Undergraduate Research Day 2014
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The Third Annual UC Undergraduate Research Day was held at Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014. This year’s Undergraduate Research Day was our largest event yet, with 55 projects and nearly 100 student participants.
This collection includes the abstracts of all projects presented at Undergraduate Research Day as well as the full text of those projects submitted for archiving. It represents the diversity of projects presented on April 2nd, and it is a testament to the intellectual rigor and sophistication of the students of Southern New Hampshire University. This year students presented research in the form of panel presentations, works-in-progress roundtable presentations, and poster presentations. Projects were submitted from across the three schools and represented research in over fifteen disciplines. Many projects represented traditional research practices while others were an example of community-based research.
View the abstracts with links to full text of all Undergraduate Research Day 2014 items.
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- ItemRaise your hands: a reaction to Lean In(Southern New Hampshire University, 2014-04-02) Friese, Melanie; Clamp, ChristinaAfter reading Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, a non-fiction book discussing women’s current roles in the workplace, I have become enlightened of the challenges that women continue to face. I was under the impression that the United States was continuing to progress towards gender equality, but in reality, it remains at an awkward standstill. My research will include a personal reconstruction of Harvard’s Heidi/Howard study, a study in which participants were given the story of a successful female and asked to provide their perceptions of her, while a separate group of participants were given the same story with just the gender of the protagonist changed and asked to give their perceptions. This study tested the perceptions of successful females in the business environment. The difference with my experiment is that the story of the successful female will be of a female student in higher education instead of a woman already far into her professional career. In addition, I will observe some classes at Southern New Hampshire University and record the participation of both male and female students to if there is male dominance in the classrooms. This study will also utilize a literature review of current research on gender equality in the United States of America. (Author abstract)
- ItemCeliac Disease and gluten intolerance at Southern New Hampshire University(Southern New Hampshire University, 2014-04) Thomas, Michaela; Cox, DavidThis in-progress research explores Southern New Hampshire University students’ awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, and aims to determine the percentage of the Southern New Hampshire University student body affected by these conditions. I first provide context for my research by defining gluten and describing the foods in which it is found. I then define the condition of gluten intolerance (or sensitivity) and compare and contrast it with the characteristics and symptoms of celiac disease. I document my own experiences with gluten intolerance and provide statistical information about the prevalence of celiac disease and gluten intolerance worldwide, within the United States, and among Southern New Hampshire University students. I also report statistics regarding the demographic of most commonly afflicted persons and explore the hypothesized reasons for the affliction of this demographic in particular. Additionally, I consider different arguments for the recent increase in reported celiac diagnoses. The methods used for this paper include the collection of primary and secondary data from empirical studies in medical journals, news articles, student surveys and individual student interviews. The survey sample data collected will be used to make conclusive statements about the prevalence and level of awareness that Southern New Hampshire University students exhibit of these conditions through quantitative techniques such as summary statistics and confidence intervals. The interviews will be used for qualitative comparison to my experience of a gluten intolerant life. These results will drive my conclusions about potential steps to be taken by decision makers regarding dining options to accommodate the increasing numbers of individuals on campus with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. (Author abstract)
- ItemDraft now, lose later: evaluating NFL prospects' draft stock based on character concerns(Southern New Hampshire University, 2014-05) Daly, Joe; Blais, DougIn recent years, social scientists have shown an increased interest in researching the relationship between a person with a criminal record and their subsequent success in the labor market. This research paper will look at all 1,016 players who were drafted into the labor market of the National Football League between 2010-2013 to determine what affects character concerns, specifically arrest records and team conflicts, have on draft status. This paper will determine if college football players who have a history of non-criminal related suspensions will negatively affect their NFL draft stock more than those who have an encounter with law enforcement. To prove this, data must be collected from every player who was drafted in 2010-2013 and determine whether the player had a formal criminal charge or was suspended for team or university violations, or both. We then must collect data from expert NFL draft analysts to see the correlation of the player’s pre-draft ranking (where they are projected to be drafted) and where the player was actually drafted. Then a beta regression model will be conducted to determine the correlation, if any, between the player’s incident and where they were drafted compared to their pre-draft ranking. (Author abstract)
- ItemThe Abolition of Man in dystopian literature(2014-04-29) Doe, Samuel; Cook, SusanThis thesis argues that two important works of dystopian fiction, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, can be read through the lens of C. S. Lewis’ Abolition of Man. In this book, Lewis writes of an intellectual trend which he labels Subjectivism, and which he believes is engaged in undermining humanity as we understand it. Lewis sees an example of this trend in a schoolbook on English writing, which he calls the Green Book (The Control of Language: A Critical Approach to Reading and Writing, by Alex King and Martin Ketley), and uses a criticism of this book as a departure point for a criticism of the whole philosophy of Subjectivism. I believe that Bradbury and Huxley are concerned with some of the same contemporary intellectual and moral trends as was Lewis, and, like him, feared the advent of a broken humanity. I will also be bringing Nietzschean philosophy to bear on this examination, for to really understand what Lewis means by the Abolition of Man, one should understand the ideas he is arguing against. To understand them, one should understand their origins, and the best way to do this is to go back to Nietzsche. Using The Abolition of Man as its central text, this thesis will work backwards to establish the argument between Lewis and Nietzsche, and will then analyze the philosophical ideas of both at play in the worlds of Bradbury and Huxley’s novels.(Author abstract)
- ItemPhotoshopping in advertisements and its effect on body image(Southern New Hampshire University, 2014-03-29) Grotton, Bailey; Carnell, Kelsey; Brenner, Sarah; Ferrucci, Adam; Eklou, AmendahDoes Photoshop and the alteration of body images affect the self-esteem and purchasing habits of customers? This is an essential question regarding morals and ethics in advertising that this study attempts to address. The purpose of the study was to discover what techniques marketers use and how they affect consumers. We are looking into the Aerie Real Campaign which is ignoring the use of Photoshop to market “real” models and products to their target customers. “The goal, said Dana Seguin, the director of marketing for aerie, is to help shoppers see what the clothing might look like on them -- even if they don’t look like a typical lingerie model” (p1). This campaign is focusing more on the positive light of the average body and not the manipulated version that is unrealistic. “A woman’s body image is an important source of her self-esteem. Approximately 50% of girls and young women report being dissatisfied with their bodies. According to the American Psychological Association these dissatisfactory feelings can play a major role in the development of low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders such as bulimia”. This affirms that the study we are focusing on is very specific and definitely has an effect on consumers and retail organizations.(Author abstract)