11 am presentations

by Sophie Jae Mead and Lubna Nafees

Political marketing plays a pivotal role in shaping the dynamics of local elections, and this study focuses on its application in Watauga County, North Carolina. As a county known for its diverse demographics and active political engagement, understanding the strategies and their impact on local politics becomes imperative. This presentation endeavors to shed light on the multifaceted dimensions of political marketing and how it relates to social media marketing in the region and beyond. This study examines the historical context and political landscape of Watauga County, setting the stage for a detailed exploration of political marketing techniques employed by candidates and organizations. 

by Rick Rheingans, Morgan Gill, Rylee Strassner and Julia Showalter

The Sustainable Development and Biology Departments have developed a set of integrated research, teaching, and partnership building activities around tropical forest ecology, restoration, and sustainable development in Costa Rica. The effort started with an interdisciplinary research and grant writing effort on the long-term ecological effects and economic value of forest restoration on degraded sites in the Atlantic lowlands of the country. This was expanded to include the development of partnerships with Costa Rican and international conservation organizations, and later a faculty-led study abroad that actively engaged students in the growing research and partnership work. In addition to exploring pressing global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, students lived in communities, worked with Costa Rican partners, carried out field work, and learned to work across disciplinary lines. In this presentation, we hope to highlight the synergies between research, partnerships, and education activities. 

by Trent Margrif

This presentation will discuss themes that arise from the First Year Seminar course entitled “Mad Science,” which seeks to change long held beliefs that students may hold by examining the text "The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells, which primarily focuses on themes of terrorism, madness, and answering the question of whether science can go too far. The students will consider which groups are considered "invisible" in various countries, often minorities regarding race, culture, religion, or other categories; and will consider what building  harmony and ending "invisibility" may look like. 

by Matthew Mair

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our world today and can only be addressed through global collaboration. In November of 2022, I attended COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt as part of an App State faculty led program. This presentation will highlight the history of international climate negotiations and the context needed to understand our current situation. I will provide an overview of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Conference of the Parties (COP) and share knowledge about challenges and opportunities  gained through the experience at COP27. 

by Beverly Moser

This session aims to encourage more Appalachian faculty and sponsors of student clubs to learn more about Appalachian’s New York Loft as a way of infusing global content and enhancing the student experience. The presenter first introduces participants to the Loft via video tour. She then points participants to valuable resources trip organizers can use to plan an international dimension to their course or student club. Next, the presenter shares models for study trips, along with a simple checklist for getting students ready for travel. She also shares some strategies on how to enjoy New York like a New Yorker. Finally, the session closes with a few testimonials from students who have traveled to the Loft. 

by Robert Onjiko

The presentation will present the findings of a research project that was supported by an Office of Student Research grant, Appalachian State University and various other scholarships. This malaria research addresses the epigenetic modifications on the immune system by malnutrition during pregnancy in malaria endemic regions such as the Sub-Saharan African region. Past research has shown that there is an interesting relationship between malaria and malnutrition whereby the malnourished infants develop less severe malaria than their well-nourished counterparts, yet it is known that malnutrition lowers the immune response. There is a lack of data on this “paradoxical relationship” since most researchers use adult mice models, which according to a previous finding in our lab differs significantly to young rodent models. This study thus provides more insight on a promising young rodent model. 

by Johnna Reisner and James Auwn

Join us to learn more about Nationally Competitive Scholarships and how they can help fund undergraduate research. Appalachian State student James Auwn will share his own story about his research in neuroscience at Queen's University and McGill University and how nationally competitive scholarships helped him get there.