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Presenters & Abstracts: 2019
Motion Sickness: An Evolutionary Analysis
- Justin OrdonezAnthropologyUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Motion sickness is a condition that has no apparent evolutionary advantage, yet it persists in many species. Research has revealed the mechanisms that cause motion sickness, but there is no consensus or agreement in the scientific literature regarding its evolutionary origins. Some research suggests that motion sickness is an evolutionary byproduct of our biological response against neurotoxins. Others propose that it functions as some kind of defense mechanism against unfavorable motion and promotes visual-spatial stability. Exploring the evolutionary origins of motion sickness will provide a better understanding of how modern environments can cause physiological miscues.
Mountaintop Removal at Hobet Coal Mine from 1976-2010
- Brian MurphyEnvironmental Science and ManagmentUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The Hobet Coal Mine is located in West Virginia and was an active mining site for 41 years and was one of the largest surface coal mines in the United States. The impacts of this particular mine are especially pronounced because of the sheer scale of alteration to the landscape caused by mountaintop removal to retrieve the coal, and valley fill techniques to dispose of the mining debris. In order to reach the coal located in shallow seams below these Central Appalachian Mountain peaks, hundreds of vertical feet of earth were demolished. This mining has impacted nearly every aspect of the geography of the region, from the environment to the surrounding human communities.
My Protein Bars are Gendered
- Rachael ThackerCommunicationUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Did you know that most protein bars are gendered? DeFrancisco, V. L., & Palczewski, C. H. wrote that “communication creates gender, gender does not create communication,” and this is especially evident when looking at the difference in protein bars. Protein bars like the Clif bar and Luna bar are socially constructed to appear feminine or masculine. This is done by playing to cultural feminine ideals, by the packaging of the product itself, and by the rhetoric associated with each product.
Mycoremediation and TEK Implemented into Ecological Restoration Practices
- Maya NobleBiological SciencesUndergraduate Student
- Casey NicholsBiological SciencesUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Mycoremediation and traditional ecological knowledge or TEK implemented within Indigenous communities and blended with accepted ecological restoration methods in order to restore the health of damaged and contaminated ecosystems.
Nanoscale Modifications to the RsaA S-Layer Protein Enhance Lead Binding in Caulobacter Vibriodes
- Kayla TempletonChemistryUndergraduate Student
- Dr. Jenny CappuccioChemistryFaculty
- Azariah CoblentzChemistry
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Heavy metal contamination of soils and waterways due to industrial processes continues to be a problem in the United States. Recent reports indicate that microbial surface layers (S-layers) can bind and sequester heavy metals, thereby removing them from the environment. Our approach is to enhance this process for lead bioremediation. Through this study, C. vibrioides strains were morphologically characterized through transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and recombinant surface layer export was genetically verified. Using a fluorescence-based assay, we show that our engineered strains were 10% more effective in bioremediating lead than the wildtype in nanomolar concentrations.
Narrative Mapping of Genocide: A Transformative Approach in Reader’s Advisory
- Amanda AlsterAnthropologyUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Studies show that knowledge of atrocities in history such as the Holocaust is rapidly declining. Fewer people are searching these topics or reading related articles, and evidence shows there is a significant decline in the reading of literature altogether. To address these issues on a small scale, I created an interactive digital platform using geographic locations to share the various literary narratives of those who have experienced genocide first hand. I examined the impact of transformative approaches, such as GIS software, to provide a new method that actively engages and directs readers to books from a geographic perspective.
Native Alaskans and Wildlife Interactions and Issues
- Barbara Larrondo-SotoNative American StudiesUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
This project encompasses the relationship and issues connected to Alaskan Natives and wildlife. Their relationship to the land and wildlife is deeply rooted in their history, and most Alaska natives practice traditional hunting and gathering practices. Native Alaskan interactions with the natural world is interwoven in the way in which they define subsistence, which is synonymous with culture, identity, and self-determination and involves conservation and perpetuation of natural resources. The US Federal and Alaska State government define subsistence differently and have passed Acts and policies that interfere with the Native’s aboriginal hunting and fishing rights.
Native American Storytelling
- Olivia KakacekZoologyUndergraduate Student
- Bryan FosterZoologyUndergraduate Student
- Abigail WesendunkZoologyUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
We are focusing our topic on the role that animals have in Native American storytelling, and how these animal's behaviors in real life are reflected in the stories. Storytelling is a way of communication that Natives use to share knowledge between generations; often, these stories use animals as symbolism. Our group is composed of all zoology majors interested in studying animal behavior, and we will compare the personality traits and characteristics of these animals to their role played in these stories.
NDCI Analysis and Change Detection for Coral Reef Habitats of Duncan Island In South Chinese Sea from 2016 to 2018
- Christopher LanzEnvironmental Science and ManagementUndergraduate Student
- Buddhika MadurapperumaEnvironmental Science and ManagementFaculty
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Mismanagement of coral reef habitats for construction has impacted on rapid destruction of most biodiverse coral reefs of South Chinese sea. This project examines how coral reef habitats changed in Duncan island of South Chinese sea using object based image analysis (OBIA) and coral index. We estimated the coral changes over time with different land-use classes. The unchanged coral acreage was 7.80 acres between 2016-2017, 1.21 acres between 2017-2018 and 8.22 acres between 2016-2018. The coefficient of agreement for the classification is ranged from 0.55 to 0.60. NDCI Analysis of coral regions surrounding Duncan island revealed vegetation change in coral health.
Nifty Fifty Ain't So Thrifty- Privileges and Challenges of Locavore Diet in Arcata
- Aidan BelleauEnvironmental StudiesUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
A locavore diet aims to consume only foods that have been grown and produced typically within 100 miles of where you live (I chose to do 50 miles). Localism offers community-based solutions to global problems like fossil fuel dependency, carbon emissions, and single-use plastics while attempting to remove the individual from global markets, transnational free-trade agreements, and socio-economic exploitation of labor. This project reflects on the personal privileges and challenges with participating in a strict 50-mile diet in terms of economic viability, dietary habits, and accessibility to luxury ingredients (such as sugar, spices, and beer).