Student Symposium Abstracts

For abstract titles only, organized by year, see our Abstracts by Year page. You may also search the abstract archives by discipline or by using the search tool to the left.


Recontextualizing Guy Endore’s Babouk in the Shadow of Orientalism

April 18th, 2009

Edward Said’s Orientalism is considered by many to be a landmark cultural text that provided much of the basis for what came to be known as post-colonial theory. Read More…




Organic Dyes for Solar Cells

April 18th, 2009

Organic dyes were synthesized for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. Dye-sensitized solar cells are being explored because of their low cost of production and low environmental impact. Read More…




That Bikini Stresses Women Out

April 18th, 2009

The objectification of women and girls pervades most aspects of American culture including mass media communication, interpersonal communication, and the design, development, and marketing of consumer products. Read More…




Evaluation of the Contribution of a Genetic Abnormality to Autism

April 18th, 2009

Autism spectrum disorders, a group of developmental disorders that affect one in every 150 children, are highly heritable. Autism is thought to be caused by a number of epigenetic and genetic factors that are de novo or inherited and influenced by the environment. Read More…




The Squirt Project: Building a Holonomic Turtle-Bot

April 18th, 2009

This presentation will describe the designing and building process of “Squirt,” a holonomic tri-wheeled turtle-bot. Read More…




Imagery of the Table in Pantomime

April 18th, 2009

Derek Walcott’s play Pantomime is a demonstration of how Caribbean culture has evolved since colonial times, and acts as a post-colonial response to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Read More…




Distribution of and Predation on Ornate Box Turtle Nests at Hawkeye Wildlife Area

April 18th, 2009

We examined the distribution and fates of natural nests of ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) in the Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Johnson County, Iowa. Read More…




“But When for the Fourth Time”: Homer’s Transformation of an Oral Formula

April 18th, 2009

One of the most important but least studied formulaic patterns in the Iliad uses various combinations with tris (Greek for ‘three times’) and tetarton (fourth). Read More…




Anabolic Effects of Parathyroid Hormone

April 18th, 2009

Osteoporosis is marked by a decrease in bone mineral density and an increased susceptibility to fracture. Read More…




Trace Elemental Analysis of a North Australian Stalagmite

April 18th, 2009

A 152 cm tall stalagmite (KIM1) was collected from the El NiƱo-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-sensitive and monsoon-dominated Kimberly region of northwestern Australia. Read More…