Honors Students' Works
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This collection contains capstone papers and projects from UMD Honor Students from 2015 to the present.
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Browsing Honors Students' Works by Type "Scholarly Text or Essay"
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Item 3Dimensional Coaching: Fact or Fiction(2015) Mattson, Shaun“Sport is a great vehicle by which life skills can be taught,” Dr. Jeff Duke. This very sentence is the reason that the 3Dimensional Coaching model is starting to become more and more relevant in today’s world. This method wants coaches to look past the physical skill and game fundamentals that many of today’s coaches only worry about. 3Dimensional Coaching involves the body, mind, and spirit. The specific characteristics are everything from those game specific skills to the player’s motivations for being on the team and to go even further it wants coaches to begin looking into individual’s values and motivations. The purpose of this study was to try and find some evidence that supports 3Dimensional Coaching that it does not only help make these kids into better people but still allows them to perform at a higher level. Literature review was done to try and find other sports that used a similar model. I looked first more in depth at what exactly 3Dimensional Coaching is through their website and through an interview with Dr. Jeff Duke from the University of Central Florida. The second source I looked at was information from the United States Tennis Association. They have identified several psychological skills that are necessary for heightened levels of performance. These skills correlate strongly with 3D Coaching and the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory. Finally, I looked at the culture created at the University of California Los Angeles by quite possibly the greatest coach in the history of sports, John Wooden. His pyramid of success has been adopted by countless coaches, including the staff I work for at Superior High School, and is another great example of what 3D Coaching is promoting. This study involves six participants that all filled out the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory prior to the 2014 Wisconsin High School football season. These same participants were then evaluated at three different points throughout the season by their position coaches on the basis of alignment, assignment, and technique used. Seasonal statistics were also collected to show performance. The results from this can be found at the end of the report. Future implication for this study can also be found at the end of the report.Item Academic and Social Acclimation of Medical Students Following a Prematriculation Program(2016) Skildum, Andrew; Kosobuski, Anna W; Prunuske, Amy; Whitney, AbigailTransitioning to medical school is challenging. To help ease this transition, medical schools across the country have implemented summer online courses, supplemental instruction, and pre-matriculation programs. Pre-matriculation programs offer the unique opportunity to acclimate students to the academic rigor and culture of medical school. The University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus offers a summer pre-matriculation program to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented populations in medicine. The program coincides with the school’s mission to train students who are committed to practicing family medicine that serves rural Minnesota and American Indian communities. Through this program, students gain academic knowledge, study-skills, and a support-network of faculty and peers. Evaluation of scores on a microbiology concept inventory exam of participants before and after the pre-matriculation program compared to their peers showed academic gains of the participants. A focus group with pre-matriculation participants was conducted over three years to help evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Interviews were conducted with non-participants, students who were invited to participate in the program but chose not to attend, in order to gain insight into strategies to improve participation in the program and observe differences between participants and non-participants. Focus groups were also conducted with peer mentors, participants from previous years who assisted the students during the program. Repeating first-year students were invited to attend and reported unique benefits of the program to returning students in a focus group. To assess the program’s impact on social and studying networks, social network analysis was conducted on three years of medical students to evaluate the impacts and longevity of connections made during the pre-matriculation program. The social network analysis also identified the unique studying and social networks of medical students. Evaluating the social networks, academic gains, and participant perception of the program will help the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus improve the pre-matriculation program and further support underrepresented students.Item Across the Pond: A Commentary on London and Other Places(2020-04-23) Weber, ClaireThis paper presents both a reflection and a discussion of travel literature that is based on a catalog of events which transpired during a journey to London in the fall of 2019. In support of these diary-like writings, there are four literatures used as comparison tools to analyze the tropes, the mentalities and processes behind travelling. The genre of this piece could be classified as creative nonfiction. It entails a form of blending between critical research and personal reflection to create a philosophically-inclined narrative. The authors cited in this paper are Freya Stark, Peter Mayle, Paul Theroux, and Laurence Sterne. These authors were selected somewhat randomly but with an underlying idea that each of their novels are regarded as important travel literature. Understanding that travel writing is a procession of thought is fundamentally crucial when leaning into the idea that traveling is not a permanent lifestyle.Item Alcohol Consumption and Intimate Relationships in College Students(2016) Osterbauer, MeghanIn the present study, we sought to examine the relationship between aspects of intimate relationships (status and length) and alcohol consumption in college students. We ran independent groups t-tests to analyze connections between status (committed and not committed) and drinking measures. Both the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (S-MAST) and Quantity X Frequency of drinking trended (though not significant) so that those who were not committed drank more than those who were. There was also a trend (measured with Kendal’s Tau to account for skewed data) for those who were in their relationship for longer to drink less than those who hadn’t been committed for as long. Because of the low number of participants (n=35), we are unable to draw any solid conclusions from our results.Item Analysis of Post-Installed Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Anchorage in Beam-Column Joints(2017) McDermott, Matthew; Dymond, BenThis project sought to examine the performance of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars in post-installed anchorage of beam-column joints. Post-installing is a common and often preferable method of making structural concrete connections in buildings and other structures as the system offers much flexibility. Some applications include cantilever beams, slab widening, and diaphragm wall construction. Post-installing requires little installation time, can be installed in many orientations, and is serviceable shortly after installation (Hilti, 2011). The method involves drilling a hole in a hardened concrete member and anchoring a bar of some type into the hole. Most commonly, an adjacent member is cast around the post-installed bar. In other cases, fixtures are attached to the post-installed bar such as hand rails or window framing systems. Regardless of the application, the connection of the bar to the adjoining concrete in a drilled hole is the critical link for post-installed connections.Item Analysis of soil in a Chesapeake Bay salt marsh using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry: Effects of global climate change and sea level rise in coastal marshes(2017) Wheeler, MarissaThe average global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has increased by more than 38% since the beginning of the industrial revolution, reaching a level that has not been seen in over 800,000 years. This rise is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, land cultivation, and the deterioration of carbon sinks Salt marshes are one of these crucial carbon sinks, known as the Blue Carbon sink. Changes in both climate and land-use can destroy salt marshes, thus turning the natural carbon sink into a source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. This research focused on one Chesapeake Bay salt marsh located in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. This region has experienced a continual increase in sea level, making it an ideal location to analyze the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) and how it changes with accelerated water rise. SOM is vital to the health of an ecosystem, contributing to soil nutrients, water storage, and other ecosystem services, which is why it is essential to study its chemical properties and how they change in regard to sea level rise and climate change. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the major functional groups in the SOM from the salt marsh, as well as a 2D correlation program to create synchronous plots to detect changes in soil composition across a variety of locations. The results showed that as sea levels have risen, the study site salt marsh has transgressed upslope and inland causing changes in vegetation over time at each site. It was proven that this change in SOM vegetative source was reflected in the changes in SOM chemistry both between samples at different locations, and among samples taken at different depths.Item Analyzing Google Flu Trends(2015) Nelson, MaryItem Applications of Extremophiles in Martian Astrobiology(2016) Wolf, JordanThe study of extremophiles, microorganisms that live in extreme environments, is a rapidly growing area of research. It is only recently that scientists have discovered that these types of microorganisms exist; discovering extremophile existence in locations such as toxic acid drainage sites, cold Antarctic deserts, and deep under the Earth’s surface. While all extremophiles differ vastly, they are connected by one trait: their ability to thrive in environments where no other life survives, even outer space. This review will focus on current research of Martian astrobiology. Because of the characteristics many extremophiles possess, they are common model organisms for extraterrestrial life. The environments discussed in this literature review serve as terrestrial analogs for Martian environments. The most recent literature is sending extremophiles in space and simulated extraterrestrial conditions to measure survival rates. Future applications include discovering life on Mars or possibly populating others planets with life (Rampelotto).Item Applying Persuasion Theories to a Community-Based Fundraiser(2016) Geisler, JamesThis paper focuses on the use of well-known persuasions theories and tactics in a specific context. These theories and tactics were applied in the context of a community-based fundraiser. The theories and tactics used include promise, foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face, the Theory of Reasoned Action, and liking. These theories and tactics were used to coordinate an event for a nonprofit afterschool program called the Music Resource Center in Duluth, Minnesota. The application of these theories and tactics in messages seeking compliance found that this particular context yields a wide variety of results. This paper also focuses on drawing implications from the results of using these theories and tactics in messages seeking compliance.Item Are Current Popular Children’s Books An Effective Tool in Language Intervention For Preschool Aged Children?(2015) Athmann, AllisonThe popular children’s book, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, which was published in 2013, was examined to determine its appropriateness with preschool-aged children with language impairments. The examination included qualitative measures based on the physical appearance of the book and quantitative measures involving an analysis of the book’s syntactic and semantic content. This book was then compared to previous research done by Kent Brorson and Kristin Lee Milbrath, to determine if Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is as appropriate as other books identified as in stimulating language development in language impaired preschool aged children.Item The Assassination of Philip II of Macedon(2016) Anderson-Lind, Garet; Rop, JeffreyIn this paper, there is an assessment of the modern theories concerning the conspiracy to assassinate Philip II of Macedon, checking the claims against evidence provided by surviving ancient sources. Examining where authors get their information from and how they use it offers insight into which arguments are valid and which ones are not. While there are many arguments about Philip’s assassination conspiracy, addressed are the five most common theories. The most likely theory naming Alexander as the main conspirator behind his father’s assassination.Item Attitudes Towards Customized vs. Generic Synthetic Voices on Speech Generating Devices(2019) Salmela, SabrinaThis study examined the attitudes of undergraduate students towards a peer who use speech-generating devices (SGDs) with synthetic voices. Participants’ attitudes toward a customized synthetic voice were compared to their attitudes toward a generic synthetic voice used by a female peer who is characterized as having a degenerative disorder in which she needed to use a talking computer to communicate. The study also examined ease of understanding, willingness to interact, and preferences regarding synthetic voices. The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: a) Do reported attitudes toward and individual who uses an SGD to communicate vary as a function of synthetic voice type? b) Does reported willingness to socially interact with and/or reported ease of understanding an individual who uses an SGD to communicate vary as a function of synthetic voice type? c) Do preferences for self-use or use by others vary according to synthetic voice type?Item Bacterial Vaginosis: Historical stigmas and diagnostic methods influence modern day perceptions(2018) Dettle, Sarah; Sieber, JRFor over a century research on the composition of the vaginal microbiome and its correlation to symptoms and disease has been of interest. Early studies have identified key Lactobacillus bacteria that are abundant in healthy women (Doderlein 1891), while other studies identified the possible pathogenic microbe, Gardnerella vaginalis, abundant in women with vaginal discomfort (Gardner 1957). The term used to describe the shift from the “healthy” bacteria to a different composition of bacteria in the vaginal microbiota is bacterial vaginosis (BV). This shift is seen as a dysbiosis that can cause vaginal discomfort. The method that is universally accepted for diagnosing BV scores vaginal bacterial compositions morphologically by the amount of Gram-positive Lactobacillus versus the amount of Gram-negative Gardnerella and other Gram-variable present in the canal (Nugent 1991). Recent studies have indicated there are multiple unique bacterial community compositions in women asymptomatic for BV (Ravel 2011). Some vaginal communities lack a dominating Lactobacillus species, and are then classified as having BV based on Nugent score criteria. Women who lack Lactobacillus species often are of different ethnic groups (Anukam 2006), leading researchers to question the reason and find correlations for this phenomenon. The present analysis highlights the skewed diagnosis techniques of BV that establish a social stigma against certain ethnic groups.Item Basin Mode Waves in a Rotating, Cylindrical, Water Tank(2018) Kallevig, MarkBasin modes, standing waves excited by wind and storms, are possible in every body of water. The frequency and shape of basin mode waves depends on the size, depth, shape, and latitude of the body of water. In small lakes, basin mode waves have short periods of less than an hour. The latitude of the lake has little effect because the scale of the lake is not large enough for the Coriolis force to alter its behavior. In oceans, the period of these waves can exceed a day, and the propagation of waves is dramatically altered by the Coriolis force. For large lakes, such as Lake Superior or Lake Victoria (in Africa), little is known about the nature of the basin mode waves because the scale of these lakes is large enough that the Coriolis Force has an effect, but not so large that they behave as oceans. To understand these waves, I applied analytical and numerical techniques to determine the normal modes in the simplified system of a cylindrical, rotating, water tank. The solution is a Bessel function of tank radius multiplied by a sinusoid of the angle. There are an infinite number of solutions for each mode of Bessel function. After deriving and extending existing solutions, I compared the solutions to normal modes in a numerically modelled lake. I found great similarity between the predictions of linear theory, and the MIT General Circulation Model (MITgcm). The MITgcm replicated a number of the normal modes and approximately matched modal frequencies. The MITgcm also exhibited a Kelvin wave.Item Building the Backbone to Student Success(2017) St.Amant, BethItem Item Campus Awareness of Communication Disorders at the University of Minnesota Duluth(2015) Cedergren, KasandraThe field of speech-language pathology is growing tremendously in our world today due to the increasing demands of client's in need. Unfortunately, not many individuals know that the field exists or what exactly the field entails. Both independently and on interdisciplinary teams, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with many people in their careers from other fields of study. As part of the Communications Sciences and Disorders department here at the University of Minnesota Duluth, I sent a campus-wide survey to students to find out what knowledge they have about communicative disorders on a basic level. The purpose of this study was to measure the knowledge undergraduate and graduate students have at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) about communication disorders based on majors that involved the potential to work with an SLP in the future and those majors that did not. The data collected was intended to identify if students in allied majors were significantly more educated about communication disorders than those in non-allied majors. The survey was a series of 20 open-ended and multiple-choice questions that students took online via Qualtrics: Online Survey Software and Insight Platform. The responses were electronically compiled when the survey was submitted and remained anonymous. The results were analyzed on either an item-by-item frequency basis or a chi-squared analysis.Item Cardiovascular Demands of Snowmobiling(2015) Hunt, MaryItem Challenges and Suggestions for Employing Ex-Offenders(2018) Hartigan, EmmaThe aim of this research is to find the best practices for companies who are willing to work with employees that have criminal backgrounds. With negative connotations that are automatically associated with an ex-offender, it can be nearly impossible to find work, and just as hard maintain employment. This may be due to a variety of different factors, one of which being the way that managers approach this challenge. According to the findings, openness, masculinity, moderate power distance, long-term orientation are some of the key factors in maintaining a useful working relationship between employees in this demographic and employers. In the following report, I review literature and delve into my own research regarding the importance of this topic and distinguish strategies for management to find meaningfulness out of helping these high-risk individuals keep employment.Item Changes in the Fluidity of Coordination with Curling Experience(2016) Bernier, Kyle; Segler, Emily; Hessler, Eric EThis study examined the effects of experience in the sport of curling by comparing different movement tasks of curlers of varying levels of experience. We predicted that curlers with more experience would demonstrate greater amounts of flexibility in their movements, which is consistent with past studies on movement and experience (Bernstein, 1967, Vereijken, van Emmerik, Whiting, & Newell, 1992). Curlers from the Duluth Curling Club were tested on both hit and draw shots while turning their wrists in either a clockwise or counterclockwise movement. Their movement was recorded using an Optotrak Certus device which uses infrared sensors to pick up on slight differences in movement. We found that participants with more experience showed greater amounts of flexibility while performing the motion tasks. Results from this study can be used by curlers trying to make improvements to their game. Further research can be conducted to improve upon our findings.