5646 research outputs found
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Comparing Family-level Insect Diversity Between Habitats at the DePauw Nature Park
No full textThe DePauw Nature Park hosts a broad diversity of life and insects represent a significant portion of that diversity. However, the insect diversity in the park has never been formally studied. We sought to document species composition across two habitat-types at the DePauw Nature Park. We sampled and identified insects in two woodland and two prairie habitats in the park using both active sampling (e.g., insect nets) and passive sampling (e.g., insect traps) methods. All specimens were mounted, labeled, and databased. Preliminary data suggests that the woodland habitat has higher family-level diversity than the prairie habitat. About half of the families were found in only one habitat-type, suggesting that the habitat diversity found in the park supports higher overall insect diversity. Future work includes assessing species level diversity in the two habitats and creating a checklist of species found in the nature park.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1222/thumbnail.jp
CUMath: A Benchmark and Evaluation Framework for LLMs on Mathematical Reasoning in Undergraduate Computational Math
No full textLarge Language Models (LLMs) perform well on popular math benchmarks but still struggle with fundamental undergraduate tasks such as basic integrals. This suggests a diagnostic gap: existing datasets are either trivial, synthetic, or overly advanced, limiting their usefulness for exposing reasoning failures. To address this, we introduce CUMath, a benchmark of 2,100 real problems from undergraduate courses in Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and related fields. Each problem includes step-by-step solutions, enabling evaluation of both final answers and intermediate reasoning. Moreover, current evaluations treat accuracy and reasoning separately, overlooking their joint role in problem-solving. To address this, we propose a multi-layered evaluation framework that combines automatic metrics with an LLM-as-a-grader pipeline, integrating symbolic encoding and external verification. Using this setup, we evaluate 15 LLMs across various prompting strategies. Our results show that even advanced models often misuse symbolic methods and rely on shortcuts, leading to polished but flawed solutions. Our findings reveal the ongoing issue of inconsistent reasoning, highlighting the need for improved benchmarks, evaluation frameworks, and the development of models with enhanced consistency and reasoning capabilities. The code and data will be available upon publication.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1224/thumbnail.jp
Longitudinal Monitoring of Particle Counts in the Pfotzer Maximum (2017-2025)
No full textThe Balloon Assisted Stratospheric Experiments (BASE) measures atmospheric muons using an array of instruments carried by weather balloons. We seek to spend extended time in the region of highest intensity, the Regener-Pfotzer Maximum (Pfotzer Maximum). The effects of the cosmic ray- induced ionization that comprises the Pfotzer Maximum are relatively unknown and may include cloud formation, precipitation, cyclogenesis, aerosol formation, atmospheric transparency, and more. With Geiger counters, we can measure the secondary particles produced by atmospheric cascades in order to better understand the Pfotzer Maximum and how it changes over time.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1213/thumbnail.jp
Safe Spaces and Free Speech on Campus: a Guided Tour of Campus Contexts
No full textContemporary events on university campuses have spotlighted the perceived conflict between free speech and safe spaces. While both values are widely acknowledged as essential, reconciling them in practice remains difficult. In this article, we argue that universities should not be viewed as singular entities but as a constellation of distinct spaces, each with its own normative context. The appropriate balance between safety and speech depends on the specific functions and values of each space. We first survey philosophical literature on campus speech and safety, noting the often-implicit acknowledgment of spatial diversity. Next, we introduce guiding questions to assist in evaluating how speech and safety should be balanced across different settings. Finally, we tour campus spaces using this framework, proposing that speech and safety exist on a continuum: some areas should support robust free expression, while others should prioritize safety and belonging
IWrite Podcast - Anne Gregg \u2725 interviewing Morgan Lawson \u2725
No full textIWrite is a series of podcast interviews and (pandemic permitting) live events showcasing conversations with DePauw community members about their writing lives. Interviews in the podcast series were conducted by Writing Center tutors and are generally 5-10 minutes long. Thanks for listening
DePal
No full textMaking new friends in real life can be frustrating due to the effort and interaction involved. However, thanks to the invention of the internet, people can now connect with others more easily, breaking down traditional barriers and allowing friendships to form more effortlessly. DePal, a social networking application, is designed to help users make new friends for study or casual socializing purposes. DePal allows users to create an account, post a bio, and upload pictures of themselves. The app enables users to swipe through profiles, select a check button to match with others, and initiate communication to plan activities like studying or hanging out. Users can also create and add events to a shared website calendar, allowing their matches to see and join in on upcoming activities. This encourages users to set up group events and engage in collaborative, meaningful social experiences
DePauwRide
No full textDePauwRide is a web-based carpooling platform designed exclusively for DePauw University students to provide a safe, cost-effective, and structured ride-sharing service. The platform allows students to schedule and share rides for pre-set travel routes such as DePauw to Indianapolis Airport, Walmart, Indianapolis Downtown (Monument Circle, White River State Park, and Old National Centre), and Chicago Downtown (Union Station, Navy Pier, and Milennium Park). Unlike traditional ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft, DePauwRide ensures that rides are exclusively student-to-student, fostering trust, eliminating surge pricing, and making transportation more accessible to students without personal vehicles. The platform features student-only authentication using DePauw email verification, ensuring a secure user base. Additionally, pre-set prices for each route eliminate price negotiations and prevent overcharging, making the service more reliable for both drivers and passengers. Payments can be processed through either Stripe, or PayPal, providing multiple secure options for seamless transactions. DePauwRide operates as a community-driven social network, where students can post available rides or request a ride from others, enhancing interaction while ensuring flexibility. The system matches riders and drivers based on preferred routes and schedules, allowing for a seamless experience. A rating system ensures that drivers and passengers can evaluate their experiences, maintaining service quality and safety. Users can browse the social ride-sharing page to find posts from drivers offering rides and passengers seeking rides. This ensures flexibility and transparency in the ride-sharing process. By addressing transportation challenges faced by DePauw students, particularly international students and those without cars, DePauwRide provides an affordable, structured, and community-centered alternative to expensive ride-sharing services in an area with limited public transportation options
Music Grant Marketplace
No full textLooking for Grants for independent music artists can be frustrating and a long endeavor. Searching the internet for grants takes time. While there are websites that advertise various grants for independent artists, these websites do not immediately show the requirements for these grants and often have no search capacity. Music Grant Marketplace aims to fix this by consolidating independent music artist grants into one website. The users of the website will be able to browse through a listing of different grants. Users of the website will be able to filter and search through the listed grants. If the Users of the website have any questions, they can contact admins of the website
DeTravel
No full textDeTravel is an Android application designed to provide travel recommendations by leveraging real-time geolocation data and user preferences. The app also provides an interactive UI for travel enthusiasts to post pictures of their trips and bookmark posts from other travelers. The app integrates two core functionalities: location-based recommendations and social bookmarking. Users receive curated suggestions for nearby attractions, restaurants, and activities tailored to their interests determined through bookmarked posts. DeTravel helps enhance the travel experience through a two-pronged approach – suggest locations based on activity type, and use a social media component to share and bookmark travel experiences. The app is designed to cater to a broad audience, including frequent travelers, solo explorers, families, business professionals and content creators. Through an interactive interface and robust backend infrastructure, DeTravel provides a unique, engaging and adaptive travel companion that evolves with user preferences and geolocation data
