Undergraduate Research Posters

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  Racism and Health in America: How segregationist policies guided Tuberculosis Treatment in Virginia

  Regina E. McRae

  Racial inequality has shaped many aspects of American life, with health care among the most devastatingly affected. Structural racism has long driven disparities in housing, education, employment, the justice system, and, most critically, health care. Environmental racism, food deserts, inadequate medical access, and racial stressors have contributed to worse health outcomes, as seen during COVID-19. Chronic conditions like hypertension, asthma, and heart disease disproportionately affect Black communities, increasing morbidity and mortality.

  In the early 20th century, these inequities were even starker as tuberculosis ravaged the Black population. While public health measures were implemented, it took decades before sanatoriums were built to accommodate Black patients. Pine Camp Tuberculosis Sanatorium, a segregated Black hospital established in Richmond in 1936, was one such facility, built almost 20 years after the White-only Pine Camp facility and only after the loss of Black domestic workers impacted white households.

  Despite its significance, little is known about Pine Camp Tuberculosis Sanatorium’s patients and staff. Our research employed a combination of methods to uncover fragments of its history. We conducted archival research in local and state newspaper archives, which shed light on public attitudes toward Black tuberculosis patients and the broader racial context. Additionally, we reviewed architectural records and conducted comparative studies of other Black hospitals and sanatoriums of the era. Through these methods, we aim to honor and restore dignity to those whose lives have been overlooked.

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  LLM-Driven Weekly Newsletter to Assess Open Source Software Project GitHub Health

  Christian Novalski, Christopher Chavez, Ghalian Fayyadh, and Kostadin Damevski

  Open Source Software (OSS) projects increasingly depend on a diverse set of contributors, including episodic participants who contribute intermittently. Episodic contributors represent a large portion of OSS communities, yet projects often struggle to retain them, leading to decreased project health and continuity. While dashboards and real-time communication tools support continuously active contributors, they often fail to serve the unique needs of episodic participants, who may struggle to remain informed and re-engage with project activity after periods of absence. In this study, we examine the effect of a weekly, email-based newsletter intervention designed to improve awareness and engagement among episodic OSS contributors. We ground our approach in self-determination theory, emphasizing autonomy, competence, and relatedness as key motivational constructs. To inform the design of the Weekly Project Newsletter, we conducted a systematic literature review, followed by a think-aloud study with OSS contributors, leading to a refined newsletter that summarizes recent activity in issues, pull requests, and commits, and highlights project milestones and community interactions. We evaluate the final design of our Weekly Project Newsletter through a three-week diary study involving nine episodic contributors, analyzing how its content affected their awareness, motivation, and re-engagement patterns. Our findings show that the newsletter improves participant awareness and perceived project connection. These findings highlight how theory-driven communication tools can complement existing OSS infrastructure by supporting re-engagement and lowering the barrier to continued participation. However, its influence on OSS contribution behavior remains limited without actionable prompts or surfacing of beginner-friendly tasks.

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  Antiestrogens as Bone Protective Therapeutics for Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer in the Presence of Osteoporosis

  Faith E. Parker, Emily K. Zboril, David C. Boyd, Rachel Myrick, and J. Chuck Harrell

  Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most significant causes of mortality among women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The estrogen receptor (ER) is a key oncogenic driver in the majority of breast cancer. ER+ BC is the most common molecular subtype of BC. Management of ER+ breast cancer varies depending on menopausal status. For premenopausal women, the goal is to suppress estradiol production from the ovaries with surgical oophorectomy and/or aromatase inhibitors. In postmenopausal women, endocrine therapy (ET) serves to suppress estradiol production from sources other than the ovaries. During the menopausal transition, estradiol levels decrease, resulting in a negative balance of the bone remodeling cycle, resulting in osteoporosis. ET also leads to a decrease in estrogen and osteoporosis induced by ET in ER+ BC has become a concern. In this study, ovariectomized NSG mice were treated with different antiestrogens over the course of 6 weeks. We have shown significant differences in bone density and trabecular thickness were observed between the E2 and treatment groups. Hypothesis: Endocrine therapies display context-dependent ER agonist activity in the bone in models of estrogen-withdrawal induced osteoporosis.

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  Analyzing the Impact of Positive Youth Development Programming on Youth Critical Consciousness

  Jaylin Pate

  Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is an approach to research where young people have active involvement in the research process. By uplifting youth voices and allowing the next generation to partner as co-researchers, YPAR strengthens their empowerment and agency (Anyon et. al, 2018). This study explored the impacts of YPAR programming on youth critical consciousness. Youth Voices, a community-based program, aims to support high school students in understanding positive youth development opportunities. Participants in the program attended weekly meetings and were compared to a control group with no similar intervention. Both groups completed Likert-scale surveys. Results that the intervention had significant positive effects on critical consciousness.

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  Exploring the Knowledge Gap: Mental Health Crisis Identification Training for 911 Call Takers

  Kayla L. Ralston, Emma Adcook, Gary Cuddeback, Rebecca Smith, and Amy Adkins

  Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely to come into contact with law enforcement and the justice system. Livingston (2016) found that 25% of people with mental illness have been arrested at least once in their lives. Law enforcement officers often become the primary intervention in handling a mental health crisis, and most mental health-related training curricula (e.g., Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)) have focused on this group. However, the burden to initially ascertain if an emergency is mental health-related has fallen to 911 call takers and dispatchers, the first first responder. The performance outcomes outlined by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services for compulsory minimum training of 911 dispatchers include managing calls and sustaining composure during situations that may involve mental health crises. The guidelines emphasize crisis negotiation, instinct, and accumulated experience. This study aims to understand what SMI training options are available and utilized for 911 call takers. An extensive literature search within EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Google Scholar, HeinOnline, and PsycInfo databases was completed using search terms such as “911”, “training”, “mental health”, and “mental illness”. Search results yielded 10 studies that directly related to 911 call takers and mental health-related calls. Of the 10 studies, three mentioned trainings themed in identifying their own mental health, crisis negotiation, and identifying potential SMI-related calls to transfer to crisis and suicide hotlines. SMI training for 911 call takers is crucial to ensure better outcomes; more research is essential to gain insight into effective training to help ease the strain on emergency services and inform policymakers and reformers on effective strategies.

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  Agrivoltaics SWOT Analysis for Implementation in the United States

  Vani Ramesh

  Agrivoltaics is the implementation of solar installations alongside agricultural land in order to improve the efficiency of land usage in both industries. Research in European and Asian countries developing agriculture and solar developments in tandem has indicated that implementation in the United States, including Virginia, is feasible and beneficial. The US has the highest energy use per capita in the world, with the increase of various technologies has resulted in land developments using higher energy levels than previously. While Virginia’s energy demand has increased with the addition of data centers. Increased energy demand and food security requirements have unearthed policy/political conflicts between land use for agriculture and its potential for solar energy generation. This qualitative study examines various approaches to agrivoltaics, the controversies surrounding its implementation, and its current status within Virginia and the United States. This qualitative research SWOT analysis examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to analyze the current, and potential future status, of Agrivoltaics within the United States. This was conducted through an extensive literature/media review of advocates and protesters of photovoltaics within the United States; a literature review of best-practices currently implemented in the United States and other countries; and interviews with current advocates and practitioners of agrivoltaics. While this qualitative study is still underway, initial indications are that Agrivoltaics in the United States can improve efficiency of our land. Continued research into this subject is required to properly implement agrivoltaics with best practices in mind.

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  Extrusion-based Additive Manufacturing of Magnetic Heat Exchange Structures for Caloric Applications

  Turab S. Rizvi

  Developing sustainable, high-efficiency cooling technologies is vital to addressing 21st century energy challenges. This research focuses on magnetic refrigeration, an environmentally friendly cooling method utilizing the magnetocaloric effect to regulate temperature using magnetic fields. This approach offers greater energy efficiency than conventional vapor-compression systems by eliminating harmful refrigerants. The critical component is the regenerator, made of magnetocaloric material and transfers heat between the magnetic material and a fluid through parallel channels. Traditional designs such as packed beds of particles are prone to particle segregation, creating an undesirable pressure drop. The main goal of our research was to fix those flaws by building brand new heat exchanger structures that we could easily install and test inside a working prototype magnetic cooling machine. Our methodology involved utilizing Additive Manufacturing (AM), specifically Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), to produce complex and customized geometries that are difficult to create with traditional methods. We tested several advanced designs, including Schwarz diamond, Gyroid lattices, and foil pin arrays. These AM regenerators were tested in a CaloriSMART test bed for experimental validation of their thermal performance. The experiments were conducted without an applied magnetic field to isolate structural effects and yielded compelling results. The foil pin array achieved a 10°C temperature span, a 66% increase over the 6°C span of the packed particle bed baseline. Both the foil pin and Schwarz diamond structures demonstrated an 8% increase in cold blow effectiveness. Furthermore, the AM designs significantly reduced pressure losses. At a mass flow rate of 0.00299 kg/s, the foil pin array reduced the pressure drop by 41.9% compared to the packed bed baseline (24.70 kPa vs. 42.55 kPa). Ongoing research aims to democratize access to this technology through exploring Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) as a portable and low-cost alternative to L-PBF.

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  Evolving Trends in Organ Donation, Recovery, and Utilization in the United States: A Decade of Change and the Impact of COVID-19

  Nirmay H. Rokad and Ohm Tripathi

  Evolving Trends in Organ Donation, Recovery, and Utilization in the United States: A Decade of Change and the Impact of COVID-19 Background: Over the past decade, organ donation and transplantation in the U.S. have undergone substantial changes, influenced by evolving donor practices and the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined national trends in donor types, organ recovery, utilization, and discard rates between 2012 and 2023. Methods: We analyzed SRTR/OPTN registry from 2012–2023, including total deaths, DBD (donation after brain death); DCD( donation after circulatory death); NRP (normothermic regional perfusion), organ authorization, recovery, transplantation, and discard rates. Pre-COVID (2016–2019) was compared with post-COVID (2020–2023). Results: A total of 259,544 deaths and 134,625 DD were analyzed. DD increased by 100.6% and DD per death by 52.7%. DBD remained predominant (76.5%), but DCD donors increased markedly—especially DCD with NRP (+1496.3%). Organ authorizations, recoveries, and transplants rose 106.3%, 97.4%, and 76.1%, respectively. Post-COVID, donations, recoveries, and transplants increased significantly, but organ recovery and transplant efficiency ratios declined.Kidneys and livers remained the most commonly recovered and transplanted organs. Average organs transplanted per donor declined post-COVID (2.75 vs. 3.05, p=0.009), with decreases across most organs, particularly pancreas, liver, heart, and lung. DCD with NRP donors showed increased yield, while DBD and DCD without NRP declined. Discard rates rose for most organs, with pancreas and kidney having the highest. Conclusion: Despite substantial increases in donor numbers and organ availability, organ utilization efficiency has declined post-COVID. The rapid growth of DCD, particularly with NRP, represents a critical opportunity for expanding the donor pool. Efforts to reduce discard rates and improve utilization efficiency will be essential to maximize transplant benefit in the coming decade.

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  Neanderthals and their Exhibitions of Fine Art: Unpacking Neanderthal Art on the European Continent

  Jacob T. Simpson

  This research project aims to bridge the gap between anatomically modern humans and our closest genetic relative, Neanderthals. By analyzing research literature on artistically symbolic artifacts potentially created by these ancient humans (focusing on populations in Europe) I hope to offer a superior speculation of Neanderthal intellect. Neanderthals potential capability to create artistic objects could transform our understanding of them and their cognitive abilities, and raise philosophical questions on what it means to be human.

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  Provenance in the Book Lab Library

  Regan Spangler

  For my Distinguished English Major project, I am designing and implementing a catalog of the books in the Book Lab (VCU Campus, Hibbs Hall room 408). This consists of three major components. One, I am compiling a digital catalog of the collection, including book title, author, editor(s), Library of Congress call number, and provenance (in other words, previous owners and users). Two, I am adding corresponding physical cards to each book. Both the digital catalog and the cards include all information previously stated. The third component includes research into provenance of the Book Lab collection. Using David Pearson’s Books as History, I am writing biographies on a selection of the previous owners of the books in the Book Lab Library. The culmination of these components is a digital catalog, shelf marks, and biographies of the prior owners and users of the Book Lab collection.

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  The Importance of Hippotherapy: Improving the Lives of the Disabled Through Alternative Therapy

  Jennifer N. Stapleton

  For centuries, horses have been suggested as “healers” and “helpers,” although it wasn’t until the 1900s that horseback riding was scientifically proven as a treatment and rehabilitation method. The exploitation of hippotherapy, the implementation of the three-dimensional pelvic movement stimulated by the oscillation and gait of the horse to combat symptoms of diseases and disorders, has since become a flourishing field of study, but one that is often overlooked. Benefits of hippotherapy often include increased motor neuron function, facilitating proper anatomical alignment, and reducing spasticity. This research analyzes the diverse and dynamic nature of treatment that hippotherapy facilitates, exploring the utilization of hippotherapy and its effectiveness of rehabilitation for those facing chronic non-progressive encephalopathy (also known as Cerebral Palsy). Cerebral Palsy, a non-degenerative disorder, is a result of a neural lesion or cranial damage and it often results in issues such as reduced mobility, decreased range of motion, and increased spasticity. As a result, this research focuses on the effectiveness of hippotherapy’s unique ability to offer a multidisciplinary rehabilitation framework including the reduction of spasticity and fatigue as well as increase in range of motion and increased neuromuscular activation, muscle strength, balance, and overall coordination. Additionally, this study includes how hippotherapy, an underutilized alternative form of therapy, has been and continues to be proven as an effective treatment and rehabilitation. In the United States alone, 1 in 345 children suffer from a form of Cerebral Palsy; however, only 2% of those who could benefit from hippotherapy actually receive it. Reviewing this research demonstrates the immense benefits that hippotherapy provides and breaks down how it combats symptoms associated with Cerebral Palsy, proving it is more than “just horseback riding.”

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  Bioprinted Scaffolds for Investigating Fibroblast Alignment

  Lillian Thro and Daeha Joung Ph.D.

  Fibroblasts play a vital role in tissue repair, ECM remodeling, and maintaining structural integrity in human tissues. However, their behavior in engineered 3D microenvironments remains poorly understood. Traditional 2D cultures fail to capture the complex cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions that govern fibroblast alignment, migration, and proliferation in vivo. To address this gap, this project uses bioprinted scaffolds that mimic native ECM structures and provide a platform for studying fibroblast behavior in controlled microenvironments. The project focuses on varying scaffold channel properties—such as width, depth, and geometry—to investigate how physical cues influence fibroblast organization and collective migration. A biodegradable gelatin-based ECM material will be used to ensure biocompatibility and long-term culture stability while maintaining uniform surface morphology. By adjusting these geometric parameters, we aim to replicate physiologically relevant environments that guide fibroblast alignment and matrix remodeling, as observed in wound healing or tissue regeneration. This work seeks to overcome limitations in current bioengineering approaches that often fail to achieve consistent 3D cell organization and mechanical integrity. Through systematic comparison of scaffold designs, we expect to identify how fibroblasts respond to spatial confinement, stiffness variations, and surface topology. The resulting platform will enable the visualization and quantification of fibroblast dynamics, providing new insight into the role of physical cues in ECM synthesis and tissue architecture. Ultimately, these customizable scaffolds could serve as valuable models for studying fibrosis, wound repair, and soft tissue regeneration.

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  The Gendered Heart: Closing the Gender Gap in Heart Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

  Aiden Varghese

  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the primary cause of death for both men and women in the United States, being characterized and treated in a historically male-centric manner. This research paper will address the disparities in risk factors for heart disease between genders, gender differences in diagnosis, and gender differences in management/treatment, thereby demonstrating the critical importance of incorporating sex specific factors into the field of cardiology. It has been demonstrated that lifestyle changes such as physical activity and smoking cessation can reduce CVD risk universally. This signifies a necessary shift toward being proactive in the prevention of CVD. However, this does not prove that these universal factors will yield fruitful outcomes when the stigma of unique female risk factors are ignored. Unique female risk factors include aspects of reproductive history (i.e., pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes) and anatomical differences (i.e., microvascular arterial structure and distinct genetic regulation). Most importantly, this research will demonstrate the gender gap in clinical practice, which includes the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials, delayed diagnoses resulting from atypical symptomology of women, and less aggressive medical management (i.e., lower guideline-recommended medication and diminished cardiac rehabilitation enrollment). These systemic biases provoke this disparity and therefore contribute to higher mortality rates and poorer long-term outcomes for woman than their male counterparts. To eliminate the gender gap and decrease CVD mortality, cardiology must move beyond general models. It is recommended to enhance the development and implementation of sex-specific diagnostic thresholds, risk stratification tools, and comprehensive, holistic care protocols that take into account the unique biological risk factors for women, as well as any biases that are part of institutionalized processes.

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  Identifying RNA Splicing Changes During Alcohol Withdrawal Using an Optimized RNA-Seq Analysis Pipeline

  Yasaswi Veera, Luana Martins de Carvalho, and Amy Lasek

  Alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes long-lasting changes in brain gene expression and RNA splicing, particularly in the ventral hippocampus. This study analyzes RNA-Seq data from rats exposed to chronic alcohol and withdrawal to identify transcript-level and splicing alterations. An optimized RNA-Seq pipeline using STAR, FeatureCounts, edgeR, and WGCNA improved efficiency by 25-40% while maintaining consistency across 25 datasets. Results reveal changes in neural signaling and stress-response pathways associated with withdrawal. This work provides both biological insight into AUD and a reproducible computational framework for transcriptomic analysis.

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  INFRARED SIMULATION

  Sophia Zhou, Ashton Hoo, Tyler Ricks, Sebastian Fox, and Kathy Phu

  Infrared image recognition is more difficult than visible-spectrum recognition due to limited high-quality training data. This project addresses that challenge by generating simulated infrared images using temperature-driven rendering in Unreal Engine and other 3D software. These simulations can support applications such as health monitoring, heat detection in mechanical and structural systems, thermal regulation, and engineering process control.

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  Examining Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Smoking Behaviors Among Black Breast and Gynecological Cancer Survivors

  Ida M. Adeso, Jian He, Ashley Turner, and Arnethea L. Sutton

  Black breast and gynecological cancer survivors experience poorer outcomes than their non-Black counterparts. Although multifactorial, one contributor may be cigarette smoking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify demographic, clinical, and social drivers of health (SDoH) factors associated with smoking behaviors in Black breast and gynecological cancer survivors.

  We conducted a secondary analysis of survey data collected from an ongoing cross-sectional study. Summary statistics (e.g., means, frequencies) were computed for all factors of interest. Chi square test of independence, t test, and logistic regression assessed the associations between demographic, clinical, and SDoH factors (e.g., social support) and the smoking status (ever smoker versus non-smoker). All hypothesis tests were two-sided at a significance level of 0.05.

  Among 148 Black breast and gynecological cancer survivors in our study sample, primarily were non-smokers (63.5%), 50 years old or older (60.1%), and had breast cancer (81.1%). When comparing smokers to non-smokers, smokers were more likely to have a high school education or less (31.5% vs.12.8%, respectively) (p=0.02) and to have gynecological cancer (vs. breast) (p< 0.001). In unadjusted analysis, cancer type and education were significantly associated with smoking; however, in the adjusted multivariable model, these associations were no longer significant. Age was the only significant covariate wherein for each additional year of age at cancer diagnosis, the odds of smoking increased by 6% (adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.13).

  Our findings indicate a need to focus on smoking in older breast and gynecological survivors, particularly as this group is more at risk for other smoking-related chronic conditions and may have smoked longer than their younger counterparts. Future research will require an understanding of the psychology associated with smoking after a cancer diagnosis and the development of tailored methods to engage older survivors in smoking cessation interventions.

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  Examining Geographic Access to Specialty Education in Richmond, Virginia

  Nonso Akunwafor

  This study examines how the geographic distribution of selective admissions schools (SAS) in Richmond, Virginia, affects student enrollment patterns and access to specialized education. It aims to (1) identify whether spatial distribution and transportation availability create barriers to accessing SAS and (2) evaluate possible solutions for improving access to specialty education. SAS in Richmond are secondary schools with specialized and rigorous academic programs, requiring a selective process for admissions. Existing research has explored the equity implications of the admissions processes of these types of schools, but limited research addresses access from a geographic perspective, particularly for Richmond Public Schools (RPS), a diverse urban school district. The geographic aspect is especially important since transportation access and distance fundamentally shape education access in a choice-based setting. This research employed a geospatial analysis approach, mapping SAS locations across Richmond’s census tracts and generating drive-time maps for each school. These maps were evaluated alongside Richmond's public transportation system to assess how proximity and mobility influence student access. Overall, I found that in Richmond, all SAS are concentrated in the northern part of the city and require the longest travel times to access. I evaluated possible solutions to improve access to specialty education and determined that Passion4Learning, RPS’ high school redesign plan, offers the most promising solution to geographic access and may increase access to specialty education by 60%.

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  Trust on Trial: How U.S. Foreign Policy Eroded Public Trust

  Rawan Al-Samarrie

  Public trust in the U.S. government has declined sharply over the past several decades, falling from roughly 75% in the late 1950s to almost 15% today. This project examines how major U.S. foreign policy decisions, specifically during the Vietnam War, the post-9/11 Global War on Terror, and the ongoing conflict in Palestine, have contributed to this erosion of trust. Through qualitative analysis of historical records, public opinion data, and scholarly assessments of U.S. military actions and their global consequences, the research identifies recurring patterns in how government narratives, media framing, and revelations of human rights violations shape public perception. Findings indicate that each conflict initially gained broad public support through appeals to national security, democracy, or moral obligation. However, as evidence of government misinformation, strategic failure, or civilian harm emerged, public confidence declined sharply and often permanently. The Vietnam War demonstrated the first instance in which televised violence and government contradictions fractured national unity; the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed the consequences of intelligence failures, prolonged occupation, and lack of accountability; and U.S. support for Israel during the current crisis in Gaza has intensified public skepticism, particularly among younger Americans, due to inconsistencies between stated American values and foreign policy actions. Together, these cases show that foreign military engagement is one of the most consistent predictors of long-term declines in institutional trust. Understanding this pattern is essential for evaluating the future of U.S. global leadership, rebuilding democratic legitimacy, and assessing how transparency, accountability, and public engagement can mitigate distrust. The paper highlights the need for a re-examination of U.S. foreign policy practices to prevent further erosion of public confidence and to promote ethically coherent international action.

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  Still Faces, Different Places: An Assessment of the Literature on the Face-to-Face Still Face Procedure for Cultural Congruence

  Merilyn Arikkat, Leslie B. Lantz, and Patricia Kinser

  Cultural understanding is a factor that impacts reliability of research results for observational studies. It is important to include participants of minority groups in research, as many people of color face disproportionate challenges in terms of healthcare access and resources. Within the context of mother-infant attachment, a technique known as the Face-to-Face Still Face procedure can be utilized to observe attachment styles and the bond between a parent and their infant. In order to combat subjectivity within the coding process for this Face-to-Face Still Face procedure, cultural congruence between the participants being observed in the study and the coding researchers qualifying behaviors should be considered. A literature search was conducted in which 12 articles, each utilizing coding to analyze mother-infant bonds, were reviewed to discover whether cultural congruence was reported or considered in the context of the coding process. None of the articles reviewed explicitly stated the cultural, racial, or ethnic backgrounds of the coding researchers. One article noted the nationalities of different members of the research team, with the nationalities of the research team and study participants matching. Another study noted that all the coding researchers were bilingual in the languages spoken by both groups of participants in the study. Details about the coding guidelines, educational background of the coding researchers, and the training process for coders was included in some articles. This review provides a starting point for further research into how a coding researcher’s personal background can influence the coding process, and therefore the reliability of results.

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  Using Test-crosses to Investigate Mendelian Inheritance Patterns in Brassica rapa

  Jacob Batson, Amy Nguyen, and Ethan Do

  The Wisconsin Fast Plants, Brassica rapa, are an ideal model organism for exploring patterns of inheritance and phenotype expression due to their rapid life cycle and observable traits. In this experiment, we examined the controlled crosses between the two phenotypes, anthocyanin-producing (ACN) and anthocyaninless (ANL), to observe allele inheritance. We observed phenotypes in the F1 generation to see if it followed the Mendelian inheritance patterns of homozygous dominant. By planting and watering the plants for two weeks, we tracked their growth and traits of ACN and ANL phenotypes. We used honey bees to cross pollinate the parent ACN and ANL plants. The seeds grown were then used to analyze the F1 generation to determine whether the ACN allele was either homozygous or heterozygous. The F1 generation had a count of 70 ACN and 52 ANL plants, which came out to be 57.4% and 42.6%, respectively. The chi-squared test determined that the p-value was 0.248. Since we got a 50-50 ratio of ACN and ANL phenotypes in the F1 generation, we can determine that the parent ACN allele was heterozygous.

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  The Romanticization of Human-Vampire Relationships: How 'Twilight' and 'The Vampire Diaries' May Prime Young Women to Accept Dating Violence

  Natalie M. Bowen

  The first literary vampire can be traced back to 18th century Germany, with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem “Die Braut von Korinth,” but the stereotypical features of a vampire are traditionally accredited to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Modern vampires, such as Edward Cullen and Stefan Salvatore of the Twilight and The Vampire Diaries series respectively, have managed to win the hearts of teenage girls all across America with their sex appeal and charismatic nature. According to Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, individuals learn new behaviors by modeling and imitating the actions of those around them. This comprehensive literature review investigates the connection between the human-vampire relationships in Twilight and The Vampire Diaries and teenage girls’ acceptance of dating violence and abusive behaviors from intimate partners. This study aims to examine how both Twilight and The Vampire Diaries create popular modern vampire narratives that may promote harmful messages to female youth regarding future romantic relationships. This analysis of peer-reviewed studies finds that harmful gender stereotypes and literary tropes are used on both female and male characters, the vampires exhibit manipulative and predatory behaviors, and the idea of true love overpowers the abusive behaviors of Edward and Stefan in the eyes of young girls, possibly creating a link between sex and violence. The findings of this study display a positive correlation between exposure to media violence and acceptance of dating violence among teenagers, as well as a positive correlation between exposure to sexually-oriented television and both the acceptance of the sexual double standard and earlier sexual timing expectations in relationships. New vampire media is still being produced, so it is important to understand what messages are being portrayed to teenage girls and how exactly these messages are altering their values regarding love in heterosexual relationships.

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  Exploring the Association between Childhood Anxiety and Stressful Urban Life Events

  diya cheema, Sydney Sumrall, Robin Everhart, and Marcia Winter

  Objective: Research indicates that children who live in underserved urban environments are more likely to experience behavioral problems, such as social withdrawal, school adjustment problems, and self-reported delinquency (e.g., King, Huang, & Dewan, 2022). Studies have shown that for adolescents who later develop anxiety and depression, the neighborhood during childhood development could be a factor (Lee et al., 2018). Environmental conditions such as a higher risk of exposure to violence, limited community resources, and undergoing a significant life change in childhood can result in greater risk for psychological distress, including anxiety (King, Huang, & Dewan, 2022). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between childhood anxiety and stressful life events in a sample of youth and their families living in an urban, low-income area.

  Methods: Children ages 5-12 (N = 79) and their primary caregivers (N = 79) were recruited from high-poverty, urban zip codes in Richmond, Virginia. The study was IRB-approved and conducted in a research building near the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. Child anxiety symptoms were measured via parent reports using the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children scale (March et al., 1997; Wood et al,., 2002). Children reported their exposure to stressors including at the community level (e.g., exposure to violence) and within the family (e.g., death) via the Stressful Urban Life Events Scale (Attar et al., 1994; Tolan et al., 1988). Linear regression was used to assess the association between stressful urban life events and child anxiety. Control variables included child gender and age.

  Results: Stressful urban life events were positively associated with child anxiety (𝛽 = .249, p = .027), controlling for child age and gender.

  Conclusions: Results indicate that children who live in urban, high-poverty zip codes in Richmond did not have an increased likelihood of having anxiety, parents reported. Understanding aspects of community and contextual stress that impact child mental health may provide insight into interventions seeking to promote resilience in youth exposed to early adversity. However, data for this study are cross-sectional and cannot show the direction of effects. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and use both parent and child reports to investigate the role of urban stressors in child psychological health.

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  Therapy in the Age of AI: How Young Adults Seek Help, Support, and Solutions

  Faith Maeba, Isabella Quilon, and Abigail Adade

  Therapy has long been a foundational approach for addressing mental health, but advances in digital technology have led many young adults, especially Generation Z, to increasingly turn to AI tools for support. Rising costs, limited access to providers, and long wait times have further boosted the appeal of AI-based mental-health solutions. Despite this growing interest, the use of AI for emotional and psychological support raises important questions about trust, empathy, safety, and the ethical responsibilities of mental-health providers and developers. We conducted a brief scoping review of research on AI-based mental-health tools and student help-seeking behaviors. Searches were performed on Google Scholar and publicly accessible academic sources from 2020 to 2025 using keywords related to “AI mental health,” “chatbot therapy,” “student help-seeking,” “Gen Z mental health attitudes,” and “digital counseling tools.” Eight articles met inclusion criteria. A standardized five-sentence template was used to summarize each study, covering the citation, purpose, participants, key findings, and relevance to AI and help-seeking, and themes were identified through qualitative synthesis. The findings highlight four key themes: (1) students value the accessibility and professionalism of AI but ultimately trust human therapists for deeper emotional issues; (2) AI chatbots often lack empathy and may give inappropriate or emotionally unsafe responses; (3) young adults are willing to seek help but prefer human connection for emotional support; and (4) AI could be a helpful addition if improved for emotional safety and regulation. Although AI has the potential to improve accessibility and reduce wait times, students do not view it as a replacement for human therapists, especially when addressing deeper emotional needs. Further research is needed to examine ethical safeguards and the long-term effects of AI-supported mental-health services for Generation Z.

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  Effects of Gas Exchange Rates Between C3 and C4 Plant Species

  Samantha L. Moya, Mollie Ouk, and Aisha Goni

  Spinach and basil (C3 plants) were compared with corn (C4 plant) to

  explore how photosynthetic pathways affect CO2 consumption. Corn

  seeds were obtained and planted in Miracle-Gro® soil to be observed

  over the duration of a month. Leaves (starting from 3,4, and 10) from

  each plant were then taken and placed into a bottle and closed off

  with a CO2 gas probe that measured levels of carbon dioxide in ppm.

  Spinach and basil leaves were used as a comparison for measuring

  the rate of CO2 concentration. This is done to compare the gas

  exchange rates between C3 and C4 plants. The stomatal area/leaf

  area were recorded from each plant as well. Additionally, chlorophyll

  was extracted from the C3 plants to determine if there were any

  differences among CO2 rates. Our null hypothesis is that plants that

  differ in photosynthetic pathways (C3 and C4) will have similar CO2

  consumption rates. Our alternative hypothesis is that plants that differ

  in photosynthetic pathways will have significantly different CO2

  consumption rates. CO2 levels declined more amongst C3 plants,

  attributing the higher chlorophyll content.

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  What are the Genetic Influences of Alcohol Sensitivity and Alcohol Metabolism? A Narrative Review of Human Studies

  Erwin Murray and Karen G. Chartier PhD, MSW

  Background: Alcohol sensitivity and alcohol metabolism are two phenotypes associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) influenced by genetics. This narrative review aims to answer “What are the genetic influences of alcohol sensitivity and alcohol metabolism?” to gain a better understanding of the genetic aspects of AUD.

  Methods: A database search was performed in PubMed. Empirical human genetic studies published between 2009 and 2025 that focused on alcohol sensitivity (measured by the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol scale) or alcohol-metabolizing genes were eligible for review. Studies were screened to determine inclusion for the current review.

  Findings: Fifteen studies were reviewed. Sample sizes ranged from 24 to 7,339 individuals. Study samples were largely of European ancestry, with fewer studies in individuals of African and Asian ancestries. Among the studies reviewed, a wide range of variants were shown to be associated with lower alcohol sensitivity, such as OPRM1 variants, while GAD1 variants and others were associated with higher alcohol sensitivity. Alcohol-metabolizing variants such as ALDH2*2 were shown to be protective against AUD, and others were associated with a greater risk of AUD, such as ALDH1A*1.

  Conclusion: An interesting variety of genetic variants appear to play a role in alcohol sensitivity and alcohol metabolism. Many alcohol-metabolizing variants were replicated across the studies reviewed, such as ALDH2*2, confirming prior results of its robust association with AUD. Future genetic research should use larger sample sizes and more diverse populations to improve gene identification and obtain more generalizable results.