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The Unique Properties of 2-D Graphene
Get PDFGraphene is one of the world’s most unique materials. It is a 2-D material composed of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern. It is one of the strongest materials ever created, being 40 times stronger than diamond. It has many unique characteristics due to its 2D structure such 13x better electrical conductivity than copper, 100x electron mobility compared to silicon, and absorbs only 2.3% of reflected light. Graphene has many real-world applications, with possible uses in creating lighter and brighter phone screens or being utilized to allow for the ultra-fast charging of batteries. It is difficult to produce graphene in mass quantities but can be created in small amounts using mechanical cleavage, also known as the “scotch-tape” method. In this poster I discuss my research on Graphene, spanning from my attempts at creating it to understanding its properties using Van der Pauw measurements and circuits utilizing MOSFET transistors
A Review of Interventions That Promote Meaning in Life
Get PDFIncreasing meaning in life in people undergoing various forms of trauma or adversity has shown promise as a means to improve well-being, coping mechanisms, and resilience. The purpose of this review was to characterize the effects of interventions designed to increase meaning in life and compare their impact. A systematic literature search of PubMed, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar was conducted encompassing the following parameters: meaning in life, purpose in life, sense of purpose, and randomized controlled trials. A total of 25 randomized controlled trials were identified for this review. The more common interventions were psychotherapy, psychoeducational, and narrative. Results indicate that these interventions are effective in increasing personal meaning making, as evidenced by an overall effect size [standardized mean difference (SMD)] =0.60 (CI 0.378 to 0.825). The most effective interventions were psychotherapy and narrative, with effect sizes of 0.670 and 0.59, respectively. Overall, these findings showcase the potential of meaning in life interventions
Beta Particles and Internal Conversion
No full textBeta particle spectroscopy is and interesting and curious phenomenon, because unlike alpha particles or gamma particles, betas do not have a set energy. The energy is distributed between three particles upon decay. With my equipment I am able to analyze this distribution and determine the maximum possible energy these particles can have and in doing so determine the most likely. Now while that’s tricky enough sometimes internal conversion peaks appear in the spectrum and that is where it gets interesting. Internal conversion is caused by gamma particles giving their energy to an electron, which is then picked up by the detector.Dr. Randolph Peterso
Match Point: The Gender Pay Gap by Tennis Tournaments
Get PDFUsing a sample of the prize winnings of both male and female professional tennis players during different tournaments in 2017, 2018, and 2019, this study examines characteristics that lead to variations in earnings gaps at different tournaments. The model controls for total purse being offered by a tournament for each gender, percent of female winners compared to male winners, days from a given tournament’s end until the next grand slam tournament for females, and the host country’s score on the World Bank Economic Freedom rank, while also using dummy variables to identify the year and the playing surfaces. The findings suggest that the days between the given tournament and the next Grand Slam, the playing surface of a given tournament, and the male total prize purse are all statistically significant in explaining the variation in earnings between male and female professional tennis players.Professor Aaron Elrod and Professor Marc St. Pierr
Best of the Best: Differentiators in Outcomes of Selective Private Business Schools
Get PDFThis study investigates the impact of a variety of factors on outcomes for graduates of elite private business schools in the United States from 2015-2019. Results show that tuition, class size, and age, all have a statistically significant impact on median base salary in the first year after graduation, but that location and average work experience have no statistically significant bearing on that outcome. For every 551 increase in median base salary, insinuating that graduates indeed get more “bang for their buck.” The regression also shows that for an increase of 100 students above the mean class size, there is an increase of 12,006 less than candidates who enroll at 27. These findings help further the discussion about differentiators of outcomes at top-ranked and highly selective business schools for a degree that is highly cyclical in an economy that, until the COVID-19 pandemic, was experiencing its longest economic expansion on record.Dr. Aaron Elro
Supreme Green: The Effect of LEED Certification Levels on Net and Gross Lease Rental Rates in Commercial Offices
Get PDFLEED certification has generated significant attention from owners and developers in the U.S. commercial real estate sector over the last decade as these entities look to improve the operational efficiency of their buildings in an effort to become more sustainable. Several studies find a positive correlation among LEED certification and rental premiums. However, economists agree that it is difficult to rule out whether the price premium is a direct result of the certification or if it is a result of other characteristics such as differences in the lease contract, year built, and rentable building area. We include these characteristics in a model that estimates the effect of certification on rental premiums in the commercial office space market among a random cross-sectional sample of properties in Houston and Dallas/Fort-Worth. We find that buildings that are LEED-Silver or LEED-Gold certified command a significant rental premium compared to non certified buildings. However, LEED-Certified and LEED-Platinum certifications (unexpectedly) do not command a statistically significant premium. Our results are in line with previous findings with a few exceptions likely due to the different lease structures in our sample
Behold what you are, become what you receive: Preaching as Catechesis
Get PDFBoth scholarly studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that the average American churchgoer would not perform well on a religious literacy test. The historical reasons for this decline in religious knowledge are numerous, but the real question is not how we arrived at this point, but rather where do we go from here? Compounding the issue is that a good number of those in the pews are not attending Bible studies or formation classes, nor are they reading works about faith or theology. Furthermore, as those who did not grow up in a religious household join a worshipping congregation, they have little foundation upon which to build. The result of all of these conditions is that the sermon becomes the primary, and in many cases, the only, vehicle for the catechetical task of bringing people into a lively faith. But how ought the preacher approach this task? In previous generations, sermons given by preachers such as Cyril of Jerusalem and Isaac Williams had clear catechetical foci. In modern times, preachers like Rowan Williams and Samuel Wells have tended to weave catechesis into sermons that are not expressly doctrinal lectures. The sermons of these preachers provide insight into how the catechetical task might be approached today. As a test-case for such catechetical preaching, a sermon series about the importance and place of the Eucharist in our liturgical lives is considered. The goal being not merely religious knowledge, but the turning of lives towards God and a recognition of God’s abundant grace.Professor David Star
Priestly formation in the Anglican Church in Malawi: A History and Analysis of Theological Education/Training
No full textWith the opening of Leonard Kamungu Theological College (LKTC) the Anglican Church in Malawi's desire to have its clergy formed at an Anglican college and within an Anglican ethos, following the tradition of the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), was realized.
Priestly formation in the Anglican Church in Malawi started in Zanzibar under the UMCA in the late 1800s through Likoma Island in Malawi and finally to LKTC in 2006. After the UMCA, the church did its training at St. John's Seminary (Zambia), Kachebere Major Seminary (Catholic), Zomba Theological College (Presbyterian). The church had short intensive training courses at Chilema Lay Training Center and through Theological Education by Extension in Malawi (TEEM). It is thus clear that both the UMCA missionaries and the Presbyterians made a significant impact on the priestly formation in Malawi. Both the Malawian clergy and the laity expect the priests produced at LKTC to match the caliber of the High Church UMCA missionaries in terms of conduct, preaching, pastoral work, church management, and presiding over the Anglican liturgy.
This project traces the history of priestly formation in the Anglican Church in Malawi and analyzes the impact of training from the beginning to 2019. It also deals with the concepts of the priesthood, models of theological training, contextualizing theological education, and a brief study of Anglican identity. A few oral histories about priesthood in Malawi are also included. LKTC has for the most part delivered on its promise. However, the church expects LKTC to do more on its training. In order to meet these expectations, the college Board, management and the bishops need to consider issues of sustainability, intake increase, shortcomings of new graduates, contextualization and enculturation, and contextual education.Rev. Dr. Benjamin Kin
Ethanol preference, affective withdrawal and relapse-like behavior in female mice
Get PDFAlcohol use disorder (AUD) currently affects over 14M adults in the United States, with ~10% of college students reporting heavy alcohol use within the past month (NIAAA 2020). The students in PSYC350 Drugs & Behavior designed an experiment to address three major questions related to alcohol (ethanol) exposure in female mice. In Experiment 1, mice were exposed to an acute stressor or remained in their
homecage (no stress). All mice were then given a choice of regular water or 5-10% ethanol in their homecages for two weeks, using a standard two-bottle choice procedure. We hypothesized that stressed mice would consume more ethanol and prefer ethanol over water after the first and second week of alcohol exposure. In Experiment 2, mice with ethanol history and ethanol-naive mice were tested for
anxiety on an elevated plus-maze, 48hrs after ethanol exposure was discontinued. We hypothesized that mice with ethanol history would show higher anxiety levels than controls, consistent with mild ethanol withdrawal. In Experiment 3, mice with ethanol history and ethanol-naive mice were re-exposed to ethanol using the same two-bottle choice procedure. We hypothesized that mice with ethanol history would consume more ethanol than controls in this "relapse" like procedure. Preliminary analyses suggest that stress did not impact ethanol consumption, and ethanol history did not impact relapse-like behavior. Results have implications for the understanding and treatment of AUD, particularly in females, which are underexplored in drug- and brain-related research.Mentor: Kate Cammack, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Progra