Keynote: (WEC 209)

Melodie A. R. Williams, EdD, P.E.

Professor of Engineering

Walla Walla University, Edward F. Cross School of Engineering 

Title: “My Long and Winding Road”

Abstract: We all know the official scientific method:  Question, Hypothesis, Experiments, Analysis, Conclusion.  But what happens when the path is not that straightforward?  How does the scientific method work with qualitative research?  What do you do with the serendipitous findings along the way? This is the story of a question that sparked a 13-year path to a doctorate with side quests and setbacks but eventually leading to some answers, a more complex version of the same question, and a life-long research direction.

Bio: Melodie A. R. Williams, EdD, P.E. is a Professor at the Edward F. Cross School of Engineering at Walla Walla University. After 23 years working as an engineer in industry and government, she came to WWU to teach in 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Walla Walla College, Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Washington State University, and Doctor of Education in Teaching and Learning from the University of North Dakota. Her dissertation is titled, “Barriers to Faculty Adoption of Assessment: A Case Study in Engineering”. Dr. Williams specializes in water and wastewater management, environmental engineering, engineering education, and assessment. She has presented extensively at American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conferences and peer-reviewed over 30 papers. Beyond academia, Dr. Williams served her community as an elected City Council member for 11 years and commissioner on multiple advisory boards, embodying the intersection of engineering expertise, educational innovation, and civic engagement.

Papers:

Session 1A: Challenging the System (WEC 225)

Moderator: Ben Jackson

Ellisa Millirans “The Human Cost of Mathematical Research: Consequences of Cantor’s Diagonal Argument”

Cristina Showalter “Simulation and Prevention of Airway Stent Migration”

Maia Mejia “The Brain as an Integrated System Through the Constructionist View of Emotions” 

Session 1B: Not Just Fun and Games (WEC 217)

Moderator: Melody Ezpeleta

Joanna Lasher “Players and Psychopathology: An Exploration of the Relationship between The Big Five Personality Traits, Game Genre Preferences, and Gaming Disorder”

Stephani Castro “The Influence of Media Framing on Professional Athlete Reputation”

Garrett Christiansen “Riding the Bull: A Content Analysis of Redbull's Instagram Page”

Miranda Perry “The Jester’s Jurisdiction: Layered Functions of the Late Medieval and Early Modern Fool”

Session 2A: Hiding in Plain Sight (WEC 225)

Moderator: David Lindsey

Sabrina Salazar “Racism on the Brain”

Naomi Pepper “Secrecy and Disclosure”

India Blue Webb “The Girl Who Came First: Why History Forgot Claudette Colvin and Remembers Rosa Parks”

Kelsey Griffin “Bloom vs. Blade: Impact of Harmful Algal Blooms on Eelgrass Growth and Bacterial Inhibition”

Session 2B: People and Institutions (WEC 217)

Moderator: Linda Ivy

Ross Gurule “Understanding the Correlation Between Attitudes Toward Pornography and Religious and Spiritual Struggles”

Evan Jansen “The Role of Coach Athlete Relationship Dynamics on Student Athlete Mental Health”

Marilyn Lorenzo “College, I Feel Like It's an Investment": A Qualitative Exploration of Financial Literacy Development and Application Among First-Generation Latinx College Students”

Kimberlee Guadiz “Sex Education in the United State Public School: Politics and Parent Options”

Posters: (WEC 2nd Floor)

Bella Anderson and Sidney Folkenberg “Tide vs. Tribe: Can Algae Fight Seawater Bacteria?”

Jenelle Contreras and Wren Dawson “Nudus Nudge: Unexpected Influences on Intertidal Crab Escape Latency”

Wren Dawson and Garett Ellis “Are Clams Picky Eaters?

Emily Deisch  “Comfort Media and Emotional Self-Regulation Among College Students”

Joseph Deisch and Angel Mnyuku “How Harmful Algae Blooms Affect the Survival of Commercial Pacific White Shrimp”

Jessica Hubach, Catherine Rose, Abby Cooley “Light Sensitivity and Behavioral Responses in Leptasterias hexactis

Rachael Littman, Isabella Branson, Jackson Brayley “Location, Location, Location: Analysis of Particle Distribution in Neriene Iitigiosa Webs

Mallori Lloyd and Allyson Lopez Garcia “Attack-induced Mucus Production as an Anti-predator Defense in Ariolimax columbianus”

Claire Schaffer and Ryan Coon “Night Owls vs. Day Dwellers: Zooplankton of Rosario Straight”

Jeff Schell “The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Ruby Octopus, Octopus rubescens”