Celebration of Learning 2018: Oral presentations and performances session II
SESSION II Noon-1 p.m.
FEATURED ALUMNI PRESENTATION
SESSION II-A [OLIN AUDITORIUM]
Erin Blecha-Ward ’07
Founder & President, Evolved Experience Solutions and Executive Director, Fresno Football Club
The Road Less Taken...
It's one thing to sit and identify “what you want to do when you graduate,” but it's another thing entirely to design a roadmap to reach that goal. Experiences and opportunities often come at unexpected times, or in forms that don't look exactly as you may expect, but having the ability to recognize and embrace opportunity, paired with the drive and work ethic to excel, can lead you places you never imagined. Hear from Erin Blecha-Ward ’07, a sports business executive, as she discusses her experience working for major sports organizations across the country and ultimately using that to launch her own business endeavor. A founding member of Athletes Giving Back and active in athletics and service across campus, Blecha-Ward turned her passion for sports into a thriving career focused on creating opportunities to give back and optimize the fan experience.
SESSION II-B [OLIN 305]
Gabriel A. Tucker
Project advisors: Dr. Mariano Magalhães and Dr. Xiaowen Zhang, political science
MAGA, Memes and Magnificent Hair: How White Nationalism Became Rooted in American History
Session II-B-1: Olin 305 [Noon-12:15 p.m.]
This session seeks to analyze the history of white nationalist ideologies in American political history and compare them to the current political environment today. The primary analysis rests on the rhetoric used, clothing chosen and cultural artifacts that have been appropriated by white nationalists in attempts to further their cause.
Cassidy Foley
Project advisor: Dr. Xiaowen Zhang, political science
School Segregation: A Modern Issue
Session II-B-2: Olin 305 [12:15-12:30 p.m.]
This session examines modern-day school segregation and the influence that this segregation has on society. School segregation is seen to be created and maintained by the intersection and mutual reinforcement of a number of factors. The four factors examined in this project are school secessions, funding, private school enrollment and residential segregation. Each of these factors is seen to influence school segregation in the modern day and reinforce one another in creating a permanence of segregation within education.
Anna Tegge
Project advisors: Dr. Xiaowen Zhang and Dr. Mariano Magalhães, political science
Refugees’ Threats of Terrorism: Securitization By Means of Social Integration
Session II-B-3: Olin 305 [12:30-12:45 p.m.]
This research analyzes factors that affect the number of terrorist incidents in Europe with large numbers of refugees. My research intends to explore the correlation between refugees and terrorist incidents and to identify if social integration and immigration policies can have an effect on the volume of attacks. My independent variables of social policies in addition to immigration policies confirm my hypothesis that certain factors within these policies affect terrorism in Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany. The answer to this question will aid in the creation of stability, prosperity and justice within Europe and provide a model for the rest of the international community. Initiating studies on this political phenomenon is crucial to reducing European terrorism, explaining some of its causes, preventing future conflict and ultimately increasing the security of Europe’s citizens and noncitizens alike.
Grant McFadden
Project advisor: Dr. David Schwartz, communication studies, multimedia journalism and mass communication
Playing the Field – Effects of NCAA Athletics on Student Involvement on Campus
Session II-B-4: Olin 305 [12:45-1 p.m.]
I’ve played sports all my life. The lessons I’ve learned through collegiate athletics have propelled me to become more involved on campus. I wanted to figure out how other Augustana students’ athletic involvement affected their decisions to join other organizations. And for those who don’t play sports, what are their motivations? Are athletics a highly positive inspiration, or do the stresses of collegiate athletics generate the opposite effect? My written and video stories dive into student life at Augustana and investigate how all students carry their own motivations for involvement, whether good or bad.
SESSION II-D [HANSON 102]
Dr. Jayne Rose
Psychology
Incorporating Local Service Learning to Enhance Global Study
Session II-D-1: Hanson 102 [Noon-12:20 p.m.]
Service learning (SL), learning communities (LC) and study abroad are all identified as high-impact educational experiences. However, there are some barriers and concerns related to these. While longer study abroad experiences are recommended, they are impractical for some students due to cost and time commitment. Engaging in service learning while studying abroad carries the risk of “voluntourism” and unintended negative outcomes for the people being “served.” To address these issues while still capitalizing on the benefits of service learning and study abroad, a learning community was developed that paired a local SL experience with a globally focused course that included a 10-day study abroad trip. Students completed the Global Perspectives Inventory and the Public Affairs Scale at the beginning of the LC, prior to the trip abroad, and at the end of the LC. This presentation will report on data gathered from three cohorts of students who enrolled in this learning community.
Dr. Brian P. Katz
Mathematics
From Inquiry to Critical Inquiry
Session II-D-2: Hanson 102 [12:20-12:40 p.m.]
Wenger (1998) introduced the idea of a community of practice to describe a group of people mutually engaged in a joint enterprise through a shared repertoire. Many scholars have applied this concept to understand patterns of interaction in inquiry-based mathematics classrooms. Jaworski (2006) extended this idea by observing that in some communities of practice, participants develop an “awareness of states of practice, a recognition that actions and their consequences are not always easy to rationalize, and a position of inquiring into relationships between action and outcome” that could be called a critical stance toward the community of practice. Our research group has a collection of final projects and presentations from a Differential Equations course specifically for undergraduate pre-service teachers, a group for whom a critical stance toward practice is important. The assignments that generated our data prompted students to focus on conceptual understanding, so we see their spontaneous comments that show critical stances to be compelling evidence of a community of inquiry in the course. We are trying to understand the nature of the stances these students took to teaching, learning and understanding, and mathematics in this community.
Dr. Lisa Seidlitz
WLLC-German studies
Learning from Each Other: Articulation Between High School and College German Programs
Session II-D-3: Hanson 102 [12:40-1 p.m.]
During my sabbatical, I visited 10 high school German programs to better understand how my colleagues at those schools teach and what their students can do and expect to learn when they come to college. I will share observations that I hope will be useful to instructors of many disciplines, not just languages. Bring a smart phone or other device so that we can try out some of the techniques I observed.
SESSION II-F [HANSON 304]
Mackenzie Ryan, Francesca Scribano, Dr. Kimberly Murphy
Project advisor: Dr. Kimberly Murphy, biology
Effects of Evolution on Laboratory Sublines of Myxococcus xanthus DK1622
Session II-F-1: Hanson 304 [Noon-12:15 p.m.]
Microbes have served as effective models for studying evolution because of their ability to be easily replicated, stored and manipulated. Myxococcus xanthus is a soil bacterium that has served as a model organism in many laboratories. The unique social and motile behaviors exhibited by this bacterium make it ideal for phenotypic assays. A wild-type strain of M. xanthus, DK1622, has been distributed to laboratories across the United States and therefore we now have DK1622 sublines. The genomes of a number of these sublines have been sequenced, and their social and motile phenotypes have been analyzed. When nine of these sublines were compared, slight differences in their genomes were detected as well as differences in phenotype. Our study aims to determine the changes in phenotype that occur when the same gene is disrupted in three of the sublines of M. xanthus DK1622. To this end, we have created new M. xanthus mutant strains with a single gene disrupted and tested the resulting strains for motility. Results from motility assays have shown differences in the appearance of the swarms as well as differences in swarm diameter. The results obtained in this experiment suggest that further studies should be performed on the phenotypic differences between sublines of the DK1622 wild-type strain of M. xanthus. The differences noted between the wild-type sublines as well as between the mutant strains warrant the need to disrupt more genes and test the resulting mutant strains for motility and fruiting body development. If significant differences are identified between new mutant strains of M. xanthus, this opens the door for moving this type of study into other bacteria.
Ravi M. Patel
Project advisor: Dr. Joseph Hyser, biochemistry (Baylor College of Medicine)
Tulane Virus as a Surrogate Model to Study Human Norovirus
Session II-F-2: Hanson 304 [12:15-12:30 p.m.]
Human norovirus is the second highest cause of death in developing nations. However, as of today, there are no effective means of studying the virus. During the summer, I used Tulane virus, a close relative, as a surrogate model to study human norovirus.
Briana Lee
Project advisors: Dr. Rafael Medina and Dr. Bob Tallitsch, biology
Remember the Important Things in Life: My Mother’s Story and Brain Aneurysm Awareness
Session II-F-3: Hanson 304 [12:30-12:45 p.m.]
According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, more than 30,000 people suffer a brain aneurysm rupture every year in the United States. On Sept. 1, 2015, my mother became one of the 30,000 when she suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm at the age of 46. The purpose of this presentation is to share my mother’s story, but to also bring more awareness to brain aneurysms and their catastrophic effects when they rupture. Topics that will be discussed include what brain aneurysms are, the symptoms that develop, the risk factors that increase the chances of aneurysms developing and rupturing, as well as treatment options.
Joel Nelson
Project advisors: Dr. Michael Galko and Dr. Heidi Storl, philosophy
Drosophila TRP Channels: Role in Chemical Nociception
Session II-F-4: Hanson 304 [12:45-1 p.m.]
Nociception is an organism’s response to harmful stimuli. There are a variety of modalities of nociception that can occur, each with its own mechanism. Chemical nociception occurs when the sensory nervous system interacts with harmful chemicals, such as acidic or basic solutions. Chemical nociception is currently not well understood. Through a previously created chemical nociceptive assay, we tested the model organism Drosophila melanogaster larval response to varying concentrations of hydrochloric acid. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have previously been shown to mediate a response to thermal and mechanical stimuli, due to their presence in multidendritic (MD) sensory neurons. Therefore, we asked whether TRP channels played a role in chemical nociception. Genetic manipulation of Drosophila larvae allowed for fly stocks to be created that contained mutated TRP channels. A number of TRP channels surfaced as channels that may play a role in the organism’s response to noxious chemical stimuli; this connection was found due to the phenotypic differences in the response of the genetically modified larvae compared to the wild type. These channels include the TRPA channels Pyrexia (Pyx) and Painless (Pain), and the channel TRPML. Further tests were performed using the UAS-Gal4 binary system to suppress the formation of the TRPML channel specifically in the MD sensory neurons. A significant phenotypic difference was seen in the suppressed channel fly stock compared to the controls. Continued research on these TRP channels, and chemical nociception in general, can greatly advance the understanding of how certain chemicals affect the human body.
SESSION II-G [HANSON 305]
Alfred Dei-Ampeh
Project advisor: Dr. Mary Ellen Biggin, chemistry
Proposal of a More Efficient and Accurate Analytical Method for Lipidome Analysis.
Session II-G-1: Hanson 305 [Noon-12:30 p.m.]
Over the years, scientists have analyzed lipidomes by using a classical method that involves Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Gas Chromatography coupled to Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID). Lipid metabolism is essential in diverse sectors such as health, the food industry and biofuels. These sectors require a well resolved analytical method that provides a robust quantitative and qualitative data for a lipidome. Working with accurate data ensures that procedures performed in these sectors are not negatively influenced. Hence, a pharmacologist in the health sector can confidently use the quantified blood lipid level of a patient to regulate and to administer the right dosage of an anticancer drug that has minimal toxicity, but higher efficacy. This presentation focuses on a modified version of the classical method that is currently being used in the Augustana biochemistry/chemistry department. This method will be compared to novel analytical techniques, such as Electron Spray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) and Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), that are indicated in recent studies. The outcomes of the comparison will be used to propose an analytical method that efficiently provides more accurate quantitative and qualitative data for a lipidome.
Danielle Christine Alfrey
Project advisors: Dr. Dell Jensen and Dr. Gregory Domski, chemistry
Nanoparticles, a Novel Delivery System for siRNA in Major Disease Treatment
Session II-G-2: Hanson 305 [12:30-1 p.m.]
This presentation consists of a review of a common, versatile nanoparticle, Chitosan, as an example of how different nanoparticles are used as siRNA delivery systems. siRNA is used in RNA interference, RNAi, which is a defense mechanism cells have against virus infections. Cells react to invading viral RNA strongly by silencing all of that specific RNA gene function in the cell. For example, if an siRNA encoding for a green protein was introduced in a cell, the cell would recognize the unique double stranded RNA, because double stranded RNA is uncommon, and destroy the RNA’s meaning of producing the green protein. The result is that the cell no longer makes any green protein, meaning if this was a plant cell, this would appear very oddly in a different color than green, as the gene function has been silenced by various pathways in order to save the cell. This is very advantageous as many diseases function by unregulated gene expression, so RNAi can be a precise, stable and efficient way to treat many diseases. So why is this not the biggest thing on the market right now? siRNA still needs a way to be delivered to target locations amongst living organisms. This is where nanoparticles come in as a safe, side effect-less means to get treatments where they need to go.
SESSION II-H [WALLENBERG HALL]
Allison Arvia
Project advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, WLLC-French
Forbidden Love in the Plays of Jean Racine
Session II-H-1: Denkmann, Wallenberg Hall [Noon-12:20 p.m.]
This Senior Inquiry presentation analyzes the different types of amour interdit (forbidden love) in the works of 17th-century playwright Jean Racine.
John Hallmark
Project advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, WLLC-French
Captivity in the Works of Jean Racine
Session II-H-2: Denkmann, Wallenberg Hall [12:20-12:40 p.m.]
This presentation deals with the role of captivity in the works of Jean Racine’s complete works. Through analytical literary critique, this project covers physical captivity and metaphysical captivity and how these two ideas are presented through Racine’s theatrical plays. The physical space represents the psychological boundaries between the id, ego and super-ego that are described by Freud. In this project, the aim is to make the argument that physical boundaries bring order into one’s life while complete physical free will introduces disorder. Through this idea, we examine how virtue and self control are propagated through forms of physical captivity, while pure metaphysical captivity is not comprehensible and lets the id take over and lets passion dictate one's life.
Brisa Almanza
Project advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, WLLC-French
Le rôle de la mère
Session II-H-3: Denkmann, Wallenberg Hall [12:40-1 p.m.]
This session is an analysis of the maternal role in the plays of Jean Racine, a 17th-century writer. The character of the mother plays different roles throughout the plays.
SESSION II-I [OLD MAIN 132]
Clarissa A. Stephenson
Project advisor: Dr. Cyrus Zargar, religion
Rhetoric, Authority and Children of God: Charismatic Authority and Ecstasy in American Religions
Session II-I-1: Old Main 132 [Noon-12:20 p.m.]
As new religious movements have flooded the social landscape of the United States, they have inspired large counter-movements. These counter-movements assumed a category of accepted religions that excluded religious movements that challenged the hegemonic way of life in the United States. Some of these new religions—deemed “cults” by outsider groups—were seemingly able to exert total control over the actions of their followers, especially in relation to their physical and sexual relationships. Movements like Children of God place a focus on the physical body as the road to spiritual salvation. The charismatic authority present in this new religious “cult” creates a body of doctrine that requires complete dedication of both the physical and spiritual bodies of its followers. Rhetorical tools, such as repetition, thematic consistency and exclusivist rhetoric, are used to emphasize this inseparable connection. Using Weber's understanding of charismatic authority and the use of ecstasy in religion, this session will discuss the rhetoric of Children of God to find a model of charismatic authority in new religious movements.
Ethan Doan
Project advisor: Dr. Dan Lee, religion
Finding Our Lutheran Identity: A Search for Lutheranism
Session II-I-2: Old Main 132 [12:20-12:40 p.m.]
This project’s main focus is to explore what it means to be Lutheran in the United States in today's world. Its main purpose is to help Lutherans form their own Lutheran Identity and to help non-Lutherans learn about the main ideas and traditions in Lutheran theology. In this project, I interviewed seven ordained ministers in the Lutheran tradition. Four were ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and three were ordained in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LC-MS). Each pastor was asked a series of questions regarding what Lutheranism means to them. Their answers and my observations are discussed in my project.
Eileen A. Ruppel
Project advisor: Dr. Eric Stewart, religion
Creating Genderless God-language Through Lutheran Liturgy
Session II-I-3: Old Main 132 [12:40-1 p.m.]
Drawing on the work of feminist and queer theologies, this session examines and challenges traditional God-language, proposing the implementation of genderless language in Christian worship liturgies. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is used as a model for potential methods of shifting God-language. This work focuses on God-language in Lutheran liturgy, focusing on Scripture, hymns, doctrine and prayer. This work seeks to prove that implementing genderless God-language throughout the liturgy will provide ELCA leaders the opportunity to be more inclusive, while representing God’s transcendence beyond human conceptions such as gender.
SESSION II-J [OLD MAIN 005, 021, 022, 028]
Abby Benson, Robert Burke, Kaitlyn Cline, Kelcie Fredrickson, Hannah Griggs, Alondra Hernandez, Audrey Hogenkamp, Adam Huffstutler, Ryan Jenkins, Hayden Karrick, Hannah Kiel, Artemis Kornoski, Haley Madura, Bridget Quinn, Casandra Romero Rarmirez, Carli Schwanebeck, Darielle Sherrod, Connor Swiat, Anna Thoma, Jamie Thulin, Alana Webster, Caleb Westerman
Project advisor: Dr. Eric Stewart, religion
Museums of Masculinity
Session II-J-1: Old Main 005, 021, 022, 028 [Noon-1 p.m.]
Students from Women’s and Gender Studies 302: Masculinity in American Culture will provide audio-visual presentations related to the various ways masculinity is performed, displayed and recognized in various pop culture media.
SESSION II-L [EVALD 17 and 18] Noon-1:30 p.m. – NOTE EXTENDED TIME
Yen Dao, Chris Beyer, Dr. Deke Gould, Dr. Jennifer Palar, Michael Salamone, Mary Windeknecht
Residential Life, Learning Commons, philosophy, business administration, CORE-advising
How Do We Engage Opinions We Don’t Agree With?
Session II, III-L-1: Evald Hall 17 and 18 [Noon-1:30 p.m. - NOTE EXTENDED TIME]
Panel members will discuss what it means to be civil, demonstrate civility by debating a topic that received the most votes from the Augie community, and invite the audience to practice civil discourse. The three possible debate topics include “Is higher education a right or privilege? Should college be free?” and “Should students be able to grade their teachers?” and “Should we eliminate sororities and fraternities?” Join us to find out which topic received the most votes!
SESSION II-M [LARSON HALL]
Dr. Michelle Crouch, Lauren Hagedorn, Claire Herdegen, Rebecca Hobson, Chelsea Crumbleholme, Shannon Ryan, Katie Kleve, Moira Dunn, Phung (Aileen) Nguyen, Philip Tunnicliff, Tyler Berger, Zoë Haenisch, Madeleine Cuasay, Dana Burhorn; pianist: Dr. Charles Schmidt
Project advisor: Dr. Michelle Crouch, music
Schubertiade: Art Song Theatre
Session II-M-1: Bergendoff, Larson Hall [Noon-1 p.m.]
Just as grand opera is beginning to dominate the cultural landscape in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) is writing myriads of intimate art songs. The intensity and diversity of these poetic works is amazing, and has enticed us explore various modes of theatricalization as an alternative way of presenting them.
SESSION II-O [HONKAMP BLACK BOX THEATRE]
Abigail Rogers
Project advisor: Dr. Jane Simonsen; history, women’s and gender studies
‘Defund Planned Parenthood!’ – Examining Consequences of Lack of Access to Reproductive Healthcare
Session II-O-1: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [Noon-12:15 p.m.]
For my Senior Inquiry, I researched access to women's reproductive healthcare and examined it through an intersectional lens. I will use personal narratives of women's experiences to show how accessibility to healthcare or lack of affects everyone differently. The argument here is that while access to reproductive healthcare is very important, there are barriers to access, which in turn, can have negative outcomes and consequences.
Jaime McLean
Project advisor: Dr. Jane Simonsen; history, women’s and gender studies
Excusing Ignorance: Title IX on College Campuses
Session II-O-2: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [12:15-12:30 p.m.]
This session investigates ignorance as a defining feature in rape culture, masculinity, power and privilege, and suggests that these are all integral parts of why Title IX is failing survivors. This research was gathered as part of my Senior Inquiry on “Ignorance and Title IX Policy.” This session is designed to engage the audience in discussion of these issues.
Aliyah Bailey
Project advisor: Dr. Jane Simonsen; history, women’s and gender studies
Just Smile: Using Women's Narratives to Explore Public Harassment
Session II-O-3: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [12:30-12:45 p.m.]
For my Senior Inquiry, I wrote a collection of narratives on boundary crossing and harassment. I will give a short description of my project and read one of the short stories from the collection.
Elizabeth L. Warkocki
Project advisor: Dr. Jane Simonsen; history, women’s and gender studies
‘Dirty, dark, filthy traps’: Post-WWII Housing Security in Ann Petry’s The Street
Session II-O-4: Brunner Theatre Center, Honkamp Myhre Black Box [12:45-1 p.m.]
Ann Petry’s The Street follows the story of Lutie Johnson, an African American single mother struggling to advance in a world of systemic barriers. My analysis seeks to place her story in the historical context of post-WWII housing security in New York City; Petry herself admits definitive interest in how environmental factors impact a person’s opportunities. Looking at the novel through this historical lens provides a deeper understanding of the barriers facing African American women like Lutie being blocked from the American Dream.
SESSION II-P [WILSON CENTER].
Brianna M. Pickering
Project advisor: Dr. Meg Gillette, English
Let's Get Motivated: A Reflection on Tony Robbin's ‘Unleash the Power Within’
Session II-P-2: Brunner Theatre Center, Wilson Center [12:15-12:35 p.m.]
After attending Tony Robbin's “Unleash the Power Within” conference, I had an enormous shift in my attitudes, behaviors and beliefs, a transformation purely for the better. I now want to help and inspire others to create similar lasting change in their lives. So join me in finding motivation to inspire not only yourself, but also those around you. Do not simply wait around for life to rise to your standards, but rather make the changes necessary to your everyday life that will create that feeling of fulfillment you have been craving.