Undergraduate students to present research at Capitol

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas students from the Lawrence campus and KU Medical Center will join their peers from other Kansas Board of Regents public four-year universities in Topeka for the first annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in the rotunda of the Capitol building. Participating students will present their undergraduate research projects to legislators and the general public.The purpose of this event is to demonstrate the unique opportunities undergraduate students have to participate with faculty members in research at KBOR universities.

KU undergraduate presenters are listed below by level in school, major, hometown, high school, brief description of the project and faculty mentor(s).

From the Lawrence campus:

Clint Jensen, senior majoring in psychology; Lawrence; “Do You See Me?: Using the iPad as a Tool for Assessment and Learning for Children with Cortical Visual Impairment,” an investigation of the learning impact of iPads among children from infancy to age 3; research mentor: Evangelia Chrysikou, Department of Psychology.

Wesley Landis, senior majoring in photomedia; Damar; “Interstate I-70,” a project to document the beauty along I-70 through photography; research mentor: Pok Chi Lau, Department of Design.

Magdalene Lee, junior majoring in journalism; Singapore; Pioneer Junior College; “Learning through Laughter: ‘The Daily Show’ and How it Shapes the Political Mood among Midwestern College Students,” an investigation of the role of viewing ‘The Daily Show’ on Midwestern college students’ attentiveness to politics and distrust in politicians; research mentor: Hyunjin Seo, School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Megan Nelson, junior majoring in economics; Manhattan; Manhattan High School; “Tipping: An Economic Anomaly,” an exploration of the variables that lead to higher or lower tips in the service industry; research mentor: Neal Becker, Department of Economics.

Daniel Nicholson, senior majoring in sociology; Lawrence; Lawrence High School; “God and Mammon: Class and Religion and the Impact on Political Support for Conservatism,” an exploration of the impact of class and religion on voting behaviors; research mentors: David Smith and Tracey LaPierre, Department of Sociology.

Casey Pederson, junior majoring in psychology; Clay Center; Clay Center Community High School; “The Impact Of Parenting In The Associations Between Child Aggression And Conduct Problems,” an examination of the way that different subtypes of aggression uniquely relate to conduct problems in children and the parenting factors that may buffer and/or contribute to their development; research mentor: Paula Fite, Clinical Child Psychology Department.

Rubie Peters, senior majoring in psychology; Garden City; Garden City High School; “Locus of Control as a Significant Personality Trait When Examining Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy,” an exploration of the relationship between locus of control, religion and belief in evolution; research mentor: Patricia Hawley, Department of Psychology.

Spyros Siscos, senior majoring in health, sport, and exercise science; Olathe; Saint Thomas Aquinas High School; “Computerized Neurocognitive Assessment Tests and Detection of the Malingering Athlete,” a study to develop better tests for assessing when an athlete with a concussion can safely return to the playing field; research mentor: Phillip Vardiman, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science.

Paul Thomas, sophomore majoring in anthropology and classical antiquities; Ottawa; Ottawa High School; “Archaeological Survey of Center Chapel, Franklin County Kansas,” an archeological investigation of the ruins of a small Kansas chapel built around the year 1900; research mentor: Philip Stinson, Department of Classics.

Zhoudunming Tu, senior majoring in physics and mathematics; Guangzhou, China; “ZDC and FSCs on Proton Lead Collision at LHC, CERN,” a study of relativistic heavy ion collisions; research mentor: Michael Murray, Department of Physics and Astronomy.

From KU Medical Center:

Laura Allen, senior in the School of Nursing; Prairie Village; “Development of a Health-Promoting Self-Management Intervention for HIV Positive African American Women,” a study aimed at developing and testing a health-promoting nursing intervention for African-American women with HIV; research mentor: Jill Peltzer.

Hejab Al Mutairi, senior in the School of Health Professions Respiratory Care Education, Saudi Arabia; Co-Principal Investigator: Ziyad Alshehri; “Expiratory Tube Compensation: Can It Improve Patient Care?,” an investigation of the impact of expiratory Automatic Tube Compensation on problematic conditions related to exhaling while on a ventilator; research mentor: Jill Peltzer.

Jason Bryant, senior in the School of Health Professions Respiratory Care Education; Olathe; Co-Principal Investigator: Karah Beeves; “A Bench-Study Comparison of Pressure Support to Automatic Tube Compensation,” an investigation of the differences in airway pressure, flow and volumes delivered by two different critical care ventilators; research mentor: Bethene Gregg.

Lindsay Ewing, senior in the School of Health Professions Respiratory Care Education; Topeka; Co-Principal Investigator: Michael Rezayazdi; “Transpulmonary Pressures Leading to Lung Injury are Undetectable with Typical ICU Ventilator Monitoring: A Bench-Study Demonstration,” a study of methods of pressure measurement to best prevent ventilator-induced lung injuries; research mentor: Bethene Gregg.

Megan Godwin, senior in the School of Nursing; McPherson; “Weight and Tension Study: Feelings about Weight Tension Scale Pilot,” a study to develop a new electronic obesity assessment measure used in weight management care; research mentor: Kelli Kramer-Jackman.

Jenny Guevel, senior in the School of Nursing; Burlington; “Implementing e-books: faculty and student experiences,” a study of the impact on faculty and students of the University of Kansas School of Nursing’s switch to e-books; research mentor: Karen Tarnow.

Allie Jenkins, senior in Health Information Management; Wichita; Co-Principal Investigators: Angela Best, Kelsey Broslavick, Craig Dawson, Lindsay Rice, and Valerie Shea; “Selection of an electronic health record,” an assessment of the implementation of electronic health records at a Kansas City health clinic; research mentor: April Roche.

Lora Joyce, senior in the School of Nursing; Leawood; “The effect of RN workgroup job enjoyment on RN workgroup intent to stay,” an evaluation of the relationship between unit-level job satisfaction and retention rates among RNs; research mentor: JiSun Choi.

Meghan Malone, senior in the School of Nursing; Western Springs, Ill.; “Is there an app for that?: Apps for adults with special needs,” an evaluation of mobile applications to enhance the lives of people with Down Syndrome; research mentor: Moya Peterson.