OfficeofUndergraduateStudies’UndergraduateResearchReportAcademicYear2015-2016

OfficeofUndergraduateStudiesIncarryingoutundergraduateresearch,astudentconductsaninquirythatmakesanoriginalintellectual,creativecontributiontoanacademicdiscipline.Whilethestudentreceivesguidanceandmentorshipfromfaculty,theresearchprojectisthestudent’sownworkinanimportantsense.Thestudentdesignstheinquiryandinterpretswhattranspiresalongtheway.Suchprojectsthushelpstudentstodevelopcriticalthinking,creativity,informationliteracy,andcommunicationskillsaswellasintellectualindependence,allofwhichrepresentthecoreofFGCU’sQualityEnhancementPlan(FGCUScholars:Think~Discover~Write).Theabilityandmotivationtoundertakesuchprojectsstemsnaturallyfromthestudent’sexperiencesintheclassroomwherestudentsacquireandrefineknowledgeandskillsneededtoconductindividualinquiry.Indeed,ineveryprogramatFGCU,studentsencountercoursesthatrequirethemtoconducttheirownscholarlyprojectsaspartoftheregularcoursecurriculum.FGCUScholarshasensuredtheintegrationofscholarlyactivitiesthroughthedesignationof“scholarly-enriched”and“scholarly-focused”courses,whichengaged7,701studentsin294sectionsofmajor-specificcoursesacrossallcollegesin2015-2016.Whilenotalluniversitiesattempttomakeresearchpartoftheeducationalexperienceofeveryundergraduatestudent,atFGCU,weconsiderthisoneofthehallmarksofourundergraduateprograms.TheHonorsProgramexpandedontheseeffortssignificantlylastyearwiththecreationoftworesearchcoursescreatedanddesignedforfirst-yearstudents,PlanetHuntersandAnimalHistorySymposium.EachcoursewasuniqueanddidnothaveanequivalentatanyotheruniversityintheUnitedStates.Thecoursesgavestudentstheopportunitytocontributetoemergingbodiesofscholarshipbyconductingtheirownoriginalresearch,whileengagingstudentswiththeleadingedgesoftheirrespectivefields.Studentshadopportunitiestolearnaboutandconductoriginalresearchinthefieldsofexoplanetexplorationandanimalhistory,respectively.Theseeffortsproducedsignificantresults.Forexample,studentsinthePlanetHunterscoursepresentedthefollowingposterattheAmericanAstronomicalSocietyinJanuary2016:

IntheAnimalHistoryclass,studentshadtheopportunitytohostandpresentscholarlypapersattheinauguralAnimalHistorySymposiumoncampus,wheretheypresentedonarangeofthematictopicsincluding“DogHistories,”“HistoricalPerspectivesonAnimalCrueltyandWelfare,”and“TheConservation,Preservation,andScienceofAnimals.”

ParticipantsintheAnimalHistorySymposium2016(fromlefttoright–FrontRow:EmilyRobinson,VictoriaBlaine,AbigailEischen,AsmaSaheed,LindsayHooper;BackRow:ClayMotley,AvianaHerrera,BlakeJacoby,HalHerzog,SethTanenhaus,ChelseaTorres,KatherineKearney,NicolaFoote:photocredit:CameronLetch)Giventhevalueofthesescholarlyexperiences,studentshadtheopportunitytoextendtheseresearchexperiencesbeyondtheclassroom.Insteadofjustgleaningknowledgefromatextorlecture,undergraduateresearchersdiscovertheirmajorbyapplyingcourseprinciplesandconceptstonovelsituations.Indoingso,studentsconductinquiriesthatmakeintellectual,creativecontributionstotheiracademicdisciplines.Whilestudentstypicallyreceiveguidanceandmentorshipfromfaculty,theresearchprojectisthestudent’sownworkinanimportantsense.Studentsdesigntheinvestigationandinterpretwhattranspiresalongtheway.Inthisway,studentscholarshipbridgesthecoregoalsofFGCUsothatstudent-scholarslearnabouttheirdisciplineswhileworkingtocontributeuniqueinsightstothefield.TheOfficeofUndergraduateStudies(UGS),primarilythroughtheHonorsProgramandOfficeofUndergraduateScholarship,providedmultipleopportunitiesforstudentsacrosscampustodevelopanddisseminateresearchprojectsbeyondtheclassroom.IncollaborationwiththeOfficeofResearchandGraduateStudies(ORGS),UndergraduateStudentScholarshipSupportAwards(USSSA)mini-grantswereawardedtopromotestudent-facultyresearchpartnerships.In2015-16,78studentsreceivedfundstopurchasesuppliesand/orpresentresultsoftheirresearchfindingsatregional,national,orinternationalconferences.Sampleprojectsrepresentingeachacademicunitincludedthefollowing:

• ArtsandScienceso VisualandPerformingArts:HistoricOrientedPerformanceResearchontheBaroque

ViolinSoloPerformance

o Humanities:TheIrrelevanceofReality:ConstructingaQueerNewWorldwithRadicalOppositionality

o SocialSciences:TheInfluenceofDiversityinStateSupremeCourtDecision-Makingo STEM:Anti-cancerEffectsofStilbeneAnaloguesinTriple-NegativeBreastCancerCell

Lines• Business:DoNon-CitizensImpacttheOutcomeofU.S.Elections?A20-yearAnalysisof

CongressionalElections• Education:DoChangesinScholarshipEligibilityRequirementsaffectCollegeEnrollmentStatus?

EvidencefromtheBrightFuturesScholarshipProgram• Engineering:RemoteControlofaHigh-VoltagePowerSourceforElectrosprayDeposition• HealthProfessionsandSocialWork:TobaccoCessationCounselingbyAthleticTrainers:An

Evidence-BasedApproachtoHealthPromotionandWellnessTheseeffortswereenhancedthroughtheHonor’sProgramProfessionalDevelopmentGrant,whichsupportedanadditional13studentswhopursuedopportunitiessuchasconductingresearchinHawaiiandpresentingtheirresearchinItaly.Thiswasalsothefirstyearthattheuniversitysentacontingentof8studentsand2faculty-mentorstotheNationalConferenceonUndergraduateResearch(NCUR),thepremierstudentsymposiumatwhichover4,000undergraduatescholarsfromaroundthecountrysharetheirresearchfindings.Together,theseeffortsrepresenteda184%increaseinthenumberofstudentssupportedthroughtheOfficeofUndergraduateStudies(32studentsweresupportedbetween2014-2015&91studentsweresupportin2015-2016).Theuniversityhostedmultipleeventsthatallowedstudentstosharetheirresearchprojectsinscholarlyvenuesbeyondtheclassroom.Forexample,UGScollaboratedtohostandhelpsponsor12differentresearchsymposiain2015-2016,suchasthepreviouslymentionedAnimalHistorySymposiumandtheannualFGCUResearchDay.Thesesymposia,supportedbyUGSinonemanneroranother,includedthefollowing(withtheorganizingunitinparentheses):

1. HumanitiesStudentSymposium(CAS&UGS)2. FallSeniorArtProjectExhibition(CAS)3. STEMUndergraduateResearchandInternshipSymposium(CAS&UGS)4. EagleBizAwards:MarketingandEngineeringStudentResearch(LCOB)5. PhilosophyandCommunicationSymposium(CAS&UGS)6. Community-EngagedScholarshipSymposium(UGS)7. SocialScienceSymposium(CAS)8. AnimalHistorySymposium(CAS&UGS)9. FGCUResearchDay(ORGS)10. WritingAwardsCelebration(UGS)11. SpringSeniorArtProjectExhibition(CAS)12. LifeScienceStudentSymposium(CAS&UGS)

Includingnumerousinauguraleffortsfromprogramsthatdidnotfitintoothersymposiaincreasedthenumberofwaysthatstudentscouldsharetheresultsoftheirwork.Forexample,studentsandfacultyfromPhilosophy,English,Communication,andHistorysponsoredthefirstHumanitiesSymposium.Thiseventenabled7studentstoreadpapers,expandingthenumberofwaysthatstudentscoulddisseminatetheirresearchsincemoststudentsymposiafavorpostersessionsoveroralpresentations.Inaddition,theFGCUWritingCenterorganizedthefirstWritingAwards.Thisuniversity-widecompetitioncelebratedthedifferentgenresofundergraduatewritingwhileprovidingstudentswithprofessional

developmentopportunitiestobuildtheirrésumésandCVs.TenawardswereofferedintheareasofFiction,Nonfiction,CreativeNonfiction,Composition,Service-LearningReflection,Literary/ArtAnalysis,QualitativeResearch,QuantitativeResearch,MostImproved,andSustainability.Over100submissionswerereceived,andwinnerswerecelebratedattheendofthespringsemesterduringanawardsreception.Undergraduatestudentsalsohadtheopportunitytopublishtheirworkinoneoftwoscholarlyjournals,MangroveReview(whichdisseminatescreativescholarlyworks)andAquila:TheFGCUStudentResearchJournal(whichpublisheshumanities,sciences,professional,andcommunity-basedscholarlyarticles).ThiswasthefirstyearthatAquilawaspublishedbothonlineandinprint,creatingaphysicalrecordofstudentwork.Writtenarticlesrepresentedabroadrangeofinterests,includingthefollowing:

• BiasesTrumpEvidenceinBeliefsAboutAnimalWelfare• ComparativeGaitRehabilitationwithVirtualRealityHeadset

Importantly,studentsproducethecontentandshareresponsibilityforthepublicationofeachjournalwithfacultyadvisors.SeeAppendixAforthetableofcontentsforeachjournal.ThesupportofundergraduateresearchthroughouttheOfficeofUndergraduateStudiesiscriticaltothecontinuedandenhancedsuccessesofFGCUstudents.Forexample,theuniversitycelebrateditsfirsttwoFulbrightScholarsin2015-16:LoriBoegershausenandEmilioFeijoo.Inbothcases,thesestudentsparticipatedinsignificantscholarlyprojects,whichprovidedthemwiththenecessaryexpertisetosecurethismostprestigiousaward.In2015-2016,Boegershausenpreparedandpresented“ResistingPersecution:ACaseStudyonFatherLichtenburg”attheHistoryHonorsResearchSymposiuminPhiladelphia,whileFeijoodelivered“TheRhetoricofCatachresisandPostcolonialThought”attheWhatisPostcolonialThought?ConferenceinFort-de-France,Martinique.ExamplessuchasFGCUScholars(FGCU’sQEP)andtheindividualaccomplishmentsofstudentssuchasBoegershausenandFeijoodemonstratethatthescholarlyactivityofundergraduatestudentsisembeddedintotheveryfabricofFGCU.Student-scholarslearnabouttheirdisciplinesinwaysthattakeexperiencesbeyondtheclassroom.Theseopportunitiesensurethatstudentscanreachtheirfullpotential–andyes,maybeproduceaFulbrightortwo.

AppendixAAquila:TheFGCUStudentResearchJournal

Volume2Articles

• JessicaBaker,BiasesTrumpEvidenceinBeliefsAboutAnimalWelfare• Mary-CecileGayoso,AssassinsDoNotWearBattleBikinis:TheCaseAgainstGenderInequality

andFemaleSpecificHypersexualizationinVideoGames• AlexanderSell,TheFunctionandEfficacyofCivilDisobedience• NoahAnderson,RiseofPapalAdministration:ApostolicAuthorityintheContextofCrusading• SusanRojas,Malory’sGawain:CharacterizingFragmentationandUnification• MarshallNathanson,DroppingAcid:GlobalWarming’sEquallyEvilTwinOceanAcidificationin

EsteroBay,FloridaShortCommunications

• GabriellaGiliberti,ArditDervishaj,RishabhRawal,ChristianBokrand,JosephSimmons,Ph.D.,JosephCuiffi,Ph.D.,Improvingane-Bike:Ridingwith“Christina”

• JosiahKeime,KristinLadia,JayShah,DerekLura,Ph.D.,ComparativeGaitRehabilitationwithVirtualRealityHeadset

MangroveReview

Volume13

• ShannonRiley,FinePersianRug• ShannonRiley,FragmentsofMyMind• KateMoran,JeanJacketsandMarlboroReds• KateMoran,NightsintheKoiPond• KateMoran,Americana• KaylaByrn,Sir• KaylaByrn,ThemesofSuspendedHysteria• CaitlinRosolen,Cold-BloodedButNotCold-Hearted• CaitlinRosolen,ModernDayDinosaur• CaitlinRosolen,VGEOne