Throughout the semester Addison worked within the Community Engagement Office to play various roles throughout the organization. She worked on the ACHIEVE program to promote health literacy within the community. She also worked on a HRSA grant the office was awarded for the year. This grant focuses on developing a Rural Health Collaborative for Huntingdon County. She helped conduct research on the topic throughout the community. She will present on her experience within these projects, as well as the state of the Rural Health Collaborative and findings from the research collected. 

 Since the inception of Christianity, religious intolerance has targeted diverse groups, often justified through varying degrees of public, political, and ecclesiastical backing. A persistent theme in American colonial history is the narrative of fleeing religious persecution; however, the journey to new lands has historically not exempted the British colonies or the United States from religious persecution and intolerance. Despite Thomas Aquinas’s assertion that “coercion cannot produce faith,” Thomas Jefferson’s declaration that “our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions,” and William Penn’s assertion that “I know no religion that destroys courtesy, civility, and kindness,” widespread practice of religious intolerance persists among Americans.

Although methods, political messaging, and supporting institutions have evolved, the prejudice against “the other” has remained significant. Historical instances include anti-Catholicism, antisemitism, the establishment of Judeo-Christian dominance, anti-Islam sentiment, the Ku Klux Klan, Asian exclusion policies, and recent illegal actions driven by xenophobia, such as those executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Movements of religious intolerance have utilized various political defenses; nevertheless, each has gained powerful momentum through populist justifications rooted in hatred, often cloaked in religious sanction. The latest manifestation of religious intolerance warrants a more careful examination of the genuine convictions of Evangelical Christians. Evangelicalism adheres to foundational principles such as Biblicism, crucicentrism, activism, and conversionism. Despite the shortcomings of these principles and inter-denominational disagreements, it is undeniable that none of these tenets inherently mandate intolerance. Through a hermeneutical examination of Christian ethics, political discourse, and historical cases, I argue that the support of conservative Christians for Donald Trump – antithetical of a Thomistic ethic – and his illiberal ideology do not deviate from historic forms of exclusionism that serve an American civil religion emphasizing various models of religious intolerance and Christian nationalism.

This presentation will highlight the Juniata College Model United Nations Team's experience participating in two Model UN conferences in the spring semester. Team members will reflect on the preparation process, skills gained through participation such as public speaking, critical thinking, and cross-cultural awareness and how the Model UN experience connects to broader academic and professional development.

Understanding how composition and structure influence corrosion is critical for designing alloys that are safer, longer lasting, and more reliable in demanding environments. Corrosion resistance in metallic alloys is strongly influenced by composition, phase constitution, and atomic-scale structure. In chromium-containing systems, even small variations in elemental concentration and distribution can significantly affect passivation behavior and overall electrochemical performance. This presentation focuses on the preparation and structural characterization of arc-melted alloys designed for subsequent corrosion evaluation. This work specifically examines how aluminum additions to Fe–Cr and Ni–Cr alloys modify passivation behavior by affecting chromium connectivity and percolation thresholds within the alloy matrix.

Alloys were synthesized via arc melting to promote chemical homogeneity. After sectioning, samples were mechanically polished using silicon carbide papers to a 1600-grit finish to ensure consistent and reproducible surface conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with compositional analysis was used to verify that measured alloy compositions matched target values and that composition was preserved throughout preparation. Phase identification and crystallographic analysis were conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine phase constitution and structural stability. The final stage of this work involves electrochemical characterization using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) to evaluate corrosion and passivation behavior. By establishing compositional accuracy and phase structure prior to testing, the resulting LSV responses can be directly correlated to alloy design and processing conditions, enabling clearer interpretation of structure-corrosion relationships.

A social role can be defined as a set of expectations about behaviors for a position in a specific social context. In the context of sport, a role refers to a specific position or function that an individual takes, receives, or otherwise attempts to fulfill within a team or organization, characterized by a framework of expected behaviors and responsibilities. Role-related factors strongly influence performance in sport. When athletes clearly understand roles, feel confident in their ability to perform them, and accept those roles, performance improves. In contrast, unclear or conflicting expectations impact performance. Role-related factors also influence anxiety. When athletes experience role ambiguity or role conflict, uncertainty increases cognitive anxiety, making it harder to focus and perform effectively. In contrast, clear roles and high role efficacy reduce anxiety by increasing confidence, allowing athletes to perform more consistently. Given concurrent findings that anxiety influences athletic performance, it is plausible that anxiety mediates the relationship between athletes’ role perceptions and sport performance. This cohesive mediatory model has yet to be empirically evaluated. To evaluate the potential mediating effect of anxiety on the relationship between role-related factors and performance, individuals from multiple intercollegiate athletic teams were surveyed during their competitive season to document their subjective role ambiguity, role (self) efficacy, role overload, role conflict, role satisfaction, and role commitment, as well as their levels of cognitive and somatic anxiety. Before data were collected during the competitive season, coaches were asked to monitor and report relevant objective performance metrics for each athlete. This allows for the evaluation of the extent to which anxiety mediates the relationship between role perception and objective sport performance. Participants were recruited from a selection of different ball sports teams operating during the fall semester (football, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer). Aside from performance metrics, variables of interest were assessed through a self-report questionnaire. Results will be presented and discussed. 

Our French 399 course this semester illustrated how upper-level language students do not see their abilities improve in the same ways as they would earlier in their language journey. The course was literature and conversation based, and was conducted entirely in French. Coursework for students included reading and analyzing French and Francophone texts, then creating their own works based on the style of the text. This allowed for use of diverse vocabulary and grammatical concepts while exploring point-of-view, art-inspired writing, adjusting tone for time periods, and exploration of French history and culture. Additionally, students developed their language ability in one-on-one conversations with a fluent French speaker and structured group discussions outside of class. We found that measuring students' improvement was less significant in vocabulary size and understanding of grammar structures. Rather, most improvement was observed in students' ease and ability to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world reading, writing, and speaking situations.

This thesis examines the liberation of Ohrdruf concentration camp on April 4, 1945. It was at Ohrdruf that American forces learned the extent of the systematic brutality, mass death, and starvation committed by the Nazi regime. Using oral histories of American soldiers, military documents, and the writings of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General George S. Patton, this thesis reconstructs the soldiers’ initial reactions and emotional responses to the camp. Importantly Eisenhower’s determination to document and publicize the evidence is also explored. By ordering soldiers, journalists, legislators, and German civilians to witness the camp firsthand, he laid the foundation for the world to never forget.

Counterfeit products remain a persistent and costly issue in global supply chains,
driven largely by limited transparency and reliance on centralized record-keeping
systems. These limitations hinder the ability to verify product authenticity and
trace goods across multiple stakeholders. Blockchain technology has emerged
as a potential solution by enabling secure, decentralized, and immutable
recording of supply chain transactions.
This research investigates the application of blockchain as an anti-counterfeiting
mechanism in supply chain management. Drawing on existing literature and
system design principles, the study examines how blockchain’s core
features—immutability, decentralization, and transparency—can enhance
traceability and reduce the risk of counterfeit infiltration. Additionally, the paper
explores the role of complementary technologies such as RFID, QR codes, and
IoT devices in strengthening the connection between physical products and their digital records.
The analysis highlights both the benefits and limitations of blockchain adoption,
including improved trust and traceability alongside challenges such as scalability,
implementation cost, and data integrity. Overall, this research evaluates the
feasibility of blockchain-based systems as a practical tool for improving supply
chain security and reducing counterfeiting.

This research explores the use of machine learning models to predict startup outcomes using a Crunchbase-derived dataset containing approximately 54,000 companies and 39 variables related to funding history, market category, and company status. The data was cleaned, examined through exploratory analysis, and transformed through feature engineering to support both multiclass and binary classification tasks. Models including Decision Tree, Random Forest, XGBoost and other machine learning models were applied to compare predictive performance across different startup outcome categories. Evaluation focused on measures such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, confusion matrices, and feature importance, with particular attention to the effects of class imbalance. Overall, the study aims to assess how machine learning can be used to better understand patterns associated with startup success, acquisition, and failure.

Museums are spaces where the history of humanity has been told for centuries. Once a site of wonder for powerful elites, museums have transformed into the community-centered educational hubs we know today. However, museums have also acted as tools of the empire, with the power to shape history and national identity. They are not always neutral institutions with neutral leaders, and instead can function as mirrors of an inherently white supremacist, patriarchal culture borne out of colonial exploitations. Analyzing the history of museums as institutions in the United States, and the biases that they have evolved within, we can bring to light inherent practices that uphold systems of hegemony. This presentation considers two case studies, Harlem on My Mind: Cultural Capital of Black America, 1900-1968 (1969) and Scaffold (2012), exhibitions that demonstrate how museums in the United States operate within a systemic white supremacist culture, prompting a need to deconstruct colonial mindsets in museum practices. 

The alterations of climate change across the world are unprecedented in both the amount and rate of change. These changes are impacting biotic and abiotic factors of many ecosystems. In response many species’ ranges are shifting and their normal behaviors may be altered, ultimately impacting how species may interact. Insect life history traits (e.g., development, activity, reproduction) rely heavily on seasonality, being synchronized with fluctuations in light, temperature, moisture, and resource availability. Many insects withstand extreme seasonal fluctuations via diapause – a period of low metabolic activity and developmental arrest triggered by photoperiod and/or temperature - which is an important seasonal phenology, as its timing can influence other life history processes. The field cricket species, Gryllus pennsylvanicus and G. firmus, have ranges that span a large latitudinal and climatic gradient, and readily interact/interbreed in a hybrid zone along the edge of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern U.S. Using these species, we characterized the variability and obligacy of diapause between species and latitudinal populations. We used common garden experiments in which we overwintered eggs from four populations of both species and an F1 hybrid for different lengths of time. We then quantified how long it took for them to hatch after ending overwintering. These experiments have given us a baseline of diapause to be able to study and characterize these life history traits and their variability in response to a changing climate across the entire latitudinal range of these species. Furthermore, these data can be used to study how these processes impact species interactions and hybridization dynamics in these species.

Monolayer (ML) transition metals exhibit magnetic behavior distinct from their bulk counterparts, offering promise for spintronic and quantum applications. Silicon carbide (SiC) substrates provide a practical platform for stabilizing these low-dimensional systems by serving as templates for ML growth. In this work, we investigate the magnetic properties of ML-Fe in both isolated form and supported on SiC, where specific bonding sites produce a structure similar to a strained ?-Fe(111) surface. Using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations in QuantumATK, we apply both compressive and tensile strain to examine its influence on magnetic behavior. We find that increasing tensile strain consistently enhances the magnetic moment. Projected density of states (PDOS) analysis reveals a shift in the d-band center and increased splitting between spin channels, indicating stronger exchange interactions as the origin of this trend. These results are further supported by calculations using an improved plane-wave basis, confirming the robustness of the observed behavior. Overall, this work demonstrates how strain can be used to tune magnetism in monolayer transition metal systems and provides insight for future experimental design.

My name is Audrey Muth and I am a senior studying Campus Ministry Education. 

For my capstone, I conducted a campus-wide study to gauge Juniata students' perspectives on religion/spirituality and the effects it may have on the student body. 

Faculty assistance is from Dr. Kathy Jones and Dr. Susan Prill, alongside Campus Minister Lisa Baer. 

Imagine n drivers arriving at a row of n parking spaces and each trying to park in a preferred spot — sometimes they must move right to the next free space. If all the cars can park without backing up, the list of those first preferences is a combinatorial object called a parking function. In this project I give a hands-on procedure that turns a (non-decreasing) parking function into an up-and-right lattice path (a Dyck path), and then into a rooted binary tree. The rules are concrete and visual, so the whole process can be drawn step by step. The project describes which preference patterns produce general versus binary trees, and explores a few natural statistics that are preserved or transformed under the map. This makes an accessible, visually engaging story connecting three classical families of combinatorial objects. 

Consumer purchases can result in pain, which can be perceptual and neurological. Variations of pain are affected by a multitude of factors.  For example, purchasing goods causes more pain than services do. When payment involves a high presence of monetary ethereality, the subconscious devalues payment, which causes a distance between methods, which in turn causes a lesser pain of paying or a gradient response to be felt by a person on average. At the extreme end, Buy Now and Pay Later (BNPL), and subscription models are suggested to have little to no pain associated with them, with resulting behavior causing overconsumption in certain demographic groups. Younger generations are the primary demographic towards subscription and BNPL business models. This may be due to the developmental myelination of the thought process and value evaluation proposition of short-term over long-term purchases. In this presentation, I will elaborate on this purchasing behavior and its inverse correlation to neural development. Future recommendations on consumer purchasing behavior research will be proposed for later use. 

Wayfinding is no simple task, especially for those of us with learning differences. Luckily, research suggests that with practice and training people can improve their spatial capabilities. One possibility for training these skills is by using a virtual reality (VR) module. This research aims to focus, specifically, on adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. While there is some literature on navigational abilities in those with ASD, the results and study types vary greatly, and none have used VR as a tool. 

The goal of this study is to understand the navigational experiences of individuals that identify with having ASD or other developmental learning differences, and we will be presenting preliminary results from this research at LAS. This study will utilize survey methodology and open-ended responses to assess the wayfinding abilities of those who identify with having learning differences and how it differs in the real world and in virtual reality. Researchers will analyze the statements and survey results, and share results in this presentation. 

In a rapidly developing world that relies on natural resources and land for continued expansion, ecosystems are constantly being picked apart and destroyed, which is affecting the inhabitants of those areas. One of the big populations being impacted that is generally overlooked are small rodent species. Despite being extremely significant in their environments as seed dispersers, prey sources, etc., their habitats and resources are being depleted without much care or aid. Therefore, it is crucial we not only advocate for their safety and the preservation of environments but also learn ways to aid in their restoration. One of these ways is to create sustainable and affordable habitats for them to reside in so that we can increase their safe places in a way that is eco-friendly, repeatable, and versatile. For my senior capstone project, I looked into some ways to create these habitats and then built and placed them on some property nearby to see if they were effective in attracting inhabitants, and to see if they were generally easy and affordable to create. Once the habitats are installed long enough, I will present on the building process and if any rodent presence is observed so that other people are aware and inspired to make a big impact for our little friends. 

Chronic Wasting Disease was first discovered in 1967 at a captive deer
facility in Colorado. It was not until 2012 that Chronic Wasting Disease was
discovered in Pennsylvania. Chronic Wasting Disease was found in a captive
white-tailed deer in Adams county. Since then, 473 wild white-tailed deer have
tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in the state. Chronic Wasting
Disease is believed to be spread by the discarding of body fluids from infected
cervids. Saliva, urine, and feces are carriers of this prion that come into contact
with the environment. The prion is deposited in the soil, on food sources, and in
potable water. It is believed that noninfected deer can contract this disease by
coming into contact with these prions through grazing, drinking, or deer to deer
contact. While prions are not living entities, they are believed to remain
infectious in soil for several years. Research suggests that the Chronic Wasting
Disease prion along with other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, could
bind to soil particles. This allows the disease to be present in the environment,
even if no cervids are infected. Through the course of this research, we plan to
examine the different characteristic properties of soil and relate the findings to the
distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease throughout Pennsylvania.

My thesis examines how political ideology shapes media representations of sexual assault and the extent to which these representations reinforce rape myths and rape culture. Drawing on framing theory, I conduct a comparative qualitative content analysis of 27 news articles covering three cases: Madison Brooks, Brock Turner, and Gisele Pelicot. For each case, I analyse three articles from three ideologically distinct outlets – Fox News (right), BBC (centrist), and MS Now (left). By comparing how these outlets select facts, assign responsibility, describe victims and perpetrators, and structure narratives, I investigate whether and how ideological orientation influences framing of sexual violence. Ultimately, my project seeks to determine how these framing differences contribute to the perpetuation of rape myths and the cultural norms that sustain rape culture.  

Tickborne diseases (TBDs) are an increasing public health concern across Pennsylvania. A study from 2024 established that the prevalence of tickborne pathogens in sampled Huntingdon County ticks is alarmingly at six times the national average. This elevated risk highlights a need for accurate and efficient surveillance strategies for rural, underserved communities. Referencing related literature, a quantitative PCR protocol was developed to best assess 145 ticks submitted by the Huntingdon community in a multiplex analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti in extracted DNA. Pathogen detection was determined based on target-specific qPCR amplification curves. Preliminary findings will characterize overall and pathogen-specific prevalence within the sampled population and explore potential associations between pathogen presence and tick characteristics such as species, size, and engorgement. These results contribute to a better understanding of local tickborne disease risk and demonstrate the utility of multiplex qPCR panels for community-level pathogen surveillance.

Esta presentación analiza el tango “Uno” (1943) de Enrique Santos Discépolo desde la perspectiva de la masculinidad y su transformación en el tango. Aunque la letra presenta una traición amorosa, el texto revela una crisis existencial marcada por imágenes religiosas, sacrificio y pérdida interior. El protagonista no aparece como fuerte o dominante, sino como vulnerable y fracturado. “Uno” muestra cómo el tango refleja el dolor individual y la inestabilidad moral de Argentina.

Investigated the differences between male and female responses to intrasexual competition primes. In other words, do males and females respond differently to competition regarding their romantic partner?

The Juniata College Strength and Conditioning program recently introduced bar velocity sensors to enhance athlete performance tracking through velocity-based training. This research explores how factors such as sleep quality and fatigue influence athletic performance by analyzing data collected from the Output Sports system and athlete wellness surveys. An interactive dashboard will be developed to visualize trends, provide actionable insights, and support individualized training adjustments for coaches and athletes. Ultimately, this project aims to promote data-driven decision-making and improve athletic performance through the integration of technology and data analysis.

The goal of microfinance institutions (MFIs) is to provide financial services to vulnerable, low-income individuals, such as women and refugee populations in host communities. Recently, however, many MFIs have shifted toward a more commercial approach, targeting customers who already run businesses, mainly in urban areas, and tend to be less poor and male. Current research suggests that this change in the MFI business model stems from many microcredit ventures' belief that these women and refugees might increase financial risk and loan delinquency, making them hesitant to lend. In contrast, some other studies show that women tend to have higher repayment rates than men, so understanding MFIs’ bias against displaced populations remains puzzling. Through microcredit loan disbursements and loan delinquency rates of women and refugees across multiple regions, this study examines whether a higher concentration of displaced borrowers and a larger share of female borrowers are associated with higher loan delinquency rates.

Traditional academic planning often relies on rigid, keyword-dependent course catalogs that fail to capture the nuanced interests and career goals of students. This presentation details the 2025–2026 development of AlfieAI Courses, a specialized module within the AlfieAI ecosystem designed to bridge the gap between student intent and curricular opportunities at Juniata College. Our presentation analyzes the architectural design of the AI scheduling system, how we determined the optimal embedding model to use, and how it compares to Self Service's lexical search engine.

Schiff-base transition metal complexes have been identified to have significant biological activities with applications in areas such as antimicrobial agents and anticancer medication. This project aims to create compounds that could be utilized in these areas. Schiff bases are made through the condensation of an aldehyde such as salicylaldehyde with an amine. The unique approach of this project is to replace commonly used salicylaldehyde with 2-pyridine-carbaldehyde N-oxide (poxal) that combined with ß-alanine produces a new type of Schiff bases. Coordination complexes were created through reactions of a copper salt, poxal, and ß-alanine using template synthesis. In many syntheses, additional ligands such as imidazole, pyrazole, or pyridine were used to help with crystallization and altering properties of the products. Overall, this project synthesized and characterized three new copper(II) bromide Schiff-base complexes with promising biological activity.

In this presentation I will be showing the process of making a short film using the knowledge I've gained throughout my 4 years here at Juniata College.

The value of athletics on campus at small, liberal arts schools goes far beyond entertainment value and can be fully exemplified by the sense of belonging and the academic rigor it affords student athletes. The previous explanation for the value of athletics at small, liberal arts schools has been limited to monetary benefits. Historically, these institutions prioritized intellectual pursuits while viewing sports as a secondary distraction. Furthermore, the community has only been explained within teams and has not been interwoven with academic rigor at these institutions. This research explores the value of athletics on small, liberal arts campuses using qualitative data gathered from the Juniata College alumni magazine database. Data observed from 1995 to 2025 coincides with the creation of the Athletics Hall of Fame and observes the Hall of Fame inductees. Contrary to what has often been understood, the experience of the student athlete at a small liberal arts institution contributes to the greater community beyond performance in one’s sport. Modern analysis suggests a symbiotic relationship exists between the playing field and the lecture hall. The research conducted finds that the student-athlete population creates a wider campus sense of belonging, which guides academic rigor. By examining personal narratives, this study highlights how athletic involvement nurtures holistic development. These athletes have been found to guide a competitive classroom culture fostered through the harmony achieved between the general campus and athletics. 

In the 21st century, marriage is understood as a partnership between equals, but this is a relatively recent idea. In the medieval and Victorian periods, marriage was understood as a contract between the man (the master) and the woman (the servant). Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales provide a fascinating lens into how elite people of the late 14th century understood marriage, and more specifically, the amount of control a woman had in her own life. Five hundred years later, Mary Eliza Haweis, a preacher’s wife, reinterpreted Chaucer for the young boy and the home-schooling mother. Haweis translated, updated, and criticized five of Chaucer’s Tales in Chaucer for Children (1877). This paper will concentrate on three of those Tales, The Knight’s Tale, The Clerk’s Tale, and The Franklin’s Tale. The heroines of these Tales, Emelye, Griselda, and Dorigen, are united through their lack of choice but each woman interacts with their forced subservience in a slightly different way. By analyzing these three women’s stories in the original medieval period, and their Victorian reinterpretation, we can understand how the institution of marriage, and more importantly, female agency has been represented in these two key periods.

Turtles in central Pennsylvania play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem health and overall habitat balance. Several species in this region, including the eastern box turtle, spotted turtle, wood turtle, and common snapping turtle, are considered vulnerable, making them important indicators of environmental conditions. This project focuses on the development of turtle habitat within a constructed wetland on privately owned land undergoing ecological restoration after a period of neglect. The private landowners have actively implemented habitat management practices to restore the land, making it more accessible and suitable for a wide range of native species. With approximately 70–71% of forested land in Pennsylvania, roughly 12 million acres, being privately owned, conservation efforts on private land are essential for supporting native species and maintaining healthy ecosystems.  In addition to on-site habitat development, this study incorporates a statistical assessment of turtle observations from iNaturalist across Huntingdon County to identify patterns in turtle presence. This analysis provides further insight into habitat use and distribution while complementing the focus on habitat restoration. By evaluating habitat improvements and observational data, this study highlights the broader ecological benefits of wetland restoration and emphasizes the important role private landowners play in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.  

Abstract
Background: Environmental exposures contribute to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk, but are difficult to measure directly in large cohorts. Circulating metabolomic profiles provide a biologically integrated representation of the internal chemical environment, capturing both endogenous processes and responses to exogenous exposures. The enzyme epoxide hydrolase 1 (EPHX1) plays a central role in detoxifying reactive epoxide intermediates generated by environmental toxicants, suggesting a potential gene–environment interaction pathway in neurodegeneration.

Objective: To evaluate whether functional variation in EPHX1 modifies the longitudinal association between circulating metabolomic signatures of the internal chemical environment and Alzheimer’s disease progression.

Methods: Data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were used to construct a longitudinal cohort with repeated cognitive and neuroimaging measures. Genome-wide genotype data were used to extract EPHX1 variants (rs1051740, rs2234922). A metabolite score representing the internal chemical environment was derived from unsaturated phosphatidylcholine and related lipid species measured using Biocrates Quant 500 metabolomics platforms. Duplicate metabolite measurements were harmonized by aggregating within subject and visit. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess whether EPHX1 genotype modified the association between baseline metabolite score and longitudinal change in Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and MRI-based atrophy, adjusting for age, sex, education, and APOE e4 status.

Results: The metabolite score captured a coherent lipid signature reflective of membrane turnover and oxidative stress pathways. Preliminary analyses indicate that higher metabolite burden is associated with worse cognitive trajectories. Interaction models suggest that individuals carrying lower-efficiency EPHX1 alleles exhibit steeper cognitive decline in the presence of elevated metabolite scores, consistent with increased vulnerability to the internal chemical environment. Similar directional effects were observed for MRI outcomes.

Conclusions: These findings support a gene–environment interaction framework in which EPHX1 variation modulates susceptibility to chemical stress reflected in circulating metabolites. By leveraging metabolomics as a proxy for environmental exposure, this study provides a scalable approach to investigating environmental contributions to Alzheimer’s disease and highlights detoxification pathways as potential targets for risk stratification and intervention.

This research focuses on the rise of corporate consolidation in modern America, which mirrors the monopolistic conditions of the Gilded Age. By examining the development of federal corporate antitrust laws, this thesis suggests that reviving the broader antitrust philosophy of the Progressive Era could help to restore a competitive economy.

This project served to outline an environmental education center and property museum for the Sidwell property. The Sidwells have been working to enhance habit on their property and reverse some of the negative effects of long term agricultural use. As a result, this property would be a good for firsthand observation of conservation techniques. This project develops a plan to use the unique elements of this property as a means for education. This includes outlining possible curriculum and a hypothetical education space while acknowledging the economics of the project. In addition to the environmental education aspects, this project looks at property and family history to add a museum to the hypothetical center. The Sidwells have collected documents regarding family history, sale of the property and surrounding properties, and elements of local history. Archaeological digs have also uncovered artifacts that could be displayed. In combining the conservation and historical elements of the property, this project aims to design a hypothetical education center that would be useful to the property owners, the community, and to Juniata College. 

Pitfall traps were used to survey ground-dwelling insects, spiders, and other invertebrates at a site along Standing Stone Creek. This study compared invertebrate communities in different habitat types. 

Cohesion is a key construct in sport psychology that influences athletic performance, encompassing both task cohesion—the shared commitment to collective goals—and social cohesion—the interpersonal bonds among team members. This study examines how the relationship between cohesion and performance differs between athletes in co-acting sports (golf) and interdependent sports (lacrosse). Participants included collegiate athletes from Juniata College (n =60 ), with 22 golfers and 38 lacrosse players aged 18–24 years. Cohesion is measured using the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ), which assesses four dimensions of team and individual cohesion. Performance indicators include individual tournament scores and team averages for golf, and win–loss records and player statistics for lacrosse. Data is analyzed using regression analyses in JAMOVI to determine whether sport type impacts the relationship between cohesion and performance. It is hypothesized that both task and social cohesion display relationships with performance in interdependent sports, whereas only social cohesion shows a relationship with performance in co-acting sports. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of how different forms of cohesion function across sport types, providing insight into how coaches and sport psychologists can tailor team-building strategies to optimize performance in both individual and team-based contexts.

My capstone project is a documentary about Chinese students’ live in Juniata college. Focusing on the theme of belonging, loneliness, and future purpose.

Communication connects and guides us in our everyday relationships. As social beings, we long for an outlet to be connected. Follow my journey as I explore how to understand my thoughts and feelings through cinema.

In this presentation, I introduce my bachelor’s thesis, which looks at how viral videos showing private or emotionally charged moments spread on social media and how professional journalism deals with the same incidents. While social media allows content to circulate quickly and without formal ethical constraints, journalism follows established professional guidelines concerning verification, privacy, and harm minimization.

Based on five recent case studies, the thesis compares these different approaches and examines the tension between fast, emotion-driven visibility and journalistic responsibility. It explores how this tension shapes public discussion and affects both media practice and the individuals involved.

Exploring how the intentional construction of brush piles serves as a vital management tool for enhancing biodiversity by mimicking the natural complexity of the forest floor. By examining forestry practices and regional experimental data, learn how these woody structures provide essential cover for nesting, thermoregulation, and predator avoidance in small mammal populations. This research aims to outline best practices for site selection and construction techniques while evaluating the biological impact on wildlife populations in managed or urban landscapes. Learn how these cost-effective, man-made structures can mitigate habitat loss caused by "clean" forestry practices.

una presentación sobre la nueva canción / la nueva trova / una canción de protesta

Esta presentación analiza la canción, cómo la canción 'Mataron un Inocente' de Hector & Tito es una canción de protesta del género de reggaetón, analizando sus letras, contexto histórico y significado cultural.

Chemical defenses are widely evolved throughout the tree of life. Animals can exploit mutualisms with toxin-producing symbionts as a mechanism of chemical defense. However, this has only begun to be deeply explored and how these mutualisms may be related to how animals synthesize or acquire their toxins has been even less studied. True toads synthesize their own toxins and offer a novel system to study the interplay between the cutaneous skin microbiome and how it may contribute to toxin synthesis or biotransformation. In this study, we investigated whether the cutaneous microbiome of the American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) was spatially structured across body surfaces in relation to toxin storage and secretion and assessed whether microbial communities exhibit distinctive bacterial taxa involved in toxin-related biochemical pathways. To do this, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing, diversity metrics and differential abundance comparisons, functional pathway predictions, and ecological interaction networks. Our results indicate that the dorsal and ventral cutaneous surfaces harbor distinct bacterial assemblages, with the dorsal surface being enriched for taxa that have the capability of degrading or transforming structurally complex and toxic organic compounds. This study provides insights into how the toad skin microbiome may contribute to the chemical defenses of toads and could reveal novel aspects of host-microbiome interactions in amphibians.

This study examines whether students with overlapping or intersectional identities report different levels of happiness at Juniata College. Using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, emotional well-being was measured based on responses to five statements reflecting experiences over the past two weeks. Participants rated each statement on a 6-point Likert scale, and scores were calculated to produce an overall well-being score ranging from 0 to 100. The study focuses on how factors such as identity, career goals, and personal motivations may relate to students’ overall happiness. Findings aim to provide insight into how intersectionality shapes student experiences and well-being, contributing to broader discussions on diversity, inclusion, and student support on college campuses.

Want to study abroad but not sure where to adventure? Join Danny McCauley and Adithya Kommi as they recount their time in Japan for the Hiroshima and Peace Study Abroad Program, sponsored by the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

Conventional plastic materials are derived from fossil-fuel carbon sources. Recent research demonstrates there are greener plastic alternatives based on renewable carbon sources. One such class of greener plastic materials is polycarbonates derived from carbon dioxide and epoxides, which can be synthesized using iron(III) amine triphenolate complexes as catalysts. While these catalysts allow for greener plastic production, the catalyst synthesis is harmful to environmental and human health. Using principles of green chemistry, we have evaluated and adapted the iron catalyst synthesis. In particular, we have identified an air and water stable reaction route and incorporated greener solvent choices. This presentation will describe our refined synthetic pathways to an iron(III) amine triphenolate complex.

In January 2025, Juniata College received a Mellon Foundation Grant focusing on the use of digital storytelling to capture Appalachian stories regarding economic challenges. We will share instructional design considerations and strategies, resources, and lessons learned in creating training resources. Our media blueprint will be shared as an OER.

Schiff-base transition metal complexes are of interest due to their potential applications in drug discovery, particularly in anti-cancer therapeutics. Past research commonly focuses on studying Schiff-base complexes derived from amino acids and various aldehydes, most frequently using salicylaldehyde and its derivatives. We employ a new approach for the syntheses of these complexes by introducing an N-oxide group onto the Schiff-base, using 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde N-oxide (poxal). The N-oxide group may positively influence biological activities in biological fluids. Several coordination compounds were synthesized using various combinations of copper(II) salts, poxal, and 3-aminobutanoic acid or L-phenylalanine as amino acids. Repeated attempts of these syntheses were executed in varying ratios of copper(II) salts to ligands and done in different solvents to learn more about complexes that can form. To improve the chances to grow crystals suitable for crystallographic characterization of products, additional small ligands such as pyrazole, imidazole, and pyridine were also used in some experiments. Synthesis, spectroscopic, and crystallographic characterization of the prepared complexes will be presented. Our research aims to improve the anti-cancer activities of Schiff-base metal complexes through adding the N-oxide functionality. 

My honors research dives into the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) messaging on social media by looking into how the NRA uses certain words to mobilize its supporters. I look into the history of the NRA’s messaging on social media to study the language they have used. Then, I look into the NRA’s language on X and their website to see how it compares to the past.

Translating multi-omic findings into clinically actionable tools remains a major barrier in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. Prior analyses identified a gene–environment interaction in which EPHX1 variation modifies the relationship between metabolomic signatures of the internal chemical environment and cognitive decline. Building on these findings, there is a need to operationalize these signals into predictive models that can inform real-world clinical workflows.

Esta presentación (en español) analiza la canción como forma de poesía popular, prestando atención a sus letras, contexto histórico y significado cultural

I studied the effect of shelterwoods on temporal niche partitioning in forest dwelling bats in a northern mixed forest in the Adirondack Mountains. I compared the data from four 13- acre shelterwoods. The shelterwood treatments included unmanaged, irregular, shelterwood with openings, and conventional. At each treatment, a Wildlife Acoustics SM4BAT FS with a SMM-U2 Ultrasonic omnidirectional microphone were deployed during July of 2024. Calls were attributed and identified using Sonobat 30. To evaluate niche partitioning of species, temporary activity was compared using overlap indices.  

Before the smokestacks rose and the mountains were cut open, the American landscape stood as a symbol of promise and unique, untouched grandeur. The explosion of the coal industry in the nineteenth-century altered the natural land and the terrain became both a resource and a casualty of national progress. American landscape artists grappled with this transformed environment, capturing both its beauty and its ecological consequences. This presentation explores how coal-driven industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth century reshaped the American landscape and considers how artists responded to various environmental alterations. We will examine the visual transformation of landscape art as it moves from idealized, vast depictions of pristine wilderness to artistic practices that respond to ecological degradation. This presentation argues that American landscape paintings act not merely as an aesthetic reflection of the natural world, but as an environmental critique that records evolving relations between nature and industry, demonstrating how the material legacy of coal continues to remain a defining element of the American national identity.

Morchella esculenta (morel mushrooms) have long been known as an elusive choice edible. Cultivation efforts have been made in indoor and outdoor settings with some success, but the nuances of their growth are still not fully understood. This study aims to close gaps in our current understanding of their growth habits and confirm our other suspicions. Growth variables such as light exposure, air temperature, soil temperature, soil type, soil moisture, and humidity will be measured and compared to previous available findings. INaturalist will be utilized to statistically evaluate other morel observations across the area to compare habitat associations. This will allow for a better understanding of this seasonal delicacy and could further promote future successful cultivation for the general public.

Flooding is an increasingly frequent climate hazard with the potential to mobilize environmental contaminants and elevate human health risks. This study evaluated heavy metals and metalloids across five sites representing a gradient of flood risk in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Six replicate samples were collected per site and analyzed using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk assessment framework to estimate chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotients (HQ), and lifetime cancer risk. Arsenic, chromium, and nickel emerged as the primary contributors to cancer risk, with nickel consistently exceeding 1 × 10?³ and arsenic reaching 4.4 × 10?4, both above acceptable thresholds. Lead approached the non-cancer risk threshold (HQ = 0.912). Flood-associated patterns revealed that arsenic, lead, and thallium increased substantially at high-risk sites, while cadmium, cobalt, and nickel decreased. Nonparametric analyses indicated a significant decreasing trend for cobalt across increasing flood risk (p = 0.018), with additional borderline trends observed for cadmium and nickel. These findings suggest that flooding alters soil geochemistry through redox-driven processes, promoting the mobilization of certain toxic metals while immobilizing others. Despite limited statistical power, consistent effect sizes and fold-changes indicate meaningful environmental and public health implications. This study highlights flooding as a key driver of contaminant redistribution and underscores the need for flood-adaptive risk management, targeted environmental monitoring, and improved mitigation strategies in vulnerable communities.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a major public health burden due to frequent recurrence, high mortality, and limited treatment options. While previous studies have largely focused on bacterial dysbiosis, growing evidence indicates that fungal members of the gut mycobiome, particularly Nakaseomyces glabratus and Candida species, contribute to CDI severity through transkingdom interactions. To elucidate functional mechanisms underlying CDI pathogenesis, we performed an integrated meta-omics analysis of 100 human stool samples (50 CDI+, 50 CDI-) using paired metagenomic (MG) and metatranscriptomic (MT) sequencing. Species-level taxonomic profiles and KEGG Ortholog (KO) functional gene expression were generated using Kraken2 and eggNOG-mapper, and metabolite predictions were inferred using HUMAnN3 and MelonnPan. Beta diversity analyses revealed significant separation of CDI+ and CDI- cohorts at both taxonomic and functional levels (PERMANOVA, p<0.01). Differential abundance analysis identified enrichment of facultative fungal pathogens (C. albicans, unclassified Saccharomycetaceae) and C. difficile toxin-associated genes in CDI+ samples, while CDI- samples exhibited greater transcriptional activity in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and secondary bile acid synthesis pathways. Gene-level functional enrichment indicated activation of sporulation, oxidative stress response, and amino acid fermentation pathways in CDI+, alongside reduced carbohydrate metabolism. Predicted metabolite profiles suggested increased production of cholate derivatives and pro-inflammatory metabolites in CDI+, whereas butyrate-associated metabolites were enriched in CDI-. Preliminary machine learning models using random forests and gradient boosting demonstrated high accuracy in classifying CDI status based on functional gene signatures (ROC-AUC >0.90), even after excluding C. difficile. These findings highlight transkingdom functional biomarkers and disrupted metabolic networks that may drive CDI pathogenesis, supporting future predictive modeling and mechanism-guided therapeutic strategies.

Background: Disproportionate ventriculomegaly suggestive of a normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)-like phenotype may represent a clinically actionable subgroup within Alzheimer’s disease (AD), particularly in the context of vascular injury. However, its longitudinal cognitive and functional implications remain undercharacterized.

Methods: We conducted an observational longitudinal analysis using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; n=3,762). An NPH-like phenotype was defined using a ventriculomegaly ratio (ventricular volume/intracranial volume) at or above the 90th percentile. Associations with stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) history and clinical outcomes were assessed using adjusted logistic regression and linear mixed-effects models, controlling for age, sex, education, and baseline diagnosis. Longitudinal trajectories of executive function (ADNI-EF), cognition (MMSE, ADAS13), and function (CDRSB, FAQ) were evaluated.

Results: Stroke/TIA history was independently associated with the NPH-like phenotype (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.06–4.69). Participants with the NPH-like phenotype demonstrated worse baseline executive function and significantly faster longitudinal decline compared to non–NPH-like individuals (p<0.001), with similar patterns observed across global cognitive and functional measures. While tau burden was associated with accelerated cognitive worsening, no significant interaction was observed between tau and NPH-like status, indicating independent contributions to disease progression.

Conclusions: A ventriculomegaly-defined NPH-like phenotype identifies a subgroup enriched for vascular injury and at risk for accelerated executive and functional decline. These findings support the use of VENT/ICV-based phenotyping as a reproducible clinical referral flag for further evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics and potential neurosurgical intervention, independent of tau-mediated neurodegeneration.

Since taking office for the second time in 2025, Donald Trump has used various legal justifications to enact sweeping tariffs on imports from countries around the world. However, tariffs are a Congressional power. This paper will review the laws and arguments that Trump has cited to justify his tariff actions and explain the process by which Donald Trump has concentrated enough power to bypass Congress.

In oxidative environment, the alloy surface can be protected from corrosion by a passivation film, whose formation is closely related to the distribution of elements and the adsorption behavior of oxygen such as Ni-Cr. Although Ni can form oxide layers, its ability to support a stable protective film is limited. Fortunately, percolation theory reveals that when Cr is reasonably distributed on the alloy surface, a continuous Cr-O-Cr network structure can be formed, which is the key to the formation of a stable passivation film. To clarify how the arrangement of Cr on the surface affects the oxygen adsorption behavior (indirectly influencing the initial growth of the passivation film), we used density functional theory (DFT). First, we calculate oxygen molecule adsorption energy on a pure Ni(111) surface as reference data, which shows that oxygen atom prefer to adsorb stably in hollow sites on the pure Ni(111) surface. Therefore, we introduced Cr to construct three doped models and consider how short-range order on the Ni-Cr (single-crystal) alloy surface influences oxygen molecule adsorption behavior. We find that Cr atoms near the oxygen molecule adsorption site will enhance O binding strength, while Cr clustering (two chromium atoms within first or second neighbor) lead to even deeper adsorption due to cooperative effects. In contrast, the ordered structure (two chromium atoms are relatively dispersed) does not exhibit the same significant oxygen molecule adsorption as the cluster structure. Comparing the LCAO calculator we did, we are currently using the more accurate PlaneWave calculator to perform more precise calculations of binding energies and quantitatively explain the reason for the difference in accuracy between these two calculators. These data will be used as a foundation to investigate how Cr surface concentration and arrangement structure reduce the percolation threshold to form the stable passiviation film on the alloy surface.

RISC-V is an open-source, royalty free instruction set architecture that is based on the general reduced instruction set computer model. Because the instruction set is open source, developing a new processor or adding to the instruction set is much cheaper and accessible compared to more popular instruction sets such as x86 and ARM. This openness, along with the possibility for optimizations offered by a reduced instruction set architecture, makes RISC-V very attractive to researchers. This research focuses on exploring the unique features of RISC-V and how these, along with other features, can be leveraged to improve performance in certain tasks. I explore current work in the field involving vector extensions as well as the current RISC-V development landscape. I also work with software-defined emulators to gain experience with RISC-V assembly programming as well as cross compiling higher level languages for emulated hardware. Finally, I work with cloud hosted RISC-V hardware with access to vector extensions to accelerate assembly and higher-level languages.

Despite Saccharomyces cerevisiae being the first eukaryote with a fully sequenced genome, hundreds of its genes remain uncharacterized. Many yeast genes are evolutionarily conserved, sharing functional roles with more complex organisms throughout evolution. Investigating these genes of unknown function (GUFs) is critical for expanding our understanding of eukaryotic cell biology. While many yeast genes have direct human orthologs linked to disease processes like cancer, characterizing the entire yeast genome, including those unique to yeast, is essential for uncovering the fundamental pathways involved in eukaryotic life. This research aims to uncover the function of the yeast gene of unknown function YDL129W. Initial characterization was conducted using high-throughput bioinformatic resources, including GeneMania and the Yeast Fitness Database. Based on these results, a serial dilution spot assay was utilized to evaluate phenotypic differences between wild-type and a confirmed YDL129W? deletion strain. Results indicated that the deletion strain exhibits increased resistance to benomyl, a microtubule-destabilizing agent, suggesting YDL129W impacts the stability of tubulin polymers. Furthermore, a budding index was performed to assess cell cycle progression. The YDL129W? mutant showed a significant increase in unbudded cells and decrease in small-budded cells compared to the wild type (p < 0.05), indicating a potential delay in the G1/S phase transition. Together these findings suggest that YDL129W is involved in microtubule dynamics and cell cycle regulation. This research serves as a starting point for future experimentation to find the exact pathways involved, helping us better understand the functions of eukaryotic cells. 

As the liberal arts face increasing doubt from the general public in recent years, a liberal education has never been more essential—however, what defines a liberal arts education and why one is important is widely unknown, even amongst liberal arts students. This presentation assesses what a liberal arts education is and why it is important and focuses in particular on how Juniata College represents a liberal arts education, especially through the articulation of institutional learning outcomes and the 2018 curriculum change. Using various sources which state the relevance of a liberal arts education as well as an oral history interview done with Juniata College Provost Dr. Lauren Bowen and a 2023 self-study report done by Juniata College, this thesis demonstrates how Juniata College represents a liberal arts education through its curricular emphasis on a liberal education and its community’s culture of empathy and interpersonal skills.