Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship 2006

INDEX OF AUTHORS

Valpo CORE Reader

Jim Beasley, Editor

Valpo CORE Reader features some of the best writing done from the previous year, highlights models of the kinds of writing students will be doing in the current year, and perhaps most importantly, invites additional ways of thinking about our texts.

The idea of research is closely related to one of the best aspects of a portfolio writing course--its emphasis on revision. Revision, like research, implies work over time, and most of time, "seeing again" and "searching again" takes place through dialogues with others. One of the larger papers which involves both re-searching and re-visioning is the "worker profile," an ambitious paper in the second semester involving interviews and contextual framing.

You might notice that many of these essays address the idea of vocation or calling in the lives of the authors or their subjects. It is intentional. We have been given permission to devote some serious thinking about the spiritual world of vocation and how first-year students think about their place in that world. We are grateful to participate in the Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship.

Contributing Authors:

Myranda Bellman, Eric Brooks, Cassie Carbaugh, Bill Celorio, Jackie Fuller, Bret Hassler, Sonia Hernandez, Ryan Perri, Emily Peters, Leah Ramey, Katy Ross, Drew Saad, Jen Stolle

Rape & Sexual Assault: Beliefs & Behaviors

Sarah Adam, Sarah Kramer

Departmental Affiliation:  Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences

While there is a wealth of information and research about rape and sexual assault, reported numbers of rapes and the actual believed prevalence of rape differ greatly. In the Valparaiso University community, little is known about how frequently date rape or other forms of sexual violence occur.  This research project assesses the attitudes and behaviors of female subjects from Valparaiso University with regards to rape and sexual assault.  It also reveals subjects' opinions about ways to improve educational programs on the Valparaiso University campus.  The research reveals whether subjects’ beliefs about rape and sexual assault correlate with their behaviors, as well as how different the beliefs and behaviors of women who have been raped are from the beliefs and behaviors of women who have not been raped.  The findings are based on survey data collected from women who attend Valparaiso University.  This presentation will contain discussion of the relationship between attitudes about rape and sexual assault to behaviors that women participate in, as well as an examination of which factors are most closely associated with rape and sexual assault.  It will also discuss the differences between responses of women who have experienced rape or sexual assault and the responses of women who have not.

Information about the Authors:

Sarah Kramer and Sarah Adam are junior social work majors.  Sarah Kramer hails from Missouri and has a minor in urban studies while Sarah Adam is from Illinois and has a minor in sociology.  Both are members of the Student Social Work Organization and of the Social Work Honors Society.  They are completing this project for their social work 330 class, Introduction to Methods of Social Research.  They became interested in the topic of rape and sexual assault last semester because of the reported attacks on several women on the Valparaiso University campus.  After discussing these attacks in a social work class, they decided they wanted to learn more about the reported sexual assaults and rapes on campus.  They also wanted to find out what women believed about rape and sexual assault and how these beliefs shaped their behaviors.

Faculty Sponsor:  Matthew Ringenberg

Student Contact:  Sarah.Adam@valpo.edu

Graphically-Based Kinematics for the Mathematically Unsophisticated and Challenging Student: Misconceptions with Newton’s Laws

Ralph Asher

Departmental Affiliation:  Physics,

College of Arts and Sciences

Diagnostic exams of introductory physics students have shown that the majority of students hold fundamentally inaccurate perceptions of Newton’s Laws.  A fundamental misunderstanding of velocity and acceleration becomes evident in student responses on multiple-choice questions regarding Newton’s Second Law, ΣF = dp/dt, or as it is typically presented in introductory physics, ΣF = ma for constant mass.  Diagnostic exams also suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of Newton’s First and Third Laws.  My goal is to develop modules suitable for use in an introductory physics course that help clarify Newton’s Laws.  I will also demonstrate their effectiveness by deploying them in the Christ College course, CC-270, Interpretation in the Natural Sciences, and using pre- and post-diagnostic exam questions.

Information about the Author:

Ralph Asher is a senior physics major from Valparaiso, IN.

Faculty Sponsor:  Gary Morris

Student Contact:  ralph.asher@valpo.edu

Risk Communication for Signing a Recording Artist

Amanda Bate, Lindsey Opsahl

Departmental Affiliation: Communication,

College of Arts and Sciences

There are several risks when signing a new artist to a label such as the image, songs and personal life of the artist, as well as the reception by fans and touring to worry about.  Labels have to consider risks when signing all artists and the effect they will have on the label.  The purpose of this project is to take a closer look at who they are signing and what effects there will be on all parties that are involved.  Some key questions that need to be answered are: do record companies weight the pros and cons of signing or is it based on talent alone? Also, how much emphasis is placed on the image of the artists?  The Risk Communication Theory helps us to understand the amount of communication that all parties must take part in.  We came about our research through interviews with those that are involved in the music industry from artists, presidents of companies, and artists that also own their own company.  Our main findings are that where there is talent, there is a contract waiting; the pros and cons are not considered.  There is an understanding that whatever problems that arise will be dealt with when they happen.  Our findings show that talent alone will produce enough backing from a record company that there is no need to worry about what the artist may bring to the company’s image.  A more evident use of the Risk Communication theory when signing a new artist to a label would benefit the company in the future.

Information about the Authors:

Amanda is interested in risk communication in the music industry because she someday hopes to work for a record company.  She has previous experience with working for No Deal Records in Detroit as well

as Great Media Detroit Radio doing promotion. In the future, Amanda hopes to work for a record company in the rock department as head of promotion.  Lindsey also has an interest in the music industry.  She currently is working for an ad agency, Response TV Network, in Philadelphia. Lindsey and Amanda have taken two public relations courses where many theories have been discussed about the PR field.  Just like Amanda, Lindsey aspires to work for a record label doing promotions for talent.

Faculty Sponsor: Bonita Neff

Student Contact:  Amanda.Bate@valpo.edu

Conflict or Compromise: The United Nations, the United States, and Negotiating the Decision to Invade Iraq

Sarah Benczik

Departmental Affiliation: Christ College

The U.S. decision to invade Iraq was fraught with controversy.  Despite severe criticism both internationally and domestically, the Bush administration and U.S. government made the decision to go to war. Was there something else that could have been said or done by the U.S. government to convince other U.N. Member States to accept the U.S. plan?  Roger Fisher and William Ury’s book, "Getting to Yes," conveys methods of negotiation that have been studied by the Harvard Negotiation Project for the last twenty years. The Harvard Negotiation Project studies negotiation and conflict resolution at domestic, business, and international levels. Could the U.S. government have used these negotiation methods at the United Nations to plead their case?  What methods of negotiation were used?  This paper examines the nature of U.S. foreign policy in international politics and why States have such a hard time compromising with one another.  Looking closer at the United Nations, an international organization that provides a forum for negotiation and compromise, this paper highlights basic U.N. principles that parallel methods set forth in "Getting to Yes," and addresses whether or not the U.S. actually ought to compromise with other countries in current international fora.

Information about the Author:

Sarah Benczik is a sophomore international affairs,

public relations, and humanities major from Plymouth, IN.  She is returning to VU after completing an internship at the U.S. State Department Office of UN Political Affairs in Washington, DC.  Sarah intends to pursue graduate work and a law degree when she graduates in May 2007.

Faculty Sponsor:  Gretchen Buggeln

Student Contact:  sarah.benczik@valpo.edu

Chinese Perceptions of Japanese People and Government

Bethany Birch

Departmental Affiliation: Chinese and Japanese Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

This research was done over summer-fall 2005 in Hangzhou, China, where 107 surveys were collected and 10 interviews were completed as well as 8 months of observation.  This research examined the role of several different factors in the Chinese perceptions of Japanese government and individuals including media, schooling, personal contact, etc.  By understanding the stereotypes and trends in China regarding Japan, it makes the task of disabling those stereotypes surmountable.  The goal of this paper is to help people see the existing sociological reasons for the current relations between the Chinese and Japanese and possible ways to enhance this interaction. This relationship is important to the United States as both countries are trade powers.  If we are to have effective diplomacy in East Asia, it is vital we understand regional issues between China and Japan.    

Information about the Author:

Bethany Birch is currently a senior and will graduate this spring.  She has been to China three times and has spent a total of nine months in the country.  She will pursue the Masters of Arts Chinese Studies degree at Valpo this summer.

Faculty Sponsor:  Zhimin Lin

Student Contact:  bethany.birch@gmail.com

Biocatalytic Synthesis of Chiral Lactones

Rebecca Bock

Departmental Affiliation:  Chemistry,

College of Arts and Sciences

Biocatalytic synthesis is a “green” (energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly) alternative to traditional chemical synthesis.  The work reported here is part of an ongoing collaborative effort to develop a biocatalytic synthesis of optically pure chiral lactones from racemic hydroxyamides.  The specific goal for the work reported here is to use genetic engineering to prepare an E.coli clone that expresses a His-tagged amidase enzyme.  Our experimental strategy is to:  1) use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to make a variant of the amidase gene flanked on both sides with recombination-recognition sequences, 2) use a phage recombination reaction to insert the amidase gene into a plasmid that also contains the genetic code for 6 histidines, and 3) transform E.coli with this plasmid to prepare a clone that will express the His-tagged amidase.  To date, we have succeeded in the PCR reaction and have attempted the recombination/ transformation experiment with ambiguous results.

Information about the Author:

Becky is a junior Chemistry major, with a Liberal Arts Business minor.  She is planning on pursuing her chemistry and business interests by going into the business side of chemistry, possibly pharmaceutical sales.  She is a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, Mortar Board, the VOV Committee, Alpha Lambda Delta, Intramural Advisory Committee, and the Chemistry Club.  Her research took place over this past summer with the great advice of Dr. Goyne.

Faculty Sponsor:  Thomas Goyne

Student Contact:  Becky.Bock@valpo.edu

Urinary Incontinence in the Elderly 

Julie Bolgert, Danessa DeLaCruz, Melissa Johnson, Amanda Jurek, Kristen Mueller

Departmental Affiliation: Nursing,

College of Nursing

This project examines the best practice concerning urinary incontinence in elderly patients residing in long-term care facility.  Urinary incontinence is a rising problem resulting in falls, hospitalizations, pressure sores, and urinary tract infections.  By creating a urinary incontinence program unique to each resident’s needs, the elderly will be less prone to urinary incontinence.  Six Valparaiso University nursing students completed the research project.  Books, articles, and nursing journals were retrieved through Pre-CINHAL, CINHAL, and EBSCOhost using key data terms such as elderly UI, long-term care facility, UI interventions, and managing UI.  Group members evaluated articles for relevance and effectiveness to determine inclusion in the review.  A new policy was created after reviewing the research articles, quality improvement plans, case studies, and protocols.  This policy states that all residents should be assessed for urinary incontinence to create a plan of care tailored to meet each resident’s needs.  Continence status and treatment plan should be reevaluated monthly.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the protocols, it is proposed to review residents, gather information over one week, and create an individualized plan. Success is measured by monthly reduction in incontinence. Yearly staff development training will ensure that barriers to incontinence care are addressed.

Information about the Authors:

Six senior nursing students from Valparaiso University completed this research project. They are committed to evidenced-based practice when caring for their patients.  The success of this project would not have been possible without the guidance and encouragement of Dr. Nola Schmidt. 

Faculty Sponsor: Nola Schmidt

Student Contact:  Danessa.DeLaCruz@valpo.edu

Internal Communications: Comparing Employee Relations Programs Across Industries

Heather Bradford, John Schaekel

Departmental Affiliation: Communication,

College of Arts and Sciences

Public relations internal responsibilities include the relationship between administration and employees in an organization (Hendrix 2004).  However, internal relations challenges may vary between industries.  For example, employee relations may have different priorities within a sports organization in comparison to a large corporation.  To view this from a relationship management theory approach, a series of instruments, questionnaires, and interviews were conducted to assess the quality and kind of relationship in each environment.  The results indicated that there are more similarities than differences.  The data also suggested that the communication quality is essential to the internal satisfaction level.  The future importance of this finding suggests that there can be generalized internal communication procedures and that the quality of the internal organizational experience is tied closely to the significance of the public relations role.

Information about the Authors:

In the process of managing and creating a new business, Heather Bradford has experienced the importance of sustaining proper internal communication within an organization.  Her educational background includes a public relations major and business minor. She is developing, designing, and managing a new cafe business opening in March 2006 at VU Law School.  John Schaekel had an internship for a high school athletic department. His educational background a sports management major, business and coaching minor.

Faculty Sponsor: Bonita Neff

Student Contact:  heather.bradford@valpo.edu

Valpo Voicemail:  A Mystery to be Solved

Tony Camacho, Martha Afdahl

Departmental Affiliation: Communication,

College of Arts and Sciences

Approximately two years ago, Valparaiso University set up a new voicemail system with more advance features such as a Call Pilot messaging platform for voicemail service as well as an enhanced 911 system used to route emergency calls.  Since the change, students are required to activate their own individual voicemail accounts.  Even though this new system may be a step forward in technological use on campus, many students instead, think this is a step back.  The absence of student voicemail setup is causing communication issues between faculty and students, leaving the faculty with limited options, including email as well as long distance calls via cell phones.  Electronic survey research software was utilized to contact students about the issue.  The results were to answer the following questions:  Is it a technical glitch, unclear directions, or simply a lack of effort from the students? 

Information about the Authors:

Tony Camacho (junior) and Martha Afdahl (senior) are members of the VU Internal Communication Committee and also members of the PRSSA student agency--SPARK PR. 

Faculty Sponsor:  Bonita Neff

Student Contact:  Luis.Camacho@valpo.edu

Prostate Cancer Screening in African American Men

Sarah Chapman, Evaleen Fleck, Tasha Gyure, Stacy Monnier, Heidi Singleton, Lisa Swanson

Departmental Affiliation:  Nursing,

College of Nursing

This research project addresses how the use of screening for prostate cancer in African American men can be increased.  Prostate cancer is the leading cancer in men.  It is about 3.5 times higher among black men than Asian/Pacific Islander men.  Students searched CINAHL for related articles, which were critiqued by two group members and chosen based on their applicability to the research question.  The most popular sample used among the research articles was a convenience sample focusing on African American men. The most common design was a questionnaire. The universal finding throughout the articles was that African American men have barriers preventing them from getting screened for prostate cancer.  After reviewing the research articles, it was decided to increase screenings by offering educational outreach programs specifically addressing what happens during the screening procedure, how the disease progresses, and why it is a priority.  It was decided that it is important to have educational outreach programs, with a multidisciplinary approach, held at convenient locations employing community leaders as spokespeople. Effectiveness of the educational programs to increase screening can be evaluated for effectiveness using surveys, reported increase in incidence of prostate cancer screenings, and knowledge tests.

Information about the Authors:

This group consists of two accelerated and four senior nursing students looking to make a difference in the nursing field through improving patient care.

Faculty Sponsor: Nola Schmidt

Student Contact:  Stacy.Monnier@valpo.edu

Drunk Driving: Behaviors and Attitudes of College Students

Rachel Christiansen, Kelly Halcarz, Carissa Redeker

Departmental Affiliation:  Social Work,

College of Arts and Sciences

While drunk driving has negative consequences, it is still a prominent issue among college students in the United States.  There is a social stigma attached to the term “drunk driving” yet, especially among college students, it is a common if not socially acceptable behavior.  The study examines the attitudes of students on the campus of Valparaiso University by determining what students define as drunk driving and by questioning their beliefs about its appeal.  By exploring students’ behaviors, such as driving while intoxicated and riding with intoxicated drivers, the study seeks to analyze the correlations between the aforementioned attitudes and behaviors.  In addition, the study explores whether students’ behaviors and/or attitudes have ever changed due to a significant event such as an alcohol-related accident or other incident.  

Information about the Authors:

Rachel is a junior with social work and Spanish majors from Saint Louis, MO.  She is enthusiastic to expand her horizons with this research project.  While she has participated in many different aspects of social work, the topic of drunk driving seems particularly exciting and relevant to her life as a college student.  Kelly, a junior social work major from Merrillville, IN, has been personally impacted by the effects of drunk driving. With this background, she hopes this research project will bring greater awareness of the problem of drunk driving to college students.  Carissa is a junior with social work and Spanish majors from Morton, IL.  She sees the societal influences that place pressure on college students to drink and is interested in studying the topic of drinking and driving and how students’ attitudes correlate with their actual behaviors. 

Faculty Sponsor: Matthew Ringenberg

Student Contact:  Rachel.Christiansen@valpo.edu

High Temperature Electrolysis of Zinc from Zinc Oxide

Kim Christman

Departmental Affiliation: Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering

The purpose of this research project is to determine the relationship of high temperatures to the efficiency of electrochemical reactions used to produce Zinc fuel for fuel cells.  The key to ascertaining the feasibility of producing fuels in this manner is the resistance of the chemical solution to the flow of electricity.  In determining this resistance, one can find the relative effectiveness of various solutions over a range of temperatures.  This effectiveness is essentially the amount of electricity required to create the reaction versus the amount of Zinc fuel produced.  In electrolysis, Zinc oxide reacts with electricity to separate the two atoms.  In future applications, solar radiation will be used to increase the temperature at which the reaction takes place.  At higher temperatures, less electricity is needed to energize the reaction making it more energy efficient.  In the 1980’s this was the focus of researchers at the University of Minnesota (U of M).  Work there was completed up to a temperature of 1675 K (2555° F).  The research at Valparaiso University will build upon that done at the U of M by continuing to temperatures up to 1800K (2780° F). 

Information about the Author:

Kim Christman is a senior in the mechanical engineering department.  She is continuing her research on high temperature electrolysis on campus during the summer months before pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering focusing on energy conversion and thermal fluids. 

Faculty Sponsor:  Robert Palumbo

Student Contact:  kimberly.christman@valpo.edu

Exploration of a Second Approach to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Julia Colbert, Jessica Haugen, Kirsten Huth, Joel Troxel

Departmental Affiliation: Accounting,

College of Business Administration

This piece addresses the need for a second approach to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to reflect the financial reporting needs of public, private, large and small companies.  Currently, GAAP is promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and mandated for all public companies by the Securities and Exchange Committee.  Essentially, all public companies are required by law to follow GAAP, and private companies may elect to follow it.  Many choose not to because GAAP is geared toward public company financial reporting.  In this piece, we recommend that the distinction for a second approach to GAAP should be based on the distinction between private and public companies.  In formulating our recommendation, we address the needs and issues related to creating a second approach to GAAP, while also keeping in mind how this will affect the accounting profession.  Our conclusion also takes into account the complex and dynamic needs of today’s marketplace and the reporting needs of many companies, both public and private, while accounting for the current initiative of the FASB to begin convergence with the International Accounting Standards Board’s generally accepted accounting principles due to the increasingly global marketplace in which we engage.

Information about the Authors:

Valparaiso University Case Competition Team members are senior accounting and music major Julia Colbert of Sarasota, FL; senior accounting and finance major Jessica Haugen of Owatonna, MN; senior accounting major Kirsten Huth of Rubicon, WI; and senior accounting major Joel Troxel of Hanna, IN.  Members of the team were selected by accounting faculty for their academic interest in the field of accounting.  Both Colbert and Troxel participated in the Case Competition in 2004.  Colbert and Huth will be graduating in May 2006 and will be pursuing careers in public accounting with KPMG, while Haugen and Troxel will be graduating in December 2006 and have internships in public accounting this summer with BKD and Crowe Chizek, respectively.

Faculty Sponsor: Mary Christ

Student Contact:  Julia.Colbert@valpo.edu

Isolation and Characterization of Metal-Reducing Enzymes from Shewanella Algae BrY

Miriam Conces

Departmental Affiliation: Chemistry,

College of Arts and Sciences

This project is a small part of a huge research effort that is directed at the goal of more efficiently managing contaminated soil and groundwater at Department of Energy (DOE) sites scattered across the United States.  Our specific area of interest is the use of microbes to facilitate the chemical reduction of actinide metal ions (uranium, plutonium, etc.) and thereby render these ions less soluble in water.  By decreasing their solubility, these ions will be less mobile.  Our specific goal in this project is to isolate and characterize the metal-reducing enzymes from the bacterium Shewanella algae BrY.  Our strategy is to first find, and sequence, the genes which code for the metal-reducing enzymes and then to isolate and characterize the enzymes themselves.

Information about the Author:

Miriam Conces is a senior biochemistry major from Zionsville, IN.

Faculty Sponsor: Thomas Goyne

Student Contact:  Miriam.Conces@valpo.edu

The Benefits of Undergraduate Research at the College of Nursing

Sarah Cottrell, Liz Eischer, Katie Gordon

Departmental Affiliation:  Nursing,

College of Nursing

Undergraduate research has been an ongoing process at Valparaiso University in the College of Nursing. For the past eight years, undergraduate research students have been involved in research at the Hilltop Community Health Center.  Most recently, the researchers examined the relationships among lifestyles, health behaviors, and health-related quality for underserved and uninsured adults seen at a nurse-managed center.  Student involvement included collecting surveys, conducting chart audits, completing literature searches, and developing health education materials for the health center.  The research was presented at various conferences, including Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society for nursing.  Because of limited opportunities for undergraduate research in nursing, this current study was conducted to determine the perceived benefits of participating in an undergraduate research group.  A survey asked past participants various questions about their experiences in undergraduate research.  Questions on the survey reflected the work the students did in the group, involvement in research post-baccalaureate graduation, and the benefits gained from experiences in undergraduate nursing research.  The data from the surveys were analyzed for any trends and correlations.  These findings were compared to other publications on undergraduate involvement in research.

Information about the Authors:

Sarah Cottrell is a junior nursing student from Washington, DC.  She is on a Navy scholarship and would like to pursue a career as a nurse anesthetist.  Liz Eischer is a senior nursing student from St. Louis MO. After graduation in May, she is looking forward to a career in pediatric nursing.  Katie Gordon is a sophomore nursing student from Plymouth, IN. She is also a pre-med student.

Faculty Sponsors: Theresa Kessler, Elise Alverson

Student Contact:  Liz.Eischer@valpo.edu

Water Quality Research in the Valparaiso Chain of Lakes Watershed

Ashley Coulter, Jessica Recchia

Departmental Affiliation: Chemistry,

College of Arts and Sciences

Forty sites distributed among eleven lakes and two streams in the Valparaiso Chain of Lakes watershed were tested for a variety of water quality parameters four times during the summer of 2005.  Among the parameters monitored were pH, conductivity, phosphate concentration, nitrate concentration, surface temperature, clarity, total solids, E. coli, fecal coliforms, manganese, and dissolved oxygen.  Our results indicated that except for some high nitrate levels, in general, the watershed is relatively healthy in terms of the chemical and physical parameters monitored when compared with historical levels.  The abnormally hot and dry summer did adversely affect the smaller lakes, as exemplified by depressed dissolved oxygen and water clarity readings, more than the larger lakes.  Additional testing will be completed quarterly during the coming year and will continue regularly in the future.  To assist with long-term planning and to assess the impact of water quality improvement efforts in the watershed, the results of this project were shared with multiple groups with vested interests.  These groups included the Valparaiso Lakes Area Conservancy District/LAC Utilities, the Valparaiso Chain of Lakes Watershed Group, and the City of Valparaiso Department of Parks and Recreation.

Information about the Authors:

Ashley Coulter is a junior chemistry major from Wheatfield, IN. She is interested in environmental issues and pursuing a career in either environmental chemistry or crime lab research.  Jessica Recchia is a sophomore biology major from Chesterton, IN. She is currently in the pre-med program and plans on attending medical school after graduation.

Faculty Sponsor:  Jon Schoer

Student Contact:  Ashley.Coulter@valpo.edu

Does PKC-beta II Modulates Caco-2 Cell Growth?

Erica Dahlmeier, Hadie Rifai, Lynnae Skogerboe

Departmental Affiliation: Biology,

College of Arts and Sciences

Colon cancer is a leading cause of death in our society and is incurable in about one-half of patients found with this malignancy.  Elucidating any path to malignancy will afford researchers and clinicians insight into preventative measures as well as potential cures.  Studies in colon cancer indicate that the molecule Protein Kinase C beta II is over-expressed and more active in tumor tissue vs. tissue collected from nearby non-tumor tissue in colon carcinomas.  Protein Kinase C is known to interact with a number of other proteins to cause production of growth factors or other proteins which regulate cell growth and/or programmed cell death (apoptosis).  Our laboratory seeks to answer the following questions:

1. Is the increased expression of Protein Kinase C beta II a causative step in tumor formation?

2. Are the phosphorylation events that Protein Kinase C participates in (kinase activity) necessary for the role of Protein Kinase C beta II in tumorigenesis?

To answer these questions, we are in the process of preparing tissue culture cell lines which have lesser expression of PKC beta 2.  Subsequent to this preparation, we will assess these cell lines for hallmarks of tumorigenesis-cell growth, invasiveness, and ability to evade apoptosis.

Information about the Authors:

Erica Dahlmeier is a senior majoring in biology.  Hadie Rifai is a junior double majoring in biology and chemistry. Lynnae Skogerboe is a senior majoring in biochemistry. 

Faculty Sponsor: Beth Scaglione Sewell

Student Contact:  Erica.Dahlmeier@valpo.edu

Image Restoration and Sports: How Public Relations Strategies Are Critical to the Individual and the Organization

Ryan Dean, Jill Lyons

Departmental Affiliation: Communication,

College of Arts and Sciences

In sports, a player's reputation can be damaged by his/her actions, or by outside forces manipulating the situation. This person, in order to regain his reputable standing, must turn to a support system to achieve this. This support system is public relations.  Public Relations constantly work at promoting and improving the images of prominent faces, and this is done through strategy and careful planning. Examples of successful public relations strategies through image restoration were found with Internet research, article databases, and student surveys. We discovered the tools that public relations utilize to make it one of the fastest-growing mediums. Sports figures, in the future, will continue to turn to public relation specialists to assess and provide the essential correction factors.

Media has always had a large impact on how the public views individuals, namely popular sports figures. With the information available, we found that this topic and image restoration theory were an area with extensive research and applicable to this issue. Our project examines case studies and the use of public relations strategies. Specific public relations approaches are identified and organized into an overall schematic to further understand the process involved.

Information about the Authors:

Ryan Dean is a sports management and business administration/public relations double minor. Ryan has been director of public relations for IFC and holds an internship with the Gary Railcats. He intends to pursue sports marketing after college.  Jill Lyons is a sophomore public relations and English double major.  Jill is currently an active member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and is interested in the agency side of PR.

Faculty Sponsor: Bonita Neff

Student Contact:  ryan.dean@valpo.edu

A Researched-Based Campaign for Organizational Awareness

Jesse Gerhardt, Erik Wielgos, Katie Deater

Departmental Affiliation: Communication,

College of Arts and Sciences

Global awareness is most importantly brought to campus through the presence of the international student.  Although the United States now has only around 50,000 international students, such countries as Australia has three times as many enrolled.  This study examines the involvement of Valparaiso University students in the international organization on campus--VISA.  The VISA dinner participants were surveyed after each dinner performance.  The results established the event was very well liked.  However, the student representation remains low.  The purpose of this project was to utilize the research results to design a campaign to bring more students into the annual dinner celebration.

Information about the Authors:

Jesse Gerhardt, Erik Wielgos, and Katie Deater are members of the PRSSA student agency--SPARK PR.  This project is one of the clients of the student agency, and the student team is composed of public relations majors.

Faculty Sponsor: Bonita Neff

Student Contact:  Jesse Gerhardt@valpo.edu

The Use of Public Relations in High Profile/Celebrity Image Restoration Cases

Kevin Grimoldby, Caitlin Hart

Departmental Affiliation: Communication/PR, College of Arts and Sciences

Getting a better understanding of image restoration and its importance in the public eye and learning how public relations has aided in the elimination of negative celebrity image are the purposes of the project.  Image restoration is the method used to improve a client’s reputation and public’s perception of such client.  Having a public relations professional who knows how to use the Image Restoration Theory ensures the client that his/her reputation is in capable and reliable hands.  From the use of interviews, surveys, and questionnaires, it is shown that this theory, if used properly and hastily by professionals, can improve a client’s image greatly.

Information about the Authors:

Kevin is a junior sports management major and communication and business minor. His current goals and aspirations are to graduate and find a position with a professional athletics team and eventually run the day-to-day operations of such an organization.  Caitlin is a senior public relations major. She is intrigued by how celebrity status can change because of PR.  Her goal is to pursue a career in public relations-event planning, celebrity and high profile PR, or public relations/advertising.

Faculty Sponsor:  Bonita Neff

Student Contact:  Caitlin.Hart@valpo.edu

A Causal Analysis of Ectodermal Epiboly in Amphibian Gastrulation

Timothy Hadley, Brent Penque, Shaun Hautly

Departmental Affiliation: Biology,

College of Arts and Sciences

During amphibian gastrulation, the top (animal) half of the embryo spreads to cover the bottom (vegetal) half of the embryo.  This spreading action (epiboly) is carried out by cellular rearrangement and elongation, not growth.  The spreading tissue (ectoderm) initially consists of a single cell layer of epithelium and a multi-layer of mesenchymal cells beneath.  During spreading, mesenchymal cells do not enter the epithelium and epithelium cells do not enter the mesenchyme.  The mesenchyme cells do, however, rearrange, changing that layer from approximately four cells thick to one cell thick.  Meanwhile, the epithelial cells stretch.  The driving forces for epiboly must be either within the ectoderm itself (autonomous epiboly) or be applied from outside (non-autonomous epiboly).  Autonomous epiboly has never been demonstrated in excised ectoderm; however, negative evidence for autonomous epiboly does not disprove it.  SEM evidence presented here shows that excised ectoderm from gastrulating Xenopus laevis embryos, allowed to round up and compressed with an externally applied force, responded with normal epiboly activity, i.e., epithelial stretching and mesenchymal rearrangement, mimicking normal behavior in the intact embryo. This constitutes the first affirmative evidence for non-autonomous epiboly.

Information about the Authors:

Timothy Hadley, a senior biology major, is from the wonderful state of Wisconsin.  He plans on doing clinical research after graduation.  Shaun Hautly, a junior biology major, is from St. Louis, MO.  He intends to pursue computer programming and the technology of biological computer interfaces.  Brent Penque, a junior biology and chemistry double major, is originally from MN.  He would like to pursue a career in internal medicine or neurology.

Faculty Sponsor: Grayson Davis

Student Contact:  Timothy.Hadley@valpo.edu

Shanghai Urban Planning: Better City, Better Life?

Jared Hahn

Departmental Affiliation: Department of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences

An examination of the comprehensive Urban Plan for greater Shanghai including World Expo 2010 is presented.  Marking the birthday of both China and Shanghai, will the plan live up to the standards of a first world country China projects itself to be?  Or are there other problems inherent in China's totalitarian approach to urban planning?

Information about the Author:

Jared Hahn is a senior geography and Chinese/Japanese studies major specializing in contemporary issues in Chinese and communication geography.