Remote Celebration

The scholarship of discovery and application are both highlighted through the works of faculty-student collaborations across all four divisions at Hope: Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Sciences. Thanks for your support and participation in CURCA 2021.

How to Participate (click to expand)

Below you'll find a list of this year's presentations, offered in an online format. Presentations are broken into virtual rooms. Students will take turns giving a brief (7–9 minute) summary of their research and then take questions. Each poster will be presented only once.

• To view the presentation list for a room, select room title or select "Expand All."
• To join a room, select the "Visit Room" button that is visible when the presentation list is expanded (forthcoming). This will open up a Google Meets or Zoom link. All times listed are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT,UTC-04:00)
  • Please join with a muted microphone.
  • If you are joining a Google Meets room and are not signed in to Google with a Hope College account, there may be a brief delay as you are accepted into the video meeting.
  • If your device does not have a speaker or you cannot connect to the meeting, use the phone number listed in "join by phone" to dial in to the event.
• You can ask questions and reference links in the "chat" section of the room.
• Want to know more about the projects before joining a room? To view students' abstracts, click on the corresponding presentation title. You'll be able to read a one- to three-paragraph description of the project.

We are grateful to the students and mentors of over 100 projects who will be presenting at this year's Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity. Due to the pandemic, many students had to drop out of Celebration. We still celebrate their work and discoveries! To see more examples of student research and creative activity at Hope College, view our Abstract Book.

   The green leaf icon indicates sessions with a special focus on sustainability and are thus celebrated by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute.
*  The asterisk indicates the presenter is a member of Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering.

Session One: 2:30–3:30

Room 1A: Political Science and CommunicationModerator: Dr. Marsely Kehoe

• Examining Shifts in Public Support For LGBTQ Individuals, 1990–2015
  Ruth Holloway
• When a Woman Was President
  Valeria Lee
• Voices of Humanity: Rough Translation’s “El Hilo: Walking to Venezuela” and Reframing Refugee Crises
  Hailey Schumann
• Racism Exists and America Isn’t Looking
  Elizabeth Bassett
• The Beauty in Being a Boy
  Ellie Jankowski
     
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Annie Dandavati, Sarah Kornfield & David Ryden

Room 1B: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, and BiologyModerator: Dr. Leah Chase

• Does Phosphorylation of  System x_c- Lead to Changes in Cell Surface Localization?
  Jane Ellen Altevogt, Claire Buck
• Identification of Genes that are Differentially Expressed in the HCA Animal Model of Bipolar Disorder through qPCR Analysis
  Gabriella Taylor, Ximena Figueroa-Enriquez, Kelly Bosis
  
• Genetic Changes of Lignification Genes between Trees and Shrubs
  Lukas Bruxvoort, Victoria King
  
• The Effect of Serotonin on Male Responses to Female Ultrasonic Vocalizations and Urine in the House Mouse (Mus musculus)
  Madisyn Kovacs, Lindsay Jankowski
• Changes in Chromatic and Achromatic Contrast of Avian Plumage in Forests with Different Levels of Deer Browsing
  Morgan Sherrard, Lindsay Martin

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Leah Chase, Laura Hurley (Indiana University), Jianhua Li & Kelly Ronald

Room 1C: KinesiologyModerator: Dr. Mark Northuis

• TBI with Persistent Cognitive, Visual, and Emotional Challenges of a 24 Year Old College Graduate
  Taryn Bushong
• Management and Interventions of Multiple Knee Injuries in a Division II Women’s Volleyball Player Unremoved from Competition
  Hana vander Galien
  
• The Effects of Caffeine on Vertical Jump
  Samuel Vokal, Caroline Milholland, Justin Schweitzer, Lauren DeJong, Sydney Muller
  
• The Effect of Cadence on Total Push-up Repetitions in College Students
  Kworweinski Lafontant, Leah Newhof, Aireal Keefer, Emily Tyner, Olivia Stephan
  

Thanks to mentors: Dr. Maureen Dunn, Professor Tonia Gruppen and Dr. Olufemi Oluyedun

Room 1D: Neuroscience and PsychologyModerator: Dr. Carrie Bredow

• What Predicts Compliance with COVID-19 Guidelines? Evaluating the Relative Roles of Self-Regulation, Working Memory, and Heart Rate Variability
  Anna Hagner, Paulina Kozan, Eliese Moelker, Abigail Przekop, Avery Slancik, Jason Veldman, Nina Cuthrell
• Evaluating the Relationship between Religiousness and Health Outcomes: Investigating Heart Rate Variability and Self-Regulation as Possible Mediators
  Ashley Hayden, Lindsey Medenblik, Haley Balkema, Linnea Johnson, Ryon Hinga, Jimmy Tran, Nina Cuthrell
• The Role of Accountability in Civic Life
  Andrea Koh
• Investigating the Genetic Underpinnings of Empathy and Relational Accountability
  Ashley Hayden, Katrina Beltz
• Accountability Mindsets about Supervisor Feedback: Linguistic Analyses of Thoughts and Feelings
  Anna Hagner, Ashley Hayden, Katrina Beltz

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Gerald Griffin, Lindsey Root Luna and Charlotte Witvliet

Room 1E: EconomicsModerator: Dr. Sarah Estelle

• How Do State Housing Benefits Influence Veteran Interstate Migration?
  Camryn Zeller
• The Environmental Effects of Not Having a Tailpipe: A New Look at the Determinants of Vehicle Miles Traveled with Special Attention to Electric Vehicles
  Clay Purvis
  
• The Implications of Post-Secondary Vocational Training for Employment Stability
  Joshua Getz
  
• The Effects of Hours Worked on Time Spent Preparing Food
  Victoria Spring 
  
• Is Foreign Aid Improving the Provision of Education? The Effect of Official Development Assistance on the Quantity and Quality of Teachers in Developing Countries
  Bekah Segrist
  

Thanks to mentor: Dr. Sarah Estelle

Room 1F: Engineering and ChemistryModerator: Dr. Megan Elinski

• Synthesis of Cinnamate Derivatives for Liquid Crystal Polymer Alignment Studies
  Jacob Kowalski, Abigail LaDuke
• Design of New Nanomaterials for Arsenic Remediation
  Liam Diephuis
• Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for Solar Disinfection from Aqueous Solutions
  S. Charles Davenport
  
• The Development of Multifunctional Nanoparticle Collectors for Water Filtration Processes
  Anna Molloy
  
• Synthesis and Implementation of Copper Nanomaterials into Iron Oxide Nanoclusters for CO2 Remediation
  Luke George

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Natalia Gonzalez-Pech and Matthew Smith

Room 1G: Chemistry and Geological & Environmental SciencesModerator: Professor Suzanne DeVries-Zimmerman

• Preparing Electron-Poor and Electron-Rich Quinaldines for the Tuning of Long-Wavelength BF₂-Dyes
  Madeline Kokmeyer, Ethan Cramer
• Carbon-Carbon Bond Activation: A New Chemical Frontier
  Erik Schoonover, Eric Salisbury, Jacob VanderRoest
• Seasonal Geochemistry of an Interdunal Wetlands at Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Michigan
  Amelia Waalkes Hanson, Alexis Koehl, Christian Lundy, Lauren Bryan
• Effects of Differences in Cell Wall Biochemistry on the Microbial Decomposition of Sphagnum (Peat Moss)
  Alexis Koehl, Christian Lundy
• Analysis of Heavy Metals in Ictalurus Punctatus (Channel Catfish) and Perca Flavescens (Yellow Perch) in Lake Macatawa, Holland, Michigan
  Ashish Duvvuru, Eli Kane, Ashley Wrobel

Thanks to mentors: Professor Suszanne DeVries-Zimmerman and Drs. Jason Gillmore, Jeffrey Johnson, Jonathan Peterson and Michael Philben

Room 1H: Biology and Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyModerator: Dr. Thomas Bultman

• Genomic Analysis of Novel L2 Mycobacteriophage Vetrix
  Natnael Belay, Quinn Baar, Kayla Carpenter, Alexis Erickson, Therese Joffre, Sophie Klanseck, Lydia Konings, Ellie Marion, Rachel Mast, Ellie Megel, Jenna Mustapha, Madeleine O'Donnell, Tasia Parsons, Allison Ziemba  
  
• Genomic Analysis of Novel B9 Mycobacteriophage PenguinLover67
  Quinn Baar, Natnael Belay, Kayla Carpenter, Alexis Erickson, Therese Joffre, Sophie Klanseck, Lydia Konings, Ellie Marion, Rachel Mast, Jenna Mustapha, Maddy O'Donnell, Tasia Parsons, Allison Ziemba
  
• Testing Changes in Bacteriophage Genome Structure for Effects on Viral Fitness
  Matthew Switalski, Stephen Bojanowski
  
• Knockout of VACM-1-1/cul5 Gene in Endothelial Cells Using CRISPR/Cas9 Regulates Cellular Response to Antiproliferative Compounds
  Megan Flynn, Emily Smith
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin and Joseph Stukey

Session Two: 3:30–4:30

Room 2A: Philosophy and ReligionModerator: Dr. Kevin Kambo

• On Natural Evil, Free-will, and Embodiment
  Hannah Meade
• The Intersection of Mental Health and Christianity
  Emma Passaglia
  
• Drawn into Charity by Charity
  Jacob Kelley
• Spousal Consolation: Unveiling Conscience in Augustine’s City of God
  Andrew Levering
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Kate Finley, Jack Mulder and Jared Ortiz

Room 2B: Biology and Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyModerator: Dr. Phillip Rivera

• Understanding the Impact of Chronic, Low-dose Proton Radiation on Behavior and Systemic Inflammation in Mice
  Corine LaFrenier, Benjamin Gleeson
• Optimizing Protein Precipitation Methods and Quantifying Immune Proteins in Human Nail Samples
  Eliese Moelker, Mikaela Stephan, Nathan Koorndyk, Elizabeth Ngun Cer Sung, Alexander Mathew
  
• Sex-differences in Ethanol Addiction Observed in Mice with a Novel Self-administered Behavioral Paradigm
  Paulina Kozan, Erick Alvarado, Mikayla Zobeck, Vanessa Sauer
  
• The Role of Circulating Mitochondrial DNA in the Inflammatory Response in Neurological Disorders
  Gonzalo Moya
• Post-Translation Modifications of Mitochondrial RNA Polymerase Provide a Potential Regulatory Mechanism for mtDNA Transcription
  Katelynn Paluch
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Kristin Dittenhafer-Reed and Phillip Rivera

Room 2C: KinesiologyModerator: Dr. Brian Rider

• The Effect of the Chirp Wheel and Other Ergogenic Aids on Back Flexion and Recovery
  Nolan Krause, Kelsey Larson, Vincent Pelione, Rose Thompson, Samuel Vree
• The Acute Effect of Beetroot Juice on Muscular Endurance During a Back Squat in Women
  Ariel Lopez, Anna Watkin, Kirsten Thomas, Lauryn Thompson, and Gabrielle Walters
• Examining the Feasibility of Optical Heart Rate Monitoring During Swimming of Different Intensities and Styles
  Hope Reynolds 
  
• Examining the Validity of the Fibion Activity Monitor
  Jaedyn Shelton, Olivia Coolman, Megan Ready, Amberly Keyes, Ethan Willett
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Maureen Dunn, Scott Conger (Boise State), Alex Montoye (Alma College), Olufemi Oluyedun and Brian Rider

Room 2D: PsychologyModerator: Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren

• Examining First Responders’ Mental Health
  Taylor Richmond
• A Virtue of Success: Exploring the Role of Humility in Leadership
  Yuki Kojima, Alissa Sweeney, Taylor Richmond, Carolyn Priebe, Matthew Severino
  
• College Life and Religious Change
  Matt Severino
• The Effect of Religious Priming on Attitudes toward Immigrants
  Carolyn Priebe, Taylor Richmond, Matthew Severino, Alissa Sweeney, Yuki Kojima
  

Thanks to mentor: Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren

Room 2E: EconomicsModerator: Tori Longfield

• The Effects of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program on Non-Targeted Interventions
  Anna Kate Peterson
• The Effects of Welfare Participation on Religious Engagement
  Drew Schmitz
  
• The Effects of Early Childhood Education on Crime
  Arinze Nwike
  
• The Effect of Business Size on the Gender Wage Gap
  Nathan Thomas

Thanks to mentor: Dr. Sarah Estelle

Room 2F: Music and TheatreModerator: Dr. Jordan VanHemert

• Exploration of Black American Music
  Houston Patton, Michael Pineda, Dylan Sherman, Carlos Flores, Ka’niya Houston, Joe Wilkins
• Fleeing Oppression: A History of Self-Imposed Exile in Music
  Daniel Tague
  
• Stage Management of Detroit '67
  Lydia Konings
• Stage Management of Ordinary Days
  Annika Dekker

Thanks to mentors: Reagan Chesnut, Dr. Sarah Southard and Dr. Jordan VanHemert 

Room 2G: Chemistry, Explore Hope, Nursing, and EducationModerator: Professor Susan Ipri Brown

• Before the Next Pandemic: Developing a Framework for Assessing Online Labs to Maximize Student Experience
  Grace Zwiers
• Virtual Reality STEM, Real Life Careers
  Kate Pikaart, Nick Gersonde
  
• Development of the “Be Physical” Intervention Protocol for the INSPIRE Randomized Control Trial
  Maria Egloff 
• Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention: Perceptions of Michigan Preschool Teachers Serving Children with Disabilities
  Sofia Byrum 
• What Alternative Schools Get Right: Lessons from the Field
  Adolfo Magarin, Michael Bonagura
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Sophia D'Agostino, Emilie Dystra Goris, Laura Pardo, William Polik, Vicky Voskuil, and Professors Susan Ipri Brown and Clayton Piehl

Room 2H: Chemistry and PhysicsModerator: Dr. Brent Krueger

• Understanding Water Quality in the Lake Macatawa Watershed using Machine Learning
  Alexander Bauer
  
• Parameterizing Fluorescent Protein Chromophores for Molecular Dynamics Simulations
  Kimberly L. Breyfogle
  
• Exploring Techniques of Synthesizing Prussian Blue Analogues
  Kamaron Wilcox, Forest Rulison
• Determining the β-Decay Intensity Functions of 62Cr and 65Fe
  William von Seeger
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Jennifer Hampton, Brent Krueger and Paul DeYoung

In warm rememberance of Dr. Jennifer Hampton, 1972–2021. Dr. Hampton loved to facilitate student research experiences at Hope College. The Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity was one of her favorite Hope events.

Session Three: 4:30–5:30

Room 3A: Art & Art History, History, Mellon Scholars, and Political Science Moderator: Dr. Curtis Gruenler

• Materiality in Art
  Abby Wallar
• White Rhodesian Identity and the Universal Declaration of Independence, 1900–1980
  Peter Ruiter
  
• Plague and Pandemic in Science and Story
  Claire Buck
  
• Don Quijote and the Founding of the U.S.
  Jamie Breyfogle
• The Stated Goals and Outcomes of the U.S. and China Trade War
  Brooke Kale

Thanks to mentors: Professor Lisa Walcott, Drs. Laren Janes, Curtis Gruenler, Tatevik Gyulamiryan and Joel Toppen

Room 3B: KinesiologyModerator: Dr. Maureen Dunn

• The Effect of Various Facial Coverings on One Mile Run Performance
  Mackenzie Ralston, Emma Schaefer, Hope Reynolds, Katie Newcomer, Zackary Murphy, Emma Gilkey 
• The Acute Effect of Whole Body Vibration using a Clinical Platform Compared to a Portable Platform and No Platform on Balance and Flexibility in Collegiate Dancers
  Anastasia Engelsman, Caroline Cofer, Christina Ziskey, Parker Ryan, Madeline Rudolph, Sophia Rossmiller 
  
• A Comparison of a Portable Whole-body Vibration Machine, a PowerPlate Vibration Machine, and No Machine on Muscular Leg Strength in Untrained College-aged Individuals
  Samantha Beck, Steve Rios, Josiah Thompson, Adam Smith
• Physiological Responses to the Boost Antigravity Treadmill
  Zackary Murphy
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Maureen Dunn and Mark Northuis

Room 3C: PsychologyModerator: Dr. Mary Inman

• Filled and Unfulfilled Hope: The Effect of Imagery on Self-Regulatory Resources and Emotion
  Isabel Santos, Delaney Groves
• Does Religious Deidentification Predict Risky Health Behaviors and Poor Mental Health?
  Amy Osterbaan
  
• The Effects of Religiousness and Spirituality on COVID-19 Health Behavior Compliance
  Kimberly Paquette
• Like Father, Like Partner? The Influence of Parental Traits on Implicit and Explicit Mate Preferences
  Emily Dodge, Alexx Irwin
  

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Alyssa Cheadle, Lindsey Root Luna and Daryl Van Tongeren

Room 3D: PsychologyModerator: Dr. Andrew Gall

• Forgive to Rest: Implications of Rumination and Compassionate Reappraisal for Improving Sleep Quality and Quantity
  Sabrina Blank, Tim Boyce, Karsten Galyon, Sacia Gilbertson, Haley Katenin, Emily Lambert, Meredith Lepper, Lindsey Medenblik, Julia Wilson
• College Students’ Attitudes toward the Outdoors: Trends during the Pandemic
  McKenna Bartley, Hannah Meade
• A Holistic Approach to Physical Activity and Indicators of Overall Health: A Retrospective and Prospective Study
  Corine LaFrenier, Andrea Rocco, Elijah Maxwell
• College Students’ Screen Time in the Midst of a Pandemic
  Mikenna K Davidson, Natalie A. Ramsay

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Andrew Gall, Sonja Trent-Brown and Charlotte Witvliet

Room 3E: EconomicsModerator: Dr. Steven McMullen

• How Does Terrorist Activity Affect a Country’s Tourism Receipts?
  Cameron Geddes
• The Effect of Parent's Religiosity on Their Child's Future Religiosity
  Chapin Thiel
• The Effects of Fuel Taxes on the Annual Sales of Passenger Vehicles
  Jacob Moore
• How Does an Individual's Underlying Medical Conditions Affect Flu Vaccine Take-up?
  Natalie Rosenquist
• Do Higher Ranked Colleges Reduce the Risk of Overeducation?
  Yiwei Jiang

Thanks to mentor: Dr. Sarah Estelle

Room 3F: Sociology & Social Work and NursingModerator: Dr. Anita Esquerra-Zwiers

• Differences in Pre-Health Undergraduate Descriptions of the Ideal Self
  Kaitlyn Lein
• Immigrant and Refugee Youth: Stories Shared by Professionals
  Jazmin Serrano
• Designing a Theory-Based Physical and Educational Intervention to Promote Strength in Adolescent Girls
  Rachel Dohm
• Maternal Provision of Mother's Milk and Birth Trauma in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Grounded Theory Analysis
  Emma West

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Emilie Dykstra Goris, Anita Esquerra-Zwiers, Aaron Franzen, Deborah Sturtevant and Vicki Voskuil

Room 3G: ChemistryModerator: Dr. Michael Philben

• Pioneer Plant Seeds Contain Antifungal Compounds
  Nicholas Weigle
• Morphology of EDOT Films Depends on Monomer Identity
  Macy Elarton, Isabelle Dial
• An Iron Porphyrin Substituted EDOT Film Acts as a Redox Mediator to Detect Glucose Electrochemically
  Nathan Trumble, Terrell Solberg
• Methoxy-Substituted Quinaldines for Electron-Rich Long-Wavelength Azo Dye
  Thomas Cygan, Claudia Bouma
• Computing UV-Vis-NIR Absorbance Spectra of a Library of Novel Long-Wavelength Azo Dyes
  Colin Bradley

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Mary Elizabeth Anderson (Furman University), Kenneth Brown, Jason Gillmore, K. Greg Murray and Elizabeth M. Sanford

Room 3H: Engineering and PhysicsModerator: Jeffrey Christians

• Exploring Halide Perovskite Structural Tunability to Design Materials for Dynamic Photovoltaic Windows
  Josephine Surel, Elizabeth Cutlip
• Vapor Induced Phase Transition of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Thin Films for Novel Use in Solar Cells
  Zachery Wylie, Peter Ruffolo
• A Power Series Approach for Heat of Vaporization Predicted by the SRK Equation
  Natalie Rowe
• Calibration of OpenSim Lifting Full-Body Model for Dynamic Simulations of Patient-handling Maneuvers
  Barry Bait, Bridget Gagnier
• Simulation and Measurement of the Microgap Threshold Electric Field
  Miguel Castelan Hernandez, William Zywicki

Thanks to mentors: Drs. Jeffrey Christians, Michael Misovich, Brooke Odle and Stephen Remillard