Schedule of Presentations & Exhibitions

Research and Creative Works Symposium

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April 14th, 2026

9:00am - 9:20am

Oral Presentations

A Different Type of Circuit: Exploring Graph Theory in Mario Kart World

This presentation focuses on exploring the ins and outs of Mario Kart World’s map using concepts present in graph theory. For the first time in the Mario Kart series, the game is open-world, containing thirty tracks and over two hundred routes to travel between them all, so finding a way to connect them all can be a daunting task. We can represent the tracks as vertices and routes as edges to discover information about the whole graph. Using properties of Hamiltonian paths and Eulerian trails, it can be shown whether connecting all of these routes together is possible. In the case where connecting all of the routes is impossible, we find maximal subgraphs that contain these trails and paths. A combinatorial problem is also examined, determining how many paths of length four exist in the graph, akin to the cups found in the Grand Prix mode of Mario Kart World.

Presenters: Tanner Klein ’26

Location: Olin 126

Liquid Gold: The History of Texas Beekeeping

For this research project, I will be investigating the history of apiculture/beekeeping within the great state of Texas, with a specific focus on its evolution into the highly profitable commercial industry that we know it as today. As Texas is one of the largest honey producers in the United States and given the significant role of honey as a staple in many people’s diets as well as its frequent incorporation in Southern cooking, the goal of this research is to analyze the multifaceted impact that beekeeping and the honey industry have in shaping Texas culture, economy, and, in some cases, even regional identity. In terms of regional identity, an example of something that I am examining is how honey-related traditions have influenced specific locations in Texas, notably towns such as Honey Grove and Bee Cave, as they represent how deeply rooted the practice of beekeeping is in our state.

Presenters: Anne Bouffard ’26

Location: Olin 322

Malflora Collective: Comunidad y Solidaridad en la Memoria y Las Historias

In the world and within our own cultures, the stories of Latina/e queer women and lesbians have often been marginalized or completely erased. Malflora Collective is a collaborative community project that works to preserve and uplift these narratives by documenting the everyday lives, memories, and legacies of Latina/e lesbian communities. Building on the work of Malflora Collective, this presentation will showcase my creation of a zine that brings together elements of Latina/e lesbian activist organizing, music, art, and personal testimonies gathered through interviews. By highlighting these voices, the zine serves as both an archive and a form of community storytelling. The collected histories illustrate how Latina/e lesbians build networks of community, practice collectivity, and engage in mutual aid as part of their lived experiences and activism. Ultimately, the project aims to protect stories that are frequently overlooked in dominant cultural and historical narratives. Through creative and community-based documentation, Malflora Collective contributes to preserving Latina/e lesbian and queer histories while creating more visibility, solidarity, and recognition of our ongoing organizing and cultural contributions.

Presenters: Mia Santoscoy ’26

Location: Olin 323

The Effects of Red Light Stress on Various Ecotypes of Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic algae that contribute roughly twenty percent of global photosynthesis. These microorganisms capture light energy through a specialized light-harvesting complex (LHC) composed of fucoxanthin chlorophyll proteins (FCPs) and photosystem reaction centers, which enable efficient downhill energy transfer. This downhill energy transfer process through the pigments of the LHC can be investigated using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies to better understand light harvesting mechanisms. Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a species of diatoms known to exhibit a stress response known as the F710 state, characterized by fluorescence emission at 710 nm, when grown under red light conditions. Room temperature fluorescence lifetime of F710 is about 900 ps. In this study, seven ecotypes of P. tricornutum have been tested under red light and white light growth conditions to compare the effect of native environment on the F710 stress response. Recent work has linked red-light-induced F710 emission to oligomers of specific FCP subunits, particularly Lhcf15 proteins. The appearance of the F710 state may reflect adaptive or protective mechanisms within the LHCs, giving insight to how diatoms regulate energy flow, dissipate excess excitation, or adapt their photosynthetic apparatus in response to stress. We are working to investigate the gene expression related to light responses and red shifted absorption under stress in Phaeodactylum tricornutum ecotypes.

Presenters: Annalina Slover ’26

Location: Olin 124

Translating Antiquity: Classical Myth Retellings in Contemporary Adaptations

Classical mythology and antiquity have long functioned as fluid frameworks historically mobilized to reinforce prevailing social hierarchies and political ideologies. Today, however, a recent surge of contemporary mythological retellings has emerged across literature and musical theater; from local bookstores to Broadway. These new adaptations operate at the intersection of cultural translation and social critique, demonstrating how classical antiquity remains a current presence in both academic inquiry and contemporary cultural expression. A common factor of these recent retellings center around feminist and LGBTQIA+ perspectives, foregrounding the marginalized voices in ancient antiquity. By reshaping narratives of gender, authority, and identity, these works artistically translate classical stories to reflect evolving social values while retaining recognizable narrative frameworks. Their popularity signals not only a renewed interest in antiquity, but a desire to resonate with diverse, contemporary audiences. Using interdisciplinary methods from Classical Studies, Feminist Studies, and English Literature, this project applies close literary analysis and reception theory to investigate how these adaptations transform well-known myths into innovative reinterpretations. Ultimately, the project demonstrates that classical mythology endures through creative reinvention, remaining deeply embedded in contemporary conversations about representation and identity.

Presenters: Sophia Ramirez ’26

Location: Olin 324

9:20am - 9:40am

Oral Presentations

All Will Be Well

“All Will Be Well” is an original song written as part of a midterm presentation on the special topic of Creation Myth, as part of the course Magic, Angels & Demons. First, I will briefly discuss my presentation, giving an overview of how the creation story as told in the Biblical book of Genesis compares to the creation stories of the Hopi and Diné (Navajo) People, Indigenous inhabitants of the Southwestern United States. I will then connect this work to significant life experiences that inspired me to write a song combining the concept of creation stories with what it means to live life in the present and accept all facets of what may come to be. The song incorporates a kind of creation story of my own, and includes lyrics that reflect on my father’s death, living as a person in recovery from addiction, and choosing to believe that I am a creation of the Universe. The chorus of the song borrows the words, “All will be well,” penned by the 14th century mystic, Julian of Norwich, who is considered by many to be the mother of medieval theology. Her writings, “Revelations of Divine Love,” are the oldest surviving written works attributed to a woman.

Presenters: Sally Beglau ’26

Location: Olin 323

Deregulation of tight junction gene expression in ovarian cancer cell lines

In the United States we are estimated to have 20,010 new cases of ovarian cancer. Historically, only 20% of ovarian cancer cases are detected at an early stage. 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. 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). Additionally, we reported overexpression of the JAM-4 protein in two cell lines (PA-1 and Caov-3) using immunoblotting. We have isolated RNA from an additional two ovarian cancer cell lines (Caov-3 and NIH-OVCAR-3), and we are in the process of analyzing the RNA for the expression of 84 tight junction genes by microarray analysis. Our findings should provide insights as to the role of tight junction gene defects in the metastasis of ovarian cancer.

Presenters: Kate Dennis ’26

Location: Olin 124

How to Live to Be 100: an Exploration of Blue Zones and What They Can Teach Us

I hope to present my International Studies capstone project at the Research and Creative Works Symposium. My capstone is researching Blue Zones, the specific areas of the world where inhabitants routinely live to be centenarians or older, with shockingly low rates of chronic illness or disease. These areas have been controversial since their identification by Dan Buettner in 2004, with researchers attempting to pin down what these 5 regions have in common and how to replicate the results worldwide. While some studies have concluded that there are ways other countries can live like the citizens of these Blue Zones, even instituting policy changes inspired by their practices in places like Manhattan Beach, others believe the issue to be a hoax. I will be studying and cross-referencing the commonalities between the five Blue Zones across studies, focusing on the way they handle the development of these habits and policies, and suggesting one change we can make here at Southwestern University to live long, healthy lives like those in Blue Zones, ensuring my suggestion is supported by changes already attempted in other regions.

Presenters: Margaret Steele ’27

Location: Olin 324

The Brixton Riots, Race, and Policing in the UK

I’ll be doing a presentation on the Brixton Riots in England in the 1980s and the history of the relationship of race and policing in the UK and England’s former colonies. My particular research question would be: How did the 1981 and 1985 Brixton Riots reflect racial tensions as they had built up over the preceding few decades (50 or so years), and what long-term impacts did they have on race relations in Brixton? The Brixton Riots occurred in the Brixton Borough of London, home to many immigrants from the West Indies, in 1981 and 1985. Both riots resulted in many police and residents being injured or killed, cars burned, and police flooding the neighborhood. I would address the contemporary reactions of the residents of Brixton and the government. Additionally, I would look at how the events have been fixed in historical records and cultural memory. The Scarman Report, determined that the factors that led to the 1981 riot were a complex mix of social and economic deprivations felt by the immigrant residents. The report admitted that police repression was a factor, but it stopped short of saying the police were institutionally racist, which made the report politically palatable to politicians, whose private correspondence shows that they were mostly interested in optics. The Scarman Report recommendations were mostly ignored, and the Macpherson report two decades later also had recommendations that were not followed. The Black population of London and Britain watched as things got worse.

Presenters: Molly Dowe ’26

Location: Olin 322

What’s magical about hexagonal tiling

Tilling is the act of covering a plane with shapes while leaving no empty space on the plane. The rhombitrihexagonal tiling is a semiregular tiling of the Euclidean plane. There are two squares, one triangle, and one hexagon on each vertex. Examples of these tilings appear in mosaics inside mosques, in the Roman floor at Castel di Guido and the Temple of Diana in Nîmes France, and in modern culture through the board game Kensington. A magic square is an n x n square grid where the numbers 1 up to n^2 each appear once and the sum of the numbers in each row, column, and the two main diagonals are the same constant called the magic sum. The earliest historical example of the magic square is of a Chinese emperor finding a turtle with a square on its back with the number 5 in the center. We combine these two ideas to create magic rhombitrihexigonal tilings. Each triangle and square surrounding a hexagon will be a unique number, from 1 up to m, m being the number of squares and triangles in a given tiling. The goal is to have all adjacent triangles of one hexagon to add to the same number as another hexagon’s triangles. Also, adjacent squares of a hexagon will have the same property. This talk will give my results for the 1 x n magic rhombitrihexigonal tiling and discuss possible future research questions.

Presenters: Kristian Duddridge ’27

Location: Olin 126

9:40am - 10:00am

Oral Presentations

3M. Mapping Midwives from Mexico City: Designing a Historical Visualization Project to Introduce Undergraduates in the United States to the Study of Reproduction in Mexico.

Title: 3M. Mapping Midwives from Mexico City: Designing a Historical Visualization Project to Introduce Undergraduates in the United States to the Study of Reproduction in Mexico. This presentation describes the project and its implementation at Southwestern University. It particularly underscores the potential of mapping projects to achieve several pedagogical goals in the general curriculum and in history. In GenEd, they introduce UGs to the study of history of countries they may not be familiar with; offer UGs interested in the humanities the opportunity to participate in research without the need to develop specialized skills; and allow UGs to practice several skills applicable beyond the discipline of history. In history, they introduce majors to the creation of databases for historical Geographic Information Systems; the expansion of digital repositories on the history of reproduction in Mexico; and the visualization of geographic patterns that prompt questions of historical relevance. The presentation describes specific activities that promoted the achievement of these goals and it concludes with recommendations for instructors and professors interested in designing a research project that involves working with GIS.

Presenters: Natalia Morales Robles ’27, Mia Santoscoy ’26

Location: Olin 324

Carbon Capture with Microwave Plasma

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas found in oil deposits, significantly contributes to climate change when released during drilling. To mitigate these emissions, methane is often flared, converting it into carbon dioxide, a less harmful but still problematic gas. This project explores an alternative solution: converting methane into methanol, a safer and more easily transportable chemical. Our method uses microwaves directed into dielectric resonators to create plasma. These resonators trap electromagnetic waves, creating constructive interference that amplifies the electric field. Once the field reaches a certain magnitude, it ionizes air turning it into a plasma capable of driving methane conversion. We designed and simulated a dielectric antenna using Ansys Electronics, optimizing peak electric field intensity. Fabrication included custom etching of copper-plated FR4, grinding calcium titanate for resonators, and precision soldering. While the initial prototypes did not generate plasma, future works will incorporate materials with higher wattage tolerance to enhance performance and scalability for industrial applications.

Presenters: Clay Elliott ’27

Location: Olin 126

Muscle Strength and Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Lion and Human Physiology

The lion (Panthera leo) is a large carnivorous animal native to the grasslands and savannas of Africa. To survive in this environment, lions have developed physiological adaptations that allow them to be strong and effective predators. While lions and humans share similar muscle structure, there are important differences that affect strength and performance. One key physiological trait of lions is their high muscle mass and large proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers. These muscle fibers allow lions to produce explosive strength and speed when hunting prey. In humans, muscle fibers also play an important role in athletic performance, especially in activities like sprinting and weightlifting. However, humans generally have less muscle mass and strength compared to lions. This presentation will compare lion muscle physiology to human muscle physiology to better understand how muscle structure affects strength and performance. Understanding these differences can provide insight into human muscle function, athletic ability, and the importance of maintaining muscle health.

Presenters: Itzel Miranda ’26

Location: Olin 124

Placing Memories: The Untold Stories

Who is actively remembered on the campus of Southwestern University? How are they remembered? Who is forgotten? The Placing Memory website is an interactive story map of Southwestern University’s commemorative landscape designed to tangibly represent, critique, and revise the patterns of remembrance and forgetting of people and events on campus. The Placing Memory website is a platform where multiple voices coexist in the same space, sometimes aligning with each other and sometimes conflicting. There is not a singular, linear history of Southwestern, and not a singular collective memory of the people, places, and events here. Students will present an overview of the Placing Memory Project, website and interactive storymap, followed by brief individual presentations of the subjects that they worked on over the summer of 2025. The three areas of focus that will be presented are: SU Literary Publications; Women’s Athletics at Southwestern; and the SU Land Acknowledgement. Open to all students and Georgetown community members who are curious about the untold stories of Southwestern University.

Presenters: Sally Beglau ’26, Peyton Brown ’27, Zoe Hein ’26

Location: Olin 323

Social Impacts of Rationing in First World War Britain

Many scholars have covered the political elements of rationing and the government bodies created to manage the production of food during the First World War in Britain. My goal is to expand on that framework and look into the lives of everyday citizens during that time period in Britain and how rationing impacted their existence. The major sources I will use for this presentation include ration cards, personal correspondence discussing recipes, and the agricultural programs that went into food production. Personal recipes shared amongst citizens provide the social element of this project and a new lens into how the general public responded to rationing and hardship during the first Total War. My presentation will start with the basic foundation laid out by a century of scholarship that includes basic explanations of rationing and the politics behind agriculture. The second and longer part of the presentation will focus on society and how they adapted to wartime conditions and some of the lasting legacy of rationing.

Presenters: Ethan Levinsky ’26

Location: Olin 322

10:00am - 10:20am

Oral Presentations

Beef in the Americas: Macroeconomic indicators of inequality compared with meat industry data

Wealth and resource inequality are familiar economic and social problems in Latin America. Since the construction of Latin American economies in the colonial era, the extraction of resources has played a key role in development of this region. The extractive dynamics remain in the background of Latin American economies, specifically in resources such as produce, precious metals, and since the 19th century, as I will focus on, meat. Metrics on wealth inequality show that there has been slow progress regarding the distribution of wealth in Latin America. Argentina’s meat industry has been a key source of wealth for the country, and considering the history of resource extraction, it brings up the question: How is the wealth of this industry distributed, and how does it reflect the macroeconomic data on the region as a whole? Using data on the meat industry in various countries including Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, I will compare the economic aspects with the macroeconomic indicators on wealth inequality based on the information from sources like the World Bank.

Presenters: Noah Saenger ’27

Location: Olin 324

Effects on the Visitor Experience of Technology Present as seen in Texan Museums

The topic that I plan on presenting at the 2026 Research and Creative Works Symposium is a thorough study on the many different effects technology has on the experience of visitors at museums. In order to raise awareness to both the positive and negative effects of the presence of interactive technology within museum exhibits, I plan on utilizing information from both museums within the state of Texas and academically oriented essays written on this particular topic. By doing so, I will have the ability to bring a wide variety of opinions to the forefront of analysis in addition to highlighting my own personally inspired argument; generated from my previous internship experience. My argument can be most simply defined as proving that the presence of such technology within museum spaces is in fact detrimental to the intellectual, educational, and mystical nature of museums; a development that I further believe comes as a result of the smart-phone and social media.

Presenters: Maximillian Pipkin ’26

Location: Olin 322

Maria Middleton: Slave, Criminal, Transported Convict: Understanding Gender, Race and Freedom across the British Colonial World

Under Dr. Mellissa Johnson, I researched the former slave Maria Middleton using historical archives, written accounts, and legal documents. Middleton’s life story can serve as a window into the politics of gender, race, class, slavery, and freedom in the last 30 years of slavery in the British Empire (1810-1840). Much of what makes her story notable falls at the intersection of many great historical events: the war of 1812, racial hierarchy post slave trade abolition, gendered violence within oppressed communities, the conquering and elimination of natives in Tasmania the conquering and elimination of natives in Tasmania, and the complex system of convicts being sent to repopulate Australia and surrounding countries after the natives were almost completely wiped out. What is most intriguing is that through killing a man, she entered a long journey that eventually freed her from slavery in Belize, but what does that freedom actually mean?

Presenters: Shae Whitney ’28

Location: Olin 323

Multi-Objective Evolutionary Design of Molecules with Enhanced Nonlinear Optical Properties

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are essential for many photonic, telecommunication, and laser technologies, yet discovering better NLO molecules is computationally challenging due to the vast chemical space and competing objectives. We compare evolutionary algorithms for molecular design, targeting four objectives: maximizing the ratio of first-to-second hyperpolarizability (β/γ), optimizing HOMO-LUMO gap and linear polarizability to target ranges, and minimizing energy per atom. We encode molecules as SMILES strings and evaluate their properties using quantum-chemical calculations. We compare NSGA-II, MAP-Elites, MOME, a single-objective (μ+λ) evolutionary algorithm, and simulated annealing. Quality diversity methods maintain archives across a measure space defined by atom and bond count, enabling the discovery of structurally diverse molecules. Our results demonstrate that NSGA-II consistently earns high scores in every objective, leading to high-quality molecules, but MOME does a better job exploring a wide range of possibilities, resulting in higher global hypervolume and MOQD scores. However, each method has strengths and weaknesses, and produced many promising molecules.

Presenters: Dominic Mashak ’27

Location: Olin 126

Wanted Dead, Not Alive: Using eRNA:eDNA ratios to assess viability of invasive apple snail (Pomacea maculata)

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis represents a valuable molecular tool for detecting species presence and distribution by examining trace genetic material shed into aquatic environments. eDNA persists in aquatic systems even after organismal death. Consequently, eDNA detection does not necessarily indicate metabolic activity. In contrast, environmental RNA (eRNA) derives from actively transcribed genes. Generally less stable than DNA, eRNA may better reflect recent biological processes. Through a controlled bucket experiment, we sought to quantify short-term accumulation of eDNA and eRNA in active, inactive, and dead apple snails (the model non-native invasive species Pomacea maculata), alongside no-snail controls (N = 5) by collecting water samples after 24 hrs in snail presence and again at 4 and 8 hrs post-treatment to evaluate whether eRNA:eDNA ratios track organismal viability and metabolic state. Our analysis of eDNA concentrations showed statistical consistency across conditions (Kruskal Wallis, χ8² = 10.10, p = 0.258), although some evidence of plumes of eDNA occurred with dead snails. Neither activity state nor sampling interval measurably influenced eDNA concentrations under the conditions tested which increases the need to examine whether eRNA provides a different outcome. This ongoing work holds the potential to change the way we think about species detection in the field.

Presenters: Katelin Pilarski ’26

Location: Olin 124

10:00am - 11:00am

Exhibitions

Art drone

This project will be the use of a drone that can move effectively and precisely. This is important as its main purpose will be to create pictures using paint or other media. It will require excellent hovering capabilities, along with the capacity to carry a specific amount of extra weight. This extra weight is to account for the additional parts to be added to the drone upon completion for its ability to paint. There will be an addition of small paint bottles along with release triggers on the bottom of the drone. The hope of this project is to create something that can create murals or signs in locations that are hazardous or too difficult for humans to reach. This could range from important signage for public events to murals in high locations.

Presenters: Bryceson Williams ’26

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

Fear Is Learned

I plan to showcase four paintings on easels or have them displayed on walled. Through my work, I aim to empower both individuals and creatures, illustrating that fear is not always an innate trait but a learned response shaped by discomfort, ignorance, and prejudice. The focus will be on human figures engaging thoughtfully and playfully with “feared” animals such as insects, bees, sharks, and black cats. My artist statement, rather than explaining what the pieces mean, will be a meditative practice and a series of questions for the audience. “What about this piece seems unusual to you?” “Are some of your fears innate, or have they developed over time?” “Do you have a personal negative experience with what you fear, or do you avoid it as a form of prevention?” By asking these guided questions, I aim to encourage the audience not only to engage more deeply with my artwork but also to reflect on their own experiences.

Presenters: Lainie Siegel ’27

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

Mountains and Streams of Ink: Facsimile Works from the National Palace Museum, Taiwan

Chinese paintings of mountains and streams (shanshui) appeared more than a thousand years earlier than Western landscapes. Unlike Western landscapes, they do not depict a specific moment in space or time. They utilize brushwork adapted from Chinese calligraphy, employ multiple perspectives to convey an idea or an emotion, and combine with poetry to convey an artist’s identity. This exhibition, planned and curated by Dr. Allison Miller’s Arts of China course features full-size reproductions of major works of Chinese landscape from the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. These high-quality scrolls were acquired several years ago by Southwestern with partial funding from the Freeman Foundation. This exhibition provides an introduction to a major genre in the Chinese tradition.

Presenters: Tabarek Adnan ’28, Olivia Ewing ’28, Annie Feng ’29, Dina Gaxiola ’28, Gabel Gitterle ’29, Anna Guckenburg ’27, Mia Matos ’27, Catherine Matthews ’27, Jaelyn Matthews ’27, Zoe Matthews ’28, Chase McGarr ’28, Kate Mehaffey ’28, Luca Mezey ’29, Jayden Montalvo ’29, Joshua Reaves ’28, Jester Rycroft ’28, Seth Sagen ’26, Lucy Schnitzius ’27, Abigail Shuvalov ’27, Lilyanna Young ’28

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

Translation through time in the Eastern Bloc

This project consists of 3 mixed media artworks which explore historical trends in Eastern Bloc cities through change in architecture over time. Art can be a powerful tool to illustrate complex ideas which are difficult to convey with words alone. The different eras of Eastern Bloc architecture can be separated by which political leader was in charge at the time of their construction. Stalinkas were built during Stalin’s time, Kruchevkas during Krushchev’s and so on. It is important to state these artworks do not depict the Soviet Union specifically, but instead attempt to visually display the essence of it, and other socialist satellite nations as a whole. My 3 artworks depict the 30s, 50s, and 80s respectively, and the changes seen over those decades within the same place. The first artwork is meant to show the city in a country during its“prerevolutinary state.” These works mostly focus on the architectural trends, but also draw attention to political changes. This project is significant because it showcases how art can translate complicated ideas into an easy to understand format.

Presenters: Chris Bowers ’26

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

10:20am - 10:40am

Oral Presentations

Dehumanizing Latine Immigrants: Animal rhetoric, the “Good vs Bad” Immigrant, and Eugenics in U.S. Media

This research examines how Latin American immigrants are dehumanized in U.S. media and political discourse through rhetoric that defines them primarily by their labor or criminalized stereotypes when they aren’t producing labor. Across right and left wing discourse, Latino immigrants are often framed as either “hardworking” contributors or dangerous and “lazy” or even “illegals.” These contrasting stereotypes reflect the “good vs. bad immigrant” and animal rhetorical theories. Using a historical and rhetorical approach, I argue that these portrayals are rooted in histories of racial hierarchy, white supremacy, and eugenics that shape public perception of Latine communities. My evidence includes contemporary media examples such as interviews with Donald Trump, commentary on The View, posts on X, and earlier policies that racialized Mexican immigrants through public health and immigration systems. Through legal analysis, critical discourse analysis, and animal rhetorical theories, this project examines how language shapes attitudes and can contribute to discrimination, hate crimes, and the treatment of Latines in the current administration involving the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This research reveals how U.S. media’s rhetoric continues to reduce Latin American immigrants to their economic value or portray them as threats, reinforcing systemic inequality and obscuring their humanity.

Presenters: Mia Santoscoy ’26

Location: Olin 324

Late Acceptance Hill Climbing for the Discovery of Stable Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a physically rich family of materials, known for their layer-dependent electronic structure, competing structural phases, and strong spin–orbit coupling arising from heavy transition-metal atoms. These features make them appealing platforms for applications ranging from nanoelectronics to emerging quantum and spin-valley devices. In practice, however, identifying compounds that are not only energetically favorable but also dynamically stable and mechanically exfoliable remains challenging due to the size of the chemical and structural design space and the high computational cost of first-principles evaluations. In this work, we frame TMD discovery as a single-solution optimization problem and apply Late Acceptance Hill Climbing (LAHC) to explore tradeoffs between multiple physically motivated stability criteria. Candidate materials are represented using discrete chemical and structural variables, and neighboring configurations are generated through chemically meaningful mutation operators that preserve lattice connectivity and local coordination environments. Thermodynamic stability is evaluated using first-principles density functional theory calculations performed with Quantum ESPRESSO and reference formation energies from the Materials Project database. To balance physical fidelity with the high cost of first-principles evaluations, these stability metrics are introduced in a staged manner, allowing the most expensive evaluations to be reserved for the most promising candidates.

Presenters: Brooke Ramey ’27

Location: Olin 126

The Social History of Anti-Japanese Sentiment in California and Precedent for Internment

This research project examines Japanese Americans and the development of an organized anti-Japanese movement in California during the early twentieth century, prior to World War II. I argue that racialized fears, social dynamics, and perceived hardships fostered the growth of an exclusionary social and cultural identity that defined Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans as permanent outsiders. In doing so, I explore how this “anti-Japanese” culture not only shaped public discourse and policy in California, but also laid the ideological groundwork for the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. Drawing on both scholarly scholarship and primary sources, including speeches, newspapers, and memories from both Japanese and white Americans, I analyze how narratives of racial difference were constructed and socially perceived. These sources reveal how Japanese communities were increasingly dismissed and seen as incompatible to the normalized American identity. Ultimately, this project contends that incarceration was not simply a ration to Pearl Harbor, but the culmination of a decades-long process that cast Japanese Americans as outsiders.

Presenters: Zachary Roberts ’26

Location: Olin 322

Women and War: The Battle Within the Home

War stories of heroes and victorious battles frequently capture our attention. We write novels to both glorify and honestly describe violent conflict. However, war’s impact on women is critically underconsidered, even in a canonical war novel like Slaughterhouse-Five. My research applies feminist theory by bell hooks, Roxanne Gay, and Sarah Ahmed, as well as power theory by Michel Foucault, to two novels. Through close reading of Slaughterhouse-Five and A Thousand Splendid Suns, I contrast the novels’ disparate representations of women, focusing on confinement to the home, resistance to patriarchal dominance, and how they choose to cope with surveillance. While A Thousand Splendid Suns is a women-forward text, rereading Slaughterhouse-Five with feminist frameworks in mind provides an opportunity to recognize a larger pattern of oppression between the two novels. Through my research, I found patterns of resistance, allyship, and finding joy emerge from within the domestic sphere. Additionally, my research highlights the benefits in power husbands enjoy when surveillance on their wives is increased during wartime. Finally, I found ideology that claims to protect and treasure women by separating them from violence actually makes them more vulnerable to abuse and policing in the name of safety.

Presenters: Addyson Clark ’27

Location: Olin 323

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

Species delineations of gastropods traditionally rely on shell morphology. However, modern definitions of species require phylogenetic analysis. Apple snails (genus 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 mollusks 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. To confirm or compare this identity with genetic data, we collected apple snails (either 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 the 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. Future 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: Olin 124

10:40am - 11:00am

Oral Presentations

Engineering Mobility for Speedy:A Rehabilitation‑Driven Engineering Solution for an Injured Tortoise

Speedy, a tortoise permanently paralyzed in his hind legs after being struck by a car, faces severe mobility limitations despite a fully healed shell. In collaboration with All Things Wild animal rehabilitation in Georgetown, this project develops a custom mobility device to restore Speedy’s independence and improve his daily quality of life. Current prosthetic designs for sea turtles do not translate to tortoises, whose anatomy and terrestrial movement patterns require a fundamentally different engineering approach. To address this gap, we conducted a detailed assessment of Speedy’s biomechanics, designed and iteratively prototyped multiple support structures, and evaluated each version for stability, comfort, and terrain performance. The final design demonstrates that a low‑cost, species‑specific mobility aid can meaningfully enhance locomotion for injured tortoises. Beyond Speedy’s case, this work provides a replicable framework and open documentation for wildlife rehabilitators and students seeking accessible solutions for reptile mobility impairments. The project highlights how undergraduate engineering can directly contribute to animal welfare while expanding the tools available for small‑scale rehabilitation efforts.

Presenters: Dante Medina ’27, Amanda Mejia ’27

Location: Olin 126

Female Slaves Social Mobility and Role in the Economy within the Roman Empire.

Most of what we know about women within the Roman empire is from pages of literary sources written by men for men, specifically aristocratic men, where women were being used as plot points or viewed through black and white tropes. I want to move away from just literary analysis and instead look at documentary heterogeneous evidence in order to explore the actual socio-economic situations of women on the ground. The research question that I hope to investigate is how can documentary evidence inform our understanding of the socio-economic experiences of women against the backdrop of typical Roman literature which was written by and for an aristocratic audience? The methodological approach I will take to this topic is to study as many primary sources as I can including: inscriptions/epitaphs, papyri, and censuses. Additionally, my plan is to set up my topic with an ideological comparison of how women were viewed within Imperial Rome. By reexamining primary sources within the methodology of reading the silence we can gain a much more in depth understanding of the active roles women played within Roman society.

Presenters: Sophia Scoglio ’27

Location: Olin 322

No Loose Ends: Contemporary Communications Through Dress

This project aims to introduce and then apply Dress Theory as a theoretical framework for analyzing and understanding dress. In order to efficiently conduct this project, I will start with an introduction to textile history, addressing its historical value, rarity, and difficult production methods, later contrasting this with contemporary methods of clothing production and a related significant crash in value, e.g., fast fashion. Once this groundwork has been laid, the remainder of the presentation will be dedicated to analysing the social importance of contemporary dress through an application of Dress Theory. Dress Theory will serve as my aid in translating the material and social messages encoded in dress, specifically focusing on the last fifty or so years as seen in the United States.

Presenters: Kylie Ouellette ’26

Location: Olin 324

Towards Safer Anticoagulant Therapy: Discovery of a Selective Factor XIIa Inhibitor

Thrombotic diseases remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Anticoagulants are the mainstay of antithrombotic therapy, but their use is limited by excessive bleeding, especially in at-risk groups. This is because current agents primarily target thrombin and Factor Xa (FXa), two central proteases in the common coagulation pathway indispensable for normal hemostasis. By contrast, Factor XIIa (FXIIa), a protease of the intrinsic pathway, contributes to pathological thrombosis but plays only a minimal role in physiological clotting, making it an attractive target for developing safer anticoagulants. To date, few small-molecule FXIIa inhibitors have been described, with none advancing to clinical studies, largely due to limited selectivity. To address this gap, we screened a focused library of glycosidic compounds and identified one with micromolar potency against FXIIa. This compound exhibited significant selectivity over other coagulation proteases. In plasma clotting assays, the molecule prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time without affecting prothrombin time, further emphasizing selectivity. Michaelis–Menten kinetics studies suggest competitive inhibition, which is advantageous in drug discovery as it allows structure-guided optimization. In summary, we identified a promising lead compound for developing safer targeted anticoagulants. Such therapeutics could offer life-saving benefits for millions, reducing the adverse side effects associated with conventional anticoagulant therapy.

Presenters: Jade Cindy Foka ’28

Location: Olin 124

Who We Are: Defining Identity Through Language

For my Capstone project (English, Fall 2025), I created a fictional language and culture, providing vocabulary and grammar, and detailing a bit of the creation process and why I made the decisions I did, in regards to how the language would sound and function. In this extended presentation, I plan to break down some of the linguistic and grammatical aspects of both my created language and also of the English language, in an effort to highlight some of the components that a language actually consists of, in a way that is recognizable, relatable, and contextual. My hope is that in presenting it this way, it will not only showcase the language I have constructed, but also inspire the audience to think about their own native language(s) in a different way— from the outside looking in. In this way, I hope to illustrate how it looks and feels to experience and learn a language that one is entirely unfamiliar with.

Presenters: Stephanie Light ’27

Location: Olin 323

11:00am - 11:20am

Oral Presentations

Perry Rhodan: The History, Writing, and Artwork of Germany’s most successful Space Opera

Perry Rhodan is a monumental German science fiction series that has captivated readers since 1961. It is the longest-running science fiction series in history. The narrative begins in 1971 with Major Perry Rhodan leading a team of astronauts during the first moon landing. They discover a crashed alien spacecraft. Utilizing the aliens’ advanced technology, Rhodan solves the Cold War and averts World War III. He embarks on a journey to explore the cosmos. Perry Rhodan’s enduring appeal lies in its expansive storytelling and exploration of themes such as unity, technology, and humanity’s place in the universe. The series not only entertains but also prompts readers to reflect on societal issues through its science fiction lens. The collaborative research project uses the large number of Perry Rhodan booklets recently donated to DISCO to explore this remarkable German language science fiction publication. Archiving and digitizing our donation thrived in close collaboration with the Director and staff of DISCO. They support our creation of an OER exhibit (OMEKA) with accessible content to engage broad audiences.

Presenters: Kendyl Feuerbacher ’27, Rylee Morris ’28

Location: Olin 324

Phenol Oxidation as a Model for HAT acceptors

Selective bond activation remains one of the most desirable tools in synthetic chemistry. The prevalence of C-H bonds in many molecular building blocks makes these bonds common targets for selective bond activation or functionalization. Cleavage of the strong C-H bond requires potent oxidizing power in a catalytic system. Many systems use M=O bonds as terminal acceptors and reactivity is thus limited to the nature of the metal oxo bond, especially the strength of the transient M-O-H bond formed during the reaction. In order to diversify methods of C-H functionalization, development of net hydrogen atom acceptors with high reduction potentials is thus very desirable. We describe the exploration of HAT acceptors, some show promising results yet others still require further research. The possible mechanisms of Proton Coupled Electron Transfer (PCET) activation of a C-H bond are described here.

Presenters: Andres Garza ’27

Location: Olin 124

Procedural Content Generation Using Diffusion Models

Recent research shows how machine learning models can generate tile-based game levels through a process called “diffusion”, where a model generates output (in our case small mario levels) from random noise. However, the use of diffusion models with the addition of text-prompting is underexplored. There are practical considerations for creating a usable model: pairs of levels and captions are needed for training data, as is a text embedding model to encode text into something computer-readable. We present strategies to automatically assign descriptive captions to an existing dataset of levels, and train diffusion models using both pretrained text encoders and simple encoding models trained from scratch. Captions are automatically assigned to the levels that the model outputs to test how well the model listens to caption input. We also assess the diversity and playability of the resulting level scenes. Results are compared across multiple different level-generation techniques, including diffusion without text captions. Notably, the best diffusion model uses the more simple, trained-from-scratch model for text embedding, and takes less time to train than diffusion models employing more complex text encoders, indicating that reliance on larger language models is not necessary.

Presenters: Emilio Salas ’26

Location: Olin 126

Text-to-Level Diffusion Models With Various Text Encoders for Super Mario Bros

Presenters: Olivia Kilday ’28, Reid Williams ’26

Location: Olin 126

Towards a Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy for Roma youth in Spain

Romani people, also commonly known as gitanos, are one of Spain’s main ethnic minority groups and are often overlooked in mainstream education. By embracing culturally responsive practices, educators can ensure academic success and create a more inclusive classroom that embraces Romani identity, building a bridge rather than a barrier. As a part of this project, we looked into the context of the Romani people, then developed a methodology to conduct and transcribe interviews with Romani students, as well as teachers and principals who were recommended by Romani community organizations. Interviews asked about their experiences with schools and what could be done to create a more inclusive and culturally sustaining pedagogy that supports Romani students. After transcribing the interviews, key themes were identified through codes and broader categories. From this, we were able to identify four main areas where teachers can effectively support Romani students: pedagogy, the school curriculum, student-teacher rapport, and family collaboration. Within those four themes, we identified what teachers were doing well in terms of student treatment, cultural education, family inclusion, and what could be improved such as having more school diversity or integrating more Romani culture and history into classrooms.

Presenters: Hannah Caceres ’27, Ximena Ling Uribe

Location: Olin 322

Why The Meg Is No More

Climate change has been around for at least 3 million years, evident by the extinction of the Megalodon, despite focus taking place in the last couple of decades. Extinction came due to the oceans cooling because of Arctic currents, the shark’s main source of food migrating, the adaptation of those food sources, and the introduction of competition in the form of Orcas, Livyatans, and modern sharks. Pop culture has led us to believe that there’s a possibility the shark still exists deep in the unexplored ocean, however thanks to knowledge of climate change, that is proven impossible. Historically, climate change was different then from how it is today thanks to the introduction of humans to the ecosystem. Humanity introduced pollution in the ocean, chemical runoff, and carbon emission into the atmosphere, increasing the rate of atmospheric warming. I examined sources of scientific literature that elaborate on these issues and how past climate change relates to them. With the growing fear of climate change being the end of our species and the world as we know it, we can look at the Megalodon’s evolution into the modern day shark as evidence that might not be the case.

Presenters: Molly Mitchell ’27

Location: Olin 323

11:00am - 12:00pm

Creative and Scientific Process Exhibitions

Determining the Cause of Amplitude Modulations in RR Lyrae Blazhko Stars

The Blazhko effect refers to a phenomenon where the regular pulsation pattern of an RR Lyrae star becomes modulated in amplitude, leading to shifts in the brightness over time. It is under speculation as to why these modulations in the regular pattern of brightness fluctuations occur, whether it is caused by variations in temperature or radius that go beyond the expected range of standard pulsation models. A RRc Lyrae star that undergoes this Blazhko effect and was the focus of this research is LS Herculis (LS Her). Studies suggest that temperature changes, rather than radial variations, may be the primary driver behind the Blazhko effect. This study’s overarching objective is to determine whether amplitude modulation in star LS Herculis is caused by changes in temperature or radius. Our current study focused on the creation of a precise temperature calibration that would allow determination of temperature changes at different Blazhko phases, to test the significance of temperature fluctuations on the modulated light curve.

Presenters: Annalina Slover ’26

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

Experiencing Economies: Data Sonification and Artistic Visualizations for Creative Economic Storytelling

Economics is often presented through graphs, charts, and numerical tables that presume a narrow form of visual and cognitive literacy. While these tools are efficient for trained audiences, they unintentionally exclude individuals with visual impairments, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and others who experience difficulty engaging with conventional data representation. This project reframes economic accessibility as a design problem rather than an intellectual one. This project develops an accessibility-focused digital tool that translates macroeconomic data into sound-based and interactive visual experiences. Rather than treating data sonification as an aesthetic experiment, the project positions it as a functional method for economic interpretation, integrating auditory and alternative visual cues into a publicly accessible web platform. Users will be able to explore economic indicators through non-graph-based interfaces, allowing for multiple modes of engagement with the same underlying data. Through iterative prototyping, coding, and design experimentation, the project challenges the dominance of static graphs as the primary language of economics and expands the possibilities of inclusive economic communication. By expanding how economic information can be perceived and understood, this work aims to lower barriers to entry, foster curiosity rather than intimidation, and demonstrate how creative technologies can play a critical role in democratizing economic literacy.

Presenters: Asin Fathima Allavudeen ’27

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

Paideia Seminar

I played as a child continue to influence my studies at Southwestern and my future as a professional artist. As a child, my parents refused to bring video games into our home, encouraging me instead to play outside, use my imagination, and find joy in creative activities. I spent hours at the fireplace with markers and crayons, filling pages with stories of princess heroines, mystical animals, and small family adventures. Those early moments of play were the beginnings of my artistic practice, and that same spirit now underlies my work as a Studio Art major at Southwestern University. Today, I am an artist shaped by color, memory, and quiet observation. I work primarily in oil painting, but I also draw with conte, charcoal, and graphite, and I am drawn to the grounded, tactile process of wheel-thrown clay. My work, rooted in realism, explores consumerism and environmental awareness, seeking a balance between beauty and truth. Play still guides me through gardening and time in nature, where I learned patience and care with plants, and through my long relationship with water. In my paintings, this is especially visible through Blue, a color that has carried me through grief and renewal and now anchors my visual language.

Presenters: Elle Reede ’26

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

Partner Preference Tracker: An Open Source Research Tool for Behavioral Analysis

The applications of computer vision have become increasingly broad over the past decade, enough so that applications of the tool can now be seen in scientific research. In the field of behavioral neuroscience, it has been used to significantly improve the process of behavioral analysis in animal subjects. However, tools such as these are expensive and highly inaccessible, thus creating a barrier to what could be a much more convenient method of behavioral analysis. To overcome this barrier, many efforts have been made in academia to develop open-source tools for animal behavioral analysis. Even so, an open-source tool specifically for the analysis of rodent reproductive behavior has not yet been developed. A tool like this would not only contribute to open-source, but also enhance the learning experience for students working in the behavioral neuroscience laboratory at SU. In response to this gap in resources, I will create a tool using computer vision that will assist with behavioral analysis of rats in the partner preference test. The tool will be able to track the timing and the number of entries and exits that a rat subject makes between each section of a plexiglas arena. The timing and number of entries and exits are both commonly used in the partner preference tests to quantify a subject’s sexual motivation by determining if they would prefer to spend time with a social stimulus or a sexual stimulus.

Presenters: Alyanna Martinez ’27

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

Pleasure Education: How Texas Capitalizes on our Sex Lives

This project examines the experiences of employees working in adult retail shops through interviews previously conducted by Dr. Robyn Adams. Focusing on predominantly Black and queer individuals, we explore this position as one that opens avenues for both sexual education and exploration, while also revealing experiences of exploitation and bodily commodification within the industry. Because the stores represented in the interviews are located in Texas, the project also considers the broader social and cultural context in which these experiences occur. Limited sex education within school systems, persistent stigmas surrounding adult retail spaces, and low wages for employees who provide important sexual health information illustrate how the state indirectly profits from and regulates sexual knowledge and expression. By examining these experiences, this project highlights the role adult retail employees play in filling gaps in public sexual education. We hope to challenge common stereotypes and assumptions surrounding adult retail spaces while encouraging a more open environment that supports sexual exploration, education, and informed conversations about intimacy.

Presenters: Keera Poole ’28, Raven Waugh ’26

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

Project HOPE: Home Of the Pirate Environment

In the 2025-2026 school year, there have been many changes in the southwestern garden. For the first time in many years, a nonprofit has been named an official community partner of Southwestern. Our main initiative is establishing a growing space for fresh produce for the Pirate Pantry. As this program continues, students will be able to receive free, organic produce grown right on campus. Food is at the heart of community, and through providing healthy food for our students, we as a community will strengthen. The presentation will be held in the garden and will include a tour of the greenhouse and a short presentation on this year’s highs and lows to encourage open dialogue.

Presenters: Shae Whitney ’28

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

The Sea Shanty Literary Journal

Working together, students Caitlin, Gus, Maglor, and Zoe will spearhead a revival of the literary journal on campus, titled the “Sea Shanty”. With submissions from students and faculty, we will provide a printed publication in the Spring semester, made up of literary submissions including poetry, short-form prose, film reviews, academic papers, photography, and more. All four students are working as a collaborative writer/editor team. We opened submissions to the campus community by utilizing our student and faculty connections. Our vision for the journal is to provide a space for freedom of expression and speech through a creative format, allowing the community to use it as an outlet for artistic exhibition. It is a chance to showcase talents under an official undergraduate publication. Reviving this journal is an attempt to harken back to the nostalgia and importance of an age of physical media, one that we want to keep from rapidly passing into the history books.

Presenters: Zoe Hein ’26, Augustus Papasan ’27, Caitlin Stewart ’26

Location: Fondren-Jones Science - Lobby

11:00am - 12:00pm

Performances

Scenes from Constellations, by Nick Payne

Constellations is a play that explores the “what could’ve been” of two people, Marianne and Roland. The play takes place over multiple different universes, showing the different possibilities of Mary and Roland’s relationships; universes where they end up together, universes where things don’t work out, and universes where their relationship doesn’t get past one conversation. The roles of Mary and Roland will be played by Marley Wickersham and Warren Mullinnix respectively, and their training in the world of acting and the classes they have taken at SU will help prepare them for these roles. The scenes picked out for this particular performance showcase a quarrel between the couple. In some universes, Marianne cheats on Roland with a man named James, and in some others, Roland cheats on Marianne with a woman named Alison. The scene changes showcase a difference in behavior of the human psyche, and provide a lens into close relationships that one might not have considered before. Sometimes, someone feels guilt, and sometimes, they feel anger. The sequence displays a mental tug-of-war between the two that exemplifies how one might feel in either situation.

Presenters: Warren Mullinnix ’26, Ansh Tripathi ’28, Marley Wickersham ’26

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Alma Thomas Theatre

TRACKS: A theatre department production

This production was selected by the students in the Theatre Department and while produced by the faculty , staff and students, it is fully designed and performed by theatre majors and minors under the guidance of Guest Director, Julia Chereson. The play explores a purgatory or liminal space in which the characters reside. Questions arise about life, the afterlife and the choices one must make in the time they are given. Student designers, actors and stage managers will discuss their production process from analysis to research to creation. Visitors are invited to look behind the scenes, walk on the actual stage set, hear the sounds, see the stage lighting, discuss the creative process with the designers and talk to the performers about how they bring their characters to life.

Presenters: Aidan Boswell ’26, Emma (Em) Hoover ’27, Bradley Jones ’26, Warren Mullinnix ’26, Piper Swisher ’26, Marley Wickersham ’26

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Alma Thomas Theatre

11:20am - 11:40am

Oral Presentations

A PROTAC Strategy for the Therapeutic Targeting of BRK in Breast Cancer

Metastatic triple negative breast cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with an average five-year survival rate of approximately 12%. The annual incidence of metastatic breast cancer is projected to increase over the next five years. Breast tumor kinase (BRK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase highly expressed across all breast cancer subtypes, contributes to tumor proliferation, metastasis, and poor prognosis by dysregulating key signaling pathways such as the TGFꞵ/SMAD pathway. BRK has both kinase dependent and independent oncogenic functions making kinase inhibitors ineffective for treatment. This study investigates whether BRK-targeting proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTACs) such as R707 and R758 can facilitate proteasome-dependent degradation of BRK and thereby reduce oncogenic signaling in breast cancer cells. Various triple-negative breast cancer cell lines including MDA-MB-231 are treated with a range of PROTAC concentrations for 24 hours. BRK protein levels are assessed via western blot analysis to evaluate the efficacy of PROTAC-mediated degradation. We expect that BRK-targeting PROTACs will markedly reduce BRK levels relative to untreated controls. Our data will evaluate the efficacy of various PROTACs, highlighting PROTAC-mediated BRK degradation as a potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

Presenters: Taylor Tinsley ’27

Location: Olin 124

Truman’s Decision to Recognize Israel: International Strategy or Domestic Politics?

The question of why the Truman administration decided to recognize the state of Israel in 1948 is one that scholars have debated, arguing from the three schools of thought: the domestic politics perspective, the realist/strategic perspective, and the synthesis perspective. This paper builds on neoclassical realism and Robert Putnam’s two-level game theory, to argue that Truman’s decision is best understood as a strategic extension of early Cold War containment objectives, shaped, but not entirely determined, by domestic political pressures. Domestic factors such as postwar sympathy for Zionism, lobbying by American Zionist organizations, and internal divisions within the White House narrowed Truman’s domestic “win-set,” creating political incentives for swift recognition. At the international level, however, the growing U.S.–Soviet rivalry and fears of Soviet penetration into the Middle East made securing Israel’s alignment with the West a strategic objective. Putnam’s framework shows how Truman used domestic constraints to justify a decision that also advanced U.S. strategic aims, enabling him to manage diplomatic fallout with Arab states and maintain flexibility within Cold War geopolitics. Using this case study, we can gain a stronger understanding of how competing pressures can both constrain but also justify what foreign policy decisions are made by executives. Additionally, this argument will be backed by a brief review of primary sources.

Presenters: Samuel Hoffman ’27

Location: Olin 323

11:40am - 12:00pm

Oral Presentations

Mapping Midwives- The Intersection Between Digital Media and Historic Stories

This project investigates birthing practices in early twentieth-century Mexico City through the lens of digital humanities. Historians of reproduction have long struggled to locate documents that capture birth experiences, as this vital aspect of human life was often excluded from the male-dominated historical record. To address this gap, this project employed ArcGIS StoryMaps to visualize the professional activity of midwives during the two decades following the Mexican Revolution through a living, interactive map. This presentation takes you through the map which uses historical data, to provide points for the midwives addresses, the location of the treated patients, as well as locations for the Free School of Obstetrics and Nursing and clinics and hospitals present at the time. This technical approach created a publicly accessible platform that invited exploration not only by scholars and students, but also by broader audiences. The project ultimately highlights the resilience and centrality of midwives in shaping women’s reproductive care in a transformative historical moment. Beyond documenting their contributions, the visualization opens opportunities for public engagement, allowing individuals to contribute additional midwives. In doing so, the project not only sheds light on overlooked histories of childbirth but also establishes an evolving, collaborative resource for future scholarship.

Presenters: Clare Stauber ’27

Location: Olin 323

Small Animal, Extreme Physiology: What the Mantis Shrimp Reveals About Human Vision and Muscle Function

The mantis shrimp is a small marine crustacean known for two remarkable physiological abilities: an extremely powerful strike and one of the most complex visual systems in the animal kingdom. Found in tropical and subtropical ocean habitats, mantis shrimp use a specialized appendage that stores elastic energy before releasing it rapidly, producing one of the fastest strikes recorded in nature. They also possess up to 16 types of photoreceptor cells, compared to only three in humans, allowing them to detect a wider range of light and polarization. This presentation takes a comparative physiology approach to examine how these adaptations differ from human muscle mechanics and vision. While humans rely on direct muscle contraction for force production and trichromatic vision for color detection, both species depend on efficient sensory processing and musculoskeletal function for survival. By comparing these systems, this project highlights how structure supports function and emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy vision and muscle performance in humans.

Presenters: Parker Threats ’29

Location: Olin 124

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Performances

Musicale

Musicale showcases the work music students have been developing throughout the semester. Full program to be announced.

Location: Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center - Alma Thomas Theatre

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Panel Presentations

Academic Approaches to the Study of Religion and Culture

This panel examines the various ways that students can approach the academic study of religion and culture. While frequently misunderstood in a way that narrows its scope, the study of religion and culture relies on a myriad angles of study in order to more fully comprehend these phenomena. Three students, all of whom are completing their capstone projects this semester, will briefly discuss their research area and approach/methods. These projects include: A study of the longstanding spiritual connection between humans and horses, citing historical and current examples from various cultures. A comparison of the Warrior Mother Archetype surrounding the Greek goddess Athena and the Christian figure of the Virgin Mary through regional and historical perspectives A history of the Methodist Student experience at Southwestern University and the ways in which the church has been integral to the institution. The students will then engage in a conversation with each other about the diverse ways that religion and culture function both historically and in contemporary practice. They will also begin the panel by engaging the audience in a thought exercise related to this sometimes misunderstood academic discipline.

Presenters: Sally Beglau ’26, Morgan Garrett ’26, Meghan McCormick ’26

Location: Mood-Bridwell - Atrium

Engaging Students in Mathematics Through Stories: Original Mathematics-focussed Children’s Books and Escape rooms.

In this session, students in the Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary and Middle School will present and read math-focused children’s books they wrote or their escape room for secondary students. The presenters taught mathematics in local primary-grade classrooms. These Southwestern University students wrote children’s books to engage and provide a context to support their students’ exploration of mathematical concepts in developmentally appropriate ways. A contextualized story makes learning math more inclusive and accessible. Each children’s book will be read aloud with the illustrations projected and they will discuss the response of their students.

Presenters: Tiffany Ashcraft ’27, Emma Bethke ’27, Sydney Jackson ’27, Elisa Keese ’27, Catherine Matthews ’27, Peyton Moore ’27, Abigail Shuvalov ’27

Location: Mood-Bridwell 246

Spectral Realism in Contemporary Colombian Cinema

This panel examines spectral realism as a conceptual and aesthetic framework in contemporary Colombian cinema, analyzing how film represents historical trauma, socio political violence, and collective memory in the aftermath of armed conflict. Rather than depicting violence directly, spectral realism emphasizes absence, silence, and haunting to disrupt linear temporality and challenge dominant modes of representation. Through close analysis of selected films, the panel explores how spectral elements respond to displacement, enforced disappearance, and systemic silencing. It argues that spectral realism moves away from spectacle to foreground lived experiences of loss and unresolved justice, functioning both as a stylistic strategy and as a means of preserving memory and confronting unresolved histories of violence. This panel will be in Spanish.

Presenters: Miguel Grado ’26, Bryan Guzman-Sanchez ’26, Jordan Hollub ’26, Gerardo Ortiz ’27, Sloane Panter ’26, Isabel Sainz ’26

Location: Mood-Bridwell 124

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Poster Presentations

Property, Paternity, and Power: The Formation of Shadow Families during Slavery

My project is centered around the topic of the power imbalance between Slave masters/Plantation owners and the enslaved black women on their plantations. During my time at SURF, I was able to go on a deep dive through the life of a woman named Rachel Patton. She carries a certain significance in Brazoria County, Texas. She was the enslaved “wife” of Plantation owner Columbus Patton. While she remains the focus of my research, I want my presentation to highlight the broader concept of the “Shadow Families in the South”. Examples like the Thomas Jefferson and 15 year old Sally Hemmings, or John Wayles and Elizabeth Hemmings. My presentation will emphasize that it is imperative that we do not mistake these relations as intimacy, instead we need to recognize them as what they truly are: coercion, manipulation, exploitation, and racial domination. I intend on presenting about a key piece of my search, which is the Patton family and their influence in Brazoria County as well as what the relational dynamic between the Plantation owners and the enslaved population.

Presenters: Zaria Renfro ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Hands-on STEM Outreach: Assessing Elementary Student Engagement and Undergraduate Facilitator Development Through Community-Based Service-Learning

Community-based service-learning (CB-SL) integrates academic coursework with structured community engagement and critical reflection to promote reciprocal learning and civic development. Within STEM education, CB-SL has emerged as a strategy for fostering student scientific literacy while supporting undergraduate professional growth. This project evaluates a chemistry-focused CB-SL outreach program conducted with approximately 100 fifth-grade students at a local elementary school. Through hands-on activities, including constructing water filtration systems, electrostatic paper butterflies, recycled-material boats, and homemade bathbombs, students engaged with foundational scientific concepts, outlined by the “Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill” (TEKS) list using experiential learning. Data collection included elementary student written reflections and 1-10 importance rankings related to environmental awareness and scientific engagement, as well as structured reflections from undergraduate facilitators. Analysis is ongoing, however, preliminary review suggests themes of increased student curiosity, environmental responsibility, and problem-solving confidence among elementary participants. Undergraduate reflections indicate growth in science communication skills and civic engagement values. These findings contribute to CB-SL scholarship by highlighting reciprocal educational benefits for both community participants and undergraduate facilitators.

Presenters: Nathan Ramey ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

2025 Summer Abroad to Grenoble, France

I participated in the API Summer French Language and Culture Studies program in the French Alps, where I was enrolled in French II and strengthened my vocabulary, grammar, and understanding of French culture and history. I applied my studio art, art history, and humanities background during visits to ruins, castles, architectural sites, and museums, enriching both my artistic and cultural perspectives. Outside the classroom, I explored local cuisine with friends, traveling by tram to different restaurants and visiting nearby cities such as Turin and Lyon. A daily stop at a local bakery, where the owner helped me practice French while I ordered coffee and a pastry, became a meaningful part of my language learning. This experience fostered significant personal growth, enhanced my problem-solving skills, and shifted my post-graduation goals from remaining in Austin to actively exploring internship opportunities abroad and pursuing continued international engagement.

Presenters: Elle Reede ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

3M: Mapping Midwives in Mexico - Mapando Matrones en Mexico

Advised by public health advocates, post revolutionary governments (1917-1940) in Mexico merged professional midwifery with nursing and displaced midwives’ practice from homes to hospitals and clinics. However, several private midwifery schools emerged to provide professional education for the working class and affordable access to technically-suitable reproductive services at home. Through a discrediting campaign, state institutions and other historical actors marginalized these midwives’ practice rendering them invisible in official records and, hence, the official history of medicine. The Free School of Obstetrics and Nursing graduated about two hundred midwives in the 1920s and 30s. 3M is part of a larger project that examines the history of professional midwifery in Mexico after 1917 and before the neoliberal period. It highlights midwives who studied and graduated from the Free School of Obstetrics and Nursing, a school in Mexico offering training in midwifery during the 1920s and 1930s. Here, you will find a very brief overview of the history of midwifery and the history of ELOE and its graduates. Particularly, you will see maps that show locations where ELOE students lived and where these midwives assisted births. The storymap concludes by highlighting some clinical histories that exemplify the obstetrical expertise of ELOE midwifery graduates.

Presenters: Natalia Morales Robles ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

A Comparative Analysis of Locomotion: Elastic Energy in Kangaroos vs. Human Musculoskeletal Efficiency

The kangaroo is a marsupial native to the diverse landscapes of Australia, ranging from arid scrublands to lush coastal forests. To survive in these demanding habitats, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of the kangaroo shares many common characteristics with human physiology, such as basic mammalian metabolic pathways, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the kangaroo is its highly efficient metabolic rate during high-speed hopping, which allows it to traverse vast distances with minimal energy expenditure. This is achieved through the storage and release of elastic strain energy in its tendons, essentially acting like a biological spring. In humans, similar musculoskeletal processes function differently; we rely more heavily on oxidative phosphorylation and muscle fiber recruitment for locomotion, which is less energy-efficient at high speeds but offers greater fine motor versatility.

Presenters: Jude Shields ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

A Sapphic Guide to Safe and Enjoyable Sex

Although sex is discussed more openly in the Netherlands than in the United States, there is still a lack of general knowledge specifically about safe sapphic sex. I researched and read through both Dutch and American sources that discuss safe and enjoyable lesbian sex and compiled the information I found into a brochure that people who identify as sapphic or lesbian can use to learn about how to safely enjoy sex. The brochure includes 5 specific sections that cover different topics within the main subject of my project; they are “It Starts with Education: The United States”, “It Starts with Education: The Netherlands”, “The Technicalities”, “The Basics”, and “The Myths”. Through this project, I learned about the variety of ways that lesbians can have and enjoy sex, as well as how to convey that information in a way that will educate the variety of experiences and identities under the lesbian and sapphic umbrellas. Everyone can have safe and enjoyable sex, regardless of their identity, and information about safe sapphic sex should be as widely available and accessible in both the United States and the Netherlands as information about safe straight sex is available and accessible in the Netherlands.

Presenters: Hagar Cohen ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

AI Psychosis - The Imminent Danger of Human-like Machine Interaction

AI is characterized as the most transformative technology of the modern era; however, the effect of this technology on the average user warrants closer scrutiny. While AI systems are designed to be responsive and user-aligned, the system’s agreeable nature and reinforcement-based interaction may enable harmful or malicious thinking in individuals who are insufficiently cautious about the system’s tendency toward validation. This study analyzes ten structured scenarios in which I engage in continuous dialogue with AI to assess whether the output reinforces self-destructive behavioral suggestions. In each scenario, the interaction is sustained over time, and the duration is measured to determine how long it takes, if at all, for the model to produce guidance that could be interpreted as dangerous or harmful. The hypothesis is that, across all exchanges, the models will produce guidance that, if followed, could harm the user or others. The findings seek to contribute to broader discussions about the social implications of increasingly human-like machine interaction. As public confidence in AI continues to expand, critical evaluation of its mechanisms becomes essential to responsible integration into everyday life.

Presenters: Evelyn Harrington ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

An analysis of the dopaminergic pathway in the brain and pituitary of male-pregnant pipefish and seahorses

The Family Syngnathidae (seahorses, pipefish & seadragons) is 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, and the closely related lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus, 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 (PI) and proximal pars distalis (PPD) 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 seahorses and pipefish. Mapping the dopaminergic cells of these species will help to elucidate the role of dopamine during the reproductive cycle in male syngnathid pregnancy.

Presenters: Madeleine Thomas ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Analysis of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Other Catechin Concentrations in Commercial Green Tea as a Potential Supplementation for Anti-Inflammatory Drug Users

With the rise of modern pharmaceuticals, the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anti-cancer therapeutics has rapidly increased. Long-term usage of these drugs is associated with off-target effects that cause adverse cellular responses, motivating research into complementary natural product (NP) therapies to coregulate pathways that cause inflammation. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and related catechins are powerful polyphenols that can be derived from products such as green tea and display strong evidence of potential anti-inflammatory effects when used in combination with traditional pharmaceuticals, slowing disease progression and enhancing the efficacy of medications. This study evaluates catechin concentrations in commercial green teas to assess their potential as a dietary supplement for NSAID and anticancer drug users. EGCG and total catechin concentrations were determined using hot water extractions of several green tea brands. Statistical comparisons among brands in accompaniment with literature recommendations generated a reasonable daily intake of EGCG of 150-500 mg day⁻¹. Though it is difficult to determine therapeutic standard dosage due to the high concentration used in pharmaceutical studies, it can be concluded that the addition of these polyphenols to the daily regimen of a long-term NSAID or anticancer drug user can aid in the minimization of inflammation and disease management.

Presenters: Sydney Farris-Boothe ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Analyzing DNA-Protein Cross-Link Repair Pathways

Many proteins interact with DNA lesions, apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, and 3’-phospho-ɑ,β-unsaturated aldehydes (3’-PUA), forming DNA-protein cross-link (DPC) complexes. DPCs are covalent bonds between an amino acid residue of protein and the AP site of DNA that prevent DNA replication and transcription processes. Three enzymes have been found to repair these cross-links and lesions after reduction to DNA-peptide cross-links (DpC) through proteolysis: AP endonuclease 1 (APE1), tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1), and three-prime repair exonuclease 1 (TREX1). While an increased formation of these DPCs is commonly caused by some chemotherapeutics and forms of ionizing radiation such as UV, the understanding of how and why certain structures of DPC are repaired through specific pathways is not well understood. Four different nicked 3’-DpCs were synthesized in vitro, and the repair of these DpCs were compared across TDP1, APE1, and TREX1 enzyme reactions to determine if there were differences in the % of DpC removed from each sample. After gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the results, the data suggest that all three enzymes displayed varying favorability for the repair of these DpCs.

Presenters: William Jackson ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

API Athens Study Abroad

For this symposium, I am submitting my poster from studying abroad in Athens, Greece this past summer. Studying abroad was an incredible growth experience, I was learning how to be independent while also studying incredible interesting subjects. I found amazing friendships with my roommates, and we explored Athens every day and even adventured to the Cyclades islands. I learned about democracy, sociology, traveling, and more about independence and the world as an adult.

Presenters: Gwyn Moore ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Archival Research: Gender Dynamics in the Chicano Movement

The Chicano movement was a Mexican-American civil rights movement active in the 1960s and 1970s. It was founded on the principles of self-determination, cultural nationalism, and political advocacy to ensure labor rights, racial equality, and political justice for Mexican-Americans in the United States. Through a combination of archival research and literature review, gender dynamics within the Chicano movement are explored to determine how they affected internal decision-making, leadership authority, and issue prioritization. The archive has been crafted to prioritize materials that allow for the analysis of language and rhetoric both to members of the organization and different outside groups, provide insight into how internal disagreements were resolved, and give a clear view of the organizational structure of the Chicano movement. Generally, examining these gender dynamics within this movement can help identify what role the patriarchy plays in determining how a movement can or should address intersectionality to increase their outreach and advocate for inclusive policy.

Presenters: Isabel Sainz ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

A-Z Philosophy Blacklist

First launched in 2025 as part of Black History Month programming, the project has continued to grow into what is now titled the A–Z Philosophy BlackList, an expanding intellectual archive that currently features 158 names and counting. Led by Dr. Zinhle ka’Nobuhlaluse, alongside two Southwestern undergraduate students Jayden Dawson and Raven Waugh, this list names the works of Black intellectuals whose contributions have informed both philosophy and wider traditions of inquiry. While not exhaustive, the list is designed as an invitation to engage with a diverse range of thinkers whose ideas continue to shape contemporary discourse. Moreover, we acknowledge that any such project reflects the situated perspective of its producers and may inevitably leave some folks out. The list is part of ongoing work to ensure that such erasures do not persist. Importantly, the A–Z Philosophy BlackList continues to move beyond the U.S.-centric frame by embracing Blackness as a global and political identity, drawing from the South African Black Consciousness philosophy articulated by Steve Biko in I Write What I Like (2004). By taking this broader perspective, we aim to highlight the transnational nature of Black intellectual traditions. The continued development of the A–Z Philosophy BlackList has been supported by funding from the Mellon Grant for Publicly Engaged Humanities (PEH). We’d also like to thank Southwestern Philosophy faculty Dr Michael Bray and Dr Jorge Lizarzaburu.

Presenters: Jayden Dawson ’27, Raven Waugh ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

It is important to be a reflective practitioner because it allows novice teachers to accelerate their growth professionally, bring the best educational outcome out of students, and prevent teachers from becoming burned out by bridging the gap between theory in the classroom and reality. This topic is important in education because we need teachers to become better professionals, focus on continuous improvement, become strong collaborators, and to reflect on their work for better student learning and outcomes. If more teachers practiced this skill, teaching and student learning would become more effective.These experiences will take place in an upper elementary classroom (5th grade). It is often during this developmental period that students begin to dislike school. I want to proactively learn to support student learning in a positive classroom learning environment.

Presenters: Jonas Eaton ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Behavioral Effects of Bupropion and Fluoxetine on Anxiety in Adult Female Rats: Evidence from the Elevated Plus Maze in a 2×2 Design

The present study was conducted in Long-Evans rats (n=29) with a 2x2 design to investigate the interaction and independent effects of bupropion (Wellbutrin) and fluoxetine (Prozac) on hyperactivity and anxiety. Bupropion and fluoxetine are psychiatric drugs prescribed for depression and anxiety, which are often prescribed in tandem due to bupropion’s counteraction of some negative effects of fluoxetine. Bupropion is currently being used as an off-label treatment for ADHD. Data was collected live using ANY-Maze programming in an elevated plus maze, a lifted, cross-shaped platform with open and closed arms, and analyzed in SPSS. We concluded that bupropion alone increased symptoms of hyperactivity and decreased symptoms of anxiety due to a significant increase in time spent in open arms and the number of arm crossings. Fluoxetine alone lowered hyperactivity and increased anxiety due to a significant decrease in time spent in open arms. When combined, fluoxetine hindered the effects of bupropion on the number of entering a new arm/arm crossings. Both drugs, independently and in combination, have major implications for their role as ADHD and antidepressant treatments.

Presenters: Raylee Bowling ’26, Anna Pavlova ’28, Kai Wilson ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Breathing while Buried Alive

The Stingray is an animal native to coastal marine environments, including shallow, tropical waters, and sandy seafloors. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of Stingrays shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the Stingrays is its spiracle-assisted ventilation and buccal pumping mechanism which allows it to breathe while stationary or buried beneath the sand. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the Stingrays to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Drew House ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Bridging the divide: the effect of perceived similarity and self-expansion on friendship formation

This study explored the relationship that perceived similarity and self-expansion motivation have on friendship formation and physiological stress. 100 (72 women, 24 men, 2 individuals who identified as non-binary, and 2 preferred not to say) predominantly White participants were brought in the lab as dyads and told they were paired based on either their political similarities or political differences. They were then told that interacting with dissimilar others is either beneficial (high self-expansion motivation) or harmful (low self-expansion motivation). Results showed that participants interacting with dissimilar others had raised cortisol levels, suggesting a dissimilar other is a greater physiological stressor than a similar other. Additionally, low self-expansion motivation facilitated closeness when participants perceived each other as similar, but there was no effect for dissimilar others. These findings show that similar others did feel closer, but only when they were hearing messages that interacting with similar others is beneficial. More research is necessary to uncover what best promotes relationship outcomes in dissimilar others.

Presenters: Devin Cybulski ’26, Anton Miller-Thomas ’26, Kaitlynn (Katie) Pratt ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Built for the Artic: How Polar Bears Stay Warm and Why Humans Can’t

The Ursus maritimus (Polar bear) is native to the circumpolar Arctic, inhabiting around sea ice, coastal areas, and small islands across five nations: Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and Alaska. They thrive in environments with the quality of sea ice and the availability of their prey, which are seals. To survive in this habitat, the polar bear has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of the polar bear shares many similarities with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight key differences between the two species. One notable physiological trait of the polar bear is its ability to thermoregulate. Two layers of thick fur and a thick layer of fat (can measure up to 11.4 cm or 4.49 inches), which allows them to prevent almost all heat loss, and the fur keeps them so warm that the males can overheat when they run. In the water, they rely more on their fat than on their fur to keep them warm, since their fur is a poor insulator. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently but remain important for overall health, particularly in preventing hypothermia.

Presenters: Kaden Jones ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Built For the Night: Metabolic and Physiological Adaptations of the Barn Owl

The Barn owl is a nocturnal raptor that has adapted for silent flight and also high-energy hunting. To be able to survive these low-light environments, the barn owl has evolved a specialized wing that is lightweight in skeletal structure and metabolic adaptations that support flying while conserving their energy. In my presentation, I want to focus on the physiological movements that allow barn owls to maintain energy balance while being silent during nighttime. Looking at this through a comparative physiological way, this project will compare the metabolic advantages to human energy metabolism and discuss how metabolic efficiency and the use of energy affect health. In humans, our imbalance of energy intake and use contributes to obesity and cardiovascular disease. By focusing on how the barn owl efficiently uses its energy, my presentation will highlight key concepts like BMR (basic metabolic rate), use of energy/ fuel, and homeostasis. By understanding how different species adapt their physiology to the environment around them, this shows us with valuable insight into maintaining metabolic health in humans.

Presenters: Fernando Olivero ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Can you hibernate like a bear?

The Brown Bear is an animal native to the North Pacific coastal regions. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of the Brown Bear shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the Brown Bear is its ability to decrease metabolism and heart rate drastically during hibernation, which allows it to survive harsh winter conditions and food scarcities for extended periods of time. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health especially when understanding the effects of bed rest on bones, muscles, and cardiovascular health. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the Brown Bear to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Breanna Steele ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Capstone Internship at Central Texas Treatment Center

This poster presents an overview of my internship experience at a residential treatment center for adults convicted of drug-related crimes. I sought this opportunity to gain hands-on exposure to the justice system and rehabilitation centers as they relate to psychology. My responsibilities included attending, observing, and giving feedback in all meetings and classes, participating in all treatment-related decisions, and conducting three case studies. Through this experience, I developed key career competencies, applied psychological concepts from the classroom to real-world practice, and deepened my understanding of how theory informs treatment. For my final paper, I wrote detailed reports on the connections between my observations and the following psychological topics: Bowlby’s Attachment Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Evolutionary Mismatch Theory, Cognitive Dissonance, and Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages. Overall, this experience contributed significantly to my professional growth and clarified my interest in pursuing a career in mental health and substance use counseling.

Presenters: Olivia Friend ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Characterizing embryonic development in the pregnant male pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli, using snout formation as a morphological marker

The Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli, a member of the Syngnathidae Family (seahorses, seadragons, and pipefish), exhibits the rare phenomenon of male pregnancy. During reproduction, females transfer eggs into the brood pouch of the male, where fertilization and embryonic development occur until the release of fully formed offspring. Previous research on syngnathids have described general patterns of embryogenesis; however, there are no studies that have established a standardized system for classifying developmental stages within S. scovelli. Because the elongation and shaping of the snout are defining features within this species, snout morphology provides a useful indicator of developmental progress. The objective of this study is to characterize and describe the stages of embryonic development in the gulf pipefish, using snout formation as a morphological marker. This work aims to enhance understanding of developmental staging within the Syngnathidae family and to provide a framework for identifying embryonic progression based on craniofacial features.

Presenters: Aniston Lovetinsky ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Characterizing the Microstructure of PEGDA-reinforced bioprinted scaffolds via SEM

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective endothelial barrier that can inhibit the transport of pharmaceutical compounds. Therefore, developing an in vitro model using human cells is essential for studying neurological disease and accelerating the discovery of treatments that can effectively cross the BBB. To create this scaffold, we bioprinted dual-network hydrogels composed of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), a cytocompatible polymer that supports cell viability, and hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA), a modified form of hyaluronic acid, a major component of brain extracellular matrix. In addition, polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) was introduced as an interpenetrating network via simple diffusion and reinforced into the hydrogel through UV crosslinking. To assess the microstructure of these hydrogels we performed freezing of hydrogel samples in N2(L) to fix the microstructure followed by lyophilizing to avoid ice crystal formation which can disrupt the hydrogels native microstructure. The hydrogels were then mounted on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and sputter coated with gold. Cross-sectional data was acquired in order to determine porosity and orientation of the fibers within the hydrogels. ImageJ processing was performed to analyze the microstructures.

Presenters: Bryan Guzman-Sanchez ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Chunch Volunteer Management System

Community-led initiatives often lack niche scheduling software that cater to their specific needs. Crestview Baptist Church hosts a large-scale operation that provides lunch for Southwestern University students/faculty every Monday. Church Lunch, or “Chunch,” has grown into a beloved Southwestern tradition. After 12 years of operation, attendance has significantly increased, but their scheduling remains an unorganized and inefficient manual process. Many interested volunteers are forgotten due to the lack of structure, causing Chunch to forego internal growth opportunities. Our computer science capstone addresses this through an organized application and management system of volunteers. Chunch operates with the same set of staff each week, with reserve volunteers to cover shifts as needed. Our niche scheduling platform addresses that directly. Instead of Chunch organizers trying to remember interested volunteers or their reserve pool, they will have an organized volunteer application form and inbox system. Additionally, administrators can run an algorithm that presents a pool of available reserves to contact rather than manually reallocating already scheduled volunteers to fill coverage gaps. We anticipate this scheduler is integrated into their operations and expedites the time spent organizing volunteers, allowing organizers to focus their time on serving their community.

Presenters: Aaron Garza ’26, Evelyn Harrington ’26, Eleanor Wagner ’26, Reid Williams ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Civil Rights and Archival Evidence of Activism

For this project, we will be looking at a variety of archival artifacts from grassroot organizations within the Civil Rights Movement such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Black Panther Party, that showcase activism in a specific target audience. We will be presenting on our methodology and how that ties to our overarching projects within the movement. Myla’s project will be focusing on the shift to a legislative strategy within the movement, and how this shift affected the progress of the movement and Black activism broadly. She will be using archival documents to illustrate the consequences of this shift, the actors involved, and the tactics employed. Natalia will be looking at different events that occurred within the Civil Rights Movement, and how the themes and tactics used by activists then can be found in the Black Panther Party, as well as the peak of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. Delving deeper into the details of these events to pinpoint what worked and what did not, and try to identify these characteristics in modern day activism. Together, this project aims to further understand the monumental importance the tactics utilized during the Civil Rights Movement had during their own era, as well as their impact on activism for racial justice that came after it.

Presenters: Myla Wolf ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparative Physiology of Camels

The camel is an animal native to the desert regions, experiencing extreme temperatures and limited water. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of camels share many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the camel is its water conservation and thermoregulation! They are able to tolerate body temperature fluctuations, which allows it to reduce sweating and preserve water loss This adaptation allows camels to survive for long periods without water in extremely hot environments. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health. Thermoregulation in the human body relies heavily on sweating and stable internal body temperature, typically maintained around 37°C. Humans cannot tolerate large temperature fluctuations or severe dehydration without risking heat stroke, organ damage, or death. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the camel to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Isabella Sequenzia ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparative Thermoregulation: Fennec Fox Heat Dissipation vs. Human Sweating Mechanisms

The Fennec Fox is an animal native to the Sahara Desert and other arid regions of North Africa, where temperatures regularly exceed 40*C (104*F) during the day. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of Fennec Fox shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the Fennec Fox is specialized thermoregulation through oversized ears containing extensive vascular networks, which allows it to dissipate excess body heat through radiation and convection without water loss, critical for desert survival. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, relying primarily on evaporative cooling through sweating, but are still important for preventing heat stroke and maintaining core body temperature. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the Fennec Fox to function in extreme heat and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Will Howell ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparison of Dual-Task Reaction Time in Young College Adults on a Motorized versus a Nonmotorized Treadmill

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in reaction time in young college adults walking on a nonmotorized versus a motorized treadmill. 45 healthy college students (23 athletes, 22 nonathletes) with a mean(SD) age of 20±1 years, were instructed to complete a visual reaction time test(RT) with 20 RT stimuli. Participants completed a standing trial and walked on a nonmotorized(NMT) and a motorized treadmill(MT) at a decently fast pace. During the treadmill trials, participants first walked for two minutes with no RT stimulus, and then 20 RT stimuli were presented via a computer screen. Stride rate(SR) was measured during the pre-test and testing phase on the NMT. Significant results indicated that there is an observed difference between reaction time on nonmotorized treadmills and motorized treadmills, along with an increase in stride rate during the testing phase in young college adults. These results indicate that there is an observed difference between RT on NMT and MT, along with an increase in SR during the testing phase in young college adults. Further research should be done to observe if nonmotorized treadmills are an effective alternative for interventions in neuromuscular decline and intellectual disabilities.

Presenters: David Lanxon ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparison of Dual-Task Reaction Time on Motorized Treadmill vs Non-Motorized Treadmill in Young Adults

Our study examined how performing a dual-task affected reaction time while participants walked on different types of treadmills. The researchers compared reaction times during walking on a motorized treadmill and a non-motorized treadmill. Results showed that reaction time was significantly slower when participants walked on the non-motorized treadmill compared to the other testing conditions. This suggests that the increased physical effort required to move the belt of a non-motorized treadmill may place greater cognitive and physical demands on participants while they complete another task. The study also found that participants’ stride rate increased significantly during testing on the non-motorized treadmill. This change in walking pattern may have contributed to the slower reaction times observed during that condition. Additionally, differences were found between athletes and nonathletes. Nonathletes demonstrated significantly slower reaction times on the non-motorized treadmill, indicating that they may have had more difficulty managing both the walking task and the reaction task at the same time. In contrast, athletes showed no significant differences in reaction time across any of the testing conditions, suggesting that their training or experience with physical activity may help them better handle dual-task situations.

Presenters: Michael Roper ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparison of Phenolic Content across Lamaiceae Family Plants

Phenolics are compounds produced by a wide array of plant species that perform a plethora of important roles including free radical and reactive oxygen species (ROS) neutralization, stabilization of certain signaling pathways, and even antimicrobial activity. In addition to their vital roles in plant survival, phenolic compounds are also extremely valuable to human health when ingested, providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. However, there is wide variation in phenolic content across plant species, so the aim of this study was to perform statistical analysis to compare the phenolic content of species within the Lamaiceae family, which contains medicinal plants that are native to Texas. A literature analysis was performed to obtain total phenolic content (TPC) data for Texas native Lamiaceae plants and results were compared to TPC values experimentally measured for several Monarda herbs, a Lamiaceae species commonly known as bee balm. The goal of this work was to isolate any significant differences in total phenolic content across Texas for herbaceous plants within this family. This information will form the foundation of future work that seeks to exploit members of the Lamiaceae family for use in health-related applications by shedding light upon regional differences that lead to increased phenolic levels within these important medicinal plants.

Presenters: Marshall Kippenberger ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Comparison of Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacities in Different Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) Tea Brands

Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) is a caffeinated plant from North America that is emerging as a new source to produce herbal teas. Yaupon tea is linked to numerous health benefits due to its high levels of phenolic compounds, which are associated with strong antioxidant properties. There is increasing market presence of different types of yaupon-based teas, yet even as interest in yaupon grows, limited research has determined the effects of roasting on phenolic content or identified differences in antioxidant properties across brands. Loose-leaf and bagged yaupon teas at different roast levels (light, medium, and dark) were obtained from three different manufacturers, brewed under standardized conditions, and analyzed to compare extracted phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties. Total phenolic contents of the yaupon samples were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant capacities were determined using complementary spectrophotometric assays. Initial results showed significant differences in phenolic content across manufacturers, with a dark-roast tea having the highest total phenolic content and corresponding antioxidant capacity, indicating that phenolic content and antioxidant properties vary across roast levels and manufacturers in yaupon tea beverages.

Presenters: Parth Patel ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

comparsion of physiology adaption of polar bear and human

The Polar Bear is an animal native to the arctic circle where it gets extremely cold. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique adaptations. While the physiology of the polar bear shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the polar bear is its thermoregulation and insulation capacity. Polar bears have dense hollow fur that traps heat efficiently. Which allows it to maintain a body temperature above freezing despite below freezing temperatures. In humans we have similar physiological responses such as vasoconstriction of the capillaries in the papillary dermis layer of our skin. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the polar bear to function in this environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: tyler spencer ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Correlation between Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity in Hot Water Extracts of Gunpowder Green Tea

Green tea is widely consumed for its high phenolic content and associated antioxidant properties, which are linked to reduced oxidative stress and potential protective effects against chronic disease. Phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids, contribute to antioxidant behavior through electron donation and metal ion reduction mechanisms. Although antioxidant activity is frequently measured in green tea, the quantitative relationship between total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity remains underexamined for specific varieties such as gunpowder green tea. Gunpowder green tea uses a traditional Chinese Zhejiang Province preparation in which each leaf is tightly rolled to preserve freshness and bold flavour. This study evaluates the relationship between total flavonoid concentration and antioxidant capacity in hot water extracts of gunpowder green tea. Previously collected data include total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity, measured using the cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assay. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify differences among gunpowder products and regression analysis determined the strength and direction of the correlation between flavonoid concentration and CUPRAC values. By clarifying how phenolic content predicts antioxidant activity in a commonly consumed tea variety, this study strengthens the broader understanding of how dietary phenolics contribute to measurable antioxidant behavior in everyday beverages.

Presenters: Karim Clarke ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Designing, Testing, and Documenting Battlebots: Exploring Robotics Creativity at Southwestern

This project will design, build, and test four small-scale combat robots (“battlebots”) and document how Southwestern students respond to them. Combat robots provide a unique blend of engineering challenge and creative performance. We will construct four archetypes—lifterbot, horizontal spinner, wedge bot, and a 3D-printed lifter (“Kerfuffle bot”)—using off-the-shelf parts from Palm Beach Bots and ItGresa Robotics. To ensure safety, we will also build a small arena from wood and acrylic. Once complete, we will test the robots against each other and record video footage of their performance. In addition, the social engagement aspect will consist of establishing a robotics club for Southwestern University where students can continue to design these bots and participate in battles with other universities’ robotics clubs. Furthermore, as these battle bots are built throughout our project, students at Southwestern will be able to help test the robots through battles and obstacle courses so that the designs can be assessed and improved. By combining engineering design with feedback on design improvement from students of any discipline, this project demonstrates the interdisciplinary potential of robotics. The outcome will include four functioning robots, a safe testing arena, documentation of student responses on design improvement, and an established Southwestern University Robotics Club. Ultimately, the project aims to highlight how robotics can serve as both an innovative engineering challenge and a source of community engagement at Southwestern.

Presenters: Ben McKallip ’26, Rohan Basu Roy ’28, Annalina Slover ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Determination of Total Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Properties, and Anthocyanin Concentrations within Heirloom and Hybrid Red Lettuce Cultivars

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a widely consumed leafy vegetable that provides fiber, essential nutrients, and phenolic antioxidants. Red lettuce varieties contain anthocyanins, flavonoids responsible for their red-purple coloration, which have been associated with reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. However, the phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of many red lettuce varieties remain undercharacterized, so this study evaluated total phenolic content, antioxidant properties, and anthocyanin concentrations in 16 heirloom and hybrid red lettuce cultivars grown under controlled indoor conditions. Total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents were measured using spectrophotometric methods, and antioxidant capacity was assessed using two complementary radical scavenging assays. Significant differences in total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and anthocyanin concentration were observed among red lettuce cultivars. While heirloom varieties generally exhibited higher total phenolic content, antioxidant capacities showed fewer distinctions between heirloom and hybrid types. This presentation will highlight how factors such as cultivar and seed source affect phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and anthocyanin concentration in red lettuce, and discuss the implications for nutritional quality.

Presenters: Sakia Rivers ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Drink Water! You’re not a Desert Tortoise!

I will be talking about dehydration within the human body and how our anatomy and physiology prevent dehydration and help us to survive when we can’t get water and compare it to the desert tortoise that can reabsorb its urine as a method of preventing dehydration

Presenters: Genavieve Evans ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Effects of Biosolids and Effluent Reclamation on Soil Inorganic Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations

Project Description (limit the description below to 200 words): Reclamation of biosolids and effluent using land application is a cost-effective method for improving soil fertility. However, long-term inputs may lead to increase in soil nutrient concentrations and environmental losses. We collaborated with Austin Water Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant and Center for Environmental Research to evaluate the legacy effects of historic biosolids loading rates and current pond effluent inputs on inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations. In March, we will establish study plots, and collect composite soil samples from topsoil (0-10 cm) and subsoil (10-30 cm) at the biosolids and effluent amended sites and adjacent control sites. We will quantify ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), and phosphate (PO43-) concentrations using a suite of colorimetric microplate assays. We expect higher PO43- concentrations in fields with highest historic loading rates due to high soil P fixation. In contrast, we expect NH4+ and NO3- concentrations to be low due to long-term N cycling and potential for leaching losses. We will also quantify soil organic N and P concentrations later this Spring. Understanding soil nutrient concentrations is critical for informing long-term sustainability of waste reclamation systems and for minimizing environmental losses.

Presenters: Cameron Comiskey ’27, Alexandra Hernandez Rojas ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Effects of music on college students’ studying habits

College students frequently study while listening to music, yet the cognitive effects of different types of background music remain unclear. This study investigates whether lyrical music interferes more with working memory and perceived study effectiveness than instrumental music in relation to short-term memory performance. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: instrumental music, lyrical music, or silence (control). Following a brief exposure period, the participants completed a standardized memory task. Students who participated in the instrumental condition performed higher in the memory tasks than the lyrics group due to verbal interference within working memory processes. These results indicate that by simply changing the type of music you listen to while studying can increase your short-term memory retention. This research contributes to broader conversations surrounding effective study strategies and offers practical implications for improving academic efficiency among college students.

Presenters: Claire Montwill ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Effects of nicotine containing JUUL e-cigarette vapor on treadmill-trained rats’ aerobic fitness

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are often used as an alternative to traditional smoking, but their effects on physical fitness, especially during exercise, are not fully understood. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether repeated exposure to nicotine-containing JUUL vapor affects aerobic exercise training and performance in male Long Evans rats. METHODS: Adult male Long Evans rats (n=12) underwent an 8-week progressive treadmill training program. After 4-weeks of treadmill training (pre-exposure), the rats were divided into two groups: one exposed to JUUL vapor for 10 minutes daily (5 days/week) and a control group exposed only to air. All rats completed running endurance tests before and after the second 4-week treadmill training period, measuring total running time, distance, and peak speed. All animal protocols were approved by the SU IACUC (Protocol Stokes_0824). RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the vapor-exposed and control groups in total run time (p = 0.844), distance (p = 0.980), or peak running speed (p = 0.847) using a 2 x 3 (Group x Independent Variable) Repeated Measures Model ANOVA. However, behavioral observations suggested that vapor-exposed rats showed signs of fatigue earlier and received more aversion stimuli during the running tests. CONCLUSION: Four weeks of intermittent JUUL vapor exposure did not significantly affect measured aerobic performance in rats, though subtle behavioral changes were noted. The lack of significant effects may be due to the relatively short daily exposure duration (10 minutes) and small sample size. Future studies with longer exposure duration and a larger sample size are needed to better understand the potential impact of vaping on exercise training and aerobic fitness.

Presenters: Nicole Metzger ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Elephant comparative physiology

The elephant is an animal native to tropical and subtropical regions. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of elephant shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the elephant is the presence of the P53 gene, which is considered the most important tumor suppressor gene and is adaptive for animals living in hypoxic and cold environments and also who are being exposed to starvation. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health for cancer risk. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the elephant to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Tristyn Kattawar ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Elephants of Southeast Asia

This project is the summary of a 2025 summer study abroad program to Southeast Asia, specifically Cambodia and Thailand, through the School for Field Studies. The Elephants of Southeast Asia program follows topics of wildlife conservation and species diversity through rural parts of Cambodia and Thailand. Beginning in Siem Reap, students were tasked with understanding the structural anatomy of Asian Elephants, while researching common problems for the species. Traveling around Cambodia, students were able to observe elephants in three main qualities of life: eco-tourism adjacent, semi-wild elephants, and wild elephants later on in Thailand. Each location provided different opportunities to understand how elephants adapt to the surroundings they find themselves in and, in turn, the overall effect this will have on their life. Students also researched common bacteria and pathogens within the elephant through microscopic methods. Additionally, students observed common behavior through safari trips in the Kui Buri National Park.

Presenters: Caytie Brown ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Elucidating the Effect of Carbon-Carbon Versus Amide Linker Connection on Cell Permeability of PROTACs via Atomistic Simulation Methods

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) via proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) has emerged as a promising strategy fo developing therapeutics for addressing “undruggable” disease-associated proteins. In this study, we examine the influence of linker chemistry on conformational dynamics of CRBN-recruiting PROTACs. We compare two linker variations: an alkyl carbon linker versus an amide linker, both connected to the CRBN-binding moiety. We employ enhanced sampling methods based on Parallel Bias Metadynamics to capture the conformational ensemble of these molecules across three solvent environments: water, chloroform, and DMSO. Our simulations reveal that PROTACs with alkyl-linked CRBN binders tend to adopt more compact and less-solvent exposed conformations in chloroform, than amide-linked CRBN binders. Previous studies associated collapsed conformations in apolar environments like chloroform with enhanced cell permeability. Conversely, amide-linker PROTACs predominately exhibited extended conformations. These computational findings align with experimental evidence showing that alkyl linkers correlate with enhanced cellular permeability. This work provides guidance for PROTAC design, emphasizing that linker chemistry is a key aspect of both TPD and drug-like properties. Ultimately, our results contribute to the growing understanding of structure-property relationships in PROTACs, supporting the development of more effective and bioavailable targeted protein degrades.

Presenters: Lara Alswafta ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Equine Assisted Services versus Horse simulator Activity for Functional Ability in Parkinson’s Disease

This project investigates innovative, accessible movement based interventions to improve functional ability, balance, and confidence in individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that often leads to impaired mobility, postural instability, and an increased risk of falls, significantly affecting quality of life. While physical activity is known to help manage symptoms, access to effective and engaging interventions remains a challenge for many individuals. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of a short term, three day intensive equine assisted services program with a horse simulator intervention using the Miracolt system. Both interventions emphasize rhythmic, symmetrical movement patterns that mimic human gait and aim to improve balance, coordination, and functional mobility. Participants complete standardized physical fitness assessments and fall risk questionnaires before the intervention, immediately after, and again one month later to examine both immediate and retained benefits. By directly comparing live equine assisted services with a mechanical horse simulator, this project addresses a critical gap in Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation research. The findings may help determine whether a simulator based approach can provide similar functional benefits to traditional equine assisted services, offering a safer, more accessible, and cost effective option for individuals who may not have access to live horses. Ultimately, this work supports creative, interdisciplinary approaches to health and rehabilitation while promoting inclusive and innovative solutions for individuals with neurological conditions.

Presenters: Ryen Browning ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Exploring and Contrasting Physiological Adaptations between Cheetahs and Humans

Cheetahs inhabit open environments such as grasslands and savannahs. This is beneficial for cheetahs while stalking their prey, since they can lie low near the ground. To remain apex predators, cheetahs have developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the presentation focuses on the physiological comparison between cheetahs and humans, it will highlight the differences between the two. The most notable physiological trait of the cheetah is the flexibility of its spine, which enables it to spring and increase its speed – allowing its front and hind legs to overlap during strides. With their high speed and acceleration of zero-sixty miles per hour in three seconds – making them the fastest land animal – the cheetahs use their speed mainly to hunt. The human equivalent of cheetahs is Usain Bolt’s sprint of 27.8 miles per hour, who reaches this speed because of his fast-twitch muscle fibers and long strides. This presentation will explore the physiological adaptations that enable cheetahs to thrive in their environment. These mechanisms will also be compared to a human physiological response. Understanding the similarities and differences helps enlighten how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Presenters: Vincent Balderas ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Exploring Hand Force Variability in Front Crawl Swimming Across Different Speeds: A Biomechanical Analysis

Understanding force production in swimming is necessary to understand how a swimmer moves, and is, therefore, a fundamental goal of swimming research. Beyond the basic science nature of this topic, examining force production across speeds will inform multiple applications in swimming science (e.g., improving performance, optimizing technique, and preventing injury). To do this requires a three-dimensional measurement of force and effective control of the swimmer’s speed while allowing the swimmer to perform unrestrained. Meeting these requirements has proven to be challenging due to the constraints of performing these measurements in an aquatic environment. Previous measurements of force have used elaborate modeling, direct one-dimensional measures using tethered pressure sensors, and force-instrumented pads installed in the pool (Toussaint et al., 1992; Barbosa et al., 2010; Gonjo et al. 2022; Havriluk, 2004). None of these techniques permit realistic, unrestrained swimming. Furthermore, because force production in swimming will vary as speed changes it is necessary to collect these data across a range of speeds, but the ability to control swimming speed is limited at best. To truly control speed one must use a swimming flume - a specialized device that works similarly to a treadmill but for swimmers, allowing them to swim against a controlled, adjustable current. Few such devices exist for swimming research with only one still operating in the U.S. Having completed a study in this flume (in Dallas) the feasibility of conducting research there is limited, at best. Recently, technological advances have provided (relatively) low-cost and effective methods for measuring hand force and controlling swimming speed. It is the aim of this project to utilize these new advances to examine how swimming force production is related to swimming speed.

Presenters: Johannes Becker ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Financial Analyst Program

The Southwestern University Financial Analyst Program is a student managed investment fund designed to provide hands-on exposure to portfolio management, investment research, and financial analysis. This project presents an overview of the program’s structure, investment philosophy, and performance, highlighting how students apply classroom concepts to real-world financial decision-making. Using top-down investment approach, students analyze global and domestic economic conditions, industries, and individual firms to construct and manage a diversified portfolio. The presentations examines portfolio performance relative to benchmarks, including risk-adjusted measures such as beta, sharpe ratio, and Treynor ratio, as well as sector, style, and size allocations over time. In addition, the project highlights notable notable portfolio contributors from 2024 to illustrate the outcomes of disciplined investment research and long-term strategy. Through this program, students gain practical experience in financial modeling, market analysis, teamwork, and professional communication. Overall, this project demonstrates the value of applied finance education and the role of student-managed funds in preparing undergraduates for careers in finance, economics, and related fields.

Presenters: Kimberly Duncan ’26, Garrett Guinn ’26, Joseph Snyman ’26, Isabella Valenzuela ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Fitting the Background in Astronomical Spectra

Telescopes have recorded the spectra from an enormous number of distant galaxies. This information is publicly available in a variety of databases such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). By processing available spectra, several research groups have characterized the relationship between the mass of black holes at the center of each galaxy and the mass of that galaxy. Understanding that relationship is important for understanding the evolution of galaxies in the early universe. In order to automatically process thousands of spectral files, it is necessary to first fit the background of these spectra. Complications of fit include Iron emissions which obscure peaks that provide information integral in determining the velocity dispersion of a galaxy which feeds into the model of galaxy evolution. Other issues include relative redshifts and blueshifts within galaxies due to the doppler effect and move positions of expected peaks. This poster will discuss the methods we have explored to perform this fit and produce repeatable peak isolation starting from a ground up approach.

Presenters: Heidi Jackson ’27, Anshika Katrodia ’26, Casandra Nunez ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Forgotten in Translation

History is not a neutral record of the past; it’s translated into narratives that reflect the identities and priorities of the systems in power. In psychology, collective memory refers to the socially constructed and institutionally reinforced ways groups remember and transmit the past. Because collective memory shapes which events and individuals are taught, commemorated, and institutionalized, it plays a central role in determining who becomes historically visible and who is forgotten. This project examines the case of Teresa Urrea, a spiritual healer and political symbol during the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz in the late nineteenth century. Despite her documented social and political influence, she remains absent from mainstream Mexican history. Through comparative analysis of textbook portrayals, scholarly research, and my own educational experience growing up in Mexico, I demonstrate how repetition, narrative framing, and a group’s desire to protect its identity shape what societies choose to remember. I argue that Urrea’s marginalization reveals how historical translation is shaped by how people think and remember, and that erasure of marginalized figures is not accidental but embedded in the ways nations construct collective memory and maintain their national identity. Understanding these processes is essential to achieving a more accurate view of history.

Presenters: Maya Moran Piedfort ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

From Pre-K to Kindergarten: Evaluating Early Childhood Development and School Readiness

I will be looking at the effectiveness of Pre-k programs in preparing students for kindergarten. Specifically I will examine and research the social, cognitive, and physical development between these years of education in order to determine whether or not these programs are suitable for children. I have worked with both kindergartners and Pre-K students very closely and have been able to see the differences between these ages. Early childhood education is often looked at as an optional stage, yet it plays such an important role in shaping Childrens academic habits, social skills, and developmental growth. There are many different approaches to early childhood education and in this project I will dive into what many of those look like and try to determine their effectiveness in preparing children. I am currently working in a Pre-K classroom every week that has a very specific program they follow, somewhat directed by TEKS but also by the teacher’s judgment. I’m going to look at the methods used in this classroom and explore their roots as well as try to determine how well they prepare their students to move on to kindergarten.

Presenters: Stella Ciaravino ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Get Movin’!

Abstract: Physical activity plays a vital role in holistic child development, supporting cognitive growth, social-emotional regulation, and motor skill development. This project examines the growing body of interdisciplinary research suggesting that exercise can be a natural catalyst for brain development and learning. Through the analysis of several academic articles, I found a positive correlation between physical activity and the fundamental developmental processes such as cognition, emotion, and behavior. The findings highlight the intersection between kinesiology and psychology, illustrating how movement influences both neurological structure and behavioral outcomes. Collectively, this research highlights the importance of integrating daily physical activity into childhood development and ensuring access to safe, inclusive spaces such as playgrounds and sports parks.

Presenters: Mia Reyna ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Healing Hooves: Exploring Therapeutic Horsemanship at ROCK

This presentation highlights the creative and therapeutic processes at the Ride On Center for Kids (ROCK), an equine-assisted therapy program supporting children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ROCK uses therapeutic horsemanship, where horses serve as partners to promote confidence, independence, and physical wellness through structured, intentional activities. The exhibit will feature a visual board detailing the center’s programs, therapy techniques, and the impact on participants’ development. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with ROCK materials, including informational brochures, business cards, and small giveaways. If possible, one of ROCK’s therapy horses will join the exhibit on campus to provide a tangible demonstration of the human-animal connection central to the program. For display, I will need a 6-foot table and an easel to showcase a presentation board, program information, and materials for attendees. I will be present throughout the assigned exhibition times to discuss the project, answer questions, and share insights about the creative and therapeutic processes involved in ROCK’s work. This presentation demonstrates how therapeutic horsemanship combines innovation, empathy, and creativity to create meaningful, life-changing experiences.

Presenters: Paula Delgado ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

High-Altitude Adaptation: Mountain Goat vs. Human Physiology

The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is native to the high-altitude mountain ranges of North America, where cold temperatures, steep terrain, and low oxygen levels create extreme environmental stress. To survive in this habitat, it has developed specialized anatomical and physiological adaptations. While mountain goats share many physiological similarities with humans, important differences exist that support life in hypoxic conditions. One key adaptation is their enhanced oxygen transport capacity. Mountain goats possess high hemoglobin concentrations and efficient lung function, allowing effective oxygen uptake and delivery at elevations above 10,000 feet. This supports sustained aerobic metabolism and powerful muscular activity required for climbing steep cliffs. In contrast, humans exposed to high altitude must undergo acclimatization, including increased ventilation and red blood cell production. Without adaptation, reduced oxygen availability can impair performance and cause altitude sickness. This presentation will compare the physiological mechanisms that enable mountain goats to thrive at high altitude with human responses to hypoxia, highlighting how species maintain homeostasis under environmental stress.

Presenters: Jackson Hollis ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Hungry Students’ Survival Guide

This King Creativity project focused on the assembly of a cookbook that is accessible, easy to understand and includes a variety of options. There are more difficult recipes, such as Bahn Mi or Shakshouka, as well as the barebones basics– like rice and scrambled eggs. While there are a variety of recipes originating from across the globe, there are also college classics, like box Mac and Cheese. As food should nourish more than the body, it was important to include things that were not only “healthy”, but also tasty and versatile. Alongside this cookbook are accompanying demonstrative cooking videos as well as sample “meal plans” in order to show readers how best to utilize their ingredients for maximum diversity in foods while making sure nothing goes to waste. The hope of this project is to create something that allows students with little to no experience in cooking to develop skills relating to it, and to eat well on a budget.

Presenters: Liberty Taylor ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Icandance London Internship Experience

This project explores my internship experience with iCanDance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing inclusive dance opportunities for individuals with disabilities. As an intern, I worked directly with dancers by assisting in classes, adapting movements to meet individual needs, and creating a supportive and encouraging environment. This experience allowed me to apply psychological concepts such as behavior support, developmental differences, and effective communication in a real-world setting. Through observation and participation, I gained a deeper understanding of how inclusive practices can positively impact confidence, self-expression, and personal growth. In addition to developing practical skills, this internship strengthened my leadership, teamwork, and communication abilities. I collaborated with instructors, volunteers, and families to ensure each dancer felt valued and supported. A particularly meaningful aspect of this experience was witnessing the growth in confidence among dancers, which reinforced my passion for working with individuals with disabilities. Overall, this project highlights the importance of inclusive environments and has further solidified my career goal of pursuing behavior therapy or a related helping profession.

Presenters: Jessica McCutcheon ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

In vitro combinatorial efficacy of Carboplatin and CAR T cells against diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

This study sought to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of carboplatin given prior to CAR-T cell therapy for the treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a fatal pediatric brain tumor. Carboplatin is an FDA-approved platinum-based DNA alkylating chemotherapeutic agent that is used in the treatment of a variety of advanced cancers. Flow cytometry and tumor cell killing assays were used to determine the impact of differing doses of Carboplatin on patient-derived DIPG cells. Carboplatin was then combined with clinical grade B7-H3 and Quad CAR T cells against three genetically heterogeneous cell lines of DIPG to examine the combinatorial effect. The flow cytometry experiments used fluorescent antibodies to measure the quantity of CAR T cell target proteins on the surface of populations of tumor cells 48 hours following administration of Carboplatin. Following administration of high-dose Carboplatin, two cell lines showed upregulation of B7-H3 and EGFR, which are important CAR T cell targets. I observed a combinatorial effect in three DIPG cell lines treated with Carboplatin and Quad CAR T cells.

Presenters: Scott Johnson ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Informed Youth, Safer Communities: How Sex Education can Prevent Sexual Violence

“Informed Youth, Safer Communities: How Sex Education Can Prevent Sexual Violence” highlights how comprehensive sex education (CSE) educates and empowers young people with the knowledge and confidence to protect themselves. This presentation explains that CSE is an age-appropriate curriculum that covers reproductive, sexual, and identity health, as well as safety. CSE teaches young people appropriate terminology and communication skills, how to set boundaries, recognize unsafe situations, and respect others’ autonomy. The presentation examines how addressing gender inequality, harassment, and consent early on reduces harmful behaviors and promotes respect. It also contrasts sex education norms in countries like the US and the Netherlands. In the US, there is limited discussion of consent and a push for abstinence. Studies in the US show that sexual violence against young people is extremely prevalent. While countries like the Netherlands approach sexuality as a part of development and encourage open conversations at home and school. Additionally, the presentation provides an “At Home Sex Talk Timeline” to guide parents to have these conversations with their children. It also addresses and dispels common myths about CSE to encourage open communication at home.

Presenters: Sophie Saunders ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Intermediate Spanish & Culture Buenos Aires, Argentina

Study Abroad Poster explaining the Argentine site, courses, connections, life outside of class, and reflection on the experience.

Presenters: Abigayle Stubby-Kern ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Internship: Assistance Dogs of the West - Santa Fe, NM

Assistance Dogs of the West is a nonprofit organization in Santa Fe, New Mexico that fosters successful partnerships between working dogs and clients. Dogs are assigned to multiple different jobs, ranging from medical alert to crisis response with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Each dog is raised from a young age to learn specific cues and behaviors that will aid them in completing tasks for their designated job. Through my internship with this organization, I was able to observe multiple client placement training sessions, learn about the grant writing process, and learn/execute multiple training cues. I interacted with the dogs daily, providing them with basic needs as well as enrichment to fulfill their specific guidelines. I hope to attend graduate school to continue studying the capabilities of animals in relation to helping humans. This internship has provided me with many important skills related to my future career in animal behavior, as well as strengthening my communication, time management, problem solving skills, and attention to detail.

Presenters: Ellen Chesney ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Intersectionality: Then and Now

We examine the inherently sociological concept of “intersectionality” through the lens of feminist activism. Specifically, we will look at foundational definitions and then current conceptions of the term. Additionally, we examine the functionality and original implementations of the theory, and its current ideological execution. We do this by looking at two research goals: (1) we looked at how intersectionality changed feminist activism at the time it was introduced, and whether those changes were meaningful/long lasting/persistent, and (2) whether the institutionalization of intersectionality in mainstream discourse stripped the framework of its potential, or if it provided a foundation for sustainable coalition-building. This study was completed through selecting archival sources from feminist movements of the 1970s-1980s, like the Combahee River Collective and works by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Then, we collected sources from academic journals and some articles online about intersectionality in the modern lens, including critiques from Jennifer C. Nash and interviews with Kimberlé Crenshaw. Audre Lorde and Patricia Hill Collins are also amongst the voices that motivated our research.

Presenters: Bethany Budnek ’26, Cami Timmons ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Into the Archives: Archival Research and the Study of Youth Political Movements

Political science research can be conducted in a variety of ways. As part of our Radical Activism and Radical Democracy course, we are analyzing political questions centered around youth movements through an archive. Conducting archival research allows one to gather primary sources that give an unfiltered look into the thought process, purpose, and priorities of a person, movement, or organization at a specific time in history. Oftentimes archival research can uncover resources that offer a new perspective on the topic being studied. The archive we have built includes social media posts, photographs, interviews, publications, and various records from movements including Turning Point USA, the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, and Youth Movements across generations. We use this archive to answer questions about Turning Point USA’s traditionalism and conservatism movement, democracy’s tolerance for dissent demonstrated through Anti-War movements , and how youth movements as a whole have changed shape over time. Archives exist as points of reference to a period of time, era, or setting, creating logs of essential information to be referenced for many years to come.

Presenters: Joy Clayton ’27, Ella Roberts ’27, Taylor Tinsley ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Investigating the Effectiveness and Benefits of a 3D Printed Ladder for Rat Resistance Training Compared to a Previously Published Model

Through this research, a novel ladder model was designed and printed. This ladder was used in an exercise protocol with 6 rats over the course of 8 weeks. We expected rats to be able to complete this protocol with minimal stress and exhibit plant and push climbing biomechanics. These biomechanics would allow for the gastrocnemius to be more greatly hypertrophied in comparison to grip and push climbing biomechanics that were seen in the previous ladder. The results of this study showed that all of the rats successfully completed the acclimation section of the protocol and were able to carry some weight as they completed the training section. Additionally, at lower inclines we observed rats climbing with plant and push climbing whereas at higher inclines rats exhibited grip and push climbing that was characteristic of the previous ladder model. These results suggest that there may be a critical angle at which rats exhibit plant and push climbing with the greatest amount of incline to induce the most hypertrophy.

Presenters: Raghav Sharma ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Iron Limitation Induces a Red Emission State in the Common Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms responsible for up to 25% of global aquatic primary photosynthetic production and are essential for maintenance of the biosphere. Diatoms contain a unique light harvesting mechanism called the antennae complex, made up of fluorescent pigments that transfer light energy downhill to be used for photosynthesis. The diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (P. tricornutum) has been shown to exhibit a stress response known as the F710 state, where unidentified red-shifted fluorescence is detected at 710 nm. The F710 state has been attributed under red light stress to the Lhcf15 gene, but it is unknown if this origin is consistent across F710 stress-inducers. Here, the implications of iron limitation on the F710 state in P. tricornutum was investigated. Cultures of P. tricornutum were grown in seawater media with varying concentrations of added iron then analyzed using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Iron limitation does elicit the F710 state in P. tricornutum, prolonging excitation lifetimes at this state. Concurrent genetic analyses are being used to link spectroscopic results to iron stress by assessing Lhcf15 and iron-responsive gene turn-on. These findings allow for a better understanding of the energetic responses and light harvesting mechanisms of P. tricornutum to changing environmental conditions.

Presenters: Carolyn Waldie ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Isn’t it Romantasy? Translating BookTok and the Code in which Readers Speak

Do you rely on online recommendations to shop for your next read? My work aims to investigate how online discourse on social media apps directly influences how publishers and booksellers choose to market products. I examine how marketing schemes use familiar “tropes” that rely on the “cultural competence” of readers, and their ability to translate this shared “code” in which readers speak. In my research, I conduct a media discourse analysis utilizing a “text-as-data” approach, and a physical observation of five bookstores in Texas. My findings indicate that publishers are paying attention to how influencers and readers talk about books online, and further, that physical bookstore marketing tactics are a direct translation of the online discourse. Results from my sample indicate that on average, 45.3% of books are indicated by a personalized tag and include at least one common BookTok trope (a popular hashtag page on the social media app TikTok). I conclude that the “tropification” of books is a frequent phenomenon worth examining further. This project demonstrates how online media shapes our social and political realities, and this research highlights the impact of online influences on our intellectual hobbies.

Presenters: Mia Lawson ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Ixtazi Hernandez - Study Abroad at the Hellenic American University in Athens

A detailed poster containing my summer abroad experience at the Hellenic American University in Athens, Greece, including courses, activities, and memorable moments. The poster will also showcase a brief description of the university that I attended, their courses, and a few “paideia” moments from my time at Southwestern, both academically and personally, reflecting my journey from then to now. Provides three pictures taken in Greece during excursions. It was an outside program connected with the school, granting me the opportunity to study abroad in Athens, Greece taking two courses. While presenting my poster, I will explain the different opportunities that those two classes had given me in learning the history of Greek culture, language and their connections to current times. Not only explaining these opportunities that I experienced, but also how, moving forward, might I use my experiences and knowledge into future possibilities in either my majors or in my future career.

Presenters: Ixtazi Hernandez ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Jellyfish: No Brain, No Problem : How Jellyfish Rival Human Physiology

The moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) is a marine invertebrate found in coastal and temperate ocean waters worldwide. It survives in environments with shifting currents, temperature changes, and varying oxygen levels through several unique physiological adaptations. Although jellyfish share basic cellular and metabolic processes with humans, their body organization and system regulation are very different. One notable trait of Aurelia aurita is its decentralized nerve net. Instead of a centralized brain, jellyfish rely on interconnected neurons distributed throughout the body to coordinate movement and respond to stimuli (Cunningham et al., 2024; Satterlie, 2011). These neural circuits regulate rhythmic bell contractions, allowing the jellyfish to swim and maintain behavioral control (Pietras et al., 2019). Some jellyfish species also exhibit sleep-like states, including reduced activity and delayed responsiveness, showing that basic neural regulation can occur without centralized control (Peeples et al., 2018). In contrast, humans depend on a centralized brain and spinal cord to regulate movement, sensory processing, and sleep cycles. Jellyfish also lack specialized circulatory and respiratory organs and instead rely on diffusion across their water-rich tissues to transport oxygen and nutrients (Nagata, 2024; NOAA, 2023). Humans require complex organ systems to support higher metabolic demands and maintain homeostasis.

Presenters: Delaney Alt ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Kangaroo and Human Movement

Kangaroos have a unique way of moving that makes them very different from humans. Instead of walking or running, kangaroos mainly hop. Their powerful hind legs and large elastic tendons store and release energy with each hop. This means that as they move faster, they actually use less oxygen per hop, making their movement very energy efficient. Humans, on the other hand, rely on steady muscle contractions when we walk or run, and we use more energy as our speed increases. The purpose of this presentation is to explain how kangaroo movement compares to human movement and why it matters. Kangaroos can travel long distances across Australia’s dry grasslands without getting tired because their tendons act like springs, saving energy. Humans do not have this system, so running long distances takes more effort and can cause fatigue faster. Both species rely on strong leg muscles, heart rate increases, and oxygen delivery to move, but kangaroos are specially adapted for hopping in hot and open environments. These differences show how each species has evolved to survive. Kangaroos do not get injured from hopping because their skeleton, muscles, and cardiovascular system are built for it. Humans trying to hop the same way would likely strain their bodies. Studying these differences helps explain the importance of adaptation and maintaining homeostasis for survival and health.

Presenters: Dawson Phillips ’29

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Karankawa: Kadla

Prior to the colonization of the south, Texas lands were occupied by various different tribes. From our state capitol that was once the land of Apache, Comanche, and Tonkawa, to our coastal cities that once belonged to Coahuiltecan and Karankawa, Texas has always been someone’s home. In this poster presentation, I will be teaching about the research I did on the 5 clans that made up the Karankawa tribe along the coast, and how their unfortunate colonization was the last barrier between colonizers and the entire state of Texas. From the first rocky landing of Caveza de Vaca in the 1400s and the repeated attacks from various different attempts of colonization– the Karankawa tribe held true to their culture and ways of life, adapting to the forced ‘new world’. By exploring their written history and journeys across the coast, we are seeing Texas through the eyes of the Karankawa and Karankawa Kadla people, the original Texans.

Presenters: Mia Galindo ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Light Pollution mitigation practices in Dunedin, New Zealand.

During my Spring 2024 semester at the University of Otago in New Zealand, I examined how the city of Dunedin has implemented sound and science-informed strategies to reduce urban light pollution while maintaining public safety and functionality. As part of my Gilman Scholarship outreach requirement, I investigated Dunedin’s municipal lighting reforms, including the transition to lower color-temperature LEDs and improved fixture shielding to reduce upward light emission. This project connects atmospheric physics, like wavelength-dependent Rayleigh scattering, with local governance. Because shorter wavelengths scatter more efficiently, high color-temperature lighting intensifies skyglow. Dunedin’s policy decisions reflect this physical principle by prioritizing warmer lighting that reduces atmospheric scattering and improves night sky visibility. The poster incorporates insights from a conversation with Councilman Jim O’Malley, who led efforts to make the Milky Way visible within city limits, as well as evaluations from the Dunedin Astronomical Society regarding the effectiveness of these measures. The findings demonstrate how physics can directly inform urban policy and offer a practical model for U.S. communities seeking sustainable, science-based lighting solutions.

Presenters: Christopher Vela ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Location of AVT neurons within the seahorse and pipefish pituitary

Arginine vasopressin (AVT) is a nonapeptide hormone released by the posterior pituitary and is found in nearly all fish species. In teleost fish species, it has been known to influence courtship behaviors as well as play a significant role in sex change in fish such as the blue-head wrasse. In the pre-optic area of some species of fishes, differing concentrations of AVT receptors in parvo-, magno-, and gigantocellular subpopulations of neurons appear to have a significant impact on social behavior and dominance in competing males. However, very little is known about its functions within the brains of syngnathids (seahorses, pipefishes, and sea dragons), especially in sex-role reversed species such as pipefish. We used multi-fluorescent immunohistochemistry to label AVT expression in the pituitaries of the pipefish, Syngnathus fuscus, and the seahorse, Hippocampus erectus. AVT expression was concentrated in the pars nervosa on the dorsal side of S. fuscus and H. erectus pituitary glands with extensions of the expression leading ventrally into the proximal pars distalis. This indicates that syngnathid species exhibit similar locations of AVT expression as that of other fish families.

Presenters: Rachel Ling ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Matching with your Pirate Crew

Students at Southwestern University, particularly incoming first-years, have limited opportunities to interact with or gather information about student organizations. This results in a discoverability problem, with some organizations struggling with membership, and some students struggling to find community. As part of the Computer Science Capstone, we created a tool to match students with organizations they might be interested in joining. We accomplished this by creating a website that allows students to fill out a “personality quiz” style form. We match this information to a database of organization information and pass the student information through a fitness function to derive a list of organizations they match highly with. We then return this information to the student, displaying their top organizations and information about each. There will be a page for each organization’s leaders and the Office of Student Life to update and manage this information. This tool is accessible to the general student population to be hosted with minimal intervention. Students can take advantage of our tool to find organizations for years to come.

Presenters: Aidan Balakrishnan ’26, Tanner Klein ’26, Ben McKallip ’26, Matt Volkin ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Metabolic Demands of Active Gaming versus Sedentary Gaming in Children

Active gaming has become very popular in recent years, particularly amongst children and teenagers, but due to the rise of electronic media, there has also been an increase in sedentary behavior. Purpose: to determine if active gaming increases oxygen consumption and heart rate compared to sedentary gaming. Methods: 8 Children aged 7-12 were recruited to play video games on a motion-based active gaming system and a traditional “sedentary gaming system”. Utilizing a randomized cross-over design, each participant played each system for 15 minutes with a 15 minute rest break between trials while heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO2) were continuously measured. Results: VO2 and HR were significantly higher during active gaming compared to sedentary gaming 6.62 (1.98), 24.58 (2.54), respectfully, with a significance of ( p < 0.01). Conclusion: These results indicate that active games require a higher metabolic demand as compared to sedentary games. This demonstrates that active games can be used as a meaningful strategy to increase physical activity amongst children and to reduce sedentary behavior.

Presenters: Drew House ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

More Than Names on a Tombstone: Critical Fabulation and the Sub-Elite Experience in The Roman Empire

Our project was titled “More Than Names On A Tombstone: Critical Fabulation And The Sub-Elite Experience In The Roman Empire,” and it consisted of three stages. In the first, students were assigned various articles on inscriptions, Roman sub-elite history, and Saidiya Hartman’s concept of critical fabulation. In the second stage, the cohort traveled to Rome to collect data at multiple sites, such as the Baths of Diocletian epigraphic museum and the Portus necropolis on the Isola Sacra near Ostia Antica. In that stage, students handled funerary inscription stones, and recorded other details about their appearance. In the third stage, students applied the knowledge from stages one and two to partake in the act of critical fabulation themselves. Within this stage, students worked with Dr. Easton to construct a website for displaying their findings in accessible language, as one of the objectives of the project was to produce publicly-engaged scholarship. The focus of the project was Hartman’s critical fabulation that she defines as, “listening for the unsaid, translating misconstrued words, and refashioning disfigured lives” while “respect[ing] the limits of what cannot be known” (2007). With the explicit goal of providing, albeit speculative, stories to previously voiceless people of the past, we humanize, connect with, and direct both a focus and a respect onto them that had previously been denied. Though separated by time, culture, and language, it is vital to remind ourselves of our shared humanity; a project such as ours subverts previous and current attention and celebration aimed at only the most wealthy or fortunate. It provides an important reminder that silenced voices matter.

Presenters: Garrett Brock ’28, Kylie Ouellette ’26, Sophia Ramirez ’26, Luke Smith ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

My High-Impact Experience Interning in Vienna

This project documents my personal, professional, and academic experiences during the summer of 2025 in Vienna, Austria, in order to encourage other students to follow their hearts. Although I only spent three months abroad, I felt tangible changes in my understanding of the world, soft and technical skills, and in my wellbeing. While abroad, I interned for a company called The Female Factor, learned beginner’s German, enrolled in a Business and Culture Seminar, and immersed myself in European culture with several excursions. With this being my first time abroad, especially traveling alone, I expanded my confidence to explore life by myself and make friends from all over the world. Vienna, being the heart of culture, music, and architecture in Austria, provided me with beautiful city sights, life-changing experiences, and real-world skills. Abroad, I was able to meaningfully network, develop my sense of self, and rejuvenate away from the pressures of my world at home. Based on my firsthand experiences, I would highly recommend studying abroad to any student here.

Presenters: Chloe Jordan ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

My Summer in Grenoble, France

I will be creating a poster presentation based on my summer abroad in Grenoble, France. I will include photos from my trip, as well as text with stories from my travels. I will explain the connections I made between the French language and my two majors, Biology and Anthropology. I will discuss the course that I took and the challenges I overcame as well as what I learned. There will also be a section about my activities outside of class. This is where I made the most connections and grew the most as a person as well as a traveler. I will not only discuss connections to my major, but also my personal life and interests before the trip. This project will focus on the beauty of travel and study abroad, and how it is truly life changing. Finally, I will include a piece on how I have moved forward with my studies, and what my future plans are.

Presenters: Evelyn Lee ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

OptiMaxx

OPTIMAXX is a grant-funded project backed by research, designed and implemented by students that centers around exploring the impact of optimism through messaging and visual design. Funded through Southwestern University’s King Creativity Fund, this interdisciplinary collaboration between communication, psychology, and entrepreneurship strives to discover if optimism can be worn and “It’s gonna be good. It’s gonna be great. It’s gonna be fantastic.” can be used as a functional intervention to help build resilience and positive mindset. Included in the exhibition are parts of the OPTIMAXX research process. From our prototypes to our surveys grounded in psychological research, our study seeks to understand how our wearables make people feel through a survey on Prolific centered around emotion, perceived sincerity, and feeling represented. The Creative and Scientific Process Exhibition will showcase what went into taking OPTIMAXX from an idea to a funded grant. Viewers will be able to learn about how our budget was formed, our survey process, and trends in our participant data. Lastly, we will provide insight into our leadership skills and experiences with collaborating across different academic disciplines. In this exhibition rather than seeing a finished product, you will learn about the process that goes into creating a research based project. Through OPTIMAXX we hope to show that design can be functional in aspects other than just looking nice, it can also act as a tool to help facilitate change in day-to-day life through purposeful communication.

Presenters: Eduardo Gonzalez ’26, Jalen Joseph ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Optimization of Genomic DNA Binding and Elution from Titanium DIoxide Nanoparticles

Diseases are frequently detected by analyzing nucleic acids for illness-specific sequences. A critical step in this process is nucleic acid purification, where target DNA or RNA is separated from other components in the harvested sample, cleaned, and eluted. Conventional purification methods often have limited efficiency, are laborious, generate significant waste, have low processing capacity, and are expensive. Metal oxides have emerged as innovative nanomaterials capable of binding and eluting nucleic acids. Due to their low cost, ease of workflow integration, and small size, these materials offer a potentially unique, affordable, and simple method for nucleic acid purification. This work aims to develop a protocol utilizing anatase titanium dioxide (⍺-TiO₂) to purify DNA from human blood plasma. We systematically optimized key parameters impacting DNA purification, including binding and elution conditions. Our results show that ⍺-TiO₂ can purify genomic DNA with an end-to-end efficiency of 75%, exceeding conventional methods. Moreover, our novel purification approach produces DNA compatible with downstream detection assays, including qPCR, enabling disease detection. Future work will test this optimized system in complex biological samples to assess performance outside controlled conditions. This method has strong potential as a low-cost, efficient strategy for DNA extraction from complex samples.

Presenters: Blake Biles ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Ox-Demons and Snake Spirits: Supernatural Iconography in a Maoist Era Cartoon

This presentation focuses on an untitled Chinese political cartoon published by the Red Guard in 1967, at the very beginning of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. It is a piece aimed to smear three former members of the Chinese Communist Party who were thought to be traitors. With this context, the presentation itself will be from an Art Historical lens, focusing not only on the formal qualities of the work, but also on the surrounding historical context and how it informs the mindset of the time. Contextually, Mao and the Red Guard aimed to suppress many old ideas, with religion falling into the scope of this suppression. The cartoon I focus on in particular contains supernatural elements which directly reference the religions Mao sought to destroy. Through my research, I aim to explore and answer the questions of why this imagery was allowed and how it informs the way Mao ran the Chinese Communist Party.

Presenters: Emma Hargrove ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Oxygen Utilization and Energy Conservation in the Albatross

The Albatross is an animal native to the Southern Ocean and other open-ocean environments characterized by strong winds, cold temperatures, and vast distances between food sources. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of Albatross shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the Albatross is its highly efficient oxygen utilization and large wingspan-supported dynamic soaring capability, which allows it to travel thousands of miles over open ocean with minimal energy expenditure while maintaining prolonged flight at high altitudes and in cold conditions. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health and endurance performance. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the Albatross to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Sebastian Schaefer ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Painting the Truth: The Discrepancies between The United States and The Netherlands Approach to Sexual Education Portrayed through Paintings

This project delves into a cultural comparison of the approaches to sexual education in the United States and the Netherlands. Upon completing the Southwestern University study abroad program in Amsterdam, Sexuality and Culture, I created six paintings to represent my personal experience and the lessons I learned. This poster delves deeper into the meaning behind each painting, offering the audience a description of what each painting represents and its overall contribution to the piece as a whole. Additionally, the project outlines my own journey with learning about the different aspects of sexuality and culture within the two different countries: how I felt about these topics before, why I was originally interested in the program, what I learned from our pre-departure lectures and our classes/excursions on-site, and finally, how I was able to reflect on and understand not only the similarities/differences in the approaches and the cultures themselves we observed, but how I had also grown and changed from the experience.

Presenters: Kaitlynn (Katie) Pratt ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Pantry Inventory Review and Tracking Enhancement (PIRATE)

The Southwestern Pirate Pantry is a resource that provides free pantry goods to students to combat food insecurity on campus. The pantry has a 24/7 open-access structure, making it challenging for volunteers to keep track of inventory. In the 2026 Computer Science Capstone, our team is creating a software application to help volunteers manage the inventory more efficiently. The program features a database that stores inventory information and an interface so users can interact with the database. The user interface involves a checkout system for students, and an inventory management system for volunteers. Students can use their phones to scan or search for the item they would want to check out from the pantry, and the system updates the database in real-time. Volunteers can assess the inventory and view statistics related to item checkout and product popularity. Through this project, we will gain skills in database management and creating an intuitive user interface. Furthermore, we will get exposure to a professional software development environment by considering client expectations, project management, and security. By creating an application that eases the workload of volunteers, we hope to do our part in the fight against food insecurity.

Presenters: Cade Doehler ’27, Aidan Fitzgerald ’26, Camille James ’26, Nhi “Amy” Tran ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Perimeter-minimizing rectangles using density M|x|^p + N|y|^q

The classic optimization problem asks, out of all rectangles with a fixed area , which rectangle has the minimal amount of perimeter . We modify this question by introducing a density function of the form f(x,y) = M|x|^p + N|y|^q, which affects how area and perimeter are measured. Under this density function, we ask: out of all rectangles with lower-left corner positioned at the origin and with density-weighted area fixed, which dimensions give us the rectangle with minimum density-weighted perimeter? Using techniques from classic optimization and the method of Lagrange multipliers, we partially answer this question. Furthermore, we find that for certain choices of density function, our perimeter-minimal solutions may not be unique.

Presenters: Blake Biles ’26, Ioana Burlacu ’26, Ashlyn Cadena ’27, Tanner Klein ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Physiology and Anatomy of the Wood Frog

The Wood Frog is an animal native to coniferous and deciduous forests across the southern US and Arctic Circle. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of the wood frog shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the wood frog is it can use glucose as anti-freeze, which allows it to survive being frozen. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health . This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the wood frog to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Chase Kurtz ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Plane or Crane? How a Common Bird can Help Understand Cardiorespiratory Health

Despite its name, the common crane has far from common adaptations that allow it to soar at altitudes of over 30,000 feet above sea level. In comparison, the highest permanent human settlement, located at the Peruvian Andes, reaches just over half that at 16,000 feet, where a high percentage of the population experiences frequent hypoxia. This presentation aims to provide information about the importance of respiratory and cardiovascular health and how studying cranes can benefit our own wellbeing. Humans require certain pressures and oxygen concentrations to function properly. Cranes benefit from soaring at such high altitudes to contribute to energy efficient migration patterns, and have therefore developed systems to maximize oxygen delivery and blood supply at such an extreme environment. Humans on the other hand would experience constant lightheadedness and shortness of breath, and may develop more severe conditions such as unconsciousness and organ failure as a result of poor oxygenation. Improving cardiorespiratory health can significantly decrease the risk and severity of hypoxia and can be done simply and inexpensively by engaging in physical activity, good nutrition, and managing lifestyle changes.

Presenters: Oliver Pineda ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Playing by the Numbers: Comparing Microplastics Estimates from Summation and Extrapolation

Forty million tons of U.S. plastic waste annually contributes to increasing microplastic (< 5 mm) prevalence, with shed microfibers as the predominant morphotype in surface waters. We investigated how extrapolation from different volumes influenced estimation of microfibers (L-1), working toward a long-term goal of creating an index for site comparisons in Texas for labs with varying processing volumes. In our June pilot, we filtered from lake and stream samples using extrapolation from 12.50% and 50%. We found overall low MP abundance and no significant effects of extrapolation or site. We performed an additional study in November, with 12.5%, adding a 25% and 100% treatment to compare stream estimations across a broader gradient. We recorded higher abundances and no site differences, but found a significant overall effect of percentage. To clarify November’s findings, we conducted a third sampling in February to compare 12.5% versus 100% approaches in stream and lake systems. We found similar abundances to November with no site differences; however, 12.50% extrapolation significantly overestimated microfiber concentrations. These results suggest careful evaluation of resources as partial counting may work in some circumstances. We welcome further opportunities to compare processing methods to arrive at a consistent method.

Presenters: Sarah Berver ’27, Jordan Emerson ’27, Heaven Eskandar ’26, Emma Flores ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Podcasts and Influence in Politicized Wellness

My project will be an analysis of the pipeline from neoliberalism to fascism, specifically by understanding the women of Make America Healthy Again. This project will develop a deeper understanding of how the push to individualism and lack of government trust/oversight has led to an uptick of right-wing wellness practices in women, and what we can assume will happen next. Neoliberalism encourages individuals and markets to act with the goal of personal success rather than communal efforts. In addition, there is deregulation of the government and privatization. The combination of these patterns can be traced to the formation of ideologies leading to MAHA and distrust of governmental institutions. This project aims to understand that relationship socially, economically, and politically. This is not intended to be a feminist theory project, but the intersection between choice feminism and neoliberalism will play a theoretical role in understanding this trend. How does the rhetoric of “personal responsibility” in neoliberal health discourse intersect with governmental distrust among American citizens? What are the potential political consequences of the growing alignment between women-led wellness and political ideologies?

Presenters: Clea Hansen ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Politics of Pleasure: Exploring the Gendered Politics of Female Sex Toy Usage

Politics of Pleasure is based on the study abroad course, Sexuality and Culture, taught by Dr. Giuliano in Amsterdam. Over the course of this program, we were exposed to the vast history of sexual politics in the Netherlands. In learning about all of the political progress that the Dutch have made in regards to sexuality and openness, I was inspired to research the political progress that the US has made. While some progress has been made regarding political safety for sexuality in the US, it is far less than the progress that has been made in the Netherlands. The US has laws that are designed to target women who embrace their sexual freedoms. Politics of Pleasure outlines a short history of the suppression of female sex toy usage for pleasure, the restrictive sex toy laws in the US, the role that feminism has played in the popularization of sex toys, and what proper government involvement in female sex toy usage should look like.

Presenters: Ingrid Buchwald ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Post-Print Reinforcement of GelMA/HAMA Scaffolds Using PEGDA Infiltration

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective endothelial barrier that restricts the transport of many pharmaceutical compounds. Imaging the BBB in vivo is challenging; therefore, developing an in vitro model using human cells is essential for studying neurological disease and accelerating the discovery of treatments capable of crossing the BBB. To create this model, we bioprinted dual-network hydrogels composed of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), which supports cell viability, and hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA), derived from hyaluronic acid, a major component of the brain extracellular matrix. Printing was performed in a gelatin coacervate suspension bath, enabling the generation of complex geometries. These materials recapitulate key aspects of the brain parenchyma microenvironment while maintaining a compressive modulus below 10 kPa. We investigated polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) as a secondary crosslinking agent to modulate mechanical properties while preserving softness and biocompatibility. PEGDA was added post-print via diffusion and subsequently UV-crosslinked to reinforce the structure through an interpenetrating network. Results demonstrated that PEGDA increased the compressive modulus of the hydrogels without altering geometry or compromising biocompatibility. Overall, PEGDA infiltration stabilizes soft bioprinted scaffolds, producing a more mechanically robust and reproducible material that advances the development of a functional in vitro BBB model

Presenters: Sabina Martinez Carreon ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Post-translational Regulation of the MucAʹ₂B Error-Prone DNA Polymerase

The bacterial SOS response occurs when environmental stressors cause DNA damage. In the event of severe DNA damage, the error-prone DNA polymerase V (DNA polV) is employed, which is mutagenic because of its low fidelity during DNA replication. An Escherichia coli ortholog of DNA polV (UmuDʹ₂C) is encoded by the mucAB operon and is found on the naturally existing plasmid R46. While UmuDC is well-researched, the post-translational regulation of MucAB is less so. This study focused on cellular levels of the MucA and MucAʹ proteins, which play a role in the error-prone MucAʹ₂B multimer, through the contributions of five E. coli ATP-dependent bacterial proteases. The results suggest that similar to the UmuD and UmuDʹ proteins, the Lon and ClpXP proteases negatively affect the stability of both MucA and MucAʹ. Interestingly, the MucA/Aʹ heterodimer complex is much more stable than its respective homodimers, which differs from the unstable UmuD/Dʹ heterodimer which targets the UmuDʹ protein for degradation. These results contribute to the study of SOS mutagenesis and how UmuDʹ₂C orthologs are regulated. And this work has broader implications for bacterial adaptation like antibiotic resistance development.

Presenters: Paige Djurdjevic ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Procedural Content Generation Using Diffusion Models

Presenters: Olivia Kilday ’28, Emilio Salas ’26, Reid Williams ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Pro-Life or Pro-Birth?

Throughout my experience in Amsterdam, I learned that there are some stark differences between the rhetoric surrounding abortion in The Netherlands and the United States. I completed a comparative analysis of the differences and will also focus on the topic of contraceptives as well. I examine the difference between people who identify as Pro-Choice and those who identify as Pro-Life. The root of these issues and discrepancies stems from the fact that the US is extremely hypocritical when it comes to limiting contraceptives and women’s healthcare, because in reality, the government and conservative lobbyists are using Pro-Life as a misnomer for Pro-Birth and the control of women through their bodies.

Presenters: Campbell Timmons ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Psychopathic Traits: Reliability and Validity Evidence from a Non-Institutionalized Sample

The present study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the measurement of psychopathic personality traits and their correlates in non-incarcerated populations. Most research on psychopathic traits has been conducted with incarcerated individuals due to the nature of psychopathy and its relationship with criminality. However, a growing body of evidence supports the view that psychopathic traits are associated with a variety of problematic outcomes among individuals in the general public, such as cheating and other antisocial behaviors. Specifically, this project seeks to examine the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale 4 short form (SRP-4 SF) and the Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale-Revised (PPTS-R) in an online convenience sample. In this sample, we tested these measures’ internal consistency and their correlation with measures of personality, psychological functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Evaluating the psychometric properties of these psychopathic trait measures will help determine whether these tools are effective for assessing psychopathic personality traits in non-incarcerated populations.

Presenters: Mia Figueroa ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Radical Feminism in the 1960’s and 1970’s

In this project, my partner and I examine the connections between two major forces within feminist history. My research focuses on Black women and their roles in radical movements, highlighting how they challenged both racial and gender oppression through activism, legal advocacy, and community organizing. I pay particular attention to how Black women shaped radical feminism by pushing it to address intersecting systems of inequality. Meanwhile, my partner explores the rise of Playboy and its relationship to the women’s liberation movement, analyzing how media representations of sexuality both conflicted with and influenced feminist goals. Together, we compare how these movements operated within and against legal systems, especially in pursuing reforms related to workplace discrimination, reproductive rights, and gender equality. Our shared focus is on the legal dimensions of radical feminism, emphasizing the successful legislative and judicial victories that emerged from activism during this transformative period in history.

Presenters: Larissa Murillo ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Regulation of Error Prone DNA Polymerase RumAB by the Putative Lon Protease on Mobile DNA Element R391

Environmental stressors, such as DNA damage, induce an SOS Response in bacteria that includes the activation of an error prone DNA polymerase, DNA pol V, increasing the probability of mutation. One extremely mutagenic DNA pol V ortholog, RumA’2B, is encoded by the rumAB operon found in the mobile integrative conjugative element R391 (ICE R391). Extensive mutagenesis is almost certain to have detrimental effects on bacteria harboring ICE R391 therefore regulation of RumAB is necessary. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether a putative Lon protease homolog encoded on ICE R391 is capable of regulating the RumAB error prone polymerase, as well as the potential method of regulation. Results of histidine reversion assays suggest that the Lon391 protease negatively impacted the mutagenic activity of RumA’2B, thereby minimizing mutations in Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains under both inducing and non-inducing SOS response conditions. Protein degradation assays and western blot analysis were performed to address the mechanism by which Lon391 contributes to the regulation of R391-mediated mutagenesis. No Lon391 mediated degradation was shown using plasmids containing rumA or rumB, however plasmids containing rumA’A showed some signs of degradation in the presence of Lon391.

Presenters: Caleb Hammons ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Relationships Between Total Phenolic Contents, Flavonoid Levels, and Antioxidant Capacities in Commercial Cacao Nibs from Different Origins

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is a rich source of bioactive polyphenolic compounds that contribute significant antioxidant properties with potential health benefits like cardiovascular protection and anti-inflammatory effects. Cacao nibs are minimally processed pieces of fermented or roasted cacao beans; they are one of the purest forms of cacao. Understanding the relationship between the phytochemical composition and the functional antioxidant capacity is vital for determining the quality and health benefits of cacao nibs. However, there is limited data comparing how the total phenolic content (TPC) and flavonoid levels correlate with antioxidant activity in commercial cacao nibs from diverse geographical regions. This study investigated the relationships between TPC, flavonoid levels, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity in cacao nibs from 15 manufacturers across 10 countries. Flavonoid levels were quantified using the aluminum chloride method, TPC was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and antioxidant capacity was determined with a DPPH assay. Data analysis was performed to determine the strength of the relationships between phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity, which reveals how phenolic and flavonoid content predict functional antioxidant capacity and identifies samples with higher antioxidant properties.

Presenters: Nathan Qi ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Riding Towards Sustainability: Public Transit in Switzerland

Transportation is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in car-dependent countries such as the United States. This project examines Switzerland’s public transportation system as a model for sustainable, low-emission mobility while considering the contrast to the United States. Through analysis of transit infrastructure, user accessibility, and environmental performance, the project highlights how Switzerland’s integrated network of trains, trams, buses, and other modes supports high ridership while significantly reducing carbon emissions. Central to this system is Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), which operates almost entirely on renewable energy and has committed to ambitious long-term emissions reduction goals. The findings demonstrate that Switzerland’s success stems not only from technology, but also from coordinated planning, public investment, and ease of use. While geographic scale, population density, and cultural attitudes present challenges for implementing a similar system in the United States, important lessons can still be applied at the urban and regional level. Ultimately, this project concludes that public transportation should be treated as both a public good and a climate solution, offering a viable pathway toward more sustainable and livable cities.

Presenters: Marley Kiser ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Running on Water: Biomechanics and Physiology of the Basilisk Lizard

One of the few animals to share bipedal locomotive behaviors with humans is the basilisk lizard, also called the Jesus lizard. The basilisk lizard is primarily quadrupedal, but it is able to run on its hind legs for short bursts to escape predators, most notably it is able to use this ability to sprint across water. To do this the basilisk lizard uses its rapidly contracting muscles and lever-like hind limbs to generate a vertical ground reaction force against the water such that the upward impulse during the foot contact equals or exceeds the downward gravitational impulse over the same time interval. This is achieved through a high-frequency slap, stroke, and recovery cycle in which the hind foot strikes the water, forms an air cavity, and rapidly drives water downward before withdrawing prior to cavity collapse. Short contact times (~0.1 s), stride frequencies of 8–10 Hz, and fast-twitch hindlimb musculature enable rapid force development and a high power-to-mass ratio. In contrast, humans lack the necessary scaling, contraction speed, and relative foot surface area to generate sufficient upward impulse before the water yields, illustrating how differences in anatomy, neuromuscular speed, and mass scaling constrain locomotor performance across species.

Presenters: Ethan Williams ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Sample Abstract Poisons Dart Frogs

The poison dart frog is an animal native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of poison dart frogs shares many common characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between species. One notable physiological trait of the poison dart frog is its ability to produce and store powerful skin toxins, which allows it to defend itself from predators in the dense rainforest environment. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently, but are still important for overall health. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that allow the poison dart frog to function in its environment and will compare these mechanisms to human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Payne Lochridge ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Semester in Murcia

This project explores how studying abroad in Murcia, Spain reshaped my understanding of culture, identity, and community. While study abroad is often described as a transformative experience, my experience examines how immersion in a new academic and social environment actively shifts perspective. During my semester in Murcia, I took university courses alongside Spanish and international students, which exposed me to different classroom dynamics, cultural values, and approaches to discussion and collaboration. Beyond academics, building friendships and finding community in an unfamiliar environment played a significant role in shaping my experience. Shared meals, local events, and everyday interactions created a sense of belonging that deepened my cultural understanding. I realized that study abroad is not only about travel, but about developing intercultural competence, adaptability, and empathy. This experience demonstrates how immersive education fosters personal growth and global perspective in ways that traditional classroom settings alone cannot replicate.

Presenters: Cassidie Gomez ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Serving Sustainability: Analyzing Food Waste in Switzerland and Texas

The purpose of our project was to examine how the United States food industry paradoxically produces an overabundance of food while simultaneously generating more food waste than any other country each year. During a study abroad program in Switzerland—an international leader in sustainability initiatives—we investigated alternative approaches to food systems and waste reduction. Our research focused specifically on dining hall food waste and sustainable food packaging, comparing practices at Southwestern University with those observed in Switzerland. We visited grocery stores, restaurants, and other food distributors, and conducted interviews with dining hall staff where we regularly ate. Through these observations and conversations, we identified striking contrasts in institutional sustainability infrastructure, public attitudes toward food waste, and the strength of national policies regulating food disposal. By comparing these two contexts, our project highlights systemic differences that contribute to food waste outcomes and offers insight into potential strategies for improving sustainability practices in the United States.

Presenters: Abigail (Abby) Henderson ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Serving Sustainability: Comparing Food Waste Practices in Switzerland vs. Texas

Our project qualitatively explored how a city in a country known for its sustainability practices sourced and disposed of food on a large scale. During our Summer 2025 study abroad in Lugano, Switzerland, we examined Swiss food waste and packaging practices and compared them to those in the United States, specifically at Southwestern University– analyzing how institutions of higher learning and local businesses approached waste reduction in a comparative context. As part of our research, we interviewed Franklin University Switzerland’s dining hall management team to better understand institutional food sourcing and waste management practices. We also examined how differences in food packaging from grocery and convenience stores– such as transparent portion sizes, minimal packaging, and reusable materials over plastic usage– contributed to lower overall waste. Switzerland’s strong farm-to-table culture further emphasized local, seasonal sourcing, contrasting with U.S. systems that often rely on large-scale agricultural sources and even larger-scale distributors. Our findings highlighted practical strategies for improving food waste management and expanding sustainable sourcing initiatives that could be adapted and implemented at Southwestern University.

Presenters: Layla Hoffen ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Spring 2026 Ride on Center for Kids Internship

This project will provide a comprehensive overview of my internship experience at the Ride On Center for Kids in Georgetown, Texas. It will outline the full process of securing the internship, including how I identified the opportunity, navigated the application process, and transitioned into my role. The presentation will also examine how this experience connects to my academic coursework at Southwestern University, particularly in relation to my Business major and Kinesiology minor. In addition, a dedicated section will highlight the ways in which this internship has contributed to my professional development. This will include specific examples of skills I have strengthened, such as communication, leadership, adaptability, and teamwork, as well as the meaningful professional relationships I have begun to establish. The poster will further detail the training I received and the responsibilities I have undertaken in my roles as an arena assistant and side walker. I will describe the duties associated with each position and provide concrete examples of tasks performed, demonstrating both the practical skills gained and the broader impact of this experiential learning opportunity.

Presenters: Jackson Feuerbacher ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Staging the embryogenesis of male-pregnant Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) using optic development

Individuals within the Syngnathidae Family (seahorses, seadragons, and pipefish) exhibit the unique characteristic of male pregnancy, ending with the birth of self-sufficient offspring. Reproduction of Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) involves gestation in the brood pouch of the male, where embryos hatch before the male gives birth. Previous studies of other Syngnathid species have described specific developmental stages based on the features present. Eyes, with pigmentation visible from early-to-mid development, are one of the most notable features as their formation serves as a reliable marker for an embryo’s stage. No work exists at this time characterizing the stages of embryogenesis in S. scovelli. The objective of this work was to formulate a protocol to describe embryonic development of the Gulf pipefish, utilizing eye formation as a stage-specific indicator. This study aims to provide researchers within the field with a model for classifying developing S. scovelli embryos based on optical developmental markers. Methodology included viewing and analyzing embryos from pregnant S. scovelli males under a dissecting light microscope.

Presenters: Kimble Gould ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Stay Off Our TERF: Predictors of Anti-Trans Feminists Opposition to Trans Girls in K-12 Sports

Anti-trans sentiment has been increasing in visibility in recent years. The most current and visible form of this discrimination has manifested in discourse around trans athletes and trans girls and women, in particular. Additionally, a growing body of feminist scholarship has examined the ideologies of trans-exclusionary radical feminists and the ways these attitudes work to perpetuate anti-trans and transmisogynistic legislation. This study examines this intersection by using a sample of United States-based self-identified feminists. Among our sample, sexism, authoritarianism, and various religious measures have no reported association with opposition to trans girls in sports. Our data suggest that political ideology and political party affiliation are the strongest predictors among self-identified feminists in predicting opposition to trans girls’ participation in K-12 sports.

Presenters: Aris Morgan ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Stephen F. Austin: Father of Texas (and Texan Slavery)

This presentation will essentially be an examination of how critical Stephen F. Austin was to the development of slavery in Texas. To generate interest, I will ask the audience what they know about Stephen F. Austin, and following up with the less-taught question of what his role in Texan slavery was. First, I will be examining the factors related to the panic of 1819, and why they made Texan land so appealing to Americans (especially those with slaves). Then, I will explain how Stephen F. Austin specifically utilized this to attract slave-owners to Texas, highlighting details in his land-grants and how they were very generous towards slave-owners. Additionally, I will describe how he petitioned the Mexican government to allow slavery in what was (at the time) their territory. Finally, I will deconstruct the myth that he was “slavery-neutral”: Stephen F. Austin made use of slaves and pushed for slavery in Texas from the moment he settled here, and it’s not unreasonable to call him the father of slavery in Texas.

Presenters: Lucien Tannehill-Miyakawa ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Study Abroad in Granada, Spain

This poster will provide an overview of my experience studying abroad in Granada, Spain. This was a six-week long program in the summer of 2025 led by Southwestern University faculty members. In my poster, I will outline the academic, cultural, and social experiences I had as part of this program. I will include the classes I took, Cultures of Spain with Southwestern professor Dr. Ross, and Conversation in Context with a University of Granada faculty member. I will highlight some of my favorite excursions from the program, including trips to El Museo del Prado, touring the Alhambra, and a long weekend in northern Morocco. I will also describe my personal experiences staying in a homestay with a local family, living in the city of Granada, and improving my Spanish skills. The purpose of my presentation will be to feature the numerous valuable and exciting opportunities my study abroad experience provided me with to encourage other students to consider studying abroad!

Presenters: Elise Jackson ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Synthesis of a Nintedanib-derived Covalent Inhibitor Targeting the JAK3 Protein

Nintedanib is a triple angiokinase inhibitor primarily targeting three growth receptors. It is FDA-approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung diseases, and is undergoing clinical trials for treatment of some cancers. However, when it was tested on a 245-kinase panel, 21 additional kinases were also inhibited by nintedanib. Among those inhibited was the janus kinase 3 (JAK3), whose active site is similar in structure to the other receptors in its family, making its specific inhibition challenging. However, JAK3 is unique because it has a cysteine residue in its active site which can be targeted with a covalent inhibitor. Herein, a synthesis is described of a covalent analog of nintedanib. A novel covalent nintedanib derivative was synthesized from commercially available indoline. A selective acylation of the indoline nitrogen was completed, followed by a coupling to 4-nitrobenzoic acid which yielded a key intermediate. This key intermediate was then condensed with an aniline substrate, followed by a reduction of the nitro group. Another coupling with acrylic acid yielded a novel nintedanib derivative with a covalent acrylamide warhead. Successful irreversible inhibition of JAK3 has therapeutic potential in various hematopoietic cancers, supporting further investigation of this scaffold for inhibiting JAK3 activation.

Presenters: Seth Sagen ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Athlete Mindset: Understanding Concussion Prevention Resistance in Student Athletes

Many methods of concussion prevention have been researched over the years to protect athletes from sustaining concussions and lasting brain damage. However, the number of athletes that use or abide by these measures is alarmingly small. My research explores why it is not the norm to use concussion preventions given their proven effectiveness and how we could increase the number of athletes using them. I will survey student athletes in order to determine what aspects of concussion prevention they like/dislike and what things they would be open/not open to using and doing. I would expect that athletes would have issues with equipment that would make them stand out given the research on team collective mentalities, as well as with rules/policies that change traditional aspects of their sports. This research will help us to further understand the student athlete mindset. It also will help move toward protecting athletes from long-term damage from sports.

Presenters: Devin Cybulski ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The comparison of physiological adaptations of Arctic Foxes and humans.

The Arctic fox is native to the frozen coastal tundra and pack-ice regions of the Arctic Circle, spanning North America, Eurasia, Greenland, and Iceland. To survive in this habitat, it has developed several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations. While the physiology of Arctic foxes shares many characteristics with human physiology, this presentation will take a comparative approach to highlight important differences between the two species. One notable physiological trait of the Arctic fox is its ability to conduct a counter-current heat exchange in its paws, which allows it to keep the temperature of its paws just above freezing temperature while preserving its function in walking and running. In humans, similar physiological processes function differently but are still important for overall health, such as the presence of pairs of deep veins that wrap around arteries. In the cold, blood is diverted to these deep veins so the warm arterial blood can pre-warm the returning venous blood. This presentation will explore the underlying physiological mechanisms that enable the Arctic fox to function in its environment and compare these mechanisms with human physiological responses. Understanding these similarities and differences provides insight into how physiological systems adapt to environmental challenges and highlights the importance of maintaining homeostasis in human health.

Presenters: Pablo Holguin ’29

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Effect of Attentional Focus on Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Performance

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether different attentional focus cues influence maximal force production during the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP). Previous literature suggests that internally focused cues may constrain motor output, whereas external or holistic cues may enhance performance. METHODS: Thirty-one fadults (18–35 yrs) completed eight maximal IMTP trials in a randomized, within-subjects design. Participants performed two mid-thigh pulls under each of four conditions: control (“focus on doing your best”), internal (“focus on contracting your legs as hard as possible”), external (“focus on pushing the ground as hard as possible”), and holistic (“focus on being as explosive as possible”). Each pull lasted two seconds with standardized rest intervals between trials and conditions. Ground reaction forces were collected using bilateral force plates. Maximum force (N) served as the primary dependent variable and was analyzed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA (α = .05). RESULTS: A significant main effect of condition was observed for maximum force, F(3, 90) = 7.61, p < .001, ηp² = .20. Mean (± SD) force values were 2078.16 (± 548.55) N for control, 2069.61 (± 535.48) N for external, 2021.06 (± 518.34) N for internal, and 2127.68 (± 579.97) N for holistic. Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons revealed that internal focus produced significantly lower force than both control (p = .036) and holistic focus (p = .001). No other pairwise comparisons reached statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Attentional focus cue type significantly influences maximal isometric force production during the IMTP. Internal focus reduced force output, whereas holistic cues produced the highest force values. These findings suggest that holistic or externally directed cues may be preferable when coaching maximal strength tasks.

Presenters: Emily Chaires ’26, Terry Ray ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

The Intersection of Skin Tone and Politics

While the electoral consequences of race have been well-researched, the impact of intraracial differences have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to determine whether skin tone influences support for anti-discrimination efforts. Using the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), this paper investigates the relationship between self-identified skin tone and Black Americans’ racial justice orientation, measured by the degree to which they support increased government efforts to eliminate racial discrimination against their racial group. Existing literature links darker-skin tone complexion to a heightened exposure and frequent experiences with race-based discrimination. This paper hypothesizes that skin tone operates as a form of secondary marginalization that influences political attitudes. Therefore, dark-skinned Black Americans are expected to express greater support for increased anti-discrimination efforts. This study contributes to research on intragroup inequality, highlighting how physical characteristics, particularly skin tone, accounts for racial justice ideology differences within the American Black community.

Presenters: Isabel Sainz ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

The Role of Attentional Focus in Ergometer Rowing Performance

The effects of internal attentional cues versus external attentional cues have produced inconclusive findings regarding which attentional cue is more beneficial (Newmann, et al. 2020). Recent research has found a holistic approach that improves performance and learning in discrete tasks like vertical jumps; however, it has not been investigated with continuous tasks like rowing. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of internal, external, and holistic attentional cues on ergometer rowing performance. Thirty-seven participants performed a six-minute ergometer rowing task across three different sessions, with at least 48 hours between each session, in a counterbalanced order. The dependent variables analyzed were total distance (m), average stroke rate (S/M), and average heart rate (BPM). Data were analyzed using three separate one-way repeated measures ANOVAs with Bonferroni post hoc tests. The results suggest that under a holistic attentional focus, performance is enhanced since individuals row significantly more distance (m) and obtain a significantly greater HR.

Presenters: Ana Catalina Morales Elizondo ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

The Spoken Visualized: An Inside Look at Language Creation

For my Capstone (English, Fall 2025), I created a fictional language and culture, providing vocabulary and grammar, and detailing a bit of the creation process and why I made the decisions I did, in regards to how the language would sound and function. In this poster presentation, I plan to visually display some of the linguistic and grammatical aspects of both my created language and also of the English language, in an effort to highlight some of the components that a language actually consists of, in a way that is recognizable, relatable, and contextual. My hope is that in presenting it this way, it will not only showcase the language I have constructed, but also inspire the audience to think about their own native language(s) in a different way— from the outside looking in. In this way, I hope to illustrate how it looks and feels to experience and learn a language that one is entirely unfamiliar with.

Presenters: Stephanie Light ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

The Translation of Platypus

The platypus plays an integral role in riparian environments across Eastern Australia. Despite a growing body of literature about platypus in the temperate environments of New South Wales and Victoria, little is known by community members and researchers about platypus ecological needs and behavior in tropical regions. Furthermore, what is known by researchers is not adequately communicated to community stakeholders. This project aims to understand the significance of translating platypus ecological needs and behavior to researchers who can then communicate with community members. Three riparian sites were selected in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, for a twenty-four-hour observation study, with macroinvertebrate composition, water quality, and soil features tested. This data was then statistically analyzed to compare site ecologies. I converted the data into video format for community meetings, helping stakeholders better understand pollution impacts on water quality and the ecological needs of platypi. These findings reveal the necessity of effective communication between researchers and community stakeholders in order to educate the public on native wildlife needs and how human pollution affects water, soil, and macroinvertebrate composition. Community stakeholders’ understanding of their ecological impacts on native wildlife is a stepping stone to generating climate change mitigation strategies.

Presenters: Zoe Van der Walt ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

The University Knowledge Assistant: Simplifying Information Retrieval Using Machine Learning

The information provided on the Southwestern University website is commonly used by new and current students to learn more about the resources that the institution offers. Due to the volume of information available, students will benefit from a centralized platform dedicated to answering student questions in a more efficient manner. The University Knowledge Assistant provides a modern web platform to streamline this process. This system utilizes Retrieval-Augmented Generation to answer user queries based on a specific knowledge base. The technology breaks documents into text sections before encoding them into vector representations. When a student asks a question, the system performs a similarity search to find relevant information. These data chunks move to a large language model to generate a precise response. This tool handles materials like department policies, degree requirement sheets, academic handouts, tutoring schedules, and more. The assistant helps with degree planning and course suggestions. With this tool, we hope to create a platform that not only simplifies the navigation of institutional data for the university community, but also encourages students to ask questions at any time and at their own pace. We hope faculty and students benefit from this convenient access to campus resources.

Presenters: Frank Desilets ’26, Alyanna Martinez ’27, Emilio Salas ’26, Evan Williams ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

TRACKS: A theatre department production

Presenters: Aidan Balakrishnan ’26, Ansh Tripathi ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Translation with Soccer

This project I’m going to be focusing on explores how playing soccer can act as a form of translation that helps connect people across language, culture, and ability. Instead of viewing translation only as converting words from one language to another, this research focuses on how meaning is communicated through interaction, body language, and teamwork on the soccer field. I will be using personal observation and reflection along with academic articles from my course Culture and Communities of Latin America to better understand soccer’s role as a cultural and social connector in Latin American communities. These sources help explain how soccer brings people together across differences in language, background, and social class. The project also looks at inclusion and accessibility, especially how players adapt their communication to support teammates with different abilities, showing informal but meaningful ways of making space for everyone. Additionally, soccer creates a shared environment where people learn to understand where others are coming from, building empathy and community. Overall, this project concludes that everyday activities like sports can be powerful spaces for translation, inclusion, and connection, offering important insights for translation studies, disability studies, and community-focused research.

Presenters: Leslie Gabino Benítez ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Uganda Women’s Network vs. Global North Feminism

The research I am conducting for the course Radical Democracy and Radical Activism, which I will be presenting, explores feminism in the Global South. While there are various sections of the feminist movement, there are certain differences that can be seen when examining feminism from a global lens. And it is often assumed that the Global South follows the movement of the Global North, but in this research, I am questioning if that is the case, specifically for Uganda, or if feminists have made the movement locally specific. The research question I am asking is: How does the Uganda Women’s Network feminist group in Uganda take inspiration from the Global North? Or not? To answer this question, I will create and examine an archive tailored to the ideologies and programs that the UWONET has followed to understand differences in feminist ideologies at a transnational level and whether they align with one another or are rooted within individual countries.

Presenters: Nandni Patel ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Unraveling the Interactions of the CCT Anti-Carin β Complex and MLST8: Implications for Protein Misfolding Diseases

Chaperonins, crucial molecular machines, facilitate proper protein folding and assembly, significantly influencing cellular health. Among them, the Chaperonin Containing TCP1 (CCT) complex is vital for folding proteins that regulate essential cellular processes such as growth and survival. This research aimed to characterize the CCT anti-carin β complex, MLST8-CCT complex, and folding intermediates by purifying them and imaging their structures to understand complex interactions. Plasmids were constructed through standard cloning technique, purified with high-performance liquid chromatography, and imaged using cryo-electron microscopy to clarify the dynamics of protein folding and its regulation, potentially revealing new therapeutic targets for conditions associated with MLST8 dysfunction. Preliminary results indicate successful purification of MLST8, although anti-carin β displays suboptimal efficacy in vivo, suggesting competitive inhibition with CCT and low occupancy in complex formation. By clarifying the interactions and regulatory pathways of these complexes, this research could enhance our understanding of protein folding dynamics and yield innovative diagnostic and therapeutic avenues for cancer and other pathologies linked to protein misfolding.

Presenters: James Cosman ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Visualizing Sustainability

The purpose of this project was to visually document how sustainability is embedded into everyday life in Lugano, Switzerland through urban design and infrastructure. As part of the Theories and Practices of Sustainability course abroad, I explored how Swiss cities like Lugano have taken the steps to implement sustainable practices at the street level – such as their use of solar panels, pedestrian zones, efficient public transit, biodiversity in landscaping, and signage encouraging environmentally conscious behavior. Switzerland uses the notion of the triple bottom line: economic, environmental, and equity to holistically implement these strategies. Despite the effort of the holistic approach, it is important to acknowledge the historical context of xenophobia in Switzerland and who predominantly benefits from sustainability. Although photos can capture the aesthetic and functionality of various implementations, the social implications of sustainability are not necessarily visible. My project consists of a curated collection of photos that captures sustainable features as I explored this country from the street level.

Presenters: Ella Roberts ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

Wampanog: The Efforts of Colonization

For my Paideia Research and Creative Works Symposium I will be combining my specialties within my Political Science and Anthropology degree to explore the lost languages of colonization through the exploration of Wampanong, the first revived language in the United States. In the past few hundred years that colonizers have occupied the Americas, Native populations have lost more than just their land, culture, and people. Due to the colonization of their people, the mass murder of their populations, and their forced ‘re-education’– hundreds of languages have been lost. Now, with current anthropological linguistic reformative efforts, dozens of dead and dying languages are coming back to life within native communities. With this project, I will draw attention to these ‘language nests,’ and their emphasis of revival through children, modern day technology, and master-apprentice programs used to restore their stolen cultural identities and history to call for additional reformative efforts through government funding and programs.

Presenters: Mia Galindo ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Water Conservation Mechanisms in Kangaroo Rats

Merriam’s Kangaroo Rats(Dipodomys merriami), natives of dry, desert, North American land, can go their entire lives without any water. This adaptation allows them to thrive in their chosen environment, one where water is a rarity. This presentation looks at how and why the rodent can survive without a supplemental source of water for a lifetime while humans would last less than a week under such conditions. Kangaroo rats also have a diet consisting of dry seeds, giving off metabolic water that is high in carbohydrates and low in protein, helping them not need to search for liquid water. The kangaroo rat has a number of unique adaptations and lifestyle choices to humans as well. Humans are subjected to the heat of the daytime while the kangaroo rat avoids expending energy due to the heat, by being nocturnal. These behavioral and physiological changes show how the kangaroo rat has evolved specifically to save energy and water, which enables it to live and thrive in hot desert environments without ever consuming liquid water.

Presenters: Gavin Johnson ’29

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

What Differentiates a BA from a BS in CS? Insights from Liberal Arts Colleges in the CCSC:SC Region

Liberal arts colleges offer Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees, Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees, or both, in Computer Science. Yet the distinction between degrees remains inconsistent, and can lead to uncertainty for students. This ambiguity can shape student perceptions, potentially influence college selection, and affect expectations for postgraduate opportunities. In this work, we examine the requirements for BA and BS Computer Science majors at liberal arts colleges within the CCSC:SC region, namely those in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Interestingly, while one college offers a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree, none offers only a BA in Computer Science. With 11 of the 24 colleges offering both the BA and the BS, we are able to compare our findings from those to the prior work by Talmage, Anthony, and Tartaro on a subset of liberal arts colleges nationwide that offer both the BA and BS degrees in Computer Science. We also explore how the 12 colleges offering only the BS compare in their requirements to what the prior work found to be typical course requirements of the major.

Presenters: Evelyn Harrington ’26, Camille James ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

What does each hospital department REALLY do? | Shadowing at St. David’s Georgetown Hospital

The St. David’s Georgetown Hospital Shadowing Program at Southwestern University has provided me with 40 hours of shadowing across ten hospital departments, including radiology, women’s services, and outpatient surgery. Through shadowing, I have gained insights on the treatments, patient interactions, and staff duties within each department. Departments definitely do not function internally like they do on TV shows! Being in a hospital and witnessing patients receive life-changing treatment has confirmed my long-standing interest in becoming a physician. Over the course of many 4-hour hospital shifts, I have developed career competencies in four areas: career & self-development, communication, critical thinking, and professionalism. For example, shadowing a colonoscopy procedure, with nurses and physicians working together in the same room, has taught me how respected and valued the roles of each team member are. Observing staff stick to their roles and accep constructive criticism has helped me understand how communication plays out in time-sensitive and hazardous situations. I will further detail my growth and experiences regarding this shadowing program through a visually appealing, informative, and interactive poster.

Presenters: Lara Alswafta ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

What Makes a Movement Effective? A Comparative Study of Black Political Mobilization Across Eras

For this project, we will be looking at a variety of archival artifacts from grassroot organizations within the Civil Rights Movement such as university collectives that showcase activism in a specific target audience. We will be presenting on our methodology and how that ties to our overarching projects within the movement. Myla’s project will be focusing on the shift to legislation and politics within the movement, and how this shift affected the progress of the movement and Black activism. She will be using archival documents to demonstrate the consequences, involvement, and tactics of the Black Panther Party. Natalia will be looking at different events that occurred within the Civil Rights Movement, the beginning roots of the black panther party, as well as analyzing the peak of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. Delving deeper into the details of these events to pinpoint what worked and what did not, and try to identify these characteristics in modern day activism. Overall both projects aim to further understand the monumental importance the Civil Rights Movement held during its own era, as well as its impact on activism for racial justice that came after it.

Presenters: Natalia Morales Robles ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

When Class Size Matters: Student Teacher Ratios and GPA Gaps

Class size is often blamed for uneven academic outcomes, but evidence remains mixed. Framed through the economics of education, this project tested whether student teacher ratios are associated with student grade point average, GPA, after accounting for factors that shape achievement. Using large scale microdata from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, IPUMS, I merged school level student teacher ratios with student background measures and estimated a multivariable statistical model controlling for family income, parental education, race and ethnicity, and school context. Across the full sample, the student teacher ratio showed a small relationship with GPA once controls were included. Subgroup estimates revealed a consistent pattern: higher ratios were linked to lower predicted GPA for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, while effects were near zero for higher income students. Translating the estimates into predicted GPA changes suggests that broad class size reductions may yield limited average gains, but targeted reductions in high need settings could narrow GPA gaps. Overall, the findings support directing resources toward schools where additional instructional attention appears most valuable.

Presenters: Nicholas Stickle ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Ballrooms

When expectations should differ: The role of controllability and identity relevance in shaping expectation reasoning in children and adults.

We investigated whether children and adults think that people should lower their expectations. We examined whether these beliefs depended on outcome controllability and identity relevance. We also explored how adults’ perceived social support relates to expectation ratings. Four- to 10-year-olds and adults (N = 82) viewed six vignettes with three story types: Uncontrollable non-identity-relevant (i.e., characters cannot make desired outcomes happen and the outcomes do not reflect the self; e.g., if a snowman will melt), uncontrollable identity-relevant (i.e., characters cannot make desired outcomes happen and the outcomes reflect on the self; e.g., predicting an exam grade post-exam), and controllable identity-relevant (i.e., characters have control over desired outcomes and the outcomes reflect on the self; e.g., predicting an exam grade pre-exam). After each story, participants were asked what the character should expect (i.e., high or low expectations), including confidence ratings. Adults (n = 24) completed an 8-item perceived support questionnaire via Qualtrics. Children and adults judged that people should have the lowest expectations for uncontrollable non-identity-relevant scenarios, with adults further differentiating that people should have the highest expectations for controllable identity-relevant stories. For adults, higher perceived support is related to higher expectations for identically-relevant story types.

Presenters: Raylee Bowling ’26, Victoria Jackson-Sears ’27, Soren Laureles ’27, Cameron Smith ’27, Noel Vasquez ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Who am I in this language? Translation, Identity and the Bilingual Experience

When we think of translation we think of it as being a linguistic process, but for bilingual individuals, it is also a deep psychological and cultural experience. This project explores how living between two languages involves constant mental and cultural negotiation, drawing from psychology and cultural studies, an interdisciplinary field examining how culture shapes identity and meaning. A bilingual speaker navigates two distinct cultural frameworks, adapting language, behavior, and emotional expression depending on context. Cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and attention guide how individuals select words and interpret meaning, while cultural norms influence how they express identity and values. This ongoing process of “cultural and linguistic translation” affects not only communication but also self-perception and social interactions. By highlighting the psychological and cultural dimensions of bilingual experience, this project invites viewers to understand translation not merely as a linguistic task, but as a lived, human process and showing the complex interplay of mind, culture, and identity that occurs when one lives between two worlds.

Presenters: Casandra Nunez ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Why We Lose Muscle: A Comparative Study of Sarcopenia in Humans and Chimpanzees

The chimpanzee is native to the tropical forests and woodlands of Africa, where their survival depends on constant climbing and social mobility through complex terrains. To overcome this physically demanding environment, chimpanzees hold musculoskeletal adaptations that give them life long strength, endurance, and frequent mechanical load of skeletal muscle. While we humans have a lot in common with the chimpanzee, I present a comparative approach to see the differences in age related muscle decline. The physiological adaptation of the chimpanzee is the sustained mechanical loading, every day having to climb and navigate through its environment which supports ongoing muscle protein synthesis and neuromuscular function. In humans, similar mechanisms regulate muscle maintenance, but reduced physical activity as we age or sedentary lifestyles increase skeletal muscle atrophy, contributing to sarcopenia. This presentation will explore the cellular and hormonal mechanisms that underlie muscle maintenance in chimpanzees, and compare them to the physiological processes in humans that lead to sarcopenia. Understanding these similarities and differences provides us insight into how environmental demands shape musculoskeletal health and shows the importance of maintaining physical activity to preserve muscle function and metabolic stability throughout a lifetime.

Presenters: Nolan Alvarez ’28

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Williamson County Juvenile Justice Services Capstone Internship

This presentation explores how psychological theory can be applied in a real-world juvenile justice setting through my internship at Williamson County Juvenile Justice Services in Georgetown, Texas. The purpose of this project was to examine how research-based psychological principles inform rehabilitation practices for justice-involved youth. During my internship in the CORE residential treatment program, I observed court hearings, participated in treatment team meetings, and engaged with staff trainings while integrating recent empirical research. Using major developmental and social psychological frameworks, I analyzed how trauma, peer influence, family systems, and community environments shape behavior. My findings show that structured accountability, trauma-informed care, and consistent therapeutic relationships play a critical role in promoting behavioral change and successful program completion. Youth who experienced stable support and positive role models demonstrated greater engagement and personal growth. Overall, this project highlights the importance of individualized, developmentally informed interventions and emphasizes the essential role of psychological services in supporting rehabilitation and long-term positive outcomes in the juvenile justice system.

Presenters: Claire Jaubert ’26

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

Impact of Growing Conditions on Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Properties in South American Cacao Nibs

Primarily grown in tropical areas around the equator where plentiful rain and warm temperatures promote growth, cacao trees thrive. Cacao nibs, a product derived from cacao seeds, are widely regarded as a superfood due to their nutritional benefits and high antioxidant content, primarily resulting from phenols and flavonoids. Despite the importance of antioxidants in the diet, there is limited research on the effects of the climate and location on phenolic levels in cacao products. To help fill this gap, a quantitative analysis was performed to determine the effects of climate and location on the production of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in cacao. Cacao nibs were obtained from seven different regions across South America and their total phenolic contents (TPC) and flavonoid levels were quantified. A statistical analysis compared the values and identified the effects of climate and geographical region. Determining differences in antioxidant production among cacao nibs sourced from different environments provides important information about the effects of growing conditions on the health benefits of cacao products.

Presenters: Elijah Burns ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

University Prestige and Persistence: The Role of Belonging and Support

The prestige of a university has been a key factor in marketing an institution to prospective students and drawing them in to enroll. Past studies have also shown a great correlation between a university’s perceived reputation and greater rates of completion. But is it enough to make marginalized students wish to stay there? This study aimed to determine whether a sense of community or prestige influenced retention rates among Latinx students. We performed an archival study on past data from Latinx college students and looked up data about their plans to commit to the institution they were a part of, as well as if they felt a sense of belonging and if they felt supported by the faculty. Results found that, while attending a prestigious university did indeed result in greater retention in general, it only significantly correlated with retention if the student also reported a sense of support from the faculty. As a result, campus programming should focus on finding ways to support students through the stressful environment of college education.

Presenters: Joshua Gregg ’27

Location: McCombs Campus Center - Bishops Lounge

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Panel Presentations

Capstone Compass: Navigating the Research Journey

Every capstone project presents its own unique challenges and rewards, and no two journeys are alike. In this session, Southwestern University students will share their personal capstone research experiences. Representing diverse academic disciplines, these students will discuss how they succeeded, the unexpected hurdles they faced, and the valuable lessons they learned along the way. They’ll also reflect on what they wish they had known before beginning their projects and offer advice to those preparing for their own capstones. From effective time management strategies to tips on overcoming research roadblocks, this session aims to provide attendees with a roadmap for navigating their own capstone projects. In addition, the session will include an interactive Q&A portion, allowing future capstone students to ask questions, gain insight, and leave with actionable strategies to help ensure their own success. Whether you’re embarking on a creative, scientific, or interdisciplinary project, this panel will provide the guidance you need to confidently chart your course.

Presenters: Cassidie Gomez ’26, Elizabeth Krajca ’26, Julianna Marshall ’26, Alyanna Martinez ’26, Davin Ratliff ’26

Location: Mood-Bridwell 246

Proposed Panel Title: Seen to Succeed: Class Size, Educational Support, and What Juvenile Detention Teaches Us About Student Outcomes

This panel examines how small, highly supported classroom environments within juvenile detention settings illuminate structural gaps in traditional public education. Drawing on field observations from an internship with the Williamson County Juvenile Probation Department, the project highlights a notable contrast: detention classrooms often operate with approximately 12:1 student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instructional planning, and intentional identification of IEP and Section 504 needs, which supports that many students did not consistently receive before system involvement. The panel will explore the relationship between class size, early disability identification, student engagement, and behavioral outcomes, asking whether structural educational conditions can function as preventative interventions. Integrating education-law research, practitioner insight, and interdisciplinary perspectives, the discussion will examine how policy, compliance frameworks, and resource allocation shape pathways into or out of the juvenile justice system. By reframing class size and individualized support as equity and legal access issues, this panel aims to generate dialogue on proactive educational reform.

Presenters: Kathleen Burnett ’27

Location: Mood-Bridwell 124

3:15pm - 4:30pm

Paideia Lecture

Paideia Connections Student Lecture

Put the Bug Spray Down, Pick the Microphone Up: Rebranding Bees as Friends
Layla Hoffen ’26

All Roads Lead to Rome—an Epigraphy: Contextualizing the Sub-Elite Roman Experience Through Critical Fabulation
Kylie Ouellette ’26

The Paideia Connections Student Lecture features short talks by two graduating seniors with different high impact experiences, and encourages members of the campus community and the general public to engage in thought-provoking discussions with each other following the talks.

Presenters: Layla Hoffen ’26, Kylie Ouellette ’26

Location: Mood-Bridwell - Atrium