This the 16th year of the Eckerd College Research Symposium, showcasing our talented undergraduate researchers from a wide variety of academic fields.  

If you are attending these presentations for CPS event credit, please arrive at the James Center at 1:40 or 3:20.  You must visit and hear a total of 8 presentations spread across the three areas (lobby, north wing, south wing)

Symposium committee:  Dr. Beth Forys, Professor of Environmental Science and Biology, Chair; Dr. Tim Bransford, Assistant Professor of Animal Studies; Dr. Louise Daoust, Assistant Professor of Philosophy; Dr. Scott Dobrin, Assistant Professor of Biology; Dr. Kelly Debure, Professor of Computer Science; Dr. Erin Griesenauer, Assistant Professor of Mathematics; Dr. Lindsey Fox, Assistant Professor of Mathematics; Dr. Stephanie Mallinas, Assistant Professor of Psychology; Dr. Amy Siuda, Associate Professor of Marine Science; Dr. Laura Wetzel, Professor of Marine Science, Past Chair; Dr. Kat Robinson, Assistant Dean of Faculty; Jacqueline MacNeil, Executive Director, Institutional Effectiveness;  Anna Ruth, Director of Grant Development;  Madison Gumprecht, Employer Relations & Internship Coordinator.  

Marine Geology & Chemistry

1

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Haley McCartney, Sophie Strock, Tally Nesvold, Shannon Gowans, Amy NS Siuda

COMPARING METHODOLOGIES TO QUANTIFY MICROPLASTICS IN SEDIMENT

2

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Kelly Patrick, Rose Queally, Mayra Rosado, Noya Hudkins, Shannon Gowans, Amy NS Siuda

QUANTIFYING MICROPLASTICS PRESENT IN TAMPA BAY, FL

3

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Anthony Gross, Greg Felton

AN ANALYSIS OF MANGANESE TRICARBONYL COMPOUNDS AS PHOTOCORMS

4

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Bailey Inga, Patrick Schwing, Rebekka Larson, Gregg Brooks, Bryan O'Malley, Sophia Chernoch, Tristan Lam

ESTABLISHING BENTHIC RADIOCHEMICAL BASELINES IN THE CLARION CLIPPERTON FRACTURE ZONE (CCZ)

5

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Adam Elkin, Bryan O'Malley, Patrick Schwing

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF EPILITHIC FORAMINIFERA FROM THE NORI-D POLYMETALLIC NODULE LEASE AREA IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CLARION-CLIPPERTON ZONE

6

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Avi Kapuler, Jodi Murray, Sam Randall, Rebekka Larson, Gregg Brooks, Daniel Rivera

SCAVENGING AND TRACKING OF RADIOISOTOPE PARTICLES IN ENVIRONMENTS (S.T.R.I.P.E): A PILOT STUDY

7

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Cassandra Guzman, Ali Henes, Rebekka Larson, Patrick Schwing, Gregg Brooks

POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE 2021 TAMPA BAY PINEY POINT WASTEWATER EMERGENCY DISCHARGE

8

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Alexis Vargas, Avi Kapuler, Gabe Mopps, Rebekka Larson

CHANGES IN SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION ASSOCIATED WITH 1960’S ANTHROPOGENIC DEVELOPMENT IN BOCA CIEGA BAY, TAMPA BAY FL

9

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Bella Iannotta, Tristan Lam, Rachel Flickinger, Sarah Campbell, Bryan O'Malley, Patrick Schwing

CHARACTERIZING SEDIMENTARY PHYTOPIGMENT VALUES DIRECTLY BEFORE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN NORI, CLARION CLIPPERTON ZONE

10

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Jenna Schell, Patrick Schwing, Rebekka Larson, Gregg Brooks

STABLE CARBON ISOTOPE ANALYSIS FROM BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO

11

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Alexsandra Henes, Kattey Pass, Avi Kapuler, Dr. Rebekka Larson, Dr. Gregg Brooks

ASSESSING PAST AND PRESENT LEAD AND THORIUM INVENTORIES AND MAR'S FOLLOWING THE DEEPWATER HORIZON BLOWOUT

12

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Emily Waterhouse, Kasey Laguna

USING XRD TO DETERMINE SILICATE SOURCES OF SEDIMENTS FOLLOWING THE DWH SPILL

13

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Vince Shonka, Ali Henes, Gregg Brooks, Rebekka Larson

HUDSON GROTTO: A 175 YEAR RECORD OF COASTAL WEST FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION

14

1:40-3:10

Lobby

Katharine Murray, Avi Kapuler, Dr. Rebekka Larson,

EVALUATING SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION FROM BOATING ACTIVITY IN BOCA CIEGA BAY

15

3:20-4:50

Lobby

Liam Fry, Samuel Palmer, Avi Kapuler, Alexis Vargas, Aubrey Wilson, Gabe Mopps, Jacob Zurawski, Allison Burleigh, Rebekka Larson

SEDIMENTARY IMPACT OF HURRICANE IAN IN BOCA CIEGA BAY, TAMPA FL

Marine Biology

16

3:20-4:50

South wing

Adam Wiatrowski, Heather Truong, Abigail Hunt, Reuben Margulies, Dr. Shannon Gowans, Dr. Amy NS Siuda

USING FLOWCAM TO CREATE A MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY LIBRARY FOR TAMPA BAY, FL

17

1:40-3:10

South wing

Rebecca Meberg, Dr. George Xue, Dr. Daniel Holstein, Dr. Phillip Gravinese

THE EFFECTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ON THE VERTICAL SWIMMING BEHAVIOR OF THE FLORIDA STONE CRAB

18

3:20-4:50

South wing

Thea Rind, Ruby Schwartz, Dr. Chelsea Korpanty

TEMPORAL DIVERSITY DYNAMICS OF BENTHIC INVERTEBRATES IN A QUATERNARY COLD-WATER CORAL MOUND: ALBORAN SEA (MEDITERRANEAN SEA)

19

1:40-3:10

South wing

Hudson Filas, Kerim Aydin

EXPLAINING SHIFTS IN BODY CONDITIONS IN ALEUTIAN ISLAND FISHES

20

3:20-4:50

South wing

Juno Skinner, Dr. Ray Ball

SURVEY OF NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE SPECIES IN THE SOUTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BAY

21

1:40-3:10

South wing

Isabel Moyer, Adrienne Copeland, Katharine Egan, Allen Collins

INVESTIGATING WATER COLUMN FAUNA IN THE MARIANAS

22

3:20-4:50

South wing

Ava M. McLeod, Demian D. Chapman, Jack J. Morris

USING MAGNETIC FIELDS TO ELIMINATE STINGRAY STINGS

23

1:40-3:10

South wing

Jerome Uy, David Gauthier, Christopher E. Bird, Robert S. Guino-o, Persie M. Sienes, Nadia Palomar-Abesamis

DEFINING THE PORTUNUS PELAGICUS SPECIES COMPLEX USING MORPHOMETRIC AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS

24

3:20-4:50

South wing

Sam Velasco, Katie Eaton, Moises Bernal, and Mark Liles

DESCRIBING THE MICROBIOME OF AN ECOLOGICALLY RELEVANT SPECIES, LAGODON RHOMBOIDES

25

1:40-3:10

South wing

Evan Baran, Patrick Schwing, Gregg Brooks, Rebekka Larson

CONTINUING TRENDS OF BENTHIC COMMUNITY CHARACTERIZATION IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO

Disease

26

3:20-4:50

South wing

Susan Krage, Lindsey Fox

OPTIMAL HARVESTING IN AN EPIDEMIC MODEL OF KOI HERPESVIRUS (KHV)

27

3:20-4:50

South wing

Alyssa Bernstein, Emily Kirchner, Dadi Gao, Ricardo Harripaul, Anila Chekuri, Elisabetta Morini, Susan Slaugenhaupt

TESTING THE IN VIVO EFFICACY OF PTC680, A PROMISING TREATMENT FOR FAMILIAL DYSAUTONOMIA

28

1:40-3:10

South wing

Payton Bivens, Kelsey Weeden, Lindsey Fox

MATHEMATICALLY MODELING THE TRANSMISSION OF HERPES VIRUS IN KOI FISH

29

3:20-4:50

South wing

Lisa Benecchi, Jake Romley-Murias, Tiani Bello, Iris Farnum, Kayla Rendon-Torres, Lili Kosa, Wayne Guida, Ray Ball, Denise Flaherty

SCREENING COMPOUNDS FOR IMPACTS ON INNATE IMMUNITY AND INFLAMMATORY SIGNALING IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE IN C. ELEGANS

30

1:40-3:10

South wing

Mariana Olivares-Cely, Karin Ebey, Dr. Lindsey Fox

OPTIMAL CONTROL THEORY TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF RESISTANCE TO DISINFECTANTS

31

3:20-4:50

South wing

Aarushi Gandhi, Dr. Vijai Krishnan, Dr. Patricia Musolino

ROLE OF TGF-Β1 PATHWAY IN BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER PERMEABILITY IN CEREBRAL ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY (CALD)

32

3:20-4:50

South wing

Aiden Houck, Brooke Foster, Ray Ball, Lisa Bonner

PROGRESS TOWARD A BLOOD COAGULATION STUDY OF THE FLORIDA MANATEE TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS

33

1:40-3:10

South wing

Traci Martin, Dominique Beeck, Julia Beiler

ANALYSIS OF HEMATOLOGY AND SERUM CHEMISTRY IN REHABILITATED BLACK BEAR CUBS PRIOR TO RELEASE

34

3:20-4:50

South wing

Marisa R. Campbell, Ray L. Ball, Gretchen N. Lovewell, Jessica L. Blackburn 

COMORBIDITIES OF FIBROPAPILLOMATOSIS IN STRANDED GREEN SEA TURTLES (CHELONIA MYDAS) ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA

35

3:20-4:50

South wing

Annabelle Elsner, David Degidio, Stephanie Bouley, Francisco Fernandez, James Walker

DEVELOPING A PLATFORM TO STUDY THE PATHOGENIC MECHANISMS OF NF1 MISSENSE MUTATIONS

Genetics and Molecular Biology

36

1:40-3:10

North wing

Briana Hashim, Stephanie Schmiege, Berkley Walker, Tom Sharkey

RESPIRATION IN THE LIGHT AND ITS POSSIBLE DEPENDENCE ON REFIXATION

37

3:20-4:50

North wing

Aiden Houck, Alan Jesus Mejia Maza, Vanessa Wheeler

INSTABILITY OF THE X-LINKED DYSTONIA-PARKINSONISM HEXANUCLEOTIDE REPEAT IN MALES AND FEMALES

38

1:40-3:10

North wing

Anthony Gross, Logan Hille, Ben Kleinstiver

ENGINEERING CRISPR BASE EDITING TECHNOLOGIES WITH IMPROVED PRECISION

39

1:40-3:10

North wing

Esaria Oliver, Logan Dudney, Arik Suez, Dr. Lisa Bonner

TOWARD THE ENANTIOMERIC RESOLUTION OF AN EXTREMELY POTENT AND SELECTIVE D1 DOPAMINE RECEPTOR AGONIST

40

1:40-3:10

North wing

Madyson Woodburn, Dr. Uma Chandrachud, Dr. Susan Cotman

DEVELOPMENT OF A DRUG SENSITIVITY ASSAY IN MURINE CELL MODEL FOR CLN3 DISEASE

41

3:20-4:50

North wing

Madyson Woodburn, Dr. Whitney Bullock

EXPLORING THE PATHOGENIC EFFECTS THAT GHRELIN HAS ON MUSCLE-TO-FAT DIFFERENTIATION

42

1:40-3:10

North wing

Lisa Benecchi, Dr. Srirupa Bhattacharyya, Roberta Beauchamp, Dr. Vijaya Ramesh, Ph.D

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF APELIN SIGNALING IN NF2-DEFICIENT MENINGIOMA AND SCHWANNOMA CELLULAR MODELS

43

3:20-4:50

North wing

Iris Farnum, Zach McLean, James Gusella

THE EFFECT OF GENETIC VARIATION ON BRANAPLAM SPLICE-MODULATION

Humans

44

1:40-3:10

North wing

YuHan Burgess, Kelly Debure

EFFECTS OF NOTIFICATION ON USER ENGAGEMENT

45

1:40-3:10

North wing

Luke Hudson

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN PALESTINE

46

3:20-4:50

North wing

Christyna Reagan

CAN SOUTHERN CULTURE SAVE DEMOCRACY? HOW SMALL TOWNS IN THE DEEP SOUTH CREATE A UNIQUE SET OF SOCIAL NORMS THAT CAN BE MOBILIZED TO UPHOLD A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY.

47

1:40-3:10

North wing

Anna Wetzel, Dr. Kelly Debure

EVALUATING USABILITY FOR DOLPHIN PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION SOFTWARE

48

1:40-3:10

North wing

Rachael Flynn

A CHARACTER OF ITS OWN: PRODUCTION DESIGN AND IDENTITY

49

1:40-3:10

North wing

Elianna Tenace

THE WORLD MUST BE MEASURED BY EYE -- DREAMS AND MADNESS IN THE PHILOSOPHIES OF MARY SHEPHERD

50

1:40-3:10

North wing

Macey Woodlock, Dr. Michael Burch

DECLARING GENOCIDE: FRAMING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

51

1:40-3:10

North wing

Nicole Schaal, Chloe McKenna, Makayla Doran, Skyler Paoli, Elizabeth Oliver, Shannon Gowans, Amy Siuda

REMORA: INDIVIDUALIZING CHANGE THROUGH MOBILE APPLICATION ENGAGEMENT

52

1:40-3:10

North wing

Nancy Strever, Dr. Lauren Highfill, Dr. Sara Hofmann

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF ANIMAL SHELTER VOLUNTEERING AND DOG TRAINING PROGRAMS ON COLLEGE STUDENTS

53

1:40-3:10

North wing

Olivia Hager

BUILDING A GOD: A QUALITATIVE STUDY REGARDING SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF FIRST YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS

54

3:20-4:50

North wing

Eli L. Cummins Mikkalson, Katherine Foree, Dr. Sarah Hofmann

THE EFFECT OF INCOME ON ANXIETY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

55

1:40-3:10

North wing

Brynn Choplin

THE WORLD BETWEEN US: HOW HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN CAN BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND MAN-MADE STRUCTURES

Ecology and Basic Biology

56

1:40-3:10

North wing

Madelyne E. Vashaw, Leo N. Dutkewych, Sarrah E. Bristol, Timothy D. Bransford, Elizabeth A. Forys

COMPARATIVE BIRD AND MAMMAL SPECIES ACCUMULATION CURVES AT FORT DE SOTO PARK, FLORIDA

57

3:20-4:50

North wing

Diona R. Hardge, Professor Elizabeth A. Forys

USING CAMERA TRAPS TO RECORD SEABIRD DISTURBANCES AT NIGHT

58

3:20-4:50

North wing

Olivia Stortz, Jeannine Lessmann, Zoe London, Clara Oxford

DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS ON CREATED MANGROVE FORESTS IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA

59

1:40-3:10

North wing

Emma Stoner, Dr. Scott E. Dobrin

THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT ON CAGED LABORATORY A. MELLIFERA MORTALITY RATES

60

1:40-3:10

North wing

Hallie Cowan

OBSERVATION TRENDS PALEOSUCHUS TRIGONATUS

61

1:40-3:10

North wing

Karin Ebey

USING MUSEUM SPECIMENS TO INVESTIGATE MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION IN INVASIVE ANOLIS SAGREI

62

3:20-4:50

North wing

Gabriel Weikert

UTILIZING MUSEUM SPECIMENS TO ASSESS MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION ACROSS THE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED RANGE OF NECTURUS MACULOSUS.

63

1:40-3:10

North wing

Katya Tjahaja, Emma Stoner, Dr. Scott E. Dobrin

CHRONIC, SUB-LETHAL IMIDACLOPRID EXPOSURE ALTERS LEARNING ACQUISITION AND BRAIN STRUCTURE IN A HONEY BEE MODEL

64 (poster withdrawn)

65

1:40-3:10

North wing

Helena Lewis, Maya McElfish, Rita Mehta

ASSESSING BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES TO ECOLOGICALLY RELEVANT PREY CHEMICAL STIMULI

66

3:20-4:50

North wing

Cara Rankin, Dr. Peter Simard, Dr. Shannon Gowans

IDENTIFYING AND CHARACTERIZING SIGNATURE WHISTLES OF FREE-RANGING BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN TAMPA BAY

67

3:20-4:50

North wing

Signe E. Renstrom, Spencer A. Harris, Laura E. Josler, Ethan T. Chaipatanapong, Elizabeth A. Forys, Timothy D. Bransford

SPECIES ACTIVITY OVERLAP AT FORT DE SOTO PARK, PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA