Dustin MacConnell '12, psychology
Science Poster Session, April 26

“Leisure Activities and Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults”
Leisure is not often considered a primary contributor to subjective well-being (SWB) but is typically correlated by self-efficacy and social support. The present study looked at what factors play the biggest role in determining SWB among seniors. A group of 59 seniors were asked to complete four questionnaires each measuring a different variable. Two questionnaires were used to measure subjective well-being: the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Analysis showed that scores from the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure (SLIM) were a significant predictor for SWB results as well as between scores on the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the SWLS. Leisure may be more enjoyable with others which would make sense of this data. Further research might focus on reasons why leisure plays a greater role in SWB while scores for other variables are not as significant.

Neesha Martin '12, international relations
Modern Language and Literature, April 20

“Chauvinism and Masculinity, In the Time of the Butterflies”
Certain characteristics and behaviors tend to be associated with one gender or the other. In traditional societies, males are assigned specific gender roles and in time these roles come to be internalized to the point that one gender has privileges to particular behaviors over the other. Some of these traditional characteristics include: power, education, wealth and the subservience of women. In Julia Alvarez's novel, In the time of the butterflies, three men are able to assert their masculinity through similar and dissimilar means. In common, these men share the practice of extra-marital affairs; this is one example of how man is able to dominate within society in comparison to women. They, transgress, however on level of power. Trujillo uses his position and fear to dominate over women and other men. In contrast, Enrique Mirabal reserves his right as a father and head of the family to exercise authority over the women in his household, while Manolo (his son-in-law) uses his education and anti-government rhetoric to gain power among the revolutionaries. Each man, while able to exhibit the traditional values prescribed to within his gender role, is unable to fully fulfill his masculine role. Aside from the deviation from masculinity another significant topic also emerges from the literature and the scholarly work, and that is the topic of color. Color is also integrated into the discussion and becomes a focal point in Patricia Mohammed's article, "Towards Indigenous Feminist Theorizing in the Caribbean," which provides historical and cultural justification for the submission of women in Caribbean countries. Unlike Mohammed’s work, Tony Coles' article, "Finding Space in the Field of Masculinity: Lived Experiences of Men's Masculinities," offers depth and discussion on the standards and perceptions of masculinity around the world. These articles provide insight into chauvinism and masculinity, which is the primary focus in this essay. To better understand chauvinism and masculinity, Trujillo, Enrique and Manolo are compared and contrasted with each other and with the traditional notion of masculinity.

Allison McCarthy '12, natural sciences
Modern Language and Literature, April 20

“Minerva Mirabal: A Female Pioneer”
The Spanish literature class The Perception of the Other in Spanish American Literature recently read In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. This historical fiction novel focuses on the lives of the Mirabal sisters during Trujillo’s rule in the Dominican Republic. Our assignment was to write a four-page paper in Spanish on a topic from this novel. I chose to write about Minerva Mirabal, the most outspoken and rebellious of the four sisters. It is because of her that the other sisters become aware of Trujillo’s lethal administration and join the Revolution. In my paper I explore her life in terms of her dreams of an education and career as a lawyer, her rebellion against her parents due to her progressive personality, and finally her beliefs concerning religion and the government. Prior to this class I had never heard of the Mirabal sisters and since then I have become aware that many people do not know of them. Through this paper I hoped to demonstrate how important Minerva is as a figure both in the Revolution and for women in the Dominican Republic. She was the first woman to get her degree in law, however she could never practice. Clearly she was a pioneer by leading women into law, participating in a revolution, and getting her family engaged in the battle against Trujillo. While this is a historical fiction novel, I have heard that it very closely mirrors their lives. Overall, I hope this literary analysis demonstrates the importance of Minerva Mirabal and convince people that her story should not be forgotten merely because Trujillo’s regime has ended.

Kathleen McDermott '12 environmental sciences
Science Poster Session, April 26

“The effect of seaweed extract derived from Ascophyllum nodosum on seed germination of the mesophytic wildflower Senna hebecarpa.”
Seaweeds such as Ascophyllum nodosum have a long history of use as a soil conditioner and organic fertilizer. Only recently have they been studied for potential use as biostimulants, which are compounds, other than fertilizers, that promote plant growth when applied in small quantities. Documented effects of seaweed biostimulants include early seed germination and establishment, improved crop performance, and elevated resistance to biotic or abiotic stress. In this study we tested the effect of extracts from A. nodosum on seed germination across a range of water potentials in order to assess the effectiveness of potential biostimulants in the extract on drought stress. The New England wildflower Senna hebecarpa was chosen as a test organism for this study because previous research has shown that seed germination in the species is very sensitive to simulated drought conditions. This sensitivity makes S. hebecarpa an excellent indicator of the effectiveness of the seaweed extract.

Rebecca Mead '12, psychology
Science Poster Session, April 26

“Social Comparison as a Predictor for Body Dissatisfaction via Facebook”
The present study examined the role of social comparison on body dissatisfaction in college females via the social networking site, Facebook. The literature suggests that body dissatisfaction will result when upwardly comparing oneself with a relevant peer. The present study hypothesized that the participants who scored high on the scale for social comparison and who were randomly assigned to the physically attractive peer group, an increase in body dissatisfaction was expected to result. The opposite was expected to happen for the participants high in social comparison assigned to the physically unattractive condition. An analysis of variance was performed and no significance was found. The study concluded that the peer comparison made on Facebook may not be the same as the peer comparisons made in face-to-face interactions.

Christopher Mobilia '12, fine arts - studio
Fine Arts Department Senior Thesis Exhibition, April 16 - 20

“Reprobus: the Fighter, the Servant, The Child-Bearer” My Senior Thesis Project is series of etchings depicting Reprobus, also known as Saint Christopher. I depict parts of his life that are rarely seen in art. Not much is known about Saint Christopher; he is more of a legend because what is written about him is very brief. I am hoping that after seeing this project, everyone, including myself, will have a better understanding of who this saint was and will hopefully find a connection with him. Saint Christopher had an exciting life that was full of challenges, shared by many of us have today. He will be no longer seen as the saint who carried the child Jesus. Saint Christopher will be known as the saint who found his calling and protected it from those who tried to take it away.

Ashley Motta '12, psychology and Adam Wenzel, Ph.D.
Science Poster Session, April 26

“Brain Laterality and the Perception of Olfaction and Emotion”
Laterality, the idea that the two hemispheres have separate functions, helps the brain process and organize information efficiently. The literature that exists on the laterality of smell and emotion has produced conflicting results. The purpose of the present study was to use the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and Odor Memory Test (OMT) as reliable measures to explore the olfactory processes of pleasantness, recognition, and memory. The hypothesis was that subjects’ performance would differ on the UPSIT and OMT depending on which nostril was used. The scores on these tests were compared to scores on a standard emotion recognition test, Chimeric Faces, to establish convergent validity for subjects’ degree of laterality. It was expected that if laterality existed for the connection of the olfactory and limbic systems. According to the results, there were not significant differences between subjects’ right and left nostril performance on the UPSIT or the OMT which has been concluded in other studies.

Jennifer Pace '13, nursing
Outstanding Student Research Symposium, April 17

“Synthesis of Modafinil Analogue 2-(Benzylsulfinyl)Acetamide and its Derivatives: A Series of Potential Dopamine Transporter Inhibitors”
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates cognition and promotes reinforcing behaviors. The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a protein that moves dopamine back into neurons and is thus responsible for regulating dopamine levels within the brain. Dysfunctions in dopamine levels are associated with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and addiction. DAT inhibitors prevent DATs from regulating dopamine levels and prevent termination of neurotransmission. DAT inhibitors are pharmaceutical targets of interest to treat addiction, as well as psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Modafinil, a known DAT inhibitor, is a cognitive enhancer and wake-promoting agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A modafinil analogue, 2-(benzylsulfinyl)acetamide, has been synthesized to potentially serve as a novel DAT inhibitor. In addition, six derivatives of this parent compound have also been synthesized: 3-chloro-, 3-bromo-, 3-methoxy-, 3-nitro-, 4-bromo, and 4-chloro-2-(benzylsulfinyl)acetamide. Two more derivatives, 4-methoxy and 4-nitro-2-(benzylsulfinyl)acetamide are underway. These DAT inhibitors can be used to further understand the dopamine signaling pathway, as well as hopefully provide pharmaceutical treatments for Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and addiction.

"Synthesis of Modafinil Analogue 2-(Benzylsulfinyl)Acetamide and its Derivatives: A Series of Potential Dopamine Transporter Inhibitors"

Carly Peicott '12, psychology
Science Poster Session, April 26

“Characteristic Perceptions and Evaluations of Axis II Disorders Based on Artwork”
The current study looked at projective diagnosis, specifically art, and characteristic perceptions of personality disorders. The research questions in this study were: (1) “Is artwork a sufficient diagnostic tool for Axis II disorders?” and (2) “Do people have perspectives of personality disorder characteristic?” Forty-five participants from a liberal arts college, 95.5% female, took an online survey in attempts to answer these research questions. The findings supported the hypothesizes: (1) “Given the opportunity to assess people for personality disorders via informal evaluation of their artwork, subjects will misdiagnose and will do so with moderate confidence,” and (2) “People have perspectives of personality disorder characteristics.” It was found that artwork is not a sufficient diagnostic tool for Axis II disorders and that people not only have perceptions of personality disorder characteristics, but have negative perceptions. The conclusions drawn from the current study include that artwork should not aid as a diagnostic tool for Axis II disorders; however, should be used in further research to better understand perceptions of personality disorders.

Stephanie Perrelli '12, psychology
Science Poster Session, April 26

“How Children Effect Consumers Mood in Commercials”
The effects of exposure to television commercial advertisements on mood improvement were examined in this study. Past research has found that advertisements have a great deal of influence on individual’s mood. Research has found there to be an interaction between the prevalence of mood improvement and advertisements which individuals are exposed to every day. There is a lack of literature on using children in advertisements to improve mood and enhance consumerism, with only a few studies looking at the way consumers feel after being exposed to a stimulus. The experimenter hypothesized that after participants were shown advertisement clips with children in them the mood of the participants would increase in positive areas of the Profile of Moods States. Results found significance in the before treatment depression score, the after treatment anger score, and the after treatment confusion score between the two groups. Significance was also found when the experimenter compared male and female scores on the Attitudes Questionnaire Towards the Car Industry.

Sally Persons '13, politics
Mind Over Major Conference, April 21
Panel: "Human Nature and Political Conventions"

"The Political Animal and the Management of Nature"