2026 Research Poster Competition

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  Analyzing Educators’ Roles in Preparing Students for Civic Engagement in Arkansas Communities

  Mia Hastings

  Individuals aged eighteen to twenty-nine accounted for only thirteen percent of the voting electorate in the 2018 election, despite representing nearly twenty-two percent of the voting age population (Making Young Voters, 2020, p. 3). Although the percentage of students enrolled in at least one high school government course has remained relatively constant since the late 1920s, most state standards, including those in Arkansas, require only a single civics course to graduate (Branson, 2003, p. 3). As a preservice teacher, I am struck by how civic education often focuses on reciting facts about government and political institutions rather than equipping students with the skills to take civic action beyond voting. Schools reach nearly every young person in the country, giving educators a powerful opportunity and responsibility to cultivate engaged citizenship. In Arkansas, the Department of Education’s Social Studies Standards emphasize civic virtues in society. Yet, a gap remains in how civic knowledge and participation is translated within classrooms.With my research I seek to answer the question: “How do educators prepare students for civic engagement in Arkansas?” Through this study, I intend to identify practical strategies educators can implement to strengthen students’ political efficacy and civic participation. To address the research question, I will participate in a practice-based experience with the Arkansas Collegiate Civic Leadership Academy, a seven-month program hosted by the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Through five seminars on topics such as public service, journalism, and local government, I will analyze how these experiences inform educators’ roles in promoting civic engagement. After each seminar, I will respond to three reflection questions designed to assess the connection between civic learning, classroom application, and personal development as a future educator. The reflections will be analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and practical strategies for classroom implementation. The findings will be compared to Arkansas’s current Civic standards to assess how educators can better foster a generation of informed, active citizens in a democratic society. Additionally, the results will provide teachers, administrators, and curriculum develops with intentional strategies to promote civic participation and strengthen democratic engagement among students in Arkansas and beyond.

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  How Do Different Flight Training Programs Impact Pilot Proficiency?

  Abigail Henson

  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), founded in 1958, ensures safe and efficient use of national airspace by regulating aircraft and pilot certification, setting standards for airports, and managing the National Airspace System. One such regulation is in the certification process for aspiring student pilots. Students who want to obtain their private pilots license can do so by picking either a Part 61 or Part 141 flight school. While both lead to the same certification, these two options differ significantly in terms of structure; Part 61 programs offer flexibility with their individualized approach and fewer requirements while Part 141 schools follow a highly structured FAA approved syllabus and maintain strict pass-rate requirements. Despite having significant differences, very little systematic research exists comparing the rigor and efficiency of these two training models. In this project, I will evaluate whether Part 141 flight training is demonstrably more rigorous and efficient than Part 61 training by analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. These results will directly inform prospective students, training institutions, and potentially aviation policymakers. More broadly, I will contribute to the ongoing conversation about pilot training standards in an industry facing increasing demand for qualified professionals. The findings will also support the completion of my undergraduate research and provide opportunities to present at undergraduate research conferences. The proposed research will also contribute to Dr. Majumdar’s ASYST lab’s primary research directive of making aerospace and transportation systems safer.

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  Validity and Reliability of the WUT Hydration System When Assessed in the Afternoon

  Peyton Hines

  The WUT (weight, urine color, and thirst) Venn diagram is recommended for individuals to self-assess their hydration status. However, current research is limited to comparisons between morning first-void markers and 24-hour markers. PURPOSE: To examine the validity and reliability of afternoon WUT scores in comparison to 24-hour hydration status. METHODS: Fifty participants (25 ± 8y, 72.2 ± 14.9kg) voluntarily participated in this study. Participants collected afternoon spot urine between 2:00 and 4:00 pm and 24-hour urine samples on three out of seven consecutive days. Body mass (BM), urine color (Ucol), urine osmolality (Uosm), urine specific gravity (USG), and thirst perception were measured and recorded for afternoon samples in free-living conditions. Ucol, Uosm, and USG were measured and recorded for 24-hour samples. Spot values for hypohydration were as follows: afternoon USG ≥1.020, body mass loss (BML) > 1%, Ucol > 4, and thirst level > 4. The total number of hypohydration indicators was classified as 0, 1, 2, or 3 to form the WUT score. The sensitivity and specificity of 0, 1, 2, or 3 WUT scores were characterized using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis to calculate the predictive value of WUT in hypohydrated and euhydrated states. A positive likelihood ratio (LR+) provided additional context, indicating predictive capacity of WUT markers, indicating 24-hour Uosm > 500mOsm/L. RESULTS: Among truly hypohydrated participants (urine osmolality greater than 500), WUT scores of 2 and 3 correctly identified 30% of those participants (sensitivity). However, among truly euhydrated participants (urine osmolality < 500), WUT scores of 0 and 1 correctly identified 84% of them (specificity). The positive likelihood ratio of 1.9 and the negative likelihood ratio of 0.83 indicate that a positive WUT score of 2-3 produces only a slight increase in the probability of hypohydration, falling just short of the clinically significant likelihood ratio. Body mass loss decreased across days (day 1: -0.8± 1.0%, day 2: -0.7± 0.8%, day 3: -0.3 ± 0.8%, p-value: 0.0036), indicating an improvement in fluid balance. Thirst (day 1: 4±1, day 2: 4±2, day 3: 4±2, p-value: 0.6671) and urine color (day 1: 4±1, day 2: 3±1, day 3: 4±2, p-value: 0.0817) were not significantly different across days. The average 24-hour urine osmolality was 564.3 ± 226.7 mOsm/L. CONCLUSION: Our participant hydration reflected a wide range and likely day-to-day variation that blunts sensitivity for afternoon values. This can be attributed to participants maintaining an ad libitum state and to the afternoon samples being influenced by recent fluid intake, exercise, and diet, compared with morning/first void samples. Overall, afternoon WUT values are best used as a screening aid paired with objective measures such as USG or Uosm to inform decisions that affect performance or operations. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In field settings such as athletics, the military, and occupational settings, the WUT Venn diagram should be used as a screening aid alongside additional scientific measures to reflect overall hydration status accurately.

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  Satisfaction with Physician Communication

  Joyce Ho

  Problem. Provider-patient communication can be sorted into two approaches: patient-centered communication (PCC) and doctor-centered communication (DCC). PCC is characterized by a patient focus, in which patients are encouraged to participate in decisions regarding their care, while DCC is characterized by a doctor focus, in which the physician acts as an informational source for patients (Bientzle et al. 2017). Physician communication style is known to be influenced by gender. Female physicians are more likely to utilize PCC than their male counterparts (Roter 2004). Female patients are more likely to have higher measures of PCC in interactions with their physicians (Bertakis et al. 2009). However, there is little known about the relationship between patient gender and satisfaction with different communication styles. This study will assess whether patient gender is associated with satisfaction rate when primary care physicians utilize PCC vs. DCC. Method. Participants will be 50 undergraduate students (aged 18 or older) at the University of Arkansas who attended a primary care visit within the past six months. They will complete an online survey that includes a provider communication style measure and the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (Hawthorne et al. 2006). Data will be analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results. Data collection is underway and it is hypothesized that: (H1) when physicians utilize PCC, female participants will report a higher satisfaction rate with their primary care visit when compared to male patients; (H2) when physicians utilize DCC, male participants will report a higher satisfaction rate with their primary care visit when compared to female patients. Conclusions. This work has implications for provider communication styles and other clinical practices that may support patient satisfaction and treatment engagement in primary care.

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  Adolescent development of pubertal hormones, reward neurocircuitry, and externalizing behaviors and internalizing behaviors

  Amber Jared

  Title: Adolescent development of pubertal hormones, reward neurocircuitry, and externalizing behaviors and internalizing behaviors Authors: Amber Jared & Josiah K. Leong Background: Adolescence is a period of rapid biological and brain development during which changes in pubertal hormones and neural reward systems may increase vulnerability to emotional and behavioral difficulties. Although prior research has documented widespread brain maturation during adolescence, less is known about how specific subcortical reward pathways develop and how these changes relate to hormones and behavior. Methods: Using longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, this project examines developmental changes in two key brain pathways involved in reward and motivation: connections from the ventral tegmental area and anterior insula to the nucleus accumbens. Structural brain imaging data were analyzed at ages 9-10 as the baseline timepoint in a large national sample. Two year follow-up timepoints were used to analyze functional data of the regions of interest. Four year follow-up timepoints were used to test predictive values for internalizing and externalizing behavior. Internalizing behaviors include depression and anxiety, and externalizing behaviors include aggressive and disruptive behaviors. White matter integrity of these pathways was quantified using diffusion MRI, and longitudinal changes were assessed while accounting for biological sex and puberty onset. Results: Preliminary results from Aim 1 indicate that both reward-related pathways show decreases in structural integrity across adolescence, consistent with ongoing brain reorganization during this developmental window. These changes were observed across hemispheres and did not significantly differ between males and females in early puberty, other than in two sections. Building on these findings, Aim 2 investigates how pubertal hormones, including testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), are associated with individual differences in reward pathway development and how these hormonal differences moderate the structure-function connection. These data analyses are currently in progress. Aim 3 will then extend this work by analyzing how function can mediate the relationship between brain tract structure and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, while also examining gender differences. Conclusions: Together, this research aims to clarify how hormonal, structural, and functional changes jointly shape the developing adolescent brain. Understanding normative development of reward circuitry may help inform future research on mental health risk, substance use vulnerability, and behavioral regulation, and may support earlier identification of adolescents at heightened risk for maladaptive outcomes.

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  Exploring the Impact of Age on Traumatic Brain Injury Cause and Recovery in Arkansas: A Retrospective Review

  Abby Jones

  Traumatic brain injury remains a major public health concern, and increasing evidence demonstrates the significance of the effect of age in quality of care, diagnosis, and recovery outcomes. In rural states, such as Arkansas, where research has shown a lack of resources and higher fatality rates among persons with TBI, healthcare professionals can become better informed and equipped to optimize recovery and rehabilitation as a result of research efforts to explore the effects of age from the standpoint of cause and recovery (Daugherty et al., 2022). This study was a retrospective analysis involving data covering a two-year period extracted from the Arkansas Traumatic Brain Injury Registry, information collected from inpatient facilities across Arkansas in conjunction with University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The study explores various characteristics associated with age, including Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission and discharge, length of initial inpatient stay, gender, and cause of injury. A total of 1072 individuals admitted to hospital following brain injury between 1/1/2023 and 12/31/ 2024 were included in the analysis. The most common category of these hospital admissions was older adult, ages 65 years and older (n=425). Tentative findings suggest that age was positively correlated with injury severity at admission and inversely correlated with injury severity as discharge. Additionally, age was inversely correlated with length of initial hospital stay. Exploring these relationships can provide clinicians with information to better manage recovery and support prevention. This research is particularly relevant in Arkansas, where large rural populations underscore the significance of raising awareness of traumatic brain injury. The study also provides Arkansas healthcare providers with age related information about cause of injury and characteristics associated with recovery to administer careful and comprehensive care.

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  Insight into School-Based Tobacco Prevention Education in Arkansas School Districts

  Faisal Khan

  Insight into School-Based Tobacco Prevention Education in Arkansas School Districts [PD1] Henry Obajaja, Ashley Clawson, Kara Lasater, Victor Kwaku Akakpo, Kolade Olatunde, Luke Larsen, Faisal Khan, Page D Dobbs Characters: 2,500/2,500Select Category: Public Health Study Type: Cross-sectionalPresentation Type – Paper or Poster Funding – select University (College of Education and Health Professions WE CARE Initiative) Significance. Despite national declines in youth tobacco use, Arkansas, a Tobacco Nation state, continues to report disproportionately high rates of tobacco use among adolescents. Prior research found Arkansas school professionals identified student tobacco use as a top health concern; however, it is unclear what tobacco prevention education, if any, is implemented within these schools. This study examined Arkansas school personnel’s awareness of and involvement with evidence-based tobacco prevention education. Method. A convenience sample of school personnel (e.g., teachers, administrators, and staff) from K-12 schools in Arkansas (n=325) completed a cross-sectional survey that asked questions about the tobacco prevention curriculum used, need for teacher training to deliver tobacco prevention education, and perceptions of how well their school integrated tobacco prevention strategies. Participants were grouped by their role in implementing tobacco prevention education: (1) not part of their assignment, (2) not assigned to educate but did anyways, and (3) assigned to educate about tobacco prevention. Chi-square tests examined associations between personnel roles and prevention practices employed, and ANOVAs assessed differences in personnel roles and perceptions of policy integration (how well they believed the school integrated ….) Result. The study revealed that only 29% of respondents reported using a premade tobacco prevention curriculum, 28.7% used a non-premade curriculum, and 41.3% reported none. There were significant associations between personnel roles and awareness of prevention curriculum used in one’s school (p< .001), belief in the need for specific teacher training (p< .05), and receipt of prevention-related training in the past three years (p< .001). Overall, 49% of those who were assigned to teach reported using or not using a premade curriculum, while 24.7% of those who were not assigned but ended up teaching reported using a premade curriculum. Further, those assigned to teach prevention reported significantly higher perceptions of research-based curricula (p< .05), cessation services (p< .05), prevention in academics (p< .05), and school tobacco specialists (p< .05). Implication. Few Arkansas schools are implementing evidence-based tobacco education curricula. There is a need to implement evidence-based tobacco prevention curricula, provide comprehensive teacher training, and integrate prevention throughout academics to reduce youth tobacco use.

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  Predictors of Stigma and Their Relation to Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitude in College Students

  Esiquil Lara

  Stigma remains a significant barrier for college students seeking mental health services, yet its predictors and impact are still not fully understood. Mental health problems are a large issue in public health, specifically college age adults are one of the most likely groups to develop such issues. This study examines key factors contributing to stigma and its relationship with help-seeking attitudes among undergraduate college students. We hypothesize that students who identify with minority ethnic groups, identify as male, and who are not seeking a career in mental health services will have higher rates of stigma and therefore be less likely to seek mental health services. Secondary data was analyzed where participants (N=104,730) completed a self-report depression symptom screener, demographic surveys, acculturation assessment, and questionnaires on perceived benefits and barriers to seeking mental health services. Stigma was assessed using self-report measures of perceived and self stigma, while help seeking attitudes were measured through a student’s willingness and likelihood to utilize campus mental health services. Multiple regression analyses will be used to examine the extent to which demographic variables predict stigma levels and to evaluate the relationship between forms of stigma and help seeking attitudes. This data is expected to provide insights into the relationship of stigma predictors and help-seeking attitudes by helping to understand how factors such as ethnicity, major, gender, etc. affect stigma rates in college students. These findings will be beneficial to creating policies and practices for college campuses to ensure equity in use of resources for all students in need of mental health services.

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  Adaptive Leggings for Crohn’s/Colitis/ISBS Patients with a Colostomy/Ileostomy Bag

  Evie Liebbe

  Individuals living with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and related gastrointestinal conditions often face significant physical and emotional challenges following colostomy or ileostomy surgery. While ostomy bags are essential medical devices that support health and survival, they frequently create difficulties related to clothing fit, comfort, discretion, and self-expression. Despite growing conversations around inclusivity and adaptive apparel, the contemporary fashion market offers limited stylish, affordable, and functional clothing options for individuals with ostomies, particularly younger consumers who value both comfort and personal style. This lack of inclusive design can negatively impact confidence, body image, and overall quality of life.The purpose of this study is to design and develop adaptive leggings and pants that are comfortable, stylish, and affordable for individuals living with colostomy and ileostomy bags. This project aims to address both the functional requirements of ostomy wearers, such as pouch support, concealment, and abdominal comfort, and the aesthetic desires often overlooked in adaptive clothing. By prioritizing soft, stretchable fabrics, discreet internal pouch-holding features, and inclusive design principles, the proposed garments seek to normalize ostomy wear within mainstream fashion while enhancing wearers’ confidence and sense of identity.This study is guided by three research objectives: (1) to identify the functional and aesthetic needs of colostomy and ileostomy patients, (2) to analyze existing adaptive apparel currently available in the market, and (3) to design and construct leggings and pants that effectively hold and conceal an ostomy pouch without compromising style or comfort. A survey-based research methodology will be used to collect data from adults with ostomy experience, allowing for user-centered design decisions grounded in real-world needs and preferences.By integrating medical functionality with contemporary apparel design, this project contributes to the growing field of inclusive fashion and highlights the importance of adaptive clothing that supports both physical well-being and emotional empowerment. Ultimately, the development of adaptive leggings for ostomy patients represents a meaningful step toward reducing stigma, increasing accessibility, and ensuring that fashion serves a broader and more diverse population.

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  Cognitive Appraisals, Empathy, and Helping Behavior: Toward an Integrated Model

  Kaitlyn Lizarraga

  Research on cognitive appraisals, empathy, and prosocial behavior is prevalent in the literature, but these three domains have seldom intertwined in a meaningful way despite apparent conceptual overlap. Findings suggest that causal attributions of controllability (which are similar to cognitive appraisals of control and responsibility) predict sympathy and helping behavior, but no work has been done on how cognitive appraisals fit into the mix. Thus, the purpose of the present research was to investigate which cognitive appraisals predict empathy and whether empathy subsequently predicts helping intentions through a sequential process. Research on this topic is significant because there are always people in need, but the level of their needs may differ as well as the empathy levels of individuals when a situation arises. The present research was a between-subjects design on how appraisals, empathy, and helping differ between need vs. no need scenarios, which was inspired by work by Coke et al. (1978). We found that appraisals of attentional activity, situational control, uncertainty, other-responsibility, anticipated effort, goal congruence, goal relevance, and empathy and helping intentions were significantly higher in the need condition than the no-need condition, and that appraisals of pleasantness were lower. The results suggest that individuals evaluate a need-based scenario in ways beyond merely control and responsibility, and that it impacts how they feel and act. The results collected within these studies can contribute to future research by manipulating the demographics of the person in need. This would show if participants were still willing to help even if they are different from the one in need. If we manipulated the demographics of the person in need, this could be used to further study in-group bias and out-group bias.

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  Biases in Prescribing Practices: Examining Physician Stereotyping in Women's Health Counseling Based on Patient Race and Perceptions of Promiscuity

  Jessica Lobb

  As modern healthcare moves towards a focus on personalized medicine, an evaluation of current provider practices is essential to evaluating quality of care. Numerous studies have shown that physicians exhibit stereotyping and implicit bias with patients, but much remains unknown about the extent this impacts women’s health counseling. The presence of stereotyping could affect women’s health outcomes, as decisions such as choosing to prescribe hormonal contraceptives have numerous physical and emotional side effects. This study aimed to assess how stereotyping contributes to physicians’ perceptions and medical decisions for women seeking gynecological care. Clinical vignettes were given to physicians showing women of four different racial categories, and physicians were asked to rate their attitudes and professional recommendations for each hypothetical patient. If physicians chose to prescribe hormonal contraceptives, they were also asked which type they recommend. The study found that race was associated with significant differences in physicians’ perceptions of women and physicians’ medical decisions. Specifically, Asian women were perceived as less likely to be promiscuous, and physicians were less likely to recommend STD testing or hormonal contraceptives to this group. Other significant differences were also seen between White, Black, and Latina women across multiple physician ratings. Notably, for hormonal contraceptive prescriptions the majority of physicians prescribed their favorite form of contraceptive to all women. These results reveal that physicians may be making biased assumptions and health decisions for women without considering their individual needs, preferences, and autonomy. Further, some physicians may be promoting their favorite treatments to patients without considering alternative options. This study shows a need to educate physicians on stereotyping, implicit bias, and health counseling to promote an individualized approach to gynecological care, especially amongst patients of diverse backgrounds. This can improve women’s health outcomes and the quality of their care across demographic groups.

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  Social isolation predicts altered reward circuit connectivity and future behaviors in adolescents

  Mason Lucas

  Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood when people explore risky behaviors. Stressors during adolescence can change structural brain connectivity. Previous research has found weaker structural connectivity between reward circuits and future cognitive impairments among children raised in orphanages. Comparative research in mice suggests that social isolation after bullying can damage these connections and induce alcohol seeking. We tested whether social isolation was related to lower connectivity of targeted structural connections in adolescent humans. We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study and found 130 subjects had experienced extreme social isolation. To evaluate the level of social isolation experienced by each subject, we averaged their scaled answers to questions regarding isolation and investigated the subjects two standard deviations above the mean. We predicted that social isolation would alter connectivity between reward circuits, which may lead to future risk seeking. The tracts that we studied included the uncinate fasciculus, a bundle of fibers connecting the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala, and the connection between the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. We characterized the structural connectivity between reward circuits in our group of subjects from MRI scans to evaluate our tracts of interest. We found that in socially isolated adolescents, there was impaired connectivity in the left uncinate fasciculus (p = 0.024) and abnormally stronger connectivity between the left amygdala and nucleus accumbens (p = 0.015). In order to evaluate what kind of effect social isolation and these connectivity impairments had on this group of adolescents, we predict that the group of isolated subjects will have behavioral differences like increased risk taking and substance use.

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  Feminist Aesthetics: The Early Ms. Years and Second-Wave Body Politics

  Meghan Lucas

  Despite its tremendous impact on both second-wave feminist organizing and women's political consciousness, Ms. magazine remains understudied by scholars interested in emergent feminist consumers and emergent feminist citizens. This study aims to fill the gap in scholarship around late 20th century periodical studies by offering content analysis of the first two years of Ms., July 1972 to June 1974 to offer a content analysis of second-wave feminism's foray into magazine culture and understand how Ms. articulated feminist politics, feminist writing, and women's consumer power to raise women’s consciousness. My research was focused on the archival issues from July 1972 to June 1974 of Ms. acquired from the University of Arkansas Libraries, as well as the supplemental publications of the magazine. I took a similar approach to Katherine Sender’s methodology in her work on the Advocate, and performed a content analysis to identify, quantify, and discuss the topoi of feminist consciousness-raising as the magazine began. Centering this historical media studies project within the rhetorical tradition focuses attention on the magazine's writing genres including: the cover page, the table of contents, features, editorial statements, advertisements, poetry and fiction, services, and departments. These genres offer multiple avenues for feminist consciousness-raising which helped underscore the kinds of rhetorical work Ms. was doing to create and sustain feminist politics. In engaging with Ms. magazine through a critical cultural lens, and building upon the work of Amy Erdman Farrell, and Katherine Sender, this project asks: How did Ms. raise women’s consciousness about political issues raised by feminist organizing? How did consciousness-raising in the magazine employ individualism and community-building to influence the behavior of female readers? How did Gloria Steinem use her voice as editor to build a forum for women’s consciousness and did it differ from the editorial function that Jordan Carroll defines for male contemporaries? What contributions did Ms. offer women beyond consciousness-raising? I argue that Ms. incorporated the politics of feminism into mass media to raise consciousness through: exposing the cultural space of the home to promote individualism, dispelling myths of the “feminized” body, and emphasizing community solidarity to raise women's consciousness through both documenting and producing feminist history. Together, these three facets of Ms. created an archive of feminist consciousness that occupied a singular space in late-twentieth-century magazine culture by virtue of its deep reading of feminist politics. In answering my research questions, this project found that Ms. was a revolutionary force that changed the tried-and-true rule of women’s magazines by creating an aesthetic of the feminist in their magazine. The magazine’s aesthetic practice of intentionality through consciousness raising led women to become more political in their lives. Through this, Ms.’s main impact was through formulating an aesthetic of liberal feminist ideals and disseminating it into the woman’s home. This research contributes to showing how media adds to the cultural canon and creates lasting effects in all aspects of social life. Ms. magazine’s iconic messages in the 1970s still mirror conversations had today. This project shows how influential representational media can be.

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  STREAM Education: How It Can Enrich The Expansion Of Social-Emotional Learning.

  Madalyn Menke

  This research project investigates the implementation of a STREAM Education curriculum – integrating science, technology, reading/writing, engineering, arts/humanities, and mathematics, with a group of fourteen elementary-aged students. The study explores how the intentional inclusion of Reading and the Arts within a traditional STEM framework - guided by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL framework - can enrich students’ social-emotional wellbeing and engagement in learning. In partnership with SOAR Afterschool Care, an eight-week instructional project was implemented in which students read What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada as a central text. The book served as a springboard for students to reflect on themes of creativity, innovation, and perseverance, as well as to imagine how their own ideas could make a meaningful difference in their everyday environments. Guided by each of these themes, students collaboratively brainstormed and developed hands-on projects designed to address real-life challenges relevant to their own lives and communities. The research methodology included pre- and post- surveys completed by students, allowing for the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicate a higher indication for hands-on learning and confidence in self-directed project work. Despite limitations such as a small sample size, this study underscores the value of interdisciplinary, hands-on learning experiences in empowering young learners and fostering creativity, confidence, and authentic skill development. Overall, the findings suggest a need for continued research on subject integration, particularly within STREAM-based approaches, as such models show promise in supporting the development of students’ social-emotional competencies.

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  Exclusive by Design: Engineered Scarcity and Consumer Behavior in Fashion Drops

  Caroline Meyer

  The drop business model centers on releasing small batches of products, often without much notice, on a recurring or semi-regular schedule. These limited releases, or "drops," sell out quickly and rarely restock, creating urgency and making each product feel exclusive. Consumers are trained to anticipate launches, check for updates, and act fast within minutes to secure items before they’re gone. By tapping into psychological drivers such as scarcity, fear of missing out (FOMO), and the desire for social belonging, the drop model flips traditional retail logic. Instead of keeping shelves full, it withholds. Instead of lowering prices to drive sales, it often prices everyday items, such as hoodies, at a premium, justifying this through status, storytelling, and community.To understand how consumers navigate this environment, I designed a survey based on prior consumer behavior research, conversations with participants both inside and outside drop culture, and my own experience with these releases. The survey explored four key areas: participation and purchase behavior, word-of-mouth and online commentary, pricing perceptions, and post-purchase reflections.To collect responses, I developed a three-part distribution strategy. First, I shared platform-specific content on TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn, tailoring messaging to each audience. Second, I encouraged participants to forward the survey to their friends, thereby expanding its reach through personal networks. Third, I contacted professional and academic advisors to access additional perspectives. The intentionality behind these steps helped ensure the survey reached both regular drop followers and more casual participants. The diversity of responses provided a well-rounded view of product drop experiences.Preliminary results suggest that fashion product drops are emotionally charged and socially complex experiences. The data shows consumers reporting excitement, urgency, anxiety, and occasional regret, often occurring simultaneously. Many respondents indicated identity signaling and a desire to belong within brand communities as purchasing motivations. Furthermore, social influence and word-of-mouth also played a role in shaping drop participation and satisfaction. Findings reveal that participants frequently reassessed value after the fact, balancing their emotional impulses against practical considerations. The findings, among others, provide brands with insight into what drives people to act within minutes, how scarcity and pricing influence emotional engagement, and how social networks and community norms shape both decisions and satisfaction. For consumers, it illuminates why they feel excitement and regret at the same time, showing how identity, belonging, and FOMO interact in fast-moving markets. Academically, the study provides one of the first datasets on this emerging phenomenon and offers a foundation for understanding product drops and other high-pressure, exclusive retail environments. With this data, we can better understand how modern retail culture shapes decision-making, social signaling, and emotional experience.

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  Examining Life Course Trends in Dental Tissues Measurements in Members of the Cayo Santiago Macaque Colony

  Tyler Moore

  Dental tissue dynamics in primates are largely understood: as enamel wears with tooth use, tertiary dentin is laid down in response to cumulative (micro)traumas, compressing the internal pulp chamber and root canals. However, our knowledge of the rate and pattern of change in tissue quantities across the life course of primates remains incomplete, particularly in well-documented free-ranging populations. This study examined age- and sex-related variation in dental tissue surface area (SA) and volume (V) in a skeletal sample of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from the Cayo Santiago colony (Puerto Rico), a population with known life history data. Forty-six individuals were divided into four age cohorts, with a balanced representation of males and females. High-resolution microcomputed tomography (microCT) images of each individuals’ maxillary and mandibular left molars were processed using Avizo software. Following segmentation and surface generation, SA (mm2) and V (mm3) of enamel, dentin, and pulp were measured and converted to tissue/tissue SA and V ratios to account for individual body size differences. Results confirm the expected pattern of decreasing pulp/dentin, pulp/enamel, and enamel/dentin values with age. There was a significant difference in all tissue ratios across age groups, with the exception of enamel/dentin SA; sex also had a significant, independent impact on variation in enamel/dentin V. These findings correspond with expected life course dental tissue dynamics in rhesus macaques across multiple molar positions. The results provide insight into essential covariates for future microCT studies of mixed-age dental samples and contribute to comparative research on primate tooth wear and aging.

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  Comparatively Exploring Journalism and Oral Histories as Modes of Advocacy for Marginalized Communities

  Miceala Morano

  Journalism is used to inform people, to serve as the watchdog of the government, and to tell intriguing, timely stories that would remain uncovered otherwise. However, misrepresentation of marginalized communities in the stories journalists tell can undermine the public’s trust in news media. In a study conducted at Oxford University, researchers determined that members of communities that are historically marginalized due to factors such as race, gender and class were more likely to see mainstream news media as “biased, sensationalistic, and depressing” and the journalists that write them as “out of touch, lacking the lived experience or knowledge to understand their realities, or even prejudiced.” However, many people within these focus groups also said that they had positive experiences with individual journalists and blamed the many shortcomings of commercial news media as a whole. (Arguedas, 2023) To determine how oral history research techniques used by researchers at the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History could be used to increase journalistic integrity, four interviews conducted by a student research team at the Pryor Center were coded and analyzed using qualitative data analysis software. Each person who was interviewed identified both as an Arkansan and as a member of a historically marginalized community. Each person’s responses were sorted based on expressions of personal advocacy, identity and community using MAXQDA, a qualitative data software program. Preliminary results indicate that discussions of advocacy, identity and community often overlapped, and people felt more comfortable telling personal stories and identifying as a proud member of a marginalized community when they were given more time to reflect on an open-ended question before speaking. Oral history techniques such as this empower an interviewee to control their own narrative, rather than allowing the interviewer to impose preconceived stereotypes or biases about a person or marginalized group during an interview. Further research is now needed to determine how to train journalists to ask better questions and hold more authentic conversations to increase public trust in news media.

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  Attentional Control, Anxiety, and Depression

  Anna Morgan

  Anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent and debilitating mental health conditions worldwide. Research suggests that both anxiety and depression are related to deficits in the ability to focus and shift attention, known as attentional control. These effects are present in data using behavioral measures of attentional control (e.g., accuracy in resequencing alphanumeric strings) and self-report measures, though more strongly in the latter. However, studies have found little if any correlation between behavioral and self-report measures of attentional control. One possibility is that anxiety and depression are associated not only with deficits in attentional control, but also more strongly with negatively biased self-perceptions of one’s attentional control. The mismatch between self-report and behavioral measures of attentional control may be taken as a proxy for how negatively biased an individual perceives their attentional control abilities. To test the hypothesis that anxiety and depression are associated with inaccurate perceptions about attentional control abilities, I examined whether anxiety and depression were uniquely associated with the difference between self-reported attentional control and behavioral attentional control abilities (i.e., z-score of self-report minus z-score of abilities). Participants (N=121) were recruited from a psychology department research pool and were asked to complete self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and perceived attentional control, as well as a behavioral measure of attentional control. These variables were measured respectively by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Attentional Control Scale (ACS), and a Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) test. In the LNS test, participants were required to repeat a series of verbally presented numbers and letters after rearranging them with numbers listed first in numerical order, followed by the letters in alphabetical order. Self-report attentional control was correlated with anxiety, r = -.21, p = .02, and depression, r = -.33, p < .001, but attentional control ability was not correlated with either anxiety, r = .04, p = .70, or depression, r = .02, p = .82. Multiple regression revealed a significant association, F(3,118) = 3.58, R2 = .29, p =.02, between negatively-biased perceptions of attentional control and depression, β = -.27, p = .02, but not anxiety, β = -.07, p = .51. There was no interaction between anxiety and depression in predicting negatively-biased perceptions of attentional control, β = .12, p = .20. The findings support a unique association between depression and negatively-biased self-perceptions about one’s ability to control attention. Anxiety was not related with biased self-perceptions after accounting for the role of depression. Evidence of anxiety and depression relating to attentional control ability deficits was not present. These findings underscore the importance of measuring abilities and perceived abilities and suggest that perhaps the latter have a more important role in anxiety and depression.

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  Moving towards defining the evolutionarily ancient role of notch signaling in animals.

  Paige Norris

  The notch signaling pathway is deeply conserved across animals from humans to sponges. It functions through direct cell-to-cell communication, where ligand binding triggers the cleavage of the Notch receptor’s intracellular domain (NICD), which then translocates to the nucleus to regulate transcription. In bilaterian lineages—animals with bilateral symmetry— Notch signaling is known to regulate binary cell fate decisions in diverse contexts ranging from neurogenesis to cancer. However, the functions of Notch signaling in early-branching animals, including cnidarians (e.g. jellyfish, corals and sea anemones), are still not fully understood; consequently, evolutionarily ancient roles of Notch remain ill-defined. To address this fundamental knowledge gap, we examine the role of the Notch receptor in Cnidaria, using the genetically tractable sea anemone cnidarian model Nematostella vectensis. By performing immunostaining of gastrula embryos with an antibody against the Notch intracellular domain, together with cell proliferation assays, we observed localization of the Notch intracellular domain in mitotic figures, but not in S-phase nuclei, in ectodermal and endodermal epithelia, indicating that Notch is activated in mitotic cells and may have a role in regulating mitosis. To further test this role, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis, to generate loss-of-function alleles of the Notch gene and confirmed successful mutations through genotyping PCR. We observed that early Notch mutant gastrula embryos had a higher number of ectodermal epithelial cells with enlarged nuclei than control embryos, consistent with Notch being necessary for cell division. Our preliminary data raise the possibility that Notch has an evolutionarily early role in controlling proliferative cellular states in animals.

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  Rural Women and Intimate Partner Violence: A Geographical Analysis of Victim Service Providers in the Southern United States

  Natalie O'Brien

  Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a persistent public safety and public health issue in the United States. Women in rural areas, particularly in the Southern United States, experience disproportionately high levels of frequency and severity. Prior research shows that as communities become more rural, survivors face greater risks of severe violence alongside fewer available support services. This study examines how geographic location shapes help-seeking behaviors and access to victim service providers among adult IPV survivors, with particular attention to differences between rural, suburban, and urban areas in the South. Using nationally representative data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 2021 to 2023, this research analyzes incidents of intimate partner violence among adult women. The analysis incorporates reporting outcomes, law enforcement involvement, severity and type of violence, and key victim and offender characteristics. Geographic location is classified to compare rural, suburban, and urban areas, with additional comparisons between Southern and non-Southern regions. Descriptive and comparative statistical techniques are used to identify patterns in reporting behavior and utilization of victim service providers, such as shelters, legal aid, and advocacy organizations. Preliminary findings suggest that survivors in rural Southern areas are less likely to access formal victim service providers than their urban counterparts, despite experiencing higher levels of violence severity. Instead, rural survivors appear more likely to rely on law enforcement as their primary point of intervention. This pattern aligns with existing research describing rural communities as “service deserts," where long travel distances, limited funding, and a scarcity of social service organizations restricts survivors' options for support. Early results also indicate that the availability of services alone does not fully explain help-seeking behaviors. Factors such as law enforcement capacity, social norms, and the nature of the abusive incident may play an equally important role. These findings have real world implications for improving IPV responses in under-resourced communities. By identifying where and how survivors seek help, this research can inform policy efforts aimed at strengthening coordination between law enforcement and victim service providers, expanding service delivery, and tailoring intervention strategies to reflect the lived experiences of women in the rural South. More broadly, this study contributes to sociological research on inequality, rural justice systems, and gender-based violence, offering insight into how structural barriers shape survivors' access to safety and support. Final results will be available upon the completion of the full analysis in March 2026.

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  Historical Comparison of Fashion Symbolism: Evaluating Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Princess Catherine of Wales

  Rebecca O'Dea

  It is no secret that appearance is a determining factor of how one is perceived by others. One of the most significant elements of image is the clothes that one wears. Through dress people reveal aspects about themselves; a person’s attire serves as an expression of their intentions, values, and feelings in relation to their surroundings before any actual interaction takes place. The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of the influential element of dress, specifically within royal costume. Within the public spotlight, the reach and impact of appearance accumulate more attraction and influence. This research focuses on members of British Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Princess Catherine of Wales, and the values they embody through fashion. The research will provide both insight into principles held by the royal members, as well as tangible evidence of symbolism represented within their fashion. To analyze the attire, intentionally chosen fashion looks from each member will be studied, and subjected to three major themes: power, culture, and emotion. Through a guided questioner, the selected photographs will be examined to then conclude the primary value represented within the attire of royal figures. The overarching purpose of this study is to encourage people to think beyond the surface of fashion. Through the intentional analysis process within this project, guidance will be provided for future curiosity and delivery of the study of dress. The topic is one that personally generates interest and excitement, aiming to incite additional admiration and education in relation to the art of fashion.

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  Enhancing Prosthetic Hand Training Through a Virtual Reality–Based Framework Integrated with the Coapt Control System.

  Iruoghene Ojoh

  Enhancing Prosthetic Hand Training Through a Virtual Reality–Based Framework Integrated with the Coapt Control System. Ojoh, I.1,2, Shell, A.1, Asbee, J.1, Aguilar, D.1 ,Abbas, J.1,2, 1Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR Introduction: Advances in upper-limb prosthetic hardware have greatly improved strength, durability, and mechanical performance; however, achieving intuitive control of EMG-based myoelectric prosthetic hands remains a significant challenge for individuals with trans-radial amputations. These devices rely on electromyography (EMG) signals generated by residual forearm muscles, which require consistent and well-coordinated muscle activation. Many users experience difficulty developing reliable control strategies during early training, which can delay functional use and reduce confidence. Enhancing training approaches for myoelectric prosthetic hand use is therefore an important need for prosthetic care. Methods: This project, conducted at the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R), presents a virtual reality (VR)-based framework designed to enhance training of EMG-based myoelectric prosthetic hand use through the integration of a clinically relevant EMG pattern recognition control system (Coapt, LLC) with an immersive VR environment developed using Unity Technologies. Forearm EMG signals were analyzed using the Coapt system to identify user-specific muscle activation patterns associated with functional pinch and wrist movements relevant to myoelectric prosthetic control. Initial signal processing and classification logic were developed in Python to prototype EMG-to-movement mappings and assess classification reliability. These validated EMG outputs were then translated into C# and integrated into Unity for real-time VR interaction. Within the VR environment, an anatomically normal virtual human hand was animated using Unity’s Animation and Animator systems, with predefined pinch grasp and pinch release motions representing functional task states. EMG signals classified by the Coapt system triggered transitions between these animations, allowing the virtual hand to respond directly to user muscle activation. This animation-based control strategy enabled smooth, anatomically realistic finger motion without explicitly scripting individual joint movements. Results: Preliminary results demonstrate that users can consistently trigger grasp and release actions through EMG input, with immediate visual feedback reinforcing the relationship between muscle activation and hand motion. The immersive VR environment supports repeated practice of functional tasks in a safe, low-fatigue setting, promoting improved EMG signal consistency and user confidence prior to physical prosthetic training. This framework highlights the potential of VR-based training as an effective adjunct to conventional rehabilitation methods for myoelectric prosthetic hand use and supports future development of personalized and remote training systems.

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  A Probabilistic Approach to Multiscale Simulation: Evaluating Machine-Learned Backmapping Models of Diphenylalanine

  Sage Paschall

  Diphenylalanine (FF) has demonstrated the tendency to form several nanostructures, a subset of which are electrically conductive and have exciting potential applications in biotechnology and nanoelectronics. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this self-assembly process remain largely ambiguous. Atomistic-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allow for the evaluation of atomic-level interactions crucial in understanding the driving thermodynamic forces behind self-assembly, but are too computationally expensive to span the necessary timescale to observe the self-assembly process in action. Coarse-grained (CG) models allow for simulation at the appropriate timescale but come at the cost of vital atomistic detail. It is therefore important to develop methods of switching between atomistic and CG resolution efficiently to probe the necessary characteristics while maintaining computational efficiency. While methods of scaling down to the CG space from the atomistic are well established, scaling up from the CG space to the atomistic (backmapping) remains a significant challenge. While deterministic backmapping methods have been thoroughly studied, they fail to capture the inherent variability present in a CG structure. In our work, we incorporate machine-learning methods, specifically a probabilistic backmapping approach, to better represent this variability. Our backmappings reintroduce the positions of the 43 atoms in FF from an eight-bead representation utilized by the MARTINI CG force field. Separate models were trained in internal bond-angle-torsion (BAT) coordinates for each unique CG bead. Sampling and analysis of the learned probability distributions demonstrate that the models very accurately replicate diphenylalanine’s atomistic structure. Evaluation of the potential energies of backmapped structures reveals that the model predicts physically viable, low-energy conformations in the majority of cases. The compartmentalized training procedure additionally allows for a transition to more complex systems, such as long-chain polymers and proteins, with relative ease.

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  Assessing Mesenchymal Stem Cell Phenotype after Heparan Sulfate Supplementation

  Isani Patel

  Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the protective coating of nerves, often causing lasting neurological symptoms. Current treatments slow disease activity but rarely repair existing damage. In response to this, a novel treatment option has emerged: mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. MSCs are cells found in different adult tissues like bone marrow, and they have the potential to release repair-supporting signals and moderate inflammation. Nevertheless, results in a clinical setting have been inconsistent due to variations in cell potency. As a potential strategy to enhance MSC therapeutic potential, the addition of heparan sulfate, a naturally occurring signaling molecule, to cell cultures has been suggested. However, it is important that this molecule does not harm core MSC characteristics such as growth, multipotency, or cellular aging. Here, we investigate whether heparan sulfate alters MSC proliferation rate, colony forming ability, the rate at which these cells become senescent (or non-functional), ability to become other cell types, and the quantity of signaling molecules they secrete. Materials and Methods:Human bone marrow-derived MSCs from three different donors were purchased from a commercial vendor and expanded in cell culture media with or without the supplementation of heparan sulfate. These culture conditions were maintained for 3-4 passages. Subsequently, cell proliferation and colony forming ability were assessed using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK) assay and a colony forming unit fibroblast (CFU-F) assay. Following that, the number of senescent cells was quantified through a Senescence-Associated β Galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining assay. Next, cell differentiation into fat and bone cells was assessed by staining the oil droplets and calcium present in the cultures. Lastly, the amount of secreted cytokines and growth factors were measured by a multiplex assay using conditioned media. Results:The results from this study indicate that HS increases MSC proliferation most prominently in one donor, with minimal effects in the others, indicating a donor-dependent proliferative response. Moreover, the SA-β-gal assay showed that the percentage of senescent cells did not have a significant difference from MSCs treated with HS compared to those without treatment. Interestingly, HS seemed to increase the differentiation potential for both bone and fat cell types as indicated by the intensity of Alizarin Red and Oil-Red-O staining respectively. HS effects on colony-forming ability have been assessed. Consistent with these functional changes, HS-treated MSCs exhibited significantly higher inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, IL-1α/β, TNFα) and growth factors (VEGF-A and PDGF) across all donors. Conclusion:This study demonstrates that HS increases MSC proliferative potential as well as their multipotency and secretion of different cytokines and growth factors without inducing cell senescence. These characteristics make HS a promising supplementation for MSCs since it does not negatively affect key stem cell characteristics.

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  The David and Goliath Phenomenon: When Small Powers Win Big Wars

  Vivian Pettigrew

  After over a decade of war, hundreds of thousands dead, and twenty-four years of power, Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria collapsed in November of 2024 in just twelve days. The success of fragmented Syrian rebels against such a long-standing and powerful government challenges widely held assumptions about power and stability. This research addresses these challenged assumptions by examining the so-called “David and Goliath phenomenon," or cases in which smaller states or rebel groups come out victorious against greater powers. Understanding these cases is crucial to explaining predictability in war and regime vulnerability, while also having important implications for modern international security and counterinsurgency. The methodology that this study uses is a comparative historical analysis to explain the outcome in Syria by analyzing two other examples of underdog success in asymmetric conflicts, those being the Algerian War of Independence against France and the Vietnam War against the United States. This study draws both on reporting and scholarly, peer-reviewed literature to explain this unique phenomenon. Gathering from these sources, three recurring patterns were found that seemingly catalyze the success of the underdog in these asymmetric conflicts. First, among these cases of the David and Goliath phenomenon, the powerful states lost both domestic and international support over time while the weaker actors often achieved regional backings. For the case of Syria, the level of support the al-Assad regime received from their powerful allies of Russia and Iran significantly decreased prior to the collapse of the government, mirroring similar patterns seen in the cases of Algeria and Vietnam. A second recurring pattern in all these cases is the use of unconventional tactics that the underdogs used against their opposition, such as guerrilla warfare, acts of terrorism, and unique innovations that were made with their limited resources. Although these tactics were seemingly less significant against the larger, formal militaries, they proved to have success. Lastly, and perhaps the most important factor among the weaker-states, was the fight for identity that these groups were all a part of. The fight for survival of identity is too often underestimated, and this very well could have been the factor that pushed the weaker actors to success. These findings contribute to real-world international policy debates, proving that military strength alone cannot guarantee success. These findings will continue to demonstrate significance in the 21st century, and can be used to explain outcomes of future wars, such as possibly the Russian-Ukrainian War. Overall, this analysis is significant to understanding and explaining the outcomes of future conflicts while also being a tool to anticipate sudden political changes in the world.