28th Student Academic Conference Schedule

Adeno-Associated Viruses (AAVs) are a studied vector for gene therapy with promising results. AAVs are the ideal candidate for gene therapy as they are stable and nonpathogenic. We looked at four different publications to determine possible solutions to problems such as pre-existing immunity to the capsids, and the high dosage requirements for effective treatment. The studies looked at how the immune system responds to AAVs as a method of administering gene therapy and the possible risks that are associated with overly high dosages. B-cells are part of the obstacle of immunity to the AAV as a vector for gene therapy, as they will target the foreign body and initiate an immune response. By preventing the response, the AAV is effective in providing treatment for various neuromuscular diseases and implementing desired gene expressions in select tissues. With ways to circumvent the response to the AAV, safer dosage levels can be used to avoid immunotoxicity and provide more effective treatment. 

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has had a profound and uneven impact across countries worldwide, with large differences in infection rates, mortality, and healthcare burden. Understanding these disparities is essential for evaluating global public health responses and preparedness. In this project, we will investigate how COVID-19 outcomes vary across countries and regions using publicly available global data. We will use a country level dataset containing cumulative totals of confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries, and active cases obtained from an international COVID-19 data repository. We will conduct exploratory data analysis to summarize the distributions of each metric and to visualize patterns using histograms, comparative bar charts, and grouped summaries. We will compare outcomes across countries to identify outliers, assess variability, and examine the scale of disparities among regions. This analysis may help clarify global patterns in pandemic impact, highlight inequities in health outcomes, and inform future public health planning and international response strategies.

Opioid overdoses on college campuses are a pressing issue. With the rising rates of opioid overdose it’s important for students to be educated on reversal options should the need arise. Naloxone is an antidote for an opioid overdose also known as “Narcan” and can be used immediately to reverse an opioid overdose. By increasing awareness on our campus, we can help reduced stigma around “Narcan” use and availability on campus.

               Because the communication needs of people with dementia (PWD) are complex and constantly evolving, their communication partners must adapt to maintain connection and efficient/effective communication. This literature review aims to define the role of the SLP in providing communication partner training (CPT) for PWD. The practice involves continuous education regarding the disease itself and its progression, communication styles and techniques, and implementation of CPT frameworks within the home-setting, long-term care, and palliative care. Currently, research suggests the evidence base for CPT and dementia SLP intervention is positive, although growing.

I focus on the use of ai in cybersecurity. I talk about how ai can be used to detect threats, prevent attacks, and improve system protection. 

Background/Context: This project is in the area of browser-based content filtering and privacy-by-design text classification.
  Research problem/aim: The goal is to reduce accidental spoilers by accurately identifying spoiler-risk text for user-selected titles without making browsing annoying.
  Methods/evidence: We use rule-based detection (watchlist match + spoiler-intent phrases + proximity scoring) and evaluate it on labeled examples from headlines, search snippets, post previews, and video titles.
 Preliminary results/next steps: Early results show strong detection for high-risk spoiler phrasing when a protected title is present; next steps are expanding the dataset, tuning thresholds to cut false positives, and integrating into the full extension UI.
Significance: The project provides an explainable, local-only spoiler protection approach that avoids uploading browsing content and improves on basic keyword-only blockers.

         Tutoring serves a vital role in enhancing the academic success of students through 
individualized support and instruction, aiming to foster independent learning. This poster 
analyzes evidence-based approaches instructors may use to develop productive tutoring sessions 
that are tailored to the learning needs of students. Individuals learn at different paces, and 
MSUM offers the opportunity to work with a tutor for all students. By serving as a math tutor at 
MSUM, I have used numerous approaches that have shaped my tutoring practice, such as 
relationship-building, flexibility, organization, active listening, and building independence. 
Having the opportunities to work with students and personalize tutoring sessions has helped me 
develop approaches to teaching mathematical concepts, improving student experiences in 
courses, and growing my abilities as a future teacher. Together, these approaches support 
students’ acquisition of content, empower them to unlock their potential, and bridge learning 
gaps in education, benefiting both the tutor and the student. 

Mimosa pudica exhibits rapid leaf-folding behavior in response to mechanical stimulation, making it a useful model for studying plant sensitivity and habituation. This study investigated whether repeated mechanical stimulation affects the growth and behavioral response of Mimosa pudica during early development. Seeds from the same batch were germinated and grown under identical conditions. Two plants were observed from germination through later growth stages: one plant was subjected to frequent touch and movement, while the second plant served as a minimally handled control. Growth and behavior were recorded through qualitative observations. The mechanically stimulated plant exhibited reduced growth, losing two of its three initial shoots, while the control plant lost only one. However, the stimulated plant showed reduced sensitivity to novel mechanical disturbance during transport. These findings suggest that repeated mechanical stimulation may reduce growth while increasing tolerance to environmental stress, indicating a potential trade-off between growth and resilience in Mimosa pudica.

The goal of this research was to model the eclipsing binary system V0512 Cam, a W UMa type with a period of  ??0.572734 d in VSX. This system was chosen based on the TESS data, when placed in a light curve it looked like it potentially had star spots. The system was modeled and found to be similar to a contact binary and no evidence towards the presence of star spots. The light curve from TESS was modeled phenomenologically, using a model used by the Gaia project, and physically, using PHOEBE. The period computed from the TESS data is 0.572737 d, which differs slightly from the period in VSX. The same period is obtained from the ASAS-SN data.

MSUM is home to a variety of wildlife, but perhaps most notable amongst them are the campus turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). As many species of birds do, turkeys have a strict social order, communicating within their group by clucking, purring, and yelping. Additionally, they broadcast messages to other species via posturing behaviors like strutting. Their complex social dynamics might not be intuitive to humans, but understanding turkey signaling can help us learn more about the purpose behind their behavior.

This presentation examines the life of a man who suffered under the system of slavery in Colonial America through an analysis of runaway slave advertisements and related historical content. Runaway slave advertisements were usually published by enslavers and provided a very finite glimpse into the life of those seeking freedom. Despite these advertisements only giving us a small glimpse into the lives of those who were subject to this cruel system, they can provide us valuable data on the individual’s identity and their resistance to this system. We can now give agency and humanity to individuals who were rarely recorded outside of brief and prejudiced notices. The goal of this presentation is to address the gaps in information from just reading the advertisement by drawing inferences about his life and the broader context of escaping the system of slavery.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are well known for their efficacy and importance in gene therapy as they offer an effective and safe delivery system for genes into human cells. Their successes however are imited by two main challenges, namely that many people already have antibodies that neutralize AAVs, and that the exact receptors that control tissue-specific targeting are not well understood. This study aims to overcome these issues by using engineered decoy nanoparticles to temporarily absorb anti-AAV antibodies, improving gene delivery. At the same time, it investigates how specific AAV variants interact with cellular receptors using CRISPR screening and glycan analysis. By addressing both immune interference and targeting limitations, this research could improve the efficiency and precision of AAV-based gene therapies and expand their clinical use.

   Phishing remains the most prevalent form of cybercrime. Criminals are taking advantage of deceptive emails, smishing, and vishing to steal sensitive data. Current data suggests that despite advancing firewalls and detection software and AI, human psychology remains the most vulnerable entry point. Cyber security is only as strong as its most vulnerable user.

   The effects of a successful phishing attack can range from individual identity theft or loss, to massive corporate data breaches that could cripple national infrastructure and subvert national security. As digital communication becomes more sophisticated, so do psychological tactics. Which makes this a critical area of study for cybersecurity and behavioral science, as well as the back end implications of the IT sphere.

   While technical solutions like spam/ham filters exist, there is a large gap in users' technical literacy, and with the continuing rise of social media, "bad actors" playing on individuals' psychology has never been easier. Many individuals remain unaware of how to identify modern, highly-targeted "spear-phishing" attempts or the specific protocols to follow once a compromise has occurred. Most are also unaware of the negative and positive impacts of AI in phishing, including AI powered Vishing on the negative side, and deep learning CNN models detecting and removing phishing links before they have the chance to be malicious. 

This project focuses on how random mutations contribute to phage resistance in Ruegeria pomeroyi. Using transposons, which is “mobile” DNA that disrupts random genes, a mutant pool is created where each bacterium has a different gene that has been interrupted. Exposing the mutant pool to a phage lysate allows us to identify resistant strains that are able to survive phage infection. Sanger sequencing will locate the disrupted genes by targeting the interested marker from the transposon. This allows us to generate a comparison across different surviving mutants. Identifying these genes will improve understanding of bacterial mechanisms and what genes might cause phage resistance. 

My project is a biographical presentation about the lives of individual enslaved people in North Carolina during the 1790s. My presentation will answer questions such as what they looked like, skills these people possessed, how they escaped, what motivated their escape, where they fled, and what a contemporary individual can learn from their escape. I will be using sources like census data, maps, and fugitive slave advertisements to further help in my presentation. The goal of the presentation is to provide a historical voice to the lives of individuals who were formerly silenced.

Archaeological excavations conducted in 2025 served to further tell the story of a small rail town in northern Minnesota named Winnipeg Junction. Winnipeg Junction existed along the North Pacific Railroad from the late 1800s until the early 1900s when the railroad moved. The loss of the railroad served as a severe economic blow to the residents. Many residents were forced to move taking their homes and businesses with them. The excavation of a remnant outbuilding (feature 1006) further provides nuance to this narrative. Feature 1006 was the remains of a commercial outbuilding which was later filled with debris and burned. The feature mainly contained architectural components which were burned in place. These artifacts were likely burned following the removal of the main building on the property. The presence of this architectural material indicated a wider exodus from Winnipeg Junction as well as how the decisions of corporations can affect everyday workers and their broader communities.

 ArcGIS is a digital mapping program often used by archaeologists to understand spatial relations within a site. Using geospatial data collected via GPS and Total Station units, data can be used to show relationships between historic maps, excavation units, and modern geospatial data. In 2022, Minnesota State University students collected geospatial data from an excavation at Winnipeg Junction, Minnesota. Winnipeg Junction was a small rail town that existed along the North Pacific Railroad from the late 1800s until the early 1900s when the railroad moved. The town quickly disincorporated. Most of the buildings were moved away; with only a few people residing where the town once stood. Utilizing geospatial data collected in 2022, a map of the site was created with the help of ArcGIS. The final results showcase spatial relationships between Winnipeg Junction’s modern excavations and its historic plat map.  

As technology develops faster than formal and informal ideas of privacy, research on the intersection of privacy, technology, and perception is lacking. Privacy defined by social scientist Irwin Altman is, “…the selected control of access to oneself or to one’s groups…” Legal scholar Alan Westin describes privacy as, “…the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others.” This study uses elements of both as, “the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to control access to their personal information and to what extent it is shared to others.”  Respondents were randomly assigned one of four scenarios that similarly described a potential privacy violation but differed on how and to what extent the private information was disclosed. Researchers gained insight into how contextual differences influence perception and value regarding personal privacy. 

Cybersecurity has become a critical component of modern information systems as organizations increasingly rely on digital infrastructure for operations, communication, and data storage. This project examines common cybersecurity threats, including ransomware, phishing, malware, and web application vulnerabilities, and analyzes the prevention strategies organizations use to mitigate these risks. Emphasis is placed on established frameworks such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, Risk Management Framework (RMF), and Zero Trust architecture. The research evaluates how layered security controls, structured risk management processes, and human-factor awareness contribute to stronger organizational resilience. By synthesizing industry reports, academic research, and government security standards, this study highlights the importance of proactive and framework driven security strategies in protecting enterprise information systems.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, and survival depends on immediate bystander action. Hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using simple chest compressions can maintain blood flow to the brain and vital organs until advanced care arrives. This presentation highlights the importance of early recognition, rapid activation of emergency services, and high-quality compressions. Current guidelines support compression-only CPR for untrained bystanders, emphasizing that anyone can take action. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice chest compressions on a CPR manikin to build confidence and develop lifesaving skills.

This poster explores how music-based interventions affect speech perception abilities in adults with cochlear implants. CIs are beneficial for perceiving speech in quiet; however, due to the “lack of fine-structure processing in CI processing strategies” (Lo et al., 2015, p. 1), they struggle to provide information critical to understanding speech in noise and discerning between pitches and inflections. The studies discussed within this paper examine music-based therapy’s effect on quality of life, participant’s perceived benefit, intonational discrimination, speech recognition (in noise and in quiet), and frequency change discrimination. This poster covers a literature review of the efficacy of music-based treatments in enhancing speech perception in adults with cochlear implants. 

This literature review explores evaluation methods, evidence-based treatments, and accommodations that Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) use to ensure success for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental language disorder (DLD). Using a multidisciplinary approach, individuals have cohesive, effective care amongst team members and caregivers. Intervention typically includes language and cognition support through executive function support, caregiver training, and literacy development. Decreasing the cognitive load a child has can improve their ability to use language skills, thus increasing the chance of therapeutic and educational success (Senter et al., 2023). This decrease allows for more effective access to intervention through targeted language, executive functioning, and literacy supports for individuals with ADHD and DLD.

Non-contact injuries in sport continue to be a topic of discussion in research. One specific area of concern is the amount of the Lower Extremity Non-contact Injury (LENI) that occurs in football. Do LENIs have a higher incidence rate on natural grass versus artificial turf? PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCO were reviewed to gather evidence regarding any statistical differences in the incidence rates between grass and turf with LENIs. Articles reviewed included a 20-year nationwide analysis; a 13-year cohort analysis; and a descriptive epidemiology study. Results varied across the research investigated. One study revealed a higher incidence on grass versus turf, while another revealed no statistical difference between playing surfaces. One additional study showed more season-ending surgery injuries were caused by turf. Considering the different results and statistics regarding LENIs, the clinical bottom line indicates continued research on whether playing surfaces make a difference in incidence rates of LENIs. With additional research, specific recommendations could be made regarding safe playing conditions on turf versus grass. 

The purpose of this study is to examine whether Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can be effectively used as a strategic tool to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in organizational settings. Drawing from Korzynski’s (2024) discussion of GenAI’s role in bridging human resource development processes, this research focuses on how GenAI may influence workplace communication, particularly in DEI-related contexts. Through an online survey and quantitative analysis, the study explores differences in perception, familiarity, and current use of GenAI among employees and managers across various demographic groups. It further investigates how GenAI is perceived to affect culturally responsive communication, trust-building, and the facilitation of inclusive dialogue. The results aim to identify potential benefits and barriers to adopting GenAI to support more equitable and effective workplace communication, providing practical ideas for DEI professionals and employers. 

Runaway slaves who have runaway, what happened to them, where did they go, three different African American slaves who ran away from their masters. We do not know a lot of information by just looking at the slave ads but when doing more extensive research we can get more ideas of what they did in slavery and why they ran away with who their slave master was and what they did for a living and where they lived. Did they get caught and have to go back to their master’s or did they stay free. If the slaves had any help running away and did the ones that helped them turn them in or get in trouble for helping the runaways. How much did they help the masters and did because of their jobs when slavery did, they had actions that their masters had them do to get out of their master’s house and did this help them to escape.

The enslaved people who lived in the United States were rarely included in the historical record. For many of them, the only surviving document to mention them by name is a runaway slave advertisement that treats them like a missing piece of property. By centering the lives of victims of erasure, it’s possible to push back against their dehumanization. My research focused on the lives of three men who lived in the Massachusetts area: Step, Moses Attacks, and Gideon Tower. Each of them was the subject of a runaway slave advertisement published the Boston Weekly News-Letter between 1765 and 1771. Available information about these men is limited, which means that many elements of a traditional biography would be difficult (or even impossible) to include. By surveying newspaper archives, census data, and maps from the years that these ads were published, it is possible to gain insight into the lives of these men and to ensure that their stories are able to be told.

The enslaved people who lived in the United States were rarely included in the historical record. For many of them, the only surviving document to mention them by name is a runaway slave advertisement that treats them like a missing piece of property. By centering the lives of victims of erasure, it’s possible to push back against their dehumanization. My research focused on the lives of three men who lived in the Massachusetts area: Step, Moses Attacks, and Gideon Tower. Each of them was the subject of a runaway slave advertisement published the Boston Weekly News-Letter between 1765 and 1771. Available information about these men is limited, which means that many elements of a traditional biography would be difficult (or even impossible) to include. By surveying newspaper archives, census data, and maps from the years that these ads were published, it is possible to gain insight into the lives of these men and to ensure that their stories are able to be told.

Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) is a systematic and hierarchical intervention that uses musical elements of rhythm and melody to improve language output in persons with nonfluent aphasia (Norton et al., 2009). Nonfluent aphasia is a condition often comorbidly occurring with apraxia of speech (AOS). MIT has a marked history of being accepted as an effective treatment for nonfluent aphasia, a language disorder, but is not commonly used as a method to treat AOS, a speech sound disorder. This literature review explored the growing body of research that supports the use of MIT as an effective intervention option for treating AOS as a comorbid diagnosis of nonfluent aphasia. Understanding the effectiveness of MIT for treating AOS has the potential to help clinicians optimize treatment outcomes for people with these diagnoses, as well as understand the strengths and limitations of MIT as a treatment option for AOS. 

Fish acquire recognition of predators through associative learning. Because odors and appearances are difficult to quantify, we use acoustic stimuli to test hypotheses about how fish recognize their predators. Previous work by MSUM students demonstrated that zebrafish trained to associate risk with a tone did not generalize risk to all tones (Seigel et al. 2021). In a follow-up experiment, zebrafish trained to recognize three combined tones could recognize the tones if one of the tones was missing but not if two of the tones were missing (Johnson et al. 2023). In our experiment we condition zebrafish to associate a single tone with risk and then tested them with a mixture of multiple tones to see if zebrafish can pick up on a tone in a mix of others. We have set up four tanks, each set on separate shelves with sound damping around two of the sides. A small speaker attached to the back of the tank is used to play test stimuli. Our results will add to the work done by Seigal et al. (2021) and Johnson et al. (2023).

The present study examines how different styles of social media use-active vs. passive-and screen time on social media have impacts on social anxiety levels. Previous studies have shown mixed but critical associations between social media use and mental health outcomes; passive use and high screen time often linked to anxiety (Davis & Goldfield, 2025), while active use may present benefits such as improved communication capacity that reduce risk (Lai et al., 2023). In this study, approximately 60 participants will be recruited from Minnesota State University Moorhead. They will self-report their typical style of social media use and daily usage then will be asked to complete a survey measuring social anxiety levels. The researcher predicts that (1) low screen time will be significantly associated with lower levels of social anxiety, (2) passive users will report higher social anxiety levels than active users, and (3) the lowest social anxiety levels will be reported among active users with low screen time. The results may help our understanding of various online behaviors that affect mental health which could contribute to recognizing healthier relationships with social media especially among young adults. 

Location of Canis Lupus Italicus

Italian Wolves (Canis lupus italicus) have been recovering from near extinction. We are looking at the spatial distribution of wolf observations in iNaturalist around Italy, and how it has changed over time using public observations over the course of the last 13 years (2014-2026).

 We will be looking at a dataset for the species of Wolves with variables of time and location. We will use exploratory data analysis to look at the location in which they were observed. 

With this data we will be able to understand patterns of occurrence, which could lead to further questions and analysis around this species. 

Respiration rates in cattle are used for many different things such as health and heat stress; it also influences decisions that affect their welfare. The study we chose, used 406 female Holstein and Jersey cattle. The dataset comes from Dryad "Data from: A comprehensive study of respiration rates in dairy cattle". We will perform an exploratory data analysis to determine if the breed affects the respiration rate. We will also determine if the air temperature influences a specific cattle breeds respiration rate more than others. We will examine the distribution and the relationship between respiratory rates and dairy cattle according to breed and air temperature with graphs. We predict that the respiration rates in cattle are significantly slower when the temperature is lower and that Jersey cattle will have the lowest respiration rates.

New York City, today the largest municipality in the nation, was by the end of the American revolutionary period a city of only around 340,000. Not yet the financial capital of the world, it was nevertheless a moderately important trading port on the south end of Manhattan Island. Amid the growth of the city and the gradual abolition of slavery in neighboring states, New Yorkers continued to trade in slaves into the 19th century. These enslaved persons are permanently documented as people through the escape efforts of those who sought freedom. The stories of three such freedom seekers from the 1760s-1780s: Nick, Tom, and a young woman whose name is lost to the impersonal cruelty of slavery, exemplify the variety of lives led by enslaved New Yorkers and the ingenuity by which they resisted their oppression.

The ancient Jewish calendar has an interesting property – after seven sets of seven years, there is a festival year known as a Jubilee year, and this “Jubilee cycle” works out to 50 years long, which is half of 100 years, or a century — another square number. We look into how rare a number one above a square number being some portion of another square is, and if there are finitely many such examples.

We create a model to determine how sound amplitude dissipates with distance. We then use this model to determine the necessary distance from a sound source that produces safe sound levels – at or below 85 dB for adults or 70 dB for children.

A substantial body of research demonstrates that structured literacy—explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—is the most effective approach for teaching reading to all learners (National Reading Panel, 2000; Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2022). Structured literacy emphasizes ongoing review, a high level of student-teacher interaction, and providing students with immediate corrective feedback, ensuring all students develop the necessary skills for fluent reading. In Fall 2025, we piloted a new opportunity for preservice teachers at MSUM: the Early Literacy Fellows Literacy Lab. As Early Literacy Fellows, we tutored early readers (K-2) twice a week for 10 weeks. During this time, we witnessed how teaching using a structured literacy approach helped each of our students develop the foundational skills needed to read efficiently. This opportunity was beneficial for the children we worked with and for us as preservice teachers. We conducted assessments, planned lessons, and taught our students. The data collected from the assessments showed continuous improvement throughout the duration of ten weeks. To gain hands-on experience with Structured Literacy, we believe that the Early Literacy Fellows experience would be advantageous for all teacher candidates. 

Sources

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature.  
Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2022). Right to read: Public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities. https://www3.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-read-inquiry-report 

This paper analyzes Theory of Mind (ToM) and perspective-taking in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and evaluates the role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) in supporting the child’s social and cognitive development. Theory of Mind refers to the capacity to infer others’ thoughts, beliefs, and mental states (Beaudoin et al., 2022), while perspective-taking is the ability to understand others’ viewpoints. Children with ASD frequently demonstrate atypical ToM development, which may impact academic performance, pragmatic language, and peer relationships (Gonzalez-Gadea et al., 2024; Hedley et al., 2020; Southall & Campbell, 2015). This review summarizes developmental differences in ToM and evaluates evidence-based interventions such as Social Stories (Golzari et al., 2015) and systematic group-based methods (Southall and Campbell, 2015). Social Stories offer individualized support that targets the child's specific challenges, while group-based interventions facilitate peer interaction within structured settings. Although both approaches yield improvements in therapeutic environments, limitations persist when implemented in naturalistic settings (Flecther-Watson et al., 2014). Overall, this literature underscores the necessity of individualized intervention to foster ToM development in children with ASD. SLPs hold a critical position in assessment, intervention, and collaboration with families and educators to promote optimal social communication outcomes (Secora & Moore, 2023). 

Busy corporate women in the Fargo–Moorhead area often struggle with cluttered makeup bags, forgotten essentials, and damaged products when needing quick touch-ups throughout the workday. The problem is not just storage, but organization, visibility, and protection. The Routine Compact solves this issue with a sleek, durable, all-in-one design that keeps daily essentials secure, organized, and easily accessible. Priced at approximately $30, the product generates revenue through direct sales to working professionals. Our contribution is transforming everyday clutter into a streamlined, professional solution built for women on the go.

Marine bacterial communities play a central role in global carbon cycling, influencing both ecosystem function and climate regulation. This study combines community level profiling with gene specific functional analysis to investigate how marine bacteria utilize diverse carbon sources. Microbes in water samples from the MSUM oceanarium were cultured on media containing distinct carbon substrates to examine how nutrient availability affects community composition. Following growth, DNA was extracted, amplified via PCR, and sequenced using the Oxford nanopore to identify bacterial species under different conditions. Insights into community level patterns could be attributed to molecular mechanisms. A functional analysis was performed on the model marine bacterium Ruegeria pomeroyi. A mutant library consisting of pooled mutants and 17 individual gene knockouts targeting predicted membrane transporters was used to assess carbon uptake capabilities. Growth across multiple substrates was quantified using spectrophotometric analysis. All mutants exhibited growth in the presence of L-proline, L-tyrosine, L-asparagine, xylose and L-methionine, indicating that these carbon sources can still be utilized in the absence of individual transporter genes. These results provide insights into how changes in microbial community composition could relate to carbon uptake by individual organisms.

The Doneski Hat Shield addresses a widespread "pain point" in the travel and headwear markets: the lack of efficient, non-bulky protection for hats. While traditional solutions like bulky hat boxes or opaque bags exist, they are often criticized for taking up excessive space in luggage or failing to provide visual access to the collection. The Doneski Hat Shield is a portable, clear case designed to secure and maintain the integrity of up to five hats while traveling. Its unique "shield" design serves a dual purpose: providing a durable, "indestructible" barrier against damage and stains while doubling as a transparent display case for collectors. Market validation research indicates that consumers perceive the product as a superior alternative to existing "hat bags," with a specific "sweet spot" price of $29.99 making it an ideal impulse purchase. Strategic market analysis identifies significant opportunities within the "traveling family" demographic and among professional field representatives who require pristine branded headwear for work. By positioning the Doneski Hat Shield as a point-of-sale upgrade in retail environments, the product fills a critical gap between high-end luxury cases and ineffective disposable packaging. 

While two factor technologies exist and are becoming more mainstream, password are still the primary line of defesne for both personal and business data, yet they still remain one of the most exploited elements of the modern internet. This comes down to poor design and understanding of how the systems work and how they can effectively fight against password cracking. This project explores the vulnerabilities that modern password authentication presents through the demonstration of the common password attack techniques like brute force, rainbow tables, and dictionary attacks. The purpose of simulating these is to demonstrate how threat actors are able to crack a password and access accounts using poorly designed passwords. As a result of the understanding of how the offensive strategies are applied, we can gain a better understanding about how to defesnively protect our data and our accounts against these attack methods. This highlights elements like the importance of password design, multi-factor, and other strategies that can produce a more robust password for authentication.

Operating systems are a fundamental component of modern computing, responsible for managing hardware resources and providing services for applications. Despite their importance, the internal mechanisms of operating systems are complex and often difficult to fully understand without direct implementation. The goal of this project was to explore the fundamental mechanisms of operating systems by designing and implementing a simple 32-bit operating system kernel from scratch. This project involved researching core operating system mechanisms such as memory management, process scheduling, and device I/O. Concepts were implemented in a custom kernel written in low-level programming languages, such as C and x86 assembly, and tested in a virtualized development environment, such as QEMU. The project resulted in the development of a personal 32-bit operating system kernel capable of managing memory, process management, file management, key I/O device support, and a minimalist shell for user interaction. This project demonstrates how implementing core operating system components can provide deeper insight into low-level system design and hardware interaction. Developing a simple operating system kernel serves as a valuable approach for strengthening understanding of systems programming concepts and the architecture underlying modern computing systems.

Formative assessment is a key part of teaching because it helps educators assess students' knowledge throughout the entire unit, as opposed to only collecting data following the unit's completion. Formative assessments give teachers quick, actionable feedback and data that can be used to adjust lessons, support students right away, and improve learning in the present. When teachers receive immediate feedback it helps correct mistakes early on, before they become habits. It is valuable to understand that a formative assessment, without any change to instructional strategy, by itself, is ineffective. An effective formative assessment is how the teacher decides to use the data to alter their teaching and learning tactics. 

Within formative assessments there are two general categories, formal and informal. A formal formative assessment follows characteristics of being planned out and documented. This is often viewed in the form of an entry or exit tickets, assignments, quizzes, and projects. The key factor is that it is structured and the teacher can receive a physical or digital copy. An informal formative assessment follows characteristics of being flexible and natural during instructional time. Some examples of this can be visually looking at body language and reactions of students, using a thumbs up or thumbs down based on understanding, and a turn-and-talk or think-pair-share so students can discuss with peers about the topic. 

This presentation will look at what formative assessments are, types of formative assessments, why they matter, and how teachers can use them in real time to guide instruction. These assessments help teachers and learners provide factual evidence regarding the students' learning and, if used properly, paves a path to a more successful and well rounded education.

A Critically Appraised Topic: Effectiveness of Hydrogen-Rich Water Therapies in Reducing Inflammation

   Craig B, Hammerschmidt D, Albrecht, J: Minnesota State University Moorhead; Moorhead, Minnesota

Clinical Scenario: Inflammation is an important part of healing, but prolonged inflammation can cause excess damage to tissue and pain. Hydrogen-rich water therapies have been recently studied on chronic inflammatory disease patients, revealing positive effects on inflammatory markers as well as clinical outcomes. Focused Clinical Question: Do hydrogen-rich water therapies decrease inflammatory markers in healthy individuals with inflammation compared to conventional treatments? Search Strategy: Research was conducted using the PubMed database. Search terms included hydrogen, hydrogen-rich water, molecular hydrogen, inflammation, athletes, and inflammatory markers. The majority of existing published research was conducted on patients with chronic inflammatory disease. Therefore, some additional resources were used to verify existing information regarding hydrogen therapies. Evidence Quality Assessment: The quality of evidence was tested against PEDro to confirm that the research found evidence either for or against hydrogen-rich water therapy. Results and Summary of Research: Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) therapies have shown to reduce inflammatory markers in human serum due to molecular hydrogen’s (H2) ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus increasing oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in patients with chronic inflammatory disease. Research has also shown that individuals recovering from acute ligament injuries showed a significantly decreased plasma viscosity and a faster return of range of motion (ROM) after concomitant use of HRW treatment and conventional RICE/POLICE treatments compared to conventional treatments alone. Clinical Bottom Line: HRW therapies show positive quantitative and qualitative effects on individuals suffering from inflammation. More research should be conducted on a larger scale to further prove HRW’s ability to affect positive results in patients with inflammation who are otherwise healthy.  Implications: HRW can be used safely as an effective therapeutic intervention for acute and ongoing inflammation. When used concomitantly with POLICE, HRW may be able to reduce time to RTP.

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Differential equations can be used to predict natural phenomena. We used differential equations to predict spring flooding in the FM area using the general form of the amount of water flowing into the area minus the amount leaving, divided by the area cross-section of the region.

Before the nineteenth century, the dominant explanation for disease in Western medicine was miasma theory, which held that illnesses were caused by harmful vapors or “bad air.” During the nineteenth century, however, the emergence of germ theory fundamentally reshaped medical understanding of disease transmission. This shift had significant consequences for both medical treatment and public health practices. Smallpox, one of the most deadly and widespread diseases of the nineteenth century, provides an important case study for examining these changes. By analyzing the transition from miasma theory to germ theory, this poster explores how evolving scientific ideas influenced approaches to smallpox treatment, prevention, and hospital practices. Ultimately, the adoption of germ theory contributed to new medical strategies and public health measures that transformed how physicians and institutions sought to control the spread of infectious disease.

This virtual presentation, “Ideology and the Practice of Leadership: Seeing Power, Practicing Reflection, Leading for the Public Good,” draws on a qualitative case study of local education governance in an urban Midwestern school district to explore how everyday decisions—around budgets, policies, and communication—are shaped by underlying beliefs about efficiency, fairness, and community voice. The session highlights practical examples of how these dynamics show up in real leadership settings and how they can unintentionally limit participation or equity. Participants will reflect on their own leadership contexts and leave with concrete strategies to ask better questions, recognize hidden assumptions, and make decisions that are more transparent, inclusive, and aligned with the public good.

My presentation will review and compare various treatment approaches for fluency disorder. Comparisons discussed include population age, population size, treatment approach, duration of treatment, and the presence or absence of a control group. These comparisons will help speech-language pathologists determine if the treatment is appropriate for their client.

Although it has been generally accepted that the arrow of time is tethered to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, which states that entroy will increase in any closed system, we have have been very forgiving of the probablistic nature of entropy juxtaposed on the deterministic arrow of time.

By imposing topological constraints on Quantum Field Theory (QFT), we discover a causal relationship between the excitations of vacuum energy that generate the fundamental particles of the material universe, and the entropic arrow of time that results from the behaviors of material particles being governed by the physical laws.

                  With the understanding that we are material observers, we consider the vantage point outside of an observer outside of this topological 3-brane where we might uncover a causal relationship between the phase singularities that fermions propagate from, as fermions exist to occupy a continuous range of temporal coordinates, and the entropic arrow of time.

When using genomics approaches to study bacteriophages, unexpected results can appear in analyses.  In this project, a variety of genetics technologies will be utilized to explore the source of an anomaly in the genetic sequence of a student-discovered phage.  Sequencing of the phage, Scorch, had two large contigs, which  did not agree with the information published for phages very similar, genetically, to Scorch.  This presents an opportunity to explore how genomics can both identify anomalies and provide the tools for troubleshooting anomalies.  The lysate will be diluted and grown in host bacteria to develop individual isolate plaques that can be chosen and analyzed for comparison.  Students will create PCR primers from the Nanopore sequence for Scorch and the other large segment of DNA.  PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis will be used to determine if there are two individual phages in the lysate and in what proportions.   This data will be used to steer the next steps in exploring the Scorch genome.

Art centers play a vital role in children’s development across multiple domains, laying the foundation for deeper learning. Providing open-ended and choice-rich materials invites children to explore, take creative risks, and solve problems. The intentional design of an art learning center supports cognitive growth, motor skills, and emotional intelligence. Art makes learning accessible and engaging to all children, incorporating touch, movement, and visual elements. Art is a right because it honors every child’s need to express ideas and emotions in developmentally appropriate practices.

Estimating bird abundance depends on many different factors; variables such as time of day and time of year can drastically impact the success of an observer. This project will explore the correlation between time of day and time of year on the number of Baltimore Orioles and Grasshopper Sparrows detected at the MSUM Regional Science Center by using a dataset from Dr. Merkord's Geospatial Ecology Lab. We will use exploratory data analysis to summarize the distribution of oriole and sparrow observations and time of day and year by visualizing these relationships using histograms. This analysis may help clarify whether time of day and time of year are meaningfully associated with detected probability and may inform future, more targeted research questions.

Grassland and associated bird populations have experienced widespread declines across North America, yet locally relevant long-term datasets needed to inform management decisions remain limited. The Regional Science Center (RSC) in northwestern Minnesota is part of an actively managed conservation landscape of native and restored grassland and riparian forest that provides an opportunity to evaluate bird population trends at a management-relevant scale. The site was surveyed using standardized point count methods in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022, and this project proposes additional surveys during the 2026 breeding season, yielding an eight-year dataset suitable for trend analysis. Previous work comparing RSC bird communities to a nearby remnant prairie surveyed in 1980 suggested substantial declines in several grassland and riparian-associated species, motivating a focused analysis of trends within the RSC itself. This study will assess population trends for three focal species: Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), a declining grassland specialist; Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus), a species of conservation concern in Minnesota associated with oak savanna; and Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula), a riparian forest associate that is declining regionally. Thirty-three established survey points will be resurveyed five times in spring 2026. Repeated visits allow estimation of detection probability and accommodate lower detection rates typical of undergraduate observers. Abundance will be estimated using binomial N-mixture models with year included as a covariate to assess population trends. Results will support ongoing management decisions by partners at the RSC, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and The Nature Conservancy, including prescribed fire, invasive species control, and habitat maintenance timing. 

Both North Dakota and Minnesota have been selected to recieve over $100 million per year for five years from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's (Section 71401) Rural Health Transformation program by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. One of the main goal's of the five year Rural Transforamtion Program is to create sustainable pathway programs to grow the rural health workforce. The first purpose of this project is to analyze current nursing career ladder programs starting  (nurse aids to Advanced Practice Registerd Nurse (APRN) continuum) for cost and implementation feasiblility in rural North Dakota and Minnesota. The second purpose is to recommend best practices for implementation and prospective outcomes. Finally, this project utilizes cost/benefit analysis to project the economic impact on rural communities at the end of the grant funding period and sustainability of career ladder partnerships to grow rural nurses into the future. 

 AutoSpace Parking Abstract

This project proposes designing and implementing the AutoSpace Parking system as a web-based application within the scope of this course. The system is intended to simulate and manage real-world parking operations by integrating data storage, backend processing, and user interaction into a unified platform. The objective is to construct a complete, functional system that demonstrates the practical application of core concepts in computer science and information systems.

The system will manage key entities, including parking spaces, vehicles, users, and occupancy status, enabling real-time tracking and interaction. A relational database will be used to ensure structured data storage, integrity, and efficient querying. Additionally, a RESTful API layer will be implemented to handle communication between the data layer and the user interface, following standard web architecture principles. A dynamic frontend interface will allow users to interact with the system, including viewing parking availability, managing entries and exits, and simulating realistic usage scenarios.

The development approach will follow established software engineering methodologies, emphasizing modular design, separation of concerns, and iterative implementation. Considerations such as system performance, scalability, and security will be incorporated to ensure that the application reflects real-world standards. By integrating database systems, backend development, and frontend technologies, this project demonstrates a comprehensive full-stack development process.

Overall, the AutoSpace Parking system serves as a practical implementation of theoretical knowledge acquired in the CSIS program. It highlights the ability to design, build, and integrate multiple system components into a cohesive application, reflecting both technical competence and an understanding of real-world system requirements.

Emx2 has been identified as a key homeobox transcription factor in the developing mammalian cerebral cortex. Mutations of this gene have been linked to severe anatomical malformations of the brain and other organs and developmental delays, while downregulation of Emx2 has also been linked to various cancers, suggesting a vital role in tumor suppression. Here we investigated the anatomical and behavioral effects specifically relating to visual acuity, of overexpressing this gene via a Nestin promoter sequence. Overexpression has been found to result in increased size of both primary and higher order cortical visual areas. Our ideas center on the handshake hypothesis and how visually mediated changes can have profound effects on the visual thalamus as well as the primary visual area of the cortex. We examined these behavioral and anatomical changes at both post-natal day 18 and post-natal day 38 (before and after the visual critical period). To elucidate behavioral changes, both the looming visual stimulus and the visual cliff test were employed, as well as tissue embedding, processing, and hematoxylin and eosin staining with plans for immunocytochemistry to identify key anatomical changes at both developmental windows.  

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are known for their nest communication system, the bee waggle dance; a form of animal communication characterized by a figure-eight dance that is used for the foraging of nectar and pollen by watching and learning the directions to a specific flower patch. They rely on the learned floral scents since they are associated with a reward. While doing the waggle dance, they create vigorous vibration frequencies both high and low. Shaking their abdomens at low frequencies and beating their wings at high frequencies. Human intervention often leads to habitat loss and the loss of foraging sources which are vital to the survival of a colony, meaning that older more experienced “dancers” might die off and so does their knowledge with them, leading to greatly impaired generational transfer of waggle dance technique that can have massive impacts on the communicational ability and even survival of a colony.  

Three case studies on three enslaved indivduals who sought freedom from thier enslavers during the peroid of 1760 to 1789 in Early America. These three short case studies on these enslaved idndivuals are meant to give voice to individuals who during their time period had no voice.

Safe and efficient oral feeding is a major milestone for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and often determines readiness for discharge. However, immature suck–swallow–breathe coordination and inconsistent feeding practices can delay this process. This literature review compared two evidence-based interventions that support feeding development: Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI) and cue-based feeding.

PIOMI is a brief, structured oral motor stimulation program designed to strengthen oral musculature and improve coordination prior to feeding. Studies have demonstrated that infants receiving PIOMI often achieve full oral feeds sooner and may experience shorter NICU stays. Cue-based feeding, in contrast, focuses on responding to an infant’s behavioral and physiological readiness cues rather than following predetermined schedules. This approach has been associated with improved feeding efficiency, greater physiologic stability, and enhanced parent–infant bonding.

Together, these interventions provide a complementary approach: PIOMI promotes neuromotor readiness, while cue-based feeding supports individualized, developmentally appropriate feeding experiences. Speech-language pathologists play a key role in implementing and advocating for these practices in the NICU. Continued research is needed to strengthen long-term outcome data and optimize clinical application.

The presentation examines the lives of five enslaved men throught the eighteenth century. These men being Dick, Solomon, Billy, Tom, and Lubin. Their combined histories appear in eighteenth-century runaway slave advertisements. Despite these ads being written by slave owners, the ads themselves offer key insight into the past, allowing historians to reconstruct the experience of many individuals who resisted enslavement. The presentation highlights three case studies. Beginning with Dick, an enslaved man in Virginia, who utilized his kinship, networks, mobility, and in-depth planning over the years to escape captivity. Despite being demeaned in many advertisements that described him, he perservered in his attempts at escape. Solomon, an African man enslaved in the early 1770s, made repeated attempts at escape. Because of his repeated escape attempts, he was repeated restrained with iron collars and fetters. Yet despite this, he was able to consistently free himself of them and pursue freedom. Because of his time working new bay ports, and his geographic awareness, and personal determination to escape, Solomon was able to escape mutliple times across the mid-Atlantic world. Finally, the alliance made between three men Billy, Tom, and Lubin, all who came from different regions, to form a collective escape attempt in 1785 demonstrates how many who were enslaved formed groups that consisted of many who came from different backgrounds with specialties in different areas, all of which helped them in finding their freedom. The combined abilities of Billy, Tom, and Lubin allowed them to navigate the dangerous routes in their pursuit of freedom. Taken together, each story reveals details of the diverse but united forms of resistance often practiced by many who were enslaved throughout the eighteenth century. That said, while their stories have only survived through fragments of runaway slave advertisements, their histories demonstrate individuals who were not passive victims to their enslavers, but decisive, strategic, and persistent in their efforst to liberate themselves from the cruel world that was enslavement.

Bacteriophage are generally found everywhere that we find bacteria but are highly specific to a host species. This specificity makes them desirable for potential treatment options because a bacteriophage may be able to eliminate its bacterial host but leave other beneficial bacterial species intact. The primary cause of dental caries (cavities) are oral bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans. The presence of their host species means we must search for bacteriophages in the environment of their host; in this case that is the human mouth.  Bacteriophage can also be lysogenic, meaning that they integrate into their bacterial host’s genome. This affects the bacterial host’s fitness, pathogenesis, and resistance to environmental stress. This research was aimed at discovering a novel S. mutans bacteriophage from saliva samples, as well as testing previously discovered Microbacterium foliorum bacteriophage for lysogenic properties. These discoveries can help advance the understanding of how bacteriophages can be used as possible treatments. Screening of 112 saliva samples resulted in no indication of bacteriophage presence that could infect S. mutans. Two methods were used to test 6 M. foliorum bacteriophages for lysogenic activity. None of the bacteriophages showed evidence of lysogenic activity. 

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are increasingly studied for their potential applications in biotechnology and the treatment of bacterial infections. In this study, we focused on bacteriophages that infect Microbacterium foliorum, a bacterium commonly associated with plant environments. The primary objective of this project was to characterize the genomes of bacteriophages Elbow and Inguz using genomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, enabling the detailed gene annotation and functional prediction. Previously isolated phages Elbow and Inguz were amplified to generate high titer lysates for DNA extraction. Gentle extraction techniques, including modified Puregene protocol, were employed to preserve long DNA fragments and improve sequencing read length. Extracted DNA was assessed for quality and quantity using agarose gel electrophoresis, NanoDrop spectrophotometry, and Qubit analysis. Sequencing was performed using Oxford Nanopore MinION technology, and genome assembly and analysis were conducted using the Galaxy platform. Assembled genomes were compared to known phages within the Actinobacteriophage Database to identify similarities and potential gene functions. This work contributes to a broader understanding of bacteriophage genomics and supports future applications and biotechnology through improved functional annotation of phage genes.

Oral cancer begins with abnormal cell growth, commonly squamous cell carcinoma. It has previously been linked to tobacco and excessive alcohol use. It can be treated when detected early through screenings, surgery, or radiation. Oral cancer is becoming more prevalent, in the United States and worldwide. There are many lifestyle choices and other factors that can play a role in increasing your risk of oral cancer. Some of these factors include tobacco use, alcohol ingestion, and HPV. Our research aims to explore the correlation between oral cancer risk and some of these factors. We will use the dataset accessed from Kaggle that compiled information from the World Health Organization, GLOBOCAN Reports National Cancer Institute, and Public Health Reports. The results of our study could help to further support previous evidence on what factors play a role in increasing your risk of oral cancer.

This project uses the MSUM Herbarium dataset to characterize the taxonomic, temporal, geographic, and contributor structure of the collection and to evaluate its data quality. We conduct exploratory data analysis to summarize patterns in taxon representation, collection dates, county-level distribution, and collector activity. Visualizations and summary statistics are used to identify periods of peak collecting, the prevalence of historical versus recent records, geographic coverage across Minnesota and surrounding regions, and the number and relative contributions of individual collectors. We also examine how the spatial and temporal distribution of records has changed over time to infer shifts in sampling effort and collection focus. In addition, the dataset is screened for potential data quality issues, including inconsistencies or misspellings in collector names and locality information. Results provide a data-driven description of the MSUM Herbarium’s scope and strengths while identifying areas for curation and improvement, demonstrating how exploratory analysis can support both public understanding and quality control of biodiversity collections.

Sleep is essential for physical health, cognitive performance, and well-being. Poor sleep quality and duration influence both mental and motor speed. In this project, we will examine how sleep duration is associated with less efficient physical movement and slower speech using a publicly available dataset from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We will use exploratory data analysis to visualize trends and compare sleep duration across factors such as gait speed and monotonic speech. We will conduct contingency analyses and determine relative risk to identify whether there is a relationship between sleep duration, speech patterns, and physical movement. This analysis may guide future research or health recommendations.  

Total laryngectomy is a life-altering surgical procedure involving the complete removal of the larynx, resulting in permanent loss of natural voice and significant changes to breathing and swallowing. These anatomical and functional changes profoundly affect communication, psychosocial well-being, and overall quality of life. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a central role throughout the continuum of care for individuals undergoing total laryngectomy, with counseling serving as a critical component of intervention. This paper reviewed and analyzed current literature regarding the SLP’s counseling role across preoperative education, postoperative voice rehabilitation, and long-term quality-of-life outcomes. Evidence indicates that structured preoperative counseling improves psychological adjustment, reduces anxiety, and enhances preparedness for postoperative rehabilitation. Postoperatively, SLPs provide training in prosthesis management, stoma care, and tracheoesophageal speech production while also addressing emotional adjustment, identity reconstruction, and social reintegration. Family involvement and support group participation further contribute to improved outcomes. The literature supports counseling as a dynamic, continuous, and patient-centered process that extends beyond technical skill acquisition to encompass emotional resilience and psychosocial adaptation. Although interdisciplinary collaboration is widely recommended, additional research is needed to evaluate its direct impact on patient outcomes and to develop structured counseling models targeting identity and long-term adjustment. Ultimately, SLP counseling should be recognized as a core component of total laryngectomy care, essential not only for restoring communication but for promoting holistic recovery and long-term quality of life.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a disease that is caused by an extremely contagious virus by the name SARS-CoV-2 leading to many hospitalizations and deaths creating a global pandemic in 2019. Today, in 2026, there are still many new cases and predictions of future outbreaks ranging from state to state. In this project, we will ask whether the COVID-19 case prevalence varied from state to state in a publicly available country wide dataset. The dataset consists of case counts by state and year. The data tells us where and when there were both cases and deaths from COVID-19 in the United States. We will answer our question through an exploratory data analysis of COVID-19 cases in America by calculating prevalence. Prevalence will be calculated using case counts from our dataset combined with population data. From this, we will be able to observe which states/regions exhibit the highest prevalence of COVID-19 cases. We will be able to draw the appropriate conclusions by retrospectively seeking articles that offer supporting explanations.

Rural communities across North Dakota face access barriers to mental health care due to provider shortages, geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and stigma surrounding mental health. These barriers are significant as rural residents experience inconvenient travel times, inconsistent quality access to the internet, as well as financial and scheduling constraints. Common results include delayed diagnoses, worsened clinical outcomes, and increased strain on families and community resources. This project examines the potential health care improvement of rural populations as a result of implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted tools such as telehealth services and community based infrastructure. The study will recruit clinicians and residents of rural North Dakota, assigning participants to control and experimental groups using randomization techniques. The experimental group will utilize AI-assisted behavioral health tools for symptom monitoring, screening, and care efficiency while the control group will receive traditional behavioral health services. Outcomes will include early identification of mental health concerns, behavioral health service utilization, clinician efficiency, and changes in stigma surrounding mental health care. Through the combination of today’s  unfolding digital technologies with accessible community spaces, this project aims to evaluate the potential positive mental health outcomes as a result of increased behavioral health care access.

Fiddler crabs are a type of mud crab found in intertidal zones in many parts of the world. They are one of the most abundant species of crab, but very little is known about their behavior. Most studies have shown that fiddler crabs are very good at detecting predators visually. However, there is not much done with fiddler crabs and their ability to detect chemical cues using their olfactory system. Blue crabs are a natural predator of fiddler crabs. When blue crabs predate on other species of mud crabs, they release chemicals in their urine that the mud crabs avoid. My research question is whether fiddler crabs can sense these chemicals in the water and how they change their feeding habits to prevent being preyed on. To answer this question, I will be extracting urine from blue crabs on specific diets to test the effects it has on fiddler crabs feeding habits. The results of this experiment may help us better understand how fiddler crabs assess danger in their environments, which may help in conservation of their species. 

This project examines how different modification frameworks influence the process of updating software, using the Java Edition of Minecraft as a case study. Three major approaches to game modification—Fabric, Forge, and JSON datapacks—were evaluated by developing a custom mod titled Pika’s Oceans, designed to introduce a new ocean biome into the game. Through implementing the same feature across these platforms, the study highlights how the choice of update method is shaped by the scale and complexity of the desired changes. The findings suggest that no single modification pathway is universally optimal; instead, effective software updates depend on selecting the approach that best aligns with the scope of the intended enhancement.

As a pre-dental student, I want to research one of the most common oral diseases, which is dental caries, also known as cavities. There are many factors that play a role in caries, including bacteria, oral hygiene, and genetics. The primary cause of caries is the bacteria Streptococcus mutans. Antimicrobial strategies are not always effective due to antibiotic resistance and disrupting the oral microbiome already present. The objective of this research is to find and isolate bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill targeted bacteria, that may infect and lyse the bacteria S. mutans and be used as an alternative or in combination with existing treatments for caries. With bacteriophages, more targeted therapy could be applied. The methods for this project include searching for bacteriophages from a variety of samples. The first is soil, which is a rich reservoir for a variety of phages. Other samples will be from mouse saliva and tooth scrapings. These samples will be enriched with S. mutans, and if phages are found, they will be isolated. These phages will then be purified and amplified to be analyzed further for their ability to kill S. mutans. Results for the soil phase of this experiment will be presented along with proposed methods for mouse screening. The importance of this research is to advance the knowledge of S. mutans bacteriophages and propose phage therapy for caries. 

The Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum (FMSM) is a community project for building a destination science museum in the Fargo-Moorhead area. FMSM had a fossil collection donated by the Wehler family from the white river group. The specimens donated by the Wehler family were not yet cataloged or labeled and required clear photographs to accompany them. There was research into collection database systems for future implementation. The Collection from the Wehler family was labeled, photographed, and cataloged. The completion of initial cataloging of the Wehler fossil collection will speed along the process of implementing a formal database system next fall. FMSM also has another large fossil collection in need of photographing and eventually digitizing when a formal database solution is implemented. This project has been a great learning opportunity to learn more about museum practices and collection database systems and has helped build the groundwork to formally digitize the FMSM’s fossil specimen collection. When these specimens are properly identified and cataloged they can be more easily kept track of and preserved to be of benefit to researchers and the public when the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum is completed.

The Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center (RSC) is an approximately 400 acre facility that includes native prairie, a river, and a former golf course located adjacent to the 1000+ acre Buffalo River State Park. As part of their management program, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is planning a prescribed burn to refresh the prairie portions of both the state park and the RSC. This provides a unique opportunity to study the effect of this burn over an extended time period. Initial efforts will involve pre-burn collection of a variety of environmental samples (soil, water, vegetation) for digestion and metals analysis. By establishing a consistent sampling plan, we will be able to collect valuable pre-burn data that we will be able to monitor metal migration over the coming years. We will explore a variety of digestion protocols  and monitor levels of exchangeable as well as more tightly sequestered metals. 

Focusing on two films from the French New Wave and two from Japanese post-WWII cinema, this project analyzes key formal and stylistic elements, including narrative conventions, prevalent themes, mise-en-scene, cinematography/editing/sound. Using a comparative approach, our project demonstrates broad historical insights into how two cinematic practices from different cultures responded to the post-WWII modernity. Although the project is limited in evidence, it showcases the role film plays as a form of historical archive.

This research aims to thoroughly research three advertisements for runaway enslaved persons from the Revolutionary War period of American history. This research is done to give voices back to those who have lost theirs throughout history, their stories never being told and by discovering pieces of their stories within these three advertisements, this research focuses on what life would have been like for these three individuals- Stephen Butler, Sall Cooper and Nick. This is done by taking primary sources such as advertisements themselves as well as secondary sources to learn about their lives and to have a forgotten part of history no longer be hidden. 

This poster explains how dramatic play can foster children’s social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development through role-playing real-life scenarios. Dramatic play provides a structured environment for children to use skills in imagination, problem-solving, negotiation through assigning and receiving roles, and collaboration in initiating, joining, and sustaining play. Children will demonstrate self-regulation and social-emotional skills by acting out unfamiliar scenarios like a doctor’s appointment. This helps children to gain understanding and a sense of control. Children develop cognitive flexibility by being able to switch roles and find alternative uses for objects. Teachers are an essential component of dramatic play by facilitating play, modeling behavior, and intentionally creating a developmentally appropriate space for imaginative real-life play.  The implication of dramatic play on teaching practices requires the educator to provide open-ended props, rotating themes that are relevant to children’s lived experiences, using observation to inform further teaching, and guiding play to support learning.  

Gerda Wegener was a revolutionary female artist from the early 20th century who proved to be ahead of her time with her portrayals women that challenged the conventions of depictions of women and female sexuality. She attended the Royal Danish Academy of Arts in Copenhagen, where met and would later marry Lili Elbe, a notable person in LGBTQ history as she was one of the first people to receive gender-affirming surgery. Lili played an important role in Gerda’s art: her muse. With Gerda working as a fashion illustrator for elite magazines, Lili, then still identifying as a male, would dress in women’s clothing and model for Gerda. Through dressing for Gerda’s paintings Lili found security with her gender identity, and began identifying as female. 

Gerda Wegener gained notoriety in Europe for her paintings that challenged depictions of women in portraiture. Gerda painted women engaging in acts of relaxation and entertainment, often accompanied by other women, depicted as friends or lovers. These ways in which she painted women were an especially notable quality about Gerda’s paintings, and audiences then and now commend her for her depiction of women through the female gaze. 

Gerda’s artworks that embraced traditional femininity and showcased female sexual freedom were widely enjoyed by the liberal Paris society, and she grew in popularity and wealth. However, the lifestyle she and Lili lived saw its end when Denmark law forced the pair to have their marriage annulled before Lili received gender reassignment surgery, as same-sex marriages were illegal at the time. After undergoing various operations, Lili suffered from health complications which lead to her passing in 1931. After Lili's death, Gerda struggled to keep up financially and creatively in the art world as tastes and styles changed. Gerda lost her wealth and popularity, and passed in 1940 at the age of 56, seemingly forgotten about and rarely acknowledged in art history.

In recent years Gerda Wegener’s life and art have gained recognition once again as more people have become interested in recovering and retelling queer and LGBT history. In the year 2000, author David Ebershoff wrote The Danish Girl, a novel loosely based on the life of Lili Elbe, which received a film adaptation that was released in 2016. In the months preceding the release of the film, the Arken Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen hosted an exhibition of over 200 artworks by Gerda Wegener, and The Guardian published an article advertising the exhibition and detailing Gerda’s life and art career. Gerda Wegener plays an important role in early 20th century art history as a female artist who challenged depictions of women in art, and an equally as important role in queer and transgender history as having been married to one of first transgender people to receive gender reassignment surgery, and for her contributions to depictions of transgender people and lesbianism in art.

First aid essentials are important skills that can help MSUM students respond quickly and potentially save a life during an emergency. This presentation will cover three key topics: how to identify and respond to seizures, perform the Heimlich maneuver for choking, and use Stop the Bleed techniques for severe bleeding, including why embedded objects should not be removed. The goal is to help students feel more prepared and confident responding to emergencies on campus. 

Social media has become an important part of our daily lives. It helps us communicate with others and serves as a source of entertainment and information. However, social media platforms are also designed to keep users engaged for extended periods. Features like infinite scrolling and constant notifications are meant to maximize engagement and keep people on apps as much as possible, which can lead them to spend hours on these platforms without realizing how much time they're consuming.
This presentation will examine how much time people spend on social media daily, weekly, yearly, and throughout their lifetimes. It will also explore why social media is so engaging and sometimes addictive.
In addition, this presentation will offer practical strategies for using social media more healthfully and intentionally. These include tracking screen time, setting usage limits, and replacing passive scrolling with more productive activities, such as micro-learning. By becoming more aware of how social media draws our attention and behavior, individuals can make more intentional decisions about how they use these platforms.

The runaway slaves of North America have often been interpreted as silent revolutionaries; this is the furthest explanation from the truth. These slaves were anything but silent and were actively fighting and revolting against the institutions of slavery. The voices of the slaves in focus, Pomp, Phero, and Dick, have been ripped from them through the passage of time, and this presentation intends to compensate for that disservice. All three of the men chosen for this venture are from Colonial New England, and all three lived and ran at roughly the same time, with no more than six years between the oldest and newest. Over the course of the semester, copious amounts of research have been focused on each of the men chosen, with the sole purpose of giving their voice back to them. Methods primarily include research on electronic and physical archives, focused on finding primary sources related to the era and location of the men, as well as secondary source research executed primarily online. 

   This project demonstrates the design and implementation of a secure network for a mock business, a Vinyl Shop. The main goal is to showcase practical cybersecurity and networking skills through secure design, controlled communication, and hardened web application deployment.
   The network uses a firewall configured with three interfaces: an administrative network (172.16.10.0/24), an internal network (172.16.20.0/24), and a guest network (172.16.30.0/24). The internal users can connect to the network through a switch, while guest users can connect through a wireless access point.
   A Debian server hosted on the administrative network runs a Linux, Apache, MariaDB, and PHP (LAMP) stack to support the web application. This website allows users to create accounts and manage a wishlist. Administrative users on the internal network can manage inventory and user accounts.
   This project emphasizes best security practices, including network segmentation, firewall configuration, least privilege access control, and server hardening.

The development of the neocortex involves a variety of transcription factors, each guiding the formation of specific brain areas. Of the known transcription factors, in earlier times, little was known about Emx1 and was thought it had little impact on cortical arealization. However, more recent studies revealed that deleting Emx1 alone has been shown to shift cortical boundaries, particularly in primary sensory and motor regions, indicating that it plays a more active role than previously thought. Some evidence even suggests that Emx1 functions similarly to Emx2 as a transcription factor, actively influencing neocortical area formation. To investigate this potential overlap of function in these two homeobox genes, our lab decided to further research and utilize the mouse lines currently available to us. Because the colony contained multiple engineered alleles, we first performed genotyping to determine their genetic makeup and identify mice that were homozygous for the Emx1-Cre allele without the presence of the Rubenstein Emx1 deletion. To achieve this, we designed PCR-based assays including a KI-Cre junction assay, a deletion-specific junction assay, and a wild-type Emx1 exon 1 assay. Primer design was guided using genomic sequence data for the Emx1 locus on mouse chromosome 6 (GRCm39) obtained through NCBI, targeting regions that would produce optimal amplicon sizes. Following primer design, genotyping was performed to identify appropriate animals for downstream analysis. These animals will be used for further investigation through dissection, perfusion, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry to examine similarities and differences between Emx1 and Emx2 in neocortical development.

Procrastination in individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often linked to executive functioning deficits, particularly working memory and attentional control (Kamradt et al., 2014). The present study examined whether a brief mindfulness intervention improves working memory performance among undergraduate students who report ADHD-related traits. Participants were undergraduate students at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) who completed a demographic questionnaire and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1). Participants were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness condition, which involved viewing a five-minute guided mindfulness video, or a control condition with no video. Following the intervention, participants completed a digit span task to assess working memory performance. It was hypothesized that students in the mindfulness condition would demonstrate stronger working memory performance than those in the control condition, particularly among individuals reporting higher ADHD-related traits. Results indicated no significant interaction between ADHD treatment history and video condition, and there were no significant main effects of the mindfulness intervention or ADHD treatment history on working memory performance. Findings contribute to understanding whether brief mindfulness exercises may support executive functioning in college students with attentional difficulties. 

France’s public debt exceeds 110% of GDP and fiscal deficits remain elevated following the COVID-19 pandemic (European Commission, 2024; IMF, 2024). Recent credit downgrades, rising borrowing costs, and political uncertainty further heighten concerns about fiscal sustainability in France. But is France at risk? Economic research recognizes that debt levels alone do not determine fiscal sustainability; Blanchard (2019) highlights the growth-interest rate differential, the nominal growth rate minus the interest rate on debt, as central to assessing a nation’s fiscal sustainability. Given ongoing fiscal sustainability concerns in France, I analyze 10-year sovereign French government bond yields to evaluate whether the nation’s fiscal position influences how investors perceive sovereign risk. Using quarterly data from 2010 to 2025, the analysis estimates an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model that captures yield persistence, distributed fiscal effects, and long-run relationships. The model identifies a modest negative correlation between deficits and yields, but a highly significant negative relationship between yields and the growth-interest rate differential in the long run. Overall, the findings reveal that markets price fiscal risk dynamically, placing greater weight on growth and financing conditions than on debt ratios. This result challenges the notion that rising public debt is inherently harmful to France’s fiscal sustainability by recognizing investors’ tendencies to consider multiple economic factors in addition to debt ratios when assessing risk.

Rural communities in the United States face many barriers and struggles when it comes to Healthcare. These barriers include, long traveling distances to the medical facilities, shortages of staff at these facilities, and financial complications. Barriers like these often lead to worse medical problems. Delayed treatment of those problems, less preventive care, and worse overall health outcomes in comparison to suburban and urban populations. This proposal examines health care delivery ideas that can improve access to healthcare in rural commutes. This proposal explores the possibility that strategically placed emergency heli-pads can improve emergency response times that would otherwise be very long due to geographic and transportation issues. Mobile healthcare vehicles could also be implemented to provide certain primary care, smaller preventive series, mental health services, and even basic dental care. This would help with the travel issue many rural residents face. This proposed study and experiment would collect data over the course of one to two years to use to make changes to the idea and process of improving rural healthcare. If we can tackle staff shortages, transportation barriers, geographic barriers, and other problems, these potential solutions could lead to bigger and better innovation within the entire healthcare field. 

This project presents a review of the literature examining the relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and pediatric feeding challenges, with attention to assessment and intervention practices within the scope of speech-language pathology. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors, and it is frequently associated with co-occurring feeding difficulties that significantly impact children and their families. Current prevalence estimates indicate that ASD affects approximately one in thirty-one children, demonstrating food selectivity, limited appetite, feeding-related fear, and mealtime behavioral challenges. Feeding difficulties in children with ASD are multifactorial in nature and may be influenced by sensory processing differences, behavioral rigidity, impaired communication, medical comorbidities, and familial dynamics. Assessment components discussed include thorough medical record review, caregiver interviews and standardized questionnaires, direct mealtime observation, oral peripheral examination, and sensory profiling to guide individualized treatment planning. Intervention approaches emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, integrating behavioral, sensory, oral-motor, and environmental strategies tailored to the child’s needs. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of structured, multidisciplinary feeding interventions utilizing procedures such as stimulus and texture fading, shaping, prompting, reinforcement, and escape extinction. Both cases demonstrate measurable improvements in food acceptance, dietary expansion, texture tolerance, and reduction of challenging behaviors. The importance of caregiver training and systematic carryover strategies is further highlighted to support generalization and long-term outcomes of feeding intervention. Collectively, the reviewed literature and case evidence support the effectiveness of individualized, evidence-based, and collaborative feeding therapy approaches for children with ASD.

Calcium and magnesium are critical trace elements that greatly impact the health of most living organisms, from animals and plants to microbes. A primary source of these elements is the bioavailable, or exchangeable, calcium and magnesium ions that come from soil. Although there are a variety of methods for testing calcium and magnesium, this study uses an ammonium acetate buffer followed by quantification by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). The main purpose of the project is to understand how different storage conditions might impact sample integrity. Our exploratory conditions include time, temperature, and illumination variables. The data set we will be using is data accumulated over the course of three semesters gathered by group member: Gracie Ayers. 

Impostor Syndrome (IS), also referred to as the impostor phenomenon, describes persistent feelings of self-doubt and perceived intellectual fraudulence despite objective evidence of competence (Clance & Imes, 1978). Although not recognized as a formal psychiatric disorder, IS is strongly associated with anxiety, burnout, low self-efficacy, and decreased job satisfaction. Healthcare and helping professions appear particularly vulnerable due to high academic expectations, complex clinical decision-making, and the emotional demands of serving diverse populations. Emerging research suggests that students and professionals in speech-language pathology (SLP) frequently experience professional self-doubt throughout their careers (Gold & Gold, 2023). Factors such as the broad scope of practice, rigorous educational requirements, and exposure to complex or low-incidence disorders may contribute to these experiences (Conklin et al., 2025). Addressing impostor feelings is important not only for clinicians' well-being but also for sustaining quality care for clients. This presentation reviews the historical origins of impostor syndrome, examines its prevalence and relevance within the field of speech-language pathology, and discusses common barriers that prevent clinicians from seeking support. Additionally, strategies for addressing impostor experiences, including cognitive-behavioral approaches, mentorship, peer collaboration, and systemic supports, are explored, along with considerations for prevention within graduate training programs and professional practice.

Vaccine hesitancy continues to present a major challenge to public health, despite the strong scientific consensus supporting vaccine safety and effectiveness. Access to reliable scientific evidence plays an important role in shaping individuals’ decisions about vaccination; however, multiple barriers can limit this access within communities. These barriers include restricted access to peer-reviewed literature, the use of complex scientific language, and the widespread influence of misinformation through social media and other informal sources. As a result, individuals may rely on simplified but potentially inaccurate information, which can negatively influence vaccine confidence. We hypothesize that the most significant barrier to accessing scientific evidence about vaccines is the difficulty in understanding scientific language and research findings, and that presenting this information in simpler, more accessible formats will improve comprehension and reduce vaccine hesitancy. To investigate this, a community-based study will be conducted using surveys and educational interventions. Participants will first complete a baseline survey assessing their attitudes, understanding, and trust in vaccine-related information. They will then be divided into groups receiving either traditional scientific summaries or simplified, plain-language materials with visual aids. Changes in understanding and vaccine confidence will be measured and compared between groups. The results of this study will provide insight into how communication strategies influence public understanding of vaccines and will help inform more effective approaches for sharing scientific evidence. Ultimately, improving accessibility to scientific information may contribute to increased vaccine acceptance and better public health outcomes.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are widely used in gene therapy due to their safety profile and ability to provide long-term gene expression. However, their clinical effectiveness is significantly limited by pre-existing immunity and immune-mediated clearance. Many individuals possess neutralizing antibodies against AAV capsids from prior natural exposure, which can rapidly inactivate therapeutic vectors and reduce gene delivery efficiency. Current strategies such as immunosuppression and plasmapheresis offer only partial and temporary solutions, often introducing additional risks or logistical challenges.  
This study focuses on the underlying causes of immune-related barriers in AAV therapy and evaluates potential strategies to overcome them. We hypothesize that a combined therapeutic approach using IgG-specific proteases alongside engineered stealth AAV capsids will significantly improve gene delivery efficiency by both eliminating circulating neutralizing antibodies and reducing immune recognition of the vector. To test this, in vitro assays using human serum and reporter gene expression will be used to assess antibody degradation and capsid resistance to neutralization, followed by in vivo validation in an animal model. 
This dual strategy addresses both immediate and long-term immune challenges, offering a more effective alternative to current methods. Future work will focus on optimizing timing, dosage, and capsid design to enhance transduction while minimizing immune responses. Overall, this approach has the potential to expand patient eligibility and improve the safety and efficacy of AAV-based gene therapies.

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic airborne fungus that poses significant health risks, particularly to immunocompromised individuals and patients with preexisting conditions such as asthma. Despite its clinical relevance, the interplay between host sex, genetic background, and immune response to A. fumigatus exposure remains underexplored. This study investigated how immune cell counts, mucus production, collagen, and antibody production vary with sex and strain in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice exposed to A. fumigatus. 

Mice were challenged with airborne A. fumigatus spores weekly for three consecutive weeks. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to collect immune cells, and histological analysis of lung tissue was conducted to assess mucus and collagen production, and an ELISA was conducted to analyze IgE antibody levels. Immune cells were identified using morphometric differences; mucus and collagen production were scored using Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) staining and  Pico-Sirius Red (PSR) with Fast Green (FCF),  respectively. 

Results showed that granulocyte counts peaked at day 3 post-challenge and declined by day 28, with male C57BL/6J mice exhibiting significantly higher granulocyte numbers than male BALB/cJ mice. While immune cell counts were not significantly different between sexes, mucus production varied. Male C57BL/6J mice had higher mucus production on day 3 post-challenge, whereas female BALB/cJ mice showed elevated mucus levels at day 28. Across all time-points and genetic background, females had significantly higher IgE production compared to their male counterpart. 

 This study highlights that genetic background (strain), timepoint and sex are important variables affecting , mucus, collagen, and antibody production dynamics in A. fumigatus mediated immune responses. These findings have implications for improving fungal disease models and developing sex-specific therapeutic strategies. 

Human society and culture are built on the cornerstone of cooperation, making it an essential focus of group research. Social dilemma games, such as resource allocation and public goods games, are often utilized in labs to study group cooperation, as they provide realistic scenarios with imposed expectations. These expectations can affect behavior in a social dilemma game (Kölle & Quercia, 2021). Whether others’ behavior aligns with these expectations relates to reciprocity, which influences future behavior (Bogdan et al., 2023). This relationship between one’s expectations and subsequent behavior is related to one’s social value orientation (SVO), where pro-self individuals expect more reciprocity and retaliate more than pro-social individuals (Skatova et al., 2017). Using data from 148 participants divided into groups of four, we will analyze how SVO, mediated by their expectations of reciprocity, impact behavior in social dilemma games. 

A variable star is a star that changes in brightness over time. The Gaia space mission recently released over a million new variable stars. Our goal was to analyze these star periods using already available data. Using TESS data, we are able to find variable star periods. One such period was possibly found for the variable star Gaia DR3 1015815157698560512. This star is in two  28-day sectors of TESS data,with each sector's period approximately 9.5693 days and 9.5877 days. The  regular sinusoidal shape of the light curve indicates the star is either an eclipsing binary or a low-amplitude pulsating variable star. Future work will include  combining data taken by MSUM of the star over the last 14 years with the TESS data for this star, and investigating an additional four stars in this field. 

The endocrine system is objectively essential for immune functioning and formation. Agents such as Atrazine (ATR) disrupt the ability of the endocrine system to signal the immune system, resulting in an increased risk of autoimmunity, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Atrazine is sprayed on corn cropping systems across the United States, which introduces small particles that can be absorbed into the alveolar sacs, damaging epithelial lung cells and possibly impacting gas exchange. This molecule has been known to inhibit cytokine production, such as IL-6, and cell proliferation. However, there remains a gap in current research as to which pathways ATR inhibits. This research utilized the A549 cell line to evaluate cytotoxic effects post ATR exposure. Atrazine was prepared in DMSO and diluted with media to obtain concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 µM. Cells were exposed for periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours. Following exposure, MTT assay was utilized to confirm treatment with ATR did not result in cell death but remained metabolically active before immunocytochemistry can occur. The cell viability (%) mean after 24 hours at 100 μg/mL was significantly lowered to ~50% when compared to the control of 100%. After both 48 and 72 hours of exposure to 50 and 100 μg/mL of ATR, cells showed significantly less metabolic activity when compared to the control. 48 hours with means of ~50% and ~25% for the 50 and 100 μg/mL, respectively, and 72 hours with means of ~40% and ~45% of ATR, respectively. Atrazine, particularly at higher concentrations for longer durations, decreased the cells' metabolic activity, meaning ATR affected cell function. Overall, the results indicate that ATR has a statistically significant effect on A549 cells at multiple concentrations over 24-to-72-hour time frames. Further research will dive into specific cytokine signaling pathways, to understand the mechanisms involved in immunomodulation. 

The endocrine system is objectively essential for immune functioning and formation. Agents such as Atrazine (ATR) disrupt the ability of the endocrine system to signal the immune system, resulting in an increased risk of autoimmunity, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Atrazine is sprayed on corn cropping systems across the United States, which introduces small particles that can be absorbed into the alveolar sacs, damaging epithelial lung cells and possibly impacting gas exchange. This molecule has been known to inhibit cytokine production, such as IL-6, and cell proliferation. However, there remains a gap in current research as to which pathways ATR inhibits. This research utilized the A549 cell line to evaluate cytotoxic effects post ATR exposure. Atrazine was prepared in DMSO and diluted with media to obtain concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 µM. Cells were exposed for periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours. Following exposure, MTT assay was utilized to confirm treatment with ATR did not result in cell death but remained metabolically active before immunocytochemistry can occur. The cell viability (%) mean after 24 hours at 100 μg/mL was significantly lowered to ~50% when compared to the control of 100%. After both 48 and 72 hours of exposure to 50 and 100 μg/mL of ATR, cells showed significantly less metabolic activity when compared to the control. 48 hours with means of ~50% and ~25% for the 50 and 100 μg/mL, respectively, and 72 hours with means of ~40% and ~45% of ATR, respectively. Atrazine, particularly at higher concentrations for longer durations, decreased the cells' metabolic activity, meaning ATR affected cell function. Overall, the results indicate that ATR has a statistically significant effect on A549 cells at multiple concentrations over 24-to-72-hour time frames. Further research will dive into specific cytokine signaling pathways, to understand the mechanisms involved in immunomodulation. 

Concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), are increasingly prevalent among adolescents and can result in significant cognitive-communication deficits that impact academic performance, social participation, and overall quality of life. While many adolescents recover within a short period, a substantial subset experiences persistent post-concussive symptoms, particularly in areas such as attention, memory, executive functioning, and social communication. This paper examines the critical yet often underutilized role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the assessment and management of adolescent concussion. It highlights the importance of comprehensive, functional evaluation methods and evidence-based intervention strategies, including compensatory techniques, metacognitive training, and academic accommodations within Return-to-Learn frameworks. Additionally, the paper discusses the need for an interdisciplinary concussion care team, and the SLP’s role in education, advocacy, and community-based support. Barriers to effective SLP involvement, such as limited awareness, inconsistent referral pathways, and training gaps, are also addressed. Finally, recommendations for future research, standardized guidelines, and expanded professional training are identified to integrate SLPs into concussion management teams. Strengthening the role of SLPs in this area is essential to improving long-term outcomes for adolescents recovering from concussion.

Over the last few decades, the way people live, and die has changed dramatically as modern medicine and changing lifestyles reshape global health. This transition has shifted the global burden of disease from sudden infections to long-term chronic conditions. We will investigate how primary causes of death have evolved between 1980 and 2023, specifically asking which diseases, such as tuberculosis or malaria, have shown the most significant declines in mortality due to medical or public health interventions. To explore these shifts, we will use a dataset containing over 13,000 observations from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease study, focusing on Japan, Germany, India, and the United States. We will use exploratory data analysis to visualize and compare mortality counts across different age groups, sexes, and disease categories. By tracking these trends over time, we will examine how medical advancements and major events like the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted or accelerated these transitions. This project will clarify how demographic changes influence death rates, providing valuable insights for decision-makers on where to direct future health resources as the global disease burden continues to shift.

Network Traffic Analysis of Ransomware Activity in the Healthcare Sector Using Wireshark and MITRE ATT&CK

K.H.S. Kodippilige, A. Nwaigwe
Department of Computer Science, Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA

According to the recent Internet crime report by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, financial losses in the healthcare and public Health sections constituted $206 Million USD in 2024. Ransomware attacks played a key role. Usually, prior to deploying ransomware in a system, the attacker would use different tactics at various stages to achieve their tactical goals. The MITRE ATT&CK framework provides a knowledge base of tactics and techniques of real world threat actors. The tactics include reconnaissance, initial access, credential access, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration

This study applied the MITRE ATT&CK framework combined with network traffic analysis to examine a ransomware attack within a healthcare network. The study was done on an existing packet capture. The results of the analysis revealed multiple IoCs including ransomware activity, communication with external IP addresses, encrypted outbound traffic potentially associated with command-and-control channels, and lateral movement between internal hosts. Unauthorized access and file transfer activities were confirmed from cleartext credentials, exposure via FTP. 

The findings from this study demonstrate how network traffic analysis, when aligned with MITRE ATT&CK, can support systematic identification and understanding of adversary behavior. This work demonstrates practical cybersecurity analysis by showing how observable network artifacts can be used to understand attack progression. Future work may explore automated identification of IoCs and plans to improve monitoring of insecure protocols in healthcare environments.

Diabetes Mellitus is the condition in which the body does not have enough insulin to combat rising blood sugar levels. It may occur from the inability to produce adequate amounts of insulin, or a body has developed resistance towards it. Given the high prevalence of DM in the United States, identifying which factors make an individual more susceptible is important when discussing future preventive measures or treatment. In this project, we will examine whether body mass index (BMI) and other health factors may vary between individuals diagnosed with diabetes and those who are not. We will use the Pima Indians Diabetes dataset, which includes medical and demographic data for 768 patients, such as body mass index, glucose levels, blood pressure, age, and diabetes outcome. Using exploratory data analysis, we will create graphs to examine the distribution of these variables and compare patterns between groups. We will analyze how body mass index, glucose, and age vary across diabetes outcomes in this project. This analysis is important for understanding factors associated with risk and for informing prevention and treatment efforts.

This presentation examines censorship in Iranian Cinema with a focus on cinematography. Drawing from our research on Iranian cinema and selected films such as Taxi by Jafar Panahi, Manuscripts Don’t Burn by Mohammad Rasoulof, and Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami, we argue that censorship in Iran is a core political issue and one of the most prominent themes in Iranian films. The use of properties such as camera framing, breaking of the fourth wall, and lighting reveal how restrictive filmic properties align with the visual language necessary to bypass state oversight. Iranian censorship has caused many films to be banned. In this presentation, we will explore some of these films and dive into the constraints of censorship on art, through the lens of Iranian cinema.

The primary deliverable will be a fully functional full-stack web application, meaning the work will involve significantly more programming and system implementation than written explanation. The project will require frontend development using React, backend development using Node.js and Express, database integration, REST API creation, authentication implementation, and deployment configuration. Because the majority of the work involves designing and building a working software system, this clearly qualifies as a project rather than a report.

This one is not needed and can be deleted.

This poster discusses why sensory activities are a crucial area of the classroom in an early childhood setting. Sensory activities encourage children to use proprioception that connects with touch, sight, hearing, and smell. Using these senses actively engages children to learn through a constructivist approach. Children exploring by using these four senses are able to answer questions that foster language development such as; “What does this sound like?” or “What does this feel like?” Children can then critically think and describe what they are feeling, expanding their vocabulary. Some different ideas for sensory activities include smaller sensory bins or larger sensory tables, and outdoor exploration that fully immerse the child in the moment. The sensory table allows children to enter into the world by self discovery and witness how they see the world through their perspective. 

Abstract: Eulyph — AI-Native Programming Language

For my Senior Seminar project, my partners James, Abid and I set out to build Eulyph, a

programming language designed to handle the "messy" parts of the real world that traditional

code struggles with. By combining the brainpower of AI with the stability of a custom-built

engine, we’ve created a tool that understands what a user wants to do, not just what they type.

To make this work, our team built the entire system from the ground up, including a lexer to read

the symbols, a parser to map out the logic, and an evaluator to actually run the commands. We

also developed a unique Standard Library (stdlib) that acts as a safety bridge. It includes a

"handshake" feature called std.stdy() to make sure the AI is connected properly before it starts

making decisions, and it keeps the system secure by hiding raw background power behind clean,

modern wrappers.

Eulyph's real strength lies in its ability to simplify and modernize. It can take dozens of lines of

old, clunky "if-then" code and condense them into a single, efficient line of "intent". It even acts

as a translator: you can prototype a flexible idea using our AI logic and eventually have the

system "bake" that into a high-performance language like C++ or Rust for industrial use. One of

our favorite demos shows the language taking a messy, unstructured email and instantly pulling

out a $2,500 financial calculation without any manual data entry.

Looking ahead, we see Eulyph being used in places like our school's IT Helpdesk. It could

automatically read incoming trouble tickets, use our ? operator to figure out if the problem is a

hardware or software issue, and route it to the right person immediately. In the future, Eulyph

won't just run code—it will "watch" business feeds to flag fraud or manage legacy systems that

are too old for modern humans to use easily. We’ve built Eulyph to be the "modern brain" that

sits on top of old tech, making everything faster, cleaner, and a lot less fragile.

People with Down syndrome (DS) are living longer than ever before. As they age, many are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. This increased risk is linked to genetic differences related to chromosome 21 (Harley et al., 2015). Dementia can cause changes in memory, communication, behavior, and daily functioning, which creates unique challenges for individuals with DS and their families (Pulsifier et al., 2020). This poster reviews types of interventions used to support individuals with DS and dementia. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an important role in helping maintain communication skills, training caregivers, and supporting quality of life (Lott & Head 2021). Interprofessional teamwork and person-centered care are essential to meeting the changing needs of this population. Continued research is needed to improve support and outcomes for individuals with DS and dementia.

This project examines the potential of a cat repellent and attractant spray combination, priced at $14.99, designed to prevent cats from scratching furniture and rugs while encouraging the use of designated scratching posts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate customer needs and determine whether this product would be effective and desirable in the market. To investigate this, three key assumptions about customer behavior and product performance were identified. Interviews were then conducted with five potential customers to gather feedback and clarify these assumptions. Additionally, five managers with experience overseeing cat products were interviewed to provide industry insights and assist in developing the product’s unique value proposition and minimum viable product. The results indicate that customers prioritize affordability, ease of use, and a pleasant scent in such a product. These findings suggest that a simple, low-cost solution could successfully address a common issue faced by cat owners. This project highlights the importance of reducing household damage while making pet ownership more manageable and cost-effective.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a degenerative disease in Cervids that results in certain death in infected individuals. CWD is a continual problem across North America, widely impacting deer and elk population numbers. Throughout this project, we will analyze how specific variables taken from CWD surveys impact CWD status in whitetail and mule deer populations. Our dataset contains unpublished data from field surveys taken by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. We will use exploratory data analysis to look at the number of deer that tested positive for CWD in a post-death lab and compare that across hunting districts. Additionally, we will look at the age, sex, species, of each deer upon death, and how it relates to their CWD status. This analysis could highlight the prevalence of CWD across surveyed variables, outlining which variables have larger impacts on deer populations. Ultimately, this could help identify which demographics to target when looking for higher-risk populations.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of acquired disability in adolescents and frequently disrupts social communication during a critical period of development. Adolescents with TBI often demonstrate impairments in pragmatic language, executive functioning, attention, memory, and social cognition. These deficits affect turn-taking, perspective-taking, interpretation of nonliteral language, and behavioral regulation, leading to academic challenges and social isolation. Recovery is influenced by injury severity, lesion location, and environmental factors, emphasizing the need for comprehensive assessment using both standardized and dynamic measures. Evidence-based interventions, including social communication groups, role play, script training, and interdisciplinary collaboration, highlight the critical role of speech-language pathologists in supporting recovery and social reintegration. 

With the increase of wildfires across North America, the purpose of this research was to determine how influential the smoke produced would be on photometric data.

Using data from the American Association of Variable Star Observers. (AAVSO) standard field of NGC 7790, we compared the instrumental color (B - V) of each standard star with the color from the AAVSO measurements. A linear relationship  was determined through a least squares fit. The slope and intercept of these fits were compared on nights with and without smoke. The amount of smoke on each night is estimated based on records of daytime smoke cover from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nights which are smoky cause a shift in the y-intercept indicating that these colors have been shifted to become more red on smoky nights.

The dataset we will be analyzing is Zooplankton Collection, which originated from the National Ecological Observatory Network’s field science sites. We will evaluate changes in zooplankton species frequencies between 2014–2015 and 2023–2024 in Lake Barco, Florida. It is possible that the diversity of species may have decreased over time as this is a common trend in many environments in recent years. Our exploratory data analysis will include using R software in Posit Cloud to compare the taxonomy variable; the types of species, and the individual count variable; how much was present of each species. We plan to discover whether the frequency of various Zooplankton species has decreased or changed over the past ten years. This data will provide insight into biodiversity change and help determine whether there is an issue that needs to be addressed in the greater scientific community.

Research pertaining to three different newspaper articles containing runaway advertisments for enslaved people during the Revolutionary War era of the United States. The goal of the research was to find information about the enslaved people and their lives, in an attempt to give a voice to those who were not allowed one. 

Corporate networks have for a long time been an area of productivity and communication for organizations. Going back to a time without a digital network for communication would most likely leave organizations limping. Which shows the importance of hardening these networks from attacks. The question that we as students aim to ask and provide an answer for is "What is the best security stance for our network that we can find as the administrators of this corporate network lab by developing security rules, attacking the environment, and defending against those attacks?" We will be using industry standards for securing our devices and software so that we can mimic the best security practices such as from CIS. Preliminary research shows that hardening a system is easy but keeping it up to date is hard. There will always be a new vulnerability so making sure that a organization knows all new threats is important. This research project gives insight into the necessity of a vigilant security focus when the topic of networks is involved.

Snow leopards are highly solitary animals that rarely interact with each other. Despite this, they must communicate to maintain territories, avoid conflicts, and allow for breeding. This is done through indirect communication methods such as urine spraying, ground scraping, and rubbing cheeks on rocks. This allows shared information among snow leopards in the same habitat and maintain their solitary nature. The study of this indirect communication allows for a deeper understanding how solitary animals maintain order in an extreme environment.  

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by the fungus Fusarium graminearum. This fungus is commonly found in agricultural fields and can contaminate crops. When ingested, DON can cause changes in the intestinal, nervous, and immune system. However, during harvesting season, Fusarium graminearum and DON can become airborne and inhaled. Minimal research has been done regarding the effects DON has on the respiratory system when inhaled. This study assesses the effect of DON inhalation in an allergic asthma murine model. Allergic mice were exposed to 30 or 60 ng of DON once daily for six days. Serum was analyzed for IgE and IgA, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed for IgA levels. Cytokine levels were analyzed in lung homogenates, and goblet cell metaplasia with associated mucus production was visualized by periodic acid Schiff staining of lung histology sections. Inhalation of DON in an experimental allergic asthma murine model did not have an effect on allergic asthma mediators but resulted in increased IgA levels. Our next step will be to understand the role of pulmonary epithelial cells in mediating this cascade. The results of this study are likely to help inform therapeutics and diagnostics for DON related exposure. 

Using computational chemistry, this project modeled the decomposition of trifluoromethanol (CF3OH) into HF and CF2O.  The structures of the reactant, products, and transition state were optimized, and the minimum energy path was computed, using NWChem and the DFT B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory and basis set. To determine the overall energy partitioning and the energy allocated to each vibrational mode, a mixed quantum-classical dynamics calculation was performed, in which reaction path motion was treated classically and the vibrations were treated quantum-mechanically. The populations of the HF product in vibrational quantum states, reaction path details, and energy partitioning will be discussed and compared to experimental values.  

The patient registration process in any healthcare organization is error-prone, but crucial to adequate billing and financial success of the healthcare organization. A quality improvement plan or project that aims to improve the quality of information captured during patient registration is pertinent to decreasing billing errors. A literature review was completed to provide evidence to support the need for improvement and the proposed solution. This project, deployed at a rural emergency hospital, utilized a needs assessment and gap analysis to determine the scope of the problem and project. Implementation of a standardized patient registration process was vastly navigated by a set of goals and objectives. The success of the project is correlated with improvement of the patient registration process, resulting in a decrease in patient registration and billing errors. 

This literature review examines evidence-based interventions to improve executive functioning in individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI often results in persistent impairments in executive functioning, including self-awareness, planning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and goal-directed behavior, which can limit independence and social participation. This review examines interventions including metacognitive strategy training (MST), Goal Management Training (GMT), virtual reality, and rhythmic or music-based therapies. Current research supports MST and GMT as structured, strategy-based approaches that enhance self-monitoring, goal awareness, and real-world problem-solving, particularly when combined with external supports. Emerging interventions, including virtual reality and music-based therapies, show promise in targeting executive functioning through immersive, engaging methods. A comprehensive, individualized intervention integrating cognitive strategy training with functional, real-life practice appears most effective in supporting executive functioning and improving quality of life in adults with moderate-to-severe TBI.

Boring, routine showers represent an overlooked opportunity for innovation in everyday life. Our project aims to transform mundane bathroom routines into engaging, immersive experiences that help users recharge and reconnect. After interviewing 15 potential customers, industry experts, managers, and everyday users, we identified a clear demand for enhanced relaxation and entertainment in personal care spaces. In response, we developed a bundled product designed specifically for showers, baths, and hot tubs. The bundle includes a waterproof, magnetic Bluetooth speaker, a TV-like screen, and integrated LED lighting, all engineered for durability and ease of use. The system installs in under 30 minutes with no wiring required and is built to last more than five years. Financial analysis supports the venture's feasibility: with a cost of goods sold at $103.15 per unit, fixed costs of $8,000, startup costs of $20,000, and a selling price of $150 per bundle, the company must sell approximately 170 bundles per month to break even. By combining convenience, technology, and affordability, our solution reimagines the shower as a space for entertainment, relaxation, and daily renewal.

Many teams, particularly student-athletes and high-performing groups, struggle to consistently follow through on shared goals due to weak accountability structures and reliance on passive reminders. Using a Lean Startup approach, we conducted interviews with 15 potential users to validate assumptions, identify team-specific accountability challenges, and refine features that emphasize social commitment and behavior-driven follow-through. Buzzed is a team-based accountability platform that prioritizes peer accountability supported by AI-driven check-ins, enabling groups to reinforce commitment, transparency, and consistent progress toward shared goals. Our minimum viable product (MVP) includes team goal dashboards, peer accountability tracking, and AI-powered SMS check-ins, layered on top of group accountability, supported by a scalable cost structure and revenue generated through team subscriptions and athletic department partnerships. Buzzed’s unique value proposition is to deliver team-first accountability, enhanced by AI support, transforming shared motivation into consistent action and measurable performance outcomes.

This project explains how data travels across the internet when a user accesses a website. While billions of people use the internet daily, the networking processes that make communication possible are often not fully understood. This presentation breaks down the journey of data from a user’s device to a web server and back.

The project focuses on several core networking technologies that enable internet communication, including the Domain Name System (DNS), Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). These technologies work together in layers to ensure that data is addressed, transmitted, routed, and delivered reliably across networks.

Through diagrams and simplified examples, this presentation demonstrates how a domain name is translated into an IP address, how packets travel across networks, and how web servers return content to the user’s browser. The goal of this project is to provide a clear understanding of how modern internet communication works and highlight the importance of networking protocols that support everyday online activity.

Modern enterprise networks face a dual challenge: they must remain highly available to users while defending against increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven cyber threats. "Hardening"—the process of securing a system by reducing its vulnerability surface—is often compromised when networks scale, leading to "brittle" infrastructure where security becomes inconsistent. This project explores how integrating Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) can create a robust foundation for a hardened environment. By establishing a "Digital Twin" (a virtual replica) of an enterprise network using Proxmox clusters and a Spine-Leaf topology, this study aims to develop a modular framework. This framework will utilize Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to automate the application of rigorous security benchmarks, such as those from the Center for Internet Security (CIS). The goal of this research is to determine if automated hardening can maintain 99.999% system availability even during a 200% increase in data throughput. This study will provide a scalable blueprint for organizations to ensure that as their digital infrastructure grows, their security defenses remain impenetrable and consistent.

To present a piece of code able to run some games from scratch with an AI.

Parent coaching is a family-centered, evidence-based approach in which speech-language pathologists (SLPs) teach caregivers to support their child’s language development during everyday routines. This project examines the theoretical foundations of parent coaching, compares it to traditional direct therapy, and reviews research supporting its effectiveness. Evidence indicates that parent-implemented language interventions improve caregiver strategy use and support expressive language outcomes in preschoolers. The Hanen It Takes Two to Talk® program is discussed as a well-known example of a parent coaching model. Overall, parent coaching is presented as a complementary approach to direct therapy that promotes generalization, caregiver confidence, and meaningful language growth.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that frequently co-occurs with language, executive functioning (EF), and social communication challenges. Traditional speech-language pathology (SLP) practice has historically followed a deficit-based medical model; however, emerging literature supports a shift toward a strengths-based approach (SBA) that emphasizes individual abilities, interests, and supports (Arrington, 2019). This paper reviews current research on ADHD-related communication challenges and explores how SBA can be integrated into SLP intervention. Executive function deficits including working memory, planning, inhibition, and self-regulation significantly affect academic and social outcomes, highlighting the SLP’s role in intervention (Chow et al., 2022; CHADD, 2025). Evidence indicates that play-based strategies, visual supports, mindfulness practices, and collaborative classroom models improve communication and EF outcomes (Docking et al., 2013; McDougal et al., 2022). By reframing intervention to build upon strengths such as creativity and humor, SLPs can design client-centered goals that increase motivation and engagement. Although SBA remains underdeveloped in SLP research (Arrington, 2019), it aligns with neurodiversity-affirming practices that recognize ADHD as a difference rather than a deficit. Continued research and professional training are needed to establish SBA as a sustainable and effective model within the field. 

This presentation examines how Doi Moi Vietnamese cinema uses mise-en-scene to explore gender roles. Through an analysis of mise-en-scene in the sets of our selected film, we argue that women are often depicted as the caregivers, while men, on the other hand, tend to be the ones tasked with work outside the home. We identified three key points from these films. First, the roles of men, women, and children in Vietnamese culture. Second is the attention to detail among the set/costumes in that everything is based on function and intention. The third key point highlights the differences between social classes and family dynamics. This analysis observes how Vietnamese cinema presents gender roles in a traditional sense through costuming and set design during the Doi Moi period.

A study on three enslaved people's runaway advertisements in Jamaica during or after the American Revolution. The aim is to analyze how enslaved people's lives were changed due to conflict in the American colonies, and how race relations differed between the Americas and Jamaica. I will especially look at where these people ran away to and how or why they went to these places. 

The behavior of Japanese macaque is strongly influenced by social structure, communication, and competition within their group. Dominance hierarchies determine access to resources, and individuals use aggression, submission, and grooming to maintain rank and social bonds. Environmental pressures further shape behavior, as seen in competition for limited resources like seen in hot springs at the Jigokudani Monkey Park. By examining these behaviors, it becomes clear that Japanese macaque societies are structured systems in which individual actions serve specific social and survival functions. 

This project explores the integration of large language model (LLM) capabilities with symbolic rule-based reasoning to build an intelligent email-to-calendar triage agent. The system attempts to address a common productivity challenge: the manual effort required to identify calendar-relevant information buried in high-volume email inboxes. We investigate a neuro-symbolic architecture in which the neural component (an LLM) handles natural language understanding and event extraction, while a symbolic logic layer enforces scheduling constraints, classifies event importance, and provides explainable decision trails. Through building and evaluating a proof-of-concept prototype using the Gmail and Google Calendar APIs, we aim to document the lessons learned when attempting to combine these two paradigms for personal workflow automation. Our research examines whether adding symbolic reasoning to an LLM-based agent can improve reliability and explainability compared to a purely neural approach, and we report on the practical challenges and tradeoffs encountered during implementation.

Large Language Models (LLMs) continue to expand the range of tasks they can perform, yet their potential for generating qualitative, human-like insights remains underexplored. This project investigates whether LLM-driven “virtual focus groups” can serve as a preliminary research tool for social science and marketing studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). The goal is not to replace human subjects, but to assess whether AI agents, with carefully assigned demographic and personality attributes, can provide structured, internally consistent responses that help researchers refine interview prompts, anticipate divergent viewpoints, and prototype discussion scenarios before conducting in-person studies.

To support this investigation, we developed a multi-agent system using Python, LangChain, LangGraph, and LMStudio for local inference. These tools allow us to instantiate several AI agents, each defined by a specific persona, and orchestrate their interactions through a deterministic discussion flowchart. LangGraph ensures strict turn-taking and predictable conversation transitions, while LangChain provides memory components, prompt templates, and agent tools necessary for constructing realistic dialogue. This design moves beyond traditional prompt engineering by enforcing structured interaction rules that mimic the procedural dynamics of human focus groups.

Preliminary observations indicate that the agents maintain coherent viewpoints and demonstrate distinguishable behavioral patterns across personas. These early results suggest that LLM-based focus groups may provide value as a rapid, low-cost method for testing research questions, surfacing thematic directions, and identifying potential challenges before engaging human participants. This work contributes to emerging conversations about how AI might support, not substitute, qualitative research by offering a controlled environment for exploring discussion dynamics in advance.

This literature review explores the essential role of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) in implementing trauma-informed care (TIC) within clinical and educational settings. Trauma is highly prevalent and significantly impacts communication, language development, behavior, and self-regulation in children and adolescents. Individuals who experience adverse childhood experiences or chronic stress are at increased risk for academic difficulties and communication challenges. Trauma-informed care, which emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, choices, collaboration, empowerment, and the prevention of retraumatization, provides a framework for addressing these complex needs. As SLPs frequently serve vulnerable populations, they are uniquely positioned to integrate trauma-informed principles into assessment, intervention, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This research examines the effects of trauma on communication development and analyzes how SLPs can implement trauma-informed practices to support both functional communication outcomes and relational safety. By synthesizing current literature and identifying gaps in training and systems-level implementation, this paper highlights the critical need for trauma-informed approaches within the field of speech-language pathology.

College students transitioning from dorm life to independent living often face new challenges related to cooking, nutrition, and budgeting. Many students lack prior experience preparing meals, which can lead to frequent reliance on inexpensive and convenient fast food options. At the same time, many parents in the Generation X and Millennial age groups continue to provide financial support for groceries and health related needs. This study examines how a food brand can bridge the gap between these two groups by offering a convenient, nutritious solution that appeals to both student independence and parental concern for wellness. 
 
The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted marketing campaign positioning Frozen Garden products as a practical meal solution for college students while serving as a remote “fridge stocking” option for parents. The primary research method included campaign performance analysis across five target college campuses, using pre- and post-campaign surveys to measure brand awareness, along with social media analytics to assess engagement among college age users on Instagram and TikTok. Purchase behavior and subscription data were also analyzed to evaluate repeat purchase rates within 60 days of initial exposure. 
 
Findings suggest that emphasizing convenience, affordability, and health benefits significantly improves engagement and brand perception among college students. Competitive pricing, such as smoothies priced at $7.98 through subscription and bundle options averaging about $5 per serving also increases perceived value compared to competitors and retail smoothie purchases. Overall, results indicate that positioning Frozen Garden as both a “life hack” for students and a wellness support tool for parents can effectively increase brand awareness, social media engagement, and repeat purchasing behavior within the college market. 

The present study investigated the effects of gender and self-esteem on performance and test anxiety among undergraduate psychology students. Participants (N = 63) completed measures of self-esteem, performance anxiety, and test anxiety. A factorial ANOVA revealed significant main effects of gender and self-esteem on performance anxiety, with females and individuals with low self-esteem reporting higher, which was consistent with prior findings (Arshad et al., 2015; Duraku & Hoxha, 2018). For test anxiety, females reported greater test anxiety than males, and a significant interaction indicated that females with low self-esteem experienced the highest test anxiety, which partially aligned with previous research (Liu et al., 2024). These findings underline the importance of understanding the interactive nature of gender and self-esteem as they relate to performance and test anxiety.

Comparing Obesity Prevalence in North Dakota and Minnesota

Frosty W. and Katie E.

A prevalent issue within the United States is obesity, with roughly 40% of the population being obese (CDC, 2024). It's understood that obesity has a multitude of risk factors that contribute to its occurrence: lifestyle and dietary habits and activity levels of individuals. Understanding and recognizing what risk factors are involved with the contribution of obesity allows us to control our health. It is known that drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to multiple health complications, with obesity one of those complications. We will explore the risk factor of consuming alcohol and if there is a relation to obesity using our dataset. We will be looking at a set of data collected to compare the prevalence of obesity within the states of North Dakota and Minnesota. We will not be analyzing the raw counts of obese individuals within each state to allow for a fair comparison between the two states.

We predict that the occurrence of obesity will be higher in North Dakota, in comparison to Minnesota. Traversy and Chaput (2015) indicate that higher alcohol consumption contributes to increasing obesity. We hypothesize that alcohol is a contributing factor of obesity. This study has shown that North Dakota has a higher rate of alcohol consumption, so we predict that, per capita, North Dakota will have a higher rate of obesity than Minnesota.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that is characterized by impaired motor planning and programming. As a result, a child may exhibit inconsistent speech errors, disrupted coarticulatory transitioning, and impaired prosody (Alduais & Alfadda, 2024). With the variability in presentation and ongoing increase in acceptance of this diagnosis and treatment, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must rely on evidence-based intervention approaches tailored to the individual's needs. This literature review and presentation compare motor-based and linguistic-based intervention approaches for CAS, including Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) (Grigos et al., 2024; Strand, 2020), Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT) (Dale & Hayden, 2013; Namasivayam et al., 2021), and Integrated Phonological Awareness (IPA) (McNeill et al., 2009). Motor-based interventions focus on principles of motor learning to establish accurate and consistent speech movements, whereas linguistic-based approaches address phonological awareness and literacy skills alongside speech production. A review of current literature indicates that integrating motor and linguistic strategies is the most effective support for children with CAS (Murray et al., 2014). Providing an individualized combination that incorporates both frameworks allows for the most evidence-based treatment possible that improves intelligibility and functional communication.  

Acquired brain injuries (ABIs), including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, are prevalent neurogenic conditions encountered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), often result in complex cognitive-communication and swallowing impairments. Emerging evidence suggests that toxic stress in early life, quantified through the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire may play a significant role in the prevalence and severity of sustaining an ABI, as well as negatively impact post-injury recovery outcomes. This literature review examines the relationship between ACEs and ABI through a review of current literature and an examination of underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms, including dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Elevated ACE scores are associated with increased risk for ABI, as well as comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic conditions and substance use disorders, that further elevating individual predisposition and post-ABI recovery complications. Such complications include increased neurobehavioral symptoms and symptom severity, confusticating rehabilitation trajectories. Also explored within this literature review will be the role of protective factors such as Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), though research is limited on their efficacy at mitigating the effects of high ACE exposure. Implications for speech-language pathology practice are discussed, emphasizing the importance of trauma-informed, person-centered care in neurogenic rehabilitation. Incorporating an understanding of ACEs into clinical practice may enhance assessment, intervention planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration, ultimately supporting more equitable and effective outcomes. Further research is needed to better understand how ACEs specifically influence communication and swallowing disorders following ABI.

Very little research has been conducted on Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the U.S. following its policy changes under the 2025 presidential administration. There is also very little research on how local police officers are viewed by laypersons in relation to ICE officers. This study will examine how undergraduate college students from Minnesota State University Moorhead view and perceive the legitimacy of police use of force and ICE use of force. Using Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), an estimate of 120 participants will be given a vignette depicting an officer escalating force in an interaction with a suspect of a crime. One group will view the vignette presenting the officer as a police officer, and one group will view the vignette presenting the officer as an ICE officer. Participants will then be given a survey designed to measure their attitudes toward the officer in the vignette. After this, participants will be measured on the RWA Scale and the SDO Scale. The researcher predicts that participants with high RWA and/or SDO scores will view ICE with higher attitude scores than participants with low RWA and/or SDO scores. The implications of this study are expected to improve our understanding of how different types of authority are perceived by the public, as well as how escalation of force impacts perceived legitimacy of authority.

This literature review examined the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD). An intensive, evidence-based voice therapy program widely used in the field of speech language pathology to improve overall voice and speech quality in individuals with Parkinson’s disease who are impacted by dysphonia, a voice impairment and dysarthria, a motor speech disorder. This 16-session treatment encourages patients to sustain a loud voice with maximum effort and to increase awareness during tasks such as sustained vowels, pitch glides, and verbal speech. 

While there is strong evidence supporting its effectiveness for Parkinson’s disease, there is limited research on its application to other neurological populations. Therefore, this literature review examined the effectiveness of implementing LSVT LOUD with other neurological conditions beyond Parkinson’s disease, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. 

The agricultural industry is not immune to retaliatory trade environments. During the U.S.-China Trade War of 2018-2019, U.S. exporters reduced their prices by approximately seven percent in response to strategic retaliatory tariffs placed by foreign countries (Cavallo et al., 2019). Price reductions led to estimated annualized agricultural export losses of $13.5 to $18.7 billion (Grant et al., 2021), prompting distributions of $28 billion in relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A new wave of 94 trade policy actions, introduced in 2025, targeted specific countries (China, Canada, and Mexico) and additional nations across the global economy (Hammond & Burkhart, 2026). The USDA announced $12 billion of relief in December 2025, prior to release of the associated U.S. agricultural export loss estimates. In response, this research uses publicly available data within regression analysis to investigate the relationship between recent retaliatory trade actions and U.S. agricultural export reductions across Bulk, Intermediate, and Consumers-Oriented (BICO) goods categories. This study estimates 2025 U.S. agricultural export losses by BICO category, quantifying the economic consequences of recent U.S. retaliatory trade policy.

Using the exoplanet system, Trappist 1, this Planetarium show is focused on incorporating student made music into a beautiful combination of art and astronomy. 

Kris and Nana are music majors taking on the task for building the music based on the exoplanets of the Trappist 1 system. MJ, is responsible for programing the music and visuals into the planetariums software, World Viewer and OpenSpace and planning the narration.

This literature review explores the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in early literacy intervention, with a focus on shared book reading as an evidence-based approach to support language development in young children. Early oral language and emergent literacy skills form the foundation for later academic success, making early intervention critical, particularly for children at risk for language and literacy difficulties. This review summarizes typical language and literacy development, outlines risk factors that may impact progress, and examines key shared reading strategies, including dialogic reading and print referencing. Research demonstrates that interactive shared book reading improves vocabulary, narrative skills, print awareness, and overall language outcomes across populations. The discussion highlights the SLP’s role in assessment, intervention, and collaboration with caregivers and educators to support generalization across environments. Emphasis is placed on culturally responsive practices and individualized intervention planning to promote meaningful participation and long-term literacy success.

Clinical Scenario: Cold-water immersion (CWI) is widely used in athletic and rehabilitative settings to enhance post-exercise recovery, yet optimal treatment parameters remain inconsistent across clinical practice. Physically active individuals frequently seek recovery strategies that improve muscle function and sleep quality, creating a need to evaluate the evidence supporting specific CWI protocols. Focused Clinical Question: The purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) was to determine which temperature and duration parameters of CWI most effectively improve muscle recovery and sleep in physically active populations. A focused clinical question was developed using the PICO framework. Search Strategies: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were identified through searches of major databases and relevant journals, with inclusion criteria emphasizing peer-reviewed evidence reporting specific CWI parameters and outcomes related to muscle recovery or sleep. Studies lacking defined temperature or duration protocols, non-athletic populations, or non-peer-reviewed sources were excluded. Search terms included combinations of cold-water immersion, recovery and athletes, sleep, and physically activity. Results and Summary of Search: Qualitative and quantitative findings demonstrated that CWI has a positive effect on muscle recovery and sleep outcomes. The most effective protocols consistently involved immersion for 5–15 minutes in water between 44°F–59°F (7°C–15°C). These parameters were associated with reduced muscle soreness, improved restoration of muscle function, and enhanced sleep quality. Strengths of the evidence included pooled data from multiple controlled trials and relevance to physically active populations. Limitations included variability in CWI protocols, heterogeneity in exercise types, and reliance on subjective outcome measures in some studies. Clinical Bottom Line: CWI performed for 5–15 minutes at 44°F–59°F provides meaningful benefits for muscle recovery and sleep in physically active individuals. The strength of this recommendation is moderate, supported by

consistent findings across systematic reviews but limited by protocol variability. Implications: Clinicians should consider integrating CWI within comprehensive recovery programs, tailoring parameters to patient tolerance, contraindications, and sport-specific demands. Word Count: 316

Title: School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist Responsibilities in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Management

Abstract: Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability among school-aged children and adolescents and can significantly impact cognitive communication, academic performance, and social participation. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a key role in supporting students with moderate-to-severe TBI through assessment, intervention, advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration. Guided by frameworks from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), this literature review explores the multifaced responsibilities of SLPs within the school setting. Emphasis is placed on comprehensive cognitive communication assessment, proactive and developmentally appropriate intervention, support for generalization across environments, and ongoing monitoring to prevent neurocognitive stall, as described by Sandra Chapman. Current literature highlights gaps in assessment tools, educator training, and long-term follow-up practices. This review highlights the importance of collaborative, evidence-based, and student-centered approaches to promote academic achievement, social integration, and long-term functional outcomes for students recovering from TBI. 

Rested minds = Better minds 

Positive sleep hygiene is the foundation of health, yet it’s often the first thing people sacrifice when times get tough. This presentation explores the science of sleep hygiene, pointing out how different habits, routines, and consistent schedules shape overall well-being. We examine recommended sleep durations across college students and uncover what happens when those needs aren’t met. From mood changes to cognitive performance, the effects of poor sleep travel through every stage of life. By understanding and improving sleep behaviors, individuals can obtain better health, sharper focus, and a higher quality of life. 

   Eusocial Hymenopterans display a variety of complex social behaviors. While play behavior has been observed in many species, play in the insect kingdom is an emerging field of study. We will give an overview of play and play-like behavior in the Bombus (Bumblebees) and Polistes (Paper wasps) genera, as well as the function these behaviors serve. Play behavior can be used to reinforce social hierarchy, anticipate future conflict, or ‘just for fun’ (Hiruni et al).

Archaeologists are the quintessential hoarders. The discipline is suffering from a lack of space problem, which can lead to certain features or artifacts getting priority over others while in the field. But all artifacts are part of a larger story, so what to do with piles of brick or pits full of fire cracked rock? This was a relevant question during the 2022 and 2025 MSUM field excavations of the Gilded Age rail town of Winnipeg Junction, Minnesota. During excavations an abundance of brick with evidence of burning and building destruction were recovered. However, due to the aforementioned space constraints, minimal field analysis was conducted and only a few samples were kept for lab analysis and curation. By using a mix of chemical, elemental, and archival analysis, this poster aims to create a new methodology for brick data collection and analysis that will emphasize saving time and curation space while also obtaining maximum knowledge of historic bricks in the field.

New vehicle prices in the United States rose by more than 20 percent between 2020 and 2023, with pickup trucks among the most affected segments. Even after pandemic-related supply disruptions eased, pickup truck prices remain elevated. Why have annual pickup truck price increases failed to return to pre-pandemic levels? Drawing on standard microeconomic theory related to market power and the price elasticity of demand, this study evaluates whether sustained dealer markups reflect temporary cost pressures or strategic pricing behavior. In concentrated markets with limited substitution and relatively inelastic demand, firms can retain pricing power even as supply conditions improve. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and industry transaction reports, this research documents a sharp increase in dealer markups that persists beyond the initial supply shock. The results suggest that post-pandemic pickup truck price inflation reflects sustained market power rather than just temporary cost pass-through. These findings have important implications for consumers facing persistently high pickup truck prices and policymakers concerned with anti-competitive pricing behavior in the automotive industry.  

How can the field of archaeology be reimagined to include differently abled archaeologists? Archaeology is centered around able-bodied archaeologists and ableism is embedded within our discipline. It is embedded in the methods and structure of research, yet in anthropological theory, the discipline advocates for a multitude of voices for better representation. In the summer of 2024, I took the ANTH 455 ‘Field Methods in Geoarchaeology’ class. The class traveled to Illinois and Missouri to conduct geophysical surveys. Over the course of three weeks, students adhered to a strict schedule, worked in harsh climates, and had to learn how to work together as a team.  While this course was not required to obtain an anthropology degree, the degree does require a total of six credits in “Applied Archaeology”, of which ANTH 455 is an option in addition to Field Work in Anthropology, and Archaeology Lab Methods. For students with disabilities, they can apply for accommodations through student accessibility, but what they can receive for accommodations is limited due to the out-of-classroom experience. Additionally, it is not guaranteed that students will receive the same accommodation in the workforce. This presentation will explore the ways in which the field of archaeology can be reimagined to include disabled archaeologists and adds examples from my own experiences to add nuance to the conversation. 

This case study presents a school-based intervention designed to reduce anxiety symptoms in a fifth-grade male student. The selected Tier 2 intervention, the Resilience Education Program (REP), is composed of evidence-based strategies and includes five weekly, structured lessons rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. The curriculum uses cognitive-behavioral instruction (CBI) to teach students how to identify emotions, apply coping strategies, and reframe unhelpful thoughts. REP also includes a Check-In Check-Out (CICO) system to reinforce daily skill use and build a strong student-adult relationship. The student was progress monitored through multiple data 
sources, including the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), teacher reports, DBRs, and observations. Pre- and post-intervention RCADS scores showed a decrease in anxiety subscales and overall anxiety and depression scales from clinically significant levels to levels in the average range.

In the disability services field, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are indispensable in

providing care and support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

This study aims to analyze the cybersecurity measures used by DSPs in the provision of care to

adults with moderate to profound IDD. Technology has become an increasingly important tool

for DSPs to manage documentation, coordination of care, and communication. However, the

growing presence of technology in disability services gives way to cybersecurity threats such as

data breaches, phishing attempts, third-party risks, and improper use of technology by

employees. It stands to reason that their cybersecurity practices play a vital role in maintaining

client privacy and providing person-centered care. Fifteen DSPs working in an enrichment-based

day program will be interviewed regarding their experience in the field, their habits when using

technology in the workplace, and their experiences with data breaches. These interviews will be

analyzed thematically, and key trends in behaviors, attitudes, and cybersecurity awareness in the

workplace will be identified. The findings from this thematic analysis will be used to propose

recommendations for improving data protection in community-based care environments.

The native bees and butterflies of Minnesota are vital to our ecosystem. They pollinate wildflowers as well as agricultural crops. Pollinators can be complex to research due to the difficulty of identification, which requires an expert taxonomist. When insects land on flowers, they leave trace amounts of DNA, allowing researchers to collect samples of flowers and therefore can identify species from environmental DNA (eDNA). This research is focused on species of bees and butterflies that live on or near native tallgrass prairies in Minnesota. There has been a plethora of research on honeybees across the globe, but minimal information is known about the native populations and how they interact with the environment. By employing a technique known as DNA sequencing with eDNA, we have distinguished some pollinator species present in our area. Our short-term goal is to confirm the reproducibility of our data, with long-term goals of coordinating with state and federal agencies for larger monitoring efforts. 

The mammalian neocortex possesses specialized regions to control how sensory information is processed and then translated into behavior. Emx2 is essential in the process of development by shaping cortical areas, most notably, the visual area. In this study, we focused on how the conditional knockout (cKO) of Emx2 in the brain influences the visually guided behavior of mice. Due to the cKO, the primary visual area has a significant reduction in size. Two behavioral tests were performed, the looming test and the visual cliff test. The looming test measures innate defense response of mice to a visual threat, and the visual cliff test assesses depth perception. These tests were conducted during two specific developmental stages, postnatal day 18 (P18), and postnatal day 38 (P38) as a means to understand how visual processing and behavior change over time when Emx2 has been knocked out. From our research, we have found that after a certain age, the cKO mice have displayed normal visual behavior, suggesting that vision is mediated at P38. Following behavior, we have performed dissections to acquire brain tissue for morphological analysis. Our future directions will be to process the samples using tissue fixation, along with sectioning and staining to visualize changes within the primary visual area.

Environmental soil samples were collected to identify and characterize unknown bacteriophages (phages). Phages are viruses that infect host bacterial cells and consist of DNA encased in a capsid that serves as protection. These viruses do not infect human cells, although, they do play an important role in the human microbiome. This research focuses on isolating and purifying single phages and determining their genetic sequence for annotation, meaning identification of specific genes. A concentrated phage solution (lysate) was created and purified. Following purification, we performed gel electrophoresis to visualize the size of DNA to prepare for sequencing. Using the Qubit and NanoDrop, we quantified the amount of DNA present within the sample. After quantification we prepared for DNA sequencing to determine the unknown genome of the obtained phage. The sequencing data was uploaded to GalaxyEU where it was organized and assessed for quality. Once the data was properly organized, we compared our genome data to those of other phages on PhagesDB to determine our phage’s classification as compared to other phages found that infect similar hosts. 

The release of anthropogenic pharmaceuticals such as steroids, antibiotics, and antidepressants into water supplies and river channels leads to short or long-term impacts on animal behavior and aquatic ecosystems. Extensive research has indicated that chronic exposure to these drugs can critically alter behaviors, including foraging, mating habits, and predator avoidance. Pharmaceuticals bioaccumulate in tissues of aquatic species and cannot be properly broken down, drastically impacting the populations and even the food web; this includes changing the structure of microbes to infecting animals and humans. Promoting proper disposal of pharmaceuticals and closing knowledge gaps can have a positive influence, as well as reinforcing regulations during the water-treatment process.

Parenting can be a challenge by itself. Factors such as single parenting and going through

crisis are strains that can greatly affect a parent and their children’s lives. The purpose of this

research is to better understand single, custodial fathers and homelessness, how their experiences

differ from single, custodial mothers in the system, and to investigate more efficient plans and

opportunities to help fathers in crisis. This is an exploratory research proposal with the goal of

conducting in-depth, face-to-face interviews with fathers who currently or previously experience

homelessness. I hope to work with local agencies with the goal of helping the unhoused to

achieve these in-person interviews. Anonymity will be maintained throughout the paper, and

interviews will only take place when full consent is given.

This presentation examines the use of cinematographic properties in Venezuelan cinema to explore LGBTQ+ representation. Drawing on our ideas that LGBTQ+ representation requires use of introspection shots, we argue that Venezuela cinematography tends to utilise introspection shots to emphasise aspects of the characters and their portrayal. These visualizations in Venezuelan LGBTQ+ cinema, reveal that the frame emphasizes appearance, the character’s positions in proximity to each other and long contemplative shots that focus on the character’s introspection. Overall, this project contributes research to LGBTQ+ representation in Venezuela Cinema, as an alternative to Hollywood practice.

For the past 4 years, Strong Funding has supported the development of College For Kids summer camps within the Planetarium. Laser Camp was created by AudioVisual Imagineering featuring the Planetarium’s new laser system, will be improved upon based on student feedback from 2025 and previous years.  Hannah reorganized Laser Camp to help the flow of activities to partner with the developement of campers laser shows.

Space Rangers, formerly Space Camp, is a fun and educational camp centered around space using NASA modules and resources from the MSUM Planetarium, this will be reworked for a greater focus on developing campers collaboration and teamwork skills.  

Bacteriophages are a current topic in biochemical research due to their ability to infect bacteria and their potential significance to the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Throughout this project, we have been analyzing a previously identified bacteriophage, Scorch, isolated from a soil sample using the bacteria Microbacterium foliorum, in 2018. We used Nanopore minION to sequence Scorch’s genome, which was then annotated by adding information about the function of identified genes. The annotated genome was then compared to other bacteriophages via an online database. The information gained through this study will help expand the knowledge of the untapped resource that is bacteriophages. 

Guernica is, perhaps, the most famous painting of the Twentieth Century. Painted for the 1937 Paris International Exhibition, Guernica is Picasso’s response to the destruction by bombing of the Basque town in Northern Spain by the German Condor Legion on 26 April, 1937. After the exhibition, the painting toured the world as part of fundraising for Spanish victims of the civil war. The outbreak of World War II stranded the painting in the United States. Picasso made it clear the painting belonged in Spain, but it remained primarily at the Museum of Modern Art in New York until 1981. This was only possible after Spain returned to a democratic Monarchy in 1978, and the final return occurred eight years after his death. 

Hundreds of papers and books have been published about a semiotic analysis of the painting. Many of these contradict each other, and the correct interpretation is confusing. It is my thesis that a full analysis should consider two things: Picasso’s words about the painting, and Picasso’s background and interests as shown in other works. This starts with the starting point; it is expected, based on the subject, to view the painting as one of the village of Guernica.  Picasso spent significant time involved with the theatre. If we view the painting not as a village, but as a theatre stage set, a new framework for analysis develops. I will lay out a basis for this method of analysis and indicate ways this can be used for future research and analysis.  

This literature review examines the critical role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the transition from high school to adulthood. The transition period presents significant challenges, particularly in communication, employment, independent living, and social relationships. Although many students with ASD receive speech-language services in childhood, support often declines sharply after graduation, despite increasing communication demands in adult life. Drawing on current research, this review highlights targeted intervention areas including pragmatic language, self-advocacy, workplace communication, and functional life skills. Evidence-based approaches such as video modeling and the PEERS social skills program are discussed as practical strategies to promote independence and social integration. Gaps in professional training, research, and policy are also addressed, emphasizing the need for expanding services and interdisciplinary collaboration. Overall, the findings suggest that sustained speech-language intervention is essential to improving long-term adult outcomes and empowering individuals with ASD to navigate adulthood with confidence and autonomy.

Video games have been scrutinized and questioned as to whether they are healthy for a child's development. There have been claims that video games may cause increased aggression, poor school performance, and overall behavioral decline. We plan to look at a group of children with autism and see how their time playing video games affected their behavioral tendencies throughout the pandemic. Our research study examines a survey of 243 parents in Italy who navigated through the COVID-19 lockdown with a child on the autism spectrum. The dataset consists of parents in Italy of children aged 2-15 years old from the months of March to May in 2020. Parents filled out a questionnaire following the severity of their children's symptoms, daily volume of screen time, and the type of digital engagement (TV, video games, etc). Additionally, the survey assessed fluctuation in the children's behavioral, emotional, and cognitive regulation as well as social interaction and trends in language and communication skills. We will be asking the question of whether kids with autism playing video games contribute to an increase in behavioral problems during the lockdown.. We will be comparing the variables of behavioral problems and video games to see if the amount of video game time correlates with an increase in behavioral problems. This will help determine whether video games are a prime indicator of behavioral problems or if it is just coincidental.

The problem our app solves is that we allow resturaunts to market promotions in one place for consumers to easily track deals in their area. We would apply the Lean Startup method by interviewing 15 potential customers to test interest, gather feedback on desired features, and continuously refine a simple version of the app before fully launching it. Our idea is an app that is a location based promotional service for resturaunts to market deals, while also allowing the final consumer to choose based on prompts. We contribute by allowing local resturaunts to help fill seating by marketing deals to students in the area all in one place.
 
 
 

Agency is often an idea that gets examined in the study of slavery in the United States. Through the examination and research of three runaway enslaved individuals, the ability to showcase agency, while being in the Chatel system, includes freedom seeking. 

While self-esteem is important for all children, researchers suggest that it may be a greater concern among those with special needs or disabilities (Mustafa et al., 2023). Children with congenital or acquired physical impairments often encounter unique challenges that can impact their psychosocial functioning and overall well-being. For children with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate, their well-being may be influenced by the development of self-concept, peer relationships, and emotional health. The current study aims to analyze self-esteem and self-efficacy in children diagnosed with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CLP) compared to children without a diagnosed birth defect. Participants with CLP were recruited through the MSUM Speech/Language/Hearing Sciences Clinic and Cleft Clinic, administered through the North Dakota Health and Human Services Department. Children without birth defect diagnoses were recruited via MSUM’s Early Education Center. Based on past research, we expect to find no significant effect in self-efficacy, however, we expect a decrease in scores for self-esteem for children with CLP.

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) incorporate research into students’ regular coursework to expose more students to an independent research experience and to more effectively use faculty time and expertise. This year at Minnesota State Moorhead, our Team-Based Research course is exploring porphyrins with peripheral modifications that include additional metal centers such as ruthenium coordinated to a pyridine-modified porphyrin framework. These multi-metal systems serve as interesting functional and/or structural models, and have recently been shown to exhibit anti-cancer activity. Results of our efforts will be included as well as plans for continuing independent work beyond the course-based research.

   Yellow Fever was a devastating and recurring epidemic throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Yellow Fever not only affected the Americas but also the Caribbean, and certain areas of Europe, as well. In addition to that, yellow fever is known to have caused major mortality and social disruption before they knew what the cause behind the spread of this devastating disease was. Yet even though it was rather devastating and a significant number of lives were lost it also further advanced our medical aspects into more modern medicine. As, within the later part of the 19th century and then the beginning of the 20th century it was discovered that mosquitos transmitted the virus. This further aided modern medicine as they would come up with more vaccines, have a closer surveillance of diseases, and more. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication challenges and restricted or repetitive behaviors, with many children also experiencing significant sensory processing differences. Sensory dysregulation can interfere with attention, engagement, and responsiveness, limiting opportunities for meaningful communication. This presentation examines the rationale and evidence for an integrated service delivery model that combines speech-language therapy with Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) to address both communication and sensory foundations of learning. A review of current literature, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, indicates that while SIT does not directly target speech or language skills, it improves regulation, engagement, and adaptive functioning; critical foundations for communication development. Evidence suggests that when sensory supports are embedded within speech-language sessions or delivered through interdisciplinary collaboration, children demonstrate increased readiness to participate and greater responsiveness to intervention. Although findings remain mixed and methodological limitations persist, the integration of sensory and communication supports aligns with ASHA’s emphasis on interprofessional practice. This model highlights the importance of addressing sensory barriers to maximize communicative participation and long-term outcomes for children with ASD.

This presentation examines how runaway slave advertisements can be used to reconstruct the lives of enslaved people who resisted slavery. Focusing on the 1773 Virginia Gazette advertisement placed by William Bradley about Fortune and Aminta, the project analyzes the names, physical descriptions, clothing, and other details included in the notice. These advertisements were created to help enslavers recapture people who had escaped, but they also unintentionally preserve evidence of identity, movement, and resistance. By reading the ad closely, this project shows how enslaved people were described as property while still revealing signs of their humanity and agency. The presentation also considers what these ads suggest about where freedom seekers may have gone and the risks they faced. Overall, the project argues that runaway advertisements are valuable historical sources because they expose both the violence of slavery and the courage of those who resisted it.

My Scent: Designing Digital Environments for Bespoke Fragrance Discovery

Significant gaps exist in the luxury fragrance industry's transition to e-commerce, specifically regarding how to convey the deeply personal, sensory process of selecting a signature perfume without the benefit of physical sampling. In order to address the challenge of formulating and discovering bespoke scents online, I am investigating the development of "My Scent," a premium web platform that attempts to bridge this sensory gap through a high-end, immersive digital environment. Currently, I am designing an interactive user-interface—built with React, TypeScript, and detailed CSS layout grids—that integrates an algorithmic "Quiz" and "Lab" module capable of parsing abstract user preferences into customized, quantifiable fragrance recommendations. I focus specifically on adapting established luxury branding techniques, such as pairing moody, editorial-style product photography with structured modern typography, to overcome the digital sensory barrier. Thus far, preliminary development indicates that combining a frictionless, premium UI design with dynamic AI-assisted preference matching successfully emulates the exclusivity and authority of a physical boutique experience. Ultimately, the "My Scent" platform demonstrates that it is not paradoxical to translate abstract olfactory properties into an algorithmically driven digital format, but rather a profound opportunity to democratize bespoke luxury.

The Cyber Kill Chain, developed by Lockheed Martin, is a model used to understand the different stages of a cyberattack and how to prepare to stop an attack at each stage. In a phishing attack, attackers collect intormation about their target, create fake emails with harmful links or attachments, and trick system users into clicking on them so that the attacker can gain access to the user's system. The purpose of this work is to show how the Cyber Kill Chain model applies to phishing attacks in real life. This study examines each stage of the model, including reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control, and actions on objectives, using phishing as an example. The results show that phishing attacks can move through all stages of the Cyber Kill Chain if there are no strong security protections.

However, the study also shows that early detenses, like email filtering and user awareness, can stop the attack before it causes serious damage. Overall, applying the Cyber Kill Chain model helps organizations better prepare to prevent and respond to phishing attacks.

The four-centered elimination of HCl from 1,1,1-trichloroethane was modeled computationally. The reactant, product, and transition state structures were optimized using the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory utilizing NWChem. The dynamics were modeled with a mixed quantum-classical approach, with reaction path translation along the minimum energy path treated classically and the transverse vibrations treated quantum mechanically. Details of the reaction path, product energy partitioning, and vibrational distributions will be discussed and compared to experimental data.

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain in both physically active individuals and the general population. Conservative management is typically the first-line treatment; however, some patients continue to experience symptoms that may require surgical intervention. The purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) is to compare the effectiveness of surgical versus non-surgical treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis. Although both conservative and surgical approaches are widely used, ongoing debate concerns their comparative effectiveness, recovery times, and long-term outcomes. Patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (PF) are at considerable risk for chronic pain. At present, there is no universally accepted treatment protocol for this condition. Surgical interventions may provide short- to medium-term relief in cases unresponsive to nonoperative treatments, but supporting evidence remains limited due to substantial variability across studies.

By exploring primary and secondary sources around three runaway slaves in New England, this project seeks to explore the lives of these slaves beyond how their white enslavers viewed them. With little detail on who these people are, conslusions must be drawn from scarce evideince to construct their lives and the people they had delt with during their enslavement and their escape. This goal is important to better understand the lives of people throughout history who did not have a voice.

This study explores the memory blocking effect (MBE), contextual change, and a connection with creativity. The memory blocking effect occurs when orthographically (spelling) related study words (e.g., KANGAROO) impair word fragment completion performance (K_NG_O_S) for a similar target (e.g., KINGDOMS) (Smith & Tindell,1997; Leynes et al., 2008). The current study investigates a possible interaction between study words (e.g., competing KANGAROO and positive KINGDOMS) and match/mismatch of contexts between study and test fragment presentations. A 2x3 mixed within-subjects factorial design will be used, with prime type as the repeated variable (positive, competing, unrelated).  For the study phase, all participants will view 30 study words (15 positive and 15 competing). Participants will take a word fragment completion test for the 45 targets corresponding to the 30 studied primes and 15 unprimed fragments. Participants will then complete the K-DOCS creativity self-assessment (Kaufman, 2012). Data will be collected online via Qualtrics. Results are expected to show higher completion rates for positive primed fragments and lower completion rates for competing primed fragments relative to unprimed fragments, with reduced memory blocking in different-context conditions. A negative correlation between memory blocking rates and academic creativity scores is anticipated, suggesting a link between adaptive forgetting and creativity. 

A Critically Appraised Topic: Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation in Healing Superficial Wounds in Athletes

   Huss N, Hammerschmidt D, Albrecht J: Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead Minnesota

Clinical Scenario: Superficial wounds are common within athletics. Friction burns, abrasions, and lacerations are common in many sporting events. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a non-invasive modality that uses low-power lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to stimulate mitochondrial activity thereby modulating cellular metabolism, proliferation, migration, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. Focused Clinical Question: Is PBM an effective intervention for superficial skin wounds on athletes? Search Strategy: CINAHL Ultimate and PubMed were utilized for search engines. The studies investigated had to be in English, peer reviewed, and have the full text available. Key search terms used were Photobiomodulation, low-level laser therapy, skin wounds, athletes, blue light therapy, superficial wounds, and hard to heal. Evidence Quality Assessment: Of the studies used, two were meta-analysis and one was a single center observational study. Results and Summary of Search: All the studies showed significant improvements in measure outcomes that relate to wound size, healing rate, and pain. Clinical Bottom Line: With the promising evidence being found for PBM to show improvement in not only healing of superficial wounds but also of various other structures, this is a modality that could be utilized in many different settings. Implications: More research is needed regarding PBM treatment parameters for acute care of wounds, specifically, additional PBM research on wounds associated with athletic activity that include, but are not limited to, friction burns, lacerations, abrasions, contusions, and surgical wounds. Effects on internal structures should also be considered with additional research. Word Count: 268

My project is about three runaway slaves and trying to tell their story. People have learned about slavery as a whole, but very few people look at the individual level. My project aims to expand my knowledge base and that of others, about the individual lives and risks that enslaved people faced. This study was done through online research and working together with mentors and classmates. I discovered information about three enslaved runaways and where they lived, who their enslavers were, and what could have possibly happened to them. This project is important because it helps people understand the courage and risks that enslaved people took to gain freedom. Learning these stories helps us remember the fight for freedom and equality. The stories were never told before, as enslaved people were voiceless, so the goal of this project is to give them a voice.

This presentation examines sound in Algerian cinema to explore characters' active or internal movement. Drawing on the contrast between natural and mechanical sound, as well as how music is sourced and performed, we argue that the filmmakers are expressing a greater urge for distinctive national identity through Algerian films. These sonic elements reveal how nature conceptualizes character environments (The Nouba of the Women of Mount Chenoua; 1979), music informs important cultural traditions (Chronicle of the Years of Fire; 1975), and why mechanical noise reflects on the methods in which artists of Algeria strove to break from past colonial ties (The Battle of Algiers; 1966). Highlighting the study of crafts in film production is vital to fully understanding the intent of filmmakers and the national cinema releasing it. Overall, this project will contribute new insight for an underdeveloped study of Algerian cinema in sound design.

Techniques like carbon storage are being tested and implemented across the globe to determine their efficacy, profitability, and the carbon offset potential. One of these is the carbon storage project initiated by the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC): Project CarbonSAFE. The project is focused on the Broom Creek Formation in central North Dakota. The Department of Energy (DOE), local and state agencies sponsored the project in order to better understand the mechanics and reservoir characterization of carbon capture and storage (CCS) on a formation such as the Broom Creek. The Formation contains a high porosity and permeability within its aeolian and nearshore facies in the Formation’s middle and upper regions, currently functioning as a saline aquifer. Acting as capstones on the Formation, the red siltstone Opeche and anhydritic Amsden lie above and below respectively, which will help seal the sequestered CO2. The partnered pipeline company Summit Carbon Solutions is one step closer to completion. However, there is still a lack of data on the formation, so coring has been overseen by the EERC. Analysis of five cores and a 3D Seismic section modeling of the potential storage area will provide information for generating a stratigraphic and sedimentological model to better assess the carbon storage potential of Broom Creek.

The four-centered elimination of HF from CH3CH2CH2F was modeled using NWChem. The geometries of the reactants, products, and transition state were optimized, and the minimum energy path was calculated at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory. A mixed quantum-classical approach was used to model energy-disposal dynamics of the reaction. Motion along the minimum energy path was treated classically, while the transverse vibrations were treated quantum mechanically. The results, including details of the reaction path and product vibrational distributions, will be discussed and compared to experimental and theoretical results.

Fish do not have innate recognition of their predators. Fish learn predator identity by associating the odor or appearance of predators with the release of alarm cues from injured conspecifics. Through generalization, fish can extend recognition of predation risk to odors and appearances that are similar to the cues they already associate with risk. Recent research has shown that predator recognition learning begins before hatch but the ability of embryos to generalize to novel predators is not well understood. Here, we conditioned zebrafish embryos to associate risk with the odor of false bandit catfish, Corydoras melini, and then tested newly hatched zebrafish for behavioral responses to C. melini, a close relative, the peppered catfish, Hoplisoma paleatum, and a phylogenetically distant species, the jewel cichlid Hemichromis bimaculatus. We predict a full response to the odor of C. melini, an intermediate response to H. paleatum and no response to H. bimaculatus.

Killifish (Nothobranchchius spp.) are a group of annual freshwater bony fish whose eggs have the ability to delay hatching if the environment around them does not meet certain criteria. Different species have different levels of risk assessment, but the exact differences between them are unknown. In this study, we will examine how “bet hedging” in killifish eggs varies among three different species when incubated in different cues (water, crushed chironomid, and crushed killifish embryo). Our data comes from Wisenden et al. 2026. We will compare hatch times of the individual species (N. foerschi, N. eggersi red, N. eggersi blue) over 42 hours. Potential conclusions are that different killifish species exhibit varying levels of risk assessment, or none at all. 

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an early stage of memory and cognitive ability loss that affects around 10-20% of people over age 65 (Alzheimer's Association, n.d.). In addition to cognitive decline, individuals with MCI frequently experience difficulties with cognitive-communication abilities that negatively impact their psychosocial health, including increased depression, anxiety, apathy, and social withdrawal. This literature review examined the existing research that explored the relationship between communication changes and psychosocial health across the globe. It also highlighted the role of speech-language pathologists in implementing therapy strategies to help with these changes.  

   Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant public health concern, despite strong scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. One factor contributing to this hesitancy is the difficulty many individuals face in accessing and interpreting reliable scientific information. This project examines the barriers to accessing vaccine-related scientific evidence within a college-centered community.

   Key barriers include misinformation circulating on social media, limited health literacy, distrust in scientific and governmental institutions, and geographic challenges that affect access to healthcare resources. Among these factors, misinformation spread through digital platforms is particularly influential, as it can shape public perception before individuals encounter credible scientific sources.

   This proposal emphasizes the importance of improving science communication, ensuring that complex research findings are presented in language that is easy for the public to understand. Strategies such as promoting digital literacy and partnering with trusted community leaders may help bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding. By addressing these barriers, we can improve access to reliable vaccine information and encourage more informed decision-making within communities.

In this report, I explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to improve cybersecurity systems. As cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and frequency, I focus on how traditional security methods are often not enough to detect and respond to attacks quickly and effectively. I examine how AI technologies, such as machine learning and predictive analytics, can identify patterns, detect unusual activity, and respond to threats more efficiently.

I begin by explaining the challenges in cybersecurity and why more advanced, intelligent systems are needed. I then discuss key AI concepts and how they are applied in real-world security environments, including network monitoring, intrusion detection, and threat analysis. I also look at the benefits of using AI in cybersecurity, such as faster detection and improved accuracy, while addressing limitations like false positives, data privacy concerns, and the increasing use of AI by attackers.

Overall, I aim to show how AI is transforming modern cybersecurity practices and why it is an important topic within the Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) field. This report reflects both my understanding of the subject and my interest in how these technologies will continue to shape the future of digital security.

Tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) offers a convenient platform for a variety of organic modifications that can significantly impact the steric and electronic behavior of the porphyrin. Recent work by Nichols has shown that amide-modified Fe-TPP has shown promise for reduction of carbon dioxide into useful commodity chemicals. Inspired by this work, we are exploring amine- and amide-functionalized TPP analogs for CO2 reduction reactivity as well as other interesting structural and functional activity. Initial efforts will focus on the effects of single versus multiple functionalization of the TPP and characterization of redox and acid-base properties. 

Prey that have been isolated from predators for a long time may lose their ability to avoid predators. Desert pupfish have been isolated from fish predators for thousands to millions of years. Here, we tested if fish species can associate a specific habitat type with a specific predator. We have been running our trials using a tank separated into two different habitats, structure and open water. In our conditioning trials, we insert an alarm cue, novel odor, and have a visual stimulus. In testing trials, we insert the novel odor only and see if the fish remember the habitat that the visual stimulus was in. In our first experiment, pupfish were unable to distinguish between a predator in habitat or open water. We then asked if this is specific to isolated pupfish or true for all fish species? In a follow-up experiment we are redoing the trials with zebrafish to see if any fish species can distinguish between predators in habitat or open water. Being able to determine whether fish can associate risk levels with unique habitats will help determine whether isolated fish can recover from large predators that are introduced to their environment. If the zebrafish can associate danger with habitat while the pupfish can’t, then it’s likely that pupfish have lost their ability to properly respond to novel threats.

Patient care quality is an important part of improving healthcare outcomes in the United States. Programs like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program are designed to track and improve how well clinicians provide care. In this project, we will examine how patient care quality scores differ across virtual clinician groups and whether some measures vary more than others. We will use the CMS dataset "Doctors and Clinicians Quality Payment Program (QPP) PY 2020 Virtual Group Public Reporting." We will use exploratory data analysis to summarize performance scores, compare different quality measures, and create visualizations such as histograms and bar charts to better understand the data. We will focus on how scores differ by measure type and across groups to identify any clear patterns. This project may help show where differences in care quality exist and could be useful for understanding how patient care can be improved.

Researched runaway slave advertisements from New England 1760-1789. What we can tell about the person from the advertisement? Who they were? What might have happened to them before and/or after they ran away. Researched their enslavers, as they would have had more information in the public documents available.

Mental health and well-being have come to the forefront as an issue needing to be addressed on college campuses today. Many college students are experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. A high number of students are meeting the criteria for at least one mental health problem, and counseling centers are starting to get overwhelmed. Emotional support animals have been found to improve an individual’s mental and physical health. There have been reductions in an individual's stress levels, loneliness, and improvements in mood and emotional health. Our poster will present research supporting the usage of emotional support animals and how they positively add to college students’ lives.  

College students have become one of the top consumers of energy drinks in the United States today. As college students, we often have late nights and early mornings. Constantly, we are juggling homework, work, and life. These sleepless nights create a reliance on artificial energy. This contributes to short- and long-term effects on physical and mental health. Some of which are detrimental, including lifelong chronic diseases and organ damage. The purpose of this informational presentation is to inform college aged students on the adverse effects of energy drink consumption.  

In elementary education, lesson planning is fundamental, the foundation of powerful instruction. Lesson planning is there to ensure that an educator's instruction is focused and that classroom time is used as effectively as possible. That classroom time is very limited, and curriculum integration helps to maximize instructional time to its fullest potential. Curriculum includes content, instruction, activities, projects, and assessment, and is often organized into subjects. Curriculum, or subjects, can easily be integrated, though, by educators who connect them around overarching themes, issues, or real-world problems. In my Elementary Inclusive Education program, I have done just that. With the help of my friend and colleague, Lily Deming, we wrote and taught a curriculum integration lesson. In 2025, we taught our Social Studies, Science, and ELA-integrated lesson on Wild Rice to a Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 2nd Grade class.  We found that our students made deeper conceptual understanding, made meaningful connections to the material, developed critical thinking skills across the three disciplines, and truly felt engaged with the material.

   Dysphagia is a common and progressive complication in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). As swallowing function declines, individuals face increased risk of aspiration, malnutrition, and reduced quality of life. While speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are central to dysphagia management, care is often initiated reactively, after significant decline has occurred. This literature review examined the clinical and ethical implications of reactive dysphagia management and explored the potential benefits of a proactive, patient-centered approach. Key themes included anticipatory counseling, shared decision-making, caregiver involvement, and preservation of autonomy and dignity in progressive illness. Although current support for proactive care is largely based on professional consensus and narrative reviews, emerging perspectives suggest that earlier SLP involvement may reduce crisis-driven decisions and better align care with patient values. This review highlighted gaps in the evidence base and proposed future directions for research on progressive dysphagia management.

If economic growth is a goal of every nation, why do outcomes look different among global nations? Further, are education and health rewards for growth or the engine behind it? With these questions in mind, this research examines the two-way relationship between human capital development and economic growth identified by Ranis, Stewart, and Ramirez (2000). In related literature, Bloom et al. (2021) add a critical finding that starting conditions create thresholds central to determining a country's growth trajectory. Bloom, Canning, and Sevilla (2003) establish that the demographic dividend is not automatic; it requires targeted investments in health, education, and governance to materialize. Using panel data on educational attainment, life expectancy, total fertility rates, and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita drawn from the World Bank World Development Indicators for years 1980-2023, I conduct a regression analysis across countries at different stages of development to measure the correlation between these variables and GDP per capita growth. The results reveal that a one-child reduction in the total fertility rate and a ten percent increase in life expectancy each increase short- and long-run growth. These findings inform economic development policy by recognizing that tax revenues allocated to reproductive health and schooling are not social consumption, but rather social investments in human capital that enable countries to escape poverty traps. 

A. fumigatus is a common opportunistic airborne fungus that poses significant health risks, especially for those with pre-existing allergic respiratory illnesses and those that are immunocompromised.  Toll Like Receptor (TLR)-7 is important for the activation of the innate immune response; however, there is little knowledge against A. fumigatus regarding this receptor.  Wild-type or TLR-7 deficient male and female mice and were exposed to airborne A. fumigatus spores. Bronchoalveolar lavage cells were collected; collagen and mucus were assessed using histological staining. Data was collected from naïve mice and mice at day 1 and day 14 post-exposure. Mucus and collagen levels had increased by day 1 post exposure and did not return to baseline till day 14 post exposure. TLR-7 knockout mice had higher levels of Macrophages, Neutrophils, and Eosinophils. Females had higher level of immune cells and IgE antibody levels overall. The results of this study will inform fungal disease modeling in mice and can help design better therapeutics and diagnostics for future reference.

This project explores stress and social isolation among immigrant students at MSUM. Immigrant students often experience acculturative stress, language barriers, and separation from family, which can affect mental health and academic engagement. This presentation reviews current research and discusses campus-level challenges related to mental health service use. It also proposes peer support and culturally responsive outreach strategies to improve student well-being and sense of belonging.

During the 1780s slavery was well incorporated within the city of Charleston, as a result, newspapers were filled with ads requesting the return of runaway slaves multiple times a year. Following their running away, these slaves were almost entirely undocumented and we have no information about their story. This presentation analyzes primary documents from the timer period in an attempt to hypothesize what the lives of three slaves who ran away from their masters was like following their escape. This project is immensly relevant to our contemporary world due it's giving of a voice to oppressed people whose only legacy is a wanted poster in a newspaper 250 years ago. 

African elephants are one of the smartest and most social animals in the world. They form close social bonds and strong communities that care for each other. Their emotional intelligence and ability to express emotion is very similar to humans; because of this, humans and elephants can form close bonds through subtle communications. While elephants have become an incredible symbol of African wildlife, poachers have caused significant damage towards humanity’s relationship with elephants. In this study, we will evaluate how poachers have potentially strained the relationship and cohabitationbetween humans and elephants. The aggressiveness and illegal practices of poachers may have caused significant changes in the movements, reproduction, and overall behavior of African elephants. 

What do different forms of a dog's body language say about how they feel and respond? How an individual can determine what a dog’s reaction means based on its physical appearance and body parts, like tail tucks and ears back. The information being used is provided from many different credible sources, stating common and abnormal behaviors of dogs and how they react.People do not completely understand a dog’s behavior, but it is important to have knowledge of all the different forms and respond to situations that occur. 

Soap bubbles usually don’t last very long because their thin liquid surface drains, evaporates, or eventually breaks. In this experiment, we tested whether ultrasound (very high-frequency sound that humans cannot hear) could increase how long soap bubbles last. We also compared two different bubble sizes to see if size had an effect. The two sizes tested were 6 cm and 4 cm bubbles. For each size, trials were done both without ultrasound and with ultrasound. The working hypothesis was that ultrasound would increase the life expectancy of soap bubbles, and that smaller bubbles would last longer than larger bubbles.

Without ultrasound, there was already a clear difference between the two bubble sizes. The 4 cm bubbles lasted longer than the 6 cm bubbles. This suggests that smaller bubbles may be more stable under normal conditions, possibly because their surface is tighter and less likely to thin out unevenly.

When ultrasound was added, the results became even more noticeable. The bubbles lasted much longer overall, especially the 4 cm bubbles. For the 4 cm bubbles, there was a significance ratio of about 9 when comparing trials with ultrasound to those without it. This means the smaller bubbles lasted around nine times longer when exposed to ultrasound. The 6 cm bubbles also lasted longer with ultrasound, but the increase was smaller compared to the 4 cm bubbles.

These results suggest that ultrasound helps stabilize soap bubbles. It may do this by creating small vibrations that keep the liquid evenly spread across the surface, preventing weak spots from forming too quickly.

This literature review examines the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in supporting safe and effective oral feeding for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Feeding and swallowing challenges are highly prevalent among infants in the NICU, particularly those born prematurely, due to neurological immaturity, respiratory compromise, and other complex medical conditions that disrupt the development of coordinated suck–swallow–breathe patterns necessary for safe oral feeding. This review specifically synthesizes current evidence related to the identification of feeding readiness, clinical and instrumental assessment of dysphagia, and the implementation of evidence-based, developmentally supportive interventions within the NICU setting. Evidence-based practices including cue-based feeding, positioning and pacing strategies, oral-motor interventions, and caregiver-centered education are discussed. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary collaboration and the critical role of SLPs in SLPs in promoting safe feeding, supporting neurodevelopment, and equipping caregivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster positive early feeding experiences.

In 1999, David Mech published a paper detailing his observations of a wolf pack's hierarchy; wherein he stated that wolf packs had leaders dubbed "alphas", and subordinated labeled "betas" and "omegas". This paper became widely accepted as fact for many years. However, the wolves studied weren't a traditional wolf pack. Rather, they were a group of wolves from several packs taken into and studied in captivity, which severely altered their dynamics. As such, the paper is not at all representative of actual wolf pack dynamics. In spite of this, the myth of alphas, betas, and omegas has persisted, even long after Mech himself denounced his previous work. In our poster, we discuss the actual dynamics exhibited by healthy wolf packs in the wild and how it differs from the commonly accepted beliefs.

Alarm cue is created when a fish’s skin is damaged, effectively allowing the fish to detect nearby danger. Incredibly, past studies have also shown that fish are able to detect alarm cue even when still in the embryonic stage and furthermore respond accordingly. Past studies have also shown that fish have personalities that are able to be tested in order to place them on a scale of “shy” to “bold”; where bold fish are more likely to be exploratory and shy ones are more hesitant and cautious of danger. Our study aims to combine these two concepts and determine whether zebrafish (a fish commonly used in lab experiments) exposed to alarm cue in their embryonic stage have significantly different personalities than those who were not.

    Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) are a pacific species of salmon that, similar to many species of salmon, are anadromous; meaning they migrate from freshwater to saltwater and back again over the course of their lives in order to breed. Many sightings of this species have been captured on the site iNaturalist over the years, a community-based site for recording observations of organisms. As the site has grown over the years, it's increasingly being used for scientific research and the tracking of or counting of organisms. By using the rinat package in R in order to analyze locational and temporal data extracted from iNaturalist, our research aims to see if iNaturalist can be used to track the migration of  this species. Considering the methods needed to catch it and the fact that it spends most of its life at sea, fish such as this one would have far less observations than other species, so our success or failure would determine if iNaturalist is or is not a viable way of tracking salmon migration.

Nutrient Network is a global initiative to study the effects of nutrient fertilization on the biodiversity and biomass of native grasslands. It is compiled of over 200 data collection sites including the MSUM Regional Science Center. The goals of this research are to analyze the effects of nutrient deposition on plant productivity and diversity. The MSUM Regional Science Center’s data collection site provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in this global research study. We will present two case studies of cutting edge ecological research using the dataset of which we were able to contribute.

A Critically Appraised Topic: What is the Evidence that Photobiomodulation Enhances Soft-Tissue Healing?

   Wielenberg S, Hammerschmidt D, Albrecht J: Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead Minnesota 

Clinical Scenario: The purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) is to examine the effects of Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on soft tissue healing. PBMT is the use of red light and near-infrared lights to penetrate the cellular level to trigger a response to promote healing. Research conducted on PBMT indicates the potential to be useful in therapeutic interventions. Focused Clinical Question: Is there evidence that PBMT enhances soft tissue healing? Search Strategy: Using qualitative analysis and information gathered from a variety of databases and journals, parameters including intensity and type of PBMT were examined. I used PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, and Sports Medicine & Education Index to collect different research articles. Evidence Quality Assessment: Athletes were examined with soft tissue injuries that compared PBMT and traditional interventions to determine if PBMT has better outcomes when it comes to soft tissue healing. This included a single- and double-blind control study and a meta-analysis that included 35 articles. Results and Summary of Search: Search results showed a lot of different studies and results. Three specific scholarly articles were investigated to find evidence that either supported or opposed the ability of PBMT to enhance healing in soft tissue injuries. Some of the study results showed no difference in healing time for active people but increased healing in sedentary individuals. Another study found that the use of PBMT had an impact on both strength and power of muscle in recovery. Finally, authors of one additional study found no significant difference in the treatment times but showed use of PBMT did result in recovery. Clinical Bottom line: The results showed that although some studies saw promising results, there is not enough data to say that PBMT will heal soft tissue injuries faster than traditional treatments. Implications: Implications of the study included the many different protocols and parameters like duration and power. Another implication is the location of injuries and the severity of injuries. Word Count: 345

Motivation- Browser users sometimes see unwanted spoiler for movies or TV shows while browsing online. Those spoilers can negatively affect user experience. Therefore, I thought there is a need for a tool that automatically detects and hides content according to user preferences.

Purpose- This aims to develop a browser extension, Spoiler Sense, that detects and hides spoilers based on user-specified keywords. The research question is: How can a browser extension effetively reduce unwanted spoiler exposure while maintaing user control

Mothods- This works by analyzing the DOM of a webpage, detecting user-defined keywords, and either blurring the spoiler content or displaying a warning popup. The extension includes customizable features such as blur intensity.

Expected Results- It is expected to successfully reduce exposure to unwanted spoilers.

Significance- It demonstrates pratical applications of computer science concepts in user-centered software design. By automatically managing spoiler content, Spoiler Sense engances user experience. 

Evolutionary theory postulates that defective maternal behaviors (i.e., infant abandonment, neglect, and infanticide) may reflect adaptive survival strategies under specific conditions. In this case, maternal abandonment in Japanese Macaque monkeys can be viewed from the lens of environmental stress. Such stressors can be human-led, stemming from urbanization and the subsequent deforestation or rising temperatures and resource competition. While they often cling to artificial substituted comforts, rigorous care can help them bond with peers, though they might have lasting vulnerabilities. 

The study will examine how perceived coaching communication style and athlete gender may relate to sport confidence among college athletes. Coaching communication style will be categorized as either supportive or unsupportive, and athlete gender will be considered as a potential factor that may influence this relationship. This study is informed by Self-Determination Theory, which suggests that interpersonal environments that support autonomy and competence may be associated with more positive psychological outcomes, such as confidence. The purpose of this research is exploratory in nature and is intended to build upon existing literature examining communication process in sport settings. Participants will consist of male and female college athletes recruited from a university setting. Data will be collected using an online survey administrated through Qualtrics. Participants will complete surveys measuring perceived coaching communication style and sport confidence, along with basic demographic information. It is predicted that athletes who perceive their coaches as more supportive will report higher levels of sport confidence, and that gender may influence the strength of this relationship. The results of this study may help improve understanding of how coaching communication relates to athlete confidence and may provide direction for future research in sport psychology.

The current study examines how sex offenders in an anonymous online forum utilize the platform to navigate their legal, social, and emotional challenges. Using qualitative thematic analysis, fifty posts and their comments were group-coded and structured into themes. One of the most dominant themes was that of the stigma attached to the label of ‘sex offender’. This stigma is perpetuated across legal, economic, and social systems, as well as the perception of the self. Sex offenders cope with the consequences of these stigmas by attempting to hide from, deflect, or rationalize the stigma, connecting with or seeking validation from others on the forum with similar experiences, and, in rare cases, through admitting fault and sympathizing with the victims of their crimes. The individuals in this virtual community additionally use the forum to seek and receive informational and experiential advice, especially to ease uncertainty, fear, and hopelessness, and to fill the gaps in knowledge that existing systems maintain. These individuals engage in continuous identity work in attempts to re-actualize the self in the face of social ostracization; however, the collectively encouraged coping mechanisms emphasize identity protection rather than confessions and victim acknowledgement. This study advances knowledge on how sex offenders communicate about their circumstances; how sex offenders conceptualize their own crimes; how the community creates a counterpublic, supportive space isolated from the legal system; and how the community provides a nonjudgemental environment that reduces the weight of the stigmatizing label of ‘sex offender’.

In everyday life, we take for granted the water that comes out of our sinks, tubs, showers, and other water-related appliances. When issues arise, perhaps a pipe bursts or starts leaking, these appliances become a source of anxiety rather than comfort. In these cases, the most important property of the piping system is the flow through it, as a greater flow will cause more damage and frustration. But how do we determine the flow of water through a pipe? In this project, we use flux, a surface integral over a vector field, to quantify the flow of water through a vertical pipe and apply Bernoulli’s equation to model how water velocity changes with height.

While many communication scholars have thoroughly explored how cultural backgrounds shape interpersonal interaction, current research overlooks a key dynamic on college campuses: the cultural student organizations themselves. Specifically, existing literature fails to address the engagement levels of these diverse groups and how they might interact with the out-group students who share no personal connection to their culture. Our project proposes a research design to address the issue of intercultural interaction, with special attention to whether these organizations prefer maintaining close, insular memberships or increasing engagement with outside populations. We argue that framing our research questions through the lens of Co-Cultural Theory and Social Exchange Theory will effectively reveal how student organization members weigh the relational costs and rewards of diverse organizational membership. Furthermore, we establish how the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Social Learning Theory will provide a theoretical foundation for building persuasive strategies and positive peer modeling to increase out-group engagement if desired. In conclusion, this research proposal establishes the theoretical groundwork necessary to examine the communication dynamics of campus cultural organizations, offering a pathway to foster a more inclusive university environment.

The Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) Regional Science Center (RSC) is located on the grounds of the former Ponderosa Golf Course. Ponderosa originally opened in 1972 as an 18-hole course, but in the 1980s the course shrunk down to 9- holes, until it closed its doors for good in March 2015. At the request of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), Terracon Consultants Inc was hired to do a site investigation, which was completed in August 2015. As a result of the Terracon report, the site was considered contaminated, and MnSCU requested archaeologists no longer excavate from the site. Over 10 years after Ponderosa closed, this study investigates the extent of heavy metal contents in the soils of the former 9-hole golf course to determine if there are any hazards still present. 

Despite the fact that modern PCs are extremely powerful and can run increasingly complicated applications with ease, there are still programmers who choose to write software for "obsolete" hardware, even with all its processing limitations. One such piece of hardware that has a dedicated scene of homebrew developers is the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. I chose to port an existing game to the system, one that I definitely never played during any of my lectures, “Minesweeper.” The game’s objective is to mark the hidden bombs on a grid using the numbers that indicate adjacent bombs in each cell. My aim is to get the experience of coding for such a simple device compared to the ones I’ve worked with to this point and further my knowledge of software programming and computer hardware in general.

This presentation explores the escapes of Michael Hoy, Mary Barbara Henner, and Jeff to show how enslaved and indentured people used flight, strategy, and wartime problems to pursue freedom during the American Revolution. By analyzing runaway advertisements, it reveals how systems of surveillance tried to control unfree people even as those same documents preserved evidence of resistance. Together, these cases demonstrate that the struggle for liberty in this era was shaped not only by political elites but by the courageous actions of those who fought to free themselves.

Cats have captured the hearts of people for thousands of years; they have acted as both humble protectors from pests and highly regarded muses of art. Truly spectacular creatures. Unlike dogs, however, most cats do not belong to a specific breed, only referred to as Domestic Short(-or Long-)hairs. Many people often mistake cats with specific colors or patterns as belonging to breeds where that color or pattern is the breed standard. This poster seeks to inform people about the colors and patterns that cats can come in, and the genetic “recipes” that create them, in a comprehensive and easy to understand way.

This presentation explores the lives of enslaved people who attempted to escape Dutch farms during the American Revolutionary period (1760-1792). The goal of this project is to give a voice to those whose legacy was limited to a single runaway ad in a newspaper. These stories reveal how Dutch-speaking enslaved people lived and the historical events around them, while also challenging assumptions about Northern states’ relationships with slavery. The aim is to remind the audience that while the United States achieved freedom from Britain, attempts at freedom within the States from enslaved people were actively suppressed.

Succeeding in college is challenging for anybody. For neurodivergent students and students on the autism spectrum, these challenges can be amplified without needed understanding, support, and resources required to meet academic and social goals. For this project, honors students in the COMM 100 Introduction to Communication class researched the challenges neurodivergent students experience while pursuing their undergraduate degree and how MSUM currently anticipates and addresses these challenges. This presentation will also propose ways our university can enhance its efforts to retain our neurodivergent student population and increase graduation rates.

This paper presents a review of the literature examining dyslexia, with a particular focus on early identification and the role of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability affecting approximately 15–20% of school-aged children and is characterized by persistent difficulties in reading, decoding, and spelling. Although dyslexia is a lifelong condition, research consistently demonstrates that early identification and timely, evidence-based intervention lead to improved academic outcomes and reduced long-term impacts.

The literature highlights the unique qualifications of SLPs in identifying dyslexia due to their expertise in language development, phonological processing, and literacy assessment. This review examines current screening and assessment practices, including the use of performance-based and rating-based tools, comprehensive measures such as the Tests of Dyslexia (TOD), and the integration of SLPs within Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks. Evidence supporting early, structured language-based intervention and interdisciplinary collaboration is discussed. Additionally, the review addresses barriers to SLP involvement, including limited literacy-focused training and role ambiguity within school systems. Implications for practice emphasize the need for clearer role delineation, enhanced professional training, and advocacy to support effective, school-based dyslexia identification and intervention.

I am a computer science major that is focused on software engineering. Here I documented the process of creating an application for musical analysis and ideal listening order. When listening to music most queue generators do not take into account the feel/speed of a song before selecting the next this can create jarring changes in tone/speed while listening to music. The application I created is supposed to help remedy that issue by analysing the audio and ensuring that songs are  played in a mostly optimal listening order.

This presentation examines the representation of Taiwanese history and politics in the mise-en-scene and cinematography of Taiwanese New Wave (TNW) during and after martial law. Drawing on selected films by New Wave directors Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, and Tsai Ming-liang, we argue that TNW utilizes aspects of mise en scene and cinematography of its films to represent the communities within Taiwan during and after the political and historical restrictions of martial law. While simultaneously utilizing nuance and slice-of-life storytelling, the films use long shots and frame within a frame compositions. The cinematography and mise-en-scene shape the community narratives to help articulate the political and historical restrictions of martial law.

Managing email communication and personal schedules can be time-consuming and difficult to organize, especially as digital communication continues to increase. This project introduces Quincy, an artificial intelligence (AI)–based personal assistant designed to help users manage their email and calendar more efficiently. The goal of the system is to reduce cognitive load by automatically organizing scheduling information, providing reminders for important events, and helping users make better decisions about how they spend their time.

Quincy integrates with a user’s email and Google Calendar to monitor upcoming events and detect scheduling information within messages. Through natural language interaction, users can ask Quincy to recall events, set reminders, or suggest possible meeting times and activities based on the user’s stated goals and availability. By combining contextual data from email and calendar systems, Quincy demonstrates how AI-driven assistants can improve productivity, streamline scheduling tasks, and support goal-oriented time management.

An ideal ceramic glaze for functional ceramics is a fully vitrified glassy surface that effectively resists penetration by water and other potential contaminants and sequesters the glaze ingredients in a stable, inert matrix. For both functional and decorative reasons, ceramic glazes contain a wide range of metals, some of which can lead to negative health effects if they leach from the glaze into the food or beverage contained in the vessel. Although lead and cadmium have largely been eliminated from ceramic glaze formulations, other common metals (Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, etc) have caused concern. Building on ASTM C738-94, we will explore a variety of leaching conditions (acetic acid, mineral acids, bleach) that simulate household use conditions. Glazes tested will include in-house prepared glazes from multiple local ceramic studios. 

The goal of this undergraduate biology project was to increase public knowledge of vaccines and the immune system through interactive teaching. The project focused on developing and executing an educational activity to help younger students understand what vaccines are, how they work, and why it is crucial to take seasonal flu shots. To execute this exercise, we prepared a guided-worksheet based on a case study (Mia's Story), a role-play activity, and tangible models of viruses, antibodies, immune cells (B-cells), antigen and a vaccine shot, using Styrofoam balls, clay, crafty fur balls, and pipe cleaners. The project was pilot tested with fifth-grade students; a total of 40 students participated. After the activity, many students stated that they understood how vaccines work against the flu, that they would be encouraged to take the annual flu vaccine, recommend friends and family to take vaccines, and the activity was engaging. Now that we have pilot-tested resources to conduct an educational intervention, our next step is to design a systematic survey to assess its effectiveness in possibly shifting learner’s knowledge and confidence in taking annual flu vaccines. Through this poster presentation, we will share how we executed the activity and share our future directions for systematically collecting the data to measure the effectiveness of this educational intervention. As a developing project, the initial engagement suggests that early, hands-on science learning can be an effective way to advance health literacy. Early vaccine education is a vital tool for promoting public-health practices and closing knowledge gaps within the community, and with this activity we aim to improve understanding and attitudes regarding seasonal flu vaccinations.