Welcome to the second UNCW Fall Student Research and Creative Scholarship
Showcase. Sponsored by UNC Wilmington’s Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research
and Fellowships (CSURF), the UNCW Graduate School, Undergraduate Studies, ETEAL, the Honors
College, and Randall Library, the posters represent a variety of research areas in the arts, sciences,
humanities, and professional areas, and there are examples from each of the Colleges and Schools.
We are pleased to present both graduate and undergraduate research, plus several examples of
graduate and undergraduate students working together with a faculty mentor.
Viewers should note that there are special badges on select posters that indicate that the authors
are being recognized for special achievements-- such as being awarded the competitive CSURF
Undergraduate Fellowships [Paul E. Hosier fellowships, Ann Sherman-Skiba fellowships, Board of
Visitors fellowships, Ahuja Water Academy Fellowship, King Mackerel Tournament Fellowship, and
Gary & Georgia Miller Fellowships], and receiving CSURF Travel Awards or Supplies Grants. Many of
these research projects were conducted as SURCAs, the new Summer Undergraduate Research and
Creativity Awards program sponsored by ETEAL and CSURF during Summer 2014. Look for these
badges on the posters:
We are also highlighting research topics that have connections with the environment, global issues,
health-issues, and service learning/community outreach.
A number of students will be recognized today as UNCW Undergraduate Research Scholars and
Distinguished Scholars because of their extended record of involvement in undergraduate research
or creative scholarship on and off campus.
Enjoy the showcase!
1
POSTERS LISTED BY COLLEGE/SCHOOL
Poster #
First
Last
Grad/
Undergrad
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
College/
School
Department/
School
Julianne Treme
Cameron
School of
Business
Economics &
Finance
1
Zoë
2
Christopher
Lloyd
Undergraduate
Midori Albert
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Anthropology
3
Liliana
Carrara
Undergraduate
Stuart Borrett
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
4
Aimee
Dexter
Undergraduate
Robert Condon
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
5
Roxanne
Diaz
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
VanDerPloeg Undergraduate
Undergraduate Susanne Brander
Title
PLANET
HOLLYWOOD:
DETERMINANTS
OF AMERICAN
FILMS' SUCCESS
AT HOME AND
ABROAD
HUMAN
VARIATION IN
FACE AGING IN
ADULT
MONOZYGOTIC
TWINS:
BIOMETRIC
APPLICATIONS
FOR THE IDENTITY
SCIENCES
CHARACTERIZING
THE CAPE FEAR
RIVER ESTUARY
FOOD WEB WITH
ECOSYSTEM
NETWORK
ANALYSIS
JELLYFISH
DATABASE
INITIATIVE(JEDI):
IMPROVING
ESTIMATES OF
GELATINOUS
ZOOPLANKTON
BIOMASS IN THE
OCEAN
THE EFFECTS OF
EARLY-LIFE
BIFENTHRIN
EXPOSURE ON
GENE
EXPRESSION IN
MENIDIA
BERYLLINA AT
DIFFERENT
SALINITY LEVELS
2
Poster #
First
Last
Grad/
Undergrad
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
College/
School
Department/
School
6
Avery
Dominguez
Undergraduate
Joseph Covi
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
7
Stacia
Dwelle
Undergraduate
Larry Cahoon
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
8
Ian
Fincham
Undergraduate
Brian Arbogast
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
9
Deanna
Hardesty
Undergraduate
Joseph Pawlik and
Micah Marty
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
10
Devon
Keeler
Undergraduate
Jennifer McCall
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
Joseph Covi
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Biology &
Marine Biology
11
Ana
Mayren
Undergraduate
Title
EFFECTS OF THE
PESTICIDES,
FENOXYCARB
AND CARBARYL,
ON POSTDIAPAUSE
DEVELOPMENT IN
ARTEMIA
FRANCISCANA
DOES FLURIDONE
AT
RECOMMENDED
APPLICATION
LEVELS AFFECT
MICROALGAE
(PHYTOPLANKTON
AND BENTHIC
MICROALGAE IN
SEDIMENT) IN
LAKE
WACCAMAW?
INITIAL
DESCRIPTION OF
THE BIODIVERSITY
OF
BIOLUMINESCENT
LAMPYRIDAE AT
THE
WILDSUMACO
REASEARCH AREA
OF SUMACO,
ECUADOR.
A GUIDE TO THE
ASSESSMENT OF
SPONGE
MORPHOLOGY:
EXAMPLES USING
AAPTOS
PERNUCLEATA
EVALUATION OF
SEVERAL
BIOASSAYS FOR
DETECTION OF
BREVETOXINS
PROMOTING
HATCHING OF
DORMANT
ROTIFER EGGS
3
Poster #
12
13
First
Brian
Tori
Last
Moy
Rightmyer
Grad/
Undergrad
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
Ryan Rhodes
Art Frampton
College/
School
College of
Arts &
Sciences
College of
Arts &
Sciences
CHARACTERIZATI
ON OF THE
ANTIVIRAL
ACTIVITY OF A
COMPOUND
Biology &
Marine Biology ISOLATED FROM
THE MARINE
DINOFLAGELLATE
AMPHIDINIUM
GIBBOSUM.
14
Ritchie
Undergraduate
Art Frampton
College of
Arts &
Sciences
15
Rob
Schilke
Undergraduate
Kevin Kiser
College of
Arts &
Sciences
16
17
Emma
Siegert
York
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Robert Condon
Carm Tomas
Title
THE EFFECT OF
FJOH_2240
DELETION ON
Biology &
GLIDING MOTILITY
Marine Biology
OF
FLAVOBACTERIUM
JOHNSONIAE
Alyssa
Danielle
Department/
School
College of
Arts &
Sciences
College of
Arts &
Sciences
MOLECULAR
CLONING AND
CHARACTERIZATION
OF EQUINE
Biology &
HERPESVIRUS TYPE
Marine Biology 1 GLYCOPROTEINS
E (GE) AND I (GI)
FROM THE
NEUROVIRULENT
STRAIN OHIO 2003.
NASAL AND
PHARYNGEAL
CARRIAGE OF
METHICILLINBiology &
RESISTANT
Marine Biology STAPHYLOCOCCUS
AUREUS (MRSA) IN
UNDERGRADUATE
NURSING STUDENTS
SOURCE-SINK
DYNAMICS OF
TERRESTRIAL
DISSOLVED
Biology &
ORGANIC
Marine Biology
MATTER (TDOM)
IN THE CAPE FEAR
RIVER ESTUARY
THE
MORPHOLOGICAL
STUDY OF
Biology &
GAMBIERDISCUS
Marine Biology
RIBOTYPE II
POPULATIONS
4
Poster #
18
19
20
21
First
Stacey
Samantha
Amelia
Chandler
Last
Allen
Athey
Coleman
Gianattasio
Grad/
Undergrad
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
Undergraduate Thomas Coombs
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Pamela Seaton
Nathan Grove
College/
School
College of
Arts &
Sciences
College of
Arts &
Sciences
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Sridhar
Varadarajan
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Antje Almeida
College of
Arts &
Sciences
22
Bennett
Mack
Undergraduate
23
Tiffany
Capps
Undergraduate Matthew Lapierre
College of
Arts &
Sciences
24
Jennifer
Georgiou
Undergraduate
College of
Arts &
Sciences
25
Eli
Mullis
Undergraduate
Curry Guinn
Tracy Chen
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Department/
School
Title
Chemistry &
Biochemistry
TRAPPING
CYCLOPENTADIENOL:
APPLICATIONS TO
THE SYNTHESIS OF
KUCHINOENAMINE
ANALOGS
Chemistry &
Biochemistry
INGESTED PLASTICS
AS A TRANSPORT
MEDIUM FOR
MARINE TOXINS TO
ENTER THE
GASTROINTESTINAL
TRACT OF
LOGGERHEAD SEA
TURTLES (CARETTA
CARETTA).
Chemistry &
Biochemistry
UNDERSTANDING
THE COGNITIVE
LOAD GENERATED
BY
CONSTRUCTING
LEWIS
STRUCTURES
Chemistry &
Biochemistry
SYNTHESIS OF
NOVEL
PHTHALIMIDE
COMPOUNDS AS
TNF-α
INHIBITORS
SENSITIVITY OF
S. AUREUS TO
ANTIMICROBIAL
PEPTIDES
THE INFLUENCE
OF NUTRITIONAL
CUES ON PARENT
Communication
SELECTION OF
Studies
CHILD-BASED
CONSUMER
GOODS.
Chemistry &
Biochemistry
Computer
Science
Computer
Science
LEARNING WITH
GOOGLE GLASS
MMPI-2 ITEM
ANALYSIS WITH
MULTIDIMENSIO
NAL ITEM
RESPONSE
THEORY
5
Poster #
26
27
First
Jamie
Aaron
Last
Watson
Weekes
Grad/
Undergrad
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
28
Zoë
VanDerPloeg Undergraduate
29
Kyle
McDermott
30
Amelia
Sludds
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
Mark Boren
Anthony Atkins
Shannon Silva
Undergraduate Andrea Hawkes
Undergraduate
Candice
Bredbenner
College/
School
College of
Arts &
Sciences
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Title
English
MANY A MIGHTY
BIRTH :
MATERNAL
IMAGERY AND
THE MALEAUTHORED
WOMB IN
MOBY-DICK,
EDGAR HUNTLY,
AND DRACULA
English
THE TRUTH IS
DEAD: GORGIAS
AND NIETZSCHE'S
EPISTEMOLOGICAL
COMPARISON OF
UNDERSTANDING
TRUTH.
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Film Studies
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Geography &
Geology
College of
Arts &
Sciences
31
Troy
Kling
Undergraduate Maxim Neumann
College of
Arts &
Sciences
32
William
Smith
Undergraduate
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Tracy Chen
Department/
School
History
LIFE IN
LUMBERTON: AN
ARCHIVAL
RESEARCH
PROJECT
RECONSTRUCTING
HIGH-LATITUDE
STORM EVENTS
FROM A FJORD IN
NEWFOUNDLAND
FROM
REDEMPTION TO
PREVENTION: THE
SHIFT IN RESCUE
FOCUS FROM
PROSTITUTES TO
WOMEN AT RISK
DURING THE
PROGRESSIVE ERA
STATISTICAL
IMAGE FILTERING
AND DENOISING
Mathematics &
TECHNIQUES FOR
Statistics
SYNTHETIC
APERTURE RADAR
DATA
QUESTIONNAIRE
REFINEMENT IN
Mathematics &
NEUROPSYCHOStatistics
LOGICAL
ASSESSMENTS
6
Poster #
First
Last
Grad/
Undergrad
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
College/
School
Department/
School
Tracy Chen
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Mathematics &
Statistics
33
Ryan
Story
34
Zebulon
Mims
Undergraduate Daniel C. Johnson
College of
Arts &
Sciences
35
Jacob
Koile
Undergraduate
Liping Gan
College of
Arts &
Sciences
36
Katherine
Dyer
Undergraduate
Mark Galizio and
Kate Bruce
College of
Arts &
Sciences
37
Samantha
Hess
Undergraduate
Mark Galizio and
Kate Bruce
College of
Arts &
Sciences
38
Katherine
Lenger
Undergraduate Cameron Gordon
College of
Arts &
Sciences
39
Carrianne
Leschak
Undergraduate
College of
Arts &
Sciences
40
Catherine
McDermott
Graduate
Richard Pond
Undergraduate Simone Nguyen
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Title
NONNEGATIVE
MATRIX
FACTORIZATION
METHODS
EXPLORING THE
EFFECT OF
DIFFERENTIATED
Music
EDUCATIONAL
CENTERS IN THE
GENERAL MUSIC
CLASSROOM
TESTING AND
INSTALLATION OF
THE LOW
Physics &
GRANULARITY
Physical
PAIR
Oceanography
SPECTROMETER
IN JEFFERSON LAB
HALL D
EMERGENT
STIMULUS
RELATIONS IN
Psychology
RATS:
IDENTITY-YES!
SYMMETRY-NO!
OLFACTORY
MATCHING AND
NON-MATCHINGPsychology
TO-SAMPLE IN
RATS
A WORD TO THE
WISE: AGE
MATTERS WHEN
Psychology
CONSIDERING
MINDFULNESS IN
ROMANTIC
RELATIONSHIPS
EMPATHETIC
DEFICITS
MEDIATE THE
ASSOCIATION
Psychology
BETWEEN
ALEXITHYMIA
AND SOCIAL
ANHEDONIA
VISUALLY
IMPAIRED
Psychology
CHILDREN'S HOPE
AND HAPPINESS
7
Poster #
First
Last
Grad/
Undergrad
Mark Galizio
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Psychology
Undergraduate
Len Lecci
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Psychology
Undergraduate
Kate Nooner
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Psychology
42
Danielle
Panoz-Brown
Graduate
43
Ashley
Ritter
44
Ashley
Synger
45
46
John
Gagnon
Department/
School
Psychology
41
Mohiuddin
West
College/
School
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Farah
Samuel
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
Undergraduate Caroline Clements
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Richard Pond
Jennifer Biddle
College of
Arts &
Sciences
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Psychology
Public and
International
Affairs
Title
DID HE DO IT?
DIFFERENCES IN
VICTIMS,
PERPETRATORS,
AND MUTUALLY
VIOLENT
COUPLES'
RESPONSES TO A
VIDEOTAPED
PERPETRATOR
EFFECTS OF
SUB-CHRONIC
KETAMINE ON
THE ODOR SPAN
TASK AND
REVERSAL
LEARNING IN
RATS
EFFECTS OF
PERCEIVED
SUSCEPTIBILITY
AND COST ON
HEALTH-RELATED
BELIEFS
PILOT STUDY OF
TRAUMA
SYMPTOMS,
SUBSTANCE USE,
AND BRAIN
FUNCTION IN
COLLEGE
STUDENTS
KNOCK IT OFF!
EFFECTS OF
GENDER ON
PERCEPTIONS OF
SEXUAL
HARASSMENT
SUSTAINABILITY
IN WASTE
MANAGEMENT:
COMPARING THE
COSTS AND
BENEFITS OF
STRATEGIES TO
MINIMIZE
UNIVERSITY
WASTE
8
Poster #
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
First
Allison
Katelyn
Diana
Andraya
Lindsay
Taylor
Brooklynne
Last
Russell
Avots
Lovelace
Zelle
Allen
Luffman
Knopp
Grad/
Undergrad
Graduate
Faculty
Supervisor/
Mentor
Jeffrey Brudney
College/
School
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Department/
School
Title
Public and
International
Affairs
A PLATFORM FOR
BUILDING
COMMUNITY?
EXAMINING THE
POTENTIAL OF
MAPPING
TECHNOLOGY FOR
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS
College of
Health &
Human
Services
BARRIERS TO
ANIMAL
ASSISTANCE
Health & Applied
THERAPY
Human Sciences
PROGRAMS IN
LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES
Undergraduate Deborah Pollard
College of
Health &
Human
Services
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
MATERNAL SOCIAL
SUPPORT AND
BREASTFEEDING
SELF-EFFICACY FOR
MOTHERS OF
PRETERM INFANTS
INTENDING TO
BREASTFEED: A
PILOT STUDY
Undergraduate
Tammy Arms
College of
Health &
Human
Services
Jacquelyn Lee
College of
Health &
Human
Services
Jacquelyn Lee
College of
Health &
Human
Services
Kathy Fox
Watson
College of
Education
Graduate
Graduate
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Elizabeth FugateWhitlock
Nursing
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL
EFFECTS OF HEALTH
DISPARITIES OF
Nursing
LGBT OLDER
ADULTS
MINDFULNESSBASED SELF-CARE
(MBSC) WITH
Social Work
CUSTODIAL
GRANDPARENT
CAREGIVERS
MINDFULNESSBASED SELF-CARE
(MBSC) WITH
Social Work
CUSTODIAL
GRANDPARENT
CAREGIVING
THE EXPLORATION
OF SCHOOL
Early Childhood,
ADMINISTRATION
Elementary,
AND TEACHING
Middle, Literacy
RELATIONSHIPS IN
& Special
CREATING A
Education
POSITIVE SCHOOL
CLIMATE
9
ABSTRACTS BY
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF
PRIMARY AUTHOR
10
Author: Lindsay Allen
Co-author: Taylor Luffman
Faculty Supervisor: Jacquelyn Lee
SURCA AWARD
Graduate
School: Social Work
MINDFULNESS-BASED SELF-CARE (MBSC) WITH CUSTODIAL GRANDPARENT CAREGIVERS
Research shows custodial grandparent caregivers often experience clinically significant levels of stress in
relation to the caregiving role. While the challenges of caregiving are well documented, there are few
interventions designed to promote caregivers' attention to their own health and wellbeing. Defined as
purposefully paying attention to the present moment without judgment, mindfulness has been used
with other caregiving groups, improving the overall well being of participants. This study sought to
explore the benefits of MBSC (Mindfulness-Based Self-Care), pilot 10-session curriculum designed to
increase mindfulness and self-care in a local pre-existing support group of 40 caregivers. With a mixed
methods design, this study includes pretest and posttest survey, a focus group, and face-to-face
interviews. It is hypothesized that engagement in MBSC will decrease perceived stress and increase
mindfulness practice, self-compassion, self-care, and perceived general health status. Implications of
this study include strengthened relationships and increased compassion for self and others.
Author: Stacey Allen
Undergraduate
Co-authors: Thomas E. Lathrop, Deanna M. Harrell, Sweta B. Patel
Faculty Supervisor: Thomas Coombs
Department: Chemistry & Biochemistry
SURCA AWARD
TRAPPING CYCLOPENTADIENOL: APPLICATIONS TO THE SYNTHESIS OF KUCHINOENAMINE ANALOGS
Kuchinoenamine is an alkaloid isolated from a marine sponge of the genus Hexadella in 2005 and was
determined to have moderate antibacterial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila, a bacterium which
infects fish, amphibians, and humans. Due to kuchinoenamine's limited availability in sponges and
modest antibacterial activity, it is necessary to find ways to synthetically produce this compound and
analogs if it is to be further evaluated and optimized as a medicinal compound. Cyclopentadienol forms
from the decomposition of ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate and dimerizes to produce the crystalline
tricyclic core of kuchinoenamine. This project evaluated the feasibility of trapping the cyclopentadienol
with added external dienophiles. Maleic anhydride, N-benzylmaleimide, and naphthoquinone, among
others, were shown to be competent dienophiles, producing novel analogs of the kuchinoenamine
tricyclic core in good to excellent yields after optimization. These analogs have been transferred to
microbiologists at UNCW to be screened for antibiotic activity.
11
Author: Samantha Athey
Co-author: Misty Mangiacapre
Faculty Supervisor: Pamela Seaton
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Chemistry & Biochemistry
INGESTED PLASTICS AS A TRANSPORT MEDIUM FOR MARINE TOXINS TO ENTER THE
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT OF LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES (CARETTA CARETTA)
Plastic in the marine environment is becoming an increasingly more important problem for the
conservation of marine species. Plastics pose a serious threat to marine life because of entanglement
and ingestion. From previous studies it has been found that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
many of which are known carcinogens, are adsorbed and leached from plastics into the gastrointestinal
fluids of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). This could have important conservation implications
for these already endangered species. This study investigated how 4 different PAHs are absorbed and
desorbed from polyethylene and polypropylene pellets into the gastrointestinal fluids of a loggerhead
sea turtle. Pre-production pellets were spiked with chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene,
benzo(k)fluoranthene, and anthracene of approximately the same concentration found on
environmental plastics collected from the Sargasso Sea, North Atlantic. These spiked pellets were then
placed in stomach, large intestinal, and small intestinal fluid recovered during a necropsy of a stranded
loggerhead turtle. These plastics were incubated in the fluids for 48 hours at 27.5° C to simulate a
loggerhead’s natural digestion process. After the removal of plastic pellets and extraction of digestive
juices, PAHs that leached from the plastics were examined and quantified using gas
chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
Author: Katelyn Avots
Faculty Supervisor: Elizabeth Fugate-Whitlock
Graduate
School: Health & Applied Human
Sciences
BARRIERS TO ANIMAL ASSISTANCE THERAPY PROGRAMS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
Animal-assistance therapy is a growing field of rehabilitation due to its health benefits, such as reduction
in depression, anxiety, and improved socialization (Cirulli, F., Borgi, M., Berry, A., Francia, N., Alleva,
E.,2011). Much research has been conducted, regarding the utilization of animal-assistance therapy,
however little research has been focused on introducing this type of rehabilitation to facilities and
programs. Barriers to access and involvement can occur due to concerns such as disease, cost, limited
supply, liability and insurance, safety, training, and certification. These factors have a large impact on
why the integration of these programs are not widely recognized even though animal-assistance therapy
programs have shown statistically significant improvements in overall quality of life and well-being
(Morrison, M., 2007). This qualitative descriptive research study will survey long-term care facilities, in
Wilmington, North Carolina, to examine their reasoning for their beliefs concerning barriers and benefits
for animal-assistance therapy programs at their facilities. Exploration of beliefs concerning barriers and
benefits can aid long-term care administrators decision making concerning animal assistance therapy as
well as animal assistance therapy organizations in promoting their work.
12
Author: Tiffany Capps
Co-author: Samantha Leclair
Faculty Supervisor: Matthew Lapierre
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Communication Studies
THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRITIONAL CUES ON PARENT SELECTION OF CHILD-BASED CONSUMER GOODS.
The effect that marketing cues have on young children has garnered significant attention from experts
(de Droog, Valkenburg, & Buijzen, 2011; (Roberto, Baik, Harris, & Brownell, 2010); however, very little is
known about how parents are affected by these marketing cues associated with children's food
products (e.g., cereal, granola bars, yogurt snacks). Recent studies have found that parents are, in fact,
affected by subtle marketing cues on children's media products (Vaala & Lapierre, 2013), but it is unclear
whether similar advertising strategies influence parent attitudes regarding food products (e.g. images of
fruit, nutrition statements). To date, the students on this project have worked to prepare an experiment
to test how parent's process marketing cues for food products and whether certain types of cues affect
their consumer decisions. The summer research and findings consisted of designing the experimental
manipulation, pre-testing stimuli, and piloting the study.
Author: Liliana Carrara
Co-author: David Hines
Faculty Supervisor: Stuart Borrett
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
CHARACTERIZING THE CAPE FEAR RIVER ESTUARY FOOD WEB WITH ECOSYSTEM NETWORK ANALYSIS
The Cape Fear River Estuary is a black water system with a direct connection to the Atlantic Ocean. The
estuary itself serves as a nursery area for important commercial fisheries, such as the blue crab. Because
the estuary has a high concentration of colored dissolved organic matter, making it 'black,' primary
production in the system is often limited. We expect that this limitation will impact the entire food web
and ecosystem functioning. To investigate this, we are using Ecosystem Network Analysis to characterize
the trophic relationships in the food web. We present here an initial summer food web for the estuary
based on information collected from empirical observations and literature reports. Future work will
compare the functioning of the Cape Fear River Estuary food web to other estuarine food webs and
benthic-pelagic coupling.
13
Author: Amelia Coleman
Faculty Supervisor: Nathan Grove
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Chemistry & Biochemistry
UNDERSTANDING THE COGNITIVE LOAD GENERATED BY CONSTRUCTING LEWIS STRUCTURES
To understand chemical reactions, it is essential to visualize the molecules involved in the reaction. To
help with this process, G. N. Lewis introduced Lewis structures in 1916 to represent the elements and
their bonding sequence in a compound. Since that time, Lewis structures have become a foundational
idea for understanding chemistry. Given their role, it is important to understand the aspects of Lewis
structure creation that students struggle with, and in particular, the cognitive load that their generation
induce. To explore these concepts, we conducted paper and electronic test that asked students to
create a series of Lewis structures; simultaneously, the load on the subject was determined by
measuring heart rate changes. Data were collected from students enrolled in general chemistry, organic
chemistry, and senior chemistry classes. We present our preliminary results and discuss future
directions.
Author: Aimee Dexter
Faculty Supervisor: Robert Condon
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
JELLYFISH DATABASE INITIATIVE(JEDI):IMPROVING ESTIMATES OF GELATINOUS ZOOPLANKTON
BIOMASS IN THE OCEAN
Jellyfish blooms are perceived as a symptom of a degraded ocean but recent evidence suggests that
jellyfish populations naturally fluctuate over multidecadal time scales around a stationary baseline.
While the driving mechanisms for these cycles are unclear, interpretation of shifts in the long-term
baseline is restricted by a lack of spatiotemporal information where jellyfish proliferate. Here, we
collate and analyze data on medusae and ctenophore biomass and abundances from coastal waters of
eastern USA, including three unpublished data sets associated with fisheries and ecological monitoring
programs (SEAMAP, NEAMAP and Long Island Sound), for inclusion in the Jellyfish Database Initiative.
Consistently high seasonal biomasses of jellyfish were distributed along southern and mid-Atlantic
regions, with several biomass hot spots closer to shore. Long-term trends in jellyfish showed no
significant increase but periodicity around species-specific baselines. The data have possible
implications for fisheries management and leatherback turtle conservation, including predictability of
migration patterns.
14
Author: Roxanne Diaz
Faculty Supervisor: Susanne Brander
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
THE EFFECTS OF EARLY-LIFE BIFENTHRIN EXPOSURE ON GENE EXPRESSION IN MENIDIA BERYLLINA AT
DIFFERENT SALINITY LEVELS
Pyrethroid pesticides are now widely used and found in urban and agricultural runoff. The pyrethroid
bifenthrin is used primarily for residential pest control and disrupts normal endocrine activity in fishes at
low concentrations. Larval fish are sensitive to such exposures, particularly during the period of sexual
differentiation. Studies have shown that bifenthrin's endocrine-disrupting effects can differ depending
on salinity. Therefore, we exposed larval Menidia beryllina, a model euryhaline fish that sexually
differentiates between 7-21 dph, to 1 ng/L to bifenthrin, 4-hydroxy bifenthrin (common metabolite),
ethinylestradiol, or a methanol control for seven days. All treatments were run at 5 and 20 ppt to
examine effects at brackish and estuarine salinities. We then examined whether genes that underlie sex
determination were differentially expressed between these treatments. Results indicate that bifenthrin
has effects on this early life stage of Menidia beryllina that may carry through to adulthood and have
implications for population-level effects as well.
Author: Avery Dominguez
Faculty Supervisor: Joseph Covi
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
EFFECTS OF THE PESTICIDES, FENOXYCARB AND CARBARYL, ON POST-DIAPAUSE DEVELOPMENT IN ARTEMIA FRANCISCANA
Pesticides have the potential to impact development and growth in non-target organisms like
invertebrate zooplankton. Current research in this area focuses on adults or larvae, and fails to consider
dormant life stages. In the present study I use Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp) to assess the effects
that pesticides have on development following dormancy. Brine shrimp are an excellent model organism
because they are commercially available and develop successfully under simple culture conditions. I
tested the hypothesis that the pesticides, fenoxycarb and carbaryl, would delay post-diapause
development by disrupting endocrine signaling and neurotransmission, respectively. Preliminary results
suggest that 1 μg/ml fenoxycarb delays emergence and hatching without decreasing hatching success
and that 5 μg/ml carbaryl disrupts neurotransmission and decreases hatching success by stopping
development of E2 prenauplii. A comparison with published data on the zooplankton, Daphnia magna,
indicates that the effects of these pesticides on early development following dormancy cannot be
generalized.
15
Author: Stacia Dwelle
Faculty Supervisor: Larry Cahoon
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
DOES FLURIDONE AT RECOMMENDED APPLICATION LEVELS AFFECT MICROALGAE (PHYTOPLANKTON
AND BENTHIC MICROALGAE IN SEDIMENT) IN LAKE WACCAMAW?
Lake Waccamaw is infested with Hydrilla verticillata, an invasive aquatic weed, overrunning the lake,
which is home to endemic and endangered species. Treatment for the aggressive weed began in
summer 2013 using commercial herbicide, Sonar 1, with active ingredient fluridone. We investigated the
effect fluridone has on non-target species such as benthic microalgae and phytoplankton from the lake
using sediment and water samples to measure biomass and to observe beta-carotene synthesis, which
fluridone disables. We measured biomass as chlorophyll a and measured relative concentrations of
phytoene, phytofluene, and beta-carotene. Relative chlorophyll a concentrations decreased after only 1
week with 1 ppb treatment fluridone, and recommended application rates showed a decrease in beta
carotene synthesis. Phytoplankton showed no effects. Continued treatment of Lake Waccamaw Hydrilla
with fluridone may result in negative impacts on benthic microalgae, and therefore, treatment methods
need to be reconsidered.
Author: Katherine Dyer
Undergraduate/Graduate
Co-authors: Catharine Nealley, Danielle Panoz-Brown, Tiffany Phasukkan, Michael Mathews,
Samantha Hess, Katrina Gobenciong, Alyssa Cawley
Faculty Supervisors: Mark Galizio and Kate Bruce
Department: Psychology
EMERGENT STIMULUS RELATIONS IN RATS: IDENTITY-YES! SYMMETRY-NO!
Humans typically show evidence of emergent stimulus relations following conditional discrimination
training. For example, after training on an arbitrary conditional discrimination (e.g., given A, select B), a
symmetrical relation emerges (given B, select A). While few studies of emergent symmetry in
nonhumans have yielded positive results, symmetry has been observed in pigeons trained in Go-No-Go
procedures (e.g., Urcuioli, 2008). The present study was a systematic replication of Urcuioli (2008) in
rats using odor stimuli in an automated olfactometer. Seven rats met baseline criteria, but none showed
emergent symmetry. In order to assess the sensitivity of our Go-No-Go procedure in the study of
emergent relations, different rats were trained on identity matching with odor stimuli and were given
probe identity trials. Six rats met baseline criteria, five of which show responding consistent with
generalized identity. These results are not consistent with the Urcuioli (2008) theory of class formation.
16
Author: Ian Fincham
Faculty Supervisor: Brian Arbogast
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
INITIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BIODIVERSITY OF BIOLUMINESCENT LAMPYRIDAE AT THE WILDSUMACO
REASEARCH AREA OF SUMACO, ECUADOR.
The purpose of this study was to obtain an initial description of bioluminescent Lampyridae, fireflies and
their relatives, in the Wildsumaco research area in Sumaco, Ecuador. Species specific flash patterns were
observed and used to determine the number of species in different sampling sites along with
information of the relative height of the flash pattern, color, and time of night it occurred. Some of the
patterns were also recorded with long-exposure photography. This data was then compiled and used to
determine overall diversity of bioluminescent Lampyridae of the entire region as well as how the
diversity changes based on various factors, height, time, and forest density.
Author: John Gagnon
Co-author: Blair Brannon
Faculty Supervisor: Jennifer Biddle
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Public and International
Affairs
SUSTAINABILITY IN WASTE MANAGEMENT: COMPARING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF STRATEGIES TO
MINIMIZE UNIVERSITY WASTE
The goal of this project was to enhance the commissioned university waste audit with the creativity and
fresh perspective of students. The Coastal Health Initiative commissioned a university waste audit to
address the issue of waste generated and improve effectiveness of recycling practices on campus.
UNCW currently is engaged in numerous activities that promote sustainability. However, there are many
additional practices that could be incorporated into a comprehensive sustainability program, as
identified in the 2007 'Sustainability Ad Hoc Committee Report'. This project is congruent with the needs
and recommendations identified in the 2007 Sustainability report and findings from this waste audit and
improvement plan will be shared directly with university staff and student organizations. After carrying
out the waste audit portion of the project we were able to see the long term effects a zero waste
recycling facility or compost facility would have on the University. We conducted a cost-benefit analysis
of both options and both are extremely viable options and would propel the University to reach its
sustainability goals in the future.
17
Author: Jennifer Georgiou
Faculty Supervisor: Curry Guinn
Undergraduate
Department: Computer Science
LEARNING WITH GOOGLE GLASS
Google Glass is a device that interacts with the user via visualization, sound, voice, and physical
gestures. These qualities are combined into an application that runs on Glass in order to study the
effects of memory retention of the information presented on the device. With its unique hands-free,
voice and gesture-activated interface, Google Glass has the potential to provide functionality that
cannot be obtained with a cell phone. While Glass is on the road to success with its capabilities, it needs
to demonstrate that it is more than just an extension of a smart phone. This study explores how to
design for a device of 640x360 pixels that is placed no more than 2 inches from the eye and requires a
clean and simple look to provide a user friendly experience. The application interacts with the user by
speaking the instructions and provides a guided tutorial for the user to learn how to navigate through
the program. The interface responds to voice commands as well as gestures. A design principle in which
voice commands and gestures have overlapping functionality allows the user to interact with this new
device using the same techniques of swiping, taping and speaking as already learned from current
devices. The learning aspect is done with flashcards, where each card contains images, text and sounds.
Feedback is also given to the user.
Author: Chandler Gianattasio
Co-authors: Nathaniel East, Catherine Mills, Eric Hunt
Faculty Supervisor: Sridhar Varadarajan
SURCA AWARD
UNCW Fellowships
Undergraduate
Department: Chemistry & Biochemistry
SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL PHTHALIMIDE COMPOUNDS AS TNF-ALPHA INHIBITORS
Our laboratory is currently working in collaboration with P2D Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company
based in Cincinnati, OH, to develop new small-molecule drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative
diseases. It has been demonstrated that Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a protein that has
been found in high levels in individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease, and it is shown that inhibiting TNFα
activity improves cognitive function in AD patients. In this project we have synthesized a library of novel
phthalimide compounds as TNF-alpha inhibitors and investigated their properties. Multiple promising
lead compounds have been identified for further development.
18
Author: Deanna Hardesty
Faculty Supervisors: Joseph Pawlik and Micah Marty
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
A GUIDE TO THE ASSESSMENT OF SPONGE MORPHOLOGY: EXAMPLES USING AAPTOS PERNUCLEATA
Sponges are ecologically important organisms on Caribbean coral reefs. Foundational to the study of
sponges is the ability to properly identify and characterize their morphological features. This poster
presents some basic methods in observing and quantifying morphological features of demosponges,
such as spicule observation, taking measurements of wet and dry mass, and examination of the sponge's
internal structure. We used Aaptos pernucleata, a massive black sponge, to demonstrate each of these
basic techniques.
Author: Samantha Hess
Undergraduate/Graduate
Co-authors: Katherine Dyer, Katrina Gobenciong, Alyssa Cawley, Tiffany Phasukkan, Danielle PanozBrown, Catharine Nealley, Michael Mathews
Faculty Supervisor: Mark Galizio and Kate Bruce
Department: Psychology
UNCW Fellowship
OLFACTORY MATCHING AND NON-MATCHING-TO-SAMPLE IN RATS
The ability to differentiate whether stimuli are the same (identity) or different (oddity) has been said to
be the most fundamental abstract concept. There is evidence for such concept learning in nonhumans
including apes, monkeys, sea lions and pigeons. Research with rodents has generally been less
successful, but recent work from our laboratory has shown matching and non-matching to sample in
rats using manually presented odor stimuli. The present study was an effort to replicate these findings
using a computer-controlled olfactometer apparatus. Rats were trained on successive conditional
discrimination procedures (Go-No-Go) under matching or non-matching-to-sample contingencies with
four different odor stimuli. When accuracy criteria were met, a different set of four odor stimuli were
introduced, either under the same or reversed contingencies. Rats developed high levels of accuracy on
both matching and non-matching contingencies and showed evidence of transfer when novel stimuli
were introduced.
19
Author: Devon Keeler
Faculty Supervisor: Jennifer McCall
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
EVALUATION OF SEVERAL BIOASSAYS FOR DETECTION OF BREVETOXINS
Karenia brevis is a marine dinoflagellate responsible for harmful algal blooms off the Florida coast. It
produces the neurotoxic brevetoxins (PbTxs), which cause massive fish kills, marine animal mortalities,
and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in humans. Rapid, inexpensive, and user-friendly tests for PbTxs are
needed to monitor blooms and shellfish contamination. To examine the efficacy of three rapid
bioassays, pure samples of four PbTx congeners and eight unknown K. brevis extracts were tested on
ELISA immunoassays, fluorescent binding assays (FBA), and cytoxicity assays. The ELISA detected the
presence of only type B PbTxs. The FBA was only effective at detecting toxic PbTxs, regardless of type.
Surprisingly, it was found that only PbTx-1 and PbTx-2 congeners caused cell death in the cytotoxicity
assay, which was unexpected because previous studies had indicated that PbTx-3 should also be toxic.
These studies illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of each rapid bioassay in testing for PbTxs.
Author: Troy Kling
Faculty Supervisor: Maxim Neumann
Undergraduate
Department: Mathematics & Statistics
STATISTICAL IMAGE FILTERING AND DENOISING TECHNIQUES FOR SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR DATA
Images of Earth's surface gathered by Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR)
contain a plethora of information about the nature of the scattering media covering the ground.
Depending on the type of instrument used to scan the landscape, a combination of radiometric,
polarimetric, and interferometric data can be gathered. This data can be used for a wide range of
purposes, from conducting biomass studies to building digital elevation maps.Despite its usefulness,
synthetic aperture radar confers a speckled appearance to the images it takes of Earth's surface. This
speckle noise hinders efforts to analyze image contents, and therefore it is necessary to develop new,
efficient techniques for removing this noise. Non-local approaches are particularly well-suited for this
task, since they are able to reduce speckle noise while preserving important structures in the image. In
this paper several different speckle filters, both local and non-local, are described and analyzed.
20
Author: Brooklynne Knopp
Faculty Supervisor: Kathy Fox
Undergraduate
Department: Early Chilhood,
Elementary, Middle, Literacy & Special
Education
THE EXPLORATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND TEACHING RELATIONSHIPS IN CREATING A
POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE
The purpose of this project is to identify a variety of techniques that school administrators and teachers
can use to foster a positive relationship between both parties which will in turn, create a positive school
climate. A review of current literature and the completion of a case study of one school in New Hanover
County revealed multiple practices.
Author: Jacob Koile
Co-author: Chris Dolan
Faculty Supervisor: Liping Gan
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Physics & Physical
Oceanography
TESTING AND INSTALLATION OF THE LOW GRANULARITY PAIR SPECTROMETER IN JEFFERSON LAB HALL D
The pair spectrometer in the photon beam line of Hall D at Jlab is designed to calibrate and monitor the
linear beam polarization and the relative tagging efficiency of the photon tagger via a well-known
electron-positron pair production. This system includes a thin foil converter, a dipole magnet, and two
identical left and right arm detector packages. Each detector package covers the electron and positron
energy from 3 GeV to 6.25 GeV, each package consists of a front detector array for fine position
resolution and a back Low Granularity detector with scintillating hodoscopes for fast timing. This
presentation will focus on the development, construction and testing of the Low Granularity Pair
Spectrometer counters.
21
Author: Katherine Lenger
Undergraduate
Co-authors: Lydia L. Eisenbrandt, Blaine O. Prescott, Shaina D. Frank
Faculty Supervisor: Cameron Gordon
Department: Psychology
UNCW Fellowship
A WORD TO THE WISE: AGE MATTERS WHEN CONSIDERING MINDFULNESS IN ROMANTIC
RELATIONSHIPS
The present study sought to examine whether age moderates the association between mindfulness and
relationship satisfaction after controlling for relationship length. We hypothesized that mindfulness, the
nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment (Kabat-Zinn, 2003), would be more strongly
correlated with relationship satisfaction among older couples because, regardless of relationship length,
those individuals will more likely find themselves in established relationship roles that create a tendency
toward mindlessness. Results indicate that a significant age x mindfulness interaction predicted
relationship satisfaction (β = .731, p = .016). Probing this interaction indicates that mindfulness is more
strongly associated with relationship satisfaction for older couples than for younger couples. These
results were significant despite controlling for relationship length. This suggests that associations
between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction may be influenced by the age of the individuals
comprising the dyad, rather than the age of the relationship itself. Implications will be discussed.
Author: Carrianne Leschak
Co-authors: Emily Lasko, Kristen Maynard
Faculty Supervisor: Richard Pond
Undergraduate
Department: Psychology
EMPATHETIC DEFICITS MEDIATE THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ALEXITHYMIA AND SOCIAL ANHEDONIA
Alexithymia (i.e., difficulty describing one's emotions) is commonly linked to interpersonal problems
(e.g., Spitzer et al., 2005). However, little research has explored potential underlying mechanisms. The
current study explored whether deficits in empathetic concern explained the relationship between
alexithymia and social anhedonia (i.e., a factor linked to asociality). Participants (N=373) completed
measures of alexithymia, social anhedonia, trait empathy, and emotional intelligence. There was a
positive association between alexithymia and social anhedonia. Both alexithymia and social anhedonia
exhibited negative associations with trait empathy. Findings indicated that people high in alexithymia
tend to exhibit high levels of social anhedonia, in part, because they tend to empathize less with others.
This pattern remained robust after controlling for emotional intelligence. Although emotional
intelligence was negatively associated with social anhedonia, empathy did not significantly mediate this
association. This suggests that alexithymia and emotional intelligence, though related constructs,
operate through different mechanisms to predict social anhedonia.
22
Author: Christopher Lloyd
Faculty Supervisor: Midori Albert
Undergraduate
Department: Anthropology
HUMAN VARIATION IN FACE AGING IN ADULT MONOZYGOTIC TWINS: BIOMETRIC APPLICATIONS FOR
THE IDENTITY SCIENCES
The purpose of this study is to explore the extent of similarity or divergence in facial appearance of adult
identical (monozygotic) twins as a function of age for biometric applications to the identity sciences. This
study focuses on the effects of epigenetics in face aging in adult monozygotic twins. The sample for this
study comprised 65 twin sets, separated into three age groups, that were taken from a database
containing high resolution digital images. A reference sample of subadult monozygotic twins (ages 6 to
18) was used for comparison. The digital images were landmarked and measurements were taken for
different dimensions of the face. Paired sample t-tests were run to determine what dimensions of the
face showed statistically significant difference as identical twins age. Results from this study suggest that
epigenetics may not have a large influence on face aging in adult monozygotic twins.
Author: Diana Lovelace
Faculty Supervisor: Deborah Pollard
Undergraduate
School: Nursing
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATERNAL SOCIAL SUPPORT AND BREASTFEEDING SELF-EFFICACY FOR
MOTHERS OF PRETERM INFANTS INTENDING TO BREASTFEED: A PILOT STUDY
Preterm births, births less than 37 weeks gestation, account for 11.7% of births in the United States
(March of Dimes, 2013). Preterm infants fed human milk have lower rates of necrotizing enterocolitis
and retinopathy of prematurity, significantly less morbidity, shorter stays in the neonatal intensive care
unit (NICU), lower hospital readmission rates, and cognitive improvement compared to those fed
formula. Despite the health benefits, mothers of preterm infants are not breastfeeding as
recommended. Human milk is the recommend form of newborn nutrition and is especially important for
preterm infants. The purpose of this descriptive correlational pilot study was to examine the efficacy of
several instruments (demographic form, breastfeeding status form, chart review form, and
breastfeeding self-efficacy scale) used to explore factors that influence breastfeeding success in mothers
of preterm infants in the NICU in southeastern North Carolina. Data analysis and results are pending
completion of participant recruitment.
23
Author: Taylor Luffman
Co-author: Lindsay Allen
Faculty Supervisor: Jacquelyn Lee
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
School: Social Work
MINDFULNESS-BASED SELF-CARE (MBSC) WITH CUSTODIAL GRANDPARENT CAREGIVING
Research shows custodial grandparent caregivers often experience clinically significant levels of stress in
relation to the caregiving role. While the challenges of caregiving are well documented, there are few
interventions designed to promote caregivers' attention to their own health and wellbeing. Defined as
purposefully paying attention to the present moment without judgment, mindfulness has been used
with other caregiving groups, improving the overall well being of participants. This study sought to
explore the benefits of MBSC (Mindfulness-Based Self-Care), pilot 10-session curriculum designed to
increase mindfulness and self-care in a local pre-existing support group of 40 caregivers. With a mixed
methods design, this study includes pretest and posttest survey, a focus group, and face-to-face
interviews. It is hypothesized that engagement in MBSC will decrease perceived stress and increase
mindfulness practice, self-compassion, self-care, and perceived general health status. Implications of
this study include strengthened relationships and increased compassion for self and others.
Author: Bennett Mack
Faculty Supervisor: Antje Almeida
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Chemistry & Biochemistry
SENSITIVITY OF S. AUREUS TO ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES
Like the skin of a human, the lipid membrane is the primary form of protection for bacteria.
Antimicrobial peptides, small proteins found within antibiotics, actively invade or alter these lipid
membranes in an attempt to cause disorder within the bacteria. Experimental procedures are carried
out by growing the bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus. The aim of the study will be to control the
fatty acids present on S. aureus' membrane and determine how they affect the Minimum Inhibitor
Concentration, MIC, of the antibiotics run against them in a 96-well plate. Such antibiotics studied
against S. aureus include Ampicilin, Mastoparan X, PMAP-23, C14-PMAP-23, and 9i15-PMAP-23. Results
of this study will offer a greater understanding of the membrane's lipid composition and will allow for
further insight into antimicrobial activity.
24
Author: Ana Mayren
Faculty Supervisor: Joseph Covi
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
PROMOTING HATCHING OF DORMANT ROTIFER EGGS
While we understand a great deal about rotifer life-cycles and ecology, no published studies assess the
effects of toxicants on resurrection from dormant life stages for any species in the phylum Rotifera. The
purpose of the present study is to identify optimal hatching conditions for dormant rotifer embryos.
Diapause embryos of the freshwater rotifer, Brachionus calyciflorus, and the marine rotifer, B. plicatilis,
were subjected to varied lighting conditions in DI water or 0.25M NaCl, respectively. Approximately five
embryos were plated into each well of a six-well plate for each species, and embryos were counted after
12h. Direct sunlight through a window promoted an increase in hatching relative to incubations under
room lighting. Future research will focus on refining the conditions needed to increase the success of
embryo hatching in order to effectively use these species as model organisms to test the effect of
toxicants on resurrection from a dormant state.
Author: Catherine McDermott
Faculty Supervisor: Simone Nguyen
Undergraduate
Department: Psychology
VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN'S HOPE AND HAPPINESS
This study stems from the emerging field of positive developmental psychology, which focuses on
children's strengths and virtues (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). This study investigates happiness
and hope in children with visual impairments. Participants included children with a range of visual
impairments (N = 16, Mage = 11.9 years) and their parents. Children's happiness and hope and their
parents' perception of their happiness and hope were measured using the Happiness Face's Scale and
Children's Hope Scale. The results indicate a high level of happiness (M = 12.15 out of 14) and hope (M =
31.46 out of 36) in these children. Parents' perception of their children's happiness was high (M =
12.38), with no significant difference from children's scores, p > .05. However, parents' perceptions of
their children's hope was significantly lower (M = 25.23) than their children's scores, suggesting parents
may be underestimating their children's hope, p < .05.
25
Author: Kyle McDermott
Faculty Supervisor: Andrea Hawkes
Undergraduate
Department: Geography & Geology
RECONSTRUCTING HIGH-LATITUDE STORM EVENTS FROM A FJORD IN NEWFOUNDLAND
The Arctic is highly susceptible to changes in climate, directly impacted by albedo and heat flux. Arctic
regions seasonally impacted by sea-ice may experience enhanced coastal erosion. This project
reconstructs the frequency of storm events from a fjord in northern Newfoundland using an 800-cm
core spanning 0 to 10,000 yrs BP. Fjord sedimentation is composed of dark gray silt punctuated by
coarser anomalies in grain size distribution signifying abrupt depositional events, most likely storms.
These storm-induced deposits will be compared with regional climate records in hopes of providing
insight into high latitude storm dynamics. Storm frequency will be compared to warming and cooling
events documented in the geologic record to gain insight into the feedbacks between climate change
and high latitudinal storminess. A recent multi-decadal increase/decrease in regional storm frequency
may be indicative of future changes likely to impact high latitudes in the coming decades to centuries.
Author: Zebulon Mims
Co-author: Nicholas Schaivone
Faculty Supervisor: Daniel C. Johnson
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Music
EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENTIATED EDUCATIONAL CENTERS IN THE GENERAL MUSIC
CLASSROOM
Differentiated educational centers in classroom instruction provide organized yet flexible learning, but
their effect on students' musical learning is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine this
effect. For five weeks, four intact classes were randomly assigned to centers and traditional instructional
(n = 113 and 119, respectively). Dependent, teacher-designed instruments measured musical
understanding and auditory skills. Co-authors used a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA)
with pretest scores as a covariate. One significant (p = 0.05) main effect difference was in auditory skills.
Students receiving traditional instruction scored significantly higher (M = 93.7, SD = 1.3 vs. M = 89.6, SD
= 1.3). Possibly, the centers had greater emphasis on written work vs. auditory activities, and students
may have had a lower level of focus and concentration while working in centers. Implications include
highlighting the efficacy of teacher-led instruction and exploring alternative pedagogy to achieve more
musically focused learning.
26
Author: Farah Mohiuddin
Co-author: Sarah J. Johnson
Faculty Supervisor: Caroline Clements
Undergraduate
Department: Psychology
DID HE DO IT? DIFFERENCES IN VICTIMS, PERPETRATORS, AND MUTUALLY VIOLENT COUPLES'
RESPONSES TO A VIDEOTAPED PERPETRATOR
Attribution of blame was assessed across victims, perpetrators, both victims and perpetrators (mutually
violent), and neither victims nor perpetrators of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) groups. Groups
were assigned based on self-reported status according to the CTS-R. Participants watched a video of a
man describing his most recent relationship conflict in which he either acknowledged (Condition A) or
did not acknowledge perpetration (Condition N) of IPV. Results suggest that mutually violent
participants were more likely to say the man in the video did not assault his partner than participants in
the victim only, perpetrator only, and neither perpetrator nor victim groups, regardless of condition.
Further, mutually violent participants in Condition N were twice as likely to say the man was innocent
compared to other groups (victim only, perpetrator only, and neither). Clinical and forensic
interventions were discussed.
Author: Brian Moy
Faculty Supervisor: Ryan Rhodes
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
THE EFFECT OF FJOH_2240 DELETION ON GLIDING MOTILITY OF FLAVOBACTERIUM JOHNSONIAE
Flavobacterium johnsoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium that serves as a model organism for studying
bacterial gliding motility. Genomic analysis identified a flippase homologue, wzx (fjoh_2240), which is
predicted to transport polysaccharides across the cytoplasmic membrane for glycosylation of proteins in
the periplasm. One such protein is SprB, a large cell surface adhesin required for spreading on agar
surfaces. Analysis of the SprB amino acid sequence identified 9 possible glycosylation sites. In this study
we are using an allelic exchange system to delete wzx in order to determine the role of glycosylation in
motility and adhesion. Primers were designed with engineered restriction sites, and the regions flanking
wzx were amplified by PCR. The region upstream of wzx was cloned into the suicide vector pRR51 to
generate pBEM01. Further work will be conducted to clone the region downstream of wzx into pBEM01
to complete the deletion construct.
27
Author: Eli Mullis
Faculty Supervisor: Tracy Chen
Undergraduate
Department: Computer Science
MMPI-2 ITEM ANALYSIS WITH MULTIDIMENSIONAL ITEM RESPONSE THEORY
The goal of this project is to explore the possibility of shortening the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) exam for veterans and military personnel using Multidimensional Item Response
Theory (MIRT) models. The MMPI is a popular, general-purpose standardized test for measuring adult
personality, and has existed in various forms since 1943. The MMPI-2 specifically consists of 567 items,
with an alternate abridged version consisting of 370 items. Item Response Theory is a mathematical
model used to design and assess tests based on item difficulty and respondent's skill level. This project
will be carried out by processing scanned PDFs of MMPI-2 responses by personnel into a large Excel
spreadsheet. This step should ideally be easy to automate using Python scripts, as we have access to a
very large number of respondents. After the data is organized into a usable format, analysis can be
performed using the R `mirt` package.
Author: Danielle Panoz-Brown
Graduate/Undergraduate
Co-authors: Panoz-Brown, D., Myers, C., Gobenciong, K., Anderson, C., Prichard, A., Deal, M., Hess, S.,
Hannah, S., Welch, R.
Faculty Supervisor: Mark Galizio
Department: Psychology
EFFECTS OF SUB-CHRONIC KETAMINE ON THE ODOR SPAN TASK AND REVERSAL LEARNING IN RATS
Studies have shown that sub-chronic exposure to NMDA antagonists (e.g., ketamine) impairs
performance on a variety of tasks and may provide a model for the cognitive impairments in
schizophrenia. The present study evaluated the effects of sub-chronic ketamine using a procedure that
is generally viewed as a rodent model of working-memory capacity, the odor span task (OST). Rats were
trained on the OST and then exposed to sub-chronic injections of saline, 10 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg
ketamine. Following drug administration, OST performance and discrimination reversal learning capacity
were evaluated. Decreased span was observed in ketamine-treated rats, but these effects were small
and transitory. Overall, no enduring effects of sub-chronic ketamine exposure on the OST or reversal
learning task were observed. Results were inconsistent with previous studies and indicate the
importance of environmental/task variables in the assessment of residual effects of NMDA antagonist
treatment.
28
Author: Tori Rightmyer
Undergraduate
Co-authors: Carm Tomas, Jeffrey Wright, Yanhui Meng, Art Frampton
Faculty Supervisor: Art Frampton
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF A COMPOUND ISOLATED FROM THE MARINE
DINOFLAGELLATE AMPHIDINIUM GIBBOSUM.
Equine Herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory infection, abortions, and in some cases, a severe
neurological disorder called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Recently, our group
screened a series of compounds derived from various marine microorganisms to determine if any
possess inhibitory activity against EHV-1. From this screen, we identified one lead compound (AG2-8-F32), from the marine dinoflagellate, Amphidinium gibbosum. Currently, we are investigating whether
AG2-8-F3-2 displays similar levels of antiviral activity against neurologic and non-neurologic strains of
EHV-1. In this study, we are examining the 24 hour yields of virus from cells that are treated with AG2-8F3-2 versus cells that receive no treatment. Additionally, we are evaluating the ability of AG2-8-F3-2 to
limit the spread of EHV-1 from cell to cell by measuring the size of plaques that form in cells treated with
AG2-8-F3-2 versus untreated cells. Data acquired from this study may lead to the development of new
EHV-1 antivirals.
Author: Alyssa Ritchie
Faculty Supervisor: Art Frampton
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
MOLECULAR CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EQUINE HERPESVIRUS TYPE 1 GLYCOPROTEINS E
(GE) AND I (GI) FROM THE NEUROVIRULENT STRAIN OHIO 2003.
Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) causes abortions, respiratory problems, and neurologic disease in
horses. Glycoproteins I (gI) and E (gE) on the surface of EHV-1 virions are known to contribute to the
cell-to-cell spread of the virus and have been identified as virulence factors. To investigate the
properties of gI and gE from a neurologic strain of EHV-1, we first cloned these genes into expression
plasmids. We are in the process of generating a cell line that will constitutively express both
glycoproteins. This cell line will be used to complement a gI/gE deletion virus and allow us to obtain data
about the function of these two glycoproteins, which were derived from the neurologic EHV-1 strain
OHIO 2003. We hypothesize that gI and gE from neurologic EHV-1 strains will be better able to mediate
cell-to-cell spread and ultimately allow for more efficient spread of EHV-1 from the bloodstream to the
CNS.
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Author: Ashley Ritter
Faculty Supervisor: Len Lecci
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Psychology
EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED SUSCEPTIBILITY AND COST ON HEALTH-RELATED BELIEFS
This research examines how perceived susceptibility to an illness and perceived cost of that illness affect
an individual's health beliefs and actions in a representative, general adult sample of U.S. residents aged
18 to 64. Over 400 participants completed an anonymous online survey hosted on Amazon Mechanical
Turk. The survey includes demographic information and information about current health insurance.
Measures of hypochondriasis, health locus control beliefs, and personality were also assessed.
Participants were then randomly assigned to one of four conditions intended to manipulate perceived
susceptibility for cancer, perceived cost of treating cancer, both cost and susceptibility, or a control
condition. Both the manipulated variables and the individual difference measures were used to predict
participants' beliefs about the importance and value of health insurance, as well as susceptibility to both
target (cancer) and non-target diseases. The findings and their implications for health-related behavior
are discussed.
Author: Allison Russell
Faculty Supervisor: Jeffrey Brudney
Graduate
Department: Public & International
Affairs
A PLATFORM FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY?
EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL OF MAPPING TECHNOLOGY FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Nonprofit organizations strive to identify and build community in a variety of ways. A new development
to assist nonprofits in this critical mission is use of Geographic Information Systems, such as the Urban
Institute’s Community Platform, which aims to provide “web tools for community collaboration and
action.” Based on in-depth interviews with operating Community Platform sites, this study investigates
the degree to which this technology helps nonprofits to define and serve their communities.
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Author: Rob Schilke
Faculty Supervisor: Kevin Kiser
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
NASAL AND PHARYNGEAL CARRIAGE OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA)
IN UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an opportunistic pathogen that negatively
impacts the healthcare community. MRSA causes numerous infections in hospital patients. Nursing
students likely come in contact with this pathogen during their clinical rotations, which may increase
their risk of becoming MRSA carriers. To understand the relationship between exposure and MRSA
carriage, we took nose and throat swab samples from 117 UNCW nursing students. These individuals
were asked to participate in the study by filling out consent forms, as well as conveying background
information on possible past exposure to MRSA. Swab samples were plated on CHROMagar plates to
identify S. aureus. These isolates were then tested for coagulase activity. Disk diffusion was used to test
antibiotic susceptibility of the bacteria. MRSA was characterized by cefoxitin resistance. Of the 117
individuals, 44% of them were S. aureus carriers. 18 individuals had S. aureus in both their nose and
throat. There were 12 students that had it solely in their nose and 21 students had it solely in their
throat. There were no incidences of MRSA carriage in the spring 2014 cohort.
Author: Danielle Siegert
Faculty Supervisor: Robert Condon
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
SOURCE-SINK DYNAMICS OF TERRESTRIAL DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER (TDOM) IN THE CAPE FEAR
RIVER ESTUARY
The metabolic balance between net autotrophy vs. net heterotrophy in marine systems is mediated by
source-sink dynamics of allochthonous organic matter. While rivers discharge 450 Tg C annually,
terrestrial dissolved organic matter (TDOM) is virtually absent in global oceans suggesting biological and
photo-chemical sinks within coastal and estuarine systems. We conducted two experiments contrasting
microbial and photo-chemical kinetics of TDOM from upper, mid and lower Cape Fear River estuary
sites, to test the hypothesis that UV-B (318-320 nm) increases bioavailability and stimulates microbial
uptake of TDOM in dystrophic systems. In the absence of UV, microbial uptake of TDOM was minimal
after 29 days of incubation. In contrast, DOC and spectral slope analysis suggest short-term (7-14 days)
exposure to UV-B enhanced photo-oxidation of TDOM, although it was unclear whether microbial
metabolism resulted in TDOM uptake. These results have implications for global carbon cycles and the
metabolic balance under future climate scenarios.
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Author: Amelia Sludds
Faculty Supervisor: Candice Bredbenner
Undergraduate
Department: History
FROM REDEMPTION TO PREVENTION: THE SHIFT IN RESCUE FOCUS FROM PROSTITUTES TO WOMEN AT
RISK DURING THE PROGRESSIVE ERA
A prominent attitude within the United States during the early 1800s was the resigned view of
prostitution as a 'necessary evil' that, while providing a sexual outlet for married men, pointed to major
character flaws within its practitioners. Lacking information on social conditions driving prostitution,
pre-Progressive reformers concentrated their efforts primarily on veteran prostitutes. As a result,
successful reclamation and reform was negligible. However, during the early 1900s prostitution came to
be regarded as a social evil in need of eradication. Focus on this issue led to the formation of urban vice
reports containing information unavailable to earlier reformers. The rise of Progressive social science
cultivated the view that prostitutes were victims of their socio-economic environment, countering
Victorian views of prostitution as a personal failing. With this information, Progressive reformers
preventatively sought to target women at risk of becoming prostitutes rather than women engaged in
the practice deemed beyond redemption.
Author: William Smith
Faculty Supervisor: Tracy Chen
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Mathematics & Statistics
QUESTIONNAIRE REFINEMENT IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS
The 100 item Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) diagnoses and assesses the activity of post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological disorders. Over the past few years the TSI has been
administered to thousands of veterans and active marines stationed in Camp Lejeune, a base in
Jacksonville, North Carolina, who were referred by military neurologists. In utilizing Item Response
Theory (IRT) on these test results, multiple statistical analyses provided insight into the underlying
characteristics of the TSI: item difficulty, item discrimination, and local dependency. The TSI is time
consuming, therefore a shorter test with tailored assessments is needed. From the IRT model, the
selected subset of items will provide an equally as informative test as the longer version, while still
maximizing precision along all segments. According to psychologists, 'poor effort' constitutes up to 50%
of the difference in cognitive testing performance, which may stem from the length of the TSI.
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Author: Ryan Story
Faculty Supervisor: Tracy Chen
Graduate
Department: Mathematics & Statistics
NONNEGATIVE MATRIX FACTORIZATION METHODS
In this paper we will discuss Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), a low-dimensional approximate
parts based representation of a data matrix. We will discuss different constraints on such a factorization.
Namely, constraints to an orthogonal subspace. Sparseness constraints better construct parts-based
representations of data, and orthogonal constraints ameliorate clustering performance.
Author: Ashley Synger
Faculty Supervisor: Kate Nooner
Undergraduate
Department: Psychology
PILOT STUDY OF TRAUMA SYMPTOMS, SUBSTANCE USE, AND BRAIN FUNCTION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS
We conducted a pilot study investigating the relationship of trauma symptoms and substance use to
brain function using electroencephalography (EEG). Our pilot sample consisted of 15 college students
ages 18-20. Event related potentials (ERPs) for three brain regions (frontal, cortical, and cortico-frontal)
were hypothesized to relate to trauma symptoms and substance use. We found moderate to large
bivariate correlations for recreational drug use and the three brain regions (r’s = .57-.61, p’s= .016-.026);
larger ERP peak amplitudes were associated with higher self-report of recreational drug use. Alcohol use
and the brain regions were not significantly correlated (p=.4). We also found negative correlations that
approached significance for trauma symptoms and the three brain regions (r’s= -.43-.48, p’s=.07-.09);
smaller ERP peak amplitudes were associated with higher self-reported trauma symptoms. These
findings suggest that there may be different neural processes for trauma symptoms and substance use,
even though they often co-occur.
Author: Zoë VanDerPloeg
Faculty Supervisor: Julianne Treme
Undergraduate
Department: Economics & Finance
PLANET HOLLYWOOD: DETERMINANTS OF AMERICAN FILMS' SUCCESS AT HOME AND ABROAD
Although we often think of the Hollywood movie as a uniquely American experience, about sixty percent
of Hollywood's total box office gross is currently earned overseas. Extensive exports and cultural
dissemination have made American films desirable goods far beyond the borders of the USA. It is
arguable that a film's popularity with foreign audiences is perhaps even more important to big American
production studios than success on their own turf. This research examines characteristics of recent
globally exhibited films to explore the discrepancies between the preferences of American and foreign
audiences, with special attention given to audience expectations of actors' presence on Twitter.
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Author: Zoë VanDerPloeg
Faculty Supervisor: Shannon Silva
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: Film Studies
LIFE IN LUMBERTON: AN ARCHIVAL RESEARCH PROJECT
This archival research project investigates life in Lumberton, NC in the 1920s-1940s as part of preproduction work for a period piece film.
Author: Jamie Watson
Faculty Supervisor: Mark Boren
Undergraduate
Department: English
MANY A MIGHTY BIRTH : MATERNAL IMAGERY AND THE MALE-AUTHORED WOMB IN MOBY-DICK,
EDGAR HUNTLY, AND DRACULA
Prior to the call for a women's style of writing by twentieth-century feminists, male-centered narratives
dominated literary practice, including Gothic fiction. Characterized by its psychological landscapes and a
pervasive sense of 'something missing,' early Gothic storytelling often sidelined female characters.
However, the feminine was not entirely absent from these narratives. Consciously or unconsciously,
maternal metaphor is rampant within male-authored texts of the late-eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, such as Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntly, and Bram
Stoker's Dracula. Throughout these texts, fictional wombscapes allow male characters to access and
control an externalized, 'missing' maternal body. This is part of an early tradition of masculine rhetoric
that continues today, evident in popular culture- a rhetoric that exercises control over real women
through its continued effects upon current reproductive rights discourses.
Author: Aaron Weekes
Faculty Supervisor: Anthony Atkins
SURCA AWARD
Undergraduate
Department: English
THE TRUTH IS DEAD: GORGIAS AND NIETZSCHE'S EPISTEMOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF
UNDERSTANDING TRUTH.
As the platforms for communication continue to evolve while information spreads at an instantaneous
rate, there is a necessity to encode and verify the truth and falsity of messages; however, the ability to
decide what is true or false has become exponentially difficult with an abundant amount of conflicting
messages of truth spreading instantaneously. This dilemma is not only a contemporary issue; its' roots
trace to the intersection of the birth of philosophy and rhetoric, and how both disciplines form truth
through different criteria. Furthermore, the works of the ancient sophist Gorgias and the German
philosopher Nietzsche illuminate a new version of truth formed through their comparative
epistemologies, which have a substantial effect to how ancient and current society evaluate what is true
and what is false.
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Author: Samuel West
Undergraduate
Co-authors: Carrieanne Leschak, Jenna McPherson, Paris Tindal
Faculty Supervisor: Richard Pond
Department: Psychology
KNOCK IT OFF! EFFECTS OF GENDER ON PERCEPTIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
This study investigated perceptions of sexual harassment and how they are affected by gender as well as
characteristics of the actual sexual harassment incident. Participants consisted of 144 individuals who
voluntarily completed an online survey. The survey contained demographics and 16 different
hypothetical scenarios of sexual harassment that varied on multiple dimensions, such as gender of the
harasser, gender of the target, and type of harassment. Participants were asked to rate the severity of
each scenario. Results demonstrated that the gender of both the target and harasser along with the
type of harassment have a significant impact on how sexual harassment is perceived. The femalefemale pairing was rated as the most severe verbal harassment pairing. When the harassment depicted
was physical, however, male-female harassment was rated as the most severe. The reported frequency
of experiencing sexual harassment presented a weak but significant correlation with severity
perceptions of harassment.
Author: Emma York
Faculty Supervisor: Carm Tomas
Undergraduate
Department: Biology & Marine Biology
THE MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF GAMBIERDISCUS RIBOTYPE II POPULATIONS
This study examined cultures of Gambierdiscus cells, SIBU, SJ3, WL18, and 1655, all of which represent
ribotype group II. They possess genetically unique DNA from the ten identified species of Gambierdiscus.
The aim of this investigation was to prepare these cultures for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to
perform visual and measured morphological comparisons between the ribotypes and line drawings,
provided by Litaker et al, to determine which species they are most, and least, related to. Following
initial visual analysis, the cells most closely resembled Gambierdiscus pacificus. Three cultures of G.
pacificus were then prepared for SEM analysis and whole cell and individual plate width and length
measurements were taken for comparison between the ribotypes and G. pacificus. The methods used
within this investigation should provide a basic framework upon which to classify SIBU, SJ3, WL18, and
1655 Ribotype group II.
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Author: Andraya Zelle
Faculty Supervisor: Tammy Arms
Undergraduate
School: Nursing
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS OF HEALTH DISPARITIES OF LGBT OLDER ADULTS
The 1.5 million older adults who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) are
expected to double in number by 2030. Research suggests that health disparities are closely linked with
societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of civil and human rights. More LGBT older adults struggle
with depression, substance abuse, social isolation and acceptance compared to their heterosexual
counterparts. Despite individual preferences, most healthcare providers recognize the right of any
person to have access to basic medical services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
requires that all hospitals receiving funds from Medicare and Medicaid respect visitation and medical
decision making rights to all persons identifying as LGBT. The Joint Commission also requires a nondiscrimination statement for accreditation. This literature review examines LGBT health disparities and
the consequential psychosocial impact on LGBT older adults as well as brings awareness to the needs of
this under-served and under-represented population.
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