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Student | Project Title | Abstract | Faculty Mentor | Faculty Department
2013
[NAME] | Effects of Bioacoustics on the Colonization and Fecundity of Pine Bark Beetles | The advent of euro-American colonization has brought forest management trends that have provided the opportunity for bark beetle populations to grow to epidemic levels. In addition to anthropogenic disturbances, natural disturbances are promoting unnaturally large bark beetle populations. Although we know much about the chemical communication of bark beetles, very little is known of their acoustic communication. The objectives of my study are to (1) create better acoustic inputs to deter bark beetles from entering healthy trees and negatively affect beetles that are already in trees, and (2) to test the efficacy of these sounds for management and controlling bark beetles in nature. I will test two sound treatments (beetle sounds, white noise) and compare their effects to a no noise treatment. If my hypotheses are supported, new noninvasive treatments could be implemented and add to the arsenal of tools forest managers use to control bark beetles. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | A Next Generation 3D Imaging System for Ballistics Identification | Firearms are the most commonly used weapons in violent crimes, and the bullets and shell casings ejected from a given firearm have a unique signature or pattern stamped into them as a result of the firing process. This signature can potentially be used to tie a bullet or shell casing back to a specific firearm, and hence to a specific individual that may have committed the crime. Current ballistics identification technology employed by the federal and local law enforcement communities has several problems that reduce the utility and accuracy of existing systems, including outdated 2D ballistic imaging technology, and inaccuracies in the automatic signature matching algorithms. This research project seeks to develop the next-generation ballistics identification technology by employing novel quantitative 3D microscopy methods for ballistics imaging, and state-of-the-art pattern 3D matching algorithms. The development of a next generation 3D imaging instrument with advanced and tested pattern matching capabilities will align very well with the current need for achieving reliability, reproducibility, selectivity, and/or sensitivity for firearms forensic analysis. The development of the proposed technology will be of tremendous interest to national, state and local law enforcement agencies as well as the intelligence community. The ultimate goal of this work is to advance the firearms identification science by aiding the firearms examiner and providing them with quantifiable and reliable tools which make their analysis as objective and accurate as possible. | [NAME] | Physics & Astronomy
[NAME] | Western Spruce Budworm and Climate Change in a Mixed Conifer Forest | The proposed research is analyzing the influence of western spruce budworm (WSBW) with possible implications of future abiotic influences such as regional warming with climate change. This study will promote understanding in future stand composition and structure of forests in northern New Mexico. Research will be completed and analyzed by looking at the understory seedling response to change in the overstory structure and resource allocation. To get the results a sample size of at least 40 tree pairs will be measured at both 5- and 10-yr height growth for each tree starting from 2011 completed height growth. Each seedling’s crown length and ratio, along with defoliation severity (where appropriate) and/or other damages, will be recorded and account for additional factors that affect seedling height growth. The proposed results will show that in WSBW affected sites, wet or dry, the seedlings of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) will have significant growth over the seedlings of [NAME]-fir (Pseudostsuga menziesii). The implication of the research is that natural resource managers will be able to understand the proposed change in the forest composition and structure. This will enable plans for different forest management for this location with other perceived influencing factors such as climate change. | [NAME] | Forestry
Megan Cawley & [NAME] | Implementing Global Engineering Tolerancing Standards in a Freshman Engineering Class | At Northern Arizona University, the mechanical engineering curriculum currently neglects an important topic of engineering: tolerancing standards. Tolerancing standards explain how to determine an acceptable range of dimensions for an object that is to be manufactured. These standards are imperative to the design and manufacture of objects consisting of multiple parts to ensure proper assembly. To educate students on this topic, the current freshman computer aided design class curriculum will be restructured to include tolerancing standards so that students will be prepared to make accurate designs as professionals. This will be accomplished by researching the standards and the teaching methods employed at other universities and utilizing this information to develop a modified curriculum. The students will be surveyed after the implementation of new material to provide feedback regarding the effectiveness of the project. | [NAME] | Mechanical Engineering
[NAME] | Application of the Wadati Method to Calculate Vp/Vs Ratios in the Grand Canyon Region | Earthquakes are a terrifying and extremely destructive experience and many lives could be saved each year with the development of a reliable model for earthquake prediction. Earthquakes manifest themselves with two different seismic waves, [NAME] and Secondary waves. I propose that deviations from a baseline of seismic activity precede large events. In order to test this, I will use seismic data from the eastern Grand Canyon provided by the Arizona Earthquake Information Center (AEIC) to analyze seismic events between the years of 1989 and 2004. I plan to use the Wadati Ratio to analyze earthquakes and look for these deviations. These data will be very important to seismologists attempting to predict earthquakes as well as to the AEIC in compiling a seamless data set with which future researchers can work. | [NAME] | SESES - geology
Dawson Fairbanks | Alterations in Soil Microbial Communities in Tamarisk Impacted Soils | Exotic species invasions cause economic harm and threaten biodiversity and ecosystem function. Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) is an exotic species whose establishment has been demonstrated to affect soil composition and community structure. Alterations in soil composition following extended tamarisk occupation may favor succession by salt-tolerant Russian olive trees (Eleagnus angustifolia) over native Fremont cottonwoods (Populus fremontii). In this study, I propose to test the overarching hypothesis that Russian olive will outcompete native Fremont cottonwoods in soils impacted by tamarisk invasion in Arizona. The study will further our understanding of the relationships between exotic and native plant species and their interactions with soil communities. Knowledge of these interactions will aid in restoration efforts targeting reestablishment of the native Fremont cottonwood. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Carly Farr, [NAME], & Jason Vignochi | The Impact of Invasive Plant Species on Carbon Storage and Reservoirs | Global climate change is suggested to increase the expansion and survival of invasive plant species. Since invasive plant species exhibit different phytomorphology than native plants (especially in root structure), I predict native plants have greater proportions of belowground carbon biomass than non‐native plants. This could cause an increase in carbon movement from a carbon sink (growing plants) to a carbon source (decomposing or volatized plant matter). Three selected sites near Kane Ranch in northern Arizona are currently experiencing a non‐native plant species invasion. By sampling and analyzing percent carbon for invasive non‐native plants (Cheatgrass, [NAME], and [NAME]) and their respective native pairings (Six Weeks Fescue, Wedgeleaf Draba, and Squirreltail grass), I will be able to determine proportions of above and belowground carbon biomass storage that will describe carbon sequestration and determine the consequences of changes in ecosystem composition. | [NAME] | SESES - environmental sciences
[NAME] | The Characterization of the Mechanical Properties of Tropoelastin | Any material that interfaces with living tissue is considered a biomaterial. In order to be effective, biomaterials, especially biomaterials that are implanted into living tissue must be biocompatible. Biocompatibility is routinely characterized by immune and inflammatory responses by the body, but mechanical properties, like strength and elasticity, of the material are equally important to the function of the material within the surrounding tissues. Human tropoelastin is a versatile and novel biomaterial that has broad potential application as an implantable biomaterial. Tropoelastin can be manipulated by blending it with other proteins and varying the crosslinking, bonds formed between fibers, of the scaffold. This study aims to characterize the mechanical properties of a range of tropoelastin scaffolds to develop a comprehensive knowledge of its mechanical potential. Understanding the mechanical spectrum of tropoelastin allows it to be used as a customizable biomaterial. | [NAME] | Mechanical Engineering
[NAME] | Evaluation of Endocrine Disruption in the Verde River | Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are contaminants found in aquatic environments and are known to cause estrogen and thyroid hormone disruption in wildlife species. EDCs can affect development because metamorphosis is thyroid hormone and estrogen dependent. Identifying and discovery of EDCs within the Verde River in Arizona is hugely important to the species located in the river, which is an integral part of the ecosystem in northern Arizona. We discovered a drop in benthic macroinvertebrates (a well-researched bioindicator) within the Verde River at Cottonwood that denoted a possible source of EDC contamination. The purpose of this project is to expand preliminary macroinvertebrate data across several trophic levels by examining estrogenicity and thyroid hormone disruption in local vertebrate populations. We hypothesize that water from the Verde River at Cottonwood will affect shifts in thyroid hormone and estrogen processes. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Katelynn Jenkins & [NAME] | Aspen Regeneration and Stand Dynamics on the Schultz Fire, Coconino National Forest, AZ | The June 2010 Schultz Fire north of Flagstaff, AZ, burned over 15,000 acres on the Coconino National Forest (CNF), including several aspen stands. In an attempt to protect regeneration success of burned quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands within the Schultz Fire, CNF managers are implementing jackstraw treatments to limit ungulate movement through the aspen. Little is known about the success of jackstraw treatments on aspen regeneration, the long-term ecological effects, or ecological restoration implications. We will establish permanent plots for future use by the Forest Service, NAU School of Forestry, or NAU Ecological Restoration Institute, to monitor changes over time. Our study will measure aspen regeneration, understory cover, overstory development, and downed woody debris decay pre- and post-treatment to determine if jackstrawing is successful. We expect to see more understory productivity, fewer signs of elk and deer, and taller aspen regeneration in treated areas. | [NAME] | Ecological Restoration Institute
[NAME] | Climate Sensitivity of Co-Occurring Tree Species on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon | The goal of this project is to better understand how different species respond to different climatic conditions in a unique protected area, the Grand Canyon. The relatively gentle topography of the North Rim of Grand Canyon creates an unusual and interesting situation where differences in plant communities are associated more with differences in slope and aspect than with elevation. This topographic setting permits direct comparisons among different tree species, allowing me to make inferences about the way in which these species are likely to respond to the climate conditions forecast for the Southwest in the 21st century (Seager et al. 2007).This project will use tree ring growth data to measure tree ring sensitivity in response to different climatic conditions with respect to different slope positions for four important tree species. The results of my study will allow me to make predictions about which species and topographic positions are most vulnerable to drought. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | An Investigation of Eurypterid Anthropods as Predators on Early Vertebrates | The fact that eurypterids, giant “Sea Scorpions”, and early vertebrates are found in the same Devonian strata has led to the speculation that there was a predator-prey relationship. However, direct fossil evidence is rare because successful predation results in the destruction of the prey. A recent fossil discovery shows an early vertebrate with puncture patterns believed to be from a pterygotid eurypterid. The pterygotid has pincer-like claws similar to crustaceans that use their claws to grab, shred, or crush prey. Another study calculated the closing force generated by a pterygotid claw. The claw force was sufficient to pierce a non-bony material but the claw would be irreparably damaged. This project will identify co-occurrences of early vertebrate and eurypterids, and then compare morphologies of the pincers of those eurypterids with similar claws used by today’s crustaceans. This will show that eurypterid claws could penetrate the non-bony head shield of an early vertebrate. | [NAME] | SESES - geology
[NAME] | Cross-cultural Comparison of the Predictors of Problematic Alcohol Use in College Students | Problematic alcohol use, or binge drinking, among undergraduate college students is a huge issue facing Northern Arizona University, and other American universities. Despite the fact that Europeans have historically had favorable views towards alcohol, the United Kingdom’s undergraduate population is experiencing negative consequences caused by drinking similar to those seen in the United States. The researcher believes that in order to create preventative interventions the relationship between demographics, expectancies, religious affiliation, motives, academic involvement, athletic participation, fraternity/sorority membership, living environment, use history and problematic alcohol use need to be further examined. Due to a lack of research addressing this issue in the United Kingdom, the researcher plans to explore this issue cross‐culturally. The researcher expects to find differences in the magnitude of the predictive relationships between each variable and problematic drinking. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Mucin Expression in Intestinal Epithelial Cells Infected with Toxoplasma | Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite, estimated to infect about one-third of the global population of humans. T. gondii infection in humans is initiated in the intestines. The intestines, which is lined with a layer of mucus designed to prevent microbial infiltration. Composing this layer of mucus are proteins called mucins. The purpose of this study is to determine whether T. gondii infection causes significant changes in the genetic expression of various mucins located in the intestines; a relationship that previously has not been studied. It is hypothesized that T. gondii will cause significant up-regulation of mucin proteins during infection in mouse intestinal cells. To test this hypothesis, MODE-K cells will be cultured and infected (and later mice) with the parasite, after which the genetic material of the cells will be analyzed. The relevance of this study is primarily medicinal. New therapeutic methods may be developed if a link is found between mucin expression and T. gondii infection. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Examination of Soil Carbon Characteristics following Pile Burning | My project will examine the effect of pile burning on soil [NAME], I will test the pool of C in the soil to determine whether it has been altered by fire and made less susceptible to decomposition. Very little is known about this phenomenon and how much soil C is subject to this process, especially in the context of pile burning which is increasingly used as a fuels management treatment. My project will use a study begun by my mentor to measure soil properties following pile burning in forests of New Mexico and Washington. I will focus on measurement of labile (or available) C in soils under piles that will be burned during the upcoming spring and fall of 2012. While we expect the total amount of soil organic matter to decrease with fire, some of the soil organic matter will be converted into forms of carbon and be unaffected by soil microorganisms. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Effects of Attention on Empathic Response | Recent research suggests cognitive mechanisms such as attention affects empathic ability. We will expand on previous research done by [NAME] showing significant differences in empathy ratings for groups of people versus individuals. Empathic ability as measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is linked to mirror neurons, and Electroencephalograph (EEG) mu rhythms (8-13 Hz) and beta rhythms (15-30 Hz) in the sensorimotor cortex are correlated with the mirror neuron system. Due to previous research from our lab using IAPS images, we hypothesize empathy ratings will correlate to higher suppression in mu rhythms and enhancement in beta rhythms in both the central and occipital sites. We predict empathy ratings will be higher for the single (no distracter) images and lower for multiple images (distracter) images. This data will therefore be consistent with the hypotheses that attention affects empathic responses. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Provenance of the Del Rio Quartzite, [NAME], AZ | The Del Rio Quartzite is a Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rock unit approximately 1.7 to 1.8 billion years old. The Del Rio Quartzite is a metamorphic rock with well preserved sedimentary structures which will be analyzed during this study in order to determine the provenance or source area. Deposition occurred in a braided stream environment on an alluvial fan. As the source area was uplifted larger conglomerate clasts were deposited over finer grained sands. I hypothesize that the Del Rio Quartzite recorded the uplift and dissection of a previously unknown highland in western Arizona. The location of the highland will be determined utilizing paleocurrent data. The composition of the highland will be discovered in the mineralogy of the Del Rio Quartzite. | [NAME] | SESES - geology
[NAME] | [NAME] used to Reconstruct Glacial Fluctuation of Linnebreen, [NAME] | High Arctic climates are sensitive to warming and show more rapid change in a warming climate. Glaciers and ice caps in [NAME] have been retreating over the last 1000 years. Dry bulk density measurements of lacustrine sediments taken from Linnevatnet will be used to determine glacial fluctuations of Linnebreen. 239+240Pu coupled with varve counting and estimation will be used to produce control ages. | [NAME] | SESES - geology
[NAME] | 2700 Years of Coastal Sagescrub | The MOD III pond near Santa Barbara, California provides a unique opportunity to study a marsh/wetland area in the southwestern United States. Lake and marsh records for the southwestern United States are not completely known due to the recent increase of human development combined with the arid environment. I will reconstruct a fire regime associated with MOD III pond by separating charcoal particles from a sediment core. I will then correlate the charcoal particles to the vegetation record. I expect to see a decline in vegetation associated when charcoal particles are found, indicated by a decline in pollen in the sediment core. | [NAME] | SESES - environmental sciences
[NAME] | Nose Bleed: A Short Film | [NAME] is a short film project whose purpose is to attract attention to the direct correlation between cocaine consumption in the US and the escalating violence on the streets of Mexico. It's as if the US were at war with itself. The US government with its war on drugs on one hand against the US consumers of cocaine on the other and yet the battle is being fought on the streets of a foreign country. [NAME] is intended to be a short fictional film that will draw attention to the incongruencies between reality and public policy. We have institutionalized the war on drugs and however ineffectual is proves no one in the government seems to want to even talk about other alternatives. Drugs, it appears, is a toxic topic to politicians. I intend to research the war on drugs, its history and its socio-political impacts and examine the rhetoric versus the reality. All of this I will exemplify in my film. | [NAME] | Communications
[NAME], Kiran Haynes, & Erin Carter | Reflections of Flagstaff: A Student-Curated Photographic Exhibition | For the next academic year, this museum exhibition will promote greater interaction of NAU students with the surrounding community and will invite reflection on the multiple histories and contemporary realities of that community. The question we will ask NAU students, and what students should ask of themselves, is, "What makes Flagstaff Flagstaff?" Students will submit photos interpreting nine locations in Flagstaff. Photos can directly refer to the place, a memory of the place, a story, just about any interpretation. During the exhibition, the viewers will be asked how they feel about the Flagstaff community and they are invited to share any stories of their own. The expected outcome of this project will be a successful exhibition that will demonstrate that student-run exhibitions are beneficial and are indeed possible. | [NAME] | Cultural & Comparative Studies
Bo Stevens & Patricia Rees | Does the Bacteria Ersinia tracheiphila Cause Bacterial Wilt in Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)? | Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) is a prolific invasive weed that has spread throughout most of North America. For the last fifty years, all attempts to biologically control this weed have been unsuccessful. The thistle can, however, be controlled with herbicides, regular mowing, and some competitive agricultural plants. This method, however, has harmful repercussions and intensive labor requirements, and it is not always feasible to implement. Pathogenic bacteria and the ability to engineer DNA are providing a novel method to biologically control this European thistle. Stemming from observational evidence of a correlation between cucumber beetles (the vector for Erwinia tracheiphila, which is known to cause bacterial wilt in Cucurbits) and Canada thistle wilt, this study will attempt to confirm a causal relationship. The NAU EnGen lab will be used to analyze samples of wilted Canada thistle from a prairie in South Dakota. Upon establishing the presence of Erwinia tracheiphila, a greenhouse will be constructed to confirm the effects of bacterial wilt on Canada thistle. Our hope is to establish a potential source for future synthetic biological control applications. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Lava Dome Viscosities and Associated Structures | [NAME] domes are volcanic features associated with a quiet effusion of magma from beneath the surface of the earth. The relationship between dome lava geochemistry and deformation of pre-existing rock has not been studied. Documenting the relationship between viscosity of dome [NAME] and the effect they have on older rocks would provide an important piece of information regarding the development of dome structures. The San Francisco Volcanic Field contains several domes with varying structures and compositions. I will measure the deformation of sediments in the area of these domes to assess the effect of dome intrusion on the rocks above. Using geochemical data collected in previous studies, I will then calculate the viscosities of these lavas. | [NAME] | SESES - geology
Amanda Vigneau | Analysis of Re-suspension and Distribution of Paria River Sediment between [NAME] and the Little Colorado River throughout Marble Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park | Sediment from the Colorado River (CO) between [NAME] (GlCD) and the Little Colorado River (LCR) will be collected and analyzed in order to determine if Paria River (PR) sediment is being re-suspended and transported downstream during High Flow Experiments (HFE) to rebuild the beaches and sandbars through Marble Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. Once the samples are collected from the CO they will be prepared by isolating the <2 μm fraction. The isolated fraction will be placed on slides for analysis by x-ray differentiation. By differentiating CO sediment from PR sediment the impacts of GlCD operation and HFEs will be better understood. Thorough this analysis future dam operation, in Grand Canyon and elsewhere, could be better implemented. | [NAME] | SESES - environmental sciences
[NAME] | Real Time Imaging of Biological Structures using Digital Holography and Tomography | The intention of this project is to develop an instrument that will allow for a high resolution of images, at high magnifications, with great speed. The motivation here is to give the field of Biology and Medicine a greater breadth of information on cellular morphology, for example how cancer cells might develop over time. There are many limitations with the use of bright field imaging, which is the common preferred way to image cells, like poor resolution and lack of real time imaging. The techniques that I have proposed would vastly improve on these limitations and provide researchers with technology that has not been capable before. | [NAME] | Physics & Astronomy
[NAME] | The Faces of Flagstaff | “The Faces of Flagstaff” is a work that looks to redefine the history of Flagstaff so that it is not a story of the businesses that in part created the city, but the citizens. The project emphasizes the cultural diversity of northern Arizona, and works with the voices of community members, through oral histories and primary source documents, to make this project a narrative from and of the people. In presenting this narrative and bridging physical space and community memory, “The Faces of Flagstaff” validates the perspectives and roles of minority-culture citizens within Flagstaff, and brings depth to the often white-washed history of the city. The work will be an exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona. | [NAME] | Cultural & Comparative Studies
[NAME] | Alternative Treatments for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) | Patellofemoral pain (PFPS) occurs in up to 40% of active adults and is described as anterior knee pain. This study addresses functional inequities. It’s hypothesized that ultrasound (US) treatment joined with therapeutic exercise will reduce subjects pain. Finding evidence based treatments (EBT) for PFPS is difficult. This study has the potential to establish EBT for PFPS. Individuals with chronic PFPS will be included. Structural abnormalities or contraindications to US will be exclusionary. Random assignment to US or sham US will occur. A pre-post pain assessment using a visual analog scale, questionnaire, and functional screening will take place. It is expected that US will decrease pain when compared to those receiving sham US. Participants will attend therapy three times weekly for six weeks avoiding any treatments outside of the study. The primary researcher will train individuals assisting in the study in the proper methods. | [NAME] | Physical Therapy & Athletic Training
[NAME] | Analysis of Deep and Shallow Water Carbonates from the Cascadia Subduction Zone | Carbonate minerals at the Cascadia subduction zone often form from the precipitation of fluids that flow through fault fractures. The composition of these carbonates may contain high or low magnesium. The purpose of this project is to study the chemistry of deep and shallow sediments at the Cascadia subduction zone. Using petrography, scanning electron microscope, and inductively coupled mass spectrometer, I will study the mineralogy and chemistry of these carbonates. This research will allow a better understanding of carbonate formation and fluid flow at the Cascadia subduction zones. | [NAME] | SESES - geology
[NAME] | Higher Dimensional Hadamard Arrays | This research project will investigate Hadamard matrices. These are square matrices with entries that are only 1 or -1 that have maximum determinant. More specifically, we will be looking into generalizations of these matrices, which means we will be looking at ways we can relax the original constraints. For example, we want to look at complex Hadamard matrices, which allow 1, -1, i and -i to be entries of the matrix. We also want to look into three dimensional generalizations of these matrices. To this end, we will be looking at modern texts on the subject of Hadamard matrices and hyperdeterminants (determinants of three dimensional matrices). We will also be using computer software programs to find the value of the determinant for all possible matrices of a given size (whether that size be in two or three dimensions). | [NAME] | Mathematics & Statistics
2012
[NAME] | Comparing the Effects of Water Limitation on Soil Communities across the C. Hart Merriam Elevation Gradient | Climate change projections predict a reduction in rainfall events for the American Southwest, a region already widely limited by water (Cayan et al. 2010). Soil communities will need to be able to survive long lulls between rainfall events, while maintaining the ability to rapidly access nutrients to grow and reproduce when water is available. These augmented selection pressures can be expected to alter soil community dynamics. Soils are the scaffold for a vast array of biologic reactions that have direct and significant impacts on above ground ecosystems. Soil processes such as carbon sequestration and nitrogen fixation are of immense importance in a climate change context. In this study we will track changes in diversity and biomass as mediated by a reduction in water in order to gain a better understanding of how soil ecosystems will adapt to changing environmental conditions. | [NAME] | Environmental Science
[NAME] | Investigating Binding between the Intrinsically Disordered Protein FlgM and its Co-factor Sigma-28 | Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are an exciting new class of proteins for which there are many unanswered questions. They have a very flexible, disordered shape unlike most proteins that are more rigid. They are located in signaling pathways that can malfunction and cause diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and autoimmune disorders. FlgM is an IDP that binds to the co-factor Sigma-28 and causes the inhibition of flagella synthesis. FlgM is found in many bacteria and I would like to study binding between natural partners of Sigma-28 and FlgM and between unnatural partners by looking how well the FlgM from one bacteria will bind to that of a different bacteria's Sigma-28. Each FlgM has different degrees of disorder, therefore I hypothesize that the more disordered FlgM will show greater combinations of binding partners and that the most ordered FlgM strains will be unable to bind to a variety of partners. | [NAME] | Chemistry
[NAME] | Developing Genetic Markers for Fleas that Vector Plague (Yersinia pestis) | My research is focused on two flea species, [NAME] hirsuta and O. tuberculata. Both are vectors of Y. pestis and are parasites on prairie dogs, which are highly susceptible to plague. Dr. [NAME] has amassed a large archive of fleas (>5,000 DNA samples) from prairie dogs and other rodents in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. I am attempting to develop two genetic tools to study this valuable archive. The first assay will use genetic markers to exploit species-specific genetic differences to accurately identify any O. hirsuta and O. tuberculata fleas in this collection. The second tool will be a set of optimized genetic markers for DNA fingerprinting populations within O. hirsuta (the most common prairie dog flea). Together, these genetic markers will increase our understanding of flea populations and their efficiency at transmitting plague, a highly lethal pathogen for humans and wildlife. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Ingrid Davidson & Ryan Bauer | Finding Happiness in the Little Things: Comparing the Effectiveness of Cognitive and Behavioral Happiness Interventions | Happiness is an important goal for many individuals. Research has shown that happy individuals lead healthier and more productive lives, although not everybody is successful in this pursuit. This study aims to determine if it is possible to increase individual happiness through personal 4-week interventions and if these happiness increases last for several months. In fall 2011, we will recruit 90 students at NAU to be randomly assigned in one of three groups: cognitive intervention, behavioral intervention, and control group. By measuring happiness throughout the semester, we plan to see which intervention is most effective in the short and long term. We expect to find a short-term increase in happiness levels for both interventions. Long-term happiness levels or a difference in results between the interventions remain to be seen. The findings of the study could be used in counseling or clinical settings to improve the well-being of college students. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Structure and Stratigraphy of the Eastern Margin of the Bowl of Fire, Lake Mead Domain, Arizona | The Lake Mead extensional domain, part of the central Basin and Range, is a complex assortment of strike-slip and normal faults. Basins formed by these faults may be significant sources of oil and natural gas. Within the Lake Mead domain, where two opposing strike-slip faults intersect, is the Bowl of Fire. This project seeks to better understand the complex structure and stratigraphy of the eastern margin of the Bowl of Fire. Mapping and stratigraphic correlation will be used to determine both the structure of this margin and the depositional environments, as well as changes in those environments through time, of the adjacent sedimentary basin. The map and analysis will be digitized and correlated with the ongoing research being conducted by Dr. [NAME] and his team of M.S. graduate students. I will do all mapping and analysis as well as dissemination of the results. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Relationship among Host Plant Genetics, [NAME] and Growth in Cottonwoods | Plant tissues are home to a variety of fungi such as beneficial mutualists and detrimental pathogens. I hypothesize that host plant genetics will alter the fungal communities found in plant roots, potentially shifting the relative abundance of pathogens/endophytes versus mutualists, affecting plant growth. I will test this hypothesis using cottonwood cuttings of different genotypes grown in various inoculum treatments that include mutualistic and mutualistic and beneficial fungi. Root tissue is available from previously conducted experiments. I will make microscope slides using the stained tissue and count the types of fungi that occur in each genotype by inoculum combination. Because cottonwood populations are declining in the western U.S., understanding how genetics affect fungi in cottonwoods is important. Restoration efforts can benefit from understanding susceptibility to disease causing fungi. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Mapping Debris Flows and Flood Deposit Interactions in the Doney Park and Timberline Areas of Flagstaff | After a devastating wildfire in Flagstaff in 2010, a monsoon-induced and equally devastating flood followed. The people of Doney Park and Timberline still face debris flow and flood hazards coming off the eastern flanks of the San Francisco Peaks. I propose to study and map the recent debris flows, flood deposits, and alluvial fans in the area to develop a better hazard map. I will use existing data as a start for my field-mapping locations. As I map, I will continually develop new mapping courses. Through all this, I will use a camera with GPS capability to geotag photos to Google so the local community can track my progress, and be involved in my research. I will also use LiDAR imaging equipment to create a more detailed topographic map of the recent deposits. This will immediately benefit the local population by updating hazard maps, and saving lives and infrastructure. I will gain invaluable research experience to put on my resume and grad school applications. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Taphonomic Analysis of a Shell Bed in the Cretaceous Tropic Shale of Southern Utah | In the Tropic Shale of the Late Cretaceous in southern Utah a significant accumulation of an oyster [NAME] newberryi occurs. This accumulation does not have an explanation and an ash bed associated with the accumulation whose relationship is not understood is present. I will analyze the fossil assemblage and the features of the fossils to determine how they accumulated and measure the geologic section of the area to understand the relationship of the ash bed to the accumulation. I will gain field and lab experience as well as experience in making interpretations based on the data I collect. I will also provide an explanation for the accumulation of oysters and determine the mode of deposition in the Tropic Shale. I will conduct fieldwork and lab work with my mentor’s supervision and rely on his expertise in making interpretations. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Recasting Identity: Ethics from the [NAME] | In her essay "Los Intersticios," [NAME] writes that "[e]thnicity needs to be recast in order to acknowledge our moving selves." This quotation serves as the foundation of my paper, though I intend to take it a few steps further; that is, I intend to apply this notion of recasting to the entire concept of identity. Alsultany is laying out what I believe to be a central problem with the way in which we understand identity: it is too rigid and too universal. Identity is perceived as something that is static; motion is difficult to achieve and fluidity is unheard of. This does not seem to be true of human experience, which seems to acknowledge that we are constantly in the process of revising our identity. Each of our interactions with one another involves a mutual recognition of one another and has a bearing on how we are to understand ourselves. It is the goal of this project, then, to restructure the way we consider identity and the ways in which we recognize it. | [NAME] | Philosophy
[NAME] | The Role of Displaying Gratitude in Promoting Friendship Quality | The aim of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between expressing gratitude towards same-sex best friends and enhanced overall friendship experience. Previous research has shown that expressing gratitude increases well-being and overall happiness. For this study, participants will list five reasons why they are grateful for their same-sex best friend once a week for four weeks. The control group will be asked to list the details of their day once a week for four weeks. Participants' friendship quality (e.g., intimacy) will be assessed before the intervention, two weeks after the intervention and again six weeks after the intervention to measure if the effects of the study are long lasting. It is predicted that the friendships of those in the gratitude intervention group to strengthen as opposed to the control group. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Climate Change and the Distribution of Spiders along an Elevation Gradient | I will do an observational study of the spiders along the Merriam‐Powell elevation gradient. This will give a base understanding of the distribution of spider species on the San Francisco Peaks. There will be four locations along the gradient: Grassland, Pinyon‐Juniper Woodlands, [NAME], and [NAME]. I expect to find the highest diversity of spider species in the Ponderosa Pine Life zone, based on the Mid Domain Effect hypothesis. It is possible given time and resources that I will be able to create species distribution models. With the completed species distribution models I may be able to attribute those data to General Circulation Models (GCM's). The GCM's will allow us to predict where spider species may have to move given predictions of climate change. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Effects of Ponderosa Pine Forest Management on Soil Arthropods | I propose to examine the soil food web in ponderosa pine forest that has been mechanically thinned to reduce wildfire potential. I will compare abundance of soil arthropods in thinned compared to adjacent control forest stands in plots near Flagstaff, AZ. I will also measure vegetation composition and litter decomposition rates in order to understand whether arthropod abundance is associated with vegetation complexity, and also to understand whether increasing arthropod abundance leads to greater decomposition rates of litter. The results of this study will help us understand the effects of forest management treatments on soil arthropods and ecosystem structure and function. | [NAME] Karen Haubensak | Forestry
[NAME], [NAME], & Lindsey Huber | Improving College Freshman Retention: Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills | Within higher education, retention continues to be a factor that affects institutions, students, local, and even global economies. Retention, as it is used here, refers to students that remain at a single college, university or other academic program for their first and second year (Barefoot, 2004). The researchers for this study are focusing on factors related to retention of college freshman students at Northern Arizona University (NAU). The research team believes that there may be additional factors (e.g., problem solving, resiliency, and self-awareness) related to retention that are not being addressed. This study will explore these additional factors and look at an intervention program to enhance them. The researcher expects to see that the enhancement of problem solving ability, resiliency, and self-awareness in college freshman will increase their ability to access campus resources, thus improving retention. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Volcanic Investigation of Rattlesnake Crater, an Irregular Cinder Cone in Flagstaff, AZ | I am going to research [NAME], an irregular cinder cone, in Flagstaff, Arizona. The irregular aspect of this crater is that part of it resembles a cinder cone while the other resembles a maar. Both features are very different from each other and are unique in their own ways. To find these two features right next to each other, as if one is on top of the other, is very extraordinary. To examine this phenomenon, I will go into the field to study the area and collect samples of the rocks for thin sections to be made for mineral identification. In conducting and completing this research, I will also create a geologic map of the area and determine the relative ages of each feature to distinguish which may have occurred first. I will also look for clues as to why Rattlesnake Crater developed this way and what makes it so irregular and unique. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Petrographic Variations within the Kayenta Formation and Navajo Sandstone Intertonguing Interval, [NAME], UT | The Jurassic Kayenta Formation and Navajo Sandstone intertongue from Zion National Park, UT, to Paria, AZ, resulting from the interaction of a developing dune field (Navajo Sandstone) with a fluvial system (Kayenta Formation.) Petrographic analysis of samples from the Tenny Canyon Tongue of the Kayenta Formation will show compositional and textural variations that grade into the characteristics of the overlying Lamb Point Tongue of the Navajo Sandstone. Using petrography I will examine the transition between these two contrasting environments. Research will be used to produce a senior thesis and help me to achieve my future goals of attending graduating school and obtaining employement within my field. This research will provide microscopic-scale evidence of earlier regional-scale studies. All field and lab work required for this project will be completed by me under the supervision of my mentor. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Technology, Nature, and [NAME] of the Philosophical Origins of the San Francisco Peaks Controversy | As our civilization responds to globalization, modernity, and the rising importance of capitalism, we are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of these technological developments on the environment around us. The Dominant Paradigm of Euro-American civilization holds a view of Nature as separate from and subservient to human beings – a view which has greatly contributed to the historical (and continuing) destruction of biological and cultural diversity. This research will trace the philosophical and religious origins and history of this dualistic ideology, while examining counter-examples in Existential Philosophy, Phenomenology, Religious Studies, and Southwestern Native American religions. Throughout this project, I will primarily use historic, philosophic, and ethnographic methodologies. The ethnographic component of this research will include an application of postmodern environmentalism to the San Francisco Peaks Controversy. | [NAME] | Comparative Cultural Studies
Stefano Padilla | Influence of Phoretic Mite Populations on Arizona Fivespined Ips (Ips lecontei): Physiological and Behavioral Functions in a Ponderosa Pine Forest | The purpose of this research is to better understand the role of the invertebrate communities associated with bark beetles and their effects on forest ecosystems .We will identify and quantify the mite community and study how these associations impact the interaction between beetles and fungi, and the direct effects on beetle reproduction.New species of mites will be identified and the biological functions of these mites and their associates will be further understood. The specificity of this study will set this research apart from previous works and if findings are significant then there could be possible management implications.These findings will be presented at the Entomological Society of American National Meeting in December 2011. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Do Mutualisms Affect Invasion Success? [NAME] of an Invasive Species | Scotch broom, an invasive nitrogen-fixing shrub, has been implicated in the failure of tree plantations in the Pacific Northwest. The objective of this proposal is to examine the importance of mycorrhizae for Scotch broom growth and invasion. This research will be the first to examine the mycorrhizal associations of broom. I will measure mycorrhizal colonization of broom seedlings across sites that span a range of time since tree harvest, which should correspond with time since broom invasion. I will also conduct a dependency assay in the greenhouse to determine the extent to which broom growth is dependent on its mycorrhizal associations. This information will contribute to our understanding of the success of this widespread invader. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Studying Abroad: The Changes that College Undergraduates Experience in regards to Cultural Awareness and Environmental Sustainability | In reviewing the mission statement and values of Northern Arizona University, three stand out with respect to this research study: “diversity,” “integrity,” and “civility.” The long-range goal for this project is to support the mission of NAU and build upon the foundation of NAU’s efforts to attain a culturally open and diverse community on campus to improve the educational atmosphere for all students. The objective of this study, which supports to the long-range goal, is to examine the quantitative changes that NAU students experience when studying abroad for a semester. The key factors which I will examine are changes in cultural awareness/global understanding, which will lead to a more knowledgeable and accepting student body; and also to examine changes in environmental sustainability practices, of which NAU highly supports. The central hypothesis of this research study is that students who spend a semester abroad will become more environmentally conscious and will also be more open to cultural diversity and less ethnocentric | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME], [NAME], & [NAME] | Engaging the NAU Community through Participatory Public Art: A Creative Documentary Project | Sustainability is an important aspect of a thriving community and it is significant to understand ways that a community can accomplish this. The idea of a sustainable community is the basis of this research project; it is a documentation of a participatory public art project that will begin in the fall of 2011. The artwork will be in response to a workshop presented by participatory public artist, [NAME]. To supplement this project, background research will be done on past participatory artworks [NAME] has done in other communities. The process will be documented through various forms of technology including photography, film, and internet blogs. Documentation will include interviews with people in the community. The overall goal of this project is to document and record how this public artwork will engage the NAU community in a meaningful way. The end product of this project will be a documentary of the process of creating the participatory public artwork. | [NAME] | Art Education
[NAME] | Linking Genetic Variation in Litter Decomposition to Genetic Variation in [NAME] and Plant Chemistry | Studying variables that influence decomposition and subsequent nutrient cycling is important in ecosystem ecology. A frequently overlooked factor that likely influences decomposition is genetic variation in leaf chemicals such as bound condensed tannins and lignin; most research has been done on soluble tannins which can be easily leached. Because soluble tannins may be quickly lost from leaf litter, it is possible that bound condensed tannins and lignin remaining in litter have a stronger effect on decomposition, and subsequent nutrient cycling. A second variable contributing to, and influenced by, leaf decomposition and utrient cycling are beneficial [NAME] associations with plant roots. These fungi act as the primary mechanism by which plants take up nutrients and therefore can have strong influences on plant fitness. I propose to use the Hooper award funding to link plant litter chemistry, decomposition rates and [NAME] colonization in a cottonwood ecosystem. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Amanda [NAME] | Migration as a State Strategy in the Ancient Andes | Stable isotope analysis of strontium in ancient human teeth and bones, to determine migration patterns of Bolivian populations. Burial of individuals and stable isotope analyses will be combined to form a hypotheses about the use of migration as a control strategy by the Tiwanaku state during their expansion into the Cochabamba Valley region in the Middle Horizon period. | [NAME] | Anthropology
2011
[NAME] | Paleoecological Reconstruction of the Coconino Sandstone Depositional Environment | I will conduct field work involving exposures of the Coconino Sandstone north of Ash Fork, Arizona as well as exposures located within Grand Canyon and Marble Canyon. During this fieldwork I will collect GPS data on trackways for which such data has not been gathered. I will also examine publications regarding other formations which are correlated (deposited in the same environment at the same time) to the Coconino Sandstone such as the Glorieta Sandstone of New Mexico ([NAME] et al. 1990; Lucas and Hunt 2006). I will also look for additional evidence of the interactions of the animals with each other and their environment. Data gathered from field work will be correlated with GPS data collected by [NAME] and other published sources. I will then construct a complete GIS database of the Coconino trackways. This database will bring together geographical position, trackway direction, trackway length as well as physical data (strike and dip) of the surface containing the tracks. Analysis of the constructed GIS database should lead to a more complete understanding of whether or not the Coconino trackways represented preferred routes or preferential preservation. Information gathered from field work and examination of museum collections will be used to produce a reconstruction of the Coconino ecology based on the fauna found to be present, coupled with environmental information derived from a study of the Namib Desert as a modern analog to the Coconino Erg. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Intraspecific Trait Variation along a Climatic Gradient: Implications for Climate Change | The objective of my research is to determine how wood density and bark thickness within three species vary along a climatic gradient. I will explore my research question by quantifying the intra-species change in these traits along a climatic gradient, represented by elevation and aspect. I will target three species of subalpine trees for this research: Englemann spruce (Picea englemannii), corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa var. Arizonica) and Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus aristada). Because trait values that confer high fitness vary along environmental gradients I hypothesize that the mean value of wood density and bark thickness within each of the three species will also vary along a climatic gradient. | [NAME] | Ecological Restoration Institute
[NAME] | Provenace of the Upper Kayenta Formation Between Leupp and Tuba City, Arizona: Regional Implications. | The purpose of this project is to determine the provenance or source of volcanic sediment in the Kayenta Formation between [NAME] and Tuba City, Arizona. Through my research I expect to determine the source rocks of the anomalous volcanic sediment in the Kayenta Formation and identify the area this sediment came from. This project will give us a better understanding of the paleogeography that existed during the deposition of the Kayenta Formation and add to our knowledge of the paleo-geography of the southwest during the Jurassic Period. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Philosophy and Literature | This project consists of two main components, a literary part and a philosophical part.  The literary part focuses on themes of emotion, making moral decisions, and character development. The philosophical part engages different approaches concerning morality. My aim is to better understand the relationship between the process of our emotions and the process of our reasoning by researching philosophical approaches and observing the literary effects my own emotions have on my writing. | [NAME] | Philosophy
[NAME] | Massive Mixed Metal Sandwich Complexes- The Cold Cut Combos of Catalysis | Two closely related projects will be the focus of this proposal. Both parts will be exploring the properties of metal centered complexes and the implications of changing certain parameters of the structure. One part of the project will focus on the synthesis and characterization of dual-metal complexes. Both palladium and platinum are extremely important in the world of chemical catalysis, and are both used in a wide range of important chemical reactions. By combining the two metals into one complex, the properties of both metals would be combined, providing more powerful and selective catalysts.  The other facet of the project will be to synthesize complexes in which palladium is bound to large poly aromatic hydrocarbons or (PAHs).  By investigating the reactions of palladium with various PAHs, more will be learned about how graphite and graphene (a potentially infinite two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms) will react with metals. | [NAME] | Chemistry
[NAME] | Provenance Analysis of Sandstones in the Blue Mesa and Petrified Forest Members of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: Regional Implications for Changing Sources | I propose that compositional variances within the members of the Chinle Formation may reflect heightened volcanic activity in the Cordilleran magmatic arc, and evidence of erosion from the Mogollon Highlands. In order to test this hypothesis, I will be analyzing the mineral composition of sandstones within the Petrified Forest Member and the Blue Mesa Member, and incorporating NAU master’s student [NAME]’s current research on the Sonsela Member. By identifying trends in mineral composition throughout the study area, conclusions can be made indicating any changes in source lands through time. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Recruitment of Pinyon Pine in the Face of Drought and Climate Change | The primary objective of this project is to determine patterns of pinyon regeneration in sites where catastrophic mortality of adult individuals has been documented in northern Arizona. propose to re-visit 57 transects that were established in 1998 north of the San Francisco Peaks to document recruitment and mortality of pinyon and juniper. There were originally over 6,000 pinyon and juniper individuals that were mapped at the submeter level and integrated into an ArcMap project and a MS Access database. The data taken on each tree include tree height, [NAME], root crown diameter, nurse plant associations and whether the tree was alive or dead. The transects were monitored every other year with the last data collected in 2007. Most of the mortality occurred during 2002-2004 and very little subsequent recruitment has been observed. My project will follow-up these studies and focus on regeneration patterns in the wake of the drought years of 2002-04, which will address a gap in our knowledge about how the system is responding to the latest drought event. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Is the Globally Rare, San Francisco Peaks Groundsel (Packera [NAME]), Hybridizing with a Lower Elevation Relative? | San Francisco Peaks Groundsel (Packera franciscana) is a rare plant that is endemic to the alpine tundra of the San Francisco Peaks in Coconino County, Arizona.  The purpose of this project would be to gather evidence from morphological and molecular data to test the hypothesis that Packera franciscana and P. werneriifolia are hybridizing in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks.  If hybridization is found to be occurring between these species, then hybrid individuals could be removed from future monitoring efforts assessing the health and reproduction of Packera franciscana. Detailed morphological descriptions of hybrid morphology would allow recognition of potential hybrids during monitoring. Further understanding of the biology of an ESA listed plant is also a benefit and may allow USFS personnel to predict areas where additional hybrid zones may develop. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Jodi Knowlton | Oral Histories of Beaver Creek Watershed Project | This study is an interdisciplinary collection of oral histories on the Beaver Creek Experimental Watershed (BCEW) project.  My project will be an extension of the Ecological Oral Histories Project with a specific focus on the BCEW in the Coconino National Forest. The purpose of this study is to record a history of the Beaver Creek Experimental Watershed that is deeper than the papers published by principal investigators in the 1980’s. Oral histories of key players, especially those involved in the project who did not publish scientific papers, will provide information on the successes and failures of the project on multiple levels such as the collection/compilation of large amounts of data over time, the collaboration between organizations, the influence of the public participants, and the interworking of the experiment. The Beaver Creek  Experimental [NAME] is known to have had difficulties both socially and scientifically, therefore tapping into the knowledge of individuals who lived and worked the project can contribute greatly to understanding its success and failure. | [NAME] | Communications
[NAME] | Exploring the Relationship between Creative Thinking, Music Preferences | The purpose of this study is to see if there is a relationship between creative thinking and preference for complex music. Based on the results of that study, we plan on running an exploratory study to see if listening to complex music can enhance creative thinking. Research shows that musicians and creative people tend to share certain personality traits, but we are interested in seeing f experiences (i.e., listening to complex music) influence creativity as well. Hypotheses tested: 1) There will be a positive relationship between creative potential, as measured by the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA), and preference for complex music, as measured by the Short Test of Musical Preference Revised (STOMPR); (2) Listening to complex music over time will enhance creative potential. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Past Variatility in Biological Productivity in Sunday Pond, Alaska | I propose that, by analyzing the sediment core from Sunday Pond in the Ahklun Mountains of southwest Alaska for biogenic silica and organic matter content, I can reconstruct the rate and magnitude of cooling that occurred during the transition from the HTM to the subsequent “Neoglacial” period. This study will be compared with published studies of other lakes in the region, Waskey Lake (Levy et al, 2004), to determine if changes in Bsi are related to climatic changes or local changes in sedimentation or geomorphology. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Patterns of Infection by [NAME] and Trematode Parasites in the Montezuma Well Amphipod, Hyalella azteca | The goal of my current study is to uncover patterns of infection of the trematode Microphallus sp. and the acanthocephalan Corynosoma constrictum in [NAME] Well’s amphipod, Hyalella azteca. I want to find out if certain traits of amphipods make an individual more susceptible to infection.  I have two null hypotheses I would like to test: There are no relationships between the parasitic infections of H. azteca and the individual host’s size, location, “infection level”, season, or water level. I would also like to conduct behavioral experiments to test if amphipods infected with either parasite have a preference for a substrate color. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Understanding Work-School Balance: An Examination of Strategies for NAU Success | The goal of the current study is to examine conditions that will increase the likelihood of success in both the work and school domains. By understanding how to successfully balance work and school, NAU can increase the likelihood of student success. Additionally, by providing a means for helping students who need to work will allow for broader educational access for qualified students and increasing the diversity of NAU’s student body. This study will be a longitudinal multi-source correlational design. We propose two main outcomes from our study. First, this research will provide a detailed outlook of real world consequences of work-school conflict and facilitation. The expected outcomes from this research will provide a framework for understanding work-school conflict as well as work school facilitation. Second, through our findings we hope to develop a strategy that can be integrated into existing NAU programs that will focus on work-school issues. The data collected will help to facilitate a better balance in work and school, through such interventions as counseling, support groups. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Hart Prairie Meadow Boundary Investigation | My project is focused on meadow ecosystems where ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and other conifers have encroached into areas that were historically open. This project will be conducted near the San Francisco Peaks just north of Flagstaff, Arizona, within the Hart Prairie Preserve, a 250 acre parcel of land donated to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 1994 by local homesteaders.  My research objectives are to determine (1) the area of the historic meadow, and (2) the average age of trees within the meadow. I will use analytical methods such as tree-ring dating and documenting evidence of historical tree occurrence. TNC is planning a meadow restoration treatment on 15 acres of their property ([NAME], personal communication, 2009). My project will provide pre-treatment data, and the permanently marked plots can be revisited to assess the restoration treatment effects. | [NAME] | Forestry
Meagan Nasto | Methane Flux Response in the Presence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizations across a Retrogressive Semiarid Chronosequence | The primary purpose of this study is to answer the following research questions: 1) Are there fundamental shifts in 4 CH uptake through semiarid ecosystems at different stages of soil development? 2) How do the magnitude and direction of 4 CH flux rates change in the presence of added fertilizations of N, P, and N and P in combination? And 3) How do 4 CH flux rates vary among the changing seasons in a semiarid environment? | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Biomass and [NAME] for Treated and Untreated Stands in a Mixed Conifer Forest | This study will provide new research into forest carbon and biomass stocking with treated and untreated stands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, CA and NV. Results will provide land mangers with tools to manage forests with integrated carbon management. Specifically the objectives of this research are to 1. Quantify a correlation in biomass between treated and untreated stands  2. Compare overall productivity of stands to quantify the most efficient stand when managing for fire and carbon sequestration. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Developing Voices of Change: Promoting Youth Civic Action in an Unjust World | This study documents the implementation of an alternative curriculum through a voluntary monthly program we call Student Involvement Day (SID) open to students of all ages and backgrounds in the Flagstaff area. By nurturing the development of individual voices,‖SID actively seeks to promote youth as agents of social change. Students at SID freely grow in a discussion-based curriculum, with arts-centered activities that incorporate cooperative learning, development of self-determination and societal agency, autonomy of choice, and youth development of experiences. In particular, this study "Developing Voices of Change: Promoting Youth Civic Action in an Unjust World", will demonstrate how young people (specifically ages 12-16) acquire the tools to name social injustice in their local communities as well as develop their voices to strategize collective struggles for self-determination through an alternative curriculum.  Research questions: 1. How can the creation of an alternative curriculum contribute to the development of youth "voices" to become proactive agents of social change within our society?  2. What are specific tools that youth need to engage in civic action? a. How do young people learn to name social injustice in their local communities? b. How do young people articulate specific strategies for social change? | [NAME] | Educational Leadership
[NAME] | Characterization of Sediment Properties in the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone to Help Constrain Earthquake Hazards in Japan | I propose to perform an in-depth analysis of some of the chemical and physical properties of the core samples from the Philippine Sea Plate of the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone. The ultimate goals of my analysis will be: a) to determine the chemical composition and infer physical properties of the carbonate cement, and their implications for the mechanical behavior of the sediments as they undergo subduction; b) to determine the chemical properties and temperature conditions of the fluids that deposited the carbonate sediments; c) and to infer the origin of the relatively high levels of carbonates in the cores. My predictions are as follows: a) I predict that carbonate cement would increase the strength of the sediments, making them more resistant to motion, thus requiring a larger seismic event in order to shift, causing the stress on the situation to build up, which would ultimately amplify the risk of arge earthquakes and tsunamis.  a) I expect for there to be a direct correlation between the chemical properties of the source of the fluids and sediments in the cores and the modern sediments and water of the Shikoku Basin. c) I expect that the carbonates in the Nankai trough come from two fluid sources, one from above, and one from below. Most likely, at least a percentage of the carbonates have been present since burial, or were filtrated from the waters above. A second possible source would be fluids from below the subduction zone percolating upwards and reacting with the buried sediments. | [NAME] | Geology
2010
[NAME] | Detailing Diet and Migration Patterns in an Ancient Peruvian Population Using Isotopic Analyses | Peru is one of the few areas of primary state development in the world, and therefore is a relevant case study for other regions with state development. With this project, we can investigate whether there are similar patterns worldwide in the effects of expansive states on local communities. Additionally, while the Inca have the benefit of both archaeological and ethnohistoric information to help unravel their history, the previous Wari Empire is relatively unknown. The combination of direct Wari influence and a varied local response to imperial influence in the Andes makes the Cotahuasi region a unique site to test hypotheses regarding Wari imperial strategies in ancient Peru. The Cotahuasi region, because of its modern inaccessibility (an 11 hour bus ride), has been understudied in Andean archaeology. With its obsidian and salt resources and its importance as a prehistoric highland-coastal route within the south central Andes, however, the Cotahuasi region is becoming a center for cutting-edge research (Jennings and Alcock 2002). This project proposes to fill a gap in our knowledge about the use of migration as an imperial strategy in local communities. | [NAME] | Anthropology
[NAME] | The Experimental Structural Characterization of p27kip1 in Folded and Unfolded States in Association with Cdk2/Cyclin A Complex | The study of intrinsically disordered proteins is a growing and important area of protein science.  The purpose of this project is two-fold. First, is to provide experimental data on the structural state of p27kip1 when it is bound and unbound to the Cdk2/cyclin A complex. Second, is to set forth appropriate protocols for creating the p27kip1 /Cdk2/cyclin A complex. I will initially be expressing and purifying p27kip1, Cdk2, and cyclin A. Next, I will be building the p27kip1 /Cdk2/cyclin A protein complex. Upon producing the protein complex, I will use p27kip1 mutants containing [NAME] binding sites to detect its structural states using FlAsH. Fluorescent p27kip1 mutants will enable me to detect when p27kip1 is bound or unbound, allowing for the detection of its structural state as it transitions from an unfolded and unbound state to a folded and bound state. My research will revolve around this hypothesis: If I utilize fluorescent p27kip1 mutants, I will detect the bound and unbound states of p27kip1 as it associates with the Cdk2/cyclin A complex. | [NAME] | Biochemistry
[NAME] | Effects of Elevenated Carbon Dioxide on the Relationships Between [NAME], [NAME], and Microarthropods | The goal of my study is to focus on the relationships between roots, soil fungi, and microarthropods under elevated CO2.  I will test three hypotheses: (1)  Microarthropod abundance will track root and fungal biomass in both the ambient and elevated CO2 plots.  2)  Microarthropod abundance will more tightly track fungal biomass than root biomass.  3)  There will be more microarthropods/g soil fungi and microarthropods/g roots under elevated CO2 conditions. Studies have been conducted on one or two of these variables (roots, fungi, and microarthropods), but none have linked all three variables.  A more integrated approach to understanding the relationships between roots, fungi, and microarthropods is needed. As levels of atmospheric CO2 continue to rise, it is important to be able to predict the effects on the belowground environment critical to the maintenance of the more readily observed aboveground biota.  My study will help predict what will happen to roots, fungi, and microarthropods, which are major players in regulating nutrient cycles and other ecosystem processes, when atmospheric CO2 reaches the higher levels predicted for later this century. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community Responses to Soil Fertility, Precipitation and Grazing in the Serengeti Grassland | Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts found in nearly all land plants, including agricultural plants. In these symbioses, AMF exchange nutrients for plant carbon. [NAME] fungi form symbiotic associations with the vast majority of land plants and are a major component of the microbial biomass in soils. These symbioses are known to influence the species composition of plant communities and the flow of nutrients and energy through ecosystems. Consequently, the ecology of these plant-fungus interactions can have very broad reaching effects in both natural ecosystems and human-managed agricultural systems. A systematic analysis of spore communities will determine whether or not [NAME] species respond positively to grazing by large herbivores.   Hypotheses tested:  1. The abundance and diversity of AMF are influenced by soil fertility, precipitation and grazing  2. Abiotic environment will control the species composition of AMF communities in the [NAME] grassland.  3. Species within the [NAME] family will be more abundant in the grazed plots than in the un-gazed plots because of higher light availability. | [NAME] | SESES
[NAME] | Using Yeast to Study Cancer: Analysis of the Site of Instability on Chromosome III | Yeast cells behave similarly to human cells. The normal behavior of cells with two intact chromosome VIIs is to form round colonies on nutrient-containing petri-dishes. Sectored (misshapen) colonies often form when breakage has occurred. Because instability leads to more breakage inside the genome, the sectored colonies are easily formed. These misshapen colonies can be thought of as “yeast tumors” as they share characteristics with tumors found in cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to determine whether fragile sites exist on other chromosomes besides chromosome VII.  This research will be centered around identifying the instability and fragile sites on the right arm (the part of the chromosome to the right of the centromere) of chromosome III. In collaboration with the work of another undergraduate researcher studying the instability of chromosome V, and using the findings from the work on Chr VII, I will be able to identify common features of fragile sites.  Hypothesis tested:  There are common features of fragile sites on chromosomes III, V, and VII  of the organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | The Effect of Pregnancy on Respiratory Muscle Strength | Increased diaphragm activation has been documented in other activities found to increase abdominal pressure, such as weight lifting and abdominal exercises like sit ups. Similar to any other muscle, if an increased load is applied to the diaphragm for an extended period, the muscle cells should increase in size. This process would lead to an increase in muscle thickness. For instance, an increase in diaphragm thickness has been noted as a result of chronic weight training. In addition, regular exercise has been associated with stronger respiratory muscles and significantly greater diaphragm muscle thickness. The last three months of pregnancy significantly increase the load on the diaphragm by opposing inspiration. The diaphragm must now compress the additional contents of the abdomen associated with pregnancy and it takes more work to breathe.   Hypothesis tested:  [NAME] leads to an increase in respiratory muscle strength and thickness. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Extending the Ant Biodiversity Project for the Navajo Nation | Arthropods are an ideal group to act as proxies for biodiversity, as they comprise most of the biodiversity in most habitats and are intricately linked in trophic webs; thus, reflecting ecosystem function. Ants (Formicidae) are one of the great success stories in the history of life on earth because they dominate other insect species in abundance and diversity worldwide, have an extensive geographical distribution, are long-lived, and have successful mutualistic associations with plants and other organisms. Furthermore, ants are sensitive and rapid responders to environmental variables, which makes this taxon a valuable component of any monitoring framework. The first scientific effort to determine the species richness of Formicidae within the Navajo Reservation started during the summer of 2008; this project will extend data collection in this area. The goal of this project is to conduct the first comprehensive scientific field study of the distribution and abundance of ants on Navajo Nation lands | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Avery Fricker | Localization and [NAME] of p53 in Vivo | The role of p53, a tumor suppressor protein, is to stop cell growth and initiate DNA repair.  However, if the DNA is too damaged to fix, p53 will initiate apoptosis (programmed cell death). When p53 is mutated and can no longer bind effectively, it loses its function and cannot stop cell growth; consequently the damaged cells reproduce uncontrollably, forming a tumor. The purpose of this set of experiments will be to determine how the different structural states of p53 are associated with the localization of the protein. While many tests have been done in vitro, there still exist gaps in our knowledge of the true function and structure of p53 in vivo. This study will focus on the relationship between the structures and the functions associated with each, to gain a better understanding of the activation pathway of p53.  Hypothesis tested:  p53 forms in the cytoplasm as a dimer where it is activated, then migrates together into the nucleus to form its tetrameric structure. | [NAME] | Biochemistry
[NAME] | Valuing the Verde River Watershed: A Further Assessment | The research project proposed is a qualitative economic analysis of the Verde River watershed in Arizona, as an extension to research previously performed by [NAME], [NAME], and [NAME] of Northern Arizona University’s Ecological Monitoring and Assessment program (Verde River initiatives) to establish the value the ecosystem services of the Verde River and its watershed. Their research found that “the most valued aspect of the river is not as a place to get things from, but as an entity that is valued for its existence for a wide variety of reasons, most of which are categorized as ‘cultural’ using the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) criteria.” This project will expand on their work by using a more advanced evaluation rubric from MEA concerning the “determinants and constituents of well-being” to further investigate these cultural criteria, resulting in a comprehensive assessment of the qualitative values of the watershed. Another outcome is the creation of a survey instrument to be used by a future research team in the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment program to perform a quantitative assessment by using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and measures of willingness to pay. | [NAME] | Economics & Applied Indigenous Studies
[NAME] | Does Prey Diversity Enhance Predator Diversity in a Ponderosa Pine Forest Food Web? | The purpose of this study is to test the question: Does diversity of predator species change in response to differences in diversity of prey species in restored forests?  While more predator activity in sites with high prey abundance is expected, this study aims to specifically address the effects of diversity by sampling sites with similar prey abundances but different prey diversities.    Hypotheses tested: 1. In sites with equal total small mammal abundance, there will be a higher diversity of mammalian predators in the sites with higher prey diversity.  2. Predator and prey diversity will be associated with restored sites, indicated by lower tree density and greater understory cover. | [NAME] | Forestry
Nathaniel Foote | Influence of Anthropogenic Land Use on an Ant-Plant Mutualism in a Tropical Dry Forest | [NAME] trees are known nitrogen-fixing pioneer species that colonize highly disturbed areas and ameliorate site conditions by contributing to structural complexity and spatial heterogeneity, ecosystem processes, and species diversity. Acacias are important drivers of essential ecological processes and function, most notably nutrient cycling (e.g. nitrogen-fixing) and community structure. Given these attributes, [NAME] may be ideal candidates for ecological restoration in highly disturbed (e.g. due to anthropogenic land use) dry tropical forest ecosystems.   Hypotheses tested: 1. Land use type mediates the distribution of Acacia collinsii on the landscape, and more specifically, that acacias exist at higher densities on disturbed than undisturbed sites.  2. The physiology of A. collinsii and behavior of the acacia-ant Pseudomyrmex spinicola will vary across land use types, and more specifically that investment by the ant and/or plant in the mutualism is greater on disturbed sites. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | [NAME] to Ecological Restoration Treatments in Ponderosa Pine Forests of Northern Arizona | Dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) are parasitic flowering plants that are host-specific to members of the pine family. In the southwestern U.S., ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is parasitized by Southwestern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. [NAME]) to an extent unrivaled by other pathogens. The intensity of restoration treatment that will reduce dwarf mistletoe infestation of a stand, while still restoring stand structure and optimal ecological integrity, is unknown. Since dwarf mistletoe spreads primarily by forcibly ejecting seeds from their fruits, the distance from neighboring tree crowns to those of infected trees, and thereby density of a stand, is of critical importance. Since stands are opened considerably by ecological restoration treatments, the spread of dwarf mistletoe may or may not be increased depending on post-treatment stand density.   Hypotheses tested:  1. The mortality rate of trees with severe dwarf mistletoe infection will be significantly less in ecological restoration stands than in untreated stands.  2. Intensification of dwarf mistletoe will be less rapid in ecologically restored stands than in untreated stands. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | The Effect of Soil Age on Pinyon Pine Stress | As soils develop, nutrient availabilities shift and their water holding capacity increases as soil particles become finer.  Young soils are rich in rock-derived nutrients, such as phosphorus, and deficient in the atmospherically-derived nutrient, nitrogen.  As soils age, rock-derived nutrients are lost through weathering, while nitrogen accumulates.  Simultaneously, water storage capacity increases as soil particles become progressively finer. These changes in resource availability cause forest productivity to initially increase and then eventually decline with increasing ecosystem age. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether differences in water and nutrient availability related to soil age influence the level of background stress experienced by pinyon pine and, if so, how.  Is there a link between soil age and pinyon pine survival following recent drought events?  If such a link exists, which soil factor is most responsible?  Does soil texture, through its impact on soil water capacity, independently impact tree stress levels, or is nutrient availability important as well?    Hypotheses tested:  1. Soil water capacity is the most important soil-age-related factor affecting stress and mortality in pinyon pine trees, with nutrient availability playing a lesser but still significant role at the youngest and oldest sites.  2. Stress and pinyon pine mortality will be lowest at the intermediate-aged sites, where water and nutrients are available at optimal levels, and highest at the youngest site, which is deficient in both plant-available water and nitrogen. | [NAME] | Forestry
Wiley Volz | Effects of Nutrient and the  Herbicide Imazapic on Cheatgrass | Cheatgrass ([NAME] tectorum) is one invasive species that has shown its ability to invade and alter ecosystems. Fire disturbances create areas with increased nutrients and lowered competition, allowing easier introduction of the species. The impacts of these cheatgrass invasions have become a relevant issue for fire managers and ecologists alike. This project will involve an extension of previous research by Garmoe research, focusing on the effects of herbicides and nutrients on cheatgrass growth. I have designed a greenhouse and growth chamber study where cheatgrass growth and germination will be assessed for two generations. The experimental design will include a control, nutrient, herbicide and nutrient/herbicide pot to compare distinct soil conditions and test the ideas of Garmoe’s research.   Hypotheses tested: 1. Increased nutrient levels will increase productivity and growth in the species.   2. Applying the herbicide Imazapic will hinder germination and plant stature. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Orientation and Kinematics of Brittle Structures in the East Callville Interaction Zone, Lake Mead, Nevada | The development of basins is a poorly understood subject.  Compared with mountain building compressional events, which push rocks upward so that they are subject to rapid erosion and exposure of their internal structures, extensional events create a topographic low that is then buried beneath sediment eroded from high points.  This proposal requests funds for a mapping project in the Lake Mead area that will show in detail how rocks are structurally accommodated in extensional settings and will quantify the amount of offset accommodated by local faults. Knowing the orientation and amount of offset on a major fault in this area will help understand how structures in the basin formed and accommodated stress, and a detailed map of the structures in this area will help determine if there is a predictable sequence of structures in basins.  This, in turn, may provide an important structural model for the Basin and [NAME] and, more broadly, extensional tectonic settings. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Amino Acid Racemization in the Arctic Ocean foram [NAME] | Amino acid racemization (AAR) measures the rate of change in the chiral form, or handedness, of amino acids within fossils such as foraminifera. [NAME] (plankton) are abundant in marine sediment, and their calcite shells protect and preserve amino acids for long periods of time.  Since organisms exclusively use one chiral form (the L-isomer) of amino acids in the construction of protein, all protein within the organism starts out in the L-isomer configuration.  Commencing at the death of the organism, the L-isomer converts into its other chiral form (D-isomer), thus providing for another geochonological clock. [NAME] is the single most abundant foram species at high latitudes, including the Arctic Ocean.  Studies have been conducted on the taxonomic influence on these racemization rates, but not on N. pachyderma. Amino acid racemization can be induced in the lab by heating specimens.  Hypothesis tested:  N. pachyderma racemizes more quickly than Pulleniatina (a warm water foram). | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Morphological Adaptations of High-Latitude Dinosaurs | The current understanding of what caused the demise of the dinosaurs at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary is riddled with flaws. This study seeks to determine the morphological adaptations, if any, that the polar dinosaurs would have had to acquire in order to survive the long periods of darkness and harsh climate. In determining the distribution and morphological adaptations of the polar dinosaurs, I will attempt to decipher why these creatures met their demise at the end of the Mesozoic.  If these dinosaurs did in fact develop adaptations to live in the harsh polar climates, then at the very least, the polar dinosaurs should not have gone extinct with the lower-latitude dinosaurs, especially if similar ectothermic reptiles survived the catastrophe.   Hypothesis tested:  Polar dinosaurs developed specialized adaptations to cope with the colder temperatures and long periods of darkness of the polar regions. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Complex Cinder [NAME], Processes, and Resulting Morphology | Although cinder cone volcanism has been relatively well-researched, there has been very little attention to the complexities involved in some eruption and vent processes. [NAME] can breach the cone and carry away large segments of the cone itself which are sometimes rafted along on the surface of the flow. This rafted material can be used to analyze eruptive history of the crater. The amount of material that is removed from the cone due to rafting events, and the post-rafting activity determine the ability of the cone to repair itself, and will determine the morphological characteristics of the cinder cone. A less well-known is cinder cone in the San Francisco Volcanic Field is O’Neill Crater, located NE of Flagstaff. Information gathered from detailed mapping in the field will be used to determine the processes that were occurring in the vent to further define the complexities involved in cinder cone behavior. An additional goal is to determine a correct age for O’Neill Crater. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Empathic Ability as a Measure of Susceptibility to Vicarious Trauma | Empathy is the process by which an individual attempts to understand the underlying emotional state of another.  The maintenance of empathic processing is threefold; it is dependent upon socially shared emotional experiences, cognitive perspective-taking, and the distinction between self and other. Because the mirror neuron system (MNS) activity is correlated with empathic ability, it follows that people high in empathic ability should show more MNS activation in response to viewing pictures of traumatic events. To empirically test this question, I propose to record the MNS activity of participants using electroencephalography (EEG) while they observe emotionally neutral, positive, and negative stimuli. In addition to EEG recording, participants will be administered an empathy scale to determine the extent of their reported empathic ability (high vs. low).   Hypotheses tested: 1. Individuals who score high on an empathy questionnaire will exhibit significantly more MNS activity than low-empathy subjects when exposed to both positive and negative stimuli compared to neutral stimuli.   2. Exposure to negative stimuli will result in greater mirror neuron activity than positive stimuli. | [NAME] | Psychology
[NAME] | Typed - A Study | This project examines stereotypes through through the visual communication of photography, graphic, and web design in an attempt to better understand and explore the connection between societal and personal stereotypes. I compare self-perception with that of the public's by photogrpahing indivudals who tehn answer questions pertaining to self-identity followed by another series of questions via the "Typed" website based on other photographed indivudals, intended to expose interanl stereotypes we inherently create for others. | [NAME] | Communications
2009
[NAME] | Using Tree Ring Records to Reconstruct Changes in Stream Flow and Impacts to Fremont Cottonwood in Canyon de Chelly | This study seeks to analyze the effects of channel incision and the resulting drop in the water table on a dominant southwestern riparian tree, Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii). Using tree ring analysis and climate records, I will reconstruct the climatic history leading up to channel incision an a southwestern stream in Canyon de Chelly, and determine how this event effected the growth and vigor of the [NAME] cottonwoods in the canyon. The research questions are (1) Did the channel incision event cause stress represented as lower basal growth rates in cottonwoods throughout the canyons? (2) What climatic patterns led up to these growth responses? (3) Did the incision event cause a shift in growth responses by cottonwoods to seasons with high and low levels precipitation? | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Effects of Temperature of Predation Rates of Artificial Passerine Nests | The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) is a passerine bird protected under the Endangered Species Act that is dependent on riparian areas of the southwestern US. Nest predation is a major cause of nexst failure in this species. Based upon the temperature-predation relationship documented for these birds, I hypothesize that (1) artifical nests experiencing higher temperatures will have lower rates of predation than those experiencing cooler temperatures, and (2) the predators attracted to nests at lower temperatures are different than those attracted to higher temperature nests. | Tad Theimer | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Do Plant Genes Influence Aquatic Subsidies to Riparian Predators | Little is known about how species and genotype differences in leaf litter quality affect insect emergence.  I will use two cross tyhpes of cottonwood trees to consider these questions: (1) Do species-level differences in leaf type influence emergence patterns of associated aquatic macroinvertebrates? (2) Do mixtures of high and low quality leaves increase insect productivity compared with single species or genotypes? The specific hypotheses tested are (1) Emergent insect numbers and biomass will be greater on Fremont compared to narrowleaf leaf litter; (2) The timing of peak eregence will differ among the two leaf types with more insects emerging earlier when reared on Fremont litter compared to narrowleaf litter; (3) Species richness and diversity of emerging insects will be greater on mixed leaf litter compared to single-species leaf litter; (4) Total emergence throughout the experiemental period will be greater on mixed leaf litter relative to single species enclosures. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Frank Appling & [NAME] | The Effects of Tree Genetics on Decomposer Food Webs | This study tests two hypotheses: (1) Different cottonwood tree types will affect the abundance and community composition of woil and litter [NAME] and beetle communities; (2) Trees that are more genetically similar will have similar Collembola and beetle communities. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Floristic Inventory of Homolovi Ruins State Park | The purpose of this floristic inventory is to compile a complete list of species that occur within the park boundaries and to assess the distribution of each species, especially the rare and the non-native, invasive species. This information will be valuable to the park staff in developing a monitoring plan. Specific hypotheses to be tested include (1) the areas adjacent to the ruins will harbor more species that have thenobotanical importance as known edible or medicinal plants; (2) invasive species are more abundant in areas where flooding or human-caused disturvance is frequent. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | Using Ground-Dwelling Arthropods to Compare Burned and Unburned regions of Mesa Verde National Park | The purpose of this project is to acquire data in burned sites of Mesa Verde National park with concurrent data in unburned regions of the forest. Both speices richness and species abundance of ground-dwelling arthropod populations as well as indicator secies within the context of feeding guilds will be evaluated across these sites. The four hypotheses are: (1) Species richness will be reduced in burned sites; (2) Species abundance will increase in burned sites; (3) One or more species will appear as "indicator species;" (4) Feeding guild structure will differ between burned and unburned habitats. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
Emily York | Identification of Chromosomal Fragile Sites on Chromosome V in the Model Organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its Role in Cancer | The purpose of this study is to determine whether fragile sites like those found on ChrVII of budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are also present on other chromosomes. I will be working with Chromosome V to determine whether there are also unstable sites on the right part of this chromosome. If I succeed in identifying additional fragile sites it will enable us to identify common features of such sites. Moreover, it will ultimately enable us to determine whether similar sites exist in human chromosomes and are important in cancer. | [NAME] | Biological Sciences
[NAME] | The Thermodynamics of FlgM Binging to Sigma 28 | The purpose of this study is to determine the thermodynamics of FlgM binding to Sigma 28 under various conditions and to develop an understanding at how unfolded proteins bind with other proteins. It is predicted that FlgM will bind best in concentrated sucrose solution because FlgM will be folded more completely under these conditions. This inducing folding will lead to stronger and faster binding. | [NAME] | Biochemistry
[NAME] | Living on Middle Ground: A White Girl's Life on the Navajo Reservation | The purpose of this project is to create four written works, each approximately 15 pages in length. These will be two short stories and two creative nonfiction essays, addressing issues that affect reservation dwellers such as how technology has changed the reservation, the unique education one gets when attending reservation schools, as well as racial and social conflict on and off the researvation. The stories and essays will work together to create and intimate and exciting portrait of displaced cultural identity. | [NAME] | English
[NAME] | Mycorrhizae Inoculation Potentials along a Strand-Replacing Fire Chronoseqence | The primary purpose of this study is to determine the arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and ectomycorrhizae (EM) inoculation potentials of soils that have experienced high severity, stand replacing fires in northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests. Tested hypotheses include (1) The mycorrhizal inoculation potential of both AM and EM fungi will increase as time since fire increases: (2) nitrogen and phosphorus will become more limiting to plant growth as time since fire increases; and (3) In sites that are not nitrogen or phosphorus limited, AM and EM infection will be less beneficial to the host plant (as measured by plant growth) when compared to sites that are nitogen or phosphorus limited. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Tree-Ring Sensitivity Along an Elevational Gradient | This project will use tree ring growth data to measure tree sensitivity to drought with respect to relative position in the elevational range for each species. The research questions are (1) How does tree growth sensitivity to drought differ along an elevational gradient? (20 does drought sensitivity differ more within or between co-located species? (3) What are the implications of drought sensitivity given predictions of climate change in northern Mexico? Potential field areas are Mesa Yerbanis and Mesa de los Guacamayas in Chihuahua, and Sierra la Viga and Sierra Marta in Coahuila. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Understanding Changes in Fuel Loads by Fire Severity | The purpose of this study will be to show how fuel loads change by severity.  1's, 10's, 100's, and 1,000 hour fuels are expected to decrease immediately after a fire. Further, the 1 and 10 hour fuels are predicted to increase in the second year after a fire while 100's and 1,000-hour fuels will have no change. This information does not exist for this area ([NAME] area in the North Kaibab National Forest) . These data are critical for fire managers to decide how to manage the area, what the fire danger is, when to re-enter with fire for future fuel treatments, and when to remove fuels with a fuels reducation project. | [NAME] | Forestry
Justy [NAME] | Functional Plant Traits of 120 Common Understory Plant Species of the Ponderosa Pine-Bunchgrass Ecosystem | The purpose of the research is to (1) measure several key traits of 120 common understory plants of the ponderosa pine - buncgrass ecosystem of northern Arizona, and (2) use these data to investigate the relationship between plant functional traits and ecosystem functions.  I hypothesize that it is plant functional diversity rather than taxonomic diversity per se that is crucial in supporting ecosystem functions. I will measure five traits: foliar carbon content, foliar nitrogen content, foliar phosphorous content, specific leaf area, and percent leaf dry matter content. | [NAME] | Forestry
[NAME] | Stable Isotope Analysis of Water and Ice in a High Arctic Glaciated Basin | The purpose of this field study is to develop a high resolution temperature and precipitation record for the period of ice accumulation on the [NAME] glacier and to use these data as a proxy for past climate on [NAME]. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Biogenic Silican Analysis for Climate Reconstruction, Ptarmigan Lake, Alaska | This is an investigation of the relationship between Ptarmigan Lake biogenic silica concentrations and regional modern climate records.  If a correlation can be demonstrated between modern summer temperatures and biogenic silica concentrations, then this technique may be useful for reconstructing climates that predate modern data. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping of Climate Change Effects on Area and Vegetation in Avalanche Chutes of Northwestern Montana | Avalanche disturbances influence habitat and population dynamics for many animals. This project will look at how this important disturbance event shapes vegetation and habitat structure. I will focus on physical science, using GIS to create maps that will allow a comparison of avalance chute size over a fifteen year time span. I hypothesize that low elevation avalance chutes in 2005 will be fewer, have smaller areas, and have a higher terminus than low elevation avalance chutes in 1990.  At higher elevations high variability is expected. | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Biogenic Silica Analysis as a Quantitative Method to Examine Past Climates | This study intends to gather a detailed 2000 year recor of biogenic silica concentrations at Bear Lake, south central Alaska using a wet-chemistry technique.  This information will then be coupled with previous data gathered from the lake to compile a multi-proxy climate record for the area., for understanding climate variability and global warming in a large context. The research questions are: When and to what extent did primary productivity in Bear Lake change during the last 2000 years? What may have caused these changes in primary productivity and to these results support previous studies? | [NAME] | Geology
[NAME] | Buddhism and Modern Tibetan Cultural Identity | The aim of this research is to produce philosophic and thnographic analysis, for publication and presentation, providing a picture of how modern Tibetan cultural identity is constructed. This will address two facets of the modern Tibetan cultural paradox: (1) Can referencing an inherently plural history of Buddhist ideas establish a singular modern Tibetan cultural identity? (2) What are the means by which exiled Tibetans establish cultural identity? | [NAME] | Philosophy
[NAME] | To Be Black and American in a Color-Blind Society: Race, Double-Consciousness and Sen. [NAME] | The goal of this project is to investigate and write a publishable research paper on the relevance of [NAME] theory of double consciouisness in light of the historic presidential campaign of Senator [NAME]. My tentative argument is that double consciousness, or the tension between being Black and American, continues to be evident even with the ranks of those supporting Senator [NAME]. I will explore Dubois' texts, the growing secondary literature on this concept, and mainstream media and blogosphere during the [NAME] campaign. | [NAME] | Political Science