INSPIRE Conference Schedule
The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Division of Graduate Studies are proud to present the 2025 INSPIRE Student Research & Engagement Conference!
April 7-8, 2025 // Rod Library
- Poster Presentations: Learning Commons
- Oral Presentations: Room 287
Please reach out to our conference co-coordinators Helen Harton and Windee Weiss with any questions.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
9 - 9:50 a.m.
Moderator: Adam Butler
Katie Mortenson
College Student Reflections on Their Aging Selves: A Photovoice Study
- Majors: Gerontology, Social Work
- Faculty Advisor: Melinda Heinz
- Awards: IAF and IRB
Sarah Stegge
Family Caregiver Emotions In Dementia Simulation Education
- Majors: Communication Sciences & Disorders, Gerontology
- Faculty Advisor: Elaine Eshbaugh
Mackenzie Zeien
Crisis Text Line
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Carolyn Hildebrandt
Danny Trip
Coming Out and Inclusion into Society; based on Queer Individuals
- Graduate Program: Social Work
- Faculty Advisor: Sei-Young Lee
10 - 10:50 a.m.
Moderator: Courtney Wilson
Ian Offner
AI in Academia: Supportive Ally or Cheating Accomplice
- Graduate Program: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Michael Gasser
Faith Nielsen
Trace Evidence vs Memory Evidence: Comparing Evidence Collection Tools
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Kimberly MacLin
Elle Greiner
School Counseling Experience
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Carolyn Hildebrandt
Kalisa Weathersby
Affective Political Polarization Pre-and Post-Election: Attributions about Democrats and Republicans
- Major: Biology: Biomedical
- Co-authors: Hallye Wade, Krishna Patel, Lily Stevens
- Faculty Advisor: Helen Harton
- Award: IAF
11 - 11:50 a.m.
Moderator: Elizabeth Sutton
Sydney Blum
My Internship: UNI Museum
- Major: Anthropology
- Faculty Advisor: Erin Pavioni
Brock Borchardt
The Moderating Role of Aphantasia in the Link between Emotion Regulation and Relationship Satisfaction
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Dilbur Arsiwalla
- Award: IAF
Keevan Jones
The Effects of Short-Term, High-Dosage Creatine Supplementation on Cognitive Measures Following Mental Fatigue in Healthy Young Adults
- Major: Kinesiology: Exercise Science
- Co-authors: Lyle Conditt, Amalea Friedle, Olivia Van Meter
- Faculty Advisor: Terence Moriarty
- Award: Fruehling Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Colten Teem
From Classroom to Career: Identifying Occupations Aligned with Psychology Competencies
- Major: Psychology
- Co-author: Skylar Shaffer
- Faculty Advisor: Adam Butler
12 - 12:50 p.m.
Moderator: Jenny Becker
Kai Smith
Los Cambios en 622A, 622B, y Capítulo 47 de Iowa: Un Reflejo de la Evolución de los Servicios de Interpretación y Traducción en el Sistema Judicial de Iowa
(Changes in Iowa's Code Chapters 622A and 622B and Chapter 47 of Court Rules: A Reflection of Evolving Interpreter and Translation Services in the Iowa Judicial System)
- Majors: Criminology, Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Elise DuBord
Abby Schellhorn
Death with a Side of Coffee
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Melinda Heinz
Sydney Blum
Who Owns Their Dead: The Unequal Access To Repatriation in US Law
- Major: Anthropology
- Faculty Advisor: Tyler O'Brien
Nicholas Huinker
MTBI Literature Review: Devices, Protocol and Nutritional Health
- Major: Kinesiology
- Co-author: Sarah Stegge
- Faculty Advisor: Elaine Eshbaugh
Amy Stoermer
Crisis Text Line - An Empathic World Where Nobody Feels Alone
- Graduate Program: Social Work
- Advisor: Jenny Becker, LISW
1 - 1:50 p.m.
Moderator: Amelia Holden-McMurray
Emma Elsbecker
Relationship Satisfaction as a Mediator Between Attachment and Quality of Life
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Advisor: Dilbur Arsiwalla
- Award: IAF
Anna Anderson
Las Experiencias en Escolarización de Hablantes de Herencia en Iowa: Sus Propias Palabras
(The Schooling Experiences of Heritage Speakers in Iowa: In Their Own Words)
- Majors: Social Science Teaching and Spanish Teaching
- Faculty Advisor: Elise DuBord
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
10 - 10:45 a.m.
Moderator: Kyle endres
10 a.m.
Ryder Bates
Mystery Cave Underground: Mapping for the Future
- Major: Digital Media Production
- Co-author: Easton Steffen
- Faculty Advisor: Francesca Soans
10:15 a.m.
Easton Steffen
Filming in Caves
- Major: Computer Science & Interactive Digital Studies
- Co-author: Ryder Bates
- Faculty Advisor: Francesca Soans
10:30 a.m.
Salimatou Diallo
Magnetotransport Properties of NiFe1+xMn1-xAl Heusler Alloys
- Majors: Physics, Computer Science, Biochemistry
- Co-authors: Brandon Schmidt, Jax Wysong, Gavin Baker, Parashu Kharel, Pavel V. Lukashev
- Faculty Advisor: Paul M. Shand
11 - 11:45 a.m.
Moderator: Johnnie R. Blunt
11 a.m.
Luthando Molefe
Community-Based Participatory Research Scholarship as a Curriculum Transformation in Higher Education
- Graduate Program: Education (Teacher Education and Professional Development)
- Faculty Advisor: Theophile Muhayimana
11:15 a.m.
Luthando Molefe
Navigating through the Unknown Waters of the Teaching Profession in a Rural School: A Beginner Teacher’s Self-Study
- Graduate Program: Education (Teacher Education and Professional Development)
- Faculty Advisor: Theophile Muhayimana
11:30 a.m.
Bushroh O. Animashaun
The Influence of Field Experiences on English Language Teachers' Preparedness: An Analysis of Teacher Education in Nigeria
- Graduate Program: Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL)
- Faculty Advisor: Aliza Fones
12 - 12:45 p.m.
Moderator: Juan Carlos Castillo
in spanish
12 p.m.
Kathleen Hunter
De QuikTrip a la Panadería: El Paisaje Lingüístico de Capitol East, Des Moines, Iowa
(From QuickTrip to the Panadería: The Linguistic Landscape of Capitol East, Des Moines, Iowa)
- Majors: TESOL, Spanish
- Faculty Advisor: Elise DuBord
12:15 p.m.
Neah McGovern
¿Por qué Estudiar Español?: Un Examinación de los Motivaciones de los Estudiantes Universitarios
(Why Study Spanish?: An Examination of the Motivations of University Students)
- Majors: TESOL, Spanish Teaching
- Faculty Advisor: Elise DuBord
12:30 p.m.
Bailey Johnson
The Use of Spanish in Political Advertisements
- Major: Spanish Teaching
- Faculty Advisor: Elise DuBord
1 - 2 p.m.
Moderator: Emily Machen
1 p.m.
Brenda Koumondji
The Role of Socioeconomic Capital on Literacy and Second Language Acquisition: A Cross-National Comparative Study
- Major: Sociology
- Faculty Advisor: Ashleigh Kysar-Moon
- Award: Fruehling Undergraduate Research Fellowship
1:15 p.m.
Lauren Logue
Perceptions of Female Hispanic Accents by Type of Career
- Majors: Psychology and Spanish
- Faculty Advisor: Helen Harton
- Funding: IAF
1:30 p.m.
Moussa Barry
Investigating Pronunciation Teaching Practices and Teachers’ Beliefs about Pronunciation in EFL Classrooms in Burkina Faso
- Graduate Program: TESOL
- Faculty Advisor: Joshua Gordon
1:45 p.m.
Claire Tow
Second-Language Acquisition of French Nasal Vowels: Phonological and Orthographic Considerations
- Graduate Program: Speech-Language Pathology
- Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Zwanziger, Todd Bohnenkamp
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
9 - 9:50 a.m.
Moderator: Marybeth Stalp
ZaKiyah Timmons-Crear
Bridging Connection & Care: AI-Modified Activities for Residents
- Majors: Family Services, Gerontology
- Faculty Advisor: Melinda Heinz
Carly Bendull
A Modern Community Men’s Shed
- Major: Communication Sciences & Disorders
- Faculty Advisor: Melinda Heinz
Katie Cullen
Fostering Intergenerational Relationships at Men's Sheds
- Major: Communication Sciences & Disorders
- Faculty Advisor: Melinda Heinz
Krishna Patel
Affective Political Polarization Pre- and Post-Election: Beliefs about Positive and Negative Behaviors
- Major: Biochemistry
- Co-authors: Hallye Wade, Kalisa Weathersby, Lily Stevens
- Faculty Advisor: Helen Harton
- Award: IAF
10 - 10:50 a.m.
Moderator: Alexa Clements
Mallory Loerts
Affects and Tragedies of Substance Abuse on Vulnerable Populations in The United States and Russia
- Major: Psychology
- Co-authors: Avery Wuollet, Rylyn Murphy, Emyli Sandrock
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Lily Stevens
Affective Political Polarization Pre- and Post-Election: Comparisons Two Months into the New Administration
- Major: Psychology
- Co-authors: Hallye Wade, Krishna Pate, Kalisa Weathersby
- Faculty Advisor: Helen Harton
- Award: IAF
11 - 11:50 a.m.
Moderator: Michael Gasser
Hayes Breitbach
Prison Environment and Conditions Affect Recidivism Rates — Norway and South Africa
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Gus Beirman, Abby Horstmann
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Esther Van Horn
Food Insecurity in the Philippines
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Kassidy Lake, Hannah Dennis
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Sam Rohrssen
Access to Special Education Support for Rural Areas
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Zayne Smith, Annamarie Mallory
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Rachel Halbach
An Overview of Domestic Violence in Ireland and the United States
- Major: Social Work
- Co-author: Addie Feris
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Kenzie Keenan
Mental Health Care Access in Afghanistan
- Majors: Social Work and Psychology
- Co-authors: Adalyn Gauck, Drew Gauley, Hannah Ryan, Shukuru Budederi
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Eboni Patterson
The Impact of Human Trafficking
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Gabriella Meza, Jenna Diprima
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Kenzie Keenan
Mental Health Care Access in Afghanistan
- Majors: Social Work and Psychology
- Co-authors: Adalyn Gauck, Drew Gauley, Hannah Ryan, Shukuru Budederi
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Zita Mpinganzima
Women’s Rights Across Borders: Challenges and Progress in Afghanistan, India and the United States
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Taylor Romer, Gracie Richter, Sydney Hersom
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Grace Davison
Chad's Climate Crisis
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Meara O'Brien, River Meyer
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Morgan Klein
Intimate Partner Violence
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Stephanie Hines Meyers, Jasmyne Sauceda, Ark Van Donslear, Morgan Klein
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Leslie Villagomez
Immigration
- Major: Social Work
- Co-authors: Almendra Ramirez
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
Katie Do
Climate Change: Water Pollution in Chad and the Need for Clean Water Intervention
- Major: Pre-Sonography
- Co-authors: Jake Brock, Adriana Almaraz
- Faculty Advisor: Itunu Ilesanmi
12 - 12:50 p.m.
Moderator: Erin Pavioni
Brielle Culbertson, Hannah Sampson, Anna Wieser and Kim Zizek
Wellness Center
(two posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
Grace Barkley, Katelyn Konfrst and Amanda Meyer
Wellness Center
(two posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
1 - 1:50 p.m.
Moderator: Aliza Fones
Hallye Wade
Affective Political Polarization Pre- vs. Post-Election
- Major: Psychology
- Co-authors: Krishna Patel, Kalisa Weathersby, Lily Stevens
- Faculty Advisor: Helen Harton
- Award: IAF
Molly Miller, Emma Gullion, Quincy Griffin and Hannah Rasing
Wellness Center
(two posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
Alex Fowler, David Kremer and Maddie White
Wellness Center
(three posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
2 - 2:50 p.m.
Moderator: Seth Brown
Stephanie Dailey, Faith Hoffman and Waverly Roorda
Wellness Center
(two posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
Dreanna Driggers, Carissa Sabers and Reilly Thuemmler
Wellness Center
(two posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
Julio Alonso, Jennifer Little and Conner Rittenhouse
Wellness Center
(two posters)
- Major: Interior Design
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
10 - 11 a.m.
Moderator: Gabriela Olivares
10 a.m.
Cassandra Ralston
Friendship with Violence: The Boffer LARPing Community
- Major: Sociology
- Faculty Advisor: Marybeth Stalp
10:15 a.m.
Amber Hoodjer
Women's Suffrage in the Cedar Valley, 1860-1920
- Graduate Program: History
- Faculty Advisor: Barbara Cutter
10:30 a.m.
Wesley Freiman
Gonna, Kinda, Nothin’, an’ so on: Attributions of Literary Dialect by American Versus British Writers
- Graduate Program: English
- Faculty Advisor: Jolene Zigarovich
10:45 a.m.
Amber Jones
Following the Line
- Major: Interactive Digital Studies
- Faculty Advisor: Francesca Soans
12 - 1 p.m.
Moderator: scott peters
12 p.m.
Hallory Domnick
100th Day of School Celebration on Centenarians
- Major: Family Services
- Faculty Advisor: Melinda Heinz
- Award: McElroy Youth Leadership Fund
12:15 p.m.
Sarah Stegge
Dementia Friendly Bathroom Design Explored + Checklist
- Majors: Gerontology, Communication Sciences & Disorders: Pre-Speech Therapy Contributors: Elsie Aslesen, Denell Henninger, Janice Blevins
- Faculty Advisor: Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi
- Awards: Fruehling Undergraduate Research Fellowship
12:30 p.m.
Samuel Bast
Investment Casting Burnout Time Identification and Prediction using Machine Learning
- Graduate Program: Information and Electrical Engineering Technology
- Faculty Advisor: Jin Zhu
12:45 p.m.
Caden Sadler
Exploring Spin-Gapless Semiconducting Properties of FeVTaAl and FeCrZrAl
- Major: Physics
- Co-authors: Samuel Smith, Brandon Schmidt, Parashu Kharel, Paul M. Shand
- Faculty Advisor: Pavel Lukashev
- Award: NSF Grant