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Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity

URSCA FALL GALA

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UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

URSCA Fall Gala December 3, 2019 Riverview Ballroom, University Center 4:30-7 p.m. The URSCA Fall Gala is an annual showcase event to celebrate the research, scholarly and creative activities of University of Wisconsin-River Falls undergraduates. Campus URSCA from all areas of study are presented through research posters, short films, art exhibits, slide shows, and interactive displays. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to learn more about the hands-on research activities that are taking place every day on our campus. The URSCA Fall Gala is organized and sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity and the Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (SURSCA).

Table of Contents Project presentations are listed by college and alphabetically by last name for all student presenters within each college.

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

II. College of Arts and Sciences

III. College of Business and Economics

IV. College of Education and Professional Studies

V. Comprehensive list of research mentors

VI. URSCA Office Information

2 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Sara Behling Comparison of Straight and Ball Tine Finger for Green Bean Harvest Research Collaborator(s): Bill Cox

biodiversity hotspots and areas that are ecologically important for threatened insect species. This information will be provided to local conservation groups, so they can make informed decisions to be able to focus their resources on protecting these valuable, biodiverse areas.

Faculty Mentor(s): Veronica Justen College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Christopher Daggett

Green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) harvesting procedures can influence the percent of usable product, impacting production costs of processed green beans. Despite high processing costs (typically $40,000 per hour), foreign material or EVM (extraneous vegetable material) still remain in harvested green bean products. Green bean harvester heads have either straight and the ball tine picking fingers. Straight picking fingers had been the industry standard for decades, until 2016, when ball tine fingers were introduced to decrease equipment damage and reduce foreign material and EVM. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ball tine and straight picking fingers on the quality of harvested green bean products. Foreign material and EVM were measured after harvest with each of the picking finger types in two green bean varieties: BA1001 which has strong picking qualities and Venture which has poor picking qualities. Ball tine fingers reduced the percent foreign material /EVM in green bean samples by 10% when compared to straight fingers. This increase in harvested green bean quality from using ball tine fingers could have positive implications on processing plant efficiency and production costs.

Investigating the Molecular Basis for Recurrent Flowering in Physocarpus opulifolius

Madison Bush Survey of Insects in the Kinnickinnic River Watershed: helping local conservation groups identify areas of special concern

Faculty Mentor(s): Sonja Maki College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Among ornamental woody perennials one of the most prized characteristics is repeat flowering throughout the growing season. From a horticultural perspective, this trait lends a lasting beauty in the landscape and increases the value to consumers in a given species (Wilde, et al., 2015). The genetic basis for recurrent blooming has been defined recently in species of both rose and strawberry (Randoux, et al., 2012; Iwata, 2012) through the loss of activity of the TFL1 (Terminal Flowering Locus) gene. When functional, homologs of this gene have been shown to inhibit the expression of floral genes, while plants possessing specific mutations of this gene have been shown to display perpetual or reflowering phenotypes (Randoux, et al., 2012; Iwata, 2012). The purpose of this research was to continue an ongoing effort to investigate whether a smilar mechanism exists in recurrent blooming varieties of Physocarpus opulifolius, commonly known as Ninebark.

Courtney Gardner Effect of Residue Type on soil Fertility and Microbial Activity

Research Collaborator(s): Evelyon Ostrowski, Kendra Letch

Research Collaborator(s): Melissa Prestion

Faculty Mentor(s): Kevyn Juneau

Faculty Mentor(s): Natasha Macnack

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Insect populations are declining worldwide, and experts estimate that 40% of insects are threatened with extinction. It is also suggested that pollinators and aquatic taxa are especially susceptible to extinction due to land use changes—particularly due to intensive agriculture—and agro-chemical pollutants, invasive species, and climate change are additional stressors on insects. Each of these stressors are presently affecting the Kinnickinnic Watershed. Additionally, urbanization is rapidly increasing in the region, St. Croix County is the fastest developing county in Wisconsin, and native insect habitat is declining. Since insects and other invertebrates are a major food source for birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals, and they are also important pollinators, it is important to identify sensitive habitats that host biodiverse insect populations. The Kinnickinnic River Watershed contains these sensitive habitats. This ongoing project is multifaceted. We are: 1) cataloging the insect biodiversity throughout the watershed, and 2) comparing biodiversity between the various habitat types (prairie, mixed forests, oak woodland, aquatic systems, urban areas, and agricultural systems) found throughout the watershed. With this information, we can identify

Looking at low- cost residue types, looking at the microbial and decomposition.

Brady Goettl Correlation Between Agricultural Land Value and Soil Properties Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Holly Dolliver, Dr. Simon Jette-Nantel College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences When determining the value of agricultural land, multiple parameters are considered by land assessors: crop productivity indices, location, total acreage, proximity to features of significance, etc. It is also widely recognized soil with certain inherent properties (texture, drainage class, depth, etc.) will produce more crops at greater consistency than other soils and will thus, expectedly, be more valuable. This study determined the relationship between agricultural land value in Clark County, Wisconsin and the depth of loess parent material. Soils which develop from loess are generally

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala favorable for agricultural production. The loamy texture of loess soils has satisfactory nutrient holding capabilities, infiltration rates, plant available water, and porosity. Additionally, since loess is void of stones, it is ideal for cultivation. Using public data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the sale prices were determined for all tracts of agricultural land sold from 2016 to 2018. Using GIS software and soil data derived from the USDA Soil Survey, loess depth was determined for each parcel. Regression analysis was then used to determine the correlation between land value and loess depth.

Ariel Graveen The Stabilization Effects of Dried Cultured Dairy Products for Reconstitution. Research Collaborator(s):Elijah Newton, Mallory Griffin, Ali Lowe Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Michelle Farner College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences The objective of this project was to create a dehydrated sour cream cube by lowering the water activity. Lowering the water activity of this cultured dairy product would extend the shelf life of the product by creating a non-favorable environment for microbial growth. The purpose of creating this product would be for it to be reconstituted during situations such as hiking excursions where refrigeration and other preservation methods are unable to be used.

Barrent Herman Added Fertilizers Effect on Alfalfa Yields and Profitability Research Collaborator(s): Natasha Macnack Faculty Mentor(s): Natasha Macnack College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences The research I did through my internship with Countryside Cooperative this summer was focused on how dairy producers can increase their yields and profitability of established alfalfa stands through the usage of Mosaics micro essential line of fertilizers. Conventional fertilizer applications use small amounts of micro and secondary macro nutrients in a blend with other common fertilizers which cause the micro and secondary macro nutrients be spread randomly across the field by the fertilizer spreader. This in theory would cause some plants to take in more nutrients and some plants not to have enough nutrients. To combat this, Mosaic came out with their micro essentials line of fertilizers which are designed to have micro and secondary macro nutrients infused into granules; this allows those nutrients to be spread more evenly across the field by a fertilizer spreader which would in theory lead to a more uniform stand quality and more consistent yields.

Luke Hill Minnesota Water Resource conference Research Collaborator(s): Philip Margarit, Samuel Hammer Faculty Mentor(s): Holly Dolliver College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences We went to the Minnesota Water Resource conference and had the opportunity to learn about the wetland environments in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as being introduced to several new topics as well.

Paige Isensee The effect of creep feed and its nutrient level on growth performance in suckling and weaning pigs Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Young Dal Jang College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of creep feed (CF) and its nutrient level on growth performance of suckling and weaning pigs. In Exp. 1, eight litters (d 20 of age) were allotted to 2 treatments based on breed, litter size and weight as follows: no-CF (n=3) and CF (n=5; offered from 8 days before weaning). At weaning (d 28 of age), the pigs were divided into 3 treatments (6 pigs/pen, 3 replicates; initial BW: 9.66±0.34 kg) balanced with gender, weight, and breed as follows: eaters, noneaters, and no-CF. In Exp. 2, seven litters (d 12 of age) were allotted to 2 treatments as follows: HN (n=4): CF with fish meal (3%), blood meal (2.4%), and whey (15%), and LN (n=3): CF without those ingredients. At weaning (d 25 of age), eater pigs were divided into 2 treatments (6 pigs/ pen, 3 replicates; initial BW: 7.53±0.97 kg) as follows: HN-eaters and LN-eaters. In both experiments, the pigs were fed a common nursery diet for 21 days. The CF was mixed with 1% Cr2O3 to measure fecal color for eater/noneater categorization. Piglet weaning weight was not different among eaters and non-eaters in both experiments (in Exp. 1, P=0.99; 9.35, 9.33, and 9.20 kg for eaters, noneaters, and noCF, respectively). There was no difference on overall nursery growth performance in both experiments. The HN-eaters tended to have greater ADG (P=0.08; 0.506 vs. 0.427 g/d for HN-eaters and LNeaters, respectively) and G:F (P=0.09; 0.889 vs. 0.717, respectively) than LN-eaters in d 7-14 postweaning in Exp. 2. The CF intake and percentage of eaters/litter (P=0.60; 85.6 and 80.87% for LN and HN, respectively) in Exp. 2 were not different between treatments. In conclusion, CF did not affect overall piglet growth in suckling and nursery phases, but nutrient level might affect early nursery pig growth.

Cole Jakupciak Freezing Tolerance Evaluation in Acclimated Winter Barley Faculty Mentor(s): Veronica Justen College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Winter barley has great potential for the Upper Midwest to serve as a cash-cover crop, especially as markets for locally-grown malting barley increase to support the growing craft brewing industry. However, winter hardiness remains a significant limitation to winter barley production. The objective of this research was to evaluate early growth characteristics and freezing tolerance of seventeen winter barley genotypes. Emergence date, height, and tiller number were evaluated on greenhouse-grown barley plants. Upon tillering, plants were either acclimated at 4C° and then placed at -20C° or directly placed at -20C°. After freezing, plant survival rates were determined based on plant regrowth in a greenhouse. Correlations between early growth characteristics and plant survival after freezing treatment will be presented.

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Keely Johnson The Role of Chronic Caffeine Administration on Attenuation of Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms in Long Evans Rats Research Collaborator(s): Lucy Landaeta Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. James Cortright; Dr. Dan Ehlinger College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences To date, caffeine leads globally as the most consumed psychoactive drug. Its readily available nature and alertness exerting effects have appealed to populations of all psychiatric histories. Given the prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), in which symptoms such as lethargy are commonplace, a potential relationship between caffeine administration and attenuation of MDD symptoms has been suggested. In particular, within groups exposed repeatedly to stress, a frequent trigger of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), caffeine intake surges. This has led to an observed inverse correlation between caffeine intake and MDD symptoms (Kaster et al). Clinically, the current state regarding caffeine administration as part of MDD treatment remains limited but established. When conjunctively applied in the presence of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), caffeine has shown to augment the therapeutic effects in human and animal models (Minor et al; Szopa et al.). However, the mechanism of action by which caffeine specifically exerts these effects remains unknown. The purpose of our study was to expand upon previous literature and to elucidate these mechanisms by combining behavioral and morphological analysis.

Kurtis Keefer Freeze dried cheese fines Research Collaborator(s): Miranda Arndt, Andrew Weber Faculty Mentor(s): Michelle Farner College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences To produce an award winning cheese, cheese fines are most often excluded when pressing the final formation of cheese for packaging. Cheese fines are a secondary product in producing cheddar cheese, they are the tiny pieces left after milling the cheddar to produce the larger curds. Because of this, fines are regarded as a waste product and have a lower commercial value because of their lower moisture and higher salt concentration. The goal of utilizing cheese fines during the study was to create a consumer ready product that was shelf stable long-term while retaining the flavor and structural qualities of cheese. Low water activity inhibits microbial growth and in turn should increase shelf stability. Using a freeze drying method over 95 percent of the available water is removed, and no other preservatives should be needed. Freeze drying the cheese fines, a dried cheese product was created that resulted in consumer acceptability in flavor and consistency, resembling the consumer acceptability of cheddar cheese.

Ashlynn Kirk Detection of Bruising in Holstein Slaughter Cows with Infrared Thermography Research Collaborator(s): Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Kurt Vogel College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Identifying severe bruising in livestock before slaughter is valuable because the bruise is likely a source of pain for the animal that cannot be seen by visual inspection. This bruising may result in major trim losses because bruised tissue is considered unfit for human consumption. The objective of this study was to determine if bruising could be detected under the hide of live Holstein cull

cows with infrared thermal imaging technology. A FLIR E8 thermal imaging camera was utilized to capture heat emission images pre-hide removal and post hide removal for thirty-six Holstein cull cows. Images were collected approximately 2 m from each cow and associated carcass and were examined on FLIR Tools software to determine if and where inflammation was detected on the carcass. Trimming occurs throughout the slaughter process but if additional trimming is necessary, ‘railed out’ carcasses are trimmed beyond the typical trimming that a carcass receives. Trim loss was collected from railed out carcasses and weighed. The impact of rail out status on trim loss was significant (P <0.0001). Carcasses that were railed out (n=15) yielded 16.2 ± 2.0 kg of trim loss. Carcasses that were not railed out (n=21) did not experience additional trim loss. Additional analyses of the relationship between the thermographs and trim volume are in progress.

Mark Kortbein Pasture Forage Quality as Affected by Season Research Collaborator(s): Anthony Neitzke Faculty Mentor(s): Yoana Newman College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Pastures play a very important role for many operations as a way to get livestock needed nutrition through the spring and summer. Bromegrass is well adapted to the upper Midwest providing good yield and essential nutrients needed for weight gain while cutting down on the amount of harvested feeds fed to livestock. From late spring through the early summer many of the cool-season forage species experience a slump in production resulting in less available feed for grazing livestock. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a grazing rotation + manure fertilization in the recovery of any summer slump yields of bromegrass and bromegrass /legume association. Bromegrass pastures with low fertility were chosen, soil tested, and a yield baseline established by manually sampling three random spots per paddock in early June. Sampling was continued every two weeks. Initial yields fluctuated from 3,700 to 5,300 kg dry matter ha-1. After grazing cycles and manure application July yield increased 28% for Bromegrass + alfalfa. By resting pastures and applying fertilizer according to the soil testing to supplement pasture needs beyond livestock manure, pasture production can be increased to provide more yield and keep yield steady throughout the spring and summer.

Derek Lenen Using Spectral Analysis to Evaluate Fungicide Effects in Wheat Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Veronica Justen College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Many methods have been used to determine the effect of fungicides on overall crop health. Visual observations of disease incidence and severity and plant vigor, along with yield collection, remain the dominant methods used to evaluate fungicide efficacy. In wheat (Triticum aestivum), fungal pathogens are responsible for significant quality and yield reductions among producers globally (Figueroa et al., 2017). While fungicides are proven to reduce fungal pathogens infection, symptomology and yield impact, there is data that suggests there are plant responses to fungicide treatments when no disease is evident. The objective of this study is to evaluate fungicide effects on wheat using spectral analysis equipment and compare that data to visual evaluations of plant health and vigor. Wheat being tested was grown in a controlled, greenhouse environment and was not inoculated. The wheat was split in two groups based on treatment timing, one group had treatments applied during a vegetative stage while the other had treatments applied at flag leaf.

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala 7 treatments were replicated at label rates and included 1.Untreated check, 2.Delaro 325 SC, 3.Proline, 4.Quadris, 5.Proline+Quadris, 6.Stratego YLD. Spectral analysis instruments used were a SPAD Meter (SPAD 502DL Plus Chlorophyll Meter), Ears Meter (EARS mini PPM-200/300), and Dualex (Dualex Scientific+ Polyphenol & Chlorophyll-Meter). Visual ratings included perceived greenness and plant size. Readings and observations were collected at the time of application, 48-hours post-application and 7-days post-application.

Sonja Maki Development of an Educational Aeroponics Unit for Teaching Vertical Farming Research Collaborator(s): John H. Birr Faculty Mentor(s): Sonja L. Maki College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Aeroponics is a plant production system whereby plants roots are misted with a nutrient solution rather than cultivated in soil or other substrates. Aeroponics is fast becoming a method of choice for indoor vertical plant production systems. In the aeroponic system, crop roots are misted with a fine mist and receive a balanced amount of nutrients, oxygen and water. The overall goals of this project were to construct an aeroponics unit for use by students and faculty interested in aeroponic production of crops in a greenhouse or in an indoor urban farm setting and to evaluate the growth of three crops in the system. An aeroponics unit was constructed using black plastic flood trays (Botanicare) on a 4-tiered metal rack. Blue and red light emitting diode (LED) strips were mounted above each tray. The project was constructed so that it would be possible to compare aeroponics with hydroponics utilizing the same recirculating nutrient solution.

Sonja Maki Investigating Flowering and Response to Gibberellin A4 to Identify Unknown Lines of Pea Research Collaborator(s): Jordan Abramowicz, Shyanne BaynesRodning, Sara Behling, Zach Beyer, Vanessa Boumeester, Alexander Brand, Kendra Carlson, Noah Erickson, Jordan Gretzlock, Jaden Gruetzmacher, Kyle Hilger, Mitch Hockbein, Cole Jakupciak, Marcus Koester, Ryley Koziolek, Allison Lackey, Derek Lenzen, William Lenzen, Ryan Lynn, Ethan O’Connor, Cassidy Peterson, Tyler Peterson, Evan Rathke, Anthony Rittmeyer, Sierra Schulz, Madeline Singer, Tate Tichy Faculty Mentor(s): Sonja L. Maki College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences This project highlights an upper level capstone course in crop physiology where students evaluate unknown lines of the garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) throughout the semester to reinforce concepts learned in the lecture portion of the class. Characteristics such as seed color and shape, age, plant height and response to gibberellins, leaf type, node of flower initiation, flower color and pod shape and color were recorded and used to identify the lines. The cultivars of pea that were used this past semester were ‘Sugar Bon’, ‘Sugar Sprint’, ‘Little Snowpea Purple’, ‘Magnolia Blossom’, ‘Peagoda’, ‘Desiree Dwarf Blauwschokkers’, ‘Blue Podded Pea’, ‘Golden Sweet’ and ‘Pea Spring Blush Tendril’. Lines of pea responded differently to gibberellin A4 application. The node of flower initiation varied between 9 and 17 and was cultivar dependent. Samples from the apices were also collected and analyzed for expression of the pea flowering gene GIGAS to investigate the vegetative to reproductive phase transition.

Molly McIlquham Evaluating Management Practices on Alfalfa Winter Kill Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Yoana Newman College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Farmers rely on having multiple years of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) harvest to make a profit. Extreme temperatures swepat across the Midwest in late January with soil temperatures dropping significantly below the survival threshold for alfalfa. This year’s shifting of the polar vortex created unique conditions for soil temperatures to drop lower than normal affecting the survival of perennial forages. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the extent of winter kill on alfalfa as well as to identify plant and management factors associated with it in central WI. The field methodology used the alfalfa evaluation protocol for the rating of winter survival that uses root scoring as well as plant and plant density counts. A total of 12 fields ranging from 5 to 20 acres each were evaluated representing a central (Chippewa Co) and southern location (Sauk Co) in WI to compare differences in latitude within the state.

Clare McInerney The effect of Advanced Digestive Enhancing Protein Plus Technology on growth performance and fecal score in weaning pigs Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Young Dal Jang College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of ADEPPT on growth performance and fecal score in weaning pigs. At weaning, a total of 54 pigs, 7.47 ± 0.79 kg of initial body weight (BW), were assigned to 3 treatments in 3 replicates with 6 pigs per pen based on sex, breed, and BW for a 28-d feeding trial. The pigs were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets containing 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0% of ADEPPT (Proprietary product of Vets Plus, Inc., Menomonie, WI) in 2 phases (d 0-14 and d 15-28 post weaning, respectively). In the first week (d 3-5 post weaning) of the trial, a diarrhea pig was removed from each pen when diarrhea was observed, housed in the separate pens within treatment (n=3 pigs per treatment) and then treated with a 100-ml solution of electrolytes and ADEPPT by drenching for 3 days. Growth performance and fecal score (1=normal to 4=watery diarrhea) were measured. All data were analyzed by ANOVA using GLM procedure of SAS for linear and quadratic effects of increasing ADEPPT levels. There were no significant differences in BW, ADG, and ADFI throughout the entire period whereas a quadratic trend was observed in G:F for overall period with increasing ADEPPT levels (P<0.10; 0.583, 0.621, and 0.586 for 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0% of ADEPPT levels, respectively) with the greatest value in the 0.5% ADEPPT treatment. Fecal score tended to decrease linearly with increasing ADEPPT levels during d 0-7 post weaning (P=0.11; 1.88, 1.81, and 1.57, respectively). There was no significant difference on fecal score of diarrhea pigs while ADG tended to increase linearly in d 21-28 post weaning (P=0.08; 533.6, 700.2, and 853.9 g/d, respectively) with increasing ADEPPT levels. This result indicated that ADEPPT could have a potential to enhance growth performance of weaning pigs at 0.5% level and might be effective on post weaning diarrhea pigs.

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Daniel Nolen

Aricka Roberson

It is better to be Meteorite than Meteor-wrong Faculty Mentor(s): Kevin Thaisen

The Implications of Glacial Ice Source Region on Farmland Value

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Holly Dolliver and Dr. Simon Jette Nantel

The main objective of this study was to determine whether a specimen was an iron meteorite or a “meteor-wrong”. This was accomplished by using physical testing/ observations, as well as using a Jeol field emissions- electron microprobe analyzer (FEEMPA) for chemical analysis. The unknown specimen was found to be a group IAB-MG (main group) coarse octahedrite iron meteorite with carbonaceous inclusions containing Fe, Ni, P, Al, S, Cl, O, Mg, Si, Co, and C. The classification and chemical analysis lead to the theory that this specimen is paired to (part of) the Campo del Cielo meteorite from Chaco Province, Argentina. The analysis of these specimens furthers the understanding that we have regarding our solar system.

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Melissa Preston Soil Adjuvant Effects on Herbicide and Fertilizer Retention in Soils Faculty Mentor(s): Veronica Justen College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Corn (Zea mays L.) requires 7.1 oz zinc/acre to reach corn yields of 230 bu/acre (Bender, 2013). NutriSolutions® corn tissue samples collected between 2012 and 2018 indicate 78% of U.S. corn acres sampled were not adequate in zinc. Foliar applications to V4 growth stage corn of nutrient products containing zinc are the most common method of zinc application. Soil adjuvants help add value to tank mixtures by retaining tank mix partners, like herbicides near the soil surface, where weed seed germination occurs. Tank mixing zinc to broadcasted pre-emergence applications, could be an alternative zinc application timing. The objective of this study was to investigate the movement of zinc EDTA through the top 6” of soil when applied to the soil with different soil adjuvants. The study was conducted with Winfield United in River Falls, WI. Treatments included an untreated check, AGM19054 (64 fl oz/acre), Ultra-Che Zinc 9% (1 gallon/acre), Ultra-Che Zinc 9% (1 gallon/acre) with AGM19054 (64 fl oz/a), and Ultra-Che Zinc 9% (1 gallon/acre) with Preference (64 fl oz/a). Each treatment was replicated 4 times. Treatments were applied with a 4 nozzle backpack sprayer, 20 inches above the soil surface. Soil samples were taken before application, one week and two weeks after applications. Soil was taken at 3 depths; 0-2”, 2-4”, and 4-6” and sent to Solum lab for wet slurry analysis. Results will show that zinc EDTA will move through the soil profile faster without an adjuvant verses with one. This research will provide evidence that zinc and adjuvants can be added to a pre-emergence tank mixture and add value by supplying zinc to the top 6” of the soil profile when corn needs it most.

Laura Ringeisen Assessment of Ichthyoplankton Drift in the Black River Faculty Mentor(s): Veronica Justen College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences The study took place at the French Island Generating plant in LaCrosse, WI to fill in knowledge gaps regarding impact of plant intake on fishes in their early life stages. Entrainment samples were obtained to determine what amount of young fishes were being pulled into the circulation pumps and suffering fatalities. Samples were also taken by towing ichthyoplankton nets immediately at and upstream of the intake structures to determine a rough percentage of total fish entrained versus total larval fish ambiently floating in the river at a given time.

When calculating agricultural land value, a variety of factors are typically used by land assessors including the Crop Productivity Index, geographic location, acreage amounts, proximity to certain features, etc. Additionally, higher fertility soils tend to bring increased land value as a result of increased crop productivity. A dominant factor that contributes to soil fertility is soil texture, which is a direct result of its parent material and in western Wisconsin, glacial ice source region. Two different glacial ice source regions from Canada collided in western Wisconsin, creating a variety of different soil types and characteristics. The Keewatin ice source region from the west contained more fine-textured soils and the Labradoran ice source region from the easy carried more coursetextured sands with lots of rocks. This study examined the impacts of ice source region, either from the Keewatin or Labradoran ice source regions of Canada, on land value in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Sales prices were determined using public data from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for all agricultural land sold in an open market from 2016 to 2018. These parcels were then divided into two categories: land with buildings and land without buildings. GIS software from the Wisconsin Natural History and Geological Survey was then used and built upon to determine the glacial ice source region of each land parcel. Lastly, regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between agricultural farmland value and glacial ice source region.

Michelle Schmitt Developing a High Protein Cheese Product from a Cheese Byproduct Research Collaborator(s): Gabrielle Rengel,Stephanie Sukalski, Alli Raffetto Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Michelle Farner College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences According to the Agricultural Research Service National Agriculture Library, cheese is the second most consumed dairy product in the United States, behind fluid milk and cream. In 2017 alone, total U.S. cheese production has risen to 12.7 billion pounds, up 1.5 percent from 2016. Leading the nation in this production, Wisconsin contributed 3.3 billion of these pounds of cheese. With this large cheese production, also comes a large production of byproducts, namely whey. It is estimated that for every one pound of cheese produced, nine pounds of whey are left behind. While the whey processing industry has grown immensely, with markets now for whey protein concentrates and isolates, further whey processing is really only affordable and feasible for large producers. With a growing number of small and artisanal cheesemakers, a need for small-scale uses for whey has developed. By utilizing traditional Scandinavian processing techniques for Gtetost, a hard cheese made from caramelized whey, a new marketable Gtetost-style spread was developed. In several trials, different recipes were tested and evaluated for flavor and texture. Several key learnings were made about processing steps and their effect on the final results, such as lactose crystal formation, cooking times and temperatures, and protein denaturation. These observations led to the development of a new recipe, in which composition was optimized for lower calorie, higher protein, and lower fat contents. Sensory properties, pH, functionality, and shelf-life were also examined. This development could lead to a more feasible and economical way for small cheese producers to utilize whey in a profit-generating way, as well as provide new spread product to the market that can offer greater nutritional value.

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

Leanna Schneider

Hannah Voye

Impacts of Tillage Practices on Soil Properties

Understanding Yield Response to Fungicides in Corn

Faculty Mentor(s): Natasha Macnack

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Olutoyosi Ajayi

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences (CAFES);

One of the biggest debates in todays agricultural industry is the influence of tillage practice on overall soil health, but especially on soil structure and pore space. Despite all the interest in this topic, there is still little research to be found on certain conservational practices. One of these practices includes strip tillage, a form of conservational tillage that only disturbs a small strip of soil in the spring, just before planting. Because of this lack of information, this project analyzes the influence that strip tillage has on the bulk density, pore space, and overall water capacity of the soil in strip tillage, compared to that of conventional tillage. This was done through the process of taking cores of soil, weighing them, and then drying them down before weighing them again. Through this process, it was determined that the conservational tillage was overall more dense on the surface, and less dense further down in the profile, and the conventional tillage practice had the opposite results.

Fungicide use in corn has increased in recent years as a result of many factors, including corn market prices, an increase in the occurrence of corn foliar diseases, and the availability of a number of fungicides marketed for use in corn. Despite the purported yield increases advertised by most fungicide manufacturing companies to be associated with a fungicide, yield responses to fungicide application have not always resulted in an economic benefit for the farmer. A major reason for this observation is the failure to provide farmers with empirical evidence highlighting the different scenarios under which an economic benefit is guaranteed, thus informing farmers on the conditions under which a fungicide spray is warranted. In addition, the majority of experiments studying the impact of fungicides on corn yields were mostly conducted under natural disease conditions, which have resulted in variable and inconsistent results with little or no value to the farmer. This work investigated the expected yield response to a fungicide application by taking into account factors that impact disease development and hence fungicide efficacy. Specifically, we sought to determine how much of a yield response is expected under natural disease infestation as well as under artificial infestation conditions. It is expected that the results from this work will provide a comprehensive view on the role of fungicides in corn production as it relates to disease control.

Paul Tietz Behavior of Nitrogen in Frac Sand Waste Fines Faculty Mentor(s): Holly AS Dolliver College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Hydraulic fracturing is a major process for oil and natural gas production in the United States, and sand mines in Western Wisconsin provide highly desirable sand for the fracturing industry. As part of the mining process, silt and clay-rich waste material (referred to as waste fines) is treated with polyacrylamide, a nitrogen polymer. The waste fines material can be used in post-mining soil reclamation, and while polyacrylamide breaks down quickly, the fate of the nitrogen is largely unknown. In this experiment, a column study was conducted to characterize the behavior of nitrogen in the waste fines substance. The results indicate the waste fines could be both a source and sink of nitrogen. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms of nitrogen behavior in this material.

Paul Tietz Determining the Impacts of Land Use Change on Paleolimnological Features Faculty Mentor(s): Jill Coleman Wasik College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences West Pine Lake and Pine Lake are shallow, neighboring lakes near Somerset in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Row-crop agriculture dominated the land use of each lake’s catchment during the early/ mid twentieth century, co-occurring with summer algal blooms and eutrophic conditions. The catchment of West Pine Lake has since been restored to a more natural prairie and fir tree dominated landscape, which has resulted in apparent improvements in water quality. Various paleolimnological analyses (including diatom analysis, loss-on-ignition, Pb-210 dating, magnetic resonance, and imaging) will be used to investigate the lake’s water quality history.

Rebekah Wickman The benefits of music as it pertains to stress reduction in sheep Research Collaborator(s): Malorie Ottosen Faculty Mentor(s): Kurt Vogel College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Sheep were stressed with low and high tempo classical music and their heart rates where recorded to measure the effects.

8 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

College of Arts and Sciences Sophie Ackerman

Emily Allen

Medial Prefrontal Inhibition Attenuates Symptoms of Depression in Long Evans Rats

Student Perceptions of Deviance on a College Campus

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. James Cortright

College of Arts and Sciences

In this project, I explore college students perceptions of deviant behavior on a college campus. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway but will be completed by the time of the fall gala.

The World Health Organizations reports that over 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, with more females reporting experiencing depression than males. However, many of those who do report their problems are often challenged with finding a viable solution. Previous research indicates that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a role in depression through its function selfreferential processing; when overactive, this area of the brain can induce feelings of anhedonia, lethargy, and learned helplessness. Our project adopts a new approach to treating depressive symptoms. We hypothesize that inhibiting the mPFC will decrease the negative self-focus that occurs in cases of depression, therefore diminishing the depression symptoms that are displayed. Inhibiting the mPFC is a novel approach in treating depressive symptoms that has, to this point, had statistically significant results and expands our knowledge in both the functions of the mPFC and cases of depression. When it comes to medical application, this research will provide insights that could be utilized in the development of more effective deep brain stimulation technology.

Greta Albu 3D modeling of breast cancer metastasis based on circulating cancer cell clusters and spheres. Faculty Mentor(s): Timothy Lyden Ph.D. College of Arts and Sciences The biology of cancer in-vivo has been defined to involve several stages including the following; initiation, progression and metastasis/ invasion. Over the past decade our laboratory has developed a series of 3D artificial tissue model systems to study breast cancer in-vitro. These studies have demonstrated that each of the listed stages in cancer biology can also be generated in the laboratory. Here we are presenting the results of a series of studies focused on modeling metastasis with artificial tissues. Metastasis is generally thought to result from release of highly motile cells from the original tumor mass. These then invade the local tissue environment and eventually travel through the blood stream or lymph channels to invade distant target tissues. Although this process is well established, there is disagreement about what form those released cells take, individual single cells or cellular clusters. In our model systems, both forms of cellular release are observed, with the additional production of larger spheroidal structures as well. It is our working hypothesis that these represent the natural process of tumor metastasis and therefore provides an important new tool-set to study and better understand how this critical process works.

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller

Dalton Anderson Meta-Stable Axial Positions of Optically Trapped Aerosol Droplets Faculty Mentor(s): Lowell McCann College of Arts and Sciences Optical traps can be used to study the composition, evolution, and coagulation of individual aerosol droplets. A single beam optical trap has been constructed to examine the properties of a salt water droplet. It has been observed that as the power of an argon trapping laser is varied, the droplet displays motion along the propagation direction of the laser beam. Constant power meta-stable axial positions have been observed as well. The cause of this motion may be the result of morphology dependent resonances.

Katelyn Axiotis Judging the Truth of Claims Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Abigail Jackson College of Arts and Sciences People are more likely to believe a claim that is presented with a related picture, even when the picture does not provide valid evidence for evaluating the truth of the claim. For example, more people believe that “The baseball hall of fame is located in Cooperstown, New York” when presented alongside a picture of a baseball than if the claim is presented alone. This finding, coined the truthiness effect, is typically studied by presenting claims with pictures intermixed with unadorned claims. Truthiness is thought to occur because participants use a more liberal criterion for judging the truth of claims presented with pictures. The present study manipulated presence of pictures in a blocked design to investigate whether participants will still shift their criteria across blocks: All participants judged 152 claims, 76 with pictures and 76 without. Order of picture presentation was manipulated between subjects: Some participants first judged the 76 claims with pictures, while other participants first judged the 76 claims without pictures. Truthiness was observed: Both groups demonstrated a willingness to change their decision criteria across blocks, rating more of the claims with pictures as true. However, the first block provided an anchor for subsequent changes to the decision criteria: Those who first rated the claims with pictures were more likely to rate any claim as true whereas those who first rated the claims without pictures were more conservative with their truth judgments overall.

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

Emily Beardmore Independence Movements of Latin America Reasearch Collaborator(s): Jacob Hoskins, Maria Ideker Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences During the time of colonialism, many challenges were met with 15th and 16th century slavery and rights of the land and ways of living were being questioned. With the rise of Catholicism and the Renaissance epoch, many started questioning the treatment of natives in their territory. One of the biggest influences during this period was Bartolomé de las Casas. He advocated for the indigenous people and how they were also human against the vision of the church and shut down encomiendas (farms that indigenous people worked on, similar to slavery). His efforts did not go unnoticed as many other leaders decided enough was enough, even centuries later. With the instability in Spain, due to the invasion by Bonaparte, leaders across Latin America propelled independence movements. This presentation will examine the independence movements of Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Over the course of 10 years, both South and Central America experienced a wave of wars and conflicts, ultimately leading to their independence. Inspired by the ideas of Bartolomé de las Casas, a catholic priest named Miguel Hidalgo, gave a powerful sermon in 1810 encouraging people to denounce the king of Spain. This sermon was so influential that leaders from across Mexico took up arms to fight against the colonizer, even after his death. Similarly, in South America, José de San Martín discovered the inequality of rights for the Latin American population, while fighting with the Spanish army. José de San Martín left the Spanish army and moved to Argentina to help the people earn their independence and remove the Spanish once and for all. In the end, the Spanish lost their reign over Latin America and the people finally got to write their own path.

Marshall Bennett Gender Differences in Cell Phone Use Behind the Wheel Faculty Mentor(s): Page Miller College of Arts and Sciences In this project I explore college students attitudes and perceptions of cell phone use while operating a motorized vehicle. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway and will be completed and presented at the UWRF Fall Gala.

Hannah Bergstrom UWRF College Students Exposure to Sex Education and Knowledge of Sexual and Reproductive Health. Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller College of Arts and Sciences In this project, I explored college student’s exposure to sex education and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway but will be completed by the time of the Fall Gala.

Anna Broll Using GRP94 to Detect ENPL-1 and Analyzing If OverExpression of xbp-1s Affects enpl-1 Expression Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Cheng-Chen Huang College of Arts and Sciences The number of people with diabetes is increasing, which means the number of people needing insulin is increasing. The need to understand the biological and biochemical processes of this disease

is becoming more prevalent as we need to find a way to develop new therapies for diabetes. C. elegans have a very similar genome to the human genome, so this is a model organism for this project. The asna-1 gene is critical in insulin secretion. The protein, ENPL1, acts as a regulator of insulin signalling. ASNA-1 and ENPL-1 are co-chaperones in the insulin pathway. The overall objective of this project is to reveal the mechanisms of insulin maturation and secretion. Through these revelations, we will find strategies to design novel diabetes targeting drugs. The objective to Experiment 1 was to test the antibody for GRP94 (human homolog of ENPL-1) in order to find out if we can detect the ENPL-1 using a Western Blot. The objective of Experiment 2 was to analyze if over-expression of xbp-1s will affect the expression of enpl-1. Using Western Blots, we tested the expression of ENPL-1 in the enpl-1 mutants and the wild type in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, we used Western Blots to test if there is more expression of enpl-1 in the wild-type or in the strain of enpl-1 that over-expresses xbp-1s. Both enpl-1 mutants do not express any ENPL-1 protein. Human antibody 9G10 for GRP94 protein can detect worm ENPL-1, which is indicative of a high homology between those two proteins. There is no more expression of enpl-1 in the ENPL-1 strain that over-expresses xbp-1s meaning that increased ER stress does not affect the expression pattern of enpl-1. Experiment 2 has to be repeated minimum 2 more times, and statistical analysis of the band intensity has to be performed to see if there is any significant difference between wild-type and xbp-1s.

Devon Burris The Impact of Student Employment Status and Time of Major Selection on Student Persistence and Benefits of a Peer-Mentoring Program Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Travis Tubre College of Arts and Sciences While peer mentoring (PM) programs for first-year undergraduate students are not new, evaluation studies generally focus on specific characteristics such as retention or program completion. Most studies do not assess specific benefits. Similarly, although research has found that employment generally negatively impacts college performance, we found no studies examining whether employment moderated peer-mentoring effectiveness. We examined whether benefits of a first-year, peer-mentoring program differed for employed or non-employed students. We examined students’ general perception of the program, feelings of belongingness on campus, adjustment to campus life, knowledge of the academic department, knowledge of on-campus resources, and academic self-efficacy, as well as student demographic information and intentions at registrations, all of which were reported at the end of the students’ first semester. Incoming psychology students in the fall 2016, 2017, and 2019 cohorts at a Midwestern university participated in a PM program. Mentors worked with the mentees throughout the term in their general psychology course, met with them separately in office hours, and participated in campus activities with the mentees. Following the term, mentees completed assessments measuring general perceptions of the program, belongingness , adjustment to college, psychology department knowledge, knowledge of campus resources, and academic self-efficacy. Measures used 6-point scales with higher ratings indicating higher levels of each characteristic. Our findings show that PM efficacy is reduced, but still present, for employed students and that students choosing psychology as their major further in advance of registration were less likely to change majors or drop out.

10 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

Rebecca Busch

Savannah Caturia

Student Attitudes and Perceptions of the Elderly Population in Prison

Smoking E-cigarettes: Behaviors And Habits Amongst College Students

Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller

Reasearch Collaborator(s): Kali Meixner

College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres

In this project, I explore college students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of the ederly population in prison. In order to do so, I conducted an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway.

College of Arts and Sciences

Brooke Butkowski Mapping Land Cover and Proposed Restoration of Homestead Parklands

Our study attempts to identify how specific personality traits interact with stress in relation to smoking frequency among college students. We specifically hypothesized that students will smoke e-cigarettes more frequently if they score high on measures of perceived stress, impulsivity, and rebellion and low in tolerance of frustration.

Ashley Challes

Faculty Mentor(s): Mathew Dooley

Effects of Managerial Awareness of Mental Health Diagnoses on Perceived Work Performance and Potential

College of Arts and Sciences

Research Collaborator(s): Lucy Schetnan

Oak savanna is one of the rarest landcover types in the United States. It is very beneficial to many native plant and animal species including Bur Oak, Karner Blue Butterflies, and many songbirds. Because of this, oak savanna restoration projects are becoming increasingly popular. For this study we consider Homestead Parklands in Hudson, Wisconsin. Using GIS, aerial photography, and field verification, we documented the existing land cover and outlined a restoration plan for the park. If the proposed restoration plan is realized, the total land cover of oak savanna will double from 20 to 40 acres.

Faculty Mentor(s): Travis Tubre, Richard Seefeldt

Research Collaborator(s): Laura Ringeisen, Paul Tietz

Lauren Carlson Attitudes and Perceptions of Childhood Sexual Abuse Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller College of Arts and Sciences Throughout this project, I explored college students attitudes and perceptions of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA). I explored how perceptions of being the victim of childhood sexual abuse correlates with a variety of other variables (including age, involvement with future criminality and deviance, and physical/mental health side effects). In order to do so, I constructed an online survey, via Qualtrics, and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway, but will be completed by the time of the Fall Gala.

Ian Carter PhysCon 2019: Making Waves, Breaking Boundaries Research Collaborator(s): Maxwell Kiernan, Hanna Richards, Tyler Kupczak, Joshua Hanson-Flores Faculty Mentor(s): Earl Blodgett College of Arts and Sciences PhysCon 2019 is billed as the largest conference for undergraduate physics students anywhere. This year it was held in Providence, RI and drew over 1250 people from across the country. We engaged in tours of nearby laboratories and museums, interactive workshops, panel discussions and presentations by physics luminaries from academia and industry. We were part of a group of 10 UWRF physics students who attended PhysCon 2019.

College of Arts and Sciences We are examining how choosing to disclose or conceal a major depressive disorder diagnosis affects candidates’ ratings by employers in both ongoing job performance and in interview settings. Previous research has supported the idea that disclosing a mental health diagnosis like major depressive disorder leads to fewer callbacks on a résumé compared to someone without a mental health diagnosis (Hipes, Lucas, Phelan, & White, 2016), lower perception of being hirable in an interview setting (Manning & White, 1995), and lower perceived performance on the job (Mendel, Kissling, Reichhart, Buhner, & Hamann, 2015). Employers may also consider many possible obstacles in employing someone with a mental health diagnosis (e.g. absenteeism, inability or difficultly following rules and instructions, danger to other employees, misusing a diagnosis to avoid going to work; see Biggs, Hovey, Tyson, & MacDonald, 2010; Brohan, Henderson, Little, & Thornicroft, 2010; Manning & White, 1995; Mendel et al., 2015). These stigmatized beliefs may be problematic for individuals with mental health diagnoses seeking to find employment. In the present study, we presented students enrolled in general psychology courses with vignettes describing either higher or lower- performing prospective employees or job incumbents where the employer was either aware or unaware of a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. The participants rated these individuals on job-related dimensions and provided overall performance ratings. Our major hypothesis, based on prior research, is that candidates who are presented as being diagnosed with major depressive disorder will be evaluated more negatively. However, our design allows us to test whether rater impressions are different across performance levels and settings.

Karah Crabb An Exploration of Currently Defined Attitudes on Sexual Deviance Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller College of Arts and Sciences Within this research project, I explore current college student’s attitudes towards what sexual acts are or are not considered sexually deviant. In order to do so, I constructed a 40 question online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls campus. The impact of independent variables such as gender, political orientation, religiosity, and self-reported level of sexual experience related to the attitudes of defined sexual deviant acts are conducted and analyzed. Statistically significant data has been found and adds to the exciting discovery of what sexual acts are currently being defined as deviant by current college students. This research takes a snapshot of the everchanging construct of sexual deviance.

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

Kelly Crawford University of Wisconsin-River Falls Parking Availability Research Collaborator(s): Haley Lind Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Matt Dooley College of Arts and Sciences Finding parking on campus is very time consuming and problematic for students who commute to River Falls. This study investigates parking on campus to better understand when and where parking is available at certain times of the day. From Monday through Thursday, available parking spaces on the University of Wisconsin River Falls campus were mapped at multiple times of the day using GPS. With GIS, the spaces were then plotted on a map and evaluated using graphs. The results show that parking is limited at 11:00am any day of the week. However, at 9:00am and 2:00pm on all four days observed, there is an abundant amount of parking spaces.

Brittany Cupery Student Perceptions of Negative Effects of Social Media on Romantic Relationships

conquest. Eventually, Columbus ran out of resources and his desire to keep exploring these lands, which preceded his death. Columbus’ character has been controversial because of his actions, most importantly the embellished facts in his diary entries. It is evident that Colombus has had a significant impact on our world, which emphasizes the necessity to uncover the true intentions of his diary entries.

Karissa Ferguson Categorical vs continuum view of mental health. Does if impact beliefs? Reasearch Collaborator(s): Nathan Bienias Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres, Dr. Richard Seefeldt College of Arts and Sciences We conducted a survey study to examine how descriptions of mental health influence beliefs about mental health. It is expected that those who were given a continuum description of mental health will hold less stigmatizing beliefs than those given a categorical description.

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller

Tyler Franklin

College of Arts and Sciences

American Exceptionalism and Perceptions of Social Welfare

Social media has been proven to have many negative effects on romantic relationships in today’s society. Social media has changed the way young people today go about forming and maintaining romantic relationships, and it is important to determine if young adults are aware of these effects. In this project I explored college student’s perceptions of how negatively these social media effects affect romantic relationships today, how common they believe them to be, and whether or not they have changed opinions of certain relationship taboos like monitoring and micro-cheating. In order to do this, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway, but will be completed by the time of the Fall Gala.

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Davida Alperin College of Arts and Sciences A study into the attitudes of UWRF students towards the concept of “American Exceptionalism” related to their opinions on social welfare.

Olivia Freiermuth Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire- Conquista española del imperio azteca Reasearch Collaborator(s): Jacob Ott, Lucy Schetnan, Mathew Smith Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences

Katherine Ellis An Analysis of Christopher Columbus’ Diary of the New World (Un análisis del diario del Nuevo Mundo de Cristóbal Colón) Reasearch Collaborator(s): Haley Wiegert, Emma Peterson, Geena Hocking Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences Cristopher Columbus is an important figure in our history. He is known all throughout the world for his contributions to our history, previously for the better, which has changed over time. Many controversial aspects about his character have been uncovered as more research is done on Colombus. He was a man made of confidence, which assisted him in persuading Queen Isabella of Spain to financially support him in his endeavor to find an alternate route to Asia after Portugal denied his request for aid. This ultimately led to his discovery of The Americas. During this time, Columbus wrote personal diary entries embellishing his thoughts and actions regarding what he experienced in the New World. All things written glorified his voyage and his findings, but future discoveries reveal that his words were only written to convince Queen Isabella that her support was worthwhile. Later research discovered that violence from Columbus and his crew became a major problem when invading the lands of the indigenous people. The men were extremely violent towards the people that lived there due to the greed that consumed them. He had no respect for the land and the people that provided him with the resources that he had been longing for in his

We examine the interplay of factors including key events and people that played a major role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. The Aztecs were an indigenous group of people that established their capital, Tenochtitlán, in the area known as present day Mexico City. At the time of the conquest they were under the reign of a powerful emperor, Montezuma II, who converted the political environment of the empire into an Absolute Monarchy. Along with Montezuma II, we specifically focused on the role of Hernan Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, who led a group of Spaniards to the New World. He was an ambitious and defiant navigator who pursued the conquest without support from Spain. We note important events that affected the course of the conquest. For example, initial Spanish control became evident through the imprisonment of Montezuma II in his own capital. Additionally, the Noche Triste was an important battle that resulted in the death of Montezuma II and the fleeing of the Spaniards who had previously infiltrated the Aztec capital. With the death of Montezuma II, his successor, Cuauhtémoc, took over the role of defending the Aztec empire. The roles of the opposing leaders as well as important events that occur along the way, other factors such as weaponry, illnesses and religious perspectives greatly affected the outcome of the war. After two years of fighting, the Spanish conquistadors took over the Aztec empire which lead to the destruction of Tenochtitlán.

12 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

Joseph Gerard

Fiona Hamilton

Tree Measurements of Managed and Unmanaged Forests Research Collaborator(s): Bradly Feyereisen

Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds to Alcohols via Mechanochemistry

Faculty Mentor(s): Mathew Dooley

Research Collaborator(s): Rebecca Haley

College of Arts and Sciences

Forests are a critical resource for several reasons, including the higher quality of life and well being of humans and the environment. Managing a forest with ecological forestry is a theory used that focuses on regenerating the forest, and controlling the naturally occurring nutrients. For this project we compared managed and unmanaged forest plots on the campus of UWRF in terms of tree diameter and height. To do this, we created 1/20th of an acre plots in the managed and unmanaged forests. We recorded the total number of trees, tree height and diameter. We discovered that trees like Maples are more prevalent in unmanaged forests, while trees like Ash trees are more prevalent in managed ones. Managing a forest helps control the competition between trees and removes invasive species which in the end, will lead to healthier, straighter, and stronger trees and promotes to a more diverse, resilient ecosystem.

The goal of this research project is to reduce carbonyl compounds to alcohols. By using the technique of high-speed ball milling, the reactions were able to be conducted through the lens of green chemistry. Throughout the research project a variety of compounds were used to provide insight towards what carbonyl compounds would produce higher yields of alcohols. Based on current experiments acetophenone is producing the highest yield of desired product. The future of this project could possibly include changing reaction conditions for reducing other carbonyl groups to get a higher yield of those corresponding alcohols.

Brianna Grahovac

Faculty Mentor(s): Surujhdeo Seunarine

Prevalence of false memories in a negative mood induction Research Collaborator(s): Renee Reckner Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Abigail Jackson College of Arts and Sciences This study investigates the role of emotion in false memory. People may actually be less likely to form false memories when in a negative affective state because they are more likely to thoroughly process item-level information, leading to better memory for particulars. A positive or neutral mood encourages holistic, gistbased processing, with less attention to detail (Storbeck, 2013). Though previous research has demonstrated the protective benefit of sadness in avoiding false memories, the effect of other negative emotions–such as fear–is not as clear. In the present study, mood (neutral, sad, fear) is induced using movie clips validated to elicit the desired emotion (Gross & Levenson, 1995; Hewig et al., 2005). As a mood manipulation check, participants provide a mood rating using a subset of the Positive and Negative Affective Schedule. Susceptibility to false memory is measured using the DRM false memory induction paradigm: Participants view lists of words during a study phase on which their memory is subsequently tested. Words on each list are semantically related to a critical, nonpresented lure. A false memory occurs if the participant incorrectly judges a critical lure as presented during the study (Roediger & McDermott, 1995). We will analyze mean number of critical lures falsely recognized across the three different mood conditions (neutral, sad, fear) using an ANOVA. We hypothesize based on previous work that participants in sad moods will falsely recognize fewer DRM critical lures than those in neutral moods (Storbeck, 2013). We hypothesize that fear, like sadness, will encourage item-level detail processing and predict that participants in the fear condition will also falsely recognize fewer critical lures than those in the neutral condition. This design will also let us directly compare false recognition in the fear and sad conditions: We predict fearful participants will be even less susceptible to false memories than sad participants. Of theoretical significance, we will determine if fear, like sadness, encourages detail over gist processing. Of applied significance, this study may add to our understanding of which type of processing might occur in traumatic situations: People who experience upsetting events while in fearful or sad moods tend to report vivid details. This study addresses whether or not scared or sad people are less susceptible to false memories.

Jacob Hanson-Flores Characterizing the Phenomenon of Particle Lane Formation in an Electric Field College of Arts and Sciences Many different patterns are formed in nature by systems which have unique environments. One of the many situations that can arise is a phenomenon which has come to be known as lane formation. Lane formation is a natural occurrence between oppositely charged particles when an electric field is introduced to the system. This has been studied and modeled in a two-dimensional space in the past and has been recreated in a laboratory. The driving force that causes this type of interaction is counter-intuitive. Like charged particles experience a strong repulsive force between them. One of the strongest forces in nature is the electromagnetic force which causes like particles to repel and oppositely charged particles to attract. Regardless of this strong electromagnetic attraction between oppositely charged particles, when an electric field is introduced to the system they trend towards a system where all of the positively charged particles will form a ”lane” in a direction opposite and adjacent to those of the opposite charge. Our goal is to recreate the conditions which have been previously studied and further parameterize them by introducing additional forces.

Rachel Harris Racial Stereotype, Gender, and Attitudes Toward NonTraditional Relationships. Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Cyndi Kernahan College of Arts and Sciences Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) refers to romantic relationships in which all partners agree to engage in sexual, romantic and/ or emotional relationships with others (Burleigh et al., 2017). Research indicates that about 26.9% of people actively engage in and identifying with CNM (Moors, et al., 2017). There are many misperceptions about those who are consensually non-monogamous. In comparison to CM (consensually monogamous) relationships, research has shown that people believe that those who are in CNM relationships do not care as much about their partners, and are unhappy in their primary relationship (Hutzler et al., 2015). These perceptions are typically false according to research showing that those in CNM relationships are very satisfied in their relationships (Haupert et al., 2017), and care about their partners as much as monogamous individuals do (Moors et al., 2017). Many studies have been conducted to examine how best to reduce outgroup bias. The Contact hypothesis provides one possibility. The Contact hypothesis posits that contact with those outside our ingroups can reduce prejudice (Dovidio et al., 2017). Such contact can consist of personal

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala or emotional information about those in outgroups in addition to in-person contact. The objective of our study is to use a personal intervention that involves counter- stereotypic information to help participants to feel more positively toward CNM relationships and to view them more accurately. We will gather both pre- and postintervention ratings of those in CNM relationships and hope to show that a simple, short intervention can improve attitudes and reduce stigma.

Andrew Hoium Enhancing the Biosynthesis of Antibiotic Compounds from Soil-Derived Bacillus sp. Using Co-Culturing Techniques Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Lathadevi Chintapenta-Karuna College of Arts and Sciences CDC estimates that approximately $168 million were invested in 2018 for combating antibiotic resistance. Many new antibiotics have been discovered under laboratory conditions, but only few of them reach the market. In nature microbes are associated with other microbes and these interactions lead to production of new metabolites that are lost when separated as pure cultures. The focus is to study the inhibitory effect of Bacillus sp., against the emerging drug resistant pathogens, Acinetobacter sp. and Enterococcus sp., when they are grown together (co-cultures). The need for new antimicrobial agents has never been more urgent with the current state of antibiotic resistance.

Jared Johnson Norms and perceptions of college students drinking behaviors Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Paige Miller College of Arts and Sciences (CAS); In this project, I explore college students perceptions and norms of drinking. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1000 undergraduate students at UWRF. Data analysis is currently underway but will be completed by the Fall Gala. I think that this is an important issue to look at because if we can have a better understanding of how college students feel about their peers drinking habits, then we can focus more on educating students as they enter college to try and avoid as many risks that come with college drinking as we can.

Kayla Johnson Buckthorn Mapping along the Glen Park Area Trails in River Falls, WI Research Collaborator(s): Katie Dokkestul Faculty Mentor(s): Mathew Dooley College of Arts and Sciences Buckthorn is an invasive species in the United States that eliminates regeneration of tree seedlings and understory species. We mapped buckthorn along the Glen Park area trails in River Falls, Wisconsin to identify problematic areas. We surveyed for buckthorn 20 feet off the trail. If there was only one plant, we accounted for all the buckthorn within a 10-foot radius. We found that most of the Glen Park area trails are infested with dense buckthorn plants. Our research suggests that there should be a management program implemented to help control the species.

David Kieke Evaluating the Spectral Power of a Light Source for Use on Aged Parchment Research Collaborator(s): David Messinger, Tania Kleynhans, Roger Easton Jr. College of Arts and Sciences Spectrometers are commonly used for material characterization and identification in the world of historical manuscripts. These spectrometers utilize a close proximity light source which, if too powerful, could damage aged parchment. We characterized one of these light sources based on its photometric and radiometric output to evaluate the safety of manuscripts under its illumination. Using the spectrometer, we were able to determine the power distribution of the source, showing that there are significant amounts of infrared and visible light that could contribute to heat and chemical damage. By making measurements with a lux meter, we were able to compare the output to common photometric standards used by museums. We found that the PANalytical Fiber Optic Illuminator produced 27 lux-hours of illumination if the exposures were limited to 10 seconds with the probe 1/4” away from the target. This is within the 50 luxhours cap many conservators use, but severely limiting in effective measurement time. The heating due to the light source was also examined because of light’s ability to cause destructive shrinkage and drying. The heating and cooling curves of test parchments were recorded yielding potentially damaging temperature changes of 10 degrees Celsius in short time periods.

Jana Knudsen The Truthiness of Life Hacks Research Collaborator(s): Meghan Weatherly Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Abigail Jackson College of Arts and Sciences (CAS); This study investigates the truthiness effect in which people are more likely to believe a claim is true if accompanied by a nonprobative image. A nonprobative image is related to the topic of the claim without providing evidence for evaluating its veracity. For this study, we investigate the influence of nonprobative images on credibility judgments of life hacks: simple statements meant to convey advice in order to better the reader’s life. We have completed data collection for a pilot study in which participants rated a list of life hacks for credibility on a five-point scale. The purpose of the pilot is to identify life hacks to use for the principal study. Based on previous research, we expect nonprobative images to have the greatest influence when participants are unsure of the claim’s credibility. Thus, for the principal study we will use claims judged to be of moderate credibility from the pilot. For the principal study, participants will view a list of life hacks and indicate whether they believe each is credible by making yes/no judgments. Some hacks will be presented with nonprobative images and some will be presented without images. We hypothesize that life hacks paired with nonprobative images will be judged to be more credible than those without. To test our hypothesis, we will analyze mean number of yes responses under each condition (nonprobative images: present, not present) using a paired-samples t-test.

14 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

Ashley Koivisto

Dakkota Mark

College Students’ Experiences with Cyberstalking

A Reflection of the Live at Orchestra Hall Concert Series

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj, Dr. Natalia Moiseeva

College of Arts and Sciences

In this project, I explore college students and their experiences with cyberstalking. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students at UWRF. Data analysis is currently underway, but will be completed by the time of the Fall Gala.

This project has been an analysis of a concert series that performs modern repertoire, movie music, and other popular genres at the Minnesota Orchestra. Gaining a variety of perspectives about this topic has given insight into this newer medium for sharing orchestral music with audiences.

Alexandra Konop

Ann Marie McIntire

Evaluating the efficacy of paste and pellet Fenbendazole in juvenile horses

How a Major Orchestra finds a new Music Director

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Michelle DeBoer

College of Arts and Sciences

Osmo Vanska will be leaving the Minnesota Orchestra after a 19year tenure as it Music Director. The search is on, there are many candidates. What is the Search Process, and how is a new Music Director selected? There are only 10 Major Orchestras in the U.S., Minnesota being one of them, so it is likely the new Music Director will come from Europe where there are hundreds of professional orchestras, supported by governments. The Minnesota Orchestra is inviting dozens of conductors from around the world to spend a week rehearsing and guest conducting concerts for the next 3 years. Will the new Music Director be one of them? This research also reveals where conductors came from just before being appointed to a Major Orchestra.

In this project we studied a specific group of young horses to test two different fenbendazole dewormers. We used Modified McMaster’s Egg Counting technique to analyze fecal samples and determine which dewormer was more effective.

Lucy Landaeta The Role of Chronic Caffeine Administration on Attenuation of Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms in Long Evans Rats Research Collaborator(s): Keely Johnson Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. James Cortright; Dr. Daniel Ehlinger College of Arts and Sciences To date, caffeine leads globally as the most consumed psychoactive drug. Its readily available nature and alertness exerting effects have appealed to populations of all psychiatric histories. Given the prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), in which symptoms such as lethargy are commonplace, a potential relationship between caffeine administration and attenuation of MDD symptoms has been suggested. In particular, within groups exposed repeatedly to stress, a frequent trigger of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), caffeine intake surges. This has led to an observed inverse correlation between caffeine intake and MDD symptoms (Kaster et al). Clinically, the current state regarding caffeine administration as part of MDD treatment remains limited but established. When conjunctively applied in the presence of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), caffeine has shown to augment the therapeutic effects in human and animal models (Minor et al; Szopa et al.). However, the mechanism of action by which caffeine specifically exerts these effects remains unknown. The purpose of our study was to expand upon previous literature and to elucidate these mechanisms by combining behavioral and morphological analysis.

Kaitlyn LaRocco How does the magnitude and source of recognition influence feelings of belonging, self-esteem, and satisfaction in the workplace? Research Collaborator(s): Maria Grimm Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres College of Arts and Sciences It is of constant and growing concern to employers as to how to create happy and hard-working employees that feel appreciated to the point of more efficient work. Our study aims to identify how magnitude and source of motivation influence individuals including feelings of belonging, self-esteem, and job satisfaction.

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj

Maiya McSorley How Gender and Assigned/Unassigned Roommate Status Play a Role in Roommate Relationship Quality Reasearch Collaborator(s): Samantha Drews Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres College of Arts and Sciences Having a good, or bad, roommate can influence a student’s mental and physical health (Ansell, Kurtz, & Markey, 2008). Although there have been studies to determine what personality types and behavioral styles make good roommates, none look specifically at how assigned or unassigned roommates influence relationships between roommates. Our study also aims to look for a difference between male and female roommate relationships. Watson (2012), found evidence to support that the relationship between social information (e.g. gossip) and friendship was stronger for men than it was for women. Personality traits are another aspect that can affect college roommate relationships. Kurtz and Sherker (2003) studied only female roommates and found evidence that when roommates had a good relationship, they rated each other higher on qualities such as extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and lower on neuroticism. Our participants will be college students, both men and women, enrolled in a general psychology class. Participants will answer questions about their gender and whether or not they were assigned or unassigned roommates. They will then take a survey to measure their closeness with their roommate. This survey will ask questions such as how much time roommates spend together, the types of activities they do, and how much their roommate affects their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Our IRB has been approved and we are starting data collection this week. We will utilize t-tests to test our hypotheses. Based on previous research, we expect to find that roommates who were assigned will have a more quality relationship than those with an unassigned roommate. We expect this because when roommates are assigned, they have lower expectations to be friends than when roommates choose each other. We also expect to find that men have a better-

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala quality relationship with their roommate than women. We expect men to have a better relationship with their roommates than females because Watson (2012) found that men typically develop more quality friendships through gossip than do women. If we obtain our expected results, we will be helping a lot of future first year college students. This study is going to help incoming first year students decide if it is better to live with an assigned or unassigned roommate.

Kelsey Mitchell The relationship between student’s attitudes towards debt, perceptions of financial stability, and overall happiness. Reasearch Collaborator(s): Drew Rassett Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres College of Arts and Sciences Happiness has been a growing topic of interest in Psychology research in recent years. We hope to contribute to that research by looking at the types of debt, attitudes towards that debt, and perceptions of financial stability and how that relates to a student’s happiness. Much of the research that we have found investigates student’s perceptions of debt or how happiness is affected by the presence of debt. One of the studies we looked at investigates the effects of student debt on the happiness of individual students (Zhang & Kemp, 2009). They discovered that students with high debt had the same level of happiness as those with no debt. A different study focused on how happiness of students differed among different socioeconomic statuses (Peltzer et al., 2017). They found that there was a direct, positive relationship between socioeconomic status and overall happiness. The next two studies focused on attitudes towards debt-- in which researchers categorized students into different labels based on their thoughts towards debt (Zerquera, McGowan, & Ferguson, 2016)-- and perceived financial stability, in which the researchers found that as time progressed, attitudes toward debt became more negative, while perceived financial stability improved (Norvilitis, 2014). From this, we designed a study that would look not only at student’s attitudes towards debt, the effect of debt on happiness, and student’s perception of financial stability, but also the method of tuition payment and how happiness is affected by these factors. Using a survey method, participants took a variety of measurement scales that assessed happiness (The Oxford Happiness Scale), attitudes towards debt (Davies & Lea Attitudes Towards Debt Scale), perception of individual financial stability (Perception of Financial Stability Scale), along with various demographic questions that focused on tuition payment methods. We expect to find that the acceptance of financial aid affects a student’s overall happiness differently depending on the type of financial aid they receive. Further, we anticipate that students who accept “free money” (accept money from relatives or scholarships) will have a higher level of happiness, while students who accept loans (take on debt) have a range of happiness levels due to the different attitudes toward debt. We also expect to find that a student’s perception of their financial stability affects their overall happiness. A negative perception of financial stability will result in lower levels of happiness, while a positive perception of financial stability will result in higher levels of happiness.

Rachel Myers Religious, Political, and Maternal Roles of Indigenous Women in Pre-Columbian Society(Los papeles religiosas, politicas y maternales de las mujeres indigenas en la Sociedad precolombina) Reasearch Collaborator(s): Kaya Magnuson, Alexis Noble-Meraz Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences Oftentimes in the history of societies around the world, women are not represented as important people, however without women the history of these cultures would not exist. The women in the Aztec, Mayan and Incan cultures had crucial maternal, political, and religious roles that were dependent on their social class and their roles within that class. They also participated in agricultural work, along with creating textiles, and spent many hours cooking food for their families. The history of women in Pre-Columbian times is almost never mentioned without masculine context because women were living lives under the control of men. The men during this time controlled their access to political and religious opportunities, and husbands were chosen for them. Men were afraid of the tremendous power that women had because they were able to give birth and have a menstrual cycle. Because of this, they looked at women as a threat that had to be controlled. However, given their situations, some women were very successful in their positions, such as las Coyas in the Incan culture and La Malinche who had a crucial role in the conquest of Mexico.

Mariah Olinger Neuroscience and Communication/Language: The Genetic or Brain Architecture Component of Selected Speech Disorders. Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniel Ehlinger; Dr. Lori Swanson College of Arts and Sciences This study required finding the connection between three of the core language functions that have been known to be impaired in individuals with ASD; isolating a brain region for each core language function that has a clear correlation to the language area; and genes that are known to be classically linked to ASD. This relationship was established by completing an analysis using a thorough literature review; data collection from two different databases: the SFARI Gene Database and the Allen Branch Atlas; and a comparison of the data collected using chi-square analysis and paired t-test. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between language use and our neurobiological processes down to a genetic level. It is essential to begin to understand where the origin of the break down for these impairments reside in order to answer the question of “Are autism-related genes differentially expressed across brain regions associated with Syntax, Pragmatics, Semantics”.

16 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

Katelyn Pearson

Sarina Peterson

The Effects Personality and Communication Types have on the Perception of Closeness

Socio-economic Status Influence on Pro-environmental Behaviors

Reasearch Collaborator(s): Justin Trecartin

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres

College of Arts and Sciences

In this project I explore if college students socio-economics status influences their pro-environmental behaviors. I chose to explore this topic because environmental concerns are at an all-time high, and younger generations are taking personal action to combat environmental changes. I analyze student’s socioeconomic characteristics, their likelihood to participate in pro-environmental behaviors, and societal factors that may prevent them from engaging in pro-environmental behaviors. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway.

Social media is a great tool for increasing social capital and enhancing offline social connectedness, but it can have bad connotations. Social media, when used at high levels, can reduce bonding and increase loneliness (Ryan et al., 2017). Research has been done looking at how communication through online and face to face settings differ when it comes to feeling connected with other people (Belangee et al., 2015; Ryan et al., 2017; Vanden Abeele et al., 2016) However, there has not been many studies looking at how extroversion levels can influence online communication. Our study aims to document how different modes of communication (online versus face-to-face) influences how close students feel towards family and friends. In addition, we will examine the role personality plays. Our hypothesis is that people will feel closer toward others from face-to-face communication compared to online communication and that participants who are higher in extraversion will feel closer with face-to-face communication. An interaction is also expected whereby the difference between online and faceto-face will be greater for those high in extroversion, as they may benefit more from face-to-face communication.

Savannah Pearson

Jennifer Pflum How to make batons Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj College of Arts and Sciences A presentation about how to make batons and the best way to make them.

Ricardo Rodriguez-Santapau Mesoamerican Sacrifices

The Mayan Writing System, El sistema de escritura de los mayas

Reasearch Collaborator(s): Alana Day, Kasey Berthiaume, Mckenna Cook

Reasearch Collaborator(s): Brooke Fisher, Allen Croes, Amanda Kretman

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine

The term “human sacrifice” recently has modern connotations associated with ancient practice committed by civilizations that were not very sophisticated. During the pre-Columbian period in Mesoamerica, several of the great civilizations such as the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Incas had sacrificial traditions and rituals. There are many gods in the Inca religion. The Incas sacrificed children for festivals and for their gods. They have a scarification process that can take up to a year to complete. They would feed the sacrifice with the main corn diet and drug them. They would kill the children by strangulation, hit the back of the head, or cut their hearts. They leave the sacrifices tied in and often in a cave. The Incas had more than 1000 scarifications found. Investigators don’t know exactly why the Aztecs sacrificed humans. There are many theories, the most popular one being that the sacrifices were gratitude for a good harvest. The Aztecs sacrifices lined with dates on the Aztec calendars and the harvest season. It is believed that they were giving thanks to the blood-thirsty god, Huitzilopochtli. The myth of god is violent. Huitzilopochtli killed his sister by beheading her, a ritual that is used in Aztec sacrifices. They would show off the skulls of the sacrifices outside of the Temple using the tzompantli, a rack of skulls. The Olmecs were one of the first civilizations in Mesoamerica and due to that there is the suspicion that the Mayans and Aztecs adopted the idea of human sacrifices in their religions due to the Olmecs, but there are also people who believe that each civilization developed it on its

College of Arts and Sciences The Mayans were a civilization that lived in what is today the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The Mayans lived about 4,000 years ago and had a very advanced society. The Mayans had a complex writing system that consisted of hundreds of signs and glyphs that appeared in different forms, like animals, humans, supernatural things, objects, and even abstract ideas. The glyphs were written and read vertically and written in groups of two columns. They were written on statues and in books called códices. The Spanish conquerors believed the Mayan writings were the devil’s work and destroyed all but 3 or 4 códices. They can be found in Dresden, Madrid, and Paris. One was recently discovered in Mexico, but experts argue over the authenticity of the códice . It took experts several years to finally crack the Mayan code because they could not decipher the writing system at first. Many experts worked on understanding the Mayan writing system, but Yurii Knorozov and Eric Thompson are two of the most influential. The Mayans also developed a complex calendar and number system that is still considered relatively accurate today. They had two number systems and three different calendars that were used for different occasions.

Blayne Peckman College students’ perceptions and experiences of Cyberbullying Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller College of Arts and Sciences In this project, I explore college students experiences and perceptions of Cyberbullying. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1000 undergraduate students at UWRF. Data analysis is currently underway but will be completed by the Fall Gala.

College of Arts and Sciences

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

Kirsten Ruud Studies toward a general and enantioselective synthesis of 2-substituted and 2,3-disubstituted azetidines using organocatalysts Research Collaborator(s): Matthew O’Reilly College of Arts and Sciences Optically active azetidines have been used by pharmaceutical companies to synthesize biologically active molecules in pursuit of life-changing medicines. Unfortunately, good methods to enantioselectively synthesize azetidines do not yet exist. We present various approaches toward the preparation of enantiomerically enriched 2-substituted and 2,3-disubstitued azetidines. We use an organocatalyzed aza-michael reaction between an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde and phthalimide to produce a precursor to 2-substitued azetidines. These principles can be applied to synthesize 2,3-disubstitued azetidines using an organocatalyzed michael addition reaction between protected 2-amino-1-nitroethenes and saturated aldehydes.

depressive disorder will be evaluated more negatively. However, our design allows us to test whether rater impressions are different across performance levels and settings.

Lucy Schetnan Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire- La conquista española del imperio azteca Reasearch Collaborator(s): Matthew Smith, Jacob Ott, Olivia Freiermuth Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences

Lucy Schetnan

Effects of Managerial Awareness of Mental Health Diagnoses on Perceived Work Performance and Potential

Kaitlyn Scheunemann

Research Collaborator(s): Ashley Challes

Investigating the Biological Activity of Emmacin-Related

Faculty Mentor(s): Travis Tubré, Richard Seefeldt

Functionalized Dihydropyrimidines

College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Matthew O’Reilly

We are examining how choosing to disclose or conceal a major depressive disorder diagnosis affects candidates’ ratings by employers in both ongoing job performance and in interview settings. Previous research has supported the idea that disclosing a mental health diagnosis like major depressive disorder leads to fewer callbacks on a résumé compared to someone without a mental health diagnosis (Hipes, Lucas, Phelan, & White, 2016), lower perception of being hirable in an interview setting (Manning & White, 1995), and lower perceived performance on the job (Mendel, Kissling, Reichhart, Buhner, & Hamann, 2015). Employers may also consider many possible obstacles in employing someone with a mental health diagnosis (e.g. absenteeism, inability or difficultly following rules and instructions, danger to other employees, misusing a diagnosis to avoid going to work; see Biggs, Hovey, Tyson, & MacDonald, 2010; Brohan, Henderson, Little, & Thornicroft, 2010; Manning & White, 1995; Mendel et al., 2015). These stigmatized beliefs may be problematic for individuals with mental health diagnoses seeking to find employment. In the present study, we presented students enrolled in general psychology courses with vignettes describing either higher or lower- performing prospective employees or job incumbents where the employer was either aware or unaware of a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. The participants rated these individuals on job-related dimensions and provided overall performance ratings. Our major hypothesis, based on prior research, is that candidates who are presented as being diagnosed with major

College of Arts and Sciences

Wade Saw Attitudes towards women incarceration and childbirth in prison Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller College of Arts and Sciences In this project, I explore college students at UWRF and family and friends on facebook on their attitudes towards women incarceration and childbirth in prison. In order to do so, I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students and to friends and family on facebook. Data analysis is currently under way, but will be completed at the fall gala.

Globally, humans and animals are facing a rapidly evolving public health crisis, antibiotic resistance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attribute antibiotic resistance to the infection of 2.8 million people each year in the United States alone, resulting in 35,000 fatalities. Among these superbugs is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). As threats like MRSA overwhelm our current antibiotic collection, novel antibiotics are needed that work via new pathways. In that vein, a functionalized dihydropyrimidine chemical scaffold was discovered that inhibited the growth of MRSA. Emmacin, the most potent member of that scaffold, serves as a lead compound toward the development of new antibiotics. Importantly, Emmacin is believed to target dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an underexploited antibiotic target, via an uncompetitive inhibitory mechanism. This represents a novel mode of inhibition. Optimization of this chemical scaffold towards antibiotic activity may provide a new portal toward DHFR inhibition, providing medical personnel and veterinarians leverage to suppress the threat of resistance and a new method of defense against superbugs. Using high-throughput 96well plate bacterial growth inhibition assays, our compound library was screened for antibacterial activity against three strains of S. aureus. We present our research findings related to the antibacterial activity of these compounds, as well as our goal of investigating spectrum of activity and potential mammalian toxicity through collaborations with various research groups.

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Cordell Schrank

Coltra Trollan-Hiestand

Producing Polymer-Quantum Dot Composite Materials Through Direct Ligand Reaction

College Students Perceptions of Domestic Violence

Reasearch Collaborator(s): Kimberly Mackiel

College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Samuel Alvarado

In this project I explore college student’s perceptions and attitudes of domestic violence and domestic abuse. To examine this topic I constructed an online survey and distributed it to a sample of 1,000 undergraduate students. Data analysis is currently underway but will be completed by the time of the fall gala. This topic is important because of the continued prevalence of domestic violence in young people.

College of Arts and Sciences Quantum dots are semiconducting particles with diameters of 1-20 nm which are efficient emitters and absorbers of light. The color of light absorbed or emitted depends on the average particle size. These properties have caused quantum dots to be incorporated into consumer electronics such as televisions. This has driven growth of the quantum dot market value to $5.04 billion by 2020. To build a flat panel display, quantum dots are formulated into a polymer composite, which is produced by weaving quantum dots between large polymer strands or by producing a polymer with quantum dot binding sites. These methods could result in quantum dot aggregation which can reduce device efficiency. In order to reduce aggregation, the quantum dot surfactants can be linked together directly using olefin metathesis. The distance between quantum dots is controlled by using surfactants of varying lengths. This could serve to improve device performance and efficiency. A drawback to this method is that amines on the surfactant decompose the olefin metathesis catalyst. This could be avoided by exchanging the amine surfactant for carboxylic acid.

Matthew Smith Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire - La conquista española del imperio azteca Reasearch Collaborator(s): Jacob Ott, Olivia Freiermuth, Lucy Schetnan Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences We examine the interplay of factors including key events and people that played a major role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. The Aztecs were an indigenous group of people that established their capital, Tenochtitlán, in the area known as present day Mexico City. At the time of the conquest they were under the reign of a powerful emperor, Montezuma II, who converted the political environment of the empire into an Absolute Monarchy. Along with Montezuma II, we specifically focused on the role of Hernan Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, who led a group of Spaniards to the New World. He was an ambitious and defiant navigator who pursued the conquest without support from Spain. We note important events that affected the course of the conquest. For example, initial Spanish control became evident through the imprisonment of Montezuma II in his own capital. Additionally, the Noche Triste was an important battle that resulted in the death of Montezuma II and the fleeing of the Spaniards who had previously infiltrated the Aztec capital. With the death of Montezuma II, his successor, Cuauhtémoc, took over the role of defending the Aztec empire. The roles of the opposing leaders as well as important events that occur along the way, other factors such as weaponry, illnesses and religious perspectives greatly affected the outcome of the war. After two years of fighting, the Spanish conquistadors took over the Aztec empire which lead to the destruction of Tenochtitlán.

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Page Miller

Faith Velez Perceptions of relationships scripts in heterosexual and non-heterosexual relationships Reasearch Collaborator(s): Ty Gabrielson Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres College of Arts and Sciences In this study, conducted via online survey of University of WisconsinRiver Falls undergraduate students, we compared perceptions of heterosexual and non-heterosexual relationship scripts. We compared this with the previous research of heterosexual relationship scripts and addressing the similarities or differences found in non-heterosexual relationship script perception. In this study, we delved into how stereotype conformity or non-conformity influences perceptions of relationship scripts, as well as how the form of the relationship (lesbian, gay, and heterosexual) influences the perception of relationship scripts. Very little research has been done on understanding relationships and behavior of non-heteronormative people. In our diverse society, we need this additional research as different types of people can have different types of behavior and we should expand our knowledge of this diversity rather than generalizing from what is seen as the “normal” state of being.

Joseph Wananda Nonsystematic Error Investigation in Time of Flight Cameras Faculty Mentor(s): Earl Blodgett College of Arts and Sciences Depth images in time of flight cameras are affected differently in terms of image resolution by various environmental factors. This makes it very difficult for a single error reduction method to work on reducing all nonsystematic errors with the use of a continuous wave time of flight camera, we investigate the sources of various environmental factors present in the scene of a depth image and the extent to which they affect the accuracy of the depth data provided by the time of flight camera.

Morgan Waste The Antimicrobial Activity of Rose Tinctures Faculty Mentor(s): Lisa Kroutil College of Arts and Sciences This research explores antimicrobial activity of rose petal tinctures. Since bacteria are mutating and becoming more resistant to common antimicrobial drugs, natural remedies could be a viable option for identifying new compounds to be used to fight off infectious bacteria. Similar research has been conducted in this area but with only select rose varieties such as R. damascene and R. rugosa. This study covers a wider range of rose species and varieties

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala with emphasis on developing a rapid and reliable screening method. Rose petal tinctures were prepared in 50% lab grade ethanol. Tinctures were tested with 96 well plate growth assays to obtain growth curves. The bacteria tested include two gram negative: E. coli and B. subtilis, and two gram positive: M. luteus, and P. aeruginosa. Early results indicate that a number of roses aside from the traditional medicinal roses show antimicrobial activity.

Lucas West Score Study Methods Reasearch Collaborator(s): Kyle Hendren Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj, Dr. David Milne College of Arts and Sciences A look into the methods of score study; what high school band directors do before they present their class with a new piece.

Reese Wilcox Okay, Boomer: Self-Selected Music Exposure Improves Mood and Does Not Hinder Multitasking Performance (Even for Introverts) Research Collaborator(s): Kayleigh Wood, Emily Dappen Faculty Mentor(s): Travis Tubre College of Arts and Sciences Recent popular themes suggest that the tendency for teens and younger adults to multitask, by listening to music while working, hinders their performance. We randomly assigned participants to listen to either self-selected music, experimenter-selected music, or no music while completing a multitasking activity. We also assessed mood during task performance and levels of extraversion. In contrast to popular beliefs, we found that listening to self-selected music, such as one might do on streaming music services, increased mood and did not hinder performance on a multitasking activity. Listening to experimenter-selected music had no effects on mood, but did hinder task performance for more introverted participants.

Reese Wilcox The Relationship Between Gender, Beliefs, and Feminism Identity Reasearch Collaborator(s): Tyler Kluetzman Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melanie Ayres College of Arts and Sciences There is a disparity that exists in feminist culture in which larger percentages of people agree with feminist ideals than are willing to identify themselves as being feminists. This presents a problem because feminist identity is related to multiple positive social factors like social activism (Precopio, 2017). This study uses a cognitive bias concept that exists in psychology referred to as the belief in a just world (BJW) in which individuals believe that people deserve what happens to them. People who score high in BJW believe that, in general, people receive consequences that are morally fitting to their actions (Lerner, 1980). This study aims to expand the knowledge of the relationship between this feminist ideology-identity disparity, BJW, and gender, among college students. These issues are important in better understanding why college students might engage in feminist activism.

Katlyn Williams Bovine milk derived stem cell cultures present with distinct multi-nucleated cells as well as developing mammary gland specific tissue-like features. Faculty Mentor(s): Timothy Lyden, Ph.D. College of Arts and Sciences Following reports in 2006 of very early fetal/embryonic-like stem cell populations present in milk secretions from lactating humans, our laboratory focused it’s attention on the possibility of harvesting similar populations from cows milk. Beginning in 2016 we did indeed show that bovine milk also contains a population of stem cells which, when cultured generate distinctive and robust 2D monolayer cultures. In a series of studies we have now defined the presence of all the necessary tissue-specific cells to generate actual artificial tissues in these cultures. Further, we have observed the presence of a very distinctive multi-nucleated population of cells within mature bovine stem cell-derived monolayers that appear to function in a regulatory capacity during the development of advanced tissue-like features. Since these stem cells and monolayers undergo spontaneous differentiation into tissue-specific features, the regulatory pathways inducing and controlling this behavior are of considerable interest. In fact, we have also observed that multinucleated cells function as chaperons for clusters of cancer cells within cultures of human breast ductal carcinoma. Therefore a better understanding of what, if any, role these cells play in differentiation and tissue development would be of potentially large overall significance.

Kayleigh Wood Aztec Medicine Reasearch Collaborator(s): Khong Xiong, Miranda Ailport Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daniela Goldfine College of Arts and Sciences We present our studies on Aztec medicine, its history and its colonization. We explain the themes of gods, plants and animals and the destruction of the Aztecs for lack of necessary medicine. Regarding the gods, the Aztecs believed that the gods gave them health and sickness. Certain gods caused different diseases such as the god Tlazolteotl that caused epilepsy, while others restored health like the goddess of medicine, Tetheus Innan. In addition, it is important to investigate the different plants and animals that helped the indigenous people and how they gained the interest of the settlers. We will focus on the botanical gardens that provided the Aztecs medical profession with raw materials for medicinal formulas and experimentation. The settlers returned the plants to the kings in Spain and now we use the same plants for some diseases. As well as plants, we discuss how the Aztecs used substances from animals to make medicine. Also, we talk about the disease caused by the Spanish conquistadors that killed the Aztecs. Overall, the Aztecs created many important drugs with different functions. The gods asked them if they needed the new drugs. Unfortunately, the drug they needed the most never came. It is important because the Aztecs had a great civilization that used the sciences before the use of technology.

20 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

Khong Xiong

Amy Zingsheim

Aztec Medicine Research Collaborator(s): Kayleigh Wood, Miranda Ailport

Investigation of the Active Base for use in the mDom in the IceCube Upgrade

Faculty Mentor(s): Daniela Goldfine, Ph.D.

Faculty Mentor(s): Martin Rongen

College of Arts and Sciences

We present our studies on Aztec medicine, its history, and its colonization. We explain the themes of gods, plants and animals and the destruction of the Aztecs for lack of necessary medicine. Regarding the gods, the Aztecs believed that the gods gave them health and sickness. Certain gods caused different diseases such as the god Tlazolteotl that caused epilepsy, while others restored health like the goddess of medicine, Tetheus Innan. In addition, it is important to investigate the different plants and animals that helped the indigenous people and how they gained the interest of the settlers. We will focus on the botanical gardens that provided the Aztec’s medical profession with raw materials for medicinal formulas and experimentation. The settlers returned the plants to the kings in Spain and now we use the same plants for some diseases. As well as plants, we discuss how the Aztecs used substances from animals to make medicine. Also, we talk about the disease caused by the Spanish conquistadors that killed the Aztecs. Overall, the Aztecs created many important drugs with different functions. The gods asked them if they needed the new drugs. Unfortunately, the drug they needed the most never came. It is important because the Aztecs had a great civilization that used the sciences before the use of technology.

In an effort to characterize the behavior of the active base designed for use in the mDOM for the IceCube upgrade, a V2.0 active base is used to gather data, which is then analyzed. A repetitive sinusoidal signal was found in the noise of multiple waveforms with a frequency around 10 MHz. The transit time (the amount of time it took for the light pulse to be detected) distribution for signals measured with the active base appears to be the same as the transit time distribution for signals measured with a passive base. The average waveforms from measurements with the active and passive bases are also very similar. Analysis of the charge distribution for the active base proved hard to complete since distinguishing between noisy and clean waveforms was not reliably achieved.

Seng Xiong Roadkill on Arterial Roads of River Falls, Wisconsin Research Collaborator(s): Mia Clementi, Patrick Kincade, Alec Eckert Faculty Mentor(s): Mathew Dooley College of Arts and Sciences According to The Wildlife Society, about 7,200 motorists are killed and thousands more are injured in animal-vehicle collisions annually. It also states that motorists pay, on average, at least $2,000 in vehicle repair after a collision with a deer. We chose to conduct this experiment in hopes to pinpoint problem areas on our roadways going in and out of River Falls. With this information and the trends we identified our goal was to propose potential solutions to minimize these animal-vehicle collisions to increase road safety as well as save residents or visitors money and hardship after these collisions occur. In addition to the benefits of proposed solutions there is opportunity to make changes that benefit the environment as well by decreasing habitat loss for the species that frequently use these roadways to cross. These types of double sided solutions promote more sustainable travel for both animal and human.

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

College of Business and Economics Henok Adhanom Streamline Music Research Collaborator(s): Drew Kelly Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau College of Business and Economics Streamline Music is a product for concert-goers who would prefer to not fight the crowd and traffic but instead have the concert placed at your home through a pay per view event.

consumer is within the actual salon. The hair stylist can use this connection through the mirror to help the consumer work through issues they may have with hair and provide videos/tutorials if the customer needs visual aids. Customers can customize the mirror to their personal specifications, and hair salons can use the mirror to promote both their product line and their services.

Patrick Martin SMART Soil Moisture and Water Control

Abigail Danielson

Research Collaborator(s): Arthur Cyrankowski, Evan Verhota, Justin Wuestenberg, SaBreina White

Abigail’s Coffeehouse

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Joy Benson

Research Collaborator(s): Jeremy Ehley, Alex Hooper

College of Business and Economics

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau

SMART sprinkler system, that promotes water conservation and effectiveness with the use of soil moisture controls that are interlinked with automatic pop up sprinklers. Our project senses and prevents lawn negligence.

College of Business and Economics We want a poster printed and a table set up so we can have the poster displayed.

Jeremy Ehley Unreal Mufflers Research Collaborator(s): Brandon Stedman, Austin Sullivan, Thomas McNamara Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Joy Benson College of Business and Economics Our group had created a product that attaches before the cars factory muffler, and acts as a glue for the carbon emissions exiting the vehicle which in the end creates a better environment while reducing the carbon footprint a little more.

Jordan Fitzenberger HOCC: Home Operations Control Center Research Collaborator(s): Daniel Leemon, Scott Hofman, Henok Adhanom Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Joy Benson College of Business and Economics A central computerized hub that connects and controls all of your bluetooth and IOT devices.

Laura Huls Mirror Mirror Research Collaborator(s): Tanya Nelson, William Cowen, Matthew Daniels Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Joy Benson College of Business and Economics Mirror Mirror is a smart mirror that allows the consumer to connect with their personal hairstylist through a video feed on the actual mirror. This personal hairstylist is connected to the consumer’s personal salon which will keep notes and ideas that the two have discussed during their conversations to use later when the

Thomas McNamara One Fob Research Collaborator(s): Austin Sullivan, Joseph Koski Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau College of Business and Economics One Fob is a key fob and an app that integrates all of the user’s car keys and allows them to start, lock, and unlock their car without the hassle of traditional keys. One Fob allows the user to program multiple vehicles to the same fob at once allowing them to be free of traditional keys.

Allison McNeal Estimation of the Phillips Curve Research Collaborator(s): Thomas Heid, Pa Vang Faculty Mentor(s): John Walker College of Business and Economics This study examines the Phillips Curve, and the held belief of an inverse relationship between the inflation rate and unemployment rates in the economy. Using changes in the Consumer Price Index as a measurement of inflation, and prices of crude oil as the price shock factors, we test against unemployment with these other factors to determine their relationship to current period inflation. Results from statistical analysis show a major correlation for inflation expectations, while the price shocks lose their significance in the long run, and unemployment gap becomes insignificant in the most recent short run. Concluding a still present inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment, while observing it as second to the effects of expected inflation.

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Richard Mienke

Matthew Sparstad

We Like Livin

Bright-Box

Research Collaborator(s): Kendra Erickson, Madeline Robinson, Billy Cowan

Research Collaborator(s): Jonathon Cohen, Joesph Golubic, Zachary Hanson

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Joy Benson

College of Business and Economics

A app-based service that would help new families and young adults, who want to improve their health and overall outlook on life, by reducing stress and providing a way to be held accountable in the implementation of self-focused behavior.

Smart tool box that efficiently organizes and stores your tools making it easier for the consumer.

Holly Mitchell

Easy Trail Access (ETA)

Estimating Money Demand Functions using Real M1 and Real MZM Research Collaborator(s): Chad Lenser, Adel Ege Faculty Mentor(s): John Walker College of Business and Economics We analyzed money demand to determine if there is a stable relationship between money and economic theory, and if the central bank can rely on a stable money demand function to set macroeconomic policy. From our analysis of recent studies, we decided to test the significance of two money demand equations using quarterly data. The first equation tested was derived by Robert Lucas, and uses M1. The second equation we tested was derived by Pedro Teles and Ruilin Zhou, and uses MZM. To test these equations, we performed regressions of M1 and MZM using data from 19802019. Both regressions yielded significant results, indicating that M1 and MZM can be used to derive a stable money demand function. We concluded MZM should prioritized for setting macroeconomic policy, and M1 should continue to be analyzed to support the results of MZM.

Savanna Quinn IMPac: In Motion Pac Research Collaborator(s): Sarah Hove, Sim Franco, Calli Peckman Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Joy Benson College of Business and Economics A multi-purpose and functional bag that is an easy access grab and is able to carry multiple items at once, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything. Cooling and heating compartment, charging port and extra storage for other important belongings.

Julie Whittaker Research Collaborator(s): Jesse Brown, Zachary Hanson Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau College of Business and Economics Our project is a business based on an app designed to make access to parks and trails easier for individuals with mobility challenges. We utilized the Business Model Canvas, interviews, and research to aid in the development of this idea throughout the semester.

Courtney Winters Happy Healthy Hats Research Collaborator(s): Blake Blundell, Stephany Scott, Elijah B. Anderson Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau College of Business and Economics Happy Healthy Hats is a brand with a goal to keep hair healthy and skin happywhile implementing sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Our silk-lined hats protect hair by not absorbing the hair’s natural oils to prevent dryness and frizz. It is also beneficial for sensitive skin because silk is naturally hypoallergenic and nonabrasive.

Justin Wuestenberg Dual Cycle Research Collaborator(s): Evan Verhota, Ben Beckman Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau College of Business and Economics Dual washer/dryer combo

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

College of Education and Professional Studies Cassidy Burkman

Thelma Ritzinger

Preschool Science Research Collaborator(s): Kali Gorman

Current Rehabilitation Practices for Children With PostOperative Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Danielle Campeau

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Sheryl Samargia

College of Education and Professional Studies

A look into Preschool science; the importance, best practices and how to implement it. Research explores hands on activities, cogenerate dialogs, and didactic intervention. Methods of best practice were then interpreted for the context of early childhood students and classrooms. The findings could be beneficial to educators, families, and students alike.

Post-operative cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) affects approximately 28% of children who have undergone a cerebellar or posterior fossa brain tumor resection. We have created an international e-survey for rehabilitative professionals that targets the practices and efficacy of rehabilitation methods that are currently being used with patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate current practices with the future goal of establishing standard neurorehabilitation practices/protocol for children with CMS to promote optimal long term functional recovery across motor, cognition, language, academics, and emotional domains.

Christopher Johnson Early Autism Services: A Case Study Review. Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Donald Stovall College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS); Based on the work of Dr. Ivar Lovaas and other researchers who have developed treatment methods for young children with autism, this pilot case study considers the responses of approximately twelve clinical Applied Behavior Analysis practitioners, across experience levels, at a small Wisconsin autism treatment clinic. Using a questionnaire to investigate the screening process, cultural context, assessment methods and caregiver/clinician relationship of these clinicians and their clients, this project compared our data to the early autism treatment best practices recommended by Dr. Lovaas and other researchers to identify practical differences between our case samples and the practices described in the literature to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the observed practices in that context.

Nicholas Watkins What Does it Take to Become a Conductor in a Military Band? Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. David Milne College of Education and Professional Studies This research project is about the path to the top of conducting in the military bands in the United States. For this project specifically, I focused on the path for the U.S. Army since there are different paths for each military branch. For my research, I interviewed 1st class musician Jonathan Yanik and Army Bandmaster Russell Houser to gain insight on day to day life in the military bands from the perspectives of a performer and a conductor.

24 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

URSCA Mentors We would like to acknowledge the efforts of Faculty and Staff Mentors; whose dedication allows our campus URSCA to thrive. We deeply appreciate their contributions in support of the university’s commitment to undergraduate research, scholarly and creative activity. Thank you! Below is a comprehensive list of all the URSCA Mentors who have students presenting projects at the 2019 URSCA Fall Gala, sorted by the college of the student presenter.

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Dr. Page Miller

Dr. Cyndi Kernahan

Dr. Melanie Ayres

Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj

Dr. Abigail Jackson

Dr. Natalia Moiseeva

Dr. Richard Seefeldt

Dr. Samuel Alvarado

Dr. Davida Alperin

Dr. David Milne

Dr. Rebecca Haley

College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Daniela Goldfine

Dr. Rebecca Haley

Dr. Page Miller

Dr. Cyndi Kernahan

Dr. Melanie Ayres

Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj

Dr. Abigail Jackson

Dr. Natalia Moiseeva

Dr. Richard Seefeldt

Dr. Samuel Alvarado

Dr. Davida Alperin

Dr. David Milne

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

College of Business and Economics Dr. Danielle Campeau

Dr. Joy Benson

College of Education and Professional Studies Dr. Holly Dolliver

Dr. Yoana Newman

Dr. Simon Jette-Nantel

Dr. Kevin Thaisen

Dr. Michelle Farner

Dr. Kurt Vogel

Dr. Young Dal Jang

Off-Campus Mentors Dr. Sheryl Samargia

26 2019 Fall URSCA Gala UW-River Falls

The 2019 URSCA Fall Gala is organized and sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. We gratefully acknowledge that this event is made possible by generous support from: Kathy DeLonais and the DeLonais Foundation UW-River Falls Falcon Promise UW-River Falls Office of Alumni Relations UW-River Falls Foundation UW-River Falls University Communications and Marketing The Office of the Chancellor at UW-River Falls

UW-River Falls

2019 Fall URSCA Gala

Interested in supporting Undergraduate Research at UWRF? Our donors help directly support our undergraduate students to conduct and present their research and creative activity. Please consider making a gift of support to the Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA) Program at University of Wisconsin River Falls. https://www.uwrf.edu/Give/URSCA.cfm For additional information about upcoming events, grant funding, trainings, and presentation opportunities, visit the URSCA webpage: https://www.uwrf.edu/URSCA/ Earl Blodgett, URSCA Director 715-425-4056 or earl.d.blodgett@uwrf.edu.

Share your photos and experiences on social media using #2019URSCAFallGala Follow and connect to the URSCA Office:

@URSCAatUWRF

@UWRFURSCA 160 Hagestad Hall (until January 14, 2020) 235 Rodli Hall (after January 16, 2020) 410 S. 3rd St., River Falls, WI 54022 P: 715-425-3902

https://www.uwrf.edu/URSCA/