LOUISIANA COLLEGIATE HONORS CONFERENCE

MARCH 20TH AND 21ST, 2015

“WE HAVE A BOND – AN HONORS BOND”

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTEDelgado Community CollegeGrambling State University

Nicholls State UniversityUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe

University of New Orleans

About the University of Louisiana at LafayetteFounded in 1900, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then the Southwestern

Louisiana Industrial Institute, the largest member of the University of Louisiana System, is a public institution of higher education offering Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees. Within the Carnegie classification, UL Lafayette is designated as a research university with high research activity. The University’s academic programs are administered by the Colleges of Arts, Education, Engineering, General Studies, Liberal Arts, Nursing & Allied Health Professions, Sciences, the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, and Graduate School.

The University is dedicated to achieving excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, in research, and in public service. For undergraduate education, this commitment implies a fundamental subscription to general education, rooted in the primacy of the traditional liberal arts and sciences as the core around which all curricula are developed. The graduate programs seek to develop scholars who will variously advance knowledge, cultivate aesthetic sensibility, and improve the material conditions of humankind. The University reaffirms its historic commitment to diversity and integration.

Thus, through instruction, research, and service, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette promotes regional economic and cultural development, explores solutions to national and world issues, and advances its reputation among its peers.

About the University Honors ProgramThe Honors Program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette provides serious and

highly motivated undergraduate students with an enhanced set of educational opportunities so that those students who seek added dimension, enrichment, and challenge in their studies may find realization of their potential. In a society where Honors programs are short-lived and superior education is no longer highly valued, UL Lafayette stands proud as one of the earliest established programs of its kind in Louisiana.

With over 1,000 students, the UL Lafayette Honors Program, one of the largest in the state, is an active member of the Louisiana, Southern Regional, and National Honors Councils. We are known nationwide as leaders in collegiate Honors education. The program is based on the philosophy per sapientiam felicitas – “through knowledge, happiness”.

Schedule of EventsFriday, March 20th

Atchafalaya Grand Ballroom – 1 st Floor

4:00-6:00 Check-In, Table Outside the Ballroom6:00-8:00 Dinner and Speaker8:00-9:00 Ice Cream Social and Talent Show 9:00-11:00 Dubstep Disco – DJ – Dominic Lloyd

Saturday, March 21st

6:00-8:00 Breakfast at your hotel

8:00-10:30 Quiz Bowl Rounds

Magnolia Room 210 – 2 nd Floor 8:30-9:00 Quiz Bowl Round 19:00-9:30 Quiz Bowl Round 29:30-10:00 Quiz Bowl Round 3

9:00- 10:15- Student Panel Session 1Pelican Room 207-2 nd Floor Susan Egbert – UL MonroeLichen’s Secondary Metabolites as Breast Cancer InhibitorsThis presentation will discuss breast cancer and its affects, with specific focus on the types of treatments that have been administered to patients and the use of inhibitors. This presentation also discusses the process of extracting and isolating the compounds from the lichen Usnea strigosa and the results of the compound tested against different breast cancer lines in laboratory experiments.

Simi Ogundare – UL MonroeLichens as Bio-Indicators of Air Quality through Estimation of Free Radicals in Thalli

Previous research has shown that lichen are potential indicators of pollution, as lichen are sensitive to a good number of gaseous pollutants. Due to recent urbanization processes, automobile pollution has become a major concern. Since lichen are sensitive to gaseous pollutants, the analysis of lichen thalli can aid in determining air quality in areas of interest. After this analysis, steps can then be taken to address and restore the air quality to its original state. The purpose of my research was to measure the amount of free radicals in the lichen thalli using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The amount of free radicals present are going to be used as a reference to the amount of air pollution in the area. Though this, it is my aim to better understand the degree of penetration of vehicular emissions into forested habitats.

Dipta Pokharel – UL MonroeLight quality effect on the growth of Arabidopsis seedlingsTo completely understand plant physiology and development, scientists were looking for a single representative in plant kingdom that could yield much knowledge about all other plant species. Studies and researches conducted on Arabidopsis have provided enough evidence about its significant role in plant science, defensive mechanism, and plant breeding which resulted in being extremely beneficial and helpful for studying other higher plants. The procedure of our research began by planting the Arabidopsis seeds in the pots containing soil with required ingredients for the plant growth. The seeds were collected from various parts of the United States of America and other foreign countries such as Japan, United Kingdom, India, and many more. Those pots were kept under the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) and Fluorescent lights, and the growth and the development of the plants were carefully monitored for several weeks. The leaf area for each of the plants were determined and compared.

Theoretical study show that plants grown under LED results in better development than in comparison to fluorescent. The main aim of the research is to determine and compare the effects of light quality from two different light sources, Light-Emitting Diode and Fluorescent on the plant growth. The colors of the LEDs chosen should be a better match for photosynthesis than the light output from the fluorescents. Both light sources produce much less heat than incandescent lights. The study also involved to figure out the better light source among the two for indoor growth and development of Arabidopsis.

10:30-11:45 Student Panels - Session 2

Pelican Room 207- 2 nd Floor Beth McWhorter, Psychology – Delgado Community CollegePTSD, Music therapy, and Music about WarThis presentation looks into the importance of music therapy to veterans that suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and relates their experience to music about war. The focus will be on one contemporary piece, Jake Runestad’s Dreams of the Fallen, which encapsulates the experience of a soldier through the use Brian Turner’s poetry and a musical timeline chronicling combat and conflict, the aftermath and the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and healing and acceptance back into society. 

Tatiana Begault, University of New OrleansAnxiety and anterior Cingulate Gyrus morpholometry in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndromeChildren with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) have very high levels of anxiety and 25 percent develop schizophrenia in adulthood. These children also cope with many hormonal, immunological, social, environmental and developmental challenges that are likely exacerbated by and contribute to anxiety. Anxiety has been shown to positively predict the likelihood of schizophrenia in these children yet, the neurocircuitry of anxiety in this population has yet to be fully understood. The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) has been shown to be involved in consciousness, error detection, information conflict and anxiety. In this study, I will be measuring the morphology and volume of the ACC in children with 22q11.2 DS using structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) Using a combination to manual and semi-automated region-of-interest tracing protocols we will measure ACC shape and volume on 50 high resolution structural MRI scans of boys and girls ages 7 to 14 with (n=25) and without (n=25) 22q11.2 DS. These children and their parents have also completed a battery of psychological tests including measures of anxiety. The working hypothesis is that higher levels of anxiety as measured by self- and parental reports will be related to smaller ACC volumes. Given that the ACC has been shown to be involved in not only anxiety but also consciousness is of particular interest in children at high risk for developing psychosis.

Bethany McCurdy, University of New OrleansVasopressin and Sexual Male JealousyDefensive behavior provokes the pan‐cultural male to guard against potential female infidelity to avoid cuckholdry where the male would expend resources raising offspring that share none of his genes. One hormonal mechanism that appears to regulate mate‐guardingand monogamy in mammals is AVP. It is theorized that vasopressin acts the same way in human males as male voles (Walum et al.,2008) or rats (Zbuzek & Wu,1979). AVP injections promote mate preference in male rats and voles towards females. There is evidence of seasonal variation in vasopressin in rats (Zbuzek & Wu,1979) and genetic variation in humans (Walum, et al., 2008), indicating that levels of vasopressin may be higher in some individuals and not others. This may lead to individual differences in behavior regarding pair‐bonding/emotional attachment, and more specifically, anxiety (Thompson,et al., 2006) and sexual jealousy.Jealousy is not a pleasurable emotion and it arises from anxiety that one’s mate or sexual partner is engaging in extra‐pair copulations. Tendency for jealousy in humans is likely affected by the quality of the relationship, aggression, social confidence, and social communication skills. Theindividual differences are also likely driven by differences in the expression of hormones such as AVP.

Amber Moore – Nicholls State University

The Gendered and Spaital Use of Calculators by Nicholls State University Students: A Multi Method ApproachThe following study investigates how students at Nicholls State University (Nicholls), a regional university in Thibodaux, Louisiana, use calculators in their university mathematics courses. It is a product exposition that examines whether a student’s gender influences his or her use of a calculator in public spaces. My observations gathered from my experiences as a mathematics major and tutor, will be presented as an auto-ethnography and will be accompanied by the results from other qualitative-based approaches, such as open-ended interviews with faculty and students, and short, paper-based questionnaires. For this research, faculty from the Department of Mathematics and students (both mathematics majors and non-majors) enrolled in mathematics courses at Nicholls, were interviewed. I projected that female students would be more likely to use calculators in private spaces, such as their homes or places where they study alone, given that men and women think differently about the use of space in the university classroom.

This study provides information on how men and women use calculators in mathematics courses at Nicholls and explores whether men and women use them differently than the other said gender. It sheds light on trends among female students entering Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses in the university setting. The results of this research provides information that is relevant to the literature on gender differences in STEM courses, specifically university-level mathematics courses.

Shadow’s Room 212 – 2 nd Floor Vanessa Robichaux – Delgado Community College Cerberus, Guardian of the Gates of HadesExperience the creation of Cerberus from clay and wire to a beautiful sculpture, ready to display. View the steps it takes to bend wire, fill it with aluminum foil, cover it with putty and paint the features it takes to make those items resemble Cerberus. Upon completion you'll have a displayable sculpture of the Guardian of the Gates of Hades.

Morgan Friedmann – Nicholls State UniversityThe Story of Isis and OsirisThe myth of Osiris and Isis is regarded as one of the most influential myths that had a significant impact on the lives of the Ancient Egyptians, as well as one of the most powerful love stories of all time. Many different versions of it exist, but each retelling still centers around the three main points: the conflict between two brothers, Set and Osiris; Isis’s and Osiris’s everlasting love for each other; and their son Horus’s retribution on his uncle Set for killing his father. This presentation will discuss the narrative, starting with Set’s strong contempt for his brother that makes him hatch a diabolical plan to kill Osiris and concluding with the story of how Osiris becomes god of the underworld and he and Isis live happily together for all eternity once her

life on earth has ended. You will see why this legendary story was popular among the Egyptian people, as the myth warns that evil deeds do not go unpunished; that love can be so strong and unwavering; and that not even death itself can stop love from growing. The myth also supported the idea of pharaohs ruling eternally in the afterlife and became a common motif in funerary art. We can find examples of the myth depicted in the objects incorporated into Egyptian tombs. At the end of the presentation, there will be a short, satirical skit parodying the original myth that is to make the story memorable and puts a humorous spin on all of the events that are recounted in the myth.

Madison Frederick – UL LafayetteHypnosis 101Hypnosis was originally pioneered by Franz Mesmer and has become part of modern entertainment, as well as, medicine. This presentation is an interesting look at the different types of hypnosis and how they are used. Audience is not required to be subjects

11:45-1:00Lunch – Student Union Ballroom (Faculty Honors Council Meeting)

1:00-2:45 Student Panel Session 3

Pelican Room 207 – 2 nd Floor Shawn Thibodeaux, Graduate SchoolGear up for Grad School!!!An information session on getting ready for that next big step.

Shadows Room 207 – 2 nd Floor Michaela Hebert – Nicholls State UniversityExamining bioaccumulation potential of xenobiotics using S9 liver fraction from juvenile alligator garMetabolism of xenobiotics is important in toxicology and pharmacology. It is customary to assess the liver metabolism of chemicals in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, a cold-water fish. We developed methodologies for liver metabolism assessment in alligator gar Atractosteus spatula, a native warm-water species. Our methodologies are in vitro and representative of in vivo fish metabolism.

We examined bioaccumulation potential of xenobiotics by isolating liver enzymes from juvenile alligator gar. Liver cells may metabolize xenobiotics, or xenobiotics may bioaccumulate in the cells. We ran protein assays using S9 liver subcellular fractions from juvenile alligator gar. The fractions are called S9 because they were obtained after centrifugation at 9,000 x g. Higher centrifuge speeds are used now to obtain purer liver fractions. S9 liver fractions contain Phase I and II enzymes that are responsible for clearing xenobiotics from the body. Livers were perfused and extracted. We processed perfused gar livers and centrifuged and fractioned homogenized livers. S9 was collected and stored in aliquots. Protein concentrations in the S9 fractions were measured using the Bradford method, and enzyme activity was measured using ethyoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD). EROD indicates the presence of xenobiotics. This experiment was the first in vitro assessment of liver metabolism in alligator gar.

Anthonly Naquin – Nicholls State University Presence of Antibiotic resistant Genes, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Genetic Transformation in the Thibodaux Sewage Treatment PlantAntibiotic resistance is becoming a very large problem throughout the world. After passing through the human or animal body the antibiotics enter into the sewage treatment plant, where water is processed and cleaned and then returned into the environment. During the sewage treatment process, antibiotics come into contact with bacteria entering the treatment process, as well as bacteria used in the treatment process. The bacteria that are exposed to these antibiotics can become resistant during the treatment process. The antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) are exposed to the environment upon release of treated water from the treatment plant. Sewage treatment plants are considered prime habitat for the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria because of the contact between bacteria and antibiotics during the process. There are very limited studies on this subject based upon data collected from a small town sewage treatment plant. Therefore, this study was conducted using raw sewage as well as treated sewage from Thibodaux sewage treatment plant, which serves 15,000 people in rural southeast Louisiana. Samples were collected monthly from the Thibodaux sewage treatment plant and antibiotic resistance was monitored using Kirby-Bauer assay and PCR. Special attention was given to MRSA in raw and treated sewage samples for the nine month of the study period. Results showed the presence of multiple ARGs, including MRSA, consistently in both raw and treated sewage. The presence of mecA gene was confirmed in isolate of pure culture of S. aureus

Erin Swindler-Kelly – Delgado Community CollegeMicrobes in Dentistry: Concerns for Immunocompromised PopulationsMicrobes have shaped the practice of dentistry since the dental field's inception. Although microbes abound in any dental office, generally only immunocompromised individuals are seriously affected by them. This is a particularly salient issue in Louisiana as our state continues to face one of the highest rates of HIV and AIDS in this country. Dentists and dental personnel are on the front lines in managing the ample array of opportunistic oral infections caused by HIV and AIDS. For dental practitioners, there are several potential microbial reservoirs within

the dental office that can pose a threat to immunocompromised individuals. Dental water units are ideal reservoirs for microbes. Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Legionella can all thrive in these systems. Aerosolized microbes from high speed drills can be potentially hazardous, and there is evidence that the negative charge on electronic screens may attract these aerosolized microbes. Immunocompromised individuals in institutional settings may also risk transmitting microbial pathogens to others. In one study MRSA and several other pathogenic bacteria were cultured from the dental plaque of intensive care unit patients. Controlling pathogenic microbes in the dental office along with proper individual oral health care is paramount to the well-being of immunocompromised people as well as the public's health.

Bayou Room 211 – 2 nd Floor Tyler Quebedeaux – UL Lafayette“Re-imaging the Past: Conceptions of Victimhood in Post-War Germany”How does the nation that perpetrated not only one of the largest wars in human history, but also the largest systematic genocide in human history, come to grips with its past? For a destroyed and divided post-war Germany, the answer was simple: become the victims. This presentation will examine Germans conceptions of themselves as victims of World War II in not only the immediate post-war era, but the current day as well. There are several questions that this presentation will seek to address. In what ways did Germans conceive of themselves as victims? In what ways were these memories built? How do different generations and circumstances dictate these memories? How did the Cold War divisions between East and West affect the creations of these memories?Brian Constrantiche – Nicholls State UniversityThe Sykes-Pico Agreement and the Ramifications of the Partition of the Ottoman EmpireIn my paper I take a look at what the break up of the Ottoman empire had on the Middle East with the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. I look at the motivations that Britain and France had when they were first planning the partition of the empire and then discuss the effects the partition had on the newly created nations. After World War II the British begin their withdrawal from the region and left the United States as their successor in administering the region. As one follows the events at the end of the First World War, one can see the trouble that was created solely by the creation of artificial states. These states were created so that the French and British could exert their power in the area and accomplish their own imperialistic objectives. As a result of this history the United States must deal with ingrained resentment towards the west. In addition, the United States must also deal with countries that are ethnically diverse and in most cases unstable. One major example is Lebanon, which never existed before the partition of the Ottoman Empire. Lebanon is made up of roughly the same size Christian, Sunni, and Shia groups, which has led to a very delicate balance of power.

3:00-3:30 Quiz Bowl Championship Magnolia Room – 210 – 2 nd Floor

3:30 – 3:45 – Thank you - Wrap Up and Announcement of LCHC 2016Magnolia Room.