Library Research Award for Undergraduates

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://digital.lib.washington.edu/handle/1773/2493

The University Libraries, in cooperation with the Undergraduate Research Program, sponsors the "Library Research Award for Undergraduates" competition, which recognizes University of Washington students who produce significant inquiry requiring use of information resources, the library and its collections.

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Nonlinear System Identification for Exoskeletons Literature Review
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Victoria Landrum; Michelle Hickner
The submitted project encompasses a literature review and critical paper review that provides an in-depth exploration of relevant literature for a research project investigating the effects of resistive ankle exoskeletons on muscle activity and walking kinematics. This project explores relevant literature for exoskeletons, control theory, biomechanics, and nonlinear and linear system identification techniques from an engineering perspective to inform a project that explores the impact of resistive ankle exoskeletons on muscle activity and walking mechanics, aiming to personalize rehabilitation strategies. The critical paper review involved analyzing and critiquing a modern system identification technique and application from a peer-reviewed publication to inform potential future research directions and applications for using the technique. Combined, the project provides a thorough overview of related literature to exoskeleton control and system identification with an emphasis on a modern technique to be investigated in future work.
"Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics”: Sex and Work in 1970s Seattle and San Francisco
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Sophie Belz; Adam Warren
The buying and selling of sex has been a persistent element of the social, economic, and political structures of early Pacific Coast metropolises since the 1848 California Gold Rush. Despite long histories of condoning sex work, unilaterally punitive treatment of women, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Chinese women endured through the 1970s, until the synergy of the sexual revolution and civil rights movement allowed for Margo St. James, a former sex worker and social activist, to organize the country’s first sex workers reform and aid group “Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics” or COYOTE. While COYOTE was ultimately a transient political movement, its intellectual goals and concrete initiatives resulted from and furthered broader and more sustained political consciousness regarding the precarious relationship of the law to women’s sexuality and sexual labor– a relevant theme in contemporary analyses of sex work and its social, moral, and legal legitimacy.
On the Historiography of Alauddin Khilji
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Thomas William Boyd; Purnima Dhavan
This paper aims to establish the existence of a positive relationship between the Sultan Alauddin Khilji and his court poet Amir Khusrau. As such, the propaganda produced by Khusrau towards his boss can be understood as sincere, thus increasing its valididty as a primary source. By doing this, the varaiety of sources regarding this reign is increased, as most sources tend to see Alauddin in a negative light.
General Idea: Performing Artifice and Circularity Through The 1984 Miss General Idea Pageant and the Imagevirus Project
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Zoe Nelles; Adair Rounthwaite
General Idea was an art collective group working out of Toronto and New York City from 1967-1994. Their works were influential in terms of performance, medium specificity, and political action, and broadly impacted the art world as we know it today. In this paper, I seek to understand two artworks which bookend General Idea's career: The 1984 Miss General Idea Pageant and its surrounding concepts, and the Imagevirus project. These pieces differ in medium and execution but through analysis of intention and historical context, reveal narratives which run through General Idea's oeuvre.
What are the health outcomes of phytochemical supplements versus fruits and vegetables?
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Richer Zhao; Sarah Ghasedi
This research stems from concerns about the efficiency of modern diets, which increasingly rely on supplements rather than natural food sources. I analyzed data and reviewed information to compare the effectiveness of phytochemical supplements and whole fruits and vegetables. The study emphasized that while phytochemicals are used in various therapies, their individual effects cannot be compared to the combined benefits of whole foods based on current scientific developments. I have placed the results in a booklet to be printed and disseminated in the future to enable more people to plan their diets wisely and incorporate phytochemicals flexibly into their daily routines.
In Defense of Beatrice and the Nightengale
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Serena Tideman; Jeff Bowen
In honor of Beatrice Harrison, who was a great cellist of 100 years ago, and the favorite cellist of one of my favorite composers, Edward Elgar, I composed a duet for cello and birdsong. I also researched about her life as a cellist, as a muse and her very popular 1924 BBC Broadcast of cello and nightingale recorded in her garden outside London, which has recently been disputed by many journalists.
Multiracial Labor Organizing and Community Building in Roslyn, Washington, 1888-1907
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Nolan Degarlais; Adam Warren
In 1888 predominantly white mine workers in the newly established coal mining town of Roslyn formed a local affiliate of the Knights of Labor and called a strike. As a way to break the strike, the Northwestern Improvement Company recruited hundreds of Black miners from the Midwest. After a period in which racial division threatened to boil over into violence, the strike was ultimately broken and the majority of white miners left town. In the coming years, Black miners continued to migrate there along with European immigrants. By 1904, miners had organized a union across racial lines that led a successful strike. I analyze how conditions transformed in the intervening years to allow the growth of a successful multiracial union. Principally, the absence of native-born white workers created a space for Black and immigrant white workers to build a community that explicitly defined itself through its multiracial character.
Washington State Ferries: The Rider Experience
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Mia Oscarsson; Keith Harris
With future ferry fleet electrification, this research aims to explore user experience on Washington State Ferries (WSF) using this question: How does the design of a historically significant space like the WSF system – ferries and terminals – affect the experience for riders who heavily rely on the ferry? I explore this through multiple user research methods. I conducted field observations of 3 ferry routes and distributed a survey. Based on survey results, I recruited participants to engage in photovoice research, prompting them to take pictures of their ferry experience and discuss in 30-minute interviews. I uncovered a unique relationship – the commuter identity fosters opportunities for community on the ferry while also defining rider norms. There is a desire for interactive technology and education while a pain point was access to food. This work is significant in capturing the experience of riders who are reliant on the ferry as their main transportation.
Emotional and Linguistic Expressions for Grief in American and Hispanic Cultures
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Mariela Hernandez; Katarzyna Dziwirek
The project I completed this Winter quarter focused on researching the impact that culture can have on language and emotional expression, as well as comparing and contrasting the language and emotional expression between Hispanic and American cultures. The main point of my project is to identify the distinctions between Spanish and English speakers, as well as their commonalities in how they feel emotions and how they verbalize their emotions. In addition, I inspected the common gender bias that both American and Hispanic cultures experience and employ. Furthermore, I emphasized the importance of the lexical grids, also known as vocabularies, that the two cultures share. All in all, my goal with my project was to unify all the aspects between culture, language, and emotions in Hispanic and American culture to give a deeper understanding of languages and the unique depth of emotion felt in each culture.
"Nadie Ganaba" / "Nobody Won": El Salvador, Argentina, and the Transnational Roots of State Terror
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Nicole Grabiel; Ileana Rodríguez-Silva
This project examines the relationship between El Salvador and Argentina in the leadup to El Salvador’s civil war. I argue that the military regimes in El Salvador and Argentina took on a consultative relationship during the late 1970s and early 1980s in which Salvadoran officials looked to Argentina for a “successful” model of repression. By pairing archival research conducted at the Historical Archive of the Chancellery in Buenos Aires with existing scholarship on Argentine involvement in Central America, I trace the rise of Argentine influence in El Salvador from a few well-placed offers of aid to the minds of four of El Salvador’s top-ranking wartime officials. In doing so, I look beyond the Cold War in Latin America as a phenomenon imposed from above by the United States and instead interrogate the middle layer, in which Latin American states reproduced the Cold War along more local and regional lines.
Gender Dynamics in King County Drug Diversion Court: Exploring Experiences and Perspectives
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Lindsay Lucenko; Katherine Beckett
This research explores the experiences of men and women in the King County Drug Diversion Court, a rehabilitative program for drug-related offenses. Participants undergo a five-phase program with the potential for charge dismissal, but concerns about coercion persist. Participants must maintain sobriety, undergo frequent tests, attend support meetings, communicate with case managers, find employment, and fulfill familial duties. The study investigates how gender influences these obligations' fulfillment, especially considering the court's predominantly male population. Through nine semi-structured interviews, I examined participants' experiences with the criminal justice system, focusing on gender impacts. Findings reveal nuanced gendered experiences, informing justice system reform. By combining qualitative interviews and existing research, this study sheds light on gender dynamics within the court, contributing to policy and practice for a fairer criminal justice system.
Damage and Preservation of Ancient Egyptian Tomb Murals
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Gabrielle Masteller; Sarah Moore
The curse of the mummy has been sensationalized in the media for years, but has been proven untrue with no biological explanation. Even though bacteria and fungi found in ancient Egyptian tombs are not actively killing people, they are still causing problems, specifically to the wall murals inside of the tombs. These problems include color changes, mystery brown spots, and issues with the mural’s structure. Recently there has been increased interest in research about the types of bacteria, molds, and fungi that are present in Egyptian tombs, their effect on tomb wall art, and what can be done to protect the art so it can be enjoyed by future generations. In this review, I will analyze the actual effect of these bacteria, molds, and fungi on ancient Egyptian tomb art, how we can combat these microbial free riders, and the negative effects murals experience due to human interaction.
Bodybuilding: The Construction of Bodies
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Eva Derksen; Shirley J Yee
The sport of bodybuilding is a western phenomenon that has roots in imperialistic, colonial, and gendered anxieties about the correct state of the body. The history of bodybuilding supports the idea that the sport is posed as a remedy to relevant 20th century fears about a loss of man-power in the United States. The evolution of the sport throughout the 20th century– culminating in the production of two bodybuilding docu-dramas, titled Pumping Iron and Pumping Iron II: The Women–underscores the way that attempts to enter a body and gender-inclusive discourse only further enforce gendered, racialized, classicized, and ableist ideals that are foundational to American imperialism. Analysis of historical and contemporary texts, as well as the aforementioned docu-drama films will support my conclusion that the sport of bodybuilding is inextricable from its historical function of underlining, reinforcing, and eliminating physical difference is the pursuit of a national bodily ideal.
Tandem dechlorination and hydrogenolysis of waste PVC plastic into value added chemicals
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Evelyn Erickson; Julie Rorrer
Plastic waste is a serious problem with detrimental environmental impacts, within this mixed plastics pose a significant challenge in depolymerization. My project focuses on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particularly difficult plastic to break down due to the chlorine atom. Chlorine can poison catalysts and release harmful by products like hydrochloric acid or chlorine gas. I have been working to dechlorinate PVC and then further break down this waste plastic to form value added products. Once dechlorinated PVC becomes a hydrocarbon and can be treated similar to other waste plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. This tandem dechlorination and depolymerization occur in a single step through a strong amine base and ruthenium catalyst helping to activate the reaction.
Connections between increased daily sugar intake and mental health.
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Cissy Dai; Sarah J Ghasedi
When the parents catch their kids eating sugar, their initial concern often gravitates towards oral health, when in reality, it may be indicative that their kids are having some mental health issues. Sugar is a readily accessible treatment for young individuals grappling with mental health challenges, because eating the tasty food provides a seemingly simple solution. Regrettably, I found a lack of awareness and reflection among the lay public regarding the rationale behind their perceived mood enhancement. This video explores an objective perspective to the excessive amount of daily sugar that the population is taking nowadays. From addressing the gap for the influence of sugar in mental and physical health, in both short and long term, the video aims to help the audience to understand and treat sugar correctly in daily diet.
Caged Women and Wombs: Mistreatment of Incarcerated Pregnant Women
(University of Washington Libraries, 6/5/2024) Calypso Bettis; Anna Nguyen
In this paper I explore the numerous ways incarcerated pregnant women are mistreated throughout the pregnancy. This includes the stories of women impregnated by prison guards, not given adequate prenatal care or diets, forced to work while pregnant, and the violent medical experiences they have. Additionally, I explore how these issues differ across states as the prison system is highly variable across the US. The paper also takes into account how women often become incarcerated due to vulnerable circumstances.
Motherhood, Love, and the Self in the Soviet Novel: Religious Reconstructions of Female Young Adult Identity in Postwar Novels (1945-1990)
(University of Washington Libraries, 3/10/2023) Whalen, Melinda; Young, Glennys
This project uses the lens of female young adults in novels to examine the war’s lingering impact and the destabilization of socialist identity conceptions during the postwar period. It pays special attention to women’s identity as explored through their engagement with religious conceptualizations of gender and the family unit. These issues of identity are examined through the young female protagonists in the novels Picture in the Teacup (1986) by Dina Kalinovskaya and Redemption (1984) by Friedrich Gorenstein. Both Kalinovskaya’s Serafima and Gorenstein’s Sashenka confront religious and socialist constructions of female identity during their constant movements between the child and the adult, the woman and the non-woman, and the perceived roles of the mother. This paper analyzes the linguistic nuances in both the translated English and original Russian versions of the texts, emphasizing how these authors used religious-coded language and constructs to implicitly critique the Soviet system and socialist culture.
Climate Change Impacts on Greenland Sharks (Somniosus microcephalus)
(University of Washington Libraries, 3/10/2023) Philip, Molly; Stern, Jenny
An in-depth exploration on the impact of climate change and human activity on Greenland sharks. In my paper, I discuss the diet, habitat, and behaviors of Greenland sharks and how they may change in the future due to anthropogenic factors. I synthesize a wide variety of information to draw conclusions on the subjects discussed, exploring in detail the functionality and fragility of marine food webs among other topics. My paper places an emphasis on conservation of marine life, and advocates the importance of mitigating climate change, chemical pollution, and human activity that will severely impact the Arctic and its ecosystem.
Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy: A Treatment Worth Considering?
(University of Washington Libraries, 11/21/2022) Wang, Fiona; Ma, Christina
In recent years, gene therapy has emerged as a novel form of treatment for many genetic illnesses, one of the most notable being cystic fibrosis (CF). Gene therapy can be used to deliver a correct, non-mutated copy of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene into the body via a virus cell to replace the mutated copy of the CFTR gene in CF patients, which causes the illness. If done correctly, gene therapy can offer a non-invasive, versatile treatment that can cure cystic fibrosis at the source (or in other words, at the mutation). However, the viral vectors used to transport the CFTR gene can cause fatal inflammation and infection, along with the vectors attacking the wrong tissue. These two deadly side effects in conjunction with the hundreds of thousands dollar price tag make CF gene therapy an ineffective form of treatment.
Hopeful: An examination of incarcerated people's experience learning of unexpected early release
(University of Washington Libraries, 3/3/2023) Laibe, Kaitlyn; Beckett, Katherine
In the wake of federal decisions challenging the constitutionality of life sentences, Washington State enacted a variety of legal pathways towards early release. This study explores how learning of the possibility of early release affected incarcerated individuals who previously did not expect to be released from prison. Qualitative interview data from 12 individuals who secured early release from Washington State prisons resulted in three key findings. First, for every participant, learning of early release created hope. Second, the hope that early release generates is tempered by institutional factors outside of the individual’s control, such as correctional staff intentionally administering infractions to disqualify individuals from early release process(es). Thirdly, although tempered hope results in a “hope for the best, expect the worst” mentality, hope positively impacts an individual’s trajectory, engagement, and behavior in prison. This research illuminates the importance of creating realistic early release mechanisms and allowing hope to flourish.

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