Innocence, Insight, & the Politics of Childhood

What happens when children watch politics unfold on television? And what does it mean when adults watch children react to it? This project examines how childhood and politics intersect in the British reality television program Gogglesprogs (2016–2019), where cameras capture children reacting to current events, media, and political issues in their own homes. By analyzing… continue reading

The Psychology of What We Value

What people value shapes how they live, connect, and cope. This research explored how educational background and perceived social status influence whether individuals prioritize self-focused values such as power and achievement or other-focused values such as family and compassion. The project was presented during the 2025 SPARK! Graduate Poster Exhibition. Conducted by Xuanzhou Du while… continue reading

Modeling Water Transport Across Spider Egg Sac Membranes

Can a porous membrane reduce water loss without blocking essential gas exchange? That question sits at the center of research exploring how organisms regulate moisture across biological surfaces. This project examined spider egg sacs as a model system to better understand how water vapor moves across porous membranes and what truly controls evaporation. The research… continue reading

Stabilizing DNA Amplification for Degraded Samples

Forensic DNA analysis depends on reliable amplification, but degraded or trace samples often limit the effectiveness of traditional methods. This poster examined whether Catalytic Hairpin Assembly, an enzyme-free and isothermal DNA amplification technique, could provide a viable alternative to polymerase chain reaction for forensic applications, particularly when working with compromised DNA. Presented at the 2025… continue reading

Finding Meaning, Finding Help

Growth often begins with a single decision: reaching out. Yet for many students, asking for help remains one of the most difficult steps to take. Ethan Trieu’s research explores how strengthening a sense of meaning and purpose may shift attitudes toward help-seeking, positioning self-efficacy as a key bridge between belief and action. Trieu completed this… continue reading

Modeling Climate & Economic Risk in Alaska’s Salmon Industry

Alaska supplies roughly 80 percent of North America’s wild-caught salmon, making the industry both an ecological cornerstone and a major economic driver for the state. This poster examined how climate change and economic pressures are reshaping that industry, asking whether rising ocean temperatures, sea level change, and ocean acidification are measurably affecting salmon populations and… continue reading