National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Western Carolina University has established itself as a national leader in undergraduate research and has a long-standing tradition of acceptance and participation in the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Students accepted to NCUR have the opportunity to present their undergraduate research along with peers from across disciplines. Since 1987, NCUR has been a flagship conference for undergraduate researchers to share, celebrate, and promote their research achievements.
Twenty-nine abstracts from WCU students were accepted to NCUR for the event scheduled April 4 – 8, 2022 conference. The conference will be held virtually this year. Primary student presenters are acknowledged below by the College and Department they will represent. Congratulations to these students and their faculty mentors
College of Arts & Sciences
Anthropology & Sociology
Applicability of Malocclusion Scoring Within the John A. Williams Human Skeletal Collection
Presenter: Sean Gallagher
Faculty Sponsor: Rebecca George
Chemistry and Physics
Bovine Serum Albumin Encapsulated Poly-L-Lysine-Graft-Poly(ethylene) Glycol (PLL-g-PEG ) Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Stability in Serum
Presenter: Dallas Dean
Faculty Sponsor: Rangika Hikkaduwa Koralege
Evaluating the antioxidant properties of berberine metabolites using computational chemistry methods.
Presenter: Elvis Perez Galarza
Faculty Sponsor: Channa De Silva
Nuclear Fuel Remediation: A Computational Study
Presenters: Keanu Ammons; Nicholas Eckert; Joaquin Gabriel Layno
Faculty Sponsor: Channa De Silva
Single-Hop Parallel Algorithm Comparison
Presenters: Keanu Ammons; Nicholas Eckert; Joaquin Gabriel Layno
Faculty Sponsor: Channa De Silva
Current Determinations of the Biochemical Mechanisms of the Amatoxin Alpha-Amanitin: A Literature Review
Presenter: Mage Naef
Faculty Sponsor: Jamie Wallen
The Use of Essential Oils in Increasing Potency of Insecticides on Mosquitoes
Presenter: Taylor Gregory
Faculty Sponsor: Scott Huffman
Investigation of Weathering on Automotive Clear-Coat Formulations Using Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for Forensic Purposes
Presenter: Carrie Lee
Faculty Sponsor: Nuwan Perera
Analysis of human decomposition odor using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
Presenter: Emylee Pollock
Faculty Sponsor: Nuwan Perera
English
Emotional Baggage: Delayed Mourning, Jealousy, and Femininity in Hamlet
Presenter: Rachel Hooper
Faculty Sponsor: Mary Adams
Irony vs. Sincerity in the Works of Stephen Crane and Vazha-Pshavela
Presenter: Ryan Reynolds
Faculty Sponsor: Brian Railsback
Humanity’s Greatest Strength: Survival and Gender Identity
Presenter: Rachel Hooper
Faculty Sponsor: Annette Debo
The Knight in the Panther Skin: Empowerment of Genders Through Animal Imagery
Presenter: Ethan Hamm
Faculty Sponsor: Brian Railsback
Romanticism Through Two Cultural Lenses: Baratashvili and Poe
Presenter: Makayla Humphrey
Faculty Sponsor: Brian Railsback
A Country’s Survival: Aka Morchiladze’s Post-Modern Comparison of Georgian and Foreign Culture
Presenter: Rylee Guess
Faculty Sponsor: Brian Railsback
All Hell Breaks Loose: Georgia’s Unrealistic Post-USSR Goals in “Once Upon a Time in Georgia”
Presenter: Rachel Hooper
Faculty Sponsor: Brian Railsback
History
The Korean War: China’s New Precedent
Presenter: Nicholas Locy
Faculty Sponsor: Gael Graham
Black American Music as a Language of Protest
Presenter: Aubrey Bell
Faculty Sponsor: David Walton
Philosophy & Religion
An Analysis of the ‘Good Life’ Through a Lens of Submission to Institutional Power
Presenter: Amaranth Schmoyer
Faculty Sponsor: Katharine Mershon
A Desire for Suffering: Escaping the Good Life through Camus and Sartre
Presenter: Jared Ross
Faculty Sponsor: Katharine Mershon
College of Business
School of Economics, Management, and Project Management
The Stream Mitigation Market and its Effect on Water Quality
Presenter: Adam Mottershead
Faculty Sponsor: Sean Mulholland
How Gen Z views incentive and productivity in the context of continuous improvement (CI)
Presenters: Sara Franz; Zach Collins; Veronica Funes
Faculty Sponsor: Bukola Bakare
How Gen Z views incentive and productivity in the context of continuous improvement (CI)
Presenter: Veronica Funes; Sara Franz; Zach Collins
Faculty Sponsor: Bukola Bakare
College of Education and Allied Professions
Psychology
Personality and Social Influences on Personal Relationships and Daily Behaviors among University Students
Presenter: Matthew Kelley
Faculty Sponsor: David Scales
College of Engineering and Technology
School of Engineering and Technology
Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Cervidae Anterior Cruciate Ligaments, Patella Tendons, and Achilles Tendons
Presenter: Allison Royer
Faculty Sponsor: Martin Tanaka
Small Modular Reactor Based Microgrid Cost Optimization
Presenter: Brayden Beaver
Faculty Sponsor: Bora Karayaka
Using a Filter and Arduino to Increase a Pump’s Functionality
Presenter: Helen Hester
Faculty Sponsor: Martin Tanaka
Investigation Into the Creation of a Biodegradable Croc
Presenter: Ryan D’Amore
Faculty Sponsor: Martin Tanaka
Gravity Irrigation Subsystem for Watering Plants
Presenter: Sierra Norris
Faculty Sponsor: Martin Tanaka
Soil Moisture Sensor
Presenter: Sommer Allen
Faculty Sponsor: Martin Tanaka
College of Fine and Performing Arts
School of Art and Design
Homeless Shelter Design in America
Presenter: Brandi “Nyx” McDougle
Faculty Sponsor: Shelby Hicks