Research Week Schedule of Events

Lexi Barnett, Mental Health Counseling
How Mood is Affected by Breakfast Consumption Amongst Undergraduate Students
Research Director: Drake Terry, Ph.D.

Breakfast consumption and mood are both factors that affect many college students today. This study investigates the relationship between breakfast consumption and mood, along with additional variables including involvement in time-consuming activities outside of class and levels of athletic participation. Surveys will be distributed via email to approximately 50 undergraduate students from a southeastern U.S. college. It is hypothesized that there will be a negative relationship between breakfast intake and mood, influenced by variables such as major of study and extracurricular involvement.

Ashley Carter, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Toxic Metal Analysis: Consumption Safety of Farm Raised and Wild Caught Salmon
Research Director: Scoty Hearst, Ph.D.

Aquatic pollutants, particularly toxic metals, pose significant health risks. Salmon, a widely consumed fish, may contain harmful metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. This study compares metal concentrations in locally obtained farmed and wild-caught salmon. Results indicated that farmed salmon contained lower levels of toxic metals and remained within legal limits, likely due to controlled environments and feed standards, suggesting a safer consumer choice.

Judith C. Dariste, Biology, Medical Science
The Targets of Phytochemicals Found in the Essential Oil of Artemisia absintium
Research Director: Angela Whittom Reiken, Ph.D.

Phytochemicals in Artemisia absintium include alpha-thujone, beta-thujone, and chamazulene. Using SMILES data and Swiss Target Prediction, protein targets were identified. Alpha-thujone primarily targets enzymes such as Cytochrome p450 19A1, Cathepsin K, and Carbonic anhydrase I. Chamazulene targets the Serotonin 7 and Cannabinoid receptor 1, while beta-thujone targets the Dopamine D4 receptor and Monoamine oxidase A. These findings provide a foundation for further pharmacological studies.

Swizel Fernandes, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Pet Food Safety Concerns: Toxic Metal Analysis of Cat Food Products
Research Director: Scoty Hearst, Ph.D.

Toxic metal contamination in pet food presents significant health risks. This study evaluated the concentration of toxic metals in local cat food products. Results will be compared to maximum tolerated levels to assess consumption safety. Findings may highlight risks associated with poor-quality ingredients used in commercial pet food manufacturing.

Sarthak K. Ghutadaria, Biology, Medical Science
The Cellular Targets of Flavonoids from Withania somnifera
Research Director: Angela Whittom Reiken, Ph.D.

Flavonoids from Withania somnifera—kaempferol, quercetin, and naringenin—were analyzed using bioinformatics tools. PubChem and Swiss Target Prediction identified kinases as the primary common targets. Kaempferol also targeted enzymes, quercetin oxidoreductases, and naringenin lyases and cytochrome p450. These findings help guide future research on W. somnifera’s beneficial effects.

John B. Gregory III, Biology, Medical Science
The Targets of Nigella sativa’s Phytosterol and Stanol Phytochemicals
Research Director: Angela Whittom Reiken, Ph.D.

A list of known phytochemicals specific to Nigella sativa was gathered and their respective activity predictions and chemical properties were notated using online chemistry databases. PubChem Compound Database was the primary tool of investigation into listing the various substance names, chemical properties, and identifiers such as the simplified molecular-input line-entry system (SMILES). Swiss Target Prediction was used to identify many possible human protein targets of interest for N. sativa phytochemicals. Specifically, phytosterols and stanols were the subjects of interest. This includes β-sitosterol, Δ5-avenasterol, Δ7-avenasterol, cycloartenol, β-amyrin, α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, butyrospermol, and β-carotene. Further exploration into the properties and bioinformatics of these respective compounds will hopefully lead to further studies in the mechanism of how N. sativa affects human health and metabolism.

Welcome & Opening Remarks – Dr. David H. Magers, Chair, Academic Research Council

Jessica Carro-Pedreira, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Synthesis of Macrocyclic Diaminopolyphenylethynylarenes
Research Director: Trent Selby, Ph.D.

Conjugated dendrimers are known for their ability to harvest light. Typical dendrimers can lose conjugation due to rotation at single bonds. This rotation increases with increasing size, resulting in the loss of conjugation, leading to a reduction in the ability of the dendrimers to harvest light. The focus of this project is on using bridged amide linkages to potentially stabilize a planar structure. With these bridged-linkages, the dendrimer cannot lose its conjugation, regardless of size. As a result, the dendrimer’s ability to harvest light is not affected or lost, making it more effective than three-dimensional dendrimers. Before attempting the lengthy synthesis of such dendrimers, we are preparing smaller model systems in order to optimize reaction conditions and verify the hypothesis mentioned above.

Jonathan Dacus, English
“A Black Storyteller from Mississippi”: A Literary Analysis, Criticism and Deconstruction of Kiese Laymon’s Major Works
Research Director: Kristi Melancon, Ph.D.

Kiese Laymon, a Black writer who grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, through his 2018 memoir Heavy, alongside his artistically inspired 2013 novel Long Division, illustrates how growing up as a Black boy in the Deep South—particularly Mississippi—is full of “bending, breaking,” as he elaborates so tenderly and passionately in Heavy. Here, his first- and second-person account, in an autobiographical context, cohesively connects to his fictional character “City” in Long Division. This intersection is significant because, in both, a creative, imaginative, literary-minded young Mississippi Black man learns what coming of age entails during the twenty-first century.

Hamidreza Sadeghnejad Tabrizi, Homeland Security
Terror Networks as Complex Adaptive Systems; A View to Combat

Research Director: Godfrey Garner, Ph.D.
This research explores terrorist organizations through the lens of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). It argues that, like biological or social systems, these groups consist of interconnected components that evolve in response to environmental pressures to survive and grow. The study highlights how groups like the Houthis display adaptive behaviors, shifting tactics and forming opportunistic alliances to outmaneuver stronger adversaries. The research underscores the importance of targeting the internal interconnections of such systems using high operational tempo and synchronized actions to overwhelm their adaptability. Applied to Yemen, the CAS approach recommends strategic, fast-paced disruption of the Houthis’ networks to degrade their operational capacity and halt expansion—their main indicator of success.

Bretton Crosby, Communication
Streaming Preachers: Parasocial Relationships and Streamed Sermons

Research Director: Reid Vance, Ph.D.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was a transformative moment for much of modern culture as ways of life were disrupted. Church services were banned in order to minimize the spread of the disease, forcing churches to adapt to a new way of worshipping. Pastors began to use streaming in order to gather with their congregations to worship, opening up the possibility that a parasocial relationship could form between the online preacher and the viewer. This paper describes a study conducted in order to determine if parasocial relationships developed and what factors might lead to that parasocial relationship. It gives a review of relevant research and provides the theoretical framework before describing the research process and giving results. Finally, a discussion of the results and suggestions for future research are described.

Julia H. Fulianty-Teasdale, Biology, Medical Science
Validation of Skin Fibroblast Cells as an Experimental Model for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) via LDL-induced Protein Expression Patterns
Research Director: Angela Whittom Reiken, Ph.D.

Multiple clinical research studies have shown that increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS cells exhibit changes in the expression of specific proteins involved in decidualization and ovarian stimulation. Moreover, PCOS pathogenesis is directly related to cellular senescence, having increased expression of the markers of cell-cycle arrest, p53 and p21, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) proteins. This study demonstrates that LDL treatment of cultured GM970 human skin fibroblasts induces the same changes in expression of most proteins described in PCOS cells from representative clinical research studies. Therefore, these cells may serve as a useful experimental model for PCOS based on the expression of proteins involved in decidualization, ovarian stimulation, and senescence associated with PCOS.

Codie Hicks, Law
Red, White, & Due: How the Due Process Clause Can Prevent Homeless Encampment Cleanouts from Sweeping Individual Rights Under the Rug
Research Director: Franklin Rosenblatt, J.D.

This article aims to emphasize the lack of contemporary constitutional litigation addressing homelessness, and argues this deficiency results from a failure to fully recognize procedural due process violations during encampment site cleanouts. While legal challenges for the unhoused often focus on criminalization practices or civil rights violations, such approaches overlook the broader protections afforded by the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause. This article contends that encampment clearances implicate a range of due process concerns that demand more robust legal scrutiny. By shifting the focus towards procedural due process, this article calls for a more comprehensive constitutional framework to safeguard the rights of the unhoused in the face of increasingly aggressive municipal responses to homelessness to ensure the preservation of individual rights for all.

Emilie Sanders, Art
Hinds’ Feet on High Places: Illustrating Christian Allegorical Literature
Research Director: Randolph Miley, Ph.D.

This thesis explores the process of illustrating Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard in a way that honors the Christian story through intentional craftsmanship and artistic dignity, distinguishing it from typical Christian children's book illustrations. It argues for stylistic diversity in Christian illustration while maintaining quality. The study includes a history of Christian allegorical literature, the life of Hurnard, and a chapter-by-chapter summary of her book. It also reflects the artist's spiritual and creative journey and includes an interview with contemporary illustrator Don Clark. Historical art influences such as Medieval Illuminations, William Morris, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and the Arts and Crafts Movement are also examined. The thesis details the process of painting with gouache and conceptualizing fifteen different chapters from the book to the painting.

Frankie Bush and Alicia Washington, Accounting
Unveiling Emerging Perspectives of Black Female Accountants in the South—Trials, Triumphs, and Headway
Research Director: V. Brooks Poole, Ed.D.

The research explores the experiences of Black female accountants in the South. The methodology used in this research is phenomenological inquiry ethnography. This methodology examines their lived experiences and underrepresentation in the field. Incorporating autoethnographic interviews, it analyzes diversity trends and systemic challenges, revealing recurring themes of isolation, lack of guidance, and limited support. Despite efforts to diversify accounting—a historically white, male-dominated profession—Black women continue to face inequitable access to opportunities. A comparative analysis of gender and ethnic representation assesses progress in the industry. This study concludes with a plan for change to disseminate this knowledge. This research aims to foster greater inclusivity and support for Black female accountants in the South.

Research Week Schedule of Events

Tuesday, April 22

Graduate Research Forum

Welcome & Opening Remarks – Dr. David H. Magers, Chair, Academic Research Council

Wednesday, April 23

Papers

Meeting Room A

Panel 1, 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Panel 2, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Meeting Room B

Meeting Room A

Meeting Room A

Panel 1 – 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Panel 2 – 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Meeting Room B

Posters

Friday, April 25