2018 Discover USC Abstract Book [pdf] More than 1000 abstracts are included in the 2018 edition

476 Pages·2017·4.8 MB·English

Office of Research
University of South Carolina
2018
Collected Abstracts:

Collected abstracts that showcase research, scholarship,
leadership and creative projects by undergraduate and graduate
students, postdoctoral scholars and medical scholars representing
the entire USC System.
Prepared for DISCOVER USC
April 20, 2018.
www.sc.edu/DiscoverUSC
1
Table of Contents
Undergraduate Student presentations 3 - 288
Graduate Student presentations 290 - 397
Postdoctoral Scholar presentations 398 - 408
Medical Scholar presentations 410 - 474
2
Undergraduate Students
presentations
3
Adams, Maria
Mentor(s) -- Ms. Amber Fallucca
The Power of Education
Education is something that we as college students often take for granted. Our entire lives we have
been going to school with the goal of attending college and getting our dream job. There are millions
of children around the world that do not have the opportunity to receive an education at all, let alone
attend college. During my time at the University of South Carolina, I was elected to serve as a repre-
sentative for an organization called Circle of Sisterhood. Circle of Sisterhood is a non-profit organi-
zation founded and powered by sorority women on a mission to raise financial resources to remove
education barriers for girls facing poverty and oppression. Myself and twelve other women have
worked for two years to raise awareness and funds to build a school in Senegal in December 2018.
One school build at time, we will help break the cycle of poverty by providing young women with the
opportunity to receive an education. When a woman receives an education, she has the power to
change the world. Through my experience of working with such a diverse group of women, I have
learned not only learned how to be a servant leader, but also the importance of diversity. I have grown
in my communication, leadership, and problem solving skills. My presentation will discuss the impor-
tance of education and diversity and also highlight the leadership and personal skills I have gained
while serving this organization.
Adams, Hope
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Keri Weed
Math Anxiety May Be Reduced With Awareness And A Positive Interpretation
The purpose of this study is to see if reinterpreting anxiety in a positive way is equally effective for
math anxious students with different levels of mindfulness. A 2 (mindfulness: high or low) by 2 (con-
dition: anxiety reappraisal, no anxiety reappraisal) between subjects design was used. Participants
were randomly assigned to one of two reappraisal condition. The experimental group watched a video
that focused on reappraising anxiety within three performance domains: karaoke, public speaking,
and math. This video explains that interpreting anxiety positively improves performance in all three
domains. The control group watched a promotional video of college students enjoying a winter kara-
oke gathering. The sample will include 60 undergraduate women. Surveys measured math anxiety
and mindfulness (in general and math specific); a median split was used to classify participants into
high and low mindfulness groups. Electrodermal activity was measured while participants completed
a computerized arithmetic verification task. We expect to find that participants with high mindfulness
combined with anxiety reappraisal will result in optimal performance (i.e., better accuracy, faster
reaction time, and greater EDA reactivity) and the group with high mindfulness without anxiety reap-
praisal will perform the worst, because they are aware of their bodily sensations but may interpret
them negatively. A pilot of this study found that math anxiety was related to judgmental attitudes. Our
goal for research is to allow math anxious individuals to reappraise their anxiety positively, and in
turn, perform better. Data will be analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS when data
collection is complete.
Agho, Victory
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Cheryl Armstead
Weight Bigotry, Racism, and Shiftwork Stressors Predict Body Habitus Among Morbidly
Obese African American Women
Inequities and injustices in the distribution of chronic stressors, among southern African-American
women (AAW) may contribute to poor adherence to weight loss programs and bariatric surgery out-
comes. AAW who are morbidly obese (BMI>= 35) and have serious weight related health conditions
may require bariatric surgery as an adjunctive tool to promote weight loss. In South Carolina, AAW
represent a disproportionately high rate of bariatric (weight loss) surgery patients. Multiple stress
4
burdens contribute to poor dietary adherence, should a woman decide to have later bariatric surgery. I
am reporting secondary analyses in support of my Magellan Guarantee Project. My data comes from
a clinical community-based lifestyle randomized trial (CCTT). My findings will contribute to developing
a culturally tailored intervention trial addressing weight bigotry, racism, perceived stress, and occupa-
tional stress among AAW preparing for bariatric surgery.
Methods: Questionnaire responses from 146 adult AAW were analyzed. Participants had post-high
school educations. Measures of body habitus were body mass index [BMI = weight(kg) / height(m)2],
fat mass [FM], and waist to hip ratio [WHR]). Participants, on average, were at the Class 2level of
obesity (Mean BMI of 34.7(±7.7) kg/m2). Their average fat mass in pounds was 91.82(±35.03). Their
mean WHR was 0.85(±0.80). Participants engaged in 5.4 years (± 7.9) of lifetime shift work on aver-
age. Depressive symptoms were relatively high (6.6, ±5.1).
Results: Stepwise linear regression models estimated the role of stressors in predicting body habitus.
Weight discrimination (bullying) was the strongest and most consistent predictor across our three
body habitus models. BMI was predicted by increased weight discrimination, depressive symptoms,
lifetime shift work, and lower levels of racism (R2=.25, p<.001). Predictors of FM were weight discrim-
ination, depressive symptoms, lifetime shift work, (R2=.20, p<.001). Eleven percent of the variance in
the WHR was predicted by weight discrimination and education (p<.001). General life stress had no
explanatory value.
Conclusions & Recommendations: Our results show that inequitable treatment and shift work stress
contribute to adverse body habitus among southern AAW. Culturally tailored pre-surgical behavioral
interventions focusing on resilience, action, and adaptive coping to social stressors are beneficial for
AW preparing for bariatric surgery.
Ahrens, Ella
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Jessica Klusek
Propositional Density as an Indicator of Premature Language Decline in Women with the FMR1
Premutation
Introduction: Approximately 1 in every 151 women has the FMR1 premutation, which means they
are a carrier for the gene responsible for the most commonly inherited intellectual disability known as
fragile X syndrome (Seltzer et al., 2012). Considering how prevalent the FMR1 premutation is, little
is known about the associated phenotype, especially regarding language use. A study conducted by
Sterling et al. (2013) found that speech dysfluencies, which reflect difficulties with linguistic planning
and execution, increased with age for women with the premutation while the comparison group had
no correlation between speech dysfluencies and age (Sterling, 2013). This suggests that women with
the premutation show premature language decline. The goal of this study was to determine if women
with the FMR1 premutation show other language deficits, such as decreased propositional density
during a picture description task compared to age-matched control women. Propositional density is a
measure of how much information (adjectives, prepositions, verbs, conjunctions, and adverbs) is con-
veyed in a text or an utterance related to the total number of words and has been shown to decrease
with age (Kemper & Sumner, 2001). Methods: Participants included 32 FMR1 premutation women
(mean age=45.84) and 15 control women with no premutation (mean age=43.17). Both groups were
given two picture description tasks: the cookie theft description task and the picnic description task.
Both pictures displayed a scene that the participant narrated. Their narration was recorded and then
transcribed according to the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcriptions conventions. From
those language samples, propositional density was calculated using Computerized Propositional
Idea Density Rater (CPIDR). The CPIDR program obtains a propositional density proportion score by
calculating the number of propositions divided by the total number of words. Results: There were no
significant differences between propositional density in women with the FMR1 premutation (M=.497,
SD=.011) and control women (M=.494, SD=.013), p=.406. Conclusion: These results suggest that
women with the FMR1 premutation do not have lower propositional density scores than the typical
5
population and that propositional density may not be an indicator of premature language decline in
middle-aged women with the permutation. References: Full references on poster.
Albrecht, Claire
Mentor(s) -- Ms. Lisa Camp
Female Leadership in Marching Music’s Major League
I lead The Cadets Drum Corps through two summers over 90 consecutive days each season. I was
the head drum major who conducted an ensemble of 150 world-class musical performers. The Ca-
dets are 10-time Drum Corps International World Champions and are an 84-year-old marching music
organization based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. As the head drum major, my role was to keep the
drum corps together musically and communicatively. I was the primary liaison between the staff and
administration and the student membership. The Cadets traveled over 15,000 miles and performed
34 shows at professional football venues such as Lucas Oil Stadium. I participated in drum corps be-
cause I have a passion for music and wanted to spend a summer performing with the oldest and one
of the most competitive drum corps in history. My role as a female leader taught me that everything
is a choice. One common stereotype I faced was being labeled as emotional even though I never
considered myself as such a type. I found that I had to be even more thoughtful with my actions and
reactions as a female leader because I was under a critical lens.
Returning to school and entering into a professional environment, I am grateful for my experience at
The Cadets because I had a summer’s worth of practice in thinking through how my behaviors can
be read in various leadership situations. Moving forward, I plan to spend one final summer perform-
ing with The Cadets. The experiences I have gained through my membership have fundamentally
changed the way I approach professionalism in any situation.
Alessio, Jaime
Mentor(s) -- Ms. Lisa Camp
A Comparison Between The Boeing Company Internship and Class Consulting Project
Within the first experience I was able to lead a consulting project in one my GSCOM courses. The
second experience was as a Supply Chain Analyst Intern at The Boeing Company. These two en-
deavors were fantastic hands-on experiences that allowed me to apply what I have learned through-
out college and solidify that GSCOM is a career field I will be pursuing post-graduation. The purpose
for the class project was to help a local business, our client was Columbia’s premier oriental grocery
store. We implemented operations management techniques focused on efficiency with an ultimate
goal of improving the business model of our client. The Boeing internship was the result of seeking a
challenging internship where I could attain more hands-on exposure to the supply chain operations
industry.
After these two particular experiences I was able to pin point out the varying methods of projects
between class and internship projects. Specifically, with the different stakes such as doing a project
for a grade versus working a project that has a direct impact to a billion-dollar company and can affect
weather or not you receive a full-time return offer. The significance of this analysis is that through
class group projects you are going to be able to gain exposure to the importance of meetings and
how to be an attendee or a facilitator and you should take advantage of these opportunities. The abil-
ity to manage a group meeting well will give you valuable talking points during interviews. Next thing
you know you are going to be at an internship, with much higher stakes, leading presentations in front
of analyst and managers. Therefore, I encourage students to take school projects seriously, as they
are a mirror image of the real world and seek internships, conferences or co-ops to embellish their
leadership skills.
It is quite fascinating how life comes full circle. Reflecting on my college supply chain internships,
class consulting projects I realize that these “”Beyond the Classroom Experiences”” have led me to
my next adventure. After graduation I will be working at IBM as a supply chain software consultant.
6
Alexander, Deztane
Mentor(s) -- Ms. Theresa Harrison
Making Magical Moments through Passion
During the Fall Semester of 2017, I worked at Walt Disney World attending the Disney College Pro-
gram (DCP). Coupled with the chance to gain experience in a once in a lifetime opportunity, The
Disney College Program also gave students a hands on experience of the hard work it took to give
magical moments. Walt Disney World did not become the happiest place on earth because of the
castle, or because of the pixie dust. The cast members deliberately gave all guests an exceptional ex-
perience that made them feel as if they were in a fairytale. The differences in our physical appearance
did not matter, because at Disney, we were all beautiful and amazing. During my seven months in the
Disney College Program, I was given the opportunity to make many magical moments with individu-
als who were going through heartbreaking situations, while working at the Whispering Canyon as a
Hostess. As a Hospitality Management major at the University of South Carolina, the Disney College
program gave me a realistic outlook as to what Hospitality really was. From working every holiday,
standing long hours on my feet, exceeding expectations from demanding guests all while giving
exceptional customer service, all taught me that hospitality was not something a student could learn
in a classroom, but through experiences itself. Through these experiences, my passion for hospitality
soared, and I started to look forward to working on these holidays and meeting demanding deadlines,
because I knew it would give someone a magical day. Hospitality is not a job, but a passion to give
every guest a great experience. While attending the DCP, I learned that every individual was a very
important person, or as we called it, VIP. My presentation will discuss the insights I obtained about my
passion for Hospitality as well as the positive impact the DCP has had on my job performances, and
shaping me as an individual.
Alkendi, Najaya
Mentor(s) -- Mrs. Lisa Camp
Traveling opened magnificent doors for me
My name is Najaya Alkendi I am an international student from Sultanate of Oman. I am a student at
the University of South Carolina majoring in finance and human resources management. I am trying
to deal with people and money in a perfect way. When I first came to columbia I was 17 years old. I
faces many difficulties and troubles but those things made me stronger and wiser.Being far away from
my family and my house was one of my biggest fears. That was such a nightmare for me. I could not
imagine living far away from my family for a week. After getting my high school result, I remembered
how I was in indecision about where I want to complete my educational journey. The decision was
tough to me. I prayed many time to choose the right path. However, after a long thinking and consul-
tations I chose to study in the United Stated. Now, after being in the United States for more than three
years, I can proudly say that this was one of the rightest decisions that I have ever made because
this allowed me to see new and different sides and angles of the world. In addition, meeting new
people and identifying a new cultures was so interesting and enthusiastic. I did not imagine or even
thought that this decision opens millions good things to my life. There are much more to come and to
do because the journey does not finish yet. However, there were many challenges that I endured and
there are more that I must endure because am doing something that is irregular. I joined to the USC’s
community in August 2015. I didn’t imagine how the days are running. Know I just have few months to
graduate from USC.
Allender, McKenzie
Mentor(s) -- Mr. Rico Reed
How My Internship Abroad Changed My Life
The summer after my freshman year, I was given the opportunity to travel to a small island called
7
Eleuthera in the Bahamas for an internship with the Caribbean Ministries Association. I was able to
live in a completely new culture for two months. When I talk about this experience, most people think
that I spent a summer in a nice and lavish place full of tourism and people thriving off of money and
success. However, that is not the case. It is an island without a lot of things most people in our coun-
try would consider necessary, like a hospital. I lived with and came alongside a missionary family
living there. I engaged in the community to form and build relationships, helped in leading short-term
service trips, helped to facilitate a summer camp for children, and learned more about myself than I
had ever before. When I applied for this internship, I was terrified. The thought of being away from
home, and even more, out of the country, right after my first year of college was daunting. However, I
knew it was something that would push me far outside of my comfort zone, and up until then, all of the
most important things I had learned in life were from times when I was pushed out into the unknown
where I had room to grow. I was able to grow in knowledge of diversity and how important it is to be
aware of differences. From that, I gained an important self-awareness, which is one of the most val-
ued attributes one can have as a social worker. This experience was a defining moment in my deci-
sion to choose social work as a profession. It created a passion in me for other people, and it inspired
me to help and care for people in the best and worst moments of their lives. In the future, I hope that I
can continue to gain awareness and understanding about people and their differences, and how I can
provide them with the necessary tools in life to be successful individuals.
AlSayed, Rahaf
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Kimberly Shorter
An Investigation of the Effects of Folic Acid on Histone Modifications and Dendritic Spine Den-
sity in a Human Neuronal Cell Line.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by difficulties in social interactions and increased
repetitive behaviors due to abnormal neuromorphology (increased dendritic spines). Previous studies
have shown autism is epigenetic in origin. Epigenetic modifications including DNA/histone methylation
are altered through the folic acid (FA) metabolic pathway. FA consumption and ASD rates have both
increased in recent decades; therefore, we questioned if excess FA consumption is linked to ASD. In
our research, we investigated the effects of a 2x FA dose on histone modifications at histone 3 and
on dendritic spine density in a human neuronal cell line. We treated SHSY5Y cells with a 2x FA dose
or water (control). We isolated histones and determined histone 3 modifications using ELISA format
array plates to determine levels of various histone 3 methylation and acetylation marks. We stained
control and FA treated neurons with Dil stain to determine the dendritic spine density. Results showed
a decrease in active histone methylation and acetylation marks (a pattern associated with decreased
gene expression and with ASD) and a significant increase in dendritic spine density in FA treated
cells. Our results indicate excess FA could be linked to increases in ASD-related neuromorphology
changes and histone modification changes.
Alwan, Akilah
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson, Dr. Gwen Geidel, Dr. Katherine Ryker
Creating a Sense of Belonging through Geoscience UnEarthed
Geoscience is one of the least diverse areas of study within all of STEM programs. Low-income and
ethnic minority students are not represented in geoscience due to lack of exposure to geoscience,
lack of representation and positive role models, and lack of knowledge about opportunities for schol-
arships and careers within the field. In addition, low-income and minority students who do have geo-
science interest and prior exposure still lack a sense of belonging. Through a partnership with the
School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment and Swansea Freshman Academy, a school where
100% of the students are on Free on Reduced Lunch, two groups of high school students traveled to
USC to gain exposure to a collegiate geoscience program. The students interacted with an augment-
ed reality sandbox, conducted marine science labs, toured Green Quad and the Sustainable Carolina
8
Garden, and talked to SEAS and Geoscholar students. The research question for this project was
whether providing this exposure to these students who are underrepresented in the geoscience can
create an interest in or improve a sense of belonging within the field. Before and after the students’
activities on campus, they were given a survey to measure their current interest and sense of belong-
ing. The surveys were then processed and compared to see if there was any significant difference be-
tween the pre and post surveys. A large limitation to this project is that it was restricted to a one-day
study. A future improvements would be a longitudinal study following students throughout a school
year to better understand how providing long term geoscience exposure impacts interest and sense
of belonging.
Alwan, Akilah
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Katherine Ryker, Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson, Dr. Raymond Torres
Project Sandbox: Exploring the Effectiveness of Augmented Reality Sandbox Technology in
Geoscience Education
Augmented reality (AR) sandboxes are a new technology within geoscience education that are used
to demonstrate earth surface systems and processes with students. Previous studies have been con-
ducted that showed students had positive interactions with the AR sandbox technology, yet post as-
sessments have shown that students did not consistently gain content knowledge from the exposure.
Based on these results, an effective way to use the sandbox as part of the classroom/lab curriculum
has not been determined and therefore needs more data to explore the concept. Part of the current
challenge with AR sandbox technology is how to apply it to different levels of student group, e.g. class
or major. This study will provide data on how different student groups interact with the AR sandbox,
which will give insights on how to use the sandbox most effectively with different audiences. The
participants in this study were high school freshmen from the Swansea Freshman Academy, college
freshmen geoscience majors (non geology or geophysics) and upperclassmen geology majors from
the University of South Carolina. Participants were asked to interact with an AR sandbox and give
their reactions and responses verbally, which were recorded via audio and/or video. These responses
were transcribed and coded based on the type of interaction. Patterns within and between the differ-
ent student groups will be shared, along with suggestions for how to improve the incorporation of the
AR sandbox into lab settings.
Amalean, Anjali
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Daniel Fogerty, Ms. Rachel Miller
Melody Contour Discrimination with Cochlear Implant Simulation
Though cochlear implant technology has proven helpful for speech perception, music perception
abilities are limited. In general, CI listeners report that music perception is an important and enjoyable
part of life, but this enjoyment often decreases post-implantation due to inherent limitations in the
device. This study aims to determine which perceptual cues are available for melody differentiation so
that cochlear implant technology can be better understood and ultimately improved. Normal hearing
participants from USC’s undergraduate student body were tested on a cochlear implant simulated
melodic contour discrimination task. Melody contour stimuli were created with the music notation
software Sibelius using the MIDI piano setting. Contours were created using five notes each with the
root note staying constant at 440 Hz (A4). Two different interval distances were used to design the
melodic contours: a major second (2 semitones, M2) and a perfect fourth (5 semitones, P4). Within
each interval dimension, contours were assembled into nine different patterns. These patterns con-
sisted of simple “flat,” “rising,”, and “falling” pitch contours and slightly more complex pitch contours
including “rising-falling” and “flat-rising.” The contours were then run through a four channel cochlear
implant simulation in randomized pairs to normal-hearing participants in a sound-attenuating booth
via headphones. Participants were instructed to select whether the two contours sounded the same
or different and to qualify the similarity of the two contours on a 1-7 scale with 1 being very similar and
9
7 being very different. Currently, data is being analyzed to examine the effects of interval size, contour
pattern, and presentation order. It is predicted that the patterns with the larger interval distance and
those that are more dissimilar will be easier to differentiate, as explained by the frequency resolution
of the cochlear implant simulation.
Anderson, Yasmeen
Mentor(s) -- Mrs. Anna Oswald-Hensley
Distinctive Uniqueness
In the Fall semester of 2017, I was a peer leader in a University 101 class. As a peer leader, I was
to assist the instructor, as well as conduct a minimum of five (5) activities for the class. With the
activities, I made sure that they all went along with the covered topic for that week or day. I chose
to become a peer leader because, I wanted to be able to help freshmen with learning how to be a
successful college student. Being a peer leader also allowed me to become a better college student
and provided me the opportunity to help people in a way, that they did not even realize. Conducting
the activities in the class helped me improve my communication and organization skills, with trying to
get the activity together and explaining it to someone who has never done the activity before. Being a
peer leader showed me the importance of taking the University 101 class during one’s freshman year
of college, because it gives you the necessary tools to help you throughout your entire college career.
Through this experience, I plan on continuing to help other students with the basic survival skills of
college.
Anderson, Laura
Mentor(s) -- Mrs. Maegan Gudridge
Stepping Out
The most rewarding thing in my life has been traveling to places where I have never been and often
times do not understand how to speak the language. Last Spring, I had one of these experiences
when I studied abroad in Rome, Italy for four months at John Cabot University, an English speaking
university located in the center of Rome. At John Cabot, I took three business classes and one Italian
literature course, where I learned about how past travelers experienced Italy and was able to travel to
nearby museums and see paintings and statues that inspired different literary works.

Through my courses and travels within Italy, I learned about Italian culture and values and got a
glimpse of how those differ between different regions in Italy. My favorite experiences were those in
which I got to experience a new place with the help of a local.
Reflecting on my experiences, I have come to the conclusion that it is important to go out of your
comfort zone and travel to unfamiliar places. Traveling allows you to learn a lot about a country’s cul-
ture and the different perspectives on how they approach life. This impacts your view of the world and
the way you think - helping develop a new perspective on how to approach issues. It also encourages
you reflect on your own culture and values; which I believe is important.

As I prepare for a professional career in the global economy, I will take with me a lot of the lessons I
learned from studying abroad. I want to encourage others to take a chance and travel to new places
so they too can benefit from the experience. Stepping out of your comfort zone and going somewhere
unknown is not always easy, but it challenges you to redefine the way you think and grow in new and
unexpected ways.
Anderson-Horecny, Elisabeth Zoe
Mentor(s) -- Dr. Matthew Melvin-Koushki
Occultism in the Pre-Civil War South
10