2011 Conference Proceedings - University of Houston
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University of Houston-Clear Lake 17 th A nnu al Stud en t C onf er enc e for R es ear c h and C r eati v e A r ts April 20 – April 22, 2011 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts University of Houston-Clear Lake 2700 Bay Area Blvd Houston, TX 77058 281-283-3375 studentconf@uhcl.edu University of Houston-Clear Lake 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Table of Contents Conference Personnel ........................................................................................................... 3 Directors .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Conference Coordinators ................................................................................................................. 3 Faculty Advisor ................................................................................................................................ 3 Faculty Advisory Committee ............................................................................................................ 3 Proceedings Editors......................................................................................................................... 3 Thank You ............................................................................................................................... 4 Conference Background ........................................................................................................ 5 Attending Colleges/Universities ........................................................................................... 5 Special Events ........................................................................................................................ 6 Presentation Options ............................................................................................................. 6 Conference Program .............................................................................................................. 7 Abstract Listings .................................................................................................................. 11 Oral Presentation Abstracts ................................................................................................ 17 History Consortium ........................................................................................................................ 40 Electronic Presentations ................................................................................................................ 52 Roundtable Abstracts .......................................................................................................... 59 Poster Presentation Abstracts ............................................................................................ 65 Poetry Reading Abstracts.................................................................................................. 103 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 2 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Conference Personnel Directors Michael Hunt, M.A. Pilar Goyarzu, Ph.D. Conference Coordinators Linda Early Lee Ann Zahn Sara Quiroz Daryl Mc Ghiey Rachel Walden Roxanne Fabiani Zenia Latoff Faculty Advisor David Malin, Ph.D. Human Sciences and Humanities Faculty Advisory Committee Magdy Akladios, Ph.D. School of Science and Computer Engineering Kathleen Garland, Ph.D. School of Business Stuart Larson, Ph.D. Human Sciences and Humanities, Fine Arts Tonya Hammer, Ph.D. School of Education Samina Masood, Ph.D. School of Science and Computer Engineering Chad Wetterneck, Ph.D. School of Human Sciences and Humanities Proceedings Editors Zenia Latoff Sarah Quiroz Roxanne Fabiani Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 3 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Thank You We thank all of the presenters, sponsors, evaluators, volunteers, Universities, Colleges, and other individuals and organizations who contributed to the Conference. Special recognition goes to the Offices and Departments within the University of Houston-Clear Lake: Office of the President Dr. William Staples, President Office of the Provost Dr. Carl Stockton, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Student Services Dr. Darlene Biggers, Associate Vice President of Student Services School of Human Sciences and Humanities Dr. Leslye Mize, Dean School of Science and Computer Engineering Dr. Zbigniew J. Czajkiewicz, Dean School of Education Dr. Dennis Spuck, Dean School of Business Dr. Ted Cummings, Dean Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 4 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Conference Background The Student Conference on Research and Creative Arts at the University of Houston-Clear Lake began in 1994 under the direction of psychology instructors Dr. Kyna Shelly and Michael Hunt. Understanding that their students who had participated in research projects were hesitant to attend professional conferences, they agreed that a co-curricular activity would provide students an opportunity to present their original work in a professional format and help prepare them for their academic and professional careers. The first conference consisting of 31 presentations by UHCL students has now grown into annual event with authors from multiple colleges and universities. The event is an interdisciplinary conference with students from fields such as Biology, Physics, Computer Science, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Business, Fine Arts, and Creative Writing. Attending Colleges/Universities In 2011, 223 applications were accepted that represented over 400 authors/co-authors from the following colleges and universities: Capella University Lee College Lone Star College-North Harris Sam Houston State University Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning St. Edward's University Texas Southern University University of Houston University of Houston-Clear Lake University of Houston-Clear Lake Pearland Campus University of Houston-Downtown University of Texas at San Antonio Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 5 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Special Events Visiting Scholar Lecture Dr. B. Andallu, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher learning, India Reactive Oxygen Species: Pathogenesis and Protective Role of Functional Foods with Special Reference to Spices. Cruising to Clinton Drive Calimlim, Paula (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Linda Sulpacio, Hillary Gramm Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Charlotte Haney Child trafficking metaphor found through art structures with hands-on participation for the audience. Presentation Options All applications to the conference required a faculty sponsor who was familiar with the original work of the student (s). Presenters received an evaluation following their presentations. The Conference and all presentations were open to the public, free of charge. Presentation options included the following: 1. Symposia Topics selected by faculty. Students presented their research on the specific topic with a question and answer period following. 2. Oral Students presented their work orally in 15 minute time slots that included a question-and-answer period. A pc was available to the presenter for PowerPoint or other supportive use. 3. Poetry Students read original poems, memoirs, and other literary materials in an informal coffeehouse setting 4. Roundtables Topics selected by faculty. Students come prepared to discuss their opinions based on their research. Roundtables were typically 30 -60 minutes. 5. Poster Presentations Students presented their work in a poster format and were available during their poster session (1.5 - 2 hours) to address questions and comments from interested conference attendees. Posters remained displayed for more than the length of the conference. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 6 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Conference Program Monday, April 18 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Symposium 1 Safety Engineering Chair: Dr. Magdy Akladios, University of Houston-Clear Lake Symposium 2 Environmental Health and Safety Electronic Presentations at www.uhcl.edu/ResearchArtsConference Wednesday, April 20 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Registration 9:00 am - 10:00 am Roundtable 1 Topic: Violence in Texas Moderator: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake 10:00 am - 11:00 am Roundtable 2 Topic: Spiritual Feminisms Moderators: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake Rachel Reed, University of Houston-Clear Lake 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Roundtable 3 Topic: Performance of Gender Moderators: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake Sharpie Jackson, University of Houston-Clear Lake 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Roundtable 4 Topic: Voices of our Ancient Mothers Moderator: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Roundtable 5 Topic: Celebrating Veterans Day: Citizenship, Democracy, and Discourses of Belonging Moderator: Dr. Maria Curtis, University of Houston-Clear Lake 3:00 pm Opening Reception Opening Remarks by Dr. William Staples, President, University of Houston-Clear Lake 5:00 pm Conference Welcome Opening Remarks by Dr. Carl Stockton, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, University of Houston-Clear Lake 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Poster Session I 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Special Event Art that Embodies Protest and Protests the Conditions of Embodiment Chairs: Dr Charlotte Haney and Dr Christine Kovic 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Special Event Cruising to Clinton Drive Moderator: Paula Calimlim 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Oral Session 1 Coffee House Poetry Reading Moderators: Clifford Blake Binford and Elena Luquette Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 7 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Thursday, April 21 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Registration 8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast 9:00 am - 10:00 am Roundtable 6 Topic: Is Relief Work a Help or a Hindrance? Moderator: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake 9:00 am - 10:30 am Symposium 3 Earth Day Issues Chair: Dr. Cindy Howard, University of Houston-Clear Lake 10:30 am - 11:30 am Roundtable 8 Topic: Human Imprint on Global and Local Ecology. It’s not all Bad News Moderator: Dr. Cindy Howard, University of Houston-Clear Lake 10:00 am - 11:00 am Roundtable 7 Topic: A Time of Choice: Texas Legislation Moderator: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake 10:00 am - 11:30 am Oral Session 2 Psychology Oral Session 3 Science and Technology 10:00 am - 12:15 pm Oral Session 4 Literature and Literacy 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Roundtable 9 Topic: Lahore with Love by Fawzia Afzal-Khan Moderators: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake Nadia Zulfiqar, University of Houston-Clear Lake 11:30 am - 1:30 pm Poster Session II 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Box Lunch 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Roundtable 10 Topic: Representing al-Maghreb: Student Research and the Model Arab League Experience Moderator: Dr. Maria Curtis, University of Houston-Clear Lake 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Oral Session 5 Human Cultures Oral Session 6 Business and Economics 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Visiting Scholar Reactive Oxygen Species: Pathogenesis and Protective Role of Functional Foods with Special Reference to Spices Dr. B. Andallu, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Roundtable 11 Topic: The Female Body in Popular Culture Moderators: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake Morgan Hopkins, University of Houston-Clear Lake 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Oral Session 7 Visual Communication 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Oral Session 8 Politics and Policy 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Symposium 4 Topic: Fraud Chair: Dr. Mattie Porter, University of Houston-Clear Lake Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 8 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Oral Session 9 Reorienting the Orient, Part 1 Moderator: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian, University of Houston-Clear Lake 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Oral Session 10 Reorienting the Orient, Part 2 Moderator: Dr. Jane Davidson, University of Houston-Clear Lake 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Roundtable 12 Topic: Identity and Societal Development Moderator: Dr. Charlotte Haney, University of Houston-Clear Lake 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Symposium 5 Ergonomics and Workplace Design Moderator: Dr. Magdy Akladios, University of Houston-Clear Lake Friday, April 22 8:00 am - 8:30 am Registration 8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast 8:30 am Formal Welcome 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Symposium 6 8:45 am - 4:00 pm History Consortium Seventh Annual Houston-Area Phi Alpha Theta History Consortium 8:45 am - 10:15 am First-Round Sessions The Precarious Roles of Women in Twentieth-Century America Chair/Commentator: Dr. Angela Howard, University of Houston-Clear Lake Health Care Administration Chair: Dr. Kathleen Garland, University of Houston-Clear Lake Slavery and Abolitionism in the Antebellum American South Chair/Commentator: Dr. James Schafer, University of Houston Issues of War, Peace, and Diplomacy in Twentieth-Century America Chair/Commentator: Dr. Adam Hodges, University of Houston -Clear Lake 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Second-Round Sessions The Social Response to Misfortune and Upheaval in Africa Chair/Commentator: Dr. Kairn Klieman, University of Houston Challenges to African-Americans in Twentieth-Century America Chair-Commentator: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt, Sam Houston State University England’s Global Outreach: From the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Centuries Chair-Commentator: Dr. Jonathan Zophy, University of Houston-Clear Lake Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 9 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Third-Round Sessions Gender, Age, Culture, and Politics in the Twentieth-Century World Chair-Commentator: Dr. Nancy Baker, Sam Houston State University Cross-Atlantic Issues in the “Age of Enlightenment” Chair-Commentator: Dr. Nupur Chaudhuri, Texas Southern University U.S. – Mexican Relations and Transborder Issues in the Twentieth-Century Chair-Commentator: Dr. Daniel Haworth, University of Houston-Clear Lake 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm Fourth-Round Sessions Indigenous Peoples’ and Texans’ Experiences in 19th-20th Century America Chair-Commentator: Dr. Daniel Haworth, University of Houston-Clear Lake Urban and Diplomatic Issues in Late-Medieval Britain Chair-Commentator: Dr. Jonathan Zophy, University of Houston-Clear Lake German Military and Diplomatic Issues in the Twentieth-Century Chair-Commentator: Dr. Barbara Hales, University of Houston-Clear Lake African-American (and African-Immigrant) Experiences in Modern Houston Chair-Commentator: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt, Sam Houston State University 10:15 am - 10:30 am Coffee Break 12:00 am - 1:00 am Luncheon 4:00 pm Closing Reception Closing Remarks by Dr. Darlene Biggers Associate Vice President of Student Services, University of Houston-Clear Lake Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 10 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Abstract Listings Rapid Detection of Released Gases and Volatile Organic Compounds within Large Facilities ..................................................... 17 Anti-Communism and Arthur Miller ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Expression of Metal Regulatory Genes in Zebrafish Liver Cells Exposed to Quantum Dots ......................................................... 18 The Arithmetic-Geometric Mean .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Re-orienting the Orient: Rewriting the Subaltern ........................................................................................................................... 19 Experiences in Organizational Development ................................................................................................................................. 19 Credentialing Physicians: A Necessary Bureaucratic Nightmare ................................................................................................... 19 Elimination of Forklift Fatalities Through the Use of Advanced Technology .................................................................................. 20 Evaluation of Loading Carts in Home Improvement Stores ........................................................................................................... 20 Riverine Dwellers: Life in the Amazon Floodplain .......................................................................................................................... 20 Medicaid Fraud and Abuse ............................................................................................................................................................ 21 John F. Kennedy and the Use of Mass Media in the 1960 Presidential Election ........................................................................... 21 A Betrayal of Self: Sylvia's Journey in "A White Heron" ................................................................................................................. 21 When Love Hurts: How Family Accommodations Cause More Harm than Good for Individuals with OCD ................................... 22 Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Safety Systems and Protocols ....................................................................................... 22 Fraud and Corruption: International Relief Agencies (IRAs) and their Third Party Administrators (TPAs); Case of Africa. ........... 23 Agent of Perception: A Selection of Poems and their Meanings .................................................................................................. 23 Current Sustainability Initiatives in the City of Houston.................................................................................................................. 23 A River Runs Through It: The Wallisville Saltwater Barrier Project ................................................................................................ 24 I've Fallen and I Cant Get Up......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Satyam Fraud: What Went Wrong? ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Border Bridge: Redefining the Mexican American Immigrant Narrative ......................................................................................... 25 Types of debris found in the Galveston Bay Estuary over a ten-year period: distribution and environmental implications ............ 25 The Texas Medical Center Impact On Business Students ............................................................................................................. 25 Art and Environmental Conservation ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Reducing Motor Vehicle Fatalities Using On Board Computer Programming. ............................................................................... 26 Exploring the Concept and Potential of E-Prescribing ................................................................................................................... 27 Caught in the Cave ........................................................................................................................................................................ 27 World Economic Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 Selling Soles .................................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Inspirational Words of Wisdom: Digital Calligraphic Images. ......................................................................................................... 28 Financial Hemorrhaging from Social Distancing: A Conflict Theorist Perspective. ........................................................................ 29 Faith Based Initiatives.................................................................................................................................................................... 29 The Ergonomic History of Video Games ........................................................................................................................................ 30 Examining Trends of Technology Diffusion Theories in Information Systems: Research in Progress ........................................... 30 Toward a Customer Motivation Theory for a Suggestion Collection System Concept intended specifically for Commercial Human Space Exploration: Research in Progress .............................................................................................................................. 31 The Writing Center as a Woman's Utopia ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Medicare Fraud.............................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 11 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Optimum Portfolio Construction using Modern Portfolio Theory based on ETFs ........................................................................... 32 LBJ and Foreign Affairs: Weapons, the Sino- Soviet Split, and Czechoslovakia ........................................................................... 32 Insulin Pump Therapy In Treating Diabetes ................................................................................................................................... 32 Executive Residency: A Student's Journey in the "Real World" of Executive Leadership ............................................................. 33 Be Kind To Yourself: The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Stress Effects ............................................................... 33 Telemedicine in the UAE ............................................................................................................................................................... 34 Cochlear Implants: Technological Advancements and Trends that Impact the Hearing Impaired Patients ................................... 34 Remote Access Computer and Network Labs Solutions for Online Course Support ..................................................................... 35 Images of Egypt: A Country in Transition ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Dolphin Slayings ............................................................................................................................................................................ 35 Fraud: Are We Serious About It? ................................................................................................................................................... 36 The Role of Information Technology in Public Health .................................................................................................................... 36 Clinical Integration ......................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Role of Epidemiology and Healthcare Administration in Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with Stem Cells ............... 37 Accountable Care Organizations ................................................................................................................................................... 37 Laboratory Ergonomics .................................................................................................................................................................. 37 Implementation of an EMR System in a Medical Practice ............................................................................................................. 38 Management Override and Exploitation of Lack of Controls .......................................................................................................... 38 Breast Cancer and the new technology ......................................................................................................................................... 38 Men's Attitudes Towards Marriage ................................................................................................................................................ 39 Finding Utopia: A novel of family and American history ................................................................................................................. 39 Chinaberry Tea .............................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Space requirement between flanges met with composite blind ..................................................................................................... 40 Old Bodies, Old Minds: A Study of Simone de Beauvoir, Gender, and Age in Twentieth-Century France .................................... 40 Voltaire's Critique of Pascal's Penseés as an Exploration of Deism, Jansenism, and Religious Intolerance................................. 41 Instruction with Delight: Children's Literature in Eighteenth-Century Colonial America ................................................................. 41 Project Camelot: The Social Sciences used in U.S. Statecraft ...................................................................................................... 42 The Evolution of the Black Cougar:The Origins of the University of Houston's Black Studies Program ........................................ 42 Gender, Labor, and Capitalism in U.S.-Mexican Relations, 1942-2000 ......................................................................................... 42 Work of National Importance: Conscientious Objectors in World War II ........................................................................................ 43 The Cosmology of Nri and Aro Expansion ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Slave Movement in Texas ............................................................................................................................................................. 43 Clean Living: Health and the Environment in Late-Medieval English Towns and Cities ................................................................ 44 The Nottingham Lace Company and the Business of Boosterism in Gilded Age Galveston ......................................................... 44 A Different Class of Woman: The Women of Ashton Villa ............................................................................................................. 44 A comparison of Elizabethan ship levies and Caroline ship money levies ..................................................................................... 45 Surrealists in Exile: The Immigration of Artists to America and the Creation of the Postmodern World ........................................ 45 Sex for Sale: The Rise and Fall of Galveston's Red Light District (1920-1957) ............................................................................. 45 Concepts of Health and Authority among the Botatwe-Speaking Peoples of Southern Zambia .................................................... 46 Shoot the Women First .................................................................................................................................................................. 46 John Hawkins Achines de Plemua................................................................................................................................................. 46 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 12 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Anglo-Egyptian Relations: 1875-1882 ........................................................................................................................................... 47 The Angolan War of Independence and Race Relations: The United States Response to the Color Line in Angola, 1961-1975 . 47 Nigerian Immigration to Houston ................................................................................................................................................... 47 Benjamin Franklin's Maps of the Gulf Stream and the Cost of Britain's Arrogant Refusal to Acknowledge Them ......................... 48 La Cruz Blanca: Transborder Nurses and the Mexican Revolution ............................................................................................... 48 German Yugoslavian Relations from 1950 till the break in relations in 1957 ................................................................................. 48 The Iroquois of Grand River: From Sovereignty to Canadian Subjects ......................................................................................... 49 Understanding the Motivations for Enlisting with the Women's Army Corps, 1941-1945 ............................................................... 49 Beliefs about Black Women's Bidding: A Look Into Domestic Laborers from 1919 - 1939 ............................................................ 49 Enemy from Within: A Slaveholder Turned Abolitionist .................................................................................................................. 50 Honorable Pirates: The Moral Conscience and Code of Honor of German Submariners in the First World War .......................... 50 Karankawa Cannibalism: Fact or Enduring Myth ........................................................................................................................... 51 The Power of Ku Klux Klan in the 1960's: Fact or Fiction .............................................................................................................. 51 From Gallyart Hayme Cummyn Was: The Siege of Perth and the Franco-Scottish Alliance in the Hundred Years War ............... 51 Houston in non-attainment for Ozone ............................................................................................................................................ 52 Employee Accident and Injury Prevention ..................................................................................................................................... 53 A Case Study of Quality Assurance to Review Safety Training Program Content to Ensure Inclusion of Key Organizational Policies and Procedure Elements ........................................................................................................................................................ 53 Personal Protective Equipment :The choice is yours ..................................................................................................................... 53 Pollution and its Affects on Marine Life .......................................................................................................................................... 54 Indoor Air Quality ........................................................................................................................................................................... 54 Effects of Second-Hand Smoke ..................................................................................................................................................... 54 Environmental Restoration ............................................................................................................................................................ 55 Pollution Prevention ....................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Hydraulic Fracturing: An OSHA Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 55 Pollution Prevention ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Water is it safe to drink? ................................................................................................................................................................ 56 Safety Application of Positive Pressure Ventilation During Firefighting Operations ....................................................................... 56 Global Warming is Upon Us .......................................................................................................................................................... 57 Proposal for Research Environment Restoration after Natural Disasters ...................................................................................... 57 Bioreactor Landfill Technology ...................................................................................................................................................... 57 City of Houston's Water Supply ..................................................................................................................................................... 57 Environmental Issues in Galveston, TX ......................................................................................................................................... 58 Impact of Genetically Modified Foods ............................................................................................................................................ 58 Violence in Texas .......................................................................................................................................................................... 59 Is Relief Work a Help or a Hindrance?: A Close Look at the Organizational Models of a Relief Work Agency in Haiti, a Nonprofit Organization in Kenya, and a Social Development Organization in India. .............................................................................. 59 Voices of Our Ancient Mothers ...................................................................................................................................................... 59 The Female Body in Popular Culture ............................................................................................................................................. 60 Performance of Gender ................................................................................................................................................................. 60 Identity and Societal development: Research findings on the social perceptions and implications of the human experience ....... 61 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 13 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Celebrating Veterans Day: Citizenship, Democracy, and Discourses of Belonging ....................................................................... 61 A Time of Choice: Texas Legislation ............................................................................................................................................. 62 Book Group ................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 Spiritual Feminisms ....................................................................................................................................................................... 62 Selected Topics of Human Imprint on Global and Local Ecology--IT'S NOT ALL BAD NEWS!! .................................................... 63 Representing al-Maghreb: Student Research and the Model Arab League Experience ................................................................ 63 Lahore with Love by Fawzia Afzal-Khan ........................................................................................................................................ 64 Workers' Rights: The progressing issue ........................................................................................................................................ 65 The Characterization and Quantification of Potentially Recyclable Materials from a Large Academic Biomedical Research Complex ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 65 Effects of weak magnetic fields on bacteria growth ....................................................................................................................... 65 Paying Attention to Your Spiritual Side: The Relationship Between Religiousness/Spirituality and Good Health.......................... 66 Comparison Of Safety Culture Before And After Major Incidents: The Exxon Valdez And The BP Gulf Of Mexico Accident ........ 66 Sex Education Curriculum Survey: Exploring Parental Involvement and Other Factors ................................................................ 67 Ready, Set, Relax: Does Biofeedback/Relaxation Training Increase Standardized Test Scores? ................................................ 67 Development in interracial friendship: Predicting the reduction of prejudice .................................................................................. 68 "The public's opinion and attitude towards the police" ................................................................................................................... 68 "Welfare's Positive Effects on the Timeliness of Graduation" ........................................................................................................ 68 Population genetics and management of suburban white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) .................................................... 69 Creation of Lee College ................................................................................................................................................................. 69 Response Effort and Resistance to Extinction ............................................................................................................................... 70 Adult Perceptions of Aggression in Children: Implications for Future Behaviors. .......................................................................... 70 cDNA Library Creation and Sequencing of the Soft Coral Eunicea fusca. ..................................................................................... 70 The Differences in the Expression of Aggression Between High- and Low- Level Extraverts. ...................................................... 71 Anxious Thoughts in Military Spouses and the Effects on Relationship Satisfaction ..................................................................... 71 Investigating the Prevalence and Patterns of Internet Pornography Use across Sexual Orientations ........................................... 72 Family Interactions: A Look at the Family's Influence on Bullying and Victimization ..................................................................... 72 Situational Stressors that Influence Weight Gain in College Students ........................................................................................... 72 The Relationship between Self-Compassion and Negative Affect in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ......................................... 73 Examining the motivational Factors of Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Gamers (MMORPG) and Massively Multi-player Online First Person Shooter (MMOFPS) gamers ................................................................................................................... 73 BSRI Sex Type Role and MMOG Play in Women ......................................................................................................................... 74 Antibacterial role of Medicinal plants on Poultry Pathogens .......................................................................................................... 74 Effect of social power on empathy ................................................................................................................................................. 74 Stress and Coping Strategies In Graduate Students ..................................................................................................................... 75 Evaluation of a Novel Functional Analysis of Elopement ............................................................................................................... 75 Galveston's Historic Landmarks .................................................................................................................................................... 76 Take Time to Relax: Does Biofeedback Training Decrease Pain? ................................................................................................ 76 The Determination of Total Mercury in Fish Based on Habitat Preference and geographic Location ............................................ 77 The influence of stress on culturable bacterial populations associated with the soft coral Plexaura homomalla. .......................... 77 Effects of the Stigma of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) .................................................................................................. 77 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 14 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. The Effects of Multiple or Single Roles on the Perceived Stress of Graduate Students ................................................................ 78 Intrusive Violent Thoughts: Prevalence and Distress in a Non-Clinical Population ........................................................................ 78 The Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder Survey ................................................................................................................... 78 PO Fit and Engagement ................................................................................................................................................................ 79 Homogamy Among the Highly Educated and Their Mates ............................................................................................................ 79 Organizations in Society: A Theoretical Assessment of the Relationships in Non-Profit Organizations ........................................ 79 Jermaine, Greg, and Jesus: Do perceptions of race predict ratings of hirability? .......................................................................... 80 Resistance to extinction following training with increased response effort ..................................................................................... 80 Usability Testing of an Interactive Statistics Website ..................................................................................................................... 80 The Relationship between Scrupulosity, Religiosity, and Internet Pornography Use ..................................................................... 81 Treating couples with a autistic spectrum disorder child with EFT: A case review ........................................................................ 81 Special Education and Alternative Schools ................................................................................................................................... 82 Sexual Thoughts: Everyone Has Them ......................................................................................................................................... 82 The Relationships between Personality Disorder Dimensions and OCD Severity ......................................................................... 82 Why Don't People Use Internet Pornography? .............................................................................................................................. 83 Needing Time Alone: Do Introverts Benefit More Than Extroverts from Biofeedback Relaxation to Treat Their Anxiety? ............ 83 Health Care Satisfaction ................................................................................................................................................................ 84 The Effects of Work on College Students ...................................................................................................................................... 84 Further Evaluation of Extinction-Induced Variability in the Selection of Mands ............................................................................. 85 Animals and our Happiness ........................................................................................................................................................... 85 Relationship Between Event Emissions and Ozone Exceedance Days in the Harris-Brazoria-Galveston Area ............................ 85 Are schools welcoming to parents ................................................................................................................................................. 86 Does Parenting Really Make A Difference? Investigation of Parental-Adolescent Relationship as Associated with Risk-Taking Behaviors ............................................................................................................................................................................... 86 Correlation and Consistency among Career Assessments: A Comparative Study to Self-Reported Measures ............................ 87 Chaos Defined: Stressors in Couples with Autism Spectrum Disordered Children ........................................................................ 87 Commute and Self-Efficacy in Graduate Students' Success ......................................................................................................... 87 General Education Teachers' Perceptions of their Preparedness and Ability in Meeting the Educational Needs of Special Education Students in the General Education Classroom ....................................................................................................................... 88 Rorschach test in 8 years old children from Caracas-Venezuela, using the Exner's Comprehensive System .............................. 88 The Ergonomic Implications of Gesturing: Examining Single and Mixed Use with Appropriate Placement ................................... 88 Social Networking Facilitates Relationship Building in Those Presenting Symptoms of Social Anxiety ........................................ 89 Time Management Skills' Influence On Work-Home Interaction Among Working Students .......................................................... 89 The Glorious Elders: Promoting a higher quality of life and autonomy for the elderly population living in nursing homes through internet usage. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 90 Isolation and identification of bacterial species associated with the coral Eunicea fusca during stress ......................................... 90 Gender differences of antisocial personality features among college students ............................................................................. 91 The Relationship between Self-Image and Intentions to Quit Smoking among College Students ................................................. 91 Turn Off the TV: Developing A More Creative Side May Be of Immense Benefit to Your Life ....................................................... 92 The Effect of Career Mobility on the Organizational Commitment of Undergraduate and Graduate Students .............................. 92 Oxidative stress in diabetes and osteoarthritis: Protective role of aniseeds (Pimpinella anisum). ................................................. 92 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 15 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Turn Indicator Vest - Assures Cyclist Safety on Roads ................................................................................................................. 93 Producing Life in Factories of Death: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Abortion Among Jewish Women in Nazi Death Camps, 1941-1945 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 94 Differentiation and Ability to Cope with Stress ............................................................................................................................... 95 Tacting with Video Feedback and Modeling to Improve a Complex Behavior ............................................................................... 95 Women's Ethnicity and Work-Family Conflict ................................................................................................................................ 96 Attitudes of Psychology Students Toward the Mentally Ill .............................................................................................................. 96 Barriers to Adult Education for Muslim Women in Iran and the United Kingdom ........................................................................... 96 Aggression in the Amazon River Dolphin: Do Conditioned Dolphins Display more Physical Signs of Aggression than the NonConditioned Population .......................................................................................................................................................... 96 Soil and leaf litter arthropods of the Amazon tropical rainforests ................................................................................................... 97 Scrupulosity: Prevalence of thoughts, presentation of rituals and predictors of distress in a non-clinical sample ......................... 97 Systematically Fading Visual Prompts to Teach Sight Word Reading to Children with Autism ..................................................... 97 Using SWAT to Model Horsepen Bayou to Gauge the Storm Water Runoff Flood Patterns as a Result of Continued Land Development .......................................................................................................................................................................... 98 Understanding Sexual Orientation Obsessions in OCD................................................................................................................. 98 Oxidative Stress in Breast and Liver Cancers: Antioxidative and Antiproliferative Effects of Coriander Extracts. ......................... 99 Cyberbullying in the Workplace: Incidence Rates of Victimization Based on Gender and Age ................................................... 100 Student Changing Communication Styles and Possible Implications .......................................................................................... 100 Police Stress and Tenure ............................................................................................................................................................ 101 Perceived Credibility from Facebook Profile Pictures .................................................................................................................. 101 Parental Choice Between Teaching Manual Sign and Picture Exchange Communication .......................................................... 101 Creating a children's book: Princess Ava's Great Space Adventure ............................................................................................ 102 The Poet's Voice.......................................................................................................................................................................... 103 The Love for a Higher Being as Expressed in Poems and Stories .............................................................................................. 103 The poetics of Kyle Wofford ......................................................................................................................................................... 103 Visiting Scholar Lecture ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Dr. B. Andallu, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher learning, India ............................................................................................................... 6 Cruising to Clinton Drive .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 16 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Oral Presentation Abstracts Akohachere, Ayuketambi (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Christian Stevenson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Rapid Detection of Released Gases and Volatile Organic Compounds within Large Facilities Undetectable gas leaks can be deleterious to humans and other life forms. In August 1986, the active crater Lake Nyos, located in the North West region of Cameroon, released over 0.68km3 of carbon dioxide - CO2 which killed every living thing within a 15 mile radius of the lake. 1700 people died. This effect of carbon dioxide was due to its density relative to that of oxygen in air, thus, displacing oxygen at ground levels typically occupied by humans and livestock. Most major facilities consisting of offices, workshops, warehouses and other manufacturing areas are usually very high buildings i.e. the floor level to roof level is usually 60 feet and above. Most jobs in these facilities are within the height range of 6 to 18 feet from the floor level. Two work stations visited are the NASA Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) and the Neutral Buoyancy Lab with approximately 585 feet in length, 125 feet in width and 82 feet in height. These two facilities meet very high safety standards. However, the release of a toxic or flammable gas within or into the building may not be detected easily and rapidly given the fact that detectors are; - Usually installed only in confined spaces (not the case of such facilities) - Located at the roof and/or walls - For specific kinds of gases if they exist in the facility This study aims at identifying methods that can be used to rapidly detect the release of such gases should they occur from the center or some reasonable distance from the walls of the facility. A couple of engineering designs are being developed towards the rapid detection and emergency response to either isolate the chemical or ventilate the work area. Albanez, Zulma (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt Anti-Communism and Arthur Miller In American history one specific movement that had its basis on fear was that of anti-Communism. Communism took its biggest hold on American Society "in the forty years following the Russian Revolution of October 1917 [when] communism was the most dynamic force in American left-wing politics" states Priscilla Murolo. The favor communism gained in American society made communist groups, such as the American Communist Party, possible to form. Due to the overwhelming favor communism was obtaining, not only in America, but other places in the world as well, such as China, American citizens were subject to disturbances. Senator Joseph McCarthy took advantage of these times and "made a public accusation that more than two hundred 'card-carrying' communists had infiltrated the United States government" as mentioned in the article "Arthur Miller McCarthyism." The result was a domino effect for people to make false and sometimes paranoid accusations known as McCarthyism or the Red Scare. Many of these accusations were made on public figures, be it writers, government officials, or entertainers. One specific public figure who was personally affected by the Red Scare was Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller found himself accused of communism after several of his friends were tried for the same accusation. Miller was also subject to these trials because of his attendance to several communist meetings. This time period, as well as the accusation made on him, inspired Arthur Miller to write The Crucible which is about a town being taken over witch hysteria thus causing the murder of many citizens. In the review "The Liberal Conscience in The Crucible by Robert Warshow, claims that: One of the things that have been said of The Crucible, Arthur Miller's new play about the Salem witchcraft trials, is that we must not be misled by its obvious contemporary relevance: it is a drama of universal significance. . . It means, do Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 17 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. not be misled by the play's historical theme into forgetting the main point, which is that "witch trials" are always with us, and specifically today." (111) Warshow is able to realize that an event that happened in 1692 also occurred in the 1950s with the Red Scare and is happening now with the financial crisis, as well as, an event that changed American history eleven years ago. The play, then, emphasizes the social commentary that society can, has, and continues to be ruled by fear. Allagadda, Vinay (Texas Tech University); Song Tang, Greg Mayer Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Greg Mayer Expression of Metal Regulatory Genes in Zebrafish Liver Cells Exposed to Quantum Dots Use of nanoparticles, defined as particles that have at least one dimension of 100 nm or less, is increasing in commercial and medical products. Quantum dots are a type of fluorescent, semi-conductive nanoparticles that are used in applications from biological imaging to computer chip manufacture. Increasing use of this type of particles hastens the need to study their toxicological implications since the toxicological parameters of quantum dots are not well defined and the toxicological mechanisms of action are not known. Nanoparticle characteristics differ in size, surface charge, coating agents and surface chemistries, which may influence toxicity of individual preparations of particles. This study was aimed to investigate multiple comparisons of the toxicities of quantum dots, cadmium and zinc salts in zebrafish at the molecular and cellular level. To determine whether particle composition, size or coating plays an important role in nanocrystal toxicity, zebrafish liver (ZFL) cells were exposed to various concentrations of quantum dots, cadmium and zinc salts. MTT assay suggested that quantum dots were more toxic than cadmium or zinc salts. At a concentration of 2 µM CdTe caused 80% cell death, while cadmium caused 80% cell death at a concentration of 150 µM. MPA coated CdSe/ZnS QDs were cytocompatible, whereas non-coated CdTe QDs were more toxic to cells. Cells treated with QDs showed altered morphology, decreased viability, and significant concentrations of free cadmium. Isolated mRNA from these exposed cells was used to measure the expression of metal related genes including MT, MTF, DMT, ZIP and ZNT. Gene expression from Cd or Zn exposures showed altered gene expression in a dose dependent manner. Different sizes of QDs were used to expose ZFL cells at different concentrations. QDs altered gene expression of metal homeostasis genes in a manner different from that of the corresponding Cd or Zn salts. This implies that toxicity of QDs is due to combined effect of metal ion release from the QDs in addition to toxic effects of the particulate. Argueta, Edwin (Lone Star College-North Harris); Nguyen Nguyen, Patrick Friudenberg Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shae Adkins The Arithmetic-Geometric Mean For this project we investigated the Arithmetic-Geometric Mean or AGM. Our research covered the origins and history of the AGM, the properties of the AGM, and a look at how fast calculations using the AGM converge. We also looked at an application using the AGM to calculate accurate approximations of . Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 18 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Arnold , Robert (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dennis Delgado, Benjamin Elias, Jayson Hawkins, Modesto Rodriguez, Sergio Salinas, Phillip Trevino, Jose Velasquez, Albert Smith Faculty Sponsors: Dr. Shreerkha Subramanian and Dr. Jane Davidson Re-orienting the Orient: Rewriting the Subaltern This panel is comprised of presentations by the video community of TDCJ participants whose research emerges from the Re-orienting the Orient course, UHCL Text and Images Three, conducted during the fall of 2010. Analyses by individual members of this community will be presented under the theme of the postcolonialist exploration of the orient, proposing such questions as: What is the history of the mythology that is perpetuated by the west-non-west binary for understanding culture? What are the political stakes in the continuing divisions for identifying the nationalist self and the other? The unique emphasis of the TDCJ panel is in their Subaltern Membership as described by one of the participants Albert Smith as identification with a subject-position: We have been trying to determine whether or not the Sub-Altern can speak! I am a member of this class, this subordinate group for which, Smiths aim is to make some difference in the way we, the inmates of Ramsey One, are viewed as a population of people rather than some numeric expression of a past life defined often as failures, or hindrances, and as being social outcasts whose only contribution to society is to the de-generation of it. Through the discourse of representation “re-orienting the orient” the concept of re-orienting the orient becomes a transformation of identification and knowledge in understanding culture through the visual and literal arts. Bhatnagar, Geetika (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Ayadi Experiences in Organizational Development Organizational Development does a variety of things within the walls of the hospital and for multiple projects. One the main involvements OD has with the hospital is maintaining a steady relationship with their assigned nursing units. Many issues, events and changes are constantly taking place within the units, that when you are outside looking in you may not notice unless you are directly involved. Therefore, the role of the Senior OD Consultants or even OD itself is to assess, conduct and assist in assimilations, seminars and trainings to help better develop the unit as a stronger and productive team in whatever issues they may have. Though, it may seem easier said than done, this however, is a time consuming, lengthy process to help the transition be as seamless as possible. This presentation will detail the experiences of an intern in the OD unit of a Houston Hospital. Vital lessons and experiences learned will be presented and discussed as it enhanced the interns knowledge and experience for a sufficient ongoing hospital exposure. Bird, Elissa (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Ayadi Credentialing Physicians: A Necessary Bureaucratic Nightmare The process of getting a physician credentialed at the hospital is long, and bureaucratic. It allows the hospital to verify the credentials of the applicant and determine whether they should be allowed to practice medicine within their facility. Each hospital has their own application and different requests of the physician. While on its face, the applications for the hospitals appear straight forward, the whole process can take anywhere from 60 to 90 days, sometimes more. This presentation will describe the process of obtaining credentials for physicians at hospitals within the Texas Medical Center as part of an internship project. The second part of the project was to identify ways Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 19 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. in which the credentialing process could be made easier when applying to multiple hospitals. The presentation will describe the problems encountered during the process, lessons learned, and provide recommendations for streamlining the credentialing process. Bowles, Jenese (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Aimen Abdallah, Johanna Goforth, Stephen Norl Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Elimination of Forklift Fatalities Through the Use of Advanced Technology Each year there are thousands of injuries in manufacturing plants, warehouses and shipping facilities. Of the approximately 34,000 injuries, 1000 or more are associated with powered industrial vehicles, such as forklifts. Current forklifts have an audible warning system to warn others nearby; but, there is nothing to warn of potential hazards for the driver. There are some solutions to this problem that are available as an after-market product. One remedy could be the use of a camera. A camera would allow the driver to see the surrounding environment. A possible problem with the use of a camera is that it still requires the interaction of a human. The response time to take evasive action will depend on the drivers reflexes to avoid a potential injury. Humans will make more errors than a machine; therefore, a better solution will eliminate the involvement of humans in the process. Another remedy to the problem would be the use of a technical package that will think and act for the driver. There is such technology on the market that is previously utilized in automobiles. Some late model automobiles are equipped with an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) plus a Stop and Go feature. This technology is a combination of cruise control and the use of electronically scanning radar (ESR) allowing automatic speed adjustments. This paper will analyze occupational injuries associated with forklifts, and discuss integrating the ACC technology into the forklift system as a safety control to eliminate injuries. Keywords: Forklift, Adaptive Cruise Control, occupational injures Burks, Ricky (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Harry Nguyen Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Evaluation of Loading Carts in Home Improvement Stores In major retail home improvement stores, different types of carts are available to customers and employees for transporting heavy materials such as lumber to check-out registers and to vehicles. However, these carts may not have been designed using anthropometric data or with an understanding of user needs and tasks. This may pose unnecessary risks to customers and employees. The awkward pushing of carts carrying lumber and other heavy materials can potentially cause musculoskeletal disorders and cumulative trauma disorders. In this study, two specific carts were analyzed and evaluated for compliance with anthropometric data of the user population, and design recommendations were made to decrease the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Capetillo, Alisa (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Riverine Dwellers: Life in the Amazon Floodplain The Amazon River is an immense force that stretches across most of South America, creating a floodplain for almost six months of the year. Many people live along the river in isolated homes, villages, or more developed towns and are referred to as Riverine dwellers or Caboclos. The riverine people must adapt to the river’s ever changing force. This Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 20 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. presentation explores the lifestyle strategies of the riverine people living on the floodplain of the Amazon River with emphasis on their daily life, use of native plants and fishing. Their methods of obtaining food from the forest and materials for their homes are accomplished in a sustainable way. Do we gain to learn something from them? Castle, Atziry (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mattie Porter Medicaid Fraud and Abuse This presentation will address the problem our government is facing with increasing fraud in Medicaid, Medicare, WIC, and other state funded programs. We will discuss some of the consequences this type of fraud is having in our economy, and society and the importance of establishing better guidelines to screen those in need of assistance. Medicaid is being defrauded in many ways: from people falsely claiming to have need for the program, to doctors and healthcare facilities charging the system for services they never provided. It all adds up and, at the end, tax payers and the government are paying the bill for these fraudsters. Cervantes, Diego (Lone Star College-North Harris) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shae Adkins John F. Kennedy and the Use of Mass Media in the 1960 Presidential Election My research is on the 1960 Presidential election and the impact of mass media in the campaigns of then-Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. I will discuss the use of televised debates for the first time in history for Presidential elections, and the impact on the 1960 election, as well as those that followed. There is a particular focus on the image created by Senator Kennedy. I will also attempt to address whether Senator Kennedy would have won the election over Vice President Richard Nixon if not for the televised debates. Dabney, Cheryl (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt A Betrayal of Self: Sylvia's Journey in "A White Heron" This research examines "A White Heron" authored by Sarah Orne Jewett and shows how damaging the effect can be for a culture or community when erroneously using the tenets of the beginning chapters of Genesis as the belief system for its sociological structure. Jewett asks the reader to look at how the man's relationship with nature differs from the woman's, to question and consider the possibility that our traditional interpretation of Genesis is culturally biased and designed to fit only the man's interests and desires, and to also see that through this interpretation of Genesis, the man is allowed to treat a woman with no more regard or reverence than that which he gives nature. The females in "A White Heron" exist within a matriarchal structure, and Jewett has young Sylvia surrounded only by capable women. On the farm, Sylvia discovers the beauty of nature, her unique, loving connection with God's creatures, and her strength as a female. When the stranger from the city comes to their farm, Sylvia and her grandmother are placed in the midst of the traditional western culture's patriarchal interpretation of Genesis. Jewett puts Sylvia on a journey of becoming victim in the quest of the male's desires, betraying herself, abandoning the reverence she holds for all of God's creations, self-rediscovery, and claiming her personal strength and power through her courage in protecting the white heron. From Jewett's "A White Heron," we learn that if women's and Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 21 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. nature's purpose for existence is viewed through the western cultural understanding of Genesis, then they are at risk of being used and abused, devalued and discarded, treated with a lack of dignity and reverence, stripped of their sense of self and true purpose, and used as trophies on a shelf. Daniel, Jelani C. (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Lucy C. Phillips, Chad Wetterneck Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck When Love Hurts: How Family Accommodations Cause More Harm than Good for Individuals with OCD Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which a person experiences recurrent, unwanted, distressing thoughts or images (i.e., obsessions) that lead them to feel a great deal of anxiety and distress. They then feel compelled to perform irrational, repetitive behaviors (i.e., compulsions or rituals) in order to reduce their resulting anxiety. OCD affects 2-3% of people in the United States, and is considered one of the most debilitating mental disorders in the country. Because of the incapacitating nature of OCD, it is quite common for a significant other to provide a considerable amount of daily living assistance to a loved one suffering from OCD. Significant others often become primary caretakers, if not already in that role, frequently providing accommodations to help the OCD sufferer function on a daily basis. Significant others, typically a parent or spouse, provide accommodations in an effort to alleviate the anxiety and distress that their loved ones with OCD experience. Such family accommodations may include frequently providing reassurance to the individual with OCD, frequently cleaning surfaces around the house clean for someone struggling with contamination issues, or re-checking that the lights, stove, or other appliances are off. Research has shown that as the severity of OCD symptoms increases, the amount of family accommodations increases, and our study supports this finding. Loved ones engage in rituals hoping and believing that they are helping the person with OCD. However, counter to the expectations and beliefs of loved ones, the accommodations only provide temporary relief from the anxiety and help the patient to avoid experiencing it. This instead only exacerbates the situation by not allowing the sufferer to learn that they will not die from the anxiety, that rituals are unnecessary, and that the anxiety will subside on its own. Studies have also shown that the level of caregiver burden also increases as OCD severity increases. The findings of this study also support this. Other findings of our study also reveal that OCD severity increases as self-compassion increases. This is a new area of research in the field of OCD, and the current findings lead to the implication that self-compassion might be a vital component of therapy in treating OCD. Dark, James (University of Houston-Clear Lake); William Foley, Scott Eady Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Safety Systems and Protocols The United States increasingly relies on military robots in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Used extensively in air strikes against suspected terrorist and/or enemy combatants in these conflicts, the Predator and Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have proven to be effective. Soldiers on the ground receive various sensor data feeds from the UAV of current battlefield or target conditions. The human operator will determine whether the conditions meet established rules of engagement, and deploy appropriate weapons systems, if warranted. This tactic has successfully kept American casualties low, but with increased use of robotic weapons and broader deployment, rises in friendly fire casualties may occur. We are proposing additional safety systems and protocols the military can implement to prevent UAV and semi-autonomous robotic systems from engaging friendly forces erroneously, such as fire command interlocks coupled with laser identification tags or facial recognition, and other currently available IR discrimination systems. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 22 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Enow, Roland (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mattie Porter Fraud and Corruption: International Relief Agencies (IRAs) and their Third Party Administrators (TPAs); Case of Africa. This paper will analyze how the operations of International Relief Agencies (IRAs) and their Third Party Administrators (TPAs) are impacted by fraud and corruption in accomplishing their goal of helping the needy in Africa. Recent reports on fraud allegations that occurred with the Global Fund have brought to question the auditing system of IRAs. The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and SAS70 (superseded by SAS88), outlines the regulations and auditing requirements on how US firms operate with TPAs. However, these laws and regulations do not legally bind IRAs operating outside of the United States. This paper answers the following two questions: 1. Considering that IRAs work hand in hand with their TPAs towards the same objective, is it possible to achieve their mission when one system has an efficient fraud prevention system and the other does not? 2. Should these IRAs be held accountable even though their TPAs committed the fraud? This paper ends with recommendations for these entities and an emphasis on understanding the culture of the nations they operate. Fonteno, Ashley (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Craig White Agent of Perception: A Selection of Poems and their Meanings I propose a presentation based on my Creative MA Project in Literature to be completed for graduation this spring. To respond in writing to my diverse personal experiences, I constructed a creative project consisting of interconnected poetry and prose: 32 poems followed by critical accounts of their origins and development. Gauthier, Celina (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Current Sustainability Initiatives in the City of Houston The City of Houston has launched several green initiatives over the last few years that may surprise you. The Office of Sustainability has launched several programs and incentives that allow for more energy-efficient City government operations and development. Areas of improvement include energy savings, expanding renewable energy, the diversion of recyclable waste from landfills, alternative transportation, and the creation of open spaces. City fleet fuel consumption and kilowatt-hour usage has been reduced in Houston. Residential energy efficiency, energy savings on City facilities, and energy efficient low income home programs have been funded through grants secured by the City. Houston is not the first City that comes to mind when environmentally friendly topics are discussed. Nevertheless, in 2010 Houston was deemed #1 municipal purchaser of renewable energy by the EPA. Green education resources available to Houston residents will be also be presented. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 23 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Glover, Justin (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt A River Runs Through It: The Wallisville Saltwater Barrier Project During the mid-twentieth century, the growing population and demands of the city of Houston and surrounding communities had begun to put a major stress upon water resources. The need for fresh water was necessary for industrial and agricultural production, such as petrochemical plants and rice farming, rice being the largest crop in Southeast Texas and monetary supplier for many residents. In August of 1952, legislation was passed directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin a study of the bodies of water surrounding Wallisville on the lower Trinity River. The Corps found that it was necessary to construct a dam that would save the Trinity and neighboring water supplies from saltwater contamination. Such a drastic measure of altering the countryside by the government was met head on with much resistance. An act of progress that was to only take a few years actually snowballed into a half-century battle of wits between politicians, conservationists, environmentalists, and local taxpayers. Throughout the decades of confrontation and amendments placed upon original plans, we are now left with what is known as the Wallisville Lake Project. In addition to the Wallisville Lake Project, is an account of the impact of Hurricane Ike in September of 2008 as chronicled by Ruth Millsaps, Senior Park Ranger. Griffie, Robert (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Ayadi I've Fallen and I Cant Get Up Every year slip and fall accidents account for a significant amount of severe injuries including deaths throughout the United States. In 2009, 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 581,000 of these patients were hospitalized (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control). We examined the number and severity of falls within a VA Hospital in Texas over a three month period in 2010. The governing agency, of The National Center for Patient Safety mandates that scores for the severity of the injury and the potential for further injury be given for each incident. To review the extent of the falls occurred a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) team was formed to score and determine likely common causes. Some common causes included: patient observation, communication among staff members, medication management, and the care planning process. Each of the injuries that were scored as minor or moderate would have a score of 1 or 2 severities and 2 or 3 potential. Major injuries were given a score of 3 for both severities and potential on a 3 point scale. After carefully assessing the data, the RCA team offered recommendations to reduce the number of falls as well as mitigate the potential for possible injuries that occur due to falls. Guragai, Binod (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mattie Porter Satyam Fraud: What Went Wrong? The presentation covers Satyam Fraud Scandal of India that was unveiled in January 2009. The scandal was so big that it has been compared with the Enron and WorldCom cases. The CEO was at the heart of the massive financial statement fraud that started small and kept growing in the absence of proper controls. The company inflated its earnings from 2002 to 2008 by just using same old methods such as inflating cash in bank, underestimating liabilities, and recording fictitious assets. The company, somehow, managed to comply with all the regulatory requirements. Corporate governance seemed to be working at its best. The scandal was never even suspected by the members of Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 24 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. the board and preliminary investigations revealed that the board was very passive and almost non-existent. This presentation covers the acts and confessions of an unethical CEO who rationalized his act by stating that he was working for the best of the stakeholders. The presentation also points out the weaknesses in the part of external auditors, the passivity of the corporate governance and the techniques that Satyams management used to Cook the Books. The presentation also relates the Three Elements of Fraud: Motivation, Opportunity, and Rationalization to the Satyam Fraud Scandal. Hamon, Kristin (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Craig White Border Bridge: Redefining the Mexican American Immigrant Narrative Compared to immigrants who use sea or air travel to leave their home nations behind and come to the United States to start over as Americans, Mexican immigrants maintain a special relationship with both their home country and their new one: The land bridge by which people cross and re-cross the border of these two nations on foot or by car. This bridge connects Mexican American people not only to their destination in El Norte or North America but also to their homeland. My M.A. thesis in Literature at UHCL studies the usefulness of this physical and cultural metaphor in Mexican American storytelling and identity. My presentation will first use simple visuals and backgrounds to explain the concept of the land bridge and its potential applications to the Mexican American immigrant narrative. Next, I will share two brief examples of personal narratives by Mexican Americans describing their own locations on the bridge between the two lands and cultures. A few paragraphs from my thesis text will then comment on such passages. I will conclude by reviewing possible extensions of the land bridge concept and invite critiques and questions. Hernandez-Roeder, Kathryn (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Types of debris found in the Galveston Bay Estuary over a ten-year period: distribution and environmental implications The Galveston Bay Estuary is an integral source of revenue to the Texas economy and a vital habitat to fish and wildlife. Surveys of debris were undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 with the findings published in a 1993 Galveston Bay National Estuary Program Publication (35) by Anita M. Morgan and Dr. Wen Y. Lee. This GBNEP-35 publication along with data from the Texas Program, Adopt-a-Beach Clean-Up, in the following years have pointed to plastic as a major source of debris in shoreline and near-shore areas in the estuary. Results have pointed to people as the main contributors to the debris problem. Clean-up solutions can have long range effects beyond the immediate Galveston Bay area. Iskander, Nancy G. (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Kassandra Larson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dan Martin The Texas Medical Center Impact On Business Students Background: The University of Houston Clear lake has established a campus in the Texas medical center to better serve the Houston community. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the relocation of Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 25 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. the Healthcare Administration Program in May of 2007 to the Texas Medical Center campus from the Clear Lake campus. Methodology: We hope to identify the mean salary of students at graduation from the program and at 12 months after graduation and their current salary. We also plan to identify the following: age, ethnicity, gender, citizenship, expected title (when entering the program) and current title, fellowship/residency/internship participation, mentorship participation, and healthcare experience. We will also evaluate their commitment to research and to community service. The data will be collected from students who were enrolled in the program during 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. We will also identify the impact of the availability of the TMC campus on our institutions success in terms of meeting student needs and goals. Data will be gathered through sent survey as well as interviews with students and faculty. Conclusions: Addressing these factors will guide our healthcare, business and finance professionals in designing, implementing and evaluating further institutional improvement. Kamae, Camila (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt Art and Environmental Conservation The theme of my recent Honors Art Exhibit is the discovery, harvest, depletion, and extinction of a fictional plant called "Sprout". My idea was inspired by my Environmental Science classes. Throughout these courses, I began to grasp the reality of the threats we are imposing on our planet, its habitats, and species. As a community outreach project I wanted to use a different approach to incite habitat loss awareness. By creating a fictional plant, I hoped to present the topic in a fresh way that wasn't commercialized or overused. I wanted to detach my objective from the typical "Go Green" slogan that has become a marketing ploy to simply sell the idea of "eco friendly" products to consumers. I essentially wanted to use my art to covertly "plant" the idea that, perhaps, we are taking our planet for granted. My show begins with the Sprouts standing tall and unharmed. Soon the plant undergoes severe over harvest, striking back in a last attempt to survive. Finally, the plants are shown withered and dead. This metamorphosis parallels the danger thousands of habitats, and species face daily on Earth. I chose printmaking as my main medium. The transfer to the natural texture of the wood creates a withered, earthy feel to my woodcut prints, which complement my theme. I also displayed ceramic sculptures of the dead plants called "Specimens" which I used to link us as the culprits of their extinction. Our planet holds beautiful creatures and places, but we take them for granted. I hope people find some beauty in my art. Mostly, I want people to realize that we do not own nature... we are a part of it. Ladd, Erika (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ryan Breaux, Katerina Gordon, Prachi Patil Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Reducing Motor Vehicle Fatalities Using On Board Computer Programming. This project will take a proactive approach to lowering the amount of motor vehicle fatalities, by developing a computer program which will allow employers to better control the use of their company vehicles. The program will consist of a magnetic strip reader that will be able to read the driver license information of the vehicle operator. Once the license verified, the vehicle will operate under the parameters selected by the company (i.e. distance traveled, total driving time..etc...). If the driver exceeds the company's guidelines, the vehicle will not start. The program will operate under the same premise as the Breathalyzer, and can also be used by parents to monitor and control the driving habit of teenagers. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 26 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Larson, Kassandra (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ashish Chandra Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ashish Chandra Exploring the Concept and Potential of E-Prescribing Over the past decade, we have become more aware of the impact of medication errors in patient care. Medication error is a serious issue that can not only result in complications to a patient's medical treatment, but may also result in death. The issue of medication error is often compounded with the use of paper-based prescriptions by health professionals. In this age of increasing dependency on electronic devices, electronic prescribing is a new and evolving tool that can significantly assist physicians in their profession. It has the potential of providing them access to a patient's prescription history, the ability to verify insurance coverage as well as the prescribed medication's status on the insurance company's formulary, and they can even route prescriptions to the patient's pharmacy without the use of paper records. E-prescribing has the potential to help improve workflow and communication between providers and pharmacies, as well as reduce problems incurred with hand-written prescriptions. This prescribing tool can assess the history of current and past prescription medications and then analyze them so as to ensure that potential medication issues related to drug-allergy and drug-drug interactions can be avoided. E-prescribing is not a new concept, but prescribers have been slow to adopt such technology. Some who do use this technology have not yet fully utilized and benefited from their existing e-prescribing system. The government and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have recognized the usefulness of e-prescribing systems, and they have initiated incentives as well as penalties to induce more prescribers to adopt e-prescribing technology. Professionals who use an e-prescribing system that is qualified by Medicare standards to prepare and send electronic prescriptions are entitled to reimbursement at higher levels through the year 2013. E-prescribing systems can help reduce medication errors, improve quality and safety, and decrease costs associated with prescribing medication; however, an e-prescribing system has the potential to produce new kinds of problems that could hamper the adoption of such technology, such as errors that can be attributed to software design and the inadequate education of the user. Clinically significant versus non-significant drug interactions are not distinguished, so, prescriber errors can occur when system alerts are over-ridden by prescribers. Even though the HITECH Act and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid allow for financial incentives to adopt an e-prescribing system, the number of prescribers as well as the number of eligible prescriptions being sent to pharmacies electronically has not increased significantly at this point. In order to realize the true value of an e-prescribing system, prescribers must be more willing to adopt an e-prescribing system and utilize all features of the system in an appropriate manner, and software designers must address any issues that are preventing the prescribers from using the system effectively and efficiently. This presentation will provide greater insights into the various aspects pertaining to e-prescribing. Lestarjette, Tricia (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt Caught in the Cave Plato's Allegory of a Cave is a metaphor for life realistic and fictional. When used as a lens and applied to a persons existence, one begins to understand what motivates and hampers himself. Understanding why a person has chosen to direct his life in a certain direction helps those analyzing it to understand human nature. Applying this lens to a tragic figure like Blanche Dubois from Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire has the highest chances of achieving this perspective. This paper utilizes this approach and supports its claims with multiple essays and opinions written on this character. The platonic elements within the Allegory are the cave, shadows, chains, compellers, blinding light, and enlightenment. These details are explained and identified. A theory is proposed that Plato possibly forgot an element when describing what holds people in the dark: the saboteur. This factor within Blanche Dubois's life is also revealed. Identifying these characteristics within the existence of Blanche Dubois will help the reader to Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 27 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. identify them within his own life. One will see his own cave clearly, and the elements within. After using the same techniques that were applied to Blanche Dubois on himself, the reader will achieve an enlightened perspective about his own life and what hampers him. Li, Guang (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Raj Chhikara World Economic Data Analysis This research is mainly to investigate GDP and its growth rate in terms of various economic factors such as exports of goods and services, imports of goods and services, unemployment rate, consumer price index and gross savings, etc. and give some comments. In addition to analyze the economic data, it also makes a comparison of GDP growth rate between OECD and NON-OECD countries and then do some prediction. Lyra, Kalan (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stuart Larson Selling Soles This is a body of work that involves text and pictures. This is a presentation of evolution, the evolution of an idea. Selling Soles is a comic, that I have hewn from rough sketches and many varied prototypes, over the course of 18 years. The characters, jokes and storylines, have all experienced the modification that comes from time, and the streamlining that is bourn from iteration. This idea of becoming a cartoonist, with a successful "strip" of my own creation, has been an obsession so powerful, that I have returned to school. My desire, to gain the skills necessary in order to bring the art to a professional level, and to make the work viable, accessible, relevant, and visually stimulating in this "digital age." The presentation will follow the work, from primary doodles, to the more polished look that it possesses today. The story will follow the process of creativity, and the numerous frustrations encountered by those who attempt anything "original" or "creative". Magnate, Majestic (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stuart Larson Inspirational Words of Wisdom: Digital Calligraphic Images. In the Name of Our Creator(Allah), who is the Most Merciful, who is the Most Compassionate, and who is the Most Clement. The Names or the Attributes of Allah are the highest characters ever. Man should strive to achieve a share of these Attributes. Thinking positive is an extremely important perspective that helps man build up positive relationships, analyze issues in a positive mind, preserve connections between enlightened hearts, and create solutions for healthy minds and souls. This project is about a twenty calligraphic artworks that reflect on some of the Attributes and Names of Allah. This project includes twenty words of wisdom which inspires man to solidify his realization of the Names of Allah as well. These words of wisdom reflect on mercy, from Allah who is the Most Merciful. Purity, from Allah who is the Pure On. Faith, from Allah who is the Guardian of Faith. Peace, from Allah who is the Source of Peace. Dignity, From Allah who is the Most Glorious. Creativity, from Allah who is the Creative. Repentance from Allah who is the Guide to Repentance. Forgiveness, from Allah who is the Most Forgiving. Sustenance, from Allah who is the Best Sustainer. Thankfulness, from Allah who is the Rewarder of Thankfulness. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 28 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Justice, from Allah who is the Just. Subtleness from Allah who is the Subtle One. Protection, from Allah who is the Most Protective. Generosity, from Allah who is the Most Generous. Self-criticism, from Allah who is the Most Watchful. Responsiveness, from Allah who is the responder to prayers. Love and companionship, from Allah who is the Most Loving, Guidance, from Allah who is the Guide and the Righteous Teacher. I select key words that are relevant to the Attributes of Allah for my words of wisdom. I contemplate on my calligraphic images, and I ponder about my life experiences as well as others', then I come up with my words of wisdom. For my calligraphy, I use Adobe Illustrator tools such as the brush, color, artistic calligraphy set, and style to draw the calligraphy of the Names of Allah. For my calligraphy back grounds, I use Adobe photo-shop as well as Adobe Illustrator to manipulate my photos in layers with the application of different artistic effects. My final product is a soft-cover book that has twenty words of wisdom and twenty digital calligraphic images. The outcome of these words of wisdom combined with the digital calligraphic images establishes a foundation for various theories in ethics. This book inspires man to perceive life in a positive perspective and proceed with a high character. Mathey, Christopher (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mike McMullen Financial Hemorrhaging from Social Distancing: A Conflict Theorist Perspective. A socio-economic analysis of the world financial crisis identifies that regulation is influenced by Conflict Theory and its offshoots. Attempting to disburse and avoid conflict, regulators fostered the circumstances necessary for economic collapse. The "ills of capitalism" are brought on by inflation- the devaluation of the currency -which produces a detrimental economy fostering doomed social institutions. These factors are the result of an imbalanced devotion to social norms while experiencing psychological detachment, resulting in alienation of the individual from a symbolic attachment to a socially-constructed stratification system. Implications include predictions of future economic crises, the effectiveness of current policies aimed at thwarting future crises, the value of a gold standard versus fiat money, and the use of Conflict Theory in devising future economic regulations. Keywords: conflict, currency, devaluation, government, inflation, regulation McGuyer, Lynna (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt Faith Based Initiatives In 1899, the District of Columbia contracted with the Roman Catholic Church to build a hospital on their grounds, providing medical services to the poor. the Supreme Court deemed that just because the hospital was affiliated with the church; it was "wholly immaterial," as the church would be providing secular services to the city's needy without regard to their religion. (Bradfield v. Roberts 1899) Despite separation of church and state arguments, there is ample evidence to support the efficacy and desirability of such partnerships as well as ample reasons to be concerned. Perhaps our focus should be on how we can make faith-based initiatives more successful while, at the same time, acknowledging the need for oversight to protect separation issues. This presentation will examine the details of Charitable Choice and state funding; the legislation that set the wheels in motion for partnerships between the government and faith-based programs. Using case studies that reveal programs proven to be effective, we will illustrate the inevitability for programs of this venue. The ethical and practical issues surrounding this topic will be addressed, along with possible solutions to the problems. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 29 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Miguel, Claudio (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Matthew McCann, Aymen Abdallah Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios The Ergonomic History of Video Games Ever since the first games of pong were played, video games have evolved into a freeform type of entertainment where the body becomes the controller. From hand held devices to even our phones, we interact with video games on a daily basis. Our goal through this project is to look at the evolution of video games from an ergonomic perspective and show how the Gaming industry has accommodated to the ever changing needs of there consumers. We will look at the evolution of controllers to the ways in which video games have changed strategically in order to better represent the timeline of video game development. Monchak, Alex (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dan Kim Examining Trends of Technology Diffusion Theories in Information Systems: Research in Progress Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate IDT research and find future trends in Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) research. Design/methodology/approach: To find future trends in IDT research, the past and current IDT research is studied to understand the progress, findings, authors, current state and future trends of IDT research. The methodology used in this study is meta-analysis of recent IDT research (2003-2011) to statistically collect data and report suggested future trends in IDT research. Three propositions are proposed as IDT future research trends in this studies research model as follows: Proposition 1: An IDT future trend is the addition variables for specific Information Systems such as the Health Care applications Proposition 2: An IDT future trend is an increase in objective measure of observable variables Proposition 3: An IDT future trend is major changes IDT research methods for Information Systems. Findings: Initial results suggest agreement with the three propositions contained in this study's research model. More variables are tested by many studies and attempts are made for more objective measures of variables. Major changes in IDT research could include context-based research and agent-based modeling. Research limitation/implications: This study examines trends of technology diffusion theories in Information Systems. The scope of the research is focused on IDT research trends. For researchers, IDT trends inform the direction of future academic research. Other diffusion related theories may have crosscutting capabilities but are not currently included in this study. Future meta-analysis research may capture a broader selection of diffusion related theories. Practical implications: Important implications of this study are that the IDT trends shed light on the need for entrepreneurs to focus on the addition variables for specific Information Systems, objective measure of observable variables and major changes IDT research methods for Information Systems. Originality/value: For researchers and practitioners in Information Systems, this study shows the value of synthesizing the results of many research studies. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 30 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Monchak, Alex (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ipek Bozkurt Toward a Customer Motivation Theory for a Suggestion Collection System Concept intended specifically for Commercial Human Space Exploration: Research in Progress This study explores intrinsic motivation for a Suggestion Collection System Concept intended for Commercial Human Space Exploration with a pilot survey of state university graduate students using a 5-point Likert scale. Prior research suggests rewards, especially monetary rewards, may undermine creativity because individuals tend to concentrate on extrinsic rather than intrinsic motivations. Rewards may also undermine the creativity of individuals and customers providing suggestions. A pilot survey was conducted to explore potential customers' intrinsic motivation to provide suggestions about Commercial Human Space Exploration by using a mobile device application Suggestion Collection System Concept being developed. The survey results of selected knowledgeable students indicate variations in expectations, when providing suggestions. Specifically, initial results suggest there are variations among respondents as to whether rewards are expected and whether rewards are important. As a consequence, there is a need for research into intrinsic and extrinsic types of the same Suggestion Collection Systems to accommodate the various suggestion expectations of individuals. This study also clarifies the need for future research into the motivations for individuals producing suggestions. Specifically, the study indicates suggesting is different from creating. The differences can be clarified by defining a new term called 'suggestivity.' The focus of further research should be on 'suggestivity' defined as the production of new and useful ideas for consideration by an individual or organization. Research into 'Suggestivity' Motivation Theory should study customers' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for producing new and useful ideas for consideration by submission to Suggestion Collection Systems. Mouliatis, Chrisoula (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chloe Diepenbrock The Writing Center as a Woman's Utopia It is not uncommon to find a woman as a writing program administrator, nor is it uncommon to find a majority of female tutors working in a writing center. Applying a feminist theoretical framework to composition studies allows writing teachers the opportunity to empower their students voices. I have found an enormous amount of research to support the idea that women possess the strength and ability to teach literacy. Women's contributions to teaching writing are vast and wide-ranging. I will explore these contributions and explain how they are critical tools to successful tutoring and teaching experiences. I also will explore the struggles feminists face when teaching composition in a university classroom and contrast them with the struggles that exist in a writing center. I will answer the question: Is the writing center the best place for women to practice a feminist pedagogy of writing? Why do feminist professors struggle in a college or university classroom, and how can they subvert the patriarchal ideals that oppress them? For this presentation, I will draw on research that introduces feminist theory and writing like Helene Cixous The Laugh of the Medusa and compare it with feminist composition theorists like Mina Shaughnessy, Andrea Lunsford, Meg Woolbright, and others. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 31 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Musfy, Kimberly (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mattie Porter Medicare Fraud Medicare fraud is not a new problem. In 1979, the AMA sued the government to keep amounts paid to them under the Medicare program a secret. The American Government lost. For more than thirty years, physicians have been able to conceal these earning. The American people demand transparency for all government spending. We have, however, been blinding to the good, bad, and down-right ugly truths of Medicare fraud. Just last month, nearly 20 people were arrested in Florida for a Medicare fraud scheme that topped $200 million. That is just one example. I'm going to discuss the crisis and crimes that face us and our children. Ndiaye, Dahirou (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Raj Chhikara Optimum Portfolio Construction using Modern Portfolio Theory based on ETFs Consider a portfolio which can be a collection of investments held by an individual or an institution. The two competing goals of investment are (1) long-term growth of capital and (2) low risk. A good portfolio grows steadily without wild fluctuations in value. The Modern Portfolio Theory is an optimization model for balancing the return and risk portfolio. The objective is to minimize the variance of the portfolio's return, subject to the constraints that (1) the expected growth of the portfolio reaches at least some target level and (2) you do not invest more capital than you have. Nealy, James (University of Houston-Downtown) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gene Preuss LBJ and Foreign Affairs: Weapons, the Sino- Soviet Split, and Czechoslovakia In August 1968 the Soviet Union, along with four Warsaw Pact allies, mobilized forces in Prague, Czechoslovakia for the purpose of frustrating reforms instituted in the Eastern European nation by newly elected leader Alexander Dubcek. These military operations and the following Soviet occupation, the most violent in the Eastern bloc since the failed Hungarian Revolution in 1956, elicited vehement condemnation from much of the Communist and nonCommunist world. As notable leaders of various Communist nations surprisingly criticized Leonid Brezhnev and the USSR, the reaction of the President of the United States was noticeably mild. Lyndon B. Johnsons response to the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia was largely influenced by improved Soviet weapons technology and an outdated interpretation of the Cold War itself. Nevuri, Charita (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Raymond Khoury Insulin Pump Therapy In Treating Diabetes Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in United States and it is a major cause of heart disease, kidney failure and gangrene formation which leads to amputations. Among United States residents, 25.8 million people of all ages Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 32 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. are suffering with diabetes. Diabetes Mellitus commonly referred as diabetes, is mostly of two types, type-1 and type-2. In type-1 diabetes, pancreas stop producing insulin. Therefore, they depend on injected insulin to carry out their metabolism. In type-2 patients, pancreas do not produce sufficient insulin or patients develop insulin resistance. Usually type-w diabetes is treated through oral hypoglycemics (tablets), diet control and physical activity. Type-1 diabetics as well as some patients of type-2 diabetes depend on synthesized insulin which is injected through Insulinsyringe, Insulin-pen or Insulin therapy. Among the different available insulin injection treatment methods, Insulin pump therapy has been proven to be very effective and convenient to use. Currently about 200,000 people use Insulin pumps in United states and around 400,000 people use it worldwide. It is regarded as the best alternative to the conventional syringe therapy because it eliminates the need of multiple injections per day, which is very painful. It not only controls blood glucose levels effectively but also, offers flexibility in life style with regards to eating, working out and social life. This paper elucidates why insulin pump therapy is regarded as effective treatment and why it is preferred over other therapies. Palmer, Aaron (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ashish Chandra Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ashish Chandra Executive Residency: A Student's Journey in the "Real World" of Executive Leadership The University of Houston Clear Lake formed an agreement with Pasadena Health Center to provide a student with the unique opportunity of an executive residency. The student would function as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) and would be mentored by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Under the direction of the Residency Supervisor the student created a plan with goals and objective to gain knowledge, improve leadership abilities, and ultimately improve the health center. Pasadena Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides access to both insured and uninsured populations in a designated Medically Underserved Area (MUA). Pasadena Health Center offers family medicine, pharmacy, lab, behavioral health, and dental services. Pasadena Health Center's mission is to "Provide access to reliable, quality healthcare for the community we serve in a caring atmosphere." The residency consists of three major projects. Project one is the creation and implementation of a Marketing Plan with an assessment of the current marketing strategies, an assessment of the most effective and cost-savings marketing methods, and the creation of new marketing techniques. Project two is the creation and implementation of a Financial Plan that will assess the current financial health, find areas of financial waste, and create strategies to improve short-term and long-term financial viability. Also under project two, the student will manage federal grants worth more than $600,000. Project three is the creation and implementation of an Operations Plan that will assess the center's current operations using supply and demand, wait times, cycle times, productivity, staffing, and other measures. Under Project two the student will also determine ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, save money, save time, and minimize waste. This presentation will walk the audience through the student's journey of accomplishments, set-backs, and learning experiences. Palmer, Eleanor (St. Edward's University); Helen Just Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Helen Just Be Kind To Yourself: The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Stress Effects Self-compassion is treating yourself with kindness, while remaining aware of universal human suffering and mindful of your emotions (Neff, 2003). Self-compassion has been linked to well-being and other psychological benefits (Neely et. al, 2009), and to academic motivation that is intrinsic and mastery-oriented (Neff, Ya-Ping, & Dejitterat, 2005). Self-esteem is a positive feeling about oneself and one's abilities (Rosenberg, 1979). Self-esteem has also been Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 33 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. associated with some positive benefits, but can also lend itself to narcissism and ego defense mechanisms (Neff & Vonk, 2009). The purpose of this research was to relate self-compassion and self-esteem to stress and academic achievement, using the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979). It was hypothesized that participants (N=40) high in self-compassion would self-report less stress, relax more deeply during a series of 3 relaxation training sessions, and report higher Grade Point Averages (GPA). In addition, it was hypothesized that self-esteem would not be as significantly correlated to stress, biofeedback relaxation, or academic grade average as self-compassion. Patel, Gayatri (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Rena Patel, Alex John, Prapti Regmi, Jomel Whittington Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ashish Chandra Telemedicine in the UAE In simplest terms, telemedicine is medicine delivered at a distance. It involves the effective communication between the physician and patient with the use of computer technology such as a webcam. Through the simplicity of videoconferencing, a patient is able to get the proper guidance and treatment through a specialist that may be miles away from them. With increasing services, reorganization of the infrastructure, and the development of the financial and legal aspects, the use of telemedicine is rapidly growing within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Currently, the UAE provides the services of radiology, surgery, and monitoring. Many of the laws and beliefs in the UAE are based on Islamic scriptures; therefore, the people of this country will hold a strong force for any changes in healthcare to be implemented. Telemedicine has many advantages such as improvement and variation in services, reduction in wait time, and significant gain in productivity. Telemedicine in the UAE has allowed for an integrated system with all medical personnel. The enhanced collaboration of technology has given the patients of the UAE the ability to experience modern healthcare at their bedside. Through our presentation, we will portray the prevalence, infrastructure, financial, legal, ethical, and political concerns of telemedicine in the UAE today. Payne, Jason (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ashish Chandra Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ashish Chandra Cochlear Implants: Technological Advancements and Trends that Impact the Hearing Impaired Patients Among the various disabilities that human have, many people may assume that hearing disability often benefitted from advancements in technology in the form of treatment of hearing impairment. Advents in hearing devices such as the cochlear implant have been able to foster cognitive development and restore quality of life in the hearing impaired. Cochlear implantation is a highly successful intervention treatment for the hearing impaired that depends on electrical stimulation of the inner ear. This presentation will provide a comprehensive evaluation on the substantial contributions that technology has provided for the hearing impaired with the continuous development of the cochlear implant including a briefly overview of the history of the device. The presentation will provide insights in the current state of implant engineering, analyze the performance opportunities and limitations provided to the user, and explore anticipated developments that merge technology with gene therapy and new drug delivery systems. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 34 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Pham, Tuan (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gokhan Gercek Remote Access Computer and Network Labs Solutions for Online Course Support Online course offering in university is an ever accelerating trend. Business schools are among the leaders in providing online courses. While some courses lend themselves to online teaching rather conveniently, some other disciplines pose some challenges. In general, the disciplines that have hardware and software laboratory components face difficulties providing online alternatives. The purpose of this paper is to provide an approach, whereby remote access software and hardware based experimentation become a possible alternative to brick-and-mortar laboratory work. Using available technologies in the industry, this paper shows that computer networking laboratories in Management Information Systems Computer Science and Computer Engineering departments can be modified to allow remote access over the Internet. The approach outlined in the paper can easily be extended to other disciplines which offer computer based methodologies as part of their coursework. Porter, Carlton (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt Images of Egypt: A Country in Transition The country of Egypt is undergoing historical political transformation as a result of its recent people's revolution that led to the resignation of former dictator and president, Hosni Mubarak. (Lee College); student Carlton Porter spent four months in Egypt as a study abroad student and Gilman Scholar in the Fall 2010 school semester - immediately prior to the people's revolution that began in January 2011. In a photo essay, followed by a question and answer session, he shares his experience and insight of a country filled with raw beauty and incredible history as the background for the Egyptian people's underlying and omnipresent frustrations of political injustice. Saxenian, Cynthia (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Dolphin Slayings I will investigate and report on the slaying of dolphins in Brazil and Denmark, as well as oil-spill-related deaths in the Gulf of Mexico. My format will be oral presentation, and I will be part of a 4-author symposium covering current environmentally-conscious topics. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 35 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Schoffstall, Jerre (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mattie Porter Fraud: Are We Serious About It? Instances of fraud deprive our economy of billions of dollars on an annual basis. This presentation examines several issues in regard to the devastating losses attributed to white-collar crime. First, consideration is given to whether or not the conviction rate supports the dollar amount of fraud that is reported annually. Second, we look at the conviction rates of recent, well-known fraud cases and the severity of sentencing and/or lack thereof. And finally, we deliberate on why future reforms are necessary in order to close the gap between conviction rates and the occurrence of fraud. Shah, Shweta (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Ayadi The Role of Information Technology in Public Health This paper discusses the applications of modern technology in various domains of public health. It highlights the uses and advantages of information technology in areas of disease surveillance, health promotion, health screening, and disease mapping. Health surveillance consists of the process of disease detection through a standardized information collection system which ensures data quality, analysis and interpretation of data, transmission of information, and facilitation of the necessary response. The National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, under the Center for Disease Control(CDC), is constructed to manage health threats and epidemic diseases. A variety of projects through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in health promotion and screening are discussed in this paper. Some of these projects include Oovit PT, a device that assists in physical therapy regimen; Weightmate, a smart phone technology to monitor and control obesity; and MOCA, a cell phone based telemedicine system for developing countries. Geographic information systems(GIS)are used to track diseases and outbreak of epidemics, at risk population, and planning, implementing and evaluating community health programs. This paper discusses some projects under CDC utilizing GIS technology such as INJURY MAPS, Heart disease and Stroke Maps, and California Health Care Atlas. Policies concerning ethical considerations governing public health and information technology need to be placed. This paper presents some ethical principles for building a framework of ethics required for the use of information technology in public health. As new technologies continue to grow, there will be a radical growth in effective health outcomes for communities. Shenoy, Amrita (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dianne Love Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dianne Love Clinical Integration There comes a time in a patients course of treatment when he/she has to move to another facility for more effective treatment or hospitalization. In this case, if medical history and background that the patient shared was made available to the next provider or physician the patient goes to, then the whole process of collecting medical information, gathering medical history and coordinating care can be simplified. This is the bottom line of clinical integration wherein different physicians visited by the patients share patients information. Further, clinical integration is not restricted only to physicians but also extends to hospitals and healthcare organizations. Hospitals and healthcare organizations are involved largely in clinical integration as both physicians and healthcare organizations that the patient visits and seeks treatment in shares medical history and health information for his treatment. The coordination and sharing of patient information is the underlying concept of clinical integration. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 36 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Shenoy, Amrita (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Paul Bruder Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Paul Bruder Role of Epidemiology and Healthcare Administration in Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with Stem Cells There are different types of stem cells derived mainly from three sources, the embryo, the umbilical cord and the human body. Stem cells are characterized by its unique regenerative and self-renewal abilities and their potential to treat blood, brain and blood disorders. These cells are transplanted allogenically in a detailed medical procedure involving harvesting, filtering and IV transfer of bone marrow cells in the patient. Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with stem cells also includes complications such as Graft vs. Host disease, transplantation related lung injury and infections to name a few. The healthcare administrator's role in treatment of this disease lies in planning, coordinating and supervising healthcare processes involved herein. In this manner, a healthcare administrator is likely to have a specialized role to ensure the smooth functioning of healthcare processes involved in treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with stem cells. Shenoy, Amrita (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dianne Love Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dianne Love Accountable Care Organizations Accountable Care Organizations are those organizations that take accountability for the care and services provided to patients on the healthcare facility's behalf. It focuses on two main aspects: cost and quality of care providing optimum quality of care and charging effectively for healthcare. Accountable Care Organizations has its benefits as well as its risks. Strategies to overcome the risks are effectively devised to make Accountable Care Organizations as effective as possible. Accountable Care Organizations work at three key levels. The concept of Accountable Care Organizations is gaining great popularity in United States as efforts are underway to convert most healthcare settings into Accountable Care Organizations. Sherrod, Rosa (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Johanna Montelongo , Sara Preston Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Laboratory Ergonomics An employee working in a laboratory environment can be exposed to various hazards. Chemicals hazards can include: thermal burns, cuts, absorption of chemicals, inhalation of chemicals, and ingestion of chemicals. One hazard that should not be ignored in a laboratory setting is exposure to ergonomic risk. The US Department Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2009 reported over 348,740 musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace cases that were ergonomically related injuries. This represented over 28% of workplace related injuries. From this percentage 40,000 cases were related to hand, wrist, finger and arm repetitive stress disorders. Our groups goals will be to identify common laboratory risk. Laboratory risk factors can include awkward postures, highly repetitive movements, excessive force or strain, contact stress and vibration. Jobs that we will evaluate will be pipetting, working with Biological Safety Cabinets/ Fume hoods, microscopy and work conducted on laboratory workbenches. We will provide data regarding laboratory ergonomic risk by identifying case studies. We will also define necessary solutions where needed such as: modifying or redesigning tools, equipment, materials and process, adjustments of work pace and rest breaks. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 37 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Sheth, Aditi (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Ayadi Implementation of an EMR System in a Medical Practice The implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) system has become increasingly popular in the healthcare field. This occurrence can be partially explained by the incentives provided by the new healthcare reform initiatives. Many healthcare professionals, on both the medical and business sides, do not truly understand the many different aspects involved in this process. This presentation will describe the actual implementation process of an EMR system in a private, surgery practice that was part of an internship experience. It will discuss much of the research, how the data was organized into meaningful information, the marketing presentations, the selection process, and the interns role in the actual implementation procedures and roll-out of the system. This will cover the different steps and factors that were involved in the selection and implementation of an EMR system in a physician practice organization. Vital lessons learned from the process will be discussed, as they provided the intern with a better glimpse of how to deal with a variety of technological issues and employee problems and responses, which are crucial steps for a smooth and successful implementation. It is important for healthcare managers to learn how a system implementation works, as reducing the number of errors in the system before the official kick-off will lead to less time being wasted in the future for correcting these errors. Sims, Brian (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mattie Porter Management Override and Exploitation of Lack of Controls Fraud has become a regular news headline noting cases ranging from the national stage with Bernard Madoff, Enron and WorldCom to the local stage with co-workers taking cash out of the petty cash drawer. This study takes an indepth look at a local Houston fraud case identifying the structure of the various schemes used, how the fraud was initially detected, and techniques investigators used to build the evidence to prosecute. This analysis helps to further understand the fraudster mindset, possible signs of and how to investigate the fraud schemes presented. Since this case has not been tried, names of the companies and individuals involved have been changed to protect the integrity of the investigation. Singh, Gurpreez (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Rashid Ballouli, Lorenzo Bowie, Georger Kallukuzhy, Phuong Doan Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Paul Bruder Breast Cancer and the new technology The topic our group has chosen for this paper is breast cancer. This disease has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives just in the past decade, and it is the second most common cancer among women. While breast cancer is more prevalent among females, the disease effects thousands of males as well. Our essay will explore the epidemiology of breast cancer, the major historical incidences revolving around it and how the healthcare system has responded to its proliferation. In addition, our essay will present what is being done today to help treat and cure those who are inflicted with the disease. A major portion of our paper will focus on how technology, specifically nanotechnology, is not only helping doctors to better detect the disease in its early stages, but also how it is helping us to come increasingly closer to curing it altogether. This revolutionary technology, which allows us to construct and control systems and structures at an atomic level, is bringing itself to the forefront on the battle against breast cancer. Our Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 38 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. paper will emphasize the significance of this technology, as well as the importance on our part in understanding it and how the future of technology is shaping the way we approach medicine and healthcare alike. Ultimately, our group hopes to provide a concise picture of breast cancers position within the medical status quo, and bring attention to the efforts that are being made to suppress and hopefully eliminate the disease. Spears, Brittney (Lone Star College-North Harris) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shae Adkins Men's Attitudes Towards Marriage This research looked at attitudes towards marriage expressed by men of various age groups and various marital statuses. The research utilized a scale of items based on Robert Sternbergs theory of love model and from E.W. Burgess Marriage Adjustment scale. Walker-Anderson, Kathleen (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Craig White Finding Utopia: A novel of family and American history An idea of what our pasts make of us informs Finding Utopia, my creative thesis in Literature, which is a novel inspired by research into my family history. As I read through pages and pages of genealogy, I realized that the real experiences of those names and old photographs were lost. All that remained were written records, names, dates of birth and death. Our stories do not thrive in such collections of facts and figures, census records, or encyclopedic accounts of history. Our pasts comprise the personal, the social, political, and historical, all converging to determine our individual and collective identities. My novel records this history through storytelling: the experience, speech, meetings and partings that can lead a contemporary reader to identify with the past as though it lives today. The novel is based loosely on the historical life of my distant ancestor, a Baptist Missionary, the Reverend Duncan O'Bryant, who ran a mission school among the Cherokees in Northern Georgia in the generation before the Cherokee Removal of 1838. The school was established in Hickory Log, a Cherokee settlement along the Etowah River, for the purpose of the Indians religious and social conversion. Finding Utopia follows the compulsory encounter of a young Cherokee woman, Sparrow Hawk, with white men. Catbird, Sparrow Hawks grandmother, enrolls her in the mission school run by Reverend O'Bryant. Eventually Sparrow Hawk marries Duncan's brother, Wilson O'Bryant, and their life together leads them to Texas. My presentation will begin with an overview of how this historical novel reconstructs the legacy of the American West from my own family genealogy and how personal and political history converge in the novel to erase our conventional notions of white and Indian as separate identities. The personal experiences of two Cherokee women and two Scots-Irish men dramatize the historical effects of the past, such as the treaties that slowly depleted Cherokee territory and invited the westward movement of Scots-Irish immigrants. Storytelling as a record of history is developed through the incorporation of Cherokee, Christian, and Appalachian Mountain myths. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 39 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Ward, Kevin (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stuart Larson Chinaberry Tea Chinaberry Tea is a collection of short fiction in different genres. The stories: Nikki Moonshine, Rooms, Man in Fog, Little Yellow Sun Dress, Meridian Blue, Delilah, Magnolia, Wind, Gotterdammerung, and Chinaberry Tea exist on there own with different voices and in different times. However they all speak on the human experience and the loss or discovery of self. Youssef, Nameer (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Luis Cruz Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Space requirement between flanges met with composite blind Space requirements between flanges met with composite blind. Nameer Youssef, Luis Cruz University of Houston Clear Lake 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, TX 77058 Abstract: Pressure rated blinds are required it isolate equipment for confined space entry. Pressure rated blinds are substantially thicker than the space between the flanges. Since the space between flanges is normally only as wide as a gasket, the flange gap must we widened to accommodate a pressure rated blind that may be an inch or thicker. There are occasions when the configurations of piping won't allow for flange separation enough to accommodate a pressure rated blind. By utilizing new materials (composites), the nominal thickness of a 42", 250# flange may be reduced by as much as a third. Consequently, a pressure rated blind made from materials other than steel will offer the same level of safety at a thickness and weight that will allow it to be used when others cannot. We are going to design a 42", 250# pressure rated blind utilizing materials other that steel. History Consortium Barnes, Nichole (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Old Bodies, Old Minds: A Study of Simone de Beauvoir, Gender, and Age in TwentiethCentury France In twentieth- century France, gender and age helped shape women’s identity and role within society, yet their intersection has largely been unexplored by historians. This paper will analyze the relationship of gender and age and their impact on the position of women and their identities in France during the twentieth century. Using the life and writing of the influential and celebrated female intellectual Simone de Beauvoir as a guide to better understand age in French society, the paper will explore the role of age, the aging process, and its relation to gender and identity. Additionally, perceptions of age and its role as an identity marker will be placed within the historical context of twentieth-century France to demonstrate how social, political, and economic structures influenced the conceptualization of gender and age. Finally, as aging is a process manifested by the body, this study of Beauvoir and her writings will also emphasize how aging reflects gendered perceptions of the body. With a career that spanned from youth to old age, for Beauvoir, age never defined her public identity or altered popular opinion of her work in a Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 40 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. negative manner. Yet, her writings clearly described a fear of aging, not only in regards to the physical decline of her body, but mental degeneration as well. The analysis Beauvoir’s four-volume collection of memoirs, her monumental study of gender Le Deuxième Sexe, and her extensive examination of age in La Vieillesse, reveals the relationship between gender and age and demonstrates wider social views of the issues. A study of Beauvoir and her writings will illustrate how changes to French social, political and economic structures impacted Beauvoir, her own fluctuating views of age, the body, and identity over her life course as well as French perceptions of gender and the aging process. Bayley, Cresta (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu Voltaire's Critique of Pascal's Penseés as an Exploration of Deism, Jansenism, and Religious Intolerance When Voltaire wrote his Letters on England, he was living in exile, away from France. For his work to be taken seriously, it only made sense that he would shoehorn in a discussion of Blaise Pascal's Penseés. Pascal was deeply admired in France and had been a childhood prodigy of great skill. His work was seen as a fine example of the French philosophical tradition. However, while Pascal was in a way everything that Voltaire wanted to be, Voltaire also despised Pascal's religious beliefs. Although Letters on England was an early work of Voltaire's, Voltaire's dislike of what he saw as religious intolerance would be a life-long theme in his life. Ironically, however, Pascal's beliefs were founded upon the basis of Jansenism, a subset of Catholicism that was itself viewed with suspicion and intolerance. Voltaire's own religious beliefs can be classified as deist, a religious philosophy that was quite important to the period of the Enlightenment. As such, Voltaire's analysis and refutation of Pascal's Penseés actually serves as an exploration of both Deism and Jansenism, as well as Enlightened philosophy as a whole. In addition, since it includes Pascal's Wager, the discussion is representative of religious philosophical beliefs that are still held and considered valid today. As such, what seems upon first examination to be a throwaway part of Letters on England proves to be a piece that is important to French History, philosophy, religious thought, and the Enlightenment. As such, an exploration of this piece will prove instructive in detailing the religious beliefs of both Pascal and Voltaire. Breimaier, Amy (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Instruction with Delight: Children's Literature in Eighteenth-Century Colonial America Eighteenth century children's literature highlights the commercial relationship and cultural connections between Britain and her colonies. The predecessor of modern children's literature, these works developed in John Newbery's London shop at mid-century and marked a transitional period from traditional patriarchal views to Lockean views toward children. Newbery and his writers designed these works to please parental desires for education, social, and moral uplift, while also attracting and entertaining children. These works spread throughout the English Atlantic world of the eighteenth century and received a revival in the 1780s by printer Isaiah Thomas of Worcester, Massachusetts. A study of this literature reveals changing views of children and society in the eighteenth century. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 41 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Broussard, Brenda (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Project Camelot: The Social Sciences used in U.S. Statecraft The U.S. military joined with the social sciences academy in the 1960s in an effort to seek non-coercive methods of winning over the allegiances of developing nations. Latin America served as the laboratory for these social science studies and experiments. Project Camelot was just one such project destined to take place in Chile. It was the largest and most heavily funded social science endeavor to date in U.S. history. Despite never having passed the planning stages, Project Camelot launched a political firestorm both in the U.S. and in Latin America. Utilizing Project Camelot as the case study, this presentation will discuss the use of the social sciences in U.S. statecraft. Brush, Danielle (Sam Houston State University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt The Evolution of the Black Cougar:The Origins of the University of Houston's Black Studies Program In the mid 1960s Englishmen John Hatch took a personal interest in the Houston metropolitan area universities regarding African Studies. He envisioned the Bayou City, the largest city in the southern United States, with African Studies Programs at its major universities. Previously, Hatch worked diligently in Africa and countries all around the world to endorse the studying of African Heritage. After negotiations an African Studies consortium shared by the four major universities in Houston allowed Blacks to study their own African curriculum at Texas Southern University. By the end of the decade in 1969 Hatch expressed censure toward Texas Southern's programs, and began to urge the University of to institute a program for Black Cougars. Meanwhile, the end of the decade unearthed a period of racial tension and unrest most evident on colleges campus, which the University of Houston had no immunity to. Without the audacious efforts of the early Black Cougars, the Black Studies Program at the University of Houston may have never existed Butler , Tracy (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Gender, Labor, and Capitalism in U.S.-Mexican Relations, 1942-2000 This paper explores how throughout the twentieth century, the U.S. government worked closely with American businesses and the Mexican government to favor profitability over the social conditions of Mexican workers in the Bracero Program (1942-1964) and the Border Industrialization Program, or BIP (1964-2000). In both programs, Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) tailored each program to American employers ideals of the most cost-efficient, most productive, and least resistant workforce for each individual program by exploiting gender. While in the Bracero Program, U.S. farmers favored single, male laborers, in the BIP, U.S. employers preferred single, female workers. The author conducted a series of oral history interviews with former braceros and maquiladora workers in order to draw comparisons between their experiences under U.S. capitalism in the twentieth century. Under each program, male braceros and female maquiladora workers shared similar experiences with low wages, substandard living conditions, and other human rights violations. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 42 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Cameron, David (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Adam Hodges Work of National Importance: Conscientious Objectors in World War II This essay examines the way conscientious objectors during World War II actively forced America's home- front and government to rethink its understanding of pacifists and war resisters and adjust their approach toward these groups. Conscientious objectors (hereafter CO or COs) during World War II brought about significant changes in many different areas on the American home-front. This essay focuses on the role they played as catalysts for change in three specific areas. First, COs working in the Civilian Public Service camps rejected the "work of national importance" that was assigned to them, because it was either not important or it in some way conflicted with their intense objection to involvement in the war in any capacity. Second, COs who were assigned to work in mental hospitals and training facilities for the mentally ill exposed unacceptable conditions of filth and abuse rampant in those facilities - thus shedding light on an area generally ignored by the public and leading to changes in those areas. Finally, COs who served prison sentences brought about significant changes particularly in the areas of racial segregation and the treatment of prisoners through nonviolent methods of civil disobedience and hunger and work strikes. Evidence shows that COs did not respond passively to attempts by the Selective Service to keep them busy and out of the way during World War II. Rather, they not only refused to fight, they refused to be ineffectual. Campbell, Matthew (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone The Cosmology of Nri and Aro Expansion This paper describes the relations in Nigeria between Igbo classes during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Specifically explaining the symbiotic relationship between the Nri and Aro. Primary focus is on how the Aro trade network used the Nri priestly class and Awka blacksmiths, to expand their influence through parts of Nigeria. Campbell, Matthew (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Slave Movement in Texas Following the annexation of Texas, slave and plantation owners flocked to East Texas. This paper uses primary sources such as census, tax rolls, and diary to track slave movement across the South and into the state. Just before the Civil War, masters began to bring their slaves to Texas for safe keeping. This essay describes the reason for immigration to Texas and details the vast array of immigrants in this process. Special attention is given to the slave's stories in the move. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 43 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Ciecieznski, Natalie (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Clean Living: Health and the Environment in Late-Medieval English Towns and Cities In this paper, I explore the urban environmental concerns of late-medieval English towns and cities, such as London, York, Coventry, Salisbury, and Leicester, and argue that, in a manner of speaking, the officials in these urban areas had a concept of public health. No one issued a general public health policy that might be compared to a more modern counterpart, but in late-medieval England, regulations that focused on maintaining the good health of town and city inhabitants were created and enforced. Among other things, these regulations focused on controlling butchers, protecting water sources, and eliminating foul smells. To be sure, poor health was not the only reason for regulating urban cleanliness; the practical reason of keeping the streets and walkways passable, as well as the pure discomfort that many citizens experienced from horrible smells, also stimulated the creation and enforcement of city-cleaning regulations. However, the concern that a filthy, smelly city, including both the air and water, could lead to bad health is the key to understanding the mentality behind most of these regulations. Even though they lacked a modern understanding of disease, medieval urbanites still cared about cleanliness due to their environmentallybased understanding of disease that focused mainly on bad air, or miasma, but also concerned bad water and hygiene. French, Bryan (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Daniel Haworth The Nottingham Lace Company and the Business of Boosterism in Gilded Age Galveston An investigation into a short-lived late nineteenth century lace factory on Galveston Island's West End reveals some of the social and political dynamics of Gilded Age Galveston's business elites. This essay contributes to Gilded Age Galveston's business history by placing the Nottingham Lace Company into historical context while shedding light on the dynamics of civic boosterism in economically thriving Galveston. Ironically the significance of the Nottingham Lace Company, lay not in the ornate lace curtains and mosquito netting it produced, but rather what it represented, to investors and Galvestonians. Gunter, Rachel (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Daniel Haworth A Different Class of Woman: The Women of Ashton Villa The women of Ashton Villa, specifically Miss Rebecca Ashton Brown and her sister Mathilda, of late nineteenth century Galveston, Texas were representative of a small group of upper class Victorian-era Southern women who obtained an uncommon level of independence for elite women of that era. Miss Bettie, and to a lesser degree Mathilda, walked the line between socially acceptable and scandalous with few negative consequences and exceeded the customary social limitations placed upon women of their time. Yet they never crossed the line into being truly scandalous or outcast fro proper society. How did they remain socially acceptable women while breaking many of the rules set out for them? They utilized their wealth, the protections that a trusting relationship with their well regarded father afforded them, and capitalized on the Victorian expectation of young women to be highly sociably, entertaining and charitable. In doing so the ladies were able to break many traditional gender barriers without the risk of becoming fallen women. This paper will show that they walked a very thin line that allowed them to enjoy the freedoms of unmarried and divorced women while maintaining the protection of a proper patriarch. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 44 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Gustafson, Andrew (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Catherine Patterson A comparison of Elizabethan ship levies and Caroline ship money levies A discussion of the key differences between Elizabethan ship levies and Caroline ship money levies; including levy purposes, definitions of "imminent danger," and the overall intentions behind the levies. An exploration of the expansion of the respective levies of each period from charges on port towns, to whole maritime counties and finally to the whole of England, with a focus on the major differences. Jardon, Lindsay (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jane Davidson Surrealists in Exile: The Immigration of Artists to America and the Creation of the Postmodern World Art, in the eyes of the historian, is a primary cultural artifact of the time in which it was created. It often reveals the values, ideology shifts and major events of the era. Lives of artists are even more revealing, and give us insight into the effects of major events into the everyday lives of artists and the common man alike. If ever there was an art movement that purely reflected the events, ideologies and struggles of a time period, it is Surrealism. An art movement wedged between the two great wars of the twentieth century, surrealism exemplified the nihilistic postmodern values that emerged in the wake of industrialism. The stories of Surrealists are riddled with tales of exile, war, and political insurrection, revealing the turmoil of the mid to late twentieth century. This essay is a venture into the lives of Surrealist artists and explores through their experiences what it meant to be a citizen of the postmodern world in the twentieth century. Jardon, Lindsay (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Adam Hodges Sex for Sale: The Rise and Fall of Galveston's Red Light District (1920-1957) "Sex for Sale" explores the brief history of the Red Light District of Galveston, TX (1920-1957). In many ways Galveston's organized crime situation was unique in comparison to that of other towns, especially in regards to prostitution. Drawing primarily on literature from the Rosenberg Library Archives, interviews, newspapers and theses over organized crime, research consistently shows, between the years 1920-1939, Galveston's local government officials not only "turned a blind eye" to "the Line", they even helped regulate it. Starting in the 1940's, Galveston's shifted from an open organized crime city to a tightly regulated town until the final shutdown of Galveston's "Line" in 1957. This paper concludes with a comparison of Galveston's prostitute "problem" to that of other 20th century American cities. Come to enjoy a discussion of Galveston's unique history! Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 45 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Jimenez, Raevin (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kairn Klieman Concepts of Health and Authority among the Botatwe-Speaking Peoples of Southern Zambia Bantu ideology in Africa demonstrates remarkable continuity in concepts of public health, particularly in terms of the relationship between the people and the land, as well as the idea of healthy, balanced communal relations. This thesis project examines Botatwe religious, political, and medical thought in order to identify how ideas of communal health have developed since the 6th Century CE among Botatwe- speaking groups, and how these ideas have helped shape concepts of proper and legitimate authority in decentralized Botatwe society. The project shows both strong links with the past, drawing on ancient Bantu thought, and interesting innovations in discourse about leadership and the preservation of the community in the face of misfortune and distress. Like most of Africa, the Botatwe were an oral society prior to the colonial period. In order to access systems of thought during the early, formative phases of Botatwe history, this project employs the methods of comparative historical linguistics, using language to reconstruct ideas, and comparative ethnography. Johnson, Michele R (Sam Houston State University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt Shoot the Women First Whenever one thinks of terrorists, one most likely thinks "male". The stereotype has been that way for many years, although there are documented cases of women taking part in the Russian Revolution and the French Reign of Terror that gave the genre its name. If women are thought of at all, they are most often assumed to be international terrorists, either the religious extremists of Hamas or Chechnya, where women are now the leading perpetrators of suicide bombings, or nationalists associated with the Shining Path of Peru or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC). In the United States, women are generally assumed to be associated with left-wing groups: the Environmental Liberation Front (ELF), the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), or women's and reproductive rights. Women are rarely associated with right-wing extremists. However, evidence has shown that not only do women have a history of right-wing violence in the United States, but the trend is growing and women's participation in right-wing terrorist violence is becoming more widespread. Lundquist, Hunter (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone John Hawkins Achines de Plemua John Hawkins profited greatly from the trading of goods from England and slaves from Africa to the West Indies because of Spanish policy that forbade the colonies to trade with foreigners. His personality, charisma, and the perception that he was an honest trader, which was cultivated by Hawkins, helped him in his triangular trade route. Hawkins' family background and his connections to the English monarchy, combined with his character traits, helped to create three successful slaving voyages to the New World, with the exception of the last voyage which was marred by unexpected and unfortunate circumstances. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 46 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Martin, L. Anne (Texas Southern University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Nupur Chaudhuri Anglo-Egyptian Relations: 1875-1882 Much changed for Egypt as the Suez Canal was built from 1858-1869. Although Britain was offered shares at the outset of the Suez Canal Company, no shares were purchased on the basis of slave labor, access, and cost. However, in 1875 as Ismail Pasha, Viceroy of Egypt, was desperately trying to raise capital for Egypt a deal was brokered in which Egypt's remaining shares were sold to Britain changing the relationship between the two nations. This paper seeks to explain the changes in British imperial policy that made purchase into the Suez Canal Company a necessary component in the overall design of British rule. It also seeks to answer the question: Did Britain intend to become involved in Egypt as it had done so in India, or was British control a response to escalating political and economic problems at home and abroad? Meeks, Tomko (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone The Angolan War of Independence and Race Relations: The United States Response to the Color Line in Angola, 1961-1975 This paper offers an analysis of race relations in Angola during Angolas War of Independence, with particular emphasis on both indigenous Angolans and America. This paper dissects the history of U.S. foreign policy with Angola and Angolas internal race relations from 1961 to 1975. Michael, Julius (Sam Houston State University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt Nigerian Immigration to Houston Nigerians are one of the largest African immigrant groups in America; about 16,000 Nigerians call the city of Houston home. Houston has the largest Nigerian American population in the United State. Nigerians are attracted to the Houston area either through chain migration to Houston or the city's oil industry. Nigerians play an important role in Houston's business sector, for example, businessmen Kase Lawal, Chairman and CEO of Cameroon-American Company (CAMAC). The city of Houston is the front runner in the relationship between the country of Nigeria and the United States. On April 16, 2010, the International Trade Center located in Southwest Houston signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the first annual USA-Nigeria Business Forum; the Nigerian governments primary goal of the agreement is to expand trade between Nigeria and the U.S. Nigerians are also playing an important role in the airline industry. Continental Airlines, a company based in Houston, announced that if the government approves, it plans to fly daily from Houston, Texas to Lagos, Nigeria, nonstop in November of 2011. If this plan is approved it would bring together two cities whose dominate industries are based on energy. Whether they are first generation Nigerian immigrants such as former University of Houston Cougar and NBA Champion Hakeem The Dream Olajuwon, the Houston Texans defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, or second generation Nigerian American rapper Chamillionaire Hakeem Seriki, have made a significant influence in the Houston area. Nigerian immigrants are also the most educated immigrant group in America. They hold more masters and doctorate degrees than any other immigrant group in America. This is a look at the Nigerian immigrants living in the Houston area and their impact in their local communities. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 47 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Nero, Andrea (Sam Houston State University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt Benjamin Franklin's Maps of the Gulf Stream and the Cost of Britain's Arrogant Refusal to Acknowledge Them Throughout the Revolutionary era, Benjamin Franklin was preoccupied with uncovering why a ships voyage from England to New York took several weeks longer than one to Rhode Island. His cousin, a whaler, informed him of a strong air current in the Atlantic which was responsible for the lag. In the middle of the American Revolution, the two set sail to chart this Gulph Stream, as Franklin named it. Although he did not discover the air current, he create the first map displaying which routes to avoid, offering seafarers a valuable resource. However, his maps were not put into use until decades later. The publishing of Franklins research revealed leftover hostility from the British loss of the American colonies. As a result, the British withheld his findings, despite the fact they would have provided them with faster and cheaper shipping. According to Franklin, had these maps been created fifteen years earlier, the difference in costs could have prevented the American Revolution. Historians are aware of Franklin's work but no one has examined why the British minimized and ignored his achievement. Noble-Waldner, Michela (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone La Cruz Blanca: Transborder Nurses and the Mexican Revolution The paper would be a brief summary of two chapters of my thesis that details the creation and ultimate end of La Cruz Blanca. La Cruz Blanca was a group of women nurses and a few male doctors from Laredo, Texas. The group moved back and forth across the border between Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas as they were needed. La Cruz Blanca would eventually become a nursing corps for the Constitutionalist troops that were under the leadership of Venustiano Carranza. They traveled in the wake of Revolutionary fighting to care for the wounded, establish hospitals, and train women to care for the wounded. Pustahija, Tomislav (University of Houston-Main Campus) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone German Yugoslavian Relations from 1950 till the break in relations in 1957 Yugoslavian-German relations resumed 1950 after the turbulent years during the Second World War and the direct aftermath. The relations were beneficial to both countries because they both existed on the opposing sides of Cold War. Germany wanted relations with a communist country and Yugoslavia needed western capitalist countries capital help to modernize industry and survive famines after the break of relations with Stalin in 1947. The relations will last till 1957 when Germnay broke the relations with Yugoslavia on the grounds of Hallstein Doctrine which said that if any country recognized the existence of East Germany the relations with such a country would be terminated. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 48 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Reiser, Andrew (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Todd Romero The Iroquois of Grand River: From Sovereignty to Canadian Subjects In 1784, Grand River, Ontario became home to thousands of Iroquois. Recognizing the need to protect their native allies after the American Revolution, Governor Haldimand, of Quebec, bestowed Grand River on Joseph Brant and the Iroquois with the Haldimand Proclamation. Governor Haldimand and the Iroquois recognized Grand River to be a sovereign community for the Iroquois. Initially, the British and the Canadians recognized the need to maintain their friendship with the Iroquois and instituted policies that maintained their sovereignty. Following the War of 1812, Canada began to increasingly influence Grand River. Canadian settlers were moving onto the reservation. In 1876, the Canadian Government passed the Indian Act with the purpose of providing pathways for citizenship to its indigenous population. The Indian Act was amended several times increasingly forcing citizenship upon indigenous populations like the Grand River Iroquois. In 1922, Chief Deskaheh of Grand River traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to protest Canadas forced assimilation policies. He hoped The League of Nations would overrule Canada. By examining the changing relationship between the Grand River Iroquois and Canada over time, conclusions will be drawn illustrating Canadas violations of Iroquois sovereignty. Roca, Kayla Ann (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Understanding the Motivations for Enlisting with the Women's Army Corps, 1941-1945 Aggressively recruited by the War Department, over the course of World War II, one hundred and fifty thousand women enlisted with the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and the Women's Army Corps (WAC), but the women who chose to serve faced serious negative pressure from a variety of groups: family, friends, politicians, and the media. American society feared the integration of women into the military because they saw it as an all-male arena, and vicious slander campaigns assaulted the women who chose to serve. Despite these attacks a significant amount of women felt the pressure of patriotism was a stronger stimulus. Ultimately, this project serves to answer the subject most historians have ignored and underemphasized, why did women choose to join the WAAC and WAC? Drawing from World War II magazines, advertisements, newspapers, and videos I demonstrate how the military attempted to recruit WACs. I then consider the effect of slander campaigns on women's decision to enlist within the WAC. Finally, I seek to reveal the complexity surrounding women's decision to join, in light of the negative publicity and failed recruitment campaigns, through the analysis of participants memoirs and oral histories. Understanding this question allows us to clearly connect these women to their daughters who fought for gender equality in the 1960s. Many of the slanderous arguments used against servicewomen during the war, remained to antagonize equal rights activists. However, the women of the 1960s had role models that ignored the smear tactics and served proudly within the army. The choice to enlist in the WAAC/WAC, despite negative social pressure and other more economically profitable opportunities, demonstrates that strong personal motivations drove women to serve. Scruggs, Camesha (Texas Southern University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Nupur Chaudhuri Beliefs about Black Women's Bidding: A Look Into Domestic Laborers from 1919 - 1939 African American women worked predominantly as domestic laborers in the early twentieth century. At this time, African Americans were migrating to northern urban centers in search of employment and equality opportunities. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 49 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. After World War I, opportunities for African American women to enter the industrial workforce were virtually nonexistent. Thus, working in someone's home was an economically viable option. Oral histories, women's magazines such as Ladies Home Journal and Good Housekeeping, and ads in newspapers provide insight into attitudes towards domestic laborers. This paper will explore the perceptions based on these sources in addition to attitudes and relationships of employers from the interwar period of 1919-1939. Smart, Katie (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Enemy from Within: A Slaveholder Turned Abolitionist By exploring education, evangelicalism, the abolitionist movement, and location, this paper seeks to uncover the intricacies of slaveholder William Henry Brisbane's conversion to abolitionism and to shed light on one slaveholder who destabilized the society he was raised to support. It is divided into four sections that analyze specific moments of transformation for the slaveholder. Furthermore, Brisbane's experiences are contrasted with Charles Colcock Jones, a slaveholder who faced similar issues as Brisbane but came to a very different conclusion about slavery and abolition. While the transition from a slaveholder to an abolitionist was a very personal action, there are significant aspects of this slaveholder's education, evangelicalism, and relationship with the abolitionist movement that affected his conversion. Furthermore, his location and distance from family members was a defining characteristic of this slaveholder who chose to emancipate his slaves and become an abolitionist. Brisbane separated himself from friends and family, both in the North and in the South, before deciding to become and abolitionist. Detached from familial pressures to maintain a way of life, this slaveholder was able to embrace abolition in a way Jones was not permitted to do. Trate, Rachel (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone Honorable Pirates: The Moral Conscience and Code of Honor of German Submariners in the First World War The Great War of 1914 thrust the world into unpredictable circumstances, but submariners were the only ones left with virtually no precedents to follow. While submersibles were viewed with indifference by most and disdain by a few leading up to the war, Germany quickly developed a definite purpose for das Unterseeboot. Despite the clear political vision, however, German U-boat men were dispatched in their little tin boxes with no communications and only one eyeball (the periscope). The result of this combination was four years of an intermittently restricted and unrestricted submarine war on Allied and neutral shipping, with the attempt to starve Britain into submission. During and immediately after the war, German submariners were abhorred by the Allied nations as not only Huns (the term applied to all Germans during the war), but also pirates who mercilessly drowned innocent women and children. No doubt, by contemporary standards, the mission of the U-boats and the actions of the men who served on them were revolutionary and morally dubious at best, in violation of most international agreements on naval warfare. Historical writers on the submarine war have mostly ignored the moral processes of the U-boat men, either dismissing their actions as simply following their duty or even arguing that the morality of sinking enemy ships was not much of a concern in their minds. Objectively speaking, there is much truth to this outlook: for the most part, German submariners did follow their orders. While this may partially account for their decisiveness in the face of difficulty, it fails to explain how they viewed their own actions, and it overlooks many of the psychological difficulties they faced reconciling moral ambiguities. Instead of viewing U-boat Commanders and crews as simply pawns Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 50 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. following orders, historians must see them as men of agency and complex motivations. In reality, German submariners had their own code of honor created by the conditions in which they worked and lived. Three tenets composed this code: obey commands, complete missions effectively, and treat the enemy with respect. These tenets, however, could often conflict with each other. When the tenets contradicted, submariners had to choose between loyalties, make decisions in the moment, and construct moral rationalizations for their choices. Valentino, James (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Daniel Haworth Karankawa Cannibalism: Fact or Enduring Myth The Native American tribe that inhabited the middle to lower Texas coast was a collection of five linguistically united bands known as the Karankawa. The Karankawa ceased to exist as a tribal unit in the 1850s well before students of anthropology or ethnology could examine this notable ethnic unit in detail. Their memory has been entrusted to historians, which have by necessity, relied on accounts primarily originating from their enemies. For this reason the primary element of cultural or historical significance ascribed to the Karankawa is that they were Cannibals. The assumption that anthropophagites lived in far-flung unexplored regions has generally been accepted by historians, anthropologists, and ethnographers. This outlook partially changed in the 1970s with the publication of William Arens Man Eating Myth: Anthropology and Anthropophagy. Arens doubted that the prevalence of the phenomena equaled the accusations of it due to factors of cultural imperialism and the seduction of the exotic. This presentation applies Arens thesis to the Karankawa, exploring the possibility that primary source bias, as well as lack of academic rigor were contributing factors in the distortion of Karankawa life and folkways prevalent in the tribes public perception and current academic thought. Vipond, Julie (Texas Southern University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cary Wintz The Power of Ku Klux Klan in the 1960's: Fact or Fiction The 1964 murders of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney occurred during what was called the "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi. The three civil rights workers were participating in one of the largest campaigns to register African Americans. Unfortunately the Ku Klux Klan had different ideas, they were in the mood for murder. These three men were abducted and murdered to send a message to other workers. Whatley, Charlotte (University of Houston) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bailey Stone From Gallyart Hayme Cummyn Was: The Siege of Perth and the Franco-Scottish Alliance in the Hundred Years War Walter Bowers Scotichronicon describes, in detail, the return of William Douglas from King David IIs court at Castle Gaillard in 1339 with a small fleet of ships. The origins of these ships was nebulous at best, and they were called by various names in the chronicles: pirates, privateers, mercenaries, or just French ships. Their presence is an anomaly; at no time before had the French taken such an active role in Anglo-Scottish relations or the Scottish Wars of Independence, though there had been treaties in place as early as 1295; thus the appearance of these ships is quite Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 51 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. an interesting mystery. There are few facts that are certain. First, that William Douglas had been sent to David II, King of Scotland, by Robert the Steward, to give a report of the latest happenings in the conflict with Edward Balliol and Edward III of England. Second, that Douglas returned to Scotland with a contingent of French ships, laden with both men and provisions. Third, that those ships, once the siege of Perth had been successfully completed, left Scottish waters and were not heard from again. Where had these ships come from, and on whose authority? Were they pirates and mercenaries that had been hired by Douglas on his journey back to Scotland -- or is it possible that they had been part of a much more important gesture of French friendship in the face of growing agitation between France and England? Using a thorough examination of contemporary chronicles, French naval activities, and the political context, this paper aims to answer these questions. Taken separately, William Douglas's return from France, the Franco- Scottish Alliance, and the French naval policies in place in the channel and along the English coast seem to have little correlation with each other. When viewed together, however, a series of coincidences seems to become much more connected. The evidence suggests that Douglas's reinforcements -- rather than being a ragtag bunch of pirates -- were instead a gesture from the King of France in support of the Auld Alliance, a long-standing Franco-Scottish treaty that allied them against England. Douglas's fleet helped Scotland to regain its castles, which in turn secured Scotland against Edward III's advances and allowed David II to eventually return. The French help at Perth was not forgotten, and when the Hundred Years War began in earnest, Scotland entered the war on the side of France. Thus, this incident represents a largely forgotten turning point in Franco-Scottish relations in the fourteenth century. Electronic Presentations Boone, Kate (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Houston in non-attainment for Ozone Our proposed project topic is federal ozone attainment in the Houston area. Houston has had many difficulties in meeting current and past air regulation requirements. There has been heated debate over what is acceptable for our city versus the rest of the United States. Much of this struggle to meet air regulations is due to the highly populated areas of industry such as refineries, plants, the ship channel, and other high emitters of air pollution. The ozone standard was updated in 2008 by EPA to 75 ppb as the eight hour average. Regulators felt that the Bush era standards were not effective enough in protecting the general publics health. Many scientists and air activist groups feel this standard should be even lower (60 ppb). TCEQ was concerned with this decrease in allowable ozone because they felt it would be detrimental to the Houston economy which relies on much of the chemical, manufacturing and refinery industries. In addition to the refineries and plants causing much of the high ozone emissions, cars are also responsible. Houston is a commuter city and its almost impossible to get around on solely the public transportation system. Tailpipes of cars cause ozone emissions among other types of air pollution. Houston has not achieved the current air standard of 75 ppb and this area has until 2019 to be in attainment (some are saying it would not be achievable until 2031). Houston has been showing ozone readings of 84 ppb which is in compliance with the 1997 standard of 85 ppb. Our proposed topic would like to expand on these issues, discuss the key causes and concerns while discussing possible solutions. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 52 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Brown, Cody (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Employee Accident and Injury Prevention The reasons for strict PPE policies in the workplace will be discussed. The main personal protective equipment will be analyzed, such as: eye protection, ear protection, FRCs, hard hats, foot and hand protection, and respiratory protection. The history of injuries in the workplace will be analyzed and compared to the present day. Carmichael, Kathryn (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios A Case Study of Quality Assurance to Review Safety Training Program Content to Ensure Inclusion of Key Organizational Policies and Procedure Elements Safety training is an important component of a safety program. Safety trainings are used to relay pertinent information to employees concerning their safety and health in the work place. Most safety trainings are comprised of regulatory based material and lessons learned. Although most safety trainings contain regulatory information, it is less common that they reference institutional policies. Policies typically contain regulations set forth by the regulating body, but they also contain information that is based on best practices and lessons learned. Aside from regulatory information, most policy information is voluntarily enacted. A common problem with policy implementation is that employees are not aware of the policies. This is a problem because policies containing safety information are not getting to the employees for which they are targeted. Recently a question was posed; How do you know if employees are being trained on safety related policies?. Currently there is no check in place to ensure employees are being trained on policies related to employee safety. A case study approach was used to identify gaps between safety training and safety policy. The analysis indicated that gaps do exist between the safety trainings offered and the safety policies at UT Health. The gaps were then compared to items of non-compliance that had been identified during safety surveys at UT Health to determine if there was a link between policy and training gaps, and the frequency of items of non-compliance found in the surveys. Doyle, Joseph (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Personal Protective Equipment :The choice is yours For my project I would like to discuss PPE or personal protective equipment. These items are safety items like: Hard Hats, Safety Glasses, gloves (chemical to leather), Safety glasses, Steel toe boots etc.. Basically I want to discuss the things in certain professions that help protect us from harm. The biggest threat to our safety is not knowing the facts. If you are knowledgeable you are more likely to choose the best means to protect yourself. The old saying of knowledge is power, well in this case knowledge empowers you. I would like to show what a hard hat can withstand, how a pair of safety glasses gets tested to get its certification. I hear safety glasses but what does that really mean? I am going to do some research to find out, will YOU? Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 53 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Frederick, Cheryl (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Pollution and its Affects on Marine Life No one would like to live amongst trash by choice. There are animals in the oceans and creatures walking the earth that reside amongst our littering. Littering not only puts unnatural objects in our earth, but it may be the number one cause of pollution. I will research littering in connection with pollution and try and find the connection between polluted waters killing and harming our ocean creatures. Our littering and polluting the earth is metaphorically killing the natural cycle of life. Every time a cigarette hits the ground and is swallowed by a bird searching for food it interrupts the eco system. When cruise ships are throwing soda cans and trash overboard fish absorb those unnatural objects. Oil in our oceans polluting the very place marine life resides is harming these creatures. We are causing an imbalance in our earth and the result is endangered species. The numbers of our beautiful creatures drops as a result of them dying off. People must treat their children as future educators. Children must learn the importance of not littering and be educated on the effects of pollution to animals. Many may disagree that littering and pollution harm animals and the cycle of the ecosystem, but my research will support my view. Hogan, Severin (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Tippit, Ivy Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Indoor Air Quality We would like to present our term project on the topic of indoor air quality. We would like to focus on the different contaminants and how they can enter the indoor air system. We will also explore in detail the testing methods used by industrial hygienist to test the indoor air. A third point We would like to focus on is preventative measures that can be taken to make the indoor environment as safe as possible. Kelly, Stacy (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Effects of Second-Hand Smoke Second hand smoke is a combination of the mainstream smoke (inhaled by smoker) and sidestream smoke (smoke coming off the lighted end of the cigarette). Traditionally we think the mainstream smoke as being more harmful, however it is the sidestream smoke that contains more harmful chemicals(www.Cancer.Org). The amount of chemicals a passive smoker, one inhaling second hand smoke, is directly related to the amount of smoke they have inhaled. Contained in the second hand smoke are several known carcinogens or suspect carcinogens. Second hand smoke has been attributed to more types of cancer than just lung cancer and according to a 2006 General Surgeons report it can be fatal to children as well as adults. Similarly, it can also cause several chronic ailments. Of particular concern are uncontrollable exposures to second hand smoke such as a work place and public outings and a few places we may be able to control the intake of smoke like a house or car. However for those demanding stricter regulations there are a few steps to take to encourage limited or prohibited exposure. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 54 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Khan, Jawad (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Environmental Restoration Environmental restoration is intriguing for me as I feel that the BP disaster was the greatest catastrophe of our time. There was a huge amount of human, environmental and marine life loss. People are still struggling with the disaster in the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. People will struggle with the Deep Water Horizon disaster for years to come with their health, economy, the wild life, and marine life. The dead zone in the Gulf is an example of a disaster which is due the dumping of waste. This has contributed to the poisoning of the water for marine life and the local economies of this area. Environmental restoration attempts to preserve and maintain the existing habitat. Environmental restoration can take years depending on the cause of the disaster. Environmental restoration would mean sea or land oil spills. Pipeline ruptures, Industrial Fire cleanup, response to terrorist attacks, mine site remediation and water treatment are some of the forms of environmental restoration. One aspect of environmental restoration is after a natural disaster. Hurricane Ike and Katrina caused damages to homes, roadways, power lines, different modes of transportation and human life. Natural disasters can also come in the form of typhoons, floods, droughts and cold weather. Magharef, Mohammed (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Pollution Prevention Pollution has become an increasingly widespread throughout the world. Pollution has been the source of many deaths and health disorders. Pollution is defined as the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. Pollution can present itself from natural processes occurring in the environment. However, humans have contributed proportionally to the serious issue of pollution. Environmental pollution includes air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Major causes of this crisis include deforestation, waste dumped in bodies of water, toxins exposed to the air, and the dumping of waste on land. Pollutants in the air can cause respiratory disorders. Pollutants in the water can cause water-borne diseases. The former are just two of the many side effects of pollution. Many countries have taken action to fight the issue of pollution by setting standards and signing international treaties that can lessen the effects. However, there is much still needed to be done in order to get the crisis of pollution under control. Menconi, Britney (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Hydraulic Fracturing: An OSHA Analysis Hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny recently in the U.S. Congress, as seen in the FRAC Act. Amongst a slew of OSHA and USGS pamphlets protesting any negative impacts this practice may have, environmentalists throughout the nation are crying out for more regulation and more disclosure as to what exactly the chemicals used in fracking are. While many are concerned with long term environmental impacts, I would like to propose a basic case study that examines the transparency of the OSHA regulations required for employees involved in hydraulic fracturing. Long term environmental impacts from this process are important to identify, but the safety of employees regarding this process is shrouded in encouraging pamphlets and articles on whistle blowers. As of yet, I have not decided whether to focus on Texas or Colorado drilling companies, as both states share a wealth of angry landowners and former Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 55 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. employees. The purpose of this case study would be to examine the accuracy of safety requirements for hydraulic fracturing. Also, this case study will try to analyze whether OSHA regulations are even in use at and near these drilling facilities. Miguel, Claudio (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Pollution Prevention The natural environment has been systematically destabilized due to the introduction of pollutants on it. The current project intends to investigate the effects of pollution in the environment and recommend measures to prevent this problem. Morris , Patrick (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Water is it safe to drink? I would like to submit a proposal on stricter regulation from the EPA on the Houston's water supply. This story was covered on Channel 11 News and I would like to use parts of it to create my power point. I believe after reading into the story it pertains to environmental safety of the Houston area. The story basically covers the amounts of radiation that the EPA allows in our water supply. The story uncovered that there are large amounts of radiation in the Houston water supply in certain areas. The radiation could be linked to potential cancers and sickness due to over exposure to the radiation. The story also points out that the EPA knows about this and has been actually underreporting the amounts of radiation because it is more cost effective to its organization. I again would like to summarize the story in a power point slide pointing out the main topics of the story and possible solutions to it for better drinking water in the Houston area. Nichols, Brad (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Safety Application of Positive Pressure Ventilation During Firefighting Operations For my Environmental Safety & Health term project, I would like to create a power point showing the benefits of ventilation during firefighting operations. More specifically, the safety benefits associated with positive pressure ventilation (PPV) over the other standardized firefighting ventilation practices of vertical, hydraulic, and negative pressure. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 56 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Petter, Raymond (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Meredith, Myklynn Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Global Warming is Upon Us Today global warming is causing problems on the earth's surface. Temperatures are rising in the atmosphere which can cause problems for all life on earth. One possible cause of this warming can be due to the increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities. The temperature of the lower atmosphere will increase because atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases will rise. Some other causes are more naturally induced such as the sun and oceans. The effects of global warming include rising temperatures, melting ice, rising sea levels, increased precipitation across the globe, and animals being forced to move from their habitat due to temperature changes. Some solutions that we propose are reducing greenhouse gases, more solar and wind powered technologies, more energy efficient vehicles, increasing forest lands, and new technology to capture carbon dioxide that is emitted and then put to use efficiently. Preston, Sara (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Proposal for Research Environment Restoration after Natural Disasters I would like to research on what are the emergency strategies in place for the United States as well as other countries when natural disasters strike. In the case of biological, physical and chemical hazards occur in those areas and how to restore functioning water, food, and life. The quick response for those areas that have natural disasters and what is done to ensure that is completed. Also, what happens to the animals and their habitat in a natural disaster? Robayo, Gloria (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Bioreactor Landfill Technology Continuous improvement of waste management technologies is a must due to our society's massive level of consumption. This project includes an analysis of the economic and environmental benefits of bioreactor landfill technology. In addition, case studies and points of view from the current leading researchers of this new technology will be included. Rogillio, June (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Knight, Jake Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios City of Houston's Water Supply The water that supplies the City of Houston and surrounding areas is taken from the nearby reservoirs, ponds, rivers, lakes, surface run-offs, and underground aquifers. There is different chemicals that enter these by industrial run-offs from their processes, fertilizers used in agriculture and lawns, human/animal fecal matter and natural disasters debris; the natural organic compounds found also contribute to the contaminants in the water. Treatment (disinfect) of the water is done through various chemical processes that leave by-products that can cause long term health Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 57 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. affects to the central nervous system, increase risk for acquiring cancer, and kidney or liver disease. Is there a better way to minimize the impact of the chemicals used in the process to disinfect the water or are the current standards justified? Santoyo, Rodrigo (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Environmental Issues in Galveston, TX When one thinks of a beach, they think of an island with clear blue waters and white clean sand, but Galveston, TX is far from that. Galveston has become a very popular spot in southeast Texas for people to visit. As the number of tourist visiting this island increases one must consider that Galveston's environmental factors are being affected as well. A surplus of people affects the pollution in the air and the pollution in the water, both inland and coastal. As an individual living on the island, I feel that there needs to be a stronger Environmental Organization on this island, if there is even one. An Environmental Organization on the island can strive to minimize air and water pollution. Thus making it safer in the present, but more importantly in the future, to preserve the island and continue allowing tourist to visit Galveston, TX. Sprouse, Randi (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Magdy Akladios Impact of Genetically Modified Foods Genetically modified (GM) foods have an impact on health, safety and the environment. Organically grown produce have become increasingly popular due to concerns raised about the impact GM foods have on health, possibly increasing allergens, on the environment due to the increased pesticide use on crops and safety because of the ingestion of increased chemicals used on the crops. There are many issues arising, but few answers. This project will research concerns that GM foods pose on human health and safety and the environmental impact it has. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 58 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Roundtable Abstracts Chierighino, Candace (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Brooke Boswell, Ashley Hart, Kelli Hardung, April Herrera, Cynthia Munoz, Nadia Zulfiquar Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreereka Subramanian Violence in Texas We will be holding a round table discussion over four themes of violence in Texas: domestic, structural, migration, and occupational. All seven members will examine the various aspects of these four themes in a intellectual debate. Theme one concentrates on assorted degrees of domestic violence that is present in every social class, sex and hetero/homo relationship. Theme two centers on the structural violence by examining different ways the social structure harms society by keeping them from their basic needs, which is through aspects such as institutionalized elitism and ethnocentrism. Theme three looks at migration violence in the Hispanic and Latino community involving the horrific journey to the United States in order to receive the American dream. Theme four focuses on occupational violence which is violence toward and employee or employer due to their profession. Each of these arguments contain numerous amounts of information that need to be brought to light. Fernandes, Bridget (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian Is Relief Work a Help or a Hindrance?: A Close Look at the Organizational Models of a Relief Work Agency in Haiti, a Nonprofit Organization in Kenya, and a Social Development Organization in India. Relief, nonprofit, and social development organizations either foster spaces for self-development within a certain cultural context or promote learned dependency through top-down policies. The type of impact an organization has on a community depends on if it works within cultural and familial parameters or separates the community through ulterior motives, new ideologies, or objectives based on a dependency model of social development. The success or failure of an organization's project depends greatly on its ability to provide a space where a community can empower itself financially and socially. Our project explores the social development models of a relief work agency in Haiti, a nonprofit organization in Kenya, and a social development organization in India. Gonzalez, Jennifer (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ashley Rhodes, Maria Perez, Maria Umana Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian Voices of Our Ancient Mothers The idea of feminism and women's rights is often presumed to be a modern, Western movement. However, the originators of this struggle can be found throughout the ancient literature of the Non-Western world. There are a multitude of examples to support this ideal including one of the oldest Non-Western texts, "The Descent of Innana". This ancient text was composed by Enheduanna, an Akkadian princess, and serves to sing praises to the Sumerian female deity Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth. Due to modern translations and rigorous studies of such texts, the voices and cultures of such women can now be shared with the modern world from the East to the West. The Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 59 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. relevancy of these texts is immeasurable and continues to have an immense impact on society as a whole, but specifically generations of women who can gain strength and power from that of their ancient mothers. It is vitally important to continue to explore and study the feminist view through Non-Western literature in order to understand how modern feminist views have been shaped and will continue to be shaped. The main objective throughout this study is to shed light on ancient feminism through Non-Western texts and explore the impact these women and their lives have had on modern feminism. Hopkins, Morgan (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Bonnie Farias, Amanda Oviatt Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian The Female Body in Popular Culture The media (e.g., film, television, advertisements, video games, magazines, etc.) is both pervasive and influential in American society; the average person, for example, sees 3,000 advertisements a day. Media as an institution is a source of socialization in that it dictates to its audience how to act, what is socially acceptable and what is not, and who/what is normal. In this sense, films, advertisements, and video games both reflect and reproduce our society. How does the audience members identity affect their interpretation of visual media? Is portrayal of women in the media objectifying? The current panel will focus on these issues and the idea of commodification of the female body; in other words, the presentation of women as products for sale - in the media, specifically in visual media. We will discuss the representation of female characters in video games, a feminist film analysis of Black Swan in terms of body image and dichotomized sexuality, and an analysis of how advertisements hypersexualize and commodify women at an early age. Jackson, Shaprie (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Erica Reynolds, Bethany Ellis Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian Performance of Gender With the current focus on women's roles in sports and the work place, our panel proposes an analysis of these roles through the concept of gender performance. We propose to analyze how women perform gender at work in leadership roles, in sports, and as characters in popular films. While investigating these roles and the gendered performance demanded from women to meet the expectations of these roles, we will also examine peoples perceptions and the following implications these perceptions have on the way in which women continue to perform gender. With women becoming more prevalent in leadership roles and sports it may be possible that women are not performing gender norms and in fact are engaging in a redefined gender performance. Through film analysis, we will be able to note any shift in popular norms of female disposition and character that may be reflected in society. The goal of this panel is to define the current state at which women perform their gender and to define the ways in which women in leadership roles, sports, and film help to redefine the accepted norms of the female character. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 60 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Jaser, Firas (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Candace Murphy, Patrick Batts, Monica Garcia, Monica Rincon, Jessyka Reynoso, Tonya Tipton, Ann Reynoso Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Charlotte Haney Identity and Societal development: Research findings on the social perceptions and implications of the human experience Identity and its complex impact on cultural are highly debated and discussed topics in the social sciences. This group participating in the roundtable explores identity development and the human experience to understand social change and development among individuals and social groups. An attempt is made to understand the cause and process of social change as manifested in individuals, social groups and their involvement in social processes. The roundtable will highlight the issues, changes and evolution concerning the external and internal effects that produce shifts of identity and thus, the human experience. The purpose of this roundtable is a critical analysis of contemporary social changes of identity in order to illuminate the impact and power of individuals on perceptions and realities in a world being shaped by social interaction. Monica Garcia will discuss the sex worker industry in Mexico and how sex work causes drug use among Mexican women. Firas Jaser will discuss the adverse impact of emigration on the Arab Christian immigrants identity in the U.S. Patrick Batts addresses how transportation affects community identity. In particular, how Houston's light rail affects Houston's east end community. Candace Murphy addresses the role of women as a demographic in combat sport and focuses on how on aggression in women and societies perception. Ann Reynoso will report on the mother-daughter dyad and how puberty is perceived. Jessyka Reynoso will explore whether or not young Mexican American mothers believe in Mexican folk illnesses or if they solely understand illness in a mainstream American sense. Monica Rincon will cover teen sex education in the U.S. by exploring the lack of education in schools and homes and its effect on higher rates of teen STDs and teen pregnancy. Jasmine Lewis will argue that the political ideology of a mixed race individual is dependent on the stability of their racial identity; that is what racial lineage they most identify with. Tonya Tipton briefly explores the marketing of cultural diversity programming at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) and how it can directly affect student involvement and attendance. Victoria McBride will propose that Kemah has become thoroughly entrenched in modern consumerism due to the influence and effects of the theory of disneyization. Angela Martinez will wrap up the roundtable discussion by focusing the correlation between learning disabilities and incarceration. Karam, Deborah (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Hillary Gramm, Linda Sulpacio Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Maria Curtis Celebrating Veterans Day: Citizenship, Democracy, and Discourses of Belonging This group project examines the ways in which different ethnic groups have experienced citizenship and belonging through military service in the United States. Students from the Cross Cultural Studies Theories of Diversity course will present their individual research in a conversational format on different aspects of ethnicity and belonging and avenues of participation in American society that the military promises as part of its claims to provide social and economic opportunities to underrepresented groups through service. Deborah Karam will present original research on women in the Civil War who served in clandestine circumstances. Her work focuses on the unique ways that women, particularly African American free women and former slaves, took part in helping to formally end slavery. Linda Sulpacio, through examining her father's military documentation, offers a unique glimpse at how Filipino soldiers served and how the kinds of service they performed were gendered and racialized in the Civil Rights era. Hillary Gramm's work is on the Vietnam War and the scars it has left in our nation's public memory of this devastating time in history. Gramm focuses on the immediate impact of war, as well as those impacts that live on in the minds of those who serve and their families generations after completing their service. This group of student researchers will present lesser know acts of patriotic heroism, and teach us about the ever changing contours of our national understandings of belong and citizenship. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 61 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Newcomb McKinney, Deandra (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Morgan Hopkins, Rachel Reed, Shaprie Jackson, Samantha Noronha Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian A Time of Choice: Texas Legislation Texas is in the midst of heated debates in the arena of the rights of the women versus those of the government. Four bills have been introduced which, if passed, will greatly impact the lives of women, men, and adolescents across the state. Under consideration are restrictive changes to the confidentiality, fairness, and impartiality of the legal proceedings surrounding a young woman's effort in seeking an abortion. In addition, the "sonogram bill", which recently passed in the State Senate and House, requires doctors to perform sonograms on women before performing abortions, to explain in detail the results of the sonograms, and to share video and audio from the sonograms. If doctors do not comply, they face legal penalties. Additional legislation, if passed, will reduce access to abortion coverage for health insurance plans and require parental notification for minors to receive contraception. Confused about the debates surrounding this Texas legislation? Wondering what the real-life implications of these bills are? Come see our roundtable discussion! Each member of this discussion brings a unique standpoint on issues regarding women's health, access, and rights guaranteeing it to be a lively debate. Noronha, Samantha (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian Book Group Lahore With Love, by Fawzia Afzal-Khan, is beautifully written memoir about a women's relationship with her girlfriends. The author articulately and elaborately takes the reader into the life of her childhood friendships in Lahore of 1970s, who undergo spiritual/ identity metamorphosis due to their culture and patriarchal society's structure. It is important to discuss the narrations discussed in the book as they provide dialogue and awareness about the some of the hardships women are faced with in male dominated cultures across the globe. More importantly, the hardships discussed in the book are global issues that face not only Muslim women, but women in general. Fawzia Afzal-Khan is University Distinguished Scholar, professor of English and director of Women and Gender Studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Unfortunately, Lahore With Love was pulled off the shelf and publication was stopped due to one of the characters' opposition to the book. Nonetheless, the book paves the way for discourse on Global feminism, women friendships within a patriarchal society and violence toward women in a patriarchal society. The women described in the book, depict their personal experiences with men, love, sisterhood and their freedom of choice. These issues affect women from all cultures. The purpose of the roundtable discussion is to point of the similarities between the characters in the book and the women at UHCL and around the world. Therefore, creating bridges among women from other cultures, and shedding light on women who have and continue to face a forced metamorphosis of their identity due to patriarchal society's structure. Reed, Rachel (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Deandra Newcomb-McKinney, Brandi Monell, Gwendolyn Colbert Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian Spiritual Feminisms For many feminists, spirituality within the context of organized religion can seem problematic and quite contradictory to their feminist values. Feminism calls for all people to embrace diversity and promote equality within every realm of her or his life. Most importantly, feminists proudly advocate the prevention of any patriarchal government Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 62 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. enacting laws or policies which contradict this call for equality or that which exclude certain citizens from their rights. However, nearly all organized religions find their way into the political arena in numerous countries and dictate that women are the subordinate sex. From the religious perspective, a woman should be controlled, confined and restricted in every possible way simply because she is a woman. We, as feminists, ask: Why are women denied the privilege of leadership roles and responsibilities within the church? Why do followers not challenge their religious texts that promote control of women and teachings which are interpreted and presented strictly from a male point of view? What is the relationship between the spiritual meaning and physical requirements of pregnancy by religious standards? Essentially, why do the patriarchal systems of various religions instill the necessity of domination of women amongst its followers? These questions must be examined in order to challenge the oppressive norms women face within church congregations and current societies as a whole. Saxenian, Cynthia (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Kathryn Hernandez-Roeder, Alisa Capetillo, Celina Gauthier Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Selected Topics of Human Imprint on Global and Local Ecology--IT'S NOT ALL BAD NEWS!! The members of our roundtable will look at both global and local environmental issues regarding the effect of human cohabitation with the ecosystem. Cynthia Saxenian will present research based on the AAUW’s March 2010 publication entitled Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, as well as personal data collected from women in dolphin research in the United States. Kathryn Hernandez-Roeder will discuss types of debris found in the Galveston Bay Estuary over a ten-year period, its distribution and the environmental implications for Galveston Bay and other shore areas. Alisa Capetillo will take us into the everyday lives of indigenous peoples on the Amazon River, to enrich our understanding of living conditions, agricultural practices and uses of native plants, and insights into preservation and sustainability. Celina Gauthier brings us back to urban Houston and the recent green initiatives of its Office of Sustainability’s programs and incentives to allow for more energy-efficient City government operations and development. Terekhova, Evgenia (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Juan Garcia, Imelda Estrada, Nick Burns, Udeshika Amarasinghe Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Maria Curtis Representing al-Maghreb: Student Research and the Model Arab League Experience This group presentation will highlight the experiences of the UHCL Anthropology and Cross Cultural Studies student research and participation in the 2011 Regional Model Arab League representing the Kingdom of Morocco, which took place at the University of Houston Main Campus on February 26 and 27. Each participating student took part in different councils, and each will present the independent research done and describe the resolutions they researched, drafted, presented, and defended at the Model Arab League. Evgenia (Jane) Terekhova served on the Palestinian Affairs Council, and she researched and presented a resolution to creatively ease import and export into Palestine by reviving and expanding ports of entry along the Jordanian and Egyptian borders. She also drafted a resolution to launch a series of innovative new schools that would provide much needed education and job training to Palestinian youth. Juan Garcia will present his research on the possibility of an inter-Arab agency to confront maritime piracy and other security issues in the region. Imelda Estrada will present her research on creating agencies in Europe to support unaccompanied Arab minors, as well as her resolution to support the legal rights of religious minorities in the Arab world. Udeshika Amarasinghe will present her research on social programming that would support women's issues and education in the region. In addition to their individual research, the students will answer general questions for those students interested in joining the UHCL 2012 Model Arab League delegation. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 63 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Zulfiqar, Nadia (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Samantha Noronha Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shreerekha Subramanian Lahore with Love by Fawzia Afzal-Khan Fawzia Afzal-Khan is a published writer. she is a university distinguished scholar, professor of English and director of women and gender studies at Montclair State University. in New Jersey. Fawzia Afzal-Khan's new book Lahore with Love: Growing up with Girlfriends , Pakistani Style, is a controversial memoir due to very intimate stories in the book. the press pulled the book off the shelf due to the legal threat against the book from a women in Pakistan who says that one of the characters is based on her and because of the way she is portrayed it defames her name. This cowardly decision by the publisher, could of deprives many readers from a beautifully written memoir about friendships and changes that take place in their lives from their youth to adult years, if not for self-publishing of the book which brought the book back on the shelf. This book offers a viewpoint of a modern Muslim women. this book paves the way for discourse on global feminism, women friendship, violence, and politics towards women in patriarchal ruled society. The author articulately and elaborately takes the reader into the life of her childhood friendships in Lahore of 1970s, who undergo spiritual/ identity metamorphosis due to their culture and patriarchal society's structure. It is important to discuss the narrations discussed in the book as they provide dialogue and awareness about the some of the hardships women are faced with in male dominated cultures across the globe. More importantly, the hardships discussed in the book are global issues that face not only Muslim women, but women in general. The women described in the book, depict their personal experiences with men, love, sisterhood and their freedom of choice. These issues affect women from all cultures. The purpose of the roundtable discussion is to point of the similarities between the characters in the book and the women at University of Houston Clear Lake and around the world. Therefore, creating bridges among women from other cultures, and shedding light on women who have and continue to face a forced metamorphosis of their identity due to patriarchal society's structure. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 64 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Poster Presentation Abstracts Acuna, Rebecca (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Ms. Gaye Cummins Workers' Rights: The progressing issue Workers facing wage theft, injury, discrimination, and other forms of abuse at the workplace visit the Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center to fight for earned pay, to file claims against their employers, or to seek methods of compensation for their injuries. Despite their legal and human rights to fair treatment, workers face countless obstacles in winning the wages that are owed to them and more importantly in having their rights respected. More and more cases of wage theft, discrimination, and other issues at the workplace are being reported to HIWJ at a high volume. The goal of this research project is to display the rapid growth in the amount of cases brought to the worker justice center and bring more awareness to the seriousness of the issues in the Houston area. The presentation will report the amount of new cases that have been documented from July 2010 to March 2011. The presentation will also give an outline to the workers' rights issues that the state of Texas is currently facing, such as the amount of deaths at the workplace, health and safety practices, and concerns of justifiable cause for termination. Adesida, Adebisi (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Ms. Gaye Cummins The Characterization and Quantification of Potentially Recyclable Materials from a Large Academic Biomedical Research Complex This study analyzed the viability of recycling plastic waste generated by a major academic biomedical research institution in Texas Medical Center Complex. A simple waste composition study of the waste stream was conducted and an examination of the existing recycling programs for various waste generated by the institution was examined. It was discovered that plastics are one of the least managed of all the recyclable materials generated by academic and research institutions. A plastic waste characterization and quantification study was conducted and the manual sorting and classification of plastic was carried out using the interpretation of the Society of the Plastics Industries Code. Based on the analysis, the disposal recycling method through a government center was cost effective for the two institutions. The diversion program through a recycler was not viable after extrapolation to other institutions because of the higher cost expense and low quantities generated. Finally, an effective waste management program recommendation for improving recycling of plastic was suggested. Ainiwaer, Ailiyasi (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Samina Masood Effects of weak magnetic fields on bacteria growth We study the possible effects of magnetic field on the bacterial growth. The results indicate that a strong causal relationship exist between cellular growth and the electromagnetic fields. However, different magnetic fields affect the bacteria differently, with some causing an increase in bacterial cells and others causing a decrease in the same cells. This phenomenon has yet to be explained, but the current study attempts to offer a mathematical explanation for this occurrence. We started the bacterial growth in the magnetic field and compared it with the study of the same without Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 65 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. the magnetic field. The commonly found gram positive and gram negative bacteria were cultured in nutrient broth and their growth rate was studied. We try to find explanation of experimental result through the effect of magnets on the ion transport in the intracellular medium. Researchers discovered ions such as potassium and sodium are affected by the magnetic field. A formula is presented in the analysis section to explain this effect. Amador, Christina (St. Edward's University); Helen Just Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Helen Just Paying Attention to Your Spiritual Side: The Relationship Between Religiousness/Spirituality and Good Health For a number of years now researchers have studied the effects of religiousness/spirituality on health. What we now know is that religiousness/spirituality very likely influences the pathways to physical health and psychological wellbeing (Park, 2007). High scores on religiousness/spirituality are associated with an increase in positive coping skills and being able to moderate the effects of stress (Powell et al. 2003). It appears that religiousness/spirituality also acts as a protective buffer against a variety of stressful experiences (Park et al., 1990), lowering levels of distress and negative emotions (Koenig et al., 2001). The current study focused on the level of religiousness/spirituality and the correlation with the effectiveness of biofeedback training on anxiety levels. Forty (40) participants were asked to report their religiousness/spirituality on an Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale (1989). They then were scheduled for 3 weekly biofeedback training sessions. It was hypothesized that individuals reporting higher religiousness/spirituality would benefit more from these sessions than those who scored lower on this characteristic. Andre, Tonye (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Comparison Of Safety Culture Before And After Major Incidents: The Exxon Valdez And The BP Gulf Of Mexico Accident Safety in general industry has improved in recent years in the United States of America. Despite these improvements, fatalities and catastrophic accidents have occurred in recent decades. This is the case of the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, BP Texas City refinery explosion 2005, Bayer CropScience pesticide waste tank explosion at West Virginia in 2008, and Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989; the list is not exhaustive. This project work addresses the issue of safety in the petroleum industry and how safety culture can potentially influence the state of health and safety systems of different companies. It includes a comparison of the safety cultures of two large oil companies before and after they experienced major incidents; the two major incidents are the Exxon Valdez incident of 1989 and the British Petroleum (BP) -Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010. Both incidents involved tremendous losses in terms of manpower, materials, and profits. Based on the results obtained, increasing OSHA inspections at Exxon after the Exxon Valdez accident has lead to the reduction of violations. On the contrary, fines attributed to safety violations found was higher after Exxon Valdez incident than before. The rising of fines after Exxon Valdez can be justified by the reinforcement of regulatory agencies safety standards to enhance the protection of workers, population and the environment. For the total of inspections held by OSHA officers at both BP and Exxon, more safety violations were observed at BP, 82%, which was greater than the percentage of violations at Exxon, 66%. There is evidence that safety culture at BP is inferior to the safety culture at Exxon. Among the types of safety standards violated by both BP and Exxon, it appeared that standards related to process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals and general requirement standard were the top two violations. Willful violations were more prevalent for process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals. The safety culture change that Exxon went through as a result of their Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 66 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. incident was extrapolated to predict BPs expected change in its safety culture as a result of their incident. It is hypothesized that the number of safety violations at BP after the deep water horizon in 2010 will follow approximately the same path as observed at Exxon after the Valdez incident. The results obtained at Exxon can be used to predict the future evolution of safety systems in companies that have experienced or will face major incidents. Attaway, Kurt (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jennifer Gregory, Sarah Wier Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jared Dupree Sex Education Curriculum Survey: Exploring Parental Involvement and Other Factors The aim of this project is to explore parental involvement in the sex education process. As we take a look at current sex education curricula involving parents and survey experts in the field, it is our hope to develop best practices associated with engaging parents in the sex education process. Previous research has highlighted the importance of parental influence on adolescent decisions, especially regarding sexual behavior. This study plans to build on the current research by seeking data from experts across the field of sex education. Data will be collected using the Delphi Method. The Delphi Method will facilitate multiple rounds of data collection utilizing surveys in order to pursue a consensus among the experts. We believe the findings of this research could prove beneficial for increasing support for parental involvement in the sex education process, informing public educators and agencies that provide sex education programs and disseminating expert perspective into the field. The goals of our study are to gain additional information on parental involvement in sex education curricula, provide future sex education curriculum writers information and gather expert opinions on engaging parents in the sex education process. Begley, Tiffany (St. Edward's University); Karen Lopez, Regina Portillo, Eleanor Palmer, Christina Amador, Christina Fernandez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Helen Just Ready, Set, Relax: Does Biofeedback/Relaxation Training Increase Standardized Test Scores? Like it or not, standardized tests are an integral part of the educational system in this country. In fact, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) has even advocated that its member institutions use standardized measures in their accountability frameworks (Banta, 2007). Admission to most colleges and universities relies, at least in part, on SAT and ACT scores. Students who aspire to be psychologists, attorneys, and doctors need high scores on the GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. College students are asking hard questions in their search for ways to raise their scores, and they should - scores on these standardized tests could determine their future. Anxiety and stress may affect some students' test-taking abilities. Numerous studies on test anxiety are found in the research literature (e.g., Bembenutty, 2009; Zettle & Raines, 2000). However, there is a paucity of research that examines the role that stress and anxiety play on graduate testing. Therefore, this followup study utilized a pre-test/post-test design to focus on the use of biofeedback training as a way to reduce anxiety and thereby increase test scores. Thirty-eight participants enrolled in a series of three 15-minute sessions using the Physiolab I-330 C2 biofeedback program, produced by J & J Engineering, Inc. Physiological data collected included hand temperature, galvanic skin conduction, and muscle tension (electromyography). To measure reading comprehension, selections from a current GRE practice book were administered prior to the biofeedback series, with a different but comparable selection at the end. In the pilot study run in Fall 2009, a paired-samples t-test revealed significantly higher scores on the post-test [t(20)=3.924, p=.001]. This finding was potentially good news for university students applying to graduate schools. Participants in the original pilot study [N-21] raised their scores by over 15 percentage points, simply by training their body to de-stress. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 67 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. The current study, a replication of the pilot study with a larger sample size [N=38], hopes to validate the earlier study, thus corroborating the exciting role that simple biofeedback training may be able to play in increasing standardized test scores, Bennett, Kendra (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu Development in interracial friendship: Predicting the reduction of prejudice The study examines the past and present types of interaction and the circumstance of the development of friendship. The research provides the overall development of interracial friendship and the reduction of prejudice. The research views the common casualties and factors of the friendship. The sample consists of 50 graduate students at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In the study the students will complete a questionnaire that examines the development of an interracial friendship and the amount of prejudice that will decrease with the interaction in African Americans and Caucasians. The data supports that the interaction with African Americans and Caucasians will change the individuals perspective of prejudice and stereotyping within that individual, but there will not be a change in prejudice when it is viewed to the overall group. Bowling, Matthew (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Eric Robicheaux Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mike McMullen "The public's opinion and attitude towards the police" This research project is to determine the general public's attitude towards the police. It will allow for greater insight into the dynamic relationship between the police and the public. Perhaps this study will provide information that can be useful for law enforcement agencies that might want to re-evaluate their current policies in order to make their respective departments or programs more community oriented and involved. This study will contribute to the growing literature about public and police interaction and to the general body of knowledge that might allow for maintaining a healthy relationship between these two groups. Brooks, Briatney (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu "Welfare's Positive Effects on the Timeliness of Graduation" Low income students receiving welfare graduate more timely than none-welfare receiving low income students. Access to financial resources opens up their options not only in the short term, but the long term. Welfare recipients that obtain a four year degree have an almost one hundred percent likelihood of never returning to welfare. In order to decrease welfare recipients' lifetime dependency on government assistance, the welfare system needs to be restructured where education based on known skills and abilities is mandatory. Currently, welfare programs place a higher importance on immediate job placement, disregarding the long term consequences of accepting "any" job, jobs that result in the recipient returning to, or never leaving the welfare system. By understanding and implementing even some of the suggestions in this project, society will benefit in a variety of ways. Less tax dollars will be spent in the area of welfare in the long term, as well as the production of educated individuals that may have never before had this type of mandatory encouragement or access to resources. This work attempts to bring attention to the fact that low-income Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 68 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. students benefit the most from welfare programs. The timeliness of their graduation is faster than those low-income students not receiving welfare benefits. Access to these resources should be more streamlined, from both the government and the collegiate level, with a middle contact between the government and the student services department. This will put less of a burden on the financial aid system as well. How many students qualify for welfare and do not receive it? Why? The stigma? The lack of knowledge about the programs available and for which they qualify for? The bureaucracy? The sample consists of University of Houston-Clear Lake faculty, staff and students that attended Data Collection Day on February 28th 2011 and March 9th 2011. This study incorporates the use of a survey. The independent variable is welfare receipt. The dependent variables are the receipt of grants/loans, the possible amount of grants/loans, and the amount of time it took, in semesters, to graduate. This design was used out of convenience. Bush, Debbie (University of Houston-Downtown); Mark Weckel, Mark Siddall Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Akif Uzman Population genetics and management of suburban white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Over the last thirty years, and due to favorable habitat, few natural predators, and low hunting rates, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have been increasing in density in Westchester County, New York. Any rise in deer population can be expected to induce significant alterations to forest structure, Lyme disease transmission dynamics, and rates of auto collisions, among other economic impacts. In response, some nature preserves independently have introduced small-scale (3-20 sq km) culling programs to manage white-tailed deer populations, typically with controlled archery hunting seasons. Currently, however, there is no systematic, county-wide coordinated approach to deer management. Thus, current management strategies de facto assume that each preserve circumscribes a unique population, as opposed to, for example, multiple overlapping ranges. Using STRCTURE 2.2, microsatellite profiles were analyzed so as to determine the genetic structure of white-tailed deer sampled from the Mianus River Gorge Preserve. Implications for the scale and granularity of management plans are considered. Butler, Celeste (Lee College) Faculty Sponsor: Mr. John Britt Creation of Lee College The year 2009 marked the 75th anniversary of Lee College in Baytown, Texas. It has become one of the most well known community colleges in the nation. During the Great Depression, the citizens imposed a local tax, on themselves to aid in establishing the College. Due to these efforts, Lee College is now the second fastest growing community college in Texas, and sixth in the nation. After becoming a stable fixture in Baytown, Lee College has come to serve many students in a variety of programs. The College serves over 13,000 students annually, offers over 130 degrees and certificates, has a nationally recognized Honors Program, and is committed to providing a high quality education at an affordable rate. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 69 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Caccavale, Mia (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jasmyne Patterson, Kristen Vaughn Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dorothea Lerman Response Effort and Resistance to Extinction Maintaining behaviors are necessary in order to learn more complex behaviors. If an individual cannot maintain simple behaviors, he or she will not be able to develop more complex behaviors. A key variable that may influence maintenance is response effort. Basic experimental research with animals demonstrated that a response was more likely to maintain in the absence of reinforcement (i.e., show greater resistance to extinction) when a subject was previously trained on a task that required increased response effort (Aiken, 1957). Previous studies have measured duration and latency in order to measure response effort (e.g., Neef, Mace, Shea, & Shade, 1992). The purpose of the current study is to examine task difficulty with typical developing college students. Replication of basic studies will help to understand manipulation of effort and resistance to extinction with human subjects. Campbell, John (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Camille Peres, Misty Graham, Emily Shaw Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Beth Hentges Adult Perceptions of Aggression in Children: Implications for Future Behaviors. This study will measure the relationship between reported adult aggression and adult perceptions of child aggression. Past research has implied that adult attitudes and behaviors can affect the behaviors of children. Throughout the course of their development, children are socialized to show aggression in different ways, which is perhaps a result of adult's attitudes. With bullying on the rise including the recent problem of cyber-bullying this is a pervasive issue in society today. To measure adult's perceptions, of children's aggression, a questionnaire will be distributed to University of Houston-Clear Lake students regarding self reported aggression and perceptions of children's aggression. It is expected positive correlations will be found between adult aggression and their perceptions of aggression in children. Carreón, Desirelys (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Harinika Reddy, Lory Z. Santiago-Vazquez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Lory Santiago-Vazquez cDNA Library Creation and Sequencing of the Soft Coral Eunicea fusca. Coral reefs have enormous economic and environmental value. However, their habitat is being threatened by stressors such as abnormal ocean temperatures, increased UV radiation, ocean acidification, and bacterial infections. These stressors can cause coral bleaching; the loss of their symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp. Bleaching weakens the immune system and may result in reduced coral health and ultimately lead to death. The cellular signaling pathway leading to this phenomenon in soft corals remains largely unknown. The soft coral Eunicea fusca was selected as a model to evaluate the molecular response of stress in corals since it is abundant, easy to collect, and responds to stress by bleaching. Towards the goal of developing biomarkers of soft coral stress, we will begin to sequence the transcriptome or full mRNA content (expressed genes) of E. fusca. This will be accomplished by creating and sequencing cDNA libraries derived from stressed and non-stressed organisms. The resulting sequences will be screened to identify those that might be involved in the defensome (complement of defending molecules against invaders) of corals including molecules involved in chemical signaling, innate immune response, and wound healing. Long term goals include the use of these sequences to study their expression at the mRNA (transcription) level by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). Our current efforts on the construction of the cDNA library have been successful. The data analysis and sequencing will be further discussed. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 70 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Cavazos, Amanda (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Earledreka White Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam The Differences in the Expression of Aggression Between High- and Low- Level Extraverts. The purpose of this study is to help the researcher study the relationship of extraversion and aggression- with respect to both intropunitive and extrapunitive behaviors. The existing empirical evidence suggests that there is a strong correlation between personality types and aggression. For our study we are particularly interested in extraverted personality types and the ways in which these individuals display aggression- whether it is extrapunitive or intropunitive. Frost (1981) found in his study examining the relationship of aggression that low-level extraversion and intropunitiveness may appear together in an individual, but that extraversion and extrapunitiveness may not. On the other hand, Bedford and Foulds (1978) found that neuroticism was positively related to extrapunitivness and intropunitiveness. Additionally, they found that extraversion was negatively related to intropunitiveness and positively to dominance. Moreover, Deary, Bedford, and Fowkes (1995) stated that extrapunitiveness has been linked to aggression, but little work has been done with individuals free of psychiatric illness. There is not a significant amount of recent information regarding extraversion as it relates to punitive behaviors, and existing research display confounding results. Specifically, the lack of research on extrapunitive and intropunitive behaviors has produced a need for this research. As defined by Rosenzweig (1938), extrapunitiveness and intropunitiveness are both particular ego defenses to frustration in the form of hostility and aggression. More specifically, extrapunitiveness is an ego defense in which a person directs blame and hostility towards other or externally. Intropunitiveness is an ego defense in which a person directs blame and hostility at the self or internally. The goal of this research is to reveal a better understanding of how high and low level extraverts differentiate in their expression of aggression with respect to both intropunitive and extrapunitive behaviors. There are two hypotheses in this study. We hypothesize there will be a significant positive correlation between extraversion and extrapunitiveness. Secondly, we hypothesize that there will be a significant, negative, correlation between extraversion and intropunitiveness. A correlation study will be conducted; two self report style surveys will be administered to approximately 200 university graduate students recruited from a diverse population, including age, gender, race socioeconomic status and state of health. The surveys will consist of Golberg's Big Five Factor (1999) broad- bandwidth scale and Foulds and Bedford (1978) Personality Deviance Scales. We hope that our study will add to the existing literature and serve as a means to better understand the various manifolds of aggression as it relates to human behavior. Cook, Jennifer (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ashley McClelland, Chad Wetterneck Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck Anxious Thoughts in Military Spouses and the Effects on Relationship Satisfaction With the recurrent deployments and extended deployment cycles, spouses of military personnel have increased amounts of stress and anxiety. Research shows that stressful situations may arouse intrusive, harmful thoughts. Due to the added stress and anxiety of the current deployments to hostile areas, military spouses may experience these intrusive thoughts. However, little research is known about the types of anxious thoughts and the type and effectiveness of coping strategies used in this population. This study examines the types and prevalence of thought control strategies used, as well as relationship satisfaction, anxiety, and depression throughout the deployment cycle. Through online questionnaires, 125 female military spouses have participated in the study. Analyses will compare thought control strategies with length of deployment and differences in branches of the military. Findings from this study may provide further understanding of the relationship satisfaction military couples experience throughout the deployment cycle, types of harmful intrusive thoughts military spouses experience, and the effects these intrusive thoughts have on their relationship. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 71 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Cook, Jennifer (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Tannah Little, Mary Short, Chad Wetterneck Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Short Investigating the Prevalence and Patterns of Internet Pornography Use across Sexual Orientations The internet is becoming a widely used source of accessing pornography. With the rise in accessibility and greater opportunity for problematic porn use, Internet pornography (IP) use has become a growing area of interest in research. Although research has shown that IP is commonly used, little is known about the differences in prevalence rates of IP use across sexual orientations. Further, there is currently a dearth of research exploring various patterns of IP use, such as function or types of IP use. The current study investigates the prevalence rates and patterns of IP use in homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual populations. In addition, the study also examines disparities between high and low frequencies of use within these populations. The sample included 829 participants who completed an online questionnaire assessing frequency of IP use, as well as reasons, preferences, and attitudes regarding IP use. Analyses of frequencies, reasons of use, and types of IP will be compared across orientations. Understanding the main functions of IP use in each of these sexual orientations may help provide a better understanding of areas to target in therapy. Cote, Michelle (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Tracy Kottwitz, Rendie Haynes, Jared Dupree Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jared Dupree Family Interactions: A Look at the Family's Influence on Bullying and Victimization Recently bullying has become a very visible issue in the United States. According to the CDC, bullying in the past year has been reported by 19.9% of U.S. students. (Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). According to many studies on peer socialization and peer acceptance/rejection, parenting styles, attachment and other home characteristics seem to contribute to a child's ability to be accepted by their peers and respectful of their peers (Jones, Eisenberg, Fabes, & MacKinnon, 2002; Walden & Beran, 2010; Carbone-Lopez, Esbensen, & Brick, 2010). How well liked a student is also seems to contribute to their likelihood of being a victim or bully (Veenstra, Lindenberg, Zijlstra, De Winter, Verhulst, & Ormel, 2007). The purpose of this study was to look at parenting styles, parent/child attachment and other family characteristics that might contribute the likelihood of a child being a bully, victim or neither. Participants completed an on-line survey containing the Coping with Children's Negative Emotion Scale (CCNES), the Revised Inventory of Parent Attachment (R-IPA), Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ), as well as questions regarding bullying and basic demographic questions. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between parenting styles, attachment, SES, ethnicity and religion to bullying, victimization or neither. Curtis, Blondena (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu Situational Stressors that Influence Weight Gain in College Students This study will investigate whether the stress of making the grade in college promotes unhealthy eating habits which in turn causes weight gain. The population of interest will be college students who attend school either on a part-time or full-time basis. The participants will have had at least one semester of college experience. The purpose of this study will be to determine whether there is a relationship between situational stressors, as they relate to college life and weight gain among university students. Does the stress of attending school lead to weight gain in college students? Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 72 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. The participants will be asked to complete a 35-40 item self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire will be administered to determine demographic data, weight loss or gain, eating habits, exercise habits, study habits, and potential stressors. The information gathered in this study may be helpful in the development of interventions that would decrease perceived stress levels and increase the behavioral and physical health of college students. Daniel, Jelani C. (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Lucy C. Phillips, Tannah E. Little, Kim Fountain Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck The Relationship between Self-Compassion and Negative Affect in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Self-compassion is a relatively new concept to mental health research that involves the degree to which one extends kindness and understanding to ones self, seeing ones experiences as part of the larger human experience, and being mindfully aware of ones thoughts and emotions (Neff, 2003). Previous research has demonstrated a negative relationship between self-compassion and various dysfunctional constructs, including anxiety, neuroticism, depression, rumination, and worry. However, research has yet to examine how self-compassion and negative affect may be associated with OCD and OCD-related dysfunctional beliefs. Thus, the current study investigates self-compassion in relation to negative affect, OCD severity and symptoms, and OCD-related cognitions. The study anticipates to recruit a total of 100 college student participants, who will complete a questionnaire, either online or in-person, assessing for negative affect, self-compassion, perception of threat from emotions, OCD severity and symptoms, and OCD-related cognitions. It is hypothesized that self-compassion will be inversely related to OCD severity and symptoms, negative affect, perception of threat from emotions, and OCD-related beliefs. The findings may unveil important implications for the effectiveness and utility of self-compassion enhanced therapy techniques for the treatment of OCD. Interpretations of the findings and their implications for therapy for OCD will be discussed. David, Tasha (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Angelene Nery, Kevin Toy Faculty Sponsor: Dr. S. Camille Peres Examining the motivational Factors of Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Gamers (MMORPG) and Massively Multi-player Online First Person Shooter (MMOFPS) gamers Video games, particularly Massively Multi-player Online (MMO) games, have become a common mainstream activity with millions of people playing worldwide (Woodcock, 2004). It is important for game developers and market researcher to understand the underlying motivational factors that attract individuals to certain genres of MMO games. Previous research on Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) has identified three motivational factors: Achievement, Social interaction, and Immersion as the three main reasons gamers play this type of genre, but the research is lacking in the Massively Multi-player Online First Person Shooter (MMOFPS) genre. The present study seeks to compare the different motivational factors between RPG and FPS gamers. Specifically, are the motivations different for FPS and RPG gamers? Two online surveys will be distributed to various gaming forums to collect data on individual motivating factors for playing these two genres of games. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 73 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Drennan, Cheryl (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jennifer McNally, Rumela Roy, Chang Liu Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Camille Peres BSRI Sex Type Role and MMOG Play in Women Although the majority of researchers are aware that "women are severely underrepresented in massively multiplayer online games [MMOG]" (Yee, 2008, p. 85), few have sought to explore the social psychological reason for this trend. The present study proposes that MMOG role selection is possibly associated with an individual's sense of gender identity, as measured by the BEM Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). The MMOG genre provides players the virtual freedom to select a character role that does not necessarily endorse the gendered social norms that players adhere to when in the physical world, such as a female MMOG player assuming the role of a "barbarian" combatant (Sullivan, 2009). The present study hypothesizes that cross-sexed type and androgynous female MMOG players will select combat-oriented roles in similar proportions to male MMOG players. A simple convenience sample of approximately 100 university students was administered the Role Preference Questionnaire (RPQ) and BSRI. The researchers will perform a threeway ANOVA when deciding to either retain or reject the null hypothesis. References Sullivan, A. (2009). Gender-inclusive quest design in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Retrieved from Dr. Camille Peres. Yee, N. (2008). Maps of digital desires: Exploring the topography of gender and play in online games. In Kafai, Y., Heeter, C., Denner, J. & Sum, J. (Eds.), Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New perspectives on gender and gaming (pp. 83-96). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Duggirala, Vinila (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Seung-Beom Hong Antibacterial role of Medicinal plants on Poultry Pathogens Organic solvent extracts of the three medicinal plants were screened for their antibacterial properties on pultry pathogens at varying concentrations. The agar well diffusion method was used for assaying the antibacterial properties on the test isolates. The results showed that the methanolic extracts at different concentrations inhibited the growth of isolated poultry pathogens of Micrococcus spp., Pasteurella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus hylus, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Vibrio spp. The concentration of 100 mg/ml inhibited the isolated bacteria with highest diameter zone of inhibition of 16mm. These results established a good support to the use of Catharanthus roseus plant in herbal medicine and to act as a base for the development of new drugs in poultry and food industry. Duque, Gerardo (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Ghazel Tellawi, Jesus Bautista, Lorena Gonzalez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chris Ward Effect of social power on empathy Social power is a multifaceted construct that may be influenced by several factors, including socioeconomic status, freedom, and control. It is widely accepted that the primary definition of social power is the control one has over the outcomes of other people (Fiske & Berdahl, 2007). Previous studies have found that social power does have an effect on the interaction between people, specifically concerning constructs such as empathy, compassion, conflict resolution, and hypocrisy. Specifically, it is important to examine the role that social power plays in feeling empathy. Further studies have shown that there is a relationship between social power and empathy. One study found participants with high levels of social power presented less emotional reactions toward another's distress, following emotional themed conversational dyads (van Kleef et al., 2008). Across several studies, power has been manipulated by randomly placing participants in a position of higher power than other participants, particularly in dyads. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 74 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Nevertheless, this type of social manipulation has never observed how it affects people who are exposed to situations that can arouse empathy. The purpose of the current study is to determine whether the relationship between social power and empathy changes when social power is manipulated. 15-25 graduate students participated in the study. During the study, participants were assigned to same sex dyads, and then completed a baseline emotional experience scale, followed by a leadership scale. The leadership scale determined whether a participant was assigned to high or low power, however the results were arbitrary, and categories were actually determined through random assignment. Participants then shared a distressing story, followed by a retest of the emotional experience scale. Upon completion, participants were debriefed as to the true nature of the experiment. It is predicted that participants who are placed in high power roles will exhibit less empathy toward their partner than low power participants. Results, discussion, and limitations will be evaluated further. El Fangary, Nadia (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu Stress and Coping Strategies In Graduate Students Background: Graduate Students may be under stress due to different obligations and roles they have to undertake in their lives. Coping skills could have an impact on the perceived stress, overall adjustment and performance. The study examined perceived stress and coping styles in graduate psychology students enrolled in University of Houston, Clear Lake. Investigating and acknowledging the stresses that a graduate student experience as well as the effect of coping on the perceived stress could show the importance of developing coping skills for better adjustment. The study hypotheses stated that an approach coping strategy is negatively correlated to the degree of perceived stress while avoidant coping strategy is positively correlated with the degree of perceived stress in graduate students. Methods: Participants: Graduate students enrolled in PSYC 6037 Research Design and Statistics II course were participants in the study. Procedure: Participants were recruited from the University during an annual meeting of statistics course students during the month of March. Consent were sought from the participants in the study. The participants were assured about the anonymity and confidentiality of the responses given in the questionnaire and were given instructions to return the completed questionnaire. Materials: Demographic data were obtained in the form of self administered questions. The coping styles were assessed using the brief approach/avoidance coping questionnaire. It is a 12 item questionnaire that measures general concept of approach verses avoidance oriented coping. Global measure of perceived stress were used for assessing stress perception. It is a fourteen item instrument designed to measure to which situation in one's life were perceived as stressful. The questionnaires were self reported and took about fifteen minutes to complete. Data will be analyzed using statistical package dor social sciences (SPSS) for Windows. Descriptive analysis of the sample and correlation between perception and coping strategies were performed. Evans, Lindsay (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dorothea Lerman Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dorothea Lerman Evaluation of a Novel Functional Analysis of Elopement Elopement is a hazardous behavior for individuals of all ages in any setting. Traditional functional analyses typically require the use of retrieval which may introduce an attention or demand confound. The current investigation compared the use of a one-room functional analysis of elopement without retrieval to a two-room functional analysis with retrieval for 2 participants. Both functional analyses identified the same function of elopement for each participant. A successful treatment was implemented based on the results of the functional analyses for one of the participants. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 75 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Fant, Claiborne (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stuart Larson Galveston's Historic Landmarks The spirit of Galveston Island is one of perseverance and pride. Since its beginning, Galveston has endured many threats to its survival, such as the Hurricane of 1900 which was the deadliest natural disaster to ever hit the United States. A study of the island's historic landmarks reveals the resilient nature of its people. This study surveys some of Galveston's most important historic sites, ranging from religious, civic, commercial, and residential structures. Nearly all of the featured landmarks were constructed prior to the twentieth century and survived the Hurricane of 1900 as well as the recent Hurricane Ike. Rebuilding and persevering are part of the Galveston spirit, and although many of these landmarks faced near destruction, they were saved through the important work of preservationists and restored for the residents and visitors of Galveston to enjoy. These landmarks serve as reminders of Galveston's beginnings as well as its historical significance. Although many other landmarks are also worthy of recognition, this study has endeavored to select ones that are especially important to Galveston's history. For example, this study highlights the Strand, which was at one point one of the nation's leading economic centers. Also featured are the residences of some of Galveston's founders, such as Michael B. Menard and Samuel May Williams. A variety of religious structures are included as well, such as St. Mary's Cathedral, Texas's first Roman Catholic Cathedral and Galveston's oldest extant church. The featured landmarks also illustrate the various architectural styles found in Galveston, such as Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian, and Romanesque. This project features a brief study of each structure including original photographs and a short history explaining the site's historical significance. Various Adobe programs were used in the creation of this project, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. The goal of the project was to show the successful use of these programs and create an engaging survey of some of Galveston's most important surviving landmarks. Fernandez, Christina (St. Edward's University); Helen Just Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Helen Just Take Time to Relax: Does Biofeedback Training Decrease Pain? Pain is a fact of life for many people, and virtually all individuals will experience some episodes of physical pain during their lifetime. While drug companies have developed medications that alleviate, or at least temper, physical pain, most people would agree that use of more non-invasive solutions would be healthier for the body. Biofeedback training is one such non-invasive procedure. Biofeedback has been shown to be both helpful and not so helpful in previous studies, e.g., da Fonseca Lopes de Sousa, 2009; Newton-John, Spence, & Schoote, 1995. The purpose of the current study was to further explore the effects of biofeedback on physical pain. Participants were given pre-test and post-test surveys that included the Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale (2001). The focus was on four specific types of pain: (1) headaches, (2) back pain, (3) injury, and (4) menstrual cramps. Participants were asked to rate their experience with these physical pains on the Wong FACES, coded from 0-5, with 0 meaning "no hurt" and 5 meaning the pain "hurts the worst". Participants were also surveyed as to what type of techniques they use to control their pain. It is hypothesized that participants completing 3 biofeedback training sessions will report a reduction in the number of pain experiences, as well as less severe pain in each episode. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 76 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Franks, Michael (University of Houston-Clear Lake); George Guillen, Cindy Howard Faculty Sponsor: Dr. George Guillen The Determination of Total Mercury in Fish Based on Habitat Preference and geographic Location With the help of National Marine Fishies, fish tissue was collected from headboat catches in multiple locations along the Texas Gulf Coast. The headboats are located in Galveston, Freeport, and Port Aransas. Popular foods species were targeted and include: Red Snapper, Blackfin and Yellowfin Tuna, and a variety of Grouper species. These fish species are highly targeted by both commercial and recreational fisherman for their quality of food. Total Mercury was determined among the collected fish tissue and was compared based on habitat preference and geographic location. Three habitats are used to described the habitat preference: epi-pelagic, meso-pelagic, and bottom feeder. When comparing the geographic location the following description is used: upper coast (Galveston), middle coast (Freeport), and lower coast (Port Aransas). Gadkari, Manasi (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Vaibhav Deshmukh, Lory Santiago-Vazquez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Lory Santiago-Vazquez The influence of stress on culturable bacterial populations associated with the soft coral Plexaura homomalla. Coral populations have shown a continuous decline in the past few decades due to changes in the environment and the quality of water. It has been reported in scientific literature that there exist a symbiotic relationship between bacterial and coral population which when altered, results in coral bleaching and/or disease. In this study, we have described the effect of stress when exposed to temperatures (310C) above normal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS; mimics bacterial infection) on the bacterial population associated with Plexaura homomalla (PH). The samples were collected from a Florida reef in summer 2010. PH corals were treated with elevated temperatures (310C), LPS and LPS plus 310C along with a control kept at ambient temperature (27-280C). Bacterial populations were grown on Nutrient, Marine and Actinomycetes media and visually differentiated depending on colony color, size and morphology. From each unique colony morphotype the 16S rDNA was amplified to study the sequence of the bacteria. Preliminary findings of this study indicates that the stressed coral sample showed a reduction in the number of bacterial colonies as compared to the control samples, but there was not a significant difference in the morphology. To confirm the changes associated with the microbial population gram staining and 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis will be performed. Glover, Michelle (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Alyson Posey Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gail Cheramie Effects of the Stigma of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been the topic of research for decades; however, the stigma of having the disorder has not been widely researched. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the majority of the participants would attach fewer stigmas to individuals with OCD after being presented with information concerning the disorder. The participants were a group of volunteers that had attended a data collection day at a local university. Upon being randomly assigned into separate groups, one group was provided with a brief synopsis of OCD, its symptoms, and its treatment options, along with a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The other group only received the survey. The survey contained questions concerning both OCD and mental illness in general. Results from the questionnaire revealed that receiving the information did not make a statistically significant difference in whether or not there was a stigma attached to the disorder either on individual questions or on the cumulative data obtained. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 77 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Hall, Megan (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dominique Curington, Kaitlyn Morton, Linda Rodriguez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chris Ward The Effects of Multiple or Single Roles on the Perceived Stress of Graduate Students Graduate students are faced with a grueling academic schedule as well as roles outside of the classroom. The current study will examine the perceived stress of graduate students based on multiple or single roles in their lives. We will measure relationship status, number of children, employment status, school status, scores on the Holmes and Rahe Stress Inventory, and scores on the Perceived Stress Scale. The participants will include students in different graduate programs at The University of Houston-Clear Lake. The data will be collected through an online survey using survey monkey. It is hypothesized that the more roles a student has the higher their level of perceived stress will be. We believe this research is important because it can give universities more information pertaining to meeting student's needs. Hartman, Aubry (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jay Garcia, Jessica Miller, Kashif Sheikh Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck Intrusive Violent Thoughts: Prevalence and Distress in a Non-Clinical Population Unwanted intrusive violent thoughts are experienced by many people and play an integral role in a number of different anxiety disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder, general anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Presently, there is a paucity of research on the prevalence of intrusive violent thoughts (IVTs) in non-clinical samples. Differences in feelings of guilt and affective individual experiences may also explain variations in distress. Participants (N=90) completed questionnaires regarding the frequency of and distress from IVTs, obsessive beliefs, emotions and thought appraisals. Results will be analyzed using SPSS to evaluate the relationship of IVTs to emotions and cognitive appraisals as well as possible correlations between the severity of distress and prevalence of IVTs in a non-clinical sample of college students. Hawkins, Roberta Lynn (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Kimberly Lewis, Trena Rouse, Amy Terrell Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu The Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder Survey Science-based knowledge of the symptoms and diagnosis of autism is crucial to the prognosis of those with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Recent research shows the number of individuals diagnosed with autism has grown profoundly in the last ten years. This study is using the Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder Survey to assess if the assimilation of research information to public and professional populations are different. The results may reveal a significant difference between the groups, with less accuracy for public knowledge and more accuracy for those with personal or professional knowledge. Participants from the University of Houston Clear Lake with no personal or professional relationship with those with ASD will be the exclusion group. This study will compare the exclusion group with the inclusion group, which will be participants that attend a speaker series seminar that includes those with personal and professional interests in autism. Many researchers indicate current and correct information may affect the number of early and accurate diagnoses and treatments for those with autism. The results from this study may be informative to future research, assessment programs, diagnostic tools, and early intervention treatments. Dissemination of all of these science-based factors may have a strong influence on public and private understanding of the ASD population with regards to stereotypes, educational opportunities, as well as employment capabilities. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 78 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Heatter, Terry (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Virginia Pinto, Lystra Bowie Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam PO Fit and Engagement We propose to study the relation between work engagement and PO fit (person-organization fit). Work engagement is defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind, characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption, (Schaufeli, et al., 2002). It is thus characterized by a high level of energy and strong identification with ones work. PO fit, like engagement, has been related to employee productivity (Kristof, 1996). Much research has been conducted on the benefits of engagement, but relatively little information exists concerning ways to induce it. As PO fit is a widely studied phenomenon that induces positive conditions similar to engagement, we expect to find a relation between it and engagement. Holcomb, Kimberly (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Michelle Santesteban, Michel Bachman Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chris Ward Homogamy Among the Highly Educated and Their Mates Questions about mate selection can seem to be highly individualized and personal, but they are clearly influenced by society and culture. Past research has examined the types of characteristics that people value when selecting a mate in the U.S. and around the world. We expect to find that highly educated individuals will often choose relationships with those who have similar education levels. We will conduct this study by constructing a self-administered survey. Participants may be of any ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation as long as they meet the eligibility criteria of 18 years of age or older. Homogamy and selection criteria in the committed relationships of highly educated individuals will be examined. Survey data from highly educated and less educated participants from several colleges will be analyzed. Statistically significant associations between education and other mate selection criteria will be examined. The expected findings will show that the highly educated are more likely than the less educated to form committed relationships with other highly educated individuals. It is believed that the current study will serve to update the existing body of knowledge about mate selection and homogomy. We hope to find important new information on mate preferences of the highly educated and associations between education and other mate selection characteristics. Holguin, Barbara (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Ms. Gaye Cummins Organizations in Society: A Theoretical Assessment of the Relationships in Non-Profit Organizations Organizations are a vital part of society because of the relationship that are generated for a common goal. These relationships play a necessary role in the functionality of an organization. When examining these relationships, the players involved must also be scrutinized, because their individual ideals and personal goals greatly impact the effectiveness of the working relationship. Peter Blau (1964) explains these "internal and external dynamics do not guarantee a sense of community or motivation". When do individual goals become a part of the collective goal? How does a formal organization with no primary beneficiary effectively create motivation amongst its staff and volunteers? In the spring of 2010, I had the privilege of participating in the creation of a Non-Profit Organization located in Houston, Texas. The Non-Profity Organization had only a board of members and had received its first grant funding. The mission of the organization was to work with at-risk youths integrating back into society by utilizing eco-psychotherapy. In working with nature they would restore their inner ability to succeed in life. My role as an intern/researcher was to Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 79 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. assist in the programming and collect data. The data included the relationships within the organization, the relationship of the organization with other organizations, the community and the City of Houston as well as the relationships of the participants of the program. This paper will examine the data collected and use Rational Choice Theory and Exchange Theory to explore these observed relationships. Hopkins, Morgan (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Shaprie Jackson, Paula Calimlim Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chris Ward Jermaine, Greg, and Jesus: Do perceptions of race predict ratings of hirability? Previous research suggests that perceived race of a job applicant affects their rate of hirability (Bertrand and Mullainathan, 2004; Joshi, 2010; Terpstra and Larsen, 1980). In the current study, we hypothesize that the applicant with the stereotypically Latino name will be rated as less hirable than the Black and White applicants, based on the geographic location of the sample and debates over immigration. Participants, graduate students at University of Houston, reviewed ten resumes for an adjunct professor position in Psychology. After each resume, participants were asked to write the applicants name (to make the manipulation more salient) and assess how likely they would be to hire that applicant and how confident they are in that decision. After reviewing those ten resumes, participants were presented with the final two job candidates; the three possible conditions were Black/Latino applicants, Black/White applicants, or Latino/White applicants. Participants then completed scales measuring attitudes towards Latinos (Hood and Morris, 1997) and stereotypes of immigrants. We expect a significant relationship between negative attitudes towards Latinos and lower ratings of hirability of the Latino applicant. This research has important implications for prejudice between marginalized groups and the real-world implications of this prejudice in the workplace. Howell, Amber (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dorothea Lerman Resistance to extinction following training with increased response effort Basic research provides evidence that training with increased response effort increases resistance to extinction. The current study examined the efficacy of training with increased response effort as a method of increasing resistance to extinction for newly acquired tasks. One participant diagnosed with PDD-NOS participated in the current study. A task was selected and modified to create low effort and high effort versions. A reversal design was used to examine the persistence of responding in extinction conditions following training with the low effort task and training with the high effort task. Independent correct responding in extinction persisted longer after training with increased response effort. The results suggest that training with increased response effort may provide an additional method to program for maintenance. Hoyle, Sloane (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Camille Peres, Kate Bruton Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Camille Peres Usability Testing of an Interactive Statistics Website David Lane, PhD and Camille Peres, PhD found that making the principles of statistics interactive enhances learning for students and creates an efficient resource for teachers to guide their teaching of statistics and research design (2005). Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Course of Study (also known as the Online Statistics Website), a Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 80 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. web-based tool developed by Lane, is used by statistics professors as a teaching tool and by students as a means for enhancing their understanding of statistics. To measure the user experience of the Online Statistics Website, Jo Jardina and Katie Vasser (2010) conducted a usability test on the navigational system and interactive simulations. The researchers developed and tested prototypes for both the website's navigational systems and simulations and tested the prototypes against the current version of the website. Jardina and Vasser observed users performing tasks, noted areas of weakness and strengths in the prototypes they developed, and made recommendations for the next iteration of the website (Jardina & Vasser, 2010). We are currently creating prototypes for both navigational systems and interactive simulations by addressing recommendations from test users and with the guidance of subject matter experts. These prototypes will undergo usability testing to ensure the user interface meets the usability goals for both the interactive simulations and the navigational system. The goals for the interactive simulations are to aid the student in the understanding of statistical concepts through self-discovery and to ensure the user interface is designed to facilitate their learning these concepts. The goals for the navigational system will be to make pages intuitive for users to use, reduce the number of clicks it takes to reach the users' desired content, and reduce the likelihood of errors. From these results, a summary that illustrates key points and recommendations will be made for future redesigns of the online statistics website. Kasper, Thomas (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jennifer Cook, Samantha Salazar, Chad Wetterneck, Mary Short Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck The Relationship between Scrupulosity, Religiosity, and Internet Pornography Use Previous research has revealed significant findings related to Internet Pornography (IP) consumption, its effects on life functioning, and variables associated with its use. Religion, although not currently studied in the literature, may be one of the variables associated with the use or non-use of IP. Hence, exploration of religion as it relates to IP use could expand the body of literature in this area. Through online and questionnaires, over 200 college student participants completed assessments and questions on IP use, religious factors, scrupulosity, ways of thinking and reacting to emotions, obsessional beliefs, and distress from sexual thoughts. Initial results showed that those who are non-IP users show significantly higher scrupulosity and higher thought-action fusion regarding morals. Respectively, these results indicate that non-users may be less likely to use IP because it violates their moral beliefs and suggesting that they may be more likely to believe that viewing porn is the moral equivalent of acting upon sexual urges/desires. Further analysis will be conducted of various other factors. These findings may provide insights for reasons individuals opt not to use IP and to help define what makes IP use problematic for some and not for others. The implications of how this study will further aid the understanding of general patterns of IP use will be discussed. Labanca, Sol (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jenny Deitz Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jared Dupree Treating couples with a autistic spectrum disorder child with EFT: A case review Couples that have children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often endure greater stress levels than couples with children without ASD. Support available to couples typically focuses on addressing problem behaviors with their children and appropriate parenting skills. However, a number of professionals recommend addressing the couple relationship. Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is an evidence based therapy that works with couples to alleviate relationship distress. This article investigates the use of EFT with couples who have autistic children. A phenomenological analysis of a case study will be used to identify common stressor experiences of couples with a child with ASD. In addition, therapeutic processes will be identified in order to inform clinicians on how to work with this unique population. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 81 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Lin, Susanna (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Stafford Special Education and Alternative Schools There are many special education students who are placed in alternative placement schools due to their behavior. There are some students with certain disabilities that are becoming more prominent than others. These disabilities include Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation, Emotionally Disturbance, Autism, Other Health Impaired, Auditory Impaired, Visually Impaired, and Speech Impaired students. When these students are having problems in the classroom, their behavior may tend to get off track. This may be due to their frustration levels, participation levels, and motivation levels. In return, their classroom behavior may deviate into mischief and cause problem behaviors in the classroom. The paper of this paper is to look at which disabilities were more prominent than others within a school district in southwest Houston from the years 2010-2011. The data was taken from a random sample of 115 students. Amongst the highest disabilities were Learning Disabilities, Emotionally Disturbed, and Other Health Impaired students. Little, Tannah E. (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Chad Wetterneck, Angela H. Smith, Andrea R. Baker, Robin Bloodworth, Jelani C. Daniel Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck Sexual Thoughts: Everyone Has Them Previous research has demonstrated that past traumatic experiences may be linked to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)-related dysfunctional beliefs and experiential avoidance strategies (Briggs & Price, 2009; Smith, Burgess, Minarcik, Hart, & Wetterneck, 2009). However, there is little research examining the relationships between trauma history and OCD symptomology. Furthermore, research has yet to investigate comparisons between intrusive thoughts experienced by individuals with trauma history versus intrusive thoughts experienced by individuals with no trauma history. The current study seeks to determine associations between intrusive thoughts, past trauma history, thought control strategies, and obsessive-compulsive symptomology in a non-clinical population. The study recruited 191 female college student participants. Each participant was asked to indicate their most intrusive sexual thought and whether or not it was related to an actual life experience. Participants then completed a questionnaire assessing trauma history, OCD and PTSD symptomology, thought control strategies, and mindfulness. Findings demonstrated that individuals who have experienced sexual trauma spend significantly more time managing sexually intrusive thoughts and exhibit significantly higher OCD symptomology than individuals with no sexual trauma history. Additionally, individuals who have experienced sexual trauma are less likely to employ mindfulness strategies and more likely to utilize punishing and reappraising thought control strategies than individuals who have never experienced trauma. These findings suggest the importance of considering the possible effects of trauma history when treating individuals with OCD. Further analyses of the aforementioned variables related to the specific types of reported sexual thoughts will be discussed along with implications for treatment. Little, Tannah E. (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Chad Wetterneck, Gregory S. Chasson, Thröstur Björgvinsson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck The Relationships between Personality Disorder Dimensions and OCD Severity Previous research has suggested that personality disorder (PD) comorbidity in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is linked to greater OCD severity, impairment, chronicity, and poorer treatment response (Baer et al., 1992; Bejerot et Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 82 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. al., 1998; Hansen, Vogel, Stiles, & Gotestam, 2007; Harap, 2000; Fricke et al., 2006). However, the majority of this research has primarily utilized a categorical approach to analyzing these associations, despite recent shifts in the field of PD research to adopt a dimensional approach which conceptualizes personality pathology based on maladaptive extremes of global personality domains. Considering this, the current study analyzes PD dimensional traits, along with the big five personality factors, in relation to OCD severity and symptoms. The study recruited a clinical sample of 51 patients with either a primary or secondary diagnosis of OCD and anticipates to collect a total of 75 participants. The OMNI Personality Inventory (OMNI; Loranger, 2001) was used as a dimensional assessment of personality pathology and includes the big five personality factors. Preliminary results showed significant, positive relationships between OCD severity and borderline, avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. In addition, several personality disorder dimensions were significantly associated with OCD severity, including inflexibility, orderliness, modesty, depression, and, inversely, self-reliance. Regarding the big five personality factors, OCD severity was negatively correlated with agreeableness and extroversion, and positively correlated with conscientiousness and neuroticism. Implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment will be discussed. Little, Tannah E. (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Chad Wetterneck, Gregory S. Chasson, Thröstur Björgvinsson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Short Why Don't People Use Internet Pornography? Researchers have explored the various reasons individuals engage in internet pornography (IP) use, which include arousal, entertainment, and gaining social connections, to name a few (Goodson, McCormick, & Evans, Paul & Shim, 2008; Paul, 2009). However, little is known about why individuals opt not to use IP. Understanding reasons behind why individuals refrain from using IP may provide insight into the general patterns of IP use and aid in defining distinctions between normal and problematic IP use. The current study explores the various reasons for non-use and compares differences across those who do not engage in IP use versus those who do. In addition, differences in reasons for nonuse across other demographic variables, such as gender, religious affiliation, or relationship status, also are analyzed. The study recruited 537 participants from a non-deviant population of college students. Preliminary results showed that, of the 154 participants who did not use IP, an overwhelming majority of 77.3% of participants endorsed simply not being interested as their reason for not viewing IP, followed by violation of morals (51.9%) and degradation of women (48.7%). The beliefs that IP use would interfere with functioning at either work or school were endorsed the least frequently as reasons for non-use (14.9% and 14.9% respectively). Further analyses of reasons for non-viewing across both IP users and non-users, as well as the other aforementioned variables will be analyzed and presented. The findings may have relevant implications for understanding patterns of IP use and non-use. Conversely, these findings may aid in understanding reasons behind problematic IP use. Lopez, Karen (St. Edward's University); Helen Just Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Helen Just Needing Time Alone: Do Introverts Benefit More Than Extroverts from Biofeedback Relaxation to Treat Their Anxiety? Individuals who are able to relax in tense situations experience less anxiety overall, and biofeedback training is one of the effective ways to teach relaxation. The question then becomes, who is more likely to benefit from this kind of relaxation training? Previous research has revealed that introverts tend to be higher in levels of neuroticism and this is associated with a difficulty focusing on positive aspects of a situation and increased sensitivity to external stimuli (Derryberry & Reed, 1994; Stelmack, 1990). This could contribute to higher levels of anxiety, and therefore a larger Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 83 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. benefit from learning biofeedback techniques. In the current study, 40 participants were administered the James McCroskey Introversion Scale, a measure that is scored on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree to 5 being strongly agree." It is hypothesized that after completing 3 biofeedback training sessions, introverts will demonstrate lower levels of anxiety than extroverts. This is beneficial knowledge to individuals who are considering a biofeedback treatment plan for their anxiety. Maes, Amalia (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Camille Peres, Tracy Jones, Haleigh Pirzadeh Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Scott McIntyre Health Care Satisfaction Amid rising health care costs in the United States in an increasingly uncertain global economy, an assessment of health care systems according to consumers and their experiences is of great pertinence. Health care is a huge necessity of everyday life, and it is important to always find ways to improve it. A comparison of two prominent health care systems, the NHS (National Health Service), England's tax-funded socialized medicine program, as compared to that of the United States' largely private health care system may provide valuable feedback on how to improve the United States' health care system. Based on consumer experiences, are consumers satisfied, specifically in the United States and in England, with their respective private and socialized systems? In order to assess and compare levels of satisfaction of American consumers with their health care system and British consumers of their socialized health care system, a non-experimental design method will be used, whereby satisfaction will be assessed using surveys as the primary instrument. Upon CPHS approval, surveys will be given to two pools of student participants on two says of UHCL's Data Collection Day. In this study, it is likely that evidence will show consumers of both health care systems will have relatively equal proportions of satisfied and dissatisfied consumers given the benefits and weaknesses of each system. Some ways results may help to improve the current U.S. health care system are lowering the cost of health care and improving the quality, accessibility, and efficiency of it. Results may even implicate changing the U.S. health care system from private-based to socialized medicine. Mallet, Tiffany (University of Houston-Clear Lake Pearland Campus); Abigail Goorskey Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu The Effects of Work on College Students The fast paced and ever changing world that we currently live in heavily demonstrates its effects on society, primarily on the college student. Rising costs of tuition, textbooks, and living expenses necessitate the employment of students. More full time and part time students find themselves carrying the burden of one, and in some cases, multiple jobs in order to sustain their living conditions. There are research supporting both the benefits to the student worker and the detriments to him or her. We hope to study the relationships between employment, school performance, substance use, and stress. We hope to show that there is a correlation between the number of hours a student is employed a week, their stress level, school performance, and their amount of substance use. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 84 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Martin, Alyssa (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jennifer Fritz Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jennifer Fritz Further Evaluation of Extinction-Induced Variability in the Selection of Mands Functional communication training (FCT) is an effective way to decrease problem behavior and increase a useful means of communication. Most research on FCT has focused on teaching a new response rather than selecting a behavior that may already exist in the individuals behavioral repertoire. The current two studies sought to replicate and extend the research of Grow, Kelley, Roane, and Shillingsburg (2008), who used extinction-induced response variability to select an alternative response for the treatment of problem behavior. Grow et al. were successful in decreasing problem behavior and replacing it with appropriate behavior; however, extinction bursts occurred for all participants. In the current study, reinforcement was provided for any appropriate behavior that emerged during extinction of problem behavior as a way to decrease bursting during the initial exposure to extinction (Study 1). Two individuals, an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with autism and a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, participated. Both engaged in aggression to access tangible items. Although FCT successfully decreased problem behavior and increased appropriate behavior, extinction bursts were still observed. During Study 2, a noncontingent reinforcement with fading procedure was used in addition to extinction of problem behavior and reinforcement of all appropriate behaviors as a means to further alleviate the side effects of extinction. The participant was an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with autism who engaged in yelling to escape from demands. As in Study 1, FCT was a highly effective treatment; however, extinction bursts were eliminated with the addition of the NCR component. McCain, Kelli McCain (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Nicole Gladney, Amy Price Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gail Cheramie Animals and our Happiness Previous attempts to link pet ownership to well-being, either physiological or psychological, have clearly yielded mixed results. This purpose of this study was to add to the complex and conflicting body of work by examining the link between pet ownership and reported happiness in college students in several ways. Our goals were to 1) ascertain why college students own their pets, 2) look for a correlation between mere ownership and happiness, 3) examine pet attachment as a mediating factor, 4) search for links between personality traits; specifically, Peterson and Seligman's five happiness-correlated character strengths--and pet ownership, and 5) look for ways pet ownership can draw pleasure, engagement, and meaning out of the realm of personality-influenced factors and reframe them as experiences one can influence. Since situational factors and temporary mood are well-known to influence reports of general well-being (Schwarz & Clore, 1983), we also used question order to determine whether thinking about pet ownership prior to assessing global level of happiness effects reported level of happiness. McKelvey, Latoya (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dennis Casserly Relationship Between Event Emissions and Ozone Exceedance Days in the Harris-BrazoriaGalveston Area For years the Houston-Galveston region has had a major problem with air pollution, which causes high concentrations of ground level ozone. The Houston Ship Channel, which is a site of numerous refineries and chemical processing facilities experience event emissions throughout the year. Highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOC), which can be released during an event emission have been found to cause increased ozone concentrations. Due to the Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 85 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. nonattainment ozone status and the health effects caused by high ozone concentrations more research is required to look at causes of ozone exceedance in the Harris-Brazoria-Galveston area. The goals of this project include; (1) Gather the 2009 event emission reports from TCEQ website and determine the frequency and variability of events; (2) Use TCEQ air CAM data to determine the ozone event days during 2009 and (3) Determine if air CAMS show a peak in ozone if the CAM is in a plume path created from HRVOCs released during 2009 event emissions in HarrisBrazoria-Galveston; (4) Also, determine if there is a significant difference between the ozone levels inside the plume versus the ozone levels outside the plume. If ozone exceedance days are related to event emissions, then elevated levels of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) released during event emissions will result in increased ozone concentrations. McKinley, Tracy (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Stephanie Luna, Rebecca Zepeda, Stephanie Turner, Laura McCall, Mara Longoria, Tonja Dorsett, Vanessa Raymond Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kent Divoll Are schools welcoming to parents Sonia Nieto (1996) suggests that schools and parents need to come together to create a sense of mutual accommodation. Yet, in many schools today parents do not understand how work with the school to solve problems and get services for their children. Part of the problem is that many schools do not education parents about the processes that exist within the school. We interviewed parents about what they do not and do not understand about schools and what they want schools to educate them about. Little research has been conducted that investigates parents views of how schools can better education them about how to work with the school. The results suggest that there are many processes that parents do not understand and that they wished the school administration and teachers would help them understand more about how to work with the school to solve problems. McLaughlin, Lauren (St. Edward's University); Shea Place, Anthony Dutcher Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Sara Villanueva Does Parenting Really Make A Difference? Investigation of Parental-Adolescent Relationship as Associated with Risk-Taking Behaviors Adolescent risk taking can be influenced by many factors, including their relationships with family. This study looks at the parent-adolescent relationship and its influences on adolescent risk taking once adolescents are in college. An anonymous online survey was used to gather data which included questions from several different measures. Findings showed that there was a correlation between parental nurturance and adolescents' general risk taking, parentadolescent relationship quality, and the number of sexual partners the adolescents reported. There was a negative correlation between parental restrictiveness and relationship quality. Lastly, results showed that the higher quality relationship between the parent and adolescent, the higher the communication was about sex. Findings from this study can lead to better understanding of risk-taking among college students and have realistic implications for parents and families. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 86 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Meyer, Steven (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu Correlation and Consistency among Career Assessments: A Comparative Study to SelfReported Measures Holland's Codes are recognized as one of the leading standards for career testing. These tests are intended to match personality and vocational interest with various types of occupational profiles. The proposed study will test the consistency between 3 different assessment measures of Holland's Codes, and then compare the results with matching participants' self-reported measures. 50 Men and women of different age, occupation, and educational background will be targeted to participate. Each participant will fill out a self-assessment questionnaire prior to taking any career test, which consists of basic demographic information and a self-measured Holland Code. Some deviation is expected between test results, but a baseline of similarities is also predicted. Moomaw, James (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Brent Bradley, Ashley McClelland Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jared Dupree Chaos Defined: Stressors in Couples with Autism Spectrum Disordered Children In families with an Autism Spectrum Disordered (ASD) child, stability can be a paradise. Understanding the stressors that couples with ASD children face can be key in reducing couple distress. This study develops an awareness of the stressors for couples with ASD children and examines the type and significance of these stressors. Moore, Jana (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Roslyn Igbani Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chris Ward Commute and Self-Efficacy in Graduate Students' Success Previous research has looked at the effects of commute factors and stress on individuals driving to work. Longer distances have been shown to increase negative reasoning, emotional reactivity, and physical complaints. Few studies have investigated what effects commuting might have on students and academic performance. This study aims to reveal how commute time and distance interacts with self-efficacy in determining graduate students academic success. Participants will be recruited from a body of graduate students in a university setting. The students will fill out a survey containing 4 measures including an Academic Measure, Commuter Self-efficacy Measure, General Selfefficacy Measure, and Commute Variability Measure. It is hypothesized that among individuals with similar selfefficacy, results will show a negative correlation between academic success and commute distance. This information would prove beneficial because of the increasing number of students who drive to commuter schools. Thus, determining any negative effects or stress due to longer commutes will allow students to be better prepared. If it is determined that commuter students accrue greater amounts of strain and academic difficulty, universities can work on interventions or accommodations to mediate these effects. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 87 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Mulkey, Brittany (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Lauren Hardesty, Susan Long, Joshua Rutherford Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam General Education Teachers' Perceptions of their Preparedness and Ability in Meeting the Educational Needs of Special Education Students in the General Education Classroom Teachers from a local school district were asked to rate their level of preparedness and ability in meeting the educational needs of a variety of students with disabilities. The teachers were provided with twenty-four scenarios of students with learning, behavioral, and physical disabilities and were asked to rate their ability and preparedness to educate that student, based on their previous experience, training, and education, using a four point Likert Scale. Murciano Ghelman, Melany (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Anny Hernandez, Cherie Hernandez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gail Cheramie Rorschach test in 8 years old children from Caracas-Venezuela, using the Exner's Comprehensive System The purpose of this investigation was to obtain information on the structural variables of 30- 8 years old- children from the application of the Rorschach test according to the Exner Comprehensive System (1991), in order to establish the profile of the group, and know the differences and similarities between the information obtained and the findings of J. Exner in applying the test in North-American children the same age. The results of the investigation allowed us to determine characteristics of children of this age, based on the similarities found between the two samples compared. These results reflected an ambivalent operating style, making children -8 years old- adaptable to novel situations, in addition to the use of resources to guide their behavior, making this a great capacity for analysis and integration. Apparently not easily do they become disorganized and have an adequate tolerance to stress. In relation to the affective area, 8 years old children showed spontaneity and modulation in the expression of affects. The study evidenced the presence of socio-cultural patterns that guide the behavior of the children in Caracas, such as the quick and random check of the stimuli, improvisation and impulsivity in problem solving and social interaction. Finally, idiosyncratic and personal behavior. Muse, Lindsey (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. S. Camille Peres The Ergonomic Implications of Gesturing: Examining Single and Mixed Use with Appropriate Placement The number of products with touch screen capabilities has increased dramatically over the past few years. Ergonomic research on using touch screen devices is scarce, most likely due to its relatively new introduction to products for everyday use. The existing research indicates that there are potential ergonomic issues; however research has been limited mostly subjective questionnaires on very few types of devices. Objective data is needed regarding the implications of gesturing (using touch as an input method) on a variety of devices being used in a variety of positions. This study's aim is to examine the ergonomics of gesturing on four touch screen devices, an iPad, an iPod Touch, a touch screen laptop and a touch screen desktop. Ergonomic data will be gathered while participants complete common tasks on the devices. Participants will complete 3 tests. The first will allow the participant to choose the input method (i.e. touch only or touch, keyboard vs. mouse) and position (i.e. sitting vs. standing). In the second and third tests, participants will be instructed to use touch only and the position or placement of the product will be assigned. In order to evaluate the ergonomics objectively, S-EMG data will provide muscle activity levels for the trapezius, deltoid, wrist Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 88 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. flexor and wrist extensor muscles. Also, 2D motion capture data will be gathered to evaluate the posture of the body by looking at the angles of the joints. We will also be gathering some subjective measures of discomfort by using the Body Discomfort Diagram (BDD). The goal of this study is to compare muscle activity and posture data between devices and between positions in order to identify risks of injury with these four touch screen devices. Najera, John (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Kendall Phillips, Megan Price Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck Social Networking Facilitates Relationship Building in Those Presenting Symptoms of Social Anxiety Social networking is becoming a predominant aspect of social relationship building in American society. Therefore, it is important to look at different individuals who utilize this new way of online communication with others. Individual's that present with various forms of social anxiety can hinder their ability to act appropriately among others, leading the individual's to build meaningful relationships with other individuals other than in a face-to-face context. Research thus far indicates people who use the internet at an addictive rate have increased social anxieties. In addition, research has shown that people with social anxieties prior to internet use do not use its features in order to facilitate or build upon existing relationships. These people use the internet for billing, email, games, etc., not socializing. We do not know whether the use of social networking systems can help a person become more sociable or less anxious. Olowu, Adebola (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Katie Hamman, Elaine Barclay Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Camille Peres Time Management Skills' Influence On Work-Home Interaction Among Working Students There has been a lack of research looking at the influence of time management on Work-Home Interaction, WHI, among working students. Previous research has shown stress among working students due to a lack of free time. Also, research has shown that with flexible time there is less family conflict among people who work. With these findings, it is thought that students who exhibit time management skills, will have more positive work-home interactions. Another finding could be that with a lack of time management skills, working students will have more negative WHI. With the different facets pulling working students in many directions, taking up a large amount of time, students also need time to spend with others that are meaningful to them. If a correlation between time management and negative WHI is found, it would show importance of educating these students of time management skills. With these skills, they could experience less time strain and thus decrease their stress. The participants are graduate student from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. They were given two questionnaires; a time management questionnaire, The Time Management Behaviors Scale (TMB), and the WHI survey from the Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijme-Gen (SWING). Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 89 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Pantermuehl, Rachel (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Camille Peres, Tiffany Crow, Barbra Wimberly Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Sarah Lechago The Glorious Elders: Promoting a higher quality of life and autonomy for the elderly population living in nursing homes through internet usage. Approximately 5% of America's elderly population are living in nursing homes and among those many are suffering from depression, loneliness and loss of autonomy. Unfortunately, our "Glorious Elderly" are living anything but glorious lives, painting a bleak future for following generations. Past research has investigated increasing the quality of life for this population and we seek to add to this body of knowledge. In this study we used the technology of three way communication, such as Skype, to increase the social interactions of the elderly population in order to decrease loneliness and promote autonomy through purposeful interaction. Two nursing home patients and one elementary school classroom were participants in the experiment. The nursing home patients engaged in social interactions, reading a book and asking questions, to the classrooms through Skype. Data was collected to record any social communication indicating that the purposeful interaction may have motivated the patient into further social interactions. Parikh, Kathan (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Shannara Collin, Kevin Mehta, Lory Santiago-Vazquez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Lory Santiago-Vazquez Isolation and identification of bacterial species associated with the coral Eunicea fusca during stress Since the last decade, there has been a significant climb in oceanic surface temperatures. During this time there has also been a significant increase in the amount of coral bleaching and disease. It is still unclear if the leaching is caused by the stress of the coral expelling their symbiotic zooxanthellae or if the zooxanthellae are stressed and leave. It has been observed that in hard corals, there is a difference in bacterial species that are associated with the coral at the time of pre- and post- bleaching. Researchers are still trying to determine if the difference in bacteria during stress is due to lowered immunity of the coral decreasing the population of beneficial bacteria or if an increase in harmful bacteria are the cause for the bleaching. Our hypothesis states hat a change in bacterial populations could signal stress in the coral and that his change can be used to anticipate bleaching before any visual signs are observed. The goal of this research is to identify the different species of bacteria during stress comparing to those that are in control conditions in the soft coral Eunicea fusca. E. fusca coral specimens were collected off the coast of Florida. The samples were allowed to recover at the Mote Institute for three days. Sample were stressed by increased heat treatment (31°C), lipopolysaccharide incubation (LPS; mimics bacterial infection), LPS and heat, while controls were kept at ambient temperature (27-28°C). The DNA from the samples were then isolated using the GNome DNA isolation kit. The isolated DNA was amplified using PCR and primers designed for the 16S rDNA gene used to taxonomically identify bacteria. The changes in bacterial populations will be determined through 16S rDNA clone libraries and through degenerate gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The different bacterial species associated with E. fusca obtained through both of these complementary will be identified and characterized by sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 90 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Paulson, Lindsey (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu Gender differences of antisocial personality features among college students Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is often seen as solely afflicting men. This disorder can be difficult to diagnose and may be overlooked in a female because it is believed to be atypical in that population. The female population may be at risk of a misdiagnosis due to lack of information. Also, without interest in the topic much goes unknown about ASPD and its features within the female population. The prevalence of ASPD in the population reflects the general notion. It is estimated that 3% of men and 1% of women are diagnosed with ASPD (Skilling, Harris, Rice, & Quinsey, 2002). Previous literature that has studied ASPD has focused largely on men; however, several studies have investigated the role of gender in the etiology and manifestation of ASPD (Cale & Lilienfeld, 2002). Forouzan and Cooke (2005) have studied gender differences in psychopathy and have reported significant findings. This study would like to verify these gender differences further and determine if they apply to a general population of college students. The research will aim to clarify these gender differences and further explain what those differences look like through the use of surveys. Plaza, Sandra (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Adeline Low, Luis Martinez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam The Relationship between Self-Image and Intentions to Quit Smoking among College Students Despite smoking cessation campaigns and treatments available, there are still high rates of smokers in the United States(Wolburg, 2009). Many smokers have not been able to cease smoking despite their efforts. One of the main variables that have been found to influence smoking cessation is self-image. Since self-image is a broad concept that encompasses many variables, the focus of this study will be only on self-efficacy, locus of control and core selfevaluation. Smokers tend to have the misguided perception that smoking cessation is easy, which is not. According to risk models, smokers will not attempt to quit smoking unless they believe that the consequences affect them personally, that they are capable of quitting, and that quitting will remove the dangers associated with smoking (Rogers, 1975; Rosenstock, 1999). Previous studies have noted that self-efficacy is often correlated with smoking cessation. Individuals' efficacy beliefs set their goals, their views on the difficulty of achieving those goals and their determination to reach them. Thus, those who have higher self-efficacy are more likely to change their behavior (Martinelli, 1999), whereas those who continue to smoke or are not able to cease tend to have lower self-efficacy. Therefore, smokers should posses a higher level of self-efficacy to feel that they are capable of quitting and that they have the ability to overcome the challenges that come with it. However, overly high perception of self-efficacy can also lead to failures in smoking cessation (Staring & Breteler, 2004). Locus of control is also a major factor affecting intentions to cease smoking. Internal locus of control has been associated with greater knowledge of the consequences of smoking, and to the ability to stop smoking among young people (Eiser, Eiser, Gammage, & Morgan, 1989). Studies also show that people with high internal locus of control value their health more; hence, if they are smokers, they are more likely to succeed in their efforts to quit. Another construct of interest in measuring selfimage in this study is core self-evaluation. While no studies have been done to test the relationship between core self-evaluation and people's intentions to quit smoking, positive self-concept has been found to correlate with higher work motivation, better job and life satisfaction (Judge & Hurst, 2007) and increased persistence when searching for a job after unemployment (Wanberg, Glomb, Song, & Sorenson, 2005. Judge and Hurst (2008) found that people who scored higher on score self- evaluation were more likely to experience initial work success and gained work prestige more rapidly than those who score lower on core self-evaluation. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 91 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Portillo, Regina (St. Edward's University); Helen Just Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Helen Just Turn Off the TV: Developing A More Creative Side May Be of Immense Benefit to Your Life It appears that being creative is as important as our parents told us it was, back when they insisted we turn off the TV and create our own fun. Creativity holds increasing importance and relevance to individuals in practically any field you might name (Jaussi, Randel, & Dionne, 2007). Some people are more creative than others. Previous research has revealed a link between personality traits, especially self- efficacy, and creative achievement (Prabhu, Sutton, & Sauser, 2008). It has been suggested that the ability to relax, freeing the mind to generate ideas, is an important factor in creativity. In the present study, it was hypothesized that levels of creative activity would be positively correlated to levels of generalized and creative self-efficacy as well as the increased ability to de-stress in biofeedback training. Scales assessing creativity and self-efficacy were administered to 40 participants. Included were the following scales: Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (1995), Creative Self-Efficacy/Identity (2007), and the Creative Behavior Inventory (1978). We hypothesized that the benefits of being creative, together with higher selfefficacy, would improve levels of de-stressing over a series of 3 biofeedback sessions. In other words, your parents may have been correct. Develop your creativity and you will not only be more amenable to controlling your stress level, but you will also benefit in your chosen profession. Powell, Courtney (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jing Yu The Effect of Career Mobility on the Organizational Commitment of Undergraduate and Graduate Students The purpose of conducting this research is to offer insight about the potential risks employers losing valuable employees due to lack of career opportunities following trainings and development programs offered by the organization. I will attempt to show a negatively correlated relationship between organizational commitment and perceived career mobility. This will be achieved first by researching organizational loyalty followed by career mobility. I would like to demonstrate that more effort should be put towards retaining highly mobile employees after the company has devoted resources to make the employee more mobile. Ramamurthy, Iyer Shobha (Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning); Rajeshwari C Ullagaddi, Vinay Allagadda, Andallu Bondada Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Andallu Bondada Oxidative stress in diabetes and osteoarthritis: Protective role of aniseeds (Pimpinella anisum). Oxidative stress, an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favour of the oxidants, is the root cause of the development of chronic diseases like diabetes and arthritis. In recent years, many plants have been screened for their antioxidant activities, and plant polyphenols possess many biological effects, mainly attributed to their antioxidant activities in scavenging free radicals, inhibition of peroxidation and chelating transition metals. Epidemiological evidences correlate higher intake of foods with antioxidants to lower incidence of various human degenerative diseases. Among these, aniseeds (Pimpinella anisum) possess antioxidant properties as they contain a no. of bioactive principles that fight against various ailments. As per ancient medical literature, the seeds of Pimpinella anisum exhibit several therapeutic effects viz. treatment for digestive disorders, gynecological problems as well as Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 92 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. convulsions and asthma. A concoction of aniseeds is a carminative, an antiseptic, a diuretic, a digestive, and a folk remedy for insomnia and constipation. Furthermore, it is used as an estrogenic agent. It increases milk secretion, and promotes menstruation. Anise oil increases pulmonary resistance in bronchopulmonary congestion. Anethole, the active component of aniseed oil, increases intestinal motility. The essential oil of aniseed exerts antifungicidal and antibacterial activities. An aqueous extract of aniseed exhibited a weak in vitro cytotoxic activity against melanoma cells. Hence, an attempt was made to assess the efficacy of aniseeds in scavenging free radicals in vitro and controlling oxidative stress in vivo in diabetes and osteoarthritis patients. Ethanolic extract (50-250 μg/ml) of aniseeds displayed scavenging activity against nitric oxide, superoxide and 1, 1-diphenyl, 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and reducing power in a concentration dependent manner. This is supported by significantly (p<0.01) decreased lipid peroxidation in plasma and erythrocytes and protein oxidation, significantly altered activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione-s-transferase) and significantly elevated levels of non enzymatic antioxidants viz. reduced glutathione, β carotene, vit. A, E and C, decreased uric acid levels in aniseed-supplemented (5g/day for 60 days)type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis patients, indicating antilipidperoxidative and antioxidant role of the seeds. Antihyperglycemic hypolipidemic action of aniseeds was evidenced by significantly decreased fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and controlled lipid profile in diabetes patients. Antibacterial role of the seeds was proved by the control of streptococcal infection in the patients while no such effects were noticed in the control patients. A significant decrease in the activity of alkaline phosphatase, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and increase in the serum calcium levels were found in arthritis patients. Aniseeds significantly influenced almost all the biochemical and clinical parameters in diabetes and arthritis patients by virtue as well as synergistic action of a number of phytochemicals (chlorogenic acid, protocatecheuric acid, quercetin, rutin etc.), minerals and vitamins (β carotene, vitamin C) present in the seeds having therapeutic effects. From the findings of the investigation, the seeds are proved to possess antioxidant potential. Besides, the seeds are inexpensive, easily available, nontoxic and hence can be consumed regularly to get the benefit of their antioxidant and therapeutic potential and hence, may be prescribed as adjunct to dietary therapy to combat oxidative stress in stress-induced diseases viz. diabetes and osteoarthritis. Key words: Diabetes, osteoarthritis, oxidative stress, aniseeds, antilipidperoxidative, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, hypolipidemic, antibacterial, nontoxic. Ramiah, Meena (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ipek Bozkurt Turn Indicator Vest - Assures Cyclist Safety on Roads According to the NBDA, Cycling is cited as the seventh most popular recreational activity in the United States, behind exercise walking, swimming, camping, fishing, exercising with equipment, and bowling. That said, the importance of bicycle safety is often overlooked by many. Bicyclists accounted for 12 percent of all non-motorist traffic fatalities in 2002. Latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that the number of bicyclists getting injured increases year by year. One of the major reasons for bicycle accidents is biking with no inplace efficient turn indicator system. The real bicycle safety is about being visible to other vehicles on the road to prevent accidents. The customer survey taken for this project's market analysis, showed that bike riders think using hands to indicate turn is unsafe and 90% of survey respondents were interested in a better way to indicate their turns. Analyzing the realistic and feasible solutions to address bikers need for a better and safer way to indicate their turns, this Project aims at providing a 'Safe Indication' of the presence of cyclists on roads during both day and night. This product - "Turn Indicator Vest", would revolutionize the way people thought about bicycle safety and bring about a significant reduction in the number of accidents or deaths related to cycling. Though there are distinct and complex processes that enhance the idea selection, development and categorizing, 'Turn Indicator Vest' is one such product which has unprecedented performance features that offers potential for significant improvements in performance and cost. This project foresees the transformation of existing markets to create new ones. Bicycles and related products appeal primarily to a recreation market in the United States, though there are an influential and growing number of Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 93 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. people using bicycles for transportation. Bicycles are clearly much more than toys, and their combination of utility and recreation use continues to justify support for cycling-friendly roads, trails and related facilities. Cycling facilities construction is at an all-time high and both pedestrian and bicycle facilities have received an increasing level of support from the government in recent years The outlook for the future in bicycle and accessories is positive, though stability is the story of the recent past. The bicycle industry is a seasonal business that can be impacted by unusual weather, as well as an industry that relies on discretionary spending impacted by economic conditions. Industry sales seem to be stable at around 18 million bicycle units annually, plus parts, accessories and service, which historically is a very healthy number for the industry (Source: NBDA).The federal government has also budgeted significant transportation money for construction of bicycle-specific facilities such as bike paths and road improvements friendly to bicycles in the coming years, which indicates emergence of bicycling as an important form of transportation. The Turn indicator Vest is a simple Velcro vest that can be worn over a backpack or worn on top of simply any attire. It utilizes the technique of basic push - button triggering system for its operation and indications. Regular cyclists not only enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person ten years younger(Source: National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Foundation, Sharp) but also increase the awareness of Go Green Concepts. Turn Indicator Vest would make cycling revolutionary as it is 'extraordinarily safe' along the various other attributes of 'good for you, your wallet and your world!'. Reamey, Anne (University of Texas at San Antonio) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kolleen Guy Producing Life in Factories of Death: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Abortion Among Jewish Women in Nazi Death Camps, 1941-1945 Jewish women who entered the Nazi death camps from 1941 through 1945 while pregnant or became pregnant during that time faced a moral and ethical crisis of an unbelievable magnitude. Do they divulge their situation, or do they attempt to hide their pregnancy from the guards at the camps, possibly at the risk of their own lives and that of their unborn children? Dr. Josef Mengele was well known for his inconsistencies in the treatment of these women. One day the pregnant women were give special privileges, while the next day they were exterminated without pause. The rationale for the wholesale extermination of the Jews was to eradicate them from society, to allow the pure Aryan race to be able to populate Europe after the war. It was no secret that the birth of a Jew would not be tolerated at the Nazi death camps. The situation was so dire that the Jewish doctors who were tasked with the care of prisoners were sometimes forced to perform abortions before the fetus could come to term, or kill a newborn child who was miraculously able to survive the malnutrition and abuse of the mother at the guards hand. These women, both the mothers and the doctors alike, were forced to do the unthinkable: they were killing the future of their own race. There are many justifications of such actions, the most prevalent being the hope that the mothers would survive the camps and be able to have children after the war was over. This would be the only remote possibility of surviving the camp, since if they were discovered to be expecting a child, they would likely be exterminated immediately. After the liberation and the return to a more normal life, these doctors returned to medicine. However, some have come forward to criticize these doctors who made the best of a truly terrifying situation. As is typical in similar situations of genocide, most of what is reported is very dark and heart wrenching. However, it is possible to see small rays of light that would break through one of the darkest times in human history. There are many stories of civilians hiding Jewish children as though they were their own, as medical personnel and others assisted pregnant women in the barracks. There are also the miracles of the few births that would allow the Jewish people to overcome the Nazis' attempt to exterminate their race and instead began to rebuild their population. The journey from pregnancy to birth within concentration camps for Jews changed from a family's joy to the hope of an entire people. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 94 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Robinson, Justin (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Jennifer Arcangeli Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gail Cheramie Differentiation and Ability to Cope with Stress It is our intent to study the relationship between the construct of differentiation of self of Bowen theory (1978) and the ability to cope with stress in the population of University students. There have been relatively few studies that focus on differentiation and what this means to the individual's ability to cope in life experiences or when faced with major life events outside of a clinical setting. According to Sopron and Friedlander (1998) "Greater differentiation allows one to experience strong affect or shift to calm, logical reasoning when circumstances dictate" and therefore, less emotionally reactive. In contrast, "poorly differentiated persons tend to be more emotionally reactive" (Kerr & Bowen, 1988). Given this information we hypothesize that, those individuals who perceive events as more stressful will have greater emotional reactivity, and therefore indicate lower levels of differentiation. University of Houston Clear Lake students will be asked to complete 11 questions from the Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI; Skowronand Friedlander, 1988) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983). Rothe, Brittany (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Charles Peterson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. S. Camille Peres Tacting with Video Feedback and Modeling to Improve a Complex Behavior Improving athletic performance is socially significant on a multitude of levels and includes benefits that fall under many Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) categories. These categories include, but are not limited to, recreation, leisure, and social skills. Behavioral techniques have been used by researchers to improve a variety of athletic skills. Two procedures in particular can be paired to improve performance. These procedures are video feedback and video modeling. Video feedback involves showing a person a video clip of his or her own performance of a particular skill. Video modeling entails showing a person a video clip of an expert performing the relevant skill. The combination of video feedback and video modeling has been shown by previous research to be effective in improving sports performance, but it is not clear whether the individuals in these studies were able to tact the specific aspects of their own performance that differed from the video model. A tact, as described by Cooper et al. (2007), is a verbal operant in which a speaker names things and actions that the speaker has direct contact with through any of the sense modes. An example of tacting is saying ball when you see or touch a ball. Tacting is commonly known as labeling. It may be the case that if a participant is able to point out and verbally state the discrepancies (tact) between their own performance and the video model (instead of only watching the video) that their performance might increase. In previous research, tacting has been used to improve complex physical behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine if training a participant to tact along with the use of video modeling and video feedback would improve a baseball swing more than video modeling and feedback alone. More specifically, if a participant could be trained to vocalize key aspects within the complex skill of a baseball swing, there may be an improvement in performance of that skill. The present study will use a multiple baseline design across four participant. Baseline conditions will evaluate performance of a baseball swing using only video modeling and video feedback. Participant performance will then be evaluated in a behavior intervention involving video modeling and feedback along with tacting. The present study has been submitted for CPHS approval, and will begin upon approval. Sanchez, Adriana (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Cynthia Abbott, Erika Barragan, Karen Nett Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 95 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Women's Ethnicity and Work-Family Conflict The main focus of our research is to understand how women from diverse backgrounds deal with the reciprocal relationships which exist between the demands of work and their home lives, also referred to as work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Little information exist on how women's ethnicities affect their level of work-family conflict, and the results of such stress. Initial work-family conflict research was focused on men's reactions to stressors. These findings were often incorrectly assumed to be true of women (Baruch, Beiner & Barnett, 1987). When research on women in the workforce began to expand, the majority of the research focused on white, middle class women (belle & Doucet, 2003). It is the lack of extensive research regarding the effects of ethnicity on women's reactions to stressors caused by work-family and family-work conflicts that necessitates our research. Sanchez, Claudia (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Thomas Kasper, Christina Ramirez Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam Attitudes of Psychology Students Toward the Mentally Ill A person experiencing mental illness wanting to recover has a difficult time doing so because opportunities are stifled by stigma. Stigma exists when an individual or group is outcast by people and the perceived norms of society. In order to maintain mental health, mental illness must be acknowledged and treated, and in order for mental illness to be effectively treated, mental health must be nurtured. We aim to make a contribution to diminishing the stigma of mental illness by the process of understanding the concept of stigma and applying this knowledge to observing attitudes towards the mentally ill from a group of psychology students within their programs of choice (Link & Phelan, 2001). Sanger, Katherine (Capella University) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Carole Hruskocy Barriers to Adult Education for Muslim Women in Iran and the United Kingdom This poster presentation will examine the barriers that Muslim women face in obtaining adult education in Iran and the United Kingdom. These barriers are primarily related to cultural and religious beliefs that keep the women in strictly segregated roles that force them to marry and live a sheltered life. While education is an option for these women, the inability to use that education once they have left school often leaves them frustrated and may in fact stop some from obtaining the education at all. Selleh, Stephanie (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam Aggression in the Amazon River Dolphin: Do Conditioned Dolphins Display more Physical Signs of Aggression than the Non-Conditioned Population Humans have always had a fascination with domesticating and interacting with animals. In Brazil, locals in the small town of Novo Airão have conditioned an all male group of Amazon River dolphins, Inia geoffrenisis, to appear daily to receive food from locals and tourists (de Sa Alves, Andriolo & Orams, 2009). This species is known for interspecies aggression primarily between sexually mature males and potential mates (Martin, da Silva & Rothery, 2008, Martin & da Silva, 2006; Best & da Silva, 1993). Aggression has been noted by this researcher and others within this population (de Sa Alves, Andriolo & Orams, 2009). Based on personal observation of the Novo Airão dolphins, and the knowledge Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 96 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. these dolphins are generally solitary or stay in small groups of two to three members, I believe the members of this large group may display more bodily scarring from aggression than dolphins that have not been conditioned by humans (McGuire & Winemiller, 1997). This study examines photographs of the Novo Airão dolphins and compares them to an unconditioned sample from multiple locations and rates them on the severity and deepness of scarring, amount of depigmentation, and presence of old and new rake marks. Sepulvado, Jarita (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cindy Howard Soil and leaf litter arthropods of the Amazon tropical rainforests Soil and leaf litter invertebrates are important inhabitants of tropical rainforest floors, however, we lack a complete understanding of their diversity. The specific objectives of the project include I) Perform a horizontal assessment to describe the soil/leaf litter organisms of the terra firme soils and leaf litter of the Amazon rainforest, II) Determine soil arthropod community composition and diversity of the chosen study areas, III) Determine leaf litter arthropod community composition and diversity of the chosen study areas, and finally, IV) Compare results from selected sites on the basis of a horizontal assessment. In July of 2010 three replicates of soil samples and three replicates of leaf litter samples were collected from five undisturbed terre firme forest locations along the Solimoes River. Arthropods and invertebrates were collected from these samples using a berlese funnel method. The collected arthropods will be counted and identified to order. Three additional soil samples were collected at each of the five sites for chemical analysis. Statistical analysis will be applied to these data and results will be presented. Smith, Larissa (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Sam Salazar, Candice Williams Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Camille Peres Scrupulosity: Prevalence of thoughts, presentation of rituals and predictors of distress in a non-clinical sample Scrupulosity is a moral or religious-based intrusive thought of obsessive-compulsive nature in which patients' thoughts and actions are influenced by the strength of religiosity. The purpose of this study is to determine how common scrupulous thoughts are in a non-clinical population, if religious rituals and practices promote scrupulous behavior, what religions correlate with compulsive behaviors, and which religious obsessions and compulsions correlate with higher levels of distress. Participants completed questionnaires about distress from religious and moral constructs, OCD symptoms, and well-being. Due to paucity of research in this area, examining this information might allow for better education and training about this disorder for both clinicians and religious community leaders to recognize the symptoms and implement targeted treatments for scrupulosity. Stiefler, Nicole (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dorothea Lerman, Krista Gengo, Lynsey Jackson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dorothea Lerman Systematically Fading Visual Prompts to Teach Sight Word Reading to Children with Autism Previous research has shown that the acquisition of sight words in individuals with disabilities can be blocked or overshadowed by the use of pictures (Didden, Prinsen, & Sigafoos, 2000; Schreibman, 1975; Singh & Solman, 1990; Solman & Singh, 1993, Dittlinger & Lerman, in press). . The purpose of this study is to extend the work by Dittlinger Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 97 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. and Lerman (in press) by examining several conditions under which pictures may be beneficial to teaching sight words to children with developmental disabilities. Thus far, one child has participated. Ricki was a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. She attended an applied behavior analysis based day treatment center for children with developmental delays. Ricki had an extensive verbal repertoire and was able to mand and tact using short sentences. Prior to the study, she knew all of her letters, most of her phonetic sounds and could identify her name and several peers names in print. Four conditions were compared: a word only condition, a word + picture condition, a picture prompt delay condition, and a picture fading condition. Results indicated that pictures can hinder the acquisition of sight words. This participant learned the words taught utilizing a picture prompt delay as quickly as she learned the words presented without a picture prompt. Aligned with previous research, she did not learn the words paired with pictures until the pictures were removed and pictures slowed the acquisition of sight words in the picture fading condition. Taylor, Mary (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dongmin Sun Using SWAT to Model Horsepen Bayou to Gauge the Storm Water Runoff Flood Patterns as a Result of Continued Land Development As population increases so does urban sprawl and unfortunately land cannot be developed and still maintain the drainage properties that the natural landscape once possessed. It is necessary when planning a city to emulate a path for storm water to take given that the natural drainage pattern is now lost and without guidance or absorption capability storm water will remain stagnant. The focus of this project is to evaluate the land development proposal of a currently undeveloped green space located in the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. This evaluation was done using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) which is a watershed modeling application with geographic information system (GIS) interfaces. Watershed models make it easier to visualize the various hydrologic impacts that urbanization can have on local communities and are also effective for addressing environmental and resource management concerns. Proposed development plans for the green space were used to evaluate how the changes to land use would affect the amount of surface runoff during storm events. After running this simulation in SWAT it is confirmed that surface runoff will increase and that flooding issues are going to be a growing concern if this property is developed. Tellawi, Ghazel (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Monnica Williams, Chad Wetterneck Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chad T. Wetterneck Understanding Sexual Orientation Obsessions in OCD Although sexual obsessions in OCD are common, obsessions about sexual orientation have not been well studied. These obsessions focus on issues such as the fear of becoming homosexual, being a latent homosexual, and mental pictures involving homosexual acts. Sexual orientation obsessions are particularly distressing due to the stigma surrounding homosexuality and are often a source of shame among those afflicted. A recent study demonstrated that the presence of sexual obsessions results in higher severity of OCD obsessions (Williams et al., to appear). The purpose of the current study is to gain more knowledge about people suffering from homosexual obsessions in OCD. Data was collected from several OCD-themed websites, targeting people with sexual orientation concerns (N=1176). Of the sample, 74.6% were male, 72.0% were heterosexual, and 26.4% reported an OCD diagnosis from a professional. The survey consisted of 70 questions measured by a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1-5 (1=always, 5=never). Survey items were assessed with a principal components analysis and the items separated into five factors: scrupulosity, positive feelings toward the opposite sex, positive feelings toward the same sex, hiding/not wanting to Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 98 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. be discovered, and worry/fear. These factors were then compared based on three categories: gender, sexual orientation, and report of a prior OCD diagnosis. Results showed significant differences between all groups. For example, males were more concerned than females about their sexual orientation being discovered. In addition, those who identified themselves as having OCD were had lower positive feelings toward the same sex. Significant correlations were found between worries about interest in the opposite sex and overall distress. These results indicate that homosexual obsessions in OCD do cause significant distress in individuals and affect the feelings toward themselves and others. The future direction of this research will involve creating a self-report instrument to specifically assess these types of obsessions and differentiate people with OCD from people who may actually be homosexual. Ullagaddi, Rajeshwari C (Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning); Vinay Allagadda, Raghunadharao D, Andallu Bondada Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Andallu Bondada Oxidative Stress in Breast and Liver Cancers: Antioxidative and Antiproliferative Effects of Coriander Extracts. The relationship between cancer and oxidative stress has been the subject of intense debate; mainly due to the well documented fact that the cancer cells are under high levels of oxidative stress compared to normal cells. This study was aimed to investigate the extent of oxidative stress in terms of lipid peroxidadation and protein oxidation in the pathophysiology of breast and liver cancers and to assess antioxidant status in terms of non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione-GSH, β carotene, vitamin A & C and ceruloplasmin) status in the cancer patients. The study comprises of 25 breast cancer and 25 liver cancer patients along with 25 healthy subjects as controls. There was a significant increase in erythrocyte, plasma lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in breast (p<0.01) and liver cancer (p<0.05) patients respectively as compared to healthy subjects. Antioxidant status as indicated by serum non enzymatic antioxidants was found to be significantly decreased (p<0.05) in both the breast and liver cancer patients as compared to healthy subjects. However, the breast cancer patients had higher erythrocyte (186%) and plasma lipid peroxidatiion (102%) and serum protein oxidation (335%) indicating increased oxidative stress than that in liver cancer patients. Besides, breast cancer group had lower reduced glutathione-(GSH) (61%), β carotene (48%), vitamin A (64%) & C (37%) and ceruloplasmin (38%). Higher level of oxidative stress markers and poor antioxidant status reflect the magnitude of oxidative stress in breast cancer patients. Phytochemicals designated as ‘Nutraceuticals’ possessing nutritional and pharmaceutical effects directly scavenge oxygen free radicals, and protect the body from oxidative stress-induced diseases viz. cancer. Ethanolic extracts (50-250μg/ml) of coriander leaves exhibited in vitro diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’- Azino-bis[3-ethylbenzoline- 6-sulfonic acid] diammonium salt (ABTS), nitric oxide and super oxide radical scavenging activities and reducing power in a concentration dependent manner. In addition to the antioxidant effect, ethanolic extract of coriander leaves exhibited antiproliferative effect in HEP-G2 cell lines (IC50=50μg/ml). Hence, health promoting and stress-induced disease preventing capability of the diet can be optimized by way of supplementation and by the consumption of functional foods viz. coriander, the store house of nutraceuticals. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 99 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Valdez, Natalie (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Daisy Gutierrez, Sara Sagarnaga Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Alex Milam Cyberbullying in the Workplace: Incidence Rates of Victimization Based on Gender and Age Society has become increasingly dependent upon modern technology such as email and cell phones as a primary means of communication, especially in the workplace. But while business in particular has greatly benefitted from advances in modern technology, there has also been a steady increase in cyber-incivility (Lim, 2009). Modern technologies are increasingly being used as a means to torment others, which has been labeled "cyberbullying". Cyberbullying among adolescents has been widely investigated, but practically no research has been conducted which investigates such behavior among adults, especially as it applies to the workplace. As a result, there is no clear picture as to general prevalence rates, typical offender and victim profiles, or possible differences in incidence rates based on age, gender, race, or organizational status. The present study aims to initiate the collection of fundamental data for researchers to use as a stepping stone in future studies by focusing on the influence of gender and age as they relate to cyberbullying in the workplace. Van Vranken, Delaney (St. Edward's University); Tony Dutcher, Sara Villanueva Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Sara Villanueva Student Changing Communication Styles and Possible Implications Interactive technological devices such as smart phones, laptops, and iPads are readily available to young people and are quickly becoming standard swag. Specifically, social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace have become so popular amongst high school and college students that one would be hard-pressed to find a college freshman who did not have at least one of the afore mentioned accounts. The current investigation was exploratory in nature and sought to investigate the prevalence of students technological usage; the extent of involvement in social networking sites, and any possible connections to interpersonal communication skills. Using an online survey tool, college freshmen were asked to report on several items tapping the desired constructs. Findings indicate 100% of students surveyed have a cell phone, use text-messaging on their cell phone as a means of communication, and have an active Facebook account. Further, one third of the participants reported spending three to four hours per day on Facebook and another 36.4% reported being on Facebook one to two hours per day. When asked about how much time they spend text messaging people on their phones, 27.3% of students reported spending seven to eight hours per day, and 48.4% reported spending one to two hours per day talking on text. Students were specifically asked about feeling anxiety when talking face-to-face, with 36.4% reporting that they do sometimes feel anxious. Subsequently 45.5% of them reported feeling very comfortable talking on text and an overwhelming 76% of them reporting feeling either comfortable or very comfortable talking on social networking sites. Finally, students were asked how often they text someone instead of talking to them in person and half of them reported doing this frequently, and another 42.4% of them reported sometimes texting instead of talking. Results suggest a definite trend in how students are spending their time and how they are choosing to communicate. These findings may have some serious implications for ongoing relationships. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 100 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Vaughan, Courtney (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Nadia McKinney, Abraham Cruz, Kevin Malonson Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Wes Clogston Police Stress and Tenure There has been extensive research on stress with police officers. Previously published research provides that policing is one of the most stressful occupations. There are internal and external factors that affect the level and type of stress that a police officer experiences. There are mediating factors that can reduce or increase the intensity of stress. Various demographics, such as: marital status, race, gender, familial support, personality types, and primary duties; have a role in levels of stress. There is relatively little research that looks at stress levels in police officers in different tenure groups. This research should allow law enforcement agencies to predict and plan to mitigate risks involving stress. Agencies should be able to implement different plans and procedures to better organize interventions at appropriate levels. Vela, Alan (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Callie Prade, Porsha Alex, Candice Boysen Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Chris Ward Perceived Credibility from Facebook Profile Pictures Evidence suggests there is an increase in employer discrimination during screening of potential applicants due to the applicants' use of the Internet and social network sites. Since there has been an increase in the amount of active users on online social networks, the current study seeks to investigate the relationship between online profile pictures and hirability. Students will be recruited from a university setting and asked to participate in a survey to evaluate the credibility of four applicants for an elementary teaching position. Participants will be provided with the applicants social networking profile page (similar to Facebook) as well as corresponding resumes. Each hypothetical applicant will be assigned one of two resumes, either qualified or unqualified, as well as either a negatively or positively connoted profile page picture. The survey will consist of a Likert Scale to assess respondents attitudes, as well as multiplechoice, open-ended, and categorical questions. It is predicted that people who are portrayed with a more positive profile will have higher perceived credibility than people who are portrayed with a negative profile page. It is also predicted that profile picture will have a greater affect on credibility than the presented information and resume. The results of this study can be beneficial to people seeking employment by providing a better understanding of how they are perceived by potential employers. Wilson, Lillie (University of Houston-Clear Lake); Dorothea C. Lerman, Lynn Hawkins, Kimberly Lewis Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Dorothea Lerman Parental Choice Between Teaching Manual Sign and Picture Exchange Communication One important area of parent training is communication training. Typically, parents are taught to teach their child a communication topography determined by a teacher or other professional. However, if more than one modality of communication is appropriate for a particular child, it may be beneficial to allow the parent to decide which is to be taught, especially if that parent is going to be the one doing the teaching. This study tracked parental preference for teaching a particular topography of communication, as well as other variables that may influence preference, such as parental time to mastery of teaching techniques and the child's time to mastery of communication targets. Three parents have completed the training, and two parents are currently in progress. Results indicate that the participants prefer picture exchange communication over sign language. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 101 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Wilson, Sean (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stuart Larson Creating a children's book: Princess Ava's Great Space Adventure Space-related children's books comprise a small portion of the market and the books that are available often focus on boys rather than girls. Most children's books that feature girls focus on feminine themes such as tea parties, dressing up and princesses. To help stimulate the 4-8 year old female reader beyond the limited girl-themed genre, this book combines both space and princesses. In "Princess Ava's Great Space Adventure" Ava learns that it is ok to like being a princess and have a passion for space and science. It teaches the lesson that stereotypes aren't always correct and being yourself is very important. This book is being written and illustrated as a part of the author's master's project. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 102 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Poetry Reading Abstracts Babb, Wendy (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Ms. Mary Margaret Lobb Draughon The Poet's Voice As every artist has a story to tell, the poetic writer brings forth his/her interpretation through the expression of words. Painting a picture in the readers mind with poetry is one of the best ways to convey true emotions. The beauty of the cultures we have studied throughout this semester comes through in their art and their words. The poems draw us in, they make us care, and they create where mere words on paper cannot. The Buddhist Scriptures, Rumi and the Borderlands all send a powerful message to their readers. Whether it be enlightenment, love or longing, these three texts bring their words to life within the readers mind. Babb, Wendy (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Ms. Mary Margaret Lobb Draughon The Love for a Higher Being as Expressed in Poems and Stories Throughout history, poetry and stories have been used as one of the most beautiful medias of expression for the human race. They have been used to express the pains of war, the glory of romance, the will of kings and the sorrow of slaves. The striking expressions and the pictures that are painted in the readers mind with their words expose the beautiful feelings of the poet or writer as they pour out on the page. Thus, poetry and stories make a natural transfer into prayer. Prayer is a part of ones spiritual journeys no matter what religion is practiced or what one believes. Both Rumi and the Buddhist Scriptures make use of the poetic story to send their message and explain their ecstasy. These types of prayerful poetry and stories are used as a conduit to a higher beings and enlightenment through earthly words and meanings. Wofford, Kyle (University of Houston-Clear Lake) Faculty Sponsor: Dr. John Gorman The poetics of Kyle Wofford I have been writing poetry for years and I am hoping to share my work with the audience in hopes to expose them to my style of poetry. I will be delving into a plethora of topics I feel are of a relevant and personal nature. In my presentation, I intend to put forth the true energy and feelings that compelled me to write this series of poems. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 103 of 104 17th Annual Conference for Research and Creative Arts Proceedings, Cont. Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts 281-283-3375, studentconf@uhcl.edu 2011 University of Houston-Clear Lake Page 104 of 104
