Nathan Gill and Dr. Matthew Bekker, Department of Geography This study was the first step in a larger effort by the Wasatch Dendroclimatology Research (WADR) group, consisting of researchers at Brigham Young University and Utah State University, to develop a better understanding of hydroclimatology in northern Utah. Our specific goals were to develop preliminary reconstructions […]
Closing the Gap: Defining the Determinants of School Dropout in Rural Mexico
Ashley Dymock and Dr. Tim Heaton, Department of Sociology My research examined the motives behind school dropouts occurring between primary and secondary schools in Guanajuato, Mexico. It involved both preliminary quantitative analysis as well as field research that was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. I am currently in the process of evaluating the data […]
Impact of Hathaway Scholarship on Wyoming Higher Education
Jason Despain and Dr. Eric Eide, Department of Economics A commonly repeated axiom states, “Life is what happens when you make other plans.” In other words, most endeavors in life rarely go as planned or according to proposed timelines, although the end result is most often positive and desirable. Such has been the case with […]
Youth Self-Efficacy As A Predictor of Youth Symptoms and Psychotherapy Outcomes
Brooke Daniels-Brown and Dr. Jared Warren, Department of Psychology The purpose of the project was to examine youth self-efficacy as it relates to youth symptoms and treatment outcomes in a community mental health setting. From analyzing the collected data, results suggest that youth self-efficacy may act as a moderator and potential mediator in youth mental […]
Mediators between Pornography Use and Risky Sexual Behaviors
Gwen Coulson and Dr. Scott Braithwaite, Department of Psychology With the advent of the internet the availability, anonymity, and affordability of pornography has substantially increased (Cooper, 1998). Furthermore, content analyses have revealed that various types of pornographic material frequently present sex as casually occurring between acquaintances (Brosius, Weaver, & Staab, 1993) and often portray sexual […]
Long-Term Recidivism of a Short term Jail Substance Abuse Program
Leslie Cooper (Terry) and Dr. Stephen Bahr, Department of Sociology This research was a follow-up of previous research done by Dr. Stephen Bahr, looking at recidivism rates of offenders who had been through a jail substance abuse program in 2006. The research took place at a county jail in the intermountain United States. Dr. Bahr […]
Gauchos, Charruas, and the Hombre Nuevo: Redefining Masculinity Through Revolution in Argentina and Uruguay, 1959- 1983
Robert Christensen and Dr. Jeffrey Shumway, Department of History One of the least studied aspects of the Cold War in Latin America has been the complex relationships between guerrilla organizations. The project I undertook aimed to begin a dialogue on the interchange of ideas that took place, focusing on how that was expressed through the […]
Family and Principle: The Blood and Iron of the Empress Frederick
Aileen Christensen and Professor Paul Kerry, Department of History The Empress Frederick was a remarkably intelligent woman, who uniquely responded to her parents educational system and ideas, making her the bright hope for the future generation, particularly for the future of Prussia. Her lofty English ideals, however, led her into conflict and defeat at the hands […]
Phasic and Sustained Fear in Autism
Paul Chamberlain and Dr. Mikle South, Department of Psychology My project was designed to study how autistic children respond to uncertainty and if they respond differently than typically developing children. Psychologists have differentiated between two different types of fear- phasic fear and sustained fear. Phasic fear is fear to a specific threat. For example, if […]
Effects of Light Stimulation on the Baseline Level of Dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens
Benjamin Carter and Dr. Scott Steffensen, Department of Psychology Introduction This study explored the effects of light stimulation on the baseline levels of dopamine (DA) in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc). DA is a neurotransmitter used in neuronal communication in the central nervous system (CNS) and is the primary signal molecule of the NAc. The high […]