The Penn State McNair Journal Summer 2019, Volume 24 The Penn State McNair Journal is published annually and is the official publication of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at Penn State. No responsibility for the views expressed by the authors in this journal is assumed by the editors or the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program. Copyright 2019 by the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at Penn State, all rights reserved. The Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This publication is available in alternative media upon request. The University is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Office, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901, Email: [email protected], Tel (814) 863-0471 U.Ed. GRD 21-2 THE PENN STATE MCNAIR JOURNAL – SUMMER 2019, Vol. 24 Table of Contents About the Penn State McNair Journal.………………….…………………...…….……….…...iii TRIO Programs on the National Level…………………………………….…….……….….….iv The Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program ………………………………………………………………………….….….….…..…….……iv About Dr. Ronald E. McNair..…………………………………………….…….….……………v Acknowledgements………………………………………………………….………..................vi Research Articles Marital Instability and Spousal Empathy Mediate Childhood Parental Affection Predicting Adulthood Depression Madeline Eleanor Bartek…….…………………………………………..……..….………………………….1 Empathy Engagement with Native Americans in the Context of Social Disparities and Historical Trauma Timothy E. Benally……………………………………………….………………..…..............................................15 Diary of a Dirty Computer Janelle Bullock ....…………………………………..…………..…………………………………………………29 The Impact of Neighborhood Quality on the Relationship Between Parental Involvement and Academic Outcomes of Diverse Adolescents Nandrea Burrell ……………………………………….……….…..…….................................................................48 Assessing the Effects of Deformed Wing Virus Infections on Biomarkers of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Immune Function and Stress Sheldon L. Davis ..…...………..…………………..…………………...……….….………………………………..72 Weight Concerns in African American Youth: The Role of Gender and Sociocultural Factors Adenique Lisse..….…………………………………………………….…..……......................................................83 Autonomy Expectations Discrepancies, Parent-adolescent Cultural Orientation Gaps, and Parent- adolescent Conflict in Latino Families Reana Moody…...………..…………………..…………………...……….…………………………………………98 Optimization of K0.5Na0.5(NbO3) Thin Films Using Pulsed Laser Deposition Donovan Moses….....………..…………………..…………………...…...................................................................115 Can Empathy Training Reduce Empathy Avoidances in the Context of Social Disparities: The Case for Empathy Experts Aye Ochai ..…..…...………..…………………..…………………...………………………………………………123 Personal to Political: How Gender is Associated with Black Activism Jesse Onyango-Opiyo………..……..…...………..…………………..…………………...........................................131 ii Controlling Optical Properties of Complex Emulsions via γ-cyclodextrin Degradation for Colorimetric Sensing Applications Ashley P. Saunders......……..……..…...………..…………………..…………………...........................................138 Gender Attitudes in Liberia: The Sirleaf Administration Tynetta Tull ………….……..……..…...………..…………………..…………………..........................................149 The Relationship of Mindfulness and Meaning in Life Among College Students Jennifer Tuyen ……….……..……..…...………..…………………..…………………..........................................159 About the Penn State McNair Journal The twenty-fourth issue of the Penn State McNair Journal presents the findings of undergraduate research conducted by Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program Scholars during the 2019 McNair Summer Research Program. All research was conducted under the supervision of Penn State faculty who served and volunteered as Faculty Research Advisers. The hard work and persistence required in producing new knowledge through research is evident in these articles. Since 1991, the Penn State McNair Scholars Program has enhanced the lives of students. McNair is a valued diversity and inclusion program which provides educational access and opportunity for program eligible students who express a strong desire to continue to graduate education to pursue and achieve a doctoral degree. The professional staff of the Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program thank the following University leaders for their ongoing support: Eric J. Barron, President of The Pennsylvania State University Nicholas Jones, Executive Vice-President and Provost Marcus Whitehurst, Vice Provost for Educational Equity The Penn State Graduate School Regina Vasilatos-Younken, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School Michael Verderame, Senior Associate Dean William Clark, Associate Dean Sarah Ades, Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs Stephanie Danette Preston, Associate Dean for Graduate Educational Equity and Chief Diversity Officer for Graduate Education Curtis B. Price, M.Ed. Program Director The Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program iii TRIO Programs at the National Level TRIO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree. More than 800,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities — from sixth grade through college graduation — are served by over 3,100 programs nationally. TRIO programs are a vital pipeline to opportunity, serving traditional students, displaced workers, and veterans. TRIO programs were the first national college access and retention programs to address the serious social and cultural barriers to education in America. TRIO began as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. The Educational Opportunity Act of 1964 established an experimental program known as Upward Bound. Then, in 1965, the Higher Education Act created Talent Search. Finally, another program, Student Support Services, was launched in 1968. The Higher Education Amendments of 1972 added a fourth program by authorizing the Educational Opportunity Centers. Amendments in 1986 added the sixth program, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, and in 1990, the Upward Bound Math/Science program was created. The Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program The Pennsylvania State University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program (Penn State McNair) provides disadvantaged college students with effective preparation for doctoral study with services and resources that include: opportunities for research or other scholarly activities, summer internships; seminars and other educational activities, tutoring, academic counseling, assisting students in securing admission to and financial assistance for enrollment in graduate programs, mentoring, and exposure to cultural events and academic programs not usually available to disadvantaged students. Penn State McNair is housed in the Penn State Graduate School. Its administrative home is the Office Graduate Educational Equity Programs. Since 1991, Penn State McNair has assisted more than 300 students with earning their baccalaureate degrees and preparing them for graduate education. Currently over 50 McNair alums have earned their doctoral degrees and are employed in many areas of the public and private sector including: academia, research, administration, public policy, and the health sciences. Scholars have been accepted to, are currently enrolled at, or have graduated from graduate programs across the nation that include: Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Yale University, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, University of California at Los Angeles, Purdue University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of New Mexico, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Chicago. iv About Dr. Ronald E. McNair “Whether or not you reach your goals in life depends entirely on how well you prepare for them and how badly you want them.” – Dr. Ronald E. McNair Ronald Erwin McNair was born on October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. McNair displayed an early aptitude for technical matters, earning the nickname "Gizmo." His interest in space