Category: OSCAR Top Presenter

College of Humanities and Social Science OSCAR Top Presenter

Othering in We Were Here

Author(s): Ali Faris

Mentor(s): Laura Scott, English

Abstract

Othering in We Were Here
By Ali Faris, with the gracious guidance of Professor Laura Scott and Dr. Kristin Samuelian
George Mason Creative Writing Department

Abstract:

We live in an era of rising fascism and imperialism, and the war in Ukraine is the latest example. At the core of these movements a similar trait is shared, that of othering- dehumanizing the opposing party for the benefit of the aggressor. My creative thesis, written for the English Honors program and under the mentorship of Dr. Kristin Samuelian and Professor Laura Scott, is a work of speculative fiction that addresses the concept of Othering as its main thematic core. In a world of tomorrow, a society has burgeoned forth whose government is able to breed and exploit in-vitro bio-synthetic oxygen based humanoid beings birthed to be used and taken advantage of for their essence. Whole forests have been siphoned and used up for breeding these O2s, after which they are harvested and taken on a train to be valved at their napes. This story allows the reader to analyze the unequal power dynamic between O2s and the rest of society, and study how certain people blindly and purposefully use and objectify others. Through the interactions of my story’s principal characters, instances of finding humanity in the other- between O2s and everyone else- works as a way to break the mold of societal conditioning, becoming imperative in order to permanently change the way of things for the better, with justice and equality for all.

Keywords: Literature, Science Fiction, Othering, Society, Speculative Fiction

Audio Transcript

Othering in We Were Here
By Ali Faris, with the gracious guidance of Professor Laura Scott and Dr. Kristin Samuelian
George Mason Creative Writing Department
Transcript:
Hello everyone! Hope you’re all living well and fulfilled and enjoying today. I wanted to talk to you about my Honors Thesis project, which examines Othering in the world of my developing novella, We Were Here.
We live in an era of rising fascism and imperialism, and the war in Ukraine is the latest example. At the core of these movements a similar trait is shared, that of othering- dehumanizing the opposing party for the benefit of the aggressor.
My creative thesis, written for the English Honors program and under the mentorship of Dr. Kristin Samuelian and Professor Laura Scott, is a work of speculative fiction that addresses the concept of Othering as its main thematic core.
In a world of tomorrow, a society has burgeoned forth whose government is able to breed and exploit in-vitro bio-synthetic oxygen based humanoid beings birthed to be used and taken advantage of for their essence. Whole forests have been siphoned and used up for breeding these O2s, after which they are harvested and taken on a train to be valved at their napes.
This story allows the reader to analyze the unequal power dynamic between O2s and the rest of society, and study how certain people blindly and purposefully use and objectify others. Through the interactions of my story’s principal characters, instances of finding humanity in the other- between O2s and everyone else- works as a way to break the mold of societal conditioning, becoming imperative in order to permanently change the way of things for the better, with justice and equality for all.
The following passage is from the third section in my story, chosen with the hopes of illustrating a bit of backstory for the audience to become more familiar with my world. Thank you!

***
He sighed and looked to Ilsa, who, regardless of the sorry existence that had manifested out of the pandora’s box of that rainy night, had still entered into his life, a non-judgmental grace. Whose music transformed, like magic, herself and her listeners. Who reminded all to remember the sacredness of every single moment.
Ilsa, whose melodies had drawn the attention of crowds from all around the country, yet who’d stow away with Rick in a booth deep in the annals of Salvation after a set, covered up and content with having a cold beer with her old confidant. Ilsa, who years from now would look back on her days with Rick Matthews with charm and fondness, a gentle man who she considered a guardian as much as a neighbor, a father as much as a friend, even if she felt his reservedness, his unwillingness to spend too much time together. Ilsa understood that their friendship required distance. She never felt alone knowing Rick lived next door, even though he never knocked, and was happy to know his ears and eyes would be in the crowd at Salvation every night that she performed with her band of percussionists, even though she’d rarely spot him when they’d play.
It was Rick who’d seen Ilsa crying on her front porch one night, after returning from her first and only gig at the commander of the Corps, Madame Derangé’s, mansion. It was the first time Rick had come near Ilsa’s property. With a swiftness unexpected for his age, he’d gone and got a blanket to put over her shoulders, a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, a cup of borage tea to calm her nerves.
“They’re humans Rick, I swear,” she remembered telling him, haunted at the sights she had seen at the Corps Commander’s mansion. “Real humans only they look a little different, lost in the eyes, submissive, broken…. And these tubes, Rick, they all just lounge around sucking the life force out of these poor souls and call it luxury. They say they don’t feel but I’d see them wince every time someone would inhale oxygen from the valves at their neck. I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t perform while seeing all that horror. How could they? They were human Rick, oh god they were human.”
Rick had spoken to her then longer than he ever had up to that point. He told her all he knew about O2s, ever since he discovered the Corps’ plotting to create them. He worked for the Corps long ago as a mechanic in his twenties, there to maintain the high tech audio accelerators that they’d patented in order to monopolize sonar-travel. The Corps were powerful, sure, but meant to protect, designed to serve the common good of the people. But then some time passed, and under the guise of environmental research they began to infect the forests. There they’d plant bio-synthetic embryos within the trees, which would gradually seep them of their vitality and wither them to the bone as the Corps would repeatedly extract humanoid O2s from within them, who they’d then exploit, enslave, use for their own personal gain. They’d left the underprivileged populace to live in a ravaged climate unless they were wealthy enough to purchase O2s of their own in order to guarantee their health. And people wondered why there was a rise in respiratory disease since the conception of The Nest. Rick left the Corps soon thereafter to pursue a career in law enforcement– young, naïve, all those years ago.
And still the corrupt exploited. And still, the rest of us suffered.
Seven years had passed since the night at the Corps Commander’s mansion. Ilsa had never returned. She chose instead to find a home in Salvation, which Rick wholly supported, and where she would continue to play every night of the seven years leading up to today, to crowds growing larger and hungrier for her music with each transcendent performance.
***
Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day everyone!

College of Humanities and Social Science OSCAR Top Presenter

Thomas Dixon Jr.’s The Clansman: An American Armageddon

Author(s): Christine Kearney-Ogburn

Mentor(s): Stefan Wheelock, English, College of Humanities and Social Science

Abstract

Thomas Dixon Jr’s The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, is infamous for glorifying and romanticizing the Ku Klux Klan as well as providing the source material for D.W. Griffith’s landmark film, The Birth of a Nation. In this English Honors thesis, under the direction of Dr. Stefan Wheelock, I demonstrate that The Clansman fits the genre conventions for both dystopian and utopian literature. Through the framework of utopic literature Dixon attempts to promote his ideal society by illustrating his dystopia: the unification of blacks and whites by miscegenation. The novel depicts a clear ideal for America to aspire to which is white supremacy attained through the reunification of Northerners and Southerners in romantic reconciliation and the suppression of black rights. Dixon’s utopia is accomplished through the reappropriation of the romantic reconciliation trope that he morphs to support his white supremacist utopia where blacks will be subjugated and ultimately expelled from America to protect white civilization from black blood. Thus, it is shown that only through the assimilation of Northern whites to Southern ideals such as white supremacy will the white race be saved from the dystopic society Dixon crafts. However, this utopia is realized partially and is meant to spur other whites to unite to create this utopia in America. This thesis will explore how common tropes such as romantic reconciliation have been reappropriated by Dixon to promote a white supremacist utopia and how the portrayal of white romance became weaponized to demonize miscegenation and promote the subjugation and segregation.

Keywords: miscegenation, white supremacy, utopia, dystopia, Reconstruction, Thomas Dixon

Audio Transcript

Hello everybody, my name is Christine Kearney, and this English Honors thesis was created with the help of my advisor Stefan Wheelock.
Thomas Dixon Jr. is most well-known for providing the source material of D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation which caused the reemergence of the second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan.
Despite Dixon being largely disregarded as a figment of the past by the time of his death in 1946, I became fascinated with his work.
Specifically, his second novel, The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, which was notorious for glorifying and romanticizing the Klan as well as inspiring Griffith’s film.
Although in present times Dixon is most often relegated to little more than a line or footnote, during his dynamic career as a minister, lecturer, novelist, playwright, and filmmaker he had a remarkable impact on the development of American culture, an influence that continues even to this day, unconscious and unnamed.
My thesis explores how a common trope called romantic reconciliation has been reappropriated by Dixon in The Clansman to promote a white supremacist utopia and how the portrayal of white romance was weaponized to demonize miscegenation and promote the subjugation and expulsion of the black race.
During my research, I came to realize that The Clansman fulfills the criteria for both dystopian and utopian literature despite not fitting into either tradition.
Let’s set the scene.
1865: South Carolina.
The Confederacy has just been defeated, the president assassinated, and now slavery is no more.
The freedmen have been given citizenship and the right to vote.
The Freedmen’s Bureau is attempting to seize land from white Southerners and give their property to former slaves.
A black militia roams the streets and in the lawmaking house whites have been made the minority, and worst of all: a pro miscegenation bill has been passed – making it legal for black men to marry young white women.
At the beginning of the novel, the South is portrayed as a dystopian society where blacks dominate over whites politically and socially.
This society is one where black men can marry and procreate with young white women against their will, consequently tainting white blood and the future line of American children.
In this reality, America is destroyed not by the cleavages that existed between the two regions of the United States from before the Civil War, but by the black race themselves.
However, the most despicable problem white Southerners face in the novel is miscegenation.
And you can’t talk about Dixon without mentioning his portrayal of black men.
Every one of Dixon’s race novels contained a graphic depiction of the rape of a young white woman by a black man that was meant to shock and horrify his white audience.
These rapes were used as justification for Dixon’s insistence that the black race needed to be disenfranchised and deported from American soil.
Dixon’s first novel, The Leopard’s Spots, highlighted what Dixon saw as the destructive nature of black blood and its ability to destroy not only the white race’s purity, but white civilization and America as a whole.
Black men in Dixon’s books are portrayed as predators determined to marry and procreate with white women causing degradation of the superiority of the white race.
However, what is this utopia and what does Dixon believe will help America get there?
While it seems strange to consider The Clansman utopian literature, keep in mind that a work doesn’t have to feature a utopia that is beneficial for all parts of society. As Brian McGee states, “Bolshevism and Nazism were utopian visions to their leaders and supporters”
If Dixon’s dystopia is the unification of whites and blacks through miscegenation, then the opposite of this reality must be his utopia.
Indeed, the expulsion of blacks and the romantic reconciliation of white Northerners and Southerners is the ideal society Dixon’s characters strive to.
The novel concludes with utopia on the horizon.
This utopia is a new South where the white race subjugates and eventually colonizes or deports all black people to Africa to quell their threat to white civilization via miscegenation.
To make this white supremacist utopia a reality and counteract the existing dystopia of black and white unification that is guaranteed when there are equal rights for black people, Dixon used a different kind of unification.
This unification occurs between only white partners, with Dixon reappropriating the romantic reconciliation trope popular in his time period as a vehicle to spur progress towards a whites only and whites first future in America.
The trope of romantic reconciliation typically featured a Northern man courting a fiery Southern woman whom he would marry, thus reconstructing her to Northern ideals.
This couple were stand ins for the entire nation.
This means that the couple would heal the deep sectional cleavages caused by slavery and the Civil War, promoting Americans to see themselves not as strictly Northerners or Southerners, but as Americans.
Americans who live using Northern ideals.
Dixon reappropriates this trope by depicting the Northern romantic interest abandoning their former allegiances to fully assimilate into the ideology of their Southern partners.
Consequently, Dixon depicts Southern values taking reign of the family’s ideological beliefs, elevating white supremacy to be a crucial feature of the future of American families.
This couple, made from both regions is now united under Southern ideals and will first subjugate the black race to prevent miscegenation and the tainting of white civilization by black blood until whites are able to expel blacks from America using colonization.
Thus, it is shown that only through the assimilation of Northern whites to Southern ideals of white supremacy will the white race be saved from the dystopic society Dixon crafts in his novel.

College of Science OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

First Look at the Reproductive Biology of the Endangered Tropical Fish Betta channoides

Author(s): Thomas Lopez

Mentor(s): Valerie Olmo, Biology

Abstract

Betta channoides is an understudied and underprotected fish from Borneo. The IUCN categorizes this fish as Endangered due to habitat loss, and its population in the wild is declining. Despite this situation, there is no legislation protecting this species anywhere in the world, and no research dedicated to this species has ever been published. This project addresses this knowledge gap by documenting the reproductive biology of Betta channoides. A male-female pair were brought from their habitat in Borneo to a lab setting in Exploratory Hall. Investigators housed them in aquaria which simulated their natural environment in order to induce and study their behaviors as closely as possible in captivity. These measures were successful in encouraging the pair to spawn, and investigators successfully documented their reproduction for the first time in a scientific setting. Betta channoides was shown to use a unique color-changing ability to communicate with conspecifics, and used this trait in an elaborate 3-hour mating ritual not seen in other Betta species. Investigators also confirmed that the species is a paternal mouthbrooder, recording a brooding period of 14 days. Behavioral evidence also suggests that B. channoides may engage in bi-parental care of the offspring, a behavior never observed in other Betta fish. Overall, these findings challenge established knowledge about B. channoides and the genus as a whole, suggesting that this fish may be much more social in nature than previously thought. Investigators hope to continue studying the reproduction of this species so that biologists and conservation workers alike may learn from their evolution.

Audio Transcript

Hello, my name is Tom Lopez and I’m currently a junior biology student at George Mason University. Today I will be presenting my work on the reproductive biology and conservation of an endangered tropical fish.

Betta channoides is a small understudied fish endemic to the province of East Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo. It is related to the common Betta or Siamese Fighting Fish often seen in pet stores, but only distantly. This species occurs exclusively in the middle Mahakam river basin, where it inhabits the shallow jungle pools that tassel the river’s edge. Unfortunately, it is severely imperiled throughout its range.

The IUCN Red List categorizes this fish as Endangered, and it is primarily threatened by the mass clearing of forests for the construction of palm oil plantations. As of 2019, its population trend in the wild is sharply decreasing. Representing one of only two species within its taxonomic rank, this species is highly endemic and unique to this part of the world. Its extinction would represent the erasure of an entire species complex within the genus Betta. All of these factors combined makes Betta channoides a conservation priority; despite this, this fish is severely understudied and underprotected. Despite its IUCN listing, this species is not protected by any legislation anywhere in the world. The IUCN report is one of just a handful of mentions in scientific literature, with no dedicated research ever conducted on this species. This knowledge gap is why I decided to focus on Betta channoides for my research. I have had the pleasure of working hands-on with this little fish for over a semester; this presentation will explore my discoveries while keeping them in the lab.

Coming at the issue from a conservation standpoint, I decided to focus on the reproduction of this species. Scientific literature currently states that Betta channoides is a paternal mouthbrooder, which means that the male fish holds its offspring within his mouth for a portion of their development. However, this assertion is only attributed to a single source, which assumes this fact given its close genetic relation to another mouthbrooding betta.. After realizing this, I decided to design this project as an ex-situ conservation breeding program; my goal was to induce and record their breeding behavior and parental care for the first time.

To achieve this, I acquired two individuals collected from their habitat in Borneo- a male and a female. I kept them in an aquarium which simulated their natural habitat- a shallow, murky pool filled with sand and leaf litter from jungle trees. By doing this, I hoped to encourage natural behaviors from the fish as accurately as possible in a captive setting.

Before I could breed them successfully, however, I had to observe and learn about their behavior. As it turns out, Betta channoides possess an elaborate and meticulous form of communication that they use for reproducing. This fish can change its coloration and patterning at will. The male fish is normally brown when calm, but is capable of flushing an intense red when excited, aggressive or looking to breed. The female fish has less dramatic colors, but a significantly higher degree of control over her pattern, able to appear solid yellow, horizontally striped, vertically banded, or even varying combinations of these patterns. Most notable is the “bee stripe” pattern exhibited only when she has eggs. During this phase, the female fish grows a large white spot on her left lateral flank, presumed to be an egg spot. Once I learned this language of colors, I was able to introduce them to one another at the right time for them to spawn.

The male fish approaches the female first and uses his coloration to initiate their tedious mating ritual. He repeatedly opens his mouth and flares his fins; if the female reciprocates, she will do the same, repeatedly arching her back and flashing her egg spot. They engage in this dance for several minutes before the female begins laying eggs. She lays a single egg at a time; after laying, she picks the egg up with her mouth and initiates an embrace with the male fish. It is at this point where it is believed that the male fertilizes the egg. After this, the female will engage in an unusual behavior where she repeatedly spits out the newly fertilized embryo, only to suck it back into her mouth. Each time she does this, the male will attempt to grab the embryo from her; this will go on until the male successfully takes the embryo. After this, the process repeats for each new egg. This elaborate ritual goes for an average of three hours, taking a considerable amount of time and energy to complete.

After mating, the male will hold the clutch of embryos in his mouth for the next 14 days. During this period, he does not eat, and barely moves. The male and female stay near each other at all times, but the female was not observed contributing to the care of the offspring. For now, the nature of this relationship is unknown. Within his mouth, the embryos develop into larvae, then metamorphose into fully-developed juveniles called fry. This process has never been documented in Betta channoides and is incredibly difficult to observe due to their mouthbrooding behavior; as such, it is currently unknown how these offspring survive in there for so long.

After 14 days, the male releases 13 tiny, 4mm long juveniles into the water column. They are immediately able to swim and feed themselves, so the parents no longer provide any care for them. Despite this, neither the male nor the female have been observed being aggressive with the young; this, combined with their complex communication, points to Betta channoides being a much more social species than seen in other Betta fish.

This is all the information that has been compiled so far. By keeping Betta channoides in an environment which closely resembles their habitat, we were able to successfully induce, observe, and record their breeding behavior multiple times. This is the first time that this species; reproduction has been characterized in a scientific study. Throughout the process, we confirmed that Betta channoides was a paternal mouthbrooding fish; we also made several discoveries which challenge established knowledge about Betta fish as we know them. We have compiled evidence that Betta channoides may be the only Betta fish which exhibits bi-parental care, and its ability to communicate with colors point to an active social life living in high densities. More research must be done in their habitats to learn more about these reclusive fish- and more importantly, work must be done to stop these little gems from going extinct before we can learn from them. By the end of the semester, several questions were answered, but even more remain; I am excited to keep working with this beautiful fish and discover more about them for the scientific and conservation communities to learn from.

College of Humanities and Social Science OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

Hannibal

Author(s): Luke Beverley

Mentor(s): Daniel Normandin, English

Abstract

I’ve heard a lot of people ask the question ‘why did the Romans do what they did? Why was Rome so violent and weird?’ To me, this question is very easy: why wouldn’t they do what they did? Why would they not be violent and weird? All you need to understand Rome is to understand people and the situations they are in. I’m Luke Beverley, and my creative dissertation is Hannibal, a historical fiction novel that aims to discuss these people and situations. It is set in Italy during the Second Punic War, and centres around two characters: Hannibal and Scipio, legendary rivals. Through these characters and the situations they’re in, I seek to contextualise Roman exceptionalism in the terms of the modern world, phrasing the strange and distant civilisations of antiquity in ways a modern audience can both comprehend and even relate to. Carthage, as a coded metaphor for Britain, speaks to empires of the past; Rome, as a coded metaphor for America, speaks to empires of the present. The crux of my project is thinking about people in history. Travelling to Rome and speaking to local scholars helped me realise that people in history do what we do, but in very different situations and cultures. I believe the best histories come when we understand the cultures that created a series of events, and being in Rome gave me a lot of that culture. I look forward to sharing my work.

Audio Transcript

Scipio (saluting): *Salve amici*! I am Publius Cornelius Scipio, and I’m here on—

Hannibal: I AM HANNIBAL BARCA, THE BLOOD-SWORN CONQUEROR OF ROME!

Scipio: He’s just cranky because he lost his last elephant.

Hannibal (looking around): WHERE DID YOU GO, BIG TUSK?

Scipio: I’m here on Luke Beverley’s behalf to tell you a little about his exciting novel *Hannibal*, a story about—

Hannibal: WHAT? Did you say the name of the dreaded scourge of Italy HANNIBAL BAR—

Scipio: *A story about* the Second Punic War, and the rise of my beautiful, messed-up country, (hand over heart) the Roman Republic. *Hannibal* is full of gripping historical characters, heartbreaking emotional moments, epic battles—

Hannibal (elephant in his hand): AND ELEPHANTS! Oh there you are, Big Tusk. (kisses elephant)

Scipio: And elephants, (bashfully) and a little bit of romance, too. Look out for a sweetie-pie named Felix. (winks)

Hannibal (stroking beard): Yes, it is a most excellent biography, befitting my strategic genius.

Scipio: Mmm, I’m pretty sure it’s about other people, too.

Hannibal: WHAT?! How could something with my name be about ANYTHING ELSE THAN ME?

Scipio: Well, Luke wanted to add some pathos to the ordinary people living in this period of time, so he included perspectives from foot soldiers, lowly farmers, grief-stricken citizens of Rome, and so on, all in his quest to portray this tumultuous period of war.

Hannibal: Hmmph, he should’ve written more about how I tumultuously kicked your butt. Four times in a row. After crossing the Alps. With an army.

Scipio: Oh hush, I defeat you in the Battle of Zama.

Hannibal (gaping): What the hell, man, I didn’t get to that part yet!

Scipio: Okay, okay, sorry!

(hard cut) Scipio: Anyway, Luke explores complex themes in *Hannibal*, such as imperialism, militarism, history, and the terrible cost of one man’s revenge. Looking at you, Hanny.

Hannibal: Grrr, I only took that blood-oath to destroy your civilisation because my father wanted me to.

Scipio: We do a lot of things we don’t like to honour our families, I would know. This is also something Luke explores, the generational nature of martial duty and the impact it has on young men like me. The scars that trauma leaves on soldiers just trying to serve their families and societies. I love Rome, but a lot of what we did wasn’t pretty, and I struggled for a long time to try and figure out where I belonged in that cruel, messed-up world.

Hannibal: Read *Hannibal*, and see how I crossed the Alps to kick 900,000 Roman asses at Cannae!

Scipio: Well, come for the battles, but stay for the feels. It’s an ambitious story of war and pain and family, all pulled together with rich characters and drama. I hope you guys enjoy it. (waving goodbye) *Vale, amici*!

OSCAR Top Presenter School of Business Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

Marketing Sustainability through Mobile Gaming

Author(s): Yasmin Jubran

Mentor(s): Professor Anne Lauer, School of Business

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that awareness is one of the most important tools to positively influence people and their behaviors. This information has inspired my research project titled Marketing Sustainability through Mobile Gaming, which aims to study whether mobile gaming is an effective way to raise awareness. In this video, I go over my three-year research journey and the obstacles I’ve faced. I also discuss new insights I’ve learned this semester and the future steps required to finish this project.

Audio Transcript

We all have a responsibility to ensure that what we’re doing isn’t hurting the beautiful planet where we live. But what if we don’t know how to be sustainable?

Hello everyone, my name is Yasmin Jubran and I’m currently working with my mentor Professor Anne Lauer on a research project titled marketing sustainability through mobile gaming.
When I was doing the literature search for this three year-old project, I’ve found out something very concerning: students aren’t aware about on-campus sustainability initiatives. In 2021, I did an informal survey that asks students about their awareness of current sustainability programs on-campus. Out of the 83 anonymous responses only 19.3% answered ‘Yes’. This percentage was derived from people who cared enough about sustainability to answer the survey. Therefore, when the people who care about sustainability aren’t aware, then the actual reality is almost certainly far worse than what the results show.

Awareness is one of the most important tools to influence people. When students in the University of California were enrolled in a sustainability course for a research study, it was found that the increase in awareness caused positive changes in students’ sustainability behaviors.

The purpose of my research project is to study whether mobile gaming is an effective way to raise awareness.

This semester, I’ve worked on developing a mobile game prototype that has educational undertones yet is still entertaining. To do this, I needed to understand what would motivate players to play my game over other competitive substitutes. So, I talked with gamers to understand what type of games interests them.

After these discussions, I’ve come up with a general description of the game in the hopes that it will be as popular as the game Animal Crossing. The main character Honey the Bee goes through a sustainability adventure, and throughout her journey she tries to overcome a big sustainability challenge. However, I’ve learnt that creating a game with this description was much more complex than my research initially suggested.

For this project to continue, the next step would be to make a prototype. But forming a team of coders is this project’s biggest obstacle. To find some volunteers, I’ve tried reaching out to student organizations, game design students, and different professors. I even created a Game Design Volunteer posting on a website I’ve made. However, with the very competitive nature of this industry, I couldn’t find volunteers who would be willing to work on any project of this kind for free.

In the future, to answer the question whether mobile gaming is a good tool for awareness, I envision volunteers playing the prototype. They would complete two surveys, one before they play the game and one after. I would also interview them to go into greater depth about their experience and the knowledge they’ve gained. The information I will have gathered would be helpful to determine whether mobile gaming can be used to change their awareness levels and behavior. Ultimately, this information will be useful to further game development that is both fun and educational.

College of Science OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

Differences in Post-Mortem Interval Estimation Determined from Dismembered Remains Versus Intact Bodies Using Forensic Entomology

Author(s): Sonja Kline

Mentor(s): Dr. Anthony Falsetti, Forensic Science, Biology

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Insect succession studies on human remains has increased following the University of Tennessee’s early 1980’s work. (Rodriguez & Bass, 1983, 1985). Several factors complicate using Forensic Entomology to determine Postmortem Interval (PMI). Insects demonstrate a wide temporal range and spatial diversity, making it difficult to predict which species will be present. Additionally, consistent patterns in carcass size preference with carrion insects has been observed. (Kuusela & Hanski, 1982) This study compares data collected from 5 dismembered porcine remains in Central Virginia to data collected from the University of Tennessee and other sources used determining PMI in whole corpses.

Audio Transcript

In a far corner of George Mason University’s Science and Technology campus is a plot of land set aside to allow students to study taphonomy – the decomposition of remains.

With the help of my mentors, Dr. Rebecca Forkner and Dr. Anthony Falsetti, I am using this “Remains Laboratory” to study the succession of insects that consume a body as it decomposes.

My goal is to apply this information on species abundance and time of arrival to the estimation of time of death.

Many previous studies have determined the order of insect succession on full body remains, but few have examined insect succession on remains set out into the environment in pieces.

Law enforcement has identified this as an unfortunate but needed area of study because recent gang-related activity has involved dismemberment.

When remains are found out in the elements, a timeline of events is an important part of the investigation.

The ability to determine time of death can be difficult if the remains have been outside long enough for them to have gone through a significant amount of decomposition.

Sometimes, the only way to determine a Postmortem Interval or PMI, is by examining the insects present, their ages, and the number of generations they have produced.

Forensic Entomology is the area of forensic science that uses these insects and when they arrive at remains to determine PMI.

I’ve begun my research using pig remains, as a close comparison to the composition and structure of humans. However, I intend to continue the study with human remains as soon as the Forensics Department can fund cadaver use and accept donations.

My investigation is composed of five pairs of remains. Each pair consists of several pieces of pig limbs, and one set is placed on the soil surface, and the second set is buried approximately 30 cm deep. Each set is then covered with a protective wooden box. The boxes are open to the elements with two layers of chicken wire to protect the remains from scavengers.

I set up two mechanisms, other than hand collection, to capture and record the insects visiting each pair of remains. Pan traps and fly traps collect the insects that come into contact with the remains.

My volunteers and I then collect insects on a daily basis and identified them in the lab to record succession and quantify insect diversity. In the lab we sort and identifying the insects collected into families and orders by date and individual remains.

This will provide a timeline of which insects arrived at what time and in what numbers.

We will then compare the data we have collected to data that has been compiled from past published students.

I am looking for the clear distinction of a different type of succession from what will arrive at fully intact remains. Generally, insects that are attracted to full bodies include blow flies and flesh flies that attack open orifices like the eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.

My prediction was that some insects will arrive sooner than on full bodied remains because tissue is already exposed and that some may be present for a shorter period of time because less tissue is present at the start.

So far, I am seeing an increase in the beetle population, as well as a different arrival time of those beetles. In my study, they have arrived earlier than anticipated.

The blow flies, house flies and flesh flies arrived first on to lay eggs on the remains.

The succession of those insects has followed a consistent pattern and been predictable based on prior studies.

However, the remains decomposed at a faster rate because they have open wounds.

This caused the duration of time that the main carrion fly species were present to be much shorter.

The remains are now in the active decay stage.

The larvae of the flies who have visited and laid eggs are now prevalent, as are beetles. We are still in the process of compiling the data collected, but so far it has been a successful and interesting in results compared to previous studies.

Much of this information is important because it will show the types of carrion insects prevalent in the area of Northern Virginia at this particular time of the year.

It will be useful data to compare to when we are able to use human remains in the near future.

It will be information that can aide in death investigations in Northern Virginia to determine how long remains have been out in the elements and will be helpful in determining time of death.

I would like to thank the Office of Student Scholarship and Creative Activities at GMU, without whose for the guidance and funding, this project would not have been possible.

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution OSCAR Top Presenter Patriot Green Fund

BigBelly Solar-Powered Trash Bins: Funded by the Patriot Green Fund.

Author(s): Connor Cuevo

Mentor(s): Amber Saxton, Office of Sustainability

Abstract

You may have noticed something new on campus: BigBelly waste bins! But what are they. Approved for university funding by the Patriot Green Fund, these new-fangled receptacles are Mason’s latest commitment to sustainability on campus. A small team of dedicated individuals working in conjunction with the office of sustainability brought this project to fruition. The need for a more innovative trash can was realized in the last few years as a burgeoning student population pushed trash infrastructure to its limits and a wave of scavenging critters menaced traditional waste units. By contacting other universities, cities and institutions, the team was made confident that the Bigbelly units would make an excellent addition to the Fairfax Campus waste stream. But in order to be approved for funding, some issues needed to be tackled first. The facilities department had to approve the installation, the funders had to make sure it was a competitive offer and the university had to know how many units to buy. The group decided that the project had the best chance of success as a pilot program with the potential for further funding. Complicated by supply chain issues and stalled by a global pandemic, the effort to install BigBelly waste units on campus began in earnest in January 2020 and came full circle in July 2021. Additional challenges included writing a formal contract with the vendor, obtaining offers from competitions to ensure a favorable market rate for the product, and multiple meetings with a dedicated design to team to ensure the trash cans looked stunning. These BigBelly units show that George Mason university is fully backing a transition to a sustainable future. The Patriot Green Fund is an excellent opportunity for students to apply their skills and put their ideas to work.

Audio Transcript

If you’re a student on the Fairfax campus, and you’ve walked by Northern Neck Hall this semester, you’ve probably wondered “What are those weird looking trash cans?” What if I told you it was a student like you who got them installed?

The University facilities team sets aside $100,000 per year in an independent organization known as the Patriot Green Fund. Run by a dedicated committee of faculty, staff and students, this fund identifies areas of infrastructure improvement on George Mason University campuses. It accepts, critiques, selects and finances creative, innovative, and eco-friendly solutions to these issues submitted primarily by students.

I and my team had the honor of being awarded university funding in the spring of 2021. We proposed a pilot program to assess the performance of a solar powered, self-compacting, high capacity trash receptacle to be installed outside of the Starbucks in Northern Neck hall.

I was approached almost two years ago in January 2020 by Sustainability Program Manager Amber Saxton, who notified me of several areas of potential campus improvement. I decided to explore alternative waste receptacles, due to the high costs and environmental impacts of providing liners for current trash bins and the frequently arising need to empty them, as well as rising complaints about litter and scavenging animals. After cursory research of the problem, an independent vendor known as BigBelly Solar seemed to provide a creative, sustainable and cost-effective solution.

BigBelly units are large trash cans that compact the trash inside them. They are fully powered by renewable solar energy and hold nearly twice as much as standard campus trash bins, meaning less work and money saved for the university. A metal hatch seals the units to prevent access by pests and ensures that what goes in, stays in.

Amber introduced me to Colleen Regan, the Campus Efficiencies Assistant, who helped me conduct research and draft a proposal. Together we reached out to cities, universities and institutions all across the country who had previously purchased these units and asked all manner of questions about their specifications, cost, performance and maintenance. I also reached out to BigBelly directly for more information on their products. During this period, the three of us identified additional benefits of purchasing BigBelly units, such as a built-in ashtray, a foot-pedal to activate the hatch, and advertising space on the sides. Colleen and I determined that the University should purchase one trash bin and one recycling bin situated beside each other, with the future possibility of a compost receptacle or additional bins located elsewhere.

Amber, Colleen and I drafted a proposal. Before we began, I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah D’alexander, the Director of the Patriot Green Fund. Sarah explained to me that I would need to pass a preliminary round of examination by the committee to advance and become a finalist. My team and I worked hard to explain the problem and demonstrate our solution. The hardest part was crunching the numbers and determining that BigBelly would pay for itself in the span a of a few years. We submitted our proposal and patiently awaited a response.

However, before the committee could meet and assess our proposal, the covid-19 pandemic was gripping the US. Months of patiently waiting went by, before one day in July 2020, I received an email that the proposal had passed the initial stage and was a strong candidate for funding. Unfortunately, the pandemic was the cause of further delays both at Mason and across the globe, and it was not until the spring that we found the opportunity to make progress.

We got to work on the final proposal, amending our original draft and adding features such as a map to depict the waste bin’s location, and a chart which both detailed and provided a rationale for our expenditures. We explained each of our roles in the final application and demonstrated our commitment to see the project to completion. On February 5th, 2021, we submitted our final draft of the funding application.

Only a week or so had gone by, before I received an email from Sarah, informing me that the final application had been approved for funding. In class at the time, I nearly jumped for joy when I saw the notification. I was very proud of myself and my team. I couldn’t believe that I had won the first grant I had applied to! But I had to remind myself that my work was not done; I needed to follow through on what I had promised to deliver.

A few days later, I met with my team and with Sarah. We discussed the final three action items. First, we had to prove that our proposal was financially competitive, and this we accomplished by contacting two vendors who provide similar product and determining their prices. Second, since Bigbelly had no contract with George Mason University, we needed to provide one. Luckily, we located a similar contract with the vendor from an out of state organization which we were able to adapt to our own purposes. And lastly, we had to schedule several meetings with a university graphic design team to develop a durable, informative and visually appealing exterior for the Bigbelly unit.

Finally, in July 2021, the big day arrived. The facilities team led by Kevin Brim, head of campus recycling, installed the units right next to the Northern Neck Starbucks. Since then I have had the responsibility of continuing to monitor them; making sure that they are in efficient, working order, as well as checking for contamination. One area that needed troubleshooting was to determine the ideal level of waste and recycling the units can hold before they need to be emptied. Along with my team, I have participated in “waste audits” which involve digging through the trash and recycling to monitor contamination, as well as to assess the practicality and durability of the units.

But most of all, this is a pilot program, and if the units perform well, the university will consider expanding the project. BigBelly waste bins are a clear and visible symbol of Mason’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. The Patriot Green Fund is just one of many opportunities Patriots have to effect change on campus and beyond. Who knows what will be next?

College of Humanities and Social Science OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

When do children start to use syllogistic reasoning?

Author(s): Sydney Foss

Mentor(s): Sabine Doebel, Psychology

Abstract

Deductive reasoning is typically associated with adolescence although some literature is pointing to children being able to use it in certain contexts. This effect was first demonstrated by Harris and Dias (1988) who found evidence that children are able to use syllogistic reasoning in a playful context compared to when premises are read to them in a matter-of-fact manner. For example: All pigs fly; Percy is a Pig; Does Percy fly? The current study seeks to test an alternative explanation for what is occurring: in a play context, children may be more likely to base their answers on the content provided to them in the premises, whether or not an answer follows logically from those premises. Children ages 4 and 5 years will be randomly assigned to hear premises and conclusions that are presented in either in a play context or a serious context. The conclusions will either follow logically from the premises or not. Children will also be asked to justify their response. It is expected that children in the play context will be more likely to respond in ways consistent with drawing an inference that follows logically from the premises than children in the serious context, as previously found; however, they will also be more likely to respond inaccurately when the conclusion does not follow (e.g., All pigs fly; Percy flies; Is Percy a pig?). Additionally, children in the play condition will use ‘theoretical’justifications of the kind reported in previous research even when affirming the consequent, suggesting that these justifications are not indicative of deductive reasoning.

Audio Transcript

Hello! My name is Sydney Foss and I am currently a senior majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Development. This semester I participated in OSCAR’s USRP program where I have been studying at what age children start being able to use deductive reasoning, specifically through the use of syllogisms. So, if I were to say something like, “All cows quack. Susie is a cow. Does Susie quack?” You would most likely say “yes” and if I asked you why, you might say something like “because it follows the premise” or “because you said so.” This is an example of a syllogism. Syllogisms are a form of reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from a set of premises. If you were to ask a young child the same thing, they will respond with “no” instead of “yes.” This is because they are basing their conclusion off of past experience instead of what is in the syllogism itself. They haven’t seen a cow quack so how could that be true? But could there be a way that children would reach the correct response? In 1988, researchers Harris and Dias sought out to find just that. What happens if you change the context around the syllogism? They found that by putting the syllogism in the play context by saying “Pretend I am on another planet” beforehand, children were more likely to give the correct response. But is this because the play context helps with deductive reasoning or because of something else? My project investigates whether in a play context children are more likely to base their answers on the information given, even when the information is not logically correct. Additionally, it acts as a replication study to balance out the play and serious conditions which in the original work were unbalanced in representation. We are planning on having children aged 4-5 come into the lab space and hear 8 different syllogisms in a play or serious context. Additionally, we are using two different types of syllogisms that afford different inferences. The first is Modus Ponens which should look a little familiar. This is “All cows quack. Susie is a cow. Does Susie quack?” Saying ‘yes’is a correct deductive inference. The second is affirming-the-consequent. For example: “All cows quack. Susie quacks. Is Susie a cow?” Saying ‘yes’is the incorrect inference. A key question is whether children will be more likely to answer yes to this last type of syllogism in the play context versus the serious context or whether they will instead be more likely to realize it doesn’t logically follow from the premises. If they are more likely to say “yes” in the play context it could suggest that the play context encourages simply responding in terms of the information provided as opposed to deductive reasoning since ‘yes’is the incorrect answer to this reasoning type. Another way we are testing children’s reasoning is by taking the modus ponens statement and having the answer to it be “no.” For example: “All cows quack. Susie is a cow. Does Susie moo?” Saying ‘no’is the correct deductive inference here. After each “yes” or “no” response, children will be asked for a justification. “Why did you say yes?” or “Why did you say no.” We want to see the reasoning behind their answers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made it so that the inferences will be said in a video format and a researcher will ask the questions. This is so that children can see the mouth movements and not question that they are just hearing things incorrectly. We predict that children will be more likely to draw valid conclusions from modus ponens syllogisms in the play context versus the serious context, but they will also draw more invalid conclusions from affirming the consequent syllogisms. We also expect they will use similar justifications across modus ponens and affirming the consequent syllogisms. I would like to thank my mentor Sabine Doebel, my lab manager Nicole Stucke, OSCAR for giving me this opportunity, and all of you for watching.

College of Science OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

Cataloging and Analysis of Microbial Communities in the Zebrafish Colony at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study

Author(s): Thomas Lopez

Mentor(s): Dr. Valerie Olmo, Biology

Abstract

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are important model organisms for studying developmental biology. The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study (KIAF) at GMU houses a colony of zebrafish in their animal facility. The research presented here is part of a greater review of care protocols in order to reduce mortality rates in juvenile fish. Several samples of microbial biofilm were harvested from the aquarium system housing the fish and cultured in petri dishes at 28℃. The goal was to check for any pathogenic organisms, but none were found. Instead, investigators discovered a high diversity of microfauna that organize themselves into three distinct communities based on water conditions and quality. Type I communities were observed in conditions that zebrafish thrive in, Type II communities were observed in conditions that zebrafish deteriorate in, and Type III communities are neutral to water quality and instead react to ambient light levels. Based on these findings, zebrafish researchers at the KIAF can use microbial analysis to monitor water quality and better diagnose issues with the fish by cataloging the presence of Type I and II communities. Investigators hope that the application of these culture techniques will improve survivorship in both adult and young zebrafish at the lab.

Audio Transcript

Hello, my name is Tom Lopez and I’m currently a junior biology student at George Mason University. Today I will be presenting the cataloging and analysis of microbial communities in the Zebrafish Colony located in the Krasnow Institute of Advanced Study.

I originally applied for the OSCAR URSP Program with my mentor Dr. Valerie Olmo with an idea for a conservation biology project about an endangered and understudied species of fish. While I set up my own research project, Dr. Olmo invited me to work with the Zebrafish Colony. The researchers there were struggling to raise young fish, so she asked me to help review their care strategies. I tested different factors while raising several clutches of eggs, including water quality, feeding regimes, and disinfection protocols. While investigating the high mortality rate of young fish, I began to look at the microbial organisms that inhabited the aquarium system. I initially wanted to see if there were any pathogens or other harmful organisms which may be affecting the fish. I did not end up finding anything dangerous, but I did discover a much wider variety of biodiversity than I expected. This presentation will explore these findings.

Aquariums support many different types of microhabitats, oftentimes unintentionally. The constant flow of nutrients in the water supports several communities of microorganisms, which form biofilms across surfaces. I sought to identify exactly what organisms comprise these biofilms.

To do this, I collected several samples by scraping the biofilm off the surface, pipetting it into a petri dish, and incubating the dishes at 28 degrees centigrade. After leaving the contents of the dish to settle for 24 hours, I looked at them under a dissecting microscope. Immediately, I saw a huge diversity of life. I began recording them one by one in an effort to identify them. Among the species found living in the system were:

Tetrahymena pyriformis, a single-celled detritivore
Two kinds of rotifers, one in the class Bdelloidea and the other in the genus Euchlanis
An unidentified Vorticella species, which are sedentary filter feeders
Peranema, which are euglenids
Gastrotrichs, which are benthic worm-like animals
Non-parasitic nematodes

As I collected and analyzed more samples, I began to notice that the organisms divided themselves into three distinct communities, which I called Type 1, 2, and 3 for this project. Each community is associated with a different aquatic environment.

A Type 1 community is one which is dominated by an unidentified fungi. This organism grows in a mycelium-like pattern, branching across a surface like a web. This mycelium substrate hosts a variety of species, primarily Tetrahymena, Vorticella, gastrotrichs and rotifers. All of these organisms have been observed attaching to and living within the mycelium matrix, suggesting that the fungi provides some sort of critical factor for this ecosystem to develop.

A Type 2 community is one which is dominated by a bacterial biofilm. This film spreads like a sludge across a surface around uneaten food. This community hosts a lower diversity of organisms, but a much higher density. The primary organism in this ecosystem by a large margin is Peranema. Unlike their more well-known Euglena cousins, Peranema cannot photosynthesize, instead feeding on the bacteria which grow in the biofilm. Type 2 communities are visible with the naked eye, appearing as a brown slime dotted with several white masses. These masses are actually piles of Peranema, which congregate into these areas to feed and breed.

Type 1 and Type 2 communities are mutually exclusive, requiring different water conditions and actively repelling each other, as can be seen here. Type 1 communities have been observed in conditions with faster water flow, low nutrients from leftover food and low ammonia waste from the fish. By contrast, Type 2 communities have been observed in low-flow conditions with high nutrients and very high levels of ammonia waste. This distinction allows the communities to be used as secondary indicators by researchers to monitor aquatic health, since zebrafish thrive in the conditions preferred by Type 1 and deteriorate in the conditions preferred by Type 2.

Type 3 is an outlier community associated with high flow and high light. Only two have been observed in the system, but they were the two largest microbial communities documented. Type 3 communities are dominated by diatoms- tiny, photosynthetic ciliates which form silica shells around themselves. Samples from these communities were difficult to culture since the diatoms often died when kept in a dark incubator; however, I was able to identify the glass shells they left behind. The diatom colonies form a brown-red film which acts as a matrix for larger organisms to inhabit, primarily rotifers and a small unidentified plankton too small to record. They also seem to be associated with webs of thin red strands; these structures have yet to be identified, but are speculated to be another kind of fungi.

These are the findings I have compiled by the end of the semester. In regards to zebrafish husbandry in the Krasnow Institute, the ecology of these microorganisms can be used to improve care practices and better provide for the offspring. However, more work must still be done. There are several organisms which have not yet been identified, and the significance of the association with Type 1 and 2 communities and water quality has yet to be quantitatively determined. With further investigation of microbial analysis, researchers can use the health of all organisms in an aquarium system to better provide for the needs of the fish they want to raise. I will continue to move forward with this investigation, and I am excited to contribute to the husbandry of the model organisms upon which so much research relies. Thank you for watching!

College of Visual and Performing Arts OSCAR Top Presenter

Creative Project for Music Technology Capstone

Author(s): Kevin Slappey

Mentor(s): Jesse Guessford, Music

Abstract

The overall goal of the creative project was to create music that utilizes music technology in some way. I created an original piece of music using a Digital Audio Workstation during this semester. My personal goal was to create something outside of the styles that I would normally work in and hopefully in the process learn some new skills. In my video I discuss some of the different elements of the music, the various sections, and how it came together. The title of the song is “Horizon.”

Audio Transcript

Hi, my name is Kevin Slappey and I’m going to share a little bit about my creative project for capstone this semester. The general goal of the project was just to create some music by the end of the semester, but one of my own personal goals was to get outside of my comfort zone a little bit and expand my skillset. So the piece that I’m going to share with you is kind of like a lo-fi piece, which is not something that I would normally write. So to start it off, I started with this detuned bell sound. So it’s a pretty simple melody, but I made it so when the drums come in, it’s a rhythm that doesn’t always line up with the drum beat. And then to fill out the sound a little bit I added some chords. And that’s the main groove. Now I didn’t want that to be the entire piece, so I did switch things up a little bit every once in a while. So one of the sections sounds like this. There’s a section with a new melody and a different melodic sound. And then lastly there’s sort of like a bridge section where it’s very different. So to cap things off, I’m just going to leave you with the ending of this piece, which is called “Horizon.” Thank you.

College of Engineering and Computing Honors College OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

Developing an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier

Author(s): Medhini Sosale

Mentor(s): Parag Chitnis, Bioengineering

Abstract

The blood-brain barrier is the layer of endothelial cells that separates the bloodstream from the brain. It protects the brain from harmful particles, but also prevents the delivery of drugs and contrast agents that can treat illnesses or map cranial signals. To deliver these more helpful materials, focused ultrasound (FUS) and microbubbles can be used to facilitate temporary barrier disruption. Our research involves the development of an in vitro 3D blood-brain barrier model that can test the delivery of DNA-ICG (a photoacoustic voltage reporter developed in the lab) via FUS and microbubbles. The model uses the Ibidi µ-Slide I Luer 3D and includes a co-culture of neurons located in Matrigel-filled wells, endothelial cells that form a barrier on top, and perfusion chambers through which ICG dye can be flowed to represent DNA-ICG. Control trials with no ultrasound are conducted to ensure that the barrier sufficiently blocks dye, whereas experimental trials include the use of FUS and microbubbles to facilitate passage. The success of contrast delivery is measured quantitatively by taking the fluorescence and photoacoustic signal of ICG in both neurons and endothelial cells.

Thus far, the model has been set up with Matrigel and preliminary cell culture. Cells have been stained with ICG and imaged, and initial control measurements for fluorescence have been taken. Ultimately, this research is valuable as it can provide a viable in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier with DNA-ICG delivery, which can eventually be extended to in vivo tests of trans-barrier photoacoustic contrast delivery.

Audio Transcript

Hello! My name is Medhini Sosale, and for my URSP project this semester, I am working with Dr. Chitnis in the Bioengineering Department to develop an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a layer of endothelial cells that separates the bloodstream from neurons in the brain. These cells limit what can enter the brain, which protects against harmful particles that may try to enter through the bloodstream, but can also prevent the delivery of drugs and contrast agents that could be used to treat illness or map out cranial electrical activity. One method that has been researched to deliver these more helpful particles is the use of focused ultrasound and microbubbles, which induces vibrations that temporarily disrupt the blood-brain barrier and create gaps large enough for these helpful particles to pass through. Our research aims to apply this ultrasound method to a co-culture of neurons and endothelial cells along with an endogenous contrast known as DNA-ICG. DNA-ICG is a voltage reporter that was previously developed in our lab to specifically test delivery across the blood-brain barrier. With this research, we hope to test the photoacoustic sensitivity of DNA-ICG and answer the following question: Can we create a 3D model of the blood-brain barrier that effectively measures nanoparticle delivery and cell-specific labeling? In order to construct this model, we will use the Ibidi µ-Slide I Luer 3D, which is pictured here. More specifically, the wells of the slide will be filled with a gel known as Matrigel that has neurons mixed in to represent the brain, and a layer of endothelial cells will be placed on top to represent the barrier. The perfusion chambers seen here will be used to flow ICG dye through during experimentation to represent DNA-ICG, and ultimately, we would also like to use these chambers to introduce a constant blood flow component. Here is a close-up of one of the wells on the Ibidi slide. In order to conduct each experiment, we first fill the well with Matrigel that contains neurons, and then add a layer of rat endothelial cells immersed in their cell medium on top. We then stain these cells with ICG dye and place the entire slide under an ultrasound transducer. For our control trials, we will not be using ultrasound as we simply want to ensure that the barrier itself is sound enough to prevent ICG dye from flowing through naturally, but for our experimental trials, we will use focused ultrasound and microbubbles to hopefully disrupt the barrier and create some gaps that enable ICG dye to travel through and stain some of the neurons. In order to determine whether the ICG dye did cross the barrier, we will be using fluorescence and photoacoustic signals of the ICG dye in both endothelial cells and neurons, and these will be measured quantitatively. So far, we have developed a cell co-culture model that has been set up with Matrigel and preliminary cell culture. We have also been able to stain these cells with ICG and take initial measurements for fluorescence. The pictures seen here were taken with a brightfield microscope and show one of our first trials with stained cells located on the gel. Ultimately, this research is valuable as it can provide a viable in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier for DNA-ICG delivery. This can eventually be extended to in vivo tests of trans-barrier delivery of a photoacoustic voltage reporter, which is ultimately important for mapping out electrical activity in the brain. I would like to take a moment to thank Giovanni, Dr. Chitnis, Dr. Veneziano, and Dr. Cressman for all of your mentorship and guidance during my time in the lab. I would also like to thank Dr. Lee and OSCAR for the opportunity to be a part of URSP this semester, and thank you very much for listening!

College of Humanities and Social Science OSCAR Top Presenter Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR

The Aspera Group

Author(s): Casper Brooks

Mentor(s): Jessica Hurley, English

Abstract

My project is a digital literary work surrounding one organization’s efforts to stop the apocalypse. This project displays a science fiction world through the lens of a corporate website. Through research into surveillance capitalism, historical views of monstrosity, and social movements around doomsday prepping, I have deconstructed the genre of apocalypse fiction to display it from a different angle and center the perspectives of diverse characters. The central character is a disabled trans woman struggling to control the organization she’s created as it spirals out of her control. I have stripped the genre down to the world-building by displaying this world in frame, because many aspects of science fiction and fantasy have historically had elements of race, sex, age, and ability built into their framework. In the world of this organization, disabled people don’t simply exist as a metaphor or as a curse to be cured, but as a key and fundamental part of identity. My research on surveillance capitalism and bureaucratic systems sought to center the understanding of the individual and the organization as linked but separate as one character at the center of the web both embodies her organization and is damaged by it as she loses control of it. The website centers both her perspective and the perspective of her employees as they interface with her personally and professionally and reach out in a variety of ways. The website updates, control slips, and the world-building is displayed as the world itself slides towards an inevitable collapse.

Video Transcript

My project was to produce a story about apocalyptic trauma. This involved a lot of different kinds of literary research on a number of different subjects, from free market capitalism to hauntings to the mindset of doomsday preppers. In order to tell an apocalypse story- which hinges very heavily into the genres of science fiction and fantasy- you need to first understand the genres and frameworks that you’re working within. Science Fiction is scientific because it tests hypotheses about the world in a literary framework- what WOULD the apocalypse look like? How would it affect regular people? How would you cope with the enormity of something like that? To answer those questions I started on a narrative framework using a character named Lorelei Algamest, whose answer to conquer the unthinkable was to try to take over the world, control every outcome, and stop every potential apocalypse by instituting control from the top down. Thus, she created an organization called Aspera, and my project was to display her vision in a literary form. I decided to do that by creating the Aspera Organization’s website. My research hinged on a lot of different angles as I’m seeking to unfold the amount of bureaucratic complication involved in running the world, while also handling the underpinnings of world building. Science Fiction and Fantasy as genres can be a little bit fraught with preconceptions about gender, race, and ability. Too often, Science fiction treats the “other” as inherently terrifying, treats disability as a thing to fear, and while exploring gender differences often handles them in traditional binaries. The concept of a new world order, too, is fraught with antisemitism and historical fears. In order to create a narrative that was about bureaucratic horror and apocalyptic horror specifically, my research often focused on how narratives around monstrosity can be based on race and ability, specifically so I could remove those elements. Aspera is an organization run by a disabled trans woman. The website I built focuses on community and her efforts to empower people even as her decisions remove much of their autonomy. As the narrative unfolds, the authoritarian utopia shows cracks. The website continues updating with news bulletins, the efforts of a single woman to hold together the weight of everything begins to fail. She escalates her efforts, sacrifices some of her values, her own employees begin to work against her as her plans fail. Her conceptions of herself and the world around her and the perspectives of others in her organization are all painted by their vastly different experiences, and I’ve researched each of their jobs and perspectives- mechanics, accountants, social workers- to understand the ways in which lots of different people make up the entity that is the organization, and how that entity becomes a thing unto itself, and then proceeds to break down. Through my research on science fiction, the other, disaster, and real-world economics and subcultures, I developed a story centered around an entity: an organization, and the woman at the heart of it. And I showcase averted apocalypses and the slow cataclysmic collapse of the organization preventing them through a mundane medium: a corporate website. OSCAR’s grant has provided me with the opportunity to explore all these potential avenues of research and build this website- the story would be incomplete without the frame creating the impression of being an employee entering into this organization and watching its collapse in real time, and i truly believe this framework unlocks a new and interesting way to create not just this narrative, but to tell stories in the digital age. Web storytelling is a new and fascinating medium and i’m truly grateful to have had this opportunity.