Dr. Rae Linda Brown Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Showcase
May 8, 2026
The Dr. Rae Linda Brown Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Showcase highlights the research and creative activities of PLU students from across the university. Featured projects may be the outcome of a range of learning opportunities, including student-faculty research collaborations, classroom, capstone, laboratory, or community-based projects, or study away or academic internship experiences.
May 8, 2026 Presentation Schedule
8:45 – 9:15 am | Welcome & Keynote Speaker – Check in AUC Grey Area; Keynote Speaker in AUC 203 Regency
9:15 – 9:30 am | Coffee & Scones – AUC 214 Chris Knutzen Hall
9:30 – 10:30 am | Session I: Poster & Digital Poster Presentations – AUC 214 Chris Knutzen Hall
| Areli Arauja Ruiz Political Science and Global Studies with a concentration in Transnationalism and Consequences Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Rebecca Wilkin, French & Francophone Studies Framing the Dream: Executive Branch Discourse and Legal Protections for Unaccompanied Alien Children My research project analyzes how executive branch discourse, including memos, executive orders, and actions from the President, DHS, and ORR, impacts access to adequate legal representation and language access for UACs in immigration court. It also examines how these policies shape funding for immigration legal services (including nonprofit and pro bono work), how funding constraints limit the number of available attorneys and interpreters, and how these factors lead to larger caseloads and diminished quality of representation. Poster Presentation |
| Layne Barton Natural Sciences, Developmental Biology Faculty Mentor: Lathiena Nervo, Biology Hanging on by a Cell Junction Polychaetoid-mediated maintenance of a stem cell niche I was able to dissect the gametes out of a fruit fly to investigate a specific adhesion molecule involved in cell movement and maintenance of a stem cell niche, by tagging specific proteins within the cells with fluorescent dyes to observe under a microscope. Poster Presentation |
| Meredith Gifford Holocaust and Genocide Studies Faculty Mentor: Beth Griech-Polelle, History Girlhood and Genocide: Coming-Of-Age in a World That Is Coming Undone "Girlhood and Genocide: Coming-Of-Age in a World That Is Coming Undone," is a research paper I completed for the Kurt Mayer Summer Research Fellowship in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, culminating in a presentation at the 2025 Powell-Heller Conference for Genocide Education. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Katelyn Hight Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History The Right to Bear Arms, or the Power to Exclude? This project analyzes how racially motivated gun laws from the 1800s to the 1960s shape modern conservative claims about the Second Amendment as race-neutral. Using Critical Race Theory, the White Racial Frame, and discourse analysis, it reveals how contemporary legal and NRA rhetoric reshapes racialized gun rights to be race-neutral through language and historical omission. Poster Presentation |
| Bryn Hulett Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History Political Polorization and Health Care Access A research project examining how increased political polarization in the U.S. has shaped Americans’ access to health care through state Medicaid programs in states with different political cultures. I hypothesize that polarization intensifies state political cultures that structure Medicaid policy decisions, generating geographic health care inequity across states. Poster Presentation |
| Andy Johnson Political science/Political science department Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History Social Capital and Social Control: Examining the Relationship Between Third Spaces and Violent Crime This study is quantitative research about the relationship between third spaces as defined by Ray Oldenburg and violent crime rates in the U.S. through the lens of Social Capital theory. Poster Presentation |
| Sanjina Kumari Economics Faculty Mentor: Ryan Swartzentruber, Economics The Environmental Justice Impact of AI and AI-Powered Data Center Growth in the United States This project analyzes the geographic distribution of AI-related data centers and their relationship to demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Using a county-level dataset combining Aterio and U.S. Census data, it applies regression analysis to explore patterns, highlighting potential inequities and laying groundwork for future environmental justice research on infrastructure impacts. Poster Presentation |
| Jerel LaLone Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History What Role Does Negative Partisanship Play in Shaping Voting Behavior? This is a literature review aimed around negative partisanship, and what drives one person to choose a Democrat vote over a Republican vote, and vice-versa. The review discusses theories and what current scholars believe is the case for this political divide, and whether individuals look into candidate qualities other than political beliefs. Poster Presentation |
| Erika LeBlanc Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History How Politics Goes Viral: TikTok is Transforming Political Campaign Marketing and Youth Engagement with Politics This study examines how TikTok has transformed political campaign marketing and engagement among voters aged 18–29. Analyzing U.S. presidential campaigns from 2016 to 2024, it finds that TikTok’s short-form, interactive content increases accessibility and participation, while also raising concerns about misinformation, polarization, and the broader implications for democracy. Poster Presentation |
| Kendall MacDonald & Gracie Cecka Psychology Faculty Mentor: Sara Finley, Psychology Vocabulary Acquisition Between Scandinavian and Romance Languages Before and After One Year of Age This research is being completed as part of PSYC 481: Research Seminar and seeks to analyze vocabulary acquisition cross-linguistically utilizing data from MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) accessed through Wordbank. Specifically this project investigates similarities and differences between and within the Scandinavian and Romance language families. Poster Presentation |
| Katherine Marchant Psychology department Faculty Mentor: Corey Cook, Psychology; Wendelyn Shore, Psychology The Impact of Cognitive Load on Self-Compassion Engagement The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of high cognitive load on engagement with self-compassion. Research shows that self-compassion is beneficial for well-being. There is less research on factors that hinder learning and engagement with self-compassion. I hypothesize that one of these factors is high cognitive load. Poster Presentation |
| Makayla Martinez History/Holocaust & Genocide Studies Faculty Mentor: Gina Hames, History Camaraderie in Killing: Alcohol and Violence in the Nazi Regime Alcohol simultaneously disciplined the German public, and empowered the perpetrators of systemic violence, stitching together the ideological, social and emotional structures required for mass genocide. Ultimately, alcohol’s role in Nazi Germany demonstrated how the regime’s success depended not on ideological purity but in ideological flexibility. On its ability to weaponize culture, masculinity, and even intoxication in pursuit of racial domination and mass murder. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Ember McEwen Computer Science Faculty Mentor: Jeff Caley, Computer Science Gaussian Process Guided Diffusion for Sparse Ocean Velocity Field Reconstruction and Eddy Detection Information about ocean currents is crucial for guiding underwater robots and restoring coral reefs. We developed a new AI tool that quickly and accurately predicts complex water movements, giving researchers a real-time picture of what small parts of the ocean are doing. Poster Presentation |
| Peyton McKay History Faculty Mentor: Gina Hames, History Reconsidering the Women's Christian Temperance Union's "Proto-Feminism" My project is a historical research paper that analyzes the social and political ideology of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. While many scholars have come to label this organization as "proto-feminist," this paper challenges that categorization. Furthermore, it advocates caution around viewing political history through contemporary lenses. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Junior Quenga Mathematics Faculty Mentor: Daniel Heath, Mathematics; Ksenija Simic-Muller, Mathematics; Jeffrey Stuart, Mathematics Isomorphic to $\mathbb{C}$ This capstone project will briefly look at algebraic structures that are isomorphic to the complex numbers. Content includes a brief introduction to Abstract Algebra. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Maggie Sutton Individualized Major Faculty Mentor: Bridget Yaden, Hispanic and Latino Studies Multilingual Education & Linguistic Integration in Norway's Classrooms In January of this year, Dr. Bridget Yaden and I conducted a research project in primary and secondary schools around Oslo, Norway on the social and linguistic integration of immigrant and refugee students. We also studied the methods used to teach secondary (and beyond) languages within those classrooms to native Norwegian speakers. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Ally Tattar Biology Faculty Mentor: Lathiena Nervo, Biology Shaping Cells: The Role of Polychaetoid in Cell Specification In this study, the protein Polychaetoid was looked at in Drosophila Melanogaster, or fruit flies. Known as a scaffolding protein, the role it played in development of the embryo was examined. Specifically how it it affected cell specification, which is crucial for proper development. Poster Presentation |
10:30 – 10:45 am | Break, walk to Ingram
10:45 – 11:45 am | Session II: Poster & Gallery Presentations – Ingram Lobby & University Gallery
| Kendall MacDonald Psychology Faculty Mentor: Wendelyn Shore, Psychology Who invited whom? Exploring the process by which mentoring relationships form This research investigates mentoring relationships and their formation between faculty and undergraduate students at PLU. Results highlight 4 key themes–Pathways to Formation, Shared Activity, Relationship Initiation, and Relationship Maintenance. These findings have implications for universities, faculty, and students alike. Poster Presentation |
| Garrett Armbruster Earth Science (ESCI) Faculty Mentor: Alex Lechler, Earth Science 360 Bike Park Erosion Susceptibility A GIS(geographic information system) study of mountain bike trails in 360 mountain bike park, concentrated around erosion susceptibility. Which was found to be low due to lack of elevation variation, suggesting terrain plays a key role in erosion rates and can guide future trail planning. Poster Presentation |
| Maritina Gianoulas Ceramic Art Faculty Mentor: Steve Sobeck, Media & Design Arts Not For Sale Sculptural exploration, constructing abstract forms, hand sculpted using clay, raku, and iridescent glazes. This piece is to be interpreted as the exemplification of the societal conviction of self commodification. My work hopes to serve as a reminder of what we were prior to becoming what we needed to be to survive. Visual Arts |
| Sabrina Humphrey Earth Science Faculty Mentor: Alex Lechler, Earth Science Assessing Future Landslide Risk from Increasing Rainfall Intensity in Tacoma, Washington This project examines how increasing precipitation intensity could affect landslide risk in Tacoma, Washington. Using GIS, it combines landslide inventories, historical rainfall data, climate projections, and elevation data to identify areas where stronger future storms may increase landslide susceptibility and help highlight hazard hot spots for improved community planning and risk awareness. Poster Presentation |
| Merob Kebede Healthcare/ Public Health Faculty Mentor: Benjamin White, Nursing Linguistic Accessibility and Health Equity: Analyzing Language Barriers in Public Health Outcomes This project investigates how language barriers act as systemic hurdles to health equity on a global scale. Drawing on qualitative analysis and public health data, it argues that breaking down linguistic walls is a fundamental requirement for social justice and patient safety in the nursing profession. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Ashley Lopez Mora Peace Scholars Program Faculty Mentor: Erik Cleven, Peace Scholars Program Will Norway Pay the Price? Norwegian Student Reaction and Action in the Education Policy Sphere This project was conducted as part of the Peace Scholars program. This project is an introductory analysis of student reaction and action to Proposition 68L, a piece of Norwegian legislation that limits universal tuition. This project also explores further implications of Proposition 68L. Poster Presentation |
| Rebecka McDougall, & Heidi Olea-Baez Chemistry Faculty Mentor: Andrea M. Munro, Chemistry Developing a Replacement Solvent for Oleylamine This project focuses on developing an alternative to oleylamine, a common nanoparticle synthesis solvent. Oleylamine has been known to lead to inconsistencies in product formation due to its impurities. Therefore, our goal is to find a solvent that will mimic the same properties as oleylamine but give higher reproducibility. Poster Presentation |
| Kat Moloney Studio Arts Faculty Mentor: Heather Mathews, Communicaiton, Media & Design Arts; Taylor Cox, Art & Design; Steve Sobeck, Media & Design Arts; Brad Dinsmore, Media & Design Arts Rooted Rooted, installed at the PLU gallery, is the multimedia culmination of my Studio Art major. Integrating crochet, ceramics, colored pencil, and 3D design, this piece is a representation of my life. Portraits of loved ones from my life hang from the branches and are within a handmade book. Those who have passed away are honored at the roots. Visual Arts |
| Dominic Torres Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History Strong President, Strong Congress: The Balance of War-Making Authority in the Post 9/11 Era This project works to examine whether the executive branch’s use of military force from 2001 to 2025 has shifted the constitutional balance of war-making authority from Congress to the Executive branch. Utilizing Separation of Powers and Imperial Presidency theory, the project analyzes the level of congressional oversight and executive constraint. Poster Presentation |
| Viktoria Yeager Psychology Faculty Mentor: Sara Finley, Psychology Investigating Gendered Linguistic Relativity This project, submitted for the Severtson Fellowship Award, examines whether gendered grammatical structures influence language learning and cognition. Using an artificial language and a forced-choice task, it tests how grammatical cues affect accuracy and reaction time, aiming to clarify the relationship between language structure and gender bias. Poster Presentation |
11:45 – 12:00 pm | Break, walk to AUC Chris Knutzen Hall & AUC 201
12:00 – 1:00 pm | Session III: Film, & Roundtable Discussions – AUC 201
| Lauren Dufay Department of Global and Cultural Studies Faculty Mentor: Ami Shah, Global and Cultural Studies Not in My Backyard: Race and Emotions in Immigration from an International Relations Perspective This project is a literature review/research paper written for GLST 331: International Relations. It discusses how race and emotions around race impact global politics in immigration and are therefore relevant to international relations. Roundtable discussion |
| Soraya Martinez Dance Faculty Mentor: Sarah Seder, Music, Theatre & Dance Finding Connection In Movement This film explores what it means to bring together people through movement. How can you represent pain and love on a screen? I used 5 dancers to explore this question using dance stylings and film techniques. Film |
| Eyob Menjigso Interdisciplinary (Computer Science, Communication, Student Engagement) Faculty Mentor: Laurie Murphy, Computer Science; Phil Fawcett, Business Lute Club Finder: A Smart Club Discovery and Engagement Platform for PLU Students Lute Club Finder (luteclubfinder.com) is a web platform I built to help Pacific Lutheran University students discover clubs that match their interests through a smart quiz algorithm. It also gives club leaders and administrators tools to manage events, announcements, and engagement analytics - and is expanding into a full PLU community hub. Roundtable discussion |
12:00 – 1:00 pm | Session III: Poster & Digital Poster Presentations – AUC 214 Chris Knutzen Hall
| Isaiah Bradley, Noah Childress, Mason Taylor-Wells, & Jake Wood Kinesiology Faculty Mentor: Charlie Katica, Kinesiology Implications of Body Composition on Oxygen Saturation During Submaximal Exercise In the general literature on how body fat affects blood perfusion and ultimately oxygen saturation, the research only uses BMI to account for body fat. So, the purpose of this research project is to assess how body fat percentage correlates with oxygen blood saturation. Poster Presentation |
| Morgan Choate-Deeds Physics Faculty Mentor: Katrina Hay, Physics An Investigation of Emitter Proximity on Ionic Wind Generation in the 4–6 kV Corona Discharge Order This experiment tested how spacing between two needle emitters affects ionic wind at 4000–6000 V. At lower voltages, wider spacing produced more thrust. Poster Presentation |
| Maritina Gianoulas Philosophy department Faculty Mentor: Adam Arnold, Philosophy The Real: Ontological Analysis of Quantum Theories An assist in elucidating the epistemological potential of the quantum. The primary aim is to identify and provide a path to a solvent for ontological gaps throughout several quantum theories using philosophical frameworks. The ontological gap is to be understood as the missing reintegration of the knowledge we uncovered about what exists in true reality or the real. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Frida Hernandez Perez Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science Latinos’ Rebuttal: How Latinos are Responding to the Inflammatory Anti-Immigration Political Environment Enacted by the Trump Administration’s Second Term in Office. My project focuses on how Latinos in the US are responding to Trump’s anti-immigrant political environment. Through Reactive mobilization, Racial Battle Fatigue, and the Latino Threat Narrative, Latinos are showing that they will push back when provoked. Latinos are making themselves heard through protests, grassroot community efforts, and voter mobilization within their community. Poster Presentation |
| Landon Karnes Social Work Faculty Mentor: Heidi Brocious, Social Work An Environmentally Restorative Approach: Fostering Community Through Green Spaces This project worked with the Washington Department of Ecology restorations around to understand what restorative projects in the commencement bay areado and how they fundamentally benefit everyone involved and not just the environment and animals inhabiting them. What I have been able to do is take a resource from EarthCorp that were used to inform the community about what restoration projects are happening and amplify it into something more consumer friendly and informative. Poster Presentation |
| Ashley Lopez Mora Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science Higher Education, Latino Professionals, and the Implications for a Representative Democracy This project explores the relationship between higher education and how universities can contribute to the development of Latino Professionals in the United States amidst ongoing political attacks to higher education and DEI initiatives. Poster Presentation |
| Cooper Posada Biology / Natural Sciences Faculty Mentor: Lathiena Nervo, Biology Cell Communication During Collective Migration in Drosophila Egg Development Investigating the role of the scaffolding protein Polychaetoid (pyd) in collective migration of border cells during Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis, or fruit fly egg development. By reducing expression of pyd, conclusions could be drawn regarding the protein’s overall role in this vital process of tissue formation across species. Poster Presentation |
| Ella Ramirez Social Work Faculty Mentor: Heidi Brocious, Social Work; Hazel Zaman, Social Work A Qualitative Study of ICE and Intimate Partner Violence: The effects of increased deportation on Latin(X) communities This project was a qualitative study on how recent changes to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement has changed undocumented immigrants’ feelings and behaviors around seeking help for instances of Intimate Partner Violence, with a specific focus on the Latine community in the South Puget Sound. Poster Presentation |
| Kate Sabarillo & Brittany Vines Kinesiology Faculty Mentor: Nicole Martin, Kinesiology Active Access, Motion for all This project maps and evaluates inclusive recreational and therapeutic physical activity resources in Pierce County, Washington. It highlights accessibility, cost, transportation, and program availability while identifying gaps in services, particularly in rural areas. The project also offers recommendations to improve outreach, reduce barriers, and enhance equitable access to physical activity opportunities. Digital Poster Presentation |
| Emma Shepard Social Work Faculty Mentor: Heidi Brocious, Social Work Transition Support from Elementary to High School: and Educational Group This Capstone Project highlights the building of a transition program, tailored based on 5th grade students' input, aimed to help students feel more ready for middle school and lessen feelings of stress and anxiety. Poster Presentation |
| Marissa Smith Psychology Faculty Mentor: Corey Cook, Psychology Falling Behind at PLU This project examines how perceptions of campus status inequality influence college students’ feelings of “falling behind” and their mental and physical well-being. Survey data from Pacific Lutheran University students will assess socioeconomic status, status perceptions, emotions, sleep, anxiety, and depression to understand how perceived inequality may shape student health and academic experiences. Poster Presentation |
| Natalie Story, & Zach Stamm Chemistry Faculty Mentor: Neal Yakelis, Chemistry Ratio of Prenyl Tails and Hydroxyol Groups Effect on Antibiotic Properties in Stilbenes In this experiment stilbenes were synthesized via Perkins reaction. The extensions on the rings were manipulated between a hydrophobic and hydrophilic group. The resulting stilbenes were individually tested on a simple bacteria. The remaining bacteria colonies were compared with a control and each manipulated stilbene to determine antibacterial effectiveness. Poster Presentation |
| Kathleen Swankowski Social Work Faculty Mentor: Heidi Brocious, Social Work Justice League: A Leadership Group to Teach Middle Schoolers About Advocacy This capstone was a middle school leadership group to offer alternatives to the influx of toxic masculinity. The project gathered students for a creative leadership group to embrace these efforts, and focused on how to be a good advocate for their community by using comics, memes and other pop culture as tools. Poster Presentation |
| Taezha Watson Gender, Sexuality, and Race Studies Faculty Mentor: Angie Hambrick, Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability Let’s Lime: Finding “Home” through Community building, Conversation, and Culture in Tobago. I explored the cultural practice of liming in Tobago. Using narrative design, I conducted nine interviews to answer the questions: What are the spatial and cultural conditions that create and sustain a liming culture in Tobago? And what is unique to Tobagonian liming that creates a sense of “home”? Digital Poster Presentation |
| Cadelyn Wood Political Science Faculty Mentor: Maria Chávez, Political Science; Fred Hardyway, History Between Law and Politics: Mapping Theories of Judicial Behavior on the 2024 Roberts Court Judicial interpretative modes don’t operate independently of ideology; Supreme Court justices strategically deploy interpretive frameworks to advance ideological goals within institutional constraints. Interpretative modes will significantly correlate with ideological alignment in 2024 Docket decisions, indicating that interpretive frameworks function as strategic vehicles for ideological expression rather than independent legal constraints. Poster Presentation |