Paul Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Award Ceremony and Lightening Talks

Abstract: What drives some American Muslims to support the Republican Party? Recent research and polling information suggests that a significant portion of this religious community supports a political faction that is often perceived to be anti-Muslim; this may be impacted by factors such as income and race. The author hypothesized that identity with racial groups that are often considered “white” would most impact Muslim support for the GOP. Using polling data from a nationally-representative sample of Muslim Americans, the researcher studied Muslims who supported Republicans. He operationalized the dependent variable using logit models to measure affiliation with the GOP and support for Donald Trump in 2016. The independent variables tested were: White identity, Arab identity, mosque attendance, religious identity, income, education, and gender (female). There were positive correlations between White and Arab identity and backing the GOP, and negative associations among females and support for the Republicans. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Abstract: The various applications of microbial testing in forensic human identity testing demonstrate that the scope of microbial forensics is in fact much broader than its definition suggests. The human body consists of ten times more bacterial cells than human cells, all of which make up the human microbiome. The human microbiome is highly complex and is able to provide forensic signatures that are distinct and variable between individuals. Similar to human DNA, human microbes are constantly shedding and can be traced to identify people involved in various types of criminal activity. Microbes from different areas of the body can be investigated based on the type of crime and the type of evidence present at the crime scene.

Abstract: The goal of this study is to improve the way pain is measured in rodents. A previous 2019 publication by Dr. Nathan T. Fried utilized slow-motion videography and statistical modeling to analyze hind paw withdrawal caused by painful stimuli. Upon reanalyzing the one-second slow-motion videos from his study, there was more data in the facial features of the rat, which was not characterized in his work. A 2011 study performed in Dr. Jeffrey Mogil’s lab led to the development of the Rat and Mouse Grimace Scales (RGS, MGS), which measure facial features of pain in these rodents. However, their measurement using the Grimace Scale relied on 30 minutes of video analysis. This project further applies the RGS to the one-second slow-motion videos to assess facial rat grimace in response to different painful stimuli.