Loading…
Simple
Expanded
Grid
By Venue
Map
Saturday, April 18
 

8:00am EDT

Helpdesk
Click on this link or call the phone number for technical support.
Saturday April 18, 2020 8:00am - 6:00pm EDT
Click on "Technical Support" above

9:00am EDT

Welcome and Keynote
Welcome to the 20th Annual Academic Excellence Conference! Greetings from the committee and from President Treadwell followed by a Keynote by Dr. Meg Henning, Keene State College's 2019 Distinguished Faculty Scholar

Click here to view this Session: Welcome
Click here to view this session: Keynote by Dr. Meg Henning
Saturday April 18, 2020 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session

10:00am EDT

A Summer at Harvard Forest: Exploring Off-Campus Research through an REU (LIVE: IN PERSON & ZOOM INTERACTIVE)
Click here to view this session: A Summer at Harvard Forest: Exploring Off-Campus Research through an REU

Over the summer of 2019, I participated in an Ecological REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) through Harvard University at Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts. Through this program, I was able to work with a mentor to conduct my own experiment from start to finish. My project involved researching invasive species, specifically Garlic Mustard. I gained experience in article reading, research, proposal writing, fieldwork, data analysis, scientific communication, networking, public speaking, and more. At the end of the summer, I was able to share my project via a 10 minute presentation at a Student Symposium. Additionally, I was immersed in a community of deeply passionate young scientists, who I lived with and worked with daily. The purpose of this presentation will be to share my experience completing off-campus summer research, in hope to raise awareness of these types of programs for Keene State students and encourage others to pursue similar opportunities.
Moderators
MK

Speakers
AK

Sponsors
NS

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 10:30am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Ecology

10:00am EDT

Owl Assist – Chatbot for Keene State College
Click here to view the session: Owl Assist – Chatbot for Keene State College

Owl Assist is a chatbot designed to answer questions about Keene State College and assist its faculty and students. Chatbots can act as a multifaceted asset to any university. Their primary function is as a centralized application for acquiring information. They can help students register for courses, engage in college events, and recall important deadlines. Secondarily, they serve as an advertisement, representing the school’s ability and motivation to adapt to technological innovation. Given that the system can both encourage students to apply and assist them in completing the registration process, chatbots can reduce "summer melt," a phenomenon where a number of students that are accepted to KSC do not actually attend due to registration complications. For this reason, chatbots are an investment that should be considered by many US schools.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
MP

Sponsors
SS

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 10:30am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Computer Science

10:00am EDT

Phytophthora and the Emergence of New Pathogens in Eelgrass
Click here to view the session: Phytophthora and the Emergence of New Pathogens in Eelgrass

With climate change comes the threat of new species interactions, including the emergence of novel pathogens. Zostera marina (or eelgrass) is an important habitat-forming plant found in nearshore marine environments. Researchers have recently identified two strains of Phytophthora (the same type of organism responsible for the Irish potato blight and sudden oak death) colonizing Zostera marina seeds. This appears to have a negative effect on the health of germinating seedlings, causing cotyledon browning and seed inviability. Here in our lab at KSC, I have documented these same symptoms in a subset of seeds collected from local field sites, and I am currently using molecular and microbiological techniques to test for the presence of Phytophthora. In this presentation, I will review the history of different pathogens that have impacted Z. marina in this region, and describe current research in our lab and others regarding the emergence of new pathogens in eelgrass.
Moderators
MC

Speakers
JM

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 10:30am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Biology

10:00am EDT

Understanding Neural Network Behavior Using Small Changes in Network Connectivity
Click here to view the session: Understanding Neural Network Behavior Using Small Changes in Network Connectivity

The human brain communicates with many specialized cells called neurons. Neurons send electrical signals to each other through connections they make that are called synapses. We can represent small groups of neurons and their synaptic connections by using a graph. A graph is an image with points and edges. This project will look at specific groups of neurons where the behaviors of their networks are known. We will add an extra neuron in all possible ways to see how the connections change the behavior of the network. Seeing how the extra neuron changes the behavior of the graphs will help gain insight on how the connections in the graph affect the behavior of the entire group of neurons. The goal of this project is to be able to better predict the behaviors of different groups of neurons by looking at the connections that those neurons share in a graph.
Moderators
MC

Speakers
CS

Sponsors
SS

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 10:30am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Mathematics

10:00am EDT

"Age Cannot Wither": Modern Considerations of Shakespeare
Click here to view the session:"Age Cannot Wither": Modern Considerations of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is often considered a cultural institution. This panel is based on the premise that he is also a modern artist in that his works are marked by innovation and radical shifts in the conceptualization of playwriting. Kathryn Spadafora’s paper discusses Hamlet as an introspective protagonist through his soliloquies, and how, in Hamlet, Shakespeare challenged the conventions of the tragic hero. Autumn Lagace-Hazeltine’s essay argues that by comparing the protagonists of Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Hamlet, it is clear that Shakespeare is defying gender roles to challenge societal expectations. Michael Costa’s essay discusses The Tempest as an allegory for writing, focusing specifically on the relationship between Prospero and Caliban as representing the playwright and reality, therefore creating a kind of modern metadrama. Following this, this set of papers maintains that Shakespeare’s work still remains contemporary and lends itself to interpretations that resonate today.
Moderators
MB

Speakers
KS
AL
M

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 11:05am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Arts, Education, and Humanities: English

10:00am EDT

Race, Gender, and Economy in American Modernism
Click here to view the session: Race, Gender, and Economy in American Modernism

Panelists discuss final projects produced in English 415 in which they considered elements of American Literary modernism. Drawing on novels by Larson, Faulkner, Fitzgerald and Wharton as well as high modern poetry, projects consider relationships linking American writers and their work to the nation's historical and social environments of the late 19th and early 20th century. These works examine literary representation of gender dynamics, race relations, and class conditions.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
JL
RW
SM
AM
J

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 11:05am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Modernist Literature/ English

10:00am EDT

Race, Progress, America (the United States and the Progressive Age)
Click here to view the session: Race, Progress, America (the United States and the Progressive Age)

Working with literary texts, journalistic materials, memoirs, and sociological and historical materials, panelists examine the United States in the Progressive era, considered broadly. Immigration, labor unrest, the Women's movement and the Anti-lynching campaigns of the pre-War era are brought into conversation with cultural and social trends present in the United States. Student projects identify and connect aspects of the early twentieth century America to present day anxieties and debates on race identity and belonging.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
JL
AL
EE
SL
E

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:00am - 11:05am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Arts, Education, and Humanities: American Studies

10:35am EDT

The Rights of Artificial Intelligence
Click here to view this session: The Rights of Artificial Intelligence

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more advanced, humans must contemplate the implications of creating new “AI-species” that may deserve—or demand—to have rights normally accorded to humans. This presentation uses a thought experiment to assess the kinds of rights that are accorded to humans in contrast to other “species” of entity that humans live with. The presentation offers two key propositions: first, that power relations determine the rights that are accorded among humans; and, second, that convergence in the powers wielded by humans and AI entities will make it difficult to deny such entities some of the rights previously accorded to humans exclusively. Currently, as the most powerful beings on Earth, humans determine who has what rights. However, within a few decades, AI entities may have power greater than humans and may be in a position to determine who has what rights.
Moderators
MW

Speakers
TB

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:35am - 11:05am EDT
TBA
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Political Science

10:35am EDT

This Land is Mine: The Geopolitics of Populism in France and the Netherlands
Click here to view this session: This Land is Mine: The Geopolitics of Populism in France and the Netherlands

This presentation assesses the geopolitical aspects of a growing political ideology called populism, which has grown in two of the founding European Union countries – France and the Netherlands. Similarities between the countries include the use of the euro, similar governments, an influx of immigration, terrorism, and growing populist parties. The comparison of the two countries is essential to the understanding of why populism is growing and its attractiveness to citizens. I will use Geographic Information Systems to investigate the geography of populism, including the relationship of income levels and immigrant communities within municipal regions of the two countries. Demographic factors such as income and ethnicity are commonly attributed to how citizens vote and their party membership. GIS will support the investigation of differences between these countries using geographic models. The examined data are from European Parliament Elections of 2009 and 2019 (rather than within-nation elections) in order to support comparisons.
Moderators
MC

Speakers
VB

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 10:35am - 11:05am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Geography (Geopolitics)

11:10am EDT

Steinhaus Triangle Problem
Click here to view the session: Steinhaus Triangle Problem

Begin with a row of three digits, each being either zero or one. For each pair of adjacent digits add them according to these rules: 0+0=0, 0+1=1, 1+0=1, and 1+1=0 . Place the sum below the space between the pair. For example, if the initial row is 0 0 1 then the row beneath it will be 0 1 . Add the new pair and place the sum below that pair until there are no more pairs in a row to add. The six digits of zeros and ones form a triangular array and that array has three zeros and three ones. In general, start with any number of zeros and ones and create a new triangular array in the same way. The question answered in this talk is: what size and composition of triangular arrays can be constructed so that there are equal numbers of zeros and ones?
Moderators
MV

Speakers
JT

Saturday April 18, 2020 11:10am - 11:40am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Mathematics

11:10am EDT

Teaching Strategies That Support Students Who Stutter in the Classroom
Click here to view the session: Teaching Strategies That Support Students Who Stutter in the Classroom

This presentation will define stuttering, identify types of stuttering, and offer ways teachers can make subtle adjustments in the classroom. Speech disorders such as stuttering are more common in the classroom than some people might think. The presenter will describe his personal experience with stuttering from the perspective of both the student and teacher. There will be examples of well-known and famous actors and athletes who stutter, and how they adjust to speaking in situations not suited for people who stutter. Stuttering is a condition that does not have a cure, therefore finding ways to help young elementary school students feel more comfortable socially is very important for learning development.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
JC

Saturday April 18, 2020 11:10am - 11:40am EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Music Education

11:10am EDT

Greek Life Student Leadership Panel
Click here to view the session: Greek Life Student Leadership Panel

The Greek Life student panel will feature student-leaders who give their time and talents to their Greek Organization. Greek Life Leaders will share about their role, begin to dispel myths about Greek Life while explaining the realities and talk about leadership and mentorship within their organization. Panelists will also respond to questions about various aspects of Greek Life, and discuss how their leadership experience through Greek Organizations at KSC have helped to shape them and how these skills will evolve into post-graduate successes.
Moderators
MJ

Speakers
GL

Saturday April 18, 2020 11:10am - 12:15pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Student Leaderhip: Greek Life

11:45am EDT

Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a Step Towards Educational Decolonization
Click here to view the session: Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a Step Towards Educational Decolonization

In October of 2019, after months of work by on and off-campus constituents, the City of Keene and the Keene State College Senate formally recognized Indigenous People’s Day for the first time in their respective histories. While momentous, it is the beginning of a more robust discourse on decolonization, pedagogy, and our environment. Colonialism has shaped our culture from expansion to extraction to education. This workshop will confront the memory of colonialism taught in schools, and the Eurocentric modes of thought that work to erase the identities and knowledge of Indigenous nations. It is imperative that we critique the role of colonialism in education in an effort to create more equitable and sustainable learning and living environments. Participants should expect to explore questions and critiques that continue the meaning of this holiday past a single day and into our requisite knowledge and social ecology.
Moderators
MD

Speakers
JC

Saturday April 18, 2020 11:45am - 12:15pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Education and Environmental Studies

11:45am EDT

Music Therapy Enhances the Development of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Click here to view this session: Music Therapy Enhances the Development of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This workshop will focus on interventions used by music therapists with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Music therapy is an evidence-based profession that uses music to achieve non-musical goals related to cognitive, physical, social, and emotional functioning. Music therapists work with a wide range of individuals from pre-natal to hospice care in a variety of settings. Music therapy has been found to be an effective intervention when working with children with ASD to develop these functionalities. For example, one of the key characteristics exhibited by someone with ASD is a lack of or limitations in verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Since music is a social language that everyone innately responds to, music therapists utilize music to positively influence a child’s social and communicative development. Neurologically, music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain making it the perfect tool to enhance the development of individuals with ASD.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
SA

Saturday April 18, 2020 11:45am - 12:15pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Music

12:20pm EDT

Lunch and Live Presentation: KSC Partnership with INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence)
Take a break from sessions, grab some lunch and learn more about our partnership with INBRE
Click here to join the lunch session: Lunch
Video
KSC INBRE
Saturday April 18, 2020 12:20pm - 1:00pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session

1:05pm EDT

Psychological and Physical Considerations of Chest Binding for the Pedagogical Singer
Click here to view the session: Psychological and Physical Considerations of Chest Binding for the Pedagogical Singer

Handout
Terminology
Love Is Love

This workshop will focus on chest binding, the purposeful compression of breast tissue in order to create a “flat-appearing” chest, and its impact on pedagogical singing. Individuals identifying in the transgender and related communities can use chest binding to help support gender identity, gender expression, and promote positive mental health practices. Considering chest binding while training pedagogical singers requires many types of physical and communicative practices to create safe and welcoming spaces in classrooms as well as developing healthy behavioral patterns. The knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community and chest binding may positively affect the mental and emotional development of students during the creation of inclusive space in any setting. Physical and vocal exercises will be modeled that can be implemented by singers or music educators. Attendees will be invited to participate in pedagogical singing and physical exercises. A brief question and answer period will conclude the session.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
LM

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 1:35pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Music

1:05pm EDT

Purposeful and Casual Technological Use: Relationship to Anxiety and Depression in College Students
Click here to view the session: Purposeful and Casual Technological Use: Relationship to Anxiety and Depression in College Students

It has been theorized that a student’s mental health benefits from being in a group of people as opposed to being isolated or alone. Social networking is thought to produce a feeling of being part of a group. However, studies have shown that using cell phones for social networking is linked to increased anxiety and depression. The present study will compare the use of cell phone applications for social networking versus productivity on anxiety and depression. Participants will use a cell phone application to log daily phone usage for a week. Participants will then return after the week to take a questionnaire online that will determine anxiety and depression levels. Results are predicted to support the link between social networking and anxiety/depression. However, it is expected that using cell phones for productivity reasons will produce the opposite, i.e., productive use may be linked with decreased anxiety and depression.
Moderators
MD

Speakers
AP

Sponsors
CF

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 1:35pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

1:05pm EDT

The Link Between Sleep Quality and Stress Reactivity
Click here to view the session: The Link Between Sleep Quality and Stress Reactivity

Poor sleep quality has been associated with increased levels of stress and suicide risk. The purpose of this study is to understand the association between sleep quality and stress. Participants completed questionnaires on sleep quality, anxiety, and depression. Following these questionnaires, participants were exposed to a brief stress, the cold pressor task. During the cold pressor task, participants had their heart rate recorded during three 2-minute phases (1) at rest, (2) while their hand is in ice water, and (3) at rest again. Results show that individuals with lower quality sleep had a greater reaction to the stress compared to individuals with higher sleep quality. Additionally, the reaction was significantly larger for participants with moderate to severe anxiety compared to those with low anxiety. This suggests that sleep quality and anxiety all play a role in an individual's response during a stressful situation.
Moderators
MH

Speakers
EW

Sponsors
CF

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 1:35pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

1:05pm EDT

Wintertime Air Quality, Woodsmoke, and Air Inversion Research in Keene, NH
Click here to view this session: Wintertime Air Quality, Woodsmoke, and Air Inversion Research in Keene, NH

In the last decade, various efforts have focused on a better understanding of the relationship between poor wintertime air quality due to woodsmoke and localized air inversions in Keene, NH. Woodsmoke produces small particles or particulate matter 2.5 microns (PM2.5) which has a negative impact on human health. We have identified areas in Keene where PM2.5 concentration is the highest within the city. Working with volunteers, air monitors have been installed across the city to monitor the PM2.5 concentrations in real-time with an updating map displaying the data. Our team is working with residents of the city to reduce PM2.5 during air inversions by encouraging voluntary “No Burn Nights” along with providing information on safe burning practices. Ongoing research includes social outreach programs, air column profiling for elevational temperature and PM2.5 changes, air inversion models, and extended PM2.5 sampling.
Moderators
MN

Speakers
EA

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 1:35pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Environmental Studies

1:05pm EDT

Internship Panel
Click here to view this session: Internship Panel

The Internship Panel will feature student-leaders who have participated in an internship while at Keene State College. Students will share their experiences, specific skills developed, how the on-site work complements their coursework, and their post-graduation plans. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation.
Moderators
MK

Speakers
NF
PR
KM

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 2:10pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, High Impact Practice: Internships

1:05pm EDT

Strengths, Challenges, and Relationship-Building: Experiences of Student Government Leaders
Click here to view this session: Strengths, Challenges, and Relationship-Building: Experiences of Student Government Leaders

Join us for a panel featuring Keene State College Student Government leaders from a variety of classes, constituencies, and positions within Student Assembly. Attendees will learn about the current structure of Student Government and how classes, committees, and Assembly representatives interact with each other and campus as a whole. Student leaders will share information about themselves and what led them to be interested in Student Government. The moderator will ask the students to think deeply about what strengths they have gained as a part of the group, what challenges they have needed to work through in their respective roles, and how these experiences have shaped them as students, humans, and global citizens. They will discuss how leadership in Student Government has made them more in tune with others and adept at building relationships. There will also be an opportunity for attendee Q&A with members of the panel.
Moderators
MJ

Speakers
DB
SO
A

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 2:10pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Co-curricular/Student Leadership: Student Leadership

1:05pm EDT

Independent Cinema: Creative Negotiations
Click here to view this session: Independent Cinema: Creative Negotiations
Presenters and Papers

Welcome to our panel “Independent Cinema: Creative Negotiations”
Thank you so much for making the time to be here.

This panel on “Independent Cinema: Creative Negotiations” analyzes the many strategies employed by indie filmmakers to make their films and get them seen by the general public. As we came to realize in our course on “Independent Cinema” in Fall 2019, tension between the industry and independent film creators has existed since the beginning of cinema. Strong-willed and resourceful filmmakers such as George Romero, Roger Corman, and Terrence Malick have always been engaged in creative negotiations to locate the resources to make their films. The field of independent cinema has many different stakeholders, including the filmmakers themselves, distributors, exhibitors, the fans, the critics, festival organizers, and film lovers who in any given era also negotiate what is truly an “independent” film and what is not. We found through the course of the semester that the term “independent” film is complex and shifting – it depends on the public’s demand for films, forces of censorship, government monopoly busting, and larger economic forces impacting the film industry. From any perspective, Independent Cinema is a field of creative negotiations.

I will introduce each presenter and then we will have a question and answer period at the end of the session.

Paper 1: “George Romero: Hollywood Outsider”
John Kelleher
Paper 2: “Roger Corman as Producer: The Use of the Slockbuster”
Zachary Rioux
Paper 3: “Animation and Racial Injustice in Two New Wave Animated Films”
Tyler Thompson
Paper 4: eter Kelleher: “Quirky as Anti-Mainstream: A Look at A24”
Peter Kelleher
Paper 5: “Terrence Malick: Film as Philosophy and Manipulating The Studios”
Jacob Egan-Boothroyd
Paper 6: “Netflix’s Effect on the Distribution of Independent Cinema”
Dylan O’Connell
Moderators
MD

Speakers
JK
ZR
TT
JE
DO

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:05pm - 3:15pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Film Studies

1:40pm EDT

Effect of Aquaculture on Microbial Structure and Function
Click here to view this session: Effect of Aquaculture on Microbial Structure and Function

The growth of the global seafood market has increased substantially, leading to significant decay in estuarine habitats in present times. Prolonged shellfish cultures influence fluxes of greenhouse gases, increase organic matter decomposition and decrease oxygen in the water column. Such variation in physical factors can drive changes in sediment microbial communities that live in close association with these shellfishes. In this study, we test changes in the structure (16S sequencing) and function (RNA transcriptome) of sediment microbial communities in response to different durations of shellfish farming (control, 3, 5, and 7 years). We further relate these changes to sediment metal concentrations to test for correlations. Our results indicate that although both the structure and function of microbial communities varied between control and farm sites, little to no variation was observed with respect to farming durations. Future work will explore similar patterns in shellfish farms in the NH Great Bay estuaries.
Moderators
MP

Speakers
JS

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Biology

1:40pm EDT

Experimental Research on the Unintentional Air and Moisture Movement through Buildings Assessment Of Hygrothermal Aspects Of Details For High Quality Buildings: Construction Of Mock-Ups And Analysis Of Case Studies.
Click here to view this panel: Experimental Research on the Unintentional Air and Moisture Movement through Buildings Assessment Of Hygrothermal Aspects Of Details For High Quality Buildings: Construction Of Mock-Ups And Analysis Of Case Studies.

The panel will conclude with a screening of a film clip from Thirteen (2003) by Catherine Hardwicke. Each presenter will apply their chosen film theory to this film clip, and demontrate film’s power as a medium once again.
Moderators
MF

Speakers
JP

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Building sustainability

1:40pm EDT

The First-Generation Experience: Discovering New Pathways for Musicians
Click here to view this session: The First-Generation Experience: Discovering New Pathways for Musicians

The purpose of this panel discussion is to encourage deeper thinking about the first-generation college student population and how their experiences make our campus community unique. Panelists will include first-generation music students and faculty who identify as a first-generation college students. They will share details about their musical and professional journey, and answer questions regarding why they chose to attend college, especially with music as a major or minor focus of study. Panelists will discuss how their experiences have helped shape their overall experience within higher education. Suggestions of how students, faculty, and staff can better support first-generation students on our campus will also be addressed. At the conclusion of the discussion, audience members will be welcome to pose questions to the panel members.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
CR

Saturday April 18, 2020 1:40pm - 2:45pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Panel Discussion, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Music

2:15pm EDT

Effects of Enhancement and Suppression Cueing on Long Term Memory
Click here to view this session: Effects of Enhancement and Suppression Cueing on Long Term Memory

Do we have voluntary control over our own memory? The goal of the current study is to investigate whether instructing participants to remember or forget pictures will affect long-term memory. Participants completed a learning task where they were asked to remember, forget, or passively view 300 pictures. Then, participants completed a memory test with 300 old and 300 new pictures responding whether they did or did not see each picture in the learning task. Behavioral results show that images participants were told to remember were recognized better than those with instructed to view passively or forget. During the learning task, patterns of brain activity are different based on the type of instruction. Overall the outcome of this study is an addition to past research supporting the conclusion that people can enhance their own memory at will, but can also choose to suppress or forget information.
Moderators
MH

Speakers
JG

Sponsors
CF
N

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

2:15pm EDT

Effects of Moderate Physical Activity on Concussion Symptoms
Click here to view this session: Effects of Moderate Physical Activity on Concussion Symptoms

Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury in sports. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a single bout of moderate physical activity (MPA) on the symptom score of a concussion screening in college students with or without current concussion symptoms. It has been proposed that MPA alleviates concussion symptoms. Using the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), which consists of seven head/eye movement tests, we determined concussion symptom aggravation pre- and post-MPA. The MPA performed was based off of the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test. Participants rated symptoms and perceived exertion each minute. MPA was terminated based on pre-established criteria. Our hypothesis that MPA alleviates concussion symptoms as assessed by a decreased VOMS symptom score will be determined using SPSS.
Moderators
MA
MW

Speakers
MT

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Human performance and Movement Science

2:15pm EDT

The Effectiveness of Vaping among Keene State Students as a Cessation Method
Click here to view this session: The Effectiveness of Vaping among Keene State Students as a Cessation Method

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), also known as “vaping,” has become extremely popular among young adults in today’s society. Although there is evidence that suggests vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking tobacco and can aid in smoking cessation, it is not FDA approved. This study used a campus- wide questionnaire to determine if vaping is an effective aid in smoking cessation among Keene State College students or not. Participants will take an online survey and analysis will test the hypothesis that the effectiveness of vaping as a cessation aid does not differ from other FDA approved cessation aids. Results will be further discussed.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
LS

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

2:15pm EDT

The Psychology Behind Empathetic Characters in Creative Writing
Click here to view this session: The Psychology Behind Empathetic Characters in Creative Writing

Empathetic characters in works of fiction tend to be those readers can relate to. In order to create relatable characters, authors need to utilize specific forms of craft, such as word choice and sentence structure. This presentation will be looking at how certain elements of psychology can be used to craft realistic characters with whom the reader can empathize. The psychology of Alfred Adler’s birth order theory, archetypes, OCD, and roles in families will be discussed in relation to three short stories I authored. I will read a few sections from each story and talk about each individual character’s psychology. After looking at the psychology, I will look deeper into the craft to discuss how each character is relatable and creates empathy for the reader. The audience will learn how an understanding of psychology paired with characterization skills and techniques will create a realistic, empathetic character.
Moderators
MI

Speakers
LC

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Psychology and Creative Writing

2:15pm EDT

First Person Filmmaking: Exploring Our Lives Through Film
Click here to view this session: First Person Filmmaking: Exploring Our Lives Through Film

In this presentation, students from the Honors Arts First Person Filmmaking course from Fall 2019 will be screening our films and showing our creative research materials. In this course, we shared reflections on family, our childhoods, and significant events that shaped our lives and our thoughts for the future. Through interviews we conducted and archival photos, home movies, and other source material that we either found or filmed ourselves, we created short films that tell our personal stories of identity, relationship, struggle, and agency. In our presentation we will introduce our films, reflect on the process of making them, and respond to questions from the audience.
Moderators
MT

Speakers
PK
SR
C

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:15pm - 3:20pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Film Screening, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Filmmaking

2:15pm EDT

Student Activism Roundtable
Click here to view this session: Student Activism Roundtable

Student activism has taken many forms at Keene State College. Through circling petitions or organizing protests, students have consistently worked to construct a campus and a world that is aligned with the values they hold. In this roundtable, student-activists at Keene State College will discuss how they worked to make changes in their communities, the results of these interventions, and answer related audience questions.
Moderators
MT

Speakers
JC
MF
SO
MC
A

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:15pm - 3:20pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Round Table, Student Involvement: Activism

2:50pm EDT

Knot Games
To view this session click here: Knot Games

Take a string, tie knots in it, and connect the ends. You have created a mathematical knot in 3-space! The necessary background information regarding knots will preface the introduction of the game To Knot or Not to Knot. This is one of many games that can be played on the shadow of a knot, where all crossings are left undetermined. Two players take turns choosing which strand crosses over the other. One player wishes to create the unknot, while the other attempts to create a knot. Can a player guarantee that they will win the game? This presentation will investigate and prove the existence of winning strategies under certain initial conditions.
Moderators
MK

Speakers
LA

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:50pm - 3:20pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Mathematics

2:50pm EDT

Transgenerational Effects of Arsenic Exposure in Daphnia pulex
Click here to view the session: Transgenerational Effects of Arsenic Exposure in Daphnia pulex

Arsenic (As) and its compounds are carcinogenic agents, significantly affecting human health across the world. Such effects have been seen to persist long-term often through multiple generations. Although studies have tested the short-term impacts of arsenic toxicity, few have looked at its effect across generations of exposure. In this project, I, therefore, test the changes in acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, and effect on fitness in the ecotox model, Daphnia, grown for multiple generations in chronic As exposure. Specifically, I compare LC50 in F0 and F10 generations; juvenile and adult growth rates, age and size at first reproduction, fecundity, and lifespan in F0 and F3 generation (in As). My results indicate that at least in 3 generations of chronic exposure, there is no significant effect of toxicity on organismal fitness. Future studies will further explore the effect of As exposure over 10 generations.
Moderators
MP

Speakers
AS

Sponsors
CF

Saturday April 18, 2020 2:50pm - 3:20pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability and Heath: Biology

3:25pm EDT

A Look in the Mirror: Find Your Match in the Craft Beer Industry
A Look in the Mirror: Find Your Match in the Craft Beer Industry

With the variety of unique labels across grocers’ shelves, how do consumers choose their products? This project aims to discuss how labels in the craft beer industry aim to affect what consumers purchase. Using four Big Five personality traits—conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, extroversion— this study found that marketers use a common metaphor to sell their products: beers are like people. A survey was distributed that measured participants’ personalities and their preferences for beer labels portraying particular personality traits. A variety of responses recorded validated that identity and personality are key components in consumerism. Preliminary results suggest that consumers can see their own personality traits in some craft beer labels, which may correspond to intended purchasing behaviors.
Moderators
MJ

Speakers
SB

Saturday April 18, 2020 3:25pm - 3:55pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Communication/Consumerism and Identity

3:25pm EDT

Does Absence Make The Heart Grow Fonder?: Navigating the Effects of Distance on Sexual Relationships
Click here to view this session: Does Absence Make The Heart Grow Fonder?: Navigating the Effects of Distance on Sexual Relationships

Sexual desire is a crucial predictor of sexual satisfaction which is often linked to relationship satisfaction in romantic relationships. Limited research exists on how sexual desire or physical distance between partners may influence the success of sexual and romantic relationships. Given that relational factors are found to alter women’s sexual desire, this study explores how relational rewards and costs influence sexual desire and sexual satisfaction for women in geographically close (n= 58) and long-distance relationships (n= 41). Participants ranging from age 18 to 64 and involved in an exclusive, heterosexual, and sexually active relationship were asked to complete an online survey. The study concluded that women’s sexual desire levels were influenced by sexual factors rather than relational factors. The results of this study will be discussed in the broader context of long-distance couples and how sexual relationships impact overall relationship satisfaction.
Moderators
MJ

Speakers
MW

Saturday April 18, 2020 3:25pm - 3:55pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Communication Studies

3:25pm EDT

Public Perceptions of Female Criminality
Click here to view this session: Public Perceptions of Female Criminality

With the help of Dr.Barlow, we were able to create a survey to try and get an understanding of the public's perceptions of female criminality. In the media, women who commit crimes are made out to be "crazy, unstable,” or just completely lacking femininity. The survey I created has questions about the crimes a woman is most likely to commit, female sentencing in regards to race and how people describe female offenders. Many people who took the survey tended to describe female offenders using very stereotypical language and most believed that females are becoming more violent than ever, which is not the case for modern female criminality. Overall, the public's perceptions of female criminality does not line up with the facts and research done about this topic and proves that there needs to be more research and effort put into understanding the female offenders of the criminal justice system.
Moderators
MA

Speakers
EC

Saturday April 18, 2020 3:25pm - 3:55pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Criminal Justice

3:25pm EDT

The Innovative Software Engineering Methodologies Facilitator
Click here to view this session: The Innovative Software Engineering Methodologies Facilitator

Software engineering is perceived to be a daunting discipline due to its demand and rigor. Through the application of established software engineering methodologies related to the design, construction, testing, and refinement of software systems, our research group designed, constructed, and produced a prototype called the Innovative Software Engineering Methodologies Facilitator (ISEMF). The goal is to shorten the design and construction phases of any software engineering project, making the experience more productive. As software engineering advances, there is an increased demand for more complex software systems. Standard methodologies and techniques have helped in the past, but recently these resources have started to show their limitations. To address limitations, our project automates selected methodologies to enable improved design and documentation for software systems. This year’s effort builds on the achievements of the past academic year; we report on the result of refining and testing the ISEMP prototype on real software engineering projects.
Moderators
ME

Speakers
GT

Saturday April 18, 2020 3:25pm - 3:55pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Oral Presentation, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Computer Science

4:00pm EDT

Conference Reflection and Discussion Room including Q+A with AEC Committee Members and Faculty Mentors
A hangout space for all attendees of the AEC to discuss their experiences and ask questions of the AEC Committee.
Click here to join the Conversation: Conference Reflection
Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
TBA

4:00pm EDT

An Analysis of Lactation Space Implementation in Worksites
Click here to view this session: An Analysis of Lactation Space Implementation in Worksites

Our lactation work is important for many businesses in the state to support women in coming back to work after having a baby. An article indicated that 43% of women with children are leaving careers for an extended period of time (Light, 2013). Those women might be choosing not to return to work because they do not have a private space to express their milk. The World Health Organization has recognized the need for increased support to improve breastfeeding duration and initiation rates, recommending women breastfeed for two years. Women planning to work full‐time postpartum were less likely to initiate breastfeeding than women who planned to work part‐time and women were more likely to cease breastfeeding. We have collected three years of data using the CDC scorecards, from worksites that applied and implemented lactation spaces in 34 locations across New Hampshire. Our analysis indicates that the creation of a dedicated and private lactation space as well as a site-specific policy had a significant increase in their Lactation Support scorecard total score. Our results suggest that with the intervention of creating a private lactation space, policy, and educational materials the scores based on the CDC scorecard increase over time. These results will contribute to the field of public health and provide evidence on the benefits of providing a lactation space within the worksite.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
SA

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Public Health

4:00pm EDT

Benefits and Drawbacks of Incorporating Biochar on New Hampshire Farms
Click here to view this session: Benefits and Drawbacks of Incorporating Biochar on New Hampshire Farms

Biochar is the end product of heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment. It has the potential to help farms by increasing nutrient uptake in plants, capturing carbon, and reducing farm waste. Still, biochar it is not widely used in the New Hampshire farming community. We explored why by examining the advantages and disadvantages of biochar to New Hampshire farms. To decipher the benefits biochar brings to plant growth we conducted a study between four groups of plants grown in soil with differing amounts of compost and biochar. We interviewed New Hampshire farmers that use biochar to understand why they value the product. Farmers that do not use biochar were interviewed to gain an understanding into their reasoning. Our findings were summarized and shared with the farming community.
Moderators
MT

Speakers
MT
CS
M

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Environmental Studies

4:00pm EDT

Blocking Fatty Acid Synthesis as a Way to Potentially Treat Breast Cancer
Click here to view this session: Blocking Fatty Acid Synthesis as a Way to Potentially Treat Breast Cancer

Fatty Acids are necessary for the growth of new cells and an increase in the amount of enzyme responsible for making palmitic acid (Fatty Acid Synthase, FASN) in cancer cells correlates with the prognosis of multiple cancers, including breast cancer. This has led to an interest in inhibiting FASN as part of cancer chemotherapy. This poster presentation will highlight my contribution to Dr. Baures’ chemistry laboratory investigating inhibitors of FASN, including the production of the enzyme FASN using bacterial cells, as well as the synthesis and analysis of the stability of a lead inhibitor. The steps involved in purifying and characterizing the protein and small molecule inhibitors will be described.
Moderators
MP

Speakers
MO

Sponsors
N

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Chemistry

4:00pm EDT

Combating Stress in College Students
Click here to view this session: Combating Stress in College Students

Click here to view the poster: Poster

Currently in the United States, 45% of undergraduate students seek counseling citing stress, anxiety, and depression as the primary concern. College students report an increase in stress and report a lack of coping skills. Stress negatively affects health and well-being, leading to poor physical and emotional symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this research was to explore meditation as an intervention strategy. A literature review was conducted using studies from 2015-2020 that focused on US-based colleges and universities and the type and length of meditation intervention program. Results indicate that the types and length of programs have an impact on the reported health outcomes. Overall, meditation does have an impact on reported health outcomes for students.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
DB
JM
MP
M

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Public Health

4:00pm EDT

Comparison of the Impact of Diesel and Biodiesel on Heart Function
Click here to view this sesion: Comparison of the Impact of Diesel and Biodiesel on Heart Function

Previous research in the Whittemore lab has shown that long-term developmental exposure to single polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), like phenanthrene and fluoranthene, negatively impacts normal heart function in larval frogs (Xenopus laevis). Because PAHs typically occur as mixtures, not single compounds, and to more accurately represent environmental exposures, we examined the effects of 24-hour exposure to diesel and biodiesel particles on cardiac function in larval frogs. Videos were taken of beating hearts, heart rates calculated, and occurrence of atrioventricular block assessed. While many might predict that biodiesel is less toxic than diesel, our initial experiments indicate that both biodiesel and diesel negatively impact normal heart function to a similar degree. We hypothesize that both of these mixtures contain similar concentrations of phenanthrene and fluoranthene and are awaiting results for comparison.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
CK
AK
T

Sponsors
AH
II

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Biology

4:00pm EDT

Does Smoking Cigarettes or Using Juul Affect Cardiorespiratory Fitness?
Click here to view this session: Does Smoking Cigarettes or Using Juul Affect Cardiorespiratory Fitness?

The objective of our project is to determine the effect of cigarette smoking, or vaping on cardiorespiratory fitness in college students. There is a gap in the research on smoking in college students, and there is minimal research available on vaping. This is problematic because according to a 2019 warning by the CDC, 33 states have 450 confirmed cases of severe lung disease linked to vaping. Measures of resting heart rate and blood pressure will be collected from sedentary smokers, Juulers, and nonsmokers. Each participant will perform a validated step test to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. We hypothesize smoking or vaping decreases cardiorespiratory fitness.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
SW

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Exercise Science

4:00pm EDT

Electoral Management System
Click here to view this session: Electoral Management System

Despite the widespread popularity of democracy, there are various observable challenges associated with managing an election. Traditional voting methods include voting machines and paper voting. These traditional voting methods exhibit several pitfalls, including high rates of traffic to limited locations; long lines and waiting times; vote and/or vote-count tampering; vote-count errors; and avoidance of voting inconvenience, resulting in low voter turnout. This project seeks to address the problem by developing a computerized Electoral Management System (EMS) that is tailored to the specific needs and values of the voting environment. The important elements of such a system are security, voter anonymity, convenience, and reliability. The project methodology involves the application of established software engineering methodologies to the design, construction, testing, refinement, and ultimate advancing of the EMS prototype, including its enhanced security features.
Moderators
ME

Speakers
QW

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Computer Science

4:00pm EDT

Elementary school principal’s knowledge, attitudes, policy and practices regarding childhood lead exposure
Click here to view this session: Elementary school principal’s knowledge, attitudes, policy and practices regarding childhood lead exposure

Lead exposure in children is one of the most common environmental toxin. Exposure can result in irreversible brain damage, and cognitive and behavioral impairment. Previous studies focused on parent education, which has been helpful in decreasing cases of exposure. Considering much of a child’s life is spent in school and lead exposure impacts classroom activities, our research focused on evaluating elementary school principal’s awareness of childhood lead exposure. We used a survey and interviews to collect data from Principals on their knowledge, attitudes, policy and practices regarding lead exposure in children. This study gives an alternate perspective to the parent-centered approach currently used, and will yield benefits for communities impacted from lead exposure by discerning the need for education programs for school staff and administrators.
Moderators
MM

Speakers
MT

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Public Health

4:00pm EDT

Energy Justice for Low to Moderate Income People in Keene, NH
Click here to view this session: Energy Justice for Low to Moderate Income People in Keene, NH

In order to raise awareness of the energy gap in our community, we propose to shed light on the struggles facing people in Keene who do not have the means to afford energy efficient technologies and who battle to pay their monthly energy bills. We seek to understand their lived experience and how they make choices around energy consumption and efficiency. We will be conducting a survey which we hope will reach a wide variety of the community, then supplement our understanding of the survey responses with in-person interviews. The survey will be our main means of analyzing the lived experience of LMI people’s energy use in Keene. We hope to bring green opportunities to community members to show simple and general guidelines to living a greener lifestyle within the realm of low to moderate income households. We expect to find few effective and well known interventions aiding LMI households.
Moderators
MT

Speakers
LP

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Environmental Studies

4:00pm EDT

ERP Measures Of Human Cortical Long-Term Depression
Click here to view this session: ERP Measures Of Human Cortical Long-Term Depression

There are two main cellular mechanisms which demonstrate memory electrophysiologically: long term potentiation and long-term depression. A few studies have attempted to show event-related potential representations of long-term potentiation in humans. Recently, cortical long-term potentiation has been shown in response to both auditory and visual high frequency stimulation (9 Hz). Following the high-frequency stimulation, enhanced evoked sensory responses were found in both auditory and visual domains. Using similar methods, the current study found a decrease in early visual cortical activity following 9Hz stimulation. This pattern of response is indicative of long-term depression of the visual cortical response. While the current study does not clarify the mechanism underlying the measurement of scalp electrophysical measures of long-term cellular learning it does demonstrate that long term depression can also be measured from the human visual cortex.
Moderators
MH

Speakers
GV

Sponsors
N

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

4:00pm EDT

Evanescent--Exploring the Fleeting Quality Life Through Movement Research
Click here to view this session: Evanescent--Exploring the Fleeting Quality Life Through Movement Research

Through a video presentation of Evanescent, a modern dance piece performed at Choreography Showcase 2019, choreographer Lindsay Gibbons explores the fleeting nature of life. Through movement research, Gibbons investigates loss of identity by obstructing and presenting the face and experimenting with the spatial relationships and orientation of the dancers to one another. Gibbons posits the theory that although an individual has an obvious impact on the lives of those with whom they routinely interact, that impact is actually very small to the universe as a whole. She explores feelings of isolation, loss and longing representing them through long pauses and a steady, unrelenting pace similar to that of life. As the dancers slowly retreat in the dimming light their existence is entirely forgotten. Evanescent researches how ephemeral a life that once had so much depth and meaning can be.
Moderators
MC

Speakers
LG

Sponsors
AH

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Dance

4:00pm EDT

Food Insecurity, Homelessness, and Related Effects on Campus
Click here to view this session: Food Insecurity, Homelessness, and Related Effects on Campus

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a social condition in which access to adequate food may be limited or uncertain at times during the year (USDA, 2019). In 2018, a survey on hunger was administered to 10% of KSC students, which indicated that students perceived that hunger affected their ability to perform academically and athletically. The results of this study supported many on campus initiatives including our on-campus food pantry. A follow-up survey has been developed to determine the rate of food insecurity versus hunger, the rate of student housing insecurity, and examine correlations between these factors and students’ mental/physical health. During the Spring 2020 semester, two student research assistants will email professors across campus requesting permission to visit their classrooms to deliver the survey electronically (via phone or laptop) through Qualtrics to students who are willing to participate. Results and conclusions will be forthcoming.
Moderators
MD

Speakers
EG

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Public Health

4:00pm EDT

Hospital Based Food Pantry for Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease
Click here to view this session: Hospital Based Food Pantry for Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease

Food insecurity is highly prevalent in the U.S with 1 in 9 Americans affected. The U.S Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity has been associated with chronic health conditions and lack of healthy foods. The food that we eat is influenced by our food environments, the price and availability of different types of foods and the socioeconomic status of the neighborhoods. The objective is to examine whether patients at Dartmouth-Hitchcock would engage in a hospital-run food pantry where they have access to foods based on their current diets with the help of a dietitian. A study was conducted using surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Results and conclusions will be discussed.
Moderators
MD

Speakers
TM

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Public Health

4:00pm EDT

How Comfortable Individuals Are When It Comes To Deception
Click here to view this session: How Comfortable Individuals Are When It Comes To Deception

This study examined how and when people cheat when playing a simple game. We hypothesized that players will lie to benefit themselves if they cannot see their opponents. Two opponents were instructed to play a one-on-one game of Candyland competing against each other. Once a divider was put between the two players, one was assigned the role of cardholder. This player picked the cards and announced the moves for both players. At the conclusion of the game the second player was given the role of cardholder for another game. During each game the number of times the cardholder cheated was recorded. Additionally, the cardholder was asked to report the number of times they cheated. The results showed that participants will cheat when given the opportunity and female participants cheated more than male participants.
Moderators
MH

Speakers
AM
HF

Sponsors
N

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

4:00pm EDT

Lifestyle Factors That Affect Microbiome Development in FPIES Children and Allergy Free children
Click here to view this session: Lifestyle Factors That Affect Microbiome Development in FPIES Children and Allergy Free children

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is an uncommon non-IgE mediated food allergy that mostly affects infants and toddlers. Children or infants present with excessive vomiting and lethargy 1-4 hours after ingesting a triggering food in the acute form of the condition. The chronic condition presents with continual vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stool, and failure to thrive. While a diagnostic code was recently assigned there is still little understanding of the underlying pathology which makes a clinical diagnosis challenging. We hypothesize that FPIES may be associated with the gut microbiome. To test this hypothesis, stool samples and survey data were collected from children with FPIES, children that have outgrown the allergy, and allergy-free children. We will use QIIME2 to compare the microbial communities of the different study groups and look for associations with lifestyle factors that may impact the microbiome.
Moderators
MJ

Speakers
BR

Sponsors
AH
N

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Public Health/Biomedical Research

4:00pm EDT

Living Economic Wage Analysis System: A Software Engineering Research Project
Click here to view this session: Living Economic Wage Analysis System: A Software Engineering Research Project

Finding a place to live is a difficult task; the hardest part is knowing whether you can afford to live in the location. Having an understanding of living conditions in locations is a problem of importance to economists and economic planners alike. For these and other related reasons, economists tried to develop models that help determine this information and make it readily available. An online search reveals problems: First, not all areas have information to finalize a complete search. Second, there is no standard approach for providing this service.This project addresses the problem by developing a computerized Living Economic Wage Analysis System (LEWAS) that is customizable to the needs of any location of interest. This system will be available for economic researchers and the consuming public. The project methodology involves the application of software engineering methodologies to design, construction, testing, refinement, and advancement of the LEWAS prototype.
Moderators
ME

Speakers
DP

Sponsors
S

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Computer Science

4:00pm EDT

Productivity and History of Beaver Brook
Click here to view this session: Productivity and History of Beaver Brook

The purpose of the project is to better understand the ecological productivity of Beaver Brook as well as current and historic land uses near the brook. Understanding the health and ecosystem services of this brook is important if the Keene community is to preserve this resource. We propose to study nutrient levels and fish biodiversity in five sites along the brook. We hypothesize that nutrient levels will be higher in the urbanized area of the brook compared to the rural headwaters. This increased level of nutrients in the urban reach will correlate to increased biodiversity of fish. We also propose to collect information on historical and current uses of Beaver Brook and adjacent lands and share these stories with local residents. By providing this information to the public, they will be more likely to support the preservation of the brook.
Moderators
MT

Speakers
GD
SC
C

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Environmental Studies

4:00pm EDT

The Chilling Truth About Melting Ice and the Northwest Passage
Click here to view this session: The Chilling Truth About Melting Ice and the Northwest Passage

Global temperatures are rising as a result of climate change and it’s causing the polar ice caps to melt. As the ice melts, there will be environmental impacts (e.g. rising sea levels, species extinction) but there are also potential political impacts. The melting of arctic ice will make new territory accessible and could enable trade through the coveted Northwest Passage. Both would lead to a power struggle and possible conflicts between the nations that hold territory on the arctic circle. Here we analyze data on the extent of the arctic sea ice near the Northwest Passage. Linear regressions to arctic ice data are used to predict when enough sea ice will have melted for passage to be possible for each month. We find that, with global temperatures left unchecked, by 2082 there will be 5 consecutive months where the Northwest Passage will be navigable.
Moderators
MS

Speakers
BL

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Data Analysis

4:00pm EDT

The Difference in Behavioral and ERP Responses to Static and Dynamic Facial Expressions
Click here to view this session: The Difference in Behavioral and ERP Responses to Static and Dynamic Facial Expressions

Two experiments were conducted to compare the behavioral and brain responses to static and dynamic facial expressions portraying threat (fear and anger). Experiment 1 assessed the differences in subjective perception of emotional intensity for static and dynamic facial expressions. Experiment 2 assessed the differences in brain responses elicited by the same facial expressions. The results of Experiment 1 showed that 100% intensity expressions were perceived as more intense than 50% intensity expressions and fearful expressions were perceived as more intense than angry expressions. The results of Experiment 2 showed that at occipital electrodes sites dynamic facial expressions elicited increased P2 amplitude compared to static stimuli. At parietal electrode sites (P7, P8) there was an interaction with increased P2 amplitude in response to dynamic expressions of fear, but not anger compared to static expressions. Both experiments show that dynamic facial expressions elicited a larger response than static expressions.
Moderators
MH

Speakers
MM

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Neuroscience

4:00pm EDT

The Impact of Attention on Creative Cognition
Click here to view this session: The Impact of Attention on Creative Cognition

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder of attention, concentration and impulsivity. Adults with ADHD have trouble managing time, being organized, setting goals, maintaining a job, and struggle with self-esteem. These same traits that can cause disorganization and lack of focus also foster behaviors like curiosity, sensitivity, playfulness and creativity. The goal of this research is to highlight the positive side of ADHD so that the innovative, original thinking style can be used in educational or occupational fields where their unique style of thinking is an advantage rather than focus exclusively on associated limitations. This study will observe the relationships between ADHD subtypes, brainwave patterns, and creativity. Participants will be asked to complete an ADHD questionnaire along with a creativity tasks while brain activity is being recorded with an electroencephalogram (EEG). The hypothesis is the hyperactive subtype will demonstrate both higher frequency brainwaves and levels of creativity.
Moderators
ML

Speakers
TC

Sponsors
AH
CF

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Psychology

4:00pm EDT

The Impact of the 2018-2019 U.S. Government Shutdown on Joshua Tree National Park
Click here to view this session: The Impact of the 2018-2019 U.S. Government Shutdown on Joshua Tree National Park

Throughout the 35 day 2018-2019 federal shutdown, Joshua Tree National Park saw mass destruction in the form of off-roading, vandalism, littering and the intentional destruction of the precious Joshua Trees. This study investigates the impacts of the 2018-2019 government shutdown on Joshua Tree National Park and seeks to develop ways to minimize the risk of damage to park resources in the event of a future government shutdown by exploring the possibilities that volunteers could assume park ranger responsibilities. Data about the damage will be collected through site visits using photography and a interviews with park personnel. The potential role of volunteers wil be explored through interviews with organizations near to the Park and through telephone and email inquiries with national park protection interest organizations nationwide. A geographical information system (GIS) “story map” will be made to summarize the findings about the vulnerability of JTNP resources to unsupervised visitors.
Moderators
MT

Speakers
LP

Sponsors
CC

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability, and Health: Environmental Studies

4:00pm EDT

The Weaponization of DNA
Click here to view this session: The Weaponization of DNA

This research project will further investigate how genocides continue to classify their target group in a highly organized method. Genocidaires over the course of hundreds of years have employed tactics to make identification of a member of the persecuted group easier. Before DNA analysis became available, some genocides employed meticulous record keeping of victims. Today, there is growing concern in regards to the collection and use of DNA and how it will affect marginalized people. This research project will complete a historical review of other genocides that have used similar methods to DNA for carrying through mass atrocity. It will then analyze the impacts of the past and how this may change in ongoing mass atrocities that collect and use DNA.
Moderators
MD

Speakers
MC

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Arts, Education, and Humanities: Holocaust and Genocide Studies

4:00pm EDT

Understanding Dyscalculia
Understanding Dyscalculia

For some students, math can be a challenging subject; they might not understand the concepts or how to apply those concepts to different situations that they face in school. Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability that leaves children and adults challenged with concepts in mathematics and the symbols that are associated with those skills. Dyscalculia is often associated with Dyslexia, which is characterized as the specific learning disability where students struggle with concepts in reading and the symbols associated with reading. These two learning disabilities do have many similarities, but the differences are great and require an assortment of different accommodations and supports in the classroom. This poster will examine some strategies that parents and teachers can use when working with students and will emphasize the impact of teacher best practices in our schools and how students benefit from differentiated instruction in all lessons.
Moderators
MK

Speakers
EM

Saturday April 18, 2020 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
  Poster, Sciences, Sustainability and Health, and Arts, Education and Culture: Mathematics and Education
 
Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Saturday, April 18
Click on "Technical Support" above
Click the TITLE in the description to connect to this session
TBA
  • Film Screening
  • Oral Presentation
  • Panel Discussion
  • Poster
  • Round Table
  • Popular