Student Spaceflight Experiments Program: The Effects of Microgravity on the Chromosomal
Alignment on the Metaphase Plate in Onion Root Tip Cells
William Garrity, Erica Langnickel, Anastasiya Bolotova
Sponsor: Dylan Carman
In our proposed experiment we will address the following question: Does microgravity
affect chromosomal alignment on the metaphase plate during mitosis in onion root tip
cells? We hypothesize that the onion root tip cells that will enter metaphase in microgravity
will have more abnormalities in the equatorial chromosome alignment than the cells
that will enter metaphase in Earth's gravity. Alignment of chromosomes on the metaphase
plate is important for ensuring that both daughter cells have the same number of chromosomes
and are completely identical. Prior experiments have shown that microgravity affects
the cytoskeleton of the cell, which is crucial for chromosomal alignment on the metaphase
plate, and chromosomal segregation in anaphase. For this experiment, we will germinate
onion seeds in microgravity on the International Space Station and in Earth's gravity
on the ground in the FME mini-lab. After 12 days of germinating we will fix the germinating
onion roots with formalin. We will then stain the onion root tip cells and use light
microscopy to compare the cells undergoing metaphase in microgravity to the cells
undergoing metaphase in Earth's gravity. The goal of the analysis is to see whether
chromosomes stray away from the metaphase plate or if their equatorial alignment will
remain unaffected. As human cells perform mitosis similarly to plant cells, this proposed
experiment will be able to provide insight into the possible effects of long-term
exposure to microgravity and other low gravity environments on humans and on the growth
of plants in microgravity.
A Comparison of Gravity vs Microgravity Impact Upon Coliforms' Metabolic Dynamics
E. "Deaux-Deaux" Thibodeaux
Sponsors: Dylan Carman, Colin Wilson
A project that might end in 2025-2026, in which a control group of e. coli's cellular
metabolism is studied in Earth's gravity, and later (if accepted into the SSEP) studied
in microgravity. The purpose is to see how metabolism, a finely-tuned process, may
react to these changes: Will it adapt? Will it break down? Will the bacteria be able
to survive, perform well, or no? And so on. While these are tiny organisms, I would
like to see if they parallel astronauts' metabolic changes while in orbit. If it is
successfully accepted into the SSEP, I intend on returning to a second undergraduate
scholars conference with additional findings.
Designing an Online Portfolio
Evan Purscell'
Sponsor: Christian Tenczar
Using what I have learned in the past semester of web design, I created an art portfolio
with CSS and HTML. I utilized several outside resources to implement complex design
elements including galleries, contact forms, and wrappers. I discovered and solved
issues with formatting, several being caused by smaller resolutions. I used the Software
Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to identify issues and plan maintenance to improve user
experience. The website is currently fully functional with several improvements planned.
http://cis-155-submission.space/
Student Textbook Cost Survey
Autumn Bateman, Mari Dus'
Sponsor: Andrea Robare
This project was implemented for the Open Educational Resources (OER) committee. These
are learning and teaching materials in the public domain that have an open license
to provide no cost or low-cost access. The modality has been implemented in many campuses
across the country, and we were interested in collecting data to advocate and create
awareness to lower the cost of textbooks at Berkshire Community College. We created
a survey in Google Forms, that was distributed via email or a QR code handed in person
during the first two weeks of class of Fall 2023. This code was also posted in the
"Weekly Buzz' and in strategic areas on campus where students could easily access
it.This project was a success, in the first four days of administering it we reached
the 10% of the student body needed to validate the results. The survey results concluded
that the cost of textbooks impacts enrollment numbers and students' performance and
success in courses. Our survey responses are in line with research studies and national
surveys on student textbook costs.
Promoting Childhood Development
Savanah Schofield
Sponsor: Patricia Kay
Observing, Documenting and Assessing a Young Child: A project I created last semester
for my Early Childhood Growth and Development course was based on observing a young
child in the various developmental learning domains including cognitive, social/emotional,
physical, and language. As I move through my power point presentation, I will explain
my observations, documentation, and assessment of this child over the semester. Honing
our observation skills and learning about various theories that explain how children
grow and learn were key learning outcomes for this course. Along with a multitude
of different kinds of assessment tools, I have provided pictures and videos from a
preschool classroom. To summarize my presentation, I will suggest developmentally
appropriate activities for teachers/adults to scaffold learning and provide creative
child centered experiences for the child I observed.
The Benefits of Music in the Classroom
Kristin Wilcox
Sponsor: Barbara Kotelnicki
I conducted a research project on The Benefits of Music in the Classroom. I have loved
music and singing since I was a very young girl and that love has continued to grow
as I have gotten older. When I was in high school education, I wanted to continue
to share that love and become a music teacher. There are many benefits for using music
in the classroom. Students are able to learn new ways to remember math problems and
poetry. When music is used in an early educational setting, preschool children are
able to learn body parts, colors, numbers, and how to process their feelings. In the
past, I have struggled with math and not feeling confident in a math class. After
viewing a TED talk about music and math, I wanted to change that mindset. If I could
relate math to how I was able to learn music, then I could understand the math problems
better. Learning and reading music has many math applications. Music has different
time measures and beats- quarter notes, half notes, whole notes. When I was able to
picture the math problem in my mind as music the problem became easier to see. By
using music and math we can see students make connections. In this presentation I
share the benefits and some of the ways that educators can use music to enhance their
lessons to engage students using a multimodal approach.
The Intelligence of Rats as Displayed with Trick and Agility Training
Danielle Lemieux
Sponsor: Thomas Tyning
There is a stigma spread by the media against rats in our society, deeming them to
be dirty, scary, and unintelligent. I will be doing research against this stigma to
prove otherwise, focusing on the intelligence in rats as displayed with trick and
agility training. I will begin by training one of my rats using valuable treats (e.g.
yogurt, applesauce, or malt paste for ferrets) as positive reinforcement. The first
few training sessions (TSs) will be held in the rat's free roam space because it's
familiar to him, then I'll move the TSs to other places (e.g. on a bed, on a sofa,
or at school) to get the rat used to training in unfamiliar and distracting places.
I'll be starting with a few tricks ranging from easy to difficult (e.g. spin, stay,
ring-toss, fetch, etc.), and then I'll begin agility training. Throughout the research
process, I'll be referencing online articles and videos of how others have trained
their rats to inform my own methods. I believe my rat will learn and catch on to the
training very quickly, and I hope that many people will see the results of this project
and change their view of these wonderful animals.
Magnetizing Sodium Acetate
Ethan Vaughan
Sponsor: Colin Wilson
Our understanding of magnets and how they work inspires the most powerful minds to
create new inventions. Our stimulated research of magnets and their magnetic fields
privileged us with the ability to synthesize tape recorders, speakers, and hard drives.
However, chemists need to understand the atomic layout of these magnetic compounds
as well as the properties governing their magnetic ability. One of the most immediate
examples being earth, our super magnet home. In our traditional environment, gravity
is stronger than the intermolecular forces (Van der Waals forces) that affect surface
tension. In a microgravity setting however this is not the case. The ISS has their
water glove experiment to showcase this. With the help of partnering companies like
Infiniti, NASA is able to explore the means of space manufacturing. An ability like
that would push us into the next generation of space technology and open up the door
for new understandings of the secrets of the universe. I am currently working on growing
sodium acetate crystals and determining if they can grow differently when mixed with
iron shavings as nucleation points. From there I am seeing how the iron shavings affect
the crystallization structure growth when exposed to a circular Halbach array. Eventually
I plan to study the difference in having surface tension and no surface tension for
this crystallization reaction.
Statistical Analysis of Psilocybin vs. Niacin
Dan Hardy
Sponsor: Paul Johansen
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects more than 21 million American adults or about
8.4% of the U.S. population age 18 and older each year. Clinical trials administering
psilocybin have shown promising effects to sufferers of MDD. In one such study a single
dose of psilocybin vs. niacin placebo was administered to a group of 104 participants.
To interpret the results of the study using inferential statistics, I used a standard
normal curve to test my hypothesis. Using the data from the clinical trial I conducted
a Z-test to determine if I would reject my null hypothesis or support it. At the 5%
level of significance, the data supports the claim that psilocybin is more effective
than niacin to drop depression scores in adults with MDD. Evidence that psilocybin-administered
with psychological support- may hold a promising future for those afflicted by MDD.
Phenology of Avian Species in Berkshire County
Holden Loverin
Sponsor: Bruce Winn
This research project is based on the various species of birds in the Berkshires.
Species have specific cycles- due to global warming, these cycles are advancing at
different rates. The study of this is known as phenology. We are recording data on
how this has changed over the course of about 60 years using journals written by S.
Waldo Bailey. Bailey was a naturalist born in Newbury, Mass. in 1885, and he was the
first warden at Bartholomew's Cobble in Sheffield. He has been described as "Berkshire
County's closest approximation to Henry David Thoreau'. Bailey recorded journals from
1902-1963 largely detailing what birds he saw, the location, and the weather. We are
analyzing these documents and recording every bird named and the details about such.
This is definitely a long-term research project- as of now, we've only managed to
gather data from about 1959-1963. Continuation of this research project will grant
us valuable information on the phenology of birds in the Berkshires, which we will
compare to modern data bases to learn how it has changed over the course of 122 years.
The Tragedie of Metacom
Mercedes Bell
Sponsor: Christopher Laney
In 1675 the bloodiest war (per capita) in US history broke out between an alliance
of Native American tribes and colonial settlers, who were aided by a few critical
Native allies. History recognizes this conflict as "King Philip's War," and by the
time it was over the demographics of a budding nation and Native-colonist relations
were forever altered. Last semester I chose to write a "book" of poetry as an honors
component to my US History class. I chose poetry in an effort to tap into the deep
emotional undercurrents of this conflict, which extinguished warriors and civilians
alike without mercy. I strove to abandon the narrative told from the perspective of
the European victors as is commonly written in sources. Instead, I wanted to acknowledge
the impact of this conflict from the Native American perspective. Therefore, when
I gave a title to my collection of poems, I chose to use the Native name of Metacom
for the Wampanoag sachem, or chief, who led the revolt against the colonists rather
than the English nickname of "King Philip." During my presentation I will read a selection
of the poems I have written. My readings will include an analysis following each poem
that will help contextualize the material within and highlight the significance of
the issues each one addresses.
Peer Tutors Within Community College Writing Centers
Mercedes Bell
Sponsor: Liesl Schwabe
From prestigious academies notorious for legacy enrollment, to community colleges
across the US that pave the way for countless students beginning their pursuit of
a career, writing centers are a common resource available to students. But what purpose
does a writing center fulfill? Who are peer tutors and are their roles within writing
centers effective? And if peer tutors are beneficial, why are they under-utilized
at a community college level? After all, The Writing Center Research Project reported
only 58% of community colleges used peer tutors in contrast to the 95% seen in four-year
institutions from 2014-2015.
While the daily operations of individual writing centers may vary based on the needs
of their primary visitors, there are a few universal ideals that most strive for.
As a peer tutor who works in the Writing Center here at Berkshire Community College,
I plan to discuss the common misconceptions about writing centers and the roles of
peer tutors working within them. I then plan on sharing a few of the practices that
we consider standard and what some of our many skills include. Most importantly though,
beyond the "what" I hope to clarify the "why". To the best of my ability, I hope to
share why our writing center is a special resource within our community which positively
impacts the development, creativity, and lives of our peer tutors as well as the diverse
array of visitors we have the privilege of working with.
Effective Communication with Dementia Patients
Stephanie Sanchez Heredia
Sponsor: Barbara Shimer
As someone who has worked a lot in long-term facilities, I have noticed a lot of people
coming and going; mostly elderly. They are at the nursing homes for various reasons,
falls, recent surgery, but one of the main reasons an elderly person lives at a nursing
home is because they are suffering from dementia. I have heard a lot of family members
say, "I don't know how you do this' or "I don't know how to take care of him/her at
home'. As health care workers we get a lot of training and experience on how to communicate
with people who suffer with dementia, and so I thought "What about the people who
chose to keep their loved ones at home'?Yes, there is a lot of information on the
internet, but all of this is overwhelming and sometimes even more confusing, and sometimes
even after reading, people have a hard time applying what they read to real life.
During my communications class we learned about the importance of not only communicating
but communicating effectively. So instead of giving you a lot of pamphlets or directing
you to those long websites that end up being overwhelming, I decided to show you some
tips that I personally use when communicating and dealing with people who suffer from
dementia. This is a great help to not only those who work in health care or choose
a health care career, but also those who take care of their loved ones at home and
need help.
TRIO Talks: Breaking Down Barriers: Connecting Students to Campus and Community Resources
Fiona Casey
Sponsor: Kristin Winsett
During my fall internship with TRIO, I was tasked to create and facilitate two TRIO
Talks. I collaborated with Rachel Smith another TRIO intern and created PowerPoint
presentations and handouts for students. These two presentations were different but
followed a bigger theme of connecting students to resources and explained what those
resources can do to help students in not just their academic roles but also the many
other roles that students at Berkshire Community College hold. The first presentation
was given during First Generation Week, where we celebrate what it is to be a first-generation
student. During this talk students were able to share stories that highlighted the
joys and the challenges of being a first-generation student and to show students the
different supports that are on campus as well as in the community. This included supports
such as the SUCCESS Program, Tutorial Services, etc. on campus as well as help applying
to outside programs such as RAFT for housing and LIHEAP for fuel assistance. The second
TRIO Talk that was presented was about post-mindset and evaluating goals that students
had set at the beginning of the semester to check in and determine the challenges
faced and resources used to reach those goals. It was also a great way to determine
the barriers that impacted a student's ability to reach their goals and how to overcome
those barriers. These two groups brought great conversation and discussion where the
group members were able to learn from each other and share their personal stories.
Alcohol Consumption During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Nataliia Riva
Sponsor: Paul Johansen
Public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic can exacerbate medical, psychological,
and social issues, including raising rates of harmful alcohol use. Alcohol overconsumption
is linked to violence, crime, poverty, sexually transmitted diseases, and other threats
to community wellbeing. Additionally, alcohol is the fourth leading preventable cause
of death in the United States today. The reason I chose this topic for my project
is because of my role as an Office-Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) nurse in our community.
My curiosity was driven by a desire to understand the shifts in the drinking habits
of the U.S. population and the factors influencing these changes. My personal goal
was to enhance my effectiveness in assisting patients dealing with these issues. The
project involved an analysis of alcohol consumption data in the United States in 2020,
and a specific hypothesis was formulated predicting an increase in alcohol consumption
during the pandemic. The hypothesis suggested that U.S. adults would consume more
than 12.0 alcoholic drinks over a 30-day period. Employing a Z-test, the hypothesis
was tested, leading to the conclusion that the data supported the claim.
