Category: Oral Presentation

Race and Space: Gentrification in Tacoma/Eviction Crisis

Presenter(s): Joseph Moore—Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Raoul Lievanos

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

Gentrification is a process in which middle class homebuyers, landlords and developers build new structures on previously developed land once occupied by working class populations . This practice has displaced low-income and African-American residents from their homes with little to no time to come up with the type of capital needed to relocate . This research was focused on the gentrification taking place in the Hilltop neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington, which has been a historically African- American area since the early 20th century . The purpose of this study was to use data in the form of firsthand accounts from the residents of Tacoma, narratives from past case studies, city of Tacoma documents, and historical analysis to demonstrate the use of discriminatory real estate/housing practices that have dictated the use of space within Tacoma . This study also used data in the form of eviction rates, percentages, number of evictions, and the number of eviction notices from the Hilltop neighborhood in comparison to the data from the city, state, regional, and national levels . Further data was used in the form of the rising rent costs and property values that have contributed to the displacement of low-income and African-American populations from the Hilltop neighborhood . This study will culminate in a well-researched article that will contribute to existing knowledge and provide further evidence for the occurrence of gentrification in Tacoma .

Intersectional Analysis of Heroin Use

Presenter(s): Joseph Moore—Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Clare Evans

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The current opioid epidemic has produced long-lasting consequences for a large population of people in the United States . One of these consequences is addiction, leading to the transition from the often expensive prescription opioids that are prescribed by doctors to the use of less expensive and easily accessible heroin . This research answers the question of how does heroin use differ by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status and what is the predicted probability of future use among these strata? To accomplish this task I will perform statistical analysis using the most recent survey data sets ranging from 2015-2018 as they were made available by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) . These public use data sets contain 226,632 non-institutionalized US participants aged 12 or older combined . I will use these public data sets to run regression models and calculate probability . My findings thus far demonstrate a higher usage pattern among males living in poverty of all race/ethnicities, with white males using at the highest rate . Furthermore, the least amount of usage rests with African-American females living at more than 2 times the federal poverty threshold level . The results of this study will demonstrate the extent at which heroin is used among different social strata contributing to the existing knowledge .

Anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge in the atmospheric gases of Mars

Presenter(s): Alexandria Montgomery—Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Tyler Radniecki, Ashley Berninghaus

Session 5: The Bonds that Make Us

Proposed future missions to send humans to Mars for long term exploration require the development of improved waste management technology in space and increased reliable energy for running necessary systems . In this study, the potential of methanogenic bacteria from wastewater sludge
to be a source of biomethane in the atmospheric composition of Mars was explored . Bottles of wastewater containing methanogens were prepared anaerobically and sparged with either nitrogen or a martian gas mixture and their biogas production was tracked and compared over time . Research findings proving high survivalbiltiy rates of the bacteria and high metabolic function under these extreme conditions suggest anaerobic digestion of mission waste to be a viable solution for recycling human waste and producing biomethane for the production of energy .

The Evolution of Coronaviruses: Cross-Species Transfers and Mechanisms of Infections

Presenter(s): Tristan McKibben—Biochemistry

Faculty Mentor(s): J. Josh Snodgrass

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its accompanying disease, COVID-19, in late 2019 has had a global impact that will likely be felt for decades to come . As the number of infections and deaths around the world keep rising, there is a pressing need to better understand the virus and its origin . This research reviews the evolution of coronaviruses as well as mechanisms of cross-species transfers and infection . Researchers have identified that SARS-CoV-2 uses the same receptor for cell entry as SARS-CoV (the virus responsible for the SARS epidemic of 2002-2004), which may aid in combating SARS-CoV-2 . In comparing the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV entered the human population and proceeded to infect human hosts to what is currently known about SARS-CoV-2, it is possible to identify areas of research that potentially provide the most utility in the search for a vaccine . The present paper systematically reviews published literature on coronaviruses with the goal of identifying promising avenues for future research .

Visualizing Topocluster Algorithms for the Global Trigger

Presenter(s): Sylvia Mason—Physics

Faculty Mentor(s): Stephanie Majewski

Session 5: To the Moon and Back—Relativity Matters

There is a Standard Model of particles and forces that explain the fundamental components of matter . However, this model is incomplete, seeing as we currently understand only about 5% of our universe . The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator that collides protons in the hopes of discovering new particles or forces, so that we can learn more about the other 95% of the universe . The LHC will undergo an upgrade in 2026 that will increase its luminosity, meaning there will be an increased number of collisions per second (up to 200 collisions every 25 nanoseconds) . After this upgrade, the ATLAS trigger system will need to reduce the data by a factor of 40 within 10 microseconds, so we will need to sort out the interesting events very fast . Our group is designing an algorithm for implementation in firmware in the “Global Trigger” system for ATLAS to help select these interesting events . My research focuses on creating accurate 3-D visualizations of potential algorithms that cluster energies from particle showers in the ATLAS Calorimeters, and investigation splitting criteria for these clusters . These visualizations will help us understand the details of the performance of these algorithms, which can significantly help us reject background .

Ethnolinguistic Vitality of Eugene

Presenter(s): Maya Mackey—International Studies, Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Devin Grammon

Session 2: Oregon Trails

Linguistic landscapes are necessary for ethnolinguistic communities to be comfortable in their place of residence . Linguistic landscape is the study of representations of languages that are displayed
in public spaces such as signs, billboards, graffiti, and moving objects . This study examines the Spanish linguistic landscape of Downtown Eugene as it relates to the Spanish-speaking community’s ethnolinguistic vitality . The absence of multilingual signage around Downtown Eugene deprives the Spanish-speaking community of obtaining full access to communal activities and resources . There are many elements that serve a purpose in improving ethnolinguistic landscapes that directly relate to an individual’s comfortableness within a community . Qualitative and quantitative analysis of signs in Spanish, the coding of images, interviews with bilingual members of the Eugene community, and ethnographic data collection was used to determine the ethnolinguistic vitality and perceptions of Downtown Eugene . The analysis shows that there is a lack of signs of various languages in Downtown Eugene . The implementation of multilingual signs is necessary to create a more welcoming community for both residents and visitors of all backgrounds . Although this research is in a current state of development, this proposal shows how to increase the ethnolinguistic vitality for the Spanish-speaking community and will be published and presented to the City of Eugene . Linguistic landscape is necessary for not only the security and accessibility of all residents but for the economy of Eugene as well . When a city shows its willingness to create a safe space for all residents and visitors, people are more likely to be actively involved with the community thus stimulating economic growth .

Migrant Farmworkers’ Exposure to Pesticides and What Is Being Done Legally

Presenter(s): Brooke Machi—Sociology

Session 2: Common Reading

This project is inspired by the common reading book Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes . I explore the effects of pesticide exposure on migrant farmworkers in California and the legal actions being taken . Pesticide exposure has caused a variety of health problems for those working on farms that use them and legal actions are important in order to protect the lives of these individuals and their families . The purpose of my research is to dig deeper into this issue and discover what is currently being done to protect these individuals and inform them of the risks . I am gathering my information through a culmination of article reviews and legal investigation . From this research, I will find out if there is any successful legal action being taken to protect migrant farmworkers from harmful exposure to pesticides . I hope to learn more about this issue and bring more attention to the importance of this situation and the rights of this group of people .

Parental Stress Correlate Children’s Cognitive Ability

Presenter(s): Jingjie Lu—Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Leticia Hayes, Tyson Barker

Session 6: Cerebal Matters

Early childhood is a critical time period for cognitive development, and children exposed to adverse familial stress may impair child cognitive development . Therefore, my hypothesis is parents with a greater stress index will be correlated to higher levels of oxidative stress biomarker-F2 Isoprostane, and lower levels of executive function and language development in their biological children . The tests administered to assess children’s cognitive ability mainly focus on the domains of executive function and language development . We also collected parent-child urine samples to assess parent- child oxidative stress biomarker (F2 Isoprostane) levels, and administered psychological stress questionnaires to the parent . For this research, parent stress will be analyzed from responses on the Parent Stress Index-IV questionnaire . All scores will be compared between the child participants aged three to six on executive function and language measures (N=103) .

Environmental Leadership Program Oregon Oaks Phase II Management Plan and Grant Proposal for Thurston Hills Natural Area

Presenter(s): Nicole Long—Environmental Studies and General Music

Co-Presenter(s): Ryan Downey, Julia Olson, Julia Troxell, Casey Clavecilla, Emily Cook

Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay, Sara Worl

Session 4: Environmental Leaders Program

Located within the Willamette Valley ecoregion, Thurston Hills Natural Area (THNA) contains remnant Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) savanna habitat that has undergone dramatic conifer encroachment . Currently, oak ecosystems in the Willamette Valley have diminished to < 10% of their original range, making this ecosystem one of the most endangered ecological communities within the region . Oak savannas and woodlands support the persistence of over 200 native plant and animal species who are reliant on these open ecosystems . Using data collected by the Environmental Leadership Program’s (ELP) 2019 Oregon Oaks Team we are designing an oak restoration plan for a 25-acre subunit of THNA . We will apply for a restoration grant through the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to implement the oak restoration project at THNA in partnership with Willamalane and the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council . Our plan will utilize adaptive management techniques to carry out restoration focusing on conifer thinning in savanna and prairie ecosystems, controlling invasive species, and planting native species . Monitoring of the site will be maintained by future ELP students to assess the effectiveness of this restoration plan . Considering THNA’s establishment of 14 .5 miles of recreation trails, our plan will enhance local experiences with engagement and educational opportunities by focusing on public visibility .

Quantifying Diabetes Disparities Related to American Indian and Alaskan Native Residency on Reservations

Presenter(s): Julia Liu—Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Clare Evans

Session 1: Time for Your Check-Up—Decolonizing Global Health

American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) have the highest rate of diabetes of any racial group in the United States . This disparity does not show up evenly amongst AI/AN, suggesting that environmental effects for various AI/AN can lead to health disparities . AI/AN have unique historical circumstances because many of them reside in reservations, which the government uses to segregate them from other racial groups . Due to the traumatic history of the reservation system, there are likely enduring conditions that exacerbate health disparities, including diabetes . This thesis looks at the correlation between living in a Census-designated American Indian Area (AIA) and having a diabetes diagnosis . It compares diabetes rates between American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) living in AIAs and those living outside of these areas using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health . Logistic regression models determined if any subsets have a disproportionately higher rate of diabetes diagnosis . These models control for demographic factors such as age, income, gender, and education and show that AI/AN living in AIAs are anywhere between 1 .595—1 .764 times more likely to have diabetes than AI/AN outside of AIAs . This demonstrates that living in reservation- like areas is correlated with conditions that likely contribute to diabetes disparities . Potential explanations for inequalities include lack of nutritious food sources, environmental stress, and other conditions . This serves as a starting point for further qualitative research to explore social processes that create environmental inequalities and worsen health disparities .