Category: Oral Presentation

The Empire’s New Clothes: The Establishment Of Social Sciences in Post-War Academia and Its Implication For British Colonial Policy

Presenter(s): Caroline Richelsen − History, Political Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Ian McNeely

Oral Session 3SW

Research Area: Social Science, History

In the aftermath of the Second World War, universities in Britain were tapped as a potential training ground for the next generation of experts who could support the British Empire, as it transitioned from a Great Power to a decolonized state.
This project seeks to examine the possible correlation between changes in British foreign policy and development in higher education; analyzing how the demands of the British Empire informed the curriculum and direction of new disciplines in British Universities. To do so, this project uses SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), of the University of London, as a case study to showcase the interaction between the political agenda of the British government and the institution itself. In terms of formatting, the findings will be presented in an essay estimated around 70 to 80 pages, excluding a reference list and infographics, and relies on the consultation of primary sources such as government reports, financial- and personal accounts. Early findings have confirmed a direct correlation between the development of new departments and the needs of the state, as the transition from the post-war environment to the Cold War created a demand for experts well-versed in Oriental and East European languages and culture. The subject of this inquiry is of value because it illustrates how certain academic traditions are rooted in the political ambitions of states seeking to use knowledge to impose their worldviews on overseas territories; creating disciplines with predetermined biases which remain prevalent in institutions today.

Pepe the Frog: Challenging Cultural Hegemony with Internet Memes

Presenter(s): Ben Pettis − Media Studies, Cinema Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Peter Alilunas

Oral Session 2C

Research Area: Humanities

This thesis examines Internet memes as a unique medium that has the capability to easily and seamlessly transfer ideologies between groups, and potentially enable subcultures to challenge, and possibly overthrow, hegemonic power structures that maintain the dominance of a mainstream culture. Dick Hebdige provides a model by which a dominant culture can reclaim the images and symbols used by a subculture through the process of commodification. Using the Pepe the Frog meme as a case study, I argue that Hebdige’s commodification model does not apply to Internet memes, because traditional concepts of ownership and control affect Internet memes differently. As such, the medium enables subcultures to claim and redefine an image to challenge a dominant culture. I trace the meme from its creation by Matt Furie in 2005 to its appearance in the 2016 US Presidential Election and examine how its meaning has changed throughout its history. I define the difference between a meme instance and the meme as a whole, and conclude that the meaning of the overall meme is formed by the sum of its numerous meme instances. This structure is unique to the medium of Internet memes and is what enables subcultures to use them to easily transfer ideologies in order to challenge the hegemony of dominant cultures. Unlike with other forms of media, it is difficult for the dominant culture to exert its power or control over Internet memes. Internet memes, therefore, have significant real-world implications and potential to empower subcultures.

Representations of Madness in Zanzibar, Tanzania; An Analysis of Colonial Mental Health Diagnostic Labels

Presenter(s): Anne Peters − International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Kristin Yarris, Melissa Graboyes

Oral Session 4M

Research Area: Humanities

Franz Fanon has shown how ideas of mental health and illness reflect historical and political constructs, especially for racialized and colonial subjects and their subjugators. “Confronted with a world configured by the colonizer, the colonized subject is always presumed guilty.” (Fanon, 1961). Drawing on Fanon and other post-colonial scholars, my research asks
the question: what influence did colonial ideas about race and mental illness have on mental health care practices in East Africa during British colonialism? I explore this question by examining primary source materials from archives of the British Superintendent-directed “lunatic asylum” in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 1914 to 1947. In particular, I conducted a close reading and analysis of the diagnostic labels used during this time, how they were variously applied to African patients (colonial subjects) as compared to patients in British mental hospitals in the same period. My research reveals the colonial motives of the British Protectorate in both the diagnosis and the treatment of patients, and considers the broader political purpose these diagnoses may have served. Not only were the staff in charge inadequate to make such diagnoses, but also it was a commonly held belief that the native populations admitted to the asylum were mentally incapable of having the same diagnoses as their English counterpart. My research also contributes an historical perspective to the broader field of Global Mental Health, as I examine how shifts in psychiatric diagnoses reflect social interests, political power, and racialized ideas.

A Comparative Analysis of Preventive and Post Conflict Action in Refugee Crises

Presenter(s): Maria Pervova − Economics, International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Galen Martin

Oral Session 4M

Research Area: Social Science

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are currently more than 65 million refugees in the world, a number that does not include internally displaced people, asylum seekers, and stateless persons. This massive and inhumane displacement of people is largely caused by war and political tensions that unjustly affect non-combattants. Not only does this harm individuals and families, but this unnervingly trickles down to limit human potential in terms of educational achievement and economic growth for future generations. Countries not directly involved in these conflicts complain that the influx of refugees and migrants is straining their resources and overall production capacity. As of now, there are not enough successful, preventative measures taken to halt the eruption of refugee crises in their tracks or even before they begin. The United Nations and individual countries alike are hesitant to spend time and energy on building upon preventive methods such as diplomacy and peace building. It is understandable that countries do not want to pay upfront costs for even likely events, especially when they are apt to occur outside their borders. However, conflict resolution costs and refugee services are only a tiny fraction of the military and post-conflict spending needed to end crises. My comparative analysis aims to demonstrate that a greater upfront investment in conflict prevention is more cost effective in terms of human life and economic measures than post conflict expenditures. This will be evaluated through a cost-benefit analysis of recent refugee crises in the Middle East.

The Role Of Patterned Spontaneous Circuit Activity In Drosophila Neuronal Circuit Assembly

Presenter(s):Nelson Perez − Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Arnaldo Carreira-Rosario, Chis Doe

Oral Session 2SW

Research Area: Natural sciences, Neuroscience, Biology, Developmental Biology

Funding: HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute), SPUR Program

Neuronal networks become active before they are fully functional. This is known as patterned spontaneous network activity (PaSNA), an event characterized by quiescent periods followed by bursts of activity. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of PaSNA for proper neuronal circuit assembly. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms underlying PaSNA.
In the Drosophila ventral nerve cord (spinal cord for invertebrate counterpart) PaSNA occurs during late embryonic stages. During PaSNA, embryos exhibit intermittent episodes of uncoordinated motor activity that gradually mature into crawling waves. Concomitantly with wave maturation, more neurons become active during PaSNA. The identity of these neurons and function during PaSNA remains unknown. To identify which cells undergo PaSNA and their function during circuit assembly, we are screening for GAL4 lines, which maintain expression in small subsets of neurons from the onset of PaSNA until the circuit is fully assembled. We have identified several GAL4 lines suitable for our experiments. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we identified that the neurons labeled by one of these lines participates in PaSNA. Four other lines have been identified as good candidates for future experiments that involve calcium imaging and tracking of synapsis formation during PaSNA. This represents a unique tool to study PaSNA and its role in circuit formation.

Nanoparticles! 

Presenter(s): Makenna Pennel − Chemistry

Faculty Mentor(s): Jim Hutchison, Kenyon Plummer

Oral Session 2S

Research Area: Materials Science

Funding: Hutchison Lab, Alden Research Award

Whether we realize it or not, the emerging field of nanoengineering is continually revolutionizing the world around us. From smartphones to sunscreen, engineered nanoparticles are everywhere in our day-to-day lives. Scientists are constantly discovering new properties and applications—the possibilities of this incredibly small realm seem endless! This talk will feature a general introduction to the fascinating world of nanoparticles, in addition to a brief overview of my research on the topic in regard to metal oxides. Currently my work revolves around synthetic and mechanistic inquires, with emphasis on particle morphology and plasmon tunability. Some of the goals: improving the novel synthetic approach for metal oxide nanoparticles developed by the Hutchison Lab here at the University of Oregon, and creating new structures with enhanced optical properties. These are ongoing interests of mine, but significant progress has been made in both cases. Microscope images of things that are 7 nanometers wide will abound!

UO ELP Climate Action Team: Educating Eugene’s Young Adults

Presenter(s): Katie O’connor − Environmental Science, Economics

Co Presenter(s): Maya Vigil, Makena Dandley, Simoan Waldron, Yue Liu, Jackson Darke, Katie Robison, Kelsey Maass

Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay, Kaelyn Polick-Kirkpatrick

Oral Session 4CN

Research Area: Social science

Our mission is to interact with local 16-24 year olds to raise awareness of the local impacts of climate change and encourage citizen action in mitigating it in Eugene. Through research on the most effective ways to communicate climate change issues to members of the community, we have prepared a social media campaign to engage citizens. Through use of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, we have developed strategies that can involve the community in climate-friendly actions by presenting the cost-effectiveness of these actions. We will use tabling events to target community members of Eugene and University students to promote education and prompt public engagement on the issue of climate change. To track success, we will keep count of how many people are viewing/interacting with posts, tabling events, and surveys. This project provides several benefits for the local community including reducing the impacts of climate change, limiting individual’s carbon footprints, and introducing cost-effective lifestyle changes. We hope our project will educate the local community on climate issues and increase citizen involvement in climate change mitigation by inspiring cost effective lifestyle changes that benefit the environment. We will present our social media framework, strategies, and methods for evaluation in a presentation following the conclusion of the project. It’s our hope the results we collect can be useful for the City of Eugene as they move forward in the fight against climate change.

The Role of Mentoring and Ethnic Identity in Latinx* High School Students

Presenter(s): Alejandra Miranda − Psychology, Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Ellen McWhirter

Oral Session 2M

Research Area: Social Science

Funding: McNair Scholarship

Latinx students remain significantly underrepresented at four-year colleges and universities (Fry & Taylor, 2013). For this reason, examining associations between mentoring, ethnic identity, and postsecondary plans in Latinx students may help to explain the continuing underrepresentation in higher education. This study discovers associations between mentoring, ethnic identity, and post-high school plans (PLANS) in 665 Latinx high school students. Mentoring helps integrate and connect students to academic experiences (Crisp et al., 2017). Unfortunately, many Latinx parents are unable to provide their children with academic support to pursue a higher education due to various factors such as language barriers, work, or lack of education (Ceballo, 2004). Ethnic identity is also found to be a strong predictor of school engagement and school positivity (Booth et al., 2014). In general, Latinx families put great value on education, hard work, and family. In this study, we hypothesize that first, students who report low mentoring and ethnic identity will choose “community/2 year” or “no school” PLANS significantly more than those who have high mentoring and ethnic identity. This study will also examine sex as an additional influential factor, in response to an increase in Latinas pursuing higher education (Gloria et al., 2005). Therefore, our second hypothesis is that females will report more mentoring and ethnic identity than males. Altogether, this study examines mentoring, ethnic identity, and sex impact on PLANS. The present study uses existing data from participants at a regional conference for Latinx high school students. A one- way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis is used to examine mentoring and ethnic identity correlation with PLANS. A factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) is used to examine differences between PLANS (no school, community/2 year, and 2 plus 4 or 4 years) and dependent variables (mentoring and ethnic identity). Findings yield to a better understanding of the importance of mentoring and ethnic identity in Latinxs future educational plans. *Latinx is a gender-neutral, forward term that encapsulates all individuals and breaks away with the classification of gender.

A Forward Genetic Screen for Genes Required in C. elegans Embryonic Morphogenesis

Presenter(s): Alexander Miller − Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Bruce Bowerman, Molly Jud

Oral Session 3M

Research Area: Natural/Physical Sciences

Funding: NIH funding, Oregon Undergraduate Researchers in SPUR (OURS) summer scholarship

Our research in the Bowerman laboratory focuses on embryonic morphogenesis in the soil nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Morphogenesis is the coordinated movement and shape changes of cells that occur during development in all animals. Defects in this process can cause a variety of human disorders, including neural tube closure, vascular, and
limb developmental defects. My research involves a forward genetic screen for genes required in C. elegans embryonic morphogenesis, utilizing a collection of roughly 1,000 temperature-sensitive embryonic lethal (TS-EL) mutants previously created in the Bowerman laboratory. TS-EL mutants are first terminally phenotyped to identify mutants with penetrant morphogenetic defects, which are then genetically characterized to isolate recessive, loss-of-function, single-mutant alleles. We identify the mutant genes through a combination of SNP-mapping and whole-genome sequencing to find candidate genes, followed by complementation testing with null alleles when available. Mutant strains are sent to our collaborators, the Zhirong Bao laboratory at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, for single cell-fate lineaging. This allows us to more accurately distinguish between morphogenesis and cell fate patterning defective mutants. I have terminally-phenotyped nineteen mutants, fourteen of which have penetrant phenotypes (where 70% of embryos display a single phenotype), and genetically characterized six recessive, single mutants. Alleles or388ts and or1113ts have been genetically identified to be mutations in the gene let-19, which is a transcriptional coactivation subunit containing Mediator domains. Allele or542ts is a mutation in the gene chaf-1, a chromatin assembly factor likely regulating gene transcription. Allele or614ts is a mutation in the zwl-1, which codes for a kinetochore protein. While let-19 and chaf-1 fall within the scope of this project, our allele of zwl-1 is probably a weak cell division-defective instead of a morphogenesis-defective mutant, and thus is no longer being studied. Most of the genes we have identified are involved in gene expression regulation, suggesting there is a preexisting gene regulatory program for morphogenesis. Future work is to be done to expand our and the Bao laboratory’s roster of genes known to be required for morphogenesis. This research will help to create a deeper understanding of the basic genetic pathways and cell biological changes required for embryonic morphogenesis in C. elegans, thus improving our comprehension of human development.

Portrayals of Power: The local Identity of Three Cypriot Sarcophagi from the 5th Century BCE

Presenter(s): Samantha Mcgee − Anthropology

Faculty Mentor(s): Daphne Gallagher

Oral Session 4O

Research Area: Social Science (Anthropology/Archaeology)

Funding: Honors College Extraordinary Expenses Thesis Grant, Undergraduate Anthropology Award for Research

Cyprus has been a place of cultural interaction and exchange as long as humans have occupied it. Its location just beneath the Anatolian peninsula has made the island a meeting ground of many of the iconic Mediterranean powers of history, including Greece, Egypt, Assyria, and Persia. There has been a great deal of research on the way Cyprus was influenced by external forces, as well as how these cultural influences were engaged and manipulated on the island. However, more research is needed on the exclusively local identity of Cypriot material culture. This paper focuses on three sarcophagi covered in detailed relief sculpture from the first half of the fifth century BCE, analyzing their place as objects in their local communities. These three objects were chosen because they are similar in date and form, and are from three different cities, providing context for inter-island diversity at a time of extreme political and cultural turmoil on the island. The main focus of this research is the iconography of the relief sculpture; the local context and use of the elements and images is analyzed, as well as how the context of this iconography on the sarcophagus, and its place as an item of funerary ritual might have impacted the understanding of these objects in their local communities. I conclude that the iconography of each sarcophagus is clearly impacted by their local spatial and social context, and is also connected to political and cultural events occurring over the course of the fifth century.