to the language centers of the brain most often because of a stroke or traumatic brain injury (Aphasia, 2021). While aphasia research is important for the care of aphasia patients, it is often inaccessible to them (Rose et al., 2003). Their information needs, therefore, are not met by standard academic research articles. (Rose et al., 2003). As they constitute the primary population meant to benefit from aphasia research, people with aphasia deserve access to the information being shared (Kasdan et al., 2025). Patients who understand the findings of a study will better adhere to its recommendations (Miller, 2016). To cater aphasia research to the aphasia community and better serve that population, there is a need for research to be condensed into aphasia-friendly resources. The purpose of our projects was to develop a process for making aphasia-related research articles aphasia friendly.

Methods: Six undergraduate research assistants collaboratively developed aphasia-friendly versions of research articles and accompanying videos. The process of adapting a research article for individuals with aphasia began with a thorough review of established guidelines for creating aphasia-accessible materials. Following this, we implemented a “journal week,” during which each student independently read and analyzed the selected article, taking detailed notes to support comprehension. The team then met to discuss the article collectively to ensure a shared and accurate understanding of its content. In subsequent meetings, we collaboratively summarized each section of the article. The most time-intensive phase of the project involved refining these summaries for clarity and accessibility, as well as promoting our work through ongoing social media engagement.

Results: To date, we have successfully made multiple research articles accessible to the aphasia community through aphasia-friendly article summaries and video abstracts. In this presentation we will describe our process and highlight one summary and video abstract that our team recently completed.

Many universities located within the United States of America offer field trips to supplement in-class learning for their students. Previous research suggests that structured outdoor learning can add significant value to what students learn in the classroom. This is accomplished by providing students vital field skills to visualize and apply what they are learning. Additionally, real world examples can reinforce learning outcomes. This research intends to test the effectiveness of field trips as a learning tool for geology students in a general education college course. This study was conducted through Southern Utah University’s Geology of National Parks lecture course (GEO 1050) and Geology of National Parks lab (Geo 1055). The participants in the study belong in one of two groups: students enrolled in lecture and lab, and students in only the lecture. Both study groups were given pre and post surveys before and after the lab’s field trips and were completed in order to assess the following: 1) Their interest in geology. 2) Their confidence in making geologic inferences. 3) Their ability to make reasonable inferences about the step by step development of geologic features. The results of the research give valuable insight into the merit of field trips as a valuable learning tool for geoscience students. The results also highlight specific teaching strategies that can be used to enhance the field experience. Practical applications of this research showcase the importance of giving geology students more opportunities to learn in the field in order to reinforce what they are learning in lectures.

Many college students struggle with chemistry, particularly when they lack a strong grasp of core concepts. At Southern Utah University (SUU), general chemistry courses use the American Chemical Society (ACS) standardized exams as final assessments. This study investigates whether sustained use of the ACS Study Guide (ACSSG) throughout General Chemistry I improves student performance and confidence on the course midterms and the ACS final exam, compared to using it only during the final two weeks of the semester, which is the typical practice.

The ACSSG provides practice questions and concise explanations of key general chemistry topics. Because it is authored independently of the course textbook, its content was aligned with the textbook. Students were required to complete ACSSG problems as part of their preparation for each of the five midterm exams. After each midterm, anonymous surveys were administered to evaluate students’ perceptions of how the ACSSG contributed to their understanding, compared to other course resources such as textbook homework and Mastery Quizzes, another existing exam-preparation tool.

Survey data indicate that students recognized the benefits of using the ACSSG as the semester progressed. This trend suggests that sustained engagement with the ACSSG may enhance both midterm and final exam performance. Furthermore, comparisons of midterm and ACS final exam scores show consistent improvement relative to the previous semester where the ACSSG was an optional resource.

This study confirms that consistent use of the ACSSG strengthens students’ foundational understanding and retention of General Chemistry I concepts, supporting its potential to improve long-term performance in STEM coursework. This study will continue in General Chemistry I and expand to General Chemistry II next semester. Data collection will continue in order to see whether these positive results persist over time.

Internalized experiences from childhood shape physiological development and influence health across the lifespan. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction are stressful or traumatic events that disrupt emotional and biological maturation. During development, repeated stress exposure sensitizes the body’s regulatory systems, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which coordinate cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune functions (Heim et al., 2000). Sustained activation of these systems increases allostatic load, the cumulative wear produced by chronic stress responses. Persistent allostatic load can impair protein synthesis, metabolic balance, and inflammatory control, contributing to lifelong health vulnerability (McEwen & Stellar, 1993). The ANS maintains homeostasis through sympathetic and parasympathetic branches that regulate involuntary functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. Chronic early stress has been linked to altered autonomic functioning, specifically reduced heart-rate variability (HRV), which indicates diminished parasympathetic flexibility and the body’s capacity to recover from stress without remaining in a defensive state (Shah et al., 2019). Polyvagal theory describes this system as hierarchically organized. The ventral vagal pathway promotes social engagement, the sympathetic branch mediates fight-or-flight, and the dorsal vagal complex supports shutdown under extreme threat (Porges, 2011). When adverse experiences chronically engage these defensive circuits, the nervous system may remain tuned toward protection rather than regulation, diverting attentional resources to external threat monitoring rather than internal awareness. This sustained defensive state contributes to autonomic dysregulation, hypervigilance, and reduced interoceptive awareness of bodily states, which hinder effective stress recovery (Murphy et al., 2022). Research consistently links higher ACE exposure to increased physiological reactivity and risk of disease (Felitti et al., 1998; Bakema et al., 2020). The ANS provides a biological framework explaining how early adversity becomes embedded within the body’s regulatory system. The current study will examine associations between ACEs, autonomic reactivity, and somatic awareness. Adult participants (n = 338) completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, (Felitti et al., 1998) and the Body Perception Questionnaire-Very Short Form (Cabrera et al., 2018), which assesses body awareness and autonomic reactivity. We hypothesized higher ACE scores will correlate with greater autonomic dysregulation and lower somatic awareness. Results suggest there is a statistically significant association between ACEs, autonomic reactivity, and body awareness. Identifying these associations promotes understanding of physiological mechanisms linking early adversity to autonomic function and somatic sense.

Subconsciously predicting human behavior is an innate but sometimes inaccurate human tendency. Over time, human society has developed various methods for predicting behavior consciously and analytically. Various fields such as philosophy, psychology, and economics have helped push the boundaries of human prediction, leading to the current abundance of theories and models behind human behavior. With the advent of the industrial revolution, physics and mathematics began to establish a basis for using predictive methods in engineering. Models for predicting human behavior are used within engineering fields, such as architecture and civil engineering. However, unlike physics-focused predictive models, the types of human behavior models, as well as their applications and limitations, are not yet studied or utilized to their fullest potential of impact in engineering to help inform human-centric engineering design decisions. In order to better apply predictive models of human behavior in engineering, one must determine which aspects of behavior can be modeled and predicted, to what degree of confidence, and with what context and limitations. The presented literature survey focuses on several fundamental aspects of modeling behavior: the underlying behavior theory, the types of models, the applications of predictive models, and the limitations of predictive models. This research will result in methods and guidelines to help engineers better apply predictive models of human behavior to better understand the impact of their design decisions. It will also provide a launching point to help engineers discover what gaps in their design process exist where predictive models of human behavior could be leveraged alongside traditional engineering methodology to help them make better human-centric design decisions focused on having a positive impact.

This project is a response to the increasing flood issue across the world, as it impacts 1.47 billion people worldwide, resulting in thousands of homes at risk, including the 5% of Salt Lake City homes, as is common in countries like Peru, where homes get destroyed in floods, leaving people to rebuild from scratch, an ongoing cycle of loss that never ends. This project is a result of an inquiry into why our homes get destroyed easily, and whether it is possible for a home that does not get destroyed at all to be designed. After several months of reviewing data from flood damage assessments in Peru, Brazil, India, as well as in the southern regions of the United States, as well as interviews with civil engineers, builders, and material scientists, this researcher has determined that although flood damage is a significant problem, the real problem is that flood damage is caused by damage to construction materials, which include concrete absorbing water, dissolving brick, dissolving drywall, swelling and rotting wood, as well as rusting steel. As a solution to this, this study proposes a conceptual design of a HydroShield Panel, which is a hypothetical flood-resilient wall designed using four functional layers, including a fiberglass layer known for being strong, flexible, as well as resistant to corrosion; an epoxy layer that resists water completely; a layer of silicone-based material that is capable of sealing itself in cases of microruptures resulting from either pressural or movement forces; as well as a hydrophobic layer that repels water as opposed to absorbing it. Even in its pre-commercial form, HydroShield-style construction, according to modeling, could provide cost savings during reconstruction, increased home life spans, and mitigation of emotional shock from loss of dwelling from flood events. This work demonstrates that engineering is far more than a field of science, as illustrated by this study, which shows that protecting a home also means protecting safety, memory, and dignity. Finally, what this project aims for is a paradigm shift in how communities can deal with an increasing threat of floodwater. Rather than reconstructing flood-prone buildings, we could build houses that withstand water, learn to accommodate changing environments, and allow residents to coexist even during conditions in which floodwater moves, as in this vision, from flood to flow.

Miura-ori zipper tubes are rigid-foldable origami based mechanisms with one degree of freedom, capable of supporting structural loads in applications ranging from emergency infrastructure and deployable robotic arms to temporary columns. Additional applications include ventilation systems and thermal insulation structures. Their modular design enables multiple tubes to be coupled together, increasing load capacity, coverage area, and deployed volume. It also enables the tubes to fit specific shapes and sizes depending on the application. This work presents design methods for constructing zipper tubes with thick, load-bearing materials. We address three critical engineering challenges: panel thickness accommodation, methods to prevent over-deployment, and hinge designs. Our approach enables practical deployment of Miura-ori zipper tubes across diverse structural and functional applications, and reveals the potential behind the Miura-ori zipper tube design.

Origami zipper tubes offer compact stowage and high stiffness-to-weight ratios for deployable engineering systems. However, existing designs are limited to straight longitudinal paths in the deployed state, restricting their application to simple linear deployments. The inability to conform to curved paths limits their utility in robotics, deployable booms, and other systems requiring complex spatial geometries. This work presents a design method for prismatic origami tubes with rectangular cross-sections that can conform to arbitrary three-dimensional curves. We derive governing equations that define corner coordinates along curved paths and provide corresponding computational tools for practical implementation. The method enables designers to specify target curves and automatically generate foldable tube patterns that deploy to follow those curves. Designing a zipper tube to fit a desired curve can be imagined as slicing an infinitely long rectangular prism and reflecting it across the planar cut. This process can be repeated, making a new cut and reflection for the newest segment of the tube each time. The orientation and position of each cut, or reflecting plane, define the path of the tube in its "deployed state," when the walls of the tube make right angles. The more reflecting planes are used, the closer the tube will fit the target curve. The resulting tube is bidirectionally flat foldable, meaning it can be compressed completely flat from either end while maintaining its ability to deploy. This property is critical for packaging efficiency in space-constrained applications. This approach expands the design space for origami-based deployable structures, enabling applications in curved robotic arms, deployable antennas following parabolic paths, and other more complex designs than previously possible with straight-tube limitations.

The point of a film is to tell a story, but other things go into a film, beyond the script and the visuals, that help tell that story, one of which is music. Narration (often described as the telling of a story) through music is essential for a film to effectively narrate the story to an audience. In Baby Driver (2017), the music establishes the aesthetic and emotions of the film, expands narrative meaning within the story, demonstrates the lead character’s mindset, and influences the audience to adopt certain attitudes, thus corresponding to Jarrold Levinson’s argument that film music creates narrative. This case study will prove how critical music is to making meaning within a film.

Music creates a movie’s aesthetic and sets the scene for the emotional manipulation of the audience. An effective movie engages the audience, investing them in the story, creating a deeper narrative by causing an emotional investment in the characters and plot. Film theorists have studied how filmmakers choose songs, using the sounds and the lyrics to add to the story in a way they otherwise could not. Using appropriated music (preexisting music) to add to the narrative, for example, increases its effectiveness. My presentation will demonstrate how Baby Driver has very little composed music, as the majority is appropriated, and, to take it a step further, show the majority to be diegetic (heard by the characters as well as the audience). I will also argue this was a conscious decision on the part of the filmmakers to do just as Levinson says and draw more attention to the film's narrative choices.

My paper will also examine how composed music can have an even greater effect than appropriated music because it was created with the narrative in mind—it was tailor-made for it. Composed music fits the film exactly as the filmmakers want it to; whether it’s meant to match the scene or not, it was created purposefully for that moment. In Baby Driver, the repeated motif of tonal sounds serve to highlight Baby’s mental state. I will argue that part of what makes a film effective is its ability to influence the audience, and nothing helps this more than music. Music becomes the cue that tells viewers how to think and feel. Without music, the film’s capacity to influence attitude would be severely limited, which would then limit the narrative meaning or change it completely.

The research questions informing my presentation are: How do college students interpret the use of generative AI (GenAI) in professional contexts? As individuals poised to enter the job market, what guidelines do they expect industry professionals to follow when using GenAI? How do they define “ethical AI use?” To address these questions, I use a grounded theory approach to analyze an empirical research study conducted on Utah State University (USU) students. In sum, college students overwhelmingly want to know if and how a company uses GenAI and expect industry professionals to disclose GenAI use.

To answer the research questions posed above, I conducted A/B testing on USU students using an anonymous, open-ended, online survey. The survey separated each participant into one of four sub-surveys, each of which included one human-written article and one AI-generated article. Each participant read both articles in a random order, then answered a series of open-ended questions about GenAI and its use in business and professional writing.

Based on survey data, most college students can correctly identify undisclosed GenAI use based on factors such as structure, syntax, and grammar. Due to their ability to detect GenAI use, and as emerging professionals, many college students believe that GenAI disclosure should be standardized.

In this presentation, I use my survey results to define the main tenets of “ethical AI use.” Due to the lack of comprehensive federal AI laws in the United States, I then use this definition and my survey results to inform a series of actionable suggestions that incorporate ethical AI use into legal, professional, and pedagogical contexts.

Environmental propaganda can be understood as a place where rhetoric and art intersect to form a compelling narrative that gives the suffering environment a voice in the public sphere. Propaganda has developed a negative association with deceitful information or agendas; however, the concept of environmental propaganda functions more like persuasive posters that feature an interplay of text and visuals rather than as political weapons. My analysis focuses on three different pieces of rhetorically active environmental propaganda that range in focus from human centered to non-human centered, and it is my argument that the greater the distance each poster has from being human centric the more rhetorically effective it is on the audience in conjuring actionably inciting emotions. The posters range in style from Earth Day awareness to potential future National Park advertisement to simple narrative art work about diminishing environments. I examine how each poster utilizes limited diction and profound imagery in conjunction with each other (and with the larger, rhetorical traditions of environmental conservancy), calling into question whether or not these images are propaganda at all. The pieces of environmental propaganda individually resort to different topical focuses respectively: man made destruction, American views of the environment, and nature's maternal death. My analysis will ultimately show that by moving away from blaming human-created destruction and placing the focus on the non-human sufferers of such destruction, environmental posters have a greater rhetorical impact in their aim to change people's views on the environment by rhetorically inciting emotional responses based in sympathetic anger.

Given the critical nature of the Military to Civilian Transition it is imperative that we assess the success of veterans and their transition out of the military and back into the civilian life they originated from. The goal of this research is to evaluate successful transition for Veterans leaving the military. To do this we will try to determine how many veterans’ transition successfully by directly asking them about perceived success in seven domains (Karre, J.K., et. al, 2022) that were identified as specific areas of success. These domains are education, employment, financial, legal, social support, physical health, and mental health. Success is subjective; however, these seven domains are identified as areas that every individual needs to find adequate success in. This research tests the hypothesis that most veterans perceive success in transition; however, veteran’s ranking E4 and below and those who have a stronger military identity will perceive a more difficult transition. To test this hypothesis veterans were recruited from Southern Utah University and Utah Technical College Veteran Centers to acquire preliminary results. (Another sample is expected later form Warrior Revival and recruitment from Facebook and Instagram.). Participants rate themselves on each of the seven domains of success on a Likert scale from one to seven where one is always unsuccessful and seven is always successful, with each rating followed by a qualitative question. Participants are then asked a series of other questions, such as about their military identity, followed by demographic questions. To test the hypothesis that most veterans will perceive success in their transition we will group them into three categories -- Unsuccessful, Moderate/At risk, Successful -- based on their responses to the seven domains. Veterans in these categories are then compared on a question of overall success to validate the categories. Individuals who left with a rank of E4 and below and those who perceived a stronger military identity are expected to rate themselves in the unsuccessful and moderate/at risk categories more often than the successful category. If these hypothesis are supported, then this study implicates the need for E4 and below and those with stronger military identities to receive individual support during the military to civilian transition.

Research Question:The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of culturally Deaf patients in healthcare settings. The research question for this study was “how do institutional structures, administrative practices, and policy implementation processes shape healthcare access for Deaf patients in the United States?

Methods: Research was conducted using an interpretive qualitative study following the socioecological model framework. Participants were recruited through local social media groups oriented toward Deaf individuals in Utah. Interested individuals completed an opt-in screening survey, which included informed consent (provided in both written English and video ASL), and examined eligibility by ensuring that participants were at least 18 years of age, Utah residents, and self-identified as members of the signing Deaf community. 37 participants engaged in ASL-interpreted focus groups or interviews and reported on their prior healthcare experiences across outpatient, inpatient, and emergency settings. Transcripts were verified for accuracy and analyzed inductively using open thematic analysis to identify institutional and policy-level barriers and facilitators to equitable healthcare. Coding was conducted collaboratively in NVivo using constant comparison to refine emergent themes.

Results: Thematic coding revealed eight principal institutional domains that influenced Deaf patient access to healthcare: (1) capacity constraints, (2) technological/environmental barriers, (3) personnel bias and limited training, (4) inadequate communication and scheduling systems, (5) restrictive institutional contracting policies, (6) weak accountability mechanisms, (7) roles and responsibilities, and (8) a compliance-oriented culture. These domains collectively undermined Deaf patients’ health outcomes through healthcare-specific effects and broader impacts. Healthcare effects included reduced patient autonomy, delayed or inadequate care, trust erosion, compromised privacy, healthcare avoidance, and poorer health outcomes. Broader impacts included emotional burden or mental stress on the patient, financial hardship, and strained relationships with healthcare providers and family members. Litigation was seen by Deaf patients as a last resort to overcoming these challenges.

Discussion: Despite federal accessibility policies, institutional implementation remains inconsistent. These findings are significant as they point to the current experiences of Deaf patients in healthcare and highlight the inequities they face. Recommendations for achieving equity for Deaf patients require system-level reforms: embedding accessibility in organizational policy, diversifying interpreter contracting, improving staff training, and ensuring accountability mechanisms that move institutions beyond compliance toward structural equity.

We the People possess both the capacity and the inherent right to pursue, act upon, and enjoy our fundamental liberties. The Founding Fathers and Framers of the United States Constitution lived and defended the belief that all individuals were created to be free. This raises essential questions: “Should government agencies be able to require individuals to obtain licenses or permits to exercise their fundamental right, and, if so, how much regulation is tolerable?” Governmental licensing schemes that are conditioned upon prior approval in exercising fundamental rights are incompatible with the free exercise of these rights and the design of the United States Constitution. Nevertheless, the United States Supreme Court has recognized that some regulation may be justified for public good. The Constitution, rooted in the common law heritage, was designed to maximize individual liberty while preserving the order necessary for a civilized society. In order to contextualize the modern legal debate, this Article explores how our common law heritage protects fundamental rights. Building upon this framework, the analysis explores the American judiciary’s application of levels of scrutiny to assess the constitutionality of governmental regulation. This Article analyzes several landmark United States Supreme Court decisions assessing the invalidity of prior governmental restraints on the exercise of fundamental rights — including Murdock v. Pennsylvania, 319 U.S. 105 (1943), Saia v. New York, 334 U.S. 558 (1948), Staub v. City of Baxley, 355 U.S. 313 (1958), Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham, Alabama, 373 U.S. 262 (1963), City of Lakewood v. Plain Dealer Pub. Co., 486 U.S. 750 (1988), Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of Stratton, 536 U.S. 150 (2002), New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022).

Intro
Our project is based on the topic of national identity. This is the collective sense of belonging to a nation that is often shaped by cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious factors. Prior research shows that labels used to describe immigrants strongly influence the viewer's perception, influencing prejudice and support for harsh policies (Rucker et al., 2019). At the same time, political affiliation can shape how immigration narratives are perceived, with Democrats generally accepting positive narratives and rejecting negative narratives, while Republicans typically agree with both but focus more on whether the immigrant is legal or illegal (Asbury-Kimmel, 2023). The purpose of this study is to better understand the effect that perception of immigration has on national identity in relation to labeling of an image and political standing. We hypothesized that after being shown the photo, the condition group showing an image of immigrants will rise in their national identity as they may feel threatened by immigrants. This study is important because, as a nation, we are constantly bombarded with portrayals of information that affect our perception of the world around us. This study will help us better understand the true effect our perception has as it relates to our national identity and current immigration situation.

Methods
We gathered information from 94 adults who identified America as their home country. Using 16 questions from the ISSP (International Social Survey Programme) scale, we measured the participant's national identity. An experimental design exposed them to a photo of diverse individuals in a park labeled as either “Americans” or “Immigrants” and measured the change in their national identity following the manipulation. Qualitative data were gathered to identify the participant’s attitudes towards their national identity and immigrants. The final piece of information gathered was one demographic question that identified participants as Conservative, Moderate, or Liberal.

Results
Results showed that participants who saw a picture of diverse people labeled as Americans did not differ from participants who saw the same picture labeled Immigrants. Participants’ national identity decreased after seeing the picture of diverse people in both labeling conditions. Participants were paying attention to the people in the photo and note the label given with the photo. Participants' political affiliation did not affect their national identity. Qualitative data showed participants held positive views of immigration.

Discussion
Based on our qualitative data we believe that our participants were more focused on the people shown in the photo rather than the label given with it. This was shown in the minimal changes we saw across condition groups. Contrary to the hypothesis, participants showed general positive attitudes toward immigration. With the majority of the total participants sharing positive feedback when asked about their views on immigration.

Gentrification is a worldwide issue that affects small rural areas to large cities. Previous research has confirmed the connection between food insecurity and gentrification, which leads to the displacement of individuals. While research has been done in Salt Lake County, most of these studies are based on food insecurity amongst college students. While helpful, it doesn’t address the correlation between food insecurity, gentrification, and the massive impact both have on the larger community that resides within the West Side. This study intends to explore how the ongoing gentrification of the West Side of Salt Lake County impacts and amplifies food insecurity for residents of this area. The West Side is a growing area where the majority is made up of marginalized, immigrant, and lower income communities. Within the last couple of years, efforts have been made by the community to spotlight and bring in academic scholars to study the community's struggles and cultural uniqueness. For this project, I conducted semi-structured interviews with both residents who live on the West Side and organizations that assist with either food or housing aid. The participants were recruited through snowball and purposive sampling. The latter was used to locate organizations on the West Side assisting people with food and/or housing insecurity. Both groups were asked a set of questions discussing their own input and the community's view on how food insecurity and gentrification have impacted them. We theorize that organizations are limited in services they can provide and can only address very few issues. We’ve anticipated that this is due to the government providing limited support, which has led to many organizations having to support themselves through additional grants and funding. Many of the community members interviewed have mentioned observing that food insecurity and gentrification are seemingly embedded in both physical and systemic injustices, and that both have affected them negatively. Additionally, both have removed freedom of choice, making it difficult for members of this community to navigate and find economic and social stability. This has caused the issue to go beyond food and housing. The purpose of this research is to highlight the gap between organizations' resource distribution and community member's needs, with the hope that it contributes to community efforts to address these issues in the future.

Throughout the history of humanity we have always tried to make our own little realities. It started off with cave drawings and oral retellings, then to masterful handwritten stories that were then mass produced by the printing press. Games like Adventure or Pong were made, and while simple, still captivated the attention of thousands of people. This digital world was much easier to get lost in, especially with advances in graphics. The final achievement humanity has made to escape has been virtual reality, a device meant to help people truly break free. This device is strapped over the eyes of the user, blocking out everything that would be considered real, and ugly. Their movements are carried over into this digital world, with a digital body to follow. Many people have used this to escape their lives in a small apartment to visit expansive mansions while being in the body of a perfectly sculpted human. But why do people want to escape into each of these mediums? I will analyze what is so undesirable about our world and what makes each of these mediums have such allure to many people. Why and how do the language and strategies used in books suck us in. Why do some video games make people seem like they’re standing still and letting the world pass them by? Why do people make such advanced rigs for the simple task of not being ourselves? When people escape into these other realities, how is it that people can scarcely notice what is happening in their own reality?

While romantic relationships are often a source of love and happiness, they can also be a source of harm. Childhood caregiving influences how people act in relationships, including adult romantic relationships, described by attachment. People with secure attachment (low attachment anxiety and avoidance), are comfortable with closeness and interdependence. People with attachment anxiety are characterized by fear of abandonment, and people with attachment avoidance are characterized by fear of closeness, and reliance on partners. Attachment anxiety and avoidance are associated with physical and psychological abuse. Violent men have higher attachment scores on discomfort with intimacy, and anxiety over fear of rejection, suggesting violence is associated with insecure attachment. Attachment anxiety is associated with anger, jealousy, and discontent with one’s partner. Insecure attachment and jealousy are related to violence in romantic relationships. Jealousy, the fear generated by the perception of romantic attraction of one’s romantic partner to another person, real or imagined, is the third leading cause of homicide in the US. Though jealousy does not always lead to violence, jealousy is a common cause of violence, especially against women. Almost half of women, and approximately a quarter of men have experienced stalking, physical abuse, or sexual abuse by a romantic partner during their lifetime. Violence against women is the biggest, yet underrecognized, human rights violation in the world. Male romantic partners are the primary perpetrators of this abuse. Between 10 and 60% of women who have ever been partnered or married have experienced physical violence at least once. Intimate partner violence can even be fatal; more than 50% of women who are killed, are killed by a romantic partner, known as crimes of passion. The research is not clear if there are differences, or equal rates of jealousy between men and women. There may also be gender differences in attachment. Initial research suggests there are no gender differences in attachment but, subsequent research found men to be more dismissive (high avoidance, low anxiety) than women. This research addresses how attachment and jealousy in romantic relationships influence intimate partner violence. This proposed study extends the literature because insecure attachment and jealousy are not commonly understood as potential causes of intimate partner violence. Additionally, the proposed study will contribute to the literature by evaluating contradictory findings concerning attachment anxiety and avoidance, jealousy, violence, and gender differences. Participants will complete measures of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, jealousy, and intimate partner violence.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among college students is associated with lower GPAs, poorer study skills, and weaker executive functioning when compared to their peers. Targeted academic accommodations for students with ADHD and/or TBIs, including extended test time and environment modifications, have been found to improve student performance and academic outcomes. However, barriers such as stigma and lack of awareness still exist in students' utilization of such resources. By collecting and considering qualitative, subjective student experiences, this study aimed to better understand how accommodations can be improved for those students who may further benefit from support in navigating cognitive and organizational challenges in their academic career.

Participants (recruitment is still ongoing) included students aged 18 years and older enrolled at Utah Valley University. Participants were recruited through digital and physical fliers, emails shared with peers, and word of mouth. Individuals were screened for ADHD or TBI and the use of accommodations through a Qualtrics survey prior to participation in this study. The measure for this study include a qualitative semi-structured interview. Each participant was interviewed individually and interviews were conducted online through Microsoft Teams or in person at the university. All interviews were recorded via UVU-licensed Microsoft Teams for the sole purpose of generating a transcript of the interview. Data analysis was conducted according to the interpretive phenomenological analysis procedures outlined in Smith et al. (2009). Transcripts were coded to identify recurring patterns and themes. Descriptive analytics were conducted in SPSS. Initial results highlight the importance of thoughtful matching of accommodations with disablity, with the majority of participants believing that their accommodations were generally unhelpful in compensating for their needs. Several other themes were prominent throughout the interviews, focusing on the type, function, utility, and method of accommodation. This presentation will provide for a rigorous discussion of these findings and lead a discussion on this vital area of academia.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a disease in which ovulation triggers bodily and mental disturbances during the latter half of the menstrual cycle. Factors that play a role in the development and upkeep of PMDD include epigenetic modifications in stress response genes, a disordered limbic system, and childhood trauma. My study will explore the asymmetry of hemispheric activity in the brain by using sound to balance hormonal sensitivity in PMDD patients. Right Ear Advantage (REA) is the tendency for speech to be more accurately processed when detected by the right ear, due to the left hemisphere’s dominance in language comprehension. During the follicular phase, while estrogen levels are high and progesterone levels are low, both hemispheres of the brain are able to compute and stabilize outer stimuli. Those with PMDD exhibit a decrease in REA in the luteal phase, while progesterone levels are especially high. Studies have shown that estrogen levels influence the ability to conceptually and emotionally process human language. Three groups will be involved in this study. Participants will be asked to notate difficult memories associated with the cyclical onset of symptoms. They will then make verbal recordings of positive mantras to use with the following menstrual cycles. The control group will listen to music at the time of ovulation. The second group will listen to their recording with both ears at the time of ovulation, which should show no important results. The third group will listen to their recording alternating bilaterally, which will bring new information. This will happen over the course of one university semester, each month ending in an anonymous assessment. The results of my research aim to reveal how creating synaptic connections through higher-level thinking can be synced with lingual intervention and ease symptoms of PMDD, despite the imbalance of estrogen and progesterone that naturally occurs in each menstrual cycle.