2021 Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Authors after the Civil War sought to preserve ideals of the Antebellum South, teaching the world that white slave owners were benevolent caregivers. This practice erased centuries of abuse, family separation, rape, and murder that plagued the African American community. This misinformation and the racism caused by these changes form the basis for American literature since the late 19th centuries. Children's books during this era were designed to mend the crippled relationship between the north and south caused by secession. These books were used to teach everything from counting and reading, to table manners and basic hygiene. In many cases, these books were the children's first exposure to the outside world. White supremacists used this vulnerability to their advantage by including racist depictions in children's literature, encouraging racial bias to continue. The Story of Dr. Dolittle, first published in 1920, includes a scene where an African prince asks Dolittle to help bleach his skin so he can marry a white princess. Dolittle has the prince put his face is a bowl of lye, and when he lifts his face, he has white skin and gray eyes. This demonizes interracial relationships and prioritize whiteness, further spreading the racist ideas held in the 1920s.These stories are passed down with each generation and the negative effects of slavery were forgotten as the south rewrote history to fit the Old South. They mended their relationship to the north, labeled the Black community the enemy, and allowed for racist ideas to be shared from one generation to the next, ensuring the continuation of racial inequality and discrimination. Citation: Hugh Lofting, 'Chapter 12: Medicine and Magic,' The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Lit2Go Edition, (1920), accessed February 03, 2021, https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/221/the-story-of-doctor-dolittle/5626/chapter-12-medicine-and-magic/.

My presentation will be a blend of both creative and academic, as both parts inform one another. The creative part of my presentation will be a PowerPoint showcasing chapters from my graphic novel, Galeton Ghoul: an American Manga, which takes place in my hometown of Galeton, Pennsylvania. I will provide excerpts to discuss the process of the story's creation, from the daydreams to the finished piece.My graphic novel centers on a female protagonist who works for an agency that hunts ghouls to keep humans safe, and along the way finds a town where being openly racist is tolerated (maybe at times encouraged), and people who are accepting are rare and hard to come by. The town has been plagued with ghouls for the last several years, however, things have only ramped up since a Muslim family moved to the area. She needs to find the actual ghoul terrorizing the town before a Muslim family gets lynched. These issues are a part of the central plot of the story, and are relevant issues in rural communities today.The academic, scholarly part of my presentation will be a critical analysis of the famous Japanese manga series, Tokyo Ghoul and its sequel Tokyo Ghoul:re, written and drawn by Sui Ishida. In my paper, I will be examining issues of intertextuality, as Ishida frequently references mid-twentieth-century novels like The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai, Demian by Herman Hesse, and most notably explicit references to Kafka's Metamorphosis. I will be mainly focusing on how Metamorphosis provides a narrative arch for Tokyo Ghoul.

Normally, a cell's lifecycle is characterized by the growth phase followed by DNA replication and then finally cell division. This process generates genetically identical cells. Alternatively, in the process known as endoreduplication, cells grow and DNA replication occurs, but the cell does not divide. In plants, whether a cell divides normally or if it undergoes endoreduplication is dependent on CDC20 and CCS52 proteins. These two classes of proteins are anaphase promoting complex (APC) activators. In conjunction with the APC, CDC20 proteins have been found to promote normal cell division while CCS52 proteins promote endoreduplication. They do this by targeting specific proteins called cyclins, which control the progression of a cell through the cell cycle, for degradation. In soybean (Glycine max), a potential third type of APC activator, GLYMA10, has been identified. It currently has no known function, but it shares sequence similarities with CDC20 and CCS52 proteins. Like CSC20 and CCS52 proteins, GLYMA10 has defining traits such as a conserved C-box, WD40 repeats, RVL motif and an IR tail, which indicates that it may also function as an APC activator. For CDC20 and CCS52 proteins, the conserved C- box and IR tail are both needed to bind to the APC and the RVL motif found within the WD40 domain is involved with cyclin binding. To begin the process of understanding the function of GLYMA10, it will be expressed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a model system to study cell division, and the phenotype will be examined to determine if the gene is in fact an APC activator.

Previous investigations on calculus students' misconceptions of tangency have noted that many students tend to include properties that are consistent with the treatment of the subject in algebra or geometry in their definitions of a tangent line (Biza et al., 2008; Vincent et al., 2015). One might suspect that these students had developed these misconceptions in a prior mathematics class, however, in our previous research on the subject (Hogue & Scarcelli, 2021), we found that students could hold these algebraic or geometric conceptions of tangency despite the fact that they could not remember learning about tangent lines in any other course. Whether students develop these misconceptions in algebra, geometry, or entirely within their calculus class, the cause of these misconceptions is still not entirely clear. Some potential causes include an overuse of certain examples of tangency (e.g., a tangent line to a circle or a parabola), improper language use when discussing tangent lines (e.g., the use of the phrases “barely touching, just touching, or hugging), and student exposure to tangent lines in other mathematics or non-mathematics courses. Our current research examines in-service mathematics teachers' conceptions of tangency in an attempt to establish a link between teachers' understandings of the subject and common student misconceptions about tangent lines. We interviewed 16 mathematics teachers that are currently teaching at the secondary level to come to a better understanding of what teachers know about the subject. Our findings show that these teachers held many of the same misconceptions that the students in our previous study held, which sheds some light onto the question of where these misconceptions originate.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends sixty minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity for children (2018). Children with disabilities experience more barriers than children without disabilities in achieving the daily recommended physical activity (Shields & Synnot, 2016). Children with physical and intellectual disabilities are at a higher risk for disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and obesity when compared to their peers (Kirk, 2019). The purpose of this study is to assess how video-based instruction influences heart rate during virtual physical activity time of children with disabilities. Research on influencing the physical wellbeing of youth with disabilities through virtual formats has social validity, especially during the increased use of online instruction due to COVID-19 education mitigation policies (Theis et al., 2021). Research Question: The research question for this study is, can video-based instruction influence heart rate during virtual physical activity time of children with disabilities? Method: A single-subject alternating treatment research design will be used. School-aged children recruited from an after school physical activity program will participate in eight weeks of pre-recorded and synchronous fitness-focused physical activity sessions. Sixteen sessions each 20 minutes in duration will be held. Fitness trackers will be used to collect heart rate data. The duration of time spent in the light to vigorous heart rate zones will be analyzed using visual analysis. The investigators expect to learn how video-based instruction influences heart rate during virtual physical activity time, and what is the most effective form of video-based instruction for children with disabilities. This study is in progress and the results are expected in spring of 2021. With our findings we will contribute to the growing knowledge base of virtual physical activity programming for children with disabilities.

The question of whether or not Mars will ever be inhabitable to humans has been a topic that scientists and researchers have been inquiring and studying for years. In more recent years, scientists have discovered that an uninhabited island in the Canadian High Arctic, Devon Island, allows for realistic mission goals to be tested. In this project, I will be studying how this location is ideally suited for practicing living on Mars. During the FMARS 2007 Long Duration Mission, a four month period allowed for research and breakthroughs to occur. There are operational scenarios that can withstand on this island, similar to what a real crew would experience on Mars. In this human factors research project, certain aspects were studied to determine what a real crew would face on their eventual mission to space. These included countermeasures to stress and isolation, analysis of group dynamics, analysis of environment habitability, cognitive performance, sleep disruption under the Arctic Martian Sol conditions, and food choice, preparation, and overall satisfaction. What do these endeavors mean for future living conditions on Mars, and how does this research contribute to further scientific discoveries and breakthroughs? As I further my research on Devon Island and its correlation to Mars, I am hoping to gain more knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of the suitability of this location as a testing ground for a Martian terrain.

Approximately three million Americans use wheelchairs to increase active participation in life, but these devices are helpful only in specific circumstances. While increasing mobility for the user, wheelchair use risks injury to the user and their caregivers. Frequency of wheelchair transfers by the over 50 population increase the risk of injury, falls, and even death. Environmental barriers may limit wheelchair use to the primary living area, limiting access to the outside world and social participation. Although power wheelchairs may reduce the physical strength and stamina required to propel the device, the inability to transport the power wheelchair to different locations with ease also limits their use. Wheelchair users report feeling a loss of independence and volition which limits their enjoyment of life activities. Occupational therapists (OTs) are frequently part of the mobility team and positively contribute to improve a client's ability to complete daily activities. Interventions provided by the OT aim to increase independence and support social participation which have been found to support overall health and well-being. Power wheelchair use can enable a client to enjoy a greater quality of life by decreasing the physical burden of locomotion . The transition from a manual to a power wheelchair has shown to have a greater psychosocial impact. Through custom adaptation and real-time training with power wheelchairs, OTs ensure that their clients' participation and socialization are maximized. The use of all-terrain power wheelchairs enables clients to experience life beyond the boundaries imposed by the physical environment. Combining OT expertise with custom all terrain power wheelchairs allows for greater active participation in preferred life activities while ensuring a safe fit and effective learning of safe wheelchair use. A prospective study among people with mobility restrictions identified eight aspects of mobility that became easier to perform for approximately half of the participants using a power wheelchair including: visiting restaurants/cafes/pubs, shopping groceries, other shopping, posting letters, visiting the bank pharmacy, going for a walk/ride, and visiting with family/friends. The current lack of funding for all terrain wheelchairs makes their use unattainable for many people, leading to dissatisfaction in life and social isolation. Further study of all terrain wheelchairs establishes a need for alternative funding to increase access for more wheelchair users.

It is widely accepted that beliefs play an important role in teaching and learning (e.g. Ambrose, 2004; Pajares, 1992). In recent years, learners' beliefs regarding personal attributes have surfaced as influential and sometimes detrimental pieces of the learning process. These beliefs about personal attributes are generally known as mindset. In particular to these beliefs, the idea that one is either born a math person or not forms the notion of a fixed mathematical mindset. On the other hand, the notion that an individual's mathematical ability is something that can be developed through perseverance and hard work forms the notion of a growth mindset. Although mathematical mindsets are fairly well-defined in the research base (Boaler, 2016), measuring those mindsets has been more problematic. A prevailing issue rests in the fact that the bulk of data collected on mindset identification has come from self-reporting surveys (e.g. Blackwell, Trzesniewski, Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 2006; Dweck, 2012). This project will report research data in an attempt to provide preliminary insights related to the relationship between espoused and enacted mathematical mindsets of prospective middle school teachers. Previous data collected by the faculty sponsors hold that prospective teachers tend to self-identify as having a growth mindset even when their actions may suggest otherwise. In response to these findings, this project utilizes a self-reporting protocol and observation protocol that have been created to distinguish fixed and growth mindsets in an effort to provide further insights related to the relationship of the espoused and enacted mindsets of future middle school teachers.

Memes are a popular form of communication messages in online environments that represent and form social mindsets (Shifman, 2014). The term meme refers quite broadly to an idea or concept that spreads rapidly (Dawkins, 1974). Within the context of the internet, the term meme is used to represent concepts or ideas that are spread virally on the internet. These memes often couple still or video images with text which in turn convey an idea or commentary on an issue (e.g., Diaz, 2013; Shifman, 2014). Because of their popularity and implications, examining the content of memes is a worthwhile endeavor.Memes convey emotional components (e.g., Guadagno et al., 2013; Harvey et al., 2019). Recent research indicates that digital content, such as memes, have profound effects on emotion regulation processes (e.g., Wadley et al., 2020) and further indicates that internet memes have the ability to regulate emotion in clinically depressed populations (Akram et al., 2020). While the current body of research indicates that memes contain emotional elements and that memes may regulate emotion, there has yet to be an empirical examination of emotion regulation themes present in memes. The present project seeks to understand if memes contain emotion regulation themes similar to those laid out by Gross (1998) in their process model of emotion regulation.This paper presentation will present the preliminary results of a quantitative content analysis in which a random sample of memes originating from the year 2020 were coded for their emotion type and emotion regulation strategy present. It is hoped that results from this study will be used to shed light on the emotional components of memes, which in turn will help to explicate the emotion regulation processes related to meme viewing.

This study focused on teacher and staff perceptions of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation at the middle school level. MTSS implementation at the secondary level proves to be a daunting task including many complex facets. Ensuring that teacher insights are sought out when implementing school-wide programming such as MTSS can increase program success and fidelity (Eagle, Dowd-Eagle, Snyder, Holtzman, 2015, Hollingsworth, 2019 McIntosh, Goodman, 2016). This study examined three research questions: (1) How do middle school teachers and school support staff perceive implementation of a multi-tiered system of support? (2) How do these perceptions impact the buy-in and level of understanding of MTSS implementation? (3) In what ways do middle school teachers understand the MTSS framework? Utilizing a qualitative, single subject case study design, this study sought to explore how teacher and staff perceptions and understanding of MTSS can impact implementation. The study took place in a suburban, western Pennsylvania middle school, in which the researcher is employed. The constant comparative method of coding was utilized in order to uncover themes related to the collected data. The following themes were uncovered through data analysis: support for all students and addressing individual student needs is a part of the MTSS process, the need for all staff to be involved in MTSS, insufficient communication with off-team teachers, discussion of forms as a part of the MTSS process, parental involvement was not discussed as a priority in responses, and procedures and logistics are discussed in relation to MTSS rather than the day-to-day implementation. Results of this study indicate that seeking opinions from teachers regarding program implementation can provide valuable information for schools and districts to consider and highlights the importance of professional development focused on MTSS.

This project will be taking a dive into the Cassini Mission that aimed at gathering data about Saturn and its ring system. More specifically, we will be looking at Enceladus, Phoebe, and Iapetus, and how they interact with one another. Cassini revealed to us the complexity of Saturn's rings and moons, the dynamic relationship between them, as well as shed light on potential moons with the capacity to maintain life. Our project will investigate how the main rings, including the little known E-Ring, were formed and their interactions with the moons that are embedded in them. We will analyze the data acquired from the Cassini Mission and explain the importance and impact that this had on our understanding of distant orbital bodies within our solar system. Additionally, we will include data gathered by the Spitzer Space Telescope, which discovered the largest ring in our solar system - a ring that can only be detected through infrared radiation. This ring is being generated by Saturn's moon Phoebe and could potentially solve the mystery of Iapetus's dual coloring.

In the field of contemporary dance, the term “spontaneous composition” refers to the process of composing while improvising. This process blurs the line between improvisation and choreography so that the audience sees fully developed movement invention and spatial design with the same level of refinement that one expects from choreography. This project proposes a virtual residency with post-modern innovator Dr. Nina Martin, who has pushed the boundaries of improvisational dance-making for 40 years via her systems of teaching spontaneous composition called Ensemble Thinking and Articulating the Solo Body/ReWire Movement Method. Senior BFA candidate, Kari Hoglund, will attend four workshops with Dr. Martin followed by advanced level research that results in a solo based on Martin's systems. The solo will work specifically with Dr. Martin's method of ReWire Movement Method incorporating the use of charcoal on white paper. The final product will be the solo captured through dance film and will premier in a virtual performance.

symposium.foragerone.com/2021srusymposium/submission

Forensic social work, working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system, has a highly specialized practice area of Police Social Work (PSW). Unfortunately, there is a lack of training and guidance for the development of PSW programs. This action research project compiled the experiences from a new PSW program, as students collect data, summarize benefits, identify resources and create documents and professional presentations to contribute to foundational knowledge for PSW programs. The students will report on their time developing a police social work program within a local police department. The students will share foundational training and contacts made with another police social worker to use her knowledge to help create release and consent forms. The students are keeping track of all interactions they have within the community and the data and statistics will be shared. The students have also created a community guide for officers to give to individuals they feel will benefit from outside services. Ultimately, students and faculty will share this project at a national conference. This project has the potential to make significant contributions to the field, including increasing the competence of two MSW students, assisting community residents in receiving valuable social work services, assisting others who wish to implement a PSW program and adding to the literature on PSW.

Machines learning techniques have proved useful in various fields including business, medicine, transportation and fields in the physical sciences such as particle physics. This research aims to gauge the effectiveness of deep learning techniques in modeling thermodynamic systems. Specifically, the work optimizes a multi-layer neural network to quantitatively fit the van der Waals equation of state for single component system and mixtures. Multi-layer neural networks connections each have weights and biases which represent their importance within the network. These weights and biases are adjusted with the backpropagation algorithm to create accurate predictions. The research applies these principles to predict the pressure given by van der Waals equation given volume, temperature, and number of molecules as inputs. The van der Waals model is a modification of the Ideal Gas law. The model was conceived in 1873 by Johannes van der Waals to more accurately describe the qualitative behavior of fluids within a mathematical model. The model is described by van der Waals equations: which can also be extended to mixtures. By training a neural network to fit to van der Waals model, we plan to understand how the choice of hyperparameters (number of layers, number of neurons etc.) affects the accuracy of the predictions. Future work aims to apply similar techniques to predict the equations of state for various fluids whose thermodynamic properties have no accurate mathematical description.

For over half a century, NASA has been utilizing technology to further our understanding of space. Our research involves examining the various kinds of rovers, robots, and rotorcrafts that have been critical to the success of NASA's past, present, and future missions. We will examine the hopping robot Sparrow, rotorcrafts like Ingenuity, and Dragonfly, and the many Martian rovers. Not only are these new technologies being used for exploration and discovery, but there are also robots being developed to aid the planet in case of extinction level catastrophes. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission and Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) are tests to create a robot that would be able to protect Earth from asteroids that could potentially crash into it. These robots are designed to be able to change the motion of an asteroid heading towards Earth. Radiation hazards are detrimental to human life and this is where robots will play a major role. The pros outweigh the cons in most scenarios. The objective of this research is to show the benefits of space exploration through robotic means. This will be done by looking at some of Nasa's current and future autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. By researching them the group hopes to make the case that robots are a safer option due to human limitations and a smarter option when it comes to exploring more difficult terrains. By researching the papers published by NASA on the engineering hardware and science behind these missions, we could determine their cost effectiveness.

Media depictions often suggest that those convicted of sex-crimes have a high recidivism rate. This contributes to a public belief that those convicted will reoffend at a higher rate than other crimes. These reports, however, are misleading and backed up by anecdotes rather than official data. This research project aims to reveal the misleading information and identify the true recidivism rate by analyzing the recidivism rates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, utilizing published journal articles, and identifying governmental legislation that was enacted due to the misleading information.

The transfer matrix method to calculate scattering matrices uses semi-analytical methods of solving partial differential equations. This method is a powerful way of representing devices as a stack of layers with different refractive indices. The source code for this project represents a device as a series of layers of materials stacked horizontally. We simulate semiconducting organic polymer PEDOT:PSS thin films on ITO coated glass, a common structure for organic polymer solar cells, and compare the absorption to lab-fabricated samples of the same structure. Noting the differences and similarities between the quantities allows us to adjust our simulation to be more accurate.

Veterans are enrolling in higher education at increased rates due to the benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Williston & Roemer, 2017). Completing a postsecondary education degree is valuable as it offers greater economic opportunities (Norman et al., 2015). When pursuing postsecondary education student veterans often encounter unique challenges (Tomar & Stoffel, 2014). These distinctive occupational barriers impact student veterans' occupational performance in postsecondary education compared to occupational barriers traditional college students experience. This poster will describe student veterans' perceptions of barriers that impact their higher education and how occupational therapists and faculty members can both support student veterans in their transition to higher education.

Background: College students are under an enormous amount of stress which negatively affects both their mental and physical health. Consequently, a decline in all aspects of health also correlates to poor academic performance. According to the American College Health Association's Executive Summary, 28% of students reported that stress was the most significant factor negatively impacting their individual academic performance. The National Institutes of Health reports interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone). Today, it is becoming more common for college students to seek relief through animal support. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between animal companionship and the improvements in many aspects of mental and emotional health of college students. One hundred and twenty college students with animal interaction were surveyed to evaluate how their interaction with pets impact their mental and emotional health.Results: Prior to animal companionship, 42.5% of participants were very stressed, and 38.3% of participants were somewhat stressed. Additionally, 14.2% of participants were very unhappy, 22.5% of participants were somewhat unhappy, and 32.5% participants were neutral. After companionship, only 10% of participants were very stressed and 24.2% of participants were somewhat stressed. 56.7% of participants were very happy and 34.2% of participants were somewhat happy. 43.0% of the participants' physical activity had increased. Overall, 85.9% of participants reported their heath was positively affected after animal companionship. Conclusion: Based on findings of this study, having animal companionship in college has a positive effect on mental and emotional health amongst college students. Moreover, the results of this study can be utilized to implement animal therapy programs on campuses.

Space: the final frontier, is an aging phrase that most are familiar with. Space exploration dates back to the tail end of World War 2, and traverses into the 1950's as the United States and the Soviet Union raced to develop technology. The stakes grew even larger in 1969 when the U.S. sent the first successful manned mission to the moon. Since the 60's, NASA has contributed not only to colossal space discoveries, but to the advancement of technology we use every day as well.Our objective is to examine the large number of technological advancements space exploration has given birth to, and to demonstrate how these creations greatly out weight the costs. For example, the creation of the International Space Station has helped with communication, geographic information systems, and atmospheric data collection. NASA has had socio-economic impacts as well, including investments in new technologies and the next generation of scientists. The creation of new materials needed for space missions have been quite useful in the public, private sector, and in our everyday lives. These examples are but a small percentage of the vast number of advancements space exploration has led to. For this project we are studying sources and papers published directly by NASA.gov to assess how NASA has enhanced our society. With the continuation of space exploration, the number of positive impacts on our society will amplify as we find new problems to solve.

Juul, a brand of e-cigarettes, are popular for their discreet size, high nicotine content, and flavoring, although negative health effects like respiratory disease exist. Previous research has demonstrated that exercise can mitigate traditional cigarette cravings, and it is possible that this model may be applied to Juul use as well. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of an acute bout of exercise on Juul cravings in sedentary, Juul using college students and observe whether there is a delayed onset of the first craving the morning after a bout of exercise. METHODS: Participants came in for three visits in which they were not permitted to Juul. During Visit 1, a questionnaire was completed at baseline and after 10 and 25 minutes of sitting quietly. During Visit 2, participants walked on a treadmill at 40-50% Heart Rate Reserve for 15 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of sitting quietly. The questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the session, immediately after the walking session, and after 10 minutes of sitting quietly. During Visit 3, participants performed 5 different resistance machine exercises for two sets of 12-15 repetitions, lasting approximately 15 minutes. The questionnaire was then administered in the same manner as Visit 2. The morning after each visit, an e-mail was sent to the participants with follow up questions. RESULTS: Six participants (age 20.8±1.3 yrs, Juul use 15.7 ±6.5 months) completed this study. There was no Treatment x Time effect (0.05). There was no delay in urge or usage the following day (0.05), with a range of 0-60mins across participants. CONCLUSION: An acute bout of exercise does not appear to affect college-aged students' Juul urge. Strategies to better recruit students who engage in this negatively-perceived health behavior need to be explored.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences a mental illness, and 17% of youth experience a mental health disorder. Mental health does not discriminate and can affect all adults and children in all walks of life. Mental health can have a significant impact on people, but at times, research is suggesting that it has an even greater effect on people with disabilities. Our review of literature is focused on mental illness and specifically, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As the research suggests, people with ASD have differences from those without disabilities, especially in the way that they manage their mental health. One major difference is the way that individuals with ASD process their feelings and emotions while managing their mental health. Our research focuses on best practices to support individuals who live with both ASD and a mental illness. This literature review will support pre-service and current practicing teachers with the knowledge to support individuals living with ASD and mental illnesses.

Within a span of four months, radical right-wing demonstrators clashed with law enforcement as they stormed the seats of two of the world's most powerful legislative bodies the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. These incidents are the latest manifestation of a phenomenon that has increasingly threatened American and German democracy alike: political extremism. Political divisions have been deepening in democracies the world over, but radical movements in Germany and the United States share many ideological and behavioral similarities. In both countries, right-wing extremist groups are driven by disdain for foreigners, suspicion of liberal government and globalism, tension between state and federal levels of government, and resentment over increasing racial diversity. Such groups in the United States and Germany have also made extensive efforts to radicalize and recruit members of military and law enforcement communities, taking advantage of their military training and access to weapons. Despite the parallels between German and American political extremism, implicit support for extremist activity among the public and elected officials is significantly less prominent in Germany than in the United States. My research will seek to explain this disparity by comparing elements of German and American society such as political parties, policies regarding political speech, national security structures, and popular political media that have generated different outcomes in the fight against political extremism. In drawing these comparisons, I will identify specific policies, strategies, structures, and behaviors that have led to Germany's relative success over the United States at curtailing political extremism within its populace.

Outerspace is the great unknown. Space is extremely dangerous in all aspects for anyone or anything that we put into it. Safety is paramount for all missions with human lives and millions of dollars at risk. From liftoff to the return of the crew every part of the mission must be carefully planned out to ensure their safety. The Challenger accident in 1986 demonstrated how important this is. In our research we will look at all the aspects and procedures that make spacecrafts, flights, and spacewalks safe for all parties involved. We will be studying the safety protocol information from papers published by NASA scientists and engineers to examine whether the extreme cautionary measures taken by NASA are worthwhile.