2017 Celebration of Scholarship

Photographs by Megan Mac Gregor

Thursday, April 13, 2017
12:00 noon – 2:00pm
ARB Gym, Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Participants

Winners

Best Poster Presentation for APPLIED SCIENCES

0119: Blaise Waligun, Colby Karnes, Emily Miller, Greg Bronsberg, Kathryn Waclawski. Will It Make It?

A toy car longs to smash and crash, but sometimes to achieve its “demolishing derby” dream, it must overcome obstacles in its path. This experiment is a 2-D, Physics-based, experimental-investigation on which path is the best to maneuver over a wall that is in the toy car’s path, and how different angles will affect the trajectory of the toy car as it is launched off a ramp and over a wall. With repeated launch trials by means of a constructed device, off a ramp, with changing angular values, an optimal ramp angle is hoped to be found to maximize distance whilst clearing the wall. Will it make it?! (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Violet Mager)

0064: Aaron Martinez. The Effect of target intensity and target-instrument geometry on terrestrial laser scanner accuracy

This project aims to understand how target-instrument geometry effects the accuracy of terrestrial laser scanners. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dimitrios Bolkas)

Best Poster Presentation for NATURAL SCIENCES

0130: Adam Curry. Does caffeine lead to cannibalism? A test in Tenebrio molitor

Caffeine is a stimulant for humans, boosts memory in bees at low doses, reduces reproduction in butterflies, and is also a natural insecticide. This poster focuses on how caffeine affects the Darkling beetle life stages; including the rates of growth, reproduction, survival, and cannibalism. This experiment has been continuing for 20 weeks, through the weekly measurements in the caffeine and control enclosures. Caffeine had no significant effect on growth, reproduction, and survival; however it lowered cannibalism rates. These results are related to the lower energy rates given from caffeine. The long term effects caffeine has is not yet conclusive.

(Faculty Advisor: Dr. Renee Rosier)

Best Poster Presentation for SOCIAL SCIENCES

0122: Ingrid Ritchie. Examining the (In) Equalities in Structural Covariates of Gender-Specific Drug Arrest Counts

Previous research has investigated the association between levels of crime and structural characteristics of communities; in particular, concentrated disadvantage. The buying, selling, and use of certain kinds of drugs is disproportionally linked to racial and ethnic minorities. Feminist criminology has suggested arrests of women for drug-related offenses may disproportionately affected by structural characteristics of communities, as well as police practice. Extant literature, however, has failed to test this hypothesis across contextual units or drug types. The proposed study will fill these gaps in literature by assessing inequality in the structural covariates of gender-specific drug arrests for methamphetamine, heroin, and crack cocaine in a sample of medium to large U.S. cities.

(Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt)

Best Poster Presentation for HUMANITIES

0076: Tanner MacDougall. The Importance of Mechanical Engineering at The Fairmount Water Works

A look into the Fairmount Water Works located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, explaining how mechanical engineering played an important role in supplying the city with water during the 1800’s.

(Faculty Advisor: Bill Bachman/Terry Clemente)

Nesbitt Library Information Literacy Award

0132: Matthew Caines. Perceptions of the Death Penalty Among College Students

Few studies to date have focused on the attitudes of college students toward the death penalty. This poster describes the role of college major, among other factors, in shaping one’s attitude toward the death penalty and its effectiveness.

(Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt)

Best Poster Presentation OVERALL

0100: K. Jacob Gibbs. Fire Station Response Time Analysis

The developed land area in Philadelphia is not properly covered by at least one fire station in a 1.5 mile radius. To minimize delays and damage, new fire stations have been proposed to properly cover the developed land area.

(Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dimitrios Bolkas)

0105: Alexa Webby, Heidi Kile, Adam Garnett, Curtis Evans. SWOT Analysis: McDonald’s

For Corporate Finance, our group created a SWOT Analysis along with a brief financial summary, including stock price, financial ratios, and financial history of McDonald’s.

(Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Weber)

Dr. Rosier’s Telescoping Spoon Award (Biology)

0130: Adam Curry.Does caffeine lead to cannibalism? A test in Tenebrio molitor

Caffeine is a stimulant for humans, boosts memory in bees at low doses, reduces reproduction in butterflies, and is also a natural insecticide. This poster focuses on how caffeine affects the Darkling beetle life stages; including the rates of growth, reproduction, survival, and cannibalism. This experiment has been continuing for 20 weeks, through the weekly measurements in the caffeine and control enclosures. Caffeine had no significant effect on growth, reproduction, and survival; however it lowered cannibalism rates. These results are related to the lower energy rates given from caffeine. The long term effects caffeine has is not yet conclusive.

(Faculty Advisor: Dr. Renee Rosier)

0139: Mitchell MacDougall. How Will Microwaves Affect The Germination Of Sunflower Seeds

A study of the what microwaves can do to the overall growth rate of sunflowers seeds at different levels of exposure. (Faculty Advisor, Renee Rosier)

Honorable Mentions

0011: Shaina Shelton. How Cults Recruit New Members

A description of what characteristics make individuals vulnerable to cult recruitment, and explanation of the three stages cults use to indoctrinate new members. (Faculty Advisor: Melisa Naylor)

0015: Emma Evans. Attitudes: Shaping and Forming Our Behavior

This research focuses on how the attitudes that we have, influences our behaviors. It demonstrates how the differences in our attitudes compared to another person’s will allow our behaviors to be vastly different. For example, if one person has a positive attitude toward school, he/she is more likely to continue his/her education. However, if a person has a negative attitude toward school, he/she is less likely to advance his/her education. Hence, their attitudes directly influence their behavior. Overall, this research explores the fact that our attitudes may be a large factor in what affects the differences in our cultural practices and beliefs. (Faculty Advisor: Melisa Naylor)

0022: Jacob Fullmer. Priming, and the effect it can have on obesity rates

Showcasing studies done about priming and how it can affect eating habits, with a focus on children. (Faculty Advisor: Melisa Naylor)

0046: Susan Huey. Sharswood Revitalization?

A look into the Sharswood Blumberg Transformation Plan taking place in the Sharswood neighborhood located in Philadelphia. This project is a large scale project that Philadelphia has never attempted before. Hence the question if this project can be completed and finished, and if it were to fail why. (Faculty Advisor: Bill Bachman/Terry Clemente)

0061: Jonathan Santos, Khalid Liburd. Construction Survey Column Stakeout for a High-rise Building

An area in Camden, NJ was taken for government use, and 360 Surveying Co. was tasked to provide the layout for construction crews to build a high-rise building on site. A construction stakeout was carried out on a lot 1200 ft by 1200 ft for a high-rise structure. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Esra Tekdal Yilmaz)

0090: Wyatt McMarlin, Graham Speace. ArcGIS Case Study of the “Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936” in Pittsburgh, PA

A comparison between the historical records documenting the 1936 St. Patricks day flood, and a flood model created with ArcGIS mapping software. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dimitrios Bolkas)

0111: Jon Schwartz, Ron Neher. Luzerne County Voting Patterns 2000-2016

Several maps show Presidential election results from 2000-2016. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dimitrios Bolkas)

0113: Shaina Shelton. Blue Chip Farm Animal Refuge: A Place of Healing

A presentation of the subculture of our local no-kill animal shelter, Blue Chip Animal Farm Refuge. (Faculty Advisor: Lynda Goldstein)

0124: Kathryn Waclawski. Roller Coaster Physics

Roller Coaster engineers do more than just make rides for the public’s enjoyment. They keep Theme Park-enthusiasts safe. The amount of Physics and Calculus that goes into designing a Roller Coaster track and its carts and harnesses is extensive. One miscalculation can send many people to the hospital or even their deaths. (Faculty Advisor: Violet Mager)

0125: Greg Strazdus. Implementation of Google for Education: A Case Study of the Dallas School District in Pennsylvania

In 2015, the Dallas School District decided to “Go Google.” This was a multi-year project that transferred Email, File Storage, Classroom Collaboration, to the Google Suite. This research allows other school districts to learn the process of transferring to Google for Education or “Suite.” It showed the results and opinions from different school district members which were collected through a survey. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Wei-Fan Chen)

0135: Hasham Jaffri, Amari Boyd, Khalid Liburd, Zacharia Sao, Shikongha Cyril Tankam. Thorium Based Nuclear Power: Future or Bust

Nuclear energy is a large part of everyone’s life, weather people like it or not, but what if there was a alternative source of nuclear power besides uranium. Thorium is another resource that can replace uranium in power production. Not only is it safer, but unlike uranium it can’t be weaponize. This presentation will explore the benefits and draw back of Thorium. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Violet Mager)

0141: Vincent Pavill, Joseph Hall, Anthony LaTorre. Making Mjolnir: An experiment with electromagnetivity

This is a poster about the creation of an electromagnetic Thor’s Hammer, named Mjolnir. Along with the poster there will be two physical hammers to accompany our display. (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Violet Mager)

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