2017 Engaged Scholar Symposium
The 2017 Engaged Scholar Symposium was held on April 18 on the Brownsville Campus and April 19 on the Edinburg Campus. Over 250+ students presented their research, service learning, and creative works projects.
Below are our 2017 Distinguished Scholars, in no particular order:
Brownsville Campus
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Business
Benchmark Pulmonary Center by Ruby Resendez, Alejandra M. Garcia, Justine Rodriguez, Luis Fonseca, and Nicole Montiel
In this service learning experiment, we will be observing Benchmark Pulmonary Center to oversee, evaluate, and deliver opportunities to help implement policies that will be more conducive towards increased productivity, greater transparency and adherence to ethical business practices.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Engineering/Computer Science
A Vertical Axis Rotor for Wave Energy Conversion by Francisco Salazar Jr. and Joab Soto-Flores
Ocean waves are a rich source of renewable energy with much higher power density than winds. Energy harvesting from ocean waves, however, is much more difficult than from winds due to the complex flow nature. This research explores a hydrodynamic design of a special rotor, which consists of a series of uniquely shaped blades in a certain formation.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Health
UTRGV's Running Man by Julio Hernandez, Esmirna Cantu, Paige Loughlin, Michelle Rivera, and Bianca Jasso
Running Man is a small and friendly scavenger course and competition among students in UTRGV to spread the word for the UTRGV Food Pantry and fight against hunger for students.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Liberal Arts
On Assuming Identities: Comparing Views of Guy de Maupassant and Jennie Livingston by Soren Johanns Bugtong
"The short story, "The Necklace," by Guy de Maupassant, and translated by Marjorie Laurie, and the film Paris Is Burning, directed by Jennie Livingston are compared in order to conclude how Maupassant and Livingston would respond to the question of whether "outsiders" can ever fully assume identities they are not.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Sciences
Quantum Chemical Calculations of the Monomer and Monohydrate of 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)propanal by Michael J. Carrillo and Wei Lin
We carried out quantum chemical calculations on the monomer and monohydrate of 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)propanal. Two conformations were identified from a potential energy scan and re-optimized at Density Functional Theory and second order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory methods with aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. The monohydrates were studied at the same level.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Engineering/Computer Science
Why Do Car Windshields Crack So Easily By Stone Impacts? by Xavier Castaneda, Darien Iracheta, Jesus Gonzalez, Immanuel Edinbarough, and Antonio Suarez
Stones impacts on windshields are being investigated in terms of stones characteristics, speed, and impact angle. A laboratory setup was created for this purpose.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Health
An Investigation of the Attachment and Proliferation of Cells on PCL scaffolds with Different Porogen Volume Percent and Sizes for Bone Tissue Engineering by Carolina Leynes, Marco Arriaga, and Sue Ann Chew
Biodegradable scaffolds are important for bone tissue engineering. In this work scaffolds were fabricated using polycaprolactone (PCL) with different porogen vol. % and sizes. Cell attachment and proliferation was measured using MTT assay. It was hypothesized that different scaffold properties would have an effect on cell attachment and proliferation. The results demonstrated that as vol. % increased so did attachment and proliferation.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Interdisciplinary/Liberal Arts
Evaluation of The Early Clinical Experiences in the A-PRIME TIME Brownsville Campus Program by Alejandra Torres, Sachin George, Paul Alexander Shane, Muhammad Siddiqui, Hugo Rodriguez, Maria Teresa Castaneda, Manuel Saldivar, and Erich Wittmer
This study evaluates the impact of exposure to clinical activities for A-Prime Time students on the development of professional identity.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Sciences
Primary Culture of Dopaminergic Neurons from the Midbrain of the Monodelphis domestica by Hector Filizola, Alejandra C. Camacho, Mario Gil, and Gabriel A. de Erausquin
This project describes the optimal protocol to prepare primary cell cultures of dopaminergic neurons from the ventral mesencephalon from the Monodelphis domestica, a nontraditional animal model. We explain how to grow and differentiate the neurons and their possible application to schizophrenia research with a focus on dopamine and SK3 channels.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Sciences
Thermal Dose Dissipation Approach for Escherichia coli by Daniela Butanda, Ivan Davila, and Karen Martirosyan
In this procedure, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are introduced to in vitro E.Coli and heated through induction, or magnetic hyperthermia. This therapy proves biocompatible and anti-angiogenic by the targeted heating of unhealthy cells with SPION.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Community-Based Research
Analysis of Medical and social barriers to optimal diabetes care in patients attending a Community Health Center by Lakshman Vigneswaran
In order to identify and mitigate the spread of diabetes, a South Texas epidemic, I've designed a retrospective chart review study. The goal of which is to characterize the medical and social barriers in T2DM patients management at a community health center; in order to implement more patient-centered care.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Service Learning
Brain Day at The Children's Museum of Brownsville by Deanna A. Sanchez
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Children’s Museum of Brownsville combined efforts to organize a Brain Day Event. The goal is to educate children from ages 2 to 10, and them engage in activities relating to the topics that will be covered during Brain Day.
Best in Show for Exemplary Creative Works Presentation
Writers and Artwork by Zugay Trevino
I hope to share three artworks I have created with other people involved with the university. The art pieces are inspired by several great authors I have read and learnt about in my classes.
Edinburg Campus
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Education
Anti-writing Teaching Activity: Reevaluating Rhetorical Writing Style by Breaking Clarity Rules by Gisselle M. Ingan, Pechis Martinez, Stefan Pena, Sheila Bravo, Tarsis Garcia, Brenda Marines, Cristina Mendez, Priscilla Zamora, Israel Alvarado, and Grecia Ramirez
This project started after a class experiment where we converted short stories into lengthy, complex sentences. We aim to research similar teaching activities to help develop pedagogical techniques we will use as future educators.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Engineering/Computer Science
Saline Droplet Evaporation in Solar-Thermal Driven Full Separation Desalination System by Thomas E. Rodriguez, Luis Escobar, and Ricardo Carrillo
A full separation multi effect desalination (FSMED) project is a promising and pertinent research opportunity that will study the kinetic and dynamic characteristics of saline droplets in a full separation tank (FST). A numerical simulation will be performed using a simplified mathematical model to characterize the saline droplet in the FST, and an experimental setup will also be developed to record the “life cycle” of the brine droplets with a high speed camera to corroborate the simplified numerical model. This study is paramount to the progression of solar-thermal powered desalination systems.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Fine Arts
Crawling With Monsters Now by Maria Alvarado, Lucero Rodriguez, and Karina Molina
“Crawling With Monsters Now": a multimedia piece that tells stories and presents visuals dealing with life today inside some of the most violent and corrupt border towns in Mexico. This theatre piece is a follow-up to an award-winning play called “Crawling with Monsters” performed in New York, New Orleans, and other cities between 2010-12.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Health
University Student's Awareness of Child Tantrums Versus Meltdowns in Children with Autism by Karla Cecilia Nieto and Ana Lisa Moreno
This project identifies the level of awareness of university students on behavior in children on the autism spectrum versus typically developing children. Participants watched a short video where they viewed an autistic child’s meltdown and a typically developing child’s tantrum and questionnaires were completed for both videos. Results were significant.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Interdisciplinary/Business
Ethical and Practical Considerations for DREAM Advocacy in the Rio Grande Valley by Abraham Diaz Alonso
This presentation records and analyzes advocacy work for undocumented and DACA recipient university students at UTRGV, putting the local situation within the context of universities across the nation. Focusing particularly on cultural work underway after the U.S. Presidential election in November 2016, this talk analyzes how the unique context of Texas and the Rio Grande Valley and its residents made advocacy necessary and linked with while differentiating from other social protest movements occurring simultaneous. It generates conversations on the issue of creating an inclusive/sanctuary location within our university.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Liberal Arts
Female Experience of Intimate Relationship Abuse and Violence by Mildred A. Guerrero and Andres Ornelas
This study investigates the rate of abuse and violence in an intimate relationship, as reported by female participants, through an online, nationally standardized survey. The results of the UTRGV campus will be compared to the national results, to examine if a significant difference between the two results exists.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Liberal Arts
Cellphone Addiction is Associated with Poorer Sleep, But Not with Lower GPA by Francisco Javier Torres
The current study aims to extend research on the association between cellphone use and sleep difficulties by using a recently developed standardized scale of cellphone addiction and using three different standardized measures related to sleep difficulties. The study also examines whether cellphone addiction is associated with poorer academic performance.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Oral Presentation in Sciences
Chromatic Polynomials of Signed Graphs by Melissa Tupper and Jacob White
Chromatic polynomials of signed graphs are studied in order to find a formula for a list of numbers which represent a polynomial’s coefficients called an h-vector.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Business
Do Blood Pressure Mobile Apps Work? by Vanessa Huerta, Christopher Prado, and Eddie Cantu
We will be researching an important topic under mobile health information technology, if blood pressure mobile apps indeed work, if price of mobile apps affects the quality, and concluding if the blood pressure mobile app is beneficial to us.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Engineering/Computer Science
Autonomous Wheel Barrow by Jose Ramirez, Vanessa Zepeda Dorado, Susana Ortega, and Mayra Zepeda Dorado
Wheel Barrow is an autonomous robotic platform project that will increase the productivity rate, as well as enhance workforce experience in residential constructions sites. Through the development of a robotic platform we will model the behavior of a wheelbarrow robot that will facilitate material mobilization between two locations chosen by the user.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Engineering/Computer Science
Vibration and Radio Frequency Energy Harvester System by Jaime Martinez Gonzalez, Alberto Linares Lopez, Alexis Berlanga, and Luis Toscano
This work addresses in designing, building, and optimizing an energy harvester system that uses vibration and radio frequencies as sources. The game plan of this project is to have the sources generate as much energy possible and store it in a battery for later use.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Liberal Arts
Fear, Surprise, Sadness, and Anger among Latino College Students after the 2016 Presidential Election by Gabriela Mejia, Jason Popan, Gustavo Martinez, Ivan Avila, and Hye Won Kang
This post-election survey of 230 Latino college students demonstrated that strength of identification as Latino predicted feelings of fear, sadness, and anger towards the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Respondents’ knowledge in politics was positively associated with feeling surprised towards the results of the presidential election.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Liberal Arts
Psychological Predictors of Participation in the 2016 General Election among Latino College Students by Gabriela Mejia, Jason Popan, Gustavo Martinez, Mauricio Yanez, and Deanna Pollard
This study assessed Latino identification strength and political knowledge as predictors of participation in the 2016 presidential election. Our results indicate that perceptions of temporal availability, attitudes towards politics, and external political efficacy, or belief in politicians to bring about positive change, were positively associated with participation in the election.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Health
The Impact of Eating Habits on Health and Academic Performance of College Students by Dinorah Cecilia Moreno, Dr. Mirayda Torres Avila
Maintaining a healthy eating habit is essential for college students to be able to have long lasting energy throughout the day, which will help them focus and improve academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine how dietary habits affect the academic performance of college students in The University of Rio Grande Valley.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Science
Blood-feeding Behavior Comparison Between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus by Briana Vargas, Robert Gilkerson, and Christopher Vitek
Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti are the two main vectors for mosquito-borne diseases. We will analyze if these species engage in what we refer to as skip feeding behavior. These data will be useful to determine risk of disease transmission as well as inform future planned tests using virus-infected mosquitoes.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Science
Status of Heavy Metals in UTRGV Edinburg Campus Water Fountains by Joseph Rabago
The aim of this study is to test for heavy metals, the pH, and alkalinity in the water fountains at UTRGV Edinburg campus. Twelve to thirteen samples will be tested at select locations. Ammonia, chloroform, nitrite, and phosphate will also be taken into account while testing. Using a spectrophotometer and a pH meter, water quality data will be presented. Outcomes will be used to make recommendations for campus water quality and management.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Community-based Social Science Research
EPA RainWorks Campus Challenge by Andreas Guevara-Nadeau, Carolina Izaguirre, Carolina Olivares, Raul Barbosa, Jaafar “Jay” Mouhamad, and Kevin Eastin
Due to the effect of urban development, agriculture production, flat topography and a lack of watershed best management practices in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, both habitat and water quality have degraded. The team will develop a Low Impact Development Master Plan for The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, which includes identifying flood-prone areas, prioritizing these areas, and implementing innovative green infrastructure projects to mitigate problem areas. The project goal is to effectively manage stormwater runoff while benefiting the campus community and the environment. The parking lots exhibit excessive stormwater runoff and experience flooding during extreme short duration rain events. The team will use the stormwater management model (SWMM) software to evaluate the project site and to provide sound engineering calculations to support the Master Plan goals and recommendations.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Community-based Science/Engineering Research
Morphological Phenotypic Changes and NF-kB Signaling is Regulated by Glutathione Levels in Ethanol Exposed Microglia by Giovanina A. Hinojosa, Ileana Lozano, Shivani Maffi, Feroz Akhtar, and Andrew Tsin
Microglia are the immune cells in the CNS, their activation and migration causes either a classical neurotoxic inflammatory (M1 phenotype), or a neuroprotective (M2 phenotype) response. Since Ethanol intake is a source of oxidative stress and diminishes antioxidant levels, it causes inflammation in the brain by activating the NF-kB pathway.
Distinguished Scholar Award for Exemplary Poster Presentation in Service Learning
Empowering Families and Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder by Andy Torres
The purpose of this project is to educate families with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. On April 22, a poster exhibit will be taking place at Port Isabel Independent School District as part of their ASD Awareness Day. The posters will focus on neuropsychopathology and the developmental perspective of ASD.
Best in Show for Exemplary Creative Works Presentation
Macuiltianguis Zapotec Toys: An Effort in Popularizing and Revitalizing an Endangered Language by Pechis M. Maritnez, Javier Pina, Cristina Mendez, Paula Foreman, Kiara Wing
Toys created after the main characters from a trilingual children’s storybook written in Zapotec, Spanish, and English aim to help in the revitalization of Macuiltianguis Zapotec.