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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Abstracts ...... 2 COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Department of Management ...... 3 Department of Marketing and Finance ...... 5 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Department of Kinesiology and Recreation ...... 6 COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES Department of Biology ...... 10 Department of Chemistry ...... 25 Department of Communication ...... 28 Department of Computer Science and Information Technologies ...... 29 Department of English and Foreign Languages ...... 31 Department of Geography ...... 39 Department of History ...... 51 Department of Mathematics ...... 56 Department of Physics and Engineering ...... 57 Department of Political Science ...... 64 Department of Psychology ...... 65 Department of Social Work ...... 68 Department of Visual Arts ...... 69 Special Thanks ...... 70 Map of the ARMAH...... 71 Oral Presentation Schedule……………………………………………………………………………………………………...... 72

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

THE ABSTRACTS

This Symposium includes 126 presentations featuring the work of 248 students, mentored by 52 Faculty and Staff across all three colleges and 15 departments. The projects presented at this Symposium took place in 2018 and 2019 and include coursework and independent study activities. Abstracts are organized alphabetically by college, department and by project title. The Presentation number in parentheses following the title refers to the table locations of the Poster and/or Physical Displays in the ARMAH. Oral presentations are scheduled in Lane Center 108, 111 and 113. A map of the ARMAH and the schedule for the oral presentations are at the end of this abstract booklet. Each presentation includes the following information:

Project Title (Poster, Physical Display, Oral Presentation, Table #)

Name(s) of presenting student(s) Name(s) of contributing student(s) (if applicable) Name(s) of faculty/staff mentor(s)

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT

Peer Leadership, Group Mentoring, and Servant Leaders: Leadership among Students and the Impact of the College of Business Fall Mountain Leadership Retreat (Poster, Table 3)

Presenting Students: Jenna Puffinburger, Sarah Dignan Contributing Students: Arin Custer, Brady Gaumer, Mason Holloway, Abiodun Olojo, Daniel Ryzeck Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ryan Kentrus

The Student Business Leadership Committee (SBLC) is a student organization and self-managed team that seeks to develop leaders within the college of business. This committee strives to promote the three pillars from which the organization was founded on: giving, leadership, and alumni connections. Experiential learning is a keystone of an exemplary leadership program that allows students to engage and connect with an idea or concept. One of the most effective ways to impact students is by allowing them to develop leaders and take ownership of the process. The College of Business (CoB) Fall Mountain Retreat held at WISP Resort in McHenry, MD allows students to put their leadership to practice. The SBLC is responsible for not only organizing this event but leading it as well. Students that attend the retreat are able to partake in a networking event comprised of College of Business professors and alumni, participate in leadership workshops, and take advantage of the outdoor adventures that WISP offers to build team mentality and group communication skills. Through these activities, students gain real-world experiences such as networking, group communication, and leadership skill development. The development and implementation of the CoB Fall Mountain Retreat allows students to gain real world experience in leadership, while impacting those that attend the retreat in a positive way. The goal of the retreat is to put ideas and theories that are taught in the classroom into practice. Peer leadership, group mentoring, and servant leadership are all prevalent theories that have emerged as part of the leadership process. The nature of the SBLC leadership team has allowed for group mentoring to occur, where the group can achieve the suggested benefits of one- on-one mentoring with the bonus of group interaction. Through peer leadership, both at the retreat and in the development of the retreat, students are able to learn leadership skills and practice leadership in peer groups. Servant leadership was found to be another component in this process as a large part of servant leadership is to have a leadership style where the leader is willing to selflessly give back to others. Using these theories, a model and framework was created that can be used to illustrate the leadership process. Also, the benefits that the students have received from being a part of this unique team, as well as the impact this team has had on our college of

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium business and other student leaders, will be addressed. This team of students has personally benefited through development of unique alumni connections, becoming more passionate about teaching leadership development, and development of an attitude of servant leadership.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING AND FINANCE

Swap Ed: Student Exchange New Platform (Oral Presentation)

Presenting Students: Madison Finnan, Benjamin McClanahan Contributing Student: Haley Coleman Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lilly Ye

Project Description: SwapEd is a phone application centered around college campus, and it serves as a new idea associated with the growing sharing economy. The app provides the opportunity for students to swap and sell textbooks and other education related items. The name “SwapEd” also opens up opportunities for educational product extension. Selling Proposition: See it, Sell it, Swap it. SwapEd. Marketing Research: Target audience: college students who needs affordable textbook Positioning: Sustainable textbook, affordability, and college life focused social network Budget: $150,000 for app development and $1,000 for start-up advertising Promotion: Snapchat and Word-of-mouth, student center for physical spots. Video Link: https://youtu.be/rhYpDwLRvnk

Skills Assessment of Regional Workforce among Employers and Employees (Oral Presentation)

Presenting Student: Travon Johnson Contributing Student: Nicholas DeMichele Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eyad Youssef

As time has gone by the challenges within the economy have increased in the Western Maryland region have increased due to the declination of the population. Reasons such as opioid abuse have caused a lack of investment as well as a decline in industry in the region. The area has also been stricken with a lack of career opportunities for employees, and employers have expressed a concern of finding qualified applicants for their companies. An examination among the workforce has been triggered by these concerns. Throughout the tri-state area (Mineral County, Allegany County, and Garrett County), surveys were composed to figure out what is causing the divide within the force. The surveys were used to figure out what regional employers were looking for when scouting out applicants. They were also used to figure out what contributes to what hinders applicants from obtaining a position within the area. Demographics, economic growth, and hiring practices were all focused on within the survey questions. Results to the surveys are still pending due to submissions still being accepted.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY

Conservative Treatment of a Rare Type II Odontoid Fracture (Poster, Table 3)

Presenting Students: Rhianna Lapen, Samantha Wright Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. Jacqueline Durst, Ms. Megan Conway

Background: A nineteen-year-old male lacrosse player with a previous whiplash injury complained of his neck “feeling weird” following a collision that caused forced flexion of the neck. During the on-field evaluation, athlete describes tingling down his arms that went away almost immediately and pain in one spot of his neck. Athletes grip strength and dermatomes were normal. Upon further evaluation the next morning, ROM was WNL and athlete reported there was no longer pain or numbness. Athlete was kept out of play and referred for an x-ray. The original diagnosis was a stinger down both arms, based on the parasthesia the athlete experienced. A differential diagnosis could be recurrent symptoms from the previous whiplash injury, or a cervical disc herniation. Treatment: After the x-ray, it was determined the athlete had sustained a displaced C2 fracture. He was sent to the nearest hospital where he was transported to Baltimore Shock Trauma. There, after an MRI, he was diagnosed with an anterior type 2 dens fracture. They treated it conservatively with a closed reduction of the fracture and placing the athlete in a halo brace. He was then sent home. Six months post injury, the athlete returned for a follow-up, where it was ruled a non-union. Course of treatment was altered to surgical intervention using an anterior.

Grade V Spleen Laceration in a Male Collegiate Football Player with Splenic Coiling: A Case Report (Poster, Table 3)

Presenting Students: Samuel Cantler, Lauren Pettyjohn-Robin Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jacqueline Durst, Ms. Karla Schoenly

Background: Patient is a 19-year-old male football player with no pertinent medical history. Patient landed on a football in his epigastric region resulting in dyspnea at the onset of injury. He was taken off the field and began to complain of nausea, lightheadedness and dizziness. After a consult with the team physician, his vital signs were monitored in the athletic training clinic. After improvement, and then sudden worsening of symptoms, patient was referred to Western Maryland Regional Medical Center. Differential Diagnosis: The initial belief was that the patient received a solar plexus contusion due to the mechanism of injury and the chief complaint, but on the sideline the patient begun to complain of nausea, lightheadedness and dizziness, the differential diagnosis grew to include rib fracture, spleen contusion, spleen laceration, liver

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium contusion, and hypovolemic shock. After close monitoring of the patient’s vital signs and the improvement of his symptoms, he was allowed to return to the field, during the 3rd quarter to watch the rest of the game. While on the field, the patient’s symptoms returned, and was referred to the local regional medical center for evaluation. The regional medical center found the patient to have a grade five spleen laceration confirmed through computerized tomography (CT) scan. Treatment: The athlete was transferred from the Western Maryland Regional Medical center to University of Maryland Shock Trauma where he underwent endovascular embolism, or splenic coiling. He was then observed and monitored in the ICU at University of Maryland Shock Trauma. Uniqueness: Grade V spleen lacerations are defined as “completely shattered spleen.1 Of all life threatening injuries seen in the emergency department, only 14% of those injuries were sport related, and only 5.4% sport related, life threatening injuries were related to injuries to the torso or abdomen.2 Furthermore, as individuals age, the spleen becomes less vulnerable to blunt trauma forces due to the rib cage fully protected the spleen, thus making spleen injuries less common in older individuals.3 Conclusions: Despite the severity of the injury, the patient never presented with typical signs and symptoms of a splenic injury. The patient never had any complaints of pain, or tenderness to palpation over the abdomen, or rib cage, and rebound tenderness and Kehr’s Sign was not observed. No typical signs of hypovolemic shock outside of dizziness were observed either. While monitoring the patient’s blood pressure, the readings stayed consistent, and even increased after 25 minutes. Lastly, Splenic Coiling was a procedure initially studied by multiple trauma surgeons including Dr. Thomas Scalea of University of Maryland Shock Trauma.4 After the patient was transferred to University of Maryland Shock Trauma, Dr. Scalea consulted with the patient and is now following the patient’s progress. Relevant Evidence: Patients who present with possible splenic lacerations should be evaluated using CT scan which has been found to have sensitivities and specificity as high as 96-100%.1 The ideal treatment for splenic lacerations is non- operative management in hemodynamically stable patients, but those presenting with vascular abnormalities, angioembolization (endovascular embolism) should be used.1 Works Cited: 1. Coccolini F et al. Splenic trauma: WSES classification and guidelines for adult and pediatric patients. World J of Emerg Surg. 2017;12(40). 2. Kucera KL, Currie DW, Wasserman E, et al. Incidence of Sport-Related Internal Organ Injuries Due to Direct-Contact Mechanisms Among High School and Collegiate Athletes Across 3 National Surveillance Systems. J Athl Train. 2018;53(10). doi:10.4085/1062-6050-271-17. 3. Ralston DJ, Scherm MJ. Splenic Artery Avulsion in a High School Football Player: A Case Report. J Athl Train. 2004;39(2). 4. Sclafani SJA, Scalea TM, Shaftan GW, et al. Nonoperative Salvage of Computed Tomography--Diagnosed Splenic Injuries. J Trauma Injury, Infection, and Critical Care. 1995;39(5):818-827. doi:10.1097/00005373-199511000-00004.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Tibial Plateau Fracture in a Female Collegiate Swimmer: A Case Report (Poster, Table 3)

Presenting Student: Madalyn Weinberger Faculty Mentor: Ms. Cassandra Donahue

Background: A 20-year-old female swimmer complained of sharp pain in her left knee directly after hyperextending her knee while running in sand. Athlete heard a snap and felt a pop and reported pain of 8/10. Athlete had no history of lower extremity injuries. The athlete was unable to weight bear due to pain directly inferior to the patella. Emergency medical service was activated and athlete was transported to an emergency room via ambulance. Differential Diagnosis: The mechanism of injury (MOI) and popping sensation suggested a soft tissue injury to the knee, particularly to the posterior cruciate ligament. Fractures were a concern. Location of pain indicated possible inferior patellar tendon involvement. Treatment: An x-ray was performed and results were negative for fractures, so the athlete was diagnosed with a “knee sprain.” Upon return to school, the team physician evaluated the athlete and scheduled a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out an anterior cruciate ligament sprain. The athlete was prescribed a rehabilitation program to follow prior to the MRI. The MRI showed no soft tissue injury, but indicated a left tibial plateau fracture. The rehabilitation program was removed from the treatment plan. The athlete was instructed not to participate in running, intensive weight bearing activities, and plyometrics. The athlete was given a compression sleeve to reduce residual edema in her knee. She was allowed to continue swimming in practice and competition as tolerated. Uniqueness: Fractures of the tibial plateau make up approximately 1% of fractures.1 This is an uncommon fracture site because the tibial plateau can withstand forces greater than five times the individual’s body weight; however, the lateral tibial plateau is more vulnerable than the medial, especially in knee extension.2 Athletic trainers should be aware that soft tissue injuries often occur with tibial plateau fractures due to the MOI. Since her initial x-ray was negative, the athlete was allowed to weight bear and return to activities as tolerated. If the original x-ray had indicated her tibial plateau fracture, she may have been immobilized and non-weight-bearing for weeks.1,2 Conclusions: A 20-year-old female swimmer suffered a fracture to her left tibial plateau due to hyperextending her knee while running in sand. She was originally misdiagnosed with a knee sprain due to a negative x-ray, but had an MRI that indicated a fracture. She was instructed to avoid extensive weight bearing activities such as weight lifting, running, or plyometrics and was to discontinue the rehabilitation plan. The athlete was allowed to ambulate without crutches and swim as tolerated. Relevant Evidence: The MOI of tibial plateau fractures is typically axial compression combined with a valgus or varus force.1,2 Computerized tomography has increased sensitivity showing details of tibial plateau fractures, and is a preferred diagnostic imaging tool after an x-ray.1 Tibial plateau fractures with minute depression and displacement do not typically need surgical treatment, and are treated through joint immobilization with healing time of four to

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium six weeks.1,2 The correlation between articular depression of a tibial plateau fracture and positive outcome is directly related.2 Works Cited: 1. Shrestha R, Kandel M, Gupta HK, Shrestha SK, Dongol S, Hamal RR. A study of conservative management of tibial plateau fractures. Nepal Med Coll J. 2016;12(1):5-9. 2. Ramponi DR, McSwigan T. Tibial plateau fractures. Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2018; 40(3):155–161

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

A Species Abundance Evaluation of Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Area (Poster, Table 12)

Presenting Students: Dustin Baker, Samantha Claman, Jessica Hartley, Michael McGrath, Bryer Saville Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

Our group will drive to Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Area at least 3 times, each time we will collect take a herpetological inventory with in an aquatic and terrestrial habitat of the Wildlife Area. All testing will be done during the day, spending 1 or 2 hours on each habitat, during each trip. At the site, we will record all species we find and their abundance, the time they are found, what habitat, the size of the area we scanned, and the weather during the trips. We will find capture any species either by hand, net, or an iron wired box trap (non-lethal and not meant for injury). Once we collect our data, we will make comparisons between the abundance of species that appear in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and which habitat has a higher species variety.

Advanced Microscopy Techniques of Biological Specimens (Poster, Table 17)

Presenting Student: Taylor Coleman Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

Advanced microscopy is commonly used in medicine and biology. During the spring 2019, a few selected students and I, were given the opportunity to use various specimens to explore advanced techniques and complex instrumentation in microscopy. These techniques allowed us to capture images in brightfield, darkfield, phase contrast, differential interference contrast, polarized light, and fluorescence. These techniques were used to observe the biological structure and molecular localization of specimens which is not visible while using a standard microscope. In this research poster, images using light microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy are shown.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Analysis of APE1 Gene of Arabidopsis thaliana under Increase CO2 Concentrations (Poster, Table 5)

Presenting Students: Dustin Tippen, Taylor Hall Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

The APE1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale Cress) functions to acclimate the plant to varying levels of carbon dioxide concentration. The atmosphere is typically around 0.04% CO2 by volume. This research compares the expression of the APE1 gene at varying CO2 concentrations. This was accomplished by extracting RNA from the plants after treatment in order to produce cDNA. This cDNA was then used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in order to amplify the sample for gel electrophoresis analysis. The resulting gel images were then compared to those of the control samples taken from plants that were grown in normal atmospheric conditions.

Analysis of On-Campus Cleaner Efficiency (Poster, Table 5)

Presenting Students: Dustin Tippen, Cara Crawford Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

Illness remains constant as the leading cause of absence for college and university students in the United States. In previous research performed last year, the efficacy of surface cleaners utilized by the on-campus housekeeping staff was tested in order to determine just how clean the surfaces that students are coming into contact really are. The results of the previous research showed little to no effective decrease in bacterial colony count when swabbed before and after cleaning with the materials supplied by housekeeping staff. This research seeks to continue the previous study and expand upon the objectives presented. This continuation will evaluate the relative efficacy of the surface cleaners supplied by the housekeeping staff with and without various additives with known anti-microbial properties. From the results from this research, possible additives will be evaluated for possible future utilization by housekeeping staff in order to ensure a clean educational environment.

Application of Asimina triloba as a Potential Insecticide (Poster, Table 5)

Presenting Student: Katherine Soltysiak Contributing Students: Austin Persons, Lake Sherrard Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

Asimina triloba, commonly known as the paw-paw, is often referred to as the "forgotten fruit". These trees bear palm-sized fruit whose flavor is a mix between bananas and mangoes. Besides its delicious nature, Asimina triloba may also have insecticidal properties. Historically, Native Americans used the powdered seeds as a cure for lice. Recent studies have shown high amounts of

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium acetogenins in the twigs and bark. Acetogenins, particularly Annonacin, have been found to have neurotoxin properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if Asimina triloba is an effective insecticide against garden pests. It was hypothesized that insecticide made from twigs would be more effective than extract made from leaves, seeds, or roots. Asimina triloba materials were collected in Paw Paw, West Virginia. Mixtures were made of the leaves, seeds, roots, and stems and each were placed in separate spray bottles. The mixtures were tested on cabbage looper larvae (Trichoplusia ni) and bean beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus ) over a period of one week. Before each pesticide application the insect population was counted to determine the number of deaths after x amount of applications. It was found that the pesticide made from the seed of Asimina triloba was most effective in both cabbage loopers and bean beetles. It took only 3 applications to kill 100% of bean beetles while it took 4 applications to kill 100% of the cabbage loopers. For cabbage loopers, the seed and the root pesticides both showed a significant difference in kill rate in comparison to the control group. For bean beetles, seed, stem, and leaf pesticides showed a significant difference in kill rate in comparison to the control group. Future research should include testing the effects of these insecticides on garden plants. Asimina triloba could generate economic growth within Appalachia if production of insecticide becomes a viable business. Additionally, the application of organic insecticides is healthier for the environment.

Carnivore Detection Patterns and River Otter Latrines in Grand Teton National Park (Poster, Table 24)

Presenting Students: Joseph Tuttle, Danielle Foye Faculty Mentor: Dr. Thomas Serfass

Carnivores can be difficult to survey and evaluate, as they have very large ranges, low population densities, and wary tendencies. Remote cameras offer an efficient and non-invasive way to investigate carnivore populations. Camera traps are a fairly recent innovation, and as such processes associated with “camera trapping” can benefit by refinement. Bait is one method that can increase detection of carnivores by trail cameras, but bait cannot be used in public areas with human visitors, as it can cause unwanted interactions between animals and humans. In North America, wherever river otters are present, their latrines may serve as a natural attractant for other carnivores. We analyzed carnivore visitation of various latrine and non-latrine sites along the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park during summer 2019. Also, we are studying the effects of ungulate and human activity near the otter latrines on the latrines’ efficacy as a natural attractant.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Cloning the Lyme ospA for Expression in Arabidopsis (Poster, Table 5)

Presenting Student: Kristin Ratliff Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

Lyme disease affects nearly 30,000 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms, which include severe arthritis, are caused by infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Bacteria are harbored in the guts of Ixodes ticks and transferred to larger hosts, including humans, during the ticks’ feeding. Human and canine vaccines against the bacteria have utilized B. burgdorferi outer surface protein A (ospA) as an immunogen. We sought to clone the B. Burgdorferi gene encoding ospA and the nucleotides encoding the antigenic fragment ospA221-240 into the Ti plasmid pBI121 in order to transform Arabidopsis thaliana. Once transformed, Arabidopsis, a model organism in plant biology, will express the bacterial ospA protein and serve as a source of antigen for protection against B. burgdorferi infection upon feeding by small animals. Presently, pBI121 has been isolated from Escherichia coli cells, cut using the restriction enzymes BamH1 and Sac1, and recombined with the oligonucleotides encoding ospA221-240. The recombinant plasmid has been used to transform E. coli cells, and bacterial colonies containing the plasmid have been isolated. Future goals include the transformation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens using the recombinant plasmid and Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation of Arabidopsis.

Comparison of 30 Tree Species for Use in Dendrochronological Studies at 12 Parks in the National Capital Parks Regions in Maryland, DC, and Virginia (Poster, Table 12)

Presenting Student: Olivia Shaffer Contributing Students: Erica Duda Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sunshine Brosi

Climatic factors such as temperature and moisture influence tree growth and are therefore reflected in the width of their rings. This relationship between tree-ring width of various tree species and climate can be observed through the correlation functions of their measurements. Comparisons were made to determine the ranking of tree species for use in dendrochronological studies to see which is most suitable for research. This was done by analyzing interseries correlations across sites and regions and comparing climatic responses of ring width increments. A high correlation of a species with other trees in the area shows that the tree-ring data is statistically sound and therefore could give valuable information in climate studies. This compiled list of tree species can be used to inform further dendrochronological research on climate reconstructions for the Mid-Atlantic region that will contribute to increased understanding of historical climatic patterns.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Complementation of the Anthocyaninless Mutation in Wisconsin Fast Plants (Poster, Table 11)

Presenting Student: Madison Lawrence Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

Background: Although there are several methods of in planta transformation procedures, in this experiment we will be using the floral dip method using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This agrobacterium has been transformed with the Ti plasmid pBI 121 which carries the DFR coding sequence under the direction of the 35S promoter. Aims: In this experiment we will be growing the double recessive mutant “green” (Non-purple) Wisconsin Fast Plants. The goal is to transform the green WFP genome using Agrobacterium tumefaciens that is carrying the DFR gene. This gene is used along a more complex pathway in the production of enzymes that will code for anthocyanins biosynthesis in the plant, giving plants with the DFR gene a “purple” color. We will collect and grow the seeds produced from the green plants to observe for purple color, noting the percentage of collected seed that has received the transgene. Methods: The Agrobacterium tumefaciens that has been transformed with pBI 121 plasmid is grown on LB plates. Once the green Wisconsin Fast Plants have developed flower buds, the agrobacterium is used to make a dipping solution. First, the bacteria are added to a solution of LB and kanamycin. After bacterial growth, this solution is then added to a mixture of Silwet and sucrose, in which the flower buds are dipped. After dipping, the flowers are monitored and mechanically pollinated. The flowers are left to go to seed and the seed pods are collected three weeks after dipping. Results: It is expected that about 1 out of every 100 (1%) seeds collected from the infected green plants will grow with purple coloration, the result of successful uptake of the transgene. As purple plants are identified, they will then be used to collect and isolate DNA from in order to confirm where the purple allele resides in the modified genetic makeup.

Effect of RRG Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana after Treatment with Different pH Values of Water (Poster, Table 11)

Presenting Students: Jordan Thomas, Marshé Hill, Timothy Cho Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

The goal of this experiment was to determine if watering Arabidopsis thaliana with water at different pHs influences the expression of the Retarded Root Growth (RRG) gene, which is involved in root meristem cell division (Zhou, et al). Initially, 24 different pots of A. thaliana were planted, and the plants were grown in the same conditions, including light and watering, for four weeks. After four weeks, the plants were thinned out so the population sizes in each pot were the same. Then, treatment was started. The six treatment groups were watered with either pH 2, pH 4, pH 6, pH 7 (control), pH 8, and pH 10. On the first day of treatment, 5 ml of each water treatment was added directly to four of the plants. Two days later, the plants were watered with 5 ml more of the treatment. On the fifth day after treatment, the roots of each plant were harvested. The harvested

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium roots were used to isolate RNA, then create cDNA, and gene expression was measured using RT- PCR. It was hypothesized that the group watered with pH 7, the control, would have the most expression of the RRG gene, with expression decreasing as the pH decreased and increased from 7. References: Zhou, X., Li, Q., Chen, X., Liu, J., Zhang, Q., Liu, Y. Liu, K. (2011). The Arabidopsis Retarded Root Growth gene encodes a mitochondria-localized protein that is required for cell division in the root meristem [Abstract]. American Society of Plant Biologists. Retrieved April 3, 2019, from http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/plantphysiol/early/2011/10/07/pp.111.185827.full.pdf

Hierarchy and Arrival Times of Scavengers in Savage River State Forest: Effects of Canopy Cover (Poster, Table 23)

Presenting Student: Dustin Baker Faculty Mentor: Dr. Thomas Lambert

Scavengers that feed on carrion often display dominance over other species in their feeding on this limited resource. However, these dominance hierarchies maybe influenced by which species first detects the resource in the scramble competition for this scatter resource. This experiment examines the influence of detection on the scavenging hierarchy in Savage River State Forest in Garrett County, Maryland over the course of spring 2018 and spring 2019. Savage River State Forest is a mixed growth hardwood forest, and within this area there were two sites that were baited. Sites were paired between closed and open canopy. At each site an approximately 5kg pieces of carrion was tethered to the ground and monitored using Bushnell Trophy Cams set on 30s interval video. Some scavengers observed in the study were American Crow, Common Raven, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Red-Tailed Hawk, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red Fox, Grey Fox, Black Bear, Fisher, and Coyote. The videos were viewed to see if any dominant behaviors were shown between species and the species were ranked from most dominant to least dominant by seeing which species had the most dominant behaviors over others to determine the scavenging hierarchy and the comparison between the open canopy cover and the closed canopy cover.

Histological Analysis of Intestinal Immune Structures in Gopher and Bat (Poster, Table 24)

Presenting Student: Sawyer Llewellyn Faculty Mentors: Dr. Karen Keller, Dr. Rebekah Taylor

Little is known about the presence of immune tissues in the gut of many wild species of mammals. The purpose of this project was to examine the small intestine of preserved gopher and bat specimens for the presence of cryptopatches and Peyer’s patches, which are gut associated lymphoid tissues commonly known as ‘GALT’. Tissue samples were processed using standard

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium dehydration, clearing, and embedding techniques, and were then cut using a manual microtome to 10 µm sections. All sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and examined carefully for evidence of lymphoid structures. Photographs at 40X magnification were taken of three positive samples of Peyer’s patches found in the small intestine, specifically the ileum, from one gopher specimen. No cryptopatches were observed in any of the tissue sections and no Peyer’s patches were found in bat specimens. Without serial sections of each organ from each animal, it is not possible to conclusively state that bats do not have these lymphoid structures or that gophers do not have crypopatches, but the results of this study can confirm the presence of Peyer’s patches in the ileum of gopher small intestine.

Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles of Savage River State Forest (Poster, Table 12)

Presenting Students: Elizabeth Myers, Sarah Sprouse, Greg Thomas, David Kramer, Abby Rossman Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

Surveys of Savage River State Forest were conducted to determine presence, relative abundance and species richness of reptile and amphibian species of frogs, salamanders, snakes, and lizards. This research is important in determining the species diversity of the state park and subsequently the health of the environment. Surveys were conducted at two locations, one at Poplar Lick Run and one farther north near Frostburg Road. We also collected data from other locations in the state forest based on random opportunistic encounters. Four 5x5 meter plot surveys were completed on terrestrial areas at each location along with three 25m transects of rivers, streams, wetlands and other aquatic habitats in the forest. Each location was revisited 4-5 times. For aquatic study areas dip nets were used for surveying, and for terrestrial habitats flags were placed at appropriate distances to mark our plots. We expected to find a wide range of species including the eastern red backed, northern slimy, northern two lined, and northern red salamanders; red spotted newts; spring peepers; wood frogs; water snakes; gartersnakes; and northern ring necked snakes.

Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles on the West Side of Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area (Poster, Table 12)

Presenting Students: Tyler Bowers, Jonathan Garrison, Ryan Snyder, Daisy Crossfield, Kristina Grove Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in Allegheny County Maryland. This area is very dry and warm and is a prime example of the Ridge and Valley ecosystem in Maryland. This ecosystem has low annual precipitation rates and higher annual temperatures compared to other ecosystems in Maryland such as the Coastal Plain. It is often dominated by pine and oak

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium forest types. The purpose of this study is to determine which reptile and amphibian species are present on the west side of the Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area. This is important to better manage habitat requirements for local species. These species will be documented and recorded. Many reptile species inhabit this area including: black racer, eastern black ratsnake, northern ring-necked snake, timber rattlesnake, common five-lined skink, woodland box turtle, eastern fence lizard, and eastern hog-nosed snake. Many amphibian species also occur here including: spring peeper, American toad, American bullfrog, northern red salamander, Jefferson salamander, marbled salamander, and the spotted salamander. These species will be documented using various field methods including flipping rocks and visual surveys conducted on terrestrial areas. Four 50 meter by 50 meter areas will be flagged off in this area. Two areas will be on each side of the ridge near Dan’s Rock.

Inventory of Reptiles and Amphibians in Blue Lick Run (Poster, Table 18)

Presenting Students: Hope Deery, Chuck Farrell, Kevin Creek, Spencer Schading Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

The objective of this project is to take inventory of the Amphibians & Reptiles in Bluelick Run, located in the Allegheny Mountains of Western Maryland (39.647059, -79.066366). Species inventories can provide information of the species present in an area and an estimate of the species richness can be calculated. In the streams we will overturn rocks and use nets to scoop any organisms that may be underneath. This is an effective technique for capturing salamanders. We plan on using funnel-shaped minnow traps as well to capture salamanders and frogs. The area will be surveyed by the team at least once per week, with the first inventory at the end of March. Some of the techniques will be systematic such as population densities within each separate area (stream, powerline clearing, wetland habitat, and forest). Opportunistic observations will also be taken in the stream, powerline clearing, wetland habitat, and the forest areas. Based on the area of Maryland and the habitat at the study site, it is possible to have many species of salamanders in and around the stream such as Jefferson Salamander, Spotted Salamander, Northern Dusky Salamander, Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Northern Spring Salamander, and the Red-spotted Newt. There is also a clear-cut powerline that runs through the area where grasses and rocks are common, which could be habitat for such species as Milk snakes, Northern Ring-necked snakes, Rat snakes, and Garter snakes to name a few. In the forested area it is possible to find toads or gray tree frogs. In the area where it is more of a wetland habitat, or in stream pools, there will most likely be some wood frogs. Each area (stream, clearing, wetland, and forest) will have a designated 50m2 plot upon which systematic surveying will occur.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Inventory of Reptiles and Amphibians in the C&O Canal National Historic Park in Oldtown, MD (Poster, Table 18)

Presenting Students: Kodi Bowers, Lauren Druger, Joseph Tuttle, Maeci Curtis Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

Overview: Maryland is home to an estimated more than 90 species of reptiles and amphibians. Included in Maryland’s amphibians are salamanders & newts, frogs, and toads, while Maryland’s reptiles encompass turtles & tortoises, snakes, and lizards. Objective: The goal of this field work is to provide an inventory of amphibians and reptiles in the C&O Canal National Historic Park in Oldtown, MD. Species will be trapped or captured, identified, and recorded. This will allow us to compile not only a list of the species caught, but also the quantity of given species present in a given area. Field Work: Three turtle traps and one minnow trap will be set to capture turtles and other aquatic reptiles/amphibians in the canal. Traps will be set for a period of no less than 48 hours in each location, and will be checked and cleared at a maximum of every 24 hours. After the 48 hour period, traps will be moved to a different location within our set boundary and study area. On the other side of the canal in the wetlands, we will utilize wading and capture techniques as well as visual observations to identify snakes, salamanders, and other reptiles/amphibians to gather more data and a more complete survey. For this study we are surveying those species that are aquatic and semi-aquatic. For those species that are semi-aquatic we will also search within a set boundary line from the water’s edge, utilizing visual techniques as well as flipping rocks, logs, and other physical means to uncover and record any species found. Possible Species to be encountered: Turtles: Eastern Snapping Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Wood Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, Red-eared Slider, Eastern Painted Turtle, Midland Painted Turtle, Northern Red-bellied Cooter, Eastern Musk Turtle Salamanders/Newts: Jefferson Salamander, Marbled Salamander, Spotted Salamander, Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander, Seal Salamander, Long-tailed Salamander, Northern Two-lined Salamander, Northern Spring Salamander, Northern Red Salamander, Four- toed Salamander, Red-Spotted Newt, Northern Dusky Salamander Snakes: Common Watersnake, Queensnake, Dekay’s Brownsnake, Red-bellied Snake, Common Gartersnake, Eastern Ribbonsnake, Smooth Greensnake, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Eastern Ratsnake Frogs/Toads: Eastern American Toad, Fowler’s Toad, American Bullfrog, Northern Green Frog, Pickerel Frog, Wood Frog, Mountain Chorus Fog, New Jersey Chorus Frog, Northern Spring Peeper, Upland Chorus Frog, Eastern Cricket Frog

Investigating Biological Samples Using Diverse Microscopy Techniques (Poster, Table 17)

Presenting Student: Torre Montoya Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

Advancements in microscopy techniques have progressively revealed a world of biological specimens that were previously unobservable. The various techniques used to image samples each

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium exploit unique properties of the sample to provide novel or contemporary images. These images can be used to further investigate the organisms and provide insight to their biological structures, processes, functions, and more. Modern advanced microscopy techniques such as immunofluorescence, polarized light microscopy, darkfield microscopy, electron microscopy, phase contrast microscopy and more were employed to create and explore the following images.

Light’s Effect on the Expression of RS31 in Arabidopsis (Poster, Table 11)

Presenting Students: Brandi Binkley, Matthew Deb Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

Gene expression is affected by many outside factors. The expression of genes in Arabidopsis thaliana was studied over the course of the experiment. Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant that is native to Europe but can be found in multiple continents now. It is known for being able to grow in disturbed terrains and is considered THE model plant for genetic and molecular biology studies. There is the possibility the outside conditions would have an effect on the growth of the plant or how genes are expressed. Light is one of the most important resources for any plant, so if the light source changed the expression of genes relating to light may be affected. The gene chosen for this project was RS31 which is a gene that can be associated with the light processes of the plant including photosynthesis and phototropisms. Many of these light processes occur in the chloroplast. Arabidopsis thaliana plants were grown for a week before being placed in differing light treatments. Light treatments varied in light type and intensity. The light treatments were a lamp, windowsill, greenhouse, and no light. A visual observation was made that light had an impact on growth but that does not necessarily mean gene expression was affected. Real-time PCR will be used to determine if the RS31 gene’s expression level changes in these plants based on their light source.

Metal Sulfate Contamination of Arabidopsis thaliana and its Effects on The Expression of DOG-1 Gene Responsible for Germination (Poster, Table 11)

Presenting Students: Tieazier Wallace, Christopher D. Dembrow, Leah Vrydagh Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Puthoff

Arabidopsis thaliana, also known as Thale cress, has been introduced to North American terrain from Eurasia. The genome size of A. thaliana is approximately 135 Mb and it has only five chromosomes. It is a small flowering plant that can be found along roadways and other rocky areas. A. thaliana can also be found on disturbed land. Because of this plant’s niche, it is susceptible to multiple sources of pollution and contamination. This can be due to automotive fluid leaks and litter or waste products washing off onto roadside environments. Since this weed- like plant can be found in these common areas, and easily disturbed, researchers are interested in the genetic defects that some contaminants may cause to A. thaliana. Excessive pollution may

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium contribute to defects due to the mutation of genes responsible for germination. Five metal sulfates, that are more inclined to be in terrain, were used: Lead(II) sulfate, Nickel(II) sulfate, Copper(II) sulfate, Aluminum sulfate, and Magnesium sulfate. The metals were chosen to see if varying concentrations would affect the expression of the DOG-1 gene, which is responsible for initiating germination. It was found that high concentrations may extremely inhibit growth. Analysis of genetic information using real time-PCR would be considered successful if the DOG-1 gene is expressed or not expressed. If the gene is not expressed it may be due to contamination of a particular metal. If the gene is expressed, than A. thaliana may be able to withstand whatever chemical it is exposed to at certain concentrations. Real-time PCR can be used to test gene expression changes resulting from other possible contaminants in the environment in order to limit pollution and other environmental disturbances. This experiment physically combined metals within the soil to see if germination was affected, and ultimately analyzed the RNA of surviving plants for the DOG-1 gene expression using PCR to yield data.

Microscopy Techniques that Assist in the Identification of Biological Samples (Poster, Table 17)

Presenting Student: Avian Hicks Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

This presentation is focused on showing the various techniques used in Microscopy while highlighting their importance. Microscopy is a field of study based solely on viewing samples under a microscope. There are many ways to view samples on a microscope and these include bright field, dark field, and others. The importance of these techniques vary depending on how a sample needs to be viewed (for example, opaque samples are hard to view under bright field but amazing under dark field). Overall, every technique in Microscopy is beneficial in some way and the following pictures support this concept.

Monitoring River Otter Populations and other Carnivores in Western Maryland (Poster and Oral Presentation, Table 24)

Presenting Student: Nick Triantis Faculty Mentors: Dr. Thomas Serfass, Dr. Kelly Pearce

We evaluated the efficiency of placing camera traps at river otter (Lontra canadensis) latrines (secretive sites in riparian areas where otters regularly drop scats, urine, anal secretions, and food scraps) and adjacent riparian environments to detect river otters and other forest carnivores. Cameras were placed in a previously unstudied area of western Maryland along the Potomac River adjacent to Green Ridge State Forest and West Virginia, as well as inside parts of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park, located in Cumberland Maryland. We presumed otter latrines may serve as a natural attractant to other carnivores and evaluated this presumption by using camera

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium traps to analyze carnivore detection rates (overall and by species) and diversity between latrine and non-latrine areas. Camera traps were placed within 20 meters of the Potomac River or at otter latrines. Cameras at non-latrines were baited with sardines, carrion and in some locations with flashy objects (CD’s and tinfoil) to attract Bobcats (Lynx rufus). Species that could be detected include red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), northern raccoons (Procyon lotor), river otters (Lontra canadensis), mink (Neovison vison), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and possibly American black bears (Ursus americanus), Bobcats (Lynx rufus) and eastern coyotes (Canis latrans). Our study evaluates carnivore richness and biodiversity between latrine and non-latrine riparian sites. Outcomes may indicate that placing cameras at latrines offer new and novel approach for monitoring carnivore populations in riparian areas.

Mt. Aetna: Inventory of Native Reptiles and Amphibians (Poster, Table 18)

Presenting Students: Katherine Soltysiak, Christopher D. Dembrow, Nick Triantis, Brittany Wandless Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

Mt. Aetna, located in Savage River State Forest, was surveyed for the presence and absence of native reptile and amphibian species. It was hypothesized that species in the Desmognathus, Eurycea, Plethodon, Opheodrys, Anaxyrus, Hyla, Lithobates, Thamnophis, Terrapene, and Glyptemys genera would be found at Mt. Aetna because of the habitat located there. Habitat includes small seeps, springs, streams, vernal pools, open meadows, mature forest, and wetlands. Capture techniques and visual encounters were used to record the relative abundance and diversity of species. Three 25 meter transects were set along small streams. Researchers started at one end of the transect and flipped stones. When a stone was flipped, dip nets were used to capture specimens. Each transect was searched one time. Five 10-meter by 10-meter plots were set up. Two in meadow habitat, two in forest habitat, and one in a vernal pool. These plots were visited 3 times each. Rocks and logs were turned over in the terrestrial plots to search for specie. The vernal pool was searched using waders and dip nets. This study can be used as a baseline for future studies to assess potential impacts of development and other human activities. Additionally, this study may be used to develop future wildlife management plans.

Optimizing Advanced Microscopy Techniques for Versatile Organic and Inorganic Sample Visualization (Poster, Table 17)

Presenting Student: Alexander de Almeida Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

The undergraduate biology curricula trains students to operate and interpret images from a standard brightfield microscopy. Once every two years, Frostburg State University offers a course, "Advanced Microscopy", which expands the student’s technical expertise. In the professional

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium setting, advanced microscopy techniques are utilized daily. This course allows students to operate brightfield modification techniques such as darkfield, polarized-light, and phase-contrast microscopy. Additionally, students are trained to stain and visualize samples for both fluorescence and scanning-electron microscopy. Each type of microscopy requires careful calibration and sample preparation in order to generate a clear and unique image. The quality of these images is of great importance. They enable examiners to identify the presence or lack-thereof of specific features that can be used to draw interpretations about the sample. This poster highlights images that were obtained from specimens around the Frostburg area and prepared by students.

Species Richness and Relative Abundance of Reptiles and Amphibians in Frostburg (Poster, Table 18)

Presenting Students: Jessica Raney, Ian Colbert, Bradley Blake, Ronald Swanston, Jordan Kisselovich Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

The focus of our study is to determine the species richness and relative abundance of reptiles and amphibians in Frostburg, MD. The gathered information regarding species richness and relative abundance will be a significant indication of surrounding populations; information that is useful for wildlife management. The study will begin by identifying and categorizing animals by species from aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Later, conclusions can be made from the data collected that provide the public with the knowledge of local biodiversity. The sites include parts of the Great Allegheny Passage, Frostburg State Arboretum, and Glendening Park and contain both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Throughout the aquatic sites, nets and waders will be used to conduct the surveys along with safe disinfection techniques from site to site to prevent the spread of pathogens. The terrestrial sites will be defined by a 10 x 10 meter grid, in an area along the Great Allegheny Passage, the FSU Arboretum, and Glendening Park. Surveys from each site will be monitored at least three times per site over the next three weeks where pictures and geographic locations will be recorded for each of the species found. Expected results include a documented report of the different amphibian and reptile species that are known historically to be found in the Frostburg Maryland area.

Spring 2019 Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles at Piney Reservoir (Poster, Table 24)

Presenting Students: Allison Williams, Courtney Athas, Sara Kershner, Erika Allen, Shane Jones Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Hocking

We conducted an inventory study of amphibians and reptiles at Piney Reservoir in Garrett County, Maryland. The reservoir provides habitats such as forested areas, vernal pools, streams, and a large reservoir. Species abundance and diversity were surveyed in several different parts of the

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium reservoir. Two 5m by 5m plots of forested habitat were surveyed by flipping rocks and searching leaf piles once a week for four consecutive weeks. For the aquatic species (or life stages), two 25m stretches of stream habitat were surveyed by flipping rocks and using dip nets once a week for four consecutive weeks. All specimens recorded include GPS location and photographs. Our team expected to find greater diversity in aquatic habitats due to the spring breeding season for amphibian species.

The Effect of Black Cohosh Actein on Osteoblast Differentiation (Poster, Table 10)

Presenting Student: Alexander de Almeida Faculty Mentors: Dr. Rebekah Taylor, Dr. Peggy Biser

Black cohosh (Actaea racemona) is a flowering herb native to eastern North America. Parts of the plant have been used in herbal medicine for a range of treatments, including relief from menopausal symptoms and related bone loss. This study assesses the active ingredient, actein, derived from the plant, for its reported role in osteoblast differentiation. Actein was subjected to in vitro experiments investigating its functional bioactivities in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Specifically, osteoblast differentiation and calcium deposition were assessed after incubation with actein for two weeks. Additionally, this study assessed the ability of DMSO (a common chemical vehicle) to differentiate osteoblasts in culture.

The Isolation and Identification of Outer Surface Protein A from the Bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the Causative Agent of Lyme Disease (Poster, Table 23)

Presenting Student: Noah Hewitt Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

For this research project, DNA was extracted from blacklegged deer ticks (Ioxdes scapularis) that were received from the public. The purpose was to isolate and identify the gene for outer surface protein A (ospA) from the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that is the causative agent of Lyme disease that can be carried by the ticks. The specific gene for ospA was amplified using polymerase chain reaction and its presence was identified using gel electrophoresis. A positive result indicated that the tick was capable of transmitting the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The results were recorded and used to generalize the chances of contracting Lyme disease if an individual in our area is bitten by a blacklegged deer tick.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Using Fluorescence Microscopy to Examine Lyme Disease in Local Mouse Populations (Poster, Table 23)

Presenting Student: Torre Montoya Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans, rodents, deer, and some other mammals through the bite of blacklegged ticks infected with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. In human hosts, a bite from a Borrelia burgdorferi contaminated tick can result in fever, erythema migrans rash, chills, severe fatigue, neck stiffness, joint pain, and long term neurological and heart problems. While white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) are seemingly unaffected by Borrelia burgdorferi, they can harbor the bacteria and perpetuate the spread of Lyme disease in humans, pets, and other animals. With the alarming increase in Lyme disease in the United States, it is critical to understand the mechanisms in which mice are rendered immune to the bacteria. By studying the structures of immune cells and sites in infected mice, possible preventions and treatments may be developed for human use. In this research, cross sections of spleen from local wild white-footed mice were stained with fluorescent antibodies and imaged to identify the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Using Microscopy Techniques to Study Biological Specimens (Poster, Table 23)

Presenting Student: Mekayla Reynolds Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebekah Taylor

Microscopy has been used for centuries in biology to see organisms too small for the human eye. Using different microscope techniques and slide preparations, I captured images of organisms and objects under high magnification to show people the little things they don’t usually get to see. I learned to operate stereomicroscopes, compound microscopes and the electron microscope. I also learned new techniques like fluorescence microscopy and immunofluorescence.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Analysis of Sitagliptin in Milk (Poster, Table 4)

Presenting Student: Meghan Barker Faculty Mentors: Dr. Holly Currie, Dr. Katie Gares

Sitagliptin (STG) is the active ingredient in Januvia, an anti-diabetic medication that is used to treat type 2 diabetes. This medication, like all medications, has the potential to cause adverse side effects. Many medications are tested by the FDA to determine if they are safe to use while breast feeding. Some medications are passed through breast milk and are not good for consumption by infants. STG has not been thoroughly tested to determine if it is transferred through breast milk to the infant. This research aims to determine if STG is transferred into breast milk using breast milk samples from a woman taking a 100 mg per day dose of Sitagliptin. The STG in breast milk will be analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In order to first test the method, cow’s milk was spiked with STG and analyzed with GC-MS. A standard calibration curve was also generated to allow for quantification of the concentration of STG in the cow’s milk samples. STG was successfully detected and quantified in the spiked cow’s milk. The next step in this research would be to analyze human breast milk samples from a woman taking STG with GC-MS to determine if STG is transferred into the breastmilk.

Determination and Comparison of Sulfur Content in Hair (Poster, Table 4)

Presenting Students: Nicholas Williams, Milca Mehari Faculty Mentor: Dr. Holly Currie, Dr. Katie Gares

Hair is composed of a protein called keratin. Keratin has many functions ranging from protection to acting as a sensory organ. Disulfide bonds are a key aspect for the stabilization of keratin structure, but it is unknown if these bonds play a part in different hair textures. This research aims to determine if the disulfide bonds play a key role in different hair texture. Keratin proteins are the main components, or the building blocks of human hair. The difference in human hair keratins and other keratins is its amino acid composition of cysteine residue content; 7.6% in human hair keratin and 2.9% for stratum corneum keratin. The more cysteines in human hair keratins, the more disulfide bonds there are. This produces a much more durable structure for hair with better thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. However, there are various factors that can bring about changes in amino acid hair content, like genetic variation, cosmetic treatments, diets and gender. This research set out to determine the disulfide bond content using x-ray fluorescence to detect the amount of sulfur in different textured hair samples.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Heavy Metals in Baby Food Squeeze Pouches and Applesauce (Poster, Table 4)

Presenting Students: Kristen Illig, Brandi Binkley Faculty Mentors: Dr. Katie Gares, Dr. Holly Currie

Many people feed their young children applesauce or baby food in squeeze pouches every day. These products may expose children to chemicals and metals that parents may not be aware of when purchasing the product. Fruits and vegetables are grown outside where they are often exposed to heavy metals that are in the environment. Heavy metal exposure could also occur from the manufacturing process of these products. The baby food and applesauce that are made from these fruit and vegetable sources could be a potential source of heavy metal exposure. This research project aims to determine if any heavy metals, specifically lead, can be detected in a variety of different brands. The goal would be to determine the concentration of heavy metal present in each sample and compare the concentrations to FDA standards. Heavy metals, including lead, have been known to cause health issues such as cancer and organ damage. The techniques being used to complete the research project are Microwave Digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AA).

Kinetics of Inhibition of Bovine LDH with GSK (Poster, Table 10)

Presenting Students: Cara Crawford, Kaitlyn Grimm, LaRainne Small, Dustin Tippen, Leah Vrydagh, Danielle Williams Faculty Mentor: Dr. Peggy Biser

Bovine lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was purified, characterized, and tested for biokinetic information. LDH is an oxidoreductase that catalyzes the following reaction: Pyruvate + NADH + H+  L-Lactate + NAD+. A LDH inhibitor, GSK2837808A, was selected due to its competitive nature to NADH.

Solid Phase Extraction and Quantitative Analysis of Ibuprofen from Pharmaceuticals (Poster, Table 10)

Presenting Student: Cara Crawford Faculty Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Norris

Ibuprofen, a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was extracted from expired Advil tablets through solid phase extraction. The extracted ibuprofen was analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and compared against non-expired Advil tablets to determine potency of ibuprofen.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, Purification, and Analysis of Short Peptides for Potential Antimicrobial Applications (Poster, Table 10)

Presenting Student: Torre Montoya Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Crawford

The alarming increase in antibiotic resistant bacterial infections and subsequent deaths has led to a demand for alternative treatment options for bacterial infections. In addition to the inability to destroy pathogens, the current use of antibiotics has shown to cause severe allergic reactions and other harmful side effects within the human body. One possible alternative treatment option to conquer current obstacles in treating bacterial infections would be through the use of antimicrobial peptides. A variety of antimicrobial peptides are currently produced by the human body during its immune response to invading pathogens, creating a natural and well tolerated method of defense. In this experiment, peptides were designed, synthesized through manual solid phase synthesis, and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. A small, three amino acid peptide (ornithine-tyrosine-phenylalanine) was successfully synthesized based on HPLC/MS confirmation. The 870.65 m/z peak produced on the chromatograph from the isolated peptide coincided with the expected m/z peak based on the desired peptide’s molecular mass. The antimicrobial properties of the synthesized peptides will need to be further explored and evaluated for possible applications.

Styrene Migration from Food Packaging into Ramen Noodles (Poster, Table 4)

Presenting Students: Brandi Binkley, Kristen Illig Faculty Mentors: Dr. Holly Currie, Dr. Katie Gares

People are exposed to a variety of chemicals every day in the products they consume. Styrene is a component of many food packaging materials such as Styrofoam. Ramen noodles are heated in Styrofoam providing a potential source of styrene exposure. This research aims to determine if there are detectable levels of styrene in Ramen noodles heated in Styrofoam packaging. Leaching/migration has been a topic in the science community for a while, but the focus has been more on plastic related chemicals than styrene. It has been shown that styrene can be associated with negative health effects such as carcinogenesis and neurotoxicity. This research set out to determine if styrene was present in Ramen noodle samples using headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The experiment showed that styrene peaks were detected in the noodles, broth, and Styrofoam packaging. The next step in this research would be to quantify the amount of styrene present and determine if it is at a harmful level.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION

Ignorance in Interracial Relationships between Black Women and White Men (Oral Presentation)

Presenting Student: Lundon Watkins Faculty Mentors: Dr. Elesha Ruminski, Dr. Amy Armiento

Interracial dating and marriage is not a new concept, but interracial marriage became legal only in 1967 after the Loving v. Virginia court case. Although many external forces continue to oppose dating between the races today, there are also cultural conflicts that occur within the relationship due to being an interracial couple. This research presentation will explore microaggressions and ignorance in interracial relationships between black women and white men. Through research, observation, and interviewing, this presentation will explore various thought processes concerning interracial relationships between black women and white men, not only in general contexts, but also from Frostburg State’s students. Afterwards, a discussion will take place.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Automation of Plant Growth (Poster, Table 32)

Presenting Students: Colin Crowe, Emily Jetton Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Flinn

Automation has become a more common topic in modern technology due to its ability to minimize human error and maximize output. In agriculture, and traditional farming, automation is essential in maximizing crop yield while minimizing environmental footprint and resource waste. This project explores the data collection and the automatization of care for Roma Tomato plants through the monitoring of light, temperature, humidity, and autonomous control of moisture. Using a Raspberry Pi model 3b with a Python script, the program will take readings of the plant’s status every 15 minutes and save them to a MySQL database. Data is then transferred to an application named Plotly through a serialized array for online visualization and analysis. If the moisture level of the plant is too low, the program will send a signal to an external DC water pump to increase hydration. As a result, the only human interaction required is to prune the plant, refill a water tank, and supplement the soil.

Handwriting-to-Code: Programming with Computer Vision (Poster, Table 32)

Presenting Students: Emily Jetton, Toby Myers, Colin Crowe Faculty Mentor: Dr. Xunyu Pan

To new students exploring careers in programming, there can be a significant learning curve when developing fluency in programming languages. This project creates a real-time handwriting-to- code application which visualizes how manipulating aspects of code impacts output. This application uses a Linux (Mint, Ubuntu, or Debian) operating system, the third-party tools and utilities OpenCV and Tesseract, and a USB camera to facilitate computer vision. It reads and analyzes handwritten code (ex: on a whiteboard or piece of paper,) and attempts to compile and run the code in real time. Using the computer’s Command Prompt, Terminal, or Console, the application compiles the class files through basic java commands. Results will be displayed in the application GUI window. Primarily the program is designed for reading and compiling Java (JRE 8+). Other OCR platforms such as Tensorflow, Google Cloudvision, or Azure Computer Vision may also be considered depending on the success of Tesseract. We hope to have basic-to-medium complexity java program support, including features such as applying arguments, running programs, real-time variable displays, error resolution suggestion, and possibly more. Implications of a working demo could prove for a more interactive and physical method of learning programming – specifically with understanding how substitution of variables and other objects can change and manipulate the purpose and output of code.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

VR Justice Gauntlet (Poster and Oral Presentation, Table 33)

Presenting Students: Spencer Korb, Brenten Miller Contributing Students: Hunter McFalls, Eric Richman Faculty Mentor: Dr. George Rinard

With the rise in computing power, and the availability of virtual reality development tools, our software engineering team sought to make a VR controller that would help increase player immersion. Currently, the most widely used controllers are large, require the user to hold them, and restrict natural finger motion and hand gestures reducing player immersion. We developed a glove-based controller platform that can individually track a player’s finger motion, leaving their hands free and increasing immersion in virtual environments. We explored the different types of controllers on the market currently, and dissected their functionality so that we could develop a platform that could perform with current industry standards. Our platform consists of an Arduino microcontroller, flex sensors attached to each finger to monitor finger position, and a Vive Tracker to monitor hand position. In order to make up for the lack of physical buttons on our device, we developed hand gestures in order to perform the in-game commands associated with specific button presses. We were hoping to cover all types of input possible through currently available controllers, however, we noticed that we were limited by our platform and our time constraints. Current controllers are equipped with an analog stick to read user input, however, we were unable to equip our platform with an analog stick due to size restraints. If we were able to seek further development, we could incorporate a specially designed analog stick onto the side of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the user’s index finger. This would ensure that we could cover all types of user input while still leaving the hand free from obstruction.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

19th-Century Prophecy: “The Minister’s Black Veil” in Biblical Context (Poster, Table 15)

Presenting Student: Jordan Beachy Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Armiento

Vera Nazarian, an American-Russian writer, once said, “In the kingdom of glass everything is transparent, and there is no place to hide a dark heart.” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” conveys a similar sentiment through the actions and words of Reverend Hooper, only in reverse. By donning the black veil, Reverend Hooper relays to his congregation and others the importance of confession and sincerity before God and humankind. This much is immediately evident in the text. Reverend Hooper’s motivations and his comprehension of the significance of his actions, however, are not so clear. When the story is closely examined in its Christian setting with special attention paid to its Christian symbolism and vocabulary, it can be soundly deduced that Reverend Hooper’s motivation for wearing the veil and his conception of its symbolism are best understood in a biblically prophetic and metaphoric context. The powerful preaching with which the veil imbues his words in addition to his own comments to his fiancé point toward a supernatural encounter. Hooper seems to be a heavenly messenger who makes a binding oath to wear the veil as a sign for the people until he dies. Hooper, therefore, believes that he is acting as God’s representative to the people, communicating strictly by deed what cannot be satisfactorily communicated by words alone. This understanding fits well with the pertinent biblical data, which presents many prophets with similar vocations. In particular, Hooper’s similarity to the prophet Ezekiel is striking. Therefore, Hooper’s actions are interpreted best in the biblical setting. With this concept established, the function of the veil as symbol is also correctly understood in the biblical context. The parallels between Hawthorne’s explanation of the veil and several of Jesus’ statements in the gospels are obvious. When these comparisons are made, the veil’s functionality as a biblical symbol becomes evident.

Academic Majors and the Effect they can have on the Mental Health of Students (Poster, Table 22)

Presenting Students: Shantell Wilson, Elizabeth DeMonte, Jordan Edwards, Amir Gaskins Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

Higher education counselors today are treating more students than ever before who are dealing with various mental health problems (Lebron, 2018). The impact of mental health disorders has begun to be taken seriously by society. While there are studies on the correlation of college majors on mental health disorders, we do not if certain majors are more likely than others to cause a mental illness in students. This research explores self-reported symptoms of common mental

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium health disorders amongst different majors. We conducted an anonymous survey asking participants if they have experienced any common mental health symptoms before, during and after classes, and any previous clinical diagnosis prior to or after entering college. We argue that those in the health science majors are more likely to have mental health disorders as a result of academic activities. In conclusion, this project, by closely examining the mental health of students attending Frostburg State University, sheds new light on the mental health causation amongst young adults.

Community College vs. Universities (Poster, Table 22)

Presenting Students: Kara Kyle, Francesca Gullion, Brady Flowers Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

As high school students near graduation they make a choice whether or not to attend community college or go straight to a 4-year university. There are many studies showing the benefits of attending a community college right after high school, but not attending a university right out of high school. These studies are geared towards benefitting community colleges, not universities. Our goal was to find the leading reasons for choosing a community college versus a university after completing high school and determine how a university could implement ways to attract those students who would choose to go to a community college first. We used student surveys to assess if students attended community college before coming to Frostburg State and reasons why. We asked what the most difficult aspect of transitioning was and what the benefits were of choosing to come to Frostburg State first. The completion of our study closely examined why students would or wouldn’t attend universities and shed light onto what Frostburg State and other universities could do to attract more students directly out of high school.

Division II Transition Awareness Indicates Need for More Effective University Announcements (Poster, Table 22)

Presenting Students: Sabrina Tolbert, Chris Hildreth, Rebecca Phillip Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

As Frostburg State University has grown as an educational institute programs have evolved to meet the demands this growth, and as such these changes affect the university as a whole. The most recent change to Frostburg University is the transition from Division III to Division II in the NCAA, this change, and the effect it will have on the university, is relatively unknown to the student population of the university. As this change is introducing something completely unique to the existing atmosphere of Frostburg University, there is a need for a unique way to measure the awareness that Frostburg students have on this transition. In order to gauge the knowledge that students have on this topic, a survey was conducted of a random sample of Frostburg students on campus. The data collected revealed a large deficient in awareness of university changes

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium associated with the transition, especially in the population of students who are not affiliated with athletic programs and groups. Even those student athletes who were aware of the change reported that the knowledge they had was limited and came from peers as opposed to the university staff. This lack of student awareness suggests that the university has been unsuccessful in communicating such changes. In conclusion, by surveying the students of Frostburg about their knowledge on the transition from DIII to DII, a need for more effective university announcements has been revealed.

Effect of FSU’s Residence Hall Construction on Turbidity of Sand Spring Run (Poster, Table 22)

Presenting Students: James Wells, Steven Wolford, Chloe Bennett, Alyssa Mangus Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

Sedimentation has been linked to declines in habitat, diversity, and aquatic organism abundance throughout North America (Henley 2000). Anthropogenic practices such as construction can cause erosion and sedimentation which is detrimental to downstream ecosystems. Currently, Frostburg State University is constructing a new residence hall near Sand Spring Run. Although there is literature on the effect of sedimentation on aquatic ecosystems, there is no current research on sedimentation in Sand Spring Run due to the current construction. Increased erosion and sedimentation would cause an increase in turbidity, the overall opaqueness of water, due to the addition of suspended particles. Therefore, turbidity can be used to indirectly quantify sedimentation. Using a turbidity meter, turbidity was measured using water samples collected from upstream and downstream of the construction site. Monitoring turbidity can help ensure the effective use of sediment and runoff control structures. Our observations indicate that there may be a correlation between downstream turbidity and the current construction on Frostburg’s campus. Sand Spring Run is inhabited by brook trout and the Jefferson salamander, both threatened species, therefore sedimentation should be monitored in order to prevent habitat degradation, or loss of diversity and abundance of aquatic organisms in Sand Spring Run.

Effects of De-Icing Salt Overuse on Frostburg State University (Poster, Table 16)

Presenting Students: Daniel Palomo Castro, Grey McManus, Michael Brown, Spencer Schading Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

Overuse of de-icing salt is capable of significant damage to the health of the environment and infrastructure. However, the results of long-term continuous use of de-icing salt on campus grounds is not fully understood. Frostburg State University uses large quantities of deicing salt each winter season, and re-seeds the damaged soil each spring. As a result, the damaged soil continuous to remain bordering the sidewalks and parking lots. Through this research, causes and resulting effects of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) oversaturated soil was recorded and interpreted, with

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium special attention to the environment of Frostburg State University. Surveyors were divided into 4 different sections to observe and record the damages in Frostburg State University. This was done by measuring the extent of salt damage along the main pathways using various measuring tools in centimeters. Areas where the infrastructure was severely damaged were also recorded. As a result, an average of 104.8 cm was recorded with a standard deviation of 60.1 cm. Overuse of NaCl de-icing compounds have resulted in the death of the topsoil microbiome and vegetation bordering walkways and roadways. Human and vehicle trampling of the soil exacerbates the damage by continuing to disturb the topsoil and preventing new seed growth after re-seeding. Other effects such as salt staining and material degradation of the concrete sidewalks was also noted. The goal of this paper is to bring awareness to the students and faculty who often walk around these affected areas by showing how much damage is being done to the environment of Frostburg State University. With this information, it may help to start a discussion on how to treat the damaged areas and demonstrate the damage the de-icing salt actually causes on campus.

Evaluating the Value-Action Gap in Student Recycling (Poster, Table 16)

Presenting Students: Brandon Jones, Andrew Dayton, Alexis Rustin, Naaman Bakhshi Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

A main concern in the recycling community is whether or not people actually use recycling receptacles appropriately, and whether the value of recycling in a community matches the recycling habits of that community. This concept is known to researchers as the “Value-Action gap”. The disparity between habit and perceived importance of recycling has been observed in several communities and campuses across the world. At Frostburg State University, research has been done pertaining to the observed recycling habits of people using the receptacles on campus, but no research has been conducted on how Frostburg students perceive their own recycling habits. We conducted a survey distributed to 131 students at Frostburg State University. Our survey asked students to rate the frequency at which they recycled four classes of materials – paper, metal, glass, and plastic – as well as asking them to rate their own recycling habits and how much they value recycling. We argue, in accordance with other literature on this subject, that students rate themselves as being better at recycling than they are observed to be. Our study is important to Frostburg State University as we have a single recycling facility on campus, and a single employee dedicated to the sorting of materials recycled on campus. The information presented in this study may help future researchers develop methods to reduce the “Value-Action gap” of recycling on Frostburg’s campus.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Extra! Extra! Read All About It: The Future of the Press (Oral Presentation)

Presenting Student: Gwendolin Schemm Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mary Anne Lutz

Packed with black print, the unstapled sheets that once were fundamental in delivering news to the American public have found a new home in the digital age. Newspapers once stood as the foundation for American democracy. In the transition to the digital age, major newspapers have struggled to maintain their printed publications. Media convergence has revolutionized the way news is covered and accessed as it facilitates the transition from traditional journalism to online journalism. Faced with decreasing advertising revenue, layoffs in the newsroom, harms to remaining journalists as well as the impact on the American public, the print newspaper industry needs to transition to a digital platform. Moving online proves to be a viable option for the print newspaper industry as it involves a reallocation of resources that already exist to be able to withstand a higher demand on their online platforms. In order to sustain a functioning democratic system, the American public needs the news industry. The future of the press lies in the evolution of the digital age. The following paper examines the current problems facing the print newspaper industry and the proposal recommending a transition to a primarily online platform, highlighting its financial viability and effectiveness.

How Literature and Art Complement Each Other to Reclaim African American Women’s Sexuality: A Case Study (Poster, Table 15)

Presenting Student: Lundon Watkins Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Armiento

I compare Tony Currin’s image in Black woman: Photography to descriptions in Jean Toomer’s “Karintha” and “Fern” in Cane and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple to show how sexuality is a component of an African American woman’s power. In all three works, the women feel that the perception of their sexuality is out of their hands. Despite this, reclaiming their sexuality gives them influence over themselves and others. Tony Currin’s image illustrates this process.

On Campus Pets in Relation to Student Mental Health (Poster, Table 16)

Presenting Students: Tiffany Sherrick, Samantha Schaffer, Naomi During Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

With a growing mental health problem among college institutions it has become controversial as how to lessen the severity of the prevalence of mental health disorders. For many, the increased responsibility, meeting new people, making difficult choices, peer pressure, and keeping up with classes can trigger social and emotional stressors, which then lead to depression and anxiety

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

(Bergen 30). No other study has been conducted on the Frostburg State University student population as to whether owning a pet on campus would assist with symptoms of current mental health disorders and prevent the on-set. We surveyed 67 students to learn whether they believe on campus pets would assist with mental health disorders. The majority of students believe that pets can contribute to feelings of happiness. We argue that owning a pet on campus can help with common emotions brought up by transitioning to college and prevent the on-set of mental health disorders. In conclusion, this survey, by examining the responses, sheds new light on the issue of mental health and the benefit provided by pets to those afflicted with these disorders.

Opinions on the SAT/ACT and its Usefulness in the Admissions Process at Frostburg State University (Poster, Table 16)

Presenting Students: Nathaniel Graves, Dezhan Jones-Harris, Matthew McKenzie, Sean Steiner, Nathnael Tessema Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

The SAT and ACT are aptitude tests that virtually every high school student planning to enroll in college must take. The overall scores on these tests are usually the third most important thing colleges look at, after one's overall grades and the rigor of their class load. As a consequence, one’s SAT/ACT scores can practically determine where one attends college. As of now, FSU requires SAT/ACT scores from all undergraduates as well as transfer students with less the 24 transferable credits who are attempting to gain admission into the university. This results in a large need for the scores produced by these tests to be fairly accurate in providing the type of information about the student they claim to provide. In regard to past research on the SAT/ACT, there is not much that examines how college students that had previously taken these tests feel about how well the tests assessed their level of college readiness as well as predicted their future academic success. These tests are often administered without any follow up on participants in order to receive their opinion on this matter. The objective of our study is to examine any potential disagreement in regard to whether the SAT/ACT is able to predict potential academic success or not. To do this, we surveyed students of Frostburg State University in order to assess whether or not they believe the aptitude test(s) they took in order to gain admission into the university was successful in predicting academic success up to this point. Using the data that is produced from our study, the university will have a better understanding of where the FSU community stands in regard to how the SAT/ACT tests are utilized.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Physical Traits and Characteristics Humans Interpret as Aggressive in the American Pit Bull Terrier (Poster, Table 15)

Presenting Students: Tyler Bowers, Kyle Klotz, Anthony Mejia, David Wood, Collin Bucher Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly Hartzog

The American Pit Bull Terrier is widely believed to be one of, if not the most, aggressive canine breeds in the United States. However, the details of what specific behaviors and characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier that deems them an aggressive breed is currently unknown. This research addresses the issue of what specific characteristics and/or behaviors make this dog breed seem aggressive to the public. Fifty-six individuals were randomly selected through Frostburg State University, including faculty, staff, students, and the general public, to participate in an anonymous survey concerning aggressive behaviors in Pit Bull Terriers. The objective of this study is to determine which behaviors or physical characteristics that humans interpret as aggressive in the American Pit Bull breed. The specific characteristics included in the survey were: barking behavior, cropped ears, showing teeth, age, and body size. Our data suggests that all of these characteristics directly relate to the public’s negative opinion concerning American Pit Bull Terriers. In conclusion, this research project sheds light on behaviors and physical characteristics thought to be stereotypically aggressive in Pit Bull Terriers. This information can help animal shelters decrease euthanization rates and increase adoption rates, as well as make them more appealing to the public.

Sheriff Woody in Toy Story Positively Influences Children's Development (Oral Presentation)

Presenting Student: Ismerai Reyes Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Armiento

This presentation will argue how seeing the beloved 1995 Pixar produced film Toy Story, positively influenced young audiences’ psychological and emotional development. The film presents complex subjects to young viewers through the anthropomorphization of the principal character, Woody. Using various clips of the film as evidence, I will show how the filmmakers used Woody to model for young viewers that they, like Woody, can grow and develop as individuals. This is significant because many children replicate actions they, see and Toy Story represents a classic film that most have seen in their childhood. The ability to identify human characteristics in non-human characters allows young audiences to connect to a film, which in this instance, may lead to personal growth. I conclude that the film’s makes use of anthropomorphization is able to teach crucial life lessons to children who can relate the film’s content to real-world situations.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Princess and the Frog Introduces Louis, the Human Alligator (Oral Presentation)

Presenting Student: Lillian Johnson Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Armiento

This presentation will argue that Disney Films used human like characteristics on animals to express the belief that dreams can be reached no matter what but lead to misleading assumptions. The film presents characters with big dreams that seem impossible but use characters such as Louis the alligator to express that nothing is impossible. I will use clips from the film as evidence to show how the filmmakers express Louis in an anthropomorphic light that leads the audience to misunderstandings about real life. This is significant as the audience is made from a majority of young, impressionable children. The children are unable to identify what is realistic in the world, and what only happens in films. I conclude that the films use of anthropomorphism leads to many misunderstandings by the younger audience members.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Acid Deposition and Logging on Aquatic Diversity of Murley Run (Poster, Table 19)

Presenting Student: Phillip Hogan Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

In 1906, the Garrett Brothers donated 1,000 acres of land to the State of Maryland for the creation of a forestry department. We know this area of land today as Garrett State Forest. Within this tract of public land is a single stream system known as Murley Run. The aquatic diversity of the Murley Run watershed has been negatively impacted by atmospheric acid deposition and commercial logging of the area, resulting in many extirpated aquatic species. Acid rain has been improving in recent years due to increased environmental regulations and as such, it is important to monitor the aquatic taxa that reside in this stream system. Fish have been extirpated from this stream system and are subsequently blocked from re-colonizing this area by the presence of beavers. Soil and water chemistry were analyzed for historic acid rain indicators while physical measurements of the floodplain and surrounding areas were taken to determine historical sediment inputs and any other anthropogenic impacts.

AMD Remediation Methodology Viability (Poster, Table 2)

Presenting Student: Benjamin Meredith Faculty Mentors: Dr. Phillip Allen, Dr. Jonathan Flood

Appalachia has experienced a long period of heavy coal extraction, which has only recently included serious efforts aimed at reducing the harmful effects resulting from abandoned mines. Likely the most damaging of those harmful effects is Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). AMD can be characterized as the oxidation of sulfide minerals such as iron pyrite or iron disulfide being exposed to atmospheric gases, and subsequently given access to the surface via stream discharge as a result of anthropogenic excavation. AMD poses a health and ecological risk throughout thousands of miles of watersheds, and it is clearly a worthwhile effort to alleviate. The goal of this project is to test the relative viability of various methods to counteract the effects of AMD. To do this, AMD contaminated water was collected from waterways local to Allegany County, such as the Hoffman Culvert near Clarysville, and brought back to the Geochemistry laboratory in Gunter Hall. Once there, the sample water was exposed to several methods focused on counteracting acidity, including the application of both processed and solid lime, crushed and whole oyster shells, magnetism, and electric current. A control was included, which was tested alongside of the collected materials, but without the application of any remediation methods. The relative success of each method tested are currently undergoing evaluation based on several factors, including, 1) Balance of pH after treatment; 2) Color of water after treatment (indicating dissolved material still in suspension); 3) Condition of testing area, such as whether it is heavily coated in precipitate. 4)

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Electrical Conductivity. Based on the results gathered, an assessment of the overall viability of the methods is presented, as well as a suggested action plan for dealing with the issue in the real world.

Analysis of Birding Ecotourism Opportunities in Allegany County, Maryland (Poster, Table 19)

Presenting Student: Josiah Freese Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Birding is a multimillion-dollar ecotourism industry in the United States. This form of tourism can bring much needed revenue to rural areas. Allegany County has several sites that are worthy of regional birding attention. Research into these hotspots in the county was conducted in late April of 2019 by analyzing citizen science data in an online database called eBird. This research will help the local economy by highlighting popular ecotourism sites in Allegany County, and thereby potentially bringing more ecotourism from all levels of birders to the county. This would also allow for more focused advertising for local hospitality establishments near these areas. The research will also be disseminated to the public through a website highlighting these hotspots and local hospitality services around them.

Appalachian Toxicity from Prehistory to the Present: A Geochemical Study of Sediments from the Barton Archaeological Site, MD (Poster, Table 19)

Presenting Student: Clyde Michael Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

This project investigates the tendency of sedentary human communities to concentrate heavy- metals in their environment. Our research at the Barton Village archaeological site (MD) further shows this unfortunate phenomenon is transcendent, occurring cross-culturally and throughout time. Using advanced analytical chemistry we decipher the elemental constituents at 10cm intervals for a soil core that covers nearly 12,000 years of human environmental history. Our findings show that as soon as native communities become sedentary agriculturalists, elements like arsenic, lead, and iron begin to concentrate in the fields and living areas. The concentrating effect of elemental geochemistry from sedentary prehistoric lifeway’s is captivating and clearly identified in our data, but the impacts of the last ~80 years are far and away the most alarming. Our research shows that humankind has a propensity for redistributing trace-elements across the landscape and concentrating them in their habitation zones, but human activities in Anthropocene have compounded these often dangerous concentrations several orders of magnitude.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Carcinogens in the Well: Revealing Groundwater Chemistry Impacts of Dumping Coal Ash in Local Mines & Unlined Pits (Poster, Table 21)

Presenting Students: Erika Allen, Rebecca Phillip Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Coal is removed from the Georges Creek Valley through surface mine extraction and burned in the local coal burning power plant, AES Warrior Run, located in Cumberland, MD. The burning process produces an ash residue, consisting mostly of elements that are less volatile and relatively heavy. Much of the AES Warrior Run ash is then trucked back to the surface mines in the Georges Creek watershed and dumped back in the mines. This coal ash has both positive and negative potentialities for hydrologic health in the region. The coal ash is rich in alkaline materials and thus holds great buffering potential for the region’s streams already impacted by AMD. The coal ash also contains less beneficial constituents like arsenic, cadmium, lead, thallium, mercury, selenium, and antimony. These elements are soluble and especially mobile when pulverized and in powered form. We present results from lab experiments designed to understand the chemical mobility and groundwater transport of heavy metals derived from coal ash. Our results indicate that though there are some beneficial qualities of coal ash, the potential for toxic inputs into the region’s groundwater is extremely high.

Combined Sewer Overflows: To Swim or Not to Swim (Poster, Table 20)

Presenting Student: Brandon Parsons Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Many things are polluting our natural waters nationally, in fact globally, but combined sewer overflows may be one source of pollution that isn’t talked about enough. These overflow systems hide in plain sight to most of the public, especially locally. In Allegany County alone there are roughly 20 outputs along the waterways. Of these 20, many of them are used as natural swimming holes, or favorite fishing spots without people knowing there is even a sewer overflow nearby. The public deserves to see real data to make them consider what they could potentially be swimming in. This study will present bacteriological data collected from various streams over the course of a month to educate the public on this forgotten topic.

CreatureConnection.com: Rehabbing Maryland's Wildlife (Poster, Table 20)

Presenting Student: Erickson Schmidt Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

The goal of this project is to establish a medium, a website, by which individuals in the local area can obtain information about the risks of harboring wildlife/exotic pets as well as where the

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium closest suitable wildlife rehabilitation center/rescue/sanctuary is located. Additionally, this website will provide users the opportunity to learn more about these wildlife resources and which species they can take in as well as directions to the site from their destination. Upon being established, the website is intended to remain a resource in the local community so as to address the propensity of individuals to “help” these animals themselves or keep them as pets rather than allow a professional to care for them. Providing a reliable resource to contact these wildlife centers would help to not only minimize damage done to individual animals, but also to the environment and community at large.

Drone Construction and Remote Sensing Applications (Physical Display and Oral Presentation, Table 13)

Presenting Student: Ryan Moore Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bill Wetherholt

Remote sensing is the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it. The industry has widely grown over the past 20 years, with technologies evolving from satellite imagery to handheld drones that take imagery. While the price of drones is still hefty, being priced anywhere from around five hundred dollars to upwards of thirty thousand dollars, one has the option to build a drone for thousands of dollars less than market price. Because of this, drone construction has given a user complete freedom and customization capabilities to do whatever they want to a drone—whether the build is for racing, freestyle flying, or remote sensing. While the drone cannot capture large-scale images such as the eastern seaboard of the United States, the drone can still be used to help focus on a certain study. The drone that was constructed for this project was a lightweight frame built for racing, but with the capabilities to carry a larger payload for the equipment needed to do analysis. The construction process of a drone is typically quick if one knows what they are doing; but can prove rather tedious/time consuming if they do not, as some of the process with this build did take more time. With this experience, however, future construction of different kinds of drones can be completed for different capabilities, and better/more frequent spatial analysis can be done in different areas.

Elements of Domestic Life in a Coal Company Town: Environmental Chemistry & Toxicity at Kempton Maryland (Poster, Table 14)

Presenting Students: Louis Walden, Micah Hunter-Goskie, Clyde Michael Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Humans have a long and complex history of polluting the very environments that they depend on the most. As humans became more sedentary in a particular landscape they were required to import more and more materials (i.e., metals, shells, tools, nutrients, etc.) from surrounding regions. The centripetal force of human material desires and needs resulted in the subtle

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium enrichment of the built environment with elements that would otherwise only occur in trace concentrations. Though the phenomenon of high elemental concentration at places where humans congregate is at least as old as agriculture, the Industrial Revolution, Nuclearization, and Globalization have ratcheted the impacts up profoundly. We present new geochemical data from our investigations at the Kempton Historical Archaeology site located in far southwest Maryland. Our research reveals that manipulation and combination of many chemical species that made modern life bug-free, stain-free, cheap, and easier resulted in increased toxicity within our households. Even though the inhabitants of the historic town of Kempton were on the fringe of developed “modern” America, they accidentally invited into their home the hallmark chemistry of industrialized life, much of it toxic.

Erosion in the Plastocene: Using GIS to Model Sediment Transport, Hydrology, & Pollution in Central Sicily (Poster, Table 20)

Presenting Student: Morgan Alban Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

This poster presents data from recent hydrologic research in central Sicily concerning historic erosional episodes. While attempting to reconstruct impacts past societies (i.e., Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs, etc.) had on the landscape, we encountered a bewildering array of modern stream and landscape impacts that basically diminished all previous episodes of environmental abuse. In other words, land-use activities now and in the recent past are far and away more severe than anything else humankind has put the environment through. We believe the central Sicily example is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Human activities of material production, waste generation, dam building, groundwater pumping, and land engineering have overwhelmed watersheds worldwide. We tie the impacts observed in Sicily with broader patterns of anthropogenic disturbance worldwide. The unique contribution of this work is we contextualize what people already accept as poor-environmental stewardship at present with environmental management of the past to reveal just how severe our current impacts really are.

First FSU In-House Recycling Plant (Poster, Table 13)

Presenting Students: Hannah Seddon, Kristen Illig, Brittany Wandless, Stephen Wolford Contributing Student: Tianna Rhett Faculty Mentors: Ms. Tracy Edwards, Dr. Jonathan Flood

The goal of this project is to find a way to make use of plastic bags or other single-use plastic in a sustainable way. It focuses on using them to make sidewalks, specifically, because of the crumbling concrete that exists around campus now, but in the future, recycled plastic can be used to make other structures, not just sidewalks. The amount of recyclable material that ends up in landfills and the ocean is an increasing problem that demands the attention and concern of

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium humanity. Recycling at FSU is either very difficult or nonexistent. First, a more efficient recycling collecting program needs to be established around campus, especially in the academic buildings and dorms, possibly similar to the recycling bins in CCIT which have descriptions of what goes in them. This plastic will then be shredded and melted, with polymeric sand being added to give it strength and friction. This mixture will be poured into molds to give it a textured-edge shape that fits the bricks together. These bricks will then be laid in a pattern in the ground to serve as a sidewalk. People have the opportunity to recycle or use reusable items instead of disposable ones, but these things tend to be expensive and inconvenient. This could be a way to repurpose that used plastic, so it doesn’t end up harming the environment and the animals who live there. This project will help reach the ninth Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda: industry, innovation, and infrastructure. It also directly relates to action items within FSU’s Strategic Plan (2018-2023) because we are repurposing used plastic resources which in return will reduce expenses overall (transportation, repairs, new purchases).

How Healthy is The Discharge from Cabin Run into the George’s Creek Watershed (Poster, Table 20)

Presenting Student: Joseph Lucas Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

The Western Maryland region is a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. What flows into the George’s Creek watershed will eventually make its way into the bay. The two largest sources of pollution in this region are acid mine drainage and detention pond overflow. This pollution is detrimental to the wildlife within the Georges Creek watershed, as well as the habitats that come into contact with that water. This is a problem regulated by the coal companies, in order to lessen their environmental foot print in Western Maryland region. This project will show both the coal company’s and the public, what the water and soil chemistry is within the George’s Creek watershed.

How Shoveling Sidewalks Can Help the Community & Our Watershed (Poster, Table 8)

Presenting Student: Ben Oelke Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

As a student here at Frostburg State University for the past 4 years, I have realized that snow removal on sidewalks is virtually not existent outside of the campus. There are two major issues caused by the lack of sidewalk snow removal; which are hazardous pedestrian conditions, and added runoff. The lack of sidewalk snow removal causes hazardous conditions for pedestrians as they either have to walk on the snow or ice, taking a risk of slipping or tripping, another option is to walk in the road which is also dangerous. Many that would normally walk are now driving

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium increasing the amount of CO2 pollution entering our atmosphere. The lack of sidewalk snow removal, not only causes hazardous pedestrian conditions but also increases the amount of runoff which will end up in local waterways eventually polluting our Chesapeake Bay watershed. By working with Frostburg City government officials, I have explored different options in which sidewalk snow removal can be increased and enforced in order to create a safer and more eco- friendly Frostburg City.

Interpreting the Fossilization of Arthrophycus allegheniensis (Poster, Table 2)

Presenting Student: Scott Stalter Faculty Mentor: Dr. Phillip Allen

Ichnostratigraphy is the study of trace fossils in the application of dating a rock formation. The ichnospecies Arthrophycus allegheniensis is a system of infilled tunnels found in the sandstones of the Tuscarora, Massanutten, Keefer, Medina, Shawangunk, and Clinch Formations along the Central and Northern Appalachian Mountains. All these formations are of the Lower Silurian sandstones (circa 444MYA). The presented example of A. allegheniensis was found locally, in a rock face of the Cumberland Narrows, near Will’s Creek. Fossils were found along two different stratigraphic planes separated by roughly 3-4 meters. A fossiliferous section (circa 30X20 cm) of sandstone was removed for examination and testing. The fossils were found in a silicaceous, quartzitic matrix, infilled around the species with a softer mudstone. A sample of each of the three type of rock in the fossil section, the fossil, the mudstone infill, and the quartzitic matrix, were pulverized in a rock crusher and their chemical signature was obtained using X-ray fluorescence. All three samples showed very high levels of iron (Fe). The sample of mudstone infill was the only sample that showed high levels of potassium (K), which could provide a great clue as to the mechanism of fossilization, as well as to describe the environment of deposition. Further geochemical analysis is currently being performed, yet initial tentative palaeoenvironmental reconstructions are suggesting a marine environment.

Invasive Species Hitch-Hiking through the Great Allegheny Passage (Poster, Table 8)

Presenting Student: Katherine Soltysiak Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

The Great Allegheny Passage is a scenic 150-mile trail that connects Cumberland, Maryland to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Many people travel from various places to visit this area. A 2014 Trail User Survey documented people from 35 different states and 7 different countries using the Great Allegheny Passage. An estimated 1,085,507 people use the trail annually (2017, Herr). A major concern along the trail is the introduction of invasive plant species. Invasive plant species harm the environment by decreasing species diversity, removing native habitat for wildlife species, and by

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium introducing new diseases and pests. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not invasive species are travelling to Allegany County via the bike tires, shoes, and cars of visiting tourists. Three study sites were selected. Sites included the Frostburg trailhead, the Cumberland trail head, and mile marker 8. At each site plants were surveyed 1 mile in either direction at quarter mile intervals. Survey plots were 5 meters by 5 meters and the quantity and percent cover of invasive species was recorded. A greater density of invasive plants is hypothesized to occur at trail heads. As distance increases from trailheads invasive species are expected to decline in presence. This decline may be due to heavier traffic at the trailhead or that plant spores fall off early during the trip. Species of special concern were Ailanthus altissima, Alliaria petiolata, Lonicera sp., and Rosa multiflora. Future implications of this project are to include tire and shoe cleaning stations at trailheads to prevent the spread of invasive species. The study also suggests that informative signs should be placed along the trail to educate visitors about invasive species.

Lasting Impacts of Historic Mining on Local Stream Flow and Water Quality: A Restoration Study of Winebrenner Run, MD (Poster, Table 14)

Presenting Students: Micah Hunter-Goskie, Dominic Scurrah, Sebastian Flister Contributing Students: Beth Alderson, Hannah Illingworth, Katherine Soltysiak, Joseph Becraft, Ben Oelke, Dante York Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

A short distance from campus runs a small stream typical to the Frostburg area. Winebrenner Run bears the many marks of human activity from the distant past to the present. Its channel is straightened, its bed lined, its chemistry altered, and even its flow siphoned by abandoned coal tunnels pierced through the region’s Paleozoic geology. The stream’s lifeblood, the watershed that feeds its flow, is a mosaic of Appalachian land-use: secondary growth forests, pasturage, horticulture, light residential, church parking lots, a lumber yard, dead-end roads, corrugated-steel storage units, a reclaimed surface mine covered in grass, and a major interstate highway plastered onto its northern edge. In many ways, this little stream tells the environmental story of Appalachia, if anybody cares to listen. Our poster presents collective field and lab work that: 1) untangles the series of impacts dealt to the stream’s natural flow and function; 2) ranks severity of watershed impacts and prioritizes restoration actions; 3) experiments with novel approaches to solving water quality; and 4) presents a series of experiments using alternative stream sealing techniques and materials.

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Migratory Striped Bass on the US East Coast (Poster, Table 2)

Presenting Student: Louis Walden Faculty Mentors: Dr. Francis Precht, Dr. Tianna Bogart, Dr. Jonathan Flood

Striped Bass are an important species both ecologically and economically. Migratory Striped Bass navigate the East coast every year, following warm oceans, food and to reproduce. The species is valuable in the commercial fisheries market and treasured by recreational anglers. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Migratory Striped Bass population crashed to a record low. A moratorium on fishing and harvest of Striped Bass followed, since overfishing was the main reason for decline. After 1990, fishing reopened in most states with a stabilized population and began to increase to healthy levels. According to 2018 population studies by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the population is headed for a similar crash and it is coming quickly. Overfishing has already been deemed as a major factor, although pollution and disease also strike at the population. The harvest of Striped Bass is allowed during crucial spawning periods, while commercial quotas may be too high. Overfishing could easily be addressed before a major crash, avoiding another moratorium. Migratory Striped Bass travel through three seasonal regions during migration including the Southern over-wintering grounds, the Mid-Atlantic spawning region, and the Northern summer region. Each region holds different regulations by state, while Striped Bass are most vulnerable harvest in the Mid-Atlantic and Northern regions. The states of the East coast need to set up regulations collectively to manage such a highly migratory species before the population declines to critical levels once again.

Mountain Mamas: The Lives of Women in an Appalachian Coal Mining Town (Poster, Table 8)

Presenting Student: Shealee Brown Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

The lives of women are a story commonly left out of the history books. I want to tell the story of the women of the Garrett County coal mining town, Kempton, MD. These women were the support for the men risking their lives in the coal mine, raised independent children who would become leaders and soldiers, were the backbone of the town. Using artifacts uncovered in the archeological dig of an abandoned house in Kempton and resources such as oral interviews of Kempton residents, the story of these amazing women will be built.

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Plastic Boom in a Coal Bust Town (Poster, Table 14)

Presenting Student: Hannah Seddon Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Plastics are so ubiquitous and omnipresent in American life that we almost don’t notice them anymore. They have replaced wood, metal, ceramics, natural fibers, rubber, stone, and concrete. Even plants and flowers have been replaced by plastic imposters. The nature of plastic’s proliferation through the American landscape has remained obscured, especially in the rural countryside. Excavations at the Historic coal mining town of Kempton—located in Maryland’s SW corner—have revealed the plastic’s boom post-WWII was so complete and thorough that it constitutes the bulk of the material goods within a relatively lower class mine workers home. Kempton makes such a great case study because the spread of plastic and its integration into the fabric of American life happens during such a narrow window of time in this coal town, less than 7 years! This poster shows the incredible boom of plastic creation and adoption in America, even in as communities and Industrial ways of life shift and fall asunder.

Preliminary Analysis of Climatic Trends in Central Appalachia from 1895 to 2018 (Poster, Table 2)

Presenting Student: Michala Garrison Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tianna Bogart

Research conducted in many areas of the U.S. has observed increases in temperature values, especially in the latter half of the century. Changes in climate will have a significant impact on agriculture and studies on climatic trends are necessary in order to allow for adaptation. There have been a few studies conducted in the Appalachian region on temperature and precipitation trends, but we look more closely in the mid-Appalachian region of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Data from the Climate Divisional Dataset were used to determine trends in climate and temperature values by conducting linear regressions over time. Divisions from each state showed temperature values increased over time.

Reflections of Fracking Maryland Waterways and the Nation’s Future (Poster, Table 21)

Presenting Student: Kodi Bowers Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Overview: Fracking, also known as Hydraulic Fracturing is a technique used to extract oil and natural gas. On April 4, 2017, Governor Larry Hogan signed a permanent ban on fracking in Maryland. But was it too late? Had permanent damage been done to Maryland’s waterways in

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium terms of water quality or species loss? Should states that still employ fracking follow in Maryland and other states footsteps and ban fracking? Objective: The goal of this project and field work is to determine what the consequences of fracking have on the environment, whether it be water quality, species loss, job/income loss, and any other harmful side effects. This field work will help make an informed and educated decision whether other states that still use the method of fracking should issue a permanent ban as Maryland has done. Field Work: Water quality testing will be done by collecting water samples from various sources in Maryland from waterways that have been used for extracting natural gas as well as those that have not. These samples will be compared to distinguish any notable differences. Various government agencies will be contacted throughout Maryland to obtain any data or earlier studies they have compiled. Electro shocking and dip netting will be used to catalog and record the amount of and diversity of species present. This will be done in waterways that previously extracted natural gas and those that did not. This will allow us to compare and contrast any decline in abundance and density of species and any residual effects fracking may cause. Locals who have relied on and used Maryland’s waterways will be contacted to record their experiences and thoughts on the subject matter and how fracking has impacted them directly.

Simple Land Management for Whitetail Deer in Appalachia (Poster, Table 21)

Presenting Students: Dustin Baker, Joseph Edwards Contributing Students: Thomas Carter Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

This project shows the immediate impacts of private land management on whitetail deer and other game species in Appalachia. Private land encompasses a large portion of a deer’s habitat in many areas around the country. Bridging the gap between state and private land efforts creates much more beneficial habitat. The management practices of Timber thinning, food plots, and hinge cutting will be used to demonstrate the immediate impact on the wildlife. Previous data from each site will be used to determine the effect these have on the deer in the area.

Soil & Forest Restoration Strategies on Local Surface Mines in Western Maryland (Poster, Table 21)

Presenting Students: Katherine Soltysiak, Hannah Illingworth, Beth Alderson Contributing Students: Micah Hunter-Goskie, Dominic Scurrah, Joseph Becraft, Sebastian Flister, Ben Oelke, Dante York Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Hillside restoration post-mining activity is of utmost importance for resuscitating our Appalachian home after decades and decades of extractive land-use, from coal mining to timber harvesting. Hillside restoration is law in this country, but there exists many interpretations as to what

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium constitutes environmental restoration; and all of them are just skin deep. Soils, the very foundation of forest ecosystems is profoundly overlooked in restoration approaches. This study takes a critical look at the impact the three most popular hillside restoration approaches have on soil development and nutrient cycles. We conclude with restoration suggestions that will increase pedogenesis and enhance ecosystem functions on previously mined areas near campus.

Toxic Earth: A One Year Study of Heavy Metal Leachate from Coal Ash Cement (Poster, Table 8)

Presenting Students: Lake Sherrard, Mike McGrath Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Flood

Coal ash is a by-product of coal that has been mined from sites such as the Cabin Run mine in Frostburg MD., and others found throughout the Appalachian area. The coal ash produced by the coal at the Cabin Run site is currently being dumped back into the mined area it was extracted from; which can allow the toxic chemicals it contains to leech out into surrounding natural habitats and waterways. Bricks were formed from the coal ash in an attempt to find a purpose for the substance that not only cleaned up the potentially harmful chemicals from the environment, but also created a constructive resource to be used by others. Five different bricks were tested containing no less than 200mL of coal ash, as well as other materials in varying amounts. These bricks were then placed directly onto the soil and left exposed to see what chemicals remained mobile enough to leech into the environment. Chemical analysis was done using the X-Ray Fluorescence machine made available by the Geography Department and was conducted 3 weeks after the bricks were placed, and then again the following spring semester. The chemical analysis ultimately proved that putting the coal ash into bricks does not prevent the chemicals it contains from leeching into the environment.

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DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

A Brief History of Rocky Gap and Its Effects on Western Maryland (Poster, Table 34)

Presenting Students: Kendall Swick, Shannon Schurg, Victoria Williams, Scott Offutt Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

In 1963, 3,119 acres in Western Maryland were donated by Edward Habeeb for the creation of a state park. Today, that area is known as Rocky Gap State Park. Rocky Gap was the first state park hotel to open in Maryland. The history of the park, the history of the casino, the geography of the park, and the park and casino’s effects on Western Maryland will be presented by researching articles from the Cumberland Times, The Baltimore Sun, and resources from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. This casino and resort have affected the economy tremendously and increased the number of tourists coming to visit the area. Casinos and gambling have been a long-standing ethical dilemma in generally conservative areas, and their installation has often been met with mixed responses.

Forts in Maryland: Strange Scattered Sentinels (Poster, Table 35)

Presenting Students: Alexander de Almeida, Benjamin Forrest, Neal Machan Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

Forts are traditionally symbols of defense and justice. As one of the first structures often built, they are hallmarks of civilization and have existed in Maryland since its English colonization by Leonard Calvert in 1634. Despite the wide range of cultures and geographies across Maryland’s 12,000 square miles, it has housed only ten official forts. Six remain standing today and only two continue to serve as active military installations. Each fort has its own story to tell as they connect to the larger history of Maryland as a middle state center-stage in the United States’ dramatic past.

Historical Coal Research Project (Poster, Table 34)

Presenting Students: Jordan L. Clapper, Jonah Schneider, Dana Brown, April Akers, Abby Smith Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

We will examine how coal transformed Frostburg, Maryland and the surrounding area. We will be exploring the time period of the 1870s to the early 1900s. We will also attempt to shed light on mining practices and techniques such as the use of mining ponies and other horse breeds in the excavation of coal and other types of underground natural resources. Lastly, we will discuss the

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium historical significance of coal mining and the local histories that have shaped our region. This history, as well as the other above topics, will be discussed in-full through in-person communications with people exploring our booth. It will also be done through the use of a looped slide show and finally hands-on interactive artifacts that the viewers will be free to handle and ask questions about.

History of Deep Creek Lake (Poster, Table 35)

Presenting Students: Patrick Kenny, Jacob Howard Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

Deep Creek Lake has a rich history since its formation in 1923. It has helped put Western Maryland on the map thanks to tourism generated by its many endeavors and adventures. Deep Creek Lake is the largest inland body of water in Maryland and has become a vacation spot for many due to its attractions whether that be boating, fishing, hiking, skiing, and more. The lake is man-made and began in 1923 by the Youghiogheny Hydroelectric Company to produce hydroelectric power for the region.

History of Maryland Sports (Poster, Table 36)

Presenting Students: Ryan Fleming, Andrew Shiner, Michael Gerringer, Ryan Bell Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

The historical, social, and economical development of Maryland has been impacted greatly by sportsmen, and various sporting teams alike, of which have collectively developed a state identity amongst Marylanders. Specifically, sports such as football, baseball, lacrosse, and jousting (the state sport), as well as the history of each, are critically important pieces of a larger Maryland identity and history. Ultimately, this presentation/ poster will illustrate the important aspects of Maryland sports history and development, as well as the effects of sports on Maryland’s society and economics (if applicable) throughout modern history and into the contemporary period.

Maryland and its History in Tobacco (Poster, Table 36)

Presenting Students: Aaron Burton, Shaun Bryan, Alexander Mann Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

This project will delve into the history of Tobacco in Maryland and the affects that it had on the state. The project will reflect the historical influence that tobacco had on the state, specifically focusing on the time period of colonialism through early industrialization. It will focus on costs,

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium production, economic complications, etc. This project will serve to look at these interactions and how their impact affected the direction of Maryland’s future.

Maryland Family Genealogy (Poster, Table 37)

Presenting Student: Alicia Libonate Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

My Maryland family genealogy project provides information on land ownership especially the land of Hockley-in-the-Hole located in Annapolis, Maryland. In the project you can find land that was once given to my 6th great grandfather in 1664. The land was given to Edward Dorsey by Charles Calvert, later The Third Baltimore. The plantation(s) owned by Dorsey were used and maintained for nearly 300 years. Today if you were to visit the plantation you would sadly no longer see farms or open fields. The only land mark showing Dorsey’s land is a Highway road sign. The Dorsey’s plantation is now urban, thriving and growing. As Annapolis is the Maryland capital, growth of capital was expected, and urbanization and industrialization helped this to succeed. Dorsey’s land is the heart of the capital. Located right off the Severn River and divided by Darcy’s Creek, the Dorsey’s were able to thrive on the peninsula off, the Chesapeake Bay. This area was great for mariners due to the vast location of water sitting beside the Dorsey property. Today on Dorsey’s land can be seen the Maryland State House, The Naval Academy, St. Johns College and thousands of other land marks that truly define Maryland, and Annapolis. My 6th great grandfather’s house still stands to this day on 211 Prince George Street, now in the hands of St Johns College. There is an old photograph of Edward Dorsey’s 5 children standing in front of the house. Through this photograph you can look back into the past of his life. In the photo you can see buildings that have yet to be built. Edward wealth of money was flaunted by the clothing on his children’s backs. This photo shows a great representation of how one could thrive in America once owning land and property. All of Edward’s son’s received land upon and before Edwards death, helping to keep money within the family. As Annapolis got bigger Hockley- in-the-Hole surely vanished, but Edward Dorsey’s footprint will forever lay in the Heart of Annapolis, Maryland.

The Effect of the Battle of Antietam of the People of Maryland (Poster, Table 37)

Presenting Students: Toby Peer II, Henry Haddaway Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

The Battle of Antietam was not the victory the North made it out be, it was one of the single most deadly days in American history. Through this presentation we aim to research the damage our state took through hosting the battle. This is seen through the loss of property, crops, and the displacement of residents. The immediate direct effect was the aftermath of a battle, corpses and leftover hospitals were left for the people of Sharpsburg to address. We hope to address through research the effects of the battle of Antietam on Sharpsburg’s residents. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine has taken a deeper look at this subject.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Frostburg Arion Band: The Growth and Survival of a Unique Western Maryland Organization (Poster, Table 38)

Presenting Student: Todd Logsdon Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

The Frostburg Arion Band was founded in 1877 as the German Arion Band. It began as a recreational and social activity for German immigrants who came to the George’s Creek Valley to work in the mines. Since those earliest days, the Arion Band has been an integral part in Frostburg’s cultural milieu, and has contributed significantly to the artistic and civic fabrics of the town. The Arion Band has also experienced glaring and impactful changes during its nearly 150 year history. Beginning as the German Arion Singing Society in 1875, the group abandoned vocal music in 1877 in favor of instrumental music. Likewise, the group was forced to bow to public sentiment and cast off its cultural namesake during the anti-German hysteria of the First World War. The Band has been affected by many events of regional and national consequence, including: alleged support of illicit activities during Prohibition, a funding crisis during the Great Depression and the loss of many active members during the World Wars. Throughout all of these events, the Arion Band has persevered, and has continued to provide free, wholesome entertainment to the citizens of Allegany County, while providing musically inclined citizens of all backgrounds with an opportunity to come together for a shared interest. By examining and chronicling the history of the Arion Band, this research endeavors to understand how the Arion Band has survived into the 21st Century with the reciprocal support of the Frostburg community.

The Secret Tunnels to Freedom of Cumberland, Maryland (Poster, Table 38)

Presenting Students: Wade McGee, Blake Geatz, Victoria Costa Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eleanor McConnell

This project examines the role of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in the Underground Railroad during the time of slavery. Nestled under Emmanuel Episcopal Church in present day Cumberland, Maryland, are tunnels that were once part of Fort Cumberland during the French and Indian War. Built in 1755 by order of the British government, the tunnels once served the purpose of storing food and gun powder for the fort that once held up to 5,000 troops. Although Fort Cumberland was abandoned in 1765, the tunnels that remained played yet another important part of American history nearly 100 years later. In 1847, the Emanuel Parish church gained a new rector named David Hillhouse Buel. Buel had been active at Underground Railroad sites in other parts of Maryland, such as Sykesville and Westminster. An escaped slave named Samuel Denson made his way from Mississippi all the way to Cumberland using the Underground Railroad, but decided to stop running and become a custodian for the church once he arrived. During this time, Cumberland was still slave territory. Buel and Denson collaborated together to use the churches tunnels to their advantage and help slaves make their final escape to the Mason Dixon Line where they could be free. Some of the sources we will be studying include the Emmanuel Parish of the

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Episcopal Church’s website, Western Maryland’s Historical Library, and the Allegany County Museum. By researching these sources, we hope to learn more about the details in which the church was involved, including how the tunnels were used, what they did for the slaves, and the signals they used to let slaves know when it was safe. We also hope to learn about how Cumberland impacted the Underground Railroad during this time period considering its close proximity to the Mason Dixon Line, which meant freedom for slaves once they crossed it.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

The Mathematics of Map Projections: A Study of the Mercator and Simple Conic Projections (Poster, Table 33)

Presenting Student: Carter Hughes Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mark Hughes

Map projections are representations of the spherical globe onto a flat surface, allowing the Earth to be accurately portrayed as a map. The Mercator and Simple Conic (also known as Equidistant Conic) Projections are intertwined in both their history and in their mathematical construction. The two projections possess a long history that dates back as far as Ptolemy (100-168 A.D.) and even intersect in their development through the contributions of Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594 A.D.). Additionally, an integral, namely that of the secant function, appears in the Mercator construction decades before the development of calculus by Newton and Leibniz. The mathematical construction of both projections requires a single line of tangency at a line of latitude by their projection surfaces, creating the potential to analyze how the projections change as this line varies. Consequently, the Mercator Projection can be understood as a limiting case of the Simple Conic Projection.

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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING

Do Super Massive Black Holes Align With the Kinematic Centers of Galaxies? (Poster, Table 1)

Presenting Students: Zachery Repp, Sean Black, Zachary Coalmon, Elijah Jones Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Speights

It is common practice to assume that the kinematic centers of disc galaxies align with the locations of their supermassive black holes. This project lays the groundwork to test this assumption. The kinematic centers and the locations of the supermassive black holes are determined by fitting non- linear models to 21-centimeter spectral line data of neutral hydrogen. Any differences found provide additional information about how galaxies form and merge.

High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) for CubeSat Evaluation (Poster and Oral Presentation, Table 7)

Presenting Students: Jason Clyde, Brendan Tomasic, Nate Settineri Contributing Students: Davius Dupree, Pedro Marin, David Dominguez, Yale Eckert Faculty Mentor: Mr. Thomas Eberle

The AMIL Campus’s 2019 Capstone project proposes the launch of a high-altitude student platform (HASP) into the Earth’s upper atmosphere (100,000 ft +). This balloon vehicle will be carrying a payload in the form of a Cube Satellite (CubeSat), which will hold various sensors (including GPS, pressure, temperature etc.) designed to collect data during the balloon’s flight along with a sustainable system to provide power to the payload. The data collected during the flight will be used in two analysis-based experiments, focused on radio wave propagation in different atmospheric conditions and radiation/cosmic rays at different altitudes. The radio wave propagation experiment will focus on developing forecast models which can be used to predict the conditions during which radio-frequency signals will propagate further than intended. The undesired propagation of these signals beyond typical radio line of sight (RLOS) could be disastrous, especially if the signals contained sensitive information such as government communications. The ability to better predict these conditions will help support a more secure transfer of information using radio-frequency signals, for both commercial and government purposes as well as universities conducting long-term wave propagation experiments. The radiation level vs altitude information can be compared to the Pfotzer radiation curve model, and then used to create more accurate estimates for airline radiation exposure. This information will help ensure that radiation precautions/safety measures have up to date models/estimations, and can effectively protect airline pilots and passengers, astronauts and other occupations that function in the upper atmosphere. This project was also designed with the intent of paving the way for future senior class Capstone projects utilizing a HAB to be more focused on experiments

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium and analysis, which would be supported by our HAB/High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) chassis, flight termination unit and telemetry design.

Interchangeable Adaptive Sound Cancellation Device for Standard Desktop Fans (Poster, Table 25)

Presenting Students: Naaman Bakhshi, Austin Burch, Nathan Rosner Faculty Mentor: Dr. Wudyalew Wondmagegn

The purpose of this design is to quiet the operation of personal desk fans. This is achieved by using the phenomenon of wave interference. By inverting the phase of the sound produced by the fan, then interfering with the sound produced by the fan, destructive wave interference will occur which results in a reduction of noise. We created the circuit necessary to achieve this effect in this project. Firstly, a microphone is placed at a point where we wish the sound to be inverted. The signal produced by this microphone will be too small for circuitry to process, so it is processed a pre-amplification circuit. A Sallen and Key low pass filter removes any undesired frequencies. An inversion circuit shifts the input signal by 180 degrees to create the inversion. Finally, a power amplification circuit drives the processed signal to output speakers to achieve destructive wave interference with the sound produced by the fan.

A Mechanically Fastened Carbon Fiber Spike Anchors (Poster and Oral Presentation, Table 25)

Presenting Students: Chris Barrett, Travis Straube, Matthew Tress, Garret VanHorn, John Lawlor Faculty Mentor: Mr. Scott Hemphill

Adhesively embedded carbon fiber spike anchors are one of the methods used to delay the de- lamination of surface mounted carbon fiber reinforcement used extensively in structural concrete repair. These anchors are quickly becoming the industry standard despite the fact that they are messy, difficult to install and there is currently no method of verifying the efficacy of their installation or expected performance. This project sought to develop a mechanically fastened spike anchor that would resolve many of the issues with the current adhesively fastened design. Working with our customer, we were able to conceptualize, engineer, develop and test a prototype that proved the validity of a mechanically fastened spike anchor.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Melt Tech Smart Snow and Ice Prevention System (Poster, Table 28)

Presenting Students: Robert Burns, Ryan Miller, Tristan Mosser, Christian Healey, Jaren Bohn, Emmanuel Benyella Contributing Students: Katie Hamilton, Griffith Speis, Gabby Sandy Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. Zhen Liu, Dr. Oguz Soysal, Mr. Duane Miller

During the winter, there are many issues that arrive when it comes to transportation safety and pedestrian safety. The use of salt and other road treatments to prevent ice buildup have a negative impact on the environment and largely contribute to the corrosion process of automobiles and infrastructure elements. As for technologies, such as heated driveways and sidewalks, the installation process and operation costs are very high typically costing at a minimum $10000 for an average sized driveway. This project is designed to solve many of the problems that we could come across in the winter in a very cost effective and environmentally friendly way; our purposed product will provide a modular design with a smart temperature control option to reduce the cost of operation. This product will make winters less of a hassle as well as decrease the risk of injury's in the winters.

Portable Hand Crank Charger (Poster, Table 29)

Presenting Students: Shasta Braithwaite, Taylor Hassler, Robert Romano, Aili Wade, Abigail Weaver Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. Jamil Abdo, Dr. Eric Moore, Mr. Duane Miller, Mr. Kevin Fearon

In today’s society, electronic devices are utilized daily. A common problem occurs when these devices run out of charge and one isn’t close to an outlet. To resolve this problem, a portable mechanical charger is being developed so that the user can charge their electronic devices regardless of whether or not they are near an outlet. The focus in this project is on charging cell phones. The specifications and constrains were identified based on charging the IPhones. However, our charger can be utilized to charge other electronic devices like other cell phone models and tablets. Output voltage, current and power are the main parameters that influence the design of the charger gear train. Other design constrains such as the size and the weight of the charger were considered. Detail design for the charger and a functional prototype would be the outcome of this project.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

Pre-Cast Concrete Double T Connectors (Poster and Oral Presentation, Table 7)

Presenting Students: Austin Bender, Lucas Calvert, Alex Conrad, John Lawlor, Emilio Marmol Faculty Mentor: Mr. Scott Hemphill

Most parking garages are constructed of pre-cast double tee shaped concrete elements. These individual parts are connected to each other by means of embedded metal plates along their adjoining edges (flanges) that are welded on site to create a large monolithic structure. These metal clips are subjected to poor installation, corrosion, and overloading resulting in them failing on a regular basis. Various methodologies have been used over the years to repair these connections; however each has their specific drawbacks and installation issues. Our sponsor came to us with a design/ concept of a connector that would address these issues and be a revolutionary new way to repair these connections. We were able to utilize our sponsors fabrication and testing resources to develop their concept into a working prototype and proof test the design they had envisioned.

Revealing the Geometry of Spiral Galaxies Using Fourier Transforms (Poster, Table 1)

Presenting Students: Sean Black, Zachary Coalmon, Elijah Jones, Zachery Repp Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Speights

Different theories for the origin of spiral arms in galaxies make different predictions for how the locations and pitch angles of the spiral arms change across the star forming sequence. The purpose of this poster is to test those theories using fourier transforms of galaxy images. Different stages of star formation are traced using infrared images and a carbon monoxide spectral line image. This poster shows the results for nine galaxies.

Shear Thickening Fluid Impregnation of Fabric for Increased Durability (Poster, Table 30)

Presenting Students: Mark Hankewycz, Glenn Herb, Zach Kline, Steven Lucase II, Thomas Sadler Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. Zhen Liu, Dr. Robert Larivee, Mr. Duane Miller, Dr. Eric Moore, Dr. Rebekah Taylor

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) are non-Newtonian fluids that experience sharp increases in viscosity when subjected to rapidly applied forces. STFs are classified as colloidal dispersions. At rest, inter- particle forces hold the solid particles apart giving the colloidal dispersion the characteristics of a fluid. Upon rapid application of a force, the solid particles are forced together to create hydro- clusters. These hydro-clusters impede the flow of fluid and the colloidal dispersion behaves like a solid. This behavior of STFs make them extremely effective at absorbing and dispersing energy.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

The aforementioned qualities make STFs desirable candidates for the improvement of materials designed to absorb impacts. Our Team seeks to develop an STF with the intention of improving the durability of various fabrics.

Solar Mobile Charger (Poster, Table 26)

Presenting Students: Nana Owusu Ansah, Reagan Azenadaga, Demetric Cameron Faculty Mentors: Dr. Wudyalew Wondmagegn, Dr. Oguz Soysal

Solar energy is one of the most essential sources of renewable energy. In this project, we have designed a device that charges a cellphone utilizing solar energy. The device produces 9.6V from a PV module for 4 hours a day. This voltage is stepped down using a buck converter circuit which was built in the lab. A 3.7V lithium-ion battery was connected to this circuit. Since phones require 5V of DC to charge, the voltage output was stepped up using a boost converter circuit that was also built in the lab. The charging unit complies with USB 2.0 standards in order to properly interface with the cellphone.

Space Saving Workbench (Poster, Table 31)

Presenting Students: Matthew Beall, Zachary Cross, Demetrick McDonald, Andrew Saku, Devon Zollinhofer Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. Jamil Abdo, Dr. Eric Moore, Mr. Kevin Fearon, Mr. Duane Miller

The typical workbench takes up a considerable amount of space when fixed in one location. Therefore, it can be difficult for individuals with limited workspace to perform do-it-yourself (DIY) projects in their homes, garages, or other workspaces. Our capstone project, the Space Saving Workbench, solves that problem. Our solution is a large mobile and completely collapsible workbench. Casters allow the workbench to be moved around a workspace while a unique wood and hinge-based design allows the full-size workbench (36”L X 12”W X 18”H) to be folded into a shape roughly a third of the original size. Utilizing CAD simulation and scaled-down testing, we were able to assemble a successful prototype of the workbench that proves the initial concepts. With more resources, the Space Saving Workbench could be a unique and valuable product in the marketplace, providing extra room and flexibility in a workspace for DIY-ers.

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Speed Control System for A DC Motor (Poster, Table 26)

Presenting Students: Bryan Hout, Charles Russell, Gavin Omwega Faculty Mentors: Dr. Wudyalew Wondmagegn, Dr. Oguz Soysal

Our project was meant to create a device that can adjust the speed and direction of a permeant magnet DC motor. Applications of this design can be used in a multitude of devices such as food processors, power tools, and even elevator lifts. To build our project we used an Arduino Uno microcontroller in order to utilize its Pulse width modulation capabilities. With the Arduino we can control the amount of voltage we put into the system. In our project we built a Usable H-bridge circuit in order to control the motor and change directions on the motor. In this design, we have four IRF540 mosfets. The circuit is in a shape Of an H and has two usable pathways which dictate forwards and reverse. The second part of our project we created a program for our Arduino Uno microcontroller. Arduino has its own set of programming language but is closely related to the C programming. When running our project can increase and decrease speed of a motor and change direction.

The Coalmon Coefficient: Scalability of Thermoelectric Generators (Poster, Table 27)

Presenting Student: Zachary Coalmon Contributing Students: Sean Black, Elijah Jones, Zachery Repp Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. Jason Speights, Mr. Duane Miller

The Coalmon coefficient is a coefficient for modeling the power output of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) as a function of the temperature gradient. A TEG produces an electric current and voltage due to a temperature gradient between the opposing sides of the TEG. In this experiment, TEGs are placed on top of covered ice packs inside of an acrylic box. Using floodlights, heat is trapped inside the box, thus heating the top sides of the TEGs in order to create the necessary temperature gradient. The current and voltage is measured and used to calculate the power output. The Coalmon coefficient is the slope of a line fit to the calculated power output and the square of the measured temperature gradients. This is repeated for different numbers of TEGs. The Coalmon coefficients for the different numbers of TEGs are compared in order to determine scalability.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Fuzzy lines Dividing Classical, Relativistic, and Quantum Mechanics (Poster, Table 7)

Presenting Students: Elijah Jones, Sean Black, Zachery Coalmon, Zachery Repp Faculty Mentors: Dr. Hang Deng-Luzader, Dr. Jason Speights

Problems in mechanics can be categorized into one of three general fields of physics: classical mechanics, relativistic mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Usually these fields are taught separately, but they have similar underlying principles. We use python to simulate the grey areas where the fields overlap. This allows for a deeper understanding of why each field is taught separately and illustrates where the lines are drawn between each of them.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political Culture and Islam: The Commitment to Sharia Law and the Effect on Women’s Rights (Poster, Table 9)

Presenting Student: Tyler Rotruck Faculty Mentor: Dr. John O’Rorke

This paper is a study of commitment to Islam and Sharia law across four nations and how that commitment correlates with women’s rights in those countries. The countries I studied were Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The method to measure commitment was a five question measure with the answer to each question being either yes or no. The scores were tallied and those countries placed into a high, medium, or low scale. Then, an examination of women’s rights in these Islamic societies was conducted to determine if there is any effect on women’s rights. The findings include that countries with a high level of commitment to Islam and Sharia law have more restrictions on women, but there is also some lesser degree of commitment to Islam and Sharia Law even in secular countries.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

A Dual-Process Theory Test of the Endorsement of Psychological Misconceptions (Poster, Table 9)

Presenting Students: Caitlin Woodson, Cody Watkins Faculty Mentors: Dr. D. Alan Bensley, Dr. Kimberly James

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine psychological misconceptions in relation to a dual- process theory of thinking (Epstein, 2008; Kahneman, 2011); Evans & Stanovich, 2013). Only one study has examined psychological misconception endorsement in relation to dual- process theory (Bensley, Lilienfeld, & Powell, 2014). They found that misconception endorsement was positively correlated with Faith in Intuition scores (Type 1 thinking) from the Rational- Experiential Inventory (REI) of Pacini and Epstein, (1999), and negatively correlated with rational- analytic (Type 2) thinking. Although Bensley et al. found that self-report measures of dual-process theory were correlated with psychological misconception endorsement, no one has yet examined misconception endorsement in relation to performance on the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), the most widely used objective, dual process measure of the tendency to offer a Type 1 answer rather than a Type 2 answer to intuitively compelling questions. Our goal was to examine misconception endorsement in relation to both self-report measures and objective measures of dual-process theory. Hypotheses: We predicted: 1. a positive correlation between scores on the Faith in Intuition, REI scale, a measure of Type 1 Thinking, and TOPKAM misconceptions. 2. a negative correlation between Rational Analytic, REI scale, a measure of Type 2 Thinking, and TOPKAM misconceptions. 3. a negative correlation between total CRT scores and TOPKAM misconceptions. Method: Participants: Of the original 331 participants 27 participants were removed, due to missing data and failing to follow directions, resulting in 304 participants. The average age of participants was 18.67 (SD=1.44) years; most were freshman (71.1%), female (50.2%), and either white (42.4%) or African American (41.8%). Measures and Procedure: As part of a larger study, we administered the following measures: 1) Test of Psychological Knowledge and Misconceptions (TOPKAM), (Bensley & Lilienfeld, 2010); 2) a combined version of the original CRT of Fredrick (2005), and new cognitive reflection items from Thomson and Oppenheimer (2016), both measuring dual processing; 3) the REI of Pacini and Epstein (1999), measuring analytical versus intuitive thinking styles. All measures were assembled into a booklet and administered as part of our department’s assessment to six introductory psychology classes. Participants received extra course credit for participating. Results: Data from the Cognitive Reflection Test were right skewed and so we conducted Spearman’s rho correlations on the misconception scores from the TOPKAM, Faith in Intuition scale, and the Rational-Analytic scale. The results were significant in each case as follows: The Faith in Intuition scale was positively correlated with the TOPKAM misconceptions rs=.15, p<.001. The Rational-analytic scale was negatively correlated with TOPKAM misconceptions, rs=-.13, p<.05. The combined Critical Reflection Test scores was negatively correlated with TOPKAM misconceptions, rs=-.14, p<.05. Discussion: The results support all three predictions arising from a dual-process theory account of the endorsement of psychological

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium misconceptions. Students who endorsed more misconceptions tended to show an intuitive thinking style and less rational-analytic thinking on self-report measures. Moreover, they tended to accept intuitive answers on the objective, combined Cognitive Reflection Test instead of engaging in analytic, Type 2 thinking.

Do Analytic and Intuitive Thinking Styles Predict Conspiracy Theory Beliefs? (Poster, Table 9)

Presenting Students: Cody Watkins, Matthew Whitley, Caitlin Woodson Faculty and Staff Mentors: Dr. D. Alan Bensley, Ms. Krystal Rowan

Introduction: Few studies have thoroughly examined the relationship between Dual Process Theory and conspiracy theory belief. Swami et al. (2014) found that Rational and Intuitive Thinking subscales of a revised version of the Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) of Pacini and Epstein (1999) were significantly correlated with conspiracy theory belief. Recently, Bensley et al. (2018) examined true, false, and fictitious conspiracy theories in relation to REI Intuitive and Rational- analytic scales, also using the Generic Conspiracist Belief scale (GCB) of Brotherton, French, and Pickering (2013). They found all conspiracy theory measures were positively intercorrelated, but only intuitive scale scores were positively correlated with conspiracy theory measures. In this study, we sought to replicate previous findings between rational and intuitive thinking measures, and endorsement of false and fictitious conspiracy theories, while examining associations with an elaborated version of the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) of Frederick (2005), a widely used objective Dual Process Theory measure. Hypothesis: We predicted that: 1: Scores on the CRT and analytic thinking measures would negatively predict endorsement of false and fictitious conspiracy beliefs. 2: Scores on intuitive thinking measures would positively predict endorsement of false and fictitious conspiracy beliefs. Methods: Participants: Of the original 331 participants, 27 participants were removed due to missing data and failing to follow directions, resulting in 304 participants. The average age of participants was 18.67 (SD=1.44) years; most were freshmen (71.1%), female (50.2%), and either white (42.4% or African American (41.8%). Measures and Procedure: We administered the following measures: The REI of Pacini and Epstein (1999), containing the rational- analytic and intuitive-experiential subscales; CRT (Frederick, 2005), and a revised version by Thomson and Oppenheimer (2016) measuring the inclination to use analytic thinking over an intuitive response; GCB (Brotherton, French, & Pickering, 2013), a self-report measure of generic conspiracy ideation, and Specific Conspiracy Belief scale (SCB), (Bensley & Lillienfeld, 2018), a self- report measure of false, fictitious, and true conspiracy theory endorsement. All measures were assembled into a booklet and administered as part of our department’s assessment to six introductory psychology classes. Participants received extra course credit for participating. Results: We conducted a standard (simultaneous), multiple regression analysis on the data, regressing scores from the analytic and intuitive measures and CRT total onto false conspiracy scores and fictitious. The results were significant, F(3,295) = 3.10, p<.05, with the model accounting for 3% of the variance. R2=.03, adjusted R2=.02; F(3,295) = 6.56, p<.001, with the model accounting for 6% of the variance. R2=.06 ; adjusted R2=.05, respectively. As predicted, the CRT was a significant

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium negative predictor of False Conspiracy scores, B=-.42, t(294)=-1.96, p=.05; but analytic and intuitive thinking were not significant, contrary to our prediction. As predicted, the CRT was again a significant negative predictor of Fictitious Conspiracy scores, B=-.65, t(294)=-3.05, p=.003; but REI analytic and intuitive thinking scores were still not significant, contrary to our prediction. Discussion: Results support our hypothesis that CRT scores would negatively predict conspiracy belief. However, neither analytic nor intuitive thinking significantly predicted conspiracy theory endorsement, contrary to our hypothesis.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

Single System Design: Quiz Scores and Class Participation (Poster, Table 9)

Presenting Student: Kye White Faculty Mentor: Dr. Terry Russell

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between class participation (treatment) and quiz scores (outcome). This study was conducted over the course of a semester and explores whether going to class and reading the assigned book has a visually significant relationship with the grade the student obtains on their quizzes. The student that is being studied is a traditional college student who is aged twenty years old and is in their junior year of studies. In the case of this study, the single system design measured the change in quiz scores on a single student when treatment is added and taken away. This study uses a BAB design for treatment used. This means that treatment is initially given (B), then taken away to see if there is a difference without treatment (A) and then given again (B), to see if there is an additional change with being given the treatment again after not having it. The results of this SSD indicate that the student does better on quizzes when the treatment is administered.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL ARTS

A Sense of Place (Physical Display, Area 6)

Presenting Students: Joia Bullock, Taylor Dukeman, Dalten Fisher, Emily (Magnolia) Porter, Kaylyn Shockey, Hailey Yommer, Allison Graf Contributing Students: Elizabeth Green Faculty Mentor: Ms. Judith Dieruf

A sense of place has its focus on maps, but maps do not convey one’s sense of place, an emotional or intellectual response, or one’s place in the universe. Students were given license to paint their interpretation of the map assignment to represent something beyond cartography although they were allowed to use maps in the final piece.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

FSU Undergraduate Research Working Group Karen Keller, Biology (Chair) Phillip Allen, Geography Matthew Crawford, Chemistry Judith Dieruf, Visual Arts Justin Dunmyer, Mathematics Robert Hein, Visual Arts Mark Hughes, Mathematics Erica Kennedy, Psychology Jean-Marie Makang, Philosophy Marc Michael, Mathematics Duane Miller, Physics and Engineering Jill Morris, English Benjamin Norris, Chemistry Xunyu Pan, Computer Science and Information Technologies Elesha Ruminski, Communications Rebekah Taylor, Biology

Elizabeth Throop, Provost (Opening Remarks) Lacey Shillingburg, Office of the Provost Executive Admin. Asst. I

SPECIAL THANKS Additional funding for the Symposium was provided by The FSU Foundation. In addition, many projects featured in the Symposium were funded by Foundation grants, Faculty Development grants, PELEF grants, and the Student Government Association.

We would like to thank the staff of the Print Shop, the Lane Center, the Physical Plant, and Chartwells for all of their assistance in the preparation of the Symposium.

Most importantly, we would like to thank the Students and their Faculty and Staff Mentors for making the Symposium possible.

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Frostburg State University Undergraduate Research Symposium

LANE CENTER ROOM 108 Time Oral Presentation and Presenters 11:30-12:00 Skills Assessment of Regional Workforce among Employers and Employees Travon Johnson 12:00-12:30 Drone Construction and Remote Sensing Applications Ryan Moore 12:30-1:00 Ignorance in Interracial Relationships between Black Women and White Men Lundon Watkins 1:00-1:30 Sheriff Woody in Toy Story Positively Influences Children’s Development Ismerai Reyes

LANE CENTER ROOM 111 Time Oral Presentation and Presenters 11:30-12:00 Swap Ed: Student Exchange New Platform Madison Finnan, Benjamin McClanahan 12:00-12:30 Monitoring River Otter Populations and other Carnivores in Western Maryland Nick Triantis 12:30-1:00 The Princess and the Frog Introduces Louis, the Human Alligator Lillian Johnson 1:00-1:30 Extra! Extra! Read All About It: The Future of the Press Gwendolin Schemm

LANE CENTER ROOM 113 Time Name 11:30-12:00 High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) for CubeSat Evaluation Jason Clyde, Brendan Tomasic, Nate Settineri 12:00-12:30 A Mechanically Fastened Carbon Fiber Spike Anchors Chris Barrett, Travis Straube, Matthew Tress, Garret VanHorn, John Lawlor 12:30-1:00 Pre-Cast Concrete Double T Connectors Austin Bender, Lucas Calvert, Alex Conrad, John Lawlor, Emilio Marmol 1:00-1:30 VR Justice Gauntlet Spencer Korb, Brenten Miller

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