Simulation of Turbulence in a Bénard Convection water tank (Wolfgang Barry; mentored by Dr. Chuck Adler, 2023)

The goal of my SURF proposal is to understand and model the behaviors of turbulence in water as a function of temperature gradients and eventually investigate how those properties impact the optical qualities of said water. Throughout the past semester, the work that I have done with Dr. Adler has been to simulate turbulence in a water tank heated from below. This is a model for ones being developed in Dr. Adler’s laboratory and at the Naval Academy. These tanks are heated from below to create Benard convection cells, which allows us to create randomized, difficult-to-predict turbulence. This is a tool for understanding turbulence in open-water spaces. Understanding the behavior of these turbulent systems is key to developing tools and systems that allow us to better detect and measure objects underwater and opens the door to expanding the use of technologies such as Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) underwater.

Adolescent anxiety and depression: A systematic review of environmental risk factors (Brianna Corbin; mentored by Dr. Amie Severino, 2023)

Environmental risk factors can lead to adolescent anxiety and depression. These mental health disorders often lead to detrimental psychosocial and academic impacts during adolescence and in adulthood. It is important to identify environmental risk factors of adolescent anxiety and depression, such as parental separation, abuse, and strained parental relationships to allow the implementation of early interventions to prevent the onset of these disorders during adolescence and observed deficits in adolescence and adulthood. This project will aim to synthesize the existing evidence of environmental risk factors for anxiety and depression of adolescents in the United States (age 13-19) from quantitative, empirical sources that were published in the last 10 years (2013-2023) in peer-reviewed journals into a systematic literature review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology provided by BMJ publishing. The completion of this review will educate the public about environmental risk factors for adolescent depression and anxiety. In addition, completion will educate researchers to ensure that research efforts are allocated appropriately and prevent the over-researching of specific environmental risk factors to be identified.

Relating the Concentration of 3R and 4R Tau in Downy Woodpecker Brain Cells to Maturity based on Skull Development (Anna Estremsky; mentored by Dr. Daniel Tobiansky, 2023)

Head trauma can have devastating effects on brain function, especially with repeated injury. Head injuries can increase the risk and severity of some neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). One of the markers of these diseases is the presence of a protein called tau in an unusual form. Studies on the human brain have found that a healthy adult brain has a balanced ratio of 3R to 4R tau protein species throughout development, but then this ratio becomes lopsided in older adults. Excess of one protein or the other has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases including CTE. Research on this protein is very valuable to our understanding of the effects of brain damage, but it is difficult to get human brain samples to work on. Because woodpeckers experience frequent stress on the skull from pecking there is potential to gain more understanding on the effects of head trauma without the need for human subjects. The objective of this project is to complete an experiment that measures the 3R/4R tau ratio in woodpecker brains and compares that to their age. I will evaluate age based on plumage, bone fusion, and opacity of the skulls. I will measure the tau isoform ratio by viewing the tau in brain samples using immunohistochemistry. The overarching goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of how woodpeckers may serve as a model for the effects of repeated head trauma. Using woodpeckers as a model could reduce the need for human subjects, which are difficult financially and ethically to obtain, thus increasing the amount of research that can be done. Additionally, the study of woodpeckers could reveal something unexpected that has not been investigated in humans yet, and could lead to new approaches to the treatment and prevention of brain damage due to head trauma.

What Does Dreaming Have To Do With Real-Life Experiences? (Bianca Falby; co-mentored by Drs. Jennifer TIckle and Nayantara Kurpad, 2023)

The goal of this project is to better understand and expand upon the topic of dreams and lucid dreaming. I plan to explore deeper into what we already know about dreams and I want to present people with new information about dreams. My goal is to indulge in research that isn't already known and in the process, I want to dive deeper into where our minds go when we sleep. Our bodies are mostly immobile when we sleep but our minds and spirits never fully go offline. I want to figure out the inner connections that help create dreams and incorporate different aspects that help form dreams into existence. I am going to conduct a literature review and an online study that examines what people dream about and how it may or may not affect their daily lives. In addition, I am seeing how dreams relate to emotion and memory in order to expand the research on this psychological topic. Furthermore, my goal is to incorporate the overall aspect of dreams and lucid dreaming to see what other knowledge and unwritten documentation is out there.

At the Corner of Yaowarat and Bangkok: Use of Mandarin Chinese, English, and Thai among Members of the Han Chinese Diaspora in Thailand (Jonathan Geyer; mentored by Dr. Jingqi Fu)

This research project concerns language use in Han Chinese Diaspora communities in Thailand, primarily the use of Mandarin Chinese, with respect to the contexts in which it’s spoken, who it’s being spoken by and why, and whether or not it can be said to be in a state of decline. The question of who is speaking it is significant in particular, and this paper further explores this question in the context of whether or not a given person is a member of the established Thai Chinese community or a member of the “new migrant” or xin yimin community. There is a clear class divide between these two groups, and so research will also focus on language use in the context of class divides. Research will be conducted through critical analysis of academic journal articles and literature related to the study of the use of language in Thailand, followed by an investigation of language use on social media used by members of the Han Chinese Diaspora. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, minority languages in the position of Mandarin Chinese in Thailand often decline, and understanding how and why this happens is of vital importance to anyone seeking to understand the contemporary modern world as it is today.

From the first Television to the first Tweet: Analyzing the Rhetorical and Political Significance of Presidential Speeches from Roosevelt through Biden  (Blaine Greene; mentored by Dr. Ben Click)

This project will analyze how presidential speeches have changed in accordance with the change of media (from television to social media). Specifically, the final result of this project, a 20-30 page essay, will serve three primary goals: 1) to present and reflect on the qualifications of the speechwriter(s), including the contributions of the President at the time; 2) to analyze the kairotic moment (an occasion that brings about the speech and issue(s) to which the speech is responding); and 3) to understand how the speech was received at the time and in retrospect. During the first three weeks of the program, I will annotate each of the speeches through two close readings: first, by the video performance of the speech itself, and second, by the text of the speech itself in relation to the video performance. During weeks four through six, I will write a 20-30 page (double spaced) essay that analyzes speeches' rhetorical processes and deliveries changing in conjunction with the technological changes of media (from early television to Twitter). The overall significance of the project illustrates changes in speechwriting have occurred as a result of changes in media technology. Furthermore, this illustration will suggest how speeches of future presidents may change as future media may change. 

Agapatus Revisited: An Exploration of Morality, Destiny, and Greek Mythology (Samuel Harper; mentored by Dr. Brian O’Sullivan)

I have always been fascinated by stories, telling them, hearing them, and making them. In high school, I found a story that I wrote in elementary school and decided to rewrite it in a way that I would be proud of. I wrote a short story based on that original story and then wrote a play based on that short story. My senior year of high school, I was able to direct a one-act version of the play I wrote. Now, I want to use that story in such a way that I bring Greek mythology and the culture of ancient Greece back to the spotlight. For the length of the SURF program, I will be deep diving into ancient Greek culture and work to make this play a story I can be proud of. Through this process, I will be starting essentially from square one to retell the story of a Greecian thief who is punished by the gods for his heresy. He is sent to complete four trials and, in the process, realizes that the gods aren’t as good or kind as their subjects believe them to be. This is a story of morality, fate, and gods bringing into question what makes a hero, what is fate, and what happens when those you worship treat you as a play thing, all while celebrating and respecting ancient Greek culture in a fun, easy to consume and easy to understand package.

Impact of Saltwater Intrusion on an important Maryland cover crop (Sophia Koontz; mentored by Dr. Lorena Torres-Martinez)

To cope with the natural deficiencies of nitrogen in the soil, many farmers turn to legume crops to improve soil quality. Legumes form a mutualistic interaction with soil bacteria called rhizobia, where in exchange for photosynthates the rhizobia fix atmospheric nitrogen for the plant. This symbiotic relationship is critical for soil health since nitrogen is not readily abundant outside of its atmospheric form. Legume plants are so effective at replenishing nitrogen in the soil that farmers use legume crop rotation as a strategy to improve nitrogen levels, reducing the need for fertilizers. However, saltwater intrusion has become an increasingly prevalent issue for farmers in coastal regions. Higher levels of salinity in the soil create a water potential deficit in the plant that is like drought, decreasing crop productivity and health. Under such stressful conditions, the symbiotic association of legume crops with rhizobia might be costly. One of the most widely used cover crops in Southern Maryland is white clover (Trifolium repens). To promote clover growth farmers use commercial rhizobia inoculants. However, indigenous rhizobia exist naturally in the soil and provide competition for commercial inoculants, which can be exacerbated by stressful environmental conditions such as saltwater intrusion. My goals ii) to understand the effects of saltwater intrusion on the symbiosis of white cover with rhizobia and ii) to uncover whether the specificity by commercial versus native rhizobia will be influenced by salt stress and iii) to evaluate what species of rhizobia, commercial (combination Sinorhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifoli) or indigenous, is most effective in helping clover crop to survive salt stress by examining the effect of different rhizobia treatments under varying salinity levels. The results of this study could shed light on possible methods of improving crop resistance to saltwater intrusion not only for clover but also for other legumes and native plants that rely on Maryland native rhizobia. 

Quantifying UV and Reactive Oxidative Species Induced CC→ TT Mutations Through Structure-Based Methods (Gabriela Miranda; mentored by Dr. Shanen Sherrer)

Skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer.It has more than 5 million new cases annually. One of the mutations found to cause skin cancer are CC → TT tandem mutations. One of the most prevalent ways these types of mutations occur is through UV exposure. In addition to UV exposure, oxidative stress through exposure to heavy metals is another mechanism of mutation. Although there has been research on the effects of each of these causes individually, their effects when together through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification have not been examined. Structural changes can prevent DNA from carrying genetic information properly. I aim to see if oxidative stress increases the frequency of mutations if exposed to UV light. I will amplify the quantities of the exposed DNA through PCR and then use structure-based methods such as circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis to see if there is any structural change.

McQuinlan’s Underground: The Story of a Gay Speakeasy during the Prohibition (Brigid Mulholland; mentored by Professor Crystal Oliver)

My goal for the project is to take my fiction submission from ENG 270: Introduction to Creative Writing, and research and expand upon it in preparation for my St. Mary’s Project, where I intend to use my work and research from Creative Writing and SURF, to turn it into a novel. My story so far, is about two lesbian women who are living during the Prohibition, and running an underground Speakeasy. So far, the story hints at run-ins with the law, and questioning from other characters about their queer identities, along with the risks of what they are doing: both running a Speakeasy, and being involved in a same-sex relationship. During SURF, I intend to expand upon this idea, with the inclusion of gang members and the incorporation of the roles that the mob played in the presence of Speakeasies, but also their impact on the gay community. I’m hoping that although my work will primarily be historic fiction, that it will also be educational in the facts that I use to set the scene and create the story. I will be using the library resources as well as experiences researching at related museums, speaking with outside experts, and gaining background knowledge to begin my writing process, so that I can have results in my writing because of my research with SURF, but also have a great start to expand upon come time for my SMP. During this time of research, I intend to go in depth researching the laws of the time, specifically laws about gay relationships and the specific limits and loopholes that people found. I also hope to continue my search of finding primary sources to support the factual evidence to use and create my characters, making the story have details that are as historically realistic as possible. In my ENG 204: Reading and Writing in the Major with Projeffor Jennifer Cognard-Black, we speak about the important parts of fiction: characters, plot, setting, dialogue, and point of view. With the opportunity to be on campus for eight weeks, strictly dedicated to my work and research on this creative project, I will be able to address each of these parts of fiction, and take my beginning draft to the beginning stages of a manuscript for a novel in a way that I will otherwise be unable to. SURF offers a quiet, uninterrupted space and time to focus solely on the development of this project, which I would not be able to do in any other situation. By the conclusion of SURF, I hope to have the majority of my SMP foundational research done, as well as a foundation for my story to entertain, educate, and eventually become my SMP. I am thrilled by this opportunity because of the passion that I have for history, writing, and the law, and the way that I am able to incorporate all three into this one project that I am very optimistic about and confident in. I believe that depending on the reader’s situation, this could be significant in many ways. For some, they may be drawn into an aspect of history that they never even knew there was content on, or didn’t know they wanted to learn more about. For others, the trials and tribulations of the characters, as well as the complexity of the story line, may resonate with some readers and offer them an outlet, an escape, or maybe even allow them to feel heard and seen, even through the lens of a different time period. I hope that through my research and work, I can create a final product that is entertaining, educational, and enjoyable for all, no matter the reason.