Research and Creativity Convention

Arguments against teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) are growing in the United States of America. CRT is a legal concept that interrogates society and culture through power structures and teaching it in schools is facing harsh political backlash. Due to its complexity, CRT may not be appropriate to teach young children, however, texts such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and others that embrace a tonality for social justice, may be censored in some school districts across the country. The 1963 “Letter” critiques police brutality against African Americans as well as the reluctance of the White Church and White moderate allies in Alabama to support nonviolent movements against Jim Crow laws. A critical reading of the text also reveals how the United States historically prioritized dominant power structures while suppressing the freedoms of others. Some scholars argue that the “Letter” fits within the traditional domain of rhetoric, since it transcends time, place, and occasion. In this presentation, the discussants will examine how their pedagogical rhetorical situation lies at the intersections between their identity, background and experiences, creates tension between who they are and who they are becoming.

We hope to answer questions like, “What barriers exist when applying for a grant? What
grants are available at AUC? How do we select which conference to go to? How do we align
conference attendance with university/school/department priorities? What do we do before,
during, and after the conference? How can we maximize benefits of attending? What actions
can we take to encourage research, PD, and the utilization of grant funds?

We hope to answer questions like, “What barriers exist when applying for a grant? What
grants are available at AUC? How do we select which conference to go to? How do we align
conference attendance with university/school/department priorities? What do we do before,
during, and after the conference? How can we maximize benefits of attending? What actions
can we take to encourage research, PD, and the utilization of grant funds?

Scaffolding breaks up student learning into smaller pieces with a view to supporting them
with tasks, tools, and structures. Within this framework are a number of learned
competencies and practiced techniques which facilitate learning. The goal is to cater to the
needs of all, particularly those who are struggling. This presentation then aims to address
student needs by setting up tasks which enhance student learning and autonomy.

With the rise of continuing education programs in the US, there is an assumption that courses
must practical to address career hopes and skill development. Built into this is a deeper
assumption: learners will not be interested in taking liberal arts courses; they are impractical.
We increasingly see programs being developed however which incorporate elements of the
liberal arts approach, transforming them into more dynamic, relevant experiences.

This research concentrates on the integration of two reading strategies, bottom-up and top-
down, using two innovative approaches: vocabulary teaching through the IBI approach,
which emphasizes providing learners with optimal input through engaging them in different
kinds of tasks that cover all aspects of vocabulary in an incremental way; and “Trans-
languaging”, which uses more than one language to access the same context.

Arguments against teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) are growing in the US. CRT is a
legal concept that interrogates society and culture through power structures and teaching it in
schools is facing harsh political backlash. Due to its complexity, CRT may not be appropriate
to teach young children, however, texts such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 's “Letter from
Birmingham Jail” and others that embrace a tonality for social justice, may be censored in
some school districts across the country. The 1963 “Letter” critiques police brutality against
African Americans as well as the reluctance of the White Church and White moderate allies
in Alabama to support nonviolent movements against Jim Crow laws. A critical reading of
the text also reveals how the United States historically prioritized dominant power structures
while suppressing the freedoms of others. Some scholars argue that the “Letter” fits within
the traditional domain of Rhetoric, since it transcends time, place, and occasion. In this
presentation, the discussants will examine how their pedagogical rhetorical situation lies at
the intersections between negotiating a teaching identity that includes
an epistemological curiosity, cultural meanings, social dynamics, and
discourses, creates tension between who they are and subsequent engagements in the
classroom.

The PhD dissertation looked at how satirical programs in Egypt and the US employed
conceptual metaphors and impolite strategies to criticize the status quo of the country. A
quantitative and qualitative approach was used to answer the research questions about the
similarities and differences between two programs. Analysis showed that both programs
mostly used structural metaphors.

An exploratory study was conducted to uncover the perceptions and scoring behavior of ELT
professionals when grading reading-based writing tasks. Findings reflect some confusion
related to task representation, which,  in turn, is reflected on the grades assigned. Some
differences in scoring behavior were also observed despite the general central tendency
followed.

In this interactive talk, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the rhetorical
memory, one of the most neglected of the five canons, distinguishing it from the
oversimplified concept of memorization and memoir. We will also explore its relationship to
other rhetorical canons and practical strategies for training students in rhetorical memory to
assist them in developing higher order critical reading skills and genuine learning.

This presentation describes activities used in a project-based integrated skills course focusing
on problem solving. By engaging in a series of hands-on group activities, students not only
improve their language skills, but also develop essential higher order thinking skills, and
become more confident communicators and collaborators. Sample activities will be shared
and the skills gained will be highlighted.

An analysis was made of the reading comprehension strategies which led to students’
comprehension and appreciation of an ECLT American literature course’s content. Most of
the cross-disciplinary students were unwilling to spend time and effort reading or deciphering
texts and instead searched for summaries, being unable at the beginning to enjoy the process
of reading and contemplating the texts for what they are aesthetically.

One way we have explored the cultivating of student connection with reading is through
student generated materials (SGM), which can increase student ownership of learning and
allow them to better contextualize themselves in the reading process. In this presentation we
will share SGM examples we have found engaging for our students, including student-led
reading discussions and activities centered around student generated texts.

Astrology and Biology

Zodiac Signs and Your Guide to Avoiding Mutagens:

To what extent does astrological transit impact an individual’s predisposition to develop non-hereditary diseases?

Through the testing of multiple statistical hypotheses, we will look into how planet sightings impact the environment on earth and may increase the chances of non-hereditary diseases.

Astrology and Biology:

Zodiac Signs and Your Guide to Avoiding Mutagens:

To what extent does astrological transit impact an individual’s predisposition to develop non-hereditary diseases?

Through the testing of multiple statistical hypotheses, we will look into how planet sightings impact the environment on earth and may increase the chances of non-hereditary diseases.

Medicine:

DP (Doctor Patient):

COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of life including health, education, economics and more. The most hurtful part of this pandemic is losing family members and friends. Not only are COVID-19 patients dying but the health of patients suffering from chronic illnesses is deteriorating. Fearing contagion, many patients were afraid of visiting physicians in clinics and hospitals. That is why they resorted to Telemedicine, in other words, meeting virtually with their physicians. This currently imposes a challenge for doctors as they are unable to physically examine their patients. To solve this problem, our team came up with a solution of inventing portable smart examination tools. These include stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes and more. The patients would buy those tools from a pharmacy and the tools would be supported by an app which would stream the data (heart sounds, lung sounds, view of the inside of their ears, view of their eyes, etc.) during their virtual meetings with their physicians, allowing the patients’ healthcare experience to be much closer to the in-person meetings. These tools could decrease the rate of deaths during the pandemic, as chronically ill patients would be able to follow up with their doctors normally and COVID-19 patients who quarantine at home would be able to track their health status with their physicians without putting others at risk.

Medicine:

DP (Doctor Patient):

COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of life including health, education, economics and more. The most hurtful part of this pandemic is losing family members and friends. Not only are COVID-19 patients dying but the health of patients suffering from chronic illnesses is deteriorating. Fearing contagion, many patients were afraid of visiting physicians in clinics and hospitals. That is why they resorted to Telemedicine, in other words, meeting virtually with their physicians. This currently imposes a challenge for doctors as they are unable to physically examine their patients. To solve this problem, our team came up with a solution of inventing portable smart examination tools. These include stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes and more. The patients would buy those tools from a pharmacy and the tools would be supported by an app which would stream the data (heart sounds, lung sounds, view of the inside of their ears, view of their eyes, etc.) during their virtual meetings with their physicians, allowing the patients’ healthcare experience to be much closer to the in-person meetings. These tools could decrease the rate of deaths during the pandemic, as chronically ill patients would be able to follow up with their doctors normally and COVID-19 patients who quarantine at home would be able to track their health status with their physicians without putting others at risk.

Medicine:

DP (Doctor Patient):

COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of life including health, education, economics and more. The most hurtful part of this pandemic is losing family members and friends. Not only are COVID-19 patients dying but the health of patients suffering from chronic illnesses is deteriorating. Fearing contagion, many patients were afraid of visiting physicians in clinics and hospitals. That is why they resorted to Telemedicine, in other words, meeting virtually with their physicians. This currently imposes a challenge for doctors as they are unable to physically examine their patients. To solve this problem, our team came up with a solution of inventing portable smart examination tools. These include stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes and more. The patients would buy those tools from a pharmacy and the tools would be supported by an app which would stream the data (heart sounds, lung sounds, view of the inside of their ears, view of their eyes, etc.) during their virtual meetings with their physicians, allowing the patients’ healthcare experience to be much closer to the in-person meetings. These tools could decrease the rate of deaths during the pandemic, as chronically ill patients would be able to follow up with their doctors normally and COVID-19 patients who quarantine at home would be able to track their health status with their physicians without putting others at risk.

Medicine:

DP (Doctor Patient):

COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of life including health, education, economics and more. The most hurtful part of this pandemic is losing family members and friends. Not only are COVID-19 patients dying but the health of patients suffering from chronic illnesses is deteriorating. Fearing contagion, many patients were afraid of visiting physicians in clinics and hospitals. That is why they resorted to Telemedicine, in other words, meeting virtually with their physicians. This currently imposes a challenge for doctors as they are unable to physically examine their patients. To solve this problem, our team came up with a solution of inventing portable smart examination tools. These include stethoscopes, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes and more. The patients would buy those tools from a pharmacy and the tools would be supported by an app which would stream the data (heart sounds, lung sounds, view of the inside of their ears, view of their eyes, etc.) during their virtual meetings with their physicians, allowing the patients’ healthcare experience to be much closer to the in-person meetings. These tools could decrease the rate of deaths during the pandemic, as chronically ill patients would be able to follow up with their doctors normally and COVID-19 patients who quarantine at home would be able to track their health status with their physicians without putting others at risk.

Biology:

Mobilizing Robot Frog Babies:

Xenobots are biological "robots" manufactured from the manipulation of the embryo cells from the African frog species 'Xenopus Laevis'. The research group’s idea was to manipulate organisms the way that we do using gene editing and other techniques, by instead creating our own organisms from top to bottom to carry out desired functions. They used an AI supercomputer to optimize the shapes of 3-D cell structures in different cells to carry out desired functions. They were able to induce functions like targeted propulsion and orientation. The most recent and relevant research to our topic used embryo stem cells to include reproduction to these functions. Our idea revolves around using these new xenobots and the fact that they can be "programmed" to reproduce to rethink applications in regenerative technology. So far, we have sketched a few different applications, like applications in plastic surgery, environmental cleanup and radiation resistance. Radiation resistance in particular opens a lot of doors to applications to things we never thought possible before like ‘X-ray glasses’ or cures to diseases like XP. We are also exploring how the technology can be applied to psychiatric medicine mechanisms and pathways.

Biology:

Mobilizing Robot Frog Babies:

Xenobots are biological "robots" manufactured from the manipulation of the embryo cells from the African frog species 'Xenopus Laevis'. The research group’s idea was to manipulate organisms the way that we do using gene editing and other techniques, by instead creating our own organisms from top to bottom to carry out desired functions. They used an AI supercomputer to optimize the shapes of 3-D cell structures in different cells to carry out desired functions. They were able to induce functions like targeted propulsion and orientation. The most recent and relevant research to our topic used embryo stem cells to include reproduction to these functions. Our idea revolves around using these new xenobots and the fact that they can be "programmed" to reproduce to rethink applications in regenerative technology. So far, we have sketched a few different applications, like applications in plastic surgery, environmental cleanup and radiation resistance. Radiation resistance in particular opens a lot of doors to applications to things we never thought possible before like ‘X-ray glasses’ or cures to diseases like XP. We are also exploring how the technology can be applied to psychiatric medicine mechanisms and pathways.

Petroleum and Energy Engineering:

Wellbore Integrity:

Cement is regarded as a potential threat to the environment from an environmental standpoint. Aside from the negative environmental impact of conventional cement, it also lacks endurance in circumstances such as acidic media. This conventional cement is widely used in oil and gas wellbores, and it has been observed that in acidic conditions, the cement fails to perform as intended. Because it can withstand acid, the cement we are developing will help reduce emissions, that are associated with cement manufacturing by lowering the reliance on the conventional cement that is currently in use. It will also be superior in cementing wells for CO2 storage because it can withstand acid. we are working on a long-lasting material. We basically intend to combine conventional cement with a material that is more durable to conditions like a high-acidity medium and is of a lower, and economic cost. This will allow us to employ this newly developed cement in CO2 storage wells since CO2 is an acidic compound. The added material will also reduce our reliance on conventional cement, which means that cement industries will produce lower quantities of it due to the lowered demand. Lower manufactured quantities translate into lower environmental impact, and by doing this, we can reduce the threat imposed on our environment by cement.

Biotechnology:

Eradicating Alzheimer's Disease:

Millions of people worldwide suffer from memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease. The talk presents the possibility of curing and preventing Alzheimer's by taking a look at the neurons in the human body, long-term potentiation (the way in which memories are formed) and long-term depression (the way in which memories are lost or forgotten). The similarity between the natural way of losing memories and the way in which Alzheimer's causes it (using a certain causative peptide) is then discussed, making way for an opportunity of preventing Alzheimer's or even restoring the lost memories.