About me
Oral Presentation Abstracts Session #1
9:45 am to 10:05 a.m. Friday, September 5, 2025
Location: SUB Top Floor Rooms
These abstracts were published unedited to reflect the author’s original submission
Barrey, Aubrie - Major: Psychology , University of Northern Colorado
Mentor: Dr. Meg du Bray , Assistant Professor, Geography and Sustainability
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Santa Ana A
Title: Does Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Environmentlist Identity Better Explain Climate Anxiety?
Abstract: As the impacts of climate change become more frequent and severe, understanding climate anxiety has become increasingly important. Climate anxiety can have maladaptive psychological effects, yet causes ongoing debates about whether it should require pathologized recognition and treatment approaches within clinical psychology. My research explores whether climate anxiety is better explained by generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or by an individual’s environmentalist identity. This question is informed by Susan Clayton’s climate anxiety scale and her advocacy for clinical recognition of this context-specific anxiety. While existing literature acknowledges the overlap between GAD and climate anxiety, as well as the role of environmentalist identity, it remains unclear which factors offer a stronger explanation. A lack of consensus persists in the field. To address this gap, I propose a survey-based study to examine the statistical relationships among these variables, with the goal of advancing psychological understanding and informing more effective tailored treatments for climate anxiety.
Carey, Joseph - Major: History, University of Cincinnati
Mentor: Steven Cahn, PhD., Professor, Department of Music Theory
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Fiesta A
Title: Rival Kings: The Interpretive Styles of Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras
Abstract: Perhaps no two names are more emblematic of the Yiddish musical heyday in America than clarinetists Naftule Brandwein and Dave Tarras. Yet while their influence on twentieth century Klezmer is clear, the rudiments of their performance styles are not as easily put to words. This comparative analysis draws on modern clarinet technique, primary source recordings, and contemporary musicology in an effort to distinguish not only the technical hallmarks of two iconic “Kings of Klezmer,” but those of authentic Klezmer performance in general.
Hernandez, Renae - Major: Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
Mentor: Dr. Joanna Lambert, Professor, Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, Department of Environmental Studies
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Lobo B
Title: Honoring the Coyote: Studying Human and Coyote Connections
Abstract: The purpose of this project is to evaluate whether here are lessons from Indigenous peoples’
traditional wisdom and scientific knowledge for coexisting with Coyotes (Canis latrans). This
project is relevant as anthropogenic impacts on wildlife habitat and populations are increasing
the frequency and severity of human-wildlife conflict, suggesting a need for understanding how
humans and wildlife have interacted in the historical past and ecological present. The highly
adaptable nature and behavioral plasticity of coyotes render them an excellent case study for
providing insight into larger apex predators who also experience human interaction. The
methodology of this project is ethnography. I will conduct interviews with Indigenous scholars,
academics, and/or keepers of traditional ecological knowledge. A lack of empathy, compassion,
and cooperation has left our relationship with Coyotes unsustainable. This research will
contribute to our understanding of coyotes and provide critical insight into the ways in which
Indigenous peoples navigated relationships with them historically. The findings will be valuable
for wildlife managers, conservationists, Indigenous environmental justice scholars, and
researchers working to have a respectful relationship with coyotes.
King, Raven - Major: Nursing, West Texas A&M University
Mentor: Dr. Priscella Correa, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Baptist Community Services Professor, Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Acoma B
Title: Foster Care Youth Transitioning into Adulthood and Higher Education
Abstract: Research on former foster youth who aged out and transitioned into higher education has continued to expand. Emerging into adulthood is a critical time in youths’ lives and is set in motion in the United States at 18. As of 2022, the statistical data indicates that 570,000 youth are in the United States public foster care system. Overall, foster youth face unique challenges and have unique needs, and understanding the challenges they face through child maltreatment or past traumas is crucial to determining what’s helpful in their transition into adulthood. The barriers found in the transition into higher education included inadequate academic preparation, housing, financial instability, lack of emotional and social support, and ongoing mental health issues. Through collaboration within disciplines, the barriers that former foster youth face can be addressed and solved as education should be a route for success in all youth. The understanding of challenges and barriers is well documented; however, there is still more that needs to be known about foster youth lived experiences. Having first-hand accounts of these lived experiences of those facing transition would allow for additional pertinent information that could be used to assist those implementing programs for this population.
Le, Amanda - Major: 1. Medicine 2. Public and Applied Humanities, University of Arizona
Mentor: Dr. John M. Ruiz, Professor, Clinical, Department of Psychology
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Isleta
Title: Hispanic Health and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis of the Longitudinal Literature
Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide (CDC, 2021). CVD risk varies by several modifiable and non-modifiable factors, including race/ethnicity. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are especially vulnerable to poor health outcomes because of elevated risk profiles. However, emerging evidence has demonstrated that U.S.-dwelling Hispanics/Latines tend to exhibit lower all-cause mortality compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). This is an epidemiological phenomenon known as the Hispanic Health Paradox (HHP). Despite robust data documenting a Hispanic health advantage, a mixed consensus remains regarding the underlying mechanisms. Given this framework, do Hispanics/Latines exhibit CVD-specific health advantages (e.g., lower morbidity and mortality)? This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with PRISMA (2020) reporting guidelines. We searched PubMed databases in July 2025 using predetermined search terms and criteria to identify peer-reviewed studies that examined CVD outcomes among Hispanics/Latines. Study characteristics were entered into REDCap. A follow-up meta-analysis synthesized all eligible study effect sizes to evaluate the relationship between Hispanic/Latine ethnicity and CVD. A risk of bias assessment was done for all included studies. We expect the review and meta-analysis will support the HHP by demonstrating significantly lower Hispanic/Latine CVD morbidity and mortality compared to NHW populations. These findings support the HHP by demonstrating a Hispanic health advantage in CVD. Further research should investigate the underlying sociocultural resilience mechanisms that mediate/moderate the HHP and CVD.
Keywords: Cardiovascular Disease; Hispanic Health; Mortality; Morbidity; Review
Lopez, Elena - Major: Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of New Mexico
Mentor: Dr. Cathy Binger , Professor, Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Luminaria
Title: Vocabulary Growth of Preschoolers Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Abstract: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a valuable communication tool for
individuals with severe speech impairments. For those with typical receptive abilities, expressive language is often underestimated due to limited access to a wide range of vocabulary. Small single case design studies have shown that language intervention can be successful in promoting expressive vocabulary skills in children using AAC. This study evaluates the effect of implementing AAC Generative Language Intervention (AAC-GLI) on the aided expressive vocabulary of preschoolers with severe speech impairments within a large randomized controlled trial (RCT). The research question for the current study was: Does implementing AAC-GLI produce gains in the vocabulary of preschoolers with severe speech impairments and relatively intact receptive language skills, compared with those not receiving intervention? The families of both the control and intervention group participants received a half-day AAC workshop. The intervention group received 28 play-based AAC-GLI sessions. Progress of all participants was measured monthly over a four month period. The results indicate that implementing AAC-GLI increases expressive vocabulary as compared with the control group. One measure has been analyzed to date: number of different symbols (NDSym). The findings indicate higher NDSym for the intervention group at all points besides baseline. Moderate effects at Months 1 and 2, with large effects at Month 3 and maintenance. This demonstrates the effectiveness of AAC-GLI in supporting the vocabulary diversity of preschoolers with severe speech impairments who have relatively intact receptive language skills in addition to its original purpose of supporting
expressive grammar development.
Mackay, Senai - Major: Psychology, Washington State University
Mentor: Dr. Walt Scott, Professor, Department of Psychology
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Santa Ana B
Title: The Relationship Between Cluster C Personality Disorders and the Relational Self-Schema
Abstract: Personality disorders (PDs) can negatively impact interpersonal relationships, treatment outcomes, and even mortality (Tyrer et al., 2015). While PDs have been widely studied, less attention has been given to Cluster C disorders: avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), which are marked by anxiety, fear, and a need for control (Massaal-Van der Ree et al., 2022). These disorders involve dysfunctional self-concepts, yet most research fails to assess self-concept in a relational context. Traditional approaches often focus on early maladaptive schemas, which assess global self-concepts (Kunst, 2020). In contrast, self-concept researchers argue that individuals possess multiple, relationship-specific self-concepts (e.g., self-with-mom, self-with-friend) (Baldwin & Dandeneau, 2005). The Relational Self-Schema Measure (RSSM) is a relatively new tool that captures this complexity by asking participants to evaluate their experiences of relatedness satisfaction, control satisfaction, autonomy frustration, and self-esteem frustration across four personally significant relationships (Scott et al., 2021). This study will also use the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems (CSIP) to measure interpersonal difficulties across eight domains. This study aims to explore associations between Cluster C PD traits and RSSM dimensions, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression. Using a cross-sectional design, PD traits will be measured with the MAPP, and anxiety and depression symptoms with the ADDI-27.
Sigona, Jonathan - Major: Mathematics, University of Arizona
Mentor: Dr. Alexander Bucksch, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Acoma A
Title: FiberWalk: A Probabilistic Model of Plant Root Architecture
Abstract: The goal of understanding the rules of plant life yielded many discoveries toward understanding the formation of plant phenotypes. Such discoveries are important for advancing sustainable agriculture to combat global issues like climate change and food shortages. An active research area is plant roots, which receive less attention because they are buried in the opaque soil. But even if excavated, the vast variation in plant root architecture poses challenges to making statistical inferences on collected trait data. To fill the gap in knowledge and account for the variation seen in nature, we hypothesize that a probabilistic mathematical model may be the best way to predict the formation of phenotypes in plant root architecture. Our approach is distinct from typical models in plant biology, which are created based on experimental data. Our mathematical model functions independently without prior knowledge of any plant root measurement and explores the possible morphologies arising from two growth processes – elongation and lateral expansion. We created the model in a two-dimensional space based on a self-avoiding random walk. Our demonstration software accepts user inputs of probability distributions and parameter values to determine the root architecture. Future work on the model will aim to simulate the root growth in a three-dimensional space, allowing for the validation of the model in a realistic case. Successful validation of the model will allow us to predict occurrences of architectural root phenotypes in nature, which may lead to research that optimizes resource uptake for specified plant root architecture.
Slayton, Savannah - Major: Political Science, The University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Farina King, Associate Professor, Horizon Endowed Chair of Native American Ecology and Culture, Department of Native American Studies
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Fiesta B
Title: "Exploring the Legacy of Colonialism on Oklahoma Education: Using Historical Foundations of Education in Oklahoma to Understand Contemporary Education in Oklahoma and Its Impacts on Native Youth.”
Abstract: This research project investigates how settler colonial legacies continue to shape education policy in Oklahoma, particularly in ways that affect Native students. Grounded in a decolonial theory (Mignolo 2021), the project critiques the “coloniality of power” and “coloniality of knowledge” within educational structures, focusing on how Indigenous students are framed, or excluded, in policy discourse. Using a mixed methods approach, the study begins with qualitative oral histories collected from survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system, their families who were affected, as well as Native students who have attended contemporary Indian boarding schools. These narratives reveal how historical trauma, forced assimilation, and cultural disruption continue to influence Native experiences with education today. Building on this foundation, the project incorporates a quantitative content analysis of Oklahoma education hearings, coding for mentions of Indian education, Native students, and related terms to measure legislative attention, or lack thereof, over time. Moreover, a qualitative thematic analysis of proposed and enacted Oklahoma legislation to examine how Native students and Indian education are constructed within state-level policy frameworks. This includes identifying recurring settler colonial narratives and silences, as well as moments where Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination are acknowledged or resisted. By connecting personal stories from the past with today’s education policies, this project shows how the harmful ideas and systems from colonial times still shape how education works in Oklahoma today. Ultimately, it seeks to center Indigenous perspectives in policy discourse and imagine decolonial futures for Native youth in Oklahoma education.
Zurschmiede , Zachary - Major: Social Science, Michigan Technological University
Mentor: Dr. Mark Rhodes, Associate Professor of Geography , Department of Social Science
Oral Presentation Session #1, Room: Lobo A
Title: Artistic and Emotive Policy Intersections in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
Abstract: This research investigates the integration of art and emotion into environmental governance through a case study of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, formerly Brecon Beacons, in Wales. The park’s recent rebranding and management overhaul were guided by the 2015 Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, which mandates policies that promote seven well-being goals, including cultural vitality and ecological resilience. In response, the National Park Authority embraced a future-oriented, socio-ecological vision rooted in both the act and deeper Welsh cultural histories. Distinctively, the new management plan incorporates the creative arts—notably poetry and visual art—as vehicles to express the Park’s "special qualities," which are described as being more intuitively felt than rationally articulated. This research explores how artistic contributions—such as commissioned poems and evocative imagery—have shaped public engagement, policy discourse, and the park’s strategic orientation.
Using a multi-method approach, including document analysis, discourse analysis, and cultural policy review, this study examines how creative expression has become embedded in Welsh environmental governance. It traces the ways that the Park’s poetic and artistic framing reflects broader national trends that privilege cultural identity, heritage, and affective relationships with landscape in policymaking. Ultimately, this project argues that Bannau Brycheiniog serves as a compelling example of how protected area policy can be enriched by non-Western, emotion-centered, and culturally embedded approaches to nature. In doing so, it contributes to discussions on alternative governance models, the role of the arts in policy, and the diversification of environmental relationships in a time of ecological crisis.
