Schedule of Presentations & Exhibitions

Research and Creative Works Symposium

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April 15th, 2025

9:00am - 9:20am

Oral Presentations

Exploring the Roles of TCF7L2 and Wnt Signaling in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder for which the genetic foundation is not understood. Genetic sequencing has become increasingly important in gaining a deeper foundational understanding of the condition, and in providing families with more resources. One gene identified by this sequencing to have possible implications in ASD is the one coding for Transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2); a key protein involved in important canonical Wnt pathway mechanisms. Within the brain, it is highly expressed in astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and plays roles in neuronal cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell maturation during fetal development. Because of its roles in brain development, we were interested to know if protein expression would differ in ASD and non-affected individuals. To test this, postmortem brain tissue from both groups was used in a western blotting process to quantify protein expression. Genes interacting with TCF7L2 in the Wnt pathway were also amplified using qPCR to identify whether there was a change in regulation across ASD and non-affected individuals. Although neither experiment showed significant results, we were able to determine that protein expression levels and several Wnt pathway genes were not affected by gene mutations. Results were limited by a small sample size.

Presenters: Hallie Martinez ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 322

Shaping the Future: Utilizing Art Therapy Practices to Support Child Wellness in the Classroom

This presentation outlines my curriculum plan, which integrates art therapy techniques into an art education classroom in public elementary schools. Extensive literature reviews demonstrate the profound impact art therapy can have on students, particularly those struggling with emotional regulation. Art therapy has been shown to help students express themselves, reduce anxiety, and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Through this curriculum plan, my goal is to make these therapeutic techniques more accessible to art educators, providing them with the tools to effectively incorporate them into their teaching practices. By doing so, I hope to empower art teachers to support the emotional and mental well-being of their students, ensuring that all children, regardless of their challenges, have the opportunity to succeed academically, emotionally, and socially. This approach aims to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for every student in the classroom.

Presenters: Carissa Bartsch ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 124

Cultural (mis)Conceptions Creating Catholic-Calvinist Conflict

My research project focuses on the causes and origins of the Dutch Revolt in the 1560s’ Habsburg Netherlands. I will look at the specific aspects of Spanish and Dutch society and political propaganda to attempt to explain how two cultures became so oppositional that the breakout of war became inevitable. I do not use “inevitable” in this case to mean pre-determined or “meant-to-be,” but that, in working so hard for decades (if not centuries) to root out and smother any potential threat, the Spanish monarchs created the very threat they hoped to destroy.

Presenters: Aaron McDowell ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 323

Hashtag ChristianGirl: The White Commodified Self on TikTok

Scholars have long examined the intersection of consumption and culture. Additionally, studies in the field of religion and the sociology of religion have noted the ways that U.S. based Christianity overlaps with consumption culture. In this present study, we focus these lenses on the ways that Christian messaging and merchandise, such as bibles, color books, dolls, and apparel, is sold on TikTok. Specifically, we investigate the ways that performances of white womanhood act as a conduit to sell these products and messages. Examining downloaded and curated TikTok videos, we identify three distinct tactics used by content creators, including the “call out,” the “educational video,” and the “stealth ad.” Further, our analysis reveals that each of these strategies rely on gendered and racialized performances of authenticity that uphold an idealized version of white Christian womanhood. Following Rocha (2021), our findings suggest that Christian women in this online space embody a white commodified self in order to sell both products and a lifestyle.

Presenters: Sarah Ventimiglia ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

9:20am - 9:40am

Oral Presentations

Laser Induced Synthesis of Cobalt Oxide Oxygen Evolution Catalysts

Effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts are cost prohibitive, often employing rare, expensive elements; there is a clear need for efficient, inexpensive catalysts. Laser treatment may improve catalytic activity by introducing surface defects and generating kinetically trapped products. We used furnace and laser treatments of thin layers of mixed Co/Fe oxides on Ti substrates to study their structures and OER activities. Analysis by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry indicate that laser treatment alters the crystal structure and catalytic activity and that these properties may be independently controlled. Laser treated cobalt oxide catalysts were found to be a mixture of Co3O4 and CoO with Tafel slopes on the order of 85 mV/Dec, while treated Co/Fe catalysts were found to be CoFe2O4 with a homogeneous distribution of Co and Fe, with widely variable Tafel slopes from 90-300 mV/Dec.

Presenters: Andres Garza ’27

Location: F.W. Olin 322

Inuit Science and its Western Perception in the 19th century

In the 19th century, the North American arctic experienced its largest influx of Westerners in history. Scientific expeditions, Christianizing missions, and an increasing demand for whale products amounted to a series of interactions between Westerners and the indigenous Inuit people that spurred an era of intellectual exchange in what is generally perceived as an isolated environment. By examining these 19th-century interactions and how they were recorded by both Inuit and Westerners, the proposed presentation aims to determine the historical roots pf how Inuit science, like many indigenous sciences, became labeled a “traditional knowledge” rather than a valid science according to Western perception. The presentation will focus heavily on the historiographical invalidation of indigenous science practices by Western societies, the exchange of knowledge between people, deep history and oral history, and intellectual imperialism. It will utilize primary sources such as anthropologist Franz Boas and his assistant Wilhelm Weike’s journals in which their observations and interactions with Inuit people shed light on this historical exchange.

Presenters: Sara Shamaly ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 323

White Beauty Standards in a Salon

Through a combination of emotional and body labor by beauty salon staff and external societal pressure put on both the employees and their clients, white beauty standards dominate these spaces. However, staff and their clients build strong and meaningful relationships with each other which have the potential to be more beneficial than harmful. In this paper, through ethnographic research and participant observation, I argue that these white standards of beauty and femininity are being performed and upheld by patrons and workers at a West Texas hair and nail salon, even by those who do not fit into the traditional category of white femininity. These standards uphold hierarchies in beauty that center whiteness, which can be harmful to those who feel that they have to alter their appearances to fit into these standards. My hope is that a salon, as an uplifting, woman dominated space, can be used to truly uplift a more diverse clientele through beauty practices rather than put pressure on clients to subscribe to Eurocentric beauty standards.

Presenters: Rose Reed ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

9:40am - 10:00am

Oral Presentations

Inside the Pink Pony Club: An Analysis of Chappell Roan and the Effects of Queer Expression and Drag within the Music Industry

Chappell Roan’s rise to fame has been rapid, unexpected, and unprecedented. Her journey is one that navigates the complexities of fame and self expression, being a queer woman within the music industry, and a sense of self that may be lost in the commodification of it all. After breaking free of a repressive label, Roan was able to craft a career that has been supported by three main ideas: queerness, drag culture and its expression, and commodification within the era of neoliberalism. Together, they have both challenged and supported Chappell in the way she has chosen to navigate her career. With this new take, however, she has garnered much criticism for her unorthodox approach to fan relationships and performance. Through an analysis of Roan’s path to stardom, I examine the ways she has employed these three topics to her advantage. Additionally, I will look at the ways Chappell Roan is changing the framework of the music industry for the better.

Presenters: Ethan Woods ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 323

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies in Spain: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this research was to analyze culturally relevant and culturally sustaining pedagogies of Spanish K-12 schools with a focus on supporting immigrant and Roma youth to emphasize further the changes that need to be made in our school systems as we become a more multicultural society and how our classrooms should teach future generations. This work was done with a systematic review of the empirical education research conducted in Spain, compiling research articles from databases such as Dialnet, EBSCO, JSTOR, and Google Scholar. The articles were narrowed down to our main focuses for our research and were then analyzed and interpreted. The general results from the systematic review showed the importance and benefits of applying culturally sustaining pedagogies into classrooms and schools. Articles demonstrated different ways that teachers were building students’ cultural competence, supporting their academic achievements, and increasing their critical consciousness. We concluded that culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical practices in education are vital for adapting to our ever-increasing diversity and actively benefit and encourage student’s learning. However, one area in which teachers continue to need to develop pedagogical strategies and curriculum is in the development of critical consciousness.

Presenters: Hannah Caceres ’27

Location: F.W. Olin 124

Examining the Relationship of E-Cigarette Vapor Exposure and Exercise Performance in Aerobically Trained Rats

Although electronic cigarettes are touted as a “healthier” alternative to smoking, vape use is associated with changes in health parameters like heart rate and blood pressure.This study’s purpose was twofold: to train rats to run on a treadmill, and to evaluate the relationship of e-cigarette vapor exposure and exercise performance in rats. A treadmill was used to train adult Long-Evans Rats. A pre-exposure exercise test was performed to evaluate exercise performance. Each rat was randomly assigned to the control group or the vape group (n=4/group). During training, the vape group was exposed to nicotine vapor for 10 minutes/day for 7 days. A post-exposure exercise test was performed. Peak speed, distance run, and time run were compared through 2 x 2 (Group x Time) Mixed Model ANOVAs. There was no main effect of Group or Time on exercise performance, or an interaction between the two. Behavioral observations in the rats, such as seeking more physical assistance while running or accumulating shocks faster than before exposure, indicate earlier-onset fatigue. Ten minutes of exposure to e-cigarette vapor per day for 7 consecutive days isn’t enough to significantly affect exercise performance in rats.

Presenters: Miranda Farrar ’25, Nancy Morales ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 322

Gender in the Service Industry

The restaurant industry serves as an example of broader societal patterns of gender inequality, with distinct hierarchies and divisions of labor that often reflect and reinforce gender disparities. Despite making up a significant portion of the workforce, women in food service frequently face barriers to advancement, differential treatment, harassment, and other various forms of discrimination that shape their workplace experiences. This paper looks at how gender inequality shows up in the restaurant industry, particularly how women are treated differently than men. The research will examine how gender affects workplace relationships and dynamics, looking at how unequal treatment differs depending on whether women work as servers, hosts, cooks, or managers. Besides gender, the study will also look at how other factors like race, class, and sexuality interact with gender, showing how these overlapping identities affect the types of discrimination women face at work. By considering these multiple factors together, the study will show the different ways various groups of women experience workplace challenges. My goal is to provide a clear picture of inequality in the restaurant industry and what this means for women’s careers and the overall workplace environment.

Presenters: Grace Durdin ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

10:00am - 10:20am

Oral Presentations

Filling the Gap: What’s the State of Seagrass in Laguna Madre, Texas?

Seagrass has been on the decline globally due to a variety of human and environmental factors. This decline of seagrass has been especially present in the lagoon ecosystems of Laguna Madre (LM), Texas due to rapid sea level rise in the area. Monitoring of seagrass in Laguna Madre is extremely limited with surveys of seagrass only being conducted about every ten years for the area and peer-reviewed research just starting to be published about the topic. The purpose of this study is to create a record of seagrass in Laguna Madre from 2020 - 2024 to fill these gaps of knowledge and to start the conversation about the conservation and importance of this species in the lagoon. Using Sentinel-2 L2A imagery, images were pulled for each year and classified using Random Forest Classification. With this recent record of seagrass trends in the area, connections can start to be made about exactly when or if sea level rise and other declining factors started to impact seagrass retention, and what action can be taken.

Presenters: Hailey Vickich ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 322

Danzas Aztecas de Mesoamerica

Las danzas de las civilizaciones mesoamericanas eran profundas expresiones de identidad espiritual y cultural, profundamente arraigadas en sus sociedades. Más que meras actuaciones, estas danzas funcionaban como rituales sagrados, mecanismos de comunicación cósmica y religiosa, y elementos esenciales de la vida comunitaria. Este estudio explora el papel de la danza en la civilización azteca, centrándose en su integración en prácticas rituales como rituales religiosos, ceremonias agrícolas, ritos de paso, preparación para sacrificios humanos y celebraciones cosmológicas. Al analizar patrones coreográficos, música y sus significados simbólicos, esta investigación tiene como objetivo descubrir cómo la danza transmitía creencias espirituales, valores sociales y tradiciones, y continuidad cultural. A través de un enfoque multidisciplinario que incorpora análisis de las danzas, documentación histórica, diseño de vestuario, música y presentación de las danzas, este estudio busca resaltar la belleza y la relevancia perdurable de las tradiciones dancísticas de la civilización azteca.

Mi investigación tiene como objetivo conectar el pasado y el presente de la cultura mexicana a través de la presentación y la recreación de tradiciones artísticas. Sobre todo, aspiro a crear caminos para que estas tradiciones resuenen con audiencias contemporáneas con el fin de formar y preservar memorias culturales y artísticas.

Presenters: Maricruz Zacharias ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 323

Stalin’s Big Mistake: Soviet Misperception and the Korean War

Between the establishment of the United Nations and the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, the Soviet Union vetoed the most Security Council resolutions out of any permanent member, usually to protect its interests or those of its communist allies. One of the few times they didn’t do so was regarding the 1950 UN intervention to protect South Korea during the Korean War of 1950-1953. Why did Stalin and the Soviet Union fail to protect their ally, North Korea, from the American-led, UN intervention? My research concludes that this mistake was due to the Soviet misperception of several factors: the United Nations as an institution, its mission of collective security, and the United States’ commitment to protecting South Korea. This paper uses a single case study, the UN intervention in Korea, and related secondary sources to provide a relevant example of Robert Jervis’ theory of misperception. Stalin’s mistake in this case had immediate and lasting consequences for Soviet geopolitical goals. Not only did North Korea’s invasion fail, its failure hampered the communist bloc’s strength in the Cold War going forward, which eventually ended in its collapse.

Presenters: Christopher Hardesty-Crouch ’27

Location: F.W. Olin 124

Racialized Interaction in Finer Dining

Working in a fine dining restaurant, alongside eating in one, is often an intimidating effort. These efforts present themselves in the day to day actions and interactions that front of the house workers, workers that are considered the face of the operation such as hosts, servers and management, have with guests in their establishments. One perspective that is often overlooked by the population of individuals who dine in those establishments regularly is the perspective that allows observers to see race as a factor in the satisfaction of the experience. I approach this topic as a middle-class, half hispanic, half white man collecting this observation data in a fine dining establishment in the heart of Georgetown, Texas. In my research, the latter statement is multi-faceted; the race of the server will both dictate how the guest treats, respects as well as tips them, simultaneously the race of the guest will often dictate the level of which they treat their servers as human beings rather than bots only meant to serve. This research will be presented as documentation of these very real experiences and further be analyzed through this racial lens.

Presenters: Jonny Sanchez ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

10:00am - 11:00am

Exhibitions

The Observation of Women vs The Boredom of Being Observed

To be ridiculed as a woman is to be told that one’s ability to excel falls outside societal norms. Excelling is often perceived as deviating from traditional expectations of the woman’s ‘place’ in gender roles. This artistic portfolio embodies the strength, self-love, and boldness of women who do not care about being ridiculed by the viewer. The works presented here feature figures that exude confidence and nonchalance. The primary perspective at play in the work is that of the figure, superseding the gaze of the viewer. While the art invites close observation, the subjects within remain indifferent to being watched, hinting at the boredom and fatigue that comes from the endless observation of women simply existing. This is a mixed media portfolio consisting of artworks made from woodblock printing with ink and charcoal black and white features.

Presenters: Evelyn Cassell ’25

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Return of the Print

Return of the Print is a reaction to the decline of physical newspapers and media, while simultaneously collaborating with digital media to ensure the reputation of print does not falter. The outreach of digital media is credible, but it does not inspire the same effect that a physical newspaper does in the hands of the reader. Given that our allotment almost risked complete loss of print editions entirely, we are seeking not only to continue our current efforts but provide security by expanding the amount we order and how many pages there are, something we cannot accomplish alone, and something that must occur if we are to remain independent in our ability to report on the school. Circulation of the print edition of the Megaphone allows for better accessibility to the general public, ensuring that each copy is free. Establishing that Southwestern still has physical print upholds the integrity and high functioning student environment of the university, reminding students that their voices matter, and their hard work is working towards a successful future. The Megaphone team continuously works to fabricate an exciting work environment, allowing our writers and photographers to grow in creativity through monthly meetings for our print edition. The team aims to pass down the passion of the print to younger generations, so that the experience of physical media remains.

Presenters: Alison Dunn ’27, Carolyn Bray ’27, Zoe Hein ’26, Augustus Papasan ’27, Maglor Williams ’27

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Tasty Histories: The Social History of Biltong and Jerky Production

This exhibition aims to showcase the modern development and accessibility of traditional meat preparation known as biltong—flavored dried meat popular in Southern Africa. It highlights the rich traditions and cultures of various human societies in preserving food through time and across regions. This biltong-making project will utilize different recipes and techniques for creating jerky and biltong to explore both the cultural and historical perspectives of meat preservation. It will display diverse transcontinental recipes along with their intersectional and historical contexts by engaging in the recreation of these various historical and heirloom recipes and preparation methods. To accomplish this, we will build a low-budget dehydrator and potentially use a smoker to demonstrate the different traditional methods and recipes for drying and preserving various meats. The practice of meat drying has a long history, and our project aims to illustrate the cultural, historical, and physical processes involved in meat preservation techniques, why they were essential for human society, and how the modern perspective of this food has evolved from a survival necessity passed down through generations to a cultural commodity that connects us to our familial traditions or the pursuit of it, independent of its preservability.

Presenters: Drake Meier ’25, Victor Cousins ’28

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Las mujeres en la guerra civil española

En esta exposición virtual, examinaré cómo los roles de mujeres influyeron el resultado de la guerra de España con los nacionalistas y los republicanos. Usaré un sitio web como formato para compartir mi información. Una parte investigará los roles de género antes la guerra de España. Otra parte presentará las diferencias entre los roles de género con las mujeres republicanas y las nacionalistas. Otra parte será sobre los roles de género después de la guerra de España y durante segunda guerra mundial. La exposición contendrá las imágenes mostrando los roles de género antes y después de la guerra de España. También la exposición contendrá los cartas y canciones muestra cómo eran los roles de género antes de la guerra y cómo los roles de género son diferentes después de la guerra. También yo utilizaré artículos para mostrar cómo los roles de género entre los nacionalistas y los republicanos en la guerra de España cambiaron los roles de género en España durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Presenters: August Thompson ’25

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

The Spanish CIvil War Refugees to Mexico

This presentation will examine the experiences of Spanish Civil War refugees who arrived in Mexico, with a particular focus on the “Niños de Morelia,” a group of Spanish children sent to the city of Morelia in 1937. To provide context, I will briefly introduce the key components of the Spanish Civil War and highlight the international response, emphasizing Mexico’s bold decision to openly support the Spanish Republic. President Lázaro Cárdenas’ welcoming stance toward refugees reflected Mexico’s broader history of offering asylum to those fleeing political persecution, particularly leftist and communist exiles. The case of the Niños de Morelia, however, offers a more complex and sobering outcome. Many of the children, rather than being embraced, were marginalized, disciplined, or outcast by their new communities. Drawing on historical documents, including a letter from President Cárdenas to Spanish President Manuel Azaña, and personal testimonies such as a National Geographic interview with a surviving Niño de Morelia, this project explores how Mexico’s humanitarian gesture was shaped by both compassion and conflict. Ultimately, this research reveals how refugee children’s experiences expose the tensions between political ideals and social realities in Mexico’s history of asylum.

Pictures will be used, alongside an interview from Señora Lucia Michelena

Presenters: Alberto Lezama Garcia ’27

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Art in the Spanish Civil War

For this project, I will focus on Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali’s artistic depictions of the Spanish Civil War. I will specifically analyze Guernica (Picasso), Premonition of the Civil War (Dali), and The Face of War (Dali). During the course of research for my final project, I will explore symbolism within each painting, the impact each piece had during the late 1930s and how they are interpreted today, what each reveals about the brutality of war, and their political and social impact. I will also discuss how these paintings have had a global influence on the differing perspectives about the Spanish Civil War. Finally, I will explore whether the paintings of Dali and Picasso influenced other paintings during the same period or perhaps how artists decided to use these paintings to interpret political crises, wars, or difficult times in their respective countries. This project attempts to also understand how a position of neutrality (Dali) and one against fascism (Picasso) influenced the differing representations and interpretations of war in their paintings.

Presenters: Isabel Sainz ’26

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Children Refugees in the Spanish Civil War

For this project, I want to investigate how children were used, treated, and affected during the Spanish Civil War. Specifically, I will be investigating the media portrayal of children refugees fleeing Spain, including pieces from several countries that took children in (Britain, Mexico, and the Soviet Union). I would also like to investigate artwork that children did that includes their portrayal and experiences during the Civil War before escaping. The artwork has been retrieved from the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. I will also be examining newspaper articles and photographs of children fleeing Spain and what their life was like after they fled Spain. I will also be examining how willing/unwilling countries were to accept child refugees from Spain and how many fled Spain. This will be done through an online exhibit.

Presenters: Sydney O’Connell ’25

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Guernica

Guernica fue bombardeada el 26 abril 1937 por la Legión Cóndor, una unidad de los nazis, junto con la Aviación Legionaria italiana. Este bombardeo fue uno de los primeros ataques aéreos dirigidos específicamente contra una población civil, anticipando las estrategias que las superpotencias utilizarían en la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Me interesa Guernica porque quiero entender, ¿por qué se eligió bombardear esta ciudad en particular y cuál fue su significado en el contexto de la guerra? ¿cómo tenía un efecto a largo plazo en España y otros países?

Guernica tenía una gran importancia espiritual y cultural para el pueblo vasco. El bombardeo fue resultado del apoyo de Alemania e Italia a los nacionalistas de Franco. La tragedia de Guernica inspiró a Pablo Picasso a pintar su famosa obra “Guernica”, una de las piezas más icónicas del arte del siglo XX.

El bombardeo de Guernica tenía un gran efecto, afectando política en Europa y otros países en el mundo, maneras de ataque en guerras futuras, y siendo un símbolo de recuerdo para la gente vasca, su comunidad, y tragedias similares. Hoy, la ciudad está reconstruida y gente visita para aprender de la cultura vasca y los eventos que ocurrieron en Guernica.

Presenters: Raúl Nájera ’27

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Nunsense Design

“Nunsense” is a musical about Nuns who must raise funds to bury the last 4 of the 52 sisters who sadly passed away from “botulism soup”. The Nuns must perform to raise these funds since Reverend Mother used the funds to bury the remaining sisters on an HD flatscreen TV. Designing Nunsense called for a seventh grade set of “Grease”, while also clarifying that this set was separate from the show “Nunsense”. This would be a challenge for my design. Additionally, I had to highlight the themes of women’s empowerment and unity within the set to accurately push the narrative forward through the set. While painting and creating pieces for the set, I learned many things regarding set design. To create separate spaces, I decided to elevate the “Grease” stage to represent accurately the auditorium theme for the period in which the musical was set. In my design, my analysis of space and building was accurate and had great choices. My issue was with the colors and the color palette of the show. Originally, I had too many colors. In future designs, I hope to work on my color palette as well and expand on my use of space.

Presenters: Connor Bustos ’25

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Graphic Novel Text-to-Speech Program

Online graphic novels are a form of literature beloved by many and have only grown in popularity over the years. However, the genre is typically inaccessible to many with reading or visual disabilities. Screen readers, technology that reads text out loud to a user, have grown to be the primary way for some to engage with online text. Currently, screen reading technology is unable to recognize text in images, which prevents readers from effectively reading graphic novels. This project is a response to this issue: it’s a text-to-speech program that can read online graphic novels aloud to the user. The program will act similarly to a typical screen reader and will make use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology that can recognize text in images. The program will use OCR to recognize text from a given page of a graphic novel and will order the text in accordance with how English graphic novels are read, accounting for traditional graphic novel items such as dialogue bubbles, panel order, and captions. The program will then use Python’s Text-to-Speech capabilities to read the text. This project will make the internet more accessible and will provide new access to media for many.

Presenters: Camille James ’26

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Abstract Robotic Art

The project aims to make a robot that can create an artistic piece based on the code we create. This project will bring together electronics, computer science, and art concepts. By combining these three fields, this project will provide a unique learning experience for the students. The students will also gain a better understanding of robotics and art. The project will also serve as an inspiration to others to explore the intersection of technology and creativity. The project will also encourage collaboration between different fields and provide a platform for students to showcase their creativity. Often electronics and art are not used within the same project and the goal of this project is to prove that computer science and electronics can create a working robot that makes an artistic piece. The students will spend a lot of time learning how to code their robot and putting together their robot which will be used as their final project for their electronics course. This project will not only provide the students with a unique opportunity to learn complex coding but also create a complex robot that will add unique skills. The complexity of the robot will depend on the imagination of the students and the coding skills they have developed. The students will have the opportunity to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to create a robot that is unique and innovative.

Presenters: Collin Cook ’26, Sara Dessens ’27

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

Let’s Make A Robot!

The goal of this proposal is to build a set of tools- both software and physical, to aid assembly in the creation of tetrapod robots. The creation of such tools would assist educators and hobbyists alike, as well as enriching the project team’s education and relevant field experience for their advanced studies. This proposal aids in paidea connection between computer science and engineering.

Presenters: Collin Cook ’27, Benjamin McKallip ’26

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Walzel & Jones Lobbies

10:20am - 10:40am

Oral Presentations

Southwestern University Guitar Tutorials

The Southwestern Guitar Tutorials are a series of videos that serve the world-wide musical community through the creation of pedagogical videos that focus on best practices for instructional content in the medium. These works are deemed to be “green videos” as the content does not become outdated, and highlights works that are widely available and in the public domain. This on-going project represents critical next steps in thinking through the process of delivering instructional digital video as an aid to applied music studies. The strength and depth of the cohort of current student collaborators showcased their talents in performance and scholarship. The videos we created are sections that a.) demonstrate a slow tempo performance with close-up split screen shots of the player’s hands and animated scores, b.) offer contextual pedagogical and/or historical information in the form of a lesson-demonstration, and c.) present a regular tempo performance of the selected repertoire. Student performer teachers Zachary Logan, Maeve McCarthy, Raul Najera, and Liberty Taylor acted as a collaborative team of researchers, writers, editors, and technicians. We aimed to think critically and speak cogently about technical elements of video production and editing, audio engineering through the lens of guitar pedagogy and performance. We discussed the role that video resources currently occupy in instrumental music pedagogy, and sought to continue to create content that maximizes the potential of the medium. We reviewed and reflected on our previous works in initial production meetings. We gained an increased awareness of sound and video recording techniques, and refined our skills in guitar performance and pedagogy through this unique and deliberate process of creation, and enhanced our knowledge of and practical familiarity with the software programs that were used in the project’s production. We look forward to presenting this work.

Presenters: Zachary Logan ’25, Maeve McCarthy ’26, Raul Najera ’27, Liberty Taylor ’26

Location: F.W. Olin 323

Ireland and Nepal: Substantive versus Symbolic Representation.

Ireland and Nepal serve as interesting cases for understanding female representation in parliament. Despite having clear similarities in the factors of electoral systems, both implementing gender quotas and mirroring political party landscapes, the percentage of women who make up Ireland’s parliament is 22.5, and Nepal tallies more than ten points ahead of them with 33% (IPU Parline ‘Ireland)(IPU Parline ‘Nepal’). A surprising difference leads me to explore the effect of quotas on the substantive representation of women in both countries. Although the quotas have succeeded in increasing the number of women in parliament, the analysis of both countries suggests that quotas alone may not be sufficient in empowering women to influence policy outcomes. My puzzle is, why have Ireland and Nepal passed differing amounts of women-friendly policies despite both enacting gender quotas? This question is worth exploring since Nepal is meeting the recommendations made by the United Nations for having 30% of their parliamentary seats filled by women, yet translations into substantive representation remain to be seen. Analyzing these two factors after the passage of gender quotas in both cases will allow me to assess the quality of women’s substantive representation and prove Ireland’s success.

Presenters: Andie Abell ’26

Location: F.W. Olin 124

Antimagic Polydominoes

Our research explores the application of antimagic squares to dominoes. An antimagic square is an array of integers from 1 to n^2 (with no repeats) such that each row, column, and main diagonal produces a different sum and that these sums form a sequence of consecutive integers. Our research studies antimagic polydominoes, which is defined as any arrangement of traditional dominoes (i.e., values of 0-6) to form a shape (not necessarily a square or rectangle) where the sums of the rows and columns (and possibly diagonals) produce different, consecutive sums. Currently, we listed all 23 polydominoes using three dominoes and have evaluated the antimagic properties of each shape. This talk will focus on our findings regarding these 3-domino shapes and will introduce future research questions examining the antimagic possibilities concerning four dominoes.

Presenters: Georgia Micknal ’26, Avery Weatherly ’27

Location: F.W. Olin 322

The Asian American Narrative and Racial Self-identification

Historically, in the U.S., if you were not white, you would be labeled either as “black” or “other” especially in the South. This racial categorization along with the black/white paradigm contribute to the contemporary significance of Asian Americans’ self-narrative and racial self-identity. My research stems from the recognition that the racialized experiences of people who have been put into this category of “other” lack representation in the taught racial history in the U.S. I analyze the racial history taught in a predominantly White private university in Texas along with experiences of past Asian American faculty and students of the university. Within the Asian American community, South Asians and Southeast Asians have been marginalized due to colorism, anti-blackness, and region. Although the Asian American Movement starting in the 1950s leading to the 1970s made leaps towards civil rights for Asian Americans, the history with immigration and law have contributed to the current divided narrative within the community.

Presenters: Spring Middleton ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

10:40am - 11:00am

Oral Presentations

Embodying the Unclassifiable through Hybridity in John William Waterhouse’s “A Mermaid”

The British Pre-Raphaelite artist John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) was known for filling his compositions with beautiful women in verdant scenes, particularly those from Classical antiquity or English poetry. Because of this, his painting entitled A Mermaid (c.1900) remains nearly untouched by scholars and critics, tending to brush over it as simply another classical-subject femme fatale in Waterhouse’s collection. Yet the mermaid played an active role in the production of Victorian morality, gender/sexuality, mythological canon, and most curiously– and in this paper most importantly– the production of new scientific discourse. Her identity as a hybrid being steeped her in the increasing fervor Victorian gentry society had to classify, demystify, and understand non-normative bodies that was built on the need to produce a singular idea of what was “normal,” “natural,” and “morally correct.” In this paper, I argue that Waterhouse’s A Mermaid elucidates the need Victorian Englishmen have to categorize and classify hybrid/monstrous bodies within the realm of the white heteropatriarchal normative narrative, and how this mermaid embodies her hybrid nature as a being incapable of falling within it.

Presenters: Kate Medlock ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 323

Enclosed Pressure Analysis for Diesel-Fuel Combustion

Diesel engines rely on precise fuel-air mixing for autoignition, but the complex composition of diesel-fuels often leads to inefficiencies and incomplete combustion. This research used a custom-designed combustion vessel, which included an air-multiplying pump, single-hole fuel injector, and a pressurized inconel-based chamber. The ignition process was monitored by measuring injector current and chamber pressure changes with an oscilloscope. Three fuels were tested: n-heptane, iso-octane, and an 80% n-heptane/20% butyl-acetate blend. And, temperature sweeps from 625 K to 850 K were conducted at an equivalence ratio of 1.0 and a chamber pressure of 5 bar. Iso-octane was found to be the least reactive fuel. Additional tests at 10 bar pressure revealed that increasing pressure shortened ignition delays. The n-heptane/butyl-acetate blend showed slightly longer ignition delay than n-heptane, but not enough to negate the potential of butyl acetate as an additive. The results suggest that butyl acetate could be a useful renewable fuel for diesel engines, offering a potential alternative to traditional fuels while improving performance.

Presenters: Kade Townsend ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 124

A Labor of Love (Mostly): Developing a Self-Perceived Parental Effort Scale

Due to the increasing need for a nuanced understanding of parenting within evolutionary psychology, our lab aimed to create a self-perceived parental effort scale. Evolutionary psychology posits that humans have a finite amount of energy that necessitates trade-offs between parenting and mating effort. A measure of mating effort has emerged but thus far our field has no measure of parenting effort, even though it likely relates to many evolutionarily-relevant variables (e.g., relationship satisfaction, physical resemblance, mating effort, depression). In this talk, we will describe the latest in a series of three studies designed to create and validate a scale to assess parental effort. In this study, we collected parents’ (N = 320) agreement ratings of the items on the scale, along with other variables we hypothesized would be related to parental effort. We confirmed a 2-factor solution such that the Parental Effort Scale (PES) presents with two subscales: 18-item Investment scale and 4-item Burden scale. After confirming internal reliability, we found significant correlations between PES scores and our key variables, underscoring the PES’s value and relevance to the field of evolutionary psychology.

Presenters: Samantha Gonzalez ’25, Gwen Metz ’25, Georgia Micknal ’25, Griffin Salinas ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 322

Gender and Skateboarding Culture

In skateboarding culture, women and gender non-conforming people are often subject to othering in both physical and social spaces. The culture includes a strict unspoken code of how one is to appropriately take up space in a park. Through my research I have observed exclusionary attitudes towards non-men skaters, as well as alternative ways in which different people express their presence in the space. In addition to physical spaces, othered skaters face challenges when participating in social spaces, as cultural capital in the scene largely rests on masculine traits and skills. In recent years this trend of exclusion has resulted in the creation of spaces and social groups within skate culture reserved for women and gender non-conforming skaters. As the culture relies heavily on the idea of authenticity, these groups are often mocked, but are slowly becoming a staple in the cultural space. This paper aims to explore how the popularity and prominence of these empowering groups work to possibly reduce attachments to masculinity as the cultural standard.

Presenters: Emma French ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

11:00am - 11:20am

Oral Presentations

ROCK: The Mission Statement

Equine assisted therapy can include many other types of therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, as well as mental, emotional, and behavioral assistance. Ride on Center for Kids (ROCK), in Georgetown, Texas, is an equine assisted therapy center, whose goal is to help those with any disability learn to ride and feel the calming presence of horses. PURPOSE: To identify and quantify the mission statement of the ROCK. METHODS: Ten multiple choice and open-ended response survey questions aimed to identify aspects of improvement regarding independence and life skills. RESULTS: Improvements in core strength (45%), trunk control (18%) and sitting balance (18%) were recorded. Along with an increase in focus attention (55%), level of toleration during transitions (46%) and decreased anxiety (36%). 91% reported to have seen an improvement in activities of daily living that improved their level of independence. CONCLUSION: For many participants that attend ROCK, the goal they wish to achieve is the feeling of independence in the skills that many of us take for granted in a normal day. Results from this initial survey indicate that participants have experienced improvement in one or more life skills since beginning therapy at ROCK.

Presenters: Gabriella Guinn ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 322

Mako Shark Inspired Microflaps as a Means of Laminar Separation Control

Shortfin mako sharks have incredible agility and speed and their flexible scales play an important role in this ability, despite being only about 200 ??m in size. In the presence of reversing fluid flow, their scales can passively bristle up to angles of 50 degrees and this bristling capability has been shown to help control separation in water tunnel testing of real shark skin samples. This study investigated whether a mako shark inspired 3D printed flexible scale model (designated MAKO model) could act as a passive flow control device for laminar separation. This study attempted to reproduce the real shark skin experiment results with the MAKO model. Laminar boundary layer separation and subsequent reversing flow was induced with an adverse pressure gradient (APG) that was generated by a rotating cylinder above a flat plate in a boundary layer for four different Re up to 4e5. DPIV was used to measure the flow for a baseline case over the smooth plate. The same method was also over a plate that had a MAKO model with a crown length of 2.4mm embedded, so the degree of flow separation could be compared between the cases.

Presenters: Jessie Chiella ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 124

Roll For Stereotypes: D&D and Gender Performativity

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) offer a space for players and game masters to create worlds that were before only imagined. Along with this, these spaces provide a venue for many facets of character formulation and exploration, especially in regard to gender. Gendered expectations look different across many fictional settings, and many players, specifically members of queer communities, use this as an opportunity to experiment with varying presentations in a much safer way than debuting them in the face of public perception. Navigating gendered existence also provides a method of understanding the experiences of those who identify in ways that the player does not, allowing for expansion of understanding of the ways gender is socially and societally constructed. In this paper, I am to explore and understand the factors that drive player-character gender difference, as well as provide a deeper look into the emancipatory effect that TTRPG can have on marginalized groups, especially (gender)queer communities.

Presenters: Marley Sensenderfer ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

11:00am - 12:00pm

Creative and Scientific Process Projects

The Art Within: A Mindful Approach to Creative Practice

Beyond learning to become an artist, practicing art serves as a transformative medium for self-discovery, stress relief, and creative problem-solving. This exhibition will highlight the significance of intuitive art—an approach that prioritizes the artistic journey over the final product—as a method for fostering self-awareness, destressing, and developing problem-solving skills in both children and adults. The exhibit features a variety of artistic styles, each accompanied by interpretive notes that connect exercises to fundamental curriculum concepts such as line, shape, color, and volume. By presenting an alternative framework for art education, this work advocates for integrating intuitive art into curricula to benefit all individuals, not just those pursuing professional artistic careers. Through this approach, art becomes a powerful tool for enhancing mental health, fostering self-reflection, and supporting holistic learning experiences.

Presenters: Lila Milam-Kast ’25

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Mathematically Correct Coloring

The Four Color Theorem states that any planar map can be colored using only four colors so that no two adjacent regions share the same color. This fun question led to an entire area of mathematics known as graph coloring. In this poster, we will explore one type of graph coloring that has been studied by Dr. Ping Zhang. Participants will apply the mathematics they learn to a structured coloring page. By turning a historically significant mathematical problem into an accessible and creative exercise, this project highlights the connection between graph theory, combinatorics, and proof techniques while making mathematics fun and engaging. As a bonus, we’ll be learning a bit more about a famous woman mathematician.

Presenters: Ashlyn Cadena ’27, Tristan Sipes ’26, Dashiell Puentes ’27, Isabella Robinson ’25

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Women in Graph Theory and Combinatorics Through the Years

Women have historically been underrepresented in mathematics. While the landscape has improved today, women still have to overcome significant barriers to make their voices and mathematical contributions recognized. This often leads to their groundbreaking work being overlooked and underappreciated. As such, this project will highlight influential women in the fields of graph theory and combinatorics, shedding light on their contributions and impact throughout the history of the subject. We will provide background information on each mathematician and her work, followed by a matching game where you will connect each woman to her mathematical achievements. By bringing these contributions to the forefront, we aim to celebrate and acknowledge the vital role women have played in shaping the field.

Presenters: Brian Armijo ’25, Jodi Glenn-Millhouse ’25, Sebastian Loder ’26, Leo Schoch-Spana ’25

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Parking Perfection: Exploring Math with Parking Functions!

Most of the theories and math we learn in our basic level math classes are concepts discovered by men. However, the contributions of women to mathematics are significant but often less recognized. One area of mathematics with significant contributions from a woman mathematician (Dr. Pamela Harris) is parking functions. A poster will be presented exploring the definitions of parking preference vectors and parking functions. To enhance the audience’s understanding, there will be opportunities for participants to construct and analyze a parking function themselves. This hands-on activity will allow participants to experience why a set of numbers is or is not a parking function and why; highlighting the significance and real life applications of parking functions.

Presenters: Kacy Miller ’26, Casandra Nunez ’26, Vanessa Villarreal ’25, Avery Weatherly ’25

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Tasty Histories: The Social History of Biltong and Jerky Production

Presenters: Victor Cousins ’28, Drake Meier ’25

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Open Source 3D Bioprinting- How Chocolate Can Expand our Capabilities.

Dedicated pancake and chocolate 3D printers have enabled precise and intricate designs using novel edible materials, transforming culinary possibilities. However, existing commercial options are often prohibitively expensive and limited in adaptability to specific printers or materials. In response to these limitations, modifications to Ender Series 3D printers—a cost-effective and open-source line of thermoplastic 3D printers—have enabled the printing of edible materials.. Leveraging existing open-source syringe extruder designs such as the Allstruder and the Enderstruder, we aim to print chocolate and pancake batter by designing a heated extruder to control the spatiotemporal deposition of temperature-sensitive materials. Our project will involve the testing and optimizing these modified printers, specifically focusing on syringe-based extrusion of chocolate and pancake batter. We will also refine material loading procedures to ensure consistent, reliable extrusion for both complex 2D pancake art and 3D chocolate prints. Through systematic design testing and material trials, this project showcases how low-cost 3D printing technology can inspire creativity in culinary art, enabling the design of intricate edible creations and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in 3D printing. Significant contributions were made by students to make this project possible including Samantha Gonzalez, Manuel Cepeda, and Anshika Katrodia.

Presenters: Joseph Dorsey ’26, Amanda Mejia ’27

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

“A Night At Chekhov” Scenic Design

As a part of my theatre arts capstone, I was given the opportunity to design the set for our last show of the season A Night of Chekhov, a collection of three one act plays written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. I was tasked to research, analyze and finalize a design that will be presented to the general public April 25-27th. The presentation will include research done on the playwright Anton Chekhov, visualizations, drafts, sketches and my final design shown through ground plans and a physical set model. I will break down my creative process in creating the sets for all three shows, discuss challenges I may have faced, the statistical factors behind the construction such as measurements and building strategies and my final thoughts about the design itself. Overall, this is a showcase of the skill and techniques I have developed throughout my three years spent here at Southwestern.

Presenters: Piper Swisher ’26

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

A Raisin in the Sun

A box set model of a scenic design of the play a raisin in the sun

Presenters: Ella Lewis ’27

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Inhaling the Arts: Experiential Learning Curriculum for Dallas Museum of Art Summer Camp

Experiential learning is said to be the most effective strategy for creating strong connections; children especially benefit from learning by doing. As an intern at the Dallas Museum of Art, I created a sensory-based curriculum using smells as a catalyst for teaching children ages 9 - 12 about art pieces in the Museum’s exhibit, “The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse.”I selected the sense of smell as the exploration tool for my curriculum because our physical apparatus for both smell and memory are centered in the same part of the brain (olfactory bulb); therefore, smells live in our memory and are inextricably linked to other parts of the remembered experience, such as sounds, sights, and physical sensations.If invited to participate in SU’s Research and Creative Works Symposium, I will present a poster at a table featuring my curriculum outline, research about the smell-memory connection, and professional photographs of this high-impact experience. The presentation will include a poster with an example of an example art piece I made, scent jar examples for interaction, paired with the artworks we studied. I will be available to answer questions as Symposium guests view the art - in effect, initiating another experiential learning environment.

Presenters: Lainie Siegel ’27

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

Polly: Pushing the Frontier of Prosthetics

Our project focuses on designing and creating a 3D-printed prosthetic beak for a Pekin Duck named Polly, who was rescued after suffering an injury that left her without the ability to eat and preen properly. Utilizing cutting-edge 3D scanning and printing technology, we aim to create a working prototype and ultimately a functional prosthetic that will restore Polly’s quality of life. This project highlights the innovative potential of 3D printing to address underserved areas in veterinary medicine, but more to demonstrate that complex problems can be solved affordably and effectively.

By collaborating with local organizations like All Things Wild and professionals in veterinary and dental care, our team at Southwestern is exploring the intersection of technology, biology, and art in a truly Paideia way. Through this initiative, we aim to raise awareness of the possibilities of 3D printing in helping not only animals but the larger community, while providing students with hands-on experience in digital fabrication and real-world problem-solving. This project will showcase how passion, creativity, and technology can be combined to pioneer new solutions for those who need them most.

Presenters: Ryan Andrade ’25

Location: Fondren Jones Science - Lobby

11:00am - 12:00pm

Performances

Honors Concert (Music)

Performers:
Anna Martens
Thomas Lawrence
Seth Sagen
Julian Felix
Peyton Lowe
Isadora Pirkey
Madeline Bridges

Presenters: Anna Martens ’26, Thomas Lawrence ’26, Seth Sagen ’26, Julian Felix ’28, Peyton Lowe ’27, Isadora Pirkey ’28, Madeline Bridges ’26

Location: Alma Thomas Theatre - Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center

11:20am - 11:40am

Oral Presentations

My Southwestern Experience

Navigating the complexities of college as a first-generation Latina student at a predominantly white institution presents unique differences and opportunities for growth. This project seeks to explore the experiences of identity, belonging, and resilience within this context, highlighting both the personal and systematic factors at play. By centering personal narratives, the project aims to contribute to broader conversations about equity and representation at a predominantly white institution like Southwestern University. There is an alarming number of marginalized students that begin their higher education, but sadly find themselves in a position where they are no longer able to obtain their degree. This is very personal for me because this is my reality, and I’m been blessed to have returned to finish my degree. This is relevant to the field because there is a light being shed onto a marginalized group of people trying to find social and capital gains. This is relevant as Southwestern University has recently become a HSI.

Presenters: Elyssia Salas ’25

Location: F.W. Olin 126

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Panel Presentations

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Poster Presentations

“Honor the hands that harvest your crops”: The Exploitation of Mexican Labor and Its Legacy in Ramón Esquivel’s Luna

The United States has long relied on the labor of diverse racial and ethnic groups, often under exploitative conditions for workers. From the violent displacement of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans to the grueling work imposed on Chinese laborers in railroad construction, the exploitation of marginalized communities has been a persistent theme throughout United States History. For example, the Bracero Program, which is often cited as the source of the ongoing mistreatment of Mexican immigrant laborers, allowed for Mexican workers to live and work in the United States under short term contracts. Ramón Esquivel’s Luna, a Theatre for Young Audiences production, tells the story of a child of Mexican migrant workers who struggles to form friendships due to her family’s transient lifestyle, finding solace only in the moon. Understanding the historical context of Luna requires an exploration of the systemic exploitation of Mexican labor in the United States and its enduring consequences. This history has contributed to educational disparities, social isolation, and the perpetual cycle of migration as families seek stability and opportunity for future generations.

Presenters: Bethani Pedraza ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

An Exploration into the Intoxicating Effects of Dismissing Sophrosyne

Within the Ancient Greek literary canon, there is a notable history of including stories surrounding the wrongful consumption of food and drink without care for the ramifications of doing so. These episodes are conveyed throughout the classical timeline in works from Homer to Plato, notably the Odyssey, Xenophon’s Anabasis, and the Platonic Symposium. In this project, I attempt to convey that these narratives serve a didactic purpose, one designed to entertain its audience as well as teach them a lesson, in this case one of balance. The Greeks abided by the concept of sophrosyne, or balance in all things, and they attempted to pass this down to their children. It was their belief that when this balance was broken, as it was in the literary cases of wrongful consumption, negative consequences would befall the person who had broken it. In order to prevent these repercussions, the stories would be written to teach the generations to come, in the hope that they would not make the same mistakes.

Presenters: Marley Sensenderfer ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

College Year in Athens

While attending College Year in Athens, I experienced more than a couple once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, all of which helped me to grow significantly as an individual. My main goal in studying abroad was getting a more hands-on education in the field of Classics, as much of the history I learn about for my major takes place in, on, or around Greece. I very much received that! Aside from physically being in Athens, the College Year in Athens program works to heavily integrate field studies into our curriculums and time in Greece. Although I only stayed in Greece for four months, I saw more than I might’ve in a year by myself. Our professors work on-site classes into our schedule so frequently that I have at least one per week, and in addition, CYA takes the entire program on three separate prolonged field studies. This was valuable to me beyond my interest in the sites and artifacts I got to experience in life because I got to experience it alongside my instructors, equally as passionate and ready to shower us with an excess of knowledge. Studying abroad is an incredible experience, and CYA pushed me to do more than learn—I grew.

Presenters: Kylie Ouellette ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Health and Lifestyle Factors Associated with Bone Mineral Density Fracture Risk Assessment Index (FRAX) Scores in Individuals 55 Years and Older

Bone mineral density (BMD) is the primary indicator of bone health. Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) combines clinical and biological factors with BMD to predict the ten-year risk of major osteoporotic fractures. Understanding contributing factors, such as lifestyle, activity, and weight, is crucial for prevention of this public health concern. The study purpose was to correlate health and lifestyle variables with FRAX scores in individuals 55 years and above. It was hypothesized that individuals with a greater presence of positive factors would have lower FRAX scores compared to those with fewer. 66 participants underwent a BMD scan of the nondominant forearm, hip, and lumbar spine using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. FRAX was used to run correlation and regression tests. Linear regression analysis of the variables revealed no significant associations. Lifestyle variables accounted for 16.4% of the variance in FRAX scores, body mass accounted for 9%, and activity accounted for 5.5%. Body mass at age 20 (p = 0.027) was correlated with FRAX score, while education level, exercise as a child, and living in a specialized community were not. Future research should aim to explore these connections by asking more precise, targeted questions and limiting the number of variables.

Presenters: Kacely Goforth ’25, Erica Otto ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Concurrent Exercise Training Adaptations Over 4-Months in Sedentary, Middle-Aged Adults With and Without Post-Exercise Peanut Consumption

Maximizing exercise adaptations in high-level athletes requires a complex balance of training, nutrition, and recovery. However, for middle-aged adults, achieving health benefits through exercise does not necessitate such complexity. Simple workouts and accessible nutrition options may be more effective for this group. Health guidelines recommend a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise multiple times per week, and middle-aged adults who follow these guidelines may benefit from a simple, inexpensive post-workout snack, such as peanuts, to enhance their training adaptations. Peanuts, rich in protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and micronutrients, may support muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. This study aimed to determine the effects of peanuts as a post-exercise snack on aerobic and resistance training outcomes in middle-aged adults. Seventeen untrained individuals, aged 30-55, completed a 16-week concurrent exercise program. Participants consumed either a peanut-based smoothie or a carbohydrate-based smoothie after each workout. Results showed a 4% increase in lean mass (p = 0.008), with significant gains in muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.02), but no significant differences between the groups. Although peanuts did not enhance training outcomes more than a carbohydrate-based snack, they did not hinder gains in strength, lean mass, or fitness. Therefore, peanuts are a viable post-workout snack for middle-aged adults without negatively impacting exercise benefits.

Presenters: Iliana Hernandez ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparison of Overground, Motorized Treadmill and Non-motorized Treadmill Gait in Younger and Older Adults

Previously we found that walking on a non-motorized treadmill (NMT) elicited greater EMG activity from plantar flexor muscles compared to walking overground (OG) and on a motorized treadmill (MT) in adults younger than 25 years of age. PURPOSE: To compare muscle activation patterns of lower extremity muscles between MT, NMT and overground (OG) walking in younger and older. METHODS: Twelve healthy older adults (55.4±4.1 yrs, 167.8±9.0 cm, 73.1±13.1 kg ) and 23 healthy younger adults (27.9±8.4 yrs, 169.9±8.4 cm, 72.9±16.5kg) completed separate walking trials for OG, MT and NMT modes at the preferred NMT speed. For EMG normalization participants also completed one OG trial at a preferred speed. Surface EMG of the Biceps Femoris (BF), Tibialis Anterior (TA), Gastrocnemius (GA), and Vastus Medialis (VM) was collected at 1000 Hz using electrodes placed longitudinally at the midpoint of the muscle belly. EMG RMS was computed using a moving window of 125 ms. Peak RMS within a stride was averaged across 2 consecutive gait cycles on OG trials and 8 consecutive gait cycles for treadmill trials. EMG data were normalized to the average peak RMS values recorded during the OG trials performed at the preferred OG speed to permit comparison between age groups. A 2x2 (Age by Walking Mode) mixed model ANOVA was used to compare preferred walking speed in the OG and NMT modes. Separate 2x3 (Age x Walking Mode) mixed model ANOVA’s were used for each muscle to compare normalized peak RMS EMG values between walking modes and age groups. RESULTS: A significant interaction of age and walking mode indicated younger adults self-selected similar speeds in the OG and NMT modes (p>0.05) but older adults chose a speed 12% slower on the NMT than OG (P<0.05). No interaction of age and walking mode and no main effect for age was found for GA activity (p>0.05). GA activity was 30% higher (p<0.05) on NMT than either OG or MT. A significant interaction between age and walking mode was found for BF activity (p<0.05). For older adults, BF activity did not differ between walking modes. For younger adults, BF activity was 56% higher on NMT than both OG and MT (p<0.05). No interaction (p>0.05) between age and walking mode and no main effect (p>0.05) for walking mode was found for VM activity. Younger adults produced 49% more VM activity than older adults across all three walking modes (p<0.05). No interaction of walking mode and age and no main effects of mode or age were found in TA activity (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: GA activity specifically was 30% higher in both age groups on NMT supporting our previous work suggesting that use of NMT is a promising tool for targeting age-related declines in distal musculature.

Presenters: Emily Chaires ’26, Meghan McCarthy ’25, Breanna Steele ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Influence of Back Foot Positioning on Tennis Serve Performance

The sport of tennis involves many different strokes, of which the serve is arguably the most important. The serve begins with feet separated about shoulder width apart with one foot closer to the net. During the foot-up technique, players move their back foot near their front foot while executing the serve. For the foot-back technique, the back foot remains stationary. It is commonly discussed in coaching literature that the use of the foot-up technique allows for enhanced weight transfer producing a more powerful serve while the foot-back technique allows for greater stability and control in the serve. Limited data exists to support these ideas. PURPOSE: To compare force production, ball velocity, and serve depth between the foot-up and foot-back tennis serve techniques among tennis players at the Division III collegiate level. METHODS: Nine Division III collegiate tennis players (20.22 yrs, 1.76 m, 67.86 kg) were recruited to perform five serves using each foot technique and from each side of the court. Peak force (N) was measured using the loadsol pro force insole (novel electronics, inc.) for the front foot and back foot during the loading phase of the tennis serve. An AI-powered shot-tracking app (SwingVision, Inc.) was used to measure ball velocity (mph) and serve depth (defined as distance the ball lands from the front of the service box). RESULTS: Mean (SD) total force was 1753.9 (338.4) N for the foot-up stance and 1667.0 (342.2) N for the foot-back stance. The foot-up serve produced 5.1% greater force (F(1,8)=3.658, p=0.092 nP2=0.314) in comparison to the foot-back serve. Mean (SD) ball velocity was 70.9 (12.5) mph for the foot-up serve and 69.5 (14.0) mph for the foot-back serve across all participants. The foot-up serve had 1.9% greater ball velocity (t(8)=1.436, p=0.189, Cohen’s d=0.479) than the foot-back serve. Mean (SD) serve depth, from the front of the service box, was 15.7 (0.8) ft for the foot-up serve and 16.0 (1.1) ft for the foot-back serve. The foot-back serve produced a 1.7% deeper (i.e., more advantageous) serve (t(8)=1.047, p=0.326, Cohen’s d=0.349) compared to the foot-up serve. It was found across both serving styles that the front foot had a significantly greater amount of force production in comparison to the back foot (F(1, 8)=11.917, p=0.009, nP2 = 0.598). CONCLUSION: The foot-up and foot-back serve techniques offer moderate but different benefits to serve performance. No previous studies of this nature have been conducted solely among Division III college tennis players, thus making these findings particularly insightful and valuable into the influence of back foot positioning on force production and other performance measures during the tennis serve.

Presenters: Erika Synoski ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Effect of Attentional Focus on Rowing Performance Among Experienced Individuals

Research has previously shown that external and internal focus cues have had a beneficial effect on discrete motor task performance. In such discrete tasks, holistic focus cues have benefitted performance and learning; however, this effect has not been as thoroughly researched during the performance of continuous motor tasks. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of external, internal, and holistic focus cues on ergometer rowing performance. METHODS: Sixteen participants performed a six-minute ergometer rowing task across three sessions, with at least 48 hours between each session, in a counterbalanced order. The dependent variables analyzed were total distance (m), average power (W), and average foot force (J). Data were analyzed using three separate one-way ANOVAs with Holm post hoc tests. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant main effect between the conditions in total distance (f(2,32) = 4.094, p = 0.026, ?p2 = 0.204) and average power (f(2,30) = 8.275, p = 0.001, ?p2 = 0.356). Post hoc tests revealed significant differences between holistic focus and internal focus (p < 0.05) as well as with external focus (p < 0.05) in total distance. Post hoc showed evidence of a significant difference between holistic focus and internal focus (p = 0.002) as well as with external focus (p = 0.009) in average power. However, there was no significant difference in average foot force production between the three different foci (p = 0.247). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that holistic focus cues benefit continuous motor task performance more than internal or external focus cues. Future research should consider increasing the sample size to reinforce the present study’s findings and continue to determine the effect that holistic focus can have on continuous motor task performance.

Presenters: Caylin Damron ’26, Ana Morales Elizondo ’27, Lily McWhorter ’26, Raghav Sharma ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Effect of Attentional Focus Cues on Vertical Jump Performance

Attentional focus benefits performance by directing one’s concentration to specific task characteristics. While much research has centered on the effects of internal and external attentional cues, very little research has examined the effect of holistic focus cues during discrete motor task performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to compare attentional focus instructions: control (CON), internal (IF), external (EF), and holistic (HF), on the performance of a countermovement vertical jump task. METHODS: 20 participants performed 4 sets of 3 countermovement jumps (3-CON, 3-IF, 3-EF, 3-HF) in a counterbalanced order during one data session. The vertical jumping task was performed on Contemplas Force Plates using a 3D Markerless Motion Capture System. RESULTS: The dependent variables were flight height calculated by impulse and the rate of force development (RFD). A 4 (condition) x 1 (participant) repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to analyze the data with a Holm post-hoc comparison. A significant main effect for the rate of force development was observed [F(3,57) = 5.487, p = 0.002, ?p2 = 0.224]. The Holm post-hoc test revealed the rate of force development for CON was significantly lower than IF (p = 0.034), EF (p = 0.005), and HF (p = 0.005). The post-hoc revealed no significant differences between the experimental conditions for RFD (p = 1.000). No significant differences were observed between experimental conditions for flight height (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Results suggest all three attentional focus instructions improved vertical jump performance by increasing the rate of force development. This finding suggests that specific attentional cues enhance discrete motor task performance by increasing the rate of force development. However, further research should be conducted to analyze different variables such as force production, flight height, etc. to better understand the effects that attentional focus cues have on discrete motor task performance.

Presenters: Caylin Damron ’26, Lily McWhorter ’26, Raghav Sharma ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Automated Inventory Projection in a Small-Scale Vineyard

Meaningful sales analysis and rigorous inventory management are crucial components of any business operation. At Christoval Vineyards, a 25-acre winery in West Texas, this task is made harder by a combination of dynamic high-stakes harvest schedules and a lack of analytical resources. Operators must perform calculations by hand in the face of shifting customer demand and harvest availability, and a single error can have huge repercussions for the following season. Our 2025 Computer Science capstone project seeks to mitigate these challenges with the aid of automated inventory analysis. Our software utilizes a mySQL relational database within a Vue framework to automate the collection and analysis of customer sales and inventory changes across multiple data sources. This will allow users to view up-to-date inventory, generate and modify predicted sales through time, and explore alternative workflows and results in a failsafe virtual environment. This interface will lessen the stress of small-scale resource allocation with the aid of programmatic calculations and analytics.

Presenters: Arden Neff ’25, Jace Salinas ’26, Erik Thompson ’26, Zoe Van der Vlugt ’26,

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Data Science Video Game for Children

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, opportunities in the field of data science are growing rapidly. However, there is no standardized data science curriculum for middle school-aged students in the United States’ public education system. For this reason, our 2025 Computer Science Capstone project aims to develop an engaging and accessible video game that teaches basic data science concepts to children.

We used Figma to plan each process for the game and began implementation using GDScript in the Godot game engine. Our program is optimized for Windows, and the download is available through our itch.io website. The game introduces students on how to structure data into tables using virtual bugs/insects allowing them to build their first dataset using blocks. Ultimately, our game is limited to a proof of concept, but we hope to include lessons in data cleaning and visualization in future versions.

This project not only builds on Southwestern’s computer science curriculum but also requires us to synthesize the knowledge we have gained both in life and in our combined coursework to communicate interdisciplinary data science concepts to a younger audience.

Presenters: Bess Hagan ’25, Reeha Rauf ’25, Seraphina Crayton ’25, Jacob Valle ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Developing An All Encompassing Web-Based Lifestyle and Fitness Tracker

For our 2025 Computer Science Capstone, we are developing a comprehensive, web-based health and fitness tracker. The final product will allow users to log dietary, exercise, and lifestyle choices. As student-athletes, we value healthy living and want to help others on their wellness journey. We have chosen a web-based platform instead of a phone-based app to provide a greater level of accessibility across devices.

While many fitness trackers require subscriptions for advanced features, our project will offer these tools free of charge. The application will have three layers: a frontend, a middle layer for communication, and a backend. We have chosen Tailwind CSS for the user interface, Python for backend communication, and MySQL for database management. To guide our design, we are using Figma to create a working prototype.

Our goal is to support users of all experience levels by providing an easy-to-use, accessible tool for tracking health and lifestyle habits. With a clean interface and intuitive features, our tracker will make monitoring progress simple and engaging, empowering users to make informed, healthier choices.

Presenters: Gabriel Morgan ’25, Justin Sandstedt ’25, Matthew Swandal ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Better Picks: Machine Learning Sports Analysis for Smarter Sports Betting Decisions

Navigating the world of sports betting can be overwhelming, with countless stats, unpredictable outcomes, and endless hours of research with no guarantee of success. However our Computer Science Capstone project, Better Picks, simplifies this process by leveraging the power of machine learning to deliver data-driven insights. This application uses Python to interact with APIs to pull NFL and NBA data, which is then analyzed to obtain information regarding the key features impacting player performance and predict player stats for upcoming games using machine-learning models. These predictions are compared against lines from multiple sportsbooks to identify picks with the highest likelihood of success, providing bettors with smarter, faster, and more reliable decisions.

The application will offer a user-friendly dashboard built with ReactJS that presents these insights in a clear and digestible format. It utilizes a SQL database to store historical data, player stats, and model predictions allowing for efficient querying and seamless communication with the front end. By streamlining the process of analyzing data and making predictions, Better Picks empowers users to make informed bets with confidence. The application’s tailored recommendations simplify the decision-making process, ensuring users can quickly and effectively identify high-value bets for a better chance of winning.

Presenters: Timothy Berlanga ’25, Rudy Guerra Jr ’25, Kyle Keleher ’25, Kade Townsend ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Distortion of Single Transferable Vote on a Line

Voting is widely used to make decisions, not only in the familiar setting of elections, but also in numerous applications where people or computers are selecting from available outcomes. Even with the same set of ranked preferences from voters, the winning candidate may differ based upon the voting mechanism chosen. Single Transferable Vote (STV) requires voters to list all of their preferences; if a voter’s most preferred candidate is no longer viable, their (single) vote is transferred to their next most preferred choice.

We consider the performance of STV restricted to the line metric, where a voter’s preferences are determined by the distance on the line from the voter to a given candidate. The social welfare of a given candidate is the sum of the distances between all voters and the candidate. The notion of distortion then captures the worst-case ratio of the social welfare of the optimal candidate compared to the winning candidate. We consider the distortion of STV on a line, investigating if the gap between the existing lower bound of 3 (Anshelevich et al.) and upper bound of 15 (Anagnostides et al.) can be reduced.

Presenters: Camille James ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Perimeter- Minimizing Rectangles in R^2 with Density M|x| + N|y|

How can one optimally construct a walled enclosure that contains a fixed volume, doing so in a manner that uses minimal construction materials? And how can one do this when the enclosure’s floor has variable topography? We explore an abstracted mathematical version of this geometric optimization problem, examining perimeter-minimizing rectangles in a two-dimensional space imbued with a nonnegative depth function. More precisely: on top of the xy-plane we define the depth function f(x,y) = M|x| + N|y|, and use this depth function to add weight to measurements of rectangular perimeter and area. Under this framework, we ask and answer the question: “Out of all rectangles with edges parallel to the x- or y-axis, for which the total weighted area A of the rectangle is fixed, which rectangle has an optimal (minimal) amount of weighted perimeter?” We present our solution, which uses variations on area and perimeter to discover that an optimal rectangle must sit with one corner touching the origin, and with dimensions that depend only on M, N, and A. We also present preliminary work on optimizing multiple regions simultaneously to enclose a fixed area with minimal perimeter.

Presenters: Caytie Brown ’27, Ashlyn Cadena ’27, Kacy Miller ’26, Isabella Robinson ’25, Yasmine Soto ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Developing a Thermal Energy Battery

Most renewable energy sources do not produce energy constantly. Solar power, for example, only works when sunlight shines on photovoltaic panels. Similarly, wind turbines only turn when the wind speed exceeds some threshold speed. Another problem is that intermittent sources do not always generate energy when consumers need energy. An energy storage system can help to balance supply and demand. Although most batteries use chemical reactions to store energy for an extended period, a thermal battery can store energy as high-temperature heat. For a thermal battery to actually function as an energy storage device, it must be able to easily acquire energy from some outside source, store that energy for a long period of time with minimal loss and easily dispense the stored energy when it is needed. We have tested a thermal energy storage cell and analyzed its efficacy to heat a thermal media and retain this thermal energy over time. Such a project is suitable for studying several areas of physics.

Presenters: Manuel Cepeda ’26, Clay Elliott ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Computing the Minimal Crew Needed for a 1000 Year Space Voyage

When discussing the difficulties of interstellar travel, one of the many questions that has to be addressed concerns the minimum number of people that would permit a healthy multi-generational crew to complete a journey lasting hundreds of years. In 2017, Drs. Frederic Marin and Camille Beluffi published a study in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society that considered a number of factors (such as the number of women vs. men, their respective ages, life expectancy, fertility rates, birth rates, and how long the crew would have to reproduce). Drs. Marin and Beluffi created a computer program that simulated the lives of each crew member in order to determine whether the mission could be successful. They then averaged the results of these simulations over 100 interstellar journeys based on these various factors and different values to determine the size of the minimum crew. In the end, Drs. Marin and Beluffi concluded that under conservative conditions, a minimum of 98 crew members would be needed to sustain a multi-generational voyage to Proxima Centauri b. We have reproduced Marin and Beluffi’s program and found that the maximum possible crew size plays an important role in the success of the mission. In this poster we reevaluate the conclusions of Marin and Beluffii in light of this discovery.

Presenters: Dominic Mashak ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Preclinical Efficacy of CXCR3 CAR T Cells Against Malignant Childhood Brain Tumors

High-grade glioma (HGG) comprises 10% of malignant pediatric brain tumors and is often fatal, with survival typically less than two years in children and young adults (Mackay et al., 2017). Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have shown efficacy against HGG in recent clinical trials, utilizing genetically altered autologous helper (CD4+) and cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells that express cell surface receptors targeting specific proteins on cancer cells (Vitanza et al., 2025). This pilot study tested the efficacy of B7-H3 CAR T cells (CAR-3A T cells) expressing chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) against two patient-derived murine xenograft cell lines of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), using two different routes of T cell administration. Our results indicate that CAR-3A T cells demonstrated superior trafficking and tumor elimination compared to CAR-T only cells, and showed a significant survival benefit. These findings will directly inform future clinical trials and demonstrate the potential for the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of malignant brain tumors that are uniformly fatal.

Presenters: Scott Johnson ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Overexpression of JAM-4 protein in Caov-3 and PA-1 ovarian cancer cell lines

In the United States in 2023 there were 19,710 new cases of ovarian cancer. For all age groups of women, ovarian cancer has ranked fifth as the leading cause of cancer death.

A key feature of advanced cancer cells is their ability to metastasize, made possible by the separation of the cell-binding protein complexes known as tight junctions. These protein complexes link adjacent cells to one another, regulate the passage of ions and small molecules between cells, and maintain cell polarity by preventing protein and lipid diffusion within the plasma membrane borders. There are three major integral membrane proteins found in tight junctions: Claudins, Occludin, and JAMs, all of which mediate cell-to-cell adhesion.

Previously, our lab has demonstrated overexpression of the IGSF5 gene (which encodes the JAM-4 protein) in two ovarian cancer cell lines (PA-1 and SK-OV-3) by microarray analyses (manuscript in preparation). Our most recent findings came from the investigation of JAM-4 protein expression levels in a panel of 5 ovarian cancer cell lines using immunoblotting. Two ovarian cancer cell lines (PA-1 and Caov-3) demonstrated overexpression of the JAM-4 protein. These data suggest that overexpression of JAM-4 protein weakens cell-to-cell connectivity, thereby facilitating metastasis.

Presenters: Kate Dennnis ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Posttranslational Regulation of rumAB polymerase by protease Lon391 on ICE391

Environmental stressors, such as DNA damage, induce a stress response in bacteria known as the SOS Response.The SOS Response includes the activation of an error prone DNA polymerase, which due to its decreased fidelity in replicating DNA increases the likelihood of mutations, possibly resulting in antibiotic resistance. One extremely mutagenic DNA polymerase is encoded by the rumAB operon found in the mobile integrative conjugative element R391 (ICE R391). This element is capable of moving within and between species through horizontal gene transfer. Extensive mutagenesis is almost certain to have detrimental effects on bacteria harboring ICE R391. Therefore, regulation of RumAB activity is necessary at both the level of gene expression and after production of the RumAB DNA polymerase. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether a putative Lon protease homolog encoded on ICE391 is capable of posttranslationally regulating the RumAB error prone polymerase. Results of mutagenic assays suggest that the Lon391 protease negatively impacts the mutagenic activity of the RumAB DNA polymerase, thereby minimizing mutations. Future work looks to address the mechanism by which Lon391 contributes to the regulation of ICE R391-mediated mutagenesis.

Presenters: Caleb Hammons ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

You Better Belize They’re Different: Phylogenetic analysis and species identificationof native apple snails in Belize

Species delineations of gastropods traditionally rely on shell morphology. However, modern definitions of species require phylogenetic analysis. Apple snails (gen Pomacea) hold incredible promise in helping us understand mechanisms underlying climate-driven range expansions, with two notable invasive species (P. canaliculata and P. maculata) having recently expanded their global range. However, we know relatively little about the ranges of other native apple snails, especially those in understudied regions such as Central and South America. Due to extensive phenotypic plasticity, researchers often encounter difficulty in identifying mollu when only relying on shell morphology. Identifying apple snails creates additional challenges as some may hybridize and others constitute what experts term cryptic species. Despite their ecological importance in wetlands, only one study to date provides a species identity (Pomacea flagellata) for native apple snails in Belize. confirm or compare this identity with genetic data, we collected apple snails (eith as hatchlings or adults from which we dissected foot tissue), extracted DNA and began barcoding (using COI) individuals. Our four sites [Sibun River, Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, Spanish Creek, and Ayin Ha (Lemonal)] collectively represent at least two different watersheds depending on the hydrologic connectivity during t wet season. Preliminary results from Ayin Ha and the Sibun River do not match known sequences for P. flagellata or any other verified genetic identity. Fu investigations will involve more robust phylogenetic analysis that we predict will support our belief in the need for additional studies that better quantify apple snail species diversity and distribution in Belize.

Presenters: Gage Mallo ’26, Johun Reyes ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Extraordinary Extraction Efforts: Experiments to Enhance DNA Extraction for Tissues of Apple Snails of Conservation Interest

Successful efforts to conserve native species or combat non-native invasives depend on proper species identification. Apple snails [genus Pomacea, Family Ampullariidae] include highly invasive species (P. canaliculata and P. maculata) that continue range expansion, and several undescribed native species. Due to the cryptic nature of these species and the considerable phenotypic plasticity within species, accurate taxonomic identi?cation remains challenging without incorporating genetic data. Furthermore, modern species concepts rely on data generated by DNA barcoding (i.e. PCR amplification of a known genetic region that is then sequenced) to describe evolutionary relationships between species. Successful sequencing of target barcoding genes (cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) in the case of apple snails) depends heavily on the quality of DNA extracted from individuals. Our previous successful efforts to identify snails from Texas and across the southeastern United States, as well as from South America, employed a particular kit to extract DNA primarily from unpigmented tissue taken from the muscular foot of individual snails. With new samples collected from Belize, we successfully used the same approach on individual hatchlings and extracted ample quantities of sufficient quality DNA that produced successful PCRs and returned readable sequences. However, these same kits mysteriously failed to produce usable quantities of DNA (at least 3.00 ng/uL) for “control” tissue samples. Our current troubleshooting efforts seek to explain this mystery and find or develop an extraction protocol so that we can successfully extract tissue from native snails to confirm their identity and aid in their conservation in Belize.

Presenters: Kylie Allemeier ’25, Sarah Berver ’27, Katelin Pilarski ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Bioluminescent Band-Aid: A Study on the Attraction of Zooxanthellae to Bioluminescent Aliivibrio fischeri

Corals reefs are threatened on a global scale as ocean temperatures rise and ocean acidification are more widespread due to climate destabilization. There is a lot of research on the best ways to prevent corals from bleaching, but once a coral bleaches there is little research to help them recover. A gap in the research prevents itself when it comes to the discussion of attracting Zooxanthellae to bleached corals, as there is little to no research on this topic. Our study hopes to build the foundation for this research, by studying the affinity between Zooxanthellae and a bioluminescent bacteria, Aliivibrio fischeri. The question we’re researching is this; are Zooxanthellae attracted to the bioluminescence of the bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri? Our experiment involves the two organisms in a beaker physically separated by a clear 50ml conical, and extracting the Zooxanthellae on the outside of the conical that has bioluminescent V. fischeri inside. We will quantify the data using a hemocytometer to count the number of Zooxanthellae for each treatment, and use a Welches T-test for significant difference in populations. The findings from this research will expand our knowledge on how Zooxanthellae interact with V. fischeri, and with their enviornment. Expanding the knowledge of how Zooxanthellae interacts with other aquatic organisms will aid future coral conservation research.

Presenters: Murphy Jacobie ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

A Morphological Analysis of the Dopaminergic Pathway in the Brain of Male-Pregnant Pipefish

The family Syngnathidae (seahorses, pipefish & sea dragons) are the only group of vertebrates exhibiting male pregnancy. Males fertilize eggs from females and incubate them in a specialized ventral brood pouch. In most vertebrates, reproduction and pregnancy are regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis via the ultimate release of sex steroids that alter reproductive function. In syngnathids, an additional axis should be considered: the hypothalamic-pituitary-pouch (HPP) axis. To investigate the HPP-axis and hormonal regulation of male pregnancy, key neuroendocrine regulators of pituitary hormones should be considered. However, syngnathid neuroanatomy remains largely unexplored. Our neuroanatomical studies of the Northern pipefish, Syngnathus fuscus, revealed tyrosine hydroxylase (TH - an enzyme in the dopaminergic pathway) reactivity in the brain and pituitary. These dopaminergic neurons were prevalent in the hypothalamus and projections were observed in the pars intermedia and proximal pars distalis of the pituitary. In other fish, dopamine is a potent inhibitor of prolactin and GnRH1, two hormones that are likely involved in the regulation of male pregnancy. However, little is known regarding the functions of the dopaminergic system in syngnathids. Our goal is to create an atlas of dopaminergic neurons and projections in the brain and pituitary of the Northern pipefish and the closely-related Gulf pipefish, S. scovelli. This work represents the start of a body of work that will elucidate the role of dopamine during the reproductive cycle in male syngnathid pregnancy.

Presenters: Madeleine Thomas ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Efficacy of an ISE Probe to Determine Nitrate Ion Concentrations Within Various Water Sources

Ever since the discovery of the Haber process, industrial fertilizers that contain high nitrate levels have been integral to large-scale production of agricultural products. One of the unintended consequences of synthetic fertilizer application is the accumulation of nitrates in drinking water via agricultural runoff due to their high solubility in water. Other factors that may influence nitrate accumulation in drinking water are improper sewage disposal, industrial pollution, and runoff from manure applied to fields or from factory farms. Nitrates have been linked to a variety of human health effects including different cancers, birth defects, and even methemoglobinemia. Traditional methods of testing for nitrate concentrations, although accurate, are time costly, expensive, and sensitive to environmental conditions, making them difficult for water treatment facilities to use when monitoring nitrate concentrations within different sources of drinking water. In this project, various sources of water were collected and tested by a traditional method (colorimetry) and compared with a novel method (ion-selective electrode, ISE) that has the potential to mitigate many of the issues associated with current nitrate analysis methods. This presentation will focus on the analysis of both natural and artificial water sources using colorimetry and ISE and will discuss the various considerations for selecting an appropriate method to determine nitrate concentrations in drinking water.

Presenters: Afam Umezurike ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Exploring the Phenolic Composition of Monarda Herbs: Influence of Seed Source and Cultivar

The Lamiaceae, or mint family, is composed of around 7,000 species and contains a variety of aromatic plants. Characterized by their whorled leaves, square stems, and fragrant flowers, Lamiaceae plants are widely valued for their uses in holistic medicine, the production of essential oils, and as culinary ingredients. Previous research has investigated the phenolic content and antioxidant properties of more well-known Lamiaceae herbs such as sage, mint, rosemary, and basil. Yet very few studies have examined the chemical composition or antioxidant levels within Monarda plants, a genus within the Lamiaceae family of herbs also commonly known as bee balms. In this study, five Monarda cultivars were grown from seeds obtained from different commercial sources, the leaves were dried, and then the chemical components were extracted. Total phenolic contents were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to determine concentrations of individual phenolic compounds within the Monarda samples. This presentation will discuss how cultivars and seed sources affect the identities and concentrations of phenolic compounds within Monarda herbs.

Presenters: Alexis Flores ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Analysis of Antioxidant Capacities and Flavonoid Concentration in Hot Water Extracts of Gunpowder Green Teas

The leaves of Camellia sinensis are widely used in the production of green tea products that are available in different forms such as matcha, bagged, and gunpowder. Green tea is exceptionally renowned for its health benefits which have been attributed to its high concentration of catechin flavonoids and its strong antioxidant properties. Many studies have focused on more popular forms of green tea such as bagged and matcha teas. However, there is a lack of research on lesser-known products like gunpowder green tea in which the leaves are rolled up to resemble gunpowder pellets that open when brewed. This study evaluated the antioxidant properties of fifteen commercially-available gunpowder teas. Tea samples were steeped in hot water and leaf extracts were analyzed to quantify their total flavonoid contents and CUPRAC (cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity) values. Results showed that gunpowder teas had varying concentrations of flavonoids and measured antioxidant capacities. Gunpowder teas are readily available and low cost, and this study indicates that they are an economical choice for consumers who aim to maximize the health benefits of consuming green tea.

Presenters: Alexander Badal ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparison of Phenolic Composition, Flavonoid Content, and Antioxidant Properties Among Cacao Nibs Sourced from Different Origins

Cacao nibs, which are produced from beans harvested from the Theobroma cacao tree, have numerous nutritional benefits that make them attractive to health-conscious consumers. Cacao nibs are high in protein and other nutrients and like all chocolate products, they contain phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which are substances with known antioxidant properties. Despite the increasing availability and popularity of cacao nibs, few studies have examined how the region where the nibs are grown can affect their phenolic composition, flavonoid levels, and antioxidant capacities. Therefore, in the current study, nib samples were obtained from 10 different countries, processed, and their phenolic compounds were extracted. The total phenolic contents (TPC) of the nib extracts were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the total flavonoid concentrations were determined using a microplate-based colorimetric assay. Additionally, antioxidant properties were analyzed using the cupric-ion-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) method. This presentation will provide an overview of how the phenolic content, flavonoid levels, and concentration of bioactive compounds affect the antioxidant properties within a variety of cacao nibs, providing important information to understand the potential health benefits of nibs sourced from different origins.

Presenters: Samantha Hazen ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Determination of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity in Various Red Lettuce Cultivars (L. sativa).

Some lettuce varieties may have a red-purple hue due to the presence of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are phenolic compounds that possess antioxidant properties and their dietary consumption has been linked to health benefits such as reduced risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. However, the characterization of antioxidants in various red lettuce cultivars is lacking. In this study, 16 different cultivars of red lettuce were grown indoors and samples were harvested, ground, and their phenolic compounds were extracted. The Folin-Ciocalteu method was used to determine total phenolic content and antioxidant capacities were measured using the CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity assay (CUPRAC). Results showed that an heirloom red romaine variety, Cimarron, had the highest total phenolic content while a curly-leaf compact lettuce, Ruby Red, had the lowest. This presentation will provide an overview of variations in phenolic content and antioxidant properties among commercially available hybrid and heirloom red lettuce varieties.

Presenters: Ian Becher ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Naphthoquinones

Naphthoquinones are a broad collection of secondary metabolites found in nature. Their implications in various biological processes, such as the synthesis of vitamin K and in the electron transport pathway, make them promising molecules for pharmaceutical use. Naphthoquinones are currently being utilized in a variety of cancer therapeutics and antibiotics. However, current methods of synthesizing naphthoquinone derivatives are costly and have a narrow substrate scope. In this study, gold(I) was utilized for the catalysis of the cyclization for naphthoquinone derivatives, allowing for a more economical model of synthesis and a larger substrate scope. Using o-alkynylbenzyl silyl enol ethers, the gold(I)-catalyzed reactions produced a naphthalene derivative which can easily be oxidized to form naphthoquinones. This poster will discuss the synthesis of a naphthoquinone derivative, the hypothesized mechanism for the reaction, and how this synthetic reaction can be further used for various pharmaceutical purposes.

Presenters: Luca Cipleu ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Influence of Plant Maturity and Cultivar on Antioxidant Capacity in Green Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

In addition to being an important culinary ingredient, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) allow for its use in traditional medicine. High concentrations of phenolic compounds in this herb contribute to its health benefits since these compounds interact with free radicals in the body, preventing damage due to oxidative stress. Although previous studies have confirmed the influence of cultivar and plant maturity on the total phenolic concentration in purple basil, little research has been done to identify how antioxidant capacity changes throughout basil growth or how the cumulative effects of maturation and cultivar can impact antioxidant properties. In this study, three cultivars of green basil (Tuscany, Genovese, and Spicy Bush) were grown and harvested weekly over a 12-week period. Total antioxidant capacity was assessed using the cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assay and concentrations of individual phenolic compounds, specifically rosmarinic and chicoric acids, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results were compared as a function of harvest time between cultivars. Determining the effects of both plant maturity and cultivar on the total antioxidant capacity of basil provides information of how to maximize the antioxidant and nutritional benefits of the herb.

Presenters: Kendall Terrando ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Investigation of the Connection between Antioxidant Capacity and Total Phenolic Content in Monarda Herb Cultivars

Lamiaceae herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano, and mint have been widely studied and are highly valued for their culinary uses as well as their medicinal properties. Plants of the Lamiaceae family contain phenolic compounds, substances with strong antioxidant capacities that confer health benefits within the human diet. Although plants of Monarda, a Lamiaceae genus, have found widespread use in traditional medicine, little is known about their phenolic content and antioxidant properties compared to more common Lamiaceae herbs. In this study, five Monarda cultivars were grown from seed, their leaves were processed and dried, and the phenolic compounds were extracted. The total phenolic content of each cultivar was analyzed using a Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and antioxidant properties were determined using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) microplate assay. DPPH is a meta-stable free radical, so observed changes in its absorbance correspond to the free-radical scavenging capability and antioxidant strength of each Monarda cultivar sample. Spotted Monarda cultivars generally had the highest antioxidant capacity values which correlated with their high total phenolic contents, relative to other varieties. This presentation will demonstrate how the concentrations of phenolic compounds contribute to the antioxidant capacities of these Monarda cultivars, as well as how the strong antioxidant properties of Monarda plants may provide new herbal-medicinal applications.

Presenters: Mattigan Aga ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Ozempic Can Modulate Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 4

Ozempic (semaglutide), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of type II diabetes and weight loss. Studies have shown that semaglutide improves memory function, insulin resistance, and neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) animals. Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are a family of novel enzymes that play a role in numerous cellular processes. Changes in cell senescence associated with aging are linked to arginine methylation by PRMT4, leading to a significant increase in PRMT4 expression in AD mice and post-mortem human AD brains. Targeting PRMTs may contribute to the therapeutic potential of semaglutide which is crucial due to the lack of neurodegenerative treatments. There is limited knowledge and understanding of semaglutide vascular function so the focus of this research was on the expression of PRMT4 in neuronal (N2A) and endothelial (bEnd.3) cells. Using protein and mRNA quantification of these cells, results showed that PRMT4 expression was significantly decreased with semaglutide and that semaglutide affected PRMT4 related proteins. Although these initial results need further investigation, a decrease in PRMT4 could improve cellular metabolism which may have therapeutic potential for AD patients.

Presenters: Christian Melillo ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Quantification of Individual Flavonoids and Methylxanthines in Cacao Nibs Sourced from Different Origins

Plants of the same species may exhibit varying chemical compositions when grown in different regions due to climate, soil type, or altitude. These environmental differences influence plant metabolism, leading to changes in the production of secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds. Cacao nibs, produced from the beans of the Theobroma cacao tree, are grown in over 50 countries. They contain high levels of phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids, a classification of phenolics with potent antioxidant properties that are characterized by their C6-C3-C6 structures. Although phenolic content varies in cacao nibs depending on the region in which they are grown, it is unclear how flavonoid levels or phenolic composition may be affected by environmental conditions. In this study, nib samples were obtained from 10 different countries, processed, and their phenolic compounds were extracted. The antioxidant capacity was measured using a colorimetric assay adapted for a microplate spectrophotometer. Cacao flavonoids and methylxanthines (i.e., theobromine and caffeine) were then separated, identified, and quantified within the nib extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This presentation will discuss variations in the antioxidant capacity, methylxanthine content, and flavonoid composition among nibs from different geographical origins, providing helpful information for both growers and consumers.

Presenters: Alex Dow ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Understanding the Selectivity of Hydrogenation on ?-? Unsaturated Ketones using DFT

The pathways and selectivity in which molecules are hydrogenated are dependent on the catalyst used for the reaction. However, it is important to characterize and understand the reaction procedure prior to experimentation to limit unwanted byproducts and reduce overall experimental costs. This project focused on finding the activation and reaction energy changes and selectivity of hydrogenation of the alpha-beta unsaturated ketones, furfural and crotonaldehyde. High-performance computing (HPC) was used to run the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) combined with Density Functional Theory (DFT) so that thermodynamically and kinetically favorable pathways were identified and analyzed. This presentation will discuss how molecular simulations may be used to design surface alloy materials that enhance hydrogenation selectivity while providing environmentally practical alternatives and more cost-efficient catalysts.

Presenters: Gary M. Sunderland ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Role of Pseudomonas Bacteria and Drought Stress on Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Green and Purple Basil

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a popular herb that is known for its ability to produce high concentrations of phenolic compounds. Phenolics have antioxidant properties that may confer health benefits such as protection against illnesses associated with oxidative stress, including heart disease and cancer. The production of phenolic compounds in basil can be influenced by environmental and agronomic factors throughout the plant’s development. However, the effects of specific factors such as soil bacteria and drought stress on phenolic content and antioxidant capacity have not been thoroughly investigated. This study determined the individual and combined effects of Pseudomonas soil bacteria and drought stress on the phenolic compound concentration and antioxidant capacity in green and purple basil. The Folin-Ciocalteu assay was used to analyze the total phenolic content and antioxidant properties were quantified using the cupric ion-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assay. Initial results indicated that in green basil, the antioxidant capacity was relatively unaffected by drought or bacteria while in purple basil, CUPRAC values were maximized with bacteria treatment alone (no drought). The findings of this research could expand current understandings of environmental and agronomic factors that affect the production of phenolic compounds within basil and other plants.

Presenters: Myla Benally ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Quantifying ROS-Mediated DNA Damage in Alternative DNA Structures

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are unstable, oxygen-containing compounds generated as byproducts of cellular metabolism and environmental stressors (e.g., UV light, pollutants, etc). When unregulated, ROS can impose significant cellular stress by causing DNA damage including base oxidation, abasic sites, and DNA strand breaks. Certain regions of DNA, particularly those with guanine-rich sequences, are more susceptible to ROS-induced damage. Moreover, some of these sequences can form three-stranded (H-DNA) structures, rather than the typical double-helical (B-DNA) conformation, and are associated with translocation hotspots, linking them to chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. Given the mutagenic nature of these structures, we hypothesize that H-DNA accumulates ROS-induced damage. To test this, we are developing a novel immunoblotting method that selectively labels oxidative damage with a fluorescent tag, allowing for direct comparison of oxidative damage levels between B-DNA and H-DNA. This presentation will provide an overview of the methodological framework for detecting oxidative damage in DNA exposed to oxidative stress.

Presenters: Brian Armijo ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Stress Response of Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Due to Red Light and Orolonged Red Light Exposure

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic brown algae responsible for around twenty percent of the world’s photosynthesis. These microorganisms harvest light for photosynthesis using a specialized light harvesting complex (LHC). The LHC contains the fucoxanthin chlorophyll protein (FCP) and a photosystem reaction center, which allow for downhill energy transfer during photosynthesis. It is this downhill energy transfer through the pigments of the LHC that can be utilized to study and quantify light harvesting mechanisms using absorption and fluorescence techniques. Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a species of diatoms known to exhibit a stress response where fluorescence is seen at 710 nm called the F710 state when placed under red light growth conditions. In this study, seven strains of P. tricornutum have been tested under red light and white light growth conditions and compared to analyze the F710 state stress response in different strains of P. tricornutum. With the extension of this exposure period of red light conditions, preliminary results indicate a change in the F710 state after a two month incubation period. Additionally, this study proposes growing P. tricornutum Pt.1 under red light for a maximum of two months under varying conditions of media transfer to determine the duration of this stress response.

Presenters: Annalina Slover ’26, Carolyn Waldie ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Effect of Red Light Stress on Chaetoceros Diatoms

Diatoms are unique photosynthetic organisms responsible for 20 - 30% of the Earth’s carbon fixation and play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems. These brownish pigmented algae contain a series of light-harvesting complexes known as fucoxanthin-chlorophyll proteins (FCP) that enable them to be productive in many seemingly unfit environments such as low light or nutrient-deficient conditions. Despite their significance, the mechanisms by which diatoms respond to environmental stressors remain poorly understood. This research aims to characterize the responses of Chaetoceros diatoms grown under red light conditions. Fluorescence data were collected using steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy to find differences in energy transfer dynamics in cell cultures grown under different conditions. Steady-state data suggest that growing diatoms in a red light environment does not cause a shift in fluorescence wavelength indicating that Chaetoceros do not respond to red light stress by altering where they transfer energy between light-harvesting complexes. Moreover, time-resolved data imply that there is a decrease in the amount of time that light energy is utilized in the photosystems with extended exposure to red light. Together, these results lead to a hypothesis that growth under red light decreases the energy transfer efficiency of Chaetoceros diatoms.

Presenters: Kaiden Salaz ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Exploring the Effects of Decreased Magnesium Concentrations on Phaeodactylum tricornutum F710 Fluorescence

Diatoms are single celled organisms that help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. They need chlorophyll a and c to perform photosynthesis, and magnesium is the central metal of these important molecules. Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Pt) are diatoms known to produce an F710 state, with red-shifted fluorescence, when grown under stressful conditions, such as exposure to low iron concentrations or exposure to red light. However, the effect that lower magnesium concentrations have on the Pt F710 state remains unknown. In order to determine how lower magnesium concentrations would affect the F710 state, the diatoms were grown in artificial sea water that had the following added magnesium concentrations relative to the regularly used growth media: 100%, 50%, 10%, and 0%. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to monitor cell growth and time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) were collected to determine the presence of the F710 state for all magnesium concentrations. Surprisingly, preliminary TRES data did not show the presence of an F710 state for any of the magnesium concentrations in the study. However, results showed that cell growth was inhibited at lower magnesium concentrations, as expected. The findings of this study imply that lower magnesium concentrations impacted the diatoms but without the presence of an F710 state.

Presenters: Jodi Glenn-Millhouse ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Synthesis of Nintedanib Derivative for the Inhibition of the JAK/STAT Pathway

Kinases are responsible for the phosphorylation of a substrate, a key regulatory factor of many cellular pathways. The dysregulation of kinase activity is often linked to the progression of rapid cell growth, a defining trait of cancers. Dysregulation of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway plays a large role in the development of blood cancers, particularly the mutation of the JAK3 kinase. Previous research on the inhibition of JAK3 involves the pan-inhibition of the JAK family of kinases (JAK1/2/3 and TYK2); selective inhibition of JAK3 remains unexplored. This study aimed to fully synthesize a JAK3-selective covalent inhibitor by using the previously FDA-approved molecule, nintedanib, as a template. The first synthetic route attempted involved the synthesis of two separate motifs from commercially available starting materials, followed by peptide coupling to connect the two motifs. This route was an inefficient method for the synthesis of nintedanib and resulted in a significant loss of product yield, where only 9.1% of the expected product weight was obtained. This presentation will discuss the previous method used for the synthesis of nintedanib, the limitations of its employment, and strategies to overcome the initial synthetic roadblock.

Presenters: Kayla Moody ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Synthesis of tert-Butyl Ester Nintedanib Derivative for Irreversible JAK3 Inhibition

Kinases play a crucial role in regulating key cellular processes, and dysregulation of kinase activity is often linked to the progression of various diseases, including cancer. The Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (STAT) signaling pathway is particularly implicated in blood cancers, with mutations in the JAK3 kinase driving uncontrolled cell proliferation. While JAK inhibitors exist, selective inhibition of individual JAK family members remains underexplored, despite its potential to reduce off-target effects and improve therapeutic outcomes. This work focuses on synthesizing a JAK3-selective irreversible covalent inhibitor by modifying nintedanib, an FDA-approved multi-kinase inhibitor. A tert-butyl ester group has been introduced to reduce susceptibility to esterases (metabolism). Previous synthetic approaches proved challenging due to difficulties in obtaining high yields of pure products, making large-scale synthesis difficult. Two out of five attempts of the first step resulted in less than a 30% yield and the overall yield of the first five steps was less than 10%. To address this, the current strategy is based on a published high-yielding synthesis of nintedanib, providing a more reliable route to the target compound. This optimized synthetic approach aims to facilitate future evaluation of the inhibitor’s selectivity and potency in biochemical assays, advancing the development of targeted JAK3 inhibitors.

Presenters: Hannah Laurence ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Connecting Minds Connecting Bonds

General chemistry is commonly known as the first “weeder” course amongst many STEM students, with drop rates increasing in recent years. (17%, 20% and 35% in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively). The Connecting Minds Connecting Bonds (CMCB) program aimed to increase confidence levels, community between peers and mentors, and retention rates in the STEM field by strengthening their basic algebra and general chemistry skills before the start of the school year. We accomplished this in 4 phases. In the Preparatory Phase, we created lesson plans that included an excel, basic algebra, and general chemistry workshop. In addition, we enlisted upperclassman SciGuides to serve as program facilitators. In the Implementation phase, we recruited students from the General Chemistry 1 lectures and executed the one-day program. In the follow-up phase, we sent a post-program survey to compare confidence levels in general chemistry and algebra after participating in the program. Finally, for the Assessment phase we took all of our data from the surveys to identify any trends, which would allow us to see if the students benefited from attending our program. Of the 56 students that expressed interest in the program, 7.2% were not confident in their algebra skills and 14.3% were not confident in their chemistry skills. Additionally, 21.4% reported they did not feel a strong sense of belonging within the university. However, due to the early start time, only three students attended the program. Despite low attendance, all of the students that attended reported an increased or unchanged level of confidence and a stronger sense of belonging. In addition, they felt more comfortable reaching out to upperclassmen for help and recommended the program for students taking General Chemistry 1 in the future.

Presenters: Karim Clarke ’26, Rachael Ng ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Transcribing Edward Despard, A Significant Figure in Early Belizean History

Edward Despard is an interesting figure in British history during the age of revolutions, and important to the early history of Belize. British settlement in Central America became solidified in Belize in 1787 with the removal of the settlement on the Mosquito Shore to Belize. Despard oversaw this resettlement, and attempted to make it as egalitarian as possible, thereby challenging the tightening race-class-color hierarchy organizing social life in the British Caribbean. For this he was removed from his position as Superintendent. His championing of poorer people and people of color contributed to a developing social polity in Belize that was less rigidly organized by race, color and class than in other parts of the Anglo Caribbean. This poster details some of the story of Despard’s work in British Central America, and also shows the painstaking process of transcription of 18th Century manuscripts. Despard wrote a 400 page account of his work to try to overturn his removal. Dr. Johnson’s research team is transcribing this narrative into a searchable text document, for use in her research but also to be shared with the Belize Archives and Records Service.

Presenters: Aidan Boswell ’26, Karim Clarke ’26, Raven Waugh ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Stepparents in America: Unearthing Distinct Practices and Processes

Our research explores the distinct labor, practices, and processes that stepparents in the U.S. perform, with a focus on women’s lived experiences and gender differences between parents. Through a feminist, intersectional lens, we aim to bring to the forefront experiences of inequality beyond the elusive two-parent household, which has been historically privileged both in the U.S. and research. Throughout our research endeavors we have encountered unique problems regarding virtual fraudulent behavior. Our aim was to craft a research study that would be accessible to individuals in precarious situations–e.g., disabled individuals, immigrants, previously incarcerated parents. However, these practices also ended up exposing the study to fraudulent behaviors during virtual recruitment, which often happened in combination with each other: inconsistent GeoLocations including outside of the U.S., similar time stamps for numerous respondents, patterns in names and emails, and more. In addition, a primary objective of our project was to engage with the community in transformative ways. Therefore, we have partnered with the Carver Center for Families to provide our services while building an honest relationship with the community and potential participants.

Presenters: Isabella Bahamon ’26, Chelsey Rocha ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Unmaking Unjust Systems

The social systems in our country perpetuate inequity, including our Justice system. During my Spring 2025 internship with the Travis County Civil and Family Law Court Facility, I observed multiple sessions of Parent Drug Treatment Court, Child Protective Services (CPS) Court, in addition to many civil cases. In this experience, I was able to learn what it looks like when the judicial system works to connect people to needed resources, rather than contributing to inequality through punitive practices. My first-hand experience with the Honorable Judge Aurora Martinez Jones modeled working in service of individuals caught up in the justice system and what judicial advocacy can look like. This poster presentation will outline these experiences, in addition to a “white paper” report I produced for the honorable judge. This report outlines and describes Federal Legislative Updates as it relates to multiple child welfare programs, such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Court Improvement Program (CIP), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This experience highlights the ways that people from all backgrounds are working to unmake unjust systems.

Presenters: Campbell Timmons ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Southwestern University’s Financial Analyst Program

Southwestern University’s Financial Analyst Program (FAP) is a student managed investment fund tasked with growing a portion of Southwestern’s endowment fund. The poster being presented reviews our fund’s performance in 2023.

Within our poster, we review the FAP’s history, portfolio objectives and strategy, and various measurements of 2023 performance. With an investment fund valued around $2.5 million, our student analysts seek to preserve and expand the purchasing power for the future of Southwestern University. By investing in carefully selected securities, we aim to achieve strong risk-adjusted returns relative to the overall stock market. This poster was originally created for a portfolio competition at the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium in Chicago, Illinois.

Throughout 2023, our team learned the intricacies of financial markets, while achieving our goal of producing a positive return for Southwestern University. Given what we learned from our experiences in 2023, our investment fund had a more successful year in 2024.

Presenters: Ryan Corbett ’25, Keegan Hardy ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Rules of Quotas Matter: Why There Are More Women In Italy’s Legislature Than Japan’s

As an increasing number of countries recognize that descriptive representation fosters substantive representation, gender quotas have emerged as a viable mechanism for addressing gender disparities within legislatures. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Japan and Italy, both of which share several key characteristics, in order to explore the underlying factors that contribute to Japan’s lower female representation in the National Diet, contrasted with Italy’s higher levels of female representation in its Parliament. Commonalities between the two countries include their authoritarian pasts, traditional cultural frameworks, influential conservative political parties, and their bicameral parliamentary systems—each of which plays a role in shaping the functionality of their democratic processes and degree of political freedom. Despite these similarities, a critical question arises: why does Japan have fewer women in its legislature than Italy, despite both nations having legislated gender quotas? To address this question, I employ the comparative method’s most similar systems approach, analyzing the discrepancy between Italy’s rigidly legislated quotas and Japan’s more lenient voluntary party quotas. This analysis finds that the codification of gender quotas, coupled with enforceable sanctions for non-compliance, is essential for ensuring increased female political participation and preserving the legitimacy and efficacy of such quotas.

Presenters: David Gomez ’25, Scott Hampton ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Are We All Damsels in Distress? The Secret Anti-Feminism of “Wellness”

This research focuses on creating a political theory surrounding the trope of the Damsel in Distress, and how that same trop has manifested and shifted in social media and its influencers today. In this project, we focus on music, advertising, film, and folklore to establish a political genealogy of how this trope has remained prominent in women’s lives over the course of recent history until today, as women establish themselves as working professionals and participants in modern consumerism. Our hypothesis is that we will see a correlation between female representation in the media and how women approach their own identity. This study will be supported by authors such as Francesca Polleta and Claire Snyder-Hall who supply analysis and debate. The rest of our research will be pulled from podcasts and social media content in order to provide an analysis of our theory. This is a cross-disciplinary project as we will be applying topics from sociology, communications, business, and political science, making this a well-rounded and developed project.

Presenters: Clea Hansen ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Self-Expansion in Virtual Reality

Extensive research suggests that self-expanding, or engaging in exciting and novel activities with others, is beneficial to our relationships. We were interested in how virtual reality (VR) could facilitate self-expansion in stranger dyads and how these experiences impact participants’ relational and physiological outcomes. We also examined how skill level affects the experience of self-expansion, as activities that are too difficult may create stress rather than benefits. In our lab, we randomly assigned stranger dyads to engage in one of three immersive activities in VR: 1. Exploring a familiar scene in the same city as our university (i.e., control). 2. Visiting an iconic European destination (i.e., low intensity, no skill required). 3. Experiencing an “adventure tourism” activity (i.e., high intensity, skill required). Our analyses showed that self-expansion can indeed occur in a VR setting. Furthermore, we found that when the challenge of the activity aligned with participants’ skill levels, the self-expanding experience was more likely to foster social connection and healthier physiological responses. These findings suggest that the balance between an individual’s skill level and the difficulty of the activity is important in determining the physiological and relational benefits associated with self-expansion.

Presenters: Clayton Crusius ’25, Sarah Doroshow ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Building Expectations: Children’s and Adults’ Reasoning About What They Should Expect

We examined children’s (aged 4 to 10 years) and adults’ (anticipated N = 200; current N = 21) beliefs about when people should form certain expectations. Participants were shown 6 vignettes with uncertain future outcomes. There were three types of stories: Uncontrollable non-identity-relevant (e.g., if a snowman will melt), uncontrollable identity-relevant (e.g., waiting for an exam grade), and controllable identity-relevant (e.g., about to take an exam). We define identity-relevance as whether the outcome reflects on the character’s self-image. Participants were asked what the character should think (i.e., have high or low expectations), including confidence ratings (i.e., not so sure, kind of sure, really sure). Additionally, participants explained why they thought that way. We hypothesized that children, especially 4- to 5-year-olds, will have higher expectation ratings than adults, no matter the story type. We anticipated that children ages 6 and up and adults would have lower expectations for uncontrollable scenarios than controllable. We expected people would report higher expectation ratings for identity-relevant scenarios than non-identity relevant scenarios. This research aims to widen our knowledge about how and why people form expectations, including how this differs by age.

Presenters: Cecilia Cantu ’26, Daryl Locke ’26, Eliana Sanger ’25, Davis Warms ’25, Jinx Wiener ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Don’t “hit me up”: The Effects of Initiator Gender and Setting on Perceptions of Date Initiations

The current study explored perceptions of a date proposal as a function of the gender of the date initiator and the setting of the date initiation. Using a 2 (Gender of Initiator: Female or Male) x 2 (Setting of the Initiation: By Text or In Person) between-subjects design, 113 undergraduate students reported their perceptions of a hypothetical date proposal in which either a female or male college student asked an opposite-sex classmate on a date either over text message or in person. As predicted, male-initiated scenarios were rated more positively when the proposal took place in person rather than over text; however, ratings of female-initiated scenarios did not vary according to the initiation setting. In short, our findings suggest that gender roles are prevalent in dating strategies and dictate that men take a direct approach when initiating relationships.

Presenters: Samantha Gonzalez ’25, Lauren Levee ’27, Georgia Micknal ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Kiss Flirtatious Emojis Goodbye: The Effects of Emoji Use and Professor Gender on Email Appropriateness

We examined the effect of professor gender and flirtatious emoji use on student perceptions of email appropriateness. As part of a 2 x 2 between-subjects design, 113 participants read one of four hypothetical vignettes in which a female or male professor emailed a female student about positive class performance; half of the emails contained the kissy-face emoji whereas the other half did not. Students evaluated the appropriateness of the email and the professor’s credibility. As predicted, the use of a flirtatious emoji negatively impacted student perceptions of the appropriateness of the email for both male and female professors. However, this effect was qualified by an interaction between professor gender and emoji use for judgments of a professor’s credibility. Specifically, male professors who used the flirtatious emoji were perceived as less credible than were female professors who used the same emoji. By contrast, when no emoji was used, male and female professors were perceived to be equally credible. Our findings imply that some emojis are interpreted as inappropriate by students and can hurt professor credibility, making it crucial for instructors to be aware of emoji connotations. Male professors in particular should be careful of how students might perceive their emails.

Presenters: Mia Figueroa ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

An Animal Model of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy: The Effects of Testosterone or Estrogen on Sexual Behavior in Long-Evans Rats

This study examined an animal model of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on sexual behavior and physiology. Female Long-Evans rats received testosterone enanthate (TE) or oil, while males received estradiol benzoate (EB) or oil for four weeks to mimic the masculinizing and feminizing effects of GAHT. Sexual motivation and behavior were assessed using a partner preference test with limited and unlimited physical contact phases. TE-treated females did not enter proestrus or estrus but remained sexually receptive, spent less time with stimulus animals, and displayed more rejection behaviors. They also gained more weight than controls, though ovarian weights were unaffected. EB-treated males showed no behavioral differences but had significantly lower testes and body weights. These findings suggest GAHT influences reproductive health and sexual behavior differently based on sex, offering insights into the physiological and behavioral effects of hormone treatments in a controlled animal model.

Presenters: Chance Bauer ’27, Mia Figueroa ’26, Iva Irabor-Ighedosa ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

An Animal Model of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy: The Effects of Testosterone or Estrogen on Sexual Behavior in Long-Evans Rats

The present project was designed to test an animal model of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on sexual behavior and physiology. Adult sexually experienced female Long-Evans rats were treated with testosterone enanthate (TE) or oil, twice per week for 4 weeks. TE was used to mimicthe masculinizing effects of GAHT prescribed to transmen. Adult sexually experienced male Long-Evans rats were treated with estradiol benzoate (EB)or oil, daily for 4 weeks. EB was used to model the feminizing effects of GAHT prescribed to transwomen. On the last day of hormone treatment, all rats were tested for sexual motivation and behavior using the partner preference paradigm, whereby subjects could spend time near a sexually vigorous male stimulus or a sexually receptive female stimulus. The first phase of the test limited physical contact between the subject and the stimulus animals, allowing for only the transmission of auditory, visual, and olfactory cues. The second phase of the test provided unlimited physical contact between the subject and the stimulus animals. Body weights were recorded weekly and gonads were removed and weighed after the partner preference test. Estrous cyclicity was monitored in the female subjects for the last 10 days of treatment. Finally, female controls received EB (48 hrs)and progesterone (P; 4 hrs) before the partner preference test to synchronize their sexual receptivity, while TE-treated rats received oil. We found TE-treated female rats failed to enter proestrus or estrus during the 10-day observation period. Interestingly, TE-treated female rats were sexually receptive despite not receiving EB+P injections, thus TE could elicit lordosis. Furthermore, TE-treated female rats spent less time with either stimulus animal than controls across both phases of the partner preference test. When physical contact was possible, TE-treated female rats displayed more rejection behaviors. Ovarian weights did not differ, but TE-treated rats weighed more than controls by the end of the exposure period. In contrast, EB-treated male rats did not differ from controls during the partner preference test. However, testes and body weights were significantly lower than controls at the end of the exposure period. In conclusion, these findings expand our understanding of the effects of GAHT on reproductive health and sexual behavior using an animal model.

Presenters: Chance Bauer ’27, Mia Figueroa ’26, Iva Irabor-Ighedosa ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Learning Commons Mural

We are creating a mural in the Tutoring Center celebrating the Learning Commons. We’ve created a digital design and will have it printed as a wallpaper which we will install. The design depicts the mascots of the Learning Commons, AP Woof and AP Whispers, studying together. The studious setting that these mascots are in demonstrates the academic collaboration and support that the Commons encourages. Before the final installation, students will vote on three different color palettes. This way, each student has a voice in the final mural that will be implemented in their studying space. We hope this will evoke inspiration and excitement about the new space of the Learning Commons. This creative piece, cultivated by Southwestern students, aims to create a sense of community between subject tutors, writing consultants, and the student body for years to come. Finally, we want to use this artwork as a thank you for the generous donation of Professor John Score by turning the space into an area that would best support students. The blank wall of the new Learning Commons demonstrates an opportunity to create a welcoming atmosphere for students to enjoy.

Presenters: Kendyl Feuerbacher ’27, Mia Figueroa ’26, Eliana Solis ’26, Leah Ashten Wheeler ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

La Malinche: Navigating Between Cultures

This essay examines the historical figure of Malintzin, also known as Malinche or Doña Marina, from multiple perspectives, exploring topics such as identity, Chicano feminism, and her role in the conquest of Mexico. Through a comparative study of various sources, including literary, artistic and television works, contrasting interpretations of her legacy as a translator, intermediary and symbol of miscegenation are analyzed. Her perception as a traitor by the indigenous people, her representation as a victim of colonialism and sexual violence, and her resignification in modern movements that position her as a strong and strategic woman are addressed.

The essay highlights works such as the exhibition “Traitor, survivor, icon: the legacy of Malinche” and the poem “Yo Soy Malinche” by Carmen Tafolla, which emphasize her role as an agent of change and survival. This multidimensional approach allows us to reevaluate Malintzin as a complex character, whose story continues to be relevant to the discussion of gender, power and miscegenation in Mexican culture and in our personal lives.

Presenters: Sofia Rangel-Medina ’25, Eliana Solis ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Intergenerational Communication: Treasured Heirlooms and Cultural Practices

Families and communities cohere by keeping histories, telling stories, and passing on heirlooms across generations. Heirlooms include everyday items that transport memories, inherited practices and traditions over time. Everyday objects, like chairs, belts, quilts, or bats, are treasured alongside objects of material value, for example art, jewelry, or precious objects for specific occasions. Singular, unique items carry messages just as assemblages or collections. Whether practical or decorative, material objects are studied as carriers of traditions and inheritances. Acts of keeping, curating, and sharing stories of kinship and care connected to the heirloom objects and practices are important reminders of the value of intergenerational communication and intercultural learning. Research into the different types of material objects, e.g. photographs, written documents, collections, crafts, machines, tools, etc., includes intergenerational cultural practices, e.g. cooking, quilting, hunting, farming, reading, writing, storytelling, music, etc., and an analysis of communication dynamics connected to material and rhetorical artefacts, e.g. fostering emotional connections, forming and preserving identities, transmitting skills / knowledges /spiritualities, connecting across generations. Research results highlight the significance of amplifying connections. Beyond academic aspects, the poster includes personal reflections on how diverse audiences could engage with heirlooms and traditions and invites audiences to participate.

Presenters: Kal Abraham ’28, Emily Arriaga ’28, Lauren Baek ’28, Taya Davis ’28, Stephen Fuqua ’28, Rylee Gaona ’28, Kristine Garcia ’28, Reagan Halstead ’28, Robert Hoenig ’28, Alec House ’28, Kendall Jurgens ’28, Raven Matthews ’28, Peyton Mclaughlin ’28, Shekinah Mukadi ’28, Jessica Oritz ’28, Theodoros Phocas ’28, Matteo Quattrin ’28, Walker Shaw ’28, Jude Shields ’28, Ethan Sledge ’28, Candace Smith ’28, Jacob Smith ’28, Samuel Stillwell ’28, Chad Trottier ’28, Landry Wagoner ’28, Isabella Warren ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

TikTok and the Algorithm: How Surveillance, Neutrality, and Transparency Threaten User Identity

While many social media platforms are influential in their own right, TikTok’s rapid rise in usage and popularity in recent years makes it stand out. The For You Page (FYP) offers a never-ending stream of content provided by the seemingly all-knowing algorithm. However, in the process of the algorithm finding content for you, it conducts constant surveillance on the user. Furthermore, TikTok justifies these actions and the content it provides by framing neutrality and transparency in ways that shift responsibility onto the user. As such, I analyze TikTok’s “Building Responsibly” statement and 3 user videos about the algorithm through the lens of surveillance theory, particularly from a panoptic and lateral stance, and interpellation. Through this analysis, this study reveals the ways in which TikTok alters user autonomy and identity work. Underlying this process is a focus on the harms to minority groups and the impact on their visibility and representation.

Presenters: Alexa Delenela ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Twisties, Trauma, and Twitter: Examining the Complex Reactions to Simone Biles’ Withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ignited widespread discourse, particularly on social media, where reactions ranged from admiration to criticism. This study examines the public response to Biles’ decision through an intersectional lens, analyzing the role of race, gender, and trauma in shaping public perception. Using a qualitative analysis of tweets featured in a Daily Mail article, this research explores how narratives of resilience, mental health awareness, and racialized expectations of Black female athletes intersected in the discourse surrounding Biles. While many public figures supported Biles, this support often failed to acknowledge the disabling impact of trauma, particularly her history as a survivor of sexual abuse. Negative responses framed her withdrawal as unpatriotic and weak, reinforcing stereotypes about Black women’s strength and emotional resilience. This study argues that the discourse highlights broader societal discomfort with acknowledging trauma as a legitimate disability, particularly for Black female athletes. Through an intersectional framework incorporating Black feminist critique and hegemony theory, this paper illustrates how public narratives oversimplified Biles’ experience, flattening the complexity of her trauma while reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Ultimately, this study calls for a more nuanced understanding of athlete mental health, disability, and intersectional oppression.

Presenters: Abby Ryan ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Importance of Cultural Intelligence in Foreign Espionage: A Latin America Case Study

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is a crucial yet often underestimated factor in the success of foreign espionage operations. This research examines how the understanding of cultural components, specifically religion, influences intelligence effectiveness in Latin America, shaping political and economic outcomes. By analyzing historical and contemporary espionage cases, this study evaluates the extent religious literacy enhances or hinders operatives’ ability to establish trust, interpret socio-political dynamics, and avoid intelligence failures. Utilizing qualitative analysis of declassified intelligence reports, case studies, and scholars’ analysis, the research assesses patterns of success and failure in past operations. Findings suggest that a high level of CQ significantly improves intelligence collection and strategic decision-making, while its absence leads to critical miscalculations. The study concludes that intelligence agencies must prioritize CQ training to enhance operational success in Latin America’s complex geopolitical landscape. This research contributes to a broader understanding of the role of cultural awareness in national security and foreign policy, and it provides suggestions on how to avoid cultural misunderstanding.

Presenters: Kamryn Shaffer ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

St. Davids Rotational Shadowing Internship

During Fall of 2024 I was fortunate to participate in a 10-Week 40 hour rotational shadowing program through St. Davids Hospital in Georgetown. During the program I was able to shadow in the Emergency Department, Radiology, Endoscopy, Women’s Services, Pharmacy and Physical Therapy. This was an extremely valuable experience as it exposed me to many different areas of the hospital and allowed me to connect aspects of healthcare to my personal experiences. For example, the healthcare “team” in the hospital is not much different from a football team or the executive board of my fraternity. It was interesting to see that many of the lessons that I have learned and skills that I have acquired during my time at Southwestern will be directly applicable to the healthcare field that I hope to work in. Moving forward with aspirations of becoming a physician I intend to continue seeking experiential learning and make connections in everything that I do.

Presenters: Charles Fournier ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Faculty- Led Study Abroad Opportunities through SU

During my internship at TLKE, a London-based distributor of luxury timepieces and jewelry, I applied essential business concepts such as marketing, supply chain management, and customer engagement in a practical, fast-paced setting. My role involved preparing samples and displays for market week events and collaborating with the distribution team to enhance inventory management. To align the company’s digital marketing strategies with current market demands, I conducted thorough market research that identified emerging trends, thereby informing decisions to boost online visibility. This hands-on experience allowed me to integrate classroom theories on branding and consumer behavior with real-world problem-solving, sharpening my analytical, communication, and teamwork skills. Ultimately, my work contributed to optimizing operational efficiency and reinforcing TLKE’s brand identity in a competitive luxury goods market. This internship not only deepened my understanding of industry dynamics but also solidified my commitment to a future career in digital marketing, where innovative branding and data-driven customer engagement remain paramount.

Presenters: Marisol Mendoze Valverde ’27, Kessa Thurman ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

My Experiences Interning at a Wheelchair Accessible Gym in Ireland

This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at the Irish Wheelchair Association Sport in Dublin, Ireland. The organization provides opportunities for fitness and recreation for people of all ages and abilities, and one way they do this is through running a wheelchair-accessible gym. My job as an intern was to work the front desk, work one-on-one with clients on their training, and create online media about health education and disability advocacy. There were endless opportunities for connections with my classwork, from exercise physiology to health promotion and programming. My objectives were to 1. Understand what it takes to run a fully wheelchair-accessible gym 2. Engage in adaptive fitness and recreation at a range of levels and 3. Evaluate my satisfaction with the job and evaluate if it’s a viable career for me. This internship reinforced my passion for increasing opportunities available to people of all abilities, especially in the fitness and recreation field. Earning a Certificate of Personal Training became a goal of mine through this job, and I don’t plan on stopping there.

Presenters: Miranda Farrar ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina

In the summer of 2024, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a 6-week Spanish immersion program led by Southwestern Professor Dr. De Oro. I gained knowledge of the culture and history of Argentina, the freedom to explore a huge city, see natural wonders, and form great friendships with my classmates. Learning about Argentina’s political system and its history of dictatorships also allowed me to make connections to my political science degree. Seeing the protests, active participation, and resistance of the Argentine people allowed me to draw comparisons between the U.S. and Argentina. Visiting an NGO in La Boca, one of Buenos Aires’s most underprivileged neighborhoods, and seeing how they used a barter system to contribute to their community was especially meaningful. My favorite experiences included a trip to see the Iguazu Waterfalls, an Estancia in San Antonio de Areco, and a visit to Colonia, Uruguay. Additionally, staying with my amazing host mom, Maria allowed me to be immersed in Spanish and gain a greater understanding of the Argentine culture and community from first-hand experience.

Presenters: Sophia Trifilio ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

SU Paris Olympics 2024

I took a 4 credit class focusing on sport, culture, and physiology at the 2024 Paris Olympics! Outside of class, I had the opportunity to explore many of Paris’s iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. Additionally, I attended Olympic events such as beach volleyball and women’s basketball, further enriching my experience. During this unique experience at the Olympics, I gained a deep understanding of French culture and sports while forging lasting friendships and creating lifelong memories. We collaborated with a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting physical activity among adults, where we had the opportunity to design a workout class and contribute meaningfully to the community.

Presenters: Claire Romo ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Synthesis of Nintedanib Derivative for the Inhibition of the JAK/STAT Pathway

Presenters: Zachary Logan ’25

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

3:15pm - 4:30pm

Research and Creative Works Symposium