Undergraduate Research Program

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Undergraduate Research Program fosters the creation and implementation of research, creative activities, service learning and community based scholarship for all undergraduate students. The unit is comprised of the Undergraduate Research Program(URP), the Community Engagement Initiative, the McNair Scholars Program, and the ArtsBridge Scholars Program.

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3-D PRINTING EXTRUSION RATES THROUGH A TAPERED NOZZLE
(University of Delaware, 2020-05) Sitison, Jacob
In applications of 3-D printing, production rates and product quality are enhanced by increased printing speeds. A polymer feedstock is fed through the hot end of the 3-D printer, which operates at a set temperature. Since some amount of heating time is necessary for the polymer to become pliant, there is an upper bound on the ow velocity before it remains too rigid to be extruded. The hot end is comprised of a cylinder that feeds directly into a tapered nozzle immediately prior to extrusion. In this study, we model the e ects of this geometry in both amorphous and crystalline polymers. We consider the former case, a heat transfer problem, in an idealized tapered hot end (without cylindrical portion) using separation of variables to provide an analytical temperature pro le. We consider the latter case, a Stefan (moving boundary) problem, in three geometries (a cylinder, a taper, and a combined system) using the heat balance integral method to provide an analytical approximation for the temperature pro le. We develop several di erent conditions based on these temperature pro les to predict maximum velocity. In amorphous polymers, the model fails to predict the experimental data due to limitations from the considered geometry. In crystalline polymers, using the exit temperature of the hot end yields a model that adheres well to the experimental data regardless of the geometry considered.
A NEW ERA OF FIRSTS: THE IMPACT OF PEER MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS ON FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
(University of Delaware, 2024-05) Weldin, S.D.
From the initial college application process to graduation, first-generation college students (FGCS) are often navigating higher education with little or no guidance. Previous literature has demonstrated differences in financial security and academic confidence between FGCS and continuing-generation students (CGCS), along with some research exploring the potential peer mentors may have to support FGCS. This study examines peer mentor relationships’ impact on FGCS confidence and the gap between FGCS and CGCS. The initial findings suggest the potential for successful peer mentor relationships to improve the experience of FGCS. Avenues of future research are discussed based on the study.
A Therapeutic Evaluation of a Creative Reaching Game in Immersive Virtual Reality
(University of Delaware, 2022-12) Baron, Lauren
Virtual Reality (VR) has several applications beyond entertainment, e.g., architectural planning, surgical procedure assistance, and physical therapy. These implications are important and require the most accuracy for users, especially when their healthcare is involved. Users can lose accuracy immersed in a virtual environment (VE) from inaccurate depth perception. Often, people underestimate distant objects and overestimate close objects in VR, which concerns software developers and healthcare providers. VR Therapy systems also rely on information from VR hand controllers, which do not fully capture the movement from the rest of the limb. While VR games have shown much potential for rehabilitation, research on creative virtual therapy is still growing. Considering many possibilities for therapeutic interventions in VR, my goal is to create activities with an appropriate balance between the intensity level of therapy intervention with enjoyment and entertainment. I will also capture the limb's movement both from the arm and hands with a noninvasive elbow sleeve sensor. I propose a creative line art drawing game in an immersive VR environment as a tool for both upper extremity therapy and vision therapy using enjoyable multi-dimensional reaching tasks. To examine the validity of the proposed virtual therapy system, I conducted two preliminary human-subjects experiments: a mixed design varying the drawing content (Easy vs. Hard; a between-subjects factor) and the user’s position (Seated vs. Standing; a within-subjects factor) on 16 non-clinical participants; and a withinsubjects design varying the drawing content dimension (2D vs. 3D) and the content’s orientation (Vertical vs. Horizontal) on 12 non-clinical participants. My results of the first experiment (SUI 2021) show that the change of drawing content objectively influenced participants’ drawing performance, e.g., the completion time and the number of mistakes, while they did not feel the difference in the difficulty level between the contents subjectively. Interestingly, participants reported more enjoyment from drawing the Hard Chicken content than the Easy Fish content and more substantial body stretches in the Seated setting than the Standing setting. The results of the second experiment (submitted to ACM/IEEE CHASE 2023) show that for all levels, there was no significant difference between subjective easiness, comfortability, and enjoyment and between objective measures for task completion time and the number of mistakes. This finding suggests that all versions are at the same therapeutic intensity level, with no model being more prone to longer time or more mistakes and are all usable/feasible. This leads to the customization of therapy to the user with any of these configurations and orientations while keeping the same level of intensity; for example, if a patient has restricted lower limb mobility and requires to be seated, they can use the horizontal orientation interchangeably. However, there was significance with elbow resistance change, which shows how data collection from just the hands and not throughout the arm is insufficient for VR rehabilitation, particularly for the upper extremities. There is a need to improve depth perception, visual cues, and reaching capabilities in VEs, especially for 3D objects.
ABC Dissemination Practices and Screening Interview as a Predictor of Parent Behavior Change
(University of Delaware, 2016-05) Sanders, Michael
The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) Intervention, an attachment-based, preventative intervention program aimed at promoting sensitive caregiving in mothers of high-risk children has been found efficacious in several randomized clinical trials and is currently being disseminated nationally (Bick & Dozier, 2013; Bernard, Dozier, Bick, Lewis-Morrarty, et al., 2012; Lind, Bernard, Ross, & Dozier, 2014). However, the dissemination of evidence-based interventions generally does not show the same effectiveness as in the initial studies (Durlak & Dupre, 2008; Elliot & Mihalic, 2004). Among several other strategies, ABC has used one particular tactic, a screening interview found to improve fidelity and community effectiveness (Caron, Roben, Yarger, & Dozier, in progress). The current study examined both the general dissemination effectiveness findings compared to effect sizes from previous research as well as the associations between the ABC screening and later parent behavior change from pre- to post-intervention. Thirty-eight clinicians from five states participated in this study. Results indicated that the ABC dissemination efforts yield a similar effect size to previous randomized clinical trials for both parent following the child’s lead and intrusiveness. Contrary to expectations, results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated one aspect of the pre-screening interview was associated with changes in parent behavior, whereas another aspect was not.
THE ABC’S OF CARTON MOORE-PARK
(University of Delaware, 2018-05) martin, Claire
This thesis attempts to compile what is known about the life and works of the Scottish artist Carton Moore-Park (1876-1956), an artist lost to time with a large and relatively unknown body of work including illustrations for children’s books, portrait paintings, and prints. This is an exploration of the development of Moore-Park’s career beginning with his start as a freelance newspaper illustrator and following up until the end of his career in the late 1930s. His personal life and relations are also included. His first book An Alphabet of Animals, published in 1899, is represented in the Mark Samuels Lasner collection in the University of Delaware Library along with original prints and sketches for the book. These materials were conserved and acted as a starting point for research into Moore-Park’s career. Moore-Park’s style of illustration and painting are also compared to other artists and schools of this period, especially for those who specialized in animal portraiture.
Activity of (-) Astrogorgiadiol
(University of Delaware, 2012-05) Raciti, David
(-) Astrogorgiadiol, a naturally occurring analog of calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) isolated from the Japanese marine sponge Astrogorgia, has demonstrated unique biological functions. In an effort to study these functions, synthetic routes for obtaining (-) astrogorgiadiol were constructed in 2001 by Dr. Taber and Dr. Malcolm. This thesis reports the several efforts made to increase the cost-effectiveness and productivity of synthetic routes leading to (-) astrogorgiadiol. While pursuing more cost-effective and productive means to synthesize (-) astrogorgiadiol, several milligrams of the compound were obtained and used for biological study. The question that was proposed and investigated was, “What effects does (-) astrogorgiadiol elicit on cancer cells?” To begin gathering data to answer this question, several in-vitro assays were conducted on various cell lines. First, the LD50/ED50 for (-) astrogorgiadiol was determined utilizing two bone cancer cell lines. Then utilizing the LD50/ED50 concentration, cells were exposed to (-) astrogorgiadiol and expression studies were pursued on Osteopontin (OPN), a glycoprotein known for its over-expression in various cancers.
Adding Movement To Subtract Monotony: The Effects Of A Dance-Integrated Mathematics Curriculum On The Engagement Of Students From Low-Income Homes
(University of Delaware, 2016-05) Font, Lucy
The objective of this investigation was to determine whether a dance-integrated mathematics curriculum stimulates cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement among low-income students in the state of Delaware. Learners within an urban setting were instructed using a researcher-designed dance integrated math curriculum for second-grade students in a summer camp in the state of Delaware. Lessons integrated math concepts (operations and algebraic thinking, numbers and operations in the base ten system, and geometry) and dance concepts (locomotor and non-locomotor movements, levels, shapes, and space). Participants included 13 children, ages 6 to 11, from low-income homes. A concurrent triangulation method was utilized to guide data collection for this mixed methods study. Qualitative data included video recordings and journals. This data was compared with the outcomes of quantitative measures including pre- and post-assessments, pre- and post-surveys, and rubric evaluations of permanent products created by students. Findings from data analyses indicate that a dance-integrated mathematics curriculum was emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally engaging. These findings suggest that educators can use arts integration to engage their students.
ADHD and Fidget Spinners: Using fNIRs to detect changes in Relative Neural Efficiency during the Purdue Pegboard Test
(University of Delaware, 2020-05) Schimmel, Austin
Introduction: Fidget spinners have been marketed as repetitive motion devices that improve attention and motor performance, and as such, they have become quite appealing to the ADHD population. Studies have found there to be a fine motor control deficiency associated with ADHD and current literature suggests fidgeting as a compensatory mechanism to help modulate attentional demands. To date, no studies have explored changes in brain activity that may occur due to fidgeting. Our aim was to use functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during performance of a standardized fine motor skills test after using a fidget spinner to see if there were any effects on Relative Neural Efficiency (RNE). Methods: Eight right-handed adults with ADHD and eight age and gender matched Typical adults without ADHD (each group had 4 control/4 fidget) performed the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) while their brain oxygenation(ΔHbO) was monitored using fNIRS. The design included 3 identical blocks, each consisting of either fidget spinning or doing nothing for 1 minute followed by 4 PPT subtasks and a rest condition. The first 3 non-assembly subtasks (Right, Left, Bimanual; 30 sec each) were pseudorandomized for each participant with an additional assembly subtask always last(1 min). There was 15 seconds of rest between subtasks. Results: Two-way ANOVAs were used to analyze performance, ΔHbO, and RNE. A significant performance interaction between group and condition was found(p < 0.05). Post hoc tests revealed ADHD-Controls had a lower relative performance score for the non-assembly subtasks. The ADHD-Control group had significantly lower RNE during the non-assembly subtests(p < 0.05) but not during the Assembly subtest, in which all groups maintained average RNE. Discussion: These results suggest that during fine motor tasks that require lower cognitive effort, the fidget spinner appears to have a largely positive effect on improving performance and RNE of those with ADHD. In contrast, the fidget spinner has no effect on the already high RNE of their Typical peers. In conclusion, this suggests fidget spinners may help those with ADHD improve simple day to day tasks requiring hand-eye coordination, but not ones that require a high level of cognitive effort. However, more research is needed to evaluate the extent to which these beneficial findings can be used to help those with ADHD.
Adolescent coping strategies and onset of substance use
(University of Delaware, 2010-05) Lewis, Elizabeth
Adolescents use coping strategies, some beneficial and others harmful, to deal with stress and adversity. This paper will address topics related to coping strategies and the onset of substance abuse. Research questions examined relate to gender differences in coping strategies, as well as to whether or not coping strategies are related to the onset of substance use. Planning, emotional social support, denial, and religious coping will be examined as separate dependent variables. Independent variables are the onset of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. For this study, data were drawn from The Adolescent Adjustment Project (AAP), a project directed by Dr. Christine Ohannessian at the University of Delaware. Students enrolled in public high schools in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, totaling 905 sophomores and juniors ranging in age from age 15 to 17, completed a self‐report questionnaire. Forty‐six percent of the participants were boys, while 54% were girls (Ohannessian, 2009). ANOVA results for religious coping were significant when tested with onset of alcohol (for boys and girls) and marijuana (for boys). Results of this study suggest that identifying relationships between coping styles and substance use may help identify effective and healthy coping strategies to forestall the onset of substance use.
The Adoption Process in Colombia
(University of Delaware, 2013-05) Omans, Marcela
The flow of children throughout the world reflects how policies about international adoption, both domestic and international, remove power from one population and transfer it to another, even if they are on opposite sides of the world. The phenomenon of international adoption is the outcome of specific historical events, Euro-American ideals, globalization, neoliberal policies, and the great disparities between the upper echelons of the world and the poor of third world countries. While protecting or saving children who live in poverty is a noble cause, many outside parties have taken note of the many factors contributing to this circulation of children that may raise other ethical questions. These questions center on the theories of identity, structural violence, the pathologization of poverty and the use of children as a social and monetary commodity. There are many actors within the international adoption process: the adoptees, the adoptive parents, the birth parents, the governments of the countries they are being transferred to and from, and the international entities that regulate these transactions. The discourse of international adoption in relation to the specific role of the actors within the process reflect these various influences on adoption. They also demonstrate how international adoption is a quick remedy to a much deeper societal problem. There is no conclusive solution that would eliminate the need for international adoption, but a closer inspection of the underlying factors that contribute to this process may give insight into what changes need to be made in the future. I will discuss how websites of the various players in the international adoption system reflect the discourse of international adoption in relation to historical events and the aforementioned theories.
Adoptive mothers’ resolution with regard to the adoption experience and behavioral sensitivity to children’s cues
(University of Delaware, 2010-05) Terracciano, Stephanie
This study examined the association between adoptive mothers’ levels of resolution of their adoption experience and their sensitivity towards their children. Twenty-eight mothers and their internationally adopted children were included as participants. Maternal sensitivity was coded from a videotaped home visit of each mother’s and child’s interactions during routine daily activities as well as the mother’s behaviors while attending to other tasks such as completing questionnaires. The Adoption Resolution Questions Interview (ARQ), an adaptation of the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview or RDI (Marvin & Pianta, 1996), was conducted with each mother during a home visit to determine the mother’s resolution status with regards to the adoption process. A linear regression analysis revealed that level of resolution regarding the adoption was significantly associated with behavioral sensitivity. Mothers who were more resolved with regard to the adoption displayed higher levels of sensitivity toward their internationally adopted children compared to mothers who were more unresolved with regard to the adoption. These results suggest that mothers’ abilities to resolve their experiences of the adoption process may have an important effect on their abilities to respond in sensitive ways to their internationally adopted children.
ADULTS’ USE OF LABELS IN CATEGORIZATION
(University of Delaware, 2017-05) Schwartz, Hannah
Linguistic labels influence adults’ placement of category boundaries, more so than numbers or symbols. In this experiment, adults were asked to categorize perceptually ambiguous stimuli, either using label, number, or symbol cues to assist them in their categorization decision. In addition, some participants were instructed to ignore the cues (Accidental condition), some were instructed to pay attention and use the cues to help them in their decision (Intentional condition), and others were not made explicitly aware of the cues (Neutral condition). We found was that participants were significantly less likely to remember the symbol cues than either the label or number cues regardless of condition. Furthermore, participants attended to linguistic labels to aid in their categorization task more so than other cues. Our findings are consistent with previous research that attests that linguistic labels are influential in aiding category formation.
Advancing a 24-Hour Time-Activity Budget for Wintering Atlantic Flyway Canada Geese: Consideration of Nocturnal Behavior
(University of Delaware, 2013-05) Zoghby, Taylor
Canada geese (Branta canadensis), both resident and migratory, utilize many areas in New Jersey as wintering and breeding grounds. Biologists and wildlife managers are interested in establishing time-activity budgets for geese and other waterfowl to help determine carrying capacities, daily energy needs, and other ecological information. In order to accurately create these budgets, it is important to observe behaviors over a complete 24 hr period, a task not easily achievable due to constraints of nighttime observation. Therefore, nocturnal activity is often dismissed. My objectives in this study were to 1) examine whether various Canada goose behaviors differed between the four time periods of a day (morning crepuscular, diurnal, evening crepuscular, and nocturnal) and 2) explore the effects of environmental variables and human hunting disturbance on goose behavior comparatively between diurnal and nocturnal periods. The behavioral observations for this study took place in coastal habitats in New Jersey. Observations included 7 behaviors (feeding, resting, comfort, swimming, alert, flying, and walking), 6 environmental variables (temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, tide, ice coverage and precipitation), and whether or not sites fell within hunting areas and open hunting season. I analyzed behavioral observations across time periods using multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA, α ≤ 0.05). I further analyzed individual behavioral differences between observation periods using univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA, α ≤ 0.05) with Tukey’s post-hoc pair-wise comparisons. To analyze environmental variables and hunting, I used backwards stepwise regression to find the best-fitting model. Feeding, resting, and swimming were the most common behaviors. I found that behavior proportions differed across observation periods (MANOVA, F21, 2777 = 6.32, P < 0.01). Further univariate ANOVA with Tukey’s post-hoc pair-wise comparisons indicated individual behavioral differences existed between observation periods. Additionally, I found that environmental variables and hunting lead to differences in the 3 most common behaviors (feeding, resting, and swimming) between diurnal and nocturnal periods. The results of this study show that Canada geese are far more active nocturnally than previously assumed. Further, it showed that environmental variables and human hunting disturbance have an effect on behavior and can cause birds to be more or less active during certain time periods. This information can be valuable for future wildlife researchers and managers in considering time-energy budgets for Canada geese and acknowledging that nocturnal behavior should be incorporated into 24 hr budgets.
Advancing Clean Energy: Cost and Policy Options Analysis for Statewide Offshore Wind Procurements
(University of Delaware, 2022-05) Peterson, Lillian
This thesis describes the process in which a non-profit group provides expert guidance to a state government for an offshore wind procurement, which I recently participated in. It then details the initial reactions to that process from officials, local media, and engaged members of the public. Such examples of expert guidance have been published by the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW) for the state of New York, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and, as described here, the state of Delaware. Discussion is mostly focused on wind procurement potential for Delaware, following recent publication of the SIOW cost analysis report for this state. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of this thesis paraphrase data and context from the Delaware SIOW report, which was written by myself and three other authors. The remaining sections are my analysis of the reactions to the report. This thesis begins with context about the offshore wind industry in Delaware and in nearby states. It also includes an explanation of an offshore wind procurement process. Then, the literature review considers existing research on the national and state wind power markets, external benefits of wind power, and pricing systems that a state may choose for a wind power solicitation. The methodology section introduces the two primary topics for further discussion: cost analysis and state options presented by the SIOW report, and stakeholder feedback and reactions to the report itself. In-depth results are then provided in these subject areas. The calculated price point estimate for a Delaware offshore wind farm of 800 MW is $71.48/MWh, which is within the range of recent Delmarva wholesale electricity purchases. If human health and environmental factors are considered, the price of wind power is half that of Delmarva’s recent purchase price. Options for Delaware to consider in a procurement are then provided, ranging from cost-saving metrics to job-creating initiatives. Several stakeholder meetings and media releases are also analyzed between publication of the SIOW report and May 13th, 2022. Initial data from these sources suggested that the offshore wind conversation has restarted in Delaware due to the SIOW report, but that state leaders are still reluctant to take action. Finally, the discussion expands to the impact of the 2016 Massachusetts SIOW report, and how this illustrates the effectiveness of pre-procurement analysis. With growing international demand for offshore wind power, this thesis concludes that pre-procurement cost analyses and guidance on the procurement process enables successful offshore wind solicitations.
Alcohol Exposure During the Brain Growth Spurt Alters Medial Prefrontal Cortex Hippocampus Functional Connectivity During a Spatial Working Memory Task
(University of Delaware, 2023-05) Rosenblum, Hailey
The brain growth spurt is a period of rapid brain growth and development which occurs during the third trimester of human pregnancy and the first two postnatal weeks in rodents. The hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), structures which are important for spatial working memory, are vulnerable to alcohol exposure (AE) during the brain growth spurt. The nucleus reuniens (RE) of the thalamus has been demonstrated to play a role in orchestrating mPFC-hippocampus interactions which are necessary for spatial working memory. The RE has also been shown to be damaged due to AE in a third trimester rodent model. Recently, our lab has shown that rats exposed to alcohol during the brain growth spurt display spatial working memory impairments. The current study examines mPFC-hippocampus theta synchrony to determine if these effects can be explained by altered functional connectivity between these regions. In this study we measured mPFC-hippocampus theta coherence, a metric that describes the degree to which mPFC-hippocampus theta rhythms are temporally correlated. We hypothesized that rats exposed to alcohol during the brain growth spurt would show reduced mPFC-hippocampus theta synchrony compared to sham intubated (SI) rats during decision making. Specifically, we predicted that AE rats would show reduced theta coherence at the choice point of a T-maze as they performed a spatial working memory task. To study our hypothesis, pups were administered 5.25 g/kg/day alcohol via intragastric intubation between postnatal days 4-9. The sham intubated (SI) group received intubation without alcohol. Once rats reached adulthood (postnatal day 90), they completed pre-training in a T-maze to become familiarized with the testing environment. Rats then underwent local field potential (LFP) electrode implantation surgery, during which stainless steel wires were implanted into the mPFC and hippocampus. Once recovered from surgery, rats were trained on the continuous alternation (CA) task, which is not a hippocampus dependent task but allowed rats to learn the alternation rule. Upon reaching the choice accuracy criterion of 80% for two consecutive days, rats learned the spatial working memory-dependent delayed alternation (DA) task. Each DA session consisted of 10 second, 30 second, and 60 second delay trials, with 12 trials of each delay length in a pseudorandom sequence. LFPs were recorded as rats performed the task. We then analyzed mPFC-hippocampus theta synchrony at the choice point of the T maze. In support of our hypothesis that AE during the brain growth spurt reduces mPFC hippocampus theta synchrony, we found that DA task recording sessions of AE rats showed lower mPFC-hippocampus theta coherence when rats occupied the maze choice point compared to sessions of SI rats. Neural activity within brain regions was also altered, as hippocampus theta power was increased in sessions from AE rats compared to sessions from SI rats. These findings can help explain our previous finding of impaired spatial working memory in AE rodents. This study is important because it contributes to filling the gap in knowledge of how developmental AE affects cognitive function and the underlying mechanisms later in life.
THE ALLURE OF LURE AND ITS IMPACT ON PERCEIVED COMMUNITY COMPOSITION WHEN MONITORING TROPICAL MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY
(University of Delaware, 2018-05) Maxwell, Jeffrey
Due to low detection rates of high-profile target species, e.g. large carnivores, in camera trap surveys, researchers commonly implement the use of lure or bait as an attractant. It is also common to use ancillary photos, e.g. non-target species, to study additional research questions such as prey availability or biodiversity metrics. Although attractants are widely used to increase capture rates of target species, little is known of the effect on non-target species capture rates. We evaluate if the use of bait or lure can introduce bias into non-target species capture rates and community composition metrics. We deployed baited, lured, and control camera stations within the Mamoní Valley, a tropical biodiversity corridor in the narrowest stretch of the Isthmus of Panama. Across 34 cameras and ~6 months we captured 23,965 photos of animals and identified 31 different species. This data was used to evaluate spatial and temporal trends in community composition as influenced by bait or lure use. We also measured differences in species specific probability of detection among treatment and control locations. Our findings suggest that using photos to evaluate supplemental research questions such as biodiversity or prey availability is unbiased by the use or non-use of our selected lure or bait.
Altered States: Authenticity in Fashion Conservation
(University of Delaware, 2024-05) Kremenek, Hailey
An eye-catching blue sequined dress within the University of Delaware Fashion and Textile collection was a primary candidate for display in an upcoming 1920s Fashion exhibition. However, an irregularly constructed blue slip stitched into the ornamented black net exterior layer seemed to be a later addition to this historic garment. Art conservation, the field of preservation of material culture, focuses on stabilizing the present condition of an object, so would a highly interventive treatment involving the removal of this blue slip fall within conservation ethics? Was the dress a better example of 1920’s fashion with or without the blue slip, and how would this authenticity be determined? Fashion as an art form that is specific for its association with a particular period produces historical objects that must be aesthetically legible. Fashion conservation, a field of conservation that is only recently being acknowledged as a discipline beyond textile conservation, requires an approach that balances the material and visual integrity of the material culture of which it encompasses. While the current approach in conservation is to preserve the remaining material presence of a historical object, this dress as a fashion item needed to represent the 1920s fashion zeitgeist. Therefore, the highly intervention to remove the interior slip did preserve the material integrity of this dress because it was now more able to communicate the fashion of the 1920s. For this treatment, this author utilized fashion conservation- specific methodologies such as an explicit “material and values-based” approach and considered the elusive “designer intent” that is central to fashion objects. The author ultimately found that the determination of authenticity in fashion conservation requires acknowledgement of the conservator’s inherent subjectivity, and therefore multiple authenticities exist. In determining the goals of a treatment, a conservator must be aware of the definition of which they follow and acknowledge it throughout their treatment.
America’s First Female Foreign Missionary: Ann Judson in Burma
(University of Delaware, 2009-05) Laufer, Rachel
In 1812, Ann Hasseltine Judson was one of the first two American women to go abroad as missionary wives. Despite general opposition to foreign missions as well as to women‘s involvement in the missionary movement, Judson believed it was her duty to God to sacrifice her home, friends, and family forever in order to evangelize "heathens." Despite being confined by tradition to the domestic sphere as a woman, Judson was able to carry out her traditional duties as well as to serve as a missionary although she was not officially recognized as one. Especially after her death, the American Protestant community published works with the intention of depicting Judson as an icon of evangelical femininity as well as a heroine of the American foreign missionary movement, using vivid descriptions of what many in the nineteenth century considered remarkable and exemplary experiences and characteristics. This project explores Judson‘s significant role in the founding of the American missionary movement through the various agendas in nineteenth-century written works that told her story as a means to promote the missionary effort in general and women‘s place in the movement as well as woman‘s place in nineteenth-century society.
AMMAN’S TRANSITION FROM TENTS TO CONCRETE: BUILDING IDENTITIES OF OLD AND NEW IN AMMAN’S ‘SETTLEMENT CITY’ THROUGH ITS PALESTINIAN AND SYRIAN INHABITANTS
(University of Delaware, 2019-05) Gannon, Ariana L.
The last century has seen massive movements of Palestinian refugees seeking harbor in the ‘Transjordan region’—initially an area created in 1921 under the British Mandate system, the area is a crossroads of migration and settlement where Palestinians sought refuge for more than 70 years. More recently, over the past two decades, Amman, the capital city of Jordan, has experienced a massive influx of 660,393 Syrian migrants to date, seeking refuge and settling in both similar and different ways (UNHCR 2019). This thesis looks at the process of how communities become what they are to migrants and locates how their settlement patterns connect back to their identities as refugee settlers. The more permanent the experience of settlement structures become in Jordan for Palestinian and Syrian refugees, the more permanent their past national identities become. The presence of these refugee-settlers is ultimately shaping Amman, through the gradual shift in permanence of their dwellings, that start with tents and end with concrete buildings that make up small commercial/residential hubs, but are still living in a state of flux. Based on 6 months of participant observation in Jordan and primarily conducting in-depth interviews with architects, activists, and the city’s migrant inhabitants, it is possible to look at how Palestinian and Syrian migrants share related experiences in the shared ways they develop infrastructure, social relations, and in turn affirm their identities through and within these spaces, shaping Amman, Jordan, into a ‘Settlement City.’
AN EXAMINATION OF OYSTER GROWTH WITH FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY IN TWO OYSTER AQUACULTURE GEAR TYPES
(University of Delaware, 2023-05) Timothy J. Smoot
Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are an important resource for Delawareans living near the Delaware Bay and Delaware’s Inland Bays. Unfortunately, natural oyster populations in Delaware have been greatly reduced because of historical overharvest and disease vectors, among other factors. In response to low wild abundance and a general interest from the public, commercial oyster aquaculture was reinstated in the Inland Bays in 2017. In multiple studies along the U.S. east coast and within the Inland Bays, fishes and invertebrates have been observed around oyster cages and other types of gear used to grow oysters. However, my project examined oyster growth in an experimental cage and evaluated habitat provisions to juvenile fishes in that gear. My project aimed to further our scientific understanding of the ecological services rendered by shellfish farming in a comparative capacity by examining the habitat value of 1) traditional on-bottom commercial aquaculture gear and 2) an experimental floating gear type actively used by a commercial oyster farmer. From June through September 2022, the abundance and diversity of fishes and motile macroinvertebrates found within and around each aquaculture gear type were recorded weekly. Additionally, measurements of oyster length and depth were collected weekly to monitor oyster growth. Traditional bottom cages produced significantly longer and deeper oysters than the experimental floating cages with no significant difference in mortality. Abundance and diversity of fishes was high in bottom cages, but floating cages with nearby structure can support similar fish assemblages. Floating cages hosted significantly higher abundance of invertebrates, predominantly driven by grass shrimp, but trends in invertebrate diversity mirrored fish diversity with high diversity in bottom cages and floating cages with additional structure nearby.

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