What do Mozart, US Presidents and Snails Have in Common?
Stetson University students Alissa Pagano, left, and Lex Rasdal check on
the carrots in the hydroponic garden tended by members of the Sustaining
Green Living house. The house is one of the Community Catalyst Houses
at Stetson that will be featured by students in the annual Stetson Showcase.
What do public health, apple snails, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and several United States presidents all have in common? They all are subjects of research by Stetson University students who will present their findings next week during Showcase, an annual tradition since 1999 that focuses on the research of undergraduate students.
On Tuesday, April 18, 9 a.m-4 p.m., Stetson students will share their research through presentations, posters, music and theater performances, and more. The 2017 Showcase program is available online at Stetson.edu/showcase and provides presentation locations, times and abstracts. The projects presented will be a diverse range of topics across many academic disciplines. Throughout the day guests can explore art and digital art presentations and exhibitions at the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, and attend music recitals and theater performances. All presentations are open to the public, free of charge.
Following the presentations keynote speaker, Michael Jackson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Science and Technology at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, will discuss lessons of and reflections on his research experience.
Presentations have been tailored to a public audience allowing guests an opportunity to gain insights into new areas of exploration. Many student presenters were grant recipients allowing them to conduct extensive research. A sample of the research to be presented includes:
Nicholas Fuller will present “The Effect of Florida Apple Snail Density on Vallisneria americana Weight and Reproduction,” which investigated how apple snail grazing affects eelgrass reproduction. The research funded by a 2016 SURE (Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience) Grant used fertilizer in one trial. to replicate the conditions of Blue Springs. This research provides a foundation for further research to understand how apple snail grazing affects the reproduction of this aquatic vegetation.
Natalie Frandsen traveled to Washington, D.C., to collect primary documents in the National Archives and Library of Congress on the evolution of executive power. She will present her findings during the presentation of “National Crisis and the Expansion of U.S. Executive Power: The Presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.” This research was funded by a 2016 Evans Johnson Grant.
Naser Mubarak will present “Effects of Powerful Female Role-Models in Media on Attitudes Towards Women, and Female Viewer Anxiety.” Through this research, Mubarak investigated whether sexualized images or the presence of assertive versus passive female characters influenced negative attitudes towards women. This research was funded by a 2016 SURE Grant.
Also on display is “Track It, Zip It,” a Digital Musical Instrument (DMI) designed by Victoria Grupp with the support of a 2016 SURE grant and IDMIL, McGill University, in Montreal, QC. In designing this musical instrument of the future, Grupp researched and prototyped innovative ways to design fabric sensors and integrate them onto a shirt incorporating the preferred gestural movements demonstrated by professional improvisational percussionist Jim Black.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most famous opera composers of all time, and his operas are widely performed and studied to this day. Stetson student Melaina Cartwright-Mills conducted a study to examine Mozart’s characterization of women in his comic operas. The exploration of these characters’ relationships and identities is useful for singers who wish to give authentic performances of these opera roles. This research was funded by a 2016 SURE Grant.
Emma Schaefer will present “Public Health and Community Needs Assessment Report of Spring Hill Community 2015-2016.” Now considered the poorest community in Florida, Spring Hill was once the site of housing for workers in the booming citrus and fern industries in the late 1800s. To examine the community needs, twelve Stetson students and the Florida Department of Health generated and administered a survey in the community assessing their health, environmental, and public safety concerns of residents. The results of this analysis funded by a 2016 SURE Grant were presented to the Spring Hill Community Redevelopment Agency and the City of Deland.
While many Stetson University students can present their scholarly work at professional meetings across the country, Showcase provides an additional opportunity to display their work to faculty, fellow students and interested members of the community.
Every presentation will be judged by a panel comprising a diverse group of individuals who are experts in their field. Winners at each location will receive a Maris Prize of $200 and a certificate of excellence. An honorable mention is also chosen for each venue.
Following the presentations keynote speaker, Michael Jackson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Science and Technology at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, will discuss lessons of and reflections on his research experience.
Presentations have been tailored to a public audience allowing guests an opportunity to gain insights into new areas of exploration. Many student presenters were grant recipients allowing them to conduct extensive research. A sample of the research to be presented includes:
Nicholas Fuller will present “The Effect of Florida Apple Snail Density on Vallisneria americana Weight and Reproduction,” which investigated how apple snail grazing affects eelgrass reproduction. The research funded by a 2016 SURE (Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience) Grant used fertilizer in one trial. to replicate the conditions of Blue Springs. This research provides a foundation for further research to understand how apple snail grazing affects the reproduction of this aquatic vegetation.
Natalie Frandsen traveled to Washington, D.C., to collect primary documents in the National Archives and Library of Congress on the evolution of executive power. She will present her findings during the presentation of “National Crisis and the Expansion of U.S. Executive Power: The Presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.” This research was funded by a 2016 Evans Johnson Grant.
Naser Mubarak will present “Effects of Powerful Female Role-Models in Media on Attitudes Towards Women, and Female Viewer Anxiety.” Through this research, Mubarak investigated whether sexualized images or the presence of assertive versus passive female characters influenced negative attitudes towards women. This research was funded by a 2016 SURE Grant.
Also on display is “Track It, Zip It,” a Digital Musical Instrument (DMI) designed by Victoria Grupp with the support of a 2016 SURE grant and IDMIL, McGill University, in Montreal, QC. In designing this musical instrument of the future, Grupp researched and prototyped innovative ways to design fabric sensors and integrate them onto a shirt incorporating the preferred gestural movements demonstrated by professional improvisational percussionist Jim Black.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most famous opera composers of all time, and his operas are widely performed and studied to this day. Stetson student Melaina Cartwright-Mills conducted a study to examine Mozart’s characterization of women in his comic operas. The exploration of these characters’ relationships and identities is useful for singers who wish to give authentic performances of these opera roles. This research was funded by a 2016 SURE Grant.
Emma Schaefer will present “Public Health and Community Needs Assessment Report of Spring Hill Community 2015-2016.” Now considered the poorest community in Florida, Spring Hill was once the site of housing for workers in the booming citrus and fern industries in the late 1800s. To examine the community needs, twelve Stetson students and the Florida Department of Health generated and administered a survey in the community assessing their health, environmental, and public safety concerns of residents. The results of this analysis funded by a 2016 SURE Grant were presented to the Spring Hill Community Redevelopment Agency and the City of Deland.
While many Stetson University students can present their scholarly work at professional meetings across the country, Showcase provides an additional opportunity to display their work to faculty, fellow students and interested members of the community.
Every presentation will be judged by a panel comprising a diverse group of individuals who are experts in their field. Winners at each location will receive a Maris Prize of $200 and a certificate of excellence. An honorable mention is also chosen for each venue.
