University of Montevallo's Undergraduate Research Day set for March 12

UM’s annual Undergraduate Research Day will take place Wednesday, March 12, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in Harman Hall.

This year features the research of undergraduate students from across the curriculum. The presenters, their advisors, and the titles of their work are:

Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics

• Rachel Blackerby, Christine Sestero — Characterization of TGFβR3 Signaling Pathways in Autoimmune Disease;

• Jessi Clark Hairston, Mary Maxwell — Item Response Theory: Using Item Information to Reduce Test Length;

• Marguerite Little, Scott Tanner — Antimicrobial Peptide Expression in a Mouse Model of Colitis;

• Katherine Savell, Christine Sestero — Characterization of TGFfl3-Mediated Pathways in Immune Cells of a Novel Mouse Model;

• Katherine Savell, Ni Chadhain — Isolation and Screening of Soil Bacteria for Polycyclopropanated Fatty Acid Production Genes;

• Katherine Savell, Cynthia P. Tidwell and Prakash Bharara — Synthesis of 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis-(3,4-bis-benzyloxy-phenyl)-porphyrin and Two of its Metal Complexes;

• Hunter L. Staggs, Dalila Mathews — Fabrication, Characterization, and Optimization of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells;

• Glenn L. Stephens, Dalila Mathews — Fabrication, Characterization, and Optimization of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells;

• Andrea Willard, Mike Hardig — Potential Allelopathic Effects of Invasive Species Ligustrum sinense Lour. (Chinese Privet) and Triadica sebifera L. Small (Chinese Tallow Tree) on the Germination of Raphanus sativum L. (Radish) Seeds;

• Christine Sestero — Efficacy of Surface-Level Disinfectants in Killing Bacteria Implicated in Hospital-Acquired Infections;

• Perrin Windham, Heather N. Tinsley — The Significance of PKGIB in cGMP Induced Death of Breast Cancer Cells;

Behavioral and Social Sciences

• Allyson Adams, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — An Assessment of Personality Patterns in Psychology Majors: Correlates and Differences as a Function of Major;

• Nicholas Belina, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — An Assessment of Personality Patterns in Psychology Majors: Correlates and Differences as a Function of Major;

• Melissa Bode, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Personality Correlates with Perceptions of Alternate Sexual Identification;

• Deeandra Day, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Personality Correlates with Perceptions of Alternate Sexual Identification;

• Kayleigh Funderburk, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — An Assessment of Personality Patterns in Psychology Majors: Correlates and Differences as a Function of Major;

• Darlena Garner, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Personality Correlates with Perceptions of Alternate Sexual Identification;

• Christopher Hightower, Ruth Truss — Unconventional Wisdom: Julia Tutwiler’s Writings on Women’s Education;

• Megan Lejeune, Jeannie Duke — Bullying: The Experiences of College Students;

• Jonathan Michael Martin, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Burnout and Students at the University of Montevallo: Correlation Between Work Patterns, Personality Variants, and Burnout;

• Lindsay McCormick, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Personality Correlates of Opennesss to Unfamiliar Eating Practices: How Personal Sensitivity and Fear Relate to Perceptions of Cannibalism,† Entomophagy,† and other Unusual Feeding Patterns;

• Cherisse Pittman, Jason Newell — Pressure to Succeed: A Study on Familial Obligation, Student Burnout and Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms;

• Laura Quattrochi, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Personality Correlates of Opennesss to Unfamiliar Eating Practices: How Personal Sensitivity and Fear Relate to Perceptions of Cannibalism,† Entomophagy,† and other Unusual Feeding Patterns;

• Gregory Roth, Scott Turner — The History of the Taiwan Relations Act;

• Katherine Smyly, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Burnout and Students at the University of Montevallo: Correlation Between Work Patterns, Personality Variants, and Burnout;

• Sally Wammack, John Burling and Kristen Gilbert — Burnout and Students at the University of Montevallo: Correlation Between Work Patterns, Personality Variants, and Burnout;

Business

• Mallory Mitchell, Michele Bunn — Social Media’s Influence on the Motivations of College Students to Volunteer;

Communication Studies

• Michael Brown, Sally B. Hardig — Coping with an HIV Positive Diagnosis: The Process of Acceptance,  Reframing, and Empowerment;

• Rebecca Leach, Tiffany Wang and Sherry Ford — Academic Advisee Motivation and Demotivation to Pursue Out-of-Class Communication With the Academic Advisor;

English and Foreign Languages

• Melanie Berry, Rosa Maria Stoops — Equals and Opposites: Brotherhood and Doppelgangers in “La Chanson de Roland;”

• Claire Ezekiel, Rosa Maria Stoops — The Dreams of Charlemagne: An Expansion of the Binary Principle;

• Amanda Fowler, Leonor Vazquez-Gonzalez — South of the Border in the South: Cultural Assimilation and Experiences of Female Latin American Immigrants in the American South;

• Brittany Headley, Stephanie Batkie — The Rhetoric of Ekphrasis and Performed Orality in Virgil’s Aeneid;

• Lindsay Hodgens, Paul Mahaffey — Wait, I’m Blonde, so I Have to Bottom?: Physical Representations of the Gender Binary in Yaoi Manga;

• Jana Hoffman, Leonor Vazquez-Gonzalez — Perpetuating the Stereotype: A Look into the Cycle of Immigration in the U.S.;

• Shelby Jay, Rosa Maria Stoops — The Dynamic of Power: Examining the Relationship Between Attractiveness, Nobility, and Divine Goodness in The Song of Roland;

• Shannon Skelton, Rosa Maria Stoops — The Sacrifice of Roland;

Game Studies and Design

• Matt Cox, Cathlena Martin — Do You Feel Like a Hero Yet? An Analysis of Spec Ops: The Line and the Power of Interactive Narrative;

• Shaunessi Groover, Cathlena Martin — Saving the World Through Games;

Kinesiology

• Kimberly Allen, Jon Kyle Davis — Impact of 3 Percent Dehydration on Intermittent Sprint Performance;

• Kimberly Allen, Jon Kyle Davis — Thermal Stress for Women’s Islamic Athletic Clothing in Various Ambient Environments.

The generosity of the University of Montevallo Foundation, Alumni Association and friends in supporting Undergraduate Research is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks to Dr. Jo A. Rayfield ’62 for her continued interest and support.