Summary of Creative Activities Grant Results- Abinadi, an Opera in Two Acts

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Meredith Ryan Taylor and Dr. David Sargent, Music Abinadi, at the time of this report, has not been completed. Originally the opera was intended to be finished with an orchestration requiring soloists, chorus and a small instrumental ensemble of not more than twenty players. Early on in the process of writing, Dr. Lawrence Vincent (head […]

Cloning The Ultrabithorax Gene In Tribolium Castaneum

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Kara I. Ludlow and Dr. Randy Bennett, Zoology My original proposal was to clone the extradenticle gene in Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle); however, I worked in conjunction with Laura Newell who received an ORCA grant to work with Dr. Bennett cloning the Ultrabithorax gene of the red flour beetle. To further previous research, it […]

Conservation Of The Che And Pho Systems In Escherichia Coli

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Kimberly B. Zumbrennen and Dr. William R. McCleary, Microbiology Bacteria live in a continuously changing environment. In order to survive, bacteria must monitor nutrients, acidity, temperature, osmolarity, etc. The use of two-component systems to sense and respond to these environmental changes is a common motif observed in a wide variety of organisms. A two-component system […]

Development of a One-piece, Aramid-polyurethane Bumper System For Automobiles

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Brent Zollinger and Dr. Christopher Rotz, Mechanical Engineering The automobile bumper system—consisting primarily of a decorative fascia, structural cross-beam, and energy absorber—is an ideal candidate for redesign using advanced technology. This report examines a concept that integrates the three main components of the bumper system into one by using high-performance materials. A one-piece, aramid-polyurethane composite […]

Emotional Response to Late Medieval Plague

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John D. Young and Professor Larry Bolick, General Education and Honors The Black Death and subsequent outbreaks of bubonic and pneumonic plague in late medieval Europe violently jarred the European mind-set. Particularly damaging were the intense emotions fostered in the hearts and minds of common Europeans during this pivotal period. By studying the emotional responses […]

An Analysis Of NAFTA’s Effects On The Us And Mexican Apparel Trade

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John F. Yoder and Dr. Scott Bradford, Economics Prior to the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement, critics predicted NAFTA would harm the US economy. Even proponents of NAFTA admitted that free trade between the US, Canada, and Mexico would shift low-skilled jobs to Mexico where such work could be done more cheaply. […]

Summary of Creative Research Grant Results: The Effects of 15th and 16th Century Scholarship on the American Founding

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Owen D. Yeates and Dr. Richard Vetterli, Political Science The scope of my initial research proposal was quite wide, simply stating that I would study the writings of the Cambridge Platonists and Oxford Reformers and those surrounding them to discover the effects of religious thought on the concepts of virtue and liberty as transmitted from […]

Ultrafast/Nonlinear Optical Studies Of CdSe Nanocrystals

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Kevin C. Wright and Dr. Bret C. Hess, Physics and Astronomy This research project has been much more time-consuming than I anticipated. Because the required lasers and optical elements are very sensitive and highly susceptible to accidental misalignment and damage, many parts of the multi-stage laser amplification system had to be rebuilt from the ground […]