The University of Montana presents th The 11 Annual UM Conference on Undergraduate Research Program and Abstracts April 13, 2012 ~ Missoula, Montana UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COMMITTEE: James McKusick (chair), Davidson Honors College Earle Adams, Chemistry & Biochemistry Tim Conley, Social Work Dan Doyle, Sociology Julie Edwards, Mansfield Library John Hunt, English Joanna Klink, English Elizabeth Putnam, Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences James Randall, Music Garon Smith, Chemistry & Biochemistry Megan Stark, Mansfield Library Arlene Walker-Andews, Academic Affairs Andrew Ware, Physics & Astronomy CONFERENCE COORDINATORS: Rachael Caldwell, Davidson Honors College Karen Kaley, Davidson Honors College WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY: Andi Armstrong, Davidson Honors College Craig McNinch, Spectral Fusion INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES: Adam Carroll, Presentation Technology Services Greg Garber, University Center Robert Logan, College of Forestry and Conservation Jay Bruns, Division of Biological Sciences THANKS ALSO TO THE JUDGES AND VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS CONFERENCE HAPPEN! UMCUR 2012 The University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research April 13, 2012 Sponsored By: The Office of the Provost The Office of the Vice President for Research The Davidson Honors College UMCUR Welcome We are pleased to welcome students, faculty, staff, and alumni to the eleventh annual University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR). Over 120 students will present their research and creative scholarship today, and we are delighted to celebrate their accomplishments! This conference has been a tradition at The University of Montana since 2001. Undergraduate research has the potential to create a tremendous sense of empowerment, confidence, and intellectual growth, especially for students who may never before have had such an experience. Since people will continually encounter problems without established answers throughout their professional careers, the skills gained through participation in original research aimed at creating new knowledge will have long-lasting, beneficial consequences for students of all majors. We extend special thanks to Provost Perry Brown and Vice President for Research Dave Forbes for their support of this conference and their commitment to undergraduate research and creative scholarship. Many undergraduate research projects at UM are carried out with scholarship support, and for that support we are truly grateful to many private donors. We also extend our sincere appreciation to all faculty members who have reviewed conference proposals and mentored the students presenting at the conference. We are likewise grateful to the faculty, alumni, community members, graduate students, and undergraduates who have volunteered their time and expertise as judges and facilitators for the conference. We could not do it without you! We trust that you will have an enjoyable day, will learn some new information, and will see that celebrating undergraduate scholarship has many benefits. James McKusick UMCUR Director Undergraduate Research Committee Chair Dean, Davidson Honors College UMCUR Keynote Speaker 12:20 pm, UC Theater ~ April 13, 2012 Dr. Tobin Miller Shearer Director, African-American Studies Program Assistant Professor, Department of History The University of Mo n t an a Prayer, Guns, and Civil Rights: How to Craft New Research Questions Abstract: At first glance, prayer, guns, and civil rights don’t seem to go together. Little would appear to connect religion, weapons, and social movements. Yet this talk will explain the connections among the three and show how those connections reveal practical lessons about how to craft new research questions. Students in the hard sciences, humanities, social sciences, business, and other disciplines where research remains central will discover the importance of building sand piles, mapping mentalities, and sorting socks (among other engaging insights) in creating knowledge of the world around us. Rather than a dry and intimidating process, research can become a creative, energizing, and collaborative project, one that undergraduate students can contribute to in real and measurable ways. Based on a study of how one researcher came to compare public prayer by civil rights activists and the public presentation of guns by black power advocates, the talk promises to inform and excite about the invigorating challenge of research in any discipline. About Dr. Shearer: Tobin Miller Shearer is the Directory of the African-American Studies Program and an Assistant Professor of History at The University of Montana. His most recent book, Daily Demonstrators: The Civil Rights Movement in Mennonite Home and Sanctuaries, came out in 2010 from Johns Hopkins Press. He has also written two other books, multiple book chapters, and several journal articles on the broad theme of race and religion. An engaging lecturer, Dr. Shearer enjoys working with undergraduate students and teaching classes like “Voodoo, Muslim, Church: Black Religion” and “The Black Radical Tradition.” Dr. Shearer’s research interests have taken him to dusty attics in rural Kansas, crawfish boils in New Orleans, New York City Skyscrapers, and Pennsylvania’s Amish country. An avid runner, Crossfit devotee, and backpacker, Dr. Shearer also loves to bake pies – whether peanut butter, apple, or banana cream – that he shares with his students each semester. UMCUR Guest Speaker 2:20-3:00pm, UC 332 ~ April 13, 2012 Bridget Whearty Stanford University Ph.D. Candidate in English and University of Montana Alumna Demystifying Grad School: From Initial Curiosity to Applications and Beyond Have you ever done research and been surprised by how much you enjoyed it? Have you discovered issues that you’re passionate about and feel as if you’ve only just begun to work on them? Have your professors ever said you should think about grad school? If so, you should join Bridget Whearty for this frank and engaging conversation about graduate school. Learn more about “grad school” and how to decide if it’s right for you, get insider tips on picking out schools and programs to apply to, find out how to manage the application process, and learn survival tips for life in grad school! This session is open to all students – from those who are unsure about what they want to do next to those who have always wanted to go to grad school. Students from diverse backgrounds and those who have unusual life paths are strongly encouraged to attend! UMCUR Schedule Overview T h e University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR) April 13, 2012 UC 3rd Floor rd 8:00 AM Registration & Poster Set-up ~ UC 3 Floor, Grand Foyer 8:45 AM Welcome ~ UC Theater 9:00-11:00 AM Oral Sessions ~ UC 326-333 . Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Humanities, and Creative Works 11:00-12:00 PM Poster Session #1~ UC Ballroom 12:20-1:30 PM Keynote Speaker ~ UC Ballroom . Prayer, Guns, and Civil Rights: How to Craft New Research Questions ~ Dr. Tobin Miller Shearer 1:40-3:00 PM Oral Sessions ~ UC 326-332 . Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Humanities, and Creative Works 2:20-3:00 PM Guest Speaker ~ UC 332 . Demystifying Grad School: From Initial Curiosity to Applications and Beyond ~ Bridget Whearty 3:00-4:00 PM Poster Session #2 ~ UC Ballroom 4:00-5:00 PM Oral Sessions ~ UC 326-333 . Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities **Please check the schedules outside each room for the most up-to-date times for each presenter. UMCUR Schedule Breakdown 8:00 Registration and Poster Set - up ~ UC 3rd Floor Grand Foyer 8:45 W e lc om e ~ UC Theater Concurrent Oral Sessions: 9:00 -11:00 a.m. Social Sciences ~ UC 326 9:00 Montana Dog Food: A Value-Added Montana Product, Alyssa Komac, Business Administration 9:20 Employment Opportunities: Are They Equal?, Caitlin Schwinden, Business Administration 9:40 Disruptive Innovation in Agribusiness, Tyler McGee, Business Administration 10:00 European Indexes: Do they behave like managed mutual funds? Jon Marchi, Economics 10:20 The Value of Foreign Language Study within the U.S. Labor Market, Travis Vincent, Economics Social Sciences ~ UC 327 The Poverello Center’s Homeless Outreach Team: Looking Between the Cracks, Christopher Cadotte, 9:00 Maria Newbold, & Allyson Talaska, Sociology 9:20 Children: Products of Their Environments?, Emily Peters & Sammy Schreiner, Sociology Advancing Amidst Adversity: Missoula Homeless Shelters as High Reliability Organizations, Meghan Eckert, 9:40 Communication Studies 10:00 Relationship Development at the Poverello, Elise Cunningham, & Leng Moua, Sociology Conversations with the Homeless in Missoula: What People Experiencing Homelessness Want to Share, 10:20 Paige Ely & Dustin Satterfield, Sociology Social Sciences ~ UC 330 9:00 The Effects of Social Movements on Policy Change, Kate Hildner, Political Science 9:20 Cross-Cultural Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lakiash Gregerson, Psychology 9:40 10:20 From War to Reconciliation: Tajikistan and the Integration of Islam into Politics, Wesley Furlong, History 10:40 Minority Rules: How Being Black Saved Joan Little’s Life and Unified Feminism David Baker, History Physical Sciences ~ UC 331 Determination of tris buffer pH using impure and purified meta-cresol Purple (mCP) indicator, 9:00 Emma Jaqueth, Andre Umansky, Reggie Spaulding, Environmental Chemistry 9:20 Dilution of a solution could produce even more pollution, Daniel Barry, Biochemistry Humanities ~ UC 332 A Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation: An Argument Based on Common