AU Scholars’ Day, 2023

The current study examined the connection between personality traits and hawkish/dovish attitudes. Students, faculty, and staff were surveyed and results were analyzed using correlations and t-tests. All hypotheses were not supported. However, findings may highlight commonalities that would facilitate conversations between people on opposite ends of the political scale.

Diabetes is a chronic disease classified by elevated levels of glucose in the bloodstream. There are two types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I is a lack or misuse of insulin, while type II diabetes typically comes later in life when cells become resistant to insulin. Diabetes has become the main cause of death in Belize, where the rate of diabetes has hit 13.1%, making it the highest in Central America (Dekker et al., 2017; Wright, 2016; Isabel, 2018). The purpose of this paper is to investigate why diabetes disproportionately affects the Belize population. Three themes that were brought to light through scholarly research were prevalence, lack of education, and nutrition. In general, the inhabitants of Belize poorly understand the disease process, and do not know how to properly manage or test their blood glucose levels. The lack of education in their communities is negatively impacting the proliferation of diabetes in their country. A survey will be conducted in the villages of Cayo, Belize to further investigate what Belizeans truly know and understand about Diabetes as a whole.

Actuarial science is an excellent career option for those interested in mathematics and finance; however, extensive individual preparation and study are required to become a certified actuary. Our project has focused on evaluating Anderson University’s current ability to inform students of the process of becoming an actuary and prepare them for the various exams. We have identified the strengths and weaknesses of attending Anderson University for students considering actuarial studies and have created a pamphlet which will provide interested students with details about the process as well as the ways that they should prepare to enter the field of actuarial science.

Are democracies more likely to win their wars by virtue of being democratic? Among the most widely studied theory on war outcomes is the democratic victory proposition – the proposition that democracies are more likely than non-democracies to win their wars by virtue of being democratic. On the other hand, realist scholars argue regime type matters but capabilities are the primary predictor of war outcome. This paper addresses this debate by testing different predictors related to interstate war outcome. I look at the influence regime type, strategy, relative capabilities, alliances, and terrain have on interstate war outcomes. Analyzing all interstate wars from 1816-2003 using multinomial logistic regression, I find that regime type is statistically significant, but relative capabilities and strategy are the strongest predictors of interstate war outcomes. Additionally, strategy is sometimes dependent on a war’s space. I also find the more rugged and non-trafficable terrain is, the more likely a war will end in a draw.

College athletics require a high level of performance from coach and athlete. When satisfaction in 102 Division III athletes was tested as a mediator between coach’s personal rapport and athlete’s well-being, no significant mediated relationship was found. However, rapport did predict both satisfaction and well-being. Further research is needed to advance the knowledge of the variables.

There is a need for further research on melody within context dependent memory. This experiment examined tempo within context dependent memory in both adults and children with a word list and recall. No significant difference in context on recall proportions was found. A significant difference between adult’s and children’s proportion of recall scores was shown through a two-way ANOVA analysis.

This study seeks to examine the relationship between physical activity and quality of sleep in adults with down syndrome. It was hypothesized that higher levels of physical activity would predict better quality of sleep. Further research with a larger sample is advised in order to draw conclusions more applicable to the population.

Across the world, modern medicine has decreased the rates of death associated with acute illnesses causing a shift of concern to chronic diseases such as cancer. In recent years, Ecuador has established healthcare reform to increase accessibility and prevention of cancer. This paper examines the prevalence of cancer, inequities within the country, and hopes for the future within Ecuador. Findings show that breast, prostate, colorectal, stomach, thyroid, and skin cancers prevail in Ecuador. Furthermore, environmental factors, lack of knowledge, limited screening tools, and socioeconomic barriers persist despite the government’s attempts at reform. Poor data collection within Ecuadorian cancer registries also contributes to skewed results and inaccurate representation of the population’s cancer rates and deaths. Research showed that the vulnerable indigenous population had increased incidences of fatal cancers, late diagnosis, and limited treatment opportunities due to the inaccessibility of care and cultural beliefs. Looking toward the future a national study found that Ecuador should identify cancer control needs, monitor the current strategy’s implementation, increase the ability to diagnose childhood cancers, and develop a plan for safe radiation therapy. Despite the country’s Ministry of Health’s efforts barriers persists in the care of cancer patients. Ecuador has made great strides in decreasing the burden of cancer, but there is still work to be done. Due to skin cancer being among the most common cancers in Ecuador, the researcher will study Ecuadorian access to and use of sunscreen in rural jungle communities.

The Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) is a three-wheeled vehicle composed of standard-sized and readily accessible materials. It is meant to be a cost-effective vehicle that is both robust and can easily be repaired. It is specially designed to handle the rugged terrain of developing nations lacking a modern road infrastructure and to transport heavy cargo. DriveBUV, the organization that created the BUV seeks to do this through a strategy of both missions and business. This project requires the design and implementation of auxiliary systems to enhance the BUV functionality while maintaining its robust and cost-effective nature. Some auxiliary systems were considered including a power take-off (PTO) which is a device that transfers an engine’s mechanical power to another piece of equipment, a power storage system that converts mechanical power to electrical power, and a dump bed. Although three auxiliary systems were considered, only two, the PTO and power storage system were chosen to be developed. They are being implemented to increase the functionality of the BUV while also providing simplified working conditions for the end user. If the systems are accepted by DriveBUV, they may be modified and implemented in the production process of future vehicles. This modified BUV is anticipated to be sent to a mission in Uganda.

The objective of this study is to optimize the performance of an autonomous vehicle for the upcoming Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition. To achieve this objective, the study proposes the creation of four distinct sets of frame models to identify the best fit for the vehicle. The competition mandates the vehicle to navigate autonomously through a predetermined course while avoiding collisions, staying within lines, and hitting specific GPS targets at a maximum speed of 5 mph, with a minimum average speed of 1 mph over a single run. The study aims to conduct stress analysis on the four frame models to identify alternative options that maximize the vehicle’s performance. The findings of this study will be beneficial for the next year’s group in selecting the most suitable frame for the vehicle, thereby increasing its likelihood of success in the competition.

The honors program at Anderson University is devoted to fostering within its honors scholars a passionate dedication to intellectual inquiry and spiritual development so that they may serve as vibrant leaders in their professions and in their communities. In an effort to assess and explore the status and demands of the Anderson University Honors Program, we conducted a controlled focus group with six program students. Within our participants, we were able to spread across various demographics and receive feedback from current students in all four grade levels. In utilizing a numeric survey and a series of open-response questions, we were able to conclude that, when given a choice of five pillars – peer relations, curriculum, networking, spiritual emphasis, and events – students ranked peer relations as the highest value and priority.

Chronic malnutrition and stunted growth is one of the most prevalent issues among the population in Ecuador, putting them at risk for further health issues. When completing my research, I found that the three themes that correspond with malnutrition and stunting are low socioeconomic status, lack of education, and food insecurity. These issues that Ecuadorians face cause them to have increased percentages of those who are malnourished or have stunted growth. The lack of income among Ecuadorians makes it more difficult for them to purchase enough food to feed their families and they often resort to less healthy options as they are cheaper. Many mothers also do not have the knowledge of breastfeeding, proper infant care practices, and how to use their resources to feed their children. Lastly, lack of access to healthy and affordable food and resources contributes to malnutrition. With intervention to help provide support and education for the struggling population in Ecuador, nutrition and health outcomes can be improved. While spending two weeks in Ecuador, I will assess what kind of nutritional challenges families face by asking questions that tell me more about how they obtain food and what their meals look like. 

This project created a software tool on NanoHub (a website for computational nanotechnology research, education, and collaboration) that simulates the heating of a single crystal in a viscoelastic polymer medium. Vibrations in a viscoelastic material can cause heating around embedded impurities. If these impurities are heat sensitive, vibrations can trigger decomposition reactions that can lead to crystal explosions. Building upon theoretical investigations of an ideal case, the computations required to predict this phenomenon were incorporated into a tool to be published on NanoHub. The computations themselves were performed in Python, with results returned to the user through a graphical interface built in Rappture.  Results of internal stress calculations, heat generation, and temperature increases surrounding the embedded crystal are presented graphically within the tool. To ensure accuracy, results were verified against previously published information. The tool will be published publicly upon completion.

There is prior research to show that body satisfaction is a growing issue in teenagers and young adults. This study examines influences of body satisfaction in female collegiate athletes. Factors analyzed include coach and teammate communication as well as performance pressure. Results showed a significant negative correlation between performance pressure and body satisfaction.

Our team has developed a decision tree game using React Typescript and Firebase backend is designed to help new students understand the impact of their decisions on their future. The game is structured around building and balancing three key stats: honor, intelligence, and popularity. Players create their own characters and choose from different majors, each with their own difficulty and value systems. The game also features several mini-game that can be played that affect your stats differently. Dating on Tinder, studying, working to increase wealth, and even investing that money further emphasizing the importance of balancing time and priorities. As players progress, they encounter tests that impact their final score, motivating them to study and invest in their education. By presenting a simulation of real-life decision-making, the game provides an immersive learning experience for new incoming students. The game mechanics require players to make thoughtful decisions and understand the long-term effects of those choices. As they progress, players are able to see the direct impact of their decisions on their character’s stats. Through the guidance of the director of LART, Dr. Lambright, we believe this game will be implemented into the first-year experience class for students starting in 2023-2024. The game is currently deployed and ready to be played with a few more finishing touches on the way! We tried to keep it simple. With our technology used, we decided on React as it is the most commonly used web framework, we also used Bitbucket for our git hosting and Vercel for our deployments. We also used a number of libraries for React such as React-Toastify, and NextUI.. https://lart-1500.vercel.app/ 

One issue that researchers of psychology face is generating lists of words to derive conclusions about animacy and normativity in word associations. Prior research has generated scoring of a collection of words along several dimensions. For example, words such as “brush”, “airplane”, and “squirrel” have numerical scores that indicate to what extent people associate those words with concepts such as “living” or “movement.” One outstanding issue for researchers in this field is the ability to generate new lists of words; currently researchers are required to create and modify these sets by hand. The underlying process is fairly straightforward because it requires word groups that are statistically similar according to certain criteria. The purpose of this application is to provide a new tool for researchers to utilize based on an outdated tool. We have improved upon this by creating a more intuitive and user-friendly experience. Some features include the ability to display, filter, and manipulate a database of words for use in the psychological study. The words can be built into different lists based on a t-test performed on each word in the list to generate words with similar values in a user’s chosen category. We have also added functionality so a web user can export a list of words for further analysis. We believe this application will be helpful to researchers in this field of study.

Binary multiplication and division are an operation used frequently in the context of classical computers. However, these are quite time-heavy operations in comparison to others, such as addition, subtraction, and shifting. This investigation attempts to discover and catalog the effects of multiplying and dividing by numbers in the form 2 n – 1, where n is a positive integer, and document potential future implementations from a hardware perspective.

Visible light is made up of electromagnetic energy of different wavelengths ranging from 380 to 750 nm. A certain amount of energy is required to excite electrons in order for the light to be visible. The energy absorbed has to be specific to excite an electron from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO).  When this electron drops back from the LUMO to the HOMO energy is emitted in the form of visible light and at a discrete wavelength depending on the energy difference between these molecular orbitals.  Organic compounds that have several conjugated bonds will have the ability to absorb or emit energy in the visible region and thus have specifical colors.

Aldol condensation is a synthetic reaction between two carbonyl compounds that results in a conjugated double bond in a molecule. Aldol condensation was used to synthesize six highly conjugated compounds. These compounds were purified using crystallization then characterized and analyzed in order to confirm their properties. The maximum wavelength (λmax) of each compound was observed, and it was hypothesized that with every conjugated double bond added to a structure, the λmax shifts to a longer wavelength.

Throughout history, Christians have taken many approaches to interacting with culture. One German theologian, H. Richard Niebuhr, studied these approaches and created a typology, a set of categories, that Christians typically fall into concerning this issue. His book, Christ and Culture (1951), describes five possible methods that a Christian might follow to relate their faith to the society they live in. As a cultural expression, dance has a complicated history in the Christian church, but more recently, dance has been accepted as having a place in the church. Dancers of faith have now been faced with the task of connecting their faith to the art form. The goal of this project is to explore the relevance of Niebuhr’s five-fold typology through methods employed by professional dancers to connect Christianity and dance. In order to compare the philosophies of Christian dance professionals, I interviewed five people who are currently working as professional dancers in different capacities and who claim the Christian faith as their own. Through this process, I found Niebuhr’s typology to be extremely applicable to the Christian dance world; however, none of the dancers fell into any one category. Situationally, methods from any of the five types could be appropriate. Each dancer may apply certain types in their life and career, but no one type was consistent with current experiences of the dancers interviewed for this project.

Post-exercise recovery beverages are rather common in the active population. Many different beverages can be used in order to gain some form of advantage like rehydration or muscle recovery for example. This study measures how water, a sports drink (fruit punch Gatorade), and 2% white milk fare as post-exercise recovery beverages regarding hydration and perceived muscle soreness. No previous studies have compared these selected recovery beverages or have measured the two variables the way that this study does. Seven participants entered a three-week exercise protocol designed to generate soreness in the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Each participant was randomly assigned a different beverage each week. Every participant tested all three beverages and did not repeat any of them. Once they complete the workout, their recovery beverage is administered and consumed. A hydration level is measured using salivary osmolarity and a soreness rating is given for all four muscle groups on a scale of 0-10 by the participant. There will need to be more research done to conclude if water is a better rehydrating beverage, as well as to determine what recovery beverages aid in muscle recovery.

Suicide among 18-24 year olds is a major public health issue that is the second leading cause of death in college students. This is especially true with student athletes because of the added stressors and time demands on their plate. Many different stressors that make student athletes become vulnerable to depression are; injuries, stigma, homework, time management, eating disorders, substance abuse, poor support systems, and the pressure to always play well. Being a collegiate athlete adds more stressors like limited time for academics, practice, games, and the risk of injury. Figuring out the causes, triggers, and correlations between these disorders is a big step into figuring out the best way to help these individuals get their best coping strategies. A big part of this topic is whether or not the athletes have someone they trust to open up to like coaching staff, counseling services, or athletic trainers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a correlation between collegiate athletes’ depression severity and the relationship to their coaching staff.

Mental health issues are on the rise and becoming more prevalent in today’s society, yet little to nothing is being done to screen athletes. There is minimal research that has been done to date about the best practices that should be implemented by athletic trainers. With that being said the PHQ-9 is being used to screen for depression in a preliminary setting at one NCAA D-III university. However, the PHQ-9 only asks to reflect upon the last two weeks making it not helpful if the athletes are taking it in the summer before the year begins. This study consisted of a two-part survey being issued to the football team of the university to examine their understanding of the PHQ-9 and why it is important as well have them take the PHQ-9 but reflect over the whole football season. Twelve responses were recorded to the survey. Results will determine if there is cause to issue the PHQ-9 more than just once at the beginning.

Anxiety is a prevalent issue among individuals, and in particular students. Dealing with psychological disorders, such as anxiety, can lead to impaired academic performance and can largely impact an individual’s quality of life. Rumination focused cognitive behavioral therapy has been said to decrease the feelings of anxiety and overall be an effective treatment option. This type of therapeutic intervention works to reframe an individual’s thoughts to, in turn, change their behavior. Rumination is the process of a recurring focus on a certain thought or feeling. By limiting how much an individual ruminates, there could be a decrease in overall anxiety. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine if mental intervention in the form of limiting rumination can decrease anxiety in collegiate students. The GAD-7 was used to find out pre and post-trial anxiety scores. A repeated measures analysis of variance will be used to analyze the data to determine if any statistically significant differences exist between the treatment group and control group.

Hip activation within a tennis serve is not often taught to the younger generation of tennis players. There are many different ways collegiate tennis players utilize their hips within the structure of a tennis serve. Observing and correlating the effect that hips have in relation to a serve velocity is something that has not been researched properly and more research will be needed to determine if there is a true positive relationship between the two. The Biodex machine was used to determine true hip strength with flexion and extension. If more research is conducted, then this could lead to more proper teaching of younger tennis players and younger athletes in general. I believe this study to be useful for other sports. Previous studies have focused on upper extremity involvement within the tennis serve. This study helps to focus more on lower extremity involvement and the kinetic chain forces within a tennis serve. More research will be needed to confirm a positive correlation between hip strength and mobility and velocity of a tennis serve.

Active Video Games are a genre of video games that utilize some form of physical movement to progress towards a goal or story. These kinds of video games are a new and upcoming form of entertainment within the last couple of decades. Within a more recent timeframe, active video games have been introduced in the field of medicine as a form of treatment and rehabilitation. Recently, research has been starting to investigate these video games not as a means of treatment or rehabilitation but as a method of general exercise. These video games utilize the strengths of these two activities to create an environment that engages the brain as well as engaging the rest of the body. Although there is a considerable amount of research utilizing video games for treatment, there is very little research that focuses on active video game exercises in comparison to traditional methods.

Academic and athletic performance is an important part of determining success rates in student athletes in any level of education or athletic competition. Students who are specifically pursuing an undergraduate degree on top of participating in intercollegiate athletics can find it difficult to develop time management skills for juggling both lifestyles in college. In order to develop optimal time management skill sets, the foundation of my research is to discover a potential correlation between academic and athletic performance to determine any discrepancies towards effort in one aspect versus the other. A confidential survey was completed amongst 45 student athletes asking questions regarding their academic and athletic identity. The collected data was put into three separate correlations: academic and athletic performance, athletic performance and self-submitted GPA, and academic performance and self-submitted GPA. The results of this survey were recorded within a scatter plot and revealed there was no correlation between any of the variables. More research will be needed to determine a correlation between academic and athletic performance in student athletes in the collegiate setting.

The association between core strengthening and its ability to improve balance has been studied widely on specific groups and populations. It is widely accepted to have a strong correlation but not many studies have researched a general population. This is the gap in the literature that this research is designed to fill. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if balance is affected by a core strengthening and stability exercise program. Pre and post balance testing was performed using the Balance Error Scoring System and the Star Excursion Balance Test. The core program the participants completed lasted 4-weeks and included a range of exercises including forearm, side, and reverse planks; back extensions; standing single arm dumbbell hold; as well as superman exercises.

The Solar Car Project at Anderson University is an initiative that aims to design and construct a solar-powered vehicle to participate in racing competitions. The project team is composed of undergraduate students who work collaboratively to develop new solutions for sustainable transportation. The solar car is being engineered to optimize efficiency and speed, utilizing solar energy as its primary power source. The project relies on lightweight batteries and other advanced materials to enhance the vehicle’s range and speed. The ultimate goal of the Solar Car Project is to encourage innovation, creativity, and teamwork among the students and to inspire them to pursue careers in engineering and sustainability. The project also aims to highlight the potential of solar energy and promote sustainable transportation practices

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the age at which a person experiences traumatic events plays a significant role in cognitive functioning, specifically maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and autobiographical memory through questionnaires.  Findings include moderate correlations between sexual abuse adverse childhood experiences and maladaptive emotion regulations.

This study examined if social support is a significant predictor of food addiction in undergraduate students. A positive correlation was found between social support from friends and food addiction. Negative correlations were found between both social support from family and food addiction, and between social support from a significant other and food addiction.

The effects of public stigma can be detrimental to the recovery of persons with severe mental illness. The purpose of this study is to discern predictors of reduced public stigma. Three variables were examined: increased contact, reduced perceived burden, and increased quality of life. Analyses were run for each method; results will be discussed.

This study looked at self-control, technology, and authority figures. Hypotheses examined whether location of technology, the type of authority figure, and nomophobia were related to both accessing technology and temptation to access technology. Overall, undergraduate students complied with all authority instructions regardless of technology location.

College student athletes need methods to improve their mental health. The purpose of this study was to whether mindfulness would improve athlete’s mental health. Depression, anxiety, and stress levels were measured before and after mindfulness interventions. No differences were found. Further research is needed to look at a larger, more diverse group of student athletes.

One trip to Spain can reveal a culture of machismo that has continued for centuries, but a return to the U.S. would offer a similar experience. Machismo is a set of beliefs and cultural values held in Spain and many Latin American countries; however, it extends far beyond those borders. As a general term, it is a Spanish word that refers to attitudes and ideologies regarding masculinity and the relationship between men and women. Specifically, it is the mindset that a male person should display characteristics such as being brave, dominant, detached from emotions, aggressive, and, to the extreme, sexist. The female equivalent, known as marianismo, offers beliefs around women as submissive and obedient. Through the lens of machismo and marianismo, the male figures in a family are to be authoritative and protective while the women are to listen and be dependent on male protection. “Machismo” is associated with Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries, however, the mentality behind it can be found worldwide. It is essential to understand that this analysis will be working from a generalization of all male persons and is not an accurate representation of each individual man in any cultural context mentioned. These generalizations emerge from a wide variety of research on male identity and the effect this identity has and historically has had, on the society around it.

The Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) is an annual intercollegiate competition in Rochester, Michigan where teams compete to navigate a course with an autonomous vehicle. In this course, the vehicle must avoid obstacles, stay within lane boundaries, and navigate to GPS waypoints. In addition to navigating the course in the shortest possible time, vehicle safety and design documentation are judged.

As a step towards competing in the IGVC, an interdisciplinary engineering senior design group has designed and implemented a vehicle chassis, safety systems, power electronics, and capability for remote control, along with some basic autonomous navigation tasks. This work will be continued by a senior design group in the next academic year to qualify for and attend the competition.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether social support moderates the relationship between self-stigma and self-perception of recovery in addiction. Participants were recruited from an online data collection website. Implications of this study include highlighting methods for increasing the likelihood of recovery among people with addictions.