Celebration of Learning 2018: Oral presentations and performances session IV
SESSION IV 2:30-3:30 p.m.
FEATURED STUDENT PRESENTATION
SESSION IV-A [OLIN AUDITORIUM]
Janelle Norden
Project Advisor: Keri Bass, community service
Exploring Food Insecurity at Augustana
This presentation will detail how the study of food insecurity shaped my Augustana College experience. From the beginning of my journey on the Campus Kitchen leadership team to establishing the Campus Cupboard and eventually focusing my Senior Inquiry on food insecurity at Augustana, this presentation will share what I have learned from this experience and how it has come to shape what I think it means to be an Augustana student.
SESSION IV-B [OLIN 305]
Kathryn Gorzek
Project advisors: Dr. Catherine Goebel and Dr. Margaret Morse, art history
Blank Slate? Silhouette Imagery in African American Art
Session IV-B-1: Olin 305 [2:30-2:50 p.m.]
This presentation is a discussion on silhouette forms in the work of four black artists: Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Kerry James Marshall and Kara Walker.
Elise Morgan
Project advisors: Dr. Catherine Goebel and Dr. Margaret Morse, art history
The Language of Delacroix: Defining Modern Art
Session IV-B-2: Olin 305 [2:50-3:10 p.m.]
Eugène Delacroix is arguably the most integral artist of the modern era. His avant-garde leadership and philosophy helped define Romanticism and influenced his contemporaries as well as future generations. Delacroix’s consummate use of line and color immortalized passionate scenes in the early to mid-1800s that inspired notable artists, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh, during the following decades. This presentation will examine the defining characteristics of Delacroix's paintings and their impact, traced through the 19th century, to prove he was a catalyst for modern art.
Ashley Martin
Project advisors: Dr. Catherine Goebel and Dr. Margaret Morse, art history
Ghost Stories in Japanese Art: Yurei-zu
Session IV-B-3: Olin 305 [3:10-3:30 p.m.]
Yurei-zu (幽霊図) is a type of Japanese art that consists of ghosts, demons and other supernatural beings in woodblock prints and paintings. It is a form of art that has become increasingly more popular over the last few centuries, and has been influenced by things such as kabuki theater, ukiyo-e, and even Japanese politics and beliefs. In my previous senior research project, I studied five Japanese kaidan, or ghost stories, including The Yuki-onna (The Woman of the Snow), The Yotsuya Kaidan (The Tale of Oiwa and Iemon), Gashadokuro (Giant Skeletons), The Futakuchi-onna (The Two-Mouthed Woman) and Botan Doro (The Peony Lantern). For my second senior research project, I’ve shifted my focus of research to the artistic aspect of these five stories, which would be Yurei-zu. Each of these kaidan have origins within Japanese paintings and woodblock prints ranging from the 15th century to the 19th century. This presentation will look at the beginnings of Yurei-zu and how a single frame or print can tell a ghost story with the use of icons. It also will look at how artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Sawaki Suushi and Seikien Toriyama are able to recreate these stories using their own style and medium.
SESSION IV-C [OLIN 209]
Zayne Blumberg
Project advisor: Dr. Lee Carkner, engineering physics
How My Internship at Mediacom Influenced My Views on Engineering
Session IV-C-1: Olin 209 [2:30-2:50 p.m.]
Want to learn more about internships? Or how to use your knowledge from Augustana to pursue your career? Or just curious about the engineering career field in general? Well, after my internship at Mediacom, I would like to share how this experience taught me about the real world and how it affected my views on the engineering career field.
SESSION IV-D [HANSON 102]
Dr. Amanda Wilmsmeyer, Hayden Holland
Project advisor: Dr. Amanda Wilmsmeyer, chemistry
Adsorption of Volatile Organic Compounds to Amorphous Silica
Session IV-D-1: Hanson 102 [2:30-2:50 p.m.]
This work focused on the fundamental surface chemistry of volatile organic compounds as they adsorb to high-surface area materials. A series of small ketones have been chosen to investigate how small changes in molecular structure affect their adsorption properties.
Dr. Lori Scott
Biology
Using Funding from the National Science Foundation to Create an Authentic Research Program in Genome Analysis
Session IV-D-2: Hanson 102 [2:50-3:10 p.m.]
Prior to my sabbatical in the spring term of 2014-15, I received funding through the National Science Foundation to support the development of authentic research opportunities for students. The awards were called the NSF Research Coordination Network–Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE); the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM); and the NSF Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP). Two broad projects were funded by these awards. Project I developed and offered workshops that trained high school and undergraduate faculty, and graduate students (both nationally and internationally) in the use of bioinformatics tools for genome analysis projects. Project II enhanced the undergraduate experience of select STEM majors at Augustana by providing scholarships and/or financial support to participate in authentic research opportunities. During my sabbatical, I offered four workshops and mentored nine students in authentic research projects. This sabbatical significantly contributed to the development of my personal research program, called the Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project.
SESSION IV-F [HANSON 304]
Delaney N. Wresch, Justin E. Bird, Theresa J. Nalty
Project advisor: Dr. Heidi Storl, philosophy
Evaluating Changes in Physical Function of the Upper Extremity Using the MSTS UE, the TESS UE, and the QuickDASH
Session IV-F-1: Hanson 304 [2:30-2:45 p.m.]
The purpose of this study was to determine the responsiveness of several subjective functional measurements using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves in orthopaedic oncology patients following upper extremity surgery.
Phoebe Strell
Project advisor: Dr. Heidi Storl, philosophy
Integrated Stress Response (ISR) Controls Translation of Proteins through the Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 2
Session IV-F-2: Hanson 304 [2:45-3 p.m.]
One area of research in Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli’s lab is the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie learning and memory and their neurological deficits. A biochemical mechanism explored in relation to memory is the Integrated Stress Response (ISR). The ISR contains multiple pathways that regulate protein translation through kinases. The three kinases the lab focuses on include: PKR, GCN2 and PERK. These kinases phosphorylate eIF2. Stressful stimuli can cause the activation of these kinases within the cells. PERK activates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by misfolded proteins, causing an increase in PERK that then increases phosphorylation eIF2. More phosphorylated eIF2 leads to a decrease in general translation and an up-regulation in translation of specific mRNAs. The Integrated Stress Response Inhibitor (ISRIB) is a small molecule that can be used as a therapeutic drug to recover general translation, while decreasing translation of the specific mRNAs. My small project examined regulation of translation to determine how HEK293T cells behaved when exhibiting ER stress, and whether ISRIB could sustain or recover their general translation. The cells were treated with five conditions. A western blot was performed to look at overall translation and the proteins of interest. The results showed that Thapsigargin causes a significant increase in phosphorylation of eIF2 and a shift in PERK, indicating that stress was induced and that PERK phosphorylated eIF2. When the vehicle of ISRIB was added, it caused an increase in phosphorylation of eIF2, which means that the vehicle is working against the expected therapeutic effects of ISRIB.
Valeria Melo, Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, Derek O'Neil
Project advisors: Dr. Heidi Storl, philosophy; Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital
The Role of Npas2 in Regulating the Hepatic Circadian Clock
Session IV-F-3: Hanson 304 [3-3:15 p.m.]
The circadian clock helps regulate our daily activities to adapt to environmental cues such as light and dark, food availability, nutrition and sleep. Previous studies in Dr. Aagaard’s lab used a primate model to show that maternal high-fat diets (HFDs) alter fetal hepatic metabolism and are associated with epigenetic modifications in the Npas2 circadian clock gene. Npas2 serves as a critical transcriptional regulator of the circadian clock and regulates lipid and fatty acid metabolism pathways in the developing mouse liver. We hypothesized that the loss of Npas2 in the liver alters the circadian molecular pathway. RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to measure the expression of hepatic circadian genes (including Bmal1, Clock, Per 1, Per 2, Cry 1 and Cry 2) in Npas2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice over a 24-hour period. Due to time constraints, qPCR was not run on the complete set of 112 samples. Preliminary data representing one male WT and one male cKO sample from each time point showed that Clock gene expression was shifted by four hours in Npas2 cKO mice while Per1, Per2 and Cry1 have increased gene expression. Future experiments will focus on completing the qPCR analysis to allow for definitive conclusions to be made. By understanding the metabolic pathway through which Npas2 regulates metabolism in the liver, we may better understand the maternal-fetal relationship—specifically, how maternal HFD exposure and the resulting epigenetic modifications to the Npas2 gene may contribute to metabolic disease of the child.
Kia Lechleitner
Project advisors: Dr. Shara Stough, psychology; Dr. Heidi Storl, philosophy
Role of the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus in Alzheimer’s Disease
Session IV-F-4: Hanson 304 [3:15-3:30 p.m.]
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by loss of hippocampal memory. However, other symptoms of AD that often precede memory deficits include sleep fragmentation, attention deficits, epileptiform activity and decreased levels of slow wave sleep (SWS). SWS is critical for memory consolidation, and is the phase of sleep during which solutes such as amyloid beta (Aβ) are cleared from the brain. The Chin lab has been investigating network mechanisms that give rise to the diverse symptoms of AD and have identified the corticothalamic circuitry as a common denominator for many aspects of AD symptoms. Activity of neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), a major control nucleus in the corticothalamic network, is markedly reduced in an AD mouse model and could directly contribute both to memory deficits as well as Aβ accumulation, a pathological hallmark of AD. I was given the task of determining whether there exists a correlation between SWS and Aβ deposition, as well as whether the proportions of the subpopulations of neurons that compose the TRN differ in AD mice when compared to non-AD mice.
SESSION IV-G [HANSON 305]
Francesca Scribano
Project advisors: Dr. Patrick Crawford and Dr. Gregory Domski, chemistry
Antibiotic Resistance Through Permeability and Proteins: A Critical Review
Session IV-G-1: Hanson 305 [2:30-3 p.m.]
Since the early 1900s, antibiotics have played a major role in the treatment of bacterial infections. The efficacy with which these therapies target microorganisms has resulted in them being characterized as one of the most successful forms of chemotherapy. While the development of antibiotics saw great initial success, the problem of resistance has again made the study of these treatments widely impactful. The focus of this review will be on bacterial resistance as it pertains to beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporin. In response to these medications, bacteria have developed certain defense mechanisms. These include changes in membrane permeability, characterized by porin concentration; penicillin binding proteins, which mediate the catalysis of these treatments; and enzymes, termed beta-lactamases, that compromise the integrity of the structure of antibiotics. To gain a broader understanding of the fight against antibiotic resistance, it is important to appreciate the recent research that has been conducted in these three areas.
Zachary D. Schrank
Project advisors: Dr. Patrick Crawford and Dr. Gregory Domski, chemistry
Mechanism of Action of T-oligo and its Implications in Telomere-Based Cancer Therapy
Session IV-G-2: Hanson 305 [3-3:30 p.m.]
Cancer has come a worldwide health concern, and the prevalence of cancer is only projected to increase. Conventional therapies are primarily used in the treatment of cancer, such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgical resection, but these therapies often elicit undesirable side effects. Thus, the development of moleculary-targeted therapies is of paramount importance, and the telomeres have become an attractive therapeutic target due to their involvement in the attainment of cancer cell immortality. T-oligo, a guanine-rich oligonucleotide homologous to the 3' telomeric overhang, has been shown to induce potent DNA damage responses (DDRs) in multiple cancer cell lines. Though the DDRs induced by T-oligo have been well-characterized, the initial events that initiate these DDRs remain unclear. Elucidation of the mechanistic action of T-oligo is required before it can be applied clinically. This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current research regarding the mechanism of action of T-oligo, as well as discuss what details remain poorly understood.
SESSION IV-H [WALLENBERG HALL]
Ryan Matthew Janusz
Project advisor: Dr. Douglas Parvin, philosophy
The Modern Ressentiment
Session IV-H-1: Denkmann, Wallenberg Hall [2:30-2:50 p.m.]
This session is an exploration of modern American society through the lens of a Nietzschean philosophy; topics such as political ideologies, social programs, legislation and general social issues will be discussed and analyzed using Nietzschean ideals. Special attention is paid to the impact these issues have on the Augustana community.
Megan McGivern
Project advisor: Dr. Douglas Parvin, philosophy
Hard Determinism: The Toughest Pill You’re Destined to Swallow
Session IV-H-2: Denkmann, Wallenberg Hall [2:50-3:10 p.m.]
Perhaps one of the most overused and cliched expressions in modern discourse is “everything happens for a reason.” While usually meant to be comforting or inspiring, those who use this phrase often do not understand its philosophical implications for determinism. If everything really does happen for a reason, we as humans surely are not in control of these reasons and therefore are not control of what happens for said reasons, including our own actions. To many, philosophers and non-philosophers alike, determinism is difficult to accept when applied to human action because it begs the question of free will and moral responsibility. Moreover, it is dissonant with an inherent feeling of free will. Libertarians and compatibilists have attempted to resolve this dissonance by arguing that free will and determinism are not necessarily logically contradictory. To do this, they must assume metaphysical dualism, or existence of the mind outside of the physical world. Advancements in neuroscience, however, have begun to question this assumption. Physicalism, originally coined materialism, is the metaphysical theory that everything that exists in the universe is solely physical. This distinction is crucial because if mental events are physical events, then they are subject to natural laws and, in turn, physical determinism. Since the 1980s, a great deal of neuroscientific research has begun to indicate that mental events are, in fact, physical events. Given the truth of physicalism and causal determinism, moral responsibility is impossible.
Ethan Higginbotham
Project advisor: Dr. Roman Bonzon, philosophy
How People Make Words Make People Make Words
Session IV-H-3: Denkmann, Wallenberg Hall [3:10-3:30 p.m.]
Kripke purports to offer a Wittgensteinian solution to the skeptical problem of private language. Kripke’s and Wittgenstein’s views differ, however, in their characterization of the role of community in language use. In the Kripkean system, community plays a justificatory role in the speech of an individual. The utterances (and correspondingly the rule-following behaviors) of the individual are meaningful by their connection to the assent of the appropriate linguistic community. In the Wittgensteinian system, community plays a role in the training (and retraining) of speakers, and it plays a role in the setting of axioms for the language. The individual does not make reference to the community to justify their utterances as one does in the Kripkean system. Additionally, the community is partially responsible for the structure of language itself, which Kripke neglects to properly take into account.
SESSION IV-I [OLD MAIN 132]
Hannah Kathleen Griggs
Project advisors: Dr. Jason Mahn and Dr. Eric Stewart, religion
Toward a Theology of Transformation: Destroying the Sycamore Tree of White Supremacy
Session IV-I-1: Old Main 132 [2:30-2:50 p.m.]
Black liberation theologians come to terms with white supremacy by collectively remembering the story of the Exodus and Jesus' crucifixion—affirming God's preference for freedom and in-the-world salvation. The particular history of white American Christianity requires a different story to provide the foundation for our social memory. As white American Christians, we have certain blind spots—blind spots created by historical and social privileges that have given white people unequal access to power and resources. The story of Zacchaeus has the potential to help reframe white Christianity’s conception of race relations in the United States, shifting from a reconciliation paradigm to a reparations paradigm and beginning a theology of transformation. White American Christians can respond to black liberation theology by rejecting the collective narratives that sustain racism, white supremacy and other forms of oppression. Living a theology of transformation means that white American Christians will begin to tell new stories, stories that make Jesus’ love for all people the central theme, and framing problems, solutions and moral norms accordingly.
Holly N. Grim
Project advisor: Dr. Jason Mahn, religion
Feminist Theology Within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Worship, Leadership and Social Statements
Session IV-I-2: Old Main 132 [2:50-3:10 p.m.]
My Senior Inquiry is a reflection of how my education has shaped my interest in how the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) uses feminist theology in liturgy, social statements and leadership. I also looked at what the ELCA can do better and improve upon to strengthen its progressive stance on feminism. I did this by using an intersectional feminist lens.
SESSION IV-O [HONKAMP BLACK BOX THEATRE]
Dr. Pat Shea, Desiree Hernandez, Kristoffer Kizer, Marley Marriott, Nicolette Hampton
Project advisor: Dr. Patricia Shea, education
Reflective Practitioner Senior Inquiry
Session IV-O: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Black Box [2:30-3:30 p.m.]
Using two frames—Augustana Student Learning Outcomes (2013) and the seminal work of Donald A. Schon, The Reflective Practitioner (1983)—RPSI (Reflective Practitioner Senior Inquiry) students explored, reflected, connected and responded to the multi-dimensional learning experiences of Augustana. This capstone project provided students the opportunity and tools to demonstrate their personal and professional abilities and talents that empower them to respond in service and leadership to the complexities of a diverse and ever-changing world. RPSI offered students an opportunity to creatively express the goal of Senior Inquiry: to integrate the many different courses into a capstone project. It provides a way for them to demonstrate to graduate schools and employers the range of their knowledge and abilities.
Nicolette Hampton
Project advisor: Dr. Pat Shea, communication studies
Headliners: How Chicago Is Framed in the News
Session IV-O-1: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [2:30-3:30 p.m.]
“Headliners” is a project focused on how the news has the ability to frame people, situations and even cities in a particular light. I believe Chicago especially is often shown in a negative manner, specifically through the news. Through interviews and separate research, I aim to discover views on this topic and to develop views on media literacy.
Desiree Hernandez
Project advisor: Dr. Pat Shea, communication studies
Challenging Gender Roles: Why Women Are the Future of the Car Industry
Session IV-O-2: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [2:30-3:30 p.m.]
I am presenting my Senior Inquiry on the research I conducted on the car industry. My goal is to raise awareness of the universal hierarchy of male dominance that exists in the car industry. The industry is changing, and this project celebrates the diversity among automotive professionals in the present and for the future.
Kristoffer Kizer
Project advisors: Dr. Pat Shea and Doug Tschopp, communication studies
Augustana’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: How Augie Can Establish an Innovative and Entrepreneurial Campus Culture
Session IV-O-3: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [2:30-3:30 p.m.]
How prepared are you to thrive in our global high-skilled workforce? Do you possess the skills to solve the world’s most complex social problems? Do you have a desire to launch your own venture one day? Regardless of your deepest dreams, goals, aspirations or ambitions, my Senior Inquiry is a living document on how Augustana can foster innovative and entrepreneurial thinking on campus to solve complex issues on the local, national and global levels. This project is an in-depth strategic proposal designed to offer Augustana’s senior leadership, administration, faculty and additional stakeholders cutting-edge insights and creative recommendations on how Augustana can foster entrepreneurial thinking and innovation on campus. Within this project, I address the following subtopics: the rise of entrepreneurship and innovation in higher education; entrepreneurial ecosystems within other higher education institutions; the emergence of Generation Z aka the iGen; how this proposal complements Augie’s current 2020 strategic plan; the importance of entrepreneurial core competencies and how these competencies improve employment in the 21st-century workforce; the power of a design-centric curriculum and how students can apply entrepreneurial thinking by presenting sustainable solutions to address social issues; future recommendations and initiatives on how to strengthen entrepreneurial student leadership in and outside the classroom.
Marley Marriott, Kristoffer Kizer, Nicolette Hampton, Desiree Hernandez, Dr. Pat Shea
Project advisor: Dr. Pat Shea, communication studies
Message Behind the Music
Session IV-O-4: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [2:30-3:30 p.m.]
In times of extraordinary political and social tension, we can often see issues reflected in the art and popular culture of the time period. Throughout history, artists and creators alike have infused the entertainment factor of music, art and film with a clear and sometimes controversial message. My Senior Inquiry deconstructs the rhetorical devices that artists use to influence the perspectives of their followers and the ways in which these artists choose to use their platform to give voice to others. This will be done through analysis of 10 songs from the last two years that I have identified as having specific social/cultural or political narratives. By placing these songs in proper historical context, explaining their significance and exploring their effects, I hope to encourage others to try listen for a message and not just for the beat.