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Abstracts

Author Department Professor Title Year
Andrea M. Davis History and Philosophy Ronald Delph The Pazzi Conspiracy: Killing the Medici Men
On Sunday, April 26, 1478, assassins attacked Giuliano and Lorenzo de'Medici at the most sacred moment of High Mass in the cathedral of Florence. As Giuliano's attacker furiously stabbed him 19 times, Lorenzo narrowly escaped to safety. This assassination plot was immortalized as the 'Pazzi Conspiracy,' so named for the Florentine family who schemed with Pope Sixtus IV to eliminate the Medici family as de facto leader of Florence. My research reveals that this bloody plot was hatched because competition, fear, jealousy, and political maneuverings for power and wealth raged among these families and a corrupt pope. Florence suffered a horrific bloodbath, the Italian peninsula endured a devastating war, and Lorenzo tightened his grip on Florence until his death in 1492.
2012
Andrew Karl Donovan History and Philosophy Ronald Delph Days of Shaking: The English Witch-craze as an extension of the English Civil War
This presentation examines the English Witch Craze that occurred from 1645-1647. This event is unique as it was the only mass witch-hunt to occur in England and came during the height of the English Civil War. The witch-craze was directly influenced by the events of the war. Several factors, the politicization of religion and witchcraft, the real threat of war, and the spiritual threat of Satan, turned the conflict into both a political and spiritual battle. By examining political and religious writings of the period, wartime propaganda, and the memoirs of those involved, we can understand the mentality of the English population during the war. Linking the witch-craze to the Civil War adds to our understanding of the impact of the conflict and how many social and cultural aspects were altered.
2012
Tamara R. Grit History and Philosophy Ronald Delph Harlots to Holy Women: The Rehabilitation of Prostitutes in Early Sixteenth Century Florence
During the 15th century, prostitution was widely accepted as a 'necessary evil' by secular and religious authorities in Florence to prevent the greater sin of homosexuality and to preserve the chastity of virtuous women. By 1700, attitudes toward sex work had turned dramatically, and attempts were made to minimize the growing threat it posed. This research examines a key aspect of this crusade: why the state encouraged rehabilitation of prostitutes through the Casa delle Convertite in early sixteenth century Florence. Evidence will show that because of the perceived threat the expanding sex trade presented to vulnerable populations and a new wave of Catholic reform sentiment, the government of Florence attempted to protect and reestablish prostitutes and other at-risk women and girls through this custodial institution.
2012
Samantha Kies History and Philosophy Joseph Engwenyu African Matriarchy: The Women of Southeast Nigeria Prior to Colonization
This presentation looks at the matriarchal foundations of Southeast Nigeria prior to the onset of colonialism. Though labeled a patriarchal society by Europeans, Southeast Nigeria was a society where women flourished, a society full of social positions and customs that empowered women and gave them a voice. From religion, politics, and the economy to women's groups and women leaders, Southeast Nigeria cultivated a culture in which women were able to flourish and thrive and be an inherent part of their society. When we look at these customs, the damage that colonialism inflicted on these people and this society is more clearly shown and defined.
2012
Donna A. Lehman History and Philosophy Joseph Engwenyu McCarthyism: Extreme Politics
Historians have many definitions for the American political phenomenon known as McCarthyism. A simple but apt characterization describes the episode as a manipulation of Cold War fears for political exploitation by both major political parties. The origins of this phenomenon precede the man whose name now symbolizes this unfortunate cause celebre. _The anti-communism of both the Truman and Eisenhower administrations is increasingly viewed by historians in the context of conventional politics. Consequently, the exploits of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy have become somewhat eclipsed by the complex domestic and international developments that paved the way for his brief notoriety. Both sides reaped significant benefits from the political exploitation, but the American people were left with the beginnings of ideological polarization that would, in the future, gridlock the political system of the United States.
2012
Edward W. McGovern History and Philosophy Ronald Delph The Rise of the Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela: Rural Backwater to Supra-Regional Shrine
During the Middle Ages, pilgrimages to saints and their shrines were a part of life's fabric. With all of Europe to choose from, why did a geographically isolated location at the western edge of the European continent, Santiago de Compostela, become one of the three holiest sites in all of Christendom and the destination of pilgrims from across all of Europe? The meteoric rise of the shrine and its attendant pilgrimage between the ninth and twelfth centuries was in large part due to the importance of St. James and the religious convictions of the Medieval Age, but also the maneuvering of the powerful political and religious elite. In promoting the pilgrimage to Santiago, the Catholic Church was fulfilling two dually important demands: the spiritual needs of the people and the geopolitical bulwark needed against Islam.
2012
Jacquelyn S. Odum History and Philosophy Kathleen Chamberlain The Role of the Two-Spirit Movement in the Reclamation of Native American Cultural Tradition
Historically, many American Indian tribal cultures included acknowledgement of gender identities beyond male and female. Such other-gendered individuals were believed to be situated naturally along a continuum of gender and were considered to be gifted with special talents and a unique closeness to the spirit world. Two-Spirits may or may not be, according to Euro-American heteronormative definitions, homosexual, and therefore feel that organizations such as the 1970s-founded Gay American Indians do not fully represent them. Formally organized in 1994, the Two-Spirit movement seeks a return to the place and status differently gendered Indians held in traditional culture and cosmology. They see this as an integral part of restoring the balance that was lost through colonial and post-colonial contact and policies. It represents a bridge not only between male and female but also between cultural authenticity and cultural obsolescence.
2012
Branden O'Grady History and Philosophy Ronald Delph Heresy In the Heavens: Galileo and the Catholic Universe, 1609-1633
The trial and condemnation of Galileo Galilei as a heretic in 1633 has overshadowed the larger struggle over the nature of the universe that was the real issue between proponents of heliocentrism and the traditional geocentric model. Why was the Catholic worldview threatened by what Galileo observed and recorded? The philosophical underpinnings that substantiated Catholicism formed a model of the universe with Earth at the center of Creation. In the early modern European mind, opposing perceptions of the universe presaged a shift towards or away from God. Galileo's work moved this debate from the purely hypothetical to the realm of the physical when he aimed a telescope at the night sky and recorded physical proof of man's place in the universe. Galileo threatened the Catholic understanding of the heavens because his scientific observations reordered the universe and impugned the established Aristotelian and Neoplatonist worldviews.
2012
Matthew D. Penix History and Philosophy John Knight A Rational Disaster: the Ottoman Break with Britain in the First World War
The Ottoman decision to join the First World War on the side of Britain's enemies led within four years to total defeat and the end of centuries of Turkish rule over the Middle East. Though even postwar Turkish authors blamed a handful of politicians in Germany for the disastrous anti-British alliance of 1914, this presentation will show that the conflict was the culmination of decades of British encroachment on Ottoman sovereignty. Faced with a dangerous geopolitical situation and with broad backing among the educated Ottoman elite, the statesmen in Istanbul made a considered, but fatal, decision.
2012
Ashley Schwedt History and Philosophy Joseph Engwenyu Extreme Fear: Justifying Adults' Fright of the World Wide Web
Technological innovations were a key theme of the 20th century, with the most significant being the creation of the World Wide Web. As one of the century's most extreme and unforeseeable changes, the Internet created anxiety, excitement, curiosity, and fear. While adults remained uncertain, youth took hold of the opportunities the Internet provided and made the most of this new media form. Today, youth have taken complete ownership of the Internet and made it into something both empowering and dangerous. Gen Y, also called Net Gen, are growing up as the first generation to have accessible Internet since childhood. This new and provocative media form will lead to the mobilization of millions of youth and will create a new, highly powerful youth culture with endless means of access and freedom.
2012
William T. Zurenko History and Philosophy Ronald Delph For the Love of Money: Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Scattered throughout the English countryside are the ruins of hundreds of Catholic religious houses. Prior to 1536 these abbeys, priories, nunneries, and monasteries flourished as the economic, social, and religious centers of many English towns and villages. Yet from 1536 through 1539, King Henry VIII and his government closed more than eight hundred religious houses in England and Wales in one of the largest instances of land redistribution in English history. But why did Henry VIII take such drastic measures to suppress the Catholic Church in England? Hadn't his desire for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon been Henry's prime motivation for the Anglican split with Rome? Research indicates that Henry's suppression of the monasteries was motivated by precedent, lack of resistance, and the overwhelming desire to accumulate personal wealth. This presentation will explore what Henry VIII gained _ and lost _ with his decision to dissolve the monasteries.
2012
Johanna E. S. Zwally History and Philosophy Ronald Delph The Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478: Murdering the Medici
In the early 1440s, the influential Pazzi and Medici families had been allies in Florence, Italy. Thirty years later, this alliance soured and was ultimately severed when several members of the Pazzi family and their supporters attempted the assassination of Lorenzo and Guiliano Medici. Ultimately, this attempt led to Giuliano's death and a revival in support for the Medici across Florence. This study investigates the question 'Why did the alliance between the Pazzi and Medici families deteriorate and eventually lead Riario, Pazzi, and Salviati to attempt the Medici assassination?' This research shows that the alliance deteriorated because of jealousy over the Medicis' increasing influence within the city of Florence. This deterioration led the Pazzi conspirators to contemplate assassination because the Pazzi family, as well as Pope Sixtus IV, sought to remove power from the corrupt Medici and to restore political balance within Florence.
2012
Nasrin Belbasi Mathematics Khairul Islam Growth and Predictors of Uninsured People in the United States
The most recent data released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that the number of people without health insurance increased to 49.9 million in 2010, which is 13.3 million more than those in 2000. In this study we would like to fit a suitable model to address the growth of uninsured people in the USA from 2000-2010. We also intend to address what predictors contribute to such growth of the uninsured number of people.
2012
Reino L. Bruner and James D. Dalrymple Mathematics Tanweer J. Shapla Theory and Application of Incremental Shift Transformation
We propose incremental shift transformation to achieve normality for skewed data and provided R code for its implementation. Our method was justified under four different strategies: (1) Creating contrived data sets using arbitrary shifts and ladder transformations upon random normal data in order to detect the arbitrary shift and transformation via the R application; (2) Comparing complex, naturally occurring frequency distribution datasets such as the Wakeby distribution by transformation efficacy, at arbitrary characteristic moments; (3) Investigating alpha error reduction using new incremental shift methodology via Monte Carlo modeling; and (4) Comparative analysis of previously published paper results versus our shift transformation method. We accomplish this by demonstrating how some vanilla ladder transformations do not yield normalized data while our shift methodology does. Finally, we explain why the optimal solution is the only non-arbitrary solution.
2012
Adrienne Hirschfelder Mathematics Jiuqiang Liu Using the Matrix Tree Theorem for Special Classes of Graphs
The Matrix Tree Theorem is used to find the number of distinct spanning trees in a graph and can be used to generate closed formulas for special classes of graphs. The number of spanning trees is of interest in the analysis of electric networks. We have created proofs for closed formulas for the number of spanning trees in a variety of special classes of graphs using the Matrix Tree Theorem. We prove formulas for wheels and fans, whose formulas are based on the Fibonacci numbers, 'windmills,' and tri-partite and n-partite graphs. We also give bounds for the number in Cartesian products of graphs (GxH) based on the number of spanning trees in G and in H.
2012
Shanna R. Simpson-Singleton Mathematics Andrew M. Ross A Mathematical Model of the Correlation of Mood in Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder cycles between manic, euthymic, and depressed moods. One existing mathematical model of the disorder uses a deterministic modified Van der Pol differential equation. We add noise to this model in various ways to determine whether the times spent in each mood state are interrelated, a semi-Markov process, or some other stochastic model. We also explore the model for indications of rapid cycling. We expect a positive correlation between the times spent in each mood state but find that the Van der Pol equation produced a negative correlation. These correlations show that this model is not a semi-Markov process, and there were no indications of rapid-cycling. This suggests that the existing model may not accurately represent important aspects of bipolar disorder.
2012
Samuel Joshua Music and Dance Gary Pedersen Paul Hindemith: Sonata No. 2 for Piano (1936)
Born in Hanau, Germany, in 1895, Paul Hindemith became one of the most influential composers of the 20th Century. Hindemith's music is grounded in a strong, complex counterpuntal style, reminiscent to that of J. S. Bach, and is set in modern, refined tonal harmony. Hindemith's relationship with the Nazi party was far from that of good rapport. On January 17, 1936, Hindemith signed an oath of loyalty to Hitler in hopes of reconciliation. It was later this year that he wrote his three piano sonatas, in which we hear strains of soul-searching on Hindemith's part. In October of the same year, his music was banned from Germany. This ended all hopes of a good working relationship with the Nazis, so Hindemith, along with his Jewish wife, left for Switzerland and in 1940 immigrated to America where he taught primarily at Yale University.
2012
Nicholas W. Arnold Physics and Astronomy James Carroll Developing an Ion Gun for the Plasma Physics Lab at EMU
In the Plasma Physics Lab, we have been designing an ion gun for use in future experiments. An ion gun is a directed source of charged particles, which in our case is a beam of argon ions. I will talk about the assembly of the ion gun as well as the theory of its operation. I will also discuss the process of building a new vacuum chamber to house the ion gun, the design of a control system for the gun, and the process of testing the new ion gun.
2012
Marc Bell Physics and Astronomy Ernest Behringer Trapping Swimming Cells with Infrared Laser Tweezers
Infrared laser tweezers use highly focused infrared light to trap microscopic swimming cells and can be used to examine the force generated by the flagella of such cells. We have built infrared laser tweezers in an effort to trap and observe swimming cells within fluid streams. We will describe the tweezers apparatus and present the latest results from trapping experiments.
2012
Paul T. Nelson Physics and Astronomy James Carroll Operation and Characterization of an Ion Beam Source
I will explain the function of each electrode composing the ion source and demonstrate the effects that electrode bias and geometry have on the shape and charge density of the ion beam produced. I will attempt to determine operating parameters that maximize beam collimation. In order to show that the ion source functions in a predictable manner and to aid in determining optimal operating parameters, I will construct a computer model that will allow me to simulate ion trajectories through the ion source. Each parameter that is adjustable on the actual gun will be adjustable in the simulation. I will then correlate the simulated effects of adjustable parameters on the ion beam to those measured experimentally. Finally, I will demonstrate that the source has the ability to steer the ion beam onto and off of a target and that the bias applied to the sources deflector plates to do this is reasonable.
2012

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