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Cassidy Blackham | Dance | Modern Dance History

The Holocaust, Sigmund Freud, and Anna Sokolow:World War II. The Holocaust. These cultural touchstones have permeated the general consciousness of the global populace, infiltrating the unconscious minds of millions of people even today, namely, the Jewish population (Leys 24). This research will demonstrate that Anna Sokolow, an influential modern dance choreographer in the mid-twentieth century, was one such Jew. Her piece Dreams (1961), which has been lauded as an important Jewish choreographic work showcasing the horrors of the Holocaust, was realized from the nightmares Sokolow experienced during and after the Holocaust (Warren 144). Current scholarship in dance research has concluded that dance reflects culture (Keali’inohomoku 33). Researchers can assume that dance, whether that be a general dance form or a specific choreographic work, is reflective of the culture at large and an individual’s cultural microcosm. Sokolow’s vivid nightmares which served as the motivation behind her piece, according to Freud’s dream theory, are a direct reflection of her repressed emotions (Freud, Interpretation, 189). Dream theory can be used as a frame of analysis to critically interpret the choices made when a creator is in the creative process to discern their unconscious motivations which will provide a fuller understanding of the artist’s work (Tyson 29). Freud’s dream theory offers a means to interpret one’s dreams which explains a person’s behavior through revealing their internal drives, motivations, and emotions (Rickman X). A critical analysis of Dreams and a synthesis of peer-reviewed source material through a psychoanalytic perspective utilizing Freud’s dream theory will demonstrate the implications the Holocaust had on Sokolow’s unconscious mind, as revealed through her nightmares, and how her unconscious mind influenced her creative process, resulting in her masterwork: Dreams.

Christopher Hooper | Physics

Rocketing ahead with fusion? "Direct Drive Fusion" rocket motors have recently become of interest with the advent of start up companies such as Princeton Satellite Systems and their speculative foray into nuclear fusion driven thrust. Assuming heating mechanisms are developed to produce the required temperatures, we examine the basic parameters of such a rocket which place constraints on its operation. We consider feed rates and fusion rates necessary to sustain a given level of power. Unlike schemes to produce commercial fusion, the relevant plasmas must fuse over shorter time and distance scales, and at high temperatures and densities. This undergraduate project is a simple sketch of the parameter space based on rudimentary physics, intended to give insight to the magnitude of creating such a formidable rocket.

Todd Spencer | Behavior Science | Couple Relationships

Relationship Efficacy as a mediator between stress and couple satisfaction:There has been a wealth of research examining the negative influence of stress on relationship outcomes. Additionally, research indicates the quality of communication between couples strongly influences their overall satisfaction in marriage (Fletcher, 2002). While stress has been associated with poorer communication quality among romantic partners (Bodenmann, 1997), little is known how relationship efficacy modifies that relationship. The purpose of the present study is to examine the extent relationship efficacy mediates the association between stress and communication quality. Our sample consists of 939 individuals who are between 18-70 years old and currently in a romantic relationship. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale - short form (PSS-4; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), Active-Empathetic Listening Scale (AELS; Bodie, 2011), and Relationship Efficacy Measure (REM; Fincham, Harold, & Gano-Phillips, 2000). Following the mediation analysis outlined by Baron and Kenny (1981), we found that relationship efficacy did mediate the relationship between stress and communication quality, F (2,901) = 111.39, p=<.001. Results provide empirical support for the potential relationship efficacy holds to ameliorate the detrimental effects of stress on communication quality among romantic partners.

Tressa Hopkinson | Web Design & Development | User Experience Design

Telehealth in America:As user experience designers we look for how things work, how things don’t work and how people want things to work. When we started this process last fall, we knew we wanted to focus on the emerging field of Telehealth. With the COVID-19 pandemic the increase in virtual and remote visits with medical professions became the norm vs the exception. We needed to determine what digital solutions were currently available. Once we knew what was available, we needed to determine if there were gaps in those solutions. To find answers we started by researching the topic of Telehealth. We additionally, researched what digital solutions are on the market for medical care providers. With the research the next step was to do some quantitative research. We surveyed medical professionals across the United States and into Europe about their experiences with digital solutions in the medical industry. Based on the findings we created a new list of questions and moved into qualitative research, conducting virtual face-to-face interviews with volunteers. Although the technical issues such as internet connectivity were less frequent than we anticipated, the findings show that there are three main gaps within current digital solutions impacting the ability of medical care professionals to provide best care. First, there is an opportunity to improve the search features within the best practice’s resources. Second, Charting could be improved with voice interactions. Finally, the patient onboarding process should be improved. We recommend further research and exploration into these areas. The time is now to focus on this emerging technology. By partnering with local medical facilities and developing solutions we can improve the patient experience and the quality of care they receive in our growing virtual healthcare system.

SciErra Sundet | Nursing

Vaccinations needs after Covid-19 diagnosis:The current advice to those who have tested positive to COVID-19 is to get the COVID-19 vaccine when you are eligible to receive it. It is unknown how long COVID-19 antibodies remain in your system after being infected with COVID-19, and there have been some reports of people being reinfected with COVID-19. By getting the COVID-19 vaccine your body's immune system will be better able to fight off any potential future reinfection of COVID-19. You should not receive the vaccine if you are actively sick with COVID-19 or if you just recovered from being sick. You are not required to wait 90 days from your infection before receiving the vaccine, but you should wait at least until you are fully recovered from COVID-19 and are out of your isolation period before receiving it.

Taylor Johnson | Behavioral Science | Psychology

What makes you jump: Can a brief auditory and visual stressor cause a measurable stress response? Research conducted in various animal species including humans has led to the accumulation of evidence suggesting that stress, especially chronic stress, can be physiologically and psychologically harmful. Indeed, researchers have found a correlation between chronic exposure to stress and the development of mental illnesses, such as anxiety and major depression disorders. While stress seems to be an inevitable aspect of human life, stress can vary in duration and intensity depending on the individual. Experiencing a stressful stimulus leads to the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, which, in turn, causes the release of stress hormones (such as cortisol). Furthermore, the activation of the HPA axis leads to alterations in various physiological measures. For example, the stimulation of the HPA axis causes an increased activity of the cardiovascular system (producing an increase in heart rate and blood pressure). The current study assessed whether a brief stressful visual and auditory stimulus can elicit a measurable physiological stress response in college students and whether mindfulness can attenuate this stress response. Specifically, college students were recruited from an undergraduate psychology program. The participants watched a mildly humorous 32-minute video clip of an unfamiliar television show that contained a 1-second stressful stimulus. This stressful visual and auditory stimulus had been spliced into the television show and occurred halfway through the video clip—allowing for comparison of physiological measures between baseline (prior to stressor), during stressor, and during recovery (after stressor). Throughout watching the video clip, the participant’s physiological measures were recorded using an electrocardiogram associated with BioPac software. Subsequently, the participant’s heart rate and heart rate variability prior and immediately following the stressor were compared by repeated measures ANOVA to assess whether the stress response is measurable. In addition, the length of recovery for the heart rate and heart rate variability to return to baseline was assessed between individuals with prior exposure to yoga and mindful breathing and individuals without such exposure. This study served to assess whether the physiological stress response can be elicited by a visual and auditory stimulus and can be reliably measured in a laboratory setting. The successful completion of this experiment will allow future studies to assess various conditions that might shorten or prolong the recovery period after a stressful experience. Obtaining knowledge about the factors that can shorten the recovery period after a stressful experience will allow us to promote healthy coping techniques. Indeed, developing healthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress could positively influence the academic performance of college students and improve their psychological and physiological well-being.

Albert Jackson | Behavioral Science | Psychology

Perception of Overall Receptiveness in the Use of Abbreviations in Computer Mediated Communications (CMC):Communicating through text messages has become increasingly commonplace in this day and age. Depending on how the information in text messages is presented may influence how the message is perceived. The present study investigates the affect abbreviations have on one’s perception of a sender’s receptiveness through computer mediated conversations (CMC). We hypothesize that the sender’s messages containing abbreviations will be more poorly received by the recipient than the messages without abbreviations. For this study, receptiveness is measured by three variables: sincerity, enthusiasm, and dismissiveness. Participants will be asked to read a conversation through text messages between two people with the emphasis of focusing on being the recipient of the messages. The main manipulation is whether or not conversations include abbreviations. The participants will then rate whether or not the sender of the text messages seemed sincere, enthusiastic, and/or dismissive in the conversations. The goal of this presentation is to receive feedback on the design of our study and to adjust accordingly.

Tyson Hoyt | Biology | Early Cancer Detection

Green Fluorescent Protein Transfection for Improved Auto-Segmentation of Co-Cultured Cell Lines:Over the past several years, our research team at CIBEAM has successfully developed a non-invasive imaging technique capable of identifying different cancer cell types using their unique diffraction patterns, produced by irradiating the cells with a near-infrared diode laser. These scattering data were used to train an artificially intelligent neural network, which learned to identify unique patterns in the laser images and associate them with specific cell types. We are currently in the process of co-culturing cells (growing two types in the same sample) to determine whether the algorithm can still identify certain cell types in the presence of a foreign signal from a different cell line. The successful detection of cells in small concentrations (i.e., 1% cancer cells and 99% healthy cells) could aid in the development of new early cancer detection techniques, prior to the formation of a tumor, like micro-cancers and circulating tumor cells (CTC).

Jed Whetten | Biology | Evolution

DNA Barcoding of Vietnamese Mayflies:DNA is unique for all organisms on planet earth, from humans, to mayflies, to viruses. This uniqueness allows for species level identification via DNA barcoding. The purpose of this project will be to investigate the genetic diversity of mayflies collected in Vietnam during 2016 and 2018 by the Ogden Lab. The generated data will contribute to the Barcoding Of Life Database (BOLD). Currently, there are 26,832 records with sequences, forming 2,203 BINs (clusters of very similar DNA), with specimens from 71 countries, deposited in 83 institutions. Our contribution to this database will be important because there is no DNA data from Vietnam. The diversity of Ephemeroptera (Mayflies) in South East Asia is still not well known. However, recent studies are changing this situation. Studies and collection efforts from Vietnam are an example of this growing knowledge base, such as the study of the Ba Li national park in Vietnam, which reported 27 species, 20 genera, and 8 families based on morphological (structural) data (Nguyen et al. 2015). Mayfly diversity has been shown to increase during the wet season, from May to October. (Hoang et al. 2011). In June 2016 and July 2018 Dr. Ogden carried out collection trips to Vietnam. These collection efforts yielded a large diversity of mayfly specimens from 5 national parks and preserves (listed below). The purpose of our research is to characterize the diversity, using species identification literature and generate DNA barcoding data (from the COI gene). We also have colleagues to help us confirm some of the identifications. We will quantify the number of individuals collected at each site. We plan to also initiate data generation for multiple genes (12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, H3) for the specimens that can be used by other projects in the ogden lab for phylogenetic purposes.

Andrew Dobberfuhl | Psychology

Efficacy in hobbies and academics:Recent studies have explored the dynamics surrounding self-esteem, which is in one’s sense of worth. Within our study, we focus on the similar concept of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is defined as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise their influence over events that affect their lives” (Bandura, 1994). It is important to note for this study, that self-efficacy can vary between specific tasks, such as having weak efficacy about dieting, but strong efficacy about jogging. The current study investigates the relationship between self-efficacy in creative hobbies, and academic efficacy. Other studies have looked at the positive impact a creative hobby can have on an individual’s mental state, such as decreasing symptoms of depression (Israel et. Al, 2020). Additionally, it has been found that the development of creative skills can lead to a higher likelihood of academic success (Denervaud et al, 2019). Based on the existing literature, one hypothesis is that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy in a creative hobby, and academic efficacy.

T. Baylan Horrocks | Biology

Effect of Omega-3 Fatty acids on Learning and Memory in Drosophila with Alzheimer’s disease:The effect of diet is going to be tested on drosophila with Alzheimers. Data has shown that omega 3's stop inflamation, growth of tau tangle and beta amyloid plaques and decrease insulin resistance in the brain. All of these are precursors for Alzheimers disease

Ernie Vilela | Biology

Insect Biodiversity sampling of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah:The insects of Capitol Reef National Park (CARE) are not well known. Only a few works provide some limited information. For example, research efforts within CARE have been conducted from 1993 to 2008 which included the following locations: Fremont River, Pleasant Creek, fruit orchards, and tinajas. These sites are situated in the central and some southern regions of CARE. Assessment of the insect fauna of CARE has progressed little since USDA-ARS research conducted by Tependino and others in 2004. This project proposes to improve understanding of these ecologically important members of the desert ecosystem. To enhance the current understanding of CARE insect biodiversity, in addition to the larger biosphere of the Colorado Plateau, sampling has been conducted through many parts of the National Park, with particular emphasis around the Utah Valley University Capitol Reef Field Station. Standardized sampling techniques in 33 locations from 2010-2015 were used to collect insect specimens. In total, over 6000 Insecta representatives were collected and sorted to morphotypes. Identification was carried out in the lab and by taxonomic specialists. This resulted in around 326 total species (or morphotypes), representing 16 orders and 52 families. This project will estimate the new records for CARE.

Taylor Murphy | Biology

Molecular Phylogeny of the Mayfly Family Heptageniidae (Ephemeroptera):Ephemeroptera are “a small but diverse order of amphinotic insects associated with liquid freshwater worldwide” (Jacobus et al., 2019) that include at least “3083 species, 376 genera, and 37 described families” (Ogden, Whiting, 2005). With more than 600 species and 36 genera, the Heptageniidae family of mayflies is primarily found throughout the Holarctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical biogeographic realms with some presence in Central and South America; however, their abundance in these realms is largely dependent upon the season in which they’re found (Wolda, Flowers, 1985). These flat-headed mayflies dwell in streams and rivers and consume detritus and diatoms. Historically, the relationship of Heptageniidae relative to other mayfly families hasn’t been well understood (Ogden et al. 2009, Yanai et al 2017). Furthermore, the placement of the genera Arthroplea and Pseudiron have been inconclusive. The objectives of this study are to 1.) Test the hypothesis that Arthropleidae and Pseudironidae are derived Heptageniid’s instead of classified as their own monogeneric families and 2.) Investigate the monophyly of select genera.

Jennifer Ferguson | Art & Design | Painting

Billee Louise: This piece is acrylic and treadmill lubricant on paper with a photo. The technique I learned in my painting 3 class was to print a photo on paper of someone in my extended family who I admired. I chose my Great Aunt Billee. I normally am a very controlled painter so this style was a real challenge for me and I learned a lot from it. I mixed my paints with a small amount of treadmill lubricant to give it some unexpected flow. Using only pipettes I applied the paint in different shades all over the picture highlighting certain features and really freed my whole style. I had to work fairly quickly as acrylics dry fast. After I applied all the paint I crinkled up a sheet of aluminum foil and laid it across the entire painting and pressed down squishing the paint and lubricant into all sorts of different directions and unknown patterns. I then gently pulled the foil off to reveal a surprisingly beautiful abstract painting of my Great Aunt! I loved this project and learning to be willing to free up my style. Working with more abstract art has allowed me to really focus on the small details when I am doing more realistic painting and has really allowed me to enjoy a different point of view.

Emily Ferguson | Art & Design | Painting & Drawing

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Amie Ingram | Nursing

Effects of visitor polices on patients and families during Covid

Courtney Baggett | Nursing

Feelings on COVID-19 for Those 18-30 Years Old:Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, there have been varying levels of compliance and feelings about COVID guidelines. It seemed that those aged 18-30 years of age were the least compliant age group with social regulations. People aged 18-30 years of age have a great need for social interaction. This need may be a reason that this age group has been less compliant with regulations. Young adults in this age group have searched for different ways to be social during the pandemic whether that is through meeting with friends and family and breaking social guidelines, or spending a greater amount time on social media. A survey was conducted in order to understand some of the feelings of people in this age group. This was not a research study, but just a class project to practice researching ideas.

Savannah Christensen | Effects of COVID-19 vaccines

ProjectTitle:Many people are concerned about the potential effects of the COVID-19 vaccines and are concerned about receiving the vaccine. We used a qualitative exploratory survey approach to obtain feedback from those who have received vaccines for COVID-19 about their experiences. We sent out links sent out via personal contacts and social media platforms. The data collected from our experiment includes which vaccine was received, what types of side effects were experienced, and recommendations to those who have yet to receive the vaccine.

Deborah Runnells | Nursing | Area

Testosterone Therapy for Preventing Bladder Infections in Menopausal Women:Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common medical problem for women. There are over seven million visits to health care providers each year, with the US healthcare system spending one billion dollars per year managing them (Advanced Urology Institute, 2019). Menopausal women with recurrent UTIs often experience two to three infections a year (Advanced Urology Institute, 2019). These conditions can negatively impact a woman's life and daily activities. Is testosterone therapy a possible treatment for these patients? This was a literature review of existing peer reviewed research on testosterone therapy for women, specifically menopausal women with urinary tract infections. Research findings are presented with suggested research designs proposed.

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Sarah Skousen | Nursing

Positives of COVID-19:COVID-19 has had a significant impact on everyone. Some of these effects have been good, and some of these effects have been bad. While one’s initial thoughts of COVID-19 might initially provoke negative thoughts, we wanted to uncover if there were positive aspects that people experienced as a result to COVID-19 as well. This presentation goes over the data collected in our nursing research class project and our interpretations.

Geoffrey Goffe | Psychology | Civic Engagement

Disentangling Civic Intentions vs. Behaviors: An Experimental Approach:Engaging in civic activities can increase feelings of empowerment, the belief that an individual’s actions are impacting their community (Ballard et al., 2020; Christens et al., 2016). Using an experimental approach to simulate a civic experience, we examined the extent to which civic empowerment, when combined with community reflection, may act as mechanisms to promote both civic intentions and behaviors. Using a university sample of young adults (N = 310), participants received empowering messages when randomly assigned to write a social media both about a civic (i.e., experimental) or neutral (i.e., control) issue. Following the social media post, we assessed participants civic intentions by asking if they would like to engage in several civic activities (e.g., register to vote, participate in nonpartisan discussions, sign petitions, etc.), and behaviors were assessed by whether participants clicked a link to engage in each civic activity. Giving a civic speech led to greater intentions to engage in civic activities compared with giving a neutral speech, t(305) = -2.28, p = .02, but not greater increased civic behaviors, t(385) = -.45, p = .66. Civic intention is a common proxy for civic engagement in developmental literature, especially among adolescents. Our findings contribute to existing literature and suggest that measures of civic intentions may not be a useful proxy. Likewise, our findings extend Ballard et al.’s (2020) work by suggesting that empowerment alone may not be sufficient to encourage civic engagement but rather that young people must be encouraged in empowering contexts to reflect on issues surrounding their community.

Tabitha Weir | Biology | Biology Botany

The Mayflies of Utah:Mayflies are an important, but usually unseen part of every freshwater system. They provide food for many different species - ranging from other invertebrates to birds and even mammals- and are integral parts of nutrient and carbon cycling. Outside of their ecological niche, mayflies are important to humans for their use in indicating good water quality and as a favorite lure in fly fishing. While there are multiple aquatic invertebrate databases that list all known North American species and what states to find them in, these guides are, in some ways, outdated and incomplete. They do not reflect loss of species and the new species being found each year. Nor do they focus at the county level. The goal of this research is to investigate the species of Ephemeroptera in Utah, focusing on the distribution and location throughout the state. Three main efforts will be used to accomplish this goal. 1) literature and database searching, 2) visiting mayfly collections in local museums, and 3) field work to survey less known regions of the state. The main outcome will be a current county-by-county guide for each species of mayfly.

Jeremy Buhler | Biology

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) as a treatment option for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH):Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the abnormal enlargement of the prostate gland and is an exceedingly common condition in older men. Approximately 40% of men in their 50s and 70% of men in their 60s have BPH in varying degrees. Common side effects of BPH include, but are not limited to, difficulty urinating, increased frequency of urination, and discomfort due to prostate enlargement. In addition to BPH, prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death in older men. In today’s world, the success and efficacy of modern-day medicine are not universal to every patient with a health problem. In response, many individuals search outside of conventional westernized medicine for healthcare treatments. Standard placebo treatments for prostate disease often leave men dissatisfied with the results and treatment. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is one of the first CAM treatments men seek to handle these life-changing side effects. The studies in this review show the effectiveness of Saw palmetto in treating symptoms of BPH, the risks associated with using Saw palmetto or a placebo treatment, and analyzes the data supporting the complementary use of Saw palmetto supplements for those at risk or diagnosed with prostate cancer. The study selects chemical compounds found within the plant, which provides an explanation for the effectiveness of the plant.

Taylor Johnson | Behavioral Science | Psychology

Graded and Action Potentials Script - Tiered Demonstrations of Neuroscience Project:During the COVID-19 pandemic, online classes are becoming an increasingly used format for education. This can come at a large cost for students that (1) learn more efficiently by interacting with the material in real time, (2) are in classes with complicated visual material, and (3) have little understanding of the best study practices. This can be particularly important to the neuroscience-related classes in the behavioral sciences, as there are often gaps in understanding when students transition to new units or classes that build off of previous material. Learning materials that include strong objectives, interactive activities, consistent checks for understanding, and ways to apply the material in students’ lives are needed more than ever. To build learning materials that would fulfill these needs, we are creating modules for different levels of understanding, which include interactive pre-recorded lesson content, demonstrations, comprehensive quizzes, and application activities. This project is a model that can be used in the classroom to describe neural communication in various levels, which can also be used as a format for a number of other subject materials. It is divided into three levels of understanding: Basic expression of neural communication and measurement of such (useful for broad introductory courses such as General Psychology), Basic zoomed-in picture of neural communication as well as measurement and stimulation (helpful for intro neuroscience classes such as Brain and Behavior), In-depth explanation of the mechanisms behind neural communication, with measurements and stimulations (helpful for intermediate/advanced neuroscience classes such as Sensation & Perception, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Psychopharmacology).

Jarod Meecham | Biology | Phylogenetics & Evolution

Is Coloburiscidae Monophyletic: A Test of the Gondwanan Hypothesis:This research aims to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of the mayfly family Coloburiscidae (Ephemeroptera) - the spinose gilled mayflies. This family comprises three genera: Murphyella, Coloburiscoides, and Coloburiscus. A unique characteristic of this family is that they demonstrate Gondwanan distribution being found in New Zealand, Australia, and South America. In past studies, combined morphological and molecular data have questioned the family’s monophyly. The molecular data that has been used mostly comes from five “traditional” genes used in insect molecular phylogenetics. We compared our newly generated phylogenomic data to these traditional genes. We used targeted capture next generation sequencing to generate over 400 exons from the mayfly genome to create a large phylogenomic dataset. Bioinformatic software was used to align the data and carry out phylogenetic tree reconstruction using maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and maximum parsimony analyses. The resulting trees support the monophyly of Coloburiscidae, confirming the hypothesis of this research.

Logan Parker | Behavioral Science | Psychology

Static Face and Voice Pairing Interactions: Implications of Face-Voice Typicality on Phrase Content Recall:The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between voice-face pairing typicality and memory. Previous works demonstrate that unique voices were more memorable than voices that were ‘normal’ (Orchard & Yarmey, 1995). Additionally, there is some support to suggest that the distinctiveness of a voice could enhance facial recall (Bülthoff & Newell, 2015). However, there is some disagreement in the literature, leaving the topic inconclusive. In the present research, it was hypothesized that the content of a speech would be more memorable if voice-face pairing were unexpected. The findings from this study suggest the relationship between voice-face typically and memory is related, but that typical voices are more memorable (p = 0.043).

Jeremy Jensen | Biology | Entomology

Replicating Climate Conditions from Southern Arizona Induces Ecdysial Behaviors in Vinegaroons:he giant vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus) is often referred to as the gateway arachnid because its large size and mild temperament make them very approachable. While their general husbandry is well documented, records of ecdysial behaviors are sporadic or non existent. Wild populations are reported to go through ecdysis once a year during the same period (March-May) and few ecdysial events for captive follow the same trends. Ecdysis is important to the health and growth of many invertebrates and is often critical to time breeding events. Most captive M. giganteus are collected from southern Arizona, and by replicating yearly climatic cycles from this area, we have induced ecdysial behaviors.

Nathan Martin | Exercise Science

Metacognition and the TTM:The focus of the research is based on metacognition and the transtheoretical model (TTM) geared towards faculty. Metacognition is a different way of thinking that includes a deeper self-awareness using a deeper self-assessment in order to overcome learning obstacles. This way thinking includes asking one’s self questions like, “what have I not asked yet?”, “what am I not doing?”, questions that implements a deeper way of thinking for a more positive learning experience. Metacognition is assisted by the transtheoretical model which is an instrument used to asses someone’s resistance to learning and help identify their readiness to change. Our survey-based research focuses on high school faculty grades 11-12, and college professors grade 13. This survey uses the TTM-F to assess the teachers perception on pedagogy and use of a learning group. This survey also uses the Teaching Strategy Self-Assessment (TSSA) instrument to understand if they are encouraging student personal responsibility for learning, fostering student skill development, and increasing student active engagement. Not only will these instruments ultimately help faculty to understand if their students are being prepared for learning in higher education, it will also assess the teacher’s ability to recognize and facilitate student learning and lower the students resistance to learning. This is a pilot validation study in anticipation of a larger study assessing how to use the TTM and other metacognitive instruments to both teachers and students and to boost learning and enhance transfer to higher education.

Alie Mueller | Graphic Design

Two Point Perspective:Drawing a personal source image from two point perspective. I have chosen my childhood home that I have grown up living in for the first 18 years of my life. This year, we are selling the property. I wished to illustrate my home to capture the memories and save them in a timeless copy of history.

Alie Mueller | Graphic Design

Rustic:Watercolored representation of practice with rust and texture. Ink on watercolor paper.

Brittanna Roberts | Art & Design | Art Education

The Lord's Prayer:This accordion book was a project I did in my printmaking class in Fall of 2020. I am inspired by European architecture and design and wanted to incorporate imagery from medieval manuscripts along with the words from The Lord's Prayer. I created monotype prints as well as a lino-cut print to create the imagery. I also painted with watercolor and a gold acrylic paint to add texture and color to the negative spaces, and through the windowpanes. This project taught me about how to create a book with good craftsmanship and meaning. I feel that the artist should have a connection with their work and an interest in what they create. This project helped me engage with the course content of book making and printmaking in an engaging way for me as a student. As a future art educator, I feel that this project helped me see the possibilities of including cross-content subject matter, such as history, and combine it with the arts. I want my students to have choice in their projects, as I did by choosing my subject of medieval art, and I know that as the students engage in interesting and meaningful creative activities, they will be much more engaged in their own learning. I hope to include this type of creative thinking and process in my own future art classroom.

Xiaoxiong Ma | Art & Design | Art

Car: BMW

Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81276961008?pwd=cWFSdEJZcFY1aHVnMjhQZ1VQSHZqZz09

LeGrande Lolo | Dance | Modern Dance & Dance Education

Navigating Trauma While Seeking Connection And Community Through Dance During COVID-19:COVID-19, has had far reaching, devastating effects on everything from daily life to economics on a global scale, mental health being no exception. Joann Kealiinohomoku states that “Dance reflects the cultural traditions within which they developed.” One can therefore assume that dances created during 2020 will reflect current events. Within our respective choreographic processes, each choreographer sought to use dance to explore human responses to COVID-19. Humans have a natural neural synchronization to an outside rhythm, called entrainment, which engenders connection to one another. Currently starved from human interactions, it’s clear how essential finding community is. Trauma and negative emotions arise from a lack of socialization. Each choreographer chose to incorporate these facts into our three respective Modern Dance works. Using conversation, improvisation, and choreography, dancers applied personal experiences to create movements that reflected social interactions. Space and complex floor patterns were utilized to offer creative solutions while remaining socially distant. Gestural motifs, audible breath and diverging movement pathways reflected dancers' relationships to each other individually and as a whole. Unable to physically touch, it became essential to allow dancers to partner with each other through usage of dance props, line of sight and specific lighting. Breath by Jessica Ketchum-Lee explores the ideas of breath and synchronization to demonstrate how people unconsciously connect with one another. Red Thread by LeGrande Lolo, uses a physical set of ribbons, facilitating both abstract and literal partnering to explore socially distanced ritual and community building. In the Eye of the Storm by Francesca DeMartino, showcases how individual emotions are translated into physical experiences, allowing audience members to empathetically connect and find personal meaning within their own pandemic experiences. From our combined intents, it is clear that dance, in this exploration, is an outlet for reconciling emotional pain and a desire for human connection.

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Nicholas Jolley-Harding | Dance | Modern

The Pierian Spring:

A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow droughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
- Alexander Pope, The Pierian Spring

The Pierian Spring is a modern dance piece inspired by the poem of the same title from Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism. It seeks to explore the concepts of "knowing" and "not-knowing"--drinking deeply and the shallow droughts--and the descriptors experienced through them: hubris, exposure, ignorance, vulnerability, exploration, and humility. Through movement-based research and the trials of life, three types of knowledge came to fruition within the piece: general knowledge, self-knowledge, and knowledge of others. This piece, above all else, showcases the individual journey of each dancer through physically embodied expressions of knowing and not-knowing. While the poem itself was the impetus of meaning-making, the inspirational choreographic methodologies of Trisha Brown, Ohad Naharin, and Liz Lerman, in pairing with the experiences and values of the choreographer and performers, facilitated the amalgamation of movement representative of the poem's interpreted intent.

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Holly Thelin | Biology

Does the Pesticide Imidacloprid Affect the Wing Muscle Tissue in the Honey Bee? The pesticide Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide meaning when taken up through the soil and into the plant, foraging insects, such as Honey Bees, ingest this. When ingested it causes damage to the nervous system among other things resulting in death. Sub-lethal amounts can create reactive oxygen species without causing death. I plan to use Drosophila first, as a model organism for honey bees. I will then perform the same experiments on Honey Bees to study the effect of sub-lethal amounts of Imidacloprid on their wing muscles. A unique feature of honey bee muscle tissue is that the mitochondria increase in number before they start foraging but don’t have repair mechanisms. I plan to use an antioxidant treatment to try protect the mitochondria from any damage caused by sub-lethal levels of Imidacloprid.

Christian Heftel | Integrated Studies | German

The Uses of Stupidity: Foolishness in the "Dumb Hans" and "Hans in Luck":According to a common reading, fairy tales exist to provide us with positive role models, to teach us morals, and to make us wiser. What, then, are we to make of the common fairy tale figure of the dummy, and what benefit can we gain from the example of a lazy idiot? Using the Brother Grimms' fairy tales “Dumb Hans” and “Hans in Luck,” this presentation will explore some of the uses of stupidity. One possibility is that this stupidity sets the stage for wish fulfillment. Despite Dumb Hans’s foolishness and through the literal fulfillment of his wishes, he triumphs both over supposedly intelligent adults and over his social superiors, finally ending his story as king of his country. This ability to succeed in the face of disadvantages of education or class could explain these stories’ interest to children—and to the 19th century German burgher. On the other hand, the stupidity in “Hans in Luck” charts its main character an opposite course, leading him from riches and gainful employment back into poverty and dependence at the house of his mother. It is possible that this foolishness is meant as a cautionary tale, performing an opposite function as “Dumb Hans” and warning children that unless they grow up and become smart, they will be taken advantage of. This reading, however, is problematized by the common links between unworldliness and holiness, as seen in the Christian concept of the holy fool. Hans, like children, madmen, and saints, experiences a different reality than that of society, and it is possible that this may actually establish him as a positive, rather than a negative example. Hans’s constant happiness and his disregard for the material world may show that he lives not only “in luck,” but also in blessedness.

Danielle Munds | Behavioral Science Department | Psychology

Tiered Model for Supplementary Online Learning: Student-led Project for Enhancing Neuroscience Education:During the COVID-19 pandemic, online classes are becoming an increasingly used format for education. This can come at a large cost for students that (1) learn more efficiently by interacting with the material in real time, (2) are in classes with complicated visual material, and (3) have little understanding of the best study practices. This can be particularly important to the neuroscience-related classes in the behavioral sciences, as there are often gaps in understanding when students transition to new units or classes that build off of previous material. Learning materials that include strong objectives, interactive activities, consistent checks for understanding, and ways to apply the material in students’ lives are needed more than ever. To build learning materials that would fulfill these needs, we are creating modules for different levels of understanding, which include interactive pre-recorded lesson content, demonstrations, comprehensive quizzes, and application activities. This project is a model that can be used in the classroom to describe neural communication in various levels, which can also be used as a format for a number of other subject materials. It is divided into different levels of understanding:

• Basic nervous system anatomy and function
• Neuron anatomy and potentials
• Zoomed-in picture of synaptic transmission and the overall scope of neural communication.

College of Humanities and Social Science | Psychology

Students' Academic Achievement with Online and Face to Face classes Before & During the Covid-19 Pandemic:The world has changed due to the highly contagious corona virus. Everyone has had to shift their lives because of new safety regulations and guidelines. College students had to adapt to drastic changes to their curriculum that were face to face interaction and socializing on campus to online and livestream classes while practicing social distancing and/or quarantine. There have been many new articles about what may affect a college student due to Covid-19 but not many have quantitative data on how students have performed in school and their satisfaction with current status of their academic success and overall college experience. In this research study we will retrieve and analyze data from current UVU students on academic success, motivation, satisfaction with academics and mental status before and during Covid-19. This study will help future educators understand what students struggle with during stressful times and how to keep their motivation when forced to make changes to curriculum style. It can teach future researchers the limits and benefits of online and face to face classes. It can show how students may need high interaction with others to succeed and complete their education. This study will pave a way for students, educators, and people for a better understanding on what keeps them motivated, and how to deal with stress in unpredictable and drastic change. Our hypothesis is students with prior online experience will have an easier time adjusting to new school system due to Covid-19 compared to students with little to no experience with online & livestream classes. Students with experience will have a higher motivation & academic achievement and less stress.

Jennifer Shubert | Behavioral Science | Psychology

Whiteness During Black Lives Matter:The widespread cellphone and surveillance videos documenting the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 brought issues of police brutality, systemic racism, and race relations to the forefront of America's attention. Unlike the countless deaths before him, George Floyd's death marked an apparent change in sentiment from White society, catalyzing emotions of shame, guilt, and anger combined with actions to begin challenging the status quo of racial structures in the US. Despite an ongoing pandemic, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement organized protests across the country, calling attention to the marginalization of Black individuals and persons of color and forcing many Whites to confront issues around white privilege (Langford & Speight, 2015). Yet, this catalyzation seemed short-lived. By summer, support for BLM waned amid increasing confrontations between protestors and police and reports of violence and rioting at protests (Pew, 2020). The divisive rhetoric in the media and by politicians of the BLM movement highlighted the psychosocial costs of racism to Whites, as White fear – irrational fear and mistrust of people of color (Spanierman & Heppner, 2004) – became increasingly apparent. Given the importance of engaging Whites as racial justice allies, scholars need to better understand how Whites are responding to BLM protests. Using written, open-ended responses from 282 emerging adults, the current study documented White reactions to BLM. Thirty-four percent of Whites reported opposition to the BLM movement whereas 38% reported support. Salient opposition themes included White fear, color-blindness, and concerns around violence whereas support themes included recognition of oppression, White’s responsibility, and empathic support. Substantial variability in reactions to BLM aligns, in part, with theory demonstrating the psychosocial costs of racism.

Samantha Tilley | Chemistry | Biochemistry

Determination of the Relationship Between Hypertension and Endogenous Ouabain Placental Concentrations in Preeclampsia:Preeclampsia (PE) is the leading cause of maternal death in first world countries, yet the pathophysiologic understanding of this condition has been a scientific enigma. There is evidence of steroidal factors, Endogenous Ouabains (EOs), with a suspected role in PE due to Na+/K+-ATPase inhibition and subsequent hypertension. A certain amount of EOs naturally occur in normotensive (NT) women but are predicted to be upregulated in women with PE. Prior studies have compared the functionality of the sodium-potassium pump in NT and PE samples, but direct binding of EOs was not determined. Further research has supported the presence of cardiac glycosides in preeclamptic women by measuring sodium-pump activity before and after the administration of DigibindⓇ, a biologic antidote to another cardiac glycoside, digitalis. However, quantification and structure determination of the cardiac glycosides was not concluded. Our research intends to elucidate the relationship between EO concentration in PE versus NT placental samples. Using a thermal shift assay, the direct binding of digifab antibodies to EOs can be measured, supporting the relationship between the concentration relationship of EOs within PE placental tissue. Heat denaturation data was collected after administration of protein-depleted placental homogenate to antibodies by using fluorophores to capture the peak melting temperature of the inoculated antibodies. A shift in melting temperature would serve as evidence of binding. This research works to provide evidence supporting a correlation between upregulated EOs and preeclampsia, as well as providing further elucidation on the structural components of EOs, providing insight into the pathology of preeclampsia. This data will be able to support future investigation that will assist in the treatment of PE women.

Ryan Anstead | Behavioral Science | Psychology

The Positive Role of Religious Involvement and Spiritual Identity in Adolescence:Positive youth development is an important determinate in the growth of adolescents. Religious involvement and spirituality are two important factors for the positive development of adolescents. There are positive outcomes related to religious involvement such as peer and mentor support. Spirituality is more personalized and is associated with meaningful goals and growth. This study uses data for a longitudinal study to understand more in-depth the importance of both of these factors and whether or not it is better to have a combination of the two or just one specific factor. Using structural equation modeling, we found significant correlations between religious involvement and outcomes in civic engagement. Likewise, spirituality was associated with outcomes in civic engagement, personal goals, and life meaning. Given the positive outcomes associated with each of these factors, a combination of both religious involvement and spirituality appears to give the most solid foundation for future growth and positive youth development. When combined, aspects such as civic engagement will be reinforced, leading to greater potential positive youth development in adolescents. These findings give insight into potential focuses for instructors and parents seeking to promote positive youth development within adolescents. Future research should pursue more in-depth studies on this topic and should test these principles in a controlled study environment.

Dasha Horton | Biology | Botany

Old World Vigna (Fabaceae) Phylogenetic Analysis:The genus Vigna includes a number of economically important crop species that provide a significant proportion of the world's plant-based protein. A solid understanding of the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic classification are important to provide contextual understanding of this plant group and relations of crops species to wild relatives. However, the taxonomic classification and circumscription of this genus has had a turbulent past and has not addressed the group holistically. Here, we incorporate an improved taxonomic sampling from African and Old World Vigna species with previously sampled New World taxa to provide a more comprehensive estimate of evolutionary relationships using molecular phylogenetic analysis. We interpret the results in terms of wild relatives of crop species and in the context of previous botanical classification schemes.

Avery Larsen | Biology | Bioinformatics & Molecular Phylogenetics

Ephemeroptera Identification Using Mitochondrial DNA Sequence:Abstract Targeting Mitochondrial Cytochrome c oxidase I or the COI gene is very effective for DNA barcoding. There has been a considerable amount of work done already for the order Ephemeroptera using COI data. Objective: 1) Generate new COI data for mayflies present in the UVU Ogden Lab mayfly tissue collection. 2) Use the Genbank sequence database to identify and confirm identifications of mayflies in the collection. Purpose: This research intends to expand the Ogden lab’s current mayfly dataset by targeting the COI gene in taxa that currently lack a species classification. Generated COI data will provide a DNA barcode to facilitate identification. An improved dataset with confirmed identifications will benefit the lab as it works to map the phylogenies of other Ephemeroptera families. This research may also show how effective the data is from any other geographic region of the world compared to the USA. Methods: We will filter the entire database for specimens that lack COI data. We will generate sequence data for these taxa. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) will be administered to the already extracted DNA of these taxa. Successful PCR products will be sequenced by targeting the COI gene, and by using the LCO forward primer and HCO reverse primer. The remaining taxa which already have COI data will be processed using GenBank to identify or confirm identifications.

Brigham McKay | Psychology | Adolescent Development

The Contribution of Critical Consciousness, Self-Efficacy and Discrimination to the Development of Perseverance in Youth of Color:The purpose of the study was to advance developmental theory by providing a more comprehensive understanding of age-related change regarding youth of color and their persevering despite obstacles they face. A cohort sequential longitudinal design was used to analyze a diverse sample of youth of color ages 14-19 (n=1896) which were assessed at 4 different time points, each approximately 1 year apart. The self-reported race/ethnicity was Black (20.8%), Hispanic (64.2%), Asian (11.3%), or other (3.7%). Growth mixture modeling identified three classes of developmental change in perseverance, using civic self-efficacy, critical consciousness, and discrimination as predictors. Class 1 was labeled Increasing, which started low in perseverance in 9th grade and increased throughout adolescence, Class 2 was labeled Decreasing and started high in perseverance in 9th grade and decreased throughout adolescence, and Class 3 was labeled Stable, which remained high across adolescence. Discrimination predicted a greater likelihood of being in both the Decreasing and Stable classes than the Increasing class, whereas Civic self-efficacy predicted a greater likelihood of being in the Stable class than the Increasing class. Critical consciousness did not predict class membership. These findings add to a growing understanding of the development of perseverance and offer insight toward the importance of Civic self-efficacy due to its relationship with high and stable levels of perseverance. Continued research in identifying factors that both promote and hinder positive development among youth of color is urgently needed.

Alisa Baadsgaard | Biology | Botany

Virome of Utah Plants:In Utah, little is known about the plant virus species in ornamental and wild plants. All of the known viruses in the state have been reported to infect agronomic plants. This leaves a large gap in understanding in the epidemiology of the viruses in the state, as viruses in wild plants and ornamentals can be transmitted to agronomic plants by virus vectors and vice versa. Not only does this put agronomic plants at risk for future outbreaks, it could hinder conservation efforts in endangered and threatened species due to spillover in these populations. To help address this knowledge gap, we initiated a survey of plants in the state with an initial focus on wild and ornamental plants. To maximize our efforts to identify potential hosts, the UVSC Herbarium image database was searched for specimens that exhibited viral symptoms. Fresh tissue was collected from the UVU Greenhouse, the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point, and from various locations, including the UVU campus, parks and home gardens, in Utah county. DNA was extracted and tested for the presence of DNA viruses. A novel badnavirus, a DNA virus that integrates into the host genome, was identified in plants from the UVU Greenhouse and unidentified badnaviruses in the plant collection at the Butterfly Biosphere. We were also able to identify symptomatic plants in the UVSC Herbarium database to help focus future sampling efforts. Future work includes characterization of the new badnaviruses discovered, to test for RNA viruses in these samples, and to sample for additional plants from regions near UVU.

William Bradshaw | Biology | Ecology

Plant community change is driven by increasing shade and lack of fire at the Mount Timpanogos trailhead:The montane forests of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah are found between 2300 m and 3000 m with the chaparral shrublands below and the alpine forests above. Annual precipitation in this community is 74 cm and the average annual temperature is 3 ℃. In September over eight consecutive years (2013-2020), Plant Ecology students at Utah Valley University sampled trees and shrubs in a montane forest near the Mount Timpanogos trailhead in Utah County, Utah. In this area, woody plants that were at least 1.7 m tall (breast height) were sampled in 13-34 quadrats along 50-m transects. We determined relative frequency, relative density, relative dominance, and the importance value for 14 species. Importance value is a composite metric that takes into account frequency, density, and dominance. This report focuses on trees and shrubs that were encountered in at least seven out of eight years. Most of the species showed consistent trends over time. However, the importance value for quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) decreased over the eight-year period while white fir’s (Abies concolor) importance value increased. The patterns that we observed can be explained by rates of recruitment. Neither quaking aspen nor Douglas-fir regenerate well in the shade and both species are favored by fire. In this maturing forest that hasn’t recently burned, levels of shade are increasing. In contrast, white fir’s recruitment has been higher over the eight-year period due to its shade tolerance and its status as a climax species in western North America.

Brittany Strobelt | Biology | Biotechnology

RNAi Analysis of Genes' Influence in Regulatory Networks in Pigeon Color Phenotypes:Our research is focused on understanding how changes to gene regulatory networks can generate novel color phenotypes in pigeons. More specifically, we have studied how expression of the Sox10 transcription factor has influenced a change in melanin production from a wildtype to recessive red feather color. Using our previously collected data on potential Sox10 gene targets, we will now be examining an identified gene candidate by using RNA interference (RNAi) to knock out its expression. Thus far, we have confirmed via qPCR that our new protocol enables us to transfect mouse melanocyte cells with siRNA, which then successfully disrupts expression of tyrosinase (one of the primary enzymes involved in melanin biosynthesis). Now, as previously mentioned, we will be creating a knockout of our new gene candidate and then proceed to study whether this gene does belong to the pathway that influences pigeon color phenotypes.

Join Readings Session

Michael Barr | English | Creative Writing

Ode to Bacon:A celebration of awesomeness, a short poem describing one of the loves of my life: bacon.

Tyler Nelson | English | Creative Writing

The Mystery of 221B:This a short play-parody for children done on Sherlock Holmes. It takes Sherlock Holmes and envisions him working as a janitor for an Elementary school.

Jessica Lindsey | English | Creative Writing

Coronavirus Dreams:Coronavirus Dreams is a collection of poems written during and about 2020. I wrote of the loss I felt in the throes of my divorce, my feelings about the Black Lives Matter movement from my perspective as a mother of a black son, the devastation of depression and suicide, and, of course, the tragedy of so many lives lost from Covid-19. This collection reflects my thoughts on the world and my life in general during the hardest year of my life, and during global crisis. The poems are as much about self-discovery, acceptance, and growth as they are about heartache and loss. There is a beauty found within the pain, connection in spite of separation, and a rebirth of my identity.

Kassie Monsen | English & Literature | Creative Writing

Reflections:This is a collection of three poems I have recently been working on. Each poem is a reflection of some part of life. The first is a reflection from a time I was flying on a plane. As I flew, I thought of the connection between heaven and earth. How the lights of earth reflect the lights of the stars. This pondering opened up the possibility of reflecting on mankind's role in the universe, which is a part of each of our lives. The second poem is a reflection on times of struggle and being broken. I wrote it at a time where I was lonely and felt I was too broken to belong. It helped soothe my soul. The last poem is about emotions and is a reflection on emotion without using any emotional words. I hope it offers a universal feeling and understanding of emotion. The goal of this project is to offer connection to humanity. Literature and writing open the heart and soul to vulnerability. It allows for a connection to other people we cannot find anywhere else, and I hope through these poems someone is able to find a connection and able to know that they, too, are not alone.

Kyra Mildon | Humanities and Social Sciences | English with Emphasis on Creative Writing

Red:Red is a poem that explores the clichés used to describe the color red and possible ways to break free from those clichés.

Tyler Nelson | English | Creative Writing

Letters From Bahati:A short story about two refugee brothers. One is conscripted into an army and spends his days fighting while the other, the younger brother, lives in a refugee camp in a foreign country. The older brother sends letters to his younger brother while the younger brother makes a friend and copes with life.

Christian Heftel | Integrated Studies

Inverses: A Poetic Response to Meaningful Bodies:I propose to read a small selection of poems, drawn from a collection which I composed for Dr. Scott Abbott’s Integrated Studies 300R - Meaningful Bodies class. In this class, we interacted with and discussed a number of great works of art that all dealt with humanity's ability to stand upright, and with the myriad meanings that we draw from that ability. During this same period of time, I was also recovering from a traumatic knee injury. This experience, these works of art, and our discussions in class all influenced the development of these poems.