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The Effects of Voluntary Exercise on BDNF Levels and Anxiety in Mice
By: Sydney Hall, Elizabeth Foreman, and Kelsey Wilcox Faculty mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters Abstract: Regular performance of exercise can decrease levels of anxiety and depression (Binder et al., 2004). In this study, we aim to determine the behavioral changes in mice after 8 weeks of either voluntary wheel-running or sedentary. We measured levels of BDNF,…
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Gender and Politics
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Supporting Emerging Sports in the United States at a Collegiate Level
By Joseph Ritter Faculty mentor: Dr. José Saínz Abstract: I will demonstrate a system in which NCAA Universities in the United States can better support and grow emerging sports. I will take a close look at the rapidly growing sport of Rugby in the United States, and use the Men’s Rugby team at the University of…
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Synthesis of Tuberculosis Competitive Inhibitor Protein KasA
By Arianna Chase and Carrie Garvey Faculty Mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Abstract: The KasA protein in M. tuberculosis catalyzes the steps of a four-step fatty acid elongation that consequently enables the strength of the TB cell wall. The inhibition of the KasA protein would cause the fatty acid chain to not form and encourage the…
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Tuberculosis Drug Project
By Vallarie Burge and Elizabeth Sullivan Faculty mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease that, over time, can become resistant to the drugs that combat it. The KsA enzyme that synthesizes the bacterial wall of TB is the target of the TB drug in this project. A computer analyzed potential compounds that…
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Annual Student Art Exhibition 2022
Featuring Artwork by: Colleen CragunJasper DrillingEmily WarrenCaroline PattonJuliette SanusiEmma BowerShanna AberleJenell PolingCarolyn FugitJenna MontijoAzaria LewisJalen WhiteMegan LandisMatthew NguyenTaylor WhiteJulia RizzoLeah BrinkleyMandy ByrdShea MartinMackenzie HoffmanSallie WittkamperRebecca VisgerLisa GisselquistElla SchmehlMargaret NeafseyMaeve Powers GilmartinOlivia BredaBlaine HowerSara ZhouEllianna BowmanKendall McCrackenPaula Zuleta Juried by Aaron Fine
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UMW Studio Art Senior Exhibition 2022
Featuring work by: Kelsey AguirreHope BakerColleen CragunWilliam DaigerJasper DrillingJasmine FolsonCarolyn FugitMelina FurchesMaya KirkpatrickMegan LandisMatthew MattocksKendall McCrackenJess OertlePage OlsenKatie RagoneCaitlin SmithAlise ThalerRebecca VisgerEmily Warren
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Evaluating Differences in Mental Health Outcomes in the Transgender Community
By Liz Wooten Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Wilson Abstract: Transgender people experience disproportionate rates of discrimination and marginalization. These negative life experiences influence mental health, such that trans people often struggle with poor mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, a transgender sample was examined to see…
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Women by Women: Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection
Curated and organized by the UMW Galleries Interns:– Madeleine Almand– Jasmine Nixon– Julia (Mary) Pertracca– Alana White Faculty Mentor: Professor Jon McMillan Ridderhof Martin Gallery proudly presents, Women by Women: Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection. UMW Galleries Interns Madeleine Almand, Jasmine Nixon, Julia Pertracca and Alana White worked throughout the semester to curate this exhibition. …
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Ruined by Lynn Nottage: An Exploration of Women and Violence
By Olivia Harrington Faculty mentor: Cate Brewer This project is a dramaturgical exploration of the play Ruined by Lynn Nottage. Ruined is based on the true stories of women from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who experienced trauma such as rape, torture, and family disownment. Nottage’s play gives a voice to women and their…
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Using Potential Energy Surfaces of Diatomic Molecules to Determine the Bond Dissociation Energy via Computational Chemistry
By Skye Curry and Nathaniel Holbrook Faculty mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo Abstract: The bond length along which two atoms vibrate can be altered in order to construct a potential energy surface used to determine the bond dissociation energy of a diatomic molecule. Carbon monoxide was initially used as the diatomic molecule of choice in this…
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Assessing the Correlation Between the Electron-Nucleus Binding and Electron-Electron Repulsion
By Isabella Groover and Joey Henry Faculty mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo Multi-electron systems add a level of complexity to the Schrödinger equation by introducing an electron-electron repulsion term into the potential energy. The electron-electron repulsion term is difficult to assess utilizing the Schrödinger equation due to extensive computation required. In this study, the binding energy between the 1s electron(s) and the nucleus of…
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Transition State Theory: Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Ammonia Production via DFT Functional
By Maddy Stanisha and Emma Freakley Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo Abstract: The thermodynamics and kinetics of a proposed mechanism for ammonia production from nitrogen and hydrogen gas were analyzed by utilizing transition state theory (TST) and density functional theory (DFT). The enthalpy and entropy for the overall reaction were computed via DFT functionals, PBE0…
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How Electrons Impact Binding Energy
By Nicholas Hacker and Sierra Hunter Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo An atom is made up of a positively charged nucleus, consisting of non-charged neutrons and a number of positively charged protons, and of negatively charged electrons, the number of which is equivalent to the protons. The attractive force between the positive and negative charges…
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Exploration of the Effects of Bond Length on the Potential Energy Curves for Diatomic Compounds
By Ramsey Cotton and Ashley Summers Faculty mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Bond dissociation energy (BDE) is the unique energy required to break a bond in a molecule into its respective atoms or molecular fragments. In this study, the theories behind harmonic and anharmonic oscillators, which address BDE of diatomic molecules, were employed to relate the length…
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The Importance of Rhodophyta Gracilaria Both Past and Present
by Abhishiek Arora Faculty mentor: Dr. April Wynn Abstract Rhodophyta Gracilaria is a genus of Rhodophyta, red algae, found throughout the world and has played a variety of roles throughout the years. Gracilaria has previously been used medically in India and China for the treatment of dysentery and respiratory disease while in Malaysia as a…
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Kenmore Park: A Playground Redesign
By Alberic Karina-Plun, Jeremy Knerr, Ben Loppacker, John Giannini, Zadie Lacy, Elizabeth Goodloe, Rebecca Kellam, Megan Riley, Hannah St. Onge Faculty mentor: Dr. Andrea Smith AbstractIn the spring semester of 2022, nine seniors from Mary Washington’s Departmentof Historic Preservation took on the task of a conceptual redesign of the playground at Kenmore Park. The students…
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Optimizing the Alkylation of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives for Use in the Synthesis of the Oxidative Metabolites of DEHP
By Hannah Harris Faculty Mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widely used chiral plasticizer whose primary metabolite (MEHP) and secondary oxidative metabolites have been shown to have peroxisome proliferating and endocrine disrupting effects in mice. The synthesis of these oxidative metabolites is necessary to study their binding affinity to nuclear receptor PPAR.…
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Goddess of France, 1745-1764: Madame de Pompadour and the Rococo Traditions of 18th-Century French Portraiture
By Meredith Glasco The reign of Louis XV of France was spectacular in its advancement of the Late Rococo period due to the patronage of Madame de Pompadour, his head mistress from 1745-1764. Her upbringing as an educated woman in court would influence trends of Late Rococo that she would use to embellish her own…
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East Versus West: The National Gallery of Art’s Relationship to Modern Art and Architecture
By Meredith Glasco The National Gallery of Art is a modern piece of art itself throughout its split galleries; the West Building (the original) and the East Building (the addition). This study seeks to identify the importance of the East Building in relation to modern architecture and modern and contemporary art through three main means:…
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Meta Warrick Fuller and the Synthesis of Feminist and African American Sculpture
By Maya Kirkpatrick The Black Female image stands as the most politically charged and symbolically powerful subject in American Art. She has once been used as a tool to degrade and control African American women and their bodies, and now represents resilience and empowerment to a community. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller is the first African…
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Performative Disability: The Objectification of Atypical Physiognomy in the Self-Portraits of Egon Schiele
By Sophia Maldonado By the early-twentieth century, developments in medicine and psychology tremendously influenced the visual arts. From the medical photography of the Salpêtrière to the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, the cultural attitudes and understandings of illnesses and treatments were available to artists whose work engaged with the medical community during this time. The…
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Refashioning the Classical Body as the Modern Body:The Venus de Milo, Disability Aesthetics, and Disabled Women’s Experiences
By Mario Martinez The Classical body’s grasp on art history has never faded, from antiquity, through the renaissance, to modernity. Excluding the avant-garde movements during the first decade of the twentieth century, a general trend in modern art has been to refashion the Classical body as the modern body. The latter bloomed in post-World War…
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Borderline Personality Symptoms and Relationship Threat: The Moderating Role of Perceived Parental Rejection
By Elsa Baumgartner Faculty mentor: Dr. Erin Palmwood Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often perceive relationship threats more intensely, resulting in increased emotional reactivity. However, this link has never been examined with physiological measures in “real time,” nor has perceived parental rejection ever been investigated as a potential moderator of this link. To fill…
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Analyzing Soccer Player Tendencies: Applications to the Goalkeeper and Passing
By Steven Deverteuil Faculty advisor: Prashant Chandrasekar 11:00-11:50am HCC 328 Background Player analysis is an integral aspect of the sports analytics world. Player analysis is useful for coaches, scouts, and players alike for enhancing player and team performance. Notably, analysis of player tendencies may lead to player action modeling — a tool which can provide…
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Microplastic Detection via FTIR
By Maria Schneider, Vallarie Burge, Lydia Bryant, Catherine Nguyen Faculty mentor: Dr. Randall Reif Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is an analytical method that produces an absorbance spectrum which can be used to identify specific molecules. Previous literature showed that Nile Red (NR) is an effective indicator for detecting microplastics in water samples. As plastic…
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Elemental Characterization between Single Origin Arabica and Peaberry Robusta from Vietnam
By Docia Atanda, Takoda Chris, Carleigh McDonald, and Emily Morris Faculty mentor: Dr. Randall Reif Coffea arabica and coffea canephora (robusta) are the two most common species of coffee. With the rising price and rising global demand for coffee there is an increasing incentive for distributors to pass cheap coffee as more expensive coffee creating…
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Ground water iron concentration
By Emma Jones, Katherine Lauderbaugh, Joey Pack, Caroline Sampson Faculty mentor: Dr. Randall Reif Groundwater samples from Louisa County contain high unknown quantities of iron, resulting in red rust-stained sediments in areas with constant water. This leads to concern over the amount of Fe that contaminates the water, as the WHO suggests levels below 0.3…
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Analysis of Glyphosate in Pond Water by HPLC
By Madison Minvielle, Abigail Seputro, Dorothy Haas, Zahia Clemmons Faculty mentor: Dr. Randall Reif Glyphosate is the main ingredient in several herbicides such as Roundup, Agrisel, and Eraser. While glyphosate is typically not directly harmful to aquatic life, there is the potential for the compound to be indirectly harmful when it is present in runoff…
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Genomic Similarity to Predict Infection in Bacillus Phages
By Kayla Botto Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lynn Lewis Bacteriophages, also called phages, are viruses that only infect bacteria. Phages are used in phage therapy, which is a new treatment for bacterial infections and hopes to be the solution to antibiotic resistance. Each bacterium has a unique set of phages that can infect it and finding…
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Influence of Nutrient Contamination on Macroinvertebrate Communities in Two Tidal Freshwater Creeks
By Mika Bishton and Molly Curling Faculty mentor: Dr. Abbie Tomba Freshwater ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse on the planet, but they are threatened due to human actions resulting in habitat loss, pollution, and nutrient runoff. Macroinvertebrates can be used to measure the health of a freshwater system because different taxa have different…
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Localization of Transgenes for Drosophila Models of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1
By Andrea Waltrip and Noah Smith Faculty mentor: Dr. Ginny Morriss Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1, DM1, is a multi-systemic disorder that results from expansion of CTG repeats in the DMPK gene in humans. Drosophila melanogaster has been established as a model organism for the study DM1, by the construct of multiple transgenic DM1 lines containing different numbers of CTG…
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Endothelial Tube Maintenance in a HUVEC cell Model for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1
By Grace Holcomb and Jada Gundy Faculty mentor: Dr. Ginny Morriss Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multi-systemic condition that results in severe muscle weakening and wasting. DM1 is caused by an expanded region of CTG repeats in the 3’ untranslated end of the DMPK gene. Muscles require vasculature to supply nutrients and oxygen…
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“Curculio” by Plautus (c. 254-184 BCE): Play presented by the Roman Drama class (Latin 352A and Classics 492) in Latin, with some narrative assistance in English
By Katharine Bogen, Eleanor Clark, Grace Anne Gregg, Matthew Nelson, Brooke Prevedel, Jessica Thorne Faculty mentor: Dr. Liane Houghtalin Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl. A long-lost brother. A long-lost sister. A greedy pimp. A greedy banker. Some helpful friends. In short, the usual Roman comedy. Fun for all, and no one…
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Phenotypic efficacy of genetic drivers to promote myotonic dystrophy type 1 in Drosophila melanogaster
By Victoria Ashton and Madeline Brunt Faculty mentor: Dr. Ginny Morriss Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a disease that affects organisms by causing severe weakening and wasting of muscles. The disease is caused by an increased number of trinucleotide CTG repeats in the DMPK gene, where a larger number of repeats causes more severe…
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USING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TO INCREASE REPROCDUCIBILITY IN A PACKED BED COLUMN
By Docia Atanda Faculty advisor: Dr. Sarah Smith Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a transformative approach to industrial production that uses computer aided design (CAD) software to direct hardware to deposit material layer upon layer to deposit material in precise geometric shapes to yield lighter, more complex, and low-cost designs with increased reproducibility. One area…
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Does Student Engagement Have a Darkside?
By Valentina Leon-Ledezma, Sofia Taylor, Kayla Shaffer, Carrie Van-Orden Faculty mentor: Dr. David Rettinger Academic misconduct is a growing problem on college campuses. A student’s academic life on campus can take a dark turn if a student does not manage their workload, engagement, or time management well. These variables can overlap if a student is…
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A Potential Driving Force of Social Dominance in Mice: Wheel Running on BDNF and Orexin
By Jane Sullivan, Kristin Haes Faculty mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters Physical exercise has profound effects on both the brain and behavior, including decreased anxiety and depression, and the regulation of multiple hypothalamic peptides. This study explores the effects that physical exercise may have on social dominance in mice, which is determined by many of the…
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Optimization of Adsorption of Methylene Blue Dye on Activated Charcoal
By Abigail Seputro Faculty mentor: Dr. Leanna Giancarlo Methylene blue and crystal violet are cationic dyes of high intensity that are commonly discharged in wastewater. The colored compounds in wastewater inhibit sunlight penetration in waterways, resulting in the destruction of aquatic ecosystems. Activated carbon offers an attractive option for the efficient removal of dyes from…
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Finding a Tuberculosis Drug: Synthesis of a KasA Inhibitor
By Carleigh McDonald and Maria Schneider Faculty mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious illness that is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium attacking the body. The previously most effective drugs in fighting TB are becoming increasingly ineffective as strains of MDR (multidrug-resistant) TB are becoming more common. To combat this setback, development…
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Education Applications Review
By Celia Shively Faculty mentor: Dr. Zach Whalen This project is designed to evaluate educational applications and consider their use in a classroom. Based on earlier projects and research, the best way to evaluate an application is by a rubric that is then generated into a point system. After creating a rubric and selecting apps,…
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Effects of Voluntary Exercise on Sociability, Prefrontal and Hippocampal BDNF levels, and Corticosterone levels
By Skye Curry, Julian Burke, Allison Nork, Dezi Logan Faculty mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters Sociability is an individual’s tendency to seek out social interactions, engage in interpersonal relationships, and participate in social events. Many factors can attribute to an individual’s social relations, including anxiety and exercise. Exercise has been known to decrease anxiety, which in…
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Resolution of Chiral Alcohol
By Raesa Zia, Adrian Coello, Arshpreet Brar Faculty mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham The purpose of this lab was to separate the individual enantiomers of the alcohol 2-ethyl,1-hexanol, to analyze the toxicity of the product, 2-ethyl-1-hexyl acetate. A reaction was carried out combining Amano PS lipase and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, with a percent yield 74%. From completing GC-MS…
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How respirator face masks interrupt learning comprehension in college age students
By Anoli Mehta Faculty mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the mask mandates that came with it have affected college students by creating physical and mental barriers to communication. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced impediments to communication including compulsory use of respirator face masks by professors and students, social…
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KasA Inhibitor Synthesis for Potential Tuberculosis Treatment
By Jay Boudreau, Amna Naz The purpose of this research was to synthesize a lead compound for use as a possible tuberculosis drug. A Grignard addition was performed on 1-bromo-4-chlorobenzene to form 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(phenylmethyl)-4-piperidinol. A separate alcohol, 1-naphthalenemethanol, was chlorinated to 1-(chloromethyl)-naphthalene. Not enough Grignard product was produced, so a deprotected Grignard product was alkylated through…
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Northanger Abbey: A Digital Companion
By Rosemary Pauley Faculty mentor: Dr. Zach Whalen Although there have been a couple of screen adaptations of the Northanger Abbey, the story seems to be largely ignored or forgotten in many discussions of Jane Austen’s brilliance. My individual study aims to partially remedy this lack of recognition by exploring the novel through my own…
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Building CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system for assessment of apoptosis in Kinetoplastid parasites
By Hannah Lee & Faith St. Clair Faculty mentor: Dr. Swati Agrawal Kinetoplastids are a group of pathogenic, unicellular parasites that can cause fatal diseases in humans, such as Leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness, most prominent in tropical and developing parts of the world. Although some treatment methods are available for parasitic infections, they are often…
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Comparing the Impacts of Common Deicing agents NaCl and MgCl2 on the Mobility Behavior, Embryonic Deposition Behavior, and Embryonic Development of the Freshwater Gastropod Physa acuta
By Sophia Weldi Faculty mentors: Dr. Tyler Frankel applied in the U.S. every year. 55% of deicers have been shown to enter surface waterways directly through runoff, resulting in increased salinity. The USEPA recommends that Cl– concentrations do not exceed a four-day average of 230 mg/L more than once every 3 years, however concentrations of…
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Groundwater Pollution Regulation in the U.S.
By Niki Hornbuckle Faculty mentor: Dr. Barret Wessel The primary purpose of our field research was comparing chemical analysis of groundwater samples from the present day with the laboratory analysis taken after underground storage tanks (USTs) leaked pollutants (TPHs, VOCs, PERCs) into the groundwater located under the University of Mary Washington campus, a discovery made…
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Addressing LGBTQ+ Health Disparities: A Training for Preclinical Medical Students
By Kaylee Deardorff Faculty mentor: Dr. Mindy Erchull The healthcare experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals is often fraught with discrimination. While awareness and education surrounding LGBTQ+ identities and social issues have improved within healthcare, discrimination is still an everyday occurrence for many LGBTQ+ individuals, with the lack of LGBTQ+ health…
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Partnership In Preservation, The Creation of a Native American History and Culture Trail in King George County, VA
By Samantha Melvin Faculty mentor: Dr. Laura McMillan Students in the “Preservation in the Community” course at the University of Mary Washington partnered with King George County to create a recreational Native American History and Culture Trail. This trail was developed in collaboration with the Patawomeck and Rappahannock tribes to focus specifically on narratives that…
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A More Sustainable UMW; Our Progress in Eliminating Single-Use Plastic Waste
By Mariam Dames Faculty mentor: Dr. Eric Bonds This research seeks to gain a better understanding of the University of Mary Washington’s progress towards sustainability in the areas of recycling and waste reduction. Specifically, this paper explores Virginia Executive Order 77 as a pathway to reaching the University’s sustainability goals. To gain a better understanding…
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Evidence of Metabolic Differences in Sedentary and Migratory Canada Geese
By Madelyn Lichter Faculty mentor: Dr. Andrew Dolby Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) exhibit partial migration, where some populations migrate seasonally, and others do not. In other partially migrant species, migrants and residents exhibit differences in a variety of physiological functions, including short- and long-term stress responses. Triglyceride concentration and heat shock protein 90ɑ (HSP90ɑ) are…
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The Gendered Division of Household Labor, Care Work, and Covid-19: Exploring the Vulnerabilities of Mothers in the Labor Force
By Arianna Rodriguez Faculty mentor: Dr. Kristin Marsh 9:00-9:50am, HCC 328 Gendered expectations in the household have impacted women’s choices in the labor market and have rendered them vulnerable to the disruptions in our economy and society. Women’s participation in the labor market has increased significantly, however the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that inequalities for…
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Antibiotic Sensitivity Assay using Bacillus Strain Resistant Phages
By Arianna Chase, Jay Boudreau Faculty mentor: Dr. Swati Agrawal Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria responsible for the serious infectious disease anthrax, can easily become antibiotic resistant. As inhalation anthrax has only a 55% survival rate with aggressive treatment, new ways of treating the disease have been looked at, alongside the similar bacteria, but less deadly,…
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Myokine Expression in a Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Cell Culture Model
By Abigail Vorsteg Faculty mentor: Dr. Ginny Morriss Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disease characterized by muscle weakening and wasting. DM1 is the most commonly diagnosed adult-onset muscular dystrophy, and skeletal muscle wasting is responsible for 60% of DM1 related mortality, although the mechanism responsible for the DM1 skeletal muscle wasting phenotype…
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Abel Lake Water Quality: Trends over four decades
By Ashley Clayborne Faculty mentor: Dr. Barret Wessel Freshwater lake reservoirs are important not only for their unique beauty but also as a source of easily treatable water for human consumption. It is critical to monitor and protect these waters. Monitoring enables regulation and planning for correction of unusual measurements. After being monitored for 17…
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“Chokehold” a short film
By Amber Harvey Faculty mentor: Dr. Jason Robinson This presentation is a short horror film created by Amber Harvey. Amber directed, wrote, and edited this film during her Spring 2022 semester. This film is an independent study completed by Amber as a way of combining her desire to become a filmmaker, her creative writing major,…
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Graph Embedded Term Rewrite Systems
By Saraid Satterfield Faculty mentor: Dr. Andrew Marshall The primary motivator of this research is attempting to extend the ability of cryptographic protocol analysis tool and prove security questions about a wider set of cryptographic systems. Many systems already work for “subterm-convergent” presentations. Many also work for specific examples of protocols that are beyond subterm-convergent.…
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Adjusting Environmental Performance Index Scores toAccount for Gross National Income
By Rory Black Faculty mentor: Dr. Debra Hydorn I examined the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) report assembled by Yale University to address the need for environmental action. In this report, Yale University ranks countries across the globe on their environmental performance based on various indicators. I was interested in determining if all countries were ranked…
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Synthesis of Antitubercular Pharmaceutical Analogue
By Johann Leal, Catherine Nguyen Faculty mentor: Dr. Davis Oldham Tuberculosis (TB) ranks the second deadliest infectious agent in the world, most often affecting underdeveloped and developing countries (WHO, 2022). M. tuberculosis’ ability to build antibiotic resistance requires constant search for new alternative methods of treatment, such as the use of a competitive inhibitor to…
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Conservationists of Color Abstract
By Julia Gasink Faculty mentor: Dr. Ranjit Singh Environmentalism has been a field historically dominated by upper- and middle- class White men as a result of racism, sexism, and other inequities. Harmful stereotypes arose from decades of segregation and inaccessibility that environmentalism isn’t something that people of color care about. These misconceptions are not only…
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The Effects of Voluntary Physical Exercise on Hedonic Drive and Hypothalamic Orexin in CD-1 Mice
By Katie Warlick Faculty mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters Orexin, also referred to as hypocretin, is a peptide produced in the hypothalamus that regulates many physiological and behavioral processes, including sleep, wakefulness, metabolism, thermoregulation, and reward (Chieffi et al., 2017). The multiple mechanisms of orexin stem from the neural circuit or nucleus where it is synthesized…
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Identification of Fungi on Spotted Lanternfly
By Kayla Smith Faculty mentor: Dr. Josephine Antwi By using the method of microscopy the identification of three unknown fungal species were determined. Crystal violet staining, lactophenol cotton blue staining, and SEM were used to collect images of unknown fungal species. It was determined that PCR is required to differentiate between the fungal species. Overall…
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Analysis of Seasonal Pollen Collected on insect pollinators along an urbanization gradient in Fredericksburg, VA
by Curtis Kasiski, Tyler Suthard This segment of the project focused on the amplification of DNA collected. After the collection and process of DNA, two PCR troubleshoots were conducted. This first delt with initial concentrations of DNA. It was found that DNA concentration did not have a significant impact on the PCR. The second troubleshoot…
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The Process of Game Development
By Jane Hill Faculty mentor: Dr. Jennifer Polack For the Research and Creativity Symposium, I will be showing off the game that is a culmination of my time with my individual study. As a computer science major, I wanted to work on a creative project and have always been interested in game development, and thus…
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Myokine gene expression in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 using qPCR
By Kayla Mann Faculty mentor: Dr. Ginny Morriss Myotonic dystrophy (DM1) is a disease that causes muscle wasting and weakening. DM1 is caused by the dystrophia myotonia protein kinase gene that is encoded with the CTG repeat. DM1 has yet to be fully understood, and currently is incurable. This experiment is being explored to look…
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Grumio Bacteriophage Genome Annotation
By Celeste Lockwood Faculty mentor: Dr. Swati Agrawal Bacteriophages, or phages, are virus particles which are only capable of infecting bacterial cells (Clokie et al.). These phages are of interest as a potential replacement for antibiotic therapies in cases of drug resistant bacterial infections (Sulakyelidz et al. 2001). One such phage, Grumio, was discovered and…
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Essential Oils as Bacterial Disinfectants
By Chandler Carlson and Julia Rizzo Faculty mentor: Dr. April Wynn Essential oils have become quite popular in natural medicine and their uses as an antibacterial household cleaner have been touted. We investigated how essential oils compared to bleach when used as disinfectants. Previously, we examined eight essential oils and two recipes (mixtures of oils) from…
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The Ruins of Memory: A Dream of Grief
By Alex Huber Faculty mentor: Dr. Ray Levy My presentation for the UMW 2022 Research and Creativity Day is a creative short story The Ruins of Memory: A Dream of Grief. The story, which equals a little less than 6500 words, is a rumination on grief and the complicated feelings experienced by a young man…
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Critical Edition of Gilbert and Sullivan’s PRINCESS IDA
By Ivy Sanders Faculty mentor: Dr. James Brooks Kuykendall The participant, Ivy Sanders, will present a poster detailing her undergraduate research in Music Philology. Sanders has been copy-editing a musical score’s critical edition in collaboration with the publishing company The Broude Trust. She will discuss and illustrate her research findings in regard to working with…
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Spatial Analysis of Dam Sediment and Metal Contamination in the Northern Nashua River Basin
By Jack Lanier Faculty mentor: Dr. Ben Kisila Fitchburg, Massachusetts is a heavily industrialized city with over 20 dams located within the North Nashua River basin. Many of the dams, which were constructed in the mid- to late-1800’s, are abandoned. Metal fluxes and accumulation in fluvial ecosystems reflect natural weathering and associated sediment fluxes from…
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Case study for understanding MTX resistance in Leishmania
By Bennet Varghese Faculty mentor: Dr. Swati Agrawal 9:00-9:50am, HCC 328 Leishmania is a parasite that causes Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease that has many forms and potentially deadly symptoms. Methotrexate(MTX) is a drug that has been highly effective at treating and stopping Malaria infection by inhibiting the DHFR enzyme in the folate pathway. Since MTX…
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Analyzing Soccer Player Tendencies: Applications to the Goalkeeper and Passing
By Steven DeVerteuil Player analysis is an integral aspect of the sports analytics world. Player analysis is useful for coaches, scouts, and players alike for enhancing player and team performance. Notably, analysis of player tendencies may lead to player action modeling – a tool which can provide any given team an advantage over an opposing…
