2021 Annual Undergraduate Research Conference
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2021 ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE Welcome! Dear USF Students, Colleagues, and Guests, I’m delighted to welcome you to the first-ever OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference. In a year that has seen great changes, both in terms of our consolidation into one university and the challenges posed by Covid-19, we have been delighted to see continued interest from undergraduate students and their faculty mentors in engaging in research. Known to be a high-impact practice, undergraduate research affords students the chance to create new knowledge in fields they hope to work in someday, generating not only an exciting learning opportunity, but indeed making a real difference in people’s lives and the health of our planet. We hope you are as impressed with these 184 projects as we are! Allison H. Crume, Ph.D. Dean of Undergraduate Studies CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Kimberly Badanich, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Nicholas Barnes. .Office of Undergraduate Research Experiential Learning Assistant Lan Renee Amboy Biller . Office of Undergraduate Research Graduate Assistant Mark Hines-Cobb . Office of Undergraduate Research Graduate Assistant John Johnson, MPA . .USF Research and Innovation Associate Director, St. Petersburg campus Sandra Justice, CRA . USF Research and Innovation Associate Director, Sarasota-Manatee campus Matthew Simmons, Ph.D.. .Office of Undergraduate Research Experiential Learning Specialist Chantae Still, Ph.D. Office of Undergraduate Research Experiential Learning Coordinator Kevin Yee, Ph.D. Office of Undergraduate Research Director ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Undergraduate Research Conference would like to acknowledge all of the individuals who have contributed to mentoring our USF undergraduate scholars. We recognize the desire students have for getting involved in research, and thanks to you, more students are making unique contributions to their field of discipline. We would also like to thank Undergraduate Studies, and all of the USF Departments that have assisted and collaborating with our marketing efforts; You have assisted us in making this virtual conference a huge success. #GoBulls UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA 2021 ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE // 3 Dear Students and Colleagues, On behalf of the University of South Florida, it is my pleasure to welcome you to USF’s annual Undergraduate Research Conference. USF is a top-50 public research university, as designated by U.S. News & World Report. Our research and scholarship, to which students are essential contributors, focuses on the frontiers of new knowledge, in global issues such as environmental sustainability, public health, and other areas. Our student researchers are at the center of our work to build a better tomorrow. This conference promotes and showcases educational opportunities that help students build the skills they need to be successful, both in the workplace, and as conscientious global citizens. I could not be more impressed by our students, their peers, and their faculty mentors, who have risen to the occasion of presenting their work under continuing, unprecedented conditions with unique challenges. For their passion for high-level scholarly work, their problem-solving acumen, and their determination to engage in the spirit of collaboration and discovery, I extend my congratulations to our talented students and their teams. I’d like to extend my gratitude to the Office of Undergraduate Research for organizing and facilitating this meaningful opportunity for students to present their work. I also want to take a moment to recognize our faculty experts, role models, and mentors. Your collaboration and guidance is a testament to the USF mission – providing access for student success – and it will continue to serve our students well. Finally, I wish to thank our many faculty volunteers and staff who moderate these conference sessions. Your service reinforces both the rigorous, knowledge-making drive of our world-class institution, as well as our commitment to the spirit of collaboration and collegiality. Thank you to our students and faculty for bringing out the best our university has to offer. Dr. Ralph C. Wilcox Provost and Executive Vice President UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA 2021 ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE // 4 Research Abstracts Yoga for Mental Health Falak Abbasakoor Faculty Mentor: Holly Donahue Singh (Judy Genshaft Honors College) As society has become more advanced an emphasis on mental health and physical health has been seen. Yoga has been the subject of research for many decades but now has been seen as a therapeutic purpose for many diseases like mental stress, anxiety, depression and even heart disease. Yoga is an ancient practice originated in India to the point of around 3000 BCE which was started as a way for spiritual development amongst the Brahmans to train the body and mind, to self-observe, and become aware of their own nature. Yoga involves using one’s limbs and own breath to reach the point of self-realization. This project draws on a multitude of published medical literature and accounts of practitioners to assess the impact of yoga practice on conditions such as anxiety and depression. Yoga can act as a holistic way of life leading to a state of healing in a physical, social, mental and spiritual wellbeing to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Benefits and Methods of Integrating Social Studies into Early Childhood Education Jessica Ahwash & Jordan Bracewell Faculty Mentor: Ilene Berson (College of Education) Integrating social studies instruction is beneficial for students for a number of reasons, but predominantly due to the fact that it gives students the knowledge needed to be informed citizens in the classroom community as well as their broader community. This teacher inquiry project further focuses on how social studies can be incorporated into the classroom, with a specific focus on its integration within Language Arts. The question guiding this inquiry is: How can I ensure that social studies is not lost in instruction? Data collection included anecdotal notes, audio recordings, and student work samples. Each of these methods allowed us to notate short, brief comments as well as more descriptive and in depth data from the integration process. The data were coded to identify trends. Our findings identify strategies to integrate social studies into language arts instruction, note the benefits for students when they are introduced to social studies concepts and skill development, and highlight students’ reactions when engaged in learning experiences that integrate social studies into instruction. Research about the methods of integrating social studies into a public-school curriculum where it is often omitted is advantageous because it introduces students to background knowledge that is essential in order to succeed in other academic disciplines. Reduction of Behavioral Manifestation of Tinnitus Through the Utilization of BK Channel Opener Manisha Antony & Aarti Patel Faculty Mentor: Joseph Walton (Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders) Tinnitus, or “ringing in the ears”, is a prevalent hearing disorder. This study evaluates the effect of the drug candidate, CS0022, on the behavior of male CBA/CaJ mice with acoustic trauma (AT)-induced tinnitus. This compound is known to target the large-conductance calcium and voltage-activated potassium channel, or BK channel. This channel regulates neuronal excitability in the peripheral and central nervous system. Our hypothesis is that positive modulation of BK channel function mitigates changes in central auditory system activity that support the tinnitus percept. Behavioral evidence of tinnitus in mice models can be assessed through the quantification of the acoustic startle reflex and prepulse inhibition. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA 2021 ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE // 5 Research Abstracts This study used Gap-Prepulse-Inhibition of the Acoustic Startle Response (GPIAS) to determine the presence and extent of tinnitus in the subjects. The GPIAS assay was first conducted on each mouse for baseline readings prior to AT with a 16 kHz narrowband noise. Post-AT behavioral assessments were conducted 7 to 9 weeks after trauma to select mice that developed tinnitus, while effect was assessed 10 to 11 weeks after trauma. Consecutively, Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) were collected to determine hearing thresholds of the subjects and helped evaluate the severity of threshold shifts. The findings suggest that treatment with CS0022 can improve AT-induced tinnitus in mice by modifying BK channels. The GPIAS results were statistically analyzed using a computational approach called Gstar. The ongoing analysis will focus on determining the relationship between the presence of tinnitus and the influence of treatment on permanent hearing loss. A Systematic Review of Studies on Applied Behavior Analytic Social Interaction Skills Interventions for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Selina Arvelo & Danielle Russo Faculty Mentor: Kwang-Sun Blair (Child & Family Studies) Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties developing social interaction skills. Interventions in the early school years are more likely to have noticeable positive effects on later skills and school success for these children. The purpose of this review was to summarize the current literature on school-based social interaction skills interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A systematic literature