Posters/Exhibitions

It is categorically impossible for a photograph to truly and accurately depict the world. It is the job of the photographer to interpret the world through the photograph, whether that be from an artistic or scientific perspective. Both art and physics are ways of observing and interpreting the world, and the two disciplines come together through photography. My goal with this project was to balance the relationship between scientific and artistic photography, creating images of what our sky would look like if the solar system was arranged in different ways. I have used the relative sizes and distances of objects in our solar system to determine what the sky would look like if the Moon were significantly closer to the Earth, or if the Earth orbited as a moon of Saturn or Jupiter. I have used the Guilford College observatory to take images of Saturn, Jupiter, and the Moon, combining them with other photographs to create the final products. I shot the images of the gas giants using only a telescope, and iPhone, and post-processing software, but captured the Moon on an old film camera, producing the final result using entirely analog methods. These “alternative skyscapes” serve as a bridge between the scientific and the artistic, combining the orbital calculations and computer programming familiar to physicists with the principles and methods of artistic photography to create a result that is somewhere between the two.

I will be studying the different prey handling times and behaviors of birds of prey. I will compare across species and sex, as I predict that mass will be the biggest factor in prey handling time, the larger the bird the less time they will spend with their food. I will have a poster presentation as well as live birds as real world examples.

Coal ash, the product of burning coal, is stored in large ponds and mounds because the toxic chemicals they contain, such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals, are harmful to human health. In the past, coal ash spills have introduced large quantities of toxic waste into the environment, however, this study will look into the potential leaching from stored coal ash.

Our three sample sites are on private property just over a half mile west of the coal ash ponds and mounds. This is significant, as Duke Energy is required by North Carolina legislature to provide bottled water to anyone living within a half mile of a coal ash plant. Moreover, some citizens living near coal ash ponds, that have their own wells, are now being given this bottled water because their wells were found to have potentially harmful chemicals. Our soil and water samples will be run through an extraction technique using benzene, ethanol, hexane, and toluene as solvents and then analyzed using GC/MS. This context is important, as Forsyth county (where the power plant is located) and neighboring Guilford county have very high breast and prostate cancer rates. Future studies could look at the connection between the compounds found in the samples and those compounds carcinogenic effects, as well as their effects on humans.

In recent years, studies have been conducted regarding the possible link between playing American football and later-life cognitive injury to the brain. These studies suggest that “Repetitive Head Impacts” and “Sports-Related Concussions” can lead to traumatic brain injury and these injuries may lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a “progressive neurodegeneration associated with repetitive head impacts.” CTE causes behavior and mood problems in younger players and cognitive impairment in older players. CTE can only be confirmed postmortem.

In light of the research and the recent media attention surrounding the subjects of concussions and CTE, I designed a study to explore the extent to which parents are concerned about the lasting impact of brain injuries on football players, and how this is compared to their concerns about their children playing soccer and skateboarding. In this presentation, I will discuss my research design, which looked at the three sports, the gender of the child, and the gender of the parent, and the age of the child, my results, and some implications.

Romance and whiteness are two subjects that are both pervasive and normalized in mass media, particularly in the United States. At the same time, the narrative of being in a “post-racial” era is also thoroughly embedded in U.S. culture. This study examined the intersection of romance, race, and television to look at the production of racial power dynamics in media. The specific research question examined was: how do romantic couples in television shows that are regarded as progressive reproduce hegemonic whiteness? This study was situated in three theoretical frameworks (Critical Discourse Analysis, Critical Race Theory, and Script Theory) to look at how power plays out in the media we consume. A content analysis of the television series Glee (2009-2015) was conducted to examine the interplay between color-blind racist framing (Bonilla-Silva 2003) and the Heterosexual Script (Kim et al. 2007). 177 instances of color-blind racism and 483 instances of the Heterosexual Script were found in the sample. Romantic pairings that included nonwhite characters often included racialized conversations while white/white romantic pairings rarely discussed race. These findings imply that while the race of nonwhite characters is often highlighted in romantic interactions, whiteness is normalized and invisible. This study helps to unveil the covert racism presented in “progressive” media, and contributes to the pre-existing dialogue surrounding hegemonic white supremacy in the United States.

Darby Kozan

Silencing ribB in Klebsiella pneumoniae using the CRISPR/Cas9 System: Exploring a Potential Antimicrobial Target

Antibiotic resistant bacteria increase the prevalence of hospital acquired bacterial infections. Nosocomial infections resulting from antibiotic resistant bacteria compromise patient health and recovery, and prolong hospital stays. Klebsiella pneumoniae is multi-drug resistant and commonly found in the clinical setting that causes a range of respiratory and urinary tract infections in immunocompromised patients. A potential target for the design of new antimicrobials are gene-controlling riboswitches, such as the FMN riboswitch located upstream of the gene ribB. FMN is a hydrogen carrier in the electron transport chain and is produced from riboflavin. RibB, 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanon-4-phosphate synthase, catalyzes the synthesis of riboflavin in the convergence of the purine and pentose-phosphate biosynthetic pathways. This study is investigating the survival of ribB silenced K. pneumoniae on exogenous riboflavin both in vitro and in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans. The translational start site and ribosome-binding sequence for ribB was identified in K. pneumoniae, and a guide RNA for the CRISPR/Cas9 system targeting RibB was designed with the intent to interfere with the production of the enzyme. The CRISPR plasmid containing the ribB guide sequence, and the Cas9 plasmid were transformed into K. pneumoniae. The ability or inability of K. pneumoniae to uptake riboflavin exogenously will signal the efficacy of the FMN riboswitch as a potential, new antimicrobial target.

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of sport commitment and potential variations in an athlete’s seasonal phases. Although much research exists on sport commitment measured in a static condition among athletes in a variety of categorical variables, there is little research that shows commitment as a dynamic construct (Scanlan, 1993; Scanlan & Carpenter, 1998). The nature of sport commitment is divided into a functional and obligatory component: enthusiastic and constrained commitment (Scanlan, et. al., 2015). To determine the degree of which an individual is commitment is enthusiastic or constrained Scanlan and colleagues have attributed different types of influential constructs to each component. Enthusiastic Commitment is influenced by the following constructs: Sport Enjoyment, Valuable Opportunities, Personal Investments, Social Support, Desire to Excel and Social Constraints (Scanlan, et. al., 2015). The sole construct that influenced constrained commitment is Other Priorities. Division III male and female athletes from a variety of sports volunteered to complete a survey regarding sport commitment. Athletes were sampled in a cross-sectional design to explore sport commitment at varying seasonal phases: 1) pre-season, 2) in-season, 3) post-season. A one-way ANOVA was used to examine within and between group differences for overall and individual constructs of sport commitment by seasonal phase.

Sarah Ann Overstreet

Modifying the Harmonic Kicker Radio Frequency Cavity for the Jefferson Lab Electron-Ion Collider

Astrophotography is something that many people don't know much about by name, but everybody is always interested in. I am making an astrophotography book of deep sky objects, complete with both pictures and information. Deep sky objects are noticeable objects in space, such as gas clouds and galaxies, that are not in our solar system. Using different techniques, I am able to recognize and see areas in these deep sky objects where there is star forming activity. This is neat, because we can look at how we were created. Then, we can compare the creation of us to what is happening in other star forming places. We can explore the possibility that, among other things, life was created out of this massive amount of elemental creation. Aliens and otherworldly life are strongly talked about in astronomy, because out of the whole universe, Earth cannot be the only thing that is allowing life form to survive.

Grace Sanabria, Jemima Adisa, Jed Edwards

The Life of an Immigrant

Gloria Singleton-Kahn

Ineffective Protection

Ineffective Protection is a room built to represent the difficulty of finding space to process harm done within institutional buildings. I used blues, greens, and yellows to support the soothing of pains and energizing of hopes. The space is meant to allow people who enter it to think about how they can nourish and grow themselves together within larger institutions. The walls are made of fabric to challenge the idea of what a secure space is, and how privacy can become the definition of security, even though full isolation blocks growth. Fabric holds intimacy because of how we wear and sleep with it. It can be defensive against feelings of insecurity by grounding the body. This soft and breathable room made of a semi-protective fabric walls, is a space in which people can experience a small increase in security to allow vulnerability to be shown.

While researching contemporary installation artists, I saw Yin Xiuzhen’s installations of giant organs made of metal frames, covered with sewn together pieces of clothing. Her work welcomes introspection and validates the insights of her audience, because they are advancing her work by bringing their lived experiences into the space she created. The idea of explicitly depending on the audience’s participation, and creating for the audience has shaped my process in this project, and challenged me to be more aware of working for my audience throughout the process in all of my work.

Elena Sippel, McKayla Clark, Evelyn Amick

Shared Shelf/JSTOR Forum: Guilford College's Platform for Sharing Collections and Archives with the Public

In the initial grant proposal for Council of Independent Colleges Consortium on Digital Resources for Teaching and Research, we recognize that many of Guilford’s collections have been left unseen and are even in danger of being forgotten. This project is an effort to pull together our histories and treasures that are hidden throughout Guilford’s campus. This project exemplifies ways Guilford is using JSTOR Forum in multiple programs and departments to utilize already existing campus resources for teaching, learning, and showcasing student scholarship, as well as increase the discoverability and public awareness of Guilford’s unique collections. As passionate students working with the Art Gallery and Theater Department, we are bringing this mission to fruition.

Thomas Soiles

Surface Water Quality Research in Rwanda

Landfills are necessary parts of urban and rural sanitation systems. Water that infiltrates landfills may, however, leach out toxic elements that could contaminate nearby ground and surface water. Unlined landfills allow for water, which has passed through the landfill, to more easily penetrate the ground water and get into surface water. In late July 2017, during Rwanda's dry season, we took water samples from six sites along the Gatunga stream, its tributaries, and the Nyabugogo River, all of which are located downstream of an unlined landfill near Kigali, Rwanda.

The samples were analyzed for elemental concentrations using ICP-MS and preliminary results indicate that concentrations of lead, arsenic, cadmium, barium, and other elements sometimes associated with landfills were all below the US EPA primary drinking water standards and aquatic life surface water guidelines. The water was moderately hard and exhibited pH levels that ranged from pH 5-6. The hypothesis has shown that elemental concentrations will increase because the samples were taken during the dry season when little to no rainfall infiltrated the landfill. Additional research is needed to test for organic compounds and to assess and compare results from the rainy season with these results from the dry season.

Dana L Waskiewicz

The Effects of Green Tea on Acid-Producing Bacteria of the Buccal Flora

Research indicates that there are many health benefits to regular consumption of green tea. The health benefit of an improved oral health is especially important because oral health is essential to general health and well-being at every stage of life. Green tea has antimicrobial properties and that could lead to improved dental health by lowering the risk of infection. This study tested whether the consumption of green tea would alter the buccal flora, specifically decreasing the presence of acid-producing bacteria that correlate with the formation of dental caries. In this research, one group consumed green tea three times a day for a week and another group abstained from any tea product. Each saliva sample was mixed with liquid Snyder Test Agar (STA) and was also cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) and the colonies were examined for color change, by 16S rDNA analysis and tested for sensitivity in a Kirby Bauer disk diffusion. Through this analysis, the culturable genera that reside in the buccal cavity of each person was determined. Results showed that the experimental group had a significant reduction in Lactobacillus and Streptococcus spp. and a small reduction in the number of Staphylococcus spp. The results support that green tea, when consumed regularly, affects the microbial community by reducing the population of only certain species. This reduction could lower the rate of infection and gum disease and thereby influence overall patient health.