Presenters

Presenter Name: Claudia Iron Hawk

Major: Native American and Indigenous Studies & Anthropology, 2022

Project Advisor: Cristina Ortiz

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Native American Student Experience at UMM

Abstract:

“Native American Student Experience at UMN Morris” sought to get an understanding of Native American student experience at the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM), a university that offers a tuition waiver to Native American-affiliated students. Self-identifying Native American students were interviewed one-on-one with questions pertaining to their experience as a student at Morris, a tuition-waiver offering institution of higher education, and how that impacted the student’s personal and educational life. There has been little research done on how tuition-waivers specifically impact Native students’ college careers, so this study aimed to rectify that void. The study found that many Native student’s at UMM struggle with the same problems shared by Native American college students nationally and at non-tuition waiver offering colleges, but also faced struggles specifically caused and perpetuated by the UMM’s tuition waiver.

Presentation Location: Humanities 5

Presentation Time: 1:00pm

Presenter Name: Jordyn Meyer

Major: 2022

Project Advisor: Jennifer Rothchild UMN Morris

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Understanding Foster Youth Experiences through Intersectional and Social Ecological theories

Abstract:

Today’s current American Foster Care System is known for many negative outcomes for the children and family that come under the protection of the Child Welfare System. While the child welfare system looks to support the most vulnerable children by helping families or finding foster homes and potential future adoptive parents, there are still hundreds of children that are unable to call a place home. For older adolescents (16-21) in care, the option of adoption or finding a familial home is unlikely to happen, and this factor, along with multiple other factors can lead to a more difficult and unpromising future. By using the theories of intersectionality and ecological systems theory, greater understanding can be learned about the concerns and risks of foster children. This understanding can lead to policy changes and other interventions so foster youth can navigate the already complex road to adulthood and foster system.

Presentation Location: Humanities 5

Presentation Time: 1:20pm

Presenter Name: Alexandra Zuk

Major: Psychology & Native American and Indigenous Studies, Fall 2021

Project Advisor: Dr. Heather J. Peters

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Native UMN Students': Historical Losses, Connectedness, Ethnic Identity, & Wicozani

Abstract:

The goal of the study was to examine Native University of Minnesota students’ perceptions of historical losses, connectedness, ethnic identity, and Wicozani (i.e., overall health and well-being). Participants completed the Historical Losses Growth Scale and the Associated Symptoms Scale, Awareness of Connectedness Scale, Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure -Revised, and the Wicozani Instrument. Participants from each campus indicated that Wicozani is important to their quality of life, although those who attend the University of Minnesota Morris rated their mental, physical, and spiritual health as lower than Native students at other University of Minnesota campuses. Participants from the University of Minnesota Morris also reported significantly higher emotional responses (i.e., anger, avoidance, anxiety, and depression) to perceived historical losses than Native students who attend other University of Minnesota campuses. Although participants from the University of Minnesota Morris campus reported higher emotional responses, they reported thinking about the historical losses as often as students from other campuses. Participants from all campuses reported similar levels of: connectedness to themselves as individuals, their families, their communities, and the natural environment around them; exploration of their ethnic identity (e.g., asking questions and seeking cultural knowledge); and commitment to their ethnic identity (e.g., feeling a strong sense of belonging, membership, and attachment to their ethnic group).

Presentation Location: Humanities 5

Presentation Time: 1:40 pm

Presenter Name: Ari Ferguson

Major: Psychology, 2022

Project Advisor: Travis Tubré, Psychology Professor at University Wisconsin- River Falls

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Examining Performance Rating Stigmas Associated with Awareness of Mental Health Diagnoses: Comparing Novice and Experienced Raters

Abstract:

We analyzed if disclosing a diagnosis for a mental disorder affects a person’s performance rating in a work environment. We presented the participants with vignettes of interview candidates and current employees presenting with either more positive or more problematic performance-related behaviors. Our study is in progress, but we’ve collected enough quantitative data to have an outcome for the study.

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Presenter Name: Nora Fritz

Major: Biochemistry, Spring 2022

Project Advisor: Prof. Bryan Nell, University of Minnesota Morris

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: UROP

Title: Synthesis of Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts Containing Unsymmetrical Bisphosphines

Abstract:

Asymmetric catalysis, where a catalyst is used to form a single enantiomer of product, has become a popular synthetic technique. An enantiomer is a molecule with a mirror image not superimposable on the original. The chirality, or handedness, of compounds lead to unique chemical properties. Commonly, a complex’s ability to create a product of a certain enantiomer relies on a chiral group being attached. However, having the chirality of the complex depend on the ligands being unsymmetrical is an underexplored area. Such a complex would be considered “chiral-at-metal”. This would allow for the usage of achiral phosphines, which are cheaper and easier to synthesize than chiral phosphines. We will synthesize chiral-at-metal complexes and their catalytic success will be explored through the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone. Ruthenium complexes have demonstrated product yields of 100% in one study, showing the favorability of using ruthenium, and eventually more affordable metals in asymmetric catalysis.

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Presenter Name: Joslyn Kent

Major: Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Geology minor, Fall 2021

Project Advisor: Tracey Anderson

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: MAP

Title: The establishment and spread of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorphya) in the Pomme de Terre River system

Abstract:

In 2017 zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), a widespread invasive species, were discovered in the Pomme de Terre River north of Morris, MN. Adult zebra mussels are abundant in Perkins Lake, and have started to spread down the Pomme de Terre River system. The spread of zebra mussels in this system has not previously been investigated. In this study, different substrates in which adult zebra mussels were attached were collected both in Perkins Lake and in various locations downstream. The abundance of zebra mussels per square meter in each location was analyzed, to track their spread downstream. In addition, the zebra mussels from each sampling location were measured to analyze different size and age cohorts. The data suggests adult zebra mussels are spreading downstream in the Pomme de Terre River system. Further research is needed to track the downstream spread of their planktonic larval form, veligers.

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Presenter Name: Dante Miller

Major: Computer Science and Statistics, 2022

Project Advisor: Engin Sungur and Minnesota Morris

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: UROP

Title: Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on social and economic groups in the United States

Abstract:

On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. During the pandemic, research has shown great disparities relating to Covid-19 confirmed cases, death cases, and vaccinations administered among social and economic demographics. In this project, we used transformations, box plots, histograms, choropleth maps, and time series analysis to understand Covid-19 data between January 1st, 2020, and August 9th, 2021. Our findings indicate that employed, insured, and white populations have larger values relating to the Covid-19 variables compared to unemployed, uninsured, and other ethnicity populations. There are similar values for the male and female populations, and large expected values for the poverty population. The predicted values for the cumulative Covid-19 variables are expected to slightly increase, whereas the daily Covid-19 variables are expected to be either constant or slightly decreasing.

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Presenter Name: Dante Miller

Major: Computer Science and Statistics, 2022

Project Advisor: Engin Sungur and Minnesota Morris

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Creating an interactive research environment to understand the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract:

On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. During the pandemic, research has primarily focused on visualizing the amount of Covid-19 confirmed cases, death cases, and vaccinations in the United States. In this project, we wanted to create an interactive research environment and a dataset so that users can gain a better understanding on the relationship of the Covid-19 variables with social and economic groups in United States counties throughout time. The data sources for this project are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bureau of Labor Statistics, USAFacts, and the United States Census Bureau. The interactive research environment was created through a RStudio package known as Shiny, and provides different options for data transformation, visualization, and data analysis methods for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the Covid-19 data.

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Presenter Name: Dante Miller

Major: Computer Science and Statistics, 2022

Project Advisor: Jong-Min Kim and Minnesota Morris

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: NSSA

Title: Predicting cryptocurrency price returns using univariate and multivariate machine learning models

Abstract:

Cryptocurrencies have been shown to be volatile due to the fluctuations in their prices. Previous research focused on predicting future cryptocurrency prices using previous observations. In this project, we wanted to understand whether cryptocurrency price returns can be accurately forecasted by univariate and multivariate machine learning methods. The study used different training sets (70, 80, and 90 percent) for the Recurrent Neural Networks, Deep Learning Networks, Holts Exponential Smoothing, Autoregression Integrated Moving Average, Forecast X, and Long Short-Term Memory Networks machine learning methods. The data consist of price returns for BTC, ETH, USDT, XRP, BNB, ADA, FLOW, USDC, DOGE, and UNI between the range of October 10th, 2017, and July 14th, 2021. Our findings indicate that the multivariate Long Short-Term Memory Networks machine learning method captured a glimpse of the cryptocurrencies volatility patterns and had constant results for the different training sets compared to the univariate machine learning methods.

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Presenter Name: Safron Milne

Major: Chemistry, Spring 2022

Project Advisor: Dr. Solaire Finkenstaedt-Quinn, University of Michigan, contact made by Dr. Bryan Nell

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Relevance and Engagement from Writing in Organic Chemistry

Abstract:

It is important for students to maintain motivation in order for them to succeed in their academic career. However, the field of chemistry is a historically difficult discipline thus it is necessary to study how to support students’ self-motivated learning. This study aims to characterize how students in organic chemistry may foster their own engagement by identifying the relevance of organic chemistry within their lives. Students of an introductory organic chemistry course were asked to complete a writing assignment in which they selected an organic molecule that they found important in their lives. Conclusions from this study suggest that students are able to explore the subject themselves and successfully tie the subject material to their lives. Considered through engagement, students can both seek and find the relevance on a personal, societal, or vocational level; this may strongly reinforce their comprehension and appreciation of chemistry.

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Presenter Name: Melanie Rittenhouse

Major: physics/computer science 2024

Project Advisor: Sylke Boyd-UMN Morris

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: n/a

Title: Predicting Martian Ice Halos with HaloSim

Abstract:

Recently, NASA's Curiosity rover collected images of thin, cirrus-like clouds at altitudes above 60 kilometers. It is suspected that these higher-altitude clouds are composed of carbon dioxide ice crystals, and, due to their apparent structure, are able to generate ice halos. Since the Martian atmosphere also contains water ice clouds, more investigation needs to be done to differentiate potential carbon dioxide clouds from water ice clouds. We used HaloSim 3.61, an ice halo display simulation program, to create various potential water ice and carbon dioxide ice halos with different orientations and shapes pertaining to the crystal structures of each molecule, including cubic and octahedral shapes. We found that carbon dioxide halos tend to contain less color, less overtly circular halo formations, and complex arc displays, many of which include sundogs and tangent arcs.

Presentation Location: Humanities 6

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Presenter Name: Jessica Nazarian

Major: Pre med Chemistry and English Spring 2022

Project Advisor: Dr. Ted Pappenfus and Partners from St. Kate's

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: Freelance

Title: Synthesis of oxindole basedpolymers through Direct Arylation Polymerization (DArP)

Abstract:

To raise demand for solar cells, lowering the cost of making them can be achieved using greener and low step synthetic routes.Three oxindole based polymers were synthesized using the same synthetic route consisting of three steps. The products of the first two steps of the reactions (Knovenagel condensation and alkylation via dehydroxylation of the nitrogen) were characterized via H NMR. Polymerization of the monomers was demonstrated using Herman's catalyst. Polymers were purified by soxhlet extractions using acetone and chloroform. Crystal structures of the monomers were gathered through X-ray diffraction and crystallization at St. Kate’s University. The crystal structures matched each low energy conformation that Gaussian software predicted. The molecular conformations of all monomers were studied to predict which interactions between molecules will be present once polymerization has completed. UV-Vis was used to determine the optical properties of alkylated polymers.

Presentation Location: Humanities 6

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Presenter Name: Maya Shebala

Major: Biology 2023

Project Advisor: Heather Waye

Funding Source/Sponsoring Organization: McNair

Title: Alternative mating strategies in painted turtles

Abstract:

Something not known to most people is that male painted turtles use sexual weaponry in mating. Only one person has done extensive research on this topic, Patrick Moldowan. I did a literature review on Moldowan's research to examine this topic further. According to his research, male painted turtles make use of sexual weapons such as their tomiodonts, or tooth-like cusps on their beaks, and the sharp projections on their carapaces to coerce females. Generally speaking, the larger the turtle, the deeper and larger the serrations and projections on their middle, front carapace. Many female turtles were discovered to have injuries on their heads or necks consistent with that of male turtles’ sexual weapons. The significance of this project is learning more about turtle mating behavior. This is an important part of keeping turtle populations going, thus aiding in the conservation of this ecologically important animal.

Presentation Location: Humanities 6

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