The full SpARC program is now available here.
The Full SpARC Program
25 Thursday Apr 2013
Tag Archives: Undergraduate Research
SpARC 2013 Call for Abstracts is Out
05 Tuesday Feb 2013
Posted in Call for Papers, SpARC
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Have you been working on a research project or performance?
Do you want to share your work with your colleagues and peers?
AGNES SCOTT’S
SPRING ANNUAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE
WILL BE HELD THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013
Present a poster, presentation, or performance.
Submit your abstract or description
(150 words or less)
DEADLINE: MARCH 20th
**THIS IS A FIRM DEADLINE**
To submit your abstract or a description of your project, go to our new SpARC MOODLE page
Go to Moodle, click on Non-academic courses and then click on the SpARC heading (on the second page)
Click on the link to the abstract submission form to submit your abstract or description
Questions?
Contact the SpARC committee co-chairs:
Dr. Barbara Blatchley (bblatchley@agnesscott.edu) or Suzanne Onorato (sonorato@agnesscott.edu)
NOTE: It is very important that you gain IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval for any research involving human subjects, and IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use) approval for any research involving non-human animal subject, PRIOR to conducting your research. Human subjects research includes interviews, surveys, experiments, etc. Please apply for IRB approval of your research as soon as possible. Follow the link to ASC’s IRB website: http://irb.agnesscott.edu or the link to ASC’s IACUC website: http://facultygrants.agnesscott.edu
An Investigation of Age, Length of Commute in Minutes and Months, and Gender on Stress Level
27 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Psychology, SpARC
Authors: Maria Vega, Annalee Craigmile. Mentor: Professor Jennifer Hughes
Absract: “We examined the effects of age, commute length in minutes and months, and gender in relation to stress levels. Five-hundred and twenty seven participants, ranging in age from 18-66 years, were recruited by student research assistants for this study. The participants took an online survey assessing demographics, commute, employment, and school information. We found that commuters with longer commutes are significantly more stressed than commuters with shorter commutes to work or school. We also found that females were significantly more stressed than males during their commute. These results illustrate that commuters should find ways to make their commutes shorter by possibly moving closer to their job or finding a job closer to their home. Other options would include finding shorter routes and leaving before or after traffic has decreased. If the commuters do not encounter as much traffic congestion, their commute will be shorter reducing the likelihood of stress.”
Evaluating Passion: Investigating Length of Time Together and Children
27 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Psychology, SpARC
Nadrat Nuhu, Sijia Li
Authors: Nadrat Nuhu, Sijia Li, Ravea Rodriquez. Mentor: Professor Jennifer Hughes
Abstract: “Passionate love, defined as the extreme longing to be with another person, has been found to only last within the initial stages of a relationship. The current study proposes that influences such as the length of the relationship, gender, and the presence of children affect the level of passion an individual feels in their relationship. We recruited 121 men and 233 women to participate in this study. Results showed that the length of relationship, the presence of children, and gender significantly affected passion. The men and women in couples that had been together the least amount of time reported the greatest passion. The men and women without children reported greater passion. Men reported more passion than women. These findings provide couples with valuable information about how passion can decrease over the length of a relationship and that the presence of children living at home can be related to decreased passion.”
Characterization of Severe Musculoskeletal Wound Regeneration
27 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Chemistry, Poster Session, SpARC
Taran Lundgren discusses her poster with Instructional Technologist Nathan Tate
Characterization of Severe Musculoskeletal Wound Regeneration
Author: Taran Lundgren. Mentor: Professor Douglas Fantz
Abstract: “Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability worldwide with an estimated cost to society of over $215 billion per year in the USA alone. The lab I work in at Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a critically sized composite bone and muscle defect rat model to assess therapeutic strategies to restore limb function after severe injury. The current therapeutic is a nanofiber mesh scaffold containing alginate and rhBMP-2. I use histological staining to look for bone formation, cartilage, and fibrosis in the regenerating tissue. I develop immunohistochemistry protocols to analyze expression of molecules signifying bone formation, angiogenesis, and revascularization of the injury site. We predict there is a significant level of cross-talk between bone and surrounding soft tissue during wound regeneration. This histological information combined with other quantitative measurements will help characterize endogenous repair mechanisms and the effectiveness of therapeutics.”
Otoliths Size and Variability in Two Wrasse Species, by Megan Williams
27 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Biology, Poster Session, SpARC
Tags
2012, Agnes Scott College, Lock Rogers, Megan Williams, presentation, SpARC, Sparc 2012, Undergraduate Research
Megan Williams discusses her poster with SpARC co-director Gundolf Graml, Director of German Studies
From Megan’s Abstract:
Otoliths are the ear bones of fishes used for balance and detecting vibrations. Much like a tree, otoliths exhibit growth rings. In temperate species these rings are annual, but in many tropical species rings are deposited daily. If there is a tight correlation between otolith size and fish size, then we can back-calculate an individual’s growth rate across its entire lifetime. To establish this correlation we studied two closely related species of wrasse, Thalassoma amblycephalum and T. bifasciatum. As a side project, we were interested in the degree of lateral symmetry between the otoliths on the right and left sides of an individual.
The general expectation is that physical characters should be symmetrical. However, during our dissections we observed seemingly high levels of variation. This could be a result of weak selection on some internal structures.
Faculty mentor: Lock Rogers, Biology
Relationship between Gaze and Color Preference, by Laura Schaeffer
27 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Psychology, SpARC, Uncategorized
In this poster Laura Scaeffer presented her study investigating the correlation between eye gaze and color preference. As her abstract notes, “some research has shown a sex-linked genetic difference in color receptor sensitivity suggesting females prefer colors in the reddish-purple region whereas males prefer colors in the bluish-green region. Therefore, researchers predicted females will both gaze at and prefer colors of a reddish-purple hue. Using an eye tracking device, participants were shown an image of six squares of different colors and then asked to indicate their most favorite and least favorite color. Fixation points, measured by the duration of eye gaze, were used for data analysis. Early comparisons indicate a correlation between least favorite color and eye gaze. Findings may be useful to marketing.”
Thank you, Alix Valcin
26 Thursday Apr 2012
Tags
2012, Agnes Scott College, Biology, interdisciplinary presentations, SpARC, Undergraduate Research
Bullock Science Center Building Manager Alix Valcin, who helps make SpARC run smoothly every year
Posted by James Diedrick | Filed under Environmental Sustainability Studies, SpARC
Almost There: SpARC Happens Tomorrow
25 Wednesday Apr 2012
Posted in Announcement, SpARC, Uncategorized
A little more than 12 hours before the first talks of SpARC 2012 will begin. There’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes. The facilities department has prepared the classrooms in Bullock Science, the IT department has double-checked all computers and the projection equipment. The administrative assistants have made last-minute adjustments to schedules, and students and faculty-advisors have fine-tuned and rehearsed presentations.
Here’s the final schedule:
SpARC Schedule Part 1
SpARC Schedule Part 2
