2011 Symposium Program
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UNDERGRADUATE SYMPOSIUM FOR SCHOLARLY & CREATIVE WORK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Tuesday, April 12, 2011 Symposium Judging 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Grand Ballroom at Tutor Campus Center (Judges only – closed to presenters and general public) Wednesday, April 13, 2011 General Presentations, Exhibits, and Displays 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Grand Ballroom at Tutor Campus Center Awards Ceremony & Dinner Reception 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 pm Town & Gown ii April 13, 2011 Dear Members of the USC Community: It is my pleasure to welcome you to USC’s 13th Annual Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarly and Creative Work. The Symposium is designed to provide USC undergraduates with the unique opportunity to exhibit and share examples of their significant research, scholarly and creative work with the university community. Although the Symposium is modeled on a professional conference poster session, students may exhibit their work in a variety of ways, such as through posters, art exhibits, and electronic media. All undergraduates are encouraged to participate. An award ceremony recognizing the most outstanding works will take place at the end of the symposium and includes First Prize awards of $1000 and Second Prize awards of $500 in each of the following categories. Arts Humanities Social Sciences Life Sciences Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Engineering A panel of distinguished faculty will judge submissions in each category. After the judging, you are cordially invited to attend the Award Ceremony at Town & Gown at 6:00 p.m. where the winners will be announced. We hope you enjoy USC’s Undergraduate Symposium, which promises to be a highlight of the semester this year and in many years to come. Sincerely, Elizabeth Garrett Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs iii The USC Undergraduate Symposium for Creative and Scholarly Work provides undergraduates with the unique opportunity to exhibit and share examples of their significant research and creativity with the university community. This year, we have received nearly 140 submissions with participation from over 180 students. Students present work in a variety of ways, such as through poster/panel sessions, art exhibits, and electronic media. All undergraduates are encouraged to participate. For some students, the symposium serves as a culmination of work they have produced in partial fulfillment of a senior honors project, or a research project with faculty, both individually and as part of a program. ACKOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of the Office of Undergraduate Programs and the Office of the Provost, we graciously thank USC faculty and graduate judges for volunteering their time. The success of the undergraduate symposium is largely due to the contribution of their expertise in the judging process. We would like to give special thanks to the USC Trojan Knights for their faithful service. Also, we would like to give a warm thanks to the faculty advisors who have sponsored students in this year’s Symposium. Your dedication to embrace teaching through inquiry-based learning has made this event as successful as it has been. And finally, we would like to express our gratitude to USC Stevens for their time, effort and commitment to this extraordinary event. THANK YOU!!! iv 13th Annual Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarly and Creative Work Table of Contents SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ................................................................................................. ii LETTER FROM PROVOST ELIZABETH GARRETT ................................................... iii WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT ................................................................................................ iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................v ARTS ...................................................................................................................................1 HUMANITIES ...................................................................................................................17 LIFE SCIENCES ...............................................................................................................25 PHYSICAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING ....................................................................45 SOCIAL SCIENCES .........................................................................................................65 INDEX OF PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................81 INDEX OF PARTICIPANTS BY CATEGORY ..............................................................86 v trusses, in order to resist the wind load through an anticlastic form, the corner condition had to be elevated in a way that resisted the horizontal shear. So our strategy was to design a column that was both aesthetically beautiful and met the Arts structural requirements. The fabric structure allowed for light penetration through the prismatic trusses and the main space was illuminated by natural lighted rather than being dependent on artificial lighting. §§§§ Category: Arts Name(s): Jake Bloch Submission Type: Individual Project Sponsor(s) and Collaborator(s): Category: Arts Lisa Bitel, History and Religion Name(s): Karen Lee Format: Senior Honors Thesis Submission Type: Individual Title: Awe Project Sponsor(s) and Collaborator(s): Abstract: G G Schierle, School of Architecture Awe is a fascination with the infinite. Awe Format: Creative Work is humility. Awe pushes people beyond themselves. It is often this Awe that Title: Anticlastic Roof Structure motivates religious fervor and even incites Abstract: religious extremism in certain The objective of the project was to create a circumstances. Awe is often felt towards a structural roof system for a sports center God or gods and fosters identity. Some that has a main column-free space with a people, however, find Awe in the stars. sustainable idea of creating as much During my sophomore year at USC, I natural lighting and ventilation as possible. became enthralled in a class called “The The intent was to consider the synergy of Universe” with professor Nick Warner. form and structure, with attention given to Warner’s students journeyed through the the interface between short-, medium-, cosmos to the beginning of the universe, and long-span systems. The main space learning about the evolution of stars, had a square plan and in response, we planetary systems, galaxies, and the used the midpoints of the square to place creation of the universe. Throughout this two arched prismatic trusses that journey, one notices the remarkable intersected to create a dynamic skylight in similarities between life in the universe and the center. To cover the space, we used a on earth—celestial beings have a beginning fabric system for ventilation purposes. To and end of life in much the same way that resist wind load, an anticlastic curvature earthly beings do. Even more fascinating, was designed into the fabric structure that however, is the cyclical process through had both convex and concave curvatures. which celestial beings are born. The dust Because the main structure is the arched of dead stars fuels the birth of new ones, 1 and some stars collapse into entirely point of view of a character whose child different, powerful entities, like black has recently died, "Remember" is intended holes. Here, one finds a unique parallel to to provoke questions about whether the transcendent element of Awe that attempting to create something (in this resides within most religious traditions; the case a piece of writing) helps the character notion of eternity on an unimaginable to combat her depression. My point of scale. In this sense, the universe provides view is that creativity is often therapeutic, the ultimate view of the infinite in its but not necessarily healing. physical reality—all people have access to the stars and can feel awe about the vast In the second story, "The Worst Thing In and transcendent nature of the cosmos, as The World," I address the disconnect well as the physical principles that describe between reality and perceptions of reality them. The universe, after all, is not through a symbolic story about innocence exclusive, and its beauty is available to all and the often overwhelming terrors of the people regardless of their identity. The world. Written at one of the lowest points Awe one finds in the universe, then, of my own depression, this story was my functions as the source of Awe that all way of trying to use creativity to human beings can share that is beyond communicate what I couldn't put into their own beating hearts, brain synapses, words: the helplessness of discovering that and mortality. the world is not what I thought it was. §§§§ In the final story, "Smile," I explore a new kind of creativity: human interactions, and Category: Arts the effect they have on depression. My conclusion is that, although symbolism and Name(s): Rachel Porter therapeutic writing can help with Submission Type: Individual depression, the best kind of healing occurs Project Sponsor(s) and Collaborator(s): with human interactions. Hopefully, these Jervey Tervalon, Department of English three stories will provide context to one of Format: Creative Work the most debilitating sicknesses: Title: Beauty in Low Places depression. Abstract: §§§§ Depression often results in a disconnect between the outside world and the world inside one's head. What is the healthiest Category: Arts way to deal with this? How can individuals Name(s): Victoria