Text
Centre College
presents the 14th annual
Symposium
April 8-9 2021
The 2021 Symposium is sponsored by the Dean’s Office,
and all academic programs. Special thanks to the support
of Dr. John Barton.
April 8, 2021
Dear RICE participants:
Welcome to the fourteenth annual Centre College RICE Symposium! This event is the
culmination of Undergraduate Research Celebration Week, which features multiple researchfocused events.
The RICE (Research, Internships, and Creative Endeavors) Symposium is a forum for showcasing
the outstanding research achievements, creative endeavors, and independent projects
completed by Centre students. An integral part of experiential learning is moving beyond the
consumption of existing knowledge to becoming an active contributor to new knowledge. RICE
represents a unique opportunity for students to share their contributions in a professional,
scholarly setting that is made rich by the active participation of many members of our
community. This event is part of a week-long celebration of research that includes several
opportunities to showcase undergraduate research at Centre. A highlight of the week is the
James W. Barton RICE Symposium Lecture convocation. This year Dr. Jenny Shanahan, Assistant
Provost at Bridgewater State University of Massachusetts, will give the lecture. Her talk is titled,
“The Transformative Power of Undergraduate Research”.
This year RICE will include the inaugural Ben Feese award given to the first place, second place
and honorable mention for each academic division. We are grateful to an anonymous ’69
alumna who made these awards possible in honor of Dr. Ben Feese.
This year, 42 presentations from across the academic disciplines are featured, including 23
student oral presentations, 8 faculty oral presentations and 11 student poster presentations.
This will be the first time that Centre College faculty will share their work alongside our
students. In addition, on Friday, April 9, students who participated in studio art classes this
academic year will host an exhibit of their work in the AEGON Gallery in the Jones Visual Arts
Center. We invite attendees to virtually attend the various oral and poster presentations. We
also invite attendees to explore the art exhibition, either in person (following Centre College
health and safety guidelines) or virtually, and see the diversity of what Centre students have to
offer.
Panels typically take two forms. First, in order to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature and
breath of scholarly endeavors at Centre College, many presentations are grouped by topic
rather than discipline. For example, this year, we have a panel that examines global crises such
as COVID-19 or wildfires through biological, computational, and sociological perspectives.
Second, when it is important to emphasize the depth of a particular issue or collaborative
research, such as the study that occurred in an advanced seminar class, a panel may include
presentations from only one discipline.
Each oral presentation is scheduled for a total of 15 minutes, including 12 minutes for
presenting and three minutes for discussion. As a courtesy to presenters, please wait until the
end of a presentation to leave a session. Thank you for your consideration and enjoy the 2021
RICE Symposium!
Sincerely,
Eva María Cadavid and Karin Gill
2021 RICE Symposium Co-chairs
Biographies
Dr. Barton (M.D., M.S.) is the director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Baptist Health Lexington.
He received his B.S. degree from Centre College in 1979. He completed his medical school and
residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. He also
received an M.S. in biology from the University of Kentucky. After he completed a Maternal-Fetal
Medicine fellowship at the University of Tennessee-Memphis in 1991, he returned to Lexington
and started his medical practice. He serves as voluntary faculty at the University of Kentucky. He
is active in the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Foundation for SMFM. He has
published over 250 articles and abstracts largely in his field of interest of hypertension in
pregnancy and maternal medical complications of pregnancy. He has served on the Board of
Trustees at Centre College since 2004.
Dr. Ben Feese (Ph.D.) is a 1959 alumnus and an Emeritus Professor of Biology at Centre College.
Dr. Feese earned a B.A. in Biology from Centre and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from
Washington University. Dr. Feese taught at Centre College from 1965 until his retirement in
1997. He was one of the first faculty members at Centre to engage students in research—both
in the classroom and out of the classroom. Dr. Feese, as one of the founders of the
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) program in the 1960’s, was way ahead of his time in
developing a major that focused on biochemistry and molecular and cell biology. His areas of
expertise include genetic engineering and reproductive and developmental biology. As Dr.
Peggy Richey has stated, Dr. Feese “was a ‘pure’ teacher in all that he did, always striving to
help students learn about life (literally and figuratively).” Dr. Feese set a high standard as a
teacher, researcher, mentor and colleague. He lives in Maysville, Kentucky.
SCHEDULE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS
APRIL 8, 2021
Oral Presentations
Session 1, Zoom link
https://centre.zoom.us/j/93598119273?pwd=WnZvR3VuZ1YzM2laaGdCdUlFSjMzQT09
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Oral Presentations
Session 2, Zoom link
https://centre.zoom.us/j/94050218680?pwd=aWhnYUw2TG51TFhxcjRUVU5Nazl0dz09
3:20 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.
Poster Presentations
Zoom link
https://centre.zoom.us/j/91566098070?pwd=QjArYzVRM3pWOUF4bWpQSXBtQWNGZz09
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
APRIL 9-29, 2021
Art Exhibition
AEGON Gallery, Jones Visual Arts Center
Hours 9 am-4 pm, Monday through Friday (please follow Centre College health and
safety guidelines)
Link to the virtual tour of exhibit forthcoming
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Oral Presentations, at a glance
2
Poster Presentations, at a glance
5
Art Exhibition
6
Oral Presentation Abstracts
7
Poster Presentation Abstracts
18
Committee
22
Name Index
23
Notes
25
1
ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
SESSION 1-a
Moderator:
Marc Démont
2:00 p.m.
1
2:20 p.m.
2
Non-Market Based Reform as a Tool for Agricultural
Development, Hannah Ely
2:40 p.m.
3
Senegal and French Post-Colonial Influence, Will Hardy
2:00 p.m.
4
La Veladora by Jesse Treviño: Experiencing the Sacred Divine,
Nathan Whitlock
2:20 p.m.
5
Our Lady of Controversy: New Representations of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, Natalie Cha Olguin and Saira Carreto Romero
2:40 p.m.
6
What IS Art History?, Amy Frederick and Peter Haffner
SESSION 1-c
2:00 p.m.
Moderator: Robert
Bosco
2:20 p.m.
7
Contemporary String Quartet Compositions, Sam Biggerstaff
8
No Justice, No Peace: Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and the Black
Lives Matter Movement, Lindsey Wood
2:40 p.m.
9
Religion and Soft Balancing: Russia in the Middle East, Robert
Bosco
2:00 p.m.
10
The Effects of School Closures on English Language Learners
(ELLs) in Las Vegas, Veronica Valente
2:20 p.m.
11
Diversity at the Centre? Investigating disparate retention rates
for minority students in STEM, Cynthia De Leon
2:40 p.m.
12
The Aggregate Cost of Crime in the United States, David Anderson
2:00 p.m.
13
The Effects of the Hofmeister Series Salts on Hydrogen Bonding,
Rami Edarehchi Gilani, Hemangi Patel, Sheridan Wagner
2:40 p.m.
14
SESSION 1-b
Moderator:
Mary Blythe
Daniels
SESSION 1-d
Moderator:
Sarah Murray
SESSION 1-e
Moderator:
Kristen Fulfer
Gothic Modes of Repression and Resistance in Franco-African
Cinema, Joshua Hay
Improved Anti-Cancer Therapies Through Combination Drug
Design and Drug Delivery, Daniel Scott
2
ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
SESSION 2-a
Moderator:
Christian Wood
3:40 p.m.
16
Lessons from France: Sexual Health Education Practices to Adopt
in the U.S., Meg Whelan
17
Michel Foucault’s Utopias, Marc Démont
3:20 p.m.
18
Why Don’t They Like My Hair?, Melissa Perello and Alexandra
Boardman
3:40 p.m.
19
Brazilian Dictatorship: Story of a Revolutionary, João Victor
Azevedo and Andrea Brito
20
Marighella: A Look Into The History of Media Manipulation in
Brazil, Faraz Ghamgosar and Lauren Jung
3:20 p.m.
21
Burning Up: Modeling Wildfire Temperature Using AVIRIS
Imagery, Mackenzie Conkling
3:40 p.m.
22
Modeling the Spread of COVID-19: Examining the influence of
face mask policies in select U.S. states, Princess Allotey and
Annika Avula
4:00 p.m.
23
Computational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutics
Development, Sam Biggerstaff and Benjamin Hammond
4:20 p.m.
SESSION 2-d
Moderator:
Jennifer Goetz
Le Corps et Le Soi, en Tant Que Féminine, Sophia Casto
4:00 p.m.
SESSION 2-c
Moderator:
Michael Lamar
15
4:00 p.m.
SESSION 2-b
Moderator:
Satty FlahertyEcheverría
3:20 p.m.
24
Vertebrates from the Middle Devonian of Kentucky: Prelude to a
Crisis, Amanda Falk
3:20 p.m.
25
Line Fork: A Winter at Lilley Cornett Woods, Idris Irihamye
3:40 p.m.
26
The IAT as Intervention: Promoting concerns about implicit racial
biases, Gabby Romines, Sierra Gaskin, and Kristen Sedlatscheck
4:00 p.m.
27
Moving to Louisville: Where College People Live in the City, Beau
Weston
3
ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
SESSION 2-e
Moderator:
Aaron Godlaski
3:20 p.m.
28
The Psychological Benefits of Caring for Potted Plants, Claire Kennedy
and Annemieke Buis
3:40 p.m.
29
Woody Seedling Community Response to Invasive Species Removal,
Caitlyn Cathey
4:00 p.m.
30
Religiosity and Awe: How does religious behavior influence a
person’s intensity of emotion in response to experiencing an awe
inducing event, Jordan Sigal
4:20 p.m.
31
Socially Distant but Physically Close: Class, Ethnicity, Occupation, and
Neighborhoods at Ventanillas, Peru, between 1200-1400 C.E., Robyn
Cutright
4
POSTER PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Zoom link
32. Docking Study with SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease, Anna Bachmann
33. Light-Induced Reaction of FADT and their Crystal Packing, Micai Benford
34. Examining the Role of Risperidone in Dopaminergic and Serotonergic Mechanisms
Underlying Cocaine-Induced Sensitization in Japanese Quail, Kylie Cochran and Katy
Haering
35. Bluegrass Allergy and Asthma Internship, Emily Doyle
36. Measured Energy Dissipation in Internal Waves, Yichen Guo
37. Mithramycin Analogs With Improved Cytotoxicity and Cancer Specificity, Madeline Jenkin
and Marielena Villaran
38. The Effects of Mating on Female Drosophila Bitter Taste Processing, Landy Lin
39. The Physics of Bacterial Swimming Near Boundaries, Tanner May
40. Hormonal Control of Alcohol-Induced Aggression in Male Japanese Quail, Izzy Neel and
Brianna Roberts
41. Does Height Really Matter?: Perception in Virtual Reality, Caleb Snyder
42. Determining the DNA Binding Behavior of Transition Metal Polypyridyl Complexes, Ella
Aponte
5
ART EXHIBIT AEGON GALLERY
April 9-29 2019
AEGON Gallery, Jones Visual Arts Center
Hours 9 am-4 pm, Monday through Friday
(please follow Centre College health and safety guidelines)
Artist is senior Claire Thomas-Smith
Class is Introduction to Oil Painting
9x12-inch oil on canvas
6
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
1. Gothic Modes of Repression and
Resistance in Franco-African Cinema,
Joshua Hay
However, in the context of climate change
and growing inequality, this privatization
of food systems exploits the environment
and many local communities associated.
The American food system is not a model
to be exported through development to
communities abroad, yet this often occurs.
Using case studies, I aim to demonstrate
how agricultural development, when
incorporating non-market based reform,
can become more equitable and
sustainable. By highlighting the value of
non-market based reform, agricultural
development can become a specialized
tool to meet the agricultural needs of
diverse communities. My research will be
presented in French.
Mentor: Christian Wood
In Ousmane Sembène’s LA NOIRE DE…,
actress Mbissine Thérèse Diop’s heroine
Diouana finds a fulfilling nanny job in
Dakar, Senegal, but when it moves her to
Antibes, France, she encounters a life of
dull domesticity and household slavery
that drives her to a tragic fate. In JeanPierre Bekolo’s genre mash-up LES
SAIGNANTES, two witches who seduce the
corrupt elite of a futuristic Cameroon must
hide the body of a powerful man who dies
during a sex act. Made across decades, in
different countries, and in vastly different
styles, this presentation shows how both
works use Gothic tropes to reveal the
contextual struggles of African women as
they enact the “return of the repressed
other” when confronted with continued
marginalization in a supposedly postcolonial world. This will be presented
entirely in French.
3. Senegal and French Post-Colonial
Influence, Will Hardy
Mentor: Christian Wood
My presentation examines the
contemporary creative and artistic
practices of Senegal, paying close attention
to colonial French influence over said
cultural practices. This project serves as a
continuation of research analyzing street
art in Québec and Tahiti in a French
postcolonial frame. Senegal is well known
for the practice of assemblage, where
artworks are crafted from chance objects
available to the artist. This practice is not
unique to Senegal, but is in fact very
common among Afro-Atlantic
communities. I highlight the French
influences within Senegal’s artistic
production to set it apart from other
similar practices seen in the Afro-Atlantic. I
situate catholic imagery as one such aspect
of assemblage work in context.
2. Non-Market Based Reform as a Tool for
Agricultural Development, Hannah Ely
Mentor: Christian Wood
After working in agriculture, I seek to
understand the role of agricultural
development, inquiring how its systemic
problems can be addressed in order to
implement a more equitable, sustainable,
and community-oriented approach.
Agricultural development increasingly
pushes neoliberal reforms as a solution to
the growing population’s need for food.
7
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
4. La Veladora by Jesse Treviño:
Experiencing the Sacred Divine, Nathan
Whitlock
Mentor: Mary Daniels
Mentor: Mary Daniels
La Virgen de Guadalupe, is an archetypical
figure that has helped create Mexican
national identity. Indeed, Guadalupe has
been re-written in literature, art, music,
and film as a symbol of resistance and
transformation. In our presentation Saira
Carreto Romero and Natalie Cha Olguin
will explore the ways in which Guadalupe
has perceptually changed overtime. Our
primary focus will be on a 1999 photobased digital print of La Virgen de
Guadalupe called, “Our Lady.” This digital
photo was created by Alma Lopez, a
Mexican-born Queer Chicana artist who
not only transforms La Virgen physically,
but she also transforms the religious icon
into a symbol of her own identity, culture,
and community. This presentation will be
prerecorded and in Spanish.
When La Virgen de Guadalupe first
appeared to Juan Diego on the hill of
Tepeyac, he understood, at that very
moment, that the ground below his feet
was sacred. As depicted in La Veladora by
San Antonio based artist Jesse Treviño,
streams of light radiated from the Blessed
Mother who was wrapped with the night
sky and carried by the moon. In his colorful
mosaic, Treviño deploys the sacred image
of Mary as a prayerful peacekeeper in a
crime plagued neighborhood and as a
cultural axis that emulates the hybrid
identity of Mexican-Americans. In fact,
both Catholic and indigenous traditions
contribute to the completely whole but
hybrid conception of La Virgen herself.
Treviño simultaneously incorporates the
ancient iconography of the founding of
Tenochtitlan, the serpent and the eagle,
which juxtaposes the unique power of a
fleeting apparition, a flickering flame and
the movability of a veladora with the
permanence of the founding of the Aztec
Empire. Not only has La Veladora served
the pragmatic purpose of reducing local
crime, a noble goal that Treviño has
outlined explicitly in interviews, it has also
amplified the complex relationship that
many immigrants have with their
homeland and their chosen home. This
presentation will be prerecorded and in
Spanish.
6. What IS Art History?, Amy Frederick and
Peter Haffner, Assistant Professors of Art
History
Art history is the historical study of the
visual arts—necessarily interdisciplinary
and sometimes multidisciplinary, art
historians engage in research from a
variety of perspectives to make sense of
the past and present through visual
evidence. In a world where we are
increasingly bombarded by visual material,
understanding how to interpret images is
essential. In this session, we will
demonstrate the diverse methods involved
in art historical scholarship and how our
research prompts us to “see” in the world
today.
5. Our Lady of Controversy: New
Representations of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, Natalie Cha Olguin and Saira
Carreto Romero
7. Contemporary String Quartet
Compositions, Sam Biggerstaff
8
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Mentor: Larry Bitensky
demanding doctrine—a philosophy of
action—necessary for white America to
heal itself of its carelessness, which is a
necessary step in healing America of its
original sin of racial injustice.
The string quartet is a renowned medium
and genre of music that has existed ever
since the Baroque era (1600s). In its more
than 400 years of existence, the string
quartet has developed a lot along with the
different styles of composers and eras. The
contemporary era of music, in specific, has
been incredibly interesting in the evolution
of the string quartet. In this performancebased project, I have composed a series of
5 short (~2 minutes or less) pieces for the
string quartet inspired by contemporary
composers and their techniques from the
20th and 21st centuries such as Bartok,
Stravinsky, Reich, Glass, etc.
9. Religion and Soft Balancing: Russia in the
Middle East, Robert Bosco, Associate
Professor of International Studies
The decline of unipolarity in the
international system creates openings for
competitors to increase their spheres of
influence. In this presentation, I examine
how Russia seeks to increase its influence
in the Middle East following the retreat of
the U.S. from the region through a crucial
but overlooked modality: religion. I focus
in particular on the activities of the Russian
Orthodox Church in Syria and Palestine,
and Russian engagement with both Sunni
and Shi’ite interests in the region. I argue
that the concept of “soft balancing” should
be expanded to include the role that
religion plays in contemporary balancing
behavior.
8. No Justice, No Peace: Marilynne
Robinson’s Gilead and the Black Lives
Matter Movement, Lindsey Wood
Mentor: Mark Lucas
Racism in America looms large in
Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead. She
probes white Americans’ increasing
avoidance of and apathy toward issues of
racial injustice in the Reconstruction and
post-Reconstruction periods. However, as
Robinson thoughtfully diagnoses white
America’s ills, she prescribes a healing
balm for the next generation that comes
from an unlikely source: America’s past. A
product of the fiery Christian Puritanism
brought over on the Mayflower, the eldest
Rev. Ames preaches that slavery is itself a
war, and that peace is impossible without
abolition. A prophetic stance. Boiled down,
his motto is identical to that of the
contemporary Black Lives Matter
movement: No Justice, No Peace. Through
Rev. Ames, Robinson establishes that
American Puritanism is the type of
10. The Effects of School Closures on English
Language Learners (ELLs) in Las Vegas,
Veronica Valente
Mentor: Sarah Murray
The purpose of this study was to
investigate how COVID-19 related school
closures and online learning have affected
English language learners (ELLs) and their
educators from five Las Vegas-area high
schools. The study specifically examined
ELLs’ desire to progress towards
graduation, ability to communicate using
English, and preference to continue or
discontinue specific elements of remote
learning. These themes were also
9
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
examined through the lens of ELL educator
perspectives. Links to surveys (provided in
four languages) were distributed to school
principals who disseminated them among
students and staff. A review of the data is
showing that fewer ELLs wish to drop out
now than before school closures began in
March 2020 and that ELLs are evaluating
their ability to communicate in English as
having improved or stayed the same since
that time.
12. The Aggregate Cost of Crime in the United
States, David A. Anderson, Paul G. Blazer
Professor of Economics
Estimates of crime’s burden inform public
and private decisions about crimeprevention measures. More than counts of
criminal offenses, the aggregate cost of
crime conveys the scale of crime problems
and the value of deterrence. This article
offers an estimate of the total annual cost
of crime in the United States, including the
direct costs of law enforcement, criminal
justice, and victim losses, as well as the
indirect costs of private deterrence, fear
and agony, and time lost to avoidance and
recovery. The findings update crime-cost
estimates of past decades while expanding
the scope of coverage to include
categories missing from past studies. The
estimated annual cost of crime is $4.87
trillion including transfers from victims to
criminals and $3.02 trillion net of transfers.
11. Diversity at the Centre? Investigating
disparate retention rates for minority
students in STEM, Cynthia De Leon
Mentor: Sarah Murray
With each passing year, there is a rise in
career opportunities in STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and
mathematics) related fields. The number
of racial/ethnic minorities and women in
such fields, however, is not increasing at
equal rates. This ongoing research began
its focus on trying to understand why there
is such a disproportionate number of
racial/ethnic minorities and women in such
fields and how this may be traced back to
graduate and undergraduate level
academia, like Centre College. Through an
anonymous survey developed particularly
for current seniors, whether they are
pursuing a STEM degree or not, the survey
sought to understand the unique
experiences of students within STEM
classrooms at Centre and how that has
influenced their desire to continue STEM
or seek alternative career paths.
Information provided through student
responses offers ways for improving
recruitment and more importantly
retention of minority students and women
in STEM at Centre College.
13. The Effects of the Hofmeister Series Salts
on Hydrogen Bonding, Rami Edarehchi
Gilani, Hemangi Patel, and Sheridan
Wagner
Mentor: Kristen Fulfer
A protein’s characteristics can be varied
through different interactions with cations
and anions. The ability of salts to have such
influences also vary across certain series of
salts, which are called the Hofmeister
series of cations and anions. A protein’s
characteristics and functions are
dependent on the geometric shape of the
protein. Their shapes are reworked
through intermolecular interactions,
specifically hydrogen bonding, between
water and functional groups of these
10
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
biological systems. In this project the
carbonyl functional group is utilized as a
probe of the hydrogen bonding network of
water. This functional group is specifically
present in methyl acetate. Methyl acetate
is then combined in aqueous solutions
containing different salts from the series.
Using FTIR spectroscopy at varying
temperatures, changes to the hydrogen
bonding network due to the presence of
cations and anions are detected. A series
of bromide and chloride salts is being
investigated currently.
irradiated with near-infrared light to trigger
the release of drugs from the surface of the
nanoparticles at desired intervals. In
combination, the new drugs and delivery
systems will reduce interactions of the
drugs with normal cells to reduce side
effects and improve the therapeutic
outcomes.
15. Le Corps et Le Soi, en Tant Que Féminine,
Sophia Casto
Mentor: Christian Wood
14. Improved Anti-Cancer Therapies Through
Combination Drug Design and Drug
Delivery, Daniel Scott, Assistant Professor
of Chemistry
Existential explorations of identity and
agency often come from the perspective of
those who occupy unmarked categories.
Living in a body that is marked as “other”
with agency that is severely limited by
external forces impacts the ways in which
the world and the self is understood. I am
interested in the ways which francophone
feminist philosophers specifically have
approached what feminine embodiment
means for women’s sense of self and
identity. How does the tension between
immanence and transcendence which
Beauvoir identifies as part of the feminine
experience relate to the experience of
embodiment? In French, I will present an
overview of some of these ideas and a few
contemporary considerations regarding
21st century developments, in particular
the advent of social media, the
implications of “branding” oneself, and the
growing acceptance of more nuanced
conceptualizations of gender.
Traditional chemotherapies target rapidly
developing cells in the human body,
resulting in harsh side effects from the
destruction of healthy cells alongside of the
cancer cells. In order to minimize these side
effects drugs were designed to more
specifically interact with cancer cells
compared to normal cells. The new drugs
were developed by rationally modifying the
natural product mithramycin and their anticancer abilities were investigated with nonsmall cell lung cancer cells. Additionally,
delivery systems to deliver the therapies
only to the tumor tissue can further
diminish the negative side effects of the
drugs
while
improving
treatment
outcomes. Gold nanoparticles were used as
the basis for the delivery vehicle as they are
biologically inert, relatively easy to modify
the surface to load the drugs, and heat
upon the absorption of near-infrared light
which will trigger the release of the drugs.
The gold nanoparticles were functionalized
with DNA to bind the cancer drugs and
16. Lessons from France: Sexual Health
Education Practices to Adopt in the U.S.,
Meg Whelan
Mentor: Christian Wood
11
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Comprehensive and culturally competent
sexual health education should be
accessible to all young people through
public schooling. Yet, a basic internet
search about sexual health education in
the United States yields only an endless
scroll of Planned Parenthood resources.
With no federal laws mandating the
content, quality or frequency of sex-ed,
students in the US experience highly
variable and widely insufficient learning.
An equivalent internet search in French,
however, reveals the official website of
France's Minister of Education, which
outlines their comprehensive national
curriculum. The French system requires
that students, beginning in middle school,
learn about human anatomy, sexually
transmitted infections, contraception, and
sexual violence prevention. This
presentation, delivered in French, will
analyze the state of sexual health
education in France and offer its
components as one model for reform
within the US.
This video essay examines the impact of
hair discrimination among an Afrodescent
male who simultaneously struggles to
embrace his hair texture while rejecting his
natural hair pattern through the analysis of
two films: Pelo Malo and Good Hair. Both
films provide an understanding of gender
stereotypes, societal norms and familial
pressures while demonstrating how people
around the world assimilate to beauty
standards. This research helps facilitate a
greater understanding of societal beauty
standards in Venezuela—the setting in
which Pelo Malo highlights the complexity
of the word beauty. The standing literature
indicates Venezuela’s long standing beauty
standards mimicking those of Europe. This
creates long term effects on the life
trajectories of both men and women.
These internalized European beauty
standards have been center stage for
women in Venezuela for many years, but
with the help of this analysis, we shed light
on how these beauty standards negatively
affect men as well.
17. Michel Foucault’s Utopias, Marc Démont,
Visiting Assistant Professor of French and
Humanities
19. Brazilian Dictatorship: Story of a
Revolutionary, João Victor Azevedo and
Andrea Brito
Mentor: Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
My presentation will focus on my
translation of two radiophonic lectures
given by Foucault in 1966. I will not only
discuss the complex history of these
translations and their relevance to
Foucault’s work, but also the ways in which
these two texts shed light on Foucault’s
early engagement with phenomenology
and literary criticism.
By analyzing cinematographic strategies
and engaging with Carlos Marighella’s
written text to conclude the ideological
reasons for why “Marighella'' stirred
controversy in the Brazilian political arena
and serves as a powerful statement against
the current government. “Marighella'' is a
Brazilian movie directed by well known
Brazilian actor and debut filmmaker
Wagner Moura. The film portrays Carlos
Marighella (1911-1969) who represents
18. Why Don’t They Like My Hair?, Melissa
Perello and Alexandra Boardman
Mentor: Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
12
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
the fight for justice in Brazil against the 20year military dictatorship. Because
Moura’s narrative commends the true
nature of Marighella’s revolutionary
movement, the film was immediately
banned both in Brazil and the United
States, which supported the dictatorship.
This video essay showcases the ideological
perspective of Marighella through Moura’s
camera shots. We highlight the camera
positions that made the audience develop
a relationship with Marighella’s story.
Therefore, viewers unaware of the
dictatorship era in Brazil could have a
better understanding of Brazilian history
throughout the film.
of Carlos Marighella, a revolutionary going
against the Brazilian government, and
highlights the government’s censorship of
the media.
21. Burning Up: Modeling Wildfire
Temperature Using AVIRIS Imagery,
Mackenzie Conkling
Mentor: Bruce Rodenborn
Measuring active fire temperature of
wildfires is important for understanding
burn severity, the role of fuels and
predicting fire spread, but because of the
dangers presented by wildfires, in-situ
temperature data are difficult to collect.
With the high-resolution data collected by
the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging
Spectrometer, fire temperature can be
modeled accurately from the radiance
within pixels of a hyperspectral image
containing fire. Using Planck’s Law, the
measured radiance can be fit to modeled
blackbody curves to determine maximum
temperature within a pixel by limiting the
Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) between
measured and modeled radiance. Results
showed our method to provide a more
accurate model, because it retrieved fire
temperature with minimal error for the
2017 Sherpa and Thomas Fires in
California. The model was also shown to be
portable across fires with dissimilar
behavior providing the rate of temperature
decay within a pixel was modeled carefully.
20. Marighella: A Look Into the History of
Media Manipulation in Brazil, Faraz
Ghamgosar and Lauren Jung
Mentor: Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
The primary problem that we address in
our video essay is how easily the media
was manipulated by the government and
dictatorships of Latin American countries
such as Brazil during the 1960s in order to
promote their agendas and shut down any
and all opposition. This completely unfair
and unjust authoritarian ruling of Brazil
was a calculated and intentional series of
events that began with a coup. This is
when President João was overthrown by
the Armed Forces, which had the support
of many high-ranking military officials, the
Catholic church, and even the United
States through its embassy. Upon taking
power the authoritarian military
dictatorship completely censored and
improperly used the media in order to
maintain complete control and maintain
the support of the unbeknownst people.
The film Marighella focuses on the biopic
22. Modeling the Spread of COVID-19:
Examining the influence of face mask
policies in select U.S. states, Princess
Allotey and Annika Avula
Mentor: Michael Lamar
13
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
We examine the spread of COVID-19 in
multiple states using a compartmental
differential equations model. We compare
the transmission rates between states
before and after face mask mandates are
implemented. We use data from The
COVID Tracking Project to verify our
model. Our findings indicated that the
infection rate of COVID-19 decreased after
face mask policies were introduced in the
five states of interest. Now that vaccines
are readily available, we add a new
compartment to our model that takes the
vaccination rates of different states into
account and expand our study by looking
at infection, recovery, death, and
vaccination rates.
targets were investigated using PyRx and
then docking using Chimera.
24. Vertebrates from the Middle Devonian of
Kentucky: Prelude to a Crisis, Amanda
Falk, Assistant Professor of Biology
The Late Devonian Mass Extinction is one
of the more poorly understood of the Big
Five mass extinction events of the last 542
million years. This event devastated
several groups of fish and many different
types of marine invertebrates, and there
are half a dozen proposed causes, ranging
from anoxic oceans to a slowdown in the
birth of new species. However, the buildup
to this event has not been particularly
well-studied. Furthermore, our
understanding of Middle Devonian
vertebrate diversity, especially on the
western side of the Appalachian Basin, is
severely lacking. Over the past few years,
working with several students, I have
sampled a poorly known bonebed in Estill
County; now, as COVID hopefully ebbs, I
will be able to expand our search to
additional new localities that are under
sampled and understudied for Devonian
vertebrates, which are already poorly
recorded in Kentucky.
23. Computational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2
Therapeutics Development, Sam
Biggerstaff and Benjamin Hammond
Mentor: Jennifer Muzyka
SARS-CoV-2 has uniquely crippled the
world. To combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus
and prevent future epidemics, significant
antiviral research needs to be conducted.
Nine non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV2 have been designated as promising drug
targets. These targets were because the
proteins were highly conserved from SARSCoV to SARS-CoV-2, and they were vital for
viral replication. Of the nine good targets,
NSP12 is a unique drug target. NSP12 is the
viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
(RdRp). Remdesivir is currently being used
to target NSP12. The RdRp of RNA positivestrand viruses has seven conserved motifs
that allow the cross activity of Remdesivir.
This cross-reactivity could be essential in
the drug discovery process because drugs
that target NSP12 of SARS-CoV-2 could be
effective against other viruses. NSP12 drug
25. Line Fork: A Winter at Lilley Cornett
Woods, Idris Irihamye
Mentor: Megs Gendreau
My project, “Line Fork: A Winter at Lilley
Cornett Woods” explored constructions of
nature and their influences on cultural
identity and interactions with nature. The
models I used were Appalachian
mountaineer culture, Black American
mainstream culture, Ojibwe Anishinaabe
culture, and White American mainstream
14
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
culture. I found that constructions of
nature as separate from or opposite to
civilization tend to allow for the use of
nature as well as those close to or
perceived to be close to nature, as
resources with little to no consequence. I
also explored the way that in communities
where civilization is modeled after nature,
the people tend to act in positive
relationships and form long-term
connections with nature. This is because
when nature is intrinsic to civilization,
societies encourage the formation of a
reciprocating relationship between people
and the rest of our environment as a
necessary aspect of maintaining cultural
balance.
participants will respond seriously to IAT
feedback about implicit racial bias and
subsequently make efforts to control their
bias. We expect that participants exposed
to their IAT score will show a higher
motivation to control their prejudices.
27. Moving to Louisville: Where College
People Live in the City, Beau Weston, John
M. and Louise Van Winkle Professor of
Sociology
Louisville is the most likely place for Centre
alumni to live. One sixth of all alumni live
there now. For each of the last three
years, one fifth of graduates moved there
after graduation. There are different kinds
of neighborhoods in Louisville, which
appeal to people in different stages in life
cycle, and with different politics. The
Highlands are a dense, walkable, mixeduse neighborhood with strong appeal for
young single people and liberals. The
many suburban subdivisions appeal to
older married people and conservatives.
Prof. Weston will discuss the findings of his
recent book, Between Bohemia and
Suburbia: Boburbia in the USA, a
sociological study of Louisville
neighborhoods.
26. The IAT as Intervention: Promoting
concerns about implicit racial biases,
Gabby Romines, Sierra Gaskin, and Kristen
Sedlatscheck
Mentor: Jennifer Goetz
Implicit racial biases are widespread and
contribute to discrimination and
inequality. Research has shown the effects
of implicit bias in police, employment,
academic, and medical decisions. The
implications of implicit racial biases are
evident, but there is no clear way to
combat these biases. An individual’s bias
can be assessed by administering an
Implicit Association Test (IAT), which
evaluates the strength of people's
unconscious beliefs and stereotypes about
a specific group. Oftentimes, the IAT is
used in prejudice reduction training to
make people aware of biases and
potentially work to control them.
However, it is unclear if exposure to one’s
IAT score actually causes increased control
over biases. Our study aims to test if
28. The Psychological Benefits of Caring for
Potted Plants, Claire Kennedy and
Annemieke Buis
Mentor: Aaron Godlaski
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the
need for personal projects and outlets to
reduce stress. In recognition of this, the
Centre Gardening Club planned “Blooms
for Rooms,” a program which emphasizes
the importance of mental health by forcing
tulip and daffodil bulbs to bloom in late
15
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
February through mid-March. Students,
faculty and staff at Centre College were
given pots of bulbs and information
regarding plant care and self-care during
these difficult times. In collaboration with
the Gardening Club, we administered a
pre-survey when participants picked up
plants and a post-survey two weeks later.
The surveys consisted of Brief Mood
Introspection Scale (BMIS), inclusion of
nature in self (INS) item, and an in-house
gardening habit questionnaire. The goal of
this study is to measure the psychological
benefits of caring for potted plants. The
data collection phase will be completed by
March 24 and analyzed in the following
weeks.
insight into how woody plant communities
respond to invasive species removal and
potential secondary plant invasions.
30. Religiosity and Awe: How does religious
behavior influence a person’s intensity of
emotion in response to experiencing an
awe inducing event, Jordan Sigal
Mentor: Aaron Godlaski
The aim of this research is to determine
what specific factors influence
emotional/cognitive/meaning making
reactions to an awe inducing experience,
looking more closely at religiosity and
humility, and how they can explain why
someone may experience a stronger sense
of emotional awe. While religiosity may
promote a more intense emotional
response to awe, it does so through the
process of reducing a person’s focus on
self. Using data collected from a survey of
over 1000 participants in which subjects
reported emotional responses to the
experience of awe, religiosity and humility
were measured and looked at how well
they accounted for and mediated the
emotional, cognitive, and meaningmaking
responses to the awe experience. While
religiosity was a significant predictor of a
more intense emotional experience,
relation was better accounted for by selffocus, insofar as religiosity may promote a
reduced sense of self, and that small self
then leads to a more intense response to
awe.
29. Woody Seedling Community Response to
Invasive Species Removal, Caitlyn Cathey
Mentor: Brian Hoven
This study investigated the potential for
secondary invasion at five sites in central
Kentucky following the manual and
chemical removal of Amur honeysuckle
(Lonicera maackii) and autumn olive
(Elaeagnus umbellate). Tree and shrub
seedlings (20-100 cm) within four microplots were sampled at two control plots
and two treatment plots at each of the five
sites. Sampling followed the protocol
outlined in Hoven et al. (2017), seedlings
were classified as either native or invasive
and identified to the level of genus and if
possible, species. A two-tailed unpaired ttest will be used to compare each seedling
response variable—abundance of invasive
and native seedlings, Shannon Index, and
species richness—for the woody seedling
communities between control and invasive
shrub removal plots. This study coupled
with future re-samplings will provide
31. Socially Distant but Physically Close: Class,
Ethnicity, Occupation, and Neighborhoods
at Ventanillas, Peru, between 1200-1400
C.E., Robyn Cutright, Interim Director,
Center for Teaching and Learning and
Associate Professor of Anthropology
16
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
In cities, “socially distant people find
themselves physically close” (Hutson 2016:
17). This presentation uses archaeological
data to explore social differences within an
ancient city in the foothills of the Andes
during the Late Intermediate Period (12001400 C.E.). Differences in household
production of cloth and metal goods and in
household consumption of food and
decorated ceramics help to reveal a
socially diverse community on an ancient
frontier.
17
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
32. Docking Study with SARS-CoV-2 Main
Protease, Anna Bachmann
Mentor: Jennifer Muzyka
the stability of their respective oxidation
and dimerization products were executed,
in order to determine the change in
enthalpy over the course of the reaction.
The calculated reaction enthalpies agree
with experimental stability measurements.
The synthesized FADT samples and their
decomposition products were
characterized through Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and
infrared spectroscopy. Differences in
crystal packing of the derivatives was
investigated through computational
analysis.
Computational docking studies are
extremely useful for quantitatively
studying the abilities of different chemical
compounds to bind to proteins. When
compounds bind effectively enough to a
protein, they can often cause a change in
its function. This approach is the one we
have been using to study potential drug
targets against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Docking studies of the virus’s main
protease with a wide array of molecules
can illuminate potential methods by which
SARS-CoV-2’s method of infection can be
intercepted, thereby providing a viable
treatment for infected patients. I will
present a poster explaining the advantages
of the main protease as a target, the
docking study methodology, and relevant
results that have been found thus far.
Additionally, an explanation will be given
into this method’s usefulness against SARSCoV-2.
34. Examining the Role of Risperidone in
Dopaminergic and Serotonergic
Mechanisms Underlying Cocaine-Induced
Sensitization in Japanese Quail, Kylie
Cochran and Katy Haering
Mentor: Karin Gill
The present study will investigate if the
administration of a 5-HT2A and D2
antagonist will cause greater cocaineinduced behavioral sensitization in
Japanese quail than antagonism of either
receptor alone. This could provide further
support for the role of 5-HT2A and D2
receptors in treatments targeted toward
cocaine use disorder.
33. Light-Induced Reaction of FADT and their
Crystal Packing, Micai Benford
Mentor: Vanessa Song
Triethylsilyl fluoroanthradithiophenes
(TES-FADT) have been of interest due to
their application in organic electronics and
transistor devices. Three FADT derivatives
were compared with two being alterations
to the triethyl side group of the TES-FADT
molecule (TEC-FADT and TEG-FADT). It was
identified that FADT molecules could
undergo oxidation or dimerization when
exposed to light. Gaussian geometry
optimization and frequency calculations of
TES-, TEC-, and TEG-FADT molecules, and
35. Bluegrass Allergy and Asthma Internship,
Emily Doyle
Mentor: Karin Gill
During CentreTerm, I was fortunate
enough to participate in an in-person
internship at Bluegrass Allergy & Asthma, a
private clinic in East Louisville serving
allergy, asthma, and immunology patients.
As an intern, I assisted with the process
leading up to the physician seeing the
18
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
patient, which included the check-in
process, taking vitals, and conducting
Pulmonary Function tests. I also assisted
the doctor while seeing patients by
scribing his notes and observed in office
tests, like allergy testing. In addition to my
daily duties, I also worked with other office
staff on insurance claims and pharmacy
approvals. This opportunity allowed me to
earn clinical experience hours for applying
to Physician Assistant school, gain
knowledge about the medical field, and
learn about the business aspect of running
a private practice.
37. Mithramycin Analogs With Improved
Cytotoxicity and Cancer Specificity,
Madeline Jenkin and Marielena Villaran
Mentor: Daniel Scott
Mithramycin (MTM) is an aureolic acid
antibiotic that is produced by many soil
bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. A
genetically engineered strain of
Streptomyces argillaceous, M7W1,
produces three MTM analogues: MTM SK,
MTM SDK, and MTM SA. MTM SK and
MTM SDK have increased cytotoxicity
while MTM SA has significantly decreased
anticancer activity compared to MTM.
MTM SA differs from MTM SK and MTM
SDK with the presence of a carboxylic acid
on its 3-side chain. This carboxylic acid was
used for easy and consistent modification
of MTM SA with aromatic side chains to
produce new anticancer agents.
Cytotoxicity assays were performed to
compare the cytotoxicity of these MTM SA
analogues to MTM SK/SDK and showed
increased anticancer activity. Current work
is focused on scaling up these reactions to
complete structural characterization with
NMR and mass spectrometry.
36. Measured Energy Dissipation in Internal
Waves, Yichen Guo
Mentor: Bruce Rodenborn
Internal waves in the ocean are excited by
tidal motion of the fluid over topography
and propagate below the surface. These
waves shape the ocean’s topography and
are important in determining global ocean
circulation patterns and therefore affect
global climate. Our research looks at the
reflection of internal waves at different
boundary angles, specifically modeling the
process in which internal tides are
dissipated in the ocean along continental
slopes. We create internal waves in a
laboratory experiment with lasers and
seed particles to measure the velocity field
of the waves. We then determine the ratio
of the incoming and outgoing energy flux
of the internal waves, which shows high
rates of dissipation. The experimental data
is used to verify numerical codes under the
same conditions. The numerical codes can
then be used to explore other regimes that
is not possible in the tank experiments.
38. The Effects of Mating on Female
Drosophila Bitter Taste Processing, Landy
Lin
Mentor: Genevieve Bell
The Drosophila melanogaster’s
reproductive circuit plays a critical role in
their gustatory processing.
Female Drosophila undergo matinginduced appetite changes. Sweet and salty
foods are naturally preferred, but mated
female flies seek yeast-rich foods for egglaying. However, the relationship between
bitter tastants and this complex post19
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
mating circuit has been overlooked. The
proposed study aims to elucidate this
connection by observing how mating
impacts bitter preference in females.
Surprisingly, our preliminary studies
demonstrated a strong preference for
bitter (tonic water) in virgin flies however,
this preference was lost once mated.
Herein, we will compare control (DI water)
with a bitter tastant (caffeine) using a taste
preference assay. We hypothesize that
between the virgin and mated flies, mated
flies will display the strongest aversion to
caffeine. This study will expand upon the
relationship between sensory systems and
reproductive circuits across insect species.
directly linked to aggression. Rather, this
association is likely due to the
transformation of testosterone into
estrogen in the brain – a process known as
aromatization (Schlinger & Callard, 1990).
Alcohol exposure has been shown to
increase estrogen levels while decreasing
testosterone levels (Von Der Pahlen,
2005). Therefore, alcohol-induced
aggression may be due to aromatization. In
Japanese quail, aggressive behaviors are
easily observed and quantified (Schilinger,
Palter, & Callard, 1987) and require
aromatization (Schlinger, 1989).
Additionally, circulating hormone levels
may be manipulated without surgical
alterations via photoperiodism in quail
(Robinson & Follett, 1982). The present
study investigated the role of
aromatization on alcohol-induced
aggressive behavior in male quail.
39. The Physics of Bacterial Swimming Near
Boundaries, Tanner May
Mentor: Bruce Rodenborn
I worked under Dr. Bruce Rodenborn
(Centre) and professors at Trinity (TX) to
research the physical effects of bacterial
swimming near a boundary. Our research
uses novel techniques to measure and
characterize the functional forms of the
forces and torques that are generated as a
rotating helical structure approaches a
boundary. Our research sought not only to
learn more about the biophysics of
microscopic life, but also to understand
the fluid dynamics of low-reynolds number
viscous fluids.
41. Does Height Really Matter?: Perception in
Virtual Reality, Caleb Snyder and Brooks
Owen
Mentor: Drew Morris
Virtual reality research is a novel area in
psychology. Previous research
demonstrates that modifications can be
made to increase the perceived weight of
virtual objects in a virtual reality (VR)
simulation (Rietzler et Al., 2018). However,
most research fails to address the
relationship between perceived weight ingame and the characteristics of the user's
avatar - their in-game self. The purpose of
this research is to discover if manipulating
in-game avatar height impacts the
participant’s perceived strength. Using
PlayStation VR, participants are placed into
a virtual environment as a tall or short
first-person avatar. They are then asked to
40. Hormonal Control of Alcohol-Induced
Aggression in Male Japanese Quail, Izzy
Neel and Brianna Roberts
Mentor: Karin Gill
While testosterone typically has been
attributed to aggressive behaviors in male
mammals, this hormone has not been
20
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
compare the weight of in-game objects
with weighted bottles in the lab. We
predict that users with tall in-game avatars
will have higher perceived strength and
will rate virtual objects as being similar in
weight to lighter objects in the lab.
42. Determing the DNA Binding Behavior of
Transition Metal Polypyridyl Complexes,
Ella Aponte
Mentor: Erin Wachter
The DNA binding behavior of ruthenium (II)
and iron (II) polypyridyl complexes were
studied for their potential to induce DNA
damage. A DNA binding constant assay
using UV-Vis spectroscopy was developed
and modified to be high-throughput using
a plate reader. Significant troubleshooting
took place to determine efficient ratios of
metal complex to DNA to give adequate
change in absorbance upon binding. The
results for the metal complexes tested
thus far are consistent with the DNA
binding constants reported in the
literature. Future studies include
determining the DNA binding constant for
additional metal complexes using the highthroughput assay as well as further
development and testing of a DNA damage
assays using gel electrophoresis.
21
COMMITTEE
2021 RICE SYMPOSIUM COMMITTEE
Eva Cadavid
Karin Gill
Ellen Goldey
Judith Pointer Keiser
RICE Symposium Co-chair
RICE Symposium Co-chair
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
AEGON Gallery Coordinator
CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
Robyn Cutright
Kristi Burch
Lisa Curlis
Andrew Patrick
Todd Sheene
Candace Wentz
Interim Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning
Academic Technology Specialist
Office Manager
Assistant Director of CTL & Experiential Learning Coordinator
Event and Video Production Coordinator
Assistant Director of CTL & Instructional Technology and Design
Coordinator
MEMBERS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Chris Faulkner
Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
Mary Girard
Fernando Gonzalez
Karoline Manny
Nate Meissner
Drew Morris
Andrew Patrick
Bruce Rodenborn
Visiting Assistant Professor of International Studies
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Digital Scholarship Librarian
Librarian Evening Supervisor
Reference, Instruction and Assessment Librarian
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Assistant Professor of History (ex-officio)
Assistant Professor of Physics
22
NAME INDEX
Numbers correspond to the presentation numbers, NOT page numbers
Allotey, Princess 22
Anderson, David 12
Aponte, Ella 42
Avula, Annika 22
Azevedo, João Victor 19
Bachmann, Anna 32
Bell, Genevieve 38
Benford, Micai 33
Biggerstaff, Sam 7, 23
Bitensky, Larry 7
Boardman, Alexandra 18
Bosco, Robert 9
Brito, Andrea 19
Buis, Annemieke 28
Casto, Sophia 15
Carreto Romero, Saira 5
Cathey, Caitlyn 29
Cha Olguin, Natalie 5
Cochran, Kylie 34
Conkling, Mackenzie 21
Cutright, Robyn 31
Daniels, Mary Blythe 4, 5
De Leon, Cynthia 11
Démont, Marc 17
Doyle, Emily 35
Edarehchi Gilani, Rami 13
Ely, Hannah 2
Falk, Amanda 24
Flaherty-Echeverría, Satty 18, 19, 20
Frederick, Amy 6
Fulfer, Kristen 13
Gaskin, Sierra 26
Ghamgosar, Faraz 20
Gendreau, Megs 25
Gill, Karin 34, 35, 40
Goetz, Jennifer 26
Godlaski, Aaron 28, 30
Guo, Yichen 36
Hammond, Benjamin 23
Haering, Katy 34
Haffner, Peter 6
23
NAME INDEX
Numbers correspond to the presentation numbers, NOT page numbers
Hardy, Will 3
Hay, Joshua 1
Hoven, Brian 29
Irihamye, Idris 25
Jenkin, Madeline 37
Jung, Lauren 20
Kennedy, Claire 28
Lamar, Michael 22
Lin, Landy 38
Lucas, Mark 8
May, Tanner 39
Morris, Drew 41
Murray, Sarrah 10, 11
Muzyka, Jennifer 23, 32
Neel, Izzy 40
Owen, Brooks 41
Patel, Hemangi 13
Perello, Melissa 18
Roberts, Brianna 40
Rodenborn, Bruce 21, 36, 39
Romines, Gabby 26
Scott, Daniel 14, 37
Sedlatscheck, Kristen 26
Sigal, Jordan 30
Snyder, Caleb 41
Song, Vanessa 33
Valente, Veronica 10
Villaran, Marielena 37
Wachter, Erin 42
Wagner, Sheridan 13
Weston, Beau 27
Whelan, Meg 16
Whitlock, Nathan 4
Wood, Christian 1, 2, 3, 15, 16
Wood, Lindsey 8
24
NOTES
25
Thank you for attending the
14th Annual
Symposium
26
presents the 14th annual
Symposium
April 8-9 2021
The 2021 Symposium is sponsored by the Dean’s Office,
and all academic programs. Special thanks to the support
of Dr. John Barton.
April 8, 2021
Dear RICE participants:
Welcome to the fourteenth annual Centre College RICE Symposium! This event is the
culmination of Undergraduate Research Celebration Week, which features multiple researchfocused events.
The RICE (Research, Internships, and Creative Endeavors) Symposium is a forum for showcasing
the outstanding research achievements, creative endeavors, and independent projects
completed by Centre students. An integral part of experiential learning is moving beyond the
consumption of existing knowledge to becoming an active contributor to new knowledge. RICE
represents a unique opportunity for students to share their contributions in a professional,
scholarly setting that is made rich by the active participation of many members of our
community. This event is part of a week-long celebration of research that includes several
opportunities to showcase undergraduate research at Centre. A highlight of the week is the
James W. Barton RICE Symposium Lecture convocation. This year Dr. Jenny Shanahan, Assistant
Provost at Bridgewater State University of Massachusetts, will give the lecture. Her talk is titled,
“The Transformative Power of Undergraduate Research”.
This year RICE will include the inaugural Ben Feese award given to the first place, second place
and honorable mention for each academic division. We are grateful to an anonymous ’69
alumna who made these awards possible in honor of Dr. Ben Feese.
This year, 42 presentations from across the academic disciplines are featured, including 23
student oral presentations, 8 faculty oral presentations and 11 student poster presentations.
This will be the first time that Centre College faculty will share their work alongside our
students. In addition, on Friday, April 9, students who participated in studio art classes this
academic year will host an exhibit of their work in the AEGON Gallery in the Jones Visual Arts
Center. We invite attendees to virtually attend the various oral and poster presentations. We
also invite attendees to explore the art exhibition, either in person (following Centre College
health and safety guidelines) or virtually, and see the diversity of what Centre students have to
offer.
Panels typically take two forms. First, in order to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature and
breath of scholarly endeavors at Centre College, many presentations are grouped by topic
rather than discipline. For example, this year, we have a panel that examines global crises such
as COVID-19 or wildfires through biological, computational, and sociological perspectives.
Second, when it is important to emphasize the depth of a particular issue or collaborative
research, such as the study that occurred in an advanced seminar class, a panel may include
presentations from only one discipline.
Each oral presentation is scheduled for a total of 15 minutes, including 12 minutes for
presenting and three minutes for discussion. As a courtesy to presenters, please wait until the
end of a presentation to leave a session. Thank you for your consideration and enjoy the 2021
RICE Symposium!
Sincerely,
Eva María Cadavid and Karin Gill
2021 RICE Symposium Co-chairs
Biographies
Dr. Barton (M.D., M.S.) is the director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Baptist Health Lexington.
He received his B.S. degree from Centre College in 1979. He completed his medical school and
residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. He also
received an M.S. in biology from the University of Kentucky. After he completed a Maternal-Fetal
Medicine fellowship at the University of Tennessee-Memphis in 1991, he returned to Lexington
and started his medical practice. He serves as voluntary faculty at the University of Kentucky. He
is active in the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Foundation for SMFM. He has
published over 250 articles and abstracts largely in his field of interest of hypertension in
pregnancy and maternal medical complications of pregnancy. He has served on the Board of
Trustees at Centre College since 2004.
Dr. Ben Feese (Ph.D.) is a 1959 alumnus and an Emeritus Professor of Biology at Centre College.
Dr. Feese earned a B.A. in Biology from Centre and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from
Washington University. Dr. Feese taught at Centre College from 1965 until his retirement in
1997. He was one of the first faculty members at Centre to engage students in research—both
in the classroom and out of the classroom. Dr. Feese, as one of the founders of the
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) program in the 1960’s, was way ahead of his time in
developing a major that focused on biochemistry and molecular and cell biology. His areas of
expertise include genetic engineering and reproductive and developmental biology. As Dr.
Peggy Richey has stated, Dr. Feese “was a ‘pure’ teacher in all that he did, always striving to
help students learn about life (literally and figuratively).” Dr. Feese set a high standard as a
teacher, researcher, mentor and colleague. He lives in Maysville, Kentucky.
SCHEDULE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS
APRIL 8, 2021
Oral Presentations
Session 1, Zoom link
https://centre.zoom.us/j/93598119273?pwd=WnZvR3VuZ1YzM2laaGdCdUlFSjMzQT09
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Oral Presentations
Session 2, Zoom link
https://centre.zoom.us/j/94050218680?pwd=aWhnYUw2TG51TFhxcjRUVU5Nazl0dz09
3:20 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.
Poster Presentations
Zoom link
https://centre.zoom.us/j/91566098070?pwd=QjArYzVRM3pWOUF4bWpQSXBtQWNGZz09
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
APRIL 9-29, 2021
Art Exhibition
AEGON Gallery, Jones Visual Arts Center
Hours 9 am-4 pm, Monday through Friday (please follow Centre College health and
safety guidelines)
Link to the virtual tour of exhibit forthcoming
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Oral Presentations, at a glance
2
Poster Presentations, at a glance
5
Art Exhibition
6
Oral Presentation Abstracts
7
Poster Presentation Abstracts
18
Committee
22
Name Index
23
Notes
25
1
ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
SESSION 1-a
Moderator:
Marc Démont
2:00 p.m.
1
2:20 p.m.
2
Non-Market Based Reform as a Tool for Agricultural
Development, Hannah Ely
2:40 p.m.
3
Senegal and French Post-Colonial Influence, Will Hardy
2:00 p.m.
4
La Veladora by Jesse Treviño: Experiencing the Sacred Divine,
Nathan Whitlock
2:20 p.m.
5
Our Lady of Controversy: New Representations of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, Natalie Cha Olguin and Saira Carreto Romero
2:40 p.m.
6
What IS Art History?, Amy Frederick and Peter Haffner
SESSION 1-c
2:00 p.m.
Moderator: Robert
Bosco
2:20 p.m.
7
Contemporary String Quartet Compositions, Sam Biggerstaff
8
No Justice, No Peace: Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and the Black
Lives Matter Movement, Lindsey Wood
2:40 p.m.
9
Religion and Soft Balancing: Russia in the Middle East, Robert
Bosco
2:00 p.m.
10
The Effects of School Closures on English Language Learners
(ELLs) in Las Vegas, Veronica Valente
2:20 p.m.
11
Diversity at the Centre? Investigating disparate retention rates
for minority students in STEM, Cynthia De Leon
2:40 p.m.
12
The Aggregate Cost of Crime in the United States, David Anderson
2:00 p.m.
13
The Effects of the Hofmeister Series Salts on Hydrogen Bonding,
Rami Edarehchi Gilani, Hemangi Patel, Sheridan Wagner
2:40 p.m.
14
SESSION 1-b
Moderator:
Mary Blythe
Daniels
SESSION 1-d
Moderator:
Sarah Murray
SESSION 1-e
Moderator:
Kristen Fulfer
Gothic Modes of Repression and Resistance in Franco-African
Cinema, Joshua Hay
Improved Anti-Cancer Therapies Through Combination Drug
Design and Drug Delivery, Daniel Scott
2
ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
SESSION 2-a
Moderator:
Christian Wood
3:40 p.m.
16
Lessons from France: Sexual Health Education Practices to Adopt
in the U.S., Meg Whelan
17
Michel Foucault’s Utopias, Marc Démont
3:20 p.m.
18
Why Don’t They Like My Hair?, Melissa Perello and Alexandra
Boardman
3:40 p.m.
19
Brazilian Dictatorship: Story of a Revolutionary, João Victor
Azevedo and Andrea Brito
20
Marighella: A Look Into The History of Media Manipulation in
Brazil, Faraz Ghamgosar and Lauren Jung
3:20 p.m.
21
Burning Up: Modeling Wildfire Temperature Using AVIRIS
Imagery, Mackenzie Conkling
3:40 p.m.
22
Modeling the Spread of COVID-19: Examining the influence of
face mask policies in select U.S. states, Princess Allotey and
Annika Avula
4:00 p.m.
23
Computational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutics
Development, Sam Biggerstaff and Benjamin Hammond
4:20 p.m.
SESSION 2-d
Moderator:
Jennifer Goetz
Le Corps et Le Soi, en Tant Que Féminine, Sophia Casto
4:00 p.m.
SESSION 2-c
Moderator:
Michael Lamar
15
4:00 p.m.
SESSION 2-b
Moderator:
Satty FlahertyEcheverría
3:20 p.m.
24
Vertebrates from the Middle Devonian of Kentucky: Prelude to a
Crisis, Amanda Falk
3:20 p.m.
25
Line Fork: A Winter at Lilley Cornett Woods, Idris Irihamye
3:40 p.m.
26
The IAT as Intervention: Promoting concerns about implicit racial
biases, Gabby Romines, Sierra Gaskin, and Kristen Sedlatscheck
4:00 p.m.
27
Moving to Louisville: Where College People Live in the City, Beau
Weston
3
ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
SESSION 2-e
Moderator:
Aaron Godlaski
3:20 p.m.
28
The Psychological Benefits of Caring for Potted Plants, Claire Kennedy
and Annemieke Buis
3:40 p.m.
29
Woody Seedling Community Response to Invasive Species Removal,
Caitlyn Cathey
4:00 p.m.
30
Religiosity and Awe: How does religious behavior influence a
person’s intensity of emotion in response to experiencing an awe
inducing event, Jordan Sigal
4:20 p.m.
31
Socially Distant but Physically Close: Class, Ethnicity, Occupation, and
Neighborhoods at Ventanillas, Peru, between 1200-1400 C.E., Robyn
Cutright
4
POSTER PRESENTATIONS AT A GLANCE
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Zoom link
32. Docking Study with SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease, Anna Bachmann
33. Light-Induced Reaction of FADT and their Crystal Packing, Micai Benford
34. Examining the Role of Risperidone in Dopaminergic and Serotonergic Mechanisms
Underlying Cocaine-Induced Sensitization in Japanese Quail, Kylie Cochran and Katy
Haering
35. Bluegrass Allergy and Asthma Internship, Emily Doyle
36. Measured Energy Dissipation in Internal Waves, Yichen Guo
37. Mithramycin Analogs With Improved Cytotoxicity and Cancer Specificity, Madeline Jenkin
and Marielena Villaran
38. The Effects of Mating on Female Drosophila Bitter Taste Processing, Landy Lin
39. The Physics of Bacterial Swimming Near Boundaries, Tanner May
40. Hormonal Control of Alcohol-Induced Aggression in Male Japanese Quail, Izzy Neel and
Brianna Roberts
41. Does Height Really Matter?: Perception in Virtual Reality, Caleb Snyder
42. Determining the DNA Binding Behavior of Transition Metal Polypyridyl Complexes, Ella
Aponte
5
ART EXHIBIT AEGON GALLERY
April 9-29 2019
AEGON Gallery, Jones Visual Arts Center
Hours 9 am-4 pm, Monday through Friday
(please follow Centre College health and safety guidelines)
Artist is senior Claire Thomas-Smith
Class is Introduction to Oil Painting
9x12-inch oil on canvas
6
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
1. Gothic Modes of Repression and
Resistance in Franco-African Cinema,
Joshua Hay
However, in the context of climate change
and growing inequality, this privatization
of food systems exploits the environment
and many local communities associated.
The American food system is not a model
to be exported through development to
communities abroad, yet this often occurs.
Using case studies, I aim to demonstrate
how agricultural development, when
incorporating non-market based reform,
can become more equitable and
sustainable. By highlighting the value of
non-market based reform, agricultural
development can become a specialized
tool to meet the agricultural needs of
diverse communities. My research will be
presented in French.
Mentor: Christian Wood
In Ousmane Sembène’s LA NOIRE DE…,
actress Mbissine Thérèse Diop’s heroine
Diouana finds a fulfilling nanny job in
Dakar, Senegal, but when it moves her to
Antibes, France, she encounters a life of
dull domesticity and household slavery
that drives her to a tragic fate. In JeanPierre Bekolo’s genre mash-up LES
SAIGNANTES, two witches who seduce the
corrupt elite of a futuristic Cameroon must
hide the body of a powerful man who dies
during a sex act. Made across decades, in
different countries, and in vastly different
styles, this presentation shows how both
works use Gothic tropes to reveal the
contextual struggles of African women as
they enact the “return of the repressed
other” when confronted with continued
marginalization in a supposedly postcolonial world. This will be presented
entirely in French.
3. Senegal and French Post-Colonial
Influence, Will Hardy
Mentor: Christian Wood
My presentation examines the
contemporary creative and artistic
practices of Senegal, paying close attention
to colonial French influence over said
cultural practices. This project serves as a
continuation of research analyzing street
art in Québec and Tahiti in a French
postcolonial frame. Senegal is well known
for the practice of assemblage, where
artworks are crafted from chance objects
available to the artist. This practice is not
unique to Senegal, but is in fact very
common among Afro-Atlantic
communities. I highlight the French
influences within Senegal’s artistic
production to set it apart from other
similar practices seen in the Afro-Atlantic. I
situate catholic imagery as one such aspect
of assemblage work in context.
2. Non-Market Based Reform as a Tool for
Agricultural Development, Hannah Ely
Mentor: Christian Wood
After working in agriculture, I seek to
understand the role of agricultural
development, inquiring how its systemic
problems can be addressed in order to
implement a more equitable, sustainable,
and community-oriented approach.
Agricultural development increasingly
pushes neoliberal reforms as a solution to
the growing population’s need for food.
7
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
4. La Veladora by Jesse Treviño:
Experiencing the Sacred Divine, Nathan
Whitlock
Mentor: Mary Daniels
Mentor: Mary Daniels
La Virgen de Guadalupe, is an archetypical
figure that has helped create Mexican
national identity. Indeed, Guadalupe has
been re-written in literature, art, music,
and film as a symbol of resistance and
transformation. In our presentation Saira
Carreto Romero and Natalie Cha Olguin
will explore the ways in which Guadalupe
has perceptually changed overtime. Our
primary focus will be on a 1999 photobased digital print of La Virgen de
Guadalupe called, “Our Lady.” This digital
photo was created by Alma Lopez, a
Mexican-born Queer Chicana artist who
not only transforms La Virgen physically,
but she also transforms the religious icon
into a symbol of her own identity, culture,
and community. This presentation will be
prerecorded and in Spanish.
When La Virgen de Guadalupe first
appeared to Juan Diego on the hill of
Tepeyac, he understood, at that very
moment, that the ground below his feet
was sacred. As depicted in La Veladora by
San Antonio based artist Jesse Treviño,
streams of light radiated from the Blessed
Mother who was wrapped with the night
sky and carried by the moon. In his colorful
mosaic, Treviño deploys the sacred image
of Mary as a prayerful peacekeeper in a
crime plagued neighborhood and as a
cultural axis that emulates the hybrid
identity of Mexican-Americans. In fact,
both Catholic and indigenous traditions
contribute to the completely whole but
hybrid conception of La Virgen herself.
Treviño simultaneously incorporates the
ancient iconography of the founding of
Tenochtitlan, the serpent and the eagle,
which juxtaposes the unique power of a
fleeting apparition, a flickering flame and
the movability of a veladora with the
permanence of the founding of the Aztec
Empire. Not only has La Veladora served
the pragmatic purpose of reducing local
crime, a noble goal that Treviño has
outlined explicitly in interviews, it has also
amplified the complex relationship that
many immigrants have with their
homeland and their chosen home. This
presentation will be prerecorded and in
Spanish.
6. What IS Art History?, Amy Frederick and
Peter Haffner, Assistant Professors of Art
History
Art history is the historical study of the
visual arts—necessarily interdisciplinary
and sometimes multidisciplinary, art
historians engage in research from a
variety of perspectives to make sense of
the past and present through visual
evidence. In a world where we are
increasingly bombarded by visual material,
understanding how to interpret images is
essential. In this session, we will
demonstrate the diverse methods involved
in art historical scholarship and how our
research prompts us to “see” in the world
today.
5. Our Lady of Controversy: New
Representations of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, Natalie Cha Olguin and Saira
Carreto Romero
7. Contemporary String Quartet
Compositions, Sam Biggerstaff
8
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Mentor: Larry Bitensky
demanding doctrine—a philosophy of
action—necessary for white America to
heal itself of its carelessness, which is a
necessary step in healing America of its
original sin of racial injustice.
The string quartet is a renowned medium
and genre of music that has existed ever
since the Baroque era (1600s). In its more
than 400 years of existence, the string
quartet has developed a lot along with the
different styles of composers and eras. The
contemporary era of music, in specific, has
been incredibly interesting in the evolution
of the string quartet. In this performancebased project, I have composed a series of
5 short (~2 minutes or less) pieces for the
string quartet inspired by contemporary
composers and their techniques from the
20th and 21st centuries such as Bartok,
Stravinsky, Reich, Glass, etc.
9. Religion and Soft Balancing: Russia in the
Middle East, Robert Bosco, Associate
Professor of International Studies
The decline of unipolarity in the
international system creates openings for
competitors to increase their spheres of
influence. In this presentation, I examine
how Russia seeks to increase its influence
in the Middle East following the retreat of
the U.S. from the region through a crucial
but overlooked modality: religion. I focus
in particular on the activities of the Russian
Orthodox Church in Syria and Palestine,
and Russian engagement with both Sunni
and Shi’ite interests in the region. I argue
that the concept of “soft balancing” should
be expanded to include the role that
religion plays in contemporary balancing
behavior.
8. No Justice, No Peace: Marilynne
Robinson’s Gilead and the Black Lives
Matter Movement, Lindsey Wood
Mentor: Mark Lucas
Racism in America looms large in
Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead. She
probes white Americans’ increasing
avoidance of and apathy toward issues of
racial injustice in the Reconstruction and
post-Reconstruction periods. However, as
Robinson thoughtfully diagnoses white
America’s ills, she prescribes a healing
balm for the next generation that comes
from an unlikely source: America’s past. A
product of the fiery Christian Puritanism
brought over on the Mayflower, the eldest
Rev. Ames preaches that slavery is itself a
war, and that peace is impossible without
abolition. A prophetic stance. Boiled down,
his motto is identical to that of the
contemporary Black Lives Matter
movement: No Justice, No Peace. Through
Rev. Ames, Robinson establishes that
American Puritanism is the type of
10. The Effects of School Closures on English
Language Learners (ELLs) in Las Vegas,
Veronica Valente
Mentor: Sarah Murray
The purpose of this study was to
investigate how COVID-19 related school
closures and online learning have affected
English language learners (ELLs) and their
educators from five Las Vegas-area high
schools. The study specifically examined
ELLs’ desire to progress towards
graduation, ability to communicate using
English, and preference to continue or
discontinue specific elements of remote
learning. These themes were also
9
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
examined through the lens of ELL educator
perspectives. Links to surveys (provided in
four languages) were distributed to school
principals who disseminated them among
students and staff. A review of the data is
showing that fewer ELLs wish to drop out
now than before school closures began in
March 2020 and that ELLs are evaluating
their ability to communicate in English as
having improved or stayed the same since
that time.
12. The Aggregate Cost of Crime in the United
States, David A. Anderson, Paul G. Blazer
Professor of Economics
Estimates of crime’s burden inform public
and private decisions about crimeprevention measures. More than counts of
criminal offenses, the aggregate cost of
crime conveys the scale of crime problems
and the value of deterrence. This article
offers an estimate of the total annual cost
of crime in the United States, including the
direct costs of law enforcement, criminal
justice, and victim losses, as well as the
indirect costs of private deterrence, fear
and agony, and time lost to avoidance and
recovery. The findings update crime-cost
estimates of past decades while expanding
the scope of coverage to include
categories missing from past studies. The
estimated annual cost of crime is $4.87
trillion including transfers from victims to
criminals and $3.02 trillion net of transfers.
11. Diversity at the Centre? Investigating
disparate retention rates for minority
students in STEM, Cynthia De Leon
Mentor: Sarah Murray
With each passing year, there is a rise in
career opportunities in STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and
mathematics) related fields. The number
of racial/ethnic minorities and women in
such fields, however, is not increasing at
equal rates. This ongoing research began
its focus on trying to understand why there
is such a disproportionate number of
racial/ethnic minorities and women in such
fields and how this may be traced back to
graduate and undergraduate level
academia, like Centre College. Through an
anonymous survey developed particularly
for current seniors, whether they are
pursuing a STEM degree or not, the survey
sought to understand the unique
experiences of students within STEM
classrooms at Centre and how that has
influenced their desire to continue STEM
or seek alternative career paths.
Information provided through student
responses offers ways for improving
recruitment and more importantly
retention of minority students and women
in STEM at Centre College.
13. The Effects of the Hofmeister Series Salts
on Hydrogen Bonding, Rami Edarehchi
Gilani, Hemangi Patel, and Sheridan
Wagner
Mentor: Kristen Fulfer
A protein’s characteristics can be varied
through different interactions with cations
and anions. The ability of salts to have such
influences also vary across certain series of
salts, which are called the Hofmeister
series of cations and anions. A protein’s
characteristics and functions are
dependent on the geometric shape of the
protein. Their shapes are reworked
through intermolecular interactions,
specifically hydrogen bonding, between
water and functional groups of these
10
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
biological systems. In this project the
carbonyl functional group is utilized as a
probe of the hydrogen bonding network of
water. This functional group is specifically
present in methyl acetate. Methyl acetate
is then combined in aqueous solutions
containing different salts from the series.
Using FTIR spectroscopy at varying
temperatures, changes to the hydrogen
bonding network due to the presence of
cations and anions are detected. A series
of bromide and chloride salts is being
investigated currently.
irradiated with near-infrared light to trigger
the release of drugs from the surface of the
nanoparticles at desired intervals. In
combination, the new drugs and delivery
systems will reduce interactions of the
drugs with normal cells to reduce side
effects and improve the therapeutic
outcomes.
15. Le Corps et Le Soi, en Tant Que Féminine,
Sophia Casto
Mentor: Christian Wood
14. Improved Anti-Cancer Therapies Through
Combination Drug Design and Drug
Delivery, Daniel Scott, Assistant Professor
of Chemistry
Existential explorations of identity and
agency often come from the perspective of
those who occupy unmarked categories.
Living in a body that is marked as “other”
with agency that is severely limited by
external forces impacts the ways in which
the world and the self is understood. I am
interested in the ways which francophone
feminist philosophers specifically have
approached what feminine embodiment
means for women’s sense of self and
identity. How does the tension between
immanence and transcendence which
Beauvoir identifies as part of the feminine
experience relate to the experience of
embodiment? In French, I will present an
overview of some of these ideas and a few
contemporary considerations regarding
21st century developments, in particular
the advent of social media, the
implications of “branding” oneself, and the
growing acceptance of more nuanced
conceptualizations of gender.
Traditional chemotherapies target rapidly
developing cells in the human body,
resulting in harsh side effects from the
destruction of healthy cells alongside of the
cancer cells. In order to minimize these side
effects drugs were designed to more
specifically interact with cancer cells
compared to normal cells. The new drugs
were developed by rationally modifying the
natural product mithramycin and their anticancer abilities were investigated with nonsmall cell lung cancer cells. Additionally,
delivery systems to deliver the therapies
only to the tumor tissue can further
diminish the negative side effects of the
drugs
while
improving
treatment
outcomes. Gold nanoparticles were used as
the basis for the delivery vehicle as they are
biologically inert, relatively easy to modify
the surface to load the drugs, and heat
upon the absorption of near-infrared light
which will trigger the release of the drugs.
The gold nanoparticles were functionalized
with DNA to bind the cancer drugs and
16. Lessons from France: Sexual Health
Education Practices to Adopt in the U.S.,
Meg Whelan
Mentor: Christian Wood
11
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Comprehensive and culturally competent
sexual health education should be
accessible to all young people through
public schooling. Yet, a basic internet
search about sexual health education in
the United States yields only an endless
scroll of Planned Parenthood resources.
With no federal laws mandating the
content, quality or frequency of sex-ed,
students in the US experience highly
variable and widely insufficient learning.
An equivalent internet search in French,
however, reveals the official website of
France's Minister of Education, which
outlines their comprehensive national
curriculum. The French system requires
that students, beginning in middle school,
learn about human anatomy, sexually
transmitted infections, contraception, and
sexual violence prevention. This
presentation, delivered in French, will
analyze the state of sexual health
education in France and offer its
components as one model for reform
within the US.
This video essay examines the impact of
hair discrimination among an Afrodescent
male who simultaneously struggles to
embrace his hair texture while rejecting his
natural hair pattern through the analysis of
two films: Pelo Malo and Good Hair. Both
films provide an understanding of gender
stereotypes, societal norms and familial
pressures while demonstrating how people
around the world assimilate to beauty
standards. This research helps facilitate a
greater understanding of societal beauty
standards in Venezuela—the setting in
which Pelo Malo highlights the complexity
of the word beauty. The standing literature
indicates Venezuela’s long standing beauty
standards mimicking those of Europe. This
creates long term effects on the life
trajectories of both men and women.
These internalized European beauty
standards have been center stage for
women in Venezuela for many years, but
with the help of this analysis, we shed light
on how these beauty standards negatively
affect men as well.
17. Michel Foucault’s Utopias, Marc Démont,
Visiting Assistant Professor of French and
Humanities
19. Brazilian Dictatorship: Story of a
Revolutionary, João Victor Azevedo and
Andrea Brito
Mentor: Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
My presentation will focus on my
translation of two radiophonic lectures
given by Foucault in 1966. I will not only
discuss the complex history of these
translations and their relevance to
Foucault’s work, but also the ways in which
these two texts shed light on Foucault’s
early engagement with phenomenology
and literary criticism.
By analyzing cinematographic strategies
and engaging with Carlos Marighella’s
written text to conclude the ideological
reasons for why “Marighella'' stirred
controversy in the Brazilian political arena
and serves as a powerful statement against
the current government. “Marighella'' is a
Brazilian movie directed by well known
Brazilian actor and debut filmmaker
Wagner Moura. The film portrays Carlos
Marighella (1911-1969) who represents
18. Why Don’t They Like My Hair?, Melissa
Perello and Alexandra Boardman
Mentor: Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
12
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
the fight for justice in Brazil against the 20year military dictatorship. Because
Moura’s narrative commends the true
nature of Marighella’s revolutionary
movement, the film was immediately
banned both in Brazil and the United
States, which supported the dictatorship.
This video essay showcases the ideological
perspective of Marighella through Moura’s
camera shots. We highlight the camera
positions that made the audience develop
a relationship with Marighella’s story.
Therefore, viewers unaware of the
dictatorship era in Brazil could have a
better understanding of Brazilian history
throughout the film.
of Carlos Marighella, a revolutionary going
against the Brazilian government, and
highlights the government’s censorship of
the media.
21. Burning Up: Modeling Wildfire
Temperature Using AVIRIS Imagery,
Mackenzie Conkling
Mentor: Bruce Rodenborn
Measuring active fire temperature of
wildfires is important for understanding
burn severity, the role of fuels and
predicting fire spread, but because of the
dangers presented by wildfires, in-situ
temperature data are difficult to collect.
With the high-resolution data collected by
the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging
Spectrometer, fire temperature can be
modeled accurately from the radiance
within pixels of a hyperspectral image
containing fire. Using Planck’s Law, the
measured radiance can be fit to modeled
blackbody curves to determine maximum
temperature within a pixel by limiting the
Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) between
measured and modeled radiance. Results
showed our method to provide a more
accurate model, because it retrieved fire
temperature with minimal error for the
2017 Sherpa and Thomas Fires in
California. The model was also shown to be
portable across fires with dissimilar
behavior providing the rate of temperature
decay within a pixel was modeled carefully.
20. Marighella: A Look Into the History of
Media Manipulation in Brazil, Faraz
Ghamgosar and Lauren Jung
Mentor: Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
The primary problem that we address in
our video essay is how easily the media
was manipulated by the government and
dictatorships of Latin American countries
such as Brazil during the 1960s in order to
promote their agendas and shut down any
and all opposition. This completely unfair
and unjust authoritarian ruling of Brazil
was a calculated and intentional series of
events that began with a coup. This is
when President João was overthrown by
the Armed Forces, which had the support
of many high-ranking military officials, the
Catholic church, and even the United
States through its embassy. Upon taking
power the authoritarian military
dictatorship completely censored and
improperly used the media in order to
maintain complete control and maintain
the support of the unbeknownst people.
The film Marighella focuses on the biopic
22. Modeling the Spread of COVID-19:
Examining the influence of face mask
policies in select U.S. states, Princess
Allotey and Annika Avula
Mentor: Michael Lamar
13
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
We examine the spread of COVID-19 in
multiple states using a compartmental
differential equations model. We compare
the transmission rates between states
before and after face mask mandates are
implemented. We use data from The
COVID Tracking Project to verify our
model. Our findings indicated that the
infection rate of COVID-19 decreased after
face mask policies were introduced in the
five states of interest. Now that vaccines
are readily available, we add a new
compartment to our model that takes the
vaccination rates of different states into
account and expand our study by looking
at infection, recovery, death, and
vaccination rates.
targets were investigated using PyRx and
then docking using Chimera.
24. Vertebrates from the Middle Devonian of
Kentucky: Prelude to a Crisis, Amanda
Falk, Assistant Professor of Biology
The Late Devonian Mass Extinction is one
of the more poorly understood of the Big
Five mass extinction events of the last 542
million years. This event devastated
several groups of fish and many different
types of marine invertebrates, and there
are half a dozen proposed causes, ranging
from anoxic oceans to a slowdown in the
birth of new species. However, the buildup
to this event has not been particularly
well-studied. Furthermore, our
understanding of Middle Devonian
vertebrate diversity, especially on the
western side of the Appalachian Basin, is
severely lacking. Over the past few years,
working with several students, I have
sampled a poorly known bonebed in Estill
County; now, as COVID hopefully ebbs, I
will be able to expand our search to
additional new localities that are under
sampled and understudied for Devonian
vertebrates, which are already poorly
recorded in Kentucky.
23. Computational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2
Therapeutics Development, Sam
Biggerstaff and Benjamin Hammond
Mentor: Jennifer Muzyka
SARS-CoV-2 has uniquely crippled the
world. To combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus
and prevent future epidemics, significant
antiviral research needs to be conducted.
Nine non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV2 have been designated as promising drug
targets. These targets were because the
proteins were highly conserved from SARSCoV to SARS-CoV-2, and they were vital for
viral replication. Of the nine good targets,
NSP12 is a unique drug target. NSP12 is the
viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
(RdRp). Remdesivir is currently being used
to target NSP12. The RdRp of RNA positivestrand viruses has seven conserved motifs
that allow the cross activity of Remdesivir.
This cross-reactivity could be essential in
the drug discovery process because drugs
that target NSP12 of SARS-CoV-2 could be
effective against other viruses. NSP12 drug
25. Line Fork: A Winter at Lilley Cornett
Woods, Idris Irihamye
Mentor: Megs Gendreau
My project, “Line Fork: A Winter at Lilley
Cornett Woods” explored constructions of
nature and their influences on cultural
identity and interactions with nature. The
models I used were Appalachian
mountaineer culture, Black American
mainstream culture, Ojibwe Anishinaabe
culture, and White American mainstream
14
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
culture. I found that constructions of
nature as separate from or opposite to
civilization tend to allow for the use of
nature as well as those close to or
perceived to be close to nature, as
resources with little to no consequence. I
also explored the way that in communities
where civilization is modeled after nature,
the people tend to act in positive
relationships and form long-term
connections with nature. This is because
when nature is intrinsic to civilization,
societies encourage the formation of a
reciprocating relationship between people
and the rest of our environment as a
necessary aspect of maintaining cultural
balance.
participants will respond seriously to IAT
feedback about implicit racial bias and
subsequently make efforts to control their
bias. We expect that participants exposed
to their IAT score will show a higher
motivation to control their prejudices.
27. Moving to Louisville: Where College
People Live in the City, Beau Weston, John
M. and Louise Van Winkle Professor of
Sociology
Louisville is the most likely place for Centre
alumni to live. One sixth of all alumni live
there now. For each of the last three
years, one fifth of graduates moved there
after graduation. There are different kinds
of neighborhoods in Louisville, which
appeal to people in different stages in life
cycle, and with different politics. The
Highlands are a dense, walkable, mixeduse neighborhood with strong appeal for
young single people and liberals. The
many suburban subdivisions appeal to
older married people and conservatives.
Prof. Weston will discuss the findings of his
recent book, Between Bohemia and
Suburbia: Boburbia in the USA, a
sociological study of Louisville
neighborhoods.
26. The IAT as Intervention: Promoting
concerns about implicit racial biases,
Gabby Romines, Sierra Gaskin, and Kristen
Sedlatscheck
Mentor: Jennifer Goetz
Implicit racial biases are widespread and
contribute to discrimination and
inequality. Research has shown the effects
of implicit bias in police, employment,
academic, and medical decisions. The
implications of implicit racial biases are
evident, but there is no clear way to
combat these biases. An individual’s bias
can be assessed by administering an
Implicit Association Test (IAT), which
evaluates the strength of people's
unconscious beliefs and stereotypes about
a specific group. Oftentimes, the IAT is
used in prejudice reduction training to
make people aware of biases and
potentially work to control them.
However, it is unclear if exposure to one’s
IAT score actually causes increased control
over biases. Our study aims to test if
28. The Psychological Benefits of Caring for
Potted Plants, Claire Kennedy and
Annemieke Buis
Mentor: Aaron Godlaski
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the
need for personal projects and outlets to
reduce stress. In recognition of this, the
Centre Gardening Club planned “Blooms
for Rooms,” a program which emphasizes
the importance of mental health by forcing
tulip and daffodil bulbs to bloom in late
15
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
February through mid-March. Students,
faculty and staff at Centre College were
given pots of bulbs and information
regarding plant care and self-care during
these difficult times. In collaboration with
the Gardening Club, we administered a
pre-survey when participants picked up
plants and a post-survey two weeks later.
The surveys consisted of Brief Mood
Introspection Scale (BMIS), inclusion of
nature in self (INS) item, and an in-house
gardening habit questionnaire. The goal of
this study is to measure the psychological
benefits of caring for potted plants. The
data collection phase will be completed by
March 24 and analyzed in the following
weeks.
insight into how woody plant communities
respond to invasive species removal and
potential secondary plant invasions.
30. Religiosity and Awe: How does religious
behavior influence a person’s intensity of
emotion in response to experiencing an
awe inducing event, Jordan Sigal
Mentor: Aaron Godlaski
The aim of this research is to determine
what specific factors influence
emotional/cognitive/meaning making
reactions to an awe inducing experience,
looking more closely at religiosity and
humility, and how they can explain why
someone may experience a stronger sense
of emotional awe. While religiosity may
promote a more intense emotional
response to awe, it does so through the
process of reducing a person’s focus on
self. Using data collected from a survey of
over 1000 participants in which subjects
reported emotional responses to the
experience of awe, religiosity and humility
were measured and looked at how well
they accounted for and mediated the
emotional, cognitive, and meaningmaking
responses to the awe experience. While
religiosity was a significant predictor of a
more intense emotional experience,
relation was better accounted for by selffocus, insofar as religiosity may promote a
reduced sense of self, and that small self
then leads to a more intense response to
awe.
29. Woody Seedling Community Response to
Invasive Species Removal, Caitlyn Cathey
Mentor: Brian Hoven
This study investigated the potential for
secondary invasion at five sites in central
Kentucky following the manual and
chemical removal of Amur honeysuckle
(Lonicera maackii) and autumn olive
(Elaeagnus umbellate). Tree and shrub
seedlings (20-100 cm) within four microplots were sampled at two control plots
and two treatment plots at each of the five
sites. Sampling followed the protocol
outlined in Hoven et al. (2017), seedlings
were classified as either native or invasive
and identified to the level of genus and if
possible, species. A two-tailed unpaired ttest will be used to compare each seedling
response variable—abundance of invasive
and native seedlings, Shannon Index, and
species richness—for the woody seedling
communities between control and invasive
shrub removal plots. This study coupled
with future re-samplings will provide
31. Socially Distant but Physically Close: Class,
Ethnicity, Occupation, and Neighborhoods
at Ventanillas, Peru, between 1200-1400
C.E., Robyn Cutright, Interim Director,
Center for Teaching and Learning and
Associate Professor of Anthropology
16
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
In cities, “socially distant people find
themselves physically close” (Hutson 2016:
17). This presentation uses archaeological
data to explore social differences within an
ancient city in the foothills of the Andes
during the Late Intermediate Period (12001400 C.E.). Differences in household
production of cloth and metal goods and in
household consumption of food and
decorated ceramics help to reveal a
socially diverse community on an ancient
frontier.
17
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
32. Docking Study with SARS-CoV-2 Main
Protease, Anna Bachmann
Mentor: Jennifer Muzyka
the stability of their respective oxidation
and dimerization products were executed,
in order to determine the change in
enthalpy over the course of the reaction.
The calculated reaction enthalpies agree
with experimental stability measurements.
The synthesized FADT samples and their
decomposition products were
characterized through Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and
infrared spectroscopy. Differences in
crystal packing of the derivatives was
investigated through computational
analysis.
Computational docking studies are
extremely useful for quantitatively
studying the abilities of different chemical
compounds to bind to proteins. When
compounds bind effectively enough to a
protein, they can often cause a change in
its function. This approach is the one we
have been using to study potential drug
targets against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Docking studies of the virus’s main
protease with a wide array of molecules
can illuminate potential methods by which
SARS-CoV-2’s method of infection can be
intercepted, thereby providing a viable
treatment for infected patients. I will
present a poster explaining the advantages
of the main protease as a target, the
docking study methodology, and relevant
results that have been found thus far.
Additionally, an explanation will be given
into this method’s usefulness against SARSCoV-2.
34. Examining the Role of Risperidone in
Dopaminergic and Serotonergic
Mechanisms Underlying Cocaine-Induced
Sensitization in Japanese Quail, Kylie
Cochran and Katy Haering
Mentor: Karin Gill
The present study will investigate if the
administration of a 5-HT2A and D2
antagonist will cause greater cocaineinduced behavioral sensitization in
Japanese quail than antagonism of either
receptor alone. This could provide further
support for the role of 5-HT2A and D2
receptors in treatments targeted toward
cocaine use disorder.
33. Light-Induced Reaction of FADT and their
Crystal Packing, Micai Benford
Mentor: Vanessa Song
Triethylsilyl fluoroanthradithiophenes
(TES-FADT) have been of interest due to
their application in organic electronics and
transistor devices. Three FADT derivatives
were compared with two being alterations
to the triethyl side group of the TES-FADT
molecule (TEC-FADT and TEG-FADT). It was
identified that FADT molecules could
undergo oxidation or dimerization when
exposed to light. Gaussian geometry
optimization and frequency calculations of
TES-, TEC-, and TEG-FADT molecules, and
35. Bluegrass Allergy and Asthma Internship,
Emily Doyle
Mentor: Karin Gill
During CentreTerm, I was fortunate
enough to participate in an in-person
internship at Bluegrass Allergy & Asthma, a
private clinic in East Louisville serving
allergy, asthma, and immunology patients.
As an intern, I assisted with the process
leading up to the physician seeing the
18
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
patient, which included the check-in
process, taking vitals, and conducting
Pulmonary Function tests. I also assisted
the doctor while seeing patients by
scribing his notes and observed in office
tests, like allergy testing. In addition to my
daily duties, I also worked with other office
staff on insurance claims and pharmacy
approvals. This opportunity allowed me to
earn clinical experience hours for applying
to Physician Assistant school, gain
knowledge about the medical field, and
learn about the business aspect of running
a private practice.
37. Mithramycin Analogs With Improved
Cytotoxicity and Cancer Specificity,
Madeline Jenkin and Marielena Villaran
Mentor: Daniel Scott
Mithramycin (MTM) is an aureolic acid
antibiotic that is produced by many soil
bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. A
genetically engineered strain of
Streptomyces argillaceous, M7W1,
produces three MTM analogues: MTM SK,
MTM SDK, and MTM SA. MTM SK and
MTM SDK have increased cytotoxicity
while MTM SA has significantly decreased
anticancer activity compared to MTM.
MTM SA differs from MTM SK and MTM
SDK with the presence of a carboxylic acid
on its 3-side chain. This carboxylic acid was
used for easy and consistent modification
of MTM SA with aromatic side chains to
produce new anticancer agents.
Cytotoxicity assays were performed to
compare the cytotoxicity of these MTM SA
analogues to MTM SK/SDK and showed
increased anticancer activity. Current work
is focused on scaling up these reactions to
complete structural characterization with
NMR and mass spectrometry.
36. Measured Energy Dissipation in Internal
Waves, Yichen Guo
Mentor: Bruce Rodenborn
Internal waves in the ocean are excited by
tidal motion of the fluid over topography
and propagate below the surface. These
waves shape the ocean’s topography and
are important in determining global ocean
circulation patterns and therefore affect
global climate. Our research looks at the
reflection of internal waves at different
boundary angles, specifically modeling the
process in which internal tides are
dissipated in the ocean along continental
slopes. We create internal waves in a
laboratory experiment with lasers and
seed particles to measure the velocity field
of the waves. We then determine the ratio
of the incoming and outgoing energy flux
of the internal waves, which shows high
rates of dissipation. The experimental data
is used to verify numerical codes under the
same conditions. The numerical codes can
then be used to explore other regimes that
is not possible in the tank experiments.
38. The Effects of Mating on Female
Drosophila Bitter Taste Processing, Landy
Lin
Mentor: Genevieve Bell
The Drosophila melanogaster’s
reproductive circuit plays a critical role in
their gustatory processing.
Female Drosophila undergo matinginduced appetite changes. Sweet and salty
foods are naturally preferred, but mated
female flies seek yeast-rich foods for egglaying. However, the relationship between
bitter tastants and this complex post19
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
mating circuit has been overlooked. The
proposed study aims to elucidate this
connection by observing how mating
impacts bitter preference in females.
Surprisingly, our preliminary studies
demonstrated a strong preference for
bitter (tonic water) in virgin flies however,
this preference was lost once mated.
Herein, we will compare control (DI water)
with a bitter tastant (caffeine) using a taste
preference assay. We hypothesize that
between the virgin and mated flies, mated
flies will display the strongest aversion to
caffeine. This study will expand upon the
relationship between sensory systems and
reproductive circuits across insect species.
directly linked to aggression. Rather, this
association is likely due to the
transformation of testosterone into
estrogen in the brain – a process known as
aromatization (Schlinger & Callard, 1990).
Alcohol exposure has been shown to
increase estrogen levels while decreasing
testosterone levels (Von Der Pahlen,
2005). Therefore, alcohol-induced
aggression may be due to aromatization. In
Japanese quail, aggressive behaviors are
easily observed and quantified (Schilinger,
Palter, & Callard, 1987) and require
aromatization (Schlinger, 1989).
Additionally, circulating hormone levels
may be manipulated without surgical
alterations via photoperiodism in quail
(Robinson & Follett, 1982). The present
study investigated the role of
aromatization on alcohol-induced
aggressive behavior in male quail.
39. The Physics of Bacterial Swimming Near
Boundaries, Tanner May
Mentor: Bruce Rodenborn
I worked under Dr. Bruce Rodenborn
(Centre) and professors at Trinity (TX) to
research the physical effects of bacterial
swimming near a boundary. Our research
uses novel techniques to measure and
characterize the functional forms of the
forces and torques that are generated as a
rotating helical structure approaches a
boundary. Our research sought not only to
learn more about the biophysics of
microscopic life, but also to understand
the fluid dynamics of low-reynolds number
viscous fluids.
41. Does Height Really Matter?: Perception in
Virtual Reality, Caleb Snyder and Brooks
Owen
Mentor: Drew Morris
Virtual reality research is a novel area in
psychology. Previous research
demonstrates that modifications can be
made to increase the perceived weight of
virtual objects in a virtual reality (VR)
simulation (Rietzler et Al., 2018). However,
most research fails to address the
relationship between perceived weight ingame and the characteristics of the user's
avatar - their in-game self. The purpose of
this research is to discover if manipulating
in-game avatar height impacts the
participant’s perceived strength. Using
PlayStation VR, participants are placed into
a virtual environment as a tall or short
first-person avatar. They are then asked to
40. Hormonal Control of Alcohol-Induced
Aggression in Male Japanese Quail, Izzy
Neel and Brianna Roberts
Mentor: Karin Gill
While testosterone typically has been
attributed to aggressive behaviors in male
mammals, this hormone has not been
20
POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
compare the weight of in-game objects
with weighted bottles in the lab. We
predict that users with tall in-game avatars
will have higher perceived strength and
will rate virtual objects as being similar in
weight to lighter objects in the lab.
42. Determing the DNA Binding Behavior of
Transition Metal Polypyridyl Complexes,
Ella Aponte
Mentor: Erin Wachter
The DNA binding behavior of ruthenium (II)
and iron (II) polypyridyl complexes were
studied for their potential to induce DNA
damage. A DNA binding constant assay
using UV-Vis spectroscopy was developed
and modified to be high-throughput using
a plate reader. Significant troubleshooting
took place to determine efficient ratios of
metal complex to DNA to give adequate
change in absorbance upon binding. The
results for the metal complexes tested
thus far are consistent with the DNA
binding constants reported in the
literature. Future studies include
determining the DNA binding constant for
additional metal complexes using the highthroughput assay as well as further
development and testing of a DNA damage
assays using gel electrophoresis.
21
COMMITTEE
2021 RICE SYMPOSIUM COMMITTEE
Eva Cadavid
Karin Gill
Ellen Goldey
Judith Pointer Keiser
RICE Symposium Co-chair
RICE Symposium Co-chair
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
AEGON Gallery Coordinator
CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
Robyn Cutright
Kristi Burch
Lisa Curlis
Andrew Patrick
Todd Sheene
Candace Wentz
Interim Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning
Academic Technology Specialist
Office Manager
Assistant Director of CTL & Experiential Learning Coordinator
Event and Video Production Coordinator
Assistant Director of CTL & Instructional Technology and Design
Coordinator
MEMBERS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Chris Faulkner
Satty Flaherty-Echeverría
Mary Girard
Fernando Gonzalez
Karoline Manny
Nate Meissner
Drew Morris
Andrew Patrick
Bruce Rodenborn
Visiting Assistant Professor of International Studies
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Digital Scholarship Librarian
Librarian Evening Supervisor
Reference, Instruction and Assessment Librarian
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Assistant Professor of History (ex-officio)
Assistant Professor of Physics
22
NAME INDEX
Numbers correspond to the presentation numbers, NOT page numbers
Allotey, Princess 22
Anderson, David 12
Aponte, Ella 42
Avula, Annika 22
Azevedo, João Victor 19
Bachmann, Anna 32
Bell, Genevieve 38
Benford, Micai 33
Biggerstaff, Sam 7, 23
Bitensky, Larry 7
Boardman, Alexandra 18
Bosco, Robert 9
Brito, Andrea 19
Buis, Annemieke 28
Casto, Sophia 15
Carreto Romero, Saira 5
Cathey, Caitlyn 29
Cha Olguin, Natalie 5
Cochran, Kylie 34
Conkling, Mackenzie 21
Cutright, Robyn 31
Daniels, Mary Blythe 4, 5
De Leon, Cynthia 11
Démont, Marc 17
Doyle, Emily 35
Edarehchi Gilani, Rami 13
Ely, Hannah 2
Falk, Amanda 24
Flaherty-Echeverría, Satty 18, 19, 20
Frederick, Amy 6
Fulfer, Kristen 13
Gaskin, Sierra 26
Ghamgosar, Faraz 20
Gendreau, Megs 25
Gill, Karin 34, 35, 40
Goetz, Jennifer 26
Godlaski, Aaron 28, 30
Guo, Yichen 36
Hammond, Benjamin 23
Haering, Katy 34
Haffner, Peter 6
23
NAME INDEX
Numbers correspond to the presentation numbers, NOT page numbers
Hardy, Will 3
Hay, Joshua 1
Hoven, Brian 29
Irihamye, Idris 25
Jenkin, Madeline 37
Jung, Lauren 20
Kennedy, Claire 28
Lamar, Michael 22
Lin, Landy 38
Lucas, Mark 8
May, Tanner 39
Morris, Drew 41
Murray, Sarrah 10, 11
Muzyka, Jennifer 23, 32
Neel, Izzy 40
Owen, Brooks 41
Patel, Hemangi 13
Perello, Melissa 18
Roberts, Brianna 40
Rodenborn, Bruce 21, 36, 39
Romines, Gabby 26
Scott, Daniel 14, 37
Sedlatscheck, Kristen 26
Sigal, Jordan 30
Snyder, Caleb 41
Song, Vanessa 33
Valente, Veronica 10
Villaran, Marielena 37
Wachter, Erin 42
Wagner, Sheridan 13
Weston, Beau 27
Whelan, Meg 16
Whitlock, Nathan 4
Wood, Christian 1, 2, 3, 15, 16
Wood, Lindsey 8
24
NOTES
25
Thank you for attending the
14th Annual
Symposium
26