Oral Presentation with Daniel De Rosa, KC Herne, and Alex MacPherson
Join us for presentations and Q&A with these undergraduate researchers:
Daniel DeRosa (Criminal Justice), The Killing Field: Understanding Occupational Fields Chosen by Serial Murderers
Although serial killers are studied a great detail in comparison to other forms of homicide, some research areas remain understudied. Specifically, serial killers’ occupational choices have yet to be explored ona large-scale global basis. This research project will utilize a convenience sample of Dr. Gurian’s serial murder database to analyze the occupation patterns of 40 solo male and 40 solo female serial killers. The goals of this research are to help understand what occupations serial killers are drawn to, why they are drawn to these occupations, and to potentially enable the development of warning signs for practitioners in those fields.
KC Herne (Biology), WTR Enhanced Aggregate: An Experimental Media for Stormwater Treatment
An increase in urban development was accompanied by an increase in impervious surfaces such as roads, concrete sidewalks, and roofs. This increase in impervious surfaces resulted in an increase of stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff pollutes freshwater and marine ecosystems. Phosphorus is an especially harmful pollutant within the stormwater, as phosphorus enrichment can lead to eutrophication. Eutrophication is characterized by an increase in algal blooms which eventually result in aquatic plant and animal death. Green stormwater infrastructure, such as rain gardens and detention ponds, are low-cost, low-maintenance solutions for reducing the impact of stormwater runoff. Currently, there is increasing interest in improving the performance of green stormwater infrastructure by amending filtration media with materials that increase their pollutant removal capabilities. Water treatment residuals (WTR), the solids that are left over after the process of drinking water purification, have been shown to increase the efficiency of phosphorus removal when added to filtration media. Here, we introduce WTR-enhanced aggregate; a high-flow filtration media for removing phosphorus from stormwater runoff. The WTR enhanced aggregate consists of WTR bound to gravel via cement. Our current research is focused around proving WTR enhanced aggregate is more effective than gravel at removing phosphorus from stormwater.
Alex MacPherson (Criminal Justice), Drinking Games and Corresponding Behaviors Among College Students
Binge drinking is defined as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08g/dl or above” (CDC, 2019). It is the most common, costly, and deadly pattern of overuse of alcohol in the U.S. It is one of several risky behaviors that teens and young adults in college settings engage in. It has become an expectation that many college students will go out, party and drink. But these students rarely consider the collateral consequences of binge or underage drinking. For example, are students more likely to smoke (I.e., nicotine or marijuana) while drinking with peers than when alone? Are there gender differences in alcohol consumption while participating in drinking games? Are students likely to drink more when in the presence of peers than when alone? This study exploresthese questions using an anonymous self-reported questionnaire administered via Qualtrics. The purpose of this research is to explore the influence of various social situations, including the presence of peers, a party setting, and engaging in “drinking games” on self-reported binge drinking among college students. It also seeks to explore the possible connection between social situations, binge drinking, and simultaneous poly-drug use.
Moderated by Prof. Stephanie Maass
Please click here to view the recorded event.
