Scholars Showcase 2016 - Minnesota's Private Colleges · 2 Minnesota Private College Scholars...

Scholars Showcase 2016 Recognizing undergraduate student research

Celebrating undergraduate research 32 Minnesota Private College Scholars

Cover illustration by Kiki Kita ’15Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Undergraduate research provides

opportunities for students to explore the

kinds of projects they will pursue later in

their educational paths and careers.

A strong commitment to undergraduate

research is one of the reasons why more

than half of Minnesota college students

who attain a doctorate degree have earned

their baccalaureate degree at one of the

17 nonprofit institutions that are members

of the Minnesota Private College Council.

The 2016 Minnesota Private College

Scholars Showcase celebrates

43 students’ scholarship and the efforts

of their faculty advisors. From psychology

to environmental studies, computer science

to social work, the breadth of the subject

matter presented here represents the wide

range of student learning that occurs every

day at Minnesota’s Private Colleges.

Recognizing Undergraduate Research


Table of Contents: Augsburg College A Study of Sex-Specific Swimming Behavior in Daphnia Magna, a Water FleaNajma Ahmed .....................................6

An Analysis of How Dual Relationships Are Manifested with Latino ClientsNancy Ortega ..................................... 7

Bethany Lutheran CollegeExamining the Link between Religiosity and AltruismDanielle Marzinske .............................8

Visualizing the Effect of Interventions during the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola OutbreakTimothy Wildauer ..............................9

Bethel UniversityThe Effects of Clay Filters on Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water in Rural CambodiaJenny Koops .....................................10

Carleton CollegeIdentity and Politics in the Age of Moroccan IndependenceCeleste Koppe .................................. 12

Sex-Marker Identification in Green Sea TurtlesAnne Schulberg ............................... 13

College of Saint BenedictPattern Avoidance in Set PartitionsEmma Christensen ........................... 14

The Chemistry of Learning: How Emotions, Text Difficulty, and Reading Goals Influence ComprehensionEmma Johnson ................................. 15

The College of St. ScholasticaSynthesis of Indolyl/Indazolyl (N1 Substituted) Quinolones (C6 Substituted) for Study as Possible Anticancer/Antibiotic /AntimicrobialMeek Msaki and Jenna Thomforde ..16

Translation of a Multi-Segment Foot Model into the CSS Motor Behavior LaboratoryHenry Sluka ..................................... 17

Concordia College MOORHEADUnderstanding Gender and Age Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance: The Role of EmotionsCassondra Thompson and Rachael Schauer ....................... 18

Restoring Chaucer to his Feet: Punctuation as a Means of Metrical Regularity in the 1721 Urry Edition of Troilus and CriseydeAudrey Gunn ....................................19

Concordia University ST. PAULExpression and purification of a functional silica binding protein fused with RGD motif for neural tissue engineeringAmien Masroujeh, Anna Augustine, Samantha Brennan and Samuel Johnson ............................... 21

Intestinal Cell Injury Generated by NSAIDsRachel Gratz, Colette Piche, Kayla Miller, Rachel Tadsen .............22

Gustavus Adolphus CollegeOlfactometer Construction to Determine Odor’s Influence on Attention Perception and AttentionMatt Broschard ................................23

Characterization of the acoustic radiation force produced by ultrasound transducers utilized for modal analysisMikaela Algren and Cole Raisbeck ..24

Hamline UniversityEffects of Multiple Carbohydrates and Protein on Time Trial Performance and Recovery in Trained CyclistsSallee Brandt and Anthony Wolfe ..................................25

Who Has a Public Voice? Justice Workers on Affectivity and Inclusion in Political DiscourseJoseph Damman ..............................26

Macalester CollegeSaving Energy on Campus: Incorporating Psychological Principles into an Energy MonitorAna Diaz ...........................................27

Supporting Community Efforts for Climate Change Adaptation: A Small Grants Program in Saint Paul, Minn.Ivy Bardaglio ....................................28

Saint John’s UniversitySimilar Conflicts, Different Policies: An Analysis of the Executive Decision-Making Processes in Mexico and El SalvadorJake Collins ..................................... 30

Size Distribution Calculation of Atmospheric AerosolsBenjamin Nault-Maurer ................... 31

Saint Mary’s University of MinnesotaGlutathione S-transferase expression in mice (Mus musculus) Exposed in Utero to AtrazineMegan Hafner and Bryan Ortman ...32

Anti-Microbial Properties of Plants Native to the Philippines and to MinnesotaBridget Pethke and Nick Thell .........33

St. Catherine UniversityUnwed Mothers in Midcentury America: A Shameful Double StandardAmanda Campbell ............................34

Graphene Oxide: A Controlled Reduction Using Ascorbic Acid Denyce Rochelle Alvarez and Alexandra Trusty .......................35

University of St. ThomasScreening Crude Oil-Polluted Water for Endocrine ActivityCassie Clark .....................................36

The Selfish Herd: Noise Effects in Local Crowded Horizon and Density Independent ModelsNick Ose ...........................................37


Student Najma Ahmed

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Matthew Beckman

Department

Biology

Augsburg College

Daphnia, often called water fleas,

are keystone species in freshwater

environments and are routinely used to test

the toxicity of chemicals. Normally, Daphnia

reproduce by cyclic parthenogenesis,

making only females. But, males are

produced under stressful environmental

conditions. This study focused on

determining whether male Daphnia swim

differently than females. Predation risk

may be greater for animals that swim

slower. Males were produced by treatment

of reproductive-aged females with juvenile

hormone analog, pyriproxyfen, which is

a flea and tick killer that can enter the

water supply. We determined the sex of

daphnids with dichotomous keys. Daphnia

swimming was imaged with Fview and the

resulting data was analyzed with CTRAX.

Results indicate that pyriproxifen acts as an

environmental stimulus that promotes the

production of males, confirming published

data. Our preliminary data suggests

that male swimming rate is statistically

no different than for females despite a

significantly smaller male body size —

swimming rate differences are an unlikely

predation risk.

A Study of Sex-Specific Swimming Behavior in Daphnia magna, a Water Flea

Student

Nancy Ortega

Faculty Advisors

Dr. Laura Boisen & Dr. Lois Bosch

Department

Social Work

Augsburg College

Social service providers are expected to

maintain strict professional boundaries in

their professional practice with clients to

avoid exploitation and potential harm to

the client [National Association of Social

Workers standard 1.06 (c), 2008]. However,

in culturally responsive practice, forming

some dual relationships may be beneficial

towards the therapeutic relationship with

clients (Cottone, 2010; Lazarus, 2002;

Nguyen, 2007; Reamer, 2014). The present

work investigates this claim specifically

exploring dual relationships among social

service providers with Latino clients. Using

focus group methodology, 16 professionals

were interviewed using seven discussion

questions on dual relationships with Latino

clients. In addition, a survey containing 25

Likert scale questions was used to measure

the respondent’s perception of risk that

specific dual relationships pose to either

the client or worker. Results show that, in

this study, most practitioners abide by strict

ethical standards when addressing most

dual relationships. However, they are flexible

when faced with unavoidable/circumstantial

dual relationships or presented with small

gifts of gratitude.

An Analysis of How Dual Relationships Are Manifested with Latino Clients


Student

Danielle Marzinske

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Wosmek

Department Psychology

Bethany Lutheran College

Although the relationship between

religiosity, spirituality, and altruism has

been demonstrated within the research

literature, these reports focus primarily

on self-report measures. Few studies

have included observational measures

of participants’ altruistic behavior. In the

current study, participants completed

questionnaires which evaluated their degree

of religiosity, spirituality, and altruism. In

addition to this self-reported measure, each

participant had the opportunity to engage

in “helping behavior.” At either the start or

conclusion of the session, a cup of pencils

was dropped next to participants, and

researchers observed participants’ pick-

up response (or lack thereof). The results

suggest a relationship between self-reports

of religiosity and spirituality (p < .01), but

no significant relationship between the self-

reports of religiosity and spirituality, and

self-reports of altruism (p >.1) or between

any of the self-report scores and the pick-

up response from the pencil spill incident

(p >.1). These findings call into question

the validity of self-report measures as an

indicator of altruistic behavior.

Examining the Link Between Religiosity and Altruism

Student Timothy Wildauer

Faculty Advisor

Dr. John Drake, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Department Epidemiology

Bethany Lutheran College

Data recorded during the 2014–2015

West Africa Ebola Outbreak indicate when

patients presented themselves at hospitals

for treatment. To know if interventions were

successful, we must find when patients

became infected. We can only observe when

patients begin showing symptoms. This

information is corrupted by the distribution

of the incubation period. The current

method for finding when people became

infected is to shift the dates for the observed

data backwards by the average infection

period. We developed two non-parametric

filters to find when patients became infected

with Ebola: multiple trials of randomly

selecting incubation periods for patients,

and a Ridge Regression. These methods

were tested on simulated outbreaks of

different difficulties to see which method

worked best. We selected four interventions

during the outbreak to see if there was an

effect on the transmissibility of the disease.

Through testing we found that Random

deconvolution achieves a high correlation

with the infection curve.

Visualizing the Effect of Interventions during the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola Outbreak


Student Jenny Koops

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jeff Port

Department

Environmental Science

Bethel University

Cambodia is one of many countries that

produce clay filters to remove harmful

bacteria from water as an inexpensive,

locally available solution to improving access

to potable water. Cambodian soil contains

varying levels of arsenic and it has been

suggested that the filters are introducing

excess arsenic into the water. This study

conducted testing to see how much arsenic

was introduced into filtered water and

whether multiple wash cycles could reduce

that amount. Six filters were bought and

tested in Svay Reing, Cambodia and after

11 washes only four reached arsenic levels

of 10ppb, the World Health Organization’s

(WHO) safe standard. Two additional filters

in use for one year by local residents were

also tested and found to have arsenic levels

above 10ppb. Overall, this study suggests

that clay filters are initially increasing

arsenic levels in filtered water but with

proper preparation, levels can be reduced

to near standards established by WHO.

The Effects of Clay Filters on Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water in Rural Cambodia

Rachel Tadsen, Rachel Gratz, Kayla Miller, and Colette Piche at Concordia University, St. Paul

Advisor Dr. Debra Martin with Megan Hafner, Bryan Ortman, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Ana Diaz and Danny Lindholm, Macalester College

Audrey Gunn, Concordia College

Jenny Koops, Bethel University

Timothy Wildauer, Bethany Lutheran College

Emma Johnson,College of Saint Benedict

Matt Broschard, Gustavus Adolphus College


Student Anne Schulberg

Faculty Advisors

Dr. Tom Schultz & Dr. Richard Forward

Department Biology & Marine Conservation

Carleton College

A barrier in the conservation and

protection of sea turtles has been difficulty

in monitoring population dynamics.

One key parameter for understanding

populations is the sex ratio, which cannot

be phenotypically determined in juveniles.

Use of restricted site-Associated DNA

(RAD) sequencing to identify candidate sex-

specific markers was explored in Chelonia

mydas. Twenty-one female-specific markers

were identified out of 4849 possible loci,

where the 21 markers occurred in 32 or

31 females and 0 males. The presence of

mostly female-specific sex-identification

markers suggest that C. mydas utilizes a

ZZ/ZW sex determination system where

females are heterozygotic. Identification of

genetic markers capable of distinguishing

between sexes in sea turtles would aid in

conservation efforts providing the ability to

monitor population dynamics from samples

collected non-invasively.

Sex-Marker Identification in Green Sea Turtles

Student Celeste Koppe

Faculty Advisors

Dr. Adeeb Khalid & John Thabiti Willis

Department History

Carleton College

The newspaper, Al- Alam, was established

in 1946 by the Istiqlal (Independence)

Party and remains today as one of the most

widely read newspapers in Morocco. As

the first news source available in Arabic,

this newspaper embodies the Arab elite’s

struggle against French control throughout

the country. This research focuses on the

archives of Al-Alam to better understand

how the Istiqlal Party of Morocco shaped

their nationalist agenda through the revival

of the Arabic language and traditional

Islamic culture. The focus is specifically on

the periodicals from 1946- 1956, in which

I investigate how leaders of the nationalist

movement employed certain identities to

liberate their country from French rule.

Identity and Politics in the Age of Moroccan Independence


Student Emma Christensen

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Galovich

Department

Mathematics

College of Saint Benedict

A set partition avoids a pattern if no

subdivision of that partition standardizes

to the pattern. We find the sizes of several

avoidance classes for patterns of partitions

of [4]. We also characterize the restricted

growth functions which are in a bijection

with the set partitions of the avoidance

classes of interest, and examine various

statistics on these avoidance classes.

Pattern Avoidance in Set Partitions

Student Emma Johnson

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Catherine Bohn-Gettler

Department Education

College of Saint Benedict

Reading is a common avenue for learning

in many settings. Therefore, it is important

to understand what influences reading

and text processing. The primary goal of

this study is to understand how emotion,

reading goals, and text difficulty individually

and interactively affect comprehension

processes. First, in two norming studies,

emotion-inducing videos were validated,

and expository chemistry texts manipulated

to be easy versus difficult to read.

Second, in the full study, undergraduate

college students watched short video

clips and rated their feelings of hope and

hopelessness. Participants were then

instructed to read a chemistry text as

though they were studying for an exam or

browsing a magazine. While reading, their

cognitive strategies and comprehension

were measured using a write-aloud task.

After reading, participants answered

multiple choice questions designed to

assess different cognitive processes.

Understanding how these factors influence

reading and comprehension can provide

insight into better ways of understanding

how learning occurs.

The Chemistry of Learning: How Emotions, Text Difficulty, and Reading Goals Influence Comprehension


Students Meek Msaki Jenna Thomforde

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Timothy Trygstad

Department Chemistry

The College of St. Scholastica

Indole/indazole and quinolone sub-units

are found in numerous biologically active

compounds; many of which are known

to exhibit anticancer, antibiotic, and/or

antimicrobial activity. Therefore, a research

project with the overriding goal of exploring

the anticancer/antibiotic/antimicrobial

activity of compounds that contain both the

indole/indazole and quinolone sub-units was

developed. The project is highly amendable to

being divided into sub-projects, where each

sub-project focuses on a different location

of indole/indazole and quinolone sub-unit

connectivity. Each individual early stage sub-

project will focus on the synthesis of a handful

of analogues that share the same indole/

indazole and quinolone sub-unit connectivity.

Our specific early stage sub-project

focused on synthesizing indole-quinolone and

indazole-quinolone analogues with sub-unit

connectivity located at the N1 of the indole/

indazole sub-unit and the C6 of the quinolone

sub-unit. We successfully synthesized a

handful of analogues with this specific N1-

C6 sub-unit connectivity and our research

collaborators are conducting in vitro biological

studies testing the anticancer/antibiotic/

antimicrobial activity of each compound.

Synthesis of Indolyl/Indazolyl (N1 Substituted) Quinolones (C6 Substituted) for Study as Possible Anticancer /Antibiotic/Antimicrobial

Student Henry Sluka

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jon Nelson

Department Biology

The College of St. Scholastica

Through the use of a motion capture system

and a biomechanical modeling tool, this

project serves as a method for translation

of a multi-segmental foot model into the

College of St. Scholastica Motor Behavior

Lab. Motion variability and joint angles were

analyzed on the principle investigator and

a static skeletal model. The static skeletal

model analysis revealed marker-to-marker

position in space variability. The principle

investigator used applied marker set to test

for consistency and repeatability of joint

segment-to-segment joint angle movement.

Translation of a Multi-Segment Foot Model into the CSS Motor Behavior Laboratory


Students Cassondra Thompson Rachael Schauer

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Philip Lemaster

Department Psychology

Concordia College MOORHEAD

Gender and age are well-documented

demographic variables related to financial

risk tolerance. Men tend to be more willing

to take financial risks than women, and

younger people tend to be more willing

to take financial risks than older people.

These gender and age differences are not

comprehensively understood. Because

women tend to be socialized more toward

emotion than men, and with age, people

become more focused on maintaining

their positive emotional well-being, we

hypothesized that emotional “gut” reactions

to risk would account for gender and age

differences in financial risk tolerance.

Results indicated that emotional variables

(i.e., positive emotional reaction to risks and

risk perception) partially explained why men

report greater financial risk tolerance and

fully explained why older people report less

financial risk tolerance.

Understanding Gender and Age Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance: The Role of Emotions

Student Audrey Gunn

Faculty Advisor

Dr. David Sprunger

Department English

Concordia College MOORHEAD

In the early 1700s, readers debated

whether Chaucer meant for his works to

be metrically regular. Although the answer

is now a resounding “yes,” during this time,

Chaucer’s intent was hotly debated. John

Urry intended for his 1721 edition of Chaucer

to restore metrical regularity in modern

English, and took liberties such as adding

or deleting words and changing word

endings so the text would scan smoothly.

My research focused on the ways in which

Urry may have also utilized punctuation to

reestablish metrical regularity in Troilus and

Criseyde. Using a sample of 49 stanzas, I

compared Urry’s punctuation to his 1598

source text and later editions of Troilus.

Based on my findings, I propose that in

addition to manipulating words, Urry may

have relied on punctuation to reestablish

metrical regularity. Furthermore, every

major edition of Troilus after Urry’s has used

much of his punctuation, suggesting that

Urry’s 1721 Chaucer has a more positive

scholarly legacy than typically realized.

Restoring Chaucer to his Feet: Punctuation as a Means of Metrical Regularity in the 1721 Urry Edition of Troilus and Criseyde


Students Amien Masroujeh Anna Augustine Samantha Brennan Samuel Johnson

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Mary Ann Yang

Department Science

Concordia University ST. PAUL

Our project focuses on testing a novel fusion

protein’s ability to noncovalently modify the

three-dimensional silica nanofiber surfaces,

aiming at better simulate the extracellular

matrix for tissue engineering. Specifically,

we genetically engineered a recombinant

protein (SB-RGD-His) that contains a silica

binding protein (SB) fused with the RGD

peptide for cell adhesion, and a His-tag for

purification. We then expressed the SB-

RGD-His fusion in Escherichia coli Rosetta

(DE3) pLys and purified it using a nickel

column. Successful silica binding ability of

the fusion protein was demonstrated using

immunocytochemistry and pull-down assay.

Finally, PC12 cells were shown to success-

fully grow and differentiate on SB-RGD-His

coated silica surfaces. These results indicate

that SB-RGD-His fusion protein could serve

as a noncovalent coating biologic to support

and promote neuron-like cells’ growth and

differentiation on silica-based substrates for

neural tissue engineering. Our work provides

proof of concept for the possibility to genet-

ically engineer protein-based signaling mol-

ecules to noncovalently modify silica-based

substrates as bioinspired material.

Expression and purification of a functional silica binding protein fused with RGD motif for neural tissue engineering

Jenna Thomforde and Meek Msaki, The College of St. Scholastica

Celeste Koppe with Jamila Salmi, host sister

and translator, Carleton College

Emma Christensen, College of Saint Benedict

Benjamin Nault-Maurer and advisor Dr. Adam Whitten, Saint John’s University

Nick Ose , University of St. Thomas

Rachael Schauer and Cassondra Thompson, Concordia College, Moorhead

Nancy Ortega.Augsburg College


Students Rachel Gratz Colette Piche Kayla Miller Rachel Tadsen

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Mandy Brosnahan

Department Science

Concordia University ST. PAUL

(NSAIDs) maintain a specific recommended

dosage listed on the bottle. It has

been proven that taking more than the

recommended dosage of NSAIDs can cause

negative effects on intestinal cells, but how

much is too much? Is there a certain dosage

that may cause fatal effects on intestinal

cells? To test this hypothesis, IPEC-J2 cells

were split and then placed in a 96 well

plate with three different concentrations of

ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. Images

were taken after the drugs were on the cells

for 4 hours using an Amscope Digital Imager,

and Cell Titer was added so cytotoxicity data

could be collected using a microplate reader.

The naproxen and aspirin confirmed our

hypothesis because the number of live cells

decreased as the concentration increased.

As the ibuprofen concentrations increased,

proliferation occurred due to an inactive

ingredient in the drug. It can be concluded

that taking more than the recommended

dosage of any of these drugs can have

harmful consequences on the digestive cells.

Intestinal Cell Injury Generated by NSAIDsNon-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Student Matt Broschard

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Lauren Hecht

Department Psychological Science

Gustavus Adolphus College

The influence of essential oils on facets of

cognition is becoming more quantitatively

measured. Within a current study,

participants completed a version of the

Attention Network Test (ANT), which

assesses reaction time of two dimensions

of attention (alerting and orienting), while

electroencephalogram (EEG) measured

brain activity. The essential oil peppermint

was presented to half of the trials to

determine its influence on attention. To

administer precise volumes of odorant,

we constructed an olfactometer from

the designs outlined in Lowen & Lukas

(2007). Behaviorally, we expect peppermint

to increase dimensions of attention.

Additionally, we hope to see changes in

ERP components, specifically increased

amplitude and shorter latencies for parietal

and occipital N1 during peppermint trials.

Finding that olfactory experiences alter

performance on a visual attention task

provides further evidence for the interaction

between sensory perception systems. With

the construction of an olfactometer, we

can confidently attempt to explain how N1

patterns play a role in these interactions.

Olfactometer Construction to Determine Odor’s Influence on Attention Perception and Attention


Students Mikaela Algren Cole Raisbeck

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Thomas Huber

Department Physics

Gustavus Adolphus College

Every object vibrates in a characteristic way

that depends on its structural properties.

The study of this characteristic vibration

is called modal analysis; its uses include

investigation of the structural integrity of

objects and noise reduction in machinery.

For performing modal analysis, there

are many methods for exciting vibration.

Ultrasound radiation force excitation is a

relatively novel method that is non-contact,

highly focused, and can have a very broad

bandwidth for excitation. The goal of this

project has been to develop a simple and

repeatable method for determining the

output force distribution of ultrasound

transducers used for radiation force

excitation. The method involves measuring

an edge-spread vibrational velocity

distribution with a scanning laser Doppler

vibrometer as an ultrasound transducer

is moved across the face of a small brass

cantilever. Preliminary results indicate that

distributions determined using this method

are consistent with profiles taken by the

transducer manufacturer using specialized,

and costly, ultrasound measurement

equipment.

Characterization of the Acoustic Radiation Force Produced by Ultrasound Transducers Utilized for Modal Analysis

Students Sallee Brandt Anthony Wolfe

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Lisa Ferguson Stegall

Department Exercise Science

Hamline University

Ingesting multiple carbohydrate (CHO)

types during exercise may improve

endurance performance. Adding protein to

a multiple-CHO beverage has been shown

to increase cycling time to exhaustion

(TTE) compared to a single CHO beverage.

However, it is unclear whether improved

performance was due to the multiple CHOs

or the added protein. This study aimed to

determine whether adding protein to

a multiple-CHO beverage (MCP) improved

time trial (TT) performance and recovery

compared to an isocaloric, multiple

CHO beverage (MCO). Eleven cyclists

(39.9±11.8 y) performed 2 randomized,

double-blinded trials during which MCO or

MCP was ingested. Each consisted of a

pre-trial leg strength measurement, 40km

TT, HRV measurement during a brief

recovery, a 10km TT, and post-trial leg

strength testing. Paired t-tests indicated no

differences between treatments in 40km TT

time and power output, recovery HRV, 10km

time and power output, nor leg strength

recovery. We conclude that the addition of

protein does not improve performance in

short, intense race events such as time trials.

Effects of Multiple Carbohydrates and Protein on Time Trial Performance and Recovery in Trained Cyclists


Student Joseph Damman

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Valerie Chepp

Department Social Justice

Hamline University

Feminist political theorists have argued that

oppressed social groups are systemically

excluded from political discourse due to

being labelled as essentially affective (i.e.,

emotional). This label is constructed as an

inferior, binary opposite to dominant groups’

claims to their own essential rationality. This

research project seeks to understand this

type of exclusion through justice workers’

experiences communicating about justice

in public settings. The central question:

How do justice workers understand the

relationship between being perceived

as emotional and being regarded as (il)

legitimate? And, how have they enacted

these understandings? In-depth qualitative

interviews with twelve justice workers in

the Twin Cities demonstrate that a reason/

affectivity hierarchical opposition operates

as a prevalent norm in political discourse.

When normalized this way the reason/

affectivity opposition becomes a mechanism

for silencing justice claims that challenge

oppression. This form of exclusion defines

discourse environments in ways that stifle

dialogic and poetic approaches to justice

work. Suggestions for how to counteract the

reason/affectivity hierarchy are offered.

Who Has a Public Voice? Justice Workers on Affectivity and Inclusion in Political Discourse

Student Ana Diaz

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Christie Manning

Departments Psychology & Environmental Studies

Macalester College

The energy that powers our homes and

illuminates our cities is an abstract, invisible,

and largely misunderstood force. This

invisibility allows us to consume a great

deal of energy without thinking about how

much we’re using, where it comes from,

or what impacts it might have. Earliest

energy reduction campaigns attempted

to lower energy consumption by providing

direct informational feedback (i.e. visual

depictions of energy consumption). If

people were shown the amount of energy

they consumed, it was expected that they

would respond by cutting back. However,

informational feedback alone is ineffective

and in most cases does not result in

behavior change. More recent studies

show that energy use feedback can, in fact,

influence consumption behavior, if it is

delivered in the right form. The current study

examines the specific features that may

make energy consumption feedback more

effective. We created and tested an energy

consumption feedback display for student

dormitories and examined student response

to our feedback display design.

Saving Energy on Campus: Incorporating Psychological Principles into an Energy Monitor


Student Ivy Bardaglio

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Christie Manning

Department Environmental Studies

Macalester College

Supporting Community Efforts for Climate Change Adaptation: A Small Grants Program in Saint Paul, Minn.

The Ready and Resilient Small Grant

Project Fund was designed to increase the

capacity of neighborhood-based networks

in low-income and communities of color by

creating pathways to engagement in climate

change adaptation efforts. In the summer

of 2015, 11 distinct neighborhood-based

climate adaptation projects in St. Paul,

Minn. received support from the project

fund. Projects ranged from outreach and

education at community events to creating

a vermicomposting system. The Small

Grants project built upon past work in

St. Paul communities. In the summer of

2014, community-based research indicated

that St. Paul residents lack accessible and

inclusive education and outreach on climate

preparedness. Furthermore, residents

expressed a strong interest in reinvigorating

neighborhood social networks and creating

connections within their communities.

The aim of the Small Grants Fund was

to respond to these community

specific concerns.

Cassie Clark with lab partners, University of St. Thomas

Bridget Pethke, advisor Dr. Jeanne Minnerath and Nick Thell, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Joseph Damman and his advisor Dr. Valerie Chepp, Hamline University

Anthony Wolfe and his advisor Dr. Lisa Ferguson-Stegall, Hamline University

Denyce Alvarez and Alexa Trusty, St. Catherine University

Najma Ahmed, Augsburg College

Jake Collins, Saint John’s

University


Student Benjamin Nault-Maurer

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Adam Whitten

Department Physics

Saint John’s University

Atmospheric aerosols are particulates

suspended in the atmosphere. These are

usually naturally caused particles such

as salt, dust, and volcanic ash, but also

contain some industrial pollution. These

aerosols affect cloud composition, solar

radiation, and air quality. Using a solar

spectrophotometer we take measurements

of the solar spectrum as it comes through

the atmosphere, and we have developed

ways to use this spectrum to measure

aerosol optical thickness. From the aerosol

optical thickness we are able to make

estimations of aerosol size distributions

using a stochastic particle swarm

optimization technique. This presentation

focuses on the accuracy and repeatability

of this technique, changing variables

such as the number of wavelengths

used and the size of the swarm we set.

These size distributions can be used to

make estimations on the composition of

atmospheric aerosols, specifically how much

of what type of aerosol is in the atmosphere.

Size Distribution Calculation of Atmospheric Aerosols

Student Jake Collins

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Gary Prevost

Department Political Science

Saint John’s University

Over the last 10 years in Latin America,

cartel-related violence has reached alarming

levels — forcing many executives to respond.

The increasingly common response to

dismantle organized crime is to militarize

internal security through a high-value

leadership targeting strategy. While Mexican

President Felipe Calderón followed this

approach in his “War-on-Drugs,” El Salvador

President Mauricio Funes deviated from

the norm and pursued a truce between

the country’s two main drug gangs. Thus,

this research asks: why does an executive

choose a certain policy response, i.e. high-

value leadership targeting, over alternative

solutions to address cartel-related violence?

To answer this question, I explore the

influences of executive ideology, the cabinet

and legislature, and external actors on an

executive’s policy response. Through a

comparison case-study, I use a process-

tracing analysis on Calderón and Funes’s

policy responses relying primarily on public

documents and U.S. State Department

cables retrieved through WikiLeaks, a data

source I justify considering the limited public

data surrounding the formulation of

these decisions.

Similar Conflicts, Different Policies: An Analysis of the Executive Decision-Making Processes in Mexico and El Salvador


Students Megan Hafner Bryan Ortman

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Debra Martin

Department Biology

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Atrazine is a widely used herbicide

and has been found in ground water

and streams where it does not easily

breakdown. Although the EPA has set the

safe concentration of atrazine in water

systems to be 3 ppb, higher levels have

been measured causing concerns about

environmental effects on health.

In mammals, the liver is the organ that helps

to breakdown environmental toxins, such as

atrazine. One of the proteins of interest in

the liver is glutathione S-transferase (GST)

because of its ability to target xenobiotics.

In this study, GST protein levels were

determined for liver and serum samples

of newborn mice pups that were exposed

to 0, 3, and 30 ppb atrazine in utero

(n= >20/group). Results demonstrated

that there was a decreasing trend in liver

GST levels as exposure to atrazine in utero

increased suggesting potential liver damage.

Since a significant decrease in GST level

was also seen for serum samples there is

no support of liver damage.

Glutathione S-transferase Expression in Mice (Mus musculus) Exposed in Utero to Atrazine

Students Bridget Pethke Nick Thell

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jeanne Minnerath

Department Biology

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

This study analyzed the anti-microbial

activity of chemical extracts isolated from

two plants that are members of the plant

family Araceae, Epipremnum pinnatum and

Arisaema triphyllum, plants native to the

Philippines and Minnesota, respectively. To

do this, plant chemicals were isolated by

ethanol extraction, and minimum inhibitory

concentration (MIC) and minimum

bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays

were completed to determine whether

the extracts inhibited the growth of and

killed the microorganisms Staphylococcus

aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas

aeruginosa. Results suggested that extracts

from both plants were able to inhibit the

growth of and kill the microorganisms

tested. Plant extract isolated from the leaves

of E. pinnatum exhibited the greatest anti-

microbial activity; extract isolated from the

rhizomes of A. triphyllum was most effective

at inhibiting the growth of and killing the

microorganisms. Thus, E. pinnatum and

A. triphyllum may contain chemicals that

would be useful in treating diseases caused

by microorganisms.

Anti-Microbial Properties of Plants Native to the Philippines and to Minnesota


Student Amanda Campbell

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Kim Heikkila

Department History

St. Catherine University

During the 1950s and 1960s, approximately

25,000 unwed mothers a year were removed

from their families and sent to maternity

homes to birth their babies. Most of the

illegitimate children born in these homes

were placed for adoption, largely due to

the gender-specific stigma associated

with premarital sex and pregnancy. A 1960

documentary produced by WCCO Television,

titled Unwed Mothers, shed sympathetic

light on the mothers’ situations through

interviews with staff and residents of the

Salvation Army’s Booth Memorial Hospital

for unwed mothers in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I used Critical Discourse Analysis to

reveal how this supposedly benevolent

take on unwed mothers perpetuated

gendered double standards. The male host,

interviewer, and Salvation Army Colonel

shamed the young women for their illicit

pregnancies while exempting the fathers

from similar judgment. In trying to explain

“what went wrong” with these troubled girls,

the report not only reinforced the prevailing

double standard, but it also revealed insight

to the mothers and their perspective.

Unwed Mothers in Midcentury America: A Shameful Double Standard

Students Denyce Rochelle Alvarez & Alexandra Trusty

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Gina Mancini-Samuelson

Department Chemistry

St. Catherine University

Nanomaterials have unique properties that

can differ from their corresponding micron

or millimeter scale materials. Their unique

structures allow them to exhibit new and

exciting properties that show promise for

use in nanotechnologies from electronics

to structural materials to drug delivery.

Graphene, an interesting nanomaterial, is

a two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms

arranged in a honeycomb lattice with

excellent electrical conductivity. When

oxygen atoms are introduced to the sheet,

an electrical insulator, graphene oxide, is

formed. In order to control the conductive

properties of graphene oxide, oxygen can

be partially removed from the sheet. The

purpose of this study was to monitor and

control the reduction of graphene oxide

using ascorbic acid, a “greener” alternative

to the more commonly used hydrazine.

Successful titrations were conducted,

showing that varying the concentration

of ascorbic acid is a viable method for

controlling the amount of oxygen allowing

for tuning of graphene oxide’s properties.

Graphene Oxide: A Controlled Reduction Using Ascorbic Acid


Student Cassie Clark

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Jennifer McGuire

Department Biology

University of St. Thomas

Between 1.7 and 8.8 million metric tons

of oil are released into the environment

annually, and according to US EPA data,

nearly half of all spills are from crude oil

transport pipelines, similar to a major spill

near Bemidji in 1979. Current petroleum

risk assessment considers mainly

carcinogenic effects, but recent studies

have demonstrated the potential for some

petroleum substances to act as endocrine

disrupters. Twenty water samples were

collected at the National Crude Oil Spill

Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site

near Bemidji, Minn.; locations were chosen

to represent crude oil degraded to various

metabolites under a range of hydrologic

and redox conditions. Cell assays (T47D-

KBluc and MDA-KB2) were performed to

determine the estrogenic and androgenic

potencies of the samples. In vivo Daphnia sp.

assays (OECD protocols no. 202 and TG211)

were performed to evaluate acute and

chronic toxicity to invertebrates. Preliminary

androgen and toxicity assay results indicate

activity levels that are unlikely to cause

adverse biological effects, and that strength

of androgenic signal is not correlated with

amount of contamination by crude oil.

Some results still outstanding.

Screening Crude Oil-Polluted Water for Endocrine Activity

Student Nick Ose

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Paul Ohmann

Department Physics

University of St. Thomas

The herding of animals in the wild offers

some protection for individuals under

threat of a predator. Here we investigate two

distinct methods of examining predation

risk, and we do so for herds following the

well-known Local Crowded Horizon (LCH)

movement model as well as a more recent

Density-Independent (DI) approach. We

especially examine the effects of noise

in both the LCH and DI models, and

demonstrate that noise plays an important

role in reducing predation risk in both

models, with an influence on par with the

choice of model itself. Finally, we show how

noise facilitates the formation of herds in

the first place, starting from randomized

collections of individuals.

The Selfish Herd: Noise Effects in Local Crowded Horizon and Density Independent Models

38 Minnesota Private College Scholars

The Minnesota Private College Council represents

17 well-respected liberal arts colleges

and universities with 60,000 students.

These institutions award about 30 percent

of the baccalaureate degrees in the state.

The Council’s mission is to advocate for high-quality

private higher education, serving our students

and member colleges and universities, as well as

the education and economic needs of our region.

Along with the Council, which has an advocacy role,

is the Fund. The Fund raises financial resources

to support institutions’ operating costs and

need-based scholarships for students.

Augsburg CollegeBethany Lutheran CollegeBethel UniversityCarleton CollegeCollege of Saint BenedictThe College of St. ScholasticaConcordia College, MoorheadConcordia University, St. PaulGustavus Adolphus CollegeHamline UniversityMacalester CollegeMinneapolis College of Art and DesignSaint John’s UniversitySaint Mary’s University of Minnesota St. Catherine UniversitySt. Olaf CollegeUniversity of St. Thomas

Private College Scholars at the Capitol Advisors:Melissa Melgar Assistant Director, TRiO McNair Scholars Program St. Olaf College, NORTHFIELD

Janis Johnson, Director, TRiO McNair Scholars Program St. Olaf College, NORTHFIELD

“Tina” Maria Tavera, Director, TRiO McNair Scholars Program Augsburg College, MINNEAPOLIS

40 Minnesota Private College Scholars

mnprivatecolleges.org

Biology Psychology

Physics Social Work

History Epidemiology Mathematics

Education Chemistry

English Exercise Science

Marine Conservation Political Science

Social Justice Environmental Studies

This year’s research projects cover a wide range of academic disciplines, including:

Scholars Showcase 2016 - Minnesota's Private Colleges · 2 Minnesota Private College Scholars...

Documents

Transcript of Scholars Showcase 2016 - Minnesota's Private Colleges · 2 Minnesota Private College Scholars...