The Spring Student Symposium showcases the research and creative work of Ohio Wesleyan students across the academic spectrum. The Symposium provides an opportunity for students to share their work with the OWU community and enter a dialogue that can spur ideas for new projects.
Undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative projects conducted and performed under the mentorship of expert faculty are central components of The OWU Connection. The annual Student Symposium shows the breadth, innovation, and quality of work produced by Ohio Wesleyan students.
2023 Student Symposium
Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 4:10-6 p.m. in Merrick Hall
Schedule
Opening Remarks – President Rock Jones, from 4:10-4:15 p.m. in Merrick Hall 301.
Poster Presentations – Session 1
4:10-5 p.m. in Merrick Hall 301
- Board 1A: The Impact of the Ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) On Ecuador’s Domestic Policy – Brittani Stiltner ’23, mentored by Dr. James C. Franklin, Ph.D.
- Board 1B: Impressions of Witchcraft in Spain and the Ancient World – Ali Claus ’24, Bobby Frankfort ’24, Jordan Howlett ’23, and Allauna Lotts ’25, mentored by Professor Hank Blume and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 2A: Modern LGBTQ+ Representation in Transiciones and My Favorite Thing Is Monsters – Haley Pero-Favazzo ’23, mentored by Professor Amy E. Butcher, M.F.A.
- Board 2B: How a Fungus Condemned the Salem “Witches” – Emma Bradley ’23, Evan Lucas ’26, Jessa Nelson ’23, and Owen Smith ’25, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 3A: Estimating Supraglacial Melt Lake Volume Changes in West Central Greenland Using Multiple Remote Sensing Methods – Wesley Rancher ’23, mentored by Dr. Nathan Rowley, Ph.D.
- Board 3B: Relationship Between Cognition, Physical Function, & Nutrition With Fall Risk of Individuals Within a Retirement Community – Ella Cressy ’23, Brooke Hall ’23, and Luke Przybys ’26, mentored by Dr. Andrew Busch, Ed.D.
- Board 4A: Testing Cognition With a Video Game – Abigail Markley ’24 and Millie Rocco ’23, mentored by Dr. Kira Bailey, Ph.D.
- Board 4B: Gender Connotations in Love Magic – Iman Furbee ’25, Mo Halasey ’26, Peyton Howell ’23, and Elizabeth Sumoza ’25, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 5A: Parasite Communities in Sunfish (Centrarchidae) From the Olentangy River – Sophia Holupka ’24, mentored by Dr. Ramon A. Carreno, Ph.D.
- Board 5B: Women as Witches: The Guide Called Fear – Ben Buroker ’24, Cameron Daubenmire-Yates ’24, Brode Gibson ’23, and Katie Korenge ’24, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 6A: Witches in the Theatre: How Ancient and Spanish Plays Utilize Women as Plot Devices – Alison Dix ’24, Grace Mahoney ’24, Kayla Rush ’23, and Chloe Williams ’23, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 6B: Women in Politics: The Soong Sisters and Chinese History in the 20th Century – Cera Linnell ’23, mentored by Dr. Xiaoming Chen, Ph.D.
- Board 7A: Works of Written Witchcraft: From Medea to Now – Lauren Campbell ’24, Katherine DiJulius ’24, Elizabeth Mushaben ’23, and Elizabeth Rohrs ’23, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 7B: Folk Medicine in Italy – Ethan Benas ’24, Gabby Gonzalez Duarte ’26, Alayna Huddleson ’23, and Hailey Wyse ’25, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 8A: Genomic Impacts of Population Reduction and Biological Invasion on the Common Wall Lizard – Emily Bode ’23, mentored by Dr. Eric J. Gangloff, Ph.D.
- Board 8B: How Is Traditional Medicine Associated With the Views on Witchcraft and Magic? – Abbie Kline ’24, Camila Morales ’25, Katie Pentecost ’24, and Owen Rehak ’24, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 9A: Witches as a Social Scapegoat for Disease – Alena Arnold ’23, Ellie Dodds ’25, Cristian Gomez ’23, and Hailey MacGregor ’23, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
Poster Presentations – Session 1
5:10-6 p.m. in Merrick Hall 301
- Board 1A: Food Preferences in Adult Female Domestic Rats – Payton Andisman ’23 and Carissa Silet ’23, mentored by Dr. Shala J. Hankison, Ph.D.
- Board 1B: The Treatment of Accused Witches in Both Ancient Rome and 16th-17th Century Spain – Madz Deckop ’23, William Kennedy ’23, Destinee Levan ’23, and Ciara Pettit ’23, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 2A: Monitoring Air Quality Post-Environmental Disasters Using Remote Sensing – Abbie Kline ’24, mentored by Dr. John B. Krygier, Ph.D.
- Board 2B: Witchcraft and Medicine in Ancient Rome and the Spanish Golden Age – Olivia Fietzer ’23, Rory Housh ’25, Savannah Silva ’25, and Chris Tyhurst ’23, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 3A: Meerkat Lookout Behaviors – Kaitlyn Jurawitz ’24 and Zoie Pois ’24, mentored by Dr. Shala J. Hankison, Ph.D.
- Board 3B: Seasonal Variation in Abundance, Co-occurrence, and Physiological Status in Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) – Genevieve Paulick ’23 and Mckenna Roush ’23, mentored by Dr. Eric J. Gangloff, Ph.D.
- Board 4A: Elephant Social Behavior – Jessa Nelson ’23, mentored by Dr. Shala J. Hankison, Ph.D.
- Board 4B: The Role of Steroid Hormones in Regulating Song Production in a Common Backyard Bird – Ali Amer ’23, mentored by Dr. Dustin G. Reichard, Ph.D.
- Board 5A: Independent Woman = Witch = Bad – Yohanna Gray ’26 and Coral Pierson ’26, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 5B: Let’s Include the Ladies: Do Morphology-Performance Relationships Vary Between Sexes in Lizards? – Alyssa Head ’24, mentored by Dr. Eric J. Gangloff, Ph.D.
- Board 6A: The Influence of Economic Status on Witchcraft Accusations Made in the Zugarramurrdi Trials – John Catanzarite ’23, Graci Semptimphelter ’26, Anthony Tressler-Hughes ’25, and Wyatt Wells ’23, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 6B: Determining the Effects of Adolescent Stress on Psychiatric-Related Behaviors of Male and Female Adult Mice – Kaitlyn Quinn ’24 and Navami Shenoy ’23, mentored by Dr. Chelsea Vadnie, Ph.D.
- Board 7A: Molecular Characterization of Parasites From Sunfish in the Olentangy River, Delaware – Lan Do ’24, Ashley Krumlaw ’24, and Jennifer Paul ’23, mentored by Dr. Ramon A. Carreno, Ph.D.
- Board 7B: Multiculturalism in a Religious Society: UAE as a Case Study – Samavi Sultana ’23, mentored by Dr. Abeer Abdelaal, Ph.D.
- Board 8A: How Does the Witches’ Sabbath in 16th & 17th Century Europe Relate/Not Relate to Ancient Greek, Roman, and Inquisition Catholics Ceremonies? – Ethan Berkovitz ’23, Ethan Gilmour ’23, Rachel Madore ’24, and Mason Myers ’24, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
- Board 8B: Perceptions to Practice: A Study on Indian Medical Education and Its Translation to Treatment Standards – Mayukha Dyta ’24, mentored by Dr. Vanessa M. Hildebrand, Ph.D.
- Board 9A: How Global Urban Food Systems Can Combat Climate Change and Environmental Racism, Simultaneously: A Case Study – Eliza Richardson ’23, mentored by Dr. Amy L. Downing, Ph.D.
- Board 9B: Magic and Women: A Threat to Patriarchal Societies – Cera Linnell ’23 and Anna Mussenden ’25, mentored by Dr. Hank Blume, Ph.D., and Dr. Glenda Yael Nieto Cuebas, Ph.D.
Oral Presentations
4:30-6 p.m.
- 4:30-4:45 p.m.: Swimming Beneath the Sahara: The Thermal Biology of Scincus scincus, the Sand-Swimming Skink – Ethan Livingston ’24, mentored by Dr. Eric J. Gangloff, Ph.D.
- 4:47-5:02 p.m.: The Loneliness of Water – Joel Zachary ‘25, mentored by Professor Amy E. Butcher, M.F.A.
- 5:04-5:19 p.m.: The Safavid Merger: Sufism, Popular Islam, and the Rise of the Safavids – Sam Miller ’23, mentored by Dr. Susan Gunasti, Ph.D.
- 5:21-5:36 p.m.: Kinematic Analysis of Knee Valgus During Functional Test and Layups in Collegiate Basketball Players – Asher Rose ’23 and Kasey Schipfer ’24, mentored by Dr. Andrew Busch, Ed.D.
- 5:38-5:53 p.m.: Death of a People: Media Analysis of the Uyghur Genocide – Blake Johnson ’24, mentored by Dr. Ashley R. Kennard, Ph.D.
- 4:30-4:45 p.m.: From Dublin to Dublin: Comparing Special Education & Perceptions of Disability From Ohio to Ireland – Allyson Amstutz ’23, mentored by Dr. Michele Nobel, Ph.D.
- 4:47-5:02 p.m.: The First-Gen Student Experience: Why Building Solidarity Is Vital – Amarilys Torres-Nunez ’25, mentored by Dr. Paul S. Dean, Ph.D.
- 5:04-5:19 p.m.: Artificial Intelligence Opinion Survey – Aadarsha Gopala Reddy ’23, Darren Lo ’23, Ethan Love ’23, Jose Mancilla ’23, and Santo Sumo ’23, mentored by Dr. Nicholas Dietrich, Ph.D.
- 5:21-5:36 p.m.: Unveiling the Stories of Black British People: Their History and Cultural Impact on British Society (An Examination of How Black Immigrants Cultivate Their Own British Identity) – Faith Deschamps ’24, mentored by Dr. Franchesca V. Nestor, Ph.D.
- 4:30-4:45 p.m.: The Perennial March: Britain’s Road to Afghanistan – Cole Peterson ’23, mentored by Dr. Mark P. Gingerich, Ph.D.
- 4:47-5:02 p.m.: The Modern Relationship Between Music and Political Preferences – Teresa Martin ’23, mentored by Dr. Brianna N. Mack, Ph.D.
- 5:04-5:19 p.m.: Peasants and the Powerful: Peasant Socio-Economic Organization in Early Medieval Iberia 400-1000 CE – Drake Ogden ’23, mentored by Dr. Jesse Hysell, Ph.D.
- 5:21-5:36 p.m.: Ohio Wesleyan Bacillus Collection Student Research – Nandini Arora ’24, Emily Bode ’23, Morgan Chmielenski ’24, Rebecca Coppenbarger ’24, Ginny Faeth ’24, Carianne Hutchison ’23, Mindi Klaus ’24, Jonna Mendenhall ’26, Natalia Molotievskiy ’25, Jess Nichols ’23, Jennifer Paul ’23, Maddy Russell ’23, Brynn Schlesinger ’25, Olivia Smith ’23, Myles Steed ’23, Abby Thierauf ’24, and Ivan Vore ’24, mentored by Dr. Laura Tuhela-Reuning, Ph.D.
- 5:38-5:53 p.m.: Horizontal Gene Exchange Between Biofilm-Forming and Waterborne Bacteria – Maizy Pratt ’25, mentored by Dr. Laura Tuhela-Reuning, Ph.D.
