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UNIVERISTY OF NEW ENGLAND FALL RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM UNE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE CLUB SATURDAY DECEMBER 7TH, 2019 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

BACKGROUND On behalf of Research Experience Club, welcome to the Univeristy of New England's third annual Fall Research Symposium. The symposium features projects over 30 posters in 7 difference disciplines. We are pleased to announce, for the first time we were able to invite two schools in the region, opening it up to an undergraduate research symposium. This symposium is unique as it is completely student run. The Research Experience Club (REC) at UNE is made up of students in different disciplines who are passionate about undergraduate research. The club aims to connect and empower undergraduates to share their research with the community and promote the importance of participating in research. The club is so proud of how much the symposium has grown and can't wait to see where it goes in the future! Thank you so much to REC's current e-board members who made this event possible including: Nicole Martin Aubrey Sahouria Olivia Kudas Prakash Patel Osage Orie

FALL RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM SATURDAY DECEMBER 7TH, 2019 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM Poster Presentations Ballroom- 283 Harold Alfond Forum 12:00 PM Remarks Ballroom- 283 Harold Alfond Forum Amy Keirstead, Ph.D. Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Jonathon Millen, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts and Sciences James D. Herbert, Ph.D. President, University of New England 12:00 PM to 1:00 pm Lunch & Social Ballroom- 283 Harold Alfond Forum

Poster 1 Marine Life in All Zones of the Ocean Department of Arts University of New England Natalie Buscemi '21 & Stephen Burt, BFA, MFA Marine life provides many important characteristics to the ocean and the zones are the building blocks that guide the marine life to be successful. Poster 2 Illustrated Internal Anatomy of Mustelus canis Department of Art University of New England Crista Kieley '21, Nour Altabbaa '22 & Christopher Sheil, PhD University of New England Detailed dissections and illustrations of Mustelus canis were performed to create a dissection guide for this species in the style of Stephen Gilbert's Pictorial anatomy of the Dogfish.

Poster 3 Assessing the spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons around Bangor, ME using polyethylene passive sampling Corning School of Ocean Studies Maine Maritime Academy Sydney Adams ’20 & Carrie Friedman, PhD This project used polyethylene passive sampling to provide baseline data of PAH concentrations for Bangor ME. Source apportionment ratios and cancer risk assessments were utilized to develop hypothesis for major source emissions and human health impacts.

Poster 4 As you age, what impacts your reading performance? Exploring interactions among age, reading medium and text type Department of Psychology University of New England Nicole Martin'21, Grace Bernatchez '21 & Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour, PhD Older adults encounter many disadvantages unique to their age group when using digital devices therefore it is important to understand how the presence of new technologies may be affecting them. The study examined how older adults have adapted to reading on e-readers and the factors that may be affecting their performance (such as mind wandering, reading skill level, task motivation, computer anxiety and computer background/experience), specifically investigating how reading speed and comprehension of information differs between print versus electronic texts.

Poster 5 Creating a Robotic System for Tagging Seals Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Hannah Welch '22, Kathryn Ono, PhD & Michael Esty, BSCS We are building a robotic seal with the capability of tagging grey seal pups, which will allow us to study them and the interactions between them and their mothers. Poster 6 Perception of femininity & masculinity in competition weightlifting/powerlifting Department of Society, Culture, and Languages University of New England Mikenzie Dwyer '21 & Alicia Peters, PHD The project's purpose is to better understand the perception of masculinity and femininity in competition weightlifting/powerlifting. To better understand competitors self-perception and their view of others with regards to femininity and masculinity in competition lifting.

Poster 7 Complexation of Yttrium and Rare Earth Elements with Silicate at Seawater Ionic Strength Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Joshua Dalo '20 & Johan Schijf, PhD Little attention has been directed towards evaluating the aqueous speciation of yttrium and rare earth elements (YREE) with regards to ilicate complexation. As a result, the stability constants of Eu-silicate complexes were determined through conducting potentiometric titrations at seawater ionic strength. Poster 8 The effect of oxybenzone on the growth rates of dinoflagellate (Dunaliella tertiolecta) Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Quintin Viera '20, Andrew Kowalczyk '20, Hannah Ciarametaro '20, Josh Dalo '20, Dominique Mellone '21 & Carrie Byron, PhD Oxybenzone is a common ingredient in sunscreen. Phytoplankton grown in different concentrations of oxybenzone exhibit different growth responses.

Poster 9 Visual Signals of the East Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens) During Conspecific Interactions Department of Ocean Studies Maine Maritime Academy & Walla Walla University Rachel Borisko '19, Alan Verde, Kirt Onthank,  Alan Verde PhD & Kirt L. Onthank, PhD Recent studies suggest octopuses may not be as asocial as historically perceived to be and use a specific set of visual signals to communicate with their conspecifics. Consequently, this research aimed to document and analyze the visual signals of Octopus rubescens during conspecific interactions. Poster 10 A Comparison of Flood Stage vs. Ebb Stage Phytoplankton in a Tidally Dominated Estuary Department of Marine Biology University of New England Tessa Rock'21 & Stephan Zeeman, PhD Phytoplankton were sampled and analyzed using the Flow Cam to create a phytoplankton species profile in the Saco River. Statistical analysis was run to find out if more phytoplankton are found in the estuary on flood tides or ebb tides.

Poster 11 Effects of morphine on behavioral and CNS response in GP120 mice infected with a murine retrovirus Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences & Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine University of New England Dalton Canonico '20, Sadie Casale '19, Tristin Look '18 & Ling Cao, M.D., Ph.D. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that affects over 36 million individuals worldwide, and more than 1.5 million people were newly infected in 2017. HIV envelope protein gp120 transgenic (gp120tg) mice were infected with LP- BM5, a murine retrovirus to help investigating the role of gp120 in HIV- associated neurological disorders (HAND). Cytokine production in various brain regions such as: hippocampus, striatum and frontal lobe, were determined via qRT-PCR.

Poster 12 Impact of Professor Gender and Attire on Memory Retention Department of Psychology University of New England Olivia Kudas ’21, Grace Grenier ’21 & Christina Perazio, MA This project is on the impact that professors attire and their gender may impact how much information is retained from an educational lesson.   Poster 13 The toxicity of bilge water on two native species of marine worms, bloodworms (Glycera dibranchiate), and sandworms (Nereis virens) Department of Ocean Studies Maine Maritime Academy Alexa Cacacie & Alan Verde, PhD The toxicity of bilge water from the Training Ship State of Maine on two native species of marine worms. Lethal concentration calculations were made to determine which species had a higher sensitivity to the chemicals found in bilge water.

Poster 14 An Analysis of the Salt Marsh at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve compared to the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Department of Marine Programs University of New England Kayla Burdick '20 & Susan Farady, J.D. A look into the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's salt marsh protections and regulations for the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. This study examines to see if the NERR System is doing enough to protect the marshes from sea level rise and climate change. 

Poster 15 An ethnographic study of the purpose and functionality of the Safe- Ride program at the University of New England. Department of Society, Culture, and Languages University of New England Abigail Lieberman ’20 & Alicia Peters, PhD I am assessing any similarities and differences that may exist in the perspectives on the recently adapted SafeRide program between the Department of Safety & Security and students on the Biddeford campus. Specifically, what these groups perceive to be the purpose and goals of the program and how successful - or unsuccessful - it is in meeting that standard of functionality.

Poster 16 Quantifying forest canopy baseline and elevational trends through use of hemispherical photography and digital analysis at Sebago Lake Department of Science Saint Joseph's College of Maine Claire Baker '22 & Johan Erikson, PhD A baseline of forest canopy around the SJC campus was taken through digital hemispherical photography. This baseline can be used in the future to ground truth canopy interpretations based on satellite data. Poster 17 Examination of species biodiversity across intertidal zones. Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Alex Geisser '20, Courtney Francoeur '20, Nicole Scherer '20, Jessica Nee '20 & Carrie Byron, PhD Species were identified and biodiversity was calculated for low, mid, and high inter tidal zones across multiple locations in Maine using transect-quadrat method.

Poster 18 An Investigation of the Sedimentary Environments of Smith Cove and Nautilus Cove, Maine Corning School of Ocean Studies Department Maine Maritime Academy Sally Jarmusz '20 & Lauren Sahl, PhD The main objective of this research project was to use side-scan sonar, grab-sampling, and sediment analyses to create a map illustrating the sedimentary environments of Smith Cove and Nautilus Cove, Maine. Poster 19 Mussel monitoring and manipulation: a series of physiological experiments providing context for an ecological data set Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Aubrey Jane ‘21, Markus Frederich, PhD & Carrie Byron, PhD A population of farmed blue mussels has been monitored for environmental stress manifestations and pathogens using histopathological, molecular, and proteomic techniques for the past two years. In order to provide a controlled context for the data sets generated, a series of physiological experiments has been designed.

Poster 20 Mechanisms of Succession in New England's Intertidal: Facilitation, Inhibition, or Tolerance? Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Everett Pierce, Aubrey Jane '21, Zach Carver '20, Edwin Gao '21 & Carrie Byron, PhD Four plots were cleared and monitored over the course of 3 years, and the settlement timing of algae and invertebrates was recorded. Poster 21 Climate change livelihoods and aquaculture in Maine Department of Environmental studies University of New England Julia Mast '22 & Meaghan Daly, PhD The project CLAM (Climate change livelihoods and aquaculture in Maine) looks into the aquaculture community in Maine and how climate change is affecting it, through interviewing key informants in aquaculture.

Poster 22 Mercury in Sebago Lake Trout Department of Science Saint Joseph's College of Maine Julia Heroux, Emily Lesher, PhD & Steven Jury, PhD Mercury was tested in a lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), also known as togue, in both muscle and liver tissues. Mercury in fish tissues are common among many species of freshwater fish and can become an issue as humans consume certain fish species with high mercury concentrations.The study site used was Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine where lake trout (n=8) were caught and analyzed. Mercury was tested using an ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) instrument. It was found that Lake Trout had relatively high levels of mercury, however, some issues with this new detection method will be discussed.

Poster 23 Deep-sea octopuses (Muusoctopus leioderma) consume local infauna in the shallow waters of Burrows Bay, WA, USA Department of Ocean Studies Maine Maritime Academy Maggie MacMahon & Alan Verde, PhD Muusoctopus leioderma are deep sea octopuses that have migrated to the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean for unknown reasons. The goal of this study was to determine if these octopuses could feed in a laboratory setting and determine what local prey items make up their diet. Poster 24 Utilizing sidescan sonar in kelp aquaculture Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Lauren Hayden '19, Michael Esty, BSCS & Stephan Zeeman, PhD In this project we employed sidescan sonar to image sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) growing on the line at two aquaculture sites in Saco Bay, Maine.  

Poster 25 The Effect of Tide Pool Presence on Rocky Intertidal Biodiversity Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Sarah Joseph '20, Kyle Brennan '20, Kara Bossi '21, Corinne Casey '20 & Carrie Byron, PhD Looking at the effects of the presence of tidepools on species biodiversity in the rocky intertidals of Maine. Poster 26 Mapping optimal locations for kelp farming based on temperature in Saco and Casco Bay Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Kyle Brennan & Carrie Byron, PhD This project highlights how we can determine potential sites for kelp aquaculture in preparation for extending the kelp growing season. This would increase the total biomass yield for Maine kelp farmers and further increase the supply of this sustainable food.

Poster 27 Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial impact of (+)-usnic acid derivatives with an additional bioactive phenyl amino motif Department of Chemistry and Physics, Department of Biology University of New England May Callahan, Amy Deveau, PhD & Kirstin Burkholder, PhD An investigation in synthesis of novel antibiotic compounds sourced from natural products such as lichen. Optimization of antibacterial activity was investigated through characterization and microbiological assay of (+)-usnic acid derivatives. Poster 28 The Effect of Light Wavelength on Population Growth of Isochrysis galbana Department of Marine Sciences University of New England Ken Peterson '20, Camden Salcedo '21, Abby Davis '21, Gina Scott '21 & Carrie Byron, PhD Phytoplankton was grown in water for which all light was passed through colored film to influence the wavelengths that would reach the phytoplankton. Populations were monitored for changes.

Poster 29 A Spatial Investigation of Sedimentary Microplastics and Their Relationship With the Castine Wastewater Treatment Facility Department of Ocean Studies Maine Maritime Academy Madison Reckman '20, Sarah O'Malley MEd, Leann Whitney, PhD The study seeks to understand possible trends found in sedimentary microplastics as well as understand how significant of a source wastewater treatment facilities are for microplastics.

Poster 30 Italian-American wedding traditions and family: A qualitative study Department of Society, Cultures & Languages University of New England Genna N. Companatico '20 & Alicia W. Peters, Ph.D. This study investigates the role of tradition for Italian-American weddings. Specifically, the study looks at the significance of family in decision-making around the incorporation of traditions.  

Poster 31 What’s the Difference? A Comparison of Text Types with Various Comprehension Measures Department of Psychology University of New England Genna Companatico ’20, Aubrey Sahouria ’22 & Isabella Martin '23 This study investigates which reading comprehension assessments are more suitable for testing comprehension performance on narrative versus expository text. The study also examines the relationship between the tests, working memory capacity and metacomprehension. This study will help educators and researchers in determining which cognitiveskills are best used to emphasize specific skill sets.  

Poster 32 Sediment Oxygen Demand in the Penobscot and Bagaduce Estuaries Corning School of Ocean Studies Maine Maritime Academy Katelyn Smith & Steven Baer, PhD This study investigates whether an accumulation of organic matter from paper effluent has increased sediment oxygen demand in the Penobscot River. Sediment oxygen demand rates, total organic carbon and sediment grain size were compared between the Penobscot and Bagaduce Rivers in order to establish whether there are differences between the sites.  



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you so much to all of the Faculty and Staff at the University of New England who made this possible: Dr. Christina Leclerc- our faculty adviser who has been there for every step of the way! Dr. Amy Keirstead for her constant and unwavering support for the symposium President Herbert and Dean Millen for attending and speaking Dr. Carrie Byron for her help recruiting so many students to join the event University of New England's USG for their help funding the event The UNE Office of Student Engagement including Jamie Smalls, Natalie Ippolito & Claire Michalewicz for their help planning and coordinating the event UNE event productions for their help setting everything up Everyone else who helped make this event such a success! A special thank you to all of the students who came to present at the symposium- you are who make this event so successful!