Biology

Muscle activation patterns of feeding strategies in chameleons*

Chameleons are well known for their extremely specialized feeding mechanism, where the tongue is ballistically projected out of the mouth at prey items up to 2.5 body lengths away. Though this is the most common feeding strategy used in chameleons, they have also been documented approaching slower or nonmobile prey items and capturing them using only their jaws. This direct prey capture has never been examined, so it is unknown whether these two strategies utilize the same underlying muscle activation patterns or if this direct prey capture strategy necessitates the use of independent muscle activation patterns during feeding. We compared chameleons feeding by ballistic tongue projection and direct prey capture to quantify the duration of muscle activity, the latency between muscle activity onset to prey contact, maximum jaw gape time, and muscle activity intensity (root mean squared of muscle activity) in five muscles associated with feeding and tongue movement. We found that the duration of activation was much more variable for direct prey capture than ballistic tongue projection and that maximum gape time was significantly different between feeding strategies. However, we did not see significant differences we expected in the intensity of muscle activation, possibly due to the aberrantly reduced extent of tongue projection exhibited by the individuals in this study. Overall, these results provide preliminary insight into the mechanisms by which highly specialized behaviors can be utilized to perform additional, disparate behaviors, and on the principle of neuromotor conservation during the evolution of novel behaviors.

Presenter(s): Nikole Schneider

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Christopher V. Anderson

Presentation Time: 9:00-9:15

Into thin air: investigating evaporative water loss rates in chameleons*

As the global climate becomes rapidly more extreme and unpredictable, the successful maintenance of body temperature and hydration at physiological levels suitable for survival will become ever more critical for organisms. Squamates are particularly challenged by fluctuating aridity and temperature due to the nature of their integument and need to thermoregulate. Total evaporative water loss (TEWL) has served to measure adaptations that extant organisms use to combat environmental pressures on maintaining hydration necessary for survival. Cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL) may prove to be an important way of quantifying water loss in reptiles, however research on CEWL in reptiles is limited and neither have been studied in chameleons. We measured both TEWL and CEWL in five species of chameleons living along an environmental gradient. TEWL was measured using closed system respirometry with a dew point analyzer. CEWL was measured using the AquaFlux evaporimeter across body regions. For three species, CEWL was measured in the field and after a 2-month acclimation period in the lab. Our results provide some of the first data on chameleon evaporative water loss (EWL), including valuable insights into how chameleons compare to other squamates, how varying thermal environment shapes EWL in chameleons, and the plasticity of CEWL following acclimation to a lab environment. Finally, variation in EWL observed across the body suggests there may be regional variation in the integument impacting CEWL.

Presenter(s): Madison G. Mcintyre

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Christopher V. Anderson

Presentation Time: 9:15-9:30

Extreme Miniaturization and Feeding: Scaling of Tongue Projection Performance and Metabolism in Miniaturized Chameleons*

Miniaturization of species is seen across clades in the animal kingdom, and it leads to novel morphologies and lifestyles. Despite the abundance of miniaturized species, the morphological and ecological mechanisms that perpetuate their small size are not always understood, but they tend to be related to predation, rate of ontogeny, and metabolism. Although miniaturization can be adaptive, species often need to further adapt their morphology to the small body plan. The Brookesia genus of chameleons offer a study group which allows for research into the morphological constraints and adaptations to miniaturization specifically regarding the functionality of the primary prey acquisition apparatus—the ballistic tongue projection mechanism—and the maintenance of metabolism. Relative tongue projection distance and other tongue projection performance metrics in chameleons have been shown to be higher in smaller chameleon species than larger species, producing explosive performance in smaller species. Our research seeks to expand such work by exploring the functional consequences of extreme miniaturization on tongue projection performance. In doing so, we expect to record some of the highest movement performances among of amniotes. In addition, we will measure both standard metabolic rate (SMR) and specific dynamic action (SDA), or the change in metabolic rate due to digestion, for Brookesia species. In measuring SMR, we will compare rates amongst body sizes to determine if they follow established scaling relationships. Additionally, SDA will help us to better understand Brookesia feeding frequency requirements relative to other larger chameleons where greater metabolic expenditure after feeding is associated with species that tend to fast for longer periods of time. We expect Brookesia to show relatively low SMRs, despite their small stature, and larger metabolic rate changes after feeding, reflecting a lifestyle of relatively infrequent feeding on larger prey items.

Presenter(s): Gene N. Glover

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Christopher V. Anderson

Presentation Time: 9:30-9:45

Physical Therapy

Public Perception of the Financial and Therapeutic Value of Physical Therapy Interventions

This study investigates the general public's financial and therapeutic perception of various physical therapy interventions. Adding dry needling to a physical therapy session was hypothesized to elevate the session's perceived financial and therapeutic value. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 229 participants from various locations in the United States. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which watched video clips of a physical therapy session including dry needling, or a control group, which watched similar clips but with therapeutic exercise replacing dry needling. After viewing the clips, participants completed a survey rating the perceived cost and therapeutic effectiveness of each intervention, as well as the overall treatment. The results showed that adding dry needling to a session led to a 29% higher perceived financial value compared to the control group. Additionally, dry needling was perceived to cost more than any other individual intervention. While perceived therapeutic value was high for both groups, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control group. These findings may be useful to physical therapy clinic owners seeking evidence-based marketing strategies to attract and retain new patients.

Presenter(s): Paige Boetel, Emily Duffek, Jessica Kral

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Adam Ladwig

Presentation Time: 9:00-9:15

Performance of Older Athletes in Jumping and Throwing Events Utilizing the SAFE Screen*

Athletic competition in older adults is growing with performance in those age 50 and older demonstrating continual improvement. The Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) is a tool designed to assess the fitness of older athletes in the areas of cardiovascular (C-Fit), muscular (M-Fit), flexibility (F-Fit), and balance (B-Fit) with a composite score calculated from a total of 20. The purpose of this study was to identify performance outcomes of older athletes who compete in field events of Track and Field within the National Senior Games Association (NSGA) competition and to determine which aspect most associated with successful sport outcomes.

Field event athletes who engaged in SAFE testing from 2011-2023 were identified in a SAFE database. Event performance and all relevant records were collected from the NSGA website results books for respective years. Athletes were included in the study if they engaged in SAFE testing and had published field event results for their year of testing.

Descriptive statistics were used to define the population while linear regression was utilized to test association of SAFE subscale and composite scores with the athlete's success percentage across their individual events. Success was defined as the athletes’ event performance as a percentage of the NSGA record in their respective gender and age group.

A total of 308 field athletes qualified for inclusion in this analysis. The population was 53.6% female with an average age of 68.7 (SD 10.8). Performance success ranged from 0-110%. M-Fit and B-Fit subscales as well as SAFE scores were all significantly predictive of success(ps<.001) while C-Fit (p=.12) and F-Fit (p=.85) subscales were not.

The SAFE could be an effective tool for identifying potential sports performance in older field athletes. Muscle and balance fitness appear most relevant to athletic performance while cardiovascular and flexibility fitness appear less critical.

Presenter(s): Avery K. Balster, Caleb J. Lusk, Ashton Hallsted-Kallhoff, Cameron M. Jueden, Seth W. Druin

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Becca Jordre

Presentation Time: 9:15-9:30

Cognitive Load and Process of Learning to Apply New Assessment Tools for Gait Analysis

Proper gait is essential for us to navigate efficiently and safely in everyday life. Physical therapists (PTs) perform gait analysis to detect deviations in the gait cycle of their patients to select an intervention specific to the patient, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness or fit of devices used in supporting gait, optimizing energy expenditure, and promoting safety. Clinicians are limited in their ability to capture moving objects visually during the assessment, so technologies are developed to assess gait and provide objective data, including cameras, 3D motion capture, and wearable sensors. The Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool (GAIT) is a common standardized observational gait analysis tool used in the clinic. The Physilog 5 is a set of wearable sensors with a high agreement to typical clinical gait analysis and lab-to-real-world application. The aim of our study is to investigate the challenges and facilitators for novice PTs to learn how to use wearable sensors and functional gait assessment to collect gait data. Two student PTs participated so far and completed two separate learning modules and analysis sessions to compare the ease and demand to utilize the Physilog 5 and GAIT for gait analysis. The Physilog 5 wearable sensors were preferred by both participants because of their easy use and lesser temporal demand compared to the GAIT, even though one participant experienced significant technology difficulty. Results from this study are limited due to a small sample size of student PTs. Participation was lacking because of the rigorous schedule of PT school and time commitment needed for the study. The study findings could provide some insight when considering training and equipment purchases to incorporate gait assessment in clinical settings.

Presenter(s): Ardis White, Haley Grudzinski

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Hsinyi "Tanya" Liu

Presentation Time: 9:30-9:45

Media & Journalism

From Bits to Bias: Decoding the AI Threat in Disinformation and Social Manipulation†,*

In this student panel, respondents will be discussing three research projects that individually investigate AI policy in the intelligence community (Spinks), disinformation campaigns that use racism as a social ignitor (Tyson), and threats of generative AI in disinformation campaigns (Linke). In the AI policy project, Spinks will discuss her novel use of fantasy theme analysis and socio-technical imaginaries to evaluate AI policy in the intelligence community by analyzing policy documents from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. In Tyson’s project, we will examine how third person media effects (thinking the media influences other people but not oneself) can contribute to foreign malign influence campaigns when racism is channeled to obfuscate bad actor intentions. Finally, Linke will discuss the current and immediate threat of generative AI enabled disinformation campaigns through a case study of CounterCloud. CounterCloud is a proof-of-concept program/video that uses generative AI to produce disinformation products at scale. The three projects together provide an exceptional, if not terrifying, overview of how AI is changing the media and disinformation landscape.

Presenter(s): Rachel M. Spinks, Jody-Ann Tyson, Carter Linke

Department/Division/Area: Media & Journalism

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Travis Loof

Presentation Time: 9:00-9:50

Biology

The Scaling of Metabolic Rate in African Chameleon Species*

Metabolic rate is a holistic measure of organismal performance that summarizes the biochemical activity occurring in an organism’s body over a given period. There are many organismal and environmental variables that can affect metabolic rate, including age, sex, ambient temperature, hydration state, and time of day. However, body size is among the most important determinants of metabolic rate. The relationship between metabolic rate and body size, known as a scaling relationship, has been well established in endotherms: as body size increases, absolute measures of metabolic rate increase, but when metabolic rate is divided by body mass, the trend reverses. These trends cannot be extrapolated to ectotherms, including the chameleons (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae). Chameleon species vary significantly in body size and occupy habitats that range greatly in temperature, aridity and altitude. By measuring resting metabolic rate (RMR) and mass-specific metabolic rate (MSMR) and determining the scaling relationships of these metrics, it is possible to determine whether species or populations that differ in habitat also differ in metabolic rate. Seven chameleon taxa that ranged in body size and habitat characteristics were sampled for this study. RMR and MSMR were measured using open-system, closed-chamber respirometry. Both metrics were plotted against body mass on a logarithmic scale, and the scaling exponent b was determined using a linear mixed model. As predicted, RMR increased with increasing body size and MSMR decreased. There were significant differences between taxa in both metrics despite significant intraspecific variation. In particular, there were differences between the temperate Bradypodion pumilum and desert-dwelling Bradypodion occidentale, as well as between the Trioceros jacksonii jacksonii and T. j. xantholophus subspecies. These data shed light on the energetic requirements of these species living in diverse habitats.

Presenter(s): Etti O. Cooper

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Christopher V. Anderson

Presentation Time: 10:00-10:15

Tail and Grip Strength across the arboreal spectrum in Chameleons*

Arboreal environments can present a multitude of challenges in a three-dimensional space where one misstep could result in serious injuries or death. To overcome these challenges, chameleons have evolved numerous specializations associated with arboreality, including pincer-like feet and a prehensile tail. Prehensile behaviors involving grasping have focused mainly on mammals, including primates. However, other tetrapod, including chameleons, have evolved the ability to grasp, especially in arboreal environments. Chameleons are found in various environments across the arboreal spectrum, including highly arboreal, semi-arboreal, and purely terrestrial. Here, we plan to investigate the grip and tail strength of various species of chameleons across the arboreal spectrum to evaluate how the morphological traits selected for each individual are different and similar due to their inhabiting different niches in East Africa. Morphological measurements of their snout-vent length, pelvic width, forelimbs, hindlimbs, and prehensile tail will be taken. These measurements include the humerus, femur, tibia, lateral foot, and medial foot lengths. For performance trials, dowels of various diameters will be attached to a force transducer and will be used for the individual to grasp. During 60s recording sessions, individuals will alternatingly grip the dowel with their prehensile tail, forelimb, and hindlimb across five successive trials per appendage. The grip strength of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, including the right and left foot, will be calculated. The number of coils wrapped around the dowel will be calculated for tail strength. The highest force from each trial will be used for analysis. Highly arboreal species are expected to produce greater grip strength and more coils around the dowel than in semi-arboreal and terrestrial species. Further, one's degree of arboreality are expected to be correlated with using the prehensile tail, and more arboreal species should produce greater values with tail strength.

Presenter(s): Michael Curran

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Christopher V. Anderson

Presentation Time: 10:15-10:30

The effect of developmental environments on methylation of epigenetic regulatory genes in a cooperatively breeding species*

Epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation, alters gene expression without changing the underlying genomic code. Variable environments, such as temperature, diet, sociality, and other ecological pressures, can induce epigenetic responses influencing gene expression, and thus phenotype. Developmental environments in particular, such as parental care or abiotic factors, have profound, and sometimes permanent, effects on DNA methylation and their resulting phenotypes. Four main enzymes regulate DNA methylation: DNMT1, DNMT3 (a and b), and TET3. DNMT1 is responsible for maintaining preexisting methylation patterns through cellular division; DNMT3 is responsible for establishing methylation in response to environmental stimuli; and TET3 is responsible for removing methylation in response to environmental stimuli. Because of the enzymes’ function, they are a particularly important conduit between the environment and the genome.  Here, using the cooperatively breeding chestnut-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps), we analyzed how variable developmental environments (e.g. climate, brood size, and number of adult carers) influence epigenetic regulation of the genes responsible for coding for DNA methylation enzymes. We assessed methylation on the promoter of the DNMT1, DNMT3a, and TET3 in chicks at hatching and before fledgling to analyze if social or environmental factors influence methylation patterns. TET3 and DNMT1 were differentially methylated as a result of more environments than DNMT3, suggesting that DNMT3 expression may be more constant during development as a mechanism to respond to changes in the environment. TET3 and DNMT1, on the other hand, were more sensitive to changes in the environment. Differential methylation of any methylator will likely have implications for overall methylation patterns, resulting in differences in gene expression, phenotype, and how an individual responds to its environment.

Presenter(s): Susan C. Anderson

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Andrea Liebl

Presentation Time: 10:30-10:45

Music

Understanding Musical Systems with ℤn-Cayley Graphs‡

It is well-established that music theory uses mathematics to explain how music is created. The chromatic scale and pitch frequencies can be explained by modulo 12 arithmetic and geometric ratios. Using group theory, we interpret concepts from Western music theory. We show that in ℤ12, chords, scales, the circle of fifths, and the first species of counterpoint can be explained using a Cayley graph with respect to generators 3 and 4. Using ℤ12 as a model, we generalize to ℤn where n is a product of two relatively prime numbers. Most major and minor chords can be constructed using paths on the oriented Cayley graph, beginning on the root of the chord. The circle of fifths can be explained by adding both generators at once. The unoriented Cayley graph gives way to a weaker form of counterpoint, with minimum distance elements forming a set of consonant elements. Then, we create partitions of consonant and dissonant elements using affine transformations to create a full generalization of counterpoint. We assume equal-tempered tuning for various ℤn systems. As application, we have written code in Maple to hear chords, scales, and counterpoint in these musical systems.

Presenter(s): Olivia Roberts

Department/Division/Area: Music

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Gabriel Picioroaga

Presentation Time: 10:00-10:15

Mathematics

Investigating the Relationship Between Maternal and Congenital Syphilis

Syphilis is on the rise in the United States. The bacterium that causes syphilis can be passed from pregnant woman to fetus, causing malformations in the newborn. I will explain the SIR model I created to represent the infection and identify steady states and trends in the disease. The information from this model and further calculations have the potential to strengthen or encourage modification to the CDC's existing public control policies for syphilis and congenital syphilis.

Presenter(s): Kaleesta Waysman

Department/Division/Area: Mathematics

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Dan Van Peursem

Presentation Time: 10:15-10:30

Economics

Beer, Bourbon, and Bertrand: An Experimental Economics Analysis†,‡

The purpose of this project is to determine the effects of binge drinking -- or positive perceptions of binge drinking -- on economic performance in the market. By employing a targeted binge drinking questionnaire and controlling for personality (IPIP derivatives including AB5C and NEO5-20), I will be able to isolate the effect of binge drinking on participant’s performance in the various experimental games. To reduce participant bias, each participant will anonymously complete the questionnaire. To measure economic performance in the market, participants will play variations of an experimental game (Levitt & List, 2007) with direct ties to the standard Bertrand model. Building off the ideas of Jiménez-Jiménez and Rodero-Cosano (2023), these experimental games include a

2/3 average game, and a standard Bertrand game with zero marginal cost. If the binge drinking variables have a statistically significant and negative effect on participants’ performance in the market – after the other independent variables are controlled for -- then there is evidence to suggest that the binge drinking subculture has a pernicious effect on aggregate success in the market. All games have been successfully programmed into z-Tree with optimistic pilots previously conducted. The experiment and subsequent paper should be finished by the end of March.

Presenter(s): Noah C. Dixon

Department/Division/Area: Economics

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Sebastian Wai

Presentation Time: 10:30-10:45

Physical Therapy

Pain Pressure Threshold and Tolerance to BFR

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has become increasingly popular in clinical settings as a means to improve muscle adaptations and performance in the presence of weakness from injuries or surgeries. This training utilizes high limb occlusion pressure (LOP), which can result in discomfort and session discontinuation. Pain pressure threshold (PPT) has been used clinically to quantify pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate any association between PPT or participant demographics and voluntary discontinuation of BFR training. Thirty-seven participants completed a personal interview, PPT testing over a novel quadriceps location, and BFR training to the quadriceps. Training identified an estimated one repetition maximum (1RM) at the quadriceps, followed by a standard four set BFR protocol with 20% resistance and 80% LOP targeting quadriceps musculature during a leg extension exercise. Participants who voluntarily discontinued before the fourth set were identified as non-finishers. Descriptive statistics were utilized for demographic variables and PPT values. Mean age, body mass indexes, PPT, estimated 1RM, and total repetitions were compared across groups based on finisher status using independent t-tests. Fisher's exact test was applied to explore the relationship between finisher status and various factors including gender, prior resistance training experience, previous blood flow restriction (BFR) training, and self-assessed pain tolerance. Analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the mean total of repetitions performed between groups (p = <.001). No additional significant differences were found between non-finishers and finishers on demographics or PPT (p = .364). These findings suggest that PPT may not have utility in determining tolerance to BFR training in this 80% LOP protocol. However, these results provide preliminary normative data for PPT at this novel quadriceps location which may be useful for future studies.

Presenter(s): Rylan Pratt, Chad Wiebelhaus, Taylor Odonnell, Adam Nagelhout

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jed Droge

Presentation Time: 10:00-10:15

Access, Use, and Perception of Services for Hidden Disabilities in Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of hidden disabilities, knowledge of resources available, and access to disability services in Doctor of Physical Therapy students (SPTs). Methods: After IRB approval, SPTs and recent graduates from programs in the US were invited to participate in the study. A Qualtrics survey was administered during Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 and included demographic questions and questions regarding the access, use, and perception of services for hidden disabilities. IBM SPSS 28.0 was used for data analysis. Results: 82/97 (84.5%) completed the survey. Demographics: 1) Age 25.54; and 2) SPTs 66 (80.5%), graduates 16 (19.5%). Of the respondents, 37 (45.1%) were officially diagnosed with a disability, 11 (13.4%) thought they may have a disability, 34 (45.5%) did not have a disability. Of those with a diagnosed or potential disability, 29 (60.4%) are managing it Well or Very Well, 30 (62.5%) use medication, and 17 (35.4%) have used disability services. The top three identified disabilities were anxiety, ADD/ADHD and depression. Of all participants, 24 (29.3%) feel their academic experience is negatively impacted due to their disability; 19 (23.2%) are afraid classmates will think differently of their need/use of accommodations; 22 (26.9%) are afraid that professors will think differently of their need/use of accommodations; and 72 (87.8%) feel that students with hidden disabilities are capable of meeting the demands of a job in the PT field. Conclusions: Early study results indicated that almost half the participants had a disability and one-third are using disability services. Less than 30% feel their academic experience is negatively impacted by their disability and over 85% feel those with hidden disabilities can meet the demands of the PT profession. Additional research needs to be conducted in the area of hidden disabilities and health professions including PT.

Presenter(s): Regan Rozell, Jackson  Stoltenburg, Madelyn Semmler

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Joy Karges-Brown

Presentation Time: 10:15-10:30

Cognition and Auditory Cuing Responsiveness in Parkinson's Disease: A Relationship Study

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms, including cognitive and gait impairments. Although auditory cueing has been proven as a treatment strategy to improve gait metrics in individuals with PD, the relationship between cognitive function and the capacity to modify gait cadence in response to auditory cues has not been thoroughly investigated. We hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between performance on cognitive assessment and the ability to accurately adjust gait cadence based on auditory cueing. Thirty participants with PD were recruited for this study. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), followed by gait assessment, using the Shaw Gait Assessment Tool. The self-selected cadence of participants was determined by averaging two 10m walking trials. This value was increased by 15% to establish a target cadence. Participants were then asked to repeat the 10m walking trial, attempting to match their walking speed to the auditory cues from a metronome, set at the target cadence. Analysis showed minimal to slight positive correlations between most MoCA cognitive domains and accuracy in adjusting cadence to metronome auditory cues, with correlation coefficients ranging from r = -0.0004 (Abstraction) to r = 0.099 (Visuospatial/Executive). These results indicate a negligible link between performance on the MoCA and the ability to accurately adjust gait speed in response to auditory cues. Although the MoCA composite scores demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with gait performance metrics such as speed, step length, and cadence, the accuracy of stepping in response to metronome cueing was not strongly predicted by specific cognitive domains. These findings underscore the complexity of the relationship between cognitive functions and gait adaptation in PD, suggesting that the effectiveness of auditory cueing cannot be directly inferred from cognitive performance scores.

Presenter(s): Adam Holmstrom, Marc Rattenborg, Taylor Weber, Maya Schmidt

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Matt Leedom

Presentation Time: 10:30-10:45

Biology

Mitochondrial SOS: How Cell’s ‘Power Houses’ Activate Genetic Stress Response†

Mitochondria plays a crucial part in nearly all aspects of cell function including bioenergetics, redox balance and signaling. The function of mitochondria is regulated by ~ 1200 proteins, encoded by both nuclear (nDNA) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes. Genetic mutations in the nDNA and mtDNA can cause mitochondrial dysfunction leading to mitochondrial diseases. Currently, there are no known therapies or cures for mitochondrial diseases. Investigating the genetic mechanisms and molecular pathways of mitochondrial (patho)physiology in these animal models is, therefore, critical for health and disease. I use a disease model of Drosophila with a clinical redox imbalance phenotype to understand transcriptional plasticity under mitochondrial stress. Specifically, I investigate if response to redox imbalance in this disease model is controlled by a stress-responsive transcription factor called bZip Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4) by turning on a protective cellular pathway known as the Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response (UPRmt). To this end, I am quantifying transcript levels of ATF4 using polymerase chain reaction in the disease model and genetically matched controls. The broader goals of my project are to (1) understand how cells evaluate mitochondrial function and, (2) uncover novel therapeutic approaches for mitochondrial dysfunction and disease.

Presenter(s): Maddie Rozmajzl

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Omera Matoo

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:15

Effects of variable cold temperatures on metabolic rates and organ masses in house sparrows*

Small birds in South Dakota must be able to adapt to great temperature variability throughout the year, with the inability to do so resulting in a mismatch between the environment and their physiology. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which could impact bird populations. Our aim in this study was to determine whether temperature variability affects the metabolism of house sparrows. We exposed birds to one of three 6-week temperature treatments: warm (25°C), stable cold (3°C), or variable cold (mean of 3°C, range: –10° to 16°C). We measured basal metabolic rate as a measure of baseline energetic needs and summit metabolic rate which reflects the maximum energy output a bird can maintain during cold exposure. Metabolic rates were measured before and after the temperature treatment period to determine any changes caused by a stable or variable cold environment. Following the experiment, body mass and nutritive and exercise organ masses were measured. We found no significant difference between the variable and stable cold temperature groups for basal or summit metabolic rates, while the warm treatment group had significantly lower basal metabolic rates following treatment. We detected little evidence for muscle responses to cold, but nutritive organs increased in both cold and variable cold groups, along with BMR. These results suggest that variable cold temperatures did not impose an additional energetic burden, but that cold temperatures, in general, generate phenotypic changes in small birds.

Presenter(s): Chelsi Marolf

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): David Swanson

Presentation Time: 11:15-11:30

Inhibition of Prodigiosin Production by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Metabolites*

Globally, amphibians have faced declines on an unprecedented scale due to novel stressors such as anthropogenic shift, climate change, and the introduction of disease. One disease in particular, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been responsible for mortality events in all corners of the world. One of the key defense elements of the amphibian against Bd has been demonstrated to be the microbiota living in symbiosis with the amphibian. Bacterial symbionts are capable of the production of antifungal metabolites which can act in concordance with components of the innate immune response to fight off Bd. Bd, however, also produces a full metabolite profile with which it can influence changes in the host immune response. The direct effects of these Bd metabolites on the bacterial symbionts with which it competes is presently understudied. We tested two different isolated strains of Serratia marcescens, a noted anti-Bd symbiont producing an antimicrobial pigment called prodigiosin, by growing the strains in serial dilutions of Bd metabolites grown across the temperature gradient that Bd is capable of surviving. Using UV-vis spectrophotometry, we were able to observe the relative production of prodigiosin as the bacteria proliferated over the course of 7 days. We discovered that the reduction of prodigiosin occurred in both strains at a higher rate as the concentration of Bd metabolites increased, and that these reactions occurred regardless of the temperature in which the S. marcescens and Bd were grown at. S. marcescens was then tested in the same fashion against the metabolites within the Bd profile that had noted immunomodulatory results, and inhibition again occurred regardless of temperature. These results demonstrate that Bd is capable of producing metabolites that are sufficient in suppressing the production of antimicrobial agents in an amphibian anti-Bd symbiont.

Presenter(s): Morgan Swanson

Department/Division/Area: Biology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jacob Kerby

Presentation Time: 11:30-11:45

Music

To Love an Artist: The Intertwining of Personal and Professional Life in "Notes on Viardot"

The University of South Dakota’s Opera has commissioned an opera by composer Michael Ching to premiere this spring, entitled Notes on Viardot. It tells the story of prima donna and composer Pauline Viardot, highlighting her rise to fame in the nineteenth century and the alleged ménage à trois which took place between her, her husband Louis Viardot, and the famed writer Ivan Turgenev. We have researched the backgrounds of the alleged lovers Pauline Viardot and Ivan Turgenev, both powerhouses of the Romantic artistic era, and the fascinating details of their possible love affair—traces of which are left behind in letters, poetry, lyrics, and even plays. This presentation will cover the historical records which indicate the passionate private lives of the two artists and will conclude with our performance of one of the final scenes in the opera sung by Pauline, Ivan, and their younger counterparts.

Presenter(s): Abigail Rockhill, Shea Lueninghoener, Nicole Santos, Denisse Balandran, Brian Shirley

Department/Division/Area: Music

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Tracelyn Gesteland

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:15

Physical Therapy

Dynamic Knee Valgus Effect on Jump Performance*

Introduction: Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is widely considered as a risk factor for knee injuries. Due to this, athletic performance and injury rehabilitation cueing has focused on keeping the “knees out.” DKV has been thought to have a negative impact on jumping and landing performance, however, past research shows contradictory results. Purpose: To assess the association of jump performance and DKV. Methods: 50 participants were recruited from the USD Wellness Center and 35 participants (17 males, 18 females) were included in the final analysis. Three single-leg drop jumps were performed bilaterally with varying knee alignments: natural alignment, cued neutral alignment, and cued DKV alignment. Results: Static Q-angle, Modified Q-angle, and Craig’s Test had no correlation with DKV on cued jumps. Meanwhile, both modified Q-angle (r=.37, p=.029) and Q-angle (r=.34, p=.042) had positive correlations with DKV measurements for natural jumps. With a cued DKV jump, ground contact time (r=.4851, p=.0031) was positively correlated with true DKV measurements. There was no correlation between natural jump and cued neutral knee alignment jumps. When subtracting the static measurement of the modified Q-angle from the DKV measurements, there was no longer a correlation with any of the performance measurements. Discussion/Conclusion: A modified Q-angle may be considered over traditional Q-angle when taking DKV measurements. Bony alignment may be considered with performance, as normalization of DKV measurements by static measurements controlled for the differences shown in DKV with natural jumping performance. Minimal contact time is associated with true DKV measurements during the cued DKV jumps, indicating a potential shift in cuing for DKV and jumping. Based on this study, clinicians should consider an individual’s bony alignment, using a modified Q-angle, and future research should investigate contact time as an external cue when addressing DKV and jump performance.

Presenter(s): Emma W. Porter, Madison P. Andersen, Laura I. Higgins, Alex W. Wickersham

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Matt Dewald

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:15

Postpartum Pelvic Health Education, Attitudes, and Knowledge

Background: The pelvic floor plays a key role in many important bodily functions such as bowel and bladder support, maintenance of the positioning of the pelvic organs, and sexual function. Pelvic floor trauma after childbirth can disrupt these normal functions and profoundly affect women’s day-to-day lives. Oftentimes, perinatal education lacks important information about the pelvic floor’s functions and disorders. The purpose of this study is to query postpartum women to understand the sources and timing of pelvic health education as well as attitudes and knowledge about pelvic health among perinatal women.

Methods: 138 participants who were no more than 12 months postpartum were contacted through ResearchMatch.org, social media, and community outreach fully completed an online survey. The survey fielded responses about the participant’s demographic profile, delivery experience, postpartum physical health prenatal and postnatal pelvic health education, symptomology, attitudes about pelvic health education, and knowledge about pelvic floor functioning.

Results: Pelvic floor symptomology reported as mild-to-severe was common among participants, with 30% of women reporting pelvic organ prolapse symptoms, 42% of women reporting colorectal-anal distress, and 34% reporting urinary distress. The greatest proportion of respondents believed that women should receive information about pelvic health from their health care provider during a young adult annual wellness check. However, 48% reported they have never received education about pelvic health from their health care provider, and, among women who received education, 47% reported they received this information later than an ideal lifespan timeline.

Conclusion: Although pelvic floor dysfunction after pregnancy or childbirth affects a significant number of women, only about half of the women in this report having been provided with pelvic health education in their lifetimes. This study demonstrates that there is a need for improved education about pelvic floor dysfunction for prenatal women.

Presenter(s): Andrea Jagels, Emma Harkleroad, Kacy Kamphoff

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Patti Berg-Poppe

Presentation Time: 11:15-11:30

Occupational Therapy

Memory and Multitasking in Daily Occupations

Functional cognition is a broad framework including metacognition, executive functioning, performance skills, and performance patterns for successful and efficient performance in daily occupations. Deficits in executive functioning and memory have been evaluated in individuals who have various neurological diagnoses, but not in healthy individuals. It is necessary to develop a deeper understanding of how executive function skills interact with memory demands to establish a baseline performance demand for other daily occupations. To further understand the effect of dual-task performance on daily occupations, we evaluated healthy college students at the University of South Dakota. Nineteen undergraduate students (2 males, 17 females; mean age=18.42) participated in the memory and occupational performance pilot experiment. Participants completed complex and simple cooking tasks (simple chopping, or complex peeling, chopping, and mixing) while simultaneously recalling different memory load conditions, (complex being 5 words spaced 5s apart and simple being 5 words followed by 25s delay). Word recall, efficiency, and task performance were scored to determine the relationship of task complexity and memory. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare memory accuracy based on memory presentation style (complex span, Brown Peterson) and occupational task complexity (simple cooking, complex cooking). A main effect of memory presentation was found (F(1, 227) = 10.654, p < 0.01). There was a trend towards an effect of task complexity (F(1,227) = 2.92, p = 0.089) and an interaction between memory presentation and task complexity (F(1,227) = 2.801, p =0.09).

Presenter(s): Avery Brockberg, Justin Kooiman, Syrena Meyer

Department/Division/Area: Occupational Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Karen Hebert

Presentation Time: 11:30-11:45

Physical Therapy

Grid Localization Testing with Different Grid Sizes

The purpose of the study was to investigate grid localization testing (GLT) with different grid sizes. A convenience sample of participants was used from the Midwest. Participant inclusion was 18 years or older, no current back pain within 8 weeks, no recent back surgery, and English speaking. Participants exclusion was anyone with known tactile acuity deficits, neurological impairments, open wounds on the low back area, neuropathy, or pregnancy. The method was to use a GLT with three row and four column grids of three various sizes, small, medium, and large. A single prong Carolina 2-point Discriminator was used to assess tactile touch in the middle of each grid square. Participants then underwent orientation to a grid, and then attempted to identify the location of 20 touch points. Grid size order and touch-point sequence were randomly assigned. There was a five-minute washout period between each grid size test. Thirty participants (N = 30, 17 female) with an average age of 24.77 (range 21-44) were studied. The mean error rate for each grid was as follows: small 8.63 (SD=2.79); medium 4.03 (SD=2.67); large 3.53 (SD=2.73). A significant difference was found when comparing the medium and large grids to the small grid (p<.001) and a large effect size (ηp2=.620) was observed. No significance was found comparing the medium to large grid (p=.332). No significant difference between gride size order of testing and touch-point sequence was observed. GLT demonstrated a significant difference in accuracy when comparing a medium or large grid to a small grid, while no significant difference was found when comparing the medium grid to a larger grid. Touch point order or testing sequence did not affect patient error rates.

Presenter(s): Jhett P.R. Cihak, Grace R. Robison, Taylor Janovy

Department/Division/Area: Physical Therapy

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Kory Zimney

Presentation Time: 11:45-12:00

Mock Trial Presentation

During the annual charity gala for Sohi Children’s Hospital, two masked individuals break into the vault at Miller Tower. During the heist, Emory Sands, a Miller Tower security officer, is severely wounded. The robbers flee via a helicopter on the rooftop. After an extensive investigation, Poe Cameron is arrested as one of the two suspected armed robbers and is charged with the attempted murder of Emory Sands.

Presenter(s): Lindsey Grabowska, Ryleigh Christopherson, London Van Cleave, Ava True, Hope Mcphillips, Walt U. Furstenau, Ross Wegner, Christopher Branham, Brooklyn Gifford, El Branham

Department/Division/Area: Mock Trial

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Sandy McKeown

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:50

Counseling & Psychology in Education

The Impact of Perfectionism and Coping Flexibility on Body Dissatisfaction

The purpose of this study is to investigate how coping flexibility may impact body image concerns for first year college students – particularly those students reporting high levels of perfectionistic tendencies. The move to college represents a time of transition that may strain students’ psychological resources while simultaneously increasing exposure to social comparison. This developmental period has also been identified as a peak in the onset of eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, making the early college years a crucial time for investigating the factors that contribute to and lessen an individual’s body image concerns. Utilizing a combination of latent profile analysis and hierarchical regression, the potential moderating effect of coping flexibility on both trait perfectionism and perfectionistic self-presentation on two facets of body dissatisfaction will be examined. The use of such a person-centered approach will allow for a more holistic examination of interindividual differences in the constructs of interest and help to identify those most in need of early intervention. Implications for higher education professionals will be discussed.

Presenter(s): Hannah Faiman

Department/Division/Area: Counseling & Psychology in Education

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Emma Johnson

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:15

Pivoting to New Goals: Work Volition and Goal Reengagement as Predictors of Meaningful Work, Wellbeing, and Calling*

Work is a prominent part of adult life, and the opportunity to choose preferred types of work predicts wellbeing and a sense of calling or purpose within and beyond work. However, finding and keeping preferred work is often difficult when adults are also navigating financial realities, marginalizing systems, and their own priorities outside of work. Work volition measures the freedom that adults feel regarding their work options and predicts whether they have decent work with a living wage, but work volition also predicts adults’ wellbeing even after accounting for decent work. In other words, simply having an acceptable job may not fully explain the connection between having strong work options and one’s sense of meaning at work, wellbeing, and calling. Further, when faced with blocked goals, adults use reengagement capacities to pivot their attention to achieving alternate goals. Reengagement capacities may help adults cope with low work volition by supporting their abilities to pivot to adjusted or alternate goals that offer new avenues for work-meaning, wellbeing, and calling. This study will recruit 400 U.S. workers and use four dependent variables to measure their work meaning, wellbeing and calling within primary work and calling outside of primary work.  The researcher hypothesizes that a) work volition will directly predict meaning, wellbeing and calling even after accounting for decent work. b) use of reengagement capacities buffers the ill effects of low work volition, and that c) reengagement capacities will also predict how people with low work volition assign their calling to work and non-work roles.

Presenter(s): Julia Price-Lee

Department/Division/Area: Counseling & Psychology in Education

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Harry Freeman

Presentation Time: 1:15-1:30

Curriculum & Instruction

Four Ways to Create a Positive Classroom

Classroom management has had such a philosophical type of presentation for years that now, with the rise of classroom behaviors, it is time that teachers are gifted with practical and tangible items to implement in their classrooms. As a former classroom teacher, at-risk teacher, and consulting teacher, I will present four ideas for teachers they can take to their classroom the next day. These implementable classroom management strategies are based on my classroom experiences and previous studies.

Presenter(s): Alisha Elder

Department/Division/Area: Curriculum & Instruction

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams, Monica Iverson

Presentation Time: 1:30-1:45

Art

Under Construction: Ongoing Research on Nineteenth-Century Art

Art history offers students from a variety of disciplines the opportunity to explore the creative potential of research and writing. This panel brings together scholarship in progress on topics from the nineteenth century. The presentation of work in progress allows students to receive valuable feedback and creates opportunities for the discussion of the value and process of art historical research. In addition to research presentations from each participant, this panel will foster discussion of the relationship between art historical research and the creative process.

Isabela Moreno: “Spanish Folklore and Women in Goya’s Maja and Celestina on a Balcony”

Veronica Knippling: “Toulmouche’s Bride: An Allegory for French Politics”

Mia Love Jones: “Théodore Géricault’s Severed Heads: Analysis and Context”

Elizabeth Wiggins: “Unveiling Intersectionality: Connecting the Prostitute and the Maid through the Symbolism of Manet’s Black Cat”

Presenter(s): Kayli Stiles, Isabela Moreno, Mia Jones, Veronica Knippling, Elizabeth Wiggins

Department/Division/Area: Art

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Lauren Freese

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:50

Psychology

Preparation of a Survey on Sex Toys & Sexual Health

According to the Graduate Student Journal of Psychology, “Sex toys, as defined by Döring and Poeschl (2020), are sexual enhancement products with the intent of improving the nature and quality of sexual experiences. This operationalization of sex  toys emphasizes pleasure and the enhancement of sexual experiences as it pertains to overall sexual health and satisfaction”(). The connection between sex toy use and sexual health is seldom represented in current research. Therefore, we are in the process of developing a questionnaire to analyze the stigmas surrounding sex toys and masturbation, including the effects of religion, gender, sexual orientation, and openness to experience. We plan to correlate sex toy interest with sexual health along with the exploration of one's sexual anatomy. These findings will not only help reduce the stigmas associated with the use of sex toys but also allow people the opportunity to learn more about their bodies including sexual pleasures, and their ability to find concerning abnormalities before the doctor does. This survey includes questions about when individuals began using sex toys, if their religious affiliation has made an impact on their masturbation and sex toy use, as well as if individuals have noticed abnormalities due to masturbation. Overall, it is important to measure possible correlations between sex toy use and sexual health, as sex is considered to be a primary biological need.

Presenter(s): Alexandra M. Lorensen, Mckenzie S. Anderson

Department/Division/Area: Psychology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Cindy Struckman-Johnson

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:15

Assumptions about Race in Sexual and Romantic Relationships

During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade a great deal of stereotypes were formed about African American and Black individuals. This was due to both scientific racism and legal challenges that affected the personhood and citizenship of African American and Black individuals (Smithsonian, 2024). Early American history played a significant role in shaping attitudes toward African-American and Black people during this era. These stereotypical images still exist in contemporary society, although not as powerful, they are still prevalent (Green, n.d.). In order to assess contemporary attitudes of USD college students, we developed and conducted an online anonymous Qualtrics survey entitled Assumptions about Race in Sexual and Romantic Relationships. In the survey, participants were asked to identify historical Black stereotypes, provide a qualitative display of their known knowledge of racial stereotypes, and share their assumptions and openness toward interracial sexual and romantic relationships. In this presentation, we will first provide a historical overview of multiple African American and Black stereotypes. Then, we will share preliminary findings from the ongoing survey about attitudes and opinions of interracial sexual and romantic relationships, levels of openness, and how acceptable interracial dating is to the participant and the participants' peers. The data presented will be both qualitative and quantitative. Our goal of the presentation will be to increase the overall understanding between race and ethnicity and sexual and romantic relationships on USD’s campus.

Presenter(s): Salena Carr, Celena Hettrick, Mason L. Hatwan

Department/Division/Area: Psychology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Cindy Struckman-Johnson

Presentation Time: 1:15-1:30

Sustainability

Sustainabili-TOUR around USD Campus: Sustainable infrastructure

Presenter(s): Waverly Patterson, Lily Dubray, Caden Fisher, Allison Gross, Morgan Hrivnak, Emily Kilstrom, Sushant Mukhia, Hannah Nelin, Samuel Parrish, Bowen Rand, Caleb Swanson, Wyatt Wiebelhaus

Department/Division/Area: Sustainability

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Meghann Jarchow, Mark Sweeney

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:50

Educational Administration

Give A Goat: Integrating Global Literature with Social Studies

The topic of the oral presentation concerns integrating social studies with literacy. The aim of this integration is to provide students with a more comprehensive and holistic learning experience that enriches their language acquisition skills and helps to develop their reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities. Moreover, it provides students with ample opportunities to collaborate with their peers and explore materials that they can discuss, analyze, and learn from. Integrating literacy within social studies has several key advantages. For instance, it helps students with disabilities to make meaning from texts. Furthermore, it creates a more inclusive and accessible learning environment for students with diverse learning needs, providing them with the necessary resources and support to succeed academically and confidently participate in classroom discussions. In addition to this, incorporating a global perspective in social studies education is crucial in today’s interconnected world. It helps students develop a better understanding of diverse cultures, languages, and traditions, which in turn fosters respect and empathy. Moreover, it helps students to develop critical thinking skills and encourages them to ask questions about the world around them. Overall, integrating social studies with literacy and incorporating a global perspective in social studies education are valuable tools that enhance students' learning experiences and equip them to meet the challenges of the modern world. These approaches help to create informed and engaged citizens who are ready to tackle the issues of the 21st century. In the presentation, I will showcase a unit plan I designed that integrates global literature with social studies. The unit plan is based on a children’s book, Give a Goat.

Presenter(s): Mallory Vetter

Department/Division/Area: Educational Administration

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 2:00-2:15

USD's Educational Scavenger Hunt

The "USD Scavenger Hunt " is a project designed for pre-service teachers enrolled in ELED 162: Geography and World History for Elementary Teachers to demonstrate their understanding of geography education through creative design. Guided by the Five Themes of Geography, students work collaboratively to create a scavenger hunt centered around the University of South Dakota (USD) campus. The assignment aims to foster an appreciation for geography education while incorporating instructional technology and promoting engagement with potential future students. Additionally, collaborating with the School of Education recruiter, students’ projects were used as a recruiting tool to attract prospective students. This presentation will provide an overview of the project's goals and guidelines and feature multiple student work samples, emphasizing its value in preparing pre-service teachers for authentic classroom experiences and enriching their understanding of geography education.

Presenter(s): Noah M. Sorgdrager, Nilda D. Lima-Alvarez, Haley R. Boulware, Teegan Henderson

Department/Division/Area: Educational Administration

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 2:15-2:30 

School of Education

Teaching Difficult History for Secondary Education

Teaching history is not easy, particularly when dealing with difficult topics, but if taught properly, it can be a rewarding experience for educators and students alike. This presentation focuses on teaching difficult history through the impactful stories of African American civil rights activists who served in the US military during World War II. This lesson is intended for middle/high school students. It highlights these African American veterans' personal stories, which allows students to better understand this country's civil rights struggle. Using primary and secondary sources, students can understand these veterans' struggle against fascism abroad and segregation at home. This lesson aims to engage students by connecting personal narratives and real-life events to make connections from the past to the present. This approach makes history more personal for students and not just text on paper of something that happened many years ago., Putting a face or name to an event fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of the curriculum and the event. This lesson is designed to help educate students and inspire fellow educators on different teaching strategies for integrating difficult topics into their curriculum.

Presenter(s): Christian Swensen

Department/Division/Area: School of Education

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 2:30-2:45

Music

Defining "Fear" as a Concept in the Context of Academic Learning

This presentation aims to address the concept of “fear” as a potential learning tool. We will look into “fear” as a definition and as a concept, and how it may be used both as a motivator or as an inhibitor. One cannot look into the concept of “fear” without addressing other related emotional states such as anxiety and stress. Statistically, the areas of study that involve the double component of theoretical learning and performance may trigger a higher level of “fear”, stress, and anxiety compared to other fields. As a future professional musician, pedagogue, and performer, I have devoted many hours of research into performance anxiety, and fear-led teaching. Among the questions I seek to answer are: “Is fear a helpful motivator in teaching music?” “What is the difference between the legitimate fears of learning new skills, and the socially-induced fear of failure –  of performance, disappointing the teacher, and the fear of teacher’s reaction?” The outcome of this study will ideally enhance my academic career as a future performing musician and pedagogue. It is my hope that my research will also benefit my fellow students and teachers.

Presenter(s): Caroline Maloley

Department/Division/Area: Music

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Ioana Galu

Presentation Time: 2:15-2:30

Psychology

The Impact of childhood trauma and compassion on Adult EMS Responders Level of Resiliency: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

The State of SD has seen an increase in 911 “call volume” from 78,000 in 2018 to 112,000 calls in 2022. With this high number of calls, the potential for an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) professional experiencing a traumatic event is high, especially as they are  often the first to arrive at the scene exposing them to mentally taxing situations that can jeopardize their mental health. Unfortunately, the EMS industry has a history of neglecting mental health awareness and care for its professionals. This may contribute to the ongoing high turn-over rate of professionals and an overall shortage of  workers in the field. In addition, research on provider resiliency and mental health is lacking. In other areas of trauma research, characteristics of the trauma survivors have been analyzed to further predict PTSD symptoms. In this study, it is hypothesized that individuals who have developed a higher level of internal compassion as a result of surviving childhood trauma tend to have greater resiliency and coping strategies.  This increased ability to compartmentalize a traumatic experience can help EMS Professionals perceive it as a non-traumatic event, thereby reducing the impact of the experience. This study will utilize phenomenological qualitative inquiry methods to explore long-term impacts of childhood trauma and compassion on EMS responders level of provider resiliency in their current positions. In order to reach data saturation, it is estimated that we will recruit six to twenty participants who will complete an initial demographics questionnaire followed by the qualitative interview.  The participants will be regarded as the “experts” describing their experience as an EMS professional who experienced trauma as a child and how this has impacted their work. We hope that the results of this study will inform the training of future and current EMS workers toward better mental health and resiliency outcomes. 

Presenter(s): Shelly M. Stockstad

Department/Division/Area: Psychology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jean Caraway

Presentation Time: 2:00-2:15

Clinical Psychology

Understanding the Role of School Resource Officers in Addressing Student's Mental Health Needs: A Phenomenological Study

This presentation will outline the plan for a master’s thesis investigating the lived experiences of school resources officers (SROs) who have responded to a mental health crisis in K-12 schools. SROs continue to be commonly used in schools throughout the United States. In turn, researchers have focused on the different roles that SROs have within the educational environment and how these roles are put into action when interacting with students. However, there have been limited studies exploring the role SROs play when interacting with students who are experiencing mental health problems or experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health problems are common among youth with 1 in 5 children having a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. Nevertheless, many do not receive treatment for their conditions and are more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system than peers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to better understand the SROs’ lived experiences when responding to a student experiencing a mental health crisis in K-12 schools to identify their role in that situation. The study will utilize phenomenological qualitative methods with data being collected through one semi-structured interview with participants. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to create a framework of themes that represent the shared experiences of participants. The findings from this study can provide suggestions to policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers to enhance SROs’ effectiveness in supporting students with mental health issues and improving student outcomes. By the end of this presentation, the audience should have a better understanding of the current research on SROs and how phenomenological methods will be used in the present study.

Presenter(s): Ryan C. Vinzant

Department/Division/Area: Clinical Psychology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jean Caraway

Presentation Time: 2:15-2:30

Sociology

The Influence of K-12 Education on Collegiate Matriculation and Wellbeing

The American educational landscape has actively broadened over the past few decades from traditional public and private school education formats to encompass online schooling, traditional homeschooling and homeschooling co-ops, hybrid schooling, unschooling, and more. Much of the long term debate on education methods has centered on the efficacy of these various educational approaches with a specific focus on contrasting public, private, and homeschooling education. One of the major critiques of homeschooling over time has been that it does not provide sufficient social skills. However, this stereotype has been refuted by various social scientists in relatively recent years. This study examines the impact of K-12 education background on college students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. It has a specific focus on how homeschooling, compared to public, private, and online schooling, impacts collegiate adjustment through a targeted exploration of social, emotional, and academic transition measures. This work also addresses the influence of sociodemographic variables like gender, race, familial income, and general mental wellbeing on collegiate matriculation. The results underscore the profound impact of K-12 educational choices on college students’ collegiate success and well-being, suggesting that homeschooling may offer advantages in preparing students for higher education.

Presenter(s): Pema Y. Sherpa

Department/Division/Area: Sociology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Isaiah Cohen

Presentation Time: 2:30-2:45

Sustainabili-TOUR around USD Campus: Sustainable processes, programs, and recommendations

Presenter(s): Waverly Patterson, Lily Dubray, Caden Fisher, Allison Gross, Morgan Hrivnak, Emily Kilstrom, Sushant Mukhia, Hannah Nelin, Samuel Parrish, Bowen Rand, Caleb Swanson, Wyatt Wiebelhaus

Department/Division/Area: Sustainability

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Meghann Jarchow, Mark Sweeney

Presentation Time: 2:00 - 2:50

History

From Baby Dolls to Boxed Barbies: The Cultural Evolution of America's Favorite Blonde Icon

The emergence of the Barbie doll alongside feminist movements brought about challenges to the places women could occupy in the private and public spheres. Recent scholarship explores the relationship between toys and targeted consumers. The topic of this presentation seeks to explore the “ideological baggage” Barbie and related toys have on play and children’s views of the world. Through the historical analysis of Ruth Handler, creator of the Barbie doll, the emergence of Barbie as a representative of the all-American image that dominated the market may be explored. Effectively paired with feminist movements that advocated for the expansion of women’s voices in the public sphere, Barbie offered an opportunity for young girls to reject conventional domestic duties and explore the imaginative possibilities and arising realities of women occupying traditionally masculine roles. The inclusion of personal narratives and oral interviews offers a deeply reflexive relationship young women had with their dolls. This paper explores the historical context and ideals in which the Barbie doll was situated yet also offers to provide an alternative narrative to mainstream domestic culture. The critique of Barbie’s fashion sense, exclusive and inclusive body types, and her impact on the postwar consumer culture ultimately reflects how Barbie served as both a product of her time and as a figurine for children to construct their own identities beyond their socially situated knowledge and experiences.

Presenter(s): Elisabeth Kluin

Department/Division/Area: History

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): David Burrow, Michelle Rogge Gannon

Presentation Time: 3:00-3:15 

Teaching Difficult Histories: The Wounded Knee Massacre

Difficult Histories refer to the topics that contain troubling ideas such as war, racial tension, and genocide, among others. It also refers to the difficulty that comes with teaching and learning such events. How to teach difficult history has become a hot topic in recent years with questions of how it should be taught, how in depth it should be taught, even whether it should be taught at all. As social studies educators, we will all have to address controversial, challenging, and painful topics in our classrooms. Being able to talk about these types of topics with empathy, understanding, and effective teaching strategies is essential in making sure that students learn actively and without anxiety. The Wounded Knee Massacre is the case that will be the focus of my oral presentation. I will include a brief description of the lesson plans that I would use over two days to teach High School students about the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Presenter(s): Elizabeth Boysen

Department/Division/Area: History

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 3:15-3:30 

English

Critically analyzing the nature of feminine characterization of Lady Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth was first published in the First Folio of 1623. Interestingly it was published seven years after Shakespeare’s death, and seventeen years after the play was first performed. Therefore, the performativity associated with Macbeth on stage is also an important aspect to understand the text fully. I argue that in Macbeth, gender is not treated as an inert identity, but it constantly changes its meanings and significations through the character of Lady Macbeth which according to Butler is “constituted through repeated sets of actions” that can be seen through the course of the play (Butler 519). I will critically analyze the nature of Lady Macbeth’s characterization in the play and situate her as someone who subverts the preconceived binaries associated with masculine and feminine genders. Her body, the site of her desired unsexing has been the focal point of many critical feminist scholarships (Townshend 173). In the introduction to The Second Sex, Simone De Beauvoir claims that one becomes a woman. In this way, she hints at a specific phenomenological theory where “the act of becoming a woman” is a process that is acquired through cultural appropriations (Beauvoir 301). In Macbeth, we see a total reversal of this process where Lady Macbeth attempts to discard her feminine identity. However, both Shakespeare and Beauvoir are seen to pave a new path for epistemologies related to gender roles.

 A body is an amalgamation of signs that needs to be interpreted, therefore by just attaching the biological connotations one can just limit the possibilities of these definitions. To truly understand it, we must pay attention to the constantly changing cultural continuum that it has become a part of.

I argue that Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth defies the static nature of gender identities.  To situate this argument, it is important to understand the concept of motherhood (as motherhood was one of the most integral identities of a woman in that period) in the seventeenth- century England to contextualize in what ways Lady Macbeth defies the preconceived notions of gender role. Finally, I will conclude the paper with a brief discussion on how the unconventional characterization of Lady Macbeth influenced/impacted the casting of the character in theater. I argue that this scholarship will enable to look at Shakespeare’s female characters from an alternative perspective that will help us to reimagine our social situations and historical contexts.

Keywords: epistemologies, gender roles, motherhood, identities

Presenter(s): Sneha Chakraborty

Department/Division/Area: English

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Prentiss Clark

Presentation Time: 3:30-3:45

Three Minute Thesis Showcase*

Can you explain your research in three minutes? That’s exactly what we are asking our students to do: Condense hundreds of pages of research into a three minute oral presentation. This showcase celebrates research being done by students at the University of South Dakota by providing them with an opportunity to communicate the significance and impact of their research project to a non-specialized audience in just three minutes with only one PowerPoint slide. Join us for this presentation of theses from graduate and undergraduate students.

Presenter(s): Caleb Swanson, Kacy Tubbs, Addison Jensen, Ashlee Schendel, Priyam Pandey, Tracy Tian

Department/Division/Area: 3MT

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Brittany Wagner, Hannah Faiman

Presentation Time: 3:00-3:50

Chemistry

What is the nature of Uranium(III)-Arene bond?

Uranium-arene complexes can exhibit multielectron reactivity that can be tuned by modifying the electronic structure due to the nature of the arene ligands. Although a significant number of studies have been dedicated to understanding the chemistry of such complexes, a clear description of the chemical bonding between the uranium and arene by systematically varying the functional groups on the arene is not available. Towards an understanding of the nature of the uranium-arene interaction, complexes of the form [U(η6−arene)(BH4)3] where, arene= C6H6; C6H5Me; C6H3-1,3,5-R3; R=Et, iPr, tBu, Ph; C6Me6; and triphenylene (C6H4)3 were investigated with combined density functional theory and multiconfigurational complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method. CASSCF investigations reveal low occupancy in the U-arene bonding, and antibonding orbitals, while δ -bonding interactions are only observed with high-symmetry and electron-rich C6Me6. Finally, both DFT and multireference calculations on a reduced congener, [U(C6Me6)(BH4)3]− – formally U(II), suggest the electronic structure (S = 1 or 2), and hence metal oxidation state, of such a species cannot be deduced from structural features such as arene distortion. Instead, we show the structure strongly depends upon the spin-state of the complex but that in both spin-states it is best described as U(III) and an arene-centered radical.

Presenter(s): Sabyasachi Roy Chowdhury

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Bess Vlaisavljevich

Presentation Time: 9:30-9:45

Advanced anti-counterfeiting applications realized by multifunctional germanate phosphors*

The issue of counterfeiting is a widespread problem that poses significant risks to public health and safety. As such, anti-counterfeiting measures play a crucial role in verifying authentic documents and fighting against forged products. Traditional approaches to anti-counterfeiting involve the use of watermarks, microprinting patterns, holographs, security labels, and quick response (QR) codes. However, these methods can be vulnerable to replication due to their simplicity and the advancement of counterfeiting techniques. Therefore, it is essential to develop more advanced anti-counterfeiting applications with higher complexity and security. One promising approach is to create and use novel functional materials with unique properties that are less popular in the field of anti-counterfeiting. Our research group has developed several germanate materials with fascinating optical properties. For example, zinc germanate (ZGO) phosphors doped with manganese exhibit trifecta photoluminescence properties, while calcium zinc germanate (CZGO) phosphors doped with lead have dynamic fluorescence properties that shift the emission light from blue to green in less than 60 seconds. These materials will be able to be utilized in anti-counterfeiting applications, where they display multiple emission properties, as well as a change in emission behavior over time. It is clear that these phosphor materials have enormous potential in developing complex labels for anti-counterfeiting applications.

Presenter(s): Zishen Yang

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Chaoyang Jiang

Presentation Time: 9:45-10:00

Calcium-containing nanoparticles for sunscreen formulation, gene transfer and drug delivery

Calcium-containing nanoparticles are well known for their potential in biological and biomedical applications. The ability of calcium carbonate particles to scatter UV-light significantly depends on the particle’s size, its surface chemical composition, and can be close to the SPF values of commercial sunscreens. These nontoxic particles are a promising component of biocompatible sunscreens free of the traditional photocatalytic titania. The ability of calcium carbonate nanoparticles for the acid-triggered gate-controlled release of eugenol also make them excellent candidates for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs. Higher biodegradability of hydroxyapatite particles and their anisotropic surface chemistry opens the door for their site-selective functionalization to tune their gene-delivery and drug-delivery properties. My research is aimed at the exploration of the surface chemistry and functionalization of calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite-based materials to enable their practical applications in the skin-friendly sunscreens, systems for genetic modification of plants, and novel drug-delivery materials for oncology.

Presenter(s): Mahadi Hasan

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Grigoriy Sereda

Presentation Time: 10:00-10:15

Eugenol-controlled formation of calcium citrate microparticles and gold nanoparticles*

This study introduces a novel method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using eugenol loaded calcium citrate microparticles (CaCit) as a reducing and templating material at room temperature, departing from the conventional use of sodium citrate under reflux conditions. Characteristic plasmon resonance absorption peaks in UV-visible spectrometry at 525 nm confirmed the successful formation of AuNPs with sizes of 15 nm or smaller. The size of AuNPs was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Eugenol loaded CaCit's multifaceted role in both reduction and stabilization of AuNPs, along with its capacity to expedite nucleation and growth steps, was highlighted. Additionally, the morphology of CaCit influenced the formation of AuNPs, with rod-shaped particles showing marginally faster reduction kinetics compared to needle-shaped counterparts. Imaging techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed the morphological characteristics of CaCit. This research is a first example for efficient, customizable AuNP synthesis without reflux conditions. This technique facilitates the synthesis of AuNPs at room temperature and may enhance control over their morphology and properties. Further exploration will focus on controlling AuNP morphology and their site-specific interaction with CaCit, offering promising applications in catalysis, biomedicine, and nanoelectronics.

Presenter(s): Sadia Afrin

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Grigoriy Sereda

Presentation Time: 10:15-10:30

Microfluidic modeling of targeted drug delivery for oral health*

Dental diseases present a significant global health challenge, affecting individuals across all age groups. This spectrum of oral health issues encompasses conditions like dental caries, gum disease, and oral infections. In the customer discovery interviews, dental patients have raised concerns about potential drug overexposure during and after procedures, driven by fears of adverse effects, allergies, and the increasing use of antibiotics and anesthesia. Dentists are increasingly focused on minimizing opioid and steroid-based medication doses due to potential side effects and addiction risks. This study explores an innovative approach to targeted drug delivery in the dental environment using eco-friendly and non-toxic CaCO3 microparticles (CCMPs). These particles serve as drug carriers, delivering medications to bacterial infection sites. The casein (CAS) coated CCMPs disintegrate in acidic or specific enzyme environments produced by bacteria, facilitating precise drug release at the infection site. Unused particles are safely eliminated or degraded into non-toxic compounds in the stomach's acidic environment. In vitro experiments with encapsulated drugs of interest (DOI), including eugenol, fluoride, chlorhexidine, prednisolone, and doxycycline within CCMPs, have demonstrated promising results in releasing drugs under acidic conditions. The enzyme response of this system (CCMP-DOI-CAS) is a subject for future exploration. Incorporating these non-toxic CCMPs into dentifrices has the potential to reduce drug doses, addressing concerns of drug overexposure while expanding at-home oral care options. Tooth-on-a-chip is a type of microfluidic device that replicates the actual tooth cavity environment in a miniaturized form. This enables the study of dentin surface functions, such as dentin permeability, dental tubule occlusion, tooth interaction with oral bacteria, and antibacterial responses within a simulated oral environment. It provides a convenient platform for evaluating the efficiency of the CCMP-DOI-CAS drug delivery system. We will investigate the growth of streptococcus mutans bacteria on dentin and its response to CCMPs-DOI-CAS in a timely manner using the Tooth-on-a-Chip microfluidic device.

Presenter(s): Krishantha S. Wijewardhane

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Grigoriy Sereda

Presentation Time: 10:30-10:45

Health Sciences

Zero-Entry Homes & Accessible Housing for Populations at Risk of Falling

There is a lack of zero-entry homes and accessible housing for the geriatric population and people who have physical disabilities. Zero-entry homes are designed with no steps required to enter or access any part of the home. Accessible housing is important because it lowers a person’s risk of falling which can be detrimental to one’s health. For people who use mobility devices, finding housing with basic accessible features can be nearly impossible or unaffordable. Research was completed by building a Photovoice on the lack of accessible housing or zero-entry homes on a local, state, and national level. By completing a PhotoVoice, missions of diversity, inclusivity, and equity were addressed within disadvantaged and marginalized communities. To achieve these missions, participatory photography and digital storytelling methods were utilized. Articles published in peer-reviewed journals along with information obtained from professional, educational, and governmental websites were also used. While socioeconomic factors and social determinants of health play a large role, the results indicate that further advocacy and education may deliver positive social change within these communities.

Presenter(s): Brooklyn Briscoe

Department/Division/Area: Health Sciences

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jamie Turgeon-Drake

Presentation Time: 9:30-9:45

Poor Air Quality in Low Socioeconomic Communities

Air pollution is a problem all over the world. Most of these pollutants are surrounded by low socioeconomic communities. These people are more at risk for health outcomes than people that live farther away from the pollutant. Sioux City, Iowa is a great place to show the disparities that the communities face when located in a pollutant area. These areas often have low household income and low education. The pictures show how these factories are surrounded by neglected neighborhoods. Sioux City is connected to an interstate and multiple highways so it makes it a great factory and distribution area for the state. Sioux City has a higher poverty rate and Medicaid rate compared to Dakota Dunes which is a couple of miles away. It is important for health professionals to pay attention to the areas that their patients are living in. Living in air pollution can cause lung and cardiac issues. These conditions are usually paired with many other health conditions from breathing in bad air. Educating the communities and the cities about these issues should be the first step to improving air quality and the conditions around the pollutants. Quality air should be a right for everyone.

Presenter(s): Kaeley Einck

Department/Division/Area: Health Sciences

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jamie Turgeon-Drake

Presentation Time: 9:45-10:00

Lack of Accessible and Affordable Long Term Care in Vermillion and other small-town communities

This presentation includes information and background on the accessibility and affordable of long-term care in small-town communities. There is nationwide, local, and statewide statistics to back up the included information on the financial shortages, the work shortages, and then also running into culturally competent care complications due to the changing demographics in the United States.

Presenter(s): Cortney E. Sprecher

Department/Division/Area: Health Sciences

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jamie Turgeon-Drake

Presentation Time: 10:00-10:15 

Epilepsy in Dostoevsky's Literature

I decided to choose epilepsy as is has become a personal interest ever since I have discovered Dostoevsky and his works. I love the way in which he describes his characters and how he portrays epilepsy in the 19th century, especially in the novels “The Idiot” and “Crime and Punishment.” Neuroscience is a personal interest ever since I was in high school and I think that we, as a society, should be more aware of neurological disorders and how these manifest so that we can further help those who suffer from such disorders integrate into communities much more easily. There is already enough stigma around, which often causes unnecessary embarrassment and isolation, that we may not even be aware of.

Presenter(s): Andreea E. Munteanu

Department/Division/Area: Health Sciences

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jamie Turgeon-Drake

Presentation Time: 10:15-10:30

 Computer Science

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Quality of Higher Education‡

This research project is an integral component of my honors thesis and aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on higher education quality. It will accomplish this through a comprehensive exploration that seeks to discern the evolving dynamics and implications of AI integration, with a particular focus on understanding the perspectives of both students and faculty. The purpose of this study is to contribute valuable insights that transcend the extant surface-level understanding of AI's role in higher education. This will, in-turn, 1) inform strategic decisions, 2) foster responsible AI integration, and 3) enhance the overall quality of the educational experience. This project will utilize a wide array of methods to provide a full picture of the current and future impact of AI on higher education through quantitative student surveys and qualitative faculty interviews.  I intend to leverage advanced AI-driven data visualization tools to present the findings of this study in an approachable and visually engaging manner. This will involve exploring sophisticated visualization techniques, ensuring that both quantitative and qualitative data are communicated effectively to diverse audiences.

Presenter(s): Pragati Rouniyar

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): KC Santosh, Isaiah Cohen

Presentation Time: 9:30-9:45

DeepWhaleNet: An FFT-based Deep Neural Network for Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring.*

Whales are not only a source of wonder but also pivotal to the ecological balance of our planet. As the ocean’s sentinels, they contribute significantly to oxygen production, and support the sustainability of fish populations [1,2]. Despite their importance, whales face numerous threats from human activities, including overfishing, pollution, vessel strikes, and the broader impacts of climate change, all of which alter their habitats and migratory behaviors. Additionally, climate change and environmental shifts disrupt the traditional homes and migratory paths of these species. In response to these challenges, we propose DeepWhaleNet, a state-of-the-art AI model designed to streamline the identification of whales within underwater acoustic recordings and capable of discerning their distinct acoustic signatures to monitor them effectively in their deep-sea habitats. Conventional detection methods lack flexibility and require extensive adjustments before and after the detection process. DeepWhaleNet utilizes sophisticated sound analysis and a bespoke AI network to isolate whale vocalizations from ambient noise, capturing their unique auditory patterns. Comparative evaluations reveal that DeepWhaleNet outperforms existing methodologies, demonstrating marked enhancements in precision. Additionally, it excels in identifying whale species, with an exemplary performance in detecting Blue and Fin Whales, two of the most vulnerable baleen whale species.

Presenter(s): Nicholas R. Rasmussen

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): KC Santosh, Rodrigue Rizk

Presentation Time: 9:45-10:00

Imitation Learning to minimize the possible risk from future epidemics*

Managing infectious disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, within the constraints of limited medical image datasets poses a challenge for AI applications. In our previous research, we introduced Active Learning as a method to incorporate human expertise into the training process, guiding the deep learning model's decisions and intervening only in case of errors. Building upon this foundation, our current research work proposes the integration of a reinforcement learning technique, Imitation Learning (IL), to further enhance the adaptability of the model. Imitation Learning involves an agent learning to replicate the actions of a medical expert after the mentoring phase, contributing to the model's autonomy in the absence of a fully annotated dataset. This approach proves particularly valuable for addressing future epidemics that may lack the requisite annotated data for training AI models. The IL process encompasses data collection, learning, and evaluation stages, allowing deep structured networks, such as VGG16, ResNet101, and DenseNet169, to autonomously learn and classify deep features of medical images into two distinct categories: Covid and Non-Covid. Utilizing three diverse datasets, including 10,000 Computed Tomography (CT) scans and 4,400 chest X-rays (CXR), we leverage pre-trained models and integrate k-means clustering within the imitation learning framework. This enables us to mentor the model with additional data samples without the continuous involvement of human experts, as seen in active learning. By expanding the capabilities of deep learning models through IL, we aim to contribute to the development of robust and autonomous systems capable of addressing emerging health challenges with limited annotated datasets.

References: 

Nakarmi, Suprim & Santosh, Kc. (2023). Active Learning to Minimize the Risk from Future Epidemics. 329-330. 10.1109/CAI54212.2023.00145.

Faculty sponsor: Dr. Rodrigue Rizk (Assistant Professor, Computer Science), Dr. KC Santosh (Chair, Computer Science)

Submitter: Pooja Singh (Grad Student, Computer Science)

Presenter(s): Pooja Singh

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): KC Santosh, Rodrigue Rizk

Presentation Time: 10:00-10:15

Improving CNN’s Robustness by Integrating Local and Global Processes*

The landscape of computer vision has seen significant strides with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), yet they remain susceptible to robustness issues. This research work introduces an approach to improve CNNs by integrating convolutional attention mechanisms, adept at refining local features, with non-local blocks (NLBs), known for capturing long-range dependencies. Refining local features involves enhancing the details and characteristics within a small, specific area of an image, allowing for better recognition and interpretation of visual elements. Capturing long-range dependencies refers to the process of understanding the relationships and interactions between distant parts of an image, which is crucial for grasping the overall context of the image. This unified framework addresses both local and global aspects of feature representation, enhancing CNN's robustness and generalization capabilities. In doing so, it helps in grasping the complexity of entire scenes, providing a more insightful and sensitive approach to analyzing images. Furthermore, the adaptive nature of this approach allows for dynamic adjustment to varying levels of complexity in visual data, making it highly effective across diverse applications. Our experiments on the CIFAR-100 and CIFAR10-C benchmark test dataset validate the efficacy of this approach, revealing substantial improvements in robustness compared to conventional CNNs. This fusion of convolutional attention and NLBs presents a promising avenue for building humane and resilient CNNs to meet challenges in real-world scenarios.

References:  

1. LeCun, Yann, Yoshua Bengio, and Geoffrey Hinton. "Deep learning." nature 521, no. 7553 (2015): 436-444. 

2. Wang, X., Girshick, R., Gupta, A., & He, K. (2018). Non-local neural networks. In Proceedings of the IEEE conference on computer vision and pattern recognition (pp. 7794-7803)

3. Woo, S., Park, J., Lee, J. Y., & Kweon, I. S. (2018). CBAM: Convolutional Block Attention Module. In Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV) (pp. 3-19).

Presenter(s): Aashish Ghimire

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Longwei Wang, KC Santosh

Presentation Time: 10:15-10:30

Revitalizing an Endangered Language: Integrating Large Language Models for Low-Resource Dakota/Lakota

In an era where languages worldwide face the threat of extinction, the preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages stand as imperative cultural endeavors. This research work at the intersection of Computer Science and Linguistics focuses on harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to contribute to the preservation of the Dakota/Lakota language, a vital aspect of the rich cultural heritage of the Sioux people. This research work is driven by the recognition that language plays a pivotal role in maintaining cultural identity, passing down traditional knowledge, and fostering a sense of community. The Dakota/Lakota language, with its complex grammar and unique linguistic features, faces the risk of diminishing fluency among younger generations. To address this challenge, our research proposes AI technologies including Large Language Models (LLMs) in revitalizing the Dakota/Lakota language, a critically endangered low-resource language spoken by the Sioux people of North America. The key objectives of our research include: collecting Dakota/Lakota corpora, developing LLM-based algorithms to analyze and document spoken and written Dakota/Lakota, and incorporating community input and collaboration throughout the research process to ensure cultural sensitivity and authenticity in AI-driven language initiatives. The research not only contributes to the specific context of Dakota/Lakota but also sets a precedent for leveraging AI in the preservation of other endangered indigenous languages. The intersection of AI and linguistics holds promise for fostering linguistic diversity and cultural resilience in the face of contemporary challenges.

Presenter(s): Kanishka Parankusham

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Rodrigue Rizk, KC Santosh

Presentation Time: 10:30-10:45

 Theatre

Director and Actors’ Creative Research for USD Theatre’s Bat Boy: The Musical

This presentation will give an overview of stage director Mickey Morstad’s research and concept in mounting his MFA thesis production, USD Theatre Department’s presentation of Bat Boy: The Musical, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming. The director’s concept presentation will cover: why this particular show was selected; the directorial approach; theatrical style and movement methodologies; incorporation of consent-forward and trauma-informed practices; significant themes (social commentary, othering, queer allegory, the misuse of religion, generational conflict, betrayal, and revenge); the director’s vision for the world of the musical; and technical challenges that the production team addressed in bringing this production to the stage. Following the director’s oral presentation, undergraduate actors will perform select scenes from the musical, showcasing the results of their own creative research in bringing their characters to life. The full production runs April 18-21 in the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts.

Presenter(s): Mickey Morstad, Jamie Lennon, Kaeli Vondra, Zach Lopez, Vivan Klein, Doreen Flannery, Emmy Hewitt, Meg Cook, Cody Steen

Department/Division/Area: Theatre

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Chaya Gordon-Bland

Presentation Time: 9:30-10:45

Chemistry

Understanding Structure-Function Relationships in the Nucleation of Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxide Clusters

Polyoxovanadate-alkoxides are a class of transition metal compounds based on earth-abundant elements with highly promising catalytic and magnetic properties. These species are a perfect candidate for the high demand for novel single-species redox agents with tunable redox properties for use in a wide variety of applications, such as the development of non-aqueous redox flow batteries that provide environmentally friendly energy storage. The conformational stability, energetics, and redox potentials of polyoxovanadate-alkoxide species were examined respect to various range of modern density functional theory methodologies benchmarked against domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster. We investigated why fully oxidized V(V) monomeric precursors aggregate into clusters, while the reduced V(IV) species tend to form cyclic structures. The nucleation pathway of hexameric cyclic species was investigated with varying alkyl chain lengths and the presence of templating anions.

Presenter(s): Genevieve Duggan

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Pere Miro

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:15

Exploring Structure-Redox Relationship in Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxide Clusters via Neural Network Potential

Polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters’ electrochemical properties make them highly promising for multielectron small molecule activation. The vanadium centers in these species usually have oxidation states III, IV, and V but the overall cluster redox profile can be tuned through the incorporation of other transition metals. Various quantum-chemical methods can be used to calculate the redox potentials; however, a significant amount of uncertainty remains regarding their accuracy. While density functional theory is commonly used, it leads to errors in the 200 meV and its accuracy further diminishes for species with more than one metal center or species with multireference ground states. For single reference species, more accurate results can be obtained using the domain-based local pair natural orbital coupled-cluster. Furthermore, neural network potentials can be trained to predict the redox potentials including molecular dynamics that explore chemical spaces beyond the equilibrium geometry. This study focuses on investigating POV-clusters to identify their redox potential concerning non-equilibrium structures using density functional theory and neural network potentials for the monomer and dimer of POV-alkoxide cluster.

Presenter(s): Rina Bhowmick

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Pere Miro

Presentation Time: 11:15-11:30

Criminal Justice

Emergent Themes in Correctional Case Plans†

Case planning is a method of developing specific goals or objectives to facilitate behavior change. In corrections, the development of case plans has become a common practice for managing offender treatment, agency referrals, and program requirements. While case plans are designed to be a tool for correctional professionals and clients, research has neglected to identify the utility of these plans. The current project provides an analysis of case plans from a Midwestern halfway house. The study utilizes a random sample of 100 case plans from clients serviced by the halfway house between 2017-2018 to identify emergent themes and their significance. The methodology for the study measures recidivism by if there is a new conviction within two years of an offender’s release. Recidivism is a standard measure used to determine how well programs/interventions are meeting the goal of rehabilitation. The main findings were case plans with more objectives on Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous resulted in higher rates of recidivism, and more objectives focusing on enhancing social networks and support found lower recidivism rates; however, these two findings were weak, and more research is needed to further explore the relationship between case plans objectives and recidivism.

Presenter(s): Maci D. Ward, Parish A. Cabanas

Department/Division/Area: Criminal Justice

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jenna Borseth

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:15 

Examining the Workplace Experiences of Internal Affairs Investigators†

The purpose of this research is to measure a variety of information from within Internal Affairs departments. These departments are critically understudied despite their perceived importance to the average civilian within the United States, and as such very little is actually understood about how they work, how effective they are, or how they are perceived within themselves. The information that we hope to find includes what backgrounds are common amongst internal affairs officers, what their workload looks like and how that affects their ability to be effective, as well as what their levels of autonomy, job satisfaction, and stress are. This will be done through sending surveys out to various departments with one hundred or more officers within the United States, whose contact information was gathered via their websites, then later through interviews done to the people who agree to. By compiling the two a more full understanding of what Internal Affairs departments look like and how they operate can be formed. We hope this information will provide practical applications for both practitioners and scholars.

Presenter(s): Ella Branham

Department/Division/Area: Criminal Justice

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Thomas Mrozla

Presentation Time: 11:15-11:30 

Political Science

Navigating Murky Waters: State-Level Strategies for Wetland Preservation and Tile Drainage Regulation after Sackett v. EPA

In the summer of 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided Sackett v. EPA, a case centered around the regulatory authority of the EPA over wetlands in the United States under the Clean Water Act. The Court ruled the EPA does not have regulatory authority over wetlands not indiscernibly connected to water bodies more traditionally considered "Waters of the United States," such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. This removed federal protections for millions of acres of wetlands, which has concerned many environmental advocates. Wetlands are considered some of the most valuable ecosystems on earth. They serve as critical habitat for countless species, promote carbon sequestration, remove pollutants from water, enhance flood protection, and more. This is all further compounded by the lack of adequate federal enforcement of wetland protections through "Swampbuster" provisions, as highlighted by a recent Government Accountability Office report. With all of this considered, state regulations on wetland protection become more important. This study analyzed state wetland protection regulations in all 50 states to elucidate common themes, including aspects of concern and instances of enhanced wetland protection. Overall, some states, such as Minnesota, appear to have extensive wetland protections that other states may want to consider modeling after in future legislative efforts.

Presenter(s): Caleb Swanson

Department/Division/Area: Political Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Shane Nordyke, Meghann Jarchow

Presentation Time: 11:30-11:45

Computer Science

Predicting and Preventing Cardiovascular Events through AI-Assisted Continuous Monitoring.*

Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality globally, with factors like diabetes, sedentary lifestyles, and stress contributing to its prevalence, especially among young individuals. Leveraging technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), offers promising avenues for predicting and preventing heart disease. Recent research funded by the British Heart Foundation highlights the transformative potential of AI in predicting the 10-year risk of fatal heart attacks, revolutionizing treatment approaches for chest pain patients undergoing CT scans. This research work proposes utilizing a range of advanced machine learning methods, including deep learning and ensemble techniques. This involves preprocessing data, extracting relevant features and utilizing specialized algorithms to develop accurate predictions.

Furthermore, statistical analysis will provide insights into underlying patterns, while algorithmic implementation will involve model training and evaluation using robust performance metrics. We will explore innovative approaches such as transfer learning and reinforcement learning to enhance predictive capabilities. Additionally, AI applied to electrocardiograms (ECGs) presents a cost-effective solution for detecting weakened heart pumps, a precursor to heart failure, as exemplified by Mayo Clinic's extensive ECG database. By integrating AI technology into cardiovascular care, timely interventions can be facilitated, potentially reducing the burden of heart disease, which accounts for a third of all global deaths, totaling around 18 million annually. The proposed work underscores the importance of AI in advancing cardiovascular health, with references to recent advancements in predictive modeling and risk assessment tools.

Presenter(s): Anantha Reddy Pingili

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Rodrigue Rizk, Longwei Wang

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:15

A Reward-Based AI Model for Optimizing Algorithmic Trading Strategies*

With the growing complexity and volatility of cryptocurrency markets, coupled with the increasing prevalence of algorithmic trading, the need for robust and adaptive strategies has become imperative. Traditional methods for strategy evaluation often fall short in capturing the dynamic nature of these markets, prompting the development of innovative AI-driven solutions. This work introduces a novel approach to validating and optimizing crypto and algorithmic trading strategies through the utilization of a reward-based AI model. Our proposed model creates a reward-based framework for evaluating and optimizing trading strategies. By incorporating a sophisticated reward system, the AI model is able to adapt and learn from historical market data, identifying patterns, trends, and optimal trading decisions. The model employs a combination of deep learning techniques and state-of-the-art algorithms to process large-scale financial data, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics. The model's ability to adapt to changing market conditions, optimize risk management strategies, and provide valuable insights into the underlying factors influencing trading decisions sets it apart from traditional methods. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach, extensive backtesting and comparative analyses are conducted using historical data from various cryptocurrency markets. The findings suggest that the proposed model holds promise for optimizing trading strategies, improving risk-adjusted returns, and adapting to evolving market conditions, thereby paving the way for the next generation of intelligent trading systems.

Presenter(s): Sabin Adhikari

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Rodrigue Rizk, KC Santosh

Presentation Time: 11:15-11:30

INNOVATING AI WITH LIQUID NEURAL NETWORKS*

Liquid Neural Networks (LNNs) are like the brain's way of adapting and learning continuously, inspired by the nimble nervous system of a tiny worm, the nematode C. Elegans. Unlike traditional AI that remains static after its initial setup, LNNs evolve with each new piece of information, mimicking the fluidity and adaptability of biological brains. This innovation allows them to learn and adjust in real-time, a game-changer for various applications. From making more accurate weather forecasts to improving financial predictions and health monitoring, LNNs' ability to process information over time makes them invaluable. They're also transforming image and video processing, enhancing object tracking for self-driving cars, and enabling smarter real-time video security. In understanding and generating human language, they're pushing the boundaries, improving everything from online translations to digital assistants. In my work, I'm focusing on adding "liquidity" to Mamba, a platform, by integrating LNNs. This means making Mamba more adaptable and intelligent, with the goal of providing real-time, efficient solutions across different domains. Despite challenges like the complexity of fine-tuning their settings and the vanishing gradient problem, which can affect learning effectiveness, I'm exploring innovative training and optimization techniques to overcome these hurdles. My project represents a shift towards creating AI systems that are not just smart, but also flexible and capable of growth, embodying the future of technology that learns and evolves alongside us.

References:

Hasani, R., Lechner, M., Amini, A., Rus, D., & Grosu, R. (2020). Liquid Time-constant Networks. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.04439.pdf 

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Rodrigue Rizk (Assistant Professor, Computer Science), Dr. KC Santosh (Chair, Computer Science)

Submitter: Mekalathuru Chenchaiah

Presenter(s): Chenchaiah Mekalathuru

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Rodrigue Rizk, KC Santosh

Presentation Time: 11:30-11:45

Multi-Modal Spatial-Temporal Vision Transformer for Analyzing Climate Change Impact in South Dakota*

Understanding the effects of climate change is imperative, especially in regions like South Dakota, where unique environmental challenges require specialized analytical tools. This work proposes a Multi-Modal Spatial-Temporal Vision Transformer-based model designed to comprehensively analyze the impact of climate change in South Dakota. The proposed model integrates three key components: a Multi-Modal Transformer, a Spatial Transformer, and a Temporal Transformer. It utilizes visual remote sensing data and short-term meteorological information to simulate and understand the immediate effects of climate variability. The Spatial Transformer captures fine-grained spatial dependencies between various regions in South Dakota, providing enhanced insights into the localized impact of climate change. Concurrently, the Temporal Transformer learns long-range temporal dependencies, offering a nuanced understanding of how climate change unfolds over time.  Through extensive analysis and experimentation, conducted in the context of South Dakota's unique climate challenges, our results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed model in providing a comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts. By seamlessly integrating satellite imagery and meteorological data, our work offers valuable insights into the combined effects of short-term climate fluctuations and long-term climate change in South Dakota. Our findings provide a robust foundation for informed decision-making, aiding policymakers and environmental scientists in addressing the dynamic challenges posed by climate change in South Dakota.

Presenter(s): Krishna Phanindra

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): KC Santosh, Rodrigue Rizk

Presentation Time: 11:45-12:00

Hear from current and former USD students about their involvement in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Innovation Corps and how you can also get involved!

Presenter(s): Morgan Eikanger, Avery DelGrosso, Tim Hartman, Ryan Rykhus, Sajith Wijewardhane

Department/Division/Area: I-Corp

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Daniel Engebretson

Presentation Time: 11:00-11:45

Chemistry

One-pot synthesis of iron doped silicon dots as a nanozyme*

Natural enzymes are limited by high production costs, susceptibility to inactivation, variability and low yields, which limit their wide application. Nanozymes combine the properties of nanomaterials and enzymes with high catalytic activity for biochemical reactions. This proposal focuses on an iron-doped silicon quantum dots (Fe-Si dots) based nanozyme that can realize various biological applications. Utilizing the fluorescent nature of Fe-Si dots in response to pH, the Fe-Si dots is proposed to be used as a platform for intracellular pH fluorescence sensing, exhibiting the ability to distinguish between normal and cancer cells. On the other hand, Fe-Si dots nanozymes catalyze hydrogen peroxide and oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species, which can be used for efficient glucose sensing by coupling with glucose oxidase. In addition, Fe-Si dots is proposed to perform the chemodynamic therapy through ferroptosis and enhance therapeutic efficiency for cancer treatment by depleting overexpressed glutathione. Most importantly, this study provides valuable insights into the reaction mechanism of nanozymes with both catalase and oxidase activities. Overall, the propose will develop a new method for fabricating nanoenzyme based on silicon dots, understand the mechanism of the catalytic activity of Fe-Si dots and apply the Fe-Si dots nanoenzyme for biomedical applications.

Presenter(s): Shuyi He

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Steven Wu

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:15

Anion binding in anionic Metal-Organic Supercontainers via. anion-π interaction

Anions are ubiquitous in Nature and play an essential role in biological and chemical processes. However, designing synthetic receptors suitable for anion binding remains a challenging area of research, as anions are typically more difficult to sequester and manipulate than their cationic counterparts. Although numerous cationic and neutral receptors have been designed to target anions it is very recently that anion-π interactions have garnered attention as an effective strategy for anion binding. Furthermore,  the encapsulation of anions in anionic receptors via anion-π interaction  is rare. However, when properly designed anionic supramolecular containers can be utilized to selectively recognize target anions via. anion-π interaction as well.

This work focuses on a new family of synthetic container molecules, termed Metal-Organic Supercontainers “MOSCs”. MOSCs are container molecules obtained from the assembly of precursor, dicarboxylate linkers and metal ions through coordination bonds and exhibit distinct endocavity and multiple exocavities. The typical binding site includes central endocavity, open metal sites, exocavities but unusual binding can be achieved with MOSCs when functionalized with electron deficient aromatic rings via. anion-π interaction. The MOSC-1 functionalized with 1,3-benzene dicarboxylic acid linker shows weak binding towards anions. The MOSC-2 with hydrogen bonding -NH linker demonstrates stronger binding towards anions like acetate, dihydrogen phosphate, fluoride, and chloride as well. MOSC-3 with electron deficient aromatic ring demonstrates strongest binding among the three MOSCS towards acetate via. anion-π interaction.

Presenter(s): Kriti Chitrakar

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Zhenqiang Wang

Presentation Time: 1:15-1:30

The Design and Functionalization of Metal-Organic Super-Containers: An Avenue for Chemically Sensing Illicit Substances 

Illicit substances seriously affect the human body, which can create longer-term mental and physical health issues which could lead to fatalities. However, today’s current methods for detecting illicit substances such as gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry (MS) are accurate and sensitive instruments, but are bulky (meaning poor portability), costly, and require trained personnel to run the samples and interpret data. Chemical sensing technologies and techniques have been growing in popularity for being user-friendly and portable with desirable selectivity and sensitivity for detecting illicit substances, which can overcome limitations of current detection methods. One attractive approach for designing a new chemical sensing technique for detecting illicit substances is to utilize metal-organic supercontainers (MOSCs) for their unique versatility, synthetic ease, and controllability. MOSCs represent a new class of synthetic container molecules that self-assemble to form well-defined nano-cavities with diverse topologies, tunable chemical properties, and controllable size and shape of their nano-cavities. MOSCs have demonstrated multiple functionalities that provide a wide range of promising applications in chemical sensing, drug delivery, and catalysis. The main motivation of this research is focused on designing suitable MOSCs as a chemical sensor that can selectively detect and monitor illicit and hazardous substances such as methamphetamine.

Presenter(s): Robyn Cook

Department/Division/Area: Chemistry

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Rick Wang

Presentation Time: 1:30-1:45

Curriculum & Instruction

Cultivating Historical Empathy through “I Am” Poems*

What is historical knowledge and how can we really know the past? What methods can teachers implement to make the past come alive? One approach is to make history ‘understandable’ to students. This can be achieved in an environment where students feel safe to think critically about the past. The “I AM Poem” is an opportunity for students to contextualize historical events and create a perspective that brings that history alive. It is important for students to understand the connection between the past and present. After all, George Santayana was correct: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Edmondson, 1995, p. 47). Historical empathy drives my lesson plans. According to Keith C. Barton (1996), “historical empathy is the skill to recognize how people in the past viewed their circumstances, evaluated their opinions, made decisions, and how their perceptions were shaped by their values, beliefs, and attitudes.” This strategy  can be incorporated into any history lesson. The lesson encourages students to project their thoughts onto a fictional or historical individual, and see the individual through a historical lens, and not through contemporary stories. I want students to discover and understand the past, not just memorize it. Encouraging historical empathy will allow students to use the information they have learned and understand its impact on the human condition. The I AM Poem is meant to be used after the topic has been studied, through primary and secondary source resources. Students will engage in “doing history” by making past events and individuals come alive. “In this context, ‘doing history’ is defined as students implementing the methods and heuristics used by historians at an appropriate level for their cognitive and educational development” (Ragland, 2015, p. 611).

References

Barton, K. (1996). Did the evil just run out of justice?Historical perspective taking among elementary students [Paper Presentation]. American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, New York.

Edmondson, M. (1995). Why study history? OAH Magazine of History, Summer, pp. 45-47.

Ragland, R. (2015). Sustaining changes in history teachers’ core instructional practice: Impact of ‘teaching american history’ ten years later. The History Teacher, 48(4), pp. 609-640.

Presenter(s): Sandee Goldsmith

Department/Division/Area: Curriculum & Instruction

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:15

Integrating English Language Arts in K-5 Social Studies†

In April 2023, the South Dakota Department of Education adopted the newly revised state Social Studies Standards, but concerns arose among teachers, particularly regarding age-appropriateness for K-5 levels. With implementation slated for fall 2025, educators are grappling with material selection to meet the new standards. My research project aims to address this gap by identifying age-appropriate children’s books aligned with South Dakota's newly adopted Social Studies Standards for K-5 classrooms. Given the limited availability of such resources, this project seeks to provide teachers with materials tailored to their students' ages, ensuring alignment with state standards. I employed an action research methodology. First, an exhaustive online search was conducted, categorizing books by grade and age to ensure alignment with specific standards. Next, a curated list was compiled, assessing books based on reading level, vocabulary, age/grade appropriateness, and quality, including ratings and reviews. Moreover, books written by insiders or those within the communities (i.e., native authors) were prioritized to enrich cultural relevance. Following selection, thorough reviews of chosen books were conducted to confirm age-appropriateness. Subsequently, interdisciplinary lesson plans (i.e., reading and social studies) based on selected books were developed and tested in kindergarten and fourth-grade classrooms. The findings of this action research project will be presented at IdeaFest.

Presenter(s): Lily Hilt

Department/Division/Area: Curriculum & Instruction

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams, Susan Gapp

Presentation Time: 1:15-1:30

A Case Study of Ungrading on Student Learning in Higher Education†

While points or grades can be an external factor motivating students to learn, authentic learning happens when students are internally encouraged to pursue new knowledge and the unknown. Ungrading prompts students to become intrinsically motivated learners. Rather than grading students numerically, ungrading focuses on providing rich feedback and creating a partnership between students and educators in assessment; further, ungrading permits students with a stress-free environment that promotes exploration and engagement with course materials. With few classes currently offered through this model at the University of South Dakota (USD), what are some benefits for students enrolled in courses that adopt an ungraded system? Many teachers and researchers have reported positive impacts of ungrading in education, and these impacts fall into the following categories: (a) feedback-based assessment; (b) positive student-teacher interactions; and (c) increased intrinsic motivation. To analyze if USD students have felt the benefits of ungrading, interviews will be conducted with professors and students currently participating in ungraded courses. These semi-structured interviews will assess the impacts of ungrading at USD and add to existing literature from the field. Findings will be presented at IdeaFest.

Presenter(s): Brooke Creviston

Department/Division/Area: Curriculum & Instruction

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 1:30-1:45

Computer Science

A Learnable Weight Ensemble Approach for Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy in CT Medical Imaging

Computed Tomographic (CT) images play a pivotal role in the examination, analysis, and diagnosis of severe bone trauma, influencing the formulation of effective recovery plans. The initial step in treatment planning involves distinguishing between fractured and intact bones, with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) emerging as a prominent method for this classification task. Despite the effectiveness of CNN models, they are prone to generalization errors. In contexts where precise predictions are crucial, such as clinical settings, the adoption of ensemble methods becomes imperative to mitigate these errors. Ensembling involves utilizing multiple diverse base models to predict a unified outcome. In this work, we introduce a comprehensive framework of ensemble methods tailored for the classification of fractured limbs using CT images. Our framework assesses the performance variance in predictions when compared to the utilization of a single model. The employed ensemble techniques encompass Majority Voting, Soft Voting, Stacking, Feature Soup, and Bagging. Notably, our approach diverges from prevalent methodologies in current literature by treating the weights assigned to each model during the decision combination process as learnable parameters, optimized through the training process. Leveraging our proposed ensemble method on a clinically annotated dataset comprising over 5,000 CT scans [1], we achieved remarkable results, including an accuracy of 97.7%, precision of 95.9%, recall of 96.0%, f1-score of 96.0%, and an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 97.1%. This performance signifies a substantial improvement of approximately 3-7% when compared to any single backbone model. Our study contributes not only to the enhancement of fracture classification accuracy but also introduces a novel approach to optimizing model combination weights, offering a valuable contribution to the field of medical image analysis.

Presenter(s): Anup Khanal

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Rodrigue Rizk, Longwei Wang, KC Santosh

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:15

Accessing the Performance of GPU Accelerated Neural Network Training using TensorFlow and MNIST Dataset.    

Abstract— This comprehensive report provides a detailed analysis of how GPU accelerated neural network models are trained on TensorFlow and MNIST data. This study addresses training time, model accuracy and loss by implementing different architecture of neural networks in both CPU and GPU environments. The aim of this project is to assess and compare the performance of both CPU and GPU accelerated neural network training using TensorFlow on MNIST dataset. In addition, it is using the Gem5 simulator to evaluate the hardware performance of SPEC 2006 benchmarks. 

Keywords—TensorFlow, GPU, CPU, MNIST, dataset, benchmark, neural network

Presenter(s): Prayukti Dahal, Nisha Lamgade, Manisha Senchuri

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Vijayalakshmi Saravanan

Presentation Time: 1:15-1:30

Self-Driving Future

The rapid advancement of self-driving technology is transforming the transportation industry, paving the way for vehicles to navigate the complexities of the real world without human intervention. This research work aims to develop autonomous vehicle technology with the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics. The main objective is to improve the vehicle's understanding of its surroundings and enable it to make sound decisions in volatile environments, using cutting-edge computer vision techniques. The proposed work will address technical challenges, such as improving detection and recognition algorithms for objects, and enhancing the decision-making process through reinforcement learning to enhance adaptability and road safety. This interdisciplinary work will combine theoretical research, algorithm development, simulation studies, and real-world experimentation to achieve safer and more efficient transport systems.  Through synthetic data and real-world scenarios, vehicles will continuously improve their decision-making ability, achieving Level 5 autonomy. The anticipated outcomes will contribute significantly to advancing the field and shaping the future landscape of autonomous vehicles.

Presenter(s): David Cortes

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): KC Santosh, Rodrigue Rizk

Presentation Time: 1:30-1:45

Art

Exploring Art Historical Methodologies

There are many methodological and theoretical approaches to art historical research. Each method offers a different lens through which to examine works of art in context. The graduate and undergraduate students presenting research on this panel will showcase a variety of methodological approaches that they have studied in the course “Art Theory and Criticism.” Each student will utilize an art historical method to analyze a single work of art, illuminating both the subject and process of art historical research.

Kyle VanBuskirk “Yayoi Kusama: Feminist Icon”

David Lammers: “Tensegrity Structures the Bridge Between Compressive Architecture and Energetic/Synergetic Structures”

Mariana Astete: “Behind the Figures”

Claire Fink: “Psychoanalysis & Paranoid Critical Activity in Dali's Daddy Longlegs of the Evening-Hope”

Presenter(s): Kyle Vanbuskirk, Claire Fink, David Lammers, Mariana B. Astete, Kayli Stiles

Department/Division/Area: Art

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Lauren Freese

Presentation Time: 1:00-1:50

Sociology

The Meaning of Work: Differences by Occupation in the Meaning of Work

Day after day, people go to work. Bartenders, construction workers, teachers, lawyers, civil engineers, doctors, and other professionals work in their respective fields. What meaning do people find in these jobs? Do different groups find different meaning in their work? This research used a mix-methods approach, gathering data using interviews and surveys. 110 participants employed in 22 different occupations were surveyed and interviewed. Using qualitative and quantitative analyses, the meaning of work was compared by occupation to find if different careers find different meaning in their work.

Presenter(s): Stephen Phillips, Allan Sanchez, Salma Sharif, Xanady Schlotter, Brooke Bishop-Lafrentz

Department/Division/Area: Sociology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Cheryl Hartman

Presentation Time: 2:00-2:15

Sustainability

Perceptions of Plant-Based Meat, Cultured Meat, and Conventional Meat in the UMRB

Conventional meat consumption derived from livestock farming is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation on our planet. Substituting conventional meat products with “meat alternatives” such as plant-based meat and cultured meat would drastically decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduce land and water pollution, and decrease land and water usage. However, it is necessary to first gauge how people feel about eating plant-based meat and cultured meat before it is possible to discern the magnitude of environmental benefits that occur with a significant dietary change such as this. Perceptions about alternative meats were determined by administering a questionnaire to over 400 residents living in the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB). The specific purpose of this research was to determine how identities such as age, income, education level, farming experience, frequency of conventional meat consumption, carnism level, and gender affect UMRB’s residents’ willingness to eat plant-based meat and/or cultured meat when residents are provided information and/or hypothetical price points on these products. I found that residents with lower levels of carnism, which is an ideology that promotes the consumption and use of animals, and residents with higher levels of education were more willing to consider eating alternative meats compared to residents with higher levels of carnism and lower levels of education. Secondly, men were more willing than women to consume cultured meat. Overall, results from my data analyses suggest that UMRB residents are generally willing to consume alternative meats when they are provided information (Mean 3.2, SD .047 on reverse seven-point Likert scale) and when they are provided hypothetical price points (Mean 3.7, SD .041 on reverse seven-point Likert scale) on these products. Thus, plant-based and cultured meats may offer a solution to reducing the environmental footprint of meat production.

Presenter(s): Chase Stehly

Department/Division/Area: Sustainability

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Meghann Jarchow

Presentation Time: 2:00-2:15

Creating a home away from home

Over the past couple of years, the University of South Dakota has seen exponential growth in terms of International student population. This can be attributed to numerous variables such as the university’s proactive efforts to enhance its global outreach, foster diversity and construct an inclusive academic environment. The university has shown immense prosperity in drawing in a diverse range of students due to the focused recruitment efforts, and this dynamic surge has paved the way for both opportunities as well as challenges. The doors of opportunity for many individuals have opened in a sense that many get the chance to experience cultural diversity in the U.S. education system, whether it is by gaining different cultural perspectives and experiences or by fostering a multicultural atmosphere which prepares everyone for the globalized world. Global networking, global reputation, cultural exchange and enrichment, and enhanced research opportunities can be observed. While there may be opportunities and positive outcomes, this has not been immune to the rise in the challenges. The abrupt expansion of the international community has given way to a sharp decline in the on-campus job market, availability of housing in Vermilion, the control over all the International students in the sense that making sure them have adapted to the foreign culture and community, providing effective resources and means of connectivity when dilemmas like cultural shock and language barriers are being experienced, has become more difficult. Thus, what can be done to make this expanding community feel home when they are thousands of miles and even oceans away from home? International Club, along with many multicultural organizations have been striving for this idea of accommodating and warmly welcoming students and residents regardless of their background. Being the President of the International Club which includes any student from an International background as a member, I bring forth this IdeaFest Oral presentation focusing on all that the Multicultural Organizations have been doing to serve as a cultural bridge and help students navigate the challenges of moving far away from home, fostering a sense of belonging, offering a platform to showcase their cultures and traditions, assisting in any way possible for the betterment of their experience here in a foreign land. “Vermilion is not about the place but the people!” is something we always say among the International community. Therefore, the clubs and organizations are always actively looking for ways to enhance the community and build a home away from home!

Presenter(s): Sushant Mukhia

Department/Division/Area: Sustainability

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Meghann Jarchow

Presentation Time: 2:15-2:30

Computer Science

Fuzzy Binarization Enhanced CNN for Pneumonia Classification: Leveraging Feature Soup Modeling for Improved Accuracy*

Every year, almost 1 million adults in the US seek hospital treatment for pneumonia, and 50,000 of them pass away from the illness. Accurately classifying pneumonia in chest X-rays is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment in medical imaging. This research work proposes integrating fuzzy binarization with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to improve classification accuracy. The main contribution of the proposed work lies in creating a “feature soup” which involves transforming the X-ray images into a comprehensive representation using fuzzy logic. Unlike traditional binarization, which converts images to black and white, fuzzy logic preserves nuanced information and subtle details crucial for pneumonia detection. This feature-rich soup is then used to train multiple CNN models, called "feature soup models." These models learn from comprehensive image representation, enabling them to capture the complexities of pneumonia X-rays. Furthermore, to leverage the diverse characteristics of pneumonia, several feature soup models are trained using different feature sets derived from the fuzzy logic representation. This ensemble approach combines the strengths of multiple models, improving the robustness and accuracy of the classification. When processing a new X-ray, all feature soup model predictions are combined, and the majority decision determines the final categorization. This aggregation strategy reduces the influence of individual model biases and leads to more reliable predictions. A chest x-ray dataset from NIH (National Institute of Health) is used for training and validation. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively distinguishes between actual and simulated pneumonia cases. Compared to existing techniques, this approach shows significant improvements in accuracy, highlighting the potential of the feature soup model for real-world clinical applications and improved patient care.

Presenter(s): Deepika Nuthalapati, Jayakumar Pujar

Department/Division/Area: Computer Science

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): KC Santosh, Rodrigue Rizk

Presentation Time: 2:30-2:45

Basic Biomedical Sciences

Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Reproduction and Early Embryogenesis Following Maternal High Fat Diet Consumption*

High fat (HF) diet increases the risk of metabolic disease for both pregnant mothers and their offspring. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play a key role, but whether offspring risk is acquired during in utero exposure or inherited directly is unknown. We hypothesize that reproductive dysfunction and inheritable oxidative DNA damage from HF diet is present at the preimplantation embryo stage, but can be mitigated by switching to a low fat diet supplemented with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) periconceptually. Female rats were fed a control diet (CD) or HF diet for at least 4 weeks, then a subset was switched from HF to CD with CoQ10 (HF-S,CoQ10) for 3 weeks prior to breeding with CD-fed males. Serum, ovaries and blastocysts were collected on embryonic day (E) 4. HF-fed rats had higher serum triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acid levels and ovaries were smaller. They spent less time in estrus, took longer to achieve pregnancy, and their embryos had a higher number of cells. HF-S,CoQ10 intervention increased CoQ10 levels, resolved dyslipidemia, and quickened time to achieve pregnancy. However, it did not rescue ovary size. Contrary to our hypothesis, HF-S,CoQ10 increased ovary mitochondrial DNA damage, specifically in Complex I genes, compared to control and HF groups. HF-S,CoQ10 produced more embryos per litter compared to HF, and, despite no differences in the number of placentations, live pups were significantly decreased in HF-S,CoQ10 group, suggesting early losses. In conclusion, maternal HF diet incites reproductive consequences at the ovarian and preimplantation embryo level. These effects may be partially mitigated by CoQ10, however further work is needed to investigate consequences for the offspring.

Presenter(s): Abigail Klein

Department/Division/Area: Basic Biomedical Sciences

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Michelle Baack

Presentation Time: 2:00-2:15

Curriculum & Instruction

The Impact of Gamification on Vocabulary Learning Among  Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Middle School English Language Learners

Gamification has become a popular approach in language instruction, showing promising results in enhancing language learning outcomes. Studies suggest that gamification can increase students' motivation, engagement, and achievement, particularly in vocabulary acquisition and retention. Researchers have found that gamified language instruction can positively impact ESL learners' outcomes and engagement levels (Garris et al., 2017; Gee, 2003; Landers et al., 2017). This study investigates the effectiveness of gamification on ESL learners' vocabulary acquisition and retention in a middle school in South Dakota. Employing a pre-test and post-test design with two groups, the experimental group received gamified vocabulary instruction, while the control group received traditional instruction. The experimental group engaged in various gamification strategies, such as reward systems, leaderboards, and game-like activities, to learn and practice vocabulary. In contrast, the control group received vocabulary instruction through traditional classroom methods, such as reading and writing exercises. Both groups took pre-tests and post-tests. Pre- and post-surveys were also conducted to understand participants' attitudes toward gamified language instruction. The results showed a slight increase in post-test scores for the group that received gamification-based instruction compared to the traditional instruction group. Additionally, the study's survey results revealed an improvement in students' understanding of gamification concepts and a more positive attitude toward using game elements in learning among the gamification group.

Presenter(s): Majdi Almalki

Department/Division/Area: Curriculum & Instruction

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jing Williams

Presentation Time: 2:15-2:30

Psychology

Pain Interference Mediates the Relation of Childhood Maltreatment and Fear of Cancer Recurrence*

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), which is broadly defined as “the fear that cancer could return or progress in the same place or in another part of the body”, is often identified as an unmet need among cancer survivors. Pain, another symptom commonly endorsed in cancer survivorship, is positively associated with fear of cancer recurrence. The Cancer Threat Interpretation Model suggests that cognitive biases exist in interpreting threat appraisal and pain coping by increasing the saliency of pain as a threatening cue for worry about cancer recurrence. The Second Wave Hit Model posits increased risk of elevated FCR due to enhanced stress response after cancer diagnosis among survivors with a history of childhood maltreatment. Adult cancer survivors who experienced childhood maltreatment may have elevated pain experiences that could contribute to high FCR. However, to date, no research has investigated these relations. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate pain interference as a mediator of the childhood maltreatment-FCR relation using cross-sectional survey data provided by adult cancer survivors (N = 160, Female = 123, Mage = 54.72, SDage = 13.05, Range = 23-93). Results of path analytic regression models that implemented 5000 bootstrapped samples indicated a small effect size (abcs = .04, SE = .02, 95% CI [.0002, .0813] pain interference mediated the relation of childhood maltreatment and fear of cancer recurrence ( = .07, SE = .04, 95% CI [.0004, .1511]). Childhood maltreatment did not predict pain interference ( = .01, SE = .01, 95% CI [-.001, .03]). Pain interference was associated with fear of cancer recurrence ( = 4.76, SE = 1.48, 95% CI [1.84, 7.68]).  Childhood maltreatment did not predict fear of cancer recurrence ( = .19, SE = .14, 95% CI [-.08, .46]). Theoretical and clinical implications will be discussed.

Presenter(s): Jennifer Kuo

Department/Division/Area: Psychology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Beth Boyd, Chris Berghoff

Presentation Time: 2:30-2:45

Differences in personality pathology among non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behavior patterns: A latent class analysis*

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate, expressed damage to one’s body tissue without intent to commit suicide. NSSI is present among a range of personality disorders (PDs; Selby et al., 2012) and, though distinct from suicide, nearly 35% of people who engage in NSSI also engage in suicidal behavior (Whitlock et al., 2015). Individuals who engage in NSSI and/or have suicidal behavior, tend to have similar symptomology consistent with PDs, such as rumination (Bowen et al., 2019), impulsivity (Hamza et al., 2015), and greater sensitivity and emotional reactivity within social situations (Selby et al., 2012). Similarly, maladaptive personality traits have shown to positively relate to engagement in NSSI and suicide (Jimenez-Treviño et al., 2011; Turner et al., 2018). Therefore, this study will analyze if personality characteristics within the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) constitute a risk for those who only engage in NSSI and those who engage in both NSSI and suicidal behaviors. Data collection is underway to recruit 200 participants through Prolific who have a history of NSSI and between the ages of 18-24. Participants will complete an online survey that included the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview Short Form (Nock et al., 2007), Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury (Klonsky, 2007), Level of Personality Functioning Scale-SR (Morey, 2017), and Personality Inventory for the DSM-5—Short Form (Maples et al., 2015). Latent class analysis based on the methods, characteristics, and functions of NSSI will be conducted. Model fit will be approximated. The groups will then be compared, using a MANOVA, based on suicidal behavior and the AMPD. Data collection is currently ongoing.

Presenter(s): Rachel Chavin

Department/Division/Area: Psychology

Faculty/Staff Advisor(s): Jean Caraway

Presentation Time: 2:45-3:00