17504 research outputs found
Sort by
Planting the Seeds of STEM: Identifying Factors to Lead Students to Studying in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics(STEM)
No full textIn the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), there is often a lack of diversity, whether that is across ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic statuses. This Independent Study uses the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) dataset to analyze a nationally representative sample of 23,503 students across the United States. Using this dataset, inspired by Ta-Yang Hsieh and Sandra Simpkins’ work, we look to identify factors that influence students pursuing STEM degrees and occupations, and which influence students pursuing further education beyond high school.
Using Exploratory Data Analysis, logistic regressions, and multinomial logistic regressions, this Independent Study highlights parental education and occupation, locale, and household income as critical factors. The findings confirm that students are positively influenced into fields of STEM not only by parents in STEM fields but also by parents with higher educational attainment. Locations like urban areas are linked to better post-secondary access, likely due to more exposure and proximity to colleges. In contrast, the rural areas faced challenges, especially in STEM exposure, due to limited resource access.
This work emphasizes the importance of targeted and personalized support, especially for specific students or areas with resource-limited backgrounds. These findings can be used to implement and improve academic and career counseling, mentor programs, and outreach programs by recruiters to foster a more inclusive and diverse field of work and study
Wooster Magazine: Spring 2025
No full textIn the spring 2025 Wooster magazine, alumni share insights from their fields for the lifelong learners The College of Wooster inspires. Creative graduates including Kent Sprague \u2714, Kathryne Hall ’99, Scott Doty ’97, and Will Strohmeyer ’19 share techniques from behind the scenes, keyboard, and camera. Lisa Skeens ’88, David Roney ’21, Brenda Major ’72, Martin Danial ’05, and Grace Bouker ’21 illuminate meaning behind approaches and processes in health-related fields. Other features showcase how alumni involvement expands the Wooster community, the 50th anniversary of Freedlander Theatre, and the dedication of The Piper sculpture. Oak Grove features a new section, “Why I Play,” with men’s basketball guard and communication studies major Jamir Billings ’25. In “Why Wooster,” the traditional look at what drew a member of the College community to campus juxtaposes the experiences of a student from Ohio and one from Brazil. Tartan Ties includes alumni profiles of Jim Witter ’07 and Amy Melena ’16, author profile with John Pierson ’66, and “Why I Give” with Scott Weingart ’75.https://openworks.wooster.edu/wooalumnimag_2021-2030/1012/thumbnail.jp
Roles of Arg184 and His302 in Substrate Binding and Coenzyme Coordination by 6-Hydroxynicotinate 3-Monooxygenase (NicC)
No full textA Comprehensive Comparison of Pathfinding Algorithms
No full textPathfinding algorithms have played a pivotal role in several fields, ranging from video game features such as maps to transportation and geographic information systems used in everyday life. In this study, four of the most prevalent pathfinding optimization algorithms are analyzed, juxtaposed, and tested, namely Dijkstra’s algorithm, A-star’s algorithm, Bellman-Ford’s algorithm, and Floyd-Warshall’s algorithm. The goal is to evaluate their performance, efficiency, and suitability on the campus of the College of Wooster to create a visual aid that students can use to become more efficient in their daily travels. Each algorithm will be implemented and tested on sparse graphs that vary in node densities and obstacle configurations. Metrics such as time complexity, optimal paths, and nodes explored & visited will be used for evaluation. Additionally, a custom campus navigation application was developed using C++ and SFML to visualize algorithms’ behaviours in a practical context. The results determine the best algorithm in the given context, highlighting trade-offs between efficiency and accurac
Designing Crafting and Combat in Video Games
No full textThroughout the video games on the market today, games that focus on traditionally masculine interests like warfare or industrialization have seen significantly more respect and attention than games centered around traditionally feminine interests like relaxation or art. Even when both interests inhabit one game, it is common for the masculine features to drown out the feminine ones. Gameplay systems that focus around masculine interests often receive more attention from audiences and more development resources from designers than feminine ones. Two of these such gameplay systems, combat and crafting, are reviewed for this study, examining their core system attributes and common implementations, as well as design theories on how to make such systems coexist with equal importance in one game. The result is an in-depth design for a combat and crafting video game called Roots of Magic and a software prototype for its basic mechanics and systems
Legas Aetia Callimachi: An Analysis of Martial’s Disavowal of Myth
No full textThis independent study examines Martial’s relationship to myth and its authors through close-reading analysis of the Epigrammata, finding that Martial utilizes myth as a rhetorical device, as an object of invective, and as a statement of his work. This philological analysis is supplemented by secondary scholarship in Martial’s over-arching reputation, literary criticism, and intertextual significance. I begin with a focused analysis of Martial’s disavowal of myth before examining examples of myth’s appearance throughout the work, where Martial deems myth to be acceptable as a tool for real-world commentary. Finally, I explore Martial’s references to his predecessors, comparing Callimachus’ recusatio to Martial’s own. I find that Martial does not reject myth inherently or in its entirety, but instead rejects myth for its status as the subject-matter of the genres most popular in his era in order to assert the value of his epigrams as unique contributions to Silver-Age Rome’s literary climate
Transmission of Wolbachia in Culex Mosquitoes
No full textWolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that are present in many insect species around the globe. Wolbachia\u27s ability to interfere with the replication of pathogens in insects has been a topic of interest in many scientific research, especially in Mosquito-borne diseases research. Mosquito-borne diseases are a serious public health threat because of how widespread the mosquito species is, leading to millions of deaths annually. This has led to the use of Wolbachia as a form of biopesticide to control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in the population of Culex and Anopheles, which are the primary mosquito species that transmit diseases to humans. Although Wolbachia\u27s ability to interfere with the replication of pathogens is heavily researched, the mechanism of the transmission of Wolbachia in mosquitoes is not well documented. To gain a better understanding of the transmission of Wolbachia in mosquito species, Culex samples were collected in Wooster, Ohio, to determine if transstadial transmission was shown in Culex samples and, if so, to also determine the Wolbachia density in different life stages of Culex. DNA isolation was used to acquire Culex DNA, and QPCR was performed to identify Wolbachia in adult and larva Culex samples. Wolbachia prevalence was shown in 64% of adult samples and 50% in the Culex larva samples. A p-value of 0.028 showed a significant difference in Wolbachia density in adult and larval samples. These results would confirm the transstadial transmission of Wolbachia in mosquitoes and suggest that Wolbachia can vary in different live stages of Culex
Development of Artificial Reverberation in C++
No full textArtificial reverberation is a method of adding echo to a particular sound to achieve a desired effect. In doing so, a signal with a short impulse can sound as if it is played from a large reverberant space, such as a concert hall. Common C++ implementations of this effect usually fall under two different categories: the first using purely artificial means, and the second mimicking a provided impulse response. The former creates this effect via a number of delay lines in parallel, resulting in a reverberated sound provided a sufficiently high echo density is created. The latter uses the impulse response of an acoustic space to generate a realistic sounding reverb, which is added to the input signal. This thesis studies the practical and sonic differences between these algorithms and their implementations. This includes the recording and processing of impulse responses in an acoustic space. The final program will allow producers to use either one of these algorithms independently in the Digital Audio Workstation of their choice
Impact of Innovation on Valuation: An Empirical Study on the Role of Patent Intensity in Determining Target Acquisition Value in M&A Deals
No full textThis thesis explores the interaction between innovation and firm valuation in high-value mergers and acquisitions (M&A) through a combined theoretical and empirical approach. A Cournot Competition Model is employed to examine how innovation, enabled by cost-reducing technologies, can increase firm profitability and rationalize high acquisition premiums. The model predicts a scenario in which rises in the variable costs of the target firm cause its value to decline, thereby formalizing the notion that operating efficiency is important for valuation. To validate this hypothesis, the study compares a global sample of 50 mergers and acquisitions transactions exceeding $1 billion, where innovation is measured by patent intensity (patents divided by revenue). Whereas the theoretical model proposes a close link between innovation and value creation, the empirical examination does not establish statistically significant proof that measures of innovation are positively associated with acquisition price. These results underscore the challenges of measuring innovation in terms of real value and confirm the importance of other factors, including absorptive capacity, strategic fit, and market context, in influencing acquisition outcomes
Contact with Homeless Populations, The Social Construction of Homelessness, and Punitive Policy
No full textThe United States is facing a worsening homelessness crisis, but city lawmakers’ have not widely embraced the evidence backed approaches to addressing homelessness, with little opposition from the public. The Contact Hypothesis and the Social Construction of Target Populations are used to study the relationships between contact with homeless communities, support for punitive and structural homelessness policies, and how residents view homeless people in their communities. The recent increase encampments suggests that homelessness is now more visible to housed residents, and previous research showing contact with homeless people decreases prejudice should be revisited. Survey results showed support for punitive homelessness policy had no relationship with contact but was associated with perceived deservingness of the homeless population. A better understanding of how homeless people are socially constructed to the public can help activists and lawmakers communicate about the strategies for reducing homelessness and increase public support for effective homelessness policy