Undergraduate Research at the Capitol –

Pennsylvania 2023 Agenda

9:00 a.m. Arrival, Registration, & Continental Breakfast

Poster Location Assignment and Setup

9:30 a.m. Welcome and Poster Conference Overview

East Wing Rotunda, First Floor

9:45 a.m. Guest Speaker:

Senator Dave Argall
29th Senatorial District
Chair, Senate Education Committee

9:55 a.m. Student Group Photo

10:00 a.m. Legislators/Legislative Staff Poster Session

Students will stand at their poster location to discuss
their research with interested individuals.
East Wing Rotunda, First Floor

Networking & Poster Interaction/Exploration

Students and advisors will have the opportunity to
network and view other college/university posters.
East Wing Rotunda, First Floor

Meetings with Legislators

11:15 a.m. Lunch on your own
Students may take their lunch break whenever their
schedule allows, but should consider having coverage
for their display.

1:00 p.m. Event Concludes

 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AT
THE CAPITOL—PENNSYLVANIA

Undergraduate Research at the Capitol—Pennsylvania is a

poster conference that showcases outstanding and
award-winning research projects by undergraduate
students from Pennsylvania. The event provides an
opportunity to bring together college students, faculty and
Pennsylvania legislators and staff to share the experiences
of students engaged in research or scholarship at their
colleges and universities.

The event has two goals: To demonstrate that participating

in research as an undergraduate is important to the
educational development of college students; and to show
that undergraduate students can produce important and
valuable research results that enrich the knowledge,
cultural heritage and economic well-being of our
communities, our state and our nation.
 March 7, 2023

Dear Students and Advisors,

Welcome to the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol—
Pennsylvania poster conference. On behalf of the State Senate, allow me
to welcome you to this unique opportunity to showcase one of our state’s
greatest resources—our students.
Each one of the projects authored by these students, is a careful
examination of a fundamental issue facing communities and/or nations in
today’s world. The analytical proficiency of the authors demonstrates the
importance of a well-educated population. As these students graduate,
the critical thinking skills they developed in their college years will set
the foundation for their future contributions to society.
We are proud of the many institutions of higher learning that
were founded within our state’s borders and we recognize that without
the support and professionalism of advisors and mentors, our Common-
wealth’s future would be far less promising.
May the research and the ideas you share here today, become
the innovation of tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Kim L. Ward
President Pro Tempore
State Senate, 39th District
 THE TAPHONOMY OF PYRITE SUNS

Author: Brielle Hunt

Advisor: Alan Gishlick
Institution: Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg

In 2008, Dr. Abderrazak El Albani discovered a series of structures in

the 2.1-billion-year-old Franceville Basin in Gabon. The structures
were described as the oldest multicellular organisms in the fossil
record. However, similar shapes and patterns that led to their
identification as putative “fossils” are also seen in the gross
morphology of pyrite suns and nodules. The intent of this research is
to test the pyrite concretion hypothesis by molding and casting pyrite
concretion samples to see if there was enough loss or reduction in
detail to create textures shapes comparable to those the Gabon
Biota.

1
 PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF
BEETROOT JUICE AS AN ERGOGENIC AID

Author: Billie Jo Bollinger

Advisor: Ashley Lesniak
Institution: Commonwealth University - Lock Haven

Pre-workouts are commonly used to increase exercise performance.

They are often a mixture of many ingredients. Nitrates, a vasodilator,
are commonly found in pre-workout. Purpose: To determine any
impact of beetroot juice (BRJ), which contains high levels of nitrates,
on anaerobic jumping performance. Methods: 7 males (Age: 21.3 ±
1.4 yr; Height: 181.1 ± 7.3 cm; Mass: 79.9 ± 14.0 kg; Body Fat: 13.6 ±
4.0%) and 7 females (Age: 20.7 ± 1.4 yr; Height: 162.6 ± 3.6 cm; Mass:
69.6 ± 12.6 kg; Body Fat: 28.9 ± 7.0%) participated. On the first visit,
demographic data was assessed and subjects completed a maximal
vertical jump test and a practice Power Movement Jump Test (PMJT)
on a jump mat. On three separate visits, in a counterbalanced order,
subjects consumed .5L of either BRJ, containing ~5 mmol of NO3-,
calorie-matched Kool-Aid, or water, two hours before their visit.
Upon arrival blood lactate was assessed, they cycled for a 5-min
warmup, then were asked to perform the PMJT. Upon completion,
heart rate, blood lactate, and ratings of perceived exertion (overall
and peripheral; RPE-O and RPE-P) were assessed using the Borg 6-20
scale. Repeated measured ANOVAs were used for analysis. Conclu-
sion: Neither BRJ nor Koolaid impacted exercise performance or
perceived effort compared to water.

2
 “BEHOLD! MY OTHER SELF!”: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
INFLUENCING VIDEO GAME AVATARS AND IN-GAME
BEHAVIORS

Author: Daniel Moco

Advisor: Karri Verno
Institution: Commonwealth University - Mansfield

Professional psychological assessments serve as a foundation for not

only understanding human nature but treating people for the
maladaptive conditions they may have. Assessments for personality,
sometimes a very fluid construct, have slowly become more difficult
to use for various reasons. Some people may feign answers on these
tests, and some researchers may misinterpret results. As such,
perhaps new, more creative methods of psychological assessment
are needed, at least in a research setting. Some researchers have
noticed the potential influence of video games on human behaviors
and personality, so maybe they can be useful in learning more about
the nuances that make the individual. In this study, students of
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania were given a demographic
survey assessing general categorizations as well as gamer status and
knowledge of certain video games, and various personality
assessments. 20 students were assigned to various timeslots to
participate in a session which had them play two different video
games, recording information based on their experiences. The study
found somewhat surprising results regarding connections between
self-esteem and avatar discrepancies, antisocial traits and
corresponding behavior in-game, and risk-taking levels and
corresponding playstyle in-game.

3
 STREAMLINING DIAGNOSIS OF DESMOPLAKIN-LINKED
ARRHYTHMOGENIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

Author: Micah Yoder

Advisor: Maegen Borzok
Institution: Commonwealth University - Mansfield

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited, fatal, and

incurable heart disease characterized by fibrofatty infiltration of the
myocardium. Approximately 50% of ACM cases have been linked to
mutations in the genes that encode desmosomal proteins, 5% of
which affecting the protein, desmoplakin. The desmosome is a vital
intercellular junction, imparting mechanical coupling and tensile
strength to the myocardium. Desmoplakin tethers the cytoskeletal
structures of neighboring cells through a complex protein network.
Our lab has previously identified a hotspot region of clinical
mutations near the N-terminus of desmoplakin that exposes a
previously occluded calpain target site for proteolytic degradation.
Desmoplakin cleavage results in desmosomal instability and
insufficient cardiomyocyte adhesion. Because the heart endures
great mechanical stress, weakened adhesion in muscle cells leaves
the issue susceptible to irreparable damage and elicits ACM’s
characteristic fibrofatty invasion. Furthermore, replacement of
myocardial tissue diminishes electrical coupling of the heart, thereby
contributing to ACM’s hallmark sudden cardiac death event. Our goal
is to test a diagnostic process to streamline personalized medicine in
order to assess the pathogenicity of unknown ACM-linked missense
mutations in the desmoplakin gene resulting in calpain-mediated
desmoplakin protein degradation and consequential desmosomal
instability.

4
 THE ANALYSIS OF RODENT POSITIONAL DATA USING
MACHINE LEARNING

Authors: Lucas Acosta-Morales, Luke Cossman, Caitlin McNamara,

Harkiran Bhullar, Carl Tyce
Advisors: Dr. Pranshu Gupta, Dr. Carl Hammarsten,
Dr. Kathleen Ryan
Institution: DeSales University

Based solely on human experience, it is difficult to attribute

behaviors such as pain and anxiety to mice. This project addresses
this difficulty through behavioral analysis of mice using machine
learning and data analysis. This involves two main parts. The first
takes data in the form of videos of mice, extracts positional data for
multiple parts of a mouse (ex: head, tail base, body center) using the
machine learning program DeepLabCut by the Mathis Lab. We
augment the dataset by including directional information,
determining total distance traveled, etc. Afterwards, we identify
prominent features via persistent homology. These features are not
physical positions or characteristics like a location in a cage or a foot,
but rather abstract mathematical representations of key behaviors.
We reduce this dataset to the 12 most notable features (about 30%
of the original data) through Kernel Density Estimation. In the next
part of the project, we create and train a machine learning algorithm
using the reduced dataset. This produces a computational classifier
capable of detecting the behavioral state (ie pain or no pain) in novel
test subjects, thus opening up a new level of objectivity in, and
potentially improving the quality of, rodent research.

5
 THE EFFECT OF LIFTING STRAPS ON DEADLIFT
PERFORMANCE IN FEMALES

Authors: Kevin Trahey, Evan Lapp, Trent Talipan

Advisors: Dr. Carrie Ellis
Institution: DeSales University

Using lifting straps (LS) while deadlifting may improve performance;

however, research has only been conducted on males. This study
investigated the effects of lifting straps on the total number of
repetitions, mean and peak barbell velocity, and grip strength during
the deadlift exercise in females. Ten females with 3.2 ± 2.1 years of
resistance training experience participated in the study. After
completing a 1-repetition maximum (1RM) test without LS, subjects
completed two protocols: performing three sets of as many
repetitions as possible of 80% 1RM with lifting straps (WS) and
without lifting straps (NS). Mean and peak barbell velocity were
measured during each set, and grip strength was recorded before
deadlifting and after each set. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were
used to analyze the data, with an alpha level of 0.05 used to establish
statistical significance. Participants perform significantly more reps
WS with no differences in mean or peak barbell velocity. The grip
strength loss was significantly lower WS. Results indicate that using
LS while deadlifting allows females to perform more repetitions with
greater preserved grip strength without negatively affecting barbell
velocity; thus, LS appear beneficial for deadlift performance in
females.

6
 EVALUATION OF AN ORALLY DELIVERED ANTI-TICK VACCINE
TARGETING MAMMALIAN ZOONOTIC PATHOGEN RESERVOIR
POPULATIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA

Authors: Peter Babcock, Destiny Devlin, Harold Quadrino,

Katelyn Barrett, Elizabeth Signore
Advisor: Nicole Chinnici
Institution: East Stroudsburg University

Tickborne pathogens are harmful and widespread in humans,

comprising over 75% of vector-borne disease cases in the United
States. To assess the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies
and ultimately reduce rates of tickborne pathogen infection in
Pennsylvania, baseline data on adult Blacklegged tick (Ixodes
scapularis) density, small mammal host abundance, and habitat vari-
ables were collected. A total of 18 sites which included schools,
parks, and residential communities across Monroe and Pike counties
to encompass a broad range of human-tick interactions were
selected. During fall 2022, the average tick density was estimated at
0.0052 ticks/m2 and an average white-footed mouse (Peromyscus
leucopus) abundance was estimated at 30.95 per site. Model
averaging revealed northern aspect directions to be the only strong
predictor of tick density (estimate = -0.003; p = 0.01); northern
aspect directions (estimate = -0.05; p = 0.03), leaf litter depth
(estimate = -0.003; p = 0.001), and date of sampling
(estimate = -0.002; p = 0.001) were strong predictors of P. leucopus
capture rates. These results, and future assessments (planned for
spring 2023) will provide a baseline for future comparisons of tick
and host abundance following the application of mitigation practices.

7
 THE EFFICACY OF ORAL CONTRASTS IN CT

Author: Timothy Senick

Advisors: Julie Taddeo, Christine Redlinger
Institution: Harcum College

This project will investigate the potential overuse of oral contrast

media in CT scans in the hospital and outpatient setting. The research
will center on the use of iodinated and barium sulfate based oral
contrast agents in the diagnosis of abdominal pain complaints. The
determinative methods resolving whether this overuse exists will be
based on several research studies, as well as interviews with working
radiologists in the Delaware County area of Pennsylvania.
Furthermore it will explore three consequences that this overuse
causes to patient and clinician: the financial cost added to both the
facility and patient due to additional medication and preparatory
time prior to medical imaging, the added time and inconvenience
necessary to prepare an ailing patient prior to medical imaging, and
the potential for these compounds to cause to either artifacts on CT
scans obscuring adjacent anatomical features and potentially hiding
pathology from the view of the interpreting radiologist, or to not
provide any diagnostic benefit at all. The positive features of oral
contrast enhanced CT scans will also be presented to provide
balance. Research will be presented in poster format, with
deidentified CT images, written display of drafted data, inferential
analysis and citations of research consulted.

8
 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HISTORIC REDLINING
AND URBAN HEAT ISLAND EXPOSURE IN
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Author: Anthony David, Jr.

Advisor: Christine Proctor
Institution: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Nationwide, urban residents experience disproportionately higher

levels of heat intensity due to a higher proportion of built
environments to natural landscaping as compared to suburban and
rural areas. Several studies have suggested that this urban heat
island effect is not equitably distributed across cities as a legacy of
past redlining policies, with low-income residents of color at a higher
risk of experiencing heat-related illness and stress. This research aims
to examine the relationship between the historic Home Owner’s
Loan Corporation (HOLC) zoning districts within the City of Harrisburg
and Surface Urban Heat Index values. To accomplish this, digitized
HOLC zoning districts from 1935 to 1936 were overlaid on a surface
heat map generated using Landsat imagery. Surface heat values were
then averaged across each district and analyzed using a single-factor
ANOVA. To identify which residents were at a greater risk of
experiencing heat-related illnesses, a linear regression was used to
evaluate the relationship between surface heat values averaged
across census block groups and demographic data including race,
median household income, and education. To further inform policy
efforts, this research identified areas such as vacant lots and
unimproved greenspace that can be prioritized for revitalization.

9
ENVIRONMENTAL DNA (eDNA) ANALYSIS REVEALS PRESENCE
OF AMPHIBIAN DISEASES IN THE SOUTHERN END OF
MICHAUX STATE FOREST, PENNSYLVANIA

Authors: Maurice Lopez-Soliz, Jordan Mears

Advisor: Bernardo Mesa, Ph.D.
Institution: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Amphibians can experience population decline due to infectious

diseases such as chytrid fungus –Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis –
(Bd) and ranavirus –Iridoviridae – (Rv). Environmental DNA (eDNA)
techniques, in conjunction with quantitative polymerase chain
reaction (qPCR), detect amphibian species and quantify pathogen
DNA in aquatic environments. Our objective was to detect and
quantify Bd and Rv eDNA, via qPCR analysis, from vernal pools
located in the southern end of Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania.
We collected water samples from 16 pools in the months of April,
May, and August (2022). In the lab, we processed the samples by
filtering, extraction, and conducting a qPCR for DNA quantification of
Bd and Rv. Our results indicate Bd positivity of 18.75% (n = 3) in April
and 0% in May and August, whereas Rv displayed 0% in April, 8.3% in
May and 20% in August. This study is a step forward to refine and
broaden monitoring of these amphibian diseases, at a large scale, in
Michaux State Forest. Future efforts should include molecular for
amphibian species detection to develop a deeper understanding of
pathogen/host/disease dynamics in the system. This information will
be useful to assess potential conservation threats to amphibians due
to infections disease outbreaks in Pennsylvania.

Research Sponsor: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources and South Mountain Partnership

10
 THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ON
COLLEGE AGED STUDENTS

Authors: Sean Pramnieks, Joseph Sudler

Advisor: Dr. Jennifer DeCicco
Institution: Holy Family University

Many students during the Pandemic struggled with mental health

and resilience as everyone adjusted to a completely new and remote
way of life. Current literature focuses on levels of happiness during
the pandemic in relation to stress and anxiety levels (Cohen-Louck &
Levy., 2022); however, few have looked at the impact of having Covid
-19 nearly three years after the pandemic began. Additionally,
current literature centers on the ways individuals can recover from
stress during the pandemic while considering the post-traumatic
growth they might experience by removing negative cognitions
(Hyun., 2022). In the current study, we ask questions about
participants’ experiences with COVID-19, resilience, and their
well-being outcomes at the present time. Though research suggests a
significant impact on mental health during the pandemic, the present
study aimed to determine the current impact on college students,
nearly three years later. We expected that those who had Covid-19
would continue to experience greater anxiety, poorer emotional
regulation, and reduced self-perceived success as compared to those
who have not had Covid-19 to date.

11
 PERSONA AND PERCEPTION OF T.E. LAWRENCE

Author: Sarah Schreiber

Advisor: Dr. Madigan Fichter
Institution: Holy Family University

Daring, heroic, adventurous, and yet, paradoxically introverted was

how American traveler and reporter Lowell Thomas painted Thomas
Edward Lawrence in his biography about Lawrence titled With
Lawrence in Arabia. In exploring the personality perceived by
Thomas, the Arabians, the British, and Lawrence himself, it is
apparent that Lawrence had a different purpose for every primary
agent that was constructing the Middle East during and following
World War One. As the war reshaped the Middle East, Lawrence
proved to be an effective voice and instrument for the Arabian cause
of freedom against Ottoman rule; however, Lawrence’s actions
advocating against the Ottomans played into British and French
ambitions, particularly in reference to the secret Sykes-Picot
agreement of 1916, in which both European nations decided to
partition the Middle East for their own interests. Thus, Lawrence also
viewed his own purpose in varying and conflicting ways. Exploring his
autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, reveals his guilt with his
heroic reputation, his confusion on whether he was an agent of the
British Empire or a friend of the Arabs, and his disgust at the immoral
actions that happened during the war.

12
 EFFECT OF AN EXERCISE SCIENCE STUDENT-LED EXERCISE
PROGRAM AT IMMACULATA UNIVERSITY ON PHYSICAL AND
SOCIAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Authors: Gianna Ellis, Randi Kuhar
Advisors: Laurie DiRosa, Cole Racich
Institution: Immaculata University

Adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)

experience both lower physical activity levels and social interactions
than their age-related peers making them at increased risk for an
overall decrease in psychosocial well-being, quality of life, and
decreased motor function and coordination. While it is well known
physical activity in groups can improve these health outcomes, adults
with IDD are less likely to exercise due to the lack of social support
and opportunity. Our program (GetFIT@Immaculata) aims to provide
a safe, supervised, inclusive social space to increase fitness and
socialization amongst this population. Undergraduate student-
trainers lead participants through an individualized training program
that addresses cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility and
balance 2-3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. Five adults with IDD and
10 fitness trainers were included in this study. Participants were
assessed with 4 balance tests, wall sit, and grip strength. An
electronic survey was distributed to trainers regarding perceived
communication and socialization. Participants demonstrated clinical
improvement in gait patterns, functional reach, and strength,
indicating a decrease in fall risk. Trainers reported positive social
improvements among their clients, with more interactions and less
reliance on caretakers. This program was successful in increasing
physical and social outcomes.

13
 CHARACTERIZING KIDNEY DEVELOPMENT IN ZEBRAFISH

Author: Emma Fetchko

Advisor: Cuong Diep
Institution: Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Kidney disease affects millions of people worldwide, but the only

treatments available are dialysis and transplantation, with both
having severe limitations. To alleviate these limitations, new
regenerative therapies are needed using kidney stem cells. Unlike
humans, zebrafish have adult kidney stem cells that allow them to
regenerate new kidney tissue after injury. These stem cells express
the lhx1a protein, making this protein an interesting study target. We
identified 9 peptide molecules that bind to the lhx1a protein. It may
be possible that one of these peptides can alter the function of the
lhx1a protein, allowing us to manipulate stem cell behavior.
However, more investigation is needed to test this hypothesis. We
are also determining what other proteins are expressed in these
stem cells. We showed that the stem cells express the fzd9b and
wnt4a proteins during kidney development. Others have shown that
fzd9b and wnt4a are expressed in adult kidney stem cells during
regeneration. Our findings validate the idea that regeneration
recapitulates development, where the same proteins are expressed
during both processes. Therefore, our studies on how the kidney
forms during development will contribute to knowledge of kidney
generation and possibly lead to new regenerative therapies.

14
 ECONOMIC INFLUENCES ON THE SUMMER
OLYMPIC MEDAL COUNT

Authors: Richard Kline, Margaret Marsteller

Advisor: Dr. James Jozefowicz
Institution: Indiana University of Pennsylvania

This study analyzes the effects of several economic indicators on a

country’s performance in the Summer Olympic Games. Using data
from the nations with the top thirty weighted aggregate medal
counts in each competition from 1996-2016, the ordinary least
squares (OLS) method is used to estimate multiple regression
equations. The dependent variable is the weighted number of medals
that a country wins. There are six groups of independent variables,
including population, economic, trade, development, labor force, and
dummy variables. It is clear from the analysis that population
variables, economic variables, developmental variables, and trade
have an impact on a country’s performance in the Summer Olympic
Games. Results from the models show that population size,
population growth rate, and adolescent fertility rate have a positive
effect on medal counts, while real trade surplus/deficit,
employee-to-population ratio, Herfindahl Hirschman Market
Concentration Index, inflation rate, interest rate, and percentage of
rural population have a negative effect.

15
 HARVESTING RESILIENCE: HOW GARDENING HAS HELPED
APPALACHIA COPE DURING COVID-19

Author: Ava Dare Pinkham

Advisor: Amanda Poole
Institution: Indiana University of Pennsylvania

My project focuses on gardening's impact on the people of Northern

Appalachia during the COVID-19 Pandemic. My research explores the
use of gardening as a way to cope emotionally, mentally, and
physically in tumultuous times. My study touches on food insecurity
and community growth as a result of gardening during the pandemic.
My research was motivated by personal experience as houseplants
helped me cope with the loneliness and trauma caused by the COVID
-19 pandemic. Drawing from original ethnographic interviews, and
using analytical frameworks from environmental and applied
anthropology, my findings resulted in a few major themes. First,
plants bring people together. Whether it be Facebook groups with
the goal of buying, selling and trading houseplants, community
gardens that fuel community kitchens and encourage community
plots, or connections made during the exchange of crops and
propagations, plants bring people together. Second, gardening is
therapeutic for the mind and body. Finally, gardens teach their
owners valuable lessons like loss, growth, and resilience.

16
 MONEYBALL AND THE MARKET EFFICIENCY OF PLAYER
SALARIES IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Author: Benjamin Swanson

Advisor: Dr. James Jozefowicz
Institution: Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Moneyball (Lewis, 2003) advanced the idea that the baseball player
market was inefficient in valuing certain hitting skills comparatively to
how those skills help to win games. This study analyzes the Major
League Baseball (MLB) labor market to determine how specific skills
in batting are valued by teams. It examines total team runs scored
and how a team’s cumulative batting can affect the number of runs
scored. Batting skills, contract dummy variables, and positional
dummy variables are analyzed using cross-sectional data on 371
players and 30 teams during the 2019 season. The Ordinary Least
Squares (OLS) regression results indicate that players are actually
overpaid for their batting skills. Batting average, plate discipline,
power, and number of games played in all have a significant, positive
impact on players’ salaries while playing multiple positions has a
negative effect on salary. Team batting average, plate discipline, and
power all have a statistically significant, positive relationship with
total runs scored.

17
 AN AFRICAN AMERICAN ODYSSEY: RECLAIMING THE
HISTORY OF THE SIFFORDS

Author: Nicholas Sifford

Advisor: Dr. Jim Tuten
Institution: Juniata College

Conventional wisdom holds that African American family history is

difficult to trace back earlier than the 1860s. Examining the branches
of my African American family as a case study, I used oral stories and
archival research to construct a family history as far back as possible.
While the Siffords proved to adhere to the hypothesis of historical
erasure, one branch, the Washingtons, can be traced to an ancestor,
Cudjo, born around 1845 in South Carolina. Another branch, the
Charitys, can be traced to an ancestor born around 1660 in Virginia
and who was manumitted in 1698. The Charity family reveals the
large community of free people of color in the South during the time
of slavery. As the Sifford family case study reveals, the conventional
wisdom holds up much of the time, but African American history
contains more complexity, including the existence of communities of
free people in the South.

18
 LONG-TERM MAP MAINTENANCE USING MOBILE ROBOTS

Author: Patrick Perrin

Advisor: Dr. Dylan Schwesinger
Institution: Kutztown University

Navigation of changing environments with mobile robots when using

traditionally static internal environment representations is a
challenging problem. This approach to Simultaneous Localization and
Mapping (SLAM) problems operates on the assumption of a stable
environment which can quickly lead to inaccuracies in long-term
autonomous navigation. A probabilistic approach to a typical
environment representation has the notable advantage of
adaptability. When applied to an uncertain environment, future
predictions of the environment state can be made using collected
sensory data. To further enhance the accuracy of these predictions,
we include the additional metric of temporal stability which is the
certainty of a particular landmark's state at any given time. When
applied to the map representation, if doors are interpreted as
landmarks then the state of being open or closed may grant access to
different areas at different times of the day. Combining these
techniques with statistical pathfinding algorithms may prove to be an
extremely effective navigation model.

19
 INTERGENERATIONAL CYCLES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Author: Samantha Smith

Advisor: Dr. Joleen Greenwood
Institution: Kutztown University

What causes someone to abuse the person who loves them most? A
2010 survey found an average of 20 people experience intimate
partner physical violence in the United States every minute. This
equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually. Domestic
violence is an epidemic that runs rampant throughout our society.
Whether it is caused by social learning, ingrained misogyny, toxic
masculinity, or some other factor, sociologists have long studied the
lifetime effects of witnessing domestic violence. The
intergenerational cycle of domestic violence refers to the theory that
children who grow up witnessing violence are more likely to
perpetrate violence in the future because it is “normal” to them.
While there are valid points to this theory, there are a multitude of
other explorations into the causation of domestic violence that have
been analyzed and transformed into primary prevention methods to
eradicate domestic violence at its core. The importance of victim
centered police intervention is imperative in regard to helping victims
leave their abusers. This analysis suggests incorporating
age-appropriate education on forming healthy relationships and
consent in the classroom can help children challenge the normality of
violence in their home before it becomes habitual in their lives.

20
OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON GRAVID TIMBER RATTLESNAKES

Author: Divia Feinstein

Advisor: Dr. Mary Kate O'Donnell
Institution: Lycoming College

The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) is a North American

venomous pit viper. The Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan lists
Timber Rattlesnakes as a species of greatest conservation need. They
are currently threatened by habitat loss, organized hunting, and fear
motivated killing. In July 2022, camera traps were set up at potential
basking sites in Rider Park using historical data, habitat evaluation,
and current snake sightings. Using time-lapse photography, we
documented snake presence or absence at the sites, sex,
reproductive condition, and behavior. Two females were observed
through the end stages of their pregnancies and parturition. Both
gave birth to litters of average size. Duration of maternal care and
occupancy of the maternity sites by females and their young varied,
and deviated from published records. Data collected from the
camera traps is being analyzed to collect information on daily activity
patterns, basking times and durations for gravid females. We found
that the gravid females typically emerged between eight and nine
AM during the summer months, and basked for one to two hours in
the late morning and early afternoon. Better information on
rattlesnake habitat preferences and activity patterns may reduce
human-wildlife conflict to more effectively protect recreational hikers
and imperiled snakes.

21
 A TALE OF TWO RIVERS: TOXIC MASCULINITY ON THE
REVOLUTIONARY FRONTIER

Author: J. Connor Fulmer

Advisor: Chris Pearl
Institution: Lycoming College

A Tale of Two Rivers examines toxic and hegemonic masculinity's role

on the Revolutionary Frontier. While historians have looked as to
why the war on the frontier was so brutal during the Americans
Revolutions, historians have failed to realize that toxic masculine
behavior existed on the Revolutionary Frontier and was used by both
sides to justify violence against their enemies. During this time
period, what it meant to be a man was being able to provide for
one's family and to reaffirm their patriarchal duty. One way to
provide was to own land. This landownership is what drove settlers
to the frontier and caused conflict with the native people, land
speculators, and other frontiersmen. Racism was used as justification
to conquer Native American land and to gather support for the
American Revolution. The community also played an active role on
the frontier and was used to defend this toxic masculine culture. By
examining primary sources from the PA archives and the Declaration
of Independence, one can see this toxic masculine identity take
shape.

22
SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF CHALCONE, STILBENE, AND
FLAVONOID INHIBITORS OF PROTEIN TYROSINE
PHOSPHATASE 1B

Authors: Noah D. Smith, Seth G. Kabonick, Sydney A. White

Advisor: Dr. Anne Reeve
Institution: Messiah University

Protein phosphatases are considered a target for drug-based therapy

because of their involvement in cell signaling pathways linked to type
II diabetes, obesity, and some cancers. Protein tyrosine phosphatase
1B (PTP1B) functions as a negative regulator of the insulin pathway
and is considered a target for anti-diabetic therapy. A gene knockout
study in mice showed that the absence of this enzyme caused an
increase in insulin sensitivity. High conservation across the active site
of the non-receptor class I subfamily of phosphatases has made
finding specific inhibitors of PTP1B difficult. Several classes of natural
product substructure were explored as potential inhibitors of PTP1B
with the goal of identifying a molecular scaffold to generate
site-specific inhibitors. Chalcone, stilbene, and flavonoid derivatives
have been shown to be potential PTP1B inhibitors. We have
synthesized a library of derivatives to observe the effects of hydrogen
bonding and halogen substitution on inhibition. Preliminary in silico
data suggest favorable thermodynamic interactions between these
compounds and pockets on PTP1B near the active site.

23
 DOING COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH AT THE CENTER
FOR PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP & SOCIAL CHANGE

Authors: Alicia Hill, Lyndsey Kregel, Lael Marshall, Amy Sheeley

Advisor: Dr. Carrie Smith
Institution: Millersville University of Pennsylvania

The Center for Public Scholarship & Social Change (the Center) was
established at Millersville University to boost civic and community
engagement and research, with a goal to have a primary impact on
the community. In this poster, we highlight the Center’s work with
local non-profit organizations to assist with their program evaluation
and research needs. We discuss our work in the following areas:
neighborhood improvement, public safety, children of incarcerated
parents, housing, and support and resources. We also discuss how
the Center trains and mentors students in community-engaged
research, focusing on their experiences and learning outcomes.

24
 AUTONOMOUS LIDAR-BASED ENVIRONMENT
NAVIGATOR (ALIEN) 2.0

Authors: Ian Troop, Elizabeth Maschke, Dennis Nguyen

Advisor: Dr. John Haughery
Institution: Millersville University of Pennsylvania

A critical system element enabling self-driving vehicles today are

smart sensors. These sensors play a pivotal role in interpreting the
physical environment surrounding a robotic vehicle. Among the many
smart technologies available, laser imaging, detection, and ranging
(LiDAR) has become a prevailing sensor type used on self-driving
vehicles for object detection and range measurements. As part of a
research and development project, a team of students and faculty at
Millersville University recently designed and developed a second
iteration of a robotic Autonomous LiDAR-based Environmental
Navigation vehicle name ALiEN 2.0. Additionally, the team developed
a distributed control systems that included a LiDAR sensor, five
machine vision cameras, a global position system (GPS) module, and
chassis drive controllers. This enabled the team to design
concurrently, significantly reducing development time. To validate its
performance, the team entered their ALiEN 2.0 system into the 2022
Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) in Rochester, Michigan
and the Association of Technology, Management and Applied
Engineering’s (ATMAE) 2022 Student Division Robotics Competition
(SDRC-22). Results from these international and national
competitions illustrate the reliability, versatility, and effectiveness of
ALiEN 2.0’s hardware and software distributed control design
integration.

25
A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF PARTICLE MASS AND FRICTION
IN AVALANCHES OF GRANULAR PILES

Author: Aidan Malloy

Advisor: Kelly Krieble
Institution: Moravian University

Granular Materials - a loosely interacting collection of solid particles -

represents a class of materials that have undergone recent study.
Such studies can often be used to model complex phenomena such
as gravel piles in construction and infrastructure projects and grain
storage and transport for food processing. We present research on
granular materials which studies the dynamics of such a pile -
modeled in this study by a system composed of small, uniform,
spherical pellets - as it is built up and experiences avalanches at a
critical state. These avalanches are measured and analyzed in terms
of their magnitude, as well as their frequency distribution, as a
function of pellet mass and interparticle friction.

26
 PROPERTIES OF BROOKER’S MEROCYANINE (MOED):
A SOLVATOCHROMIC COMPOUND

Author: Rebecca Skibo

Advisor: Carl Salter
Institution: Moravian University

For a drug to enter a cell, it must cross the cell membrane, a

hydrophobic region dominated by the greasy tails of fatty acid esters.
Drug designers use a quantity called Log P to estimate how well a
potential drug can cross the membrane. Log P is measured by letting
a compound dissolve simultaneously in water and octanol, two
immiscible liquids -- the octanol is playing the role of the fatty acid
esters in the membrane. In this project, we measured the Log P of an
unusual dye molecule, Brooker’s Merocyanine, and a compound
formerly used as a drug, Methylene Blue. Brooker’s Merocyanine
(MOED) is an unusual compound that changes color in different
solvents; its color changes from water to octanol. Methylene Blue is
a well-known compound that we can use as a test for our
measurement process. By measuring the color in the water and
octanol we can compute the Log P of both compounds.

27
 EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF QUANTUM COMPUTING
IMPLICATIONS TO SOLVE POLYNOMIAL PROBLEMS

Authors: Yuba Neupane, Luke Sloan, Abdulla Iznurov, Mateen Shaik

Advisor: Shahid Hussain
Institution: Penn State University - Behrend

Quantum mechanics rules are exploited through Quantum

Computing (QC) to solve specific problem process information in
impossible and fastest ways as compared to Conventional (i.e Classic)
Computing (CC) such as factoring integers. Problem: Beside the
fastest computation, still there are several polynomials a
non-polynomial problem, where the implications and limitations of
Quantum Computing could be assessed. Method: In this regard, we
conduct an empirical study to assess the efficacy of Quantum
Computing in terms of solving the complex problems by keeping a
tradeoff between polynomial time and increase in problem size. We
perform analysis Widely used Shor’s algorithms and report the
efficacy of Quantum Computing as compared to Conventional
computing. Results: Our results show that Quantum computing has
the potential to exponentially speed up the solution of certain
polynomial problems that are intractable for classical computers.
However, further research is needed to fully understand the
potential and limitations of quantum computing for Non-Polynomial
(NP) complete problems.

28
 PROTECTING, PROCURING, AND PRESERVING RESOURCES:
A PHOTOVOICE OF NEPALESE SCIENCE EDUCATION

Authors: Grace Shawver, Brandon Bixler

Advisor: Daniel Foster
Institution: Penn State University - College of Agriculture Sciences

In May 2022, two undergraduate researchers from the Global Teach

Ag Network and Penn State University traveled to Nepal to conduct a
qualitative research study analyzing Nepalese science education. The
research study consisted of two primary objectives: a) describe
characteristics of Nepalese learning environments and b) identify
educators’ perceptions of opportunities related to utilizing Nepalese
agriculture as a context for science education. The researchers used
the Photovoice method, which enables researchers to gain
perspectives from participants that truly represent their context and
experiences through first-hand collection of photographs and
accompanying descriptions. Photovoice research highlights local
expertise and knowledge to address needs and goals in individual
communities, aligning with the tenets of the Asset Based Community
Development Theory. The research team visited ten different schools
and conducted qualitative Photovoice interviews with thirteen
educators. Following introductory conversations, the educators
collected photographs of their educational resources in response to a
series of prompts. Personal interviews followed the photo collection
with discussion about the resources captured, allowing the
researchers to understand educator perspectives more fully.

Research Sponsor: Global Teach Ag Network

29
 THE CASE FOR RECOVERY HOUSING

Author: Emmanuel Kraft

Advisor: Jessica O’Hara
Institution: Penn State University - College of the Liberal Arts

While working alongside SAFE Project – “a national nonprofit working

through a disciplined, collaborative, and non-partisan approach to
end the nation's catastrophic opioid epidemic” — I researched the
benefits of recovery housing in helping those recovering from
Substance Use Disorder. Though an official definition has yet to be
commonly accepted, recovery housing is a range of substance-free
housing models where individuals can improve their well-being and
gain resources to sustain their recovery from addiction as they
transition back into society. The benefits of this residential care is
clear, resulting in significantly lower substance use (31.3% vs. 64.8%),
higher monthly income ($989.40 vs. $440.00), and lower
incarceration rates (3% vs. 9%), in addition to many other
advantages. There is a major discrepancy between the importance of
recovery housing and the rate at which research has been conducted
to support its implementation, a gap that I worked to fill. Recovery
housing is a necessity to ensure that individuals in recovery can
properly transition back into society, but it will require increased
resources and guidance at all levels of government to properly
implement it.

Research Sponsor: SAFE Project

30
 SEARCHING THE SKY FOR NEW TYPES OF
ASTRONOMICAL SOURCES

Author: Maya Debski

Advisor: Donald P. Schneider
Institution: Penn State University - Eberly College of Science

One of the best approaches to identify entirely new classes of objects

in the universe is to perform "blind" surveys of the sky, i.e., obtain
information from as many points on the sky as possible without
applying any pre-selections. This technique was impossible to
execute until quite recently with the advent of new instrumentation
and considerable advances in computational capability. The new
VIRUS instrument on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope can simultaneously
obtain spectra of over 30,000 positions in the sky. My Honors Thesis
at Penn State is to examine data from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope
VIRUS Parallel Survey (HETVIPS), which began in 2017 and has to date
obtained 118 million spectra. Using an automated search and
analysis process developed for the survey, we have identified
212,619 objects that have been classified into four categories (star,
galaxy, quasar, unknown). To enhance our ability to identify unusual
sources, we have begun to incorporate information from radio band
observations into our analysis. A wide variety of sources have been
identified in the HETVIPS database, ranging from stars similar to the
sun that reside in our galaxy to supermassive black holes that are
swallowing stars located at billions of light-years from Earth.

31
 REDUCING THE CLIMATE CRISIS BY DECREASING
TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTING EWASTE: AN EXAMINATION OF
USER ACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS

Authors: Justice Cappella, Zakkary Hozella

Advisor: Dr. Joseph Squillace
Institution: Penn State University - Schuylkill

To better understand how we can help reduce the climate crisis, this
research investigation examined user computing activities in detail to
analyze and identify excess eWaste output; actions determined to
cause unknown catastrophic climate degradation. Unfortunately,
individual users are oblivious to the damage and devastation they are
contributing to the climate crisis. This project examines end-users'
normal computer usage to identify where, how, and why they are
generating excess eWaste. We argue the resultant data collected will
showcase support for our theory, positing that increasing consumer
awareness of better computational practices can lead to positive
actions to reduce eWaste. This research study utilized a Multiple
Case Study approach to achieve our stated research objectives;
recognizing computer actions identified as most detrimental to the
climate by level of eWaste and introducing alternative user actions
that are ethical, green, and sustainable, while simultaneously
producing less eWaste. In addition to reducing users overall carbon
footprint and eWaste output, the sustainability of these alternative
user actions can be maintained with zero reduction in privacy or
security for end- users. Results from this study contribute to the
extant body of literature across multiple disciplines, including Priva-
cy, Green Computing, Information System Science and Technology,
and Cybersecurity.

32
 THE WORLD UNDERGROUND: PHAGE DISCOVERY

Author: Scarlet Tejada Rodriguez

Advisor: Mary Ann Smith
Institution: Penn State University - Schuylkill

The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens throughout

the years have led to microbial resistance which continues to
threaten our ability to treat common infections. According to the
WHO (World Health Organization), “the rapid global spread of
multi- and pan-resistant bacteria known as superbugs has become
especially alarming as they are not treatable with our existing
antimicrobial medicines: antibiotics”. Antibiotic resistance is the
ability of a microbe to resist the effects of a particular drug. In recent
years, there have been clinical studies that have shown a lack of
access to quality antimicrobials and antibiotic shortages throughout
the globe. This phenomenon is detrimental to the scientific and
medical world because it means the antibiotics currently being used
are no longer working, thus making an infection harder to treat. For
my project, I sampled soil from Penn State Schuylkill’s campus as well
as the garden in my backyard in New Jersey. My research will include
isolating bacteriophage from the soil collected and later performing
tests in order to determine its capabilities. Bacteriophages can be
found anywhere as they are viruses that specifically attack bacteria
cells. The bacteria that will be used in order to isolate a particular
phage is known as Mycobacterium smegmatis. As phages can be
difficult to find, we have made the necessary changes in order to
acquire the best results.

33
 A CRITICAL REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,
THE UNITED STATES, AND THE WAR IN UKRAINE

Author: Michael Horstman

Advisor: Jodi Gill
Institution: Penn State University - Shenango

Currently, Ukraine is embedded in a war with Russia. As such, the

United States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other
countries have provided support to the Ukrainian military and
government. The importance of understanding the implications of
Ukrainian war cannot be understated. Within any conflict there is
loss of life along with geopolitical ramifications that can affect the
world. To that end, there also needs to be an understanding of how
to end the war. Both sides have requested concessions for each
other to try to achieve a peaceful resolution with little movement.
Lastly, the question should also be raised on how to prevent future
conflicts within Ukraine and all throughout the Eastern Bloc. Placing a
priority on creating new security pacts along with aligning current
organizations such as NATO and the European Union can provide
greater continuity throughout the international community.
Alignment of organizations would also provide avenues to cut
reliance on Russia for the world. Much research has been done on
this topic and this specific research presentation takes into
consideration multiple sources previously published to give an
overview on what can be done to end and prevent future conflicts in
Eastern Europe.

34
 FROM CRISIS TO COMPASSION: FOSTERING A CULTURE OF
RESILIENCY AT PENN STATE SHENANGO

Author: Ashley Poghen

Advisor: Roxanne Atterholt
Institution: Penn State University - Shenango

As the pandemic recedes from the forefront of academic life,

scholarly and institutional research has indicated that college
students everywhere are in the midst of a profound mental health
crisis. This mixed-methods research study (n=289) assesses the
impact of a series of curricular and co-curricular wellness
interventions, implemented across multiple courses at a small,
commuter campus of Penn State. Co-curricular interventions
included Adult-Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training and
campus-wide activities (e.g., a volleyball tournament with students,
faculty and staff). Classroom based interventions included reflective
writing, time diaries, and peer mentoring. As the findings
demonstrate, these shared activities serve to foster a collaborative
culture of resiliency, flourishing, and hope. Statistics indicate that
one in five United States residents are currently experiencing a
mental health condition, and only half of them are receiving
treatment. The broader implications of this project align with
recommendations from the Behavioral Health Commission’s Special
Report (2022) to the Pennsylvania General Assembly which addresses
adult behavioral health needs.

35
 EXPLORING THE ELUSIVE MYCOBACTERIOPHAGE NOSHOW,
A VIRUS THAT INFECTS MYCOBACTERIUM SMEGMATIS

Authors: Danielle Niblock, Anne Winkler

Advisor: Julia Lee-Soety
Institution: Saint Joseph's University

Mycobacteriophage NoShow was isolated and characterized at Saint

Joseph’s University in January, 2021. NoShow was isolated at 37°C,
went through 4 successful rounds of purification, and produced very
turbid 1mm plaques on lawns of Mycobacterium smegatis (mc2155),
indicating a temperate phage. Under electron microscopy, NoShow
had a siphoviridae appearance with a flexible medium length tail
(170 nm) with capsid diameter of 50 nm. NoShow’s 52,825 bp
genome yielded 78 genes with 17 orphams. Per NCBI BLAST and
analyses on Geneious Prime (v2022.0.2), NoShow is most similar to
phages in the AB cluster: JacoRen57 (60.8% identical), Muddy
(54.1%), and FF47 (54.0%) - all lytic phages. Genes encoding lysin A
and lysin B were identified in NoShow’s genome; these proteins are
required for newly packaged phages to break out of the bacterial
hosts. We are exploring NoShow’s lysin A gene and comparing the
protein it encodes with those expressed by DrLupo which is a phage
belonging to a completely different cluster. Using bioinformatics
tools is helping us identify interesting amidase protein domains and
the LGFP repeats which appears to help lysin A attach to the host cell
wall.

36
 ASSESSING RISK THROUGH VULNERABILITY AND
CLIMATE EXPOSURE IN ADAMS, CUMBERLAND,
FRANKLIN, AND YORK COUNTIES

Author: John Knowles-Kellett

Advisor: Claire Jantz
Institution: Shippensburg University

This presentation provides insight to the needs of the Shippensburg

school district and the broader region of Adams, Cumberland,
Franklin, and York Counties. Social vulnerability and hazard exposure
were used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the four county
region. To assess vulnerability and social resilience, an ArcGIS
Dashboard was created to visualize ten demographic factors as an
overall vulnerability index. To assess exposure, FEMA data for
expected annual loss from local climate hazards were analyzed. A
survey was then issued in the Shippensburg Area School District area
in print and digital formats to learn how the community perceives its
own needs. Climate hazard exposure appears highest throughout
Adams and in southeast Franklin counties, while demographic
vulnerability aligns more closely with urban boundaries. Data for the
Shippensburg area suggest that it has low hazard exposure and social
vulnerability. In the survey, there are inconsistencies between
perceived hazards and likely dangers. For instance, the community
appears very worried about tornadoes, which are rare in the area.
The community appears most concerned with air quality,
governance, and human health and safety. In terms of ability to fight
climate change, respondents have high confidence in experts and
scientists and in government.

37
 3D PRINTING OF CUSTOMIZABLE FACEMASKS AND PPE:
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND CONTAMINANT FILTRATION
PERFORMANCE SIMULATION

Author: Jack Leidemann

Advisor: Dr. Joao Dias
Institution: Shippensburg University

3D printing the structural components of facemasks and personal

protective equipment (PPE) based on 3D facial scans creates a high
degree of customizability. As a result, the facemask fits more
comfortably with its user’s specific facial characteristics, filters
contaminants more effectively with its increased sealing effect, and
minimizes waste with its cleanable and reusable plastic structure. In
this work, 3D renditions of the user’s face taken with smartphone
laser scanning technology were used to generate customized
computer-aided design (CAD) models for the several components of
facemasks, which are each designed with considerations for
assembly and 3D printing constraints. Thorough analyses with
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out to
verify the mask efficiency to filtrate airborne contaminants in order
to comply with industry safety guidelines and generate data to
showcase the relationships between various design input and output
parameters. Our results showed that these relations are important
for comparative models in which the performance of one facemask
may be evaluated against the performance of other baseline models.

38
 DYNAMICS OF FOCAL ADHESIONS INTERSECTING
AUTOPHAGY AND CANCER CELL MIGRATION

Authors: Andrew Rheam, Madison Miller, Cristal Tineo Gomez

Advisor: Sherri Bergsten
Institution: Shippensburg University

The interaction of autophagy and cell migration is being analyzed in a

glioblastoma cell line to better understand cancer metastasis.
Autophagy is the process of maintaining cell homeostasis through the
degradation of unusable cellular components, which can be an
important regulatory step in cancer progression. Cell migration
assays, such as wound healing and transwell migration assays, show
that cells treated with known autophagy-regulating drugs impact
migration. As we hypothesized, drugs that upregulate autophagy
(Resveratrol) exhibit an increase in cell migration while
down-regulating autophagy (Chloroquine, Wortmannin) left cells
static or caused a decrease in migration. To further dissect specific
cellular pathways, expression of genes likely involved in
autophagy-mediated migration were analyzed using quantitative
RT-PCR in treated cells. Preliminary results suggest changes in
expression of genes involved in cell-cell adhesion (Cadherin), focal
adhesion dynamics (Paxillin) as well as autophagy regulators (LC3).
The quantitative data obtained from wound healing and transwell
cell migration assays, qPCR experiments, as well as new data from
western blots (protein expression) will be utilized to investigate
whether autophagy regulates migration through the LCK Paxillin
phosphorylation pathway.

39
 DETERMINING THE BINDING INTERACTION BETWEEN CAT1
AND ANY1 BY MUTATIONAL ANALYSIS

Author: Jenna Kriley

Advisor: Dr. Evan Guiney
Institution: Slippery Rock University

The objective of this study was to determine how active transporters

(pumps), located at the plasma membrane of a cell, are regulated.
We use two species of yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Sac-
charomyces cerevisiae) as model Eukaryotes to study how such
pumps are endocytosed. In eukaryotes, an ubiquitination tag is
required allowing the cell to properly select membrane transporters
and place them into endocytic vesicles. Ubiquitination is determined
by a ubiquitin ligase/adaptor complex; featuring a core ubiquitin
ligase enzyme bound to a variety of arrestin family adaptors which
determine which pumps are targeted. Previous studies in S.
cerevisiae have suggested that a positively charged “basic groove” on
the arrestin Art1 interacts with a negatively charged “acidic patch”
binding site on the methionine pump Mup1. Charge inversion
experiments provide key evidence for this model: adding positive
charges to the Mup1 acidic patch completely blocks endocytosis, and
compensating negative charges added to the Art1 basic groove
restore it. The exact position of the charge inversion pairs is highly
specific, suggesting “lock and key” binding. We set out to test
whether this mechanism of binding also occurs in S. pombe for the
pump/adaptor pair Cat1/Any1 (which are structurally similar and
closely related to Mup1/Art1).

40
 EXPLORING SELF-COMPASSION & BODY IMAGE IN
NONBINARY & GENDERQUEER INDIVIDUALS

Author: Reese Wells

Advisor: Catherine J. Massey
Institution: Slippery Rock University

Negative body image is related to disordered eating, depression,

anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other psychological distress. Negative
body image does not discriminate against any gender; however,
gender diversity adds complexity to body image as Western culture
continues to reinforce cisgender and gender-conforming beauty
standards and the man-woman dichotomy adds sociocultural
pressures on nonbinary and genderqueer (NBGQ) individuals to “pick
a gender”. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of
perceived sociocultural pressures and gender identity on body image
and to explore how self-compassion may moderate the effects of
perceived sociocultural pressures to have a thin body. Our sample
included cisgender men, cisgender women, and nonbinary and
genderqueer individuals (NBGQ). Data analysis showed that higher
levels of perceived sociocultural pressures were associated with
higher levels of body shame, higher levels of self-compassion were
associated with lower levels of body shame and body surveillance,
and that nonbinary participants had the lowest levels of
self-compassion when compared to cisgender men and women.

41
 IN VITRO HONEY MEDIATED GOLD NANOPARTICLE
EXPOSURE ATTENUATES LPS-ACTIVATED MACROPHAGE
SECRETION OF IL-6

Author: John Duncan

Advisor: Swarna Basu
Institution: Susquehanna University

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that coordinates host

immune responses to infection. Though essential to the acute phase
response, prolonged IL-6-mediated recruitment of mononuclear cells
has been implicated in chronic inflammatory diseases such as
rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Chron’s disease. Accordingly,
identifying novel therapeutics that diminish circulating IL-6 levels
could benefit individuals suffering from chronic inflammation. Under
normal circumstances, in immunocompetent hosts, bacterial
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) recognition by toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)
prompts macrophage secretion of IL-6. Interestingly, both
citrate-stabilized and ‘green’ synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)
have been shown to modulate the cytokine responses of LPS-induced
macrophages. Here, we demonstrate that AuNPs, synthesized with
commercial and locally sourced honey, downregulate LPS-induced
macrophage secretion of IL-6 in vitro. After 1 hr. of pretreatment
with honey AuNPs, macrophages derived from a THP-1 human
monocytic cell line were stimulated with LPS for 24 hrs. Compared to
LPS-only controls, a concentration dependent inhibition of IL-6 levels
was observed for all three types of honey AuNPs. Further
investigation into the anti-inflammatory properties of honey AuNPs
may yield novel therapeutics for the treatment of chronic
inflammation.

42
 BEDROCK EROSION DUE TO ACID RAIN

Author: Elizabeth Heberlig

Advisor: Dr. Anna Reinsel
Institution: Thiel College

Acid rain is rain with a pH of less than 4.5 that is formed from sulfur
dioxide and nitric oxide, reacting with atmospheric water. Acid rain is
harmful to the environment effecting water, land and life. Its
influence on the bedrock affects both the water and soils qualities
making these resources harder to use. This experiment focuses on
the effects of the sulfuric acid component of acid rain, as compared
to a control water on bedrocks. The bedrocks of focus are granite,
and limestone due to them being common bedrocks in Dauphin
County and of their different harnesses’ based on the Mohs scale.
Long term rain exposure was being simulated thru a dripping
process. The mass of the bedrocks were monitored over time. Water
quality testing was performed on the runoff water including the pH,
Total Dissolved Solids, Alkalinity, and Hardness. The overall goal of
studying is the erosion effects of acid rain on specific bedrocks,
simultaneously how these reactions influence the water quality of
these areas.

43
 EVALUATING OUR TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN: FROM
MACROPHAGE-TARGETED NANOEMULSION DELIVERY TO
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES SEX AND RACE PLAY

Author: Malajah Johnson

Advisor: Jennifer Broderick
Institution: Thiel College

Neuroinflammation is a leading cause of pain of Americans. In the

Pollock lab, chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the rat sciatic nerve is
used to induce neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammatory relief can be
achieved with nanotherapeutics, developed by Dr. Jelena Janjic,
delivering the NSAID, celecoxib, to macrophages. Optimization of
immunohistochemical staining and microscopy was carried out
focusing on CD68+ macrophages and IL-18 with and without
treatment compared to controls. There was a reduction in the
number of macrophages in the injured nerve treated with CXB-NE
when compared to CCI (Funded by NSF-REU Site Award 1757555).
This summer research experience sparked my curiosity for better
understanding the differences in pain research and treatment due to
sex and race. In recent studies, male and female mice have shown to
process pain differently due to estrogen and testosterone levels.
However, when evaluating sex differences in chronic pain, there are
sex-biases when conducting preclinical research on chronic pain.
Despite the sex-bias changes in chronic pain research, there is still
emphasis on male-only studies. The percentage of adults
experiencing chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain also varies
among several racial groups with African Americans being the most
undertreated for chronic pain.

44
 ETHICAL FORMATION AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN
EDUCATION: EXPANDING OUR “HORIZONS OF MEANING”
VIA THE HERMENEUTIC CIRCLE

Author: Emily Benning

Advisor: Seamus Mulryan
Institution: Ursinus College

As our modern world places greater emphasis on the value of

“finding our truths,” or discovering our identity and what matters to
us, the field of education struggles to recognize that ethical
formation is inherent to our identity development. In this paper, I
discuss the social and individual ramifications of neglecting what
Robert Kunzman calls “Ethical Dialogue” in the classroom and,
drawing from Charles Taylor, the consequences of sustaining a
culture via relativistic ideals. I expand this argument by advocating
for the inclusion of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s theory of hermeneutic
experience in educational practice. Gadamer’s “hermeneutic circle”
is a model of understanding that requires a student break from the
chains that bind them to their perception of reality, as illustrated in
Plato’s allegory of the cave, and dialogue is only effective in inciting a
productive change that advances one’s self-understanding when its
interlocutors are critically engaging with the values that constitute
each individual’s identity. While I conclude with a “methodology”
section on how to create more opportunities for this experience in
the classroom, I acknowledge the challenges of institutionalizing this
educational philosophy.

45
 URBAN AGRICULTURE

Author: Sarah Fisher

Advisors: Patrick Hurley, Tristan Ashcroft
Institution: Ursinus College

This research examines urban agriculture, relationships between

Indigenous peoples and community-based agriculture projects, and
the process of decolonizing food systems. Conventional urban
agriculture has many known benefits, including its capacity for food
production; however, the extent to which Indigenous communities
participate in and benefit from urban agriculture is not widely
studied. Ongoing exclusion of Indigenous peoples from critical
environmental policy making, land use decisions, and food system
processes results in a lack of access to resources, Traditional
Ecological Knowledge, and loss of culturally significant food sources.
My research asks: how can colonialist tendencies associated with
urban agriculture be evaluated and restructured to better serve,
represent, and heal Native communities. I analyzed existing literature
and models of Indigenous-led urban agriculture organizations to
develop a framework for the decolonizing process. The findings have
implications for the Ursinus College Food Forest and Campus Farm in
support of the College’s collaborative Welcome Home Project with
the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Ideally, this research will result in a
protocol that seeks to guide urban, community-based agricultural
programs through a process of decolonization to ensure urban
agricultural systems represent diverse practices, serve community
needs, and effectively combat food insecurity and strengthen food
sovereignty for Indigenous communities.

46
 HARRISBURG'S REDLINING STORY:
EXPLORING ITS LEGACY AND IMPACT

Author: Mya A. Garrett

Advisor: Dottie Ives Dewey
Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania

This research investigates long-term impacts of redlining on

neighborhoods in the City of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. Using a mix
of methods including case studies, field observation, gis analysis, and
quantitative comparison of key indicators across red-lined and
green-lined neighborhoods, the analysis compares household
socio-economic outcomes related to neighborhood character. Find-
ings illustrate how one of the most negative impacts of redlining –
the disparity in household wealth creation – was established through
redlining practices and perpetuated through local planning and
zoning. Findings suggest how steps can be taken today to reinvest in
the disadvantaged neighborhoods to help mitigate the worst impacts
of redlining.

47
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE: A REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE PREVALENCE AND POLICY IN PENNSYLVANIA

Author: Dana Pratt

Advisor: Dr. Stevie Grassetti, Ph.D.
Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Environmental racism is defined as “the disproportionate impact of

environmental hazards on people of color.” To develop effective
strategies to address this disparity, we need to understand what is
known and unknown about environmental racism in local
communities. In the proposed project, I will conduct a systematic
literature review in which I will retrieve, read and catalog existing
studies about environmental racism in Pennsylvania. I will summarize
existing work on environmental racism with descriptive statistics and
I will synthesize the findings in a written report. A complete
understanding of existing knowledge about environmental racism in
Pennsylvania will facilitate opportunities for immediate policy action
and fuel future empirical research on this important topic. The SURI
provides an invaluable opportunity for students to gain intensive
mentored research experience. I hope for the chance to pursue my
research interest through my project, Environmental Racism in
Pennsylvania: What we know and do not know.

48
 THE IMPACTS OF BLACK MALE EDUCATORS IN THE
CLASSROOM SETTING ON LEARNERS

Author: Imere Williams

Advisor: Jacqueline Van Schooneveld
Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Black male educators are the biggest minority in education, yet they
yield an extraordinary impact in the field. Through a plethora of
research, experts suggest that the presence of a black male educator
has a positive impact on students, especially students of color.
Education experts, social activists, and students throughout the
United States continue to advocate for the increase and retention of
black male educators. As Black and Brown students across the nation
continue to be victimized by systemic racism and discrimination in
schools, the demand for black male educators heightens. Research
has shown black male educators have a greater impact on Black and
Brown students’ investment in education and are able to build
authentic relationships with students. This exploratory study analyzes
interviews from six black male educators in urban schools to learn
their perspective about why there is a dearth of black male educators
in the field, and suggestions they have to increase the presence of
black male educators.

49
 INVESTIGATING FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CONCURRENT
AND PROSPECTIVE POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH

Authors: Emma Harris, Shannon Hiscock

Advisor: Dr. Grassetti
Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Though trauma creates risk for many negative outcomes, positive

post-traumatic growth (PTG) is also possible after trauma.
Understanding what promotes PTG can target interventions to help
individuals who have experienced trauma. Based on mixed
literature1-5, we hypothesized that depression, stress, and social
support would predict significant PTG concurrently and over time.
Thirty women who were diagnosed with breast cancer completed
online surveys to assess PTG, depression, stress, and social support
three times over the course of a year. A pearson’s bivariate
correlation assessed the relationships between the predictor
variables and PTG. Stress and depression had no significant
concurrent or prospective relationships with PTG. Social support had
significant concurrent relationships with PTG at baseline r = .33, p
= .04, and 6 months r = .42, p = .03, and social support at 6 months
was associated with PTG at 12 months r = .42, p = .03. These results
may suggest that immediate social support is particularly important
to PTG. Future studies should continue to investigate these predictor
variables and others to specify factors that promote PTG to advance
clinical interventions that support trauma survivors.

50
 ARGUMENTATIVE NON-ARGUMENT: THE COMBATIVE
RHETORIC OF MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE

Author: Iris Davis Hall

Advisor: Dr. Randy Richardson
Institution: Westminster College

The emergence of Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene

as a political force is a perplexing phenomenon. Her controversial
comments garner attention and in spite of being removed from
Congressional committees, barred from Twitter and relentlessly
scrutinized by media outlets, she has emerged as a leading voice in
the GOP. The question that emerges is, how is this extreme voice so
extremely effective? Over the course of the year, I analyzed the
persuasive strategies of Greene using Greene’s speeches, interviews,
social media posts, and other public statements served. To focus the
scope of my research further, I examined her rhetoric related to
COVID-19. An analysis of her rhetoric revealed a unique style of
political rhetoric: combative rhetoric. Her rhetoric incites controversy
for the sake of controversy, conflict, and attention rather than
insightful conversation or debate. The effect that Greene motivates
further conflict resulting in an increasingly polarized audience.

51
 MONITORING FAULTY POWER NETWORKS:
LEAKY POWER DOMINATION IN GRAPHS

Author: Asia Morgenstern

Advisor: Dr. Adam Blumenthal
Institution: Westminster College

Graphs are a useful and widely–applicable tool for modeling various

relationships in the world around us, including social networks,
linguistics, and power grids. Phasor measurement units (PMUs)
follow a two–step process to calculate power usage throughout a
power network, which we can model using the concept of power
domination in graphs. While PMUs are a powerful tool, they are
both expensive and have limited visibility. Our goal is to determine
the minimum number of PMUs needed to observe an entire power
network. We introduce a variant on power domination called leaky
power domination, which accounts for failures or errors in the
monitoring process. To this end, we have determined the minimum
number of PMUs required to monitor certain network structures
given some number of potential failures.

52
 BASKING PATTERNS OF A THREATENED TURTLE SPECIES AT
LAKE MARBURG (HANOVER, PA)

Author: Annabelle Hall

Advisor: Jessica Nolan
Institution: York College of PA

There has been an overall decrease in freshwater turtle populations

across the United States due to habitat loss, pollution, invasive
species and road mortality. Red bellied turtles (Pseudemys
rubriventris) are a freshwater turtle species in Pennsylvania that is
currently considered threatened. Optimizing new methods for
monitoring freshwater turtles, such as use of trail cameras, can
improve our ability to manage populations. Our objectives were to
compare trail camera data to traditional capturing methods and
monitor basking patterns of freshwater turtles in Lake Marburg
(Hanover, PA) over the summer months. We used trail cameras
mounted on basking platforms as well as traditional basking traps to
collect our data. Results showed that measuring the size of individual
turtles and estimating abundance of red bellied turtles using trail
cameras was proportional to traditional capturing methods. The data
also showed that red bellied turtles were the primary basking turtle
found on platforms in May and June, but became less dominant later
in the summer. We believe this is likely due to an increase in water
basking. Trail cameras have the potential to be a less invasive way to
monitor aquatic basking turtle populations and could contribute to
more efficient management.

53
 ATTENDING AUTHOR INDEX

Acosta-Morales, Lucas DeSales University 5

Barrett, Katelyn East Stroudsburg University 7
Benning, Emily Ursinus College 45
Bollinger, Billie Jo Commonwealth University - Lock Haven 2
Cappella, Justice Penn State University - Schuylkill 32
David, Jr., Anthony Harrisburg University of Science and 9
Technology
Debski, Maya Penn State University - Eberly College of- 31
Science
Duncan, John Susquehanna University 42
Ellis, Gianna Immaculata University 13
Feinstein, Divia Lycoming College 21
Fetchko, Emma Indiana University of Pennsylvania 14
Fisher, Sarah Ursinus College 46
Fulmer, J. Connor Lycoming College 22
Garrett, Mya A. West Chester University 47
Hall, Iris Davis Westminster College 51
Hall, Annabelle York College of PA 53
Harris, Emma West Chester University 50
Heberlig, Elizabeth Thiel College 43
Hill, Alicia Millersville University of Pennsylvania 24
Horstman, Michael Penn State University - Shenango 34
Hozella, Zakkary Penn State University - Schuylkill 32
Hunt, Brielle Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg 1
Iznurov, Abdulla Penn State University - Behrend 28
Johnson, Malajah Thiel College 44
Kline, Richard Indiana University of Pennsylvania 15
Knowles-Kellett, John Shippensburg University 37
Kraft, Emmanuel Penn State University - College of the Liberal 30
Arts
Kregel, Lyndsey Millersville University of Pennsylvania 24
Kriley, Jenna Slippery Rock University 40
Kuhar, Randi Immaculata University 13
Lapp, Evan DeSales University 6
 ATTENDING AUTHOR INDEX

Leidemann, Jack Shippensburg University 38

Lopez-Soliz, Maurice Harrisburg University of Science and 10
Technology
Malloy, Aidan Moravian University 26
Maschke, Elizabeth Millersville University of Pennsylvania 25
McNamara, Caitlin DeSales University 5
Miller, Madison Shippensburg University 39
Moco, Daniel Commonwealth University - Mansfield 3
Morgenstern, Asia Westminster College 52
Neupane, Yuba Penn State University - Behrend 28
Niblock, Danielle Saint Joseph’s University 36
Nguyen, Dennis Millersville University of Pennsylvania 25
Perrin, Patrick Kutztown University 19
Pinkham, Ava Dare Indiana University of Pennsylvania 16
Poghen, Ashley Penn State University - Shenango 35
Pramnieks, Sean Holy Family University 11
Pratt, Dana West Chester University 48
Quadrino, Harold East Stroudsburg University 7
Rheam, Andrew Shippensburg University 39
Rodriguez, Scarlet Penn State University - Schuylkill 33
Tejada
Schreiber, Sarah Holy Family University 12
Senick, Timothy Harcum College 8
Shaik, Mateen Penn State University - Behrend 28
Shawver, Grace Penn State University - College of Agricultural 29
Sciences
Sheeley, Amy Millersville University of Pennsylvania 24
Sifford, Nicholas Juniata College 18
Skibo, Rebecca Moravian University 27
Sloan, Luke Penn State University - Behrend 28
Smith, Samantha Kutztown University 20
Swanson, Benjamin Indiana University of Pennsylvania 17
Talipan, Trent DeSales University 6
Tineo Gomez, Cristal Shippensburg University 39
 ATTENDING AUTHOR INDEX

Trahey, Kevin DeSales University 6

Tyce, Carl DeSales University 5
Troop, Ian Millersville University of Pennsylvania 25
Wells, Reese Slippery Rock University 41
White, Sydney Messiah University 23
Williams, Imere West Chester University 49
Winkler, Annie Saint Joseph’s University 36
Yoder, Micah Commonwealth University - Mansfield 4
 ORGANIZERS
Kim L. Ward, President Pro Tempore
State Senate, 39th District

Jacqueline S. McLaughlin
Penn State University, Lehigh Valley

Carl Salter
Moravian College

Additional Support
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities