Tag: Lightning Talk

Amanjot Kailey¹
Rachel Ali Rodriguez¹
Jeffery Barker²
Dustin Hines, Ph.D.²
Faculty Mentor: Rochelle Hines, Ph.D.^2
1College of Science, School of Life Sciences
²College of Liberal Arts, Department of Psychology

ABSTRACT
A key site in the control of neuronal activity patterns is a specialized compartment known as the axon initial segment (AIS). The AIS is a highly organized neuronal compartment whose local density of proteins and morphology in part determine the firing characteristics of neurons. Recent studies have demonstrated that the AIS undergoes important modifications during development, but the molecular mechanisms that affect the development, composition, and morphology of the AIS remain obscure.
We are using western blotting to examine the developmental expression of proteins that are enriched in the AIS across a time course of cortical development, focusing on the time points of postnatal day 5, 10, 20 and adulthood. Using antibodies we are able to specifically detect bands of proteins separated by molecular weight. We analyze these bands to determine intensity of signals a proxy for expression level. We normalize the intensity measured for each protein band to the abundant cytoskeletal protein actin, which allows us to control for the amount of sample loaded. We have found that the AIS protein Neurofascin undergoes a shift in abundance of specific isoforms during postnatal development, presenting an interesting target for further study. Understanding of the developmental regulation of AIS proteins has implications for understanding the development of cortical firing patterns and ultimately for disorders of cortical development.

Lauren Patterson¹
Norma A. Marrun, Ph.D.²
Rosemary Q. Flores²
Averill Kelley²
Kendra Beach²
Faculty Mentor: Christine Clark, Ph.D.^2
1College of Education, Department of Counselor Education, School Psychology, and Human Services
²College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine Nevada state (NAC, NRS, NDE, etc.), UNLV(NSHE code, etc.), and CCSD policy and practices related to required and/or elective Ethnic Studies, multicultural education, and/or diversity coursework for high school student graduation, college student graduation, and teacher licensure, license renewal, and/or continuing education, in order to identify areas of confusion, conflation, weakness, and/or gaps in law and policy support that, if addressed, would lead to improvements in high school and college student learning outcomes and academic success (especially for Students of Color), and to the improved preparation of teachers(especially to effectively teach Students of Color).

Vanessa Booth¹
Faculty Mentor: William E. Brown Jr.^2
1College of Liberal Arts, Department of Political Science
²Brookings Mountain West

ABSTRACT
Presented in this policy study, is an in-depth analysis of the growing Homelessness Crisis occurring across the state of Nevada while focusing on the state of play scenario that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area presents. The data synthesized in this study primarily focuses on predicted homelessness rates, the current scope of the homelessness crisis, housing affordability, accessibility to poverty alleviation services, alongside notable policy recommendations. The scope of the study calls into question the funding formula and allocations of federal funds to solve the current homelessness crisis. Research methodologies in this study include but are not limited to, several mixed-methods like policy data analysis, data interpretation, observations, and archival research. The findings of this study indicate that immediate policy remedies/solutions are needed to alleviate the exacerbating homelessness crisis in Southern Nevada.

Kendra Beach¹
Norma A. Marrun¹
Averill Kelley¹
Rosemary Q. Flores¹
Lauren Patterson²
Faculty Mentor: Christine Clark, Ph.D.^1
1College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning
²College of Education, Department of Counselor Education, School Psychology, and Human Services

ABSTRACT
This study identifies school policies and practices that create a gap in support for Ethnic Studies for high school graduation, college graduation, and teacher licensures. The first method was interviewing specific stakeholders through zoom who were in the position for the purpose of the research. The interviewed participants answered questions about the policies related to Ethnic studies, practice school policies, and implications of the ratification of Ethnic study policies in Nevada. The second method was analyzing Nevada state and Department of Education policies relating to teacher education. Interpreting how UNLV teacher licensure programs apply those policies in the preparation curriculum. Results from the methods were initial findings were 75% of the student population in CCSD are students of color, but there are still limited clubs that surround racialized experiences. Although students who participated in racial/ethnic club activities led to more enrollment in elective courses. Ethnic studies are considered along with social studies and “diversity studies”, which need to be differentiated from one another. Ethnic study courses can be a valuable enhancement to build cross-racial solidarity and create opportunities to make sense of school experiences. It is critical to make a foundation for success for Students of Color and Families of color in many schools and communities in CCSD.

Andrea Rangelova¹
Faculty Mentor: Aya Louisa McDonald, Ph.D.^1
1College of Fine Arts, Department of Art

ABSTRACT
In 2004 Bulgarian archeologists, Dr. Kitov and Dr. Dimitrova, discovered a unique Hellenistic era bronze head in a Royal Thracian burial, outside the Golyamata Kosmatka tomb. Research and visual analysis has shown that this head is most likely a portrait of Seuthes III, the ruler of Odrysian Thrace. This identification is indicated by its close resemblance to realistically sculpted profile images of Seuthes III found on Thracian coins. In both cases the heads are characterized by a thick beard and a crooked nose, which create a singular, individual identity. Traditional Greek bronze heads around 4 B.C. are beardless.
The head is a masterpiece of Hellenistic realism, dated to c. 4th Century BCE. The archaeologists further suggest that the bronze head of Seuthes III played a significant part in spiritual rituals of the Odryssian Thracians. Further objects inside the Golyamata Kosmatka tomb reveal the substantial influence of Hellenistic Greek art: a silver pitcher, a silver vial, a gold wreath with oak leaves, and a bronze helmet engraved in Greek script with the name of Seuthes III. Fragmentary images of the Gorgon Medusa were found on the funeral bed and the bronze helmet. We conclude that the bronze head of Seuthes III is unique and has no analog in the Greek World.

Kristine Monsada¹
Mustafa Diallo²
Cecilia Garcia-Leon²
Mayra Carrera²
Khristine Le²
Faculty Mentor: Sang-Duck Seo, Ph.D.^2
1Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, Department of Computer Science
²College of Fine Arts, Department of Art

ABSTRACT
According to The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), an average of 28,000 crimes were reported on college campuses across the United States in 2019. However, while many universities offer services to help students stay safe while on campus, students continue to feel unsafe.
The University of Nevada Las Vegas’s (UNLV) proximity to the Las Vegas Strip causes campus to be vulnerable to crime. While UNLV offers students safety resources through their campus safety app, ‘RebelSafe,’ we found that only a small percentage of UNLV students actually use the app and wanted to pinpoint why. Thus, we focused our research on improving the usability and User Experience (UX) of this existing campus safety application by redesigning the app and conducting usability tests with the redesign.
To test the effectiveness of the new redesign, our empirical study consists of three tasks for participants to execute: contacting police, requesting safety escorts, and accessing other safety resources. The findings from the usability testing help us analyze the difficulties users experience from the prototype. They also help us determine areas that are working and areas that need improvement.
By focusing on the improvement of the existing UNLV RebelSafe mobile app, this study intends not only to specify an effective user interface design that fits into emergency protocol procedure but also to clarify the campus safety resources through a single mobile application.

Tracy Fuentes^1,2
Faculty Mentor: Amy M. Green, Ph.D.^1
1College of Liberal Arts, Department of English
²College of Liberal Arts, Department of Political Science

ABSTRACT
Despite how much anime has grown in popularity over the decade and even more so this past year, studies on animes outside of Studio Ghibli’s filmography remain minimal compared to the large amount of content available today. The complexity and artistry presented in anime make them worthy of literary analysis, and the anime Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is no exception to this. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure spans five parts consisting of different storylines, each with its own protagonist. This paper seeks to explore the anime Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure as a literary work, and specifically examine how the characters compare to the typical hero and portrayals of masculinity. This character analysis argues that although the five protagonists of the anime are drastically different in personality and character, they all possess four basic traits of a hero: selflessness, bravery, a strong sense of justice, and the ability to succeed alone. Using the words of the creator of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki; evidence from the anime; and research on heroes and Japanese culture, this paper demonstrates how the five characters exemplify these heroic traits.