1

SURE 2018

Annual SUNY New PaltzSummer Undergraduate Research Experience Presentations

2018

Abstract Book

2

Table of Contents Welcome statement…………………………………….…..….…3

RSCA programs …………………………………………..…..….4

SURE Presentations Schedule ………………………….………..5- 6

Abstracts................................................………………………..…..7-16

SURE awards, AYURE awards, and Travel Award Recipients……...…………………………..…...............................17-19

Sponsored by:

The SUNY New Paltz Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Program For more information, please visit our web page: http://www.newpaltz.edu/research/usr.html. You may also contact: Kate McCoy, RSCA Director - mccoyk@newpaltz.edu 845-257-2629

Upcoming deadlines for the RSCA program sponsored events and funding:

National Conference on Undergraduate Research: December 4, 2018 Spring 15 AYURE: December 3, 2018SURE 2018: March 25, 2018SRS Abstracts: April 8, 2018 Faculty Mentor Award: April 15, 2018

Join the SUNY New Paltz RSCA group on Facebook: SUNY New Paltz Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activitieshttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44644830786 Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc.

Editor: Kate McCoy, RSCA Director Cover Design: Kaitlin Hair RSCA secretary Cover Photograph: Rami Abouemira ‘16

3

Dahle’s mentoring is tailored to the specific needs of each student. Her enthusiasm inspires students and her support has helped students secure internships, jobs and funding such as a full-tuition scholarship. As the founder of WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), Dahle is a strong advocate for female students. Her student nominator explained that Dahle encourages research students to work independently and come up with their own solutions. This mentoring “has helped in my development as an individual thinker.”

2018 Vanessa Plumly (Languages, Literature and Culture)

2018 Reena Dahle (Engineering)

2018 RSCA MentorAwards

Welcome and Congratulations to all of the SURE participants!

Congratulations to the 2018 SURE student-mentor pairs! It has been a joy working with these students. Research projects are often performed alone and require much self-motivation, but now we all have the occasion to celebrate these works as a community. The SURE students have expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for this opportunity and should be proud of their accomplishments. Thank you to the dedicated mentors who guided and inspired the students. Thank you also to the current RSCA Director, Kate McCoy, who is so ably leading this program. Maureen MorrowFounding RSCA Director

As incoming RSCA director, I am honored to assume leadership of this program by celebrating these outstanding student-mentor teams. Congratulations to you all and thank you for your hard work and dedication! I continue to be impressed by the high quality of undergraduate student research and creative works at SUNY New Paltz and the commitment of the faculty to provide guidance for original student projects that go beyond the classroom. Thank you to Maureen Morrow for creating such a great program and providing such excellent guidance in this transition.

Kate McCoyIncoming RSCA Director

Plumly strongly encourages and enables student to delve further into their academic interests. This teaching skill has led to a variety of mentored student projects. With her support, several students have secured highly competitive funding for studying abroad, and many others have presented at conferences. Plumly established the Tau Omega Chaper of the German National Honor Society Her student nominator noted that Plumly has “helped me to step out of my comfort zone” and given me “confidence to reach for things I never thought were possible.”

4

Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (RSCA) Program

Faculty-student collaborators may propose projects for support through the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) and Academic Year Funds programs (AYURE). Both of these programs are competitive and are selected for support by a faculty committee. SURE and AYURE awardees are also eligible for the RSCA Conference Travel Award. Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients (see pages 12-17).

SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) The focus of the SURE program is to encourage intensive student participation in an aspect of faculty research. Each student participant is supported with a stipend for the 8-week summer project and is expected to devote 29 hours per week to the project. Faculty mentors direct and provide guidance to participating students as they work on a particular aspect of the faculty’s research program. Because the goal of this program is to encourage ongoing faculty- student collaboration, the students are encouraged to continue working on the project during subsequent semesters.

AYURE (Academic Year Undergraduate Research Experience) The AYURE program as well as the SURE program, also supports student- faculty collaborations on projects that span the disciplines. Projects that generate new knowledge or works are eligible for support. During the semester, students typically spend approximately 10 hours per week on AYURE projects. Funds for supplies and other support of the research, scholarship or creative activities are provided through this program.

URETA (Undergraduate Research Experience Travel Award) The RSCA program supports SURE and AYURE students to present the results of their collaborative work at professional conferences. Mentors are also supported for travel with the student.

STA (Student Travel Award) The RSCA program provides travel funding to students who have not participated in AYURE or SURE to present the results of their collaborative work at professional conference.

Acknowledgements The following people have provided generous support of this event:

Aram Agajanian (Computer Services) for support of the web based abstract submissions; Printshop staff for guidance with printing options; Kaitlin Hair (Graduate Assistant) for abstract book preparation, cover design and additional support.

The RSCA Advisory Board: Kara Belinsky (Biology), Preeti Dhar (Biology), Andrea Noel (Teaching and Learning), Kate Bellody (Library), Inge Anema (Communication Disorders), Kate McCoy (RSCA Director, Educational Studies and Leadership), Winiffer Conce (Biology, student representative), Jun Lin (Business), no representative (Fine & Performing Arts).

5

2018 SURE Presentation Schedule

Oral Presentations, Thursday, September 27 Location: Honor’s Center

12:30 pm Introductions 12:40 pm Sasha Garcia, Geography (Mentor: Lawrence McGlinn, Geography) Remote Sensing of Long Island Coast: Costal Erosion from Super Storm Sandy1 pm Cole Solis, Contract in Environmental Science Illustration (Mentor : Thomas Sarrantonios) Solace in Root1:20 pm Ellie Condelles, Sociology (Karl Bryant, Sociology) Aggrieved Entitlement and Hegemonic Masculinity in US School Shootings1:40 pm Alec Goldstein, Psychology (Mentor : Elizabeth Hirshorn, Psychology) Move over! Learned vs Innate Processes: Examining the Relationship between Visual word and Face processing2 pm Liz Dragan, Art History (Mentor: Reva Wolf, Art History) Seeking Female Identity: Performance Art, Transformation, and Mythic Figures2:20 pm Conor O’Riordan, History/Mathematics (Mentor : Vanessa Plumly, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures) Shifting Sandstone: How German Monuments are Vessels of Changing Narratives2:40 pm Fran Arecy, Spanish (Mentor: Deyanira Rojas- Sosa) Ideologies About Race and Bodies in Latinas’ Discourses About Hair and Beauty

Poster Presentaitions, Friday, September 28Location: Library Lobby

Block I:4-5 pmIntroductions: 415

Penelope Adler- Colvin, Geography (Mentor: Huicheng Chien, Geography)Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Changed Temperature and Precipitation from 1950-2017 in New York StateMichelle Pirrone, Electrical Engineering (Mentor: Spencer Mass, Biology)Functional Variations Between Metamorphosed Axolotls and Tiger SalamandersJen Beahan, Mechanical Engineering (Mentor : Heather Lai, Mechanical Engineering)Dynamics of Biologically Inspired 3D Printed Heterogeneous StructuresJohanna Levey, Physics & Astronomy (Mentor : Catherine Herne, Physics & Astronomy) Controlling calcite rhombohedrons in a polarized optical trapKieran Cavanaugh, Mechanical Engineering (Mentor : Rachmadian Wulandana, Mechanical Engineering)CFD Simulations of Flow Past Cylinders Confined to a Plane ChannelPuja Saha, Environmental Geochemistry (Mentor : Megan Ferguson, Chemistry)Examining the adhesion forces between Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and their prey

Block II:5-6 pm

Callie Barth- Dwyer and Kristyn Gessner, Biology (Mentor : Kara Belinsky, Biology) Using colorbands to monitor three native species across a network of feeders andDelayed Domination of Nest Box Usage by Invasive House Sparrows on the Suburban SUNY New Paltz CampusAnna Woodworth, Anthropology (Mentor : Kenneth Nystrom, Anthropology) Reconstruction of the Diet at the Iron Age Site of Cvijina Gradina, CroatiaBoris Rapoport, Physics & Astronomy (Mentor : Amy Bartholomew, Physics & Astronomy) Size vs Metallicity of Planetary NebulaBrenna O’ Brien, Biology (Mentor : David Richardson, Biology)Big Fish in a Little Lake: How Healthy are Largemouth Bass in Lake MinnewaskaTroy Moody, Biochemistry (Mentor : Pamela St. John, Chemistry) Quantifying the Retention of BPA in PlanariaWiniffer Conce, Biology (Mentor : Lydia Bright, Biology)Investigating Paramecium caudatum Susceptibility to Holospora undulata InfectionRory Schiafo, Biology (Mentor : Eric Keeling, Biology)Post-wildfire plant community responses in a dwarf pitch pine forest at Sam’s Point Preserve, NY

6

7

AbstractsShifting Sandstone: How German Monuments are Vessels of Changing Narratives

O’ Riordan, Conor (History/Mathematics)Mentor : Plumly, Vanessa (Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures)

Monuments are not static structures with a definitive purpose. Architects construct these monuments with a clear goal in mind, but these structures often transcend their builders’ intention. These changes reflect the shifting cultural and ideological landscape known as “collective memory” – how society views its past with physical reminders. Various groups have erected, altered, and destroyed monuments to influence the formation of collective memory for political reasons. To documents these transitions, the public’s changing perception and records of physical alterations to these structures offer a glimpse into the nation’s collective memory. Archival newspapers and political speeches gauged public engagement, and sources such as sketches, photos, and postcards tracked physical changes. Though many small-scaled monuments were lost due to the volatile political landscape of twentieth century Germany, many gigantic structures still dot the landscape both physically and metaphorically. These structures include the Brandenburg Gate, the Nazi Rallying Grounds, the Heidelberg Thingstätte, the Battle of the Nations Monument, and the Kyffhäuserdenkmal. These national monuments encapsulate ideologies of multiple German political eras. The objective is to highlight these layered narratives and share these findings with a larger audience who may view these monuments as representing only a static period of time rather than a collection of eras.

Investigating Paramecium caudatum Susceptibility to Holospora undulata Infection

Conce Alberto, Winiffer D. (Biology)Mentor : Bright, Lydia (Biology)

Paramecium caudatum is a single-celled ciliate that has been shown to be susceptible to infection by the parasitic bacterium Holospora undulata. Holospora infects Paramecium by entering the cell via the oral apparatus and translocating to the micronucleus where is takes either its reproductive or its infectious form depending on resources available within the Paramecium cell. Previous work has shown that different Paramecium strains have varying susceptibility to Holospora but the factors that determine these differences are yet unknown. In order to determine genes that factor into the infectious process, we would like to determine which Paramecium caudatum strains isolated from around the world and representing at least two syngens, and whose genomes are sequenced, are more susceptible to infection than others. We are currently developing protocols to effectively infect naive strains of Paramecium caudatum and to track infection phenotypes over a week time course. We will combine the infection phenotypes of these strains with comparative genomics and studies focusing on gene expression during the different infection stages. This will help us to determine the cellular factors that contribute to the symbiosis, and then to track how they have evolved to produce resistance or susceptibility.

Dynamics of Biologically Inspired 3D Printed Heterogeneous Structures

Beahan, Jennifer (Mechanical Engineering) Mentor : Lai, Heather (Mechanical Engineering)

Locusts store energy for kicking and jumping by deforming composite structures in their hind legs. The semilunar process is a arched structure on either side of the hind knee and is stores more than half of the energy

8

required for kicking. Slow muscle contractions bend the semilunar process, composed of stiff chitinous cuticle and elastic resilin, to store energy. The stored energy is rapidly released when muscles relax and the semilunar process unfurls to its unloaded state. Energy is primarily stored in the stiff chitinous cuticle and little energy is stored in the elastic resilin. It has been proposed that resilin may serve to aid in restoration of shape, prevent fatigue failure, or protect against crack spreading. Similar structures are present in other insects such as pleural arches in planthoppers. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of an elastic component on energy storage structures by using 3D printed models inspired by the semilunar process. Four multimaterial structures, composed of Polylatic acid (PLA) and Ninjaflex, were analyzed for viscoelastic behavior by compression testing on a linear extensometer. Finite element analysis was used to characterize stress and strain distributions of four separate models of varying elastic components.

Post-wildfire plant community responses in a dwarf pitch pine forest at Sam’s Point Preserve, NY

Schiafo, Rory (Biology)Mentor : Keeling, Eric (Biology)

The role of fire in a globally rare forest community of dwarf pitch pines located at Sam’s Point Preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains of New York is not well understood. This ridge-top community exists where fire has been infrequent, despite pitch pine being cited as a fire-dependent species. A 2016 wildfire at Sam’s Point provided a unique opportunity to study the role of fire in this ecosystem. We documented and analyzed differences among post-fire plant communities that were subjected to varying fire severities. Understory species composition along with environmental variables were measured in 21 plots across three burn- severities (moderate, high, and very-high). 44 vascular plant species were recorded, including Rhodora, a protected species in New York State. Plots across the study area were dominated by huckleberry, sheep laurel and lowbush blueberry. There were no significant differences in species composition between different fire severities, but a weak correlation between species richness and tree height was found. In addition to understory analysis, 42 increment cores were collected (2 trees per plot) and analyzed to determine ages of trees within the burn area. Average tree age was 55 years old (range 31-74 years). This study will provide a valuable baseline for long-term ecological monitoring which will aid in the future management of this unique and dynamic forest community.

CFD Simulations of Flow Past Cylinders Confined to a Plane Channel

Cavanagh, Kieran (Mechanical Engineering)Mentor : Wulandana, Rachmadian (Mechanical Engineering)

Flow past single and multiple cylinders, especially cylinders confined to a plane channel, is a canonical problem in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The phenomenon of vortex shedding behind a cylinder is an important one, as it has many applications in renewable energy and structural mechanics. In particular, the vortices that shed from the rear of the cylinder create oscillations that can be captured to produce energy, but they can also cause structural damage. Numerically modeling vortex shedding can be difficult with a symmetric problem setup, so one goal of the present study is to examine the effects of different perturbation methods on the flow past a cylinder confined to a plane channel. Another goal is to observe the flow characteristics when different geometric and physical parameters are varied. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to perform a variety of CFD simulations, and the resulting data was processed using MATLAB. The first perturbation, surface roughness in the form of sinusoidal waves on the surface of the cylinder, was found insufficient to trigger vortex shedding, although the second perturbation, a short-lived vibration of the cylinder, was effective, especially when combined with the first perturbation. Surface roughness also tended to

9

produce lower Strouhal numbers, which is a measure of the frequency of vortex shedding. It was also determined that the Strouhal number increased nonlinearly with increasing cylinder diameter (and fixed channel width).

Move over! Learned vs Innate Processes: Examining the Relationship between Visual word and Face processing

Goldstein, Alec (Psychology) Mentor : Hirshorn, Elizabeth (Psychology)

A connection between literacy acquisition and face processing has been well documented. Before literacy acquisition, faces are typically processed bilaterally in the brain. After literacy acquisition, there is a shift towards greater right hemisphere lateralization for facial processing. This shift is thought to be due to the left hemisphere’s specialization in detail-oriented processing needed to identify similar looking written words (e.g., dig vs. big). The right hemisphere is associated with a specialization in holistic processing, which is thought to be used for processing faces in literate adults. However, there are documented individual differences in ‘reading style,’ which is linked to both behavioral differences in reading processing (e.g., analytic vs. holistic) and laterality of brain processing (Hirshorn et al., 2018). Given this, we hypothesized that those who exhibit more holistic word processing will show less holistic, and in turn more analytic, face processing due to a weaker need to shift face processing to the right hemisphere. Preliminary data revealed a negative relationship between word and face inversion. In other words, subjects that exhibited more sensitivity towards word inversion showed less sensitivity towards face inversion, supporting our hypothesis. If these patterns persist, it suggests a relationship between reading style and a broader scope of cognitive processing that is worth further exploration.

Reconstruction of the Diet at the Iron Age Site of Cvijina Gradina, Croatia

Woodworth, Anna (Anthropology) Mentor : Nystrom, Kenneth (Anthropology)

Cvijina Gradina was one of the largest Liburnian settlements during the Iron Age period (6th – 1st century BC). Located along the Zrmanja River in present day Croatia, Cvijina Gradina was prominent in the region’s economic and sociopolitical sphere. The Liburnian economic and sociopolitical sphere was significantly affected during the onset of the first millennium when the Roman Empire conquered the region. This study determines the minimum number of individuals (MNI) at the site of Cvijina Gradina and establishes a typical Liburnian diet. The study used data compilation to determine the MNI excavated at the site and summarized the distribution of their age and sex. This demographic profile will allow later researchers to examine age and sex differences in diet, mobility, trauma, disease, and so on. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis was used to gen-erate isotopic ratios present in the skeletal material; these data were interpreted to construct the Liburnian diet. The results will be used to help develop a baseline understanding of the Iron Age diet, to learn what regional variability may have existed in Iron Age diet, and to discuss the impact of Roman conquest (or Romanization) at other sites in the region. The study is part of a growing body of research on the impact of Romanization throughout the region, significantly contributing to our understanding of Croatian prehistory.

10

Functional Variations Between Metamorphosed Axolotls and Tiger Salamanders

Pirrone, Michelle (Electrical Engineering); Narici, Victoria (Anthropology); Mathew, Tobin (Biology )Mentor : Mass, Spencer (Biology)

Axolotls are neotenic salamanders which remain aquatic throughout their lives. Rarely, they will metamorphose and become terrestrial. Metamorphosed axolotls closely resemble and are closely related to tiger salamanders, which do metamorphose. Though the two species share similarities, there are significant differences between them in form and function which are poorly understood. We have observed that metamorphosed axolotls are less coordinated in terrestrial locomotion than the tiger salamander. We hypothesize that this may be because metamorphosis is not a normal part of their life cycle and is thus improper. This research studied the functional morphology and kinematics of both types of salamanders, particularly their force and work. Force sensors recorded the forces of the salamanders during locomotion. This was also recorded on film and the data was analyzed using Logger Pro software. It was found that during movement, axolotls on average exerted more force and thus applied more work than tiger salamanders, which is indicative of lower efficiency. Results from studying the force and initial results from studying the kinematics indicate that metamorphosed axolotls are less coordinated and less efficient in land locomotion than tiger salamanders. This is consistent with our observations of their locomotion. A continuation of this research will further study their movement with the use of high speed cameras to analyze variables such as velocity, acceleration, and jerk.

Big Fish in a Little Lake: How Healthy are Largemouth Bass in Lake Minnewaska

O’Brien, Brenna (Biology)Mentor : Richardson, David (Biology)

Lake Minnewaska is a recreational site in Minnewaska State Park near New Paltz, NY. The Minnewaska food web has changed with the introduction of fish to a previously fishless lake. Golden Shiners were introduced in 2008 and Largemouth Bass (LMB) were introduced in 2012. The LMB, with no natural predator in the lake, eliminated their food supply, Golden Shiners, by 2014. I wanted to examine the health of the LMB, being the only fish species in Minnewaska today. In collaboration with the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), we caught LMB by electrofishing on two nights this summer and measured population size, individual lengths, girths, masses, and ages. We marked the caudal fin of the LMB and two weeks later noted the recaptured LMB to determine population size. To estimate age, I took scales from behind the pectoral fin and observed the rings indicating growth under a microscope. The LMB had an expanding population pyramid with 89% ranging from 1+ to 3+ years of growth. The LMB population stayed level with 1705 LMB in 2017 and 1574 LMB in 2018. The average length of a 3+ year old Minnewaska LMB was less than the national average length of a 3+ year old LMB. Along with delayed growth, the girth and mass of the Minnewaska LMB, at any given length, were below the expected values for healthy LMB provided by the DEC. Although the LMB population is surviving in Minnewaska, the LMB fall below the healthy standards.

11

Examining the adhesion forces between Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and their prey

Saha, Puja (Environmental Geochemistry )Mentor : Ferguson, Megan (Chemistry)

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a Gram-negative bacterium that preys on most other Gram-negative bacteria. Our goal was to use atomic force microscopy (AFM) force curves to examine the adhesion forces between predator-prey cells versus prey-prey cells, and to explore how and when B. bacteriovorus attaches to its prey. Sources of adhesion in the force curves can include interactions among lipopolysaccharides, pili, or extracellular polysaccharides. In the case of B. bacteriovorus interacting with a prey cell, there can also be specific predator-prey attractions.Slides and tipless AFM cantilevers were coated with E. coli or B. bacteriovorus cells. We then used AFM to collect forces curves with E.coli-coated cantilevers on glass, E.coli-coated glass, andB. bacteriovorus-coated glass. While E. coli-E. coli interactions are stronger than E. coli-B. bacteriovorus interactions after 1 s contact time, adhesion force significantly increased 5 and 8 min contact time. Fluorescence microscopy after these longer time periods showed that the apex of the cantilever now had several dead E. coli cells on it, indicating that B. bacteriovorus had begun predation on those E.coli cells. Treatment of cell-coated surfaces with a mannose analog, which blocks Type I pili and has been previously shown to reduce adhesion for this type of E. coli, resulted in smaller prey-prey interactions but the large predator-prey adhesion was maintained

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Changed Temperature and Precipitation from 1950-2017 in New York State

Adler-Colvin, Penelope (Geography) Mentor: Chien, Huicheng (Geography)

The Earth’s climate has exhibited significant changes during this century due to anthropogenic activities. The impacts of temperature and precipitation vary with differences in climate, geography, and land use. The objectives are to determine if climate change is occurring in New York State, and identify the hot spots of changed climate. These have been achieved through analysis of historical temperature and precipitation data from 1950 to 2017, from the NOAA website. According to the data, annual surface maps of temperature and precipitation were developed using ArcGIS spatial interpolation. Subsequently, the time series of annual temperature and precipitation for each New York County were developed for trend analysis using the Nonparametric Mann-Kendall Test. The results show an overall upward trend in temperature (30 of 62 counties had a statistically significant increasing trend) and precipitation (43 of 62 counties had a statistically significant increasing trend) from 1950-2017. The maps created from the data and ArcGIS spatial analysis methods show hot spots are concentrated on metropolitan areas: New York City and Albany. This research elucidates the impacts of human activity on regional climate. Temperature increases over a relatively short time can negatively impact the environment, including water quality, ecosystem viability, and resource availability. Thus, these results encourage consideration of human activity that lead to environmental degradation.

12

Quantifying the Retention of BPA in Planaria

Moody, Troy (Biochemistry)Mentor : St. John, Pamela (Chemistry)

Bisphenyl A (BPA) is a xeno-estrogen that mimics the effects of estrogen and is commonly used in human industrial and consumer products such as plastics, cleaning, health and beauty products, and pharmaceuticals. As has been observed in ongoing research, micromolar concentration exposure of BPA to planaria (G.tigrina) causes a myriad of deleterious effects including dramatic behavioral changes, delayed reactions to stimuli, and severely affected ability to regenerate. This research is focused on quantifying the concentration of BPA absorbed and retained by planaria after a set time of exposure in media. We have used HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) with fluorescence detection to quantify the amount of BPA present in control solutions. We have attempted to extract BPA from planarian tissue using a 50:50 mixture of a chloroform:methanol solution. However, we have identified other biological macromolecules that co-elute with BPA. We therefore have developed separation techniques to further separate these co-eluting species. We found that amino acids such as tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine co-elute with BPA and also absorb and emit at the same wavelengths as BPA. These amino acids, which are three of the monomeric units used in abundance in protein, may be interfering with the BPA signal. To separate these signals, I plan to experiment with solid phase extraction columns and removal of the planarian mucous coat post-BPA exposure.

Remote Sensing of Long Island Coast: Costal Erosion from Super Storm Sandy

Garcia, Sasha (Geography)Mentor: Mcglinn, Lawrence (Geography)

Long Island during hurricane Sandy received significant damages as well as erosion of the coast and reshaping of the island. This then affected the dunes and protective structures of the beach. Restoration after the storm was uneven which led to debates. The purpose of this project is to help predict wind and storm surge and determine different ways to protect the coast and barrier islands from future storms. I looked at the morphology of Long Island and learned how much damage wind and storm surge caused as well as researched different ways to protect and restore coasts. This was done by using fine scale remotely sensed data and photos to create different maps that compiled data from before and after the storm. This helped find the width of the coasts and the rate of erosion by using topographic and elevation data. I analyzed different types of protective and restorative ways of coastal erosion and saw which were successful and which were not. Using the maps,research and calculations I was able to determine the best way to prevent and restore damages from storms. Educating those who choose to live and build on the coast where to build and where not to build will help keep the dunes that are there to protect the coast as well as the barrier islands. Using the information that I gathered on preventative measures I will now be able to relay the information to those in hopes that they will use these measures to prevent future damage to the island and help keep it as one piece.

13

Delayed Domination of Nest Box Usage by Invasive House Sparrows on the Suburban SUNY New Paltz Campus

Gessner, Kristyn (Biology)Mentor : Belinsky, Kara (Biology)

Secondary cavity nesting birds, which rely on tree cavities to construct their nests, include both native species and the invasive house sparrow. With increasing urbanization trees with cavities are commonly cleared. Nest boxes are an attempt to make up for lost nesting sites.The proximity to an urban center, such as the SUNY New Paltz campus has an impact on the utilization of the nest boxes by house sparrows, and setting up boxes far enough from urbanization was theorized to lead to more advantageous living conditions for native species. This was true initially. In 2016, house sparrow domination was limited to the center of campus, and native species were able to use the forest boxes. In 2017 the boxes were inhabited uniquely by house sparrows. The research was continued in 2018 to examine whether such domination will continue.

Seeking Female Identity: Performance Art, Transformation, and Mythic Figures

Dragan, Elizabeth (Art History)Mentor: Wolf, Reva (Art History)

The emergence of neo-pagan groups and Eastern philosophies in the West during the second half of thetwentieth century coincides with the second wave of feminism and the rise of performance art. While social groups like W.I.T.C.H. (Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell) used popularized imagery of witches as an act of defiance, female performance artists started to connect to mythical beings in their work as a way of reclaiming agency over their bodies. Using artistic, historical, and cultural analysis, this paper explores how three feminist artists make reference to such mythical beings in their performances to explore three different types of spiritual practices formerly socially marginalized in the countries where the artists reside: Afro-Caribbean spiritual practices such as Santeria in the case of Ana Mendieta; Buddhism in the example of Linda Mary Montano; and paganism for Jesse Jones. Although Santeria, Buddhism, and paganism have more differences than commonalities in practice, Mendieta, Montano, and Jones similarly use elements of these distinct spiritual practices to portray the female search for identity, voice, and agency. This is the first study that examines the three artists together, and one of the first studies done on Jesse Jones’ work.

Using colorbands to monitor three native species across a network of feeders

Barth-Dwyer, Callie (Biology)Mentor : Belinsky, Kara (Biology)

Urbanization, even at a small scale, has a surprising effect on local species and habitats of an area. Increasing populations means an increase in a need for human structures (businesses, homes, etc.) which thus requires the removal of unwanted vegetation that provides home and food for local species. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of small-scale urbanization on the SUNY New Paltz campus. In order to observe individuals’ movement on campus, we set up fine mesh nets to capture them at bird feeders and assigned each individual with a unique combination of three different colored bands placed on the tarsus along with a

14

government issued USGS aluminum band with its own 9-digit identification number. We then used video cameras that were rotated through the network of feeders on campus in order to observe banded individuals. After observing most of the videos, a total of nine house finches, seven goldfinches, and eight chickadees were spotted and identified. Identifying individuals and their banding location, location spotted, and banding year data allows us to determine how these species move around and for how long they stay in one area as our campus continues to urbanize. From here, we can begin to think of ways to reduce our impact on our native species.

Size vs Metallicity of Planetary Nebula

Rapoport, Boris (Physics & Astronomy ) Mentor : Bartholomew, Amy (Physics & Astronomy)

In the final stages of a stars life, like our sun, the core of the star starts to run out of hydrogen to fuse into helium. This causes the star to start fusing helium into carbon in the very center of the core. When the star runs out of helium to burn, it can no longer hold onto the gas in its outer layers and begins to expand, leaving the solid carbon core surrounded by a large cloud of gas. This is called a planetary nebula. For this project we hope to find a correlation between the size of a planetary nebula and the amount of visible heavy elements present in the gas cloud. Each element has very specific imitation lines in its spectrum and we use those lines to see what elements are visible.The tool that lets us do this is a grating filter that is attached to the end of our CCD camera. This device separates the spectrum of whatever object you’re looking at so that individual colors of light can be seen. We expect to see only hydrogen and helium emission lines in the spectrum of small nebula and the emission lines of heavier elements (oxygen, nitrogen, etc.), along with those of hydrogen and helium, in the larger nebula. To gather this data, we used a 14-inch Celestron Schmidt Reflecting telescope on a Paramount mount and took photos with a CCD camera with 300 second exposures. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to gather enough data to come to a conclusion and are unsure if this correlation exists. Further research is needed to come up with a conclusive result.

Controlling calcite rhombohedrons in a polarized optical trap

Levey, Johanna (Physics & Astronomy) Mentor : Herne, Catherine (Physics & Astronomy)

Lasers have the exciting ability to hold and move tiny objects with a “light” touch. This remote movement control is used for making micromachines such as tiny paddlewheels for fluidic sorting and gripping biological objects such as strands of DNA and bacteria. We focus on understanding trapping and rotating calcite crystals for these micromanipulation applications. We investigate the non-uniform rotation displayed by rhombohedral calcite in an optical trap with an elliptically polarized beam. When calcite, a birefringent crystal, is tightly trapped at the focus of the laser beam, it rotates due to the transfer of angular momentum. Within the trap, two distinct calcite crystal axes, “ordinary” and “extraordinary,” both affect the motion showing that the axes act to line up with the polarization orientation. This is counter to previous research which has stated that only one axis lines up. We create calcium carbonate precipitate with equimolar solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate. The polymorph of precipitate was also explored, as calcium carbonate can form into three different crystal structures. This work improves on the current model of rotational torque on calcite and allows for better use in measurement and actuation applications. In this poster, we explain our method for calcite growth, as well as show images of the crystals. We also demonstrate our current experimental model of rotational dynamics.

15

Ideologies About Race and Bodies in Latinas’ Discourses About Hair and Beauty

Arecy, Franchesca (Spanish)Mentor: Rojas-Sosa, Deyanira

Latinas are pressured to look certain ways due to influences from the media, family, and in some cases politics. Within the community, there are many discourses about how Latinas should wear their hair. Previous research about Latinas’ hair has shown that Latinas straighten their hair in order to achieve a Latina look. This project will analyze linguistic devices used in discourses about hair and beauty among Latinas, in order to explore how ideologies about race, and about acceptable bodies, are established through discourse within and outside the Latino Community. The data for this study comes from online surveys filled out by Latinas which asks about terms they have heard and used to refer to their hair, and also to share a story.The terms and narratives obtained through this survey reveal dominant discourses about hair that pressure women on wearing their hair in certain way. These discourses reveal ideologies about race among Latinxs, which embrace Latinxs mixed raced background, while simultaneously reject signs of African heritage, in this case curly hair. These discourses also reveal how these ideologies affect Latinas’ perception about their race and about their own bodies, and their racial position in the United States. The pressure to want to achieve this look typically comes from the media, as Latinas are all represented similarly. Through these narratives of, there is a pressure to looking a certain way as a Latina.

Aggrieved Entitlement and Hegemonic Masculinity in US School Shootings

Condelles, Eleanor (Sociology) Mentor: Bryant, Karl (Sociology)

This research examines media accounts of US school shootings to further understand and build upon existing studies identifying aggrieved entitlement and masculinity as major factors in school shootings. The data for this project consists of one hundred New York Times journalistic accounts of U.S. school shootings ranging from October 24, 2014 to the present. Data were analyzed through QDA Miner via a coding schema which utilized the terms “shooter”, “site”, “causes”, “victim”, and “response” as primary codes, with various sub-codes present within each primary code. The results of this analysis were examined and notable findings (i.e. high/low code frequency) were recorded and interpreted. Though all shooters were men and all but one were white, news outlets largely omit discussion of the shooter’s race and gender in news reports. Instead, these reports focus on a recurring set of of causes–for example, mental illness, video games, bullying, and social isolation–that have little or inconsistent social scientific evidence establishing their role in school shootings. Thus, I argue that a potentially key factor to considering in understanding school shootings–namely hegemonic masculinity and aggrieved entitlement–is missing from these journalistic accounts.

Solace in Root

Solis, Cole (Contract In Environmental Science Illustration)Mentor : Sarrantonio, Thomas

For the SURE program, I researched paper, art and the interchanging of such media. I am interested in sustainability and felt impelled to incorporate that with other passions. The objective:a completed handmade book of poetry and illustrations on handmade paper and bound by hand. I collected several items such as wasp nests, flowers, and weeds to impress into the paper itself. The paper process involved a lot of manual labor, from

16

beating fiber to pulling sheets of paper from a pulpy consistency. Sheets are placed on felt, stacked onto each other and put under a Paper Machine— a large press that will squeeze excess water from the paper. The paper is then handleable, transferred onto blotter sheets and placed in between cardboard to be dried. The drying process depends on the consistency and density of the paper, of course, but will usually be ready for use after a couple of days. Binding was a delicate and critical component. Making a demo of the book allowed me to realize many obstacles before they happened on the actual version. The paper I originally intended to use for the book cover was too small. When I tried printing on the paper digitally, it didn’t work; I reverted to silkscreening my images on the cover. The book is presented, if possible, on a white wall with light shining on it so it can be translucent and impressions in the paper such as wasp nest and flowers can be seen. Thank you to the RSCA Department for the opportunity in pursuing my aspirations.

17

Spring 2018 AYURE Award Recipients

Yura Yokoyama, Anthropology, ‘18(Mentor: Benjamin Junge, Anthropology)Ethnic, National, and Class Identities among Japanese-Brazilians

Michelle Pirrone, Mechanical Engineering, ‘20(Mentor: Spencer Mass, Biology)Amphibious locomotion in ambystomoid salamanders

Jennifer Luu, Mechanical Engineering, ‘19(Mentor: Rachmadian Wulandana, Mechanical Engineering)Self-unfolding mechanism for ultra-light wings

Jessica Siconolfi, Biochemistry, ‘19(Mentor: Jennifer Turner Waldo, Biology)Genetic analysis of plant-derived ingredients in pet foods

Fall 2018 AYURE Award Recipients

Winiffer Conce, Molecular/Cellular Biology, ‘19(Mentor: Lydia Bright, Biology)Exploring susceptibility of Paramecium to Holospora infection

Dylan Fitzmaurice, Biochemistry/Applied Mathematics, ‘19(Mentor: Megan Ferguson, Chemistry)Examining interactions between bacterial cells with AFM

Erik Perez, Biochemistry, ‘19(Mentor: Preeti Dhar, Hon Ho, Chemistry/ Biology)Exploring antimicrobial properties of Mahamarichyadi tel

Kevin Mortaya, Biochemistry, ‘19(Mentor: Preeti Dhar, Hon Ho, Chemistry/ Biology)Exploring antimicrobial properties of Mahamarichyadi tel

Degen Mariniello, Chemistry, ‘19(Mentor: Preeti Dhar, Chemistry)Using Sodium Borohydride/bromine to open cyclic ethers

Timothy Earl, Physics, ‘18(Mentor: Catherine Herne, Physics and Astronomy)Polarimetry on rotating rhombohedral calcite

Johanna Levey, Physics & Astronomy, ‘19(Mentor: Catherine Herne, Physics and Astronomy)Controlling Calcite Rhombohedrons in a Polarized Optical Trap

18

Victoria Narici, Anthropology/Biology, ‘19(Mentor: Spencer Mass, Biology)Characterizing the gait cycle in Ambystomoid salamanders

Hanami Robles and Bryan Feigel, Mechanical Engineering, ‘19(Mentor: Jared Nelson, Engineering)Isolating mechanical property variation of natural fibers

Tucker Lundgren, Mechanical Engineering / Mathematics, ‘19(Mentor: Anca Radulescu, Mathematics)A pharmacokinetic model of lead-calcium interactions

Cassandra Williams, Mathematics, ‘21(Mentor: Anca Rˇadulescu, Mathematics)Revising estimates of glutamate transporter density in astrocytes: a geometric computation

Troy Moody, Biochemistry / Philosophy, ‘19(Mentor: Pamela St. John and Spencer Mass, Chemistry and Biology)Correlation between BPA absorption and regeneration in planaria

Jacqueline Taylor,Mechanical Engineering, ‘20(Mentor: Rachmadian Wulandana, Mechanical Engineering)An Active Cooling System for Photovoltaic Solar Panel

Ashley Fisher, Biology/ Spanish and Deaf Studies minors, ‘19(Mentor: Maureen Morrow, Biology)T cell Signaling in Response to Atrazine

Katherine Dobosh, Biology and Psychology, Evolutionary Studies, ‘19(Mentor: Lydia Bright, Biology)Tracking Paramecium population changes from season to season in local ponds

Heh-Soo Choi, Computer Science, ‘19(Mentor: Min Chen, Computer Science)Image Classification with Artificial Neural Network

Jinsoo Choi, Computer Science, ‘19(Mentor: Min Chen, Computer Science)Genetic Algorithm based Edge Detection for Image Segmentation

Jordan Greenough, Chemistry (Biochemistry emphasis), ‘19(Mentor: Preeti Dhar, Chemistry)Evaluation of Heracleum maximum (HM) extracts for Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) andButyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition

Amber Funk, Biology major, psychology and art studio minor, ‘18(Mentor: Spencer M. Mass, Biology)Hypertrophy or Proliferation in Planarian Regeneration

19

Lindsey Griffin, Chemistry, ‘19(Mentor: Spencer M. Mass, Biology)Hypertrophy or Proliferation in Planarian Regeneration

URETA

Undergraduate Research Experience Travel Award: conference travel funding provided to students who partici-pated in AYURE or SURE.

Thirteen URETA students presented at professional conferences during the 2017/2018 Academic Year. Three URETA students presented at professional conferences Summer 2018.

STA

Student Travel Award: conference travel funding provided to students who have not participated in AYURE or SURE. Eighteen STA students presented at professional conferences during the 2017/2018 Academic Year.

SURC

Twenty Five New Paltz students, (22 separate projects), listed below, presented the results of their faculty mentored research projects at the annual SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. This year the conference was hosted by two SUNY locations: SUNY Oneonta and Monroe Community College. The conference was held on April 20,

2018.

Araneo, James Goldstein, Alec Butera, Kelsey Kohn, Carina Carollo, Danielle Krause, Christina Carvino, Anthony Longo, Danielle Clewis, Vaughan McGuire, Bridget Coppola, Thomas Newhook, Kelsey Dobosh, Katherine O’Sullivan, Kristen Ward, Hannah Giese, Allison

Ehrlich, Miriam Ouedraogo, AdamaEvans, Simone Pralat, BarbaraFerrante, Robert Slater, ReubenFoote, David Veras, JustineGangewere, Meghan