Peter Nielson and Dr. Scott Steffensen, Department of Psychology Purpose In order to further the knowledge of physiological contributions to addiction, this project’s purpose was to elucidate the neuronal processes involved in nicotine (NIC) addiction. We studied its effects on critical neuronal substrates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), an area of the midbrain implicated […]
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Buzzwords without Borders: Three Field Experiments in Individual Donation Behavior
Scott Jackson and Dr. Joshua Gubler, Department of Political Science In 2009, the Pew Internet & American Life Project reported that over the preceding twelve months, 67% of Americans “contributed to a charity or non-profit organization other than their place of worship” (Smith et al., 2009). The study also found that 11% of Internet users […]
Instrumentation and Monitoring of Concrete Bridge Decks: Moisture, Temperature, and Electrical Conductivity
Tenli Waters and Dr. Spencer Guthrie, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The purpose of this report is to give the results of research conducted to measure the extent of internal curing occurring in the field in concrete bridge decks constructed using lightweight concrete compared to conventional concrete. With permission from bridge engineers at the […]
Silver Flash: A MEMs Memory Device
John Stout and Dr. Aaron Hawkins, Department of Electrical Engineering The silver flash project is an effort to create a reliable, MEMs based memory device. As a joint electrical and mechanical structure these devices offer several advantages over the traditional NAND flash memory currently found in phones, mp3 players, and USB memory drives. The silver […]
An Alternative Method to Prepare Cobalt Catalysts Using Salt Precursors
Trevor Seegmiller and Dr. Calvin Bartholomew, Department of Chemical Engineering Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is the process for converting syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) into liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel. A cobalt or iron catalyst is required for the process. Cobalt catalysts have the highest effectiveness and stability in FTS; however, they are more […]
Research and Design of Transtibial Prosthetic Shower Legs
Angelina Schwartz and Dr. Eric Homer, Department of Mechanical Engineering The aim of 2ft Prosthetics is to design, test, and distribute low-cost prostheses to below-the-knee amputees in developing countries. To do this, a research and development team focuses on the design and construction of the prosthesis. It is then tested on local amputees by the […]
Development of a Fuel-efficient Stove to Reduce Particulate Emissions
Geoffrey Lemon and Dr. Randy Lewis, Department of Chemical Engineering Introduction According to the World Health Organization, one of the leading causes of death in developing countries is respiratory disease, caused by inhalation of particulates from cooking stoves.1 With this challenge in mind, our team of interdisciplinary engineering students worked for over two semesters on […]
Creation of an Interactive Early-Stage Design Environment
Braden Hancock and Dr. Christopher Mattson, Department of Mechanical Engineering Introduction In my proposal for an ORCA grant, I provided a plan to assist design engineers in the early stages of the design process. This I proposed to do through the development of a computational environment wherein design engineers could more fully and simply analyze […]
Compressive Strength of Emulsion-Treated Base Material Stabilized with Cement
Lisa Gurney and Dr. Spencer Guthrie, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) in conjunction with stabilization is becoming an increasingly popular method for flexible pavement reconstruction. FDR can be more economically and environmentally friendly than excavation and replacement; however successful reconstruction greatly depends on the stabilization method employed, base material properties, and […]
Using Photolithographically-Produced Micro-Channels with Controlled Pores to Create a Bacteria Filter for Blood
Sara Ehlert and Dr. Aaron Hawkins, Department of Electrical Engineering The importance of blood to humans cannot be understated. Its important functions include transporting oxygen and nutrients around the body, preventing blood loss, fighting infection, carrying antibodies to fight infection, delivering waste products to the kidneys and liver to be removed from the body, and […]