14th Annual Carolyn & Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo Program with Abstracts Undergraduate Research Week April 20 - 24, 2020 14th Annual Carolyn and Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo 2020 a unit within the University Teaching & Learning Commons utlc.uncg.edu/ursco Preston Lee Phillips Jr, Ph.D. Director Adrienne W. Middlebrooks Business Officer Traci Miller, MSA MARC Program: Academic Enhancement Coordinator Maizie Plumley Graduate Assistant Ali Ramirez Garibay Undergraduate Assistant URSCO is a unit within the University Teaching and Learning Commons University Teaching and Learning Commons 130 Shaw Hall Greensboro, NC 27402-6170 336.334.4776 April 20, 2020 Dear Students, Colleagues, and Guests, I would like to welcome you to the 14th Annual Carolyn and Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo and the 1st ever Virtual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo at UNCG. Prior to the realization of the impact COVID-19 would have on the spring semester at UNCG, we were thrilled to accept 266 presentations by more than 335 students, working with 146 mentors, and representing 38 academic departments/programs. As we moved the expo to a virtual platform, we are excited that 183 presentations were submitted. The Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Office (URSCO) is dedicated to promoting and supporting student success through mentored undergraduate research, creative inquiry and other scholarly experiences for the UNCG community. The URSCO is also dedicated to helping faculty become increasingly effective with mentoring undergraduate research and integrating research skills into courses and curricula. These experiences can occur in many ways, including co- or extracurricular projects involving one or more students mentored by UNCG faculty. Scholarship is achieved by using the tools of an academic discipline to answer questions that enhance knowledge and understanding. We seek to highlight the diversity of disciplinary scholarship for and through our students in order to help cultivate a culture of life-long learning. The URSCO offers financial assistance to promote faculty-mentored student scholarship and creativity. Before travel suspensions went into place, we awarded travel assistance for more than 60 undergraduate opportunities to present the results of their inquiry at local, regional and national meetings. We have also provided support for 67 Undergraduate Research and Creativity Awards (URCA), of which 13 were part of the Globally Engaged URCA program and 4 were part of the Community Based URCA program. Finally, 7 students participated in the Artists in Residence program, in partnership with the Lloyd International Honors College and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Today is a day to celebrate your scholarly accomplishments. I would like to thank all students and their faculty mentors for taking the time to share your work with the university community. Many thanks go to the Associate Vice Provost of the University Teaching and Learning Commons, Dr. David Teachout, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, Dr. Terri Shelton, as well as Provost Dana Dunn, and Chancellor Franklin Gilliam for their support of the office and their unwavering dedication to student success. As always, special thanks go to Mrs. Carolyn Thomas for her generous contributions in support of the Expo and faculty-mentored undergraduate research. I would also like to thank Adrienne Middlebrooks, Traci Miller, Maizie Plumley, Ali Ramirez Garibay, Marisa Gonzalez and Damon Roberts for their efforts to ensure the success of today’s program. Sincerely, Lee Phillips, Ph.D. Director, URSCO 14TH ANNUAL THOMAS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH & CREATIVITY EXPO TABLE OF CONTENTS About Carolyn and Norwood Thomas 1 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards: 2-5 Abstracts Alphabetically by Student Last Name 6-113 NC Docks 114 Book Information 115 CAROLYN AND NORWOOD THOMAS Carolyn Styron Thomas graduated from Woman’s College, now UNCG, in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in business. She is very committed to the success of her alma mater and believes strongly in the value of education. “The experience of obtaining my college degree at Woman’s College gave me confidence throughout my life to face challenges, raise my family and serve my church and community, all leading to a very rewarding life,” says Mrs. Thomas. To express their appreciation for Carolyn’s education, the Thomases established an endowed fund in 1996 to support undergraduate and faculty research. Mrs. Thomas has served on the board of directors for the UNCG Alumni Association and, most recently, the UNCG Board of Visitors. She is a member of the Harriet Elliott Society at UNCG. She has also been involved in numerous organizations in her hometown of Durham, NC, including the Junior League, the United Arts Council and the Methodist Retirement Home. Her husband, the late Norwood A. Thomas, Jr., graduated from Duke University in 1955. The Thomases dated in college and were married for 46 years. Mr. Thomas retired from his position as Executive Vice President at Central Carolina Bank after 37 years. He later was a founding partner of the investment firm of Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management of Norfolk, Virginia, where he worked for more than 10 years. Mr. Thomas was very active in community affairs in the Thomas’ hometown of Durham. 14th Annual Carolyn & Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo Page 1 ⋇ ⋇ 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Dr. Tyreasa Washington is the recipient of the 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for tenured faculty. Dr. Washington joined the Department of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as an Assistant Professor in 2011. She was promoted to Associate Professor and appointed Faculty Affiliate to the UNCG Gerontology Program in 2017. Dr. Washington is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has worked in child welfare and mental health settings. She is a distinguished scholar who examines the impact of family- level factors on African American children’s social, academic, and behavioral outcomes, especially those who reside in kinship care (e.g., grandparents raising grandchildren). An extension of Dr. Washington’s work on African American kinship care families in the United States is the exploration of the historic and contemporary use of kinship care among African American and Black families in the USA, Ghana, and South Africa. She has presented her research and led discussions at the Aya Centre for Intercultural Awareness and Development and the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana and at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Her research agenda also includes the examination of fathers’ roles on children’s positive outcomes. Dr. Washington has received various research and teaching awards for her scholarship including a Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship Alumna, a National Institute of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Program recipient, as well as, a Teaching Excellence and Research Mentor Awards recipient. Currently, Dr. Washington is the Principal Investigator of an Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) funded study, entitled: “Development of African American Children in Kinship Care.” Former undergraduate student researcher, Christian Zik Nsonwu, said of his relationship with Dr. Washington, “During all of my successes and failures, she has 14th Annual Carolyn & Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo Page 2* ⋇ 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Award always been there to support me. I can say for an absolute fact that I would not be where I am today without her support and mentorship.” Dr. Washington served as a McNair Faculty Research Mentor to Kenya Downing and Tamika Smith. Kenya stated, “It was not until I met this influential individual that I realized how much exposure, representation, teaching, research, and mentoring matter.” Tamika recalled that, “Dr. Washington has supported me in all aspects, both domestically and internationally. She exemplifies the traits of a compassionate and determined mentor who believes in her mentees and will go above and beyond to support them. Dr. Washington is one of the few professors that I encountered who made a conscious effort to individually connect with students beyond academics.” Shelton Young explained, “Dr. Washington is not only a colleague in the Social Work profession, but she once served as my professor and undergraduate research mentor during my undergraduate experience. She provided me and countless others with an understanding of the importance of using research to inform social work practice and practice to inform research.” The Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Office at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro established this award to recognize faculty who engage students in projects that contribute to the expansion of knowledge and understanding in their discipline, while demonstrating excellence and innovation. Dr. Tyreasa Washington demonstrates role modeling as a professional, with personal integrity, high ethical standards, and achievable standards for personal excellence. We are privileged to recognize her with the 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. 14th Annual Carolyn & Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo Page 3* ⋇ 2020 Thomas Undergraduate Research Mentor Award