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Celebration of Academic Excellence
Undergraduate Research Symposium
April 29, 2009
History of the Day
For 237 years, Salem College has been committed to the tradition of academic excellence. From generation to
generation, the women of Salem have distinguished themselves in their undergraduate work in the arts,
humanities, sciences and education. Reflecting the College’s pride in their academic efforts, the Salem
College community continues this annual tradition in 2009.
Today, we gather to celebrate the work of Salem senior students, selected honors students and graduate
students as well as their faculty advisors. Everyone is encouraged to attend these important and thoughtprovoking presentations spotlighting undergraduate excellence.
The second annual Salem College Celebration of Academic Excellence showcases student work across the
disciplines and features new faculty research. We invite you to join with us in celebrating our
accomplishments and publicly acknowledging the hard work of our students.
Program
OPENING SESSION 1 / 8:30 - 9:45 a.m.
Hanes Auditorium
Introductory Remarks, Dr. Ann McElaney-Johnson, vice president for academic and student affairs
and dean of the College
Faculty Research
Daniel Prosterman, Department of History and Political Science
Dr “Join the Sentinels of Liberty!” American Popular Culture and Youth Mobilization in World War
II and Beyond
Dr. Kim Nguyen, Department of Communication
“Without the Luxury of Historical Amnesia:” The Model Post-War Immigrant Remembering the
Vietnam War through Anti-Communist Protests
Jo Dulan, Department of English, Director of the Honors Program and Salem College Distinguished
Professor
Loose Women, Lecherous Men, Cross-Dressing Amazons and Racial Indeterminacy in Restoration
Drama
SESSION 2 / 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Studio Art and Interior Design
Hanes Auditorium
Moderator: Ms. Carann Graham
Christine Anderson (Ms. Kimberly Varnadoe)
Songs for the Soul
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Hilary Huff (Ms. Carann Graham)
Historic Preservation: Coffee House and Loft Living
Bebe Phipps (Ms. Kimberly Varnadoe)
Journey to Me
Casey Newton (Ms. Carann Graham)
Freedom Christian Center, Mooresville
Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Shirley Recital Hall
Moderator: Dr. Nita Eskew
Xiao Fu (Ms. Deborah L. Harrell)
Study on Network Formation Games
Anju Karki (Dr. Rebecca Dunn)
The BpsR Regulatory Protein Represses the Production of the Bps Polysaccharide and Biofilm
Formation in Bordetella
Lingyao Yang (Ms. Deborah L. Harrell)
A Mathematical Approach to Neural Coding in a Neural Spike Train
Adrienne Amos Livengood-Baker (Dr. Linda Dudley)
A Study of the Dreams of Adult Women: Effects of Anxiety Level on Dream Content and Recall
International Relations
Drama Workshop
Moderator: Dr. David Foley
Carolina Sanchez (Dr. David Foley)
Stateless People in the International System
Christine G. Parker (Dr. David Foley)
United States Hegemony and European Security
Yuliya Krasavina (Dr. David Foley)
United States/Russia Relations in the 21st Century
SESSION 3 / 11:15 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
International Relations
Hanes Auditorium
Moderator: Dr. David Foley
Christina Walsh (Dr. David Foley and Dr. Andrew Thomas)
Budapest, Prague and Vienna: Capital Cities and the Dissolution of the Habsburg Empire
Julie Yearry (Dr. David Foley)
Developing Economic Stability in the Rising Powers and its Effect on Hegemonic Power
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Lark Walters (Dr. David Foley)
Resource Competition in Central Asia
Eunice Anane-Asamoah (Dr. David Foley)
Post-Colonial Development in African States
Biological Sciences
Shirley Recital Hall
Moderator: Dr. Traci Porter
Denethia Green (Dr. Traci Porter)
Feasibility of Primary Kidney Cell Isolation via Mechanical Dissociation
Rachel Marie Schultz (Dr. Rebecca Dunn)
Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Growth Factor Study
Prabha Shrestha (Dr. Stephen Nohlgren)
The Importance of Caspase 8 in M51r VSV Induced Apoptosis in Brain Tumor Cells
LUNCH / 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Corrin Refectory
SESSION 4 / 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
History
Hanes Auditorium
Moderator: Dr. Andrew Thomas
Michelle Thetford (Dr. Andrew Thomas)
Women in Power: Queen Elizabeth I and Empress Maria Theresa
Katie Tucker (Dr. Andrew Thomas)
German Paleography and its Significance for Moravian Colonial History
Andrea Yates (Dr. Andrew Thomas)
Suns of Splendor: The Dynastic Cults of the Habsburg Monarchy and the Japanese Empire
Elaina Brandt Guthrie Wingfield (Dr. Andrew Thomas)
The Modification of Moravian/Non-Moravian Relationships in the North Carolina Backcountry 17531763
Interdisciplinary
Shirley Recital Hall
Moderator: Dr. John Hutton
Heather Jo Howard (Dr. John Hutton)
Nameless and Friendless: Anne Brontë, Emily Osborn and the Struggle of the Victorian Woman
Artist
Lindsay Barber (Dr. Gary Ljungquist)
“Gurl, You Got Dat Good Hair”
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J. Kevin Benson (Dr. Richard Johe and Dr. Terry Smith)
Gender and Leadership: Do Women Lead Differently Than Men?
Research Poster Session
June Johnson Gallery
SESSION 5 / 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.
Interdisciplinary
Hanes Auditorium
Moderator: Dr. Gary Ljungquist
Newal Sherif (Dr. Gary Ljungquist)
La Negritude: Consciousness of the Black/African Culture, Heritage, and Identity
Lauren Meek and Madeline Baird (Mr. Nathan Ross Freeman)
Going Home: The Process and Challenges of Collaborative Creativity
Dazell Demming (Ms. Kristen Lavelle)
Michelle Obama and the Public Image of the African-American Woman
Dieynaba Dia (Dr. David Foley)
Case Study: Traditional Economic Form in Mauritania, Western Africa
Not for Profit Management and Business and Economics
Shirley Recital Hall
Moderator: Dr. Richard Johe
Jennifer Whitaker and Alicia Bowmer (Dr. Richard Johe)
The Whopper King vs. Dave and Wendy
Taylor Moore and Brittany Leinbach (Dr. Richard Johe)
Reynolds American vs. Phillip Morris USA: Who Has the Competitive Advantage?
Julie Daniels (Dr. Doug Borwick)
GROW – Increasing Student Activism through Grassroots Organizing
Karvika Pandey (Dr. Richard Johe)
Who Is Globalization Helping and Hurting?
DINNER / LEADERSHIP BANQUET / 4:45 – 6 p.m. – Corrin Refectory
SESSION 6 / 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
Business and Economics
Hanes Auditorium
Moderator: Dr. Herb Schuette
Lavanya Coodly (Dr. Herb Schuette)
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Exchange-Rate Determinants in Asia: 1995-2006
Ang Sanu Lama (Dr. Herb Schuette)
The Dynamics of Foreign Labor Migration in Nepal
Shradha Shrestha (Dr. Herb Schuette)
AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa and its Effects on Economic Growth and Development
Rashmi Sharma (Dr. Christina Zenker)
Interest Rate and the Financial Crisis
Honors Program
Shirley Recital Hall
Moderator: Dr. Ann McElaney-Johnson
Destiney Linker (Dr. Jo Dulan)
Confessing Tongues: Oral Tradition, Nature and the Power of the Folk in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their
Eyes Were Watching God
Jennifer Woodcock (Dr. Jo Dulan)
Before Stonewall
Julie Bigsby (Dr. Jo Dulan)
Exposure: The Emergence of a Homosexual Identity (in word and film)
Erin Hylton (Dr. Jo Dulan)
Aaron Douglas: An Artist of Modern Subversion
Master Candidates in Education: Using Action Research to Transform Classroom Practice
Moderator: Dr. Benjamin Blaisdell
Science 101
SESSION 7 / 7:30-8:45
Communications
Hanes Auditorium
Moderator: Nebra Halsey C’09
Smriti Shrestha (Dr. Carol Dykers)
What are the U.S. Mass Media Telling Americans About Other Countries?
Mona J. Henderson (Dr. Carol Dykers)
Remembering Columbian Heights
Brooke Hedgpeth (Dr. Carol Dykers and Dr. Susan Opt)
Comparing Girl Scout Messages to Young Girls’ Traditional Media Messages
Brittanie Hardy (Dr. Carol Dykers and Dr. Kim Nguyen)
How are ESPN SportsCenter Personnel Talking about Women’s Sports in Ways that Discourage
Viewer Interest?
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Meghann Evans (Dr. Carol Dykers)
Salem Women and Political Media: Exploring Party Affiliation and Media Choice
Honors Program
Shirley Recital Hall
Moderator: Dr. Ann McElaney-Johnson
Kathy Ann Canafax (Dr. John Hutton)
Views and Verse: Harmonizing the Prints of Hiroshige and the Poetry of Basho
Megan Vasiles (Dr. Jo Dulan)
Faulkner’s Conceptions of Masculinity
Molly Trad (Dr. Jennifer Stollman)
Abortion in the Study of History
Samantha Selman (Dr. Gary Ljungquist)
Vagina Dentata and the Film Teeth: Tearing Through Typical Masculinities
Rachel Fichthorn (Dr. Mary Jacobsen)
Why Women Play: Sports Motivation in NCAA Division III Female Athletes