Scholars' Day 2025 Schedule

Session 1A

9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Building 12-113

The Power of Passive Investing: Why Index Funds Outperform

Joseph Leichtner
Professor Mark Sample (Anthropology, History, Political Science, & Sociology)

The debate between passive and active investment strategies has continued to grow with the growing popularity of passive investing. Once regarded with derision, passive investing makes up over 50% of the U.S. stock and bond markets. Passive investing involves tracking a market index, such as the S&P 500. Active investing involves portfolio managers buying and selling investments they believe will perform best. This study assesses the long-term efficacy of index funds compared to active management, focusing on returns, cost efficiency, and risk-adjusted-performance. The research analyzes historical market data and academic studies to compare investment strategies. Findings from S&P Dow Jones Indices show that over 15 years, more than 90% of actively managed U.S. large-cap funds underperformed the S&P 500. Dalbar’s research further indicates that over 30 years, the S&P 500 returned 10% annually, whereas the average equity fund investor earned only 4% due to behavioral biases and high expense ratios. These findings suggest that passive investing is a superior strategy for long-term wealth accumulation compared to active management.

Pay to Play: When Money Talks in American Politics

Billy Simba
Professor Joseph Scanlon (Anthropology, History, Political Science, & Sociology)

In American democracy, the ideal of equal representation is increasingly threatened by the growing influence of wealth in politics. This presentation examines how campaign contributions and corporate lobbying have distorted the policymaking process, prioritizing the interests of wealthy donors and special interest groups over ordinary citizens. Drawing on data from recent elections, court cases like Citizens United v. FEC, and scholarly analyses, My research highlights how excessive money in politics erodes public trust, contributes to political polarization, and fuels voter apathy. This presentation identifies systemic imbalances that favor elite voices while silencing marginalized communities by tracing the evolution of campaign finance laws and the revolving door between government and lobbying firms. The research concludes with proposed reforms, including public financing, stricter disclosure requirements, and policies to curb lobbying’s undue influence. Addressing these challenges is essential to restoring fairness, transparency, and accountability to the democratic process.

How Contemporary American Capitalism Undermines Democratic Legitimacy

Cassie Wisniewski
Professor Joseph Scanlon (Anthropology, History, Political Science, & Sociology)

What is the relationship between contemporary American capitalism (CAC) and democratic legitimacy in the United States? This presentation asserts that CAC’s distinct features of excessive monetization, commercialism, and consumerism challenge democracy and threaten democratic legitimacy. By critically analyzing over 20 academic sources and peer-reviewed journals spanning political science, economics, and sociology, I explore the hypothesis that CAC's distinct features lead to high levels of economic inequality, corporate influence in politics, and cultural shifts that undermine democratic legitimacy and erode trust in public institutions. These challenges impede Dahl’s (1971) commonly accepted institutional guarantees for democracy, measured by wealth-related barriers to civic participation, corporate spending in elections following the landmark Citizens United v. FEC (2010) decision, and the polarization associated with the monetization of disinformation on social media platforms. This suggests that CAC diminishes both input legitimacy- the perceived inclusiveness and fairness of political institutions, and output legitimacy- institutions’ capacity to deliver equitable policies. Although many scholars acknowledge that CAC impacts inequality thereby reducing civic engagement, there is limited research that directly explores its impact on declining democratic legitimacy. While this analysis bridges CAC’s relationship with democratic legitimacy, additional information and analysis are necessary to create effective policy recommendations.

Session 1B

9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Building 12-111

Why Everyone Should Consider Adopting a Vegan Lifestyle

Makayla Oriel
Professor Carl Silvio (English and Philosophy)

The debate around veganism has led to the polarization of two major sides. One being, people in support of veganism, and those against it. This presentation supports the adoption of a vegan lifestyle by analyzing arguments against veganism, using scientific research and case studies to reveal why everyone should adopt a plant-based diet. Advocates argue it enhances physical health, reduces environmental impact, and upholds ethical responsibility, while critics claim it leads to nutritional deficiencies and is unsustainable for long-term human health. Research discussed in The Game Changers, a documentary that highlights peer-reviewed studies and expert interviews, suggests that plant-based diets improve heart health, lower cancer risk, and enhance athletic performance. Conversely, some studies opposing veganism cite concerns over vitamin B12, iron, and omega-3 deficiencies, especially in poorly planned vegan diets (Craig, 2009). However, research from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics confirms that a well-planned vegan diet is nutritionally adequate for all stages of life, including pregnancy (Melina, 2016). Ethically, industrial farming practices raise concerns about animal welfare, as seen in the dairy and meat industries’ treatment of livestock. Environmentally, animal farming accounts for 80% of global agricultural land use while providing only 18% of the calories to humans (Ritchie & Roser, 2017). Additionally, research on Blue Zones, regions with the highest concentrations of centenarians, demonstrates that populations who eat predominantly plant-based diets live longer and healthier lives (Buettner, 2012).

Biologically Accurate Raw Feeding: A Nutritional and Contamination Threat

Abigail Dingman
Professor Jason Anderson (Chemistry and Geosciences)

Despite insufficient supporting scientific evidence, the Biologically Accurate Raw Feeding (BARF) diet has been argued by an increasing population to be the most natural feeding method for domesticated animals such as dogs and cats. However, due to over 15,000 years of domestication, these animals have significantly different nutritional requirements than those of wild species. The lack of public knowledge regarding animal nutrition coupled with the increase in popularity of feeding raw has led to many pet owners changing to raw feeding without consulting a veterinarian or animal nutritionist. Additionally, the concerns of spreading preventable zoonotic diseases, such as Salmonella and E. Coli, to humans in the household has become prevalent. (New paragraph) This presentation will analyze the nutritional threats to domesticated dogs and cats regarding the BARF diet, in addition to the contamination threats it causes to humans. I will argue against the feeding of bones and raw food to domesticated animals, unless prescribed by a veterinarian or animal nutritionist. With a scarcity of research analyzing the long-term effects of raw feeding and the concerning short-term effects, choosing to feed domesticated animals a raw diet leads to avoidable harm of the animal as well as pathogenic threats to humans.

Looking with Pests: the Role of Insect-Human Interactions in Countering Alienation

W. Gennady Poehner
Professor Thomas Blake (English and Philosophy)

The Cartesian partitioning of the world into discrete human and non-human realms has resulted in an isolation born of anthropocentrism and feelings of profound ecological disconnect. In the essay, “Why Look at Animals?”, writer John Berger confronts readers with their own alienation, asserting that the once reciprocal look between humans and animals has been reduced to one between viewer and object. However, examining the complex and conflicted relationships humans have with quotidian wild animals, especially insect pests, demonstrates that we are not as isolated as we think. Animal geographies provides a way of looking with rather than at animals, allowing for recognition of their agency and ability to affect and be affected. Recontextualizing interactions between humans and non-humans within greater ecosystems reveals the extant connections that normally go unnoticed. This presentation argues that looking with animals like insects that possess a high degree of both familiarity and otherness offers evidence of our ecological belonging and challenges the destructive legacy of human exceptionalism. Addressing our perceived isolation is crucial to working through problems of conservation in ways that avoid “doomerism” or savior complexes, making space for constructive, realistic, and collaborative approaches.

Session 1C

9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Building 12-109

Aurora: Using EEG Technology in the Modern World

S Hamzah Al Ani, Alexander Calamel, Connor Spence, Gavin McAllister-Lydick, Mario Solis
Professor Christopher Kumar (Engineering Science & Physics)

More than a century after the discovery of electroencephalography (EEG), modern technology continues to expand its applications in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Aurora, a project developed by an interdisciplinary team of MCC college students, applies classroom knowledge to real-world BCI applications using open-source software. By combining EEG with hand signal recognition, this project explores the development of an innovative control system that redefines human-machine interaction.

Stationery Cannon: Developing an Electromagnetic Paper Airplane Launcher

Graham Wilczewski
Professor Benjamin Schermerhorn (Engineering Science & Physics)

Coil guns, devices that use electromagnets to accelerate ferromagnetic projectiles, have long captured the imagination of science fiction writers and hobbyist electrical engineers. The principles of coil guns have even been used to propose a rocket-less way to catapult payloads into space. This project follows that inspiration. The goal of this project was to launch a paper airplane using a coil gun at speeds approaching that of a major league baseball pitch. Data was collected to analyze the distances flown and drag forces involved in its flight. To achieve these goals, a multi-stage coil gun design was chosen, and the paper airplane design utilized was based on the 2014 world record holder for distance created by John Collins. This presentation discusses the research and development of this launcher and the challenges of launching paper, a highly fragile material, at high speeds.

Optimizing Polishing of Precision Optics

Samuel Lamendola
Professor Mike Pomerantz and Professor Alexis Vogt (Optics)

An optic is a lens or other component in an optical device. Light passes through or reflects off an optic. To achieve a quality optical surface, the surface of the optic must be polished. This study explores the effectiveness of three different polishing fluids used to polish BK7 optical glass. BK7 is a popular material used to make precision optics due to its clarity and low dispersion, making it ideal for precision components like lenses and prisms. Polishing is a necessary step in achieving the desired surface quality for optical performance. This research project conducted a series of controlled polishing tests to evaluate the performance properties of each polishing fluid. Evaluating the resulting surface quality and material removal rate of the three fluids, the results revealed performance differences between the fluids. The findings provide important insights for optical manufacturers looking to optimize their polishing processes for high-precision optical glass components. Comparing the different fluids, this study provides information used by precision optics technicians when selecting polishing fluids for optical polishing applications.

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Session 2A

11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Building 12–113

Democratization Through Experiential Learning: Solutions in American Public School Civics

William Kelderhouse
Professor Joseph Scanlon (Anthropology, History, Political Science, & Sociology)

In Democracy and Education, American philosopher John Dewey argues that the "secondary social structures" of a democracy, such as schools, should be structured and administered democratically to foster democratic dispositions amongst the citizenry (1916). In civic education, experiential learning in the forms of classroom discussions, structured activities, and service learning has been shown to reduce political polarization and increase civic engagement in participating students (Levy et al., 2019). This is especially true when compared to the current standard for civic curriculum in American public schools, which emphasizes textbook information, memorization, and recollection. This presentation focuses on experiential learning's role in democratizing civic education in American public education and how its replacement of standard pedagogies in civic curriculum could democratize education by giving students opportunities to discuss and act instead of merely sitting and listening.

Profile of Test Anxiety in Human Anatomy and Physiology Class, Measurement of Physiologic Symptoms, and Options for Intervention

Diana Bilous
Professor Julie Babulski (Biology)

The psychological condition of test anxiety (TA) is on the increase among college students. It has a negative influence on academic achievement. Students who took Human Anatomy and Physiology I evening class at Monroe Community College, were clinically diagnosed with TA rate higher than the national average. Students were given typical Anatomy and Physiology exams. Biofeedback was taken from each student during the examination. Heart rate and Galvanic Skin Sensor (GSR) reaction was measured on each student at rest and during a test and the results revealed a typical anxiety response for all students. These tests could be used in biofeedback treatment. Understanding physical symptoms could provide insight into possible treatments or provide means for students to recognize stress and employ strategies to mitigate it. Students were provided with a list of improvement strategies for test taking such as breathing techniques. Many of the students stated they would raise issues with their psychotherapist, base preference on positive physical and psychological response, and apply those practices that prove useful to them.

Session 2B

11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Building 12–111

The NCAA's Role in Placing Excessive Demands on Competitive Collegiate Athletes: Ethics, the Amateur Policy, Money, and Student Wellbeing

Noelle Becker
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

Currently the controversial amateur policy of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), which organizes collegiate athletics competition across the United States, prohibits student athletes from obtaining direct payment for their efforts but permits them to receive limited compensation through scholarships and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts. A relatively small number of athletes benefit from these forms of compensation; therefore, given the vast amounts of money that collegiate athletics generates and the enormous toll that participating in college sports takes on students’ time and health, continuing to label student athletes as amateurs borders on exploitation. Scholarship from medical, legal, business ethics, and athletics journals helps formulate a comprehensive understanding of this issue, with many critics arguing for the elimination of the amateur policy and for allowing colleges to pay athletes. This change would exacerbate rather than solve the core problem, namely that the NCAA, colleges, and sports teams have compromised their commitment to student success and wellbeing in the pursuit of financial gain and fame. Prioritizing the interests of student athletes, an overwhelming majority of whom will never compete professionally, will require that policy reforms focus on reducing the demands placed on student athletes to match their status as amateurs.

Breaking the Cycle: Long Term Effects of Incarcerated Parents

Brittany Simmons
Professor Terry Shamblin (Health and Physical Education)

This presentation will delve into the lasting effects of parental incarceration and emphasize the importance of intervention to break this cycle, offering children the necessary support to succeed emotionally, academically, and socially. The incarceration of a parent, particularly the father, can deeply affect a child’s emotional stability and sense of security. According to Kristin Turney and Rebecca Goodsell (2018), over 2.6 million children in the U.S. experience the separation from a parent due to imprisonment, and the effects are profound, impacting their mental health, behavior, education, and development. They claim these children often face financial struggles, emotional distress, and behavioral difficulties, including anxiety and depression, as a result of the absence of a parent and further contend that interventions often focus on maternal incarceration despite the fact that children suffer more when their fathers are behind bars. Studies show that parental incarceration also negatively impacts children’s social relationships and physical health, contributing to higher rates of asthma, obesity and lasting health consequences. The absence of a father tends to increase aggression and foster social isolation, which can lead to feelings of abandonment and stigmatization. Parental incarceration has severe consequences for children’s well-being, particularly in communities already burdened by systemic inequality. This presentation will raise awareness and discuss the need to support policy and other interventions that address root causes and provide support systems for affected children.

Ableist Impositions: Lacking Equity and Supportive Care in the Disabled Community

Cill Narain
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

Disabilities and their effects on society more often than not go unnoticed by most individuals in power. In its most basic definition, disability has three components: impairment, limitation of activities, and restricted interactions with the world. While financial support and healthcare benefits are available to those who qualify, the criteria for these qualifications are outdated to the point where far fewer people are meeting the requirements than should be. This presentation will show exactly what accommodations are in place in both first and third-world countries ranging from the Global South, Asia, and the Americas and will address those cases where individuals are not receiving the full breadth of eligible benefits. As a result of both the struggle to receive aid and the lack of resources available to those who qualify, the support systems within current standards do not effectively accommodate the needs of those who need them. This presentation will also demonstrate the institutionally embedded ableist norms that currently persist in society, how they affect disabled people as a result, and what can be done to alleviate the difficulties that they live with on a daily basis.

Session 2C

11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Building 12–109

AI Generated Social Media: How Misleading is it?

John Collins
Professor Angelique Johnston (English and Philosophy)

AI generative platforms such as Tube Buddy can provide different editing techniques to the creators on social media to influence their audience. Online marketing companies like Benlabs give users new opportunities in the field of advertising as well as personal content creation through AI. In my research of the psychological effects of consumer marketing, Professors Mariani Perez Vega and Wirtz share how algorithms can mimic cognitive thinking and awareness skills. I applied their theory and found the way in which AI software advances is dependent on the frequency of use. This ignores privacy concerns for the average person regarding data leaks and encryption. My paper explores solutions to prevent the intake of generated media by artificial intelligence to keep users safe. Humans have a brain, Artificial intelligence doesn’t. Let’s keep it that way.

Integration of AI Technology In Cancer Treatment, Development, and Diagnoses

Iara Ramirez Cosme
Professor Angelique Johnston (English and Philosophy)

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for one in every six deaths. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2022 approximately 20 million cancer cases were recorded worldwide. The ever-increasing rise in cancer cases requires consistent innovative approaches to improve treatment outcomes. In recent years researchers Hani Goodarzi and Jennifer Doudna have begun to integrate Artificial Intelligence, AI, into the fight against cancer; AI’s ability by performing functions such as reasoning, solving issues, pattern detection, algorithm creation, and model formulation proposes a promising future for advancing cancer research and health outcomes for all patients. The integration of artificial intelligence in cancer treatment presents a revolutionary potential accompanied by a range of disputes concerning biases, transparency, privacy issues, and ethical implementation that must be addressed for this technology to perform successfully. Jennifer Doudna and Hani Goodarzi’s studies highlight RNA-based liquid biopsy and their effectiveness towards diagnostics, patient outcomes, and patient care. Reviews of clinical trials, clinical applications, and literature were conducted to assess AI’s impactful role in cancer research. Hani Goodarzi and Jennifer Doudna show that AI-integrated technologies significantly increased the outcomes of cancer detection, personal treatment courses, and diagnoses. OncRNA-Based Liquid Biopsy and CRISPR demonstrate a new cancer diagnosis, development, and treatment era. We must create guidelines, laws, and safety procedures to ensure that better improve cancer healthcare outcomes.

How AI will Exacerbate Surveillance

Senajith Sooriyamoorthy
Professor Angelique Johnston (English and Philosophy)

Artificial Intelligence continues to take the world by storm, proving capable of bringing revolutionary changes in several fields like medicine and education. However, the focus of this presentation is on a field of technology that, if integrated with AI, can prove to be a detriment to humanity: Digital Surveillance. Surveillance has been abused increasingly over the years by governments and corporations by harvesting the public's data without consent and utilizing it for selfish means, ranging from profit to curbing dissent. AI enhances the surveillance capabilities of these entities with the introduction of facial recognition technology and AI engines that exponentially improve the speed and efficiency of extracting data from the public. Researchers Karl Manheim and Lyric Kaplan describe privacy as one of the main casualties in this new era of AI. Popular researcher Meredith Whitaker points out that the lack of legislation is what allows this wanton infringement of privacy and highlights the need for more robust laws that protect our privacy and govern the use of AI. The urgency for new legislation is higher than ever and is paramount to sustain our right to privacy.

Session 2D

11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Building 12–107

Painting Suffering and Tranquility in Nature: Visualization of Emotion through Creative Distortion

Raina Lockwood
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

Because of the abundance of possible emotional associations with nature, artists seeking to capture emotion in their depictions of the natural world can do so in countless ways. Many artists use creative distortion, stylistically morphing certain aspects of a piece toward abstraction, to strengthen the artwork’s emotional expressiveness. J.M.W. Turner’s The Slave Ship, with indistinct lines and exaggerated colors, evokes anguish and empathy for the drowning victims, while Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night uses impressionistic color blocks for a dramatically different emotional effect, depicting the timeless beauty of a night sky. This presentation will compare and contrast these two paintings, exploring the thematic commonalities and shared awe of nature the artworks’ similar compositions suggest, as well as studying the techniques used to create contrasting emotional extremes. References to expert artists will clarify the artworks’ methods and techniques, and analyses by art historians will support the interpretation of these works, provide alternate insights, and supply historical and biographical context. Turner and Van Gogh, by creatively distorting the natural world in their works, suggest intangible, emotional cores that cannot be captured by pure realism, thus inviting audiences to view nature as a central element of the artwork, not merely a setting.

Stick to the Status Quo: Coming of Age Movies, TV Shows, and Glamourized Versions of Education

Katherine Reilly
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

This presentation will examine how stereotyping and unrealistic expectations can influence young people’s decision making and their view of educational opportunities. Coming of age films are a popular genre, which introduce a large audience (many between the ages of 13- to 19-year-olds), to fictional school environments of high school and college that mirror these filmgoers’ real world social lives. Films that have a high school setting like High School Musical, Mean Girls, and Clueless introduce toxic character stereotypes and cliques that viewers begin to understand as the truth, and they will compartmentalize themselves to fit into the ideal presented by the films. Movies with college at the center like Animal House, Legally Blonde, and Monsters University introduce a warped sense of education that viewers will not be able to emulate and still be successful. Both high school and college movies are geared towards this audience of 13- to 19-year-olds that have not fully developed and are still able to be manipulated by the media. Young audiences continue to have a distorted view of their future educational prospects, all this is happening while Hollywood continues to negatively impact students who have expectations based on fictions that cannot be emulated by reality.

Always a Wedding-Guest, Never a Mariner: How Different forms of Companion Art Alter the Position of the Reader in "The Rime"

Arabella Hartino
Professor Elizabeth Johnston (English and Philosophy)

How does the audience’s experience of a piece of media change or stay constant when it’s presented in different modalities? What remains constant? These are the questions I tried to answer after reading Samuel Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Originally written in 1798, it’s a story about a story; a wedding-guest detained by a strange man who captivates him with a tale of his time at sea. A set of prints was made of “The Rime” by Gustave Dore in 1876, in which the viewer is immersed fully in the context of that plate. The Ancient Mariner Big Read was a digital project from 2020 that allowed for an experience of the poem being read aloud by famous creative professionals and laymen alike, which heightens the immersive aspect in another way. Contextual information is lost when a story is transposed and the responsibility of obtaining complete information is left to the audience. But an audience is needed in the first place, and creative adaptations draw people in. During the presentation of my essay, I’d like to share snippets of “The Rime” from all three modalities so that the audience can encounter these different levels of immersion.

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Session 3A

2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Building 12–113

Sex Verification and the Disenfranchisement of Female Athletes

Nyachap Juong
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

In recent years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Athletics, the two governing bodies for many major athletic competitions, have conducted a variety of tests, specifically on female athletes, forcing them to “verify” that they are in fact female. Sex verification, a practice that began during the mid-20th century, has raised ethical concerns about the rights and privacy of female athletes and the treatment of athletes during anti-doping measures that are often weaponized against them. Experts like Krystal Batelaan and Maria Dugas have examined the power these governing bodies hold over athletes and their racialized policing of Black bodies in their individual works about eurocentrism in elite sports. Though experts have voiced concerns, sex verification continues to create a barrier to eligibility particularly for female track and field athletes. This presentation will primarily examine the current use of testosterone testing as a form of sex verification and the harm female athletes, specifically Black women from various African countries, are subjected to by the IOC and World Athletics. By evaluating testosterone testing, the implications of this research can be utilized to advocate for the end of sex verification practices and more transparency in each organizations policy.  

The Holocaust: Achieving Totalitarian Goals Through Persecution and Genocide

Arabella Hartino
Professor Robert Muhnickel (English and Philosophy)

According to Ephraim Meir in his essay “Post-Holocaust Theology”, there are a few ways scholars reflect on the reasons behind the Holocaust, with some focusing on the antisemitic motivation while others arguing that totalitarianism was the true incentive. In my essay, I argue that these two seemingly opposing theories about the cause are actually linked. Power is the ultimate motivator, running deeper than hate. Hitler and the Nazi Party were in pursuit of total subservience of the state. As such, they did not stop at committing genocide against the Jewish people but also worked towards the extermination of several other marginalized groups (such as Romani people, queer individuals, and the disabled community), using genocidal hatred as a tool to obtain their totalitarian goals.

Concentration Camps: The Cost of Surviving the Systematic Destruction of Everything Human

Maeve Smith
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

Although almost everyone is aware of how concentration camps were utilized in the Holocaust to imprison targeted groups of people to be executed en mass, not as many are aware of the incomprehensible cruelty of their intentional design to facilitate not only murder, but the erasure of one’s humanity on every conceivable level before they were killed. As literature is a gateway to understanding an experience, Holocaust memoirs such as Night by Elie Wiesel and Surviving Auschwitz by Primo Levi provide an expansive window for one to imagine the unimaginable. Wiesel and Levi articulate the physical, mental, and spiritual destruction caused from prioritizing one’s own survival at the price of abandoning loving connections, detailing their exhaustive inner turmoil produced from the efforts to maintain one’s empathy while being forced to live by the conditions of the camps and being subjected to continuous trauma, causing one to behave in ways they wouldn’t otherwise. Regardless of success, possessing the intent to uphold the standards of civilization and live with dignity in a place solely created to destroy it was a refusal of personal erasure and an act of humanity defying the relentless campaign against human life.

Session 3B

2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Building 12–111

"I Should Have Two Strands of Hair": Self-Care for New Mothers

Xazeria Jackson
Professor Maria Brandt (English and Philosophy)

Being a single mother, you can either feel like superwoman or the villain who just can't catch a break. This project uses information gathered from transitioning mothers, including myself, to help other new mothers through the tough time of getting to know themselves as a mother who needs to be well mentally and emotionally for their child. Alexandra Sacks, MD, traces the history of medical literature to highlight some of the emotional and psychological risks of transitioning into motherhood, and how these have been overlooked. Janet Currie from the School of Education and International Studies gathers information from new mothers and more seasoned mothers to display the journey into motherhood, including both the struggles of new motherhood along with solutions to achieve a balance in life. Ultimately, my project aims to show women transitioning into motherhood that becoming a mother can give them a new meaning and purpose; it also has made me a more efficient mother and allowed me to give myself grace when I don’t feel like that superwoman.

Integrating Traditional Māori Healing Practices with a Biomedical Approach

Kellyanna Merrill
Professor Patricia Caballero Schillaci (Health and Physical Education)

This project investigates the Māori people, the indigenous inhabitants of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and their traditional healing practices known as Rongoa Māori. Rooted in Polynesian ancestry, the Māori possess a profound connection to their environment, which is central to their health beliefs. The study contrasts these naturalistic healing practices with the biomedical mechanistic framework prevalent in Western society, highlighting a significant disparity in healthcare outcomes for Māori compared to European settlers. Despite the perceived efficacy of biomedicine, many Māori experience poorer health outcomes when relying solely on this system. This research employs a medical anthropological lens to explore the cultural underpinnings of Māori health beliefs and practices, emphasizing the importance of holistic approaches. Findings suggest that integrating Rongoa Māori with biomedical practices may enhance health outcomes and foster a more culturally responsive healthcare system. By examining the tension between indigenous and Western health paradigms, this project seeks to uncover the reasons behind these disparities and propose pathways for effective integration of diverse healing methodologies, like employing the Whare Oranga traditional healing system of the Māori.

The Increased Risk of Suicide for Transnational Adoptees: An Intersectional Study of Cultural Identities, Race, and Ethnicity

Elisabeth Small
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

From the adoptive culture’s perspective, transnational adoption (a form of adoption where the parents do not share the same race or ethnicity as the child) creates a misconception of charity and goodwill, for “saving” a child from the potential suffering in its biological environment. While transnational adoptees are afforded benefits in America’s predominately White population, this White Savior Complex narrows the experience of the adoptee and can invalidate their complicated multicultural relationship and navigation of cultural duality. Without proper attention to this duplexity, the intersectionality between racial and ethnic groups and cultural identities can lead to alienation, states of dissonance, and an increased risk for problems relating to self-esteem and identity maturation. These obstacles build off the developmental physiological damage and attachment issues caused by the initial loss of immediate biological maternal connection, ultimately quadrupling the transnational adoptee suicide rate in comparison to same-race adoptees and non-adoptees. The potentially life-threatening aspect of transnational adoption illustrates the harms of placing a child in an environment without cultural socialization. Examining several consensus studies and personality theories, this research will highlight the potential harms to an adoptee’s physiology, identity formation, and psychology when raised in a heterogeneous environment without biological or ethnic representations.  

Session 3C

2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Building 12–109

The Effects of Unregulated Capitalism on Inequality of Wealth and Resources: Policy Solutions to Reduce Global Poverty

Shuanglin Huang
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

The economic system and structure of powerful countries such as the US play a crucial role in shaping the distribution of wealth and resources, directly influencing levels of global poverty. Specifically, capitalism’s free markets and minimal government intervention play a significant role in perpetuating global poverty, particularly in developing nations. While capitalism has contributed to economic growth in certain regions, many of its policies inherently foster inequality, exploiting labor and natural resources in ways that disproportionately affect the poorest populations. According to studies in Business Ethics Quarterly and Journal of Economic Perspectives, the need for a restructured global economic system that prioritizes sustainable development, equitable resource distribution, and inclusive growth in order to reduce poverty on a global scale is urged. Furthermore, the interconnectedness of global economies, through trade, foreign investment, and international aid, often determines the extent of poverty in developing nations, shaping their ability to integrate into the global market. This presentation calls for comprehensive policy reforms particularly implementing regulations of exploitive practices for multinational corporations and implementing living wage policies for developing countries. These changes address the root causes of poverty and aim to create more equitable and resilient economic structures worldwide.

AAV-CRISPRa-Mediated NRF2 Upregulation in Dopaminergic Neurons: A Potential Gene Therapy for Neurological Movement Disorders

Tayler Milby
Professor Julie Babulski (Biology)

Many brain disorders—like Tardive dyskinesia or Parkinson’s—share a common problem: damage from oxidative stress. This stress weakens neurons over time, and one of the body’s natural defenses against it is a gene called NRF2. The problem is, in many neurological conditions NRF2 doesn’t work as well as it should. Current medications try to reduce symptoms, rather than fix the underlying cellular damage.

This project explores a new kind of gene therapy which could give neurons the tools they need to protect themselves—without editing the genome permanently. A two-part delivery system was designed using viral vectors and CRISPRa technology. One half is always active in neurons, while the other only turns on when the cell is under oxidative stress. If both halves are present, they join together and “wake up” the NRF2 gene, allowing the neuron to strengthen its defenses from within and combat previous damage.

This approach is designed to be precise by targeting only stressed neurons without affecting healthy ones, while also remaining temporary because the system relies on mechanisms— including a built in off switch— already present in the brain. By giving cells a way to help themselves, we hope this could lead to more effective treatments for neurological conditions where current therapies fall short.

Priority and the Decline of Strategy in Modern Saber

Gabriel Romano
Professor Scott Rudd (English and Philosophy)

Olympic fencing, saber in particular, as a sport, suffers from constant high-profile scandals surrounding perceived bias in the referees. Most of the controversies and accusations stem from faulty judgments regarding who has the right of way, or priority, during any given exchange. Priority is used to determine who receives the point when both fencers hit each other simultaneously. The unreliable judging leads to both fencers rushing towards the other, causing simultaneous hits to occur more frequently. By researching the speeds at which these high-level athletes move, with the average time between the call to start fencing and halt being little over a second, clearly the mere human eye would struggle to pick out who is supposed to have priority. This presentation will explore the origins of priority in fencing, looking at its roots in historical swordsmanship dating back to even the 16th century, challenges it presences in modern fencing, and offer some theoretical solutions. The solutions explored include changing the time frame that constitutes a simultaneous hit, changing the sabers used to increase their weight and better reflect their historical counterparts, and having regular calibrations among referees to ensure consistent rulings.

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