UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

UNDERGRADUATE

RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

2023

EVENT PROGRAM

ARTS • SCIENCES • HUMANITIES • SOCIAL SCIENCES

URDS.UOREGON.EDU/SYMPOSIUM

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

2023

Table of Contents

“The Research University Open House”

Welcome Letter from Symposium Chair ............................................ 1

LAURE Award Call for Submissions ................................................. 4

Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering Panels ............................. 5

Agenda Overview ................................................................. 6

“Journey to the Stars”

Keynote Address ................................................................ 7

Maps ........................................................................... 8

Acknowledgments .............................................................. 13

Student Academy to Inspire Learning ............................................. 22

Presenter Statistics ............................................................. 23

Symposium Presenters .......................................................... 34

Noyce MaSTERit Scholarship Call for Applications ...................................39

Faculty Research Mentor Awards ................................................. 40

Faculty Research Mentors ....................................................... 45

Presentation Abstracts .......................................................... 61

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

The Research University Open House

May 25, 2023

Welcome to the 13th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium!

As a top-tier liberal arts and sciences research institution, discovery and inquiry underlie

everything we do. Part of our mission is to help students question critically, think logically,

reason effectively, communicate clearly, and act creatively. The Undergraduate Research

Symposium is an embodiment of that mission and invites the community to engage with our

undergraduates and witness the promise and impact of their ideas and work for society.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium debuted in 2011 with 69 presenters and 40 research

mentors spanning 20 majors and four colleges, and reached a pre-pandemic high-water mark

in size and breadth in its ninth year with 513 presenters and 290 research mentors spanning

75 majors, 21 minor programs, 33 minors, and eight colleges. Over the past 12 years the

symposium has hosted 3,840 student presenters and 1,043 research mentors.

Despite the continuing recovery from the profound disruptions to research and creative work

experience by students and faculty over the past three years, we are inspired to celebrate the

work of 454 presenters and their 307 research mentors at the 2023 symposium. We also wish

to acknowledge the unprecedented number of 70 graduate student mentors this year.

The 357 presentations encompass all eight colleges and schools, the Phil and Penny Knight

Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, 67 majors, 65 minors, and 27 institutes and

centers. A record 233 presenters received funding to support their research and creative work

from 69 different sources.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

In response to the pandemic we shifted to a virtual symposium in 2020 and 2021 allowing

667 students to continue to present their research and creative work with expanded

reach to families, alumni, donors, and the community. This opportunity to record these

presentations catalyzed the creation of a permanent digital exhibit of UO undergraduate

research. The symposium YouTube channel is currently curating more than 1,000 research

presentations.

This year the symposium proceeds with a hybrid format to accommodate 341 students

choosing to present in-person in the EMU, Allan Price Science Commons and Research

Library, and Aasen-Hull Hall in the School of Music and Dance, and 16 preferring virtual

presentations. The reach of the symposium continues to expand through the hybrid platform,

creating new avenues for engagement with families, friends, alumni, donors, high school

students and teachers, and community members who have traditionally been unable to

participate in the on-campus event.

In the spirit of an open house, the symposium is privileged to partner with the Student

Academy to Inspire Learning (SAIL), which has developed a robust pre-college collaboration

day, including a welcome ceremony, interactive sessions with poster presenters, lab and

studio visits, campus tour, and panels with undergraduates. SAIL will host 120 high school

students and their teachers at the event this year.

Our community college network grew this year as well, and we anticipate hosting more than

25 presenters and attendees from Central Oregon Community College, Lane Community

College, and Umpqua Community College. The UO Alliance for Diversity in Science and

Engineering and the Center for Science Communication Research will host discussion panels

on research funding and STEM careers with outreach to transfer students.

The UO Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program is also partnering with the symposium to host

visiting McNair Scholars from Southern Oregon University and University of California San

Diego.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

The Symposium and its campus partners will also offer more than 60 presenter awards

totaling nearly $16,000.

We welcome visitors from far and near and hope that this showcase of undergraduate

research and creative work can inspire hope, curiosity, innovation, and exploration. Our

alum keynoter this year exemplifies this spirit. Manju Bangalore earned her BS from the

UO in 2018 with a physics major and math minor. She is a physicist, actor, model, poet, and

the founder of two nonprofits, Operation Period and Painting With Parkinson’s. During her

undergraduate career, Manju worked at two NASA centers, Marshall Space Flight Center, and

Johnson Space Center, on propulsion and the cockpit displays for the Orion spacecraft, as

well as in the White House under President Obama on science policy. In October 2022, Manju

was crowned Miss Oregon USA and will represent her state at Miss USA in 2023.

We hope you can visit our open house and explore the research university through the

research, scholarship, and creative work of our undergraduates.

Congratulations to all the student participants and their research mentors who have made

this event happen!

Kevin Hatfield

Chair, Undergraduate Research Symposium Planning Committee

The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance

with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This publication will be made available in accessible formats upon request.

Accommodations for people with disabilities will be provided if requested in advance by emailing [email protected].

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Congratulations on your research project!

Now you have a chance to explain and win an award based on your research

experience with the

Research Process & Scholarly Growth Essay.

Due Annually

June 15, 2023

$1,500

Award

UO Libraries’ Award for Undergraduate

Research Excellence recognizes

students who demonstrate

excellent library research skills

and high-quality academic work.

LAURE winners will receive a monetary

award of $1,500. Project submissions

can include:

* Single term papers and

projects from a 200-level or

above course

* Theses or multi-term

papers and projects

* Group paper or project

An equal-opportunity, airmative-

action institution committed to cultural

diversity and compliance with the

Americans with Disabilities Act.

To learn more,

visit bit.ly/uo-laure or

email [email protected]

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

SOJC

SCR

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Agenda Overview

Visit our schedule web page for full symposium schedule. Visit our symposium home page

for full schedule with oral presentation, creative work, and poster locations for the EMU,

Alan Price Science Learning Commons and Library, and Aasen-Hull Hall, as well as presenter

names and abstract titles.

May 25

7:00 a.m. Individual poster presentation videos released for viewing on the

YouTube channel

8:00 a.m. Symposium Welcome Video: Remarks from Interim Provost and Executive

Vice President Janet Woodruff-Borden and Vice President for Research

and Innovation Anshuman (“AR”) Razdan on the YouTube channel

9:30 a.m.–noon SAIL Pre-College Collaboration Day

9:00–10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

12:15–1:15 p.m. Keynote Reception: Manju Bangalore, Alum Keynote Speaker

1:15–2:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

3:00–4:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

4:30–5:30 p.m. Poster Session 1

5:30–6:30 p.m. Poster Session 2

6:30–9:30 p.m. Creative Work Session

May 28

All remote presentation videos will be available on the symposium YouTube channel as an

ongoing digital exhibit of undergraduate research and creative work. Videos are organized into

thematic playlists and are keyword searchable.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Alumni Keynote Speaker

Manju Bangalore

Journey to the Stars

Thursday, May 25, 2023, 12:15–1:15 p.m., EMU Redwood Auditorium

Also available on the symposium YouTube channel

In a world telling us we must stay in one lane, Manju will explore

what it means to be a multi-hyphenate. As a physicist and aspiring

astronaut, actor, model, nonprofit founder, and Miss Oregon USA

2023, Manju has found strength in her multiple careers and hopes

to leave others with a sense of inspiration and motivation to live

without limits and reach for the stars too.

Since dreaming about becoming an astronaut when she was a child,

Manju has worked at two NASA centers and in the White House.

She is now enrolled in a postgraduate program training her to go

to space one day. In addition to her scientific accomplishments,

her acting and modeling careers have taken her from working with

Beyoncé to shooting with Sports Illustrated. She is most inspired by

the work of her nonprofit Operation Period.

Manju Bangalore

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Symposium Locations

Beall

Concert

Riverfro nt Fields

Millrac e

PeaceHealth

University District

Pioneer

Cemetery

EAST BROAD WAY S T

EAST 11TH AV E

MILL ST

PATTERSON ST

HILYARD ST

PEARL ST

HIGH ST

FERRY ST

EAST 12TH AVE

EAST 13TH AV E

EAST 14TH AVE

EAST 15TH AV E

EAST 16T H AVE

KINCAID ST

JOHNSON LAN E

EAST 18TH AV E

UNIVER SITY ST

BEECH ST

EAST TH AV E

COLUMBIA ST

VILLARD ST

MOSS ST

MILLRAC E DR

RIVERFRONT P KWY

GAR DE N AVE

FRANKLIN BLVD

ORCHARD S T

WALNUT ST

FAIRMOUNT BLVD

AGATE ST

ALDER ST

ONYX ST

BIRCH LN

ROSE LN

HARRIS ST

EAST 10TH AVE

EAST 24TH AV E

Bike Path

EAST 11TH AV E

PATTERSON ST

HILYARD ST

HIGH ST

EAST 12TH AVE

EAST TH AV E

EAST TH AV E

KINCAID ST

EAST TH AV E

EAST 17TH AV E

COLUMBIA ST

VILLARD ST

MOSS ST

FRANKLIN BLVD

WALNUT ST

ONYX ST

Millrac e

EAST 13TH AV E

FRANKLIN BLVD

Articial

Turf Field 4

Articial

Turf

Field 3

Jane Sanders

Stadium

McArthur

Court

Hayward

Field

Matthew Knight

Arena

LIL LIS BUS IN E SS CO MP LE X

L O K E Y S C I E N C E C O M P L E X

Outdoor

Program

Barn

MRI

Chiles

Peterson

Anstett

Lillis

Baker

Downtown

Center

Barnhart

Riley

Annex

Duck

Store

Lokey

Education

HEDCO

Education

Clinical

Services

Frohnmayer

Music

Education

Annex

Knight

Library

Gerlinger

Annex

Gerlinger

Schnitzer

Museum

of Art

Prince

Lucien

Campbell

(PLC)

Susan

Campbell

Hendricks

Collier

House

Johnson

ChapmanCondon

Esslinger

Student

Recreation

Straub

Earl

Living

Learning

Center

Carson

Computing

Fenton

University

Villard

McKenzie

Friendly

Allen

Lawrence

Pacific

Columbia

Cascade

Onyx Bridge

Cascade

Annex

Klamath

Willamette

Streisinger

Huestis

Volcanology

Deschutes

Oregon

Agate

House

Olum

Many

Nations

Longhouse

Moss

Street

Children's

Center

Knight

Law

Center

Museum of

Natural and

Cultural

History

Bean

East Campus

Graduate Village

Ford

Alumni

Center

Hamilton

Woodshop

Urban

Farm

Fine Arts

Studios

ZIRC

Millrace

Studios

Wilkinson

House

Campus Planning

and Facilities

Management

Central

Power

Station

Jaqua

Academic

Center

Rainier

Romania

Warehouse

Alder

Spencer View

Family Housing

Eugene Fire

Department

UO Police

Department

East Station

EAST 19T H AVE

EAST 20TH AV E

EAST 21ST AVE

EAST 22ND AV E

EAST 23RD AV E

EMERALD ST

CPFM

Admin

Global

Scholars

Hall

Lewis

Integrative

Science

PeaceHealth

North

NILI

1715

Franklin

Student

Tennis

Courts

Central

Kitchen

Thompson's

University

Center

Kalapuya

Ilihi

Berwick

Tykeson

Knight Campus

Transportation

Services

Black

Cultural

Center

Articial

Turf

Field 2

Articial

Turf

Field 1

LERC

Military

Science

University

Health

Services

1900

Millrace

1600

Millrace

MILLER THEATRE COMPLEX

Unthank

Outdoor

Tennis

Courts

0 1,000500 Feet

Autzen

Stadium

Moshofsky

Sports

PK Park

Casanova

Athletic

Autzen Stadium

University of Oregon

Main Campus

EMU

A Aasen-Hull Hall

EMU Erb Memorial Union

P Price Science Library

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Erb Memorial Union Ground Floor

Food & Retail

Lounge

Programs

Conference Rooms

Services

Restrooms

Support Spaces

Open to Below

Elevator

Women’s Restroom

Men’s Restroom

All-Gender Restroom

ATM

Information/Help

Vending Machine

Wash Station

ADA Entrance

Lounge

Bartolotti’s

Pizza and Bistro

Pizzeria Kitchen

for Leadership and

Community Engagement

Holden Center

Fresh

Corner

Market

ID Card

Services

Ticket

Office

Oregon

Plaza

Student Atrium

Student

Sustainability

Center

Club Sports

Outdoor and Bike

Program

Women’s

Center

LGBTQA3

Veterans Center

Thunder

Room

Multi-

Stalled

All

Gender

Lightning

Room

Secured

Bike

Parking

ASUO

Student

Governance

Center

ROAR Center

ACE

Sushi

Jamba

Juice

Guest

Services

Stadium Stairs

Grand Staircase

Computer Lab

88.1 FM

Fraternity and

Sorority Life

Esports

Duck Nest

Tech

Support

and Print

Services

Craft Center

Outdoor

Studio

KWVA

Amphitheater

Entrance

Green

Entrance

13th Ave.

Entrance

Lounge

030

036

041

040

042

043

045

047

002

003

004

007

006

005

012

011

015

008

022

009

Lewis Room

023

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Erb Memorial Union Level One

Elevator

Women’s Restroom

Men’s Restroom

All-Gender Restroom

ATM

Information/Help

Vending Machine

Wash Station

ADA Entrance

Food & Retail

Lounge

Programs

Conference Rooms

Services

Restrooms

Support Spaces

Open to Below

Courtyard

Dining

Lobby

Fishbowl

Starbucks®

Chipotle

Subway

Panda

Express

Taylor

Lounge

The Duck Store™

Miller Room

Coquille

Room

Diamond

Lake Room

Contemplation

Room

Alsea

Room

East

Lounge

Crater Lake

North Room

Crater Lake

South Room

Umpqua

Room

Rogue

Room

Owyhee

Room

Fishbowl

Entrance

Historic

Entrance

South

Entrance

East

Entrance

Stadium Stairs

Metolius

Room

US Bank®

145

146

154

Zero

Waste

152

156

157

131 132

101

102

104

107

119

112

115

140

147

141

Little Big Burger

109

Multicultural

Center

Black Student Union

Black Women of Achievement

AccessAbility Student Union

Native American Student Union

MEChA (Movimiento Estudianti Chicanos de Aztlan)

Vietnamese Student Association

Asian Pacific American Student Union

Jewish Student Union

Multi-Ethnic Student Alliance

Muslim Student Association

Multicultural Center Director

Coalition Against Environmental Racism

109A

109B

109C

109D

109E

109F

109G

109H

109J

109L

109M

109N

109G109F

109J

109H

109M

109N

109A

109B109C

109D 109E

109L

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Food and Retail

Lounge

Programs

Conference Rooms

Services

Restrooms

Support Spaces

Open to Below

Elevator

Women’s Restroom

Men’s Restroom

All-Gender Restroom

ATM

Information/Help

Vending Machine

Wash Station

ADA Entrance

Ballroom

Storage

Green Room

Ballroom

Gumwood

Ballroom Terrace

Ballroom

Lobby

Ballroom

Stage

Oak

Room

Maple

Room

Scheduling

and Event

Services

Spruce

Room

Cedar

Room

Swindells

Room

Student

Lounge

Center for

Student

Involvement:

Resource

Center

Center for

Student

Involvement:

Support

Willow

Room

Redwood

Auditorium

Elm

Room

Servery/

Storage

Men’s

Center

Non-

traditional

Student

Union

McMillan

Gallery

236

237

239

240

244

242

241

243

245

238

233

232

231

230

213

214

219

223

211

210

212

201

204

218

Erb Memorial Union Level Two

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Erb Memorial Union Ballroom

1458911

222

221

3671012

18 17 16 15 14 13

19 20 21 22 23 24

34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25

35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45

55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83

75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84

94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85

95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104

114 113 112 111 110 109 108 107 106 105

115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124

134 133 132 131 130 129 128 127 126 125

135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144

152 151 150 149 148 147 146 145

153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160

180 179 178 177 176 175 174 173

181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188

197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204

212 211 210 209 208 207 206 205

213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220

196 195 194 193 192 191 190 189

166 165 164

167 168 169

163 162 161

170 171 172

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Acknowledgements

Sponsored/Funded Research Sources

Alden Scholar Research Award .............1

American Society of Mass Spectrometry

Undergraduate Travel Award ..............1

Andrew Mellon Foundation Summer

2022 Ice and Environmental Justice

Undergraduate Research Award............1

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Anita and Friedhelm Baitis Scholarship .....1

Baja Basins International Research

Experiences for Students..................1

Bernice Callison Scholarship...............1

Brenda McGowan Grant ...................1

Center for Science Communication

Research ................................1

Clark Honors College Mentor Research

Program Funds ...........................2

College of Arts and Sciences Continuing

Student Scholarship ......................1

CURE Conference Travel Award ............ 6

CURE FYRE (First Year Research

Experience Fellowship) ....................7

CURE Small Grants Award..................3

CURE SURF (Summer Undergraduate

Research Fellowship) .................... 8

DucksRISE Research Fellowship (DRRF) ... 24

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National

Institute of Child Health and Human

Development Grant .......................1

Hui Undergraduate Research Scholars

Program .................................1

Human Physiology Undergraduate

Research Stipend Award ..................1

Humanities Undergraduate Research

Fellowship (HURF).........................7

Jim Oelschlager Scholarship ..............1

Just Futures Institute.....................1

Kidd Creative Writing Workshops...........7

Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars

Funding.................................19

Laboratory of Epidemiology and Research

on Cardiovascular diseases................1

Latinx Studies Experiential Learning

Fellowship ...............................2

LeapFrog Design..........................1

Mellon Foundation ........................1

Merle S. and Emma J. West Scholarship .....1

Meyer Memorial Trust.....................1

National Institute of General Medical

Sciences.................................1

National Institutes of Health—

National Research Service Award

(NRSA) Fellowships .......................1

National Institutes of Health (NIH)........11

National Science Foundation (NSF

Research Experience for Undergraduates

(REU) ....................................7

Noyce MASTERIt Scholarship ..............1

O’Day Fellowship in Biological Sciences .....3

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute..............1

OURS Oregon Undergraduate Researchers

in SPUR ..................................5

PChem Undergraduate Fellowship ..........1

Phil and Kim Asmundson ..................1

PURS (Presidential Undergraduate

Research Scholars) .......................7

Robert and Catherine Miller Foundation.....1

Rod Capaldi Biology Scholarship ...........1

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program........13

Roy F. Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund ....1

Science and Memory Fellowship............1

SCORE (Students of Color Opportunities

in Research Enrichment) ..................1

Summer Program for Undergraduate

Research (SPUR)..........................1

Sutherland Lab ...........................1

The Gray Family Foundation................1

The Robert and Catherine Miller

Foundation...............................1

Thomas and Lindsey Marriott

Undergraduate Research Support Fund .....1

Tunisian Ministry of Health ................1

Tunisian Society of Endocrinology ..........1

UnderGrEBES Research Award..............5

UO Department of Chemistry...............3

UO Environmental Studies Program.........1

UO Presidential Scholarship ...............1

UO Summit Scholarship ..................13

UO Women in Graduate Science Award ......3

UROP (Undergraduate Research

Opportunities Program) ..................13

Ursula Moshberger Scholarship............1

Usher 1F Collaborative ....................2

Usher Syndrome Society...................2

Vice President for Research and

Innovation (VPRI) Undergraduate

Fellowship .............................. 9

Wayne Morse Scholarship .................3

Williams Fund ............................1

World Health Organization.................3

Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance .......5

Central Oregon Community College

Majors

Psychology...............................1

Lane Community College

Majors

Nursing..................................3

Botany...................................1

Southern Oregon University

Majors

Anthropology.............................1

English ..................................1

Environmental Science ....................1

Ethnic Studies............................1

Psychology...............................2

Umpqua Community College

Majors

Chemistry................................3

Physics ..................................1

University of California San Diego

Majors

General Science ..........................2

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Total Presentations, Presenters, and Faculty Mentors

2020

2011

2013

2015

2017

2012

2014

2016

2018

2019

2021

2023

2022

Total Presentations

Undergraduate Presenters

Faculty Mentors

238

213

513

290

323

260

382

310

177

292

242

213

236

186

143

195

129

141

112

139

104

380

287

454

327

240

307

253

329

357

352

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

150

175

200

100

125

Total Presentations by Divisional Area

2011 20162012 20172013 20182014 20192015 2020 2021 2022 2023

Natural Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

Arts

Design

110

123

144

132

150

118

168

189

154

110

109

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

300

200

100

250

350

375

150

Total Presentations by Type

2011

(52)

2012

(104)

2013

(86)

2014

(112)

2015

(129)

2016

(186)

2017

(242)

125

2018

(310)

5 9

211

2019

(321)

4 12

186

121

2020

(265)

132

Poster

Oral

Creative Work

Works in Progress

2021

(329)

136

169

2023

(357)

242

2022

(352)

194

132

12 14

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Symposium Presenters

Ellie A Laufer

Ismayil Abdoulaye #62

Riley Acker #166

John Adair

Megan Adamec #30

Alexander Aghdaei

Ian Ahlberg

Bella Ahlheim #146

Sarita Ahmad #147

Mars Aichler

Yash Akhouri

Kikachi Akpakwu

Kimmy Alberon #148

Cora Albers #73

Kate Aldridge #117

Holly Amer #114

Anya Anand #122

Celina Anaya-Aguilera

Fedi Aniefuna

Brianne Arca #216

Ray Arcoren

Nayantara Arora #28

Tyee Atkin

Henry Axon #16

Kiasia Baggenstos

Zoey Bailey

Karla Barajas #219

Nadia Barnard #51

Sanjana Basak #74

Taylor Batten #195

Adele Bauer #30

Erika Beleyovych

Morrhyssey Benz #40

Luca Berk #13

Jackie Bermudez #52

Mayurika Bhaskar #75

Avery Billo #76

Jessica Birruete #202

Jack Blackburn

Leah Blankenship #77

Zoey Blechschmidt #186

Weston Bodle #30

Peter Bouchard

Maxwell Braker #123

Shaun Brazelton #124

Stephanie Bucuroaia

Bayley Burke #172

Ben Burress #41

Arden Butterfield

Faith Byars

Sadie Byler

Jaemie Bynum #115

Casper Byrne

Caitlyn Cannan #30, 53

Gracie Cao #57

Sebastian Cardenas-

Riumallo #214

Peyton Carl #117

Sue Carney

Megan Carroll

Aaron Casserly #173

Natasha Castañeda #145

Elizabeth Castillo #125

Cody Castillo #157

Philip Chan

Maya Chesak #33, 192

Visit our schedule web page for full symposium schedule.

(Number following the name is the poster location in the EMU Ballroom (see page 12).

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Siri Chotechuang

Ashley Christensen

Adam Clayton

Nicole Cleland #104

Olivia Cobb

Will Cobb #146

Eleanor Codding

Lauryn Cole

Isaiah Contreras

Connor Cooney

Celia Cooper

Nicole Coronado #5

Michael Crain

Teresa Crumly

Alonso Cruz #66

Avery Csaszar #110

Margo Cumming #111

Delaney Dannert #195

Nithi Deivanayagam #111

Eunhye Dettwyler

Laila Deweese #204

Mariam Diakite

Ethan Dinh #78

Kenna Dinsdale

Craig DMello #174

Maggie Dobson #221

Francis Duey #175

McKayla Dumore

Delilah Dunham #193

Quaye Dydasco

Taylor Earle #199

Catherine Easton

Krysten Elkins

Molly Elmer

Treydon (Kimo) Emary

Isabella Engblom

Tessa Evans

Katie Faris #49

Macy Farrara

Tom Farrenkopf #205

Hannah Feldmeier #126

Willie Ferguson #209

Isabel Fernandes

Rafael Fernandez #79

Olivia Ferrell #31

Aymeric Feyfant

Imaesia Fields #217

Kelly Finch #17

Miriam Fischer #38

Sol Flores

Tito Flores-Bautista

Madeleine Ford #42

Sof Fox #184

Luca Franchetti #146

Elisabeth Frauenfelder #16

Ryan Fredericks

Emma Freedman #80

Sophia Freeman

Adeline French

Rose Frerichs #32, 33

Kevin Gable #151

Mary Gach #127

Felice Gallegos #54

Julian Gamez #149

Mely Garcia Alejandre #193

Lillian Gastelum

Ciara Gates #192

Yuki Gaudreault

Zealon Gentry-Lear #81

Madeleine Getz #24

Cecelia Gibbons

Jaslena Gill #121

Ryan Gillis

Jess Gladis #118

Rowan Glass

Grace Gonce #57

Angelica Gondoputro #128

Maya Gonzalez #150

Marissa Gonzalez-Ibarra

Angela “AJ” Gotera

Mallory Gradow #129

Margaret Grivette #130

Skye Grubb #32, 33

Samuel Gutierrez

Symposium Presenters

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Jack Hagan

Auveen Hajarizadeh #131

Leah Hall

Maggie Hall #43

Jordan Harrington

Alejandra Harris

Caceres #132

Maya Harrison #222

Ava Hearn #25

Jake Heinonen #133

Joseph Henriques #20, 23

Alex Hernandez

Zo Hill Sparks

Aiden Hlebechuk

Áine Hoban #55

Miles Hoecke

Bella Hoffert-Hay #22

Rain Hoffmeister #195

Matthew Hofmann #67

Cassie Hoglund

Sadie Holt #144

Olivia Hougham #82

Marly Howell #33, 34

Madeline Howell #56

William Howells #134

Aaron Hudock

Lorissa Hughes #192

Annabelle Hurley

Ellie Ingraham

William Jackson #83

Dante' James #84

Anessa Jones #57

Morgan Jorgensen

Shanie Jorgenson #212

Adam Juan

Chloe Jurva #110

Shochiro Kamata

Emily Kavanagh

Katelyn Kelm #221

Jenna Khachatourian #68

Sylvia Khalil #84

Nathan King #196

Lauren King Watt #222

Rea Kioussi #85

Rowan Kirkpatrick #19

Seira Kitagawa #21

Kelly Kleinberg

Tim Knispel

Ava Komons #167

Emily Kondo #187

Abigail Konigsfeld #199

Louisa Krantz #152

Mary Krebs

Kayla Krueger #188

Liz Kuhns

Siena Kulis #86

Siena Kulis

Amanda Kurtz #69

Nisha Kyathsandra #87

Rowan Lance #17

Eric Lane

Emily Lashchuk #153

Olivia Lashley #154

Adagia Latta #88

Ellie Laufer #89

Braden Lawrie #206

Thuong Le

Sofia Lee #135

David Lefevre #176

Feruza Legass #220

Hannah Lewack #90

Katie Linnenkohl #177

Julia Lo #207

Abiel Locke #35

Haley Mae Lohf #218

Celine Lopez Padilla #81

Jacob Lorenz #58

Noah Lovgren #121

Chi-An Lu #155

Mattie Lucero

Lucy Larkin #136

Kate Luerken #177

Thomas Luu #99

Za'Nya Lyons #164

Symposium Presenters

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Eoin Mac Carvill #59

Lily MacDonald

Melina Mallari

Chester Mantel

Jasper Marcum

Kristine Marek

Greg Martin

Jazmin Mason #18

Princess Mason

Katie Mastan #91

Emma Matsell #137

Sophia Mauelshagen #156

Hana Mazur #8

Aisling McCabe #146

Ryan McCarthy

Devan McClain #208

Zag McDowall #26

Victoreya McKissick

Alayha McNamara #157

Hannah Medved #138

Helia Megowan #139

Fox Melo

Ella Meloy #14

Stephanie Metzger

Walker Meyer #211

Edgar Meza Macias #43

Jena Miko #158

Chloe Miller #116

Lily Miller #44

Scooter Milne

Ellis Mimms

Madeline Miner #29

Ava Minu-Sepehr

Anjali Mishra #9

Owen Mitchem #177

Troy Mole #221

Cameron Montagne

Symone Moore #7

Ann Moorhead #197

Reyes Morales Warne #92

Hannah Motta

Esther Mozipo

Nicole Mullen

Haden Munson #210

Julianne Myers #10

Sadie Myers

Blake Nash-Laboe #105

Lynn Nashawi #159

Keyshawn Nauden

Paige Nearman #215

Hanna Nguyen #36

Nicolas Nguyen #60

Ethan Nguyen #94

Angela Noah

Zoe Nunez #95

Austin Nunis

Will Nusbaum #183

Laurel O’Brien

Claire O’Connor #169

Griffin O’Grady #4

Cedar O’Konski

Amar Oberoi #16

Andres Olavarrieta #45

Sophia Olivares

Julia Olson #160

Elyse Osman

Mia Owen #110

Raine Padawer

Lawren Paris #50

Kennedy Parish

Mystery Parke

Macy Patel #112

Sarah Peabody #47

Gabriel Peery #182

Zach Pennel #70

Paul Phelan

Jonathan Pines #61

Mar Polvorosa

Renate Prazak

Leeza Privalova #189

Abigail Punches

Magnus Pyle

Paige Quist #190

Joseph Ramirez #15

Symposium Presenters

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Tyler Ramos #93

Megan Rangel-Lynch #119

Aaralyn Reed

Carmen Resnick #71

Luke Rethwill #62

Kate Reynolds #109

Isaac Richardson #2

Alissa Richbourg #106

Cash Robinson

Azusena Rosales

Suares #203

Amanda Rose

Alexa Rose #18

Walker Rosenthal #140

Tanner Rozendal

Danna Rubesh #19

Kayley Salgado

Riley Salners #20, 23

Nikki Sam #117

Carmen Sanchez-

Reddick #185

Noah Sary

Raegan Scheer #221

Emily Scherer #103

Maisey Schering

Kyla Schmitt #102

Mika Schow

Aidan Schreck

Symposium Presenters

Caitlyn Schreiner #11

Avery Scott #195

Theo Seah #140

Sophia Segesta

Olivia Seits #113

Isabella Senatori

Madi Serrano #200

Bailie Severson

Carmen Sharpe-

Velazquez #107

Leyi Shea

Sara Sheahan #12

Claire Sheffer #96

Ian Sherman #174, 177

Sarah Shewaye #21

Nathan Shinagawa

Spencer Siegel #48

Kat Sincuir Alvarez

Harman Singh #178

Maili Smith #101

Peni Snow #97

Esperanza Soliz

Teresa Soliz

Amber Somarriba #161

Maria Soto Cuesta #63

Fernando Soto-Cruz #198

Alex Staben

Ilse Stacklie-Vogt #1

Olivia Stein #194

Gabby Stewart

Menzie Still

Sarah Stover

Sam Stremel #221

Ryan Stuve #179

Zoë Swanson #222

Nathan Swiericzuk #180

Lauren Swift

Austyn Tavernier #98

Rosa Taylor #37

Max Tenenbaum #170

Annika Teufel #3

Jake Thomas #57

Sally Thompson

Colin Thurston #141

Lauren Tokos

Madison Tomich

Ally Tonsberg #64

Sara Tosi #181

Oscar Tovar #162

Ellie Trahern

Grace Trammel #193

Mindy Tran #72

Jenna Travers #184

Clio Tsao #191

Dumebi Uba #99

Evelyn Usher #108

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Symposium Presenters

Larissa Vandehey #213

Alyssa Velarde

Charles Vigne #194

Lindsay Villano

Kaiden Walton #120

Eric Wang #163

Zoe Ward

Micah Warner Carey #27

Alara Wayne #142

Lena Wehn #65

Sydney Weinandt

Josh Weinrobe #111

Max Weisenbloom

Elle Wendrow

Gabe Westensee #38

Julie Whitehill #221

Alison Wickham #21

Olivia Wilkinson #6

Katey Williams

Julia Williams

McKenna Williams #39

Nathan Wilson

Katherine (K’iya) Wilson

Ashton Wolfe #62

Micah Woods

Sean Worrall #171

Alexa Wright #168

Julianna Wright

Sidney Wu #194

Jadelyn Yep #143

Graham Yotsuya

Patricia Young #201

Dana Zaidan #100

Iman Zarlons

Laney Zinn #165

UO MaSTERIt

Scholarship

can extend

your Major

into a Career as

a Science or

Math Teacher!

 Explore becoming an inspirational

science or math teacher

 Do research every day in

classrooms and communities

 Earn a $10,000 scholarship for

your senior year and $22,000

scholarship for one-year teacher

license master’s program

 Start by doing 8 weeks of paid

research this summer

Noyce MaSTERIt Teacher Scholarships Program

For more Information & application, visit:

stemcore.uoregon.edu/stem-programs/noyce-teacher-scholarships

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Faculty Research Mentor Awards

The Faculty Research Mentor Award sponsored by the Center for

Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE) recognizes up to

four UO faculty members annually for their exceptional mentoring of

undergraduate research, creative work, and experiential learning.

The Faculty Research Mentor Award is open to all full-time and part-

time research and instructional faculty employed by the University

of Oregon, which includes tenure related and career faculty, emerit

faculty, library faculty, and officers of research, including research

assistants, research associates, and postdoctoral scholars.

Nominations are solicited widely from current students, alumni,

faculty, and staff. The recipients are recognized as part of the

Undergraduate Research Symposium in late May. The awards include

a $2,500 prize, framed certificate, and profiles published in the

Symposium Program Book and the Undergraduate Research and

Distinguished Scholarships website.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

culty Research Mentor Awards

Nicholas Addington is deeply committed to the department’s new

undergraduate summer research program for UO math majors, which

is currently funded by an NSF RTG Grant, “Combinatorics, geometry,

representation theory, and topology.”

Several current and former student recommenders recognized

Professor Addington for his innovative pedagogy and developmental

mentorship that inspired them to pursue major and career pathways

they had not previously considered.

One recommender reflected on how their experience in Professor

Addington’s “hands-on math lab during my very first term on campus

took an experiential approach to learning that allowed us to play

around with combining math and code in a self-directed manner. I

still remember putting in way more hours than I needed to a Python

program that drew fractals just because I thought the assignment

was so cool. Later, Dr. Addington stopped me in the hall at Fenton

to tell me that he really admired the work I put into his class. As a

very new freshman, the encouragement really stuck with me.” This

recommender also shared that approximately two years later “during

the peak of the of the COVID-19 pandemic I was looking to get my

feet wet in the world of math research and I contacted Nick to see if

he still remembered me from that very first math class I had taken

with him. He replied saying he remembered me well and went on to

go above and beyond working with me on a summer research project

in the field of algebraic geometry full of highlights in my academic

career which included proving a theorem together with Nick on

a blackboard and sending code snippets back and forth with the

researcher who discovered the topic we were working on.”

Another thesis advisee shared, “I am incredibly grateful for the

massive time investment he has made. With his guidance, I have

been able to explore fascinating mathematical topics that would be

completely inaccessible otherwise.”

Nicholas Addington

Associate Professor

Department of

Mathematics

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

José Cortez serves on the Faculty Advisory Committee for the

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) in the Office of

the Vice President for Research and Innovation. He is also an affiliated

faculty member with the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies

(CLLAS), Digital Humanities, Disability Studies, and Latinx Studies.

Student nominators discussed the bridge from Professor Cortez’

dynamic classroom learning environment to working with him on

undergraduate research projects.

A former undergraduate mentee of Professor Cortez and current

UO graduate student wrote in their nomination, “Small classes can be

intimidating. Entering a class for the first time, you never know what

you’re going to get--how will you measure up? How hard will you be

required to work? What will the professor be like? And so on. In my

almost five years here at the University of Oregon, one professor has

taken these first-day anxieties and made them into dynamic, informative,

empathetic, challenging, and deeply thought-provoking classrooms

like no other. This would be Professor José Cortez. I have taken five

of Dr. Cortez’s classes, and each time this classroom transformation

occurred. Before, during, and after the height of the pandemic, I might

add. The closest academic bonds I have had with peers all trace back

to Dr. Cortez’s classes. This is due to the combination of non-negotiable

respect, openness to being wrong, and willingness to debate that Dr.

Cortez institutes and maintains. After having taken three of his classes,

Dr. Cortez reached out to me to ask if I would work as a research

assistant for his forthcoming book on borders and border patrol. During

the fourteen months that I worked for Dr. Cortez, I learned invaluable

skills that I have used in every class and job I have had since. Most

notably, I learned how to look at a series of historical events and

conduct research in a way that enables an understanding of what

narratives were and are being told about the subject.”

José Cortez

Assistant Professor

Department of

English

Faculty Research Mentor Awards

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Maria Fernanda Escallón’s current research traces how the declaration

of cultural practices of Afro-Latino communities as “intangible cultural

heritage of humanity” may further marginalize already vulnerable

community members and leave structural racial inequities intact.

Professor Escallón was a 2021–22 Wayne Morse Center for Law and

Politics Resident Scholar.

Students recommenders cited Professor Escallón’s dedication to her

mentees’ holistic success and wellbeing.

One of Professor Escallón’s mentees testified that “she has been

instrumental in my success as an undergraduate researcher and

aspiring anthropologist. In serving as my faculty mentor for several

undergraduate research projects, she has supported my academic

and personal endeavors along every stage of my short undergraduate

tenure at the University of Oregon, allowing me to develop considerable

research experience and helping me win several grants and awards

to support my ongoing work. Beyond her academic, professional, and

logistical support, she has also proved herself to be a caring and

considerate person whose interest in my success and wellbeing extends

far beyond the purview of academia. Thanks to Professor Escallón’s

outstanding mentorship I was able to actualize my dream of conducting

serious ethnographic research as an undergraduate anthropologist.

Where others said my goals were too ambitious, Professor Escallón

encouraged me to shoot for the stars. So I did—and it worked. Shortly

before my return to Eugene after three months abroad in the field,

Professor Escallón wrote to me: ‘It’s been an absolute pleasure reading

your work this summer seeing you grow into an ethnographer.’ While the

experience was transformative indeed, I could not have done it without

her expert mentorship. My future academic and professional career as

an anthropologist was built on the foundation of skills, knowledge, and

professional and personal ethics that she helped lay down.”

Maria Fernanda

Escallón

Assistant Professor

Department of

Anthropology

Faculty Research Mentor Awards

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Laura Jeanty is a member of the Institute for Fundamental Science

specializing in experimental particle physics. Professor Jeanty’s group

works on the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and

she has been a member of ATLAS since 2006.

Her student recommenders acknowledged her confidence-building

and inspiring mentorship. One mentee conveyed, “As a first-year physics

student, I was initially extremely intimidated by high energy physics

and believed that making contributions or working on research in the

field as an undergraduate student would be nearly impossible. However,

since joining Dr. Jeanty’s research group, I have felt a constant sense

of support and guidance throughout my research journey. Dr. Jeanty’s

support and encouragement has helped me to overcome feelings of

self-doubt and her mentorship has been particularly meaningful to me

as a female undergraduate student in physics, a field that has been

historically male-dominated. She has provided a supportive environment

where I feel comfortable asking questions and sharing ideas. From the

first meeting, she ensured that I would be included in team meetings

and discussions, and listened to my interests to develop projects that

aligned with my research goals and aspirations. In addition to ensuring

my inclusion in her research group meetings, she also connected me to

the larger UO ATLAS Collaboration meetings, providing opportunities to

learn about the projects and research being undertaken by other groups

and graduate students. Dr. Jeanty has also helped me identify and apply

to summer research programs, working closely to review and provide

feedback on research proposals and write letter of recommendation.

I have been able to receive a distinguished summer research

award, which would have been impossible without her guidance and

mentorship.”

Laura Jeanty

Assistant Professor

Department of

Physics

Faculty Research Mentor Awards

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Jennifer Ablow

Associate Professor, Psychology

Claire Albrecht

Graduate Student, Physics

David Allcock

Assistant Professor, Oregon Center for

Optical Molecular & Quantum Science

Markus Allgaier

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Physics

Rose Al-Saadi

Doctoral Student, Institute of Neuroscience

Balamurali Ambati

Research Professor, Knight Campus

Lina Aoyama

Doctoral Student, The Institute of Ecology

and Evolution

Denicia Aragon

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Paige Arneson-Wissink

Postdoctoral Scholar, Oregon Health &

Science University.

Pouya Asadi

Postdoctoral Scholar, Institute for

Fundamental Science

Jessica Atencio

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Melissa Baese-Berk

David M. and Nancy L. Petrone Faculty

Scholar: Associate Professor, Linguistics

Kemi Balogun

Associate Professor, Women's, Gender and

Sexuality Studies

Douglas Banning

Graduate Student, Darren W. Johnson

Laboratory

Matt Barber

Assistant Professor, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Lina Aoyama Batas

Graduate Student, Biology

Steven Beda

Assistant Professor, History

Jon Bellona

Senior Instructor I of Audio Production,

School of Music and Dance

Elliot Berkman

Professor, Psychology

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Lauren Berny

Doctoral Student, Prevention Science

Aaron Betts

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Savanah Bird

Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Mark Blaine

Professor of Practice, School of Journalism

and Communication

Mitchell Block

Jon Anderson Endowed Chair in Journalism

and Communication, Professor in

Documentary Studies and Production, School

of Journalism and Communication

Shannon Boettcher

Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Peg Boulay

Environmental Leadershp Program Co-

Director, Environmental Studies Program

Lowell Bowditch

Professor, Comparative Literature

Bruce Bowerman

Professor, Biology

Karleigh Bradbury

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Susanne Brander

Associate Professor, Department of

Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation

Sciences; Oregon State University

Derek Brandow

Instructor, School of Journalism and

Communication

James Brau

Professor, Physics

Sean Breslin

Associate Professor, Science, Umpqua

Community College

Joseph Bruckner

Postdoctoral Scholar, Biology

Melissa Brunkan

Associate Professor of Music Education ,

School of Music and Dance

Alison Burggren

Director, Robert and Beverly Lewis Center for

Neuroimaging

Zachary Bush

Graduate Student, Biology

Mark Carey

Professor of Environmental Studies and

Geography, Environmental Studies Program

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Mark Carrier

Senior Instructor , Biology

Anna Carroll

Senior Instructor, English

Alison Carter

Assistant Professor, Asian Studies

Madelon Case

Postdoctoral Scholar, Institute of Ecology

and Evolution

Ulrick Casimir

Career Instructor, English

Ben Chaloupka

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Liska Chan

Associate Professor and Department

Head, Landscape Architecture, School of

Architecture & Environment

Christopher Chapman

Postdoctoral Researcher, Exercise and

Environment Physiology Lab

Dan Chapman

Research Associate, Center for Science

Communication Research

Mai-Lin Cheng

Associate Professor of Literature, Clark

Honors College

Bernice Cheung

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Diana Christie

Graduate Student, Anthropology

Marta Clifford

Elder-in-Residence, Clark Honors College

Patience Collier

Graduate Student, History

Jeremy Collings

Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Mirabai Collins

Graduate Student, Environmental Studies

Program

Paul Condon

Assistant Professor, Psychology

Sara Cotton

Graduate Student, Anthropology

Feather Crawford

Program Manager, DucksRISE Program

Bill Cresko

Lorry Lokey Chair and Professor, Biology

Hannah Cutting-Jones

Director of Food Studies, History

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Lauren Cycyk

Assistant Professor, Communications

Disorders and Sciences

Paul Dalton

Associate Professor, Knight Campus

Nick D’Antona

Graduate Student, Electrochemistry and

Materials Science Laboratory

Paul Dassonville

Associate Professor, Psychology

Hilary Rose Dawson

Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Catalina de Onís

Core Faculty, Clark Honors College

Adam DeHeer

President and CEO, LeapFrog Design

Felix Deku

Assistant Professor of Neuroengineering,

Knight Campus

Kraig Delana

Assistant Professor, Operations and

Business Analytics

Alicia DeLouize

Graduate Student, Anthropology

Thomas Desvignes

Lab Member, Institute of Neuroscience

Jeff Diez

Associate Professor, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Kaitlyn DiMarco

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Jonathan Dorogin

Doctoral Student, Knight Campus

Rebecca Dorsey

Professor, Earth Sciences

Alexander Dracobly

Senior Instructor II, History

Hans Dreyer

Associate Professor, Human Physiology

Charles Drum

Associate Professor of Public Health and

Prevention Medicine, Oregon Health &

Science University.

Benjamin Duewell

Graduate Student, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Josef Dufek

Gwen and Charles Lillis Chair, Professor ,

Earth Sciences

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Carmen Ebel

Doctoral Student, Biology

Judith Eisen

Professor, Biology

Richard Emlet

Professor, Biology

Maria Fernanda Escallón

Assistant Professor, Anthropology

Dominik Fahrner

Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth Sciences

Tannaz Farsi

Professor, School of Art + Design

Caitlin M. Fausey

Assistant Professor, Psychology

David Feng

Field Tech, Earth Sciences

Abigail Fine

Assistant Professor of Musicology, School of

Music and Dance

Monika Fischer

Professor, School of Global Studies and

Languages

Scott Fisher

Associate Lecturer and Outreach Director;

Pine Mountain Observatory Director, Physics

Katie Fisher

Graduate Student, Biology

Kaylin Forsnatch

Doctoral Student, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Christopher Foster

Professor, Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic

Studies

Justin Fowler

Director, Portland Architecture Program,

School of Architecture & Environment

Madison Fowler-Niblock

Doctoral Student, English, Environmental

Studies

Rebecca Frederick

Postdoctoral Scholar, Knight Campus

Alisa Freedman

Professor, East Asian Languages and

Literatures, Asian Studies

Alycia Galindo

Doctoral Student, Bioengineering, Knight

Campus

David Garcia

Assistant Professor , Biology

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Elisandra Garcia

Visiting Assistant Professor, School of

Architecture & Environment

Kevin Gardner

PhD Candidate, Earth Sciences

Keat Ghee Ong

Professor, Knight Campus

Adam Glass

Instructor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Devin Grammon

Assistant Professor, Romance Languages

Dominik Grätz

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Andrew Greenberg

Portland State Aerospace Society, Portland

State University

Ian Greenhouse

Assistant Professor, Human Physiology

Daniel Grimes

Assistant Professor, Biology

Aaron Grossberg

Assistant Professor of Radiation Medicine,

Oregon Health & Science University

Marina Guenza

Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Karen Guillemin

Philip H. Knight Chair, Biology

Robert Guldberg

Vice President and Robert and Leona

DeArmond Executive Director, Knight Campus

Aaron Gullickson

Associate Professor, Sociology

Thomas Hahn

Career Instructor, Architecture

Mike Hahn

Professor, Director of the Bowerman Sports

Science Center, Human Physiology

Aris Hall

Coordinator, Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black

Cultural Center, Office of the Dean of

Students

Lauren Hallett

Assistant Professor, Biology, Environmental

Studies

Scott Hansen

Assistant Professor, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Steve Haring

Graduate Student, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Fischer Harvel

Graduate Student, David C. Johnson Lab

Christopher Hendon

Assistant Professor, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Burke Hendrix

Professor, Political Science

Claire Herbert

Robert F. and Evelyn Nelson Wulf Professor in

the Humanities, Sociology

Tory Herman

Associate Professor, Biology

Marian Hettiaratchi

Assistant Professor, Knight Campus,

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Samuel Hinton

Lab Manager, Plesa Lab, Knight Campus

Sarah Hodges

Professor, Psychology

Parisa Hosseinzadeh

Associate Professor, Knight Campus

Troy Houser

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Kelley Howarth

Career Faculty in Spanish, Romance

Languages

Sara Hutton

Graduate Student, Department of

Environmental and Molecular Toxicology,

Oregon State University

James Imamura

Professor Emeritus, Physics

Trond Jacobsen

Director of Forensics and Senior Instructor,

Information Science, Clark Honors College

David James

Postdotoral Research Scholar, Institute of

Neuroscience

Ramesh Jasti

Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Darren Johnson

Bradshaw and Holzapfel Research

Professor in Transformational Science and

Mathematics, Chemistry and Biochemistry

David Johnson

Rosaria P. Haugland Foundation Chair in

Pure and Applied Chemistry, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Jeanette De Jong

Associate Professor, Theatre Arts

Emily Karolidis

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Sydney Katz

Graduate Student, Geography

Clifford Keller

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Institute of

Neuroscience

Tyler Kelly

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Molly Keogh

Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth Sciences

Jina Kim

Associate Professor, East Asian Languages

and Literatures

Stacey Kiser

Faculty Instructor, Lane Community College,

Science

Caitlin Kowalski

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Institute of

Ecology and Evolution

Graham Kribs

Professor, Director, Institute for

Fundamental Science, Physics

Brice Kuhl

Professor, Psychology

Allyson Kuznia

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Minkyoung Kwwak

Research Fellow, Electrochemistry and

Materials Science Laboratory

Gordon Lafer

Professor, Labor Education & Research

Center

Marissa Lane-Massee

Graduate Student, Environmental Studies

Program

Anne Laskaya

Associate Professor, English

Heather Le Bleu

Graduate Student, Biology

Kait Leggett

Graduate Student, Creative Writing

Mellie Lemon

Graduate Student, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Victor Lewis

Graduate Student, Institute of Neuroscience

Diana Libuda

Assistant Professor, Biology, Institute of

Molecular Biology

Hannah Licht

Graduate Student, Creative Writing

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Mariko Lin

Assistant Director, Education and Prevention

Outreach Director, Counseling Services

Angela Lin

Senior Research Engineer, Guldberg Lab,

Knight Campus

Gabriella Lindberg

Assistant Professor, Knight Campus

Megan Lipsett

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Krystale Littlejohn

Associate Professor, Sociology

Angela Long

Director for Health Initiatives, University

Health Services

Andrew Lovering

Professor, Human Physiology

Joe Lowndes

Provost Fellow, Political Science

Sergio Loza

Assistant Professor, Romance Languages

David Luebke

Professor; Katherine G. Brady and Thomas A.

Brady, Jr., Roger Chickering and Alison Baker

Professor of Central European Histories;

History

Caroline Lundquist

Robert F. and Evelyn Nelson Wulf Professor in

the Humanities, Philosophy

Kathryn Lynch

Williams Fellow and Thomas F. Herman

Faculty Achievement Awardee, Environmental

Studies Program

Ed Madison

Associate Professor, School of Journalism

and Communication

Stephanie Majewski

Associate Professor, Physics

Andrew Marcus

Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Michelle Marneweck

Assistant Professor, Human Physiology,

Neuroscience

Gabriela Martinez

Department Head of Women’s, Gender, and

Sexuality Studies, Professor, School of

Journalism and Communication

Courtney Mathers

Doctoral Student, Environmental Studies

Program

Tim Mathew

Graduate Student, Physics

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

James May

Graduate Student, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Theresa May

Professor, Food Studies, Native American

Studies, Theatre Arts

Ulrich Mayr

Robert and Beverly Lewis Professor in

Neuroscience , Neuroscience

Katelyn McDonough

Assistant Professor , Anthropology

Michael McGeehan

Postdoctoral Scholar, Knight Campus

Leslie McLees

Senior Instructor, Geography

Benjamin McMorran

Associate Professor, Physics

Jeffrey Measelle

Professor, Psychology

David Meek

Associate Professor, Global Studies

Josh Mendez

Project Engineer, Earth Sciences

Jen Michel

Graduate Student, Biology, Institute of

Neuroscience

Adam Miller

Assistant Professor, Biology, Institute of

Neuroscience

Keaton Miller

Assistant Professor, Economics

Quinn Miller

Associate Professor, Digital Humanities,

English

Christopher Minson

Kenneth M. and Kenda H. Singer Endowed

Professor, Human Physiology

Dhruv Modi

Graduate Student, Environmental Studies

Program

Armando Morales

Advisor, MEChA

Deb Morrison

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs,

Professor, School of Journalism and

Communication

Dan Morrison

Senior Instructor I, School of Journalism and

Communication

Lisa Munger

Career Instructor, Clark Honors College

Barbara Muraca

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

James Murray

Assistant Professor, Biology

Bryce Newell

Assistant Professor, School of Journalism

and Communication

Nicole Ngo

Associate Professor, Planning, Public Policy

and Management

Thanh Nguyen

Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Matthew Norton

Associate Professor, Sociology

Matthew Novak

Assistant Professor, Psychology, Central

Oregon Community College

Kelly O'Neill

PhD Candidate, Dalton Lab, Knight Campus

Dorothee Ostmeier

Professor, German and Scandinavian

Craig Parsons

Professor, Political Science

Raghuveer Parthasarathy

Alec and Kay Keith Professor, Physics

CJ Pascoe

Associate Professor, Sociology

Sandip Patel

Professor, University of California San Diego

Health

Jayson Paulose

Assistant Professor, Physics

Shannon Peake

Research Assistant Professor, Center for

Translational Neuroscience

Priscilla Peña Ovalle

Associate Professor, Cinema Studies

Whitney Phillips

Assistant Professor of Digital Platforms

and Ethics, School of Journalism and

Communication

Patrick Phillips

Professor, Institute of Ecology and Evolution

Jennifer Phillips

Research Associate, Institute of

Neuroscience

Calin Plesa

Assistant Professor, Knight Campus,

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Mike Pluth

Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

John Postlethwait

Professor Emeritus, Biology

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Chris Potter

Courtesy Research Associate, Physics

James Prell

Associate Professor, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Ari Purnama

Assistant Professor, Cinema Studies

Samantha Queeno

Graduate Student, Anthropology

Mercedes Quintana-Serrano

Partnership Scholars Program Coordinator,

San Diego State University

Alyssa Quiogue

PhD Candidate, Biology

Elizabeth Raisanen

Assistant Dean of Advising and Strategic

Partnerships, Instructor of Literature, Clark

Honors College

Pooya Razavi

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Bryan Rebar

Associate Director; Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Math Careers through

Outreach, Research, and Education

(STEM CORE)

Melissa Redford

Professor, Linguistics

Emma Reed

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Emily Reeve

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Sarah Rich

Graduate Student, David C. Johnson Lab

Rachel Robinson

Graduate Student, Human Physiology

Joshua Roering

Professor, Earth Sciences

Taren Rohovit

Doctoral Student, Psychology

Genevieve Romanowicz

Postdoctoral Scholar, Knight Campus

Alma Rosa Alvarez

Faculty, English, Southern Oregon University

Richard Rosencrance

Archaeologist, University of Nevada, Reno,

Department of Anthropology

Angela Rovak

Instructor of Literature, Director of First-Year

Experience, Clark Honors College

Jennifer Ruef

Assistant Professor, College of Education

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Luis Ruiz

Assistant Director for Student Success and

Analytics, Global Education Oregon

Rubi Ruopp

Graduate Student, Institute of Neuroscience

Chantelle Russell

Associate Director, Physical Education and

Recreation

Johnny Ryan

Assistant Professor, Geography

Jesse Sawyer

Graduate Student, Creative Writing

Megan Moerdyk-Schauwecker

Senior Research Assistant I, Institute of

Ecology and Evolution

James Schombert

Noble F. and Frances L. Miller Professor in

Astrophysics, Physics

Maria Schweer-Collins

Research Assistant Professor, HEDCO

Institute for Evidence-Based Educational

Practice and the Prevention Science

Institute

Lucas Silva

Associate Professor, Geography

Emily Simnitt

Senior Instructor, English

Celena Simpson

Associate Director, PathwayOregon and

Degree Progression, Undergraduate

Education and Student Success

Nadia Singh

Associate Professor, Richard A. Bray Faculty

Fellow, Biology

Hollie Smith

Associate Professor of Science and

Environmental Communication, School of

Journalism and Communication

Bennet Smith

Instructor, English

Brian Smith

Professor, Physics

Josh Snodgrass

Professor, Anthropology, Global Health

Shannon Snyder

Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Gretchen Soderlund

Associate Professor of Media History, School

of Journalism and Communication

Melanie Spero

Assistant Professor, Biology

Sanjay Srivastava

Professor, Psychology

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Carol Stabile

Acting Dean, Clark Honors College, Professor,

Clark Honors College

Kryn Stankunas

Associate Professor, Biology

Lynn Stephen

Philip H. Knight Chair, Distinguished

Professor of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology

Kirstin Sterner

Associate Professor, Anthropology

Zach Stevenson

Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology and

Evolution

Nick Sund

Principal Investigator, LeapFrog Design

David Sutherland

Associate Professor, Earth Sciences

Kelly Sutherland

Alec and Kay Keith Professor, Biology

Justin Svendsen

Doctoral Student, Knight Campus,

Bioengineering

Emily Sylwestrak

Assistant Professor, Biology, lnstitute of

Neuroscience

Emily Tanner-Smith

Thomson Professor, College of Education

Tze-Yin Teo

Associate Professor, Comparative Literature

Kira Thurman

Doctoral Student, Electrochemistry and

Materials Science Laboratory

Dan Tichenor

Philip H. Knight Chair, Professor, Political

Science

Nelson Ting

Professor, Anthropology

Douglas Toomey

Director, Oregon Hazards Lab, Professor,

Earth Sciences

E. Jamie Trammell

Associate Professor, Environmental Science

Faculty, Southern Oregon University

Brian Trapp

Career Instructor, Creative Writing

Steven Turrill

Graduate Student, Creative Writing

Liam Twight

Doctoral Student, Electrochemistry and

Materials Science Laboratory

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Hironori Uehara

Senior Research Associate, Ambati Lab,

Knight Campus

Larry Ulibarri

Instructor, Anthropology

Corbett Upton

Senior Instructor, Associate Director of

Undergraduate Studies, English

Valentino Vasquez

American Sign Language Instructor,

Disabililty Studies

Jessica Vasquez-Tokos

Professor, Sociology

Natanya Villegas

Doctoral Student, Biology

Matthias Vogel

Senior Instructor II and Language

Coordinator, German and Scandinavian

Eleanor Wakefield

Career Instructor, English

Zach Walbrun

Graduate Student, The Wong Lab

Sarah Wald

Ernest G. Moll Faculty Research Fellow in

Literary Studies, Environmental Studies

Program, English

Ashley Walker

Assistant Professor, Human Physiology

Tian Walker

Graduate Student, Anthropology

Maya Watts

Education Program Coordinator, Oregon

Institute of Marine Biology

Michael Wehr

Professor, Psychology

Aldis Weible

Senior Research Associate I, Institute of

Neuroscience

Rachel Weissler

Assistant Professor, Linguistics

Monte Westerfield

Professor, Biology, Institute of Neuroscience

Frances White

Professor, Anthropology

Chance White Eyes

Assistant Professor of Native American

Studies, Southern Oregon University

Kylie Williams

Graduate Student, Knight Campus

Katherine (K’iya) Wilson

Candidate on leave 2022–23 for Wildfire

Recovery, University of Oregon

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Cathy Wong

Assistant Professor, Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Dylan Wood

Assistant Professor, School of Architecture

and Environment

Craig Young

Professor, Director of Oregon Institute of

Marine Biology, Biology

Jason Younker

Assistant Vice President and Advisor to the

President on Sovereignty and Government-to-

Government Relations, Anthropology

Dasa Zeithamova

Associate Professor, Psychology

Faculty Research Mentors

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Abdoulaye, Ismayil

Umpqua Community College

Research Mentor(s): Sean Breslin

Poster

Reliance of Oscillation on Catalyst and Reagent Concentrations in the Belousov-

Zhabotinsky Reaction

Our study aimed to investigate the condition dependence of chemical oscillations in the Belousov-

Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction by manipulating the catalyst and concentration of reagents. The primary

objective was to explore how varying the catalyst and reagent concentrations can modulate the

chemical oscillations in the BZ reaction. The methods used involved manipulation of catalyst and

reagent concentrations and observing the resulting oscillatory behavior of the system. The study

aimed to reveal insights into the mechanisms behind these condition-driven oscillations and to

demonstrate that the behavior of the BZ reaction can be controlled and manipulated by varying

its conditions. The findings could have implications for the development of new chemical systems

that exhibit oscillatory behavior and may open up new opportunities for exploring the dynamics

of non-equilibrium or oscillatory chemical systems. Overall, the study highlights the potential for

manipulating chemical reactions to control their behavior and underscores the need for further

research in this area.

Visit our schedule web page for full symposium schedule.

Presentation Abstracts

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Acker, Riley

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Dagmar Zeithamova, Troy Houser

Poster

Theta Oscillations in Memory Encoding and Retrieval: A Behavioral

Experimental Investigation

Co-Author(s): Troy Houser, Dagmar Demircan

Theta waves are a type of neural oscillation produced in the brain when the neurons in the

hippocampus and connected structures synchronize and fire in a rhythmic pattern, producing

electrical activity in the frequency range of roughly 3 to 9 Hz. Research has shown that theta

waves play a key role in the formation and retrieval of episodic memories, as these oscillations are

hypothesized to gate the transfer of information within the hippocampus and surrounding structures.

The SPEAR model (Separate Phases for Encoding and Retrieval) proposes that the timing of theta

oscillations relative to the presentation of stimuli can affect how that information is encoded and

subsequently retrieved. To test this, participants in the study are presented with an image on a

computer screen after a manipulated delay following a cue to reset theta phase. Participants are

then presented with a subsequent memory test where they recall information about the image. In

analysis, the timed delay is related to observed accuracy in the memory test. It is expected that this

project will provide evidence that stimulus presented during the peak of a theta cycle is more likely

to be remembered than stimulus presented during the trough of a theta cycle. Overall, this research

aims to provide evidence for how theta waves support memory processes with implications for how

they can be modulated to improve memory function.

Adair, John

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Ed Madison

Virtual

Love Unbound: Black Fathers Incarcerated and the Family Experience

Mass incarceration in America has long been known to be a problem, particularly with a majority

of the population being Black men. Additionally, it is known the incarceration of a single parent

increases the likelihood of a child being imprisoned later in life. This led me to research how

imprisoned Black men carry on with their parental duties to both maintain their connection to family

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

and to keep their children from taking a similar path. The importance of this information can serve as

proof that a program designed with the goal of breaking generational incarceration is in fact effective

and should be funded for expansion. Due to a lack of funding and access, my method of research

consisted of reviewing published academic works involving the subject of Black fathers who were

incarcerated or the children of an incarcerated individual. What was found were many challenges

that these men face, both within and outside of prison, that cause a disconnect with family and

even a return to prison. I also found the most effective means of maintaining a relationship with

children, and a lower recidivism rate, is to engage incarcerated Black fathers — and fathers in general

— through a program that is based on a theoretical framework. With increased funding, programs like

these can further put an end to generational incarceration.

Adamec, Megan

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Lisa Munger

Poster

How do soundscapes in different areas within the EMU change based on the week

of the term?

The Erb Memorial Union (EMU) is a hub for students on the University of Oregon campus. Many

students frequent the EMU as a place to study due to the variety of atmospheres based on location.

These different atmospheres vary in lighting, location, and most notably, sound. Sound is a vital part

of the environment that impacts study habits of students. For our study, we aim to know how the

noise levels in different areas in the EMU change based on the week of the term. We will be stationing

ourselves in different locations throughout the EMU, such as leisure areas like the pool tables and

study locations like the open tables by restaurants, and recording the noise levels of our soundscape

at different times of the day, times in the week, and weeks throughout the term. We will record over

an hour of audio recording per week along with field data and pictures to aid our analysis. We predict

that as the term progresses and gets closer to midterms, the EMU will increase in activity, but

decrease in noise level. This study is designed to investigate the impact of school workload on noise

levels in an academic soundscape.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Aghdaei, Alexander

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Craig Parsons

Oral Session

Explaining The Great Divide: Exploring Causal Pathways of Communist Defection

Since the fall of the USSR in 1991, the 28 former communist states within and related to the USSR

have experienced rapid regime change. Some states entirely abandoned communist rule at the first

opportunity of democratic election; while others have chosen to re-elect their communist leaders

(with some states maintaining the same leaders to this day). Explaining this huge variance in

“communist exit” -- the deposition of communist leadership during a state’s first democratic election

-- has long been a salient question in political science, and yet theories attempting to answer this

question remain largely at odds with one another. In my study, I develop an integrative model using

fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) which will explore the validity of a multitude

of factors largely believed to explain communist exit. I look at four conditions which have been

noted by field experts as largely influential on communist exit: a high literacy rate, the presence of

pre-communist curricular content, high civil-military control, and low ethnic fractionalization. The

outcome explained will be a non-majority level of communist parliament seats in a state’s first free

election. My study will provide pathways to communist exit and explain qualitatively why some states

chose to forego communist rule, and others, to retain it. Additionally, this study will allow for theory

comparison between the most notable univariate studies of communist exit in post-communist

states.

Ahlberg, Ian

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Hannah Licht

Creative Work

Kool-Aid Stains

It wasn’t my intention to write a story about my relationship with my father. It happened

unconsciously and slowly revealed itself as the words slowly changed and permeated through drafts

and revision. His voice oozes from this story, more than my own. I enjoyed filling his shoes to try to

bring some closure to my childhood. All I ever wanted to do was make him proud.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Ahlheim, Bella

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Chantelle Russell

Poster

The benefits of resistance training for college students’ emotional and

physical well being

Resistance exercise, defined in this study as training for muscular strength and endurance, is

crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To study the benefits of resistance exercise, our group has

interviewed current faculty in the UO Department of Physical Education and Recreation. As part of our

findings, there is a very clear relationship between a reduction in stress and resistance exercise, as

endorphins that reduce stress are released during exercise.

The benefits of weight lifting we found were surprising. According to one of the journals, students

that participated in weight lifting had an increase in self efficiency and friendships. This is because

students that partook in resistance training were more consistent with their commitment to weight

lifting than the students that partook in aerobic exercise, this made it possible for the students to

build community and friendships. It is also beneficial for your brain. According to Pete McCal, high

strength workouts increase your BDNF levels which increases memory and academic performance.

Resistance training is beneficial to not just your physical health but also your relationships, memory,

and lifestyle. We did interviews in UO and research about university students to find the importance

of resistance training for college students. This information is valuable to UO students because it can

enhance their health, relationships, and academic performance, leading to an overall more productive

college experience.

Ahmad, Sarita

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Dominik Grätz

Poster

Rational distraction: The adaptive nature of reliance on external

action-relevant information

Co-Author(s): Dominik Grätz, Ulrich Mayr

As humans age, we experience a slowing of cognitive processing due to the natural neuronal

degeneration which is manifested in increased distractibility in older adults. Understanding

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

interactions between these individuals and their environment can help shed light on the relationship

between perceived distractibility and atypical cognition. Does cognitive slowing cause an inability to

retain attention or is environmental cue checking a rational response to natural slowing effects in the

brain? To test this, we created an eye-tracking paradigm that simulates the attentional differences

in older and younger adults within a single sample of participants aged 18-35. Participants complete

as many trials as they can of a cognitive task, with monetary incentive. These tasks are changed at

random throughout the block, so participants must check cues that tell them which they should be

following, thus simulating distractibility. To simulate the difference between individuals with lower

and higher cognitive processing speeds, the task is manipulated to increase response time in about

half of the trials. The goal is to see if cue-checking rates increase when reaction times are slowed

in individuals who have typical cognitive processing. If so, it would lead to the conclusion that the

perceived distractibility of individuals with lower cognitive abilities may be adaptive, and not a fault.

This is done in an attempt to understand the typical behaviors of those with attentional disorders.

Aichler, Mars

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Steven Turrill

Creative Work

Aliens by Mars Aichler

This piece is inspired by the song Chinese Satellite by Phoebe Bridgers. When I first heard it, it struck

me as a desperate cry to return to wherever the singer came from. It is also inspired by an outsider’s

struggle to fit in and the curiosity as to whether Earth is even the right place for them in the first

place. As someone on the autism spectrum who grew up unaware of my condition until recently, I

often felt as if I was different from other people in ways I didn’t have words for. I frequently had

fantasies of finding a door to another world because surely I would fit better in a fantasy land than

Earth, with all its difficult nonsensical rules and people who weren’t nice to me because I was “weird.”

But I’ve found that there are some delights only found on this planet that would make the choice to

leave much less cut and dry than I previously thought.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Akhouri, Yash

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Thomas Hahn

Oral Session

Living Lady Lawrence Designing for Living Building Challenge Certification: A Case

Study of Lawrence Hall at the University of Oregon

Lawrence Hall at the University of Oregon is aiming to achieve Living Building Challenge (LBC)

certification, a green building program promoting sustainable practices. This case study presents

challenges and opportunities in designing for LBC certification, including strict standards in seven

areas. Sustainable features will include rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, a photovoltaic

canopy, and non-toxic materials. The renovation prioritizes equitable design with accessible furniture

and building access, and educational displays on sustainability. Achieving LBC certification will

reduce energy/water use, improve indoor air quality, and increase awareness of sustainable practices.

Designing for LBC is a challenging yet achievable goal for academic institutions, and the Lawrence

Hall project serves as a model for sustainable building projects.

Keywords: Living Building Challenge, sustainable design, green building, Lawrence Hall, University

of Oregon, case study.

Akpakwu, Kikachi

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Mellie Lemon

Oral Session

Investigation of the Reaction Pathways of Niobium and Selenium in Crystal

Structures

This paper presents a study on the effect of manipulating diffusion lengths and rates for solid-

state synthesis of niobium selenide structures. This was investigated through annealing studies of

precursors deposited with varying thicknesses of Nb and Se layers. The samples were characterized

using x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, and x-ray fluorescence. Three initial samples targeted

different total film thicknesses with the same NbSe2 composition. These samples were used to

create a calibration curve to determine the amount of Nb present in samples from the intensity

observed in XRF measurements. The three other samples targeting varying Nb and Se layer

thicknesses were explored to see the effect of diffusion lengths on phase formation. These data

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

showed that the two samples deposited with thinner Nb and Se layers were found to heterogeneously

nucleate NbSe2 at the reacting interfaces. A slower diffusion rate was observed in the film with the

thickest Nb and Se layers, and extended annealing was needed to react the dichalcogenide with the

remaining elemental reactants. This work is intended to provide fundamental insight into the reaction

pathways between elements during solid state reactions.

Alberon, Kimmy

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Bernice Cheung, Elliot Berkman

Poster

Psychological Well-Being and Goal Prioritization

Co-Author(s): Bernice Cheung, Elliot Berkman

People often work towards several goals at once, but having multiple goals can be a source of

distress when people do not know what or how to prioritize. Research has explored what kinds of

goals people tend to prioritize, and if psychological well-being influences goal priority. This project

investigated the effects of goal characteristics and individuals’ psychological distress on goal

prioritization. I hypothesized that people would prioritize abstract, intrinsically motivated, and

more important goals over concrete, extrinsically motivated, and less important goals. Moreover,

the effects of these goal characteristics would be stronger when people experience psychological

distress. I analyzed data from a longitudinal study with 241 participants, who rated each of their

goals on 31 dimensions. Results from independent samples t-tests show that people were more likely

to prioritize goals high on extrinsic motivation, construal level, specificity, and importance, and low on

intrinsic motivation. Binomial logistic regressions revealed an interaction effect of social desirability

of goals and individuals’ stress levels on goal prioritization. People with higher stress levels tended

to prioritize goals that were low on social desirability, whereas people with lower stress levels tended

to prioritize goals that were high on social desirability. Our findings suggest that individuals’ stress

levels influence their considerations of social factors when prioritizing their goals.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Albers, Cora

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Zachary D. Bush, DIana E. Libuda

Oral Session | Poster

Genome-wide mapping and analysis of the transposon landscape of

Caenorhabditis elegans isolates

Co-Author(s): Zachary D. Bush, Diana E. Libuda

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that can replicate and propagate

independently of the host genome. In the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, TEs comprise

a significant portion of the genome and their activity is highly regulated to prevent mutations

and chromosomal rearrangements. We recently completed de novo genome assemblies for two

genetically divergent strains of C. elegans, the Bristol and Hawaiian isolates, that are estimated to

have diverged 30,000-50,000 generations ago. Utilizing new TE annotation tools, we comprehensively

mapped and characterized all known TE families in each genome. Our analyses identified over 18,000

TEs in both the Bristol and Hawaiian genomes and revealed differences in the global TE landscapes

of these two isolates. Cross-referencing these TE annotations with single nucleotide variations, we

also tracked the movement of unique TE sequences between the Bristol and Hawaiian genomes. While

we found that most TEs did not move between the two lineages, we did identify 38 TEs that moved

intrachromosomally and 9 TEs that moved interchromosomally. These data demonstrate TE mobility

is highly regulated over the large generational divide that separates these isolates. These studies

illustrate how TEs and their movement could play a key role in intra-species diversity and contribute

to genomic structural variation and gene regulation.

Aldridge, Kate

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Peg Boulay

Poster

Grizzly Bear Recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) is an apex predator in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

(GYE) whose role assists with the regulation of over-grazing from ungulate populations while also

benefiting vegetation through seed dispersal. Grizzly bears face numerous issues that negatively

affect their species. Most of these are anthropogenically caused including habitat loss and

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

hunting. In the GYE, grizzly bear populations have suffered massive population loss following park

management changes in 1967 that resulted in increased conflicts with humans. Grizzly populations

have diminished down to about 50% of their historic numbers, however following the efforts of its

Recovery Plan implemented and revised by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the exacerbated

population of grizzly bears is slowly reestablishing itself in the Greater Yellowstone area. The

reintroduction of grizzly bears in the GYE remains controversial due to misconceptions and opinions

relating to the safety of locals near Yellowstone National Park and surrounding human communities.

As an integral and historic species to the region, grizzly bears remain prominent.

Amer, Holly

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Sydney Katz, Lucas Silva

Poster

Fire Impacts on Soil Organic Carbon in the Deschutes National Forest, Oregon

Co-Author(s): Sydney Katz

Climate change is increasing the frequency of wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. Soil is the

largest terrestrial store of organic carbon and based on previous studies, climate change-induced

wildfires are causing carbon loss in the soil. Since soil properties are extremely variable, it is not

well established how prescribed burning affects soil carbon in central Oregon forests. We aim to

understand how prescribed burns and natural wildfires influence the different soil organic matter

(SOM) pools. We used soil samples from Deschutes National Forest near Sisters, Oregon. Samples

were taken from seven different burn locations, to analyze an array of burn severity and location. Five

of these locations were prescribed burn sites (2004, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2018). Two locations were

from the Milli Fire (2017) in low and high severities, along with an unburned site. At each site, the soil

was taken from five points, at three depths of 0-2cm, 2-20cm, and 20-40cm. We separated SOM into

particulate organic matter (POM, unstable) and mineral associated organic matter (MAOM, stable).

We separated out pyrogenic carbon (PyC, fire-derived carbon of variable stability). We measured

pH, which is important for plant growth. We lastly measured soil OC% with an elemental analyzer.

Prescribed burns are a tested way to lessen the impact of wildfires by reducing fuels. With our data,

we are discussing the potential that prescribed burns are also beneficial to the soil’s ability to

sequester carbon.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Anand, Anya

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Rachel Robinson, Mike Hahn

Poster

Ground Reaction Force Variables Across Outdoor Concrete and Bark Running

Surfaces

Co-Author(s): Rachel Robinson, Michael Hahn

Ground reaction force (GRF) variables are frequently considered regarding running-related injuries.

Previous studies demonstrated associations between higher impact-related GRF variables and risk

of common running-related injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine the outdoor running

surface with the least biomechanical load on the body, through measurements of peak normal

ground reaction force (pGRF), vertical average loading rate (VALR), average force, and impulse (IMP)

on bark and concrete. It was hypothesized that a bark running surface will yield lower GRF values

than a concrete running surface. Fourteen healthy recreational runners completed a 5-mile outdoor

run which included uphill, downhill, level ground, concrete, and bark path sections. The mean and

standard deviation of pGRF, VALR, average force, and IMP were calculated for 20 steps of bark and

20 steps of concrete for each participant. No significant differences in pGRF, VALR, average force,

or IMP were detected between bark and concrete surfaces. This is consistent with previous lab-

based studies that evaluated the effect of surface on peak vertical GRF. These observations further

demonstrate that VALR, IMP, and average force are unaffected by surface stiffness in real-world

outdoor running as well. Therefore, runners who are seeking to reduce impact loading may choose

either running surface, as they will yield relatively similar ground reaction forces.

Anaya-Aguilera, Celina

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Tannaz Farsi

Creative Work

Privilege is Memory to Note

I mark my pages with what we associate to be letters. These forms present to me as distorted, what

do we know about letters? And does its meaning have place in its structure? I will draw this form to

speak, not with my mouth, nor with my words, but with my act of writing. These marks on a canvas

speak differently from words. I will mark these pages with experience, where my emotions form this

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

figure before I could think. And within experiencing these writings, I have created a memory. One of

knowledge in meaning and my search for understanding.

Andaluz, Joanna

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Chantelle Russell

Oral Session

Social Media’s Effect on Personal Relationships

It’s important to make students at the University of Oregon recognize the impact that social

media has on their relationships. As technology evolves, social media and dating apps put a barrier

between the way students connect with each other. Engaging with social media too much does more

harm than good. In college, students may begin to date online and have accounts on several social

media apps. Frequent use of these apps takes away the value of conversation between UO students

because they have the option to look at their phones to avoid social situations. In addition, a study

in October 2019 conducted by the Pew Research Center found that many Americans are struggling

with navigating romantic relationships due to technology-related issues. Dating apps give access

to a wider range of people who would not be able to connect with one another if it weren’t for these

apps. These specific connections monetize extrinsic value, making it harder to develop relationships

face-to-face; people focus on how they look online and forget to look beneath the surface. We talked

to students around campus regarding their personal opinion on the question: How has social media

affected our personal relationships and connections with one another? Especially in college, it’s

critical to feel like we belong and have a community of people who support us. Cultivating awareness

around social media usage has the potential to strengthen relationships amongst students at the

University of Oregon.

Aniefuna, Fedi

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Emily Simnitt

Oral Session

Imposter Syndrome in Tech

This report examines Imposter Syndrome and how internal symptoms and external factors allow it to

prominently manifest across the technology industry. However, by creating a common way to identify

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

it in given situations, individuals in the tech industry have a chance to repress this mindset.

Comprised of multiple existing sources centered around this issue, ISIT attempts to illustrate the

problem of imposter syndrome’s exponential growth amongst workers within the career field of tech.

Thorough organization and planning were done throughout the creation of ISIT taking into account

aspects such as accessibility for the audience, variety in data acquired, and a consistent check on

the credibility of sources used in the report. Extensive analysis is provided as well in each section

with relevant examples that make applying the knowledge found in this study easier for the audience.

I thank all the participants who allowed me to gather insight based on their feedback, as it provided

a crucial piece to completing this project.

Arca, Brianne

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Douglas Toomey

Poster

Examination of Environmental Observation Platforms in Multi-Hazard

Mitigation Applications

Oregon’s ecologically diverse landscape is regularly utilized by residents for year-round outdoor

activities. Managing this terrain requires environmental monitoring, maintenance, and education.

Environmental monitoring platforms provide the necessary data for researchers and federal

departments to inform effective public safety decisions. Can the implementation of remote sensor

networks function to mitigate geologic hazards in the Oregon Cascade Mountain Range? This

research evaluates how the desired platform will provide advanced or earlier notifications of hazards.

Specifically how that information is communicated to communities and first responders, and how

cultural beliefs, values, and practices need to be considered in designing emergency response plans

fo natural disasters. The central case study for this research assesses the potential benefits of

the application of this technology in the Three Sisters region of the Cascades. Carver Lake is a lake

located on the south sister mountain in Deschutes County Oregon, it is fed by snowmelt and the

movement of a glacier that lies above it. Research methods include analysis of government hazard

mitigation plans and Geophysical Research Papers. Early results suggest that awareness of your

proximity to natural hazards and accessible regularly updated hazard assessments improve public

safety. Communication of information will aid first responders and increase the resilience of our

critical infrastructure during hazardous events.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Arcoren, Ray

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Professor Mitchell Block, Katherine (K'iya) Wilson

Virtual

The Lost Story of the University of Oregon Mother's Day Pow-wow

This project began with a plan to mentor young Indigenous youth in filmmaking, and as a way to

engage students in cultural research by interviewing Elders and filming archives. What began as a

simple plan to film this Oregon Heritage Event of the annual UO Mother's Day Pow-wow had a major

plot twist when it was discovered that the history of the exact year and the circumstances of how it

all began were seemingly lost. While NASU leadership continued to meet various Pow-wow deadlines;

their film mentor, UO Native Grad (2021) K'iya Wilson offered to contact her 60's UO cohorts who were

there at the time, to try to find the answer. What she found was stunning footage and an amazing

history, including the founding year that contradicted their oral tradition. K'iya reported her findings

to the students, who continually advised her on needed edits. At the latest student gathering the

final shocking truth was laid bare in a rough edit which stunned the students and a Native Professor

as well. This is not only The Lost Story of the UO's Mother's Day Pow-wow, but the true story of

how the War on Poverty that President Kennedy enacted in his final days created a new political

constituency of minorities and disadvantaged youth; which ultimately made it possible for the very

first of the UO Native American Student Union's pow-wow as well as their 55-year-old tradition begun

with Speelyi-Ootum, The Coyote People, in the mid-1960's.

Arora, Nayantara

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Alicia DeLouize, Josh Snodgrass

Poster

Community clustering accounts for most of Anemia variance in Tunisian Health

Examination Survey

Co-Author(s): Alicia DeLouize, Josh Snodgrass

Anemia refers to a low number of healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin (Hb). An important global

public health issue, it is a precursor to many health complications. Known to mainly affect pregnant

women & young children, many studies explore the individual level predictors that may predispose

one to anemia. However, the extent that causes of anemia are driven by individual vs. community-level

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

factors have yet to be explored. Hb levels and survey data from 9,985 individuals, 15+ years in Tunisia

were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 2016 Tunisian Health Examination Survey,

excluding pregnant women. Gender, education, age, smoking, and alcohol use were modeled as fixed

effects, with districts/towns being random intercepts. We hypothesized that community would

account for a significant amount of the variance in anemia. Anemia rates were 38% in women and 22%

in men, indicating a high public health burden. Without community level clustering only education was

a significant predictor of anemia (b = -.01, p = .017). Community level clustering accounted for 98%

of the variance in anemia prevalence, with age, education, smoking, and alcohol use as significant

predictors (p’s < .001). Not only is most of anemia prevalence clustered by community, the risk

from individual-level behaviors such as age, smoking, and alcohol use also clusters by community.

Understanding community-level indicators is crucial to targeting public-health interventions

regarding anemia.

Atkin, Tyee

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Peg Boulay, Marissa Lane-Massey

Oral Session

Native Pollinator Enhancement Through Riparian Restoration in the

McKenzie River Valley

Riparian areas support aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through habitat provision, water filtration,

and temperature regulation. These areas are particularly sensitive to environmental disturbances

such as invasive species takeover. Impacts to plant communities in riparian areas can adversely

affect native pollinators, which play important roles in ecosystem functions. The 2023 Environmental

Leadership Program’s Restoration and Research Team is restoring native plant-pollinator systems and

riparian habitat at Whitewater Ranch, a blueberry farm in the McKenzie River Valley, contributing to an

ongoing restoration project that began in 2014. To do this, we will remove invasive species, continue

native revegetation efforts that promote pollinator resources, and monitor subsequent changes

to ecosystem services by analyzing stream temperature, pollinator presence, and plant growth.

Based on findings from prior years, we anticipate these actions will decrease stream temperatures

and increase native plant establishment at Whitewater Ranch, as well as increase native pollinator

visitation to the ranch’s blueberry fields. This project can inform management methods for riparian

restoration and native pollinator enhancement, especially in semi-natural and agricultural lands. Our

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

research can be particularly useful to agricultural managers seeking to implement land use practices

that benefit native flora and fauna.

Axon, Henry

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel

Poster

Comparing Methods of Dealing with Aging Populations in China and Scandinavia

As nations across the globe continue to develop, and opportunities beyond traditional gender roles

continue to develop for women aging populations will become a problem more and more countries

need to deal with. Two regions currently working to resolve these problems are China and the

nations in Scandinavia. China is unique in that its one-child policy is now having a major impact

on the population whereas in Scandinavia the pressure to work is the main cause of the birth rate

decline. Social welfare programs of various types are now being implemented from stipends to free

or affordable IVF. This report seeks to explore the methods countries now use to increase their birth

rate while also expanding rights for all; as well as evaluating the effectiveness of these policies.

Baggenstos, Kiasia

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Professor Derek Brandow

Oral Session

“The Unsilenced” Podcast episode

My podcast is roughly 8 and a half minutes, and it is about a man named Isaac Matheney who was

murdered by police officers near Klamath Falls, OR in 2021. Issac was a man who unfortunately

experienced police brutality and lost his life. My podcast tells Matheney’s story and spreads

awareness of police brutality in America today, and why people should care about the issue. My

podcast can be heavily felt through the hearts of African-American families, anyone who has family

members who’ve experienced police brutality, people who’ve witnessed the issue first-hand, allies of

the black community, and anyone else who cares about such a pressing social issue. Police brutality

is an important issue that many people aren’t educated about and through my podcast, I plan to be a

part of teaching them.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Bailey, Zoey

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Lauren Hallett, Lina Aoyama

Oral Session

Invasive Annual Species Increase with Fire Frequency in the Northern Great Basin

Wildfire, although a natural part of the Great Basin’s sagebrush-steppe ecology, is poised to occur

at more frequent intervals due to the combined influence of annual grass invasion and increasingly

long dry seasons. Deviations from historic fire patterns disrupt the establishment of the keystone

sagebrush species Artemesia tridentata, and alter the structure of plant communities to favor

early-colonizing annual species. As fire frequency increases, native species struggle to compete with

invasives, leading to the loss of intact sagebrush habitat and jeopardizing human and wildlife needs

on the landscape. To better understand the effects of fire frequency on annual species invasion, I

surveyed vegetation in sites with variable burn history at the North Great Basin Experimental Range in

July 2022. The relative abundance of plant functional groups and the critical invasive species Bromus

tectorum and Alyssum desertorum were recorded. Though no statistically significant differences

were found between burn interval groups, trends in the data support the hypotheses that Bromus

tectorum and Alyssum desertorum would be more dominant in sites burned more frequently. The

preliminary results of this study reveal the importance of illuminating the connection between fire

frequency and loss of native species to inform best practices for land managers working to preserve

the sagebrush-steppe.

Barajas, Karla

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Luis Ruiz

Poster

The Decline and Revitalization of Indigenous Languages in Mexico

Indigenous communities in Mexico have experienced oppression and inequalities on a far greater

scale as compared to their non indigenous counterparts. The lack of healthcare, safe infrastructure,

food/clean water access and quality education for Indigenous people has made it difficult for them to

maintain their native language and culture and thus are forced to assimilate to the Spanish language

and their respective communities. This research focuses on the factors that cause the decline of

Indigenous languages in Mexico, and what revitalization techniques can be employed to prevent this

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

decline. Preserving these languages is vital for ensuring the continuation of not only the languages,

but the cultures, customs, and histories of Indigenous people in Mexico. This research was

conducted through the analysis of peer reviewed literature, secondary sources involving testimonials

from Indigenous populations, government statistics, and looking at the accessibility of national

documents for Indigenous folk. This research has proven that the lack of support and access to basic

needs has forced indigenous communities to migrate to denser, more urban parts of Mexico, where

the majority language is Spanish which greatly contributes to this decline. Certain revitalization

techniques, like introducing school materials in Indigenous languages as well as providing better

support to rural indigenous communities, have shown to be promising techniques in the fight for

language preservation.

Barnard, Nadia

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Nick D’Antona, Shannon Boettcher

Poster

Ion transfer kinetics at the interface between two immiscible

electrolyte solutions

Co-Author(s): Nick D’Antona, Paul Kempler, Shannon Boettcher

Studying interfacial ion transfer kinetics is crucial for developing electrochemical systems used in

sustainable energy sources. This research has many applications, including studying double-layer

charging, lithium-ion batteries, and renewable energy fuels. This study used nano-pipettes to perform

cyclic voltammetry on immiscible liquids at a nanoscale. Our results demonstrate how several organic

bases react under applied voltage. Specifically, 9-Methyl Acridine (9-MA), Diphenyl Pyridine (DPP), and

Di-tertbutyl Methyl Pyridine (DTBMP) were tested for their performance under applied voltage. Each

displayed distinct oxidation and reduction peaks, suggesting different ion transfer mechanisms.

We utilized a variety of data characterization methods, including SEM, UV-vis, and Python modeling,

to support our findings. Our research highlights the importance of studying interfacial ion transfer

kinetics and its potential impact on developing eco-friendly energy sources.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Basak, Sanjana

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Hironori Uehara, Balamurali Ambati

Poster

OptiDicer reduces long CUG RNA in corneal endothelial cells from patients with

Fuchs’ dystrophy

Late-onset Fuchs’ Endothelial Corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a debilitating, heritable disease that is

projected to globally impact 415 million people by the year 2050. Consequences of this disease

include significant loss of vision and painful corneal swelling which can only be corrected by invasive

surgical procedure. Late-onset FECD is characterized by an inordinate decrease in corneal endothelial

cell density. As the cells die, they cease their pumping function and cause fluid to accumulate

in the cornea. Prior research indicates that diseased corneal endothelial cells are affected by a

trinucleotide expanded repeat mutation in the TCF4 gene, which leads to the formation of cytotoxic

CUG RNA accumulations. Our treatment, OptiDicer, is a modified form of the protein Dicer that is

responsible for cleaving CUG RNA in cell nuclei. Unlike Dicer, OptiDicer does not respond to negative

feedback and is able to cleave accumulated CUG RNA continuously. We expect that OptiDicer will

significantly reduce CUG RNA accumulations in corneal endothelial cell nuclei and therefore halt

endothelial cell death in the cornea. Developing a targeted gene therapy such as OptiDicer would

mark a watershed in medical care for patients suffering from late-onset Fuchs’ dystrophy.

Bauer, Adele

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Lisa Munger

Poster

How do soundscapes in different areas within the EMU change based on the

week of the term?

The Erb Memorial Union (EMU) is a hub for students on the University of Oregon campus. Many

students frequent the EMU as a place to study due to the variety of atmospheres based on location.

These different atmospheres vary in lighting, location, and most notably, sound. Sound is a vital part

of the environment that impacts study habits of students. For our study, we aim to know how the

noise levels in different areas in the EMU change based on the week of the term. We will be stationing

ourselves in different locations throughout the EMU, such as leisure areas like the pool tables and

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

study locations like the open tables by restaurants, and recording the noise levels of our soundscape

at different times of the day, times in the week, and weeks throughout the term. We will record over

an hour of audio recording per week along with field data and pictures to aid our analysis. We predict

that as the term progresses and gets closer to midterms, the EMU will increase in activity, but

decrease in noise level. This study is designed to investigate the impact of school workload on noise

levels in an academic soundscape.

Beleyovych, Erika

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Wendy Feng, Katie Lynch

Oral Session

Connecting Youth to the Land and Environment: Climate Science Climate Justice

Co-Author(s): Ari Rubenstein, Theresa Stevens, Ethan Moser, Tatum Reiter, Roman Worthey

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. In taking action, the

Climate Science Climate Justice team of the Environmental Leadership Program demonstrates that

environmental education is vital in providing the next generation with skills to address and adapt to

the impacts of climate change. Through culturally aware and diverse pedagogy, our team connects

middle school students to hands-on outdoor experiences at H.J. Andrews, an experimental old-

growth forest located deep in the Cascade mountains. Students are introduced to climate science

and evidence of climate change through four investigations: microclimates, tree ID, phenology, and

climate justice. Developed by the Environmental Leadership team, these interdisciplinary lessons

cover a range of topics, including plant identification, impacts of the changing climate on plants and

animals, qualities and significance of an old-growth forest ecosystem, development of observational

skills, and the intersection of climate change and social justice. Our project exposes students to

scientific methods and concepts, developing critical thinking skills, and encouraging them to develop

a deeper connection to their surrounding environment while engaging in ideas for how they can

participate in creating solutions. By empowering young people to be scientists, the climate team

paves the way for future environmental stewardship and takes action against climate change one

student at a time.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Benz, Morrhyssey

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Jonathan Dorogin, Marian Hettiaratchi

Poster

Affinity-based Molecules for Immunomodulatory Regulation

After a severe tissue injury, expression of immunomodulatory proteins that aid in transitioning

through the stages of wound healing can be interrupted, resulting in a diminished immune response.

Delivering immunomodulatory proteins can help reestablish healing. In this study, we aim to deliver

interleukin-4 (IL-4), a protein involved in the transition from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory

response. Control over protein release is important for minimizing off-target effects. To address

this challenge, we use affinity-based binding partners, called affibodies, paired with hydrogel

delivery vehicles for tunable delivery of proteins. Two previously identified affibodies sequences that

demonstrate binding to IL-4 were recombinantly expressed and soluble affibodies were collected.

Circular dichroism was performed on each affibody, confirming the expected ɑ-helical structure.

Biolayer interferometry determined the dissociation constant (KD) of the binding interaction between

each affibody and IL-4. One affibody has a KD of 92,000nM, indicating a low affinity for IL-4. The

second is a high-affinity binder, with a KD of 2.72nM. Affibodies were conjugated to hydrogels and

loaded with IL-4. Affibody-conjugated hydrogels demonstrated comparable encapsulation efficiency

and slowed the release of IL-4 compared to those with no affibodies. Our results demonstrate that

IL-4-specific affibodies may be a promising method for achieving a tunable delivery of IL-4 to severe

tissue injuries.

Berk, Luca

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Bennet Smith

Poster

Culture in Higher Education: Understanding how Educational Inequality exists

This paper functions as an analysis of cultural barriers within higher education both historically

and today. Through research on the historical context and the present day consequences of white

hegemony within higher education,it can be shown that the exclusion of students of color in higher

education is a verifiable issue today. While this barrier between students of color and university was

initially developed as a formal institution of segregation; higher education now uses culture to limit

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

minority students looking to succeed in the US. Through empirical evidence, discrepancies in the

system of admissions and college success rates can be found, and these all lead back to fundamental

issues within higher education. While some may point to strictly economic or cultural issues as a

blame for these discrepancies, they fail to address the reality of inequalities that minority students

face. Historically segregated systems must be recognized for continuing to remain ineffective at

fostering diverse and representative student bodies. By actively addressing these systems as

being foundationally unjust by design, the conversation regarding how to fix or change them can be

effectively started.

Bermudez, Jackie

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Sarah Rich, David Johnson

Poster

Understanding the reaction pathways of manganese-tellurium through an

annealing study

An annealing study of the manganese-tellurium binary system was conducted to better understand

the reaction pathways of cubic MnTe, hexagonal MnTe, and MnTe2. Samples were deposited using

a custom-built physical vapor deposition chamber where Mn was deposited using a 6 keV electron

beam gun and Te was deposited using a Knudsen effusion cell. Ultrathin layers of atoms were

deposited with a sequence which mimics the nanoarchitecture of the desired crystalline products.

A low temperature annealing study was performed in an oxygen free environment in a step-wise

manner. After each annealing step, specular X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), in-plane

XRD, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were used to characterize changes in structure and composition as

a function of temperature. Understanding the reaction pathways between Mn and Te will allow us to

integrate Mn-Te phases into Van der Waals heterostructures.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Bhaskar, Mayurika

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Dr. Aaron J. Grossberg, Dr. Paige C Arneson-Wissink

Poster

Differential Dependence of Tumor-Derived IL6 in models of PDAC-associated

muscle atrophy

Co-Author(s): Paige C. Arneson Wissink Ph.D, Heike Mendez BS, Jessica Dickie BS,

Aaron J. Grossberg Ph.D

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer with a survival rate of only about 11.5%,

and its most common form is PDAC, also known as pancreatic-ductal adenocarcinoma. A prevalent

symptom of PDAC is cancer cachexia, which is a loss of skeletal muscle mass and fat mass that

cannot be regained with nutritional supplementation. This makes it incredibly difficult for PDAC

patients to receive necessary treatments, decreasing their quality of life. In other literature, pro-

inflammatory cytokine IL-6 has been associated with cancer cachexia, but its mechanisms and

its correlation to its source are still relatively unknown. My research objective is to determine the

effects of IL-6 on muscle tissue and its course of action in both in vivo and in vitro models. The in vivo

models are orthotopic PDAC (OT-PDAC), IL6-knock out mice models and the in vitro models are C2C12

myotube cultures. I hypothesize that muscle atrophy in PDAC is dependent on tumor-derived IL6, and

IL6 overexpression in the tumor will exacerbate muscle atrophy directly. I will be testing both the

gastrocnemius muscle harvested from our mice models and the C2C12 myotubes from the cultures

via qPCR to measure the presence/activation of common muscle catabolism genes. Similarly, through

IF-staining/imaging and electron-microscopy imaging of the tibialis anterior muscle from our in vivo

models and the C2C12 myotubes respectively, I will quantify and statistically analyze any myofiber

atrophy.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Billo, Avery

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Calin Plesa

Poster

Generating Optimized Fluorescent Proteins Libraries Using Machine Learning and

DropSynth Technology

Co-Author(s): Anissa Benabbas

Although fluorescent proteins (FPs) are useful tools for observing and investigating biological

phenomena, the current available color spectra are inconsistent, and brightness is notably lower in

blue and red FPs. In fact, the vast size of the potential sequence space constrains its exploration.

Random mutations around a parent sequence usually fail to introduce substantial changes, hindering

the efficient and large-scale analysis of the protein fitness landscape. Using Dropsyth gene synthesis

technology, we have assembled large and diverse protein libraries spanning nearly all known beta-

barrel fluorescent proteins. We have applied DNA shuffling and mutagenesis to these libraries to

create even more diverse libraries of chimeric proteins. Many of these chimeric proteins still retain

fluorescence despite having novel sequences. These mutant libraries were characterized with a Flow-

seq. assay to evaluate brightness in blue and red regions of the spectrum. This data will be utilized

as a training set for machine learning models to generate new libraries that contain red and blue FPs

with increased brightness. Ultimately this experiment can be seen as a proof of concept for how to

explore functional sequence space utilizing Dropsyth and machine learning methods.

Birruete, Jessica

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Sergio Loza

Poster

Lenguaje Inclusivo in the Pacific Northwest: Latine versus Latinx

Latino/a, Latin@, and Latinx are terms that have been used to describe Central and Latin American

communities since the creation of the United States census. These titles have gone beyond that

and now serve as a way to label ethnicity from members within and outside of the communities in

question. Additionally, another change has occurred with the rise in popularity of inclusive language

in the United States and Global context, many have shifted to using the term Latinx instead of Latino

as it allows language users to address and refer to the community in a manner that is inclusive of

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

women and non-binary people. The usage of the “x” however has faced backlash due to the way in

which it aligns more so with English grammar than that of Spanish. To refute this issue members of

the community have begun using the term Latine, popularized by Argentinians, as the gender neutral

“e” falls more in alignment with the structure of Spanish than “x”. Despite the popular shifts to

using more inclusive language, speakers within this community have strong thoughts and feelings

regarding which term they use. Therefore, I wish to investigate the attitudes surrounding the use of

Latine held by the Spanish heritage language speaking community in the Pacific Northwest.

Blackburn, Jack

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Courtney Mathers, Peg Boulay

Oral Session

Carbon Sequestration in Soils to Allocate Solutions for Atmospheric Carbon

There is more carbon contained in the soil than the atmosphere and vegetation combined.

Understanding the mechanisms that control the accumulation and stability of carbon in soil, we can

mitigate our planet’s changing climate. By using a variety of existing soil and forest management

techniques, this study will produce valuable data regarding which plant species and management

techniques are most effective at storing atmospheric carbon in the soil. This is the first large-scale,

long-term data collection study performed to measure carbon sequestration rates among Oregon

native tree and shrub species. In 2022, the Soil Plant and Atmosphere Lab (SPA) and EWEB’s Carbon

Forestry Lab planted eighteen different native Oregon tree and shrub species at the Highbanks

site. The trees and shrub species were planted in various treatments which include hardwood-only,

conifer-only, mixed tree and shrub, and shrubs-only plantings. We will monitor the soil’s health

using methods such as soil sampling, pH measurement, aggregate stability measurement, carbon

respiration and water quality measurement. This will allow us to answer our monitoring question

regarding which types of plant species and planting treatments are most effective at storing carbon.

The implications of this study have the potential to influence the way forests are restored and

managed in Eugene and potentially beyond, within the goal of increasing carbon sequestration in soil

in order to create sustainable climate solutions.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Blankenship, Leah

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Emily Sylwestrak

Poster

Functional and Anatomical Properties of Cck+ Cells in the Medial Habenula

Previous research has shown that the medial habenula (MHb) is involved in many behaviors, such as

stress, depression, addiction, and reward-guided behavior, but the organization of neurons driving

these behaviors is unclear. MHb neurons have traditionally been divided into two groups based on

expression of ChAT and Tac1 and studies have demonstrated that Tac1+ cells are involved in reward-

guided behavior. More recent work has suggested that the MHb contains additional cell types and

Cck has been identified as a potential marker for a subset of Tac1+ cells exclusive to the dorsal MHb.

In this project, we aimed to confirm that Cck+ cells are a subset of Tac1+ cells, as well as examine

functional and anatomical differences between these two cell types. To examine RNA expression

overlap between Cck and Tac1, we conducted RNA in situ hybridization experiments. To examine Cck+

cell function, we recorded neural activity of Cck+ cells in mice during reward-guided behavior with

fiber photometry using a genetically encoded calcium indicator. To examine Cck+ cell inputs, we

fluorescently labeled inputs with rabies tracing and examined outputs with fluorescently-labeled

Cck+ axon projections. Results from experiments thus far suggest that Cck cells respond to withheld

reward (similar to Tac1 cells) and appear to project through the interpeduncular nucleus, rather than

stopping there like most Tac1 projections.

Blechschmidt, Zoey

University of Oregon

Research Mentor(s): Mai-Lin Cheng

Poster

A Survey of Commonplacing: Exploring Commmonplace Books and their Evolution

This research poster is a project for Professor Cheng’s course in Winter 2023. I was tasked with

planning an exhibit on “book love; or, reading commonplaces’.’ Commonplace books are a record kept

as a repository for or collection of quotes, from anyone and all writings encountered by an individual.

As a curator, I am to identify and research items in Special Collections and situate them alongside

our course readings. For this, I chose to focus on the history and evolution of commonplacing–how

they change with time, author, and audience. To study this, I am using Robert Darnton’s article

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

“Extraordinary Commonplaces” from the class readings; a commonplace book kept by E.M. Forster

with parts by John Jebb, a work from UO Special Collections; my own commonplace book created

during this course, taken from assigned readings; and digital adaptations of commonplace books

today, such as TikToks. While situating these works beside each other, I will look at what constitutes

a commonplace and how these elements may have changed, the themes each commonplace explores,

and the format in which each is presented and organized, while comparing and contrasting these

works through time. With this, I aim to create a survey of the act of commonplacing. Furthermore,

I aim to argue for or inspire the reader towards the act of keeping a commonplace today, using the

evidence from commonplacing’s presence and role throughout history.

Bodle, Weston