Undergraduate Research / Creative Activity
Poster or Oral Competitions
Fine Arts/Humanities:
Oral Presentation Winners
A Conceptual and Theoretical Evaluation of
Walter Murch in Experimental Animation Cody Head, New College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. JaneAnn Dill, New College
I will research the films and published texts of film editor Walter Murch, identifying his theories concerning character analysis and stream of consciousness work. I will point to Murch’s theories in my own animated work of five character studies. I will demonstrate how Murch's theories in film (completely unlike animation) is shockingly similar to my own process. Murch’s intuitive process of directing the emotions of a character is synonymous to my sketches mapped intuitively and shot under the camera to utilize timing, and in the gallery to construct an animated character sketch as performance within the setting of the exhibition.
Costume Design of “Angel Street” Sarah Widgeon, Department of Theatre and Dance
Faculty Mentor: Professor Donna Meester, Department of Theatre and Dance
I designed the costume for The University of Alabama's production of “Angel Street,” a Victorian thriller set in 1880's London. The story follows a young wife's slip into insanity and a twisted marriage. This process was a great creative challange for me. I began by researching the period as well as art that could help in being a springboard for me.
While the period research had definite guidleines that I needed to follow, I found there were many different avenues that art could take me in identifying the mood of the production. I met with the director and other designers throughout the design process and was able to integrate period research with the art, which appropriately reflected the deteriorating movement of the show
The Tango: From the Cathouse to the Concert Hall Erin Hollon, School of Music
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diane Boyd Schultz, School of Music
I will discuss the origin of the tango in the bars and brothels of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I will describe the progression of the dance to the city’s upperclass homes and ultimately to European homes and dance halls. Then I will address the adoption of the tango by
instrumental music composers, particularly Astor Piazzolla, thereby completing the journey of the tango from the cathouse to the concert hall. To end, I will demonstrate the rhythms, themes, and emotions of tango by performing Piazzolla’s Tango Etude for Solo Flute.
Digital Pinhole Photography Ali Clark, New College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Janeann Dill, New College
This research is an in-depth study of pinhole photography and how each medium for recording images contributes to a final photograph. The lensless nature of pinhole photography allows any vessel to be used as a pinhole camera. Paper negatives, Polaroid film, 35mm or medium format film can be used in pinhole photography. Digital pinhole photography is the application of the pinhole technique and a digital CCD sensor to record images. By using a digital sensor instead of film, all of the advantages of digital imaging are combined with the beauty of the pinhole technique. Using a range of pinhole apertures I have built an interchangeable pinhole 'lens' system that attaches to the bayonet mount of a Nikon D80 camera.
Fine Arts/Humanities:
Poster Presentation Winners
Workers Memorial Whitman Dewey-Smith and Marra Lattanzi, Department of Art
Faculty Mentor: Professor Craig Wederspoon, Department of Art
In 2005 the West Alabama Labor Council obtained a section of I-beam from the ruins of 9/11, and planned to use it for a workers memorial in Tuscaloosa. A collaboration between the city of Tuscaloosa, the Army Corps. of Engineers and the University of Alabama was formed in order to make this possible. Working for the past semester in 408: Public Sculpture Projects we have designed all aspects of the memorial while working in close collaboration with the above-mentioned groups. The design is now approved and is moving towards being built.
The Effect of Background Music with and Without Audible
Distractors on Arithmetic Performance of Middle School Students Carri Lyn Burgjohann, School of Music
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carl B. Hancock, School of Music
Background music has been shown to increase accuracy, order, and behavior in many situations. Eighteen middle school students completed basic mathamatics problems under three different conditions: no background music, background music, and background music with distractors. The music stimulus was a performance of Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major. Distractors were representative of those heard in a school (e.g., backpack zipper, door knock, foot steps, telephone ring). The number of correct math problems in a given period were then calculated. Results from a one-way ANOVA indicated no differences. Benefits background music to focus and student success are discussed.
The Effect of Three Pitch Performance Conditions on
Intonation Preferences of Adult Beginning String Musicians Katie Andrzejewski, School of Music
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carl B. Hancock, School of Music
Performing music in-tune is an elusive goal for beginning string musicians. Pedagogues assume that adult beginners are more adept at discerning pitch. Twenty-one beginning adult string students listened to an in-tune performance of an ascending and descending five-note scale. Subjects were divided into three experimental groups. Each group then listened to either an identical, progressively sharper, or gradually flatter performance. Pitch changes in the stimuli were applied only to descending intervals. Subjects indicated their preferences for the first or second performance. Results from a One-Way ANOVA indicated no difference between groups. Implications for string music teachers are discussed.
Production and Test of a Low Cost, Highly Versatile Nuclear Fusion Reactor Adam Parker, Department of Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gary Mankey, MINT
Fusion research has a reputation for being expensive, heavy, and inaccessible to small institutions. This project explores the characteristics of a smaller, cheaper type of fusion reactor: The Farnsworth Fusor. It has been shown that the Fusor can produce fusion at an efficiency comparable to larger machines. The low cost and simplicity of this reactor make it ideal for small teams wanting to produce big results quickly and on a budget. Since opportunities for innovation far exceed any other fusion scheme, it is hoped that this project will help spark a greater movement that networks many small independent fusion efforts.
Genetic Perturbation of Proteins Implicated in Cancerous Cell Division Robyn Thomas, Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Drs. Guy Caldwell and Kim Caldwell, Department of Biological Sciences
Successful cell division is a critical process for maintaining the continuity of life. Insight into the mechanisms of mitosis leads not only to an understanding of normal development but also of abnormal developmental situations, such as cancer, where cell division goes awry. NUD-1 is a protein that is important for normal cell division and is also implicated in leukemia, lymphoma, breast, and prostate cancers. We are examining the deleterious cell division defects that occur when NUD-1 malfunctions within the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo and the implications this has on cancer cell progression.
Hydrophilic/hydrophobic Block Copolymers for
Enhanced Stress transfer between Cellulose/Polypropylene Blends Sam Mroczynski, Department of Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robin D. Rogers, Department of Chemistry
Combinations of cellulose and polypropylene are normally difficult because the former is a hydrophilic polymer and the latter is a hydrophobic polymer. By preparing a block copolymer containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, AMAPPA (amine maleic anhydride polypropylene adduct), to be used as a coupling agent we have prepared cellulose/AMAPPA/polypropylene laminates. We report here the stress transfer properties and strength of composites prepared from AMAPPA/cellulose blends at 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 % AMAPPA by weight of cellulose and laminated between polypropylene sheets.
Investigating the Relationship between Dystonia and Lipid Biosynthesis Stacey Fox, Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentors: Drs. Guy and Kim Caldwell, Department of Biological Sciences
Early-onset torsion dystonia is the most severe heritable form of dystonia, a human movement disorder. We have identified four classes of existing FDA-approved drugs that alter the chaperone function of the affected gene product, human torsinA, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. These chemicals revealed a potential relationship between torsinA activity and regulation of fatty acid metabolism where altered lipid composition is observed in animals expressing mutant torsinA. Moreover, depletion of gene products required for fatty acid biosynthesis also results in altered torsinA activity. These results suggest that torsinA chaperone activity might modulate lipid biosynthesis pathways.
The Phylogeography of the Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala) Cathy Newman, Gavin Reed, and Ryan Leonard, Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Leslie Rissler, Department of Biological Sciences
Phylogeographic and population genetic studies have shown that species with broad geographic ranges are often composed of multiple, unique genetic lineages. The Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala) is widely distributed in the U.S., from New Jersey to Florida to Texas. To determine geographic boundaries for genetic variation, we analyzed two genes in the mitochondrial genome (12S-16S and ND1) in multiple individuals collected from various locations within the species’ geographic range. Our data show relatively little genetic variation across Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Further studies using more fine-scaled markers are needed to better differentiate evolutionary lineages in this widespread species.
Evidence of á-synuclein and 14-3-3 Interactions in D. melanogaster Carrie R. Williams and Daniel Roberts, Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Janis O’Donnell, Department of Biological Sciences
á-synuclein is a presynaptic neuronal protein that has been linked to
Parkinson's disease and negatively regulates dopamine synthesis.
However, its mechanism of action is not well understood. 14-3-3 is a
multifunctional adaptor protein abundant in neurons of both Drosophila and humans, which has been proposed to interact with á-synuclein.
However, the nature and consequence of this interaction is still
unclear. Here, using movement assays, we report that over-expressing
human á-synuclein causes impairment of movement in flies. Further,
through genetic analysis, we present evidence of an interaction between
a-synuclein and 14-3-3.
Social Sciences:
Oral Presentation Winners
Methamphetamine Users Versus Crack Users: Policy Implications Garrett Grothoff, Department of Criminal Justice
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Celia C. Lo, Department of Criminal Justice
Objectives of the present study are (1) to identify differences between methamphetamine and crack users and (2) to develop treatment and prevention policies. Data was generated from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2005. The target population is the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 and older including residents of college dormitories, group homes, shelters, rooming houses, and civilians dwelling on military installations. Survey data was collected by computer-assisted (CAPI)and audio computer-assisted interviews (ACASI). Findings indicate methamphetamine users are more likely to be single, younger, white, have a higher income, in good health, and from a less populated or rural area than crack users. Prevention and treatment policies are discussed.
Traditional and Nontraditional College Students Ashley Binion, Department of Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Utz McKnight, Department of Political Science
Upon high school graduation, many students await their opportunity to
experience the true college experience. The true college experience
consists of people who are like you, and have common interests. Also,
campus housing and the unique interaction between professors and
students contributes to the true college experience. Another component of
the experience is the amount of money a student spends to access this
presumed experience. Colleges are mostly comprised of single
individuals, many of which do not have any children. However when a
student decides to make that step in their life, he or she will no longer be
able to equally associate themselves with the single sector. It appears that
The University of Alabama possesses these same different groups, but the
married students with families are often overlooked. There is no equality
among the two groups. Married students with families are often
discriminated against in areas of student housing, professor expectations,
and the social life.
Perceptions of Campus Matthew Sterley, Department of Advertising and Public Relations
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Beverly Roskos-Ewoldsen, Department of Psychology
Since its inception, the 2006 UA Campus Master Plan has been changing the physical appearance of the UA campus. The changes are intended to change perceptions of the UA campus and community. The purpose of the current research is to determine the different social, environmental and individual aspects influencing the perception of the University of Alabama’s campus. The current research presents results from students taking introductory psychology during Spring 2007. Over the next few years, we have will have the opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of the plan as it pertains to the students’ perceptions of campus.
Social Sciences:
Poster Presentation Winners
The Role of Nonverbal Reasoning in Developmental Differences in Implicit Learning Angela J. Macon, Department of Psychology
Faculty Mentors: Drs. Frances A. Conners and Edward C. Merrill, Department of Psychology
Implicit learning, a type of learning that occurs without intention, has been shown to be age-independent; however, the present study examined the generality of this finding. Children and young adults completed two implicit learning tasks (prototype learning and contextual cuing) and a matrix reasoning test. Both groups showed implicit learning on both tasks; however, only the prototype learning task showed a developmental difference. These results suggest there may be different types of implicit learning that are differently age-dependent. In addition, only prototype learning was correlated with matrix learning, suggesting that this age-dependent type of implicit learning may require nonverbal reasoning.
End-of-Life Decision Making and Memory Complaint: The Role of Enhanced Information Jessica Yeakle, Department of Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebecca S. Allen, Department of Psychology
Demographic trends and healthcare expenditures indicate the need for analyzing the effectiveness of advance directives. We used Prospect Theory (Winter, Lawton, & Ruchdeschel, 2003) to examine end-of-life decision making and predicted older adults given information about life-sustaining treatments would choose to forego such treatments in comparison with individuals given no information. We explored the relations of memory complaint, depression, and decisional conflict to end-of-life decision making. Based on 30 participants (15 enhanced information; 15 control), we found feeding tube initiation was less likely among individuals with enhanced information. We also found individuals with enhanced information expressed more decisional conflict.
The Effects of Social Context and Expressive Writing on
Pain-Related Catastrophizing and Pain Behaviors Chalanda M. Cabbil, Department of Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Beverly E. Thorn, Department of Psychology
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of social context and the use of expressive writing on pain-related catastrophizing, pain unpleasantness, and pain intensity. It was hypothesized that the expressive writing/observer absent condition would result in the lowest reported pain catastrophizing, unpleasantness, and intensity scores and that subjects in the observer present condition would use more communicative pain behaviors. Results indicated a trend towards lower pain catastrophizing scores in the expressive writing/observer absent condition. There was also a significant correlation between pain behaviors and social context.
