Student Honors Theses
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Item Open Access MECHANICAL DESIGN OF A 2-SPEED DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE DRIVETRAIN(2023) "Chandler, Everett G."; "Maha, Amit"; "Rosiczkowski, Joe"; "Mighells, Jim""As an avid mountain biker, Chandler has experienced mechanical failures, especially related to the drive train. This project focuses on Chandler’s interest in bike design and making overall improvements."Item Open Access Evaluating the Role of Mixing in Blended Alumina Powders Using Specific Volume Diagrams(2023) "Sereno, Maximos"; "Carty, William"; "Kennan, Timothy"; "Lee, Hyojin""Specific volume diagrams can be used to predict the packing density of blended particle systems, but the measured values appear to always possess a density less than the predicted value. It has been proposed in the literature that this deviation is due to poor mixing, and a “mixedness” index was proposed to explain the discrepancy. It is proposed that the deviation from the predicted mixing density and the measured density is not a problem of mixing rather a problem of void space associated with particle agglomeration. To effectively eliminate the void space, also known as a packed bed porosity, samples were prepared from coagulated suspensions then cold isostatic pressed to collapse the pore networks. Pressed samples were sintered at low temperature to provide sample strength but without measurable shrinkage. The results indicated that cold isostatic pressing collapses the pore network moving the measured density closer to the predicted density. Mixing seems to happen instantaneously where increased mixing of the bimodal system has no impact on the measured density moving closer to predicted density."Item Open Access Puppy Dog City, an Exploration of Neuroqueer Love and Friendship(2023) "Delphi"; "Adams, Kevin"; "Secuna, Kelsey"; "McMahon, Stephanie""Delphi explores their neurodivergent and neuroqueer experiences through art, using materials to create environments and depict moments of living with autism."Item Open Access Loose Ends – Beowulf: A Modern Retelling"Nowik, Monica"; "Reginio, Rob"; "Mayberry, Susan"; "Morehouse, Susan""Exploring the idea of Otherness, Nowick adapted the classic tale of Beowulf and created the short film Loose Ends. While other interpretations of Beowulf deal with societal exclusion and group mentality, Nowik also brings in nuances of gendered violence and self-perception into her work."Item Open Access The Ethics & Politics of Marvel's Civil War(2023) "Patrick, Karisma"; "Schlegel, Nicholas"; "Myers, Robert"; "Schultz, Pamela""The purpose of this thesis is to show that there is a reason superhero characters and their stories have remained popular and survived through different forms of media over the years. Though they are fictional and typically enhanced through powers of their own or technology, their human elements make them feel relatable to us. They often act as a reflection of us. We get to see our lives or the lives of those who came before us through their eyes. We get to understand why they thought and acted the way they did. While authoring this thesis and studying both Marvel’s Civil War comic book storyline and the one presented Captain America: Civil War (2016), Patrick found that these fictionalized stories based on true events can help us as an audience understand, at least partially, the world we live in. "Item Open Access A Long Way From Home(2023) "Jean-Baptiste, Adeye"; "Quiñones, Joey"; "Reginio, Robert"; "Powers, Angus"Jean-Baptiste presents the perspective of those who are non-native to the environment that they have traveled to or through, drawing from both personal as well as generational experience when building out narratives. Aesthetically Jean-Baptiste is influenced by the cultures they grew up in such as graffiti, skate, and city. Also influential is the 1980s, the era in which their parents immigrated to the US. To match this aesthetic, Jean-Baptists draws from materials that have both a lived and conceptual history. "Item Open Access Surviving The Struggles of Effectively Competing in the Organic Food Industry as a Small Agribusiness(2023) "Conley, Jennalyn"; "Wilson, Abigail"; "Dutton, Gabrielle"; "Freyn, Shelly"; "Morrison, Jason"; "Rodriguez, Luis""This thesis explores the position of a small family farm. The research objective was broken down into three segments. The first includes the market research of a local small family farm, Sunny Cove Farm (SCF), secondary research on two competitors of the farm, and primary research of a survey and its results with the mission to evaluate consumer trends and build strategy. Second, a consumer behavior analysis is applied to understand the target markets of SCF and consumer profiles for a small family farm to market their products to. Lastly, the opportunity of raw milk as an additional source of revenue directly with SCF is discussed along with the innerworkings of the process of starting a Raw Milk Association in New York State."Item Open Access EFFECTS OF PRESSURE ON DENSIFICATION OF ALUMINA IN HOT PRESSING(2023) "Marrero, Nathaniel O"; "Carty, William"; "Lee, Hyojin"; "Keenan, Timothy""Hot pressing is one technique that has been used to improve the sintering of advanced ceramics by applying pressure at elevated temperature. Issues arise in determining the amount of pressure required for sufficient densification. The literature lists a broad range of pressures, from 8 MPa (1200 Psi) to 140 MPa (20,000 Psi), with practically no explanation as to what was required and how that pressure value was determined. It is proposed that densification would occur at a specific pressure at a given temperature for a ceramic compact. To determine the pressure required for aluminum oxide samples, course, and fine particle systems, AC-12 and A-16 S.G. α-alumina, were used to make isostatically pressed powder compacts. These samples were hot pressed at temperatures ranging from 1300oC to 1600oC with pressures of 13MPa and 19MPa, along with controlled samples that had the same temperature profiles without applying pressure. After the samples were fired, density measurements were taken for each compact in order to determine the degree of densification. As anticipated, the hot-pressed samples resulted in higher densification at lower temperatures but the increase in density between 13 MPa and 19 MPa was minimal which suggests that higher pressures are not required to achieve highly dense samples."Item Open Access How Student Activities and Campus Facilities Impact Recruitment and Retention in Higher Education(2023) "Cefalu, Sienna"; "Freyn, Shelly"; "Maguire, Diana"; "Ordway, Eliza""Conducting research related to recruitment and retention in higher education, Cefalu used focus groups and surveys to study the impact student support services, student activities, and campus facilities make on each. "Item Open Access COBALT DOPING OF TITANIA NANOSHEETS FOR IMPROVED ELECTRONIC PERFORMANCE(2023) "Nelson, Owen"; "Misture, Scott T."; "Sun, Yuxuan"; "Schaeperkoetter, Joseph""Cobalt doped titania nanosheets were synthesized to view their charging and discharging behaviors for battery applications. The synthesis followed a manganese doping process of TiO2 nanosheets substituted with Co+2/Co+3 as dopants (3). The substitution should create excess negative charge resulting in improved interlayer exchange of charging ions. Two different interlayer ions were used, K+ and Cs+, to further test if one leads to better exfoliation or contributes to more leaching of dopants. Three samples were prepared: a control consisting of TiO2 nanosheets with K+ in the interlayer (Control), one with cobalt doping and with K+ in the interlayer of TiO2 (K-Process), and one with cobalt doping but with Cs+ in the interlayer for TiO2 (Cs-Process). From comparing the specific capacitance, the Cs-Process had an 9% larger value compared to the K-Process. During the synthesis of the nanosheets, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements were used to see the interplanar difference increasing with protonation and exfoliation. Then, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images were taken to view the layers and confirm if the samples were successfully exfoliated into nanosheets. From the images, the samples were mostly exfoliated with some sections being partially exfoliated. Unfortunately, the SEM back-scatter did show some of the cobalt dopants were leached out in the synthesis process. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) loops were used to test the nanosheet charging and discharging while on nickel foil. The specific capacitance for the K-Process was found to be 2.7 ± 0.5 F/g and the Cs-Process was 3.7 ± 0.2 F/g. Both values were lower than hypothesized but comparable to the Control having a specific capacitance of 3.9 ± 0.4 F/g."Item Open Access Vegetation Structure and Bird Presence at Foster Lake’s Bird Banding Station(2023) "Timothy, Morrigan Erin"; "Beaudry, Frederic"; "Domino, Jessica"; "Munkwitz, Nicole""Birds have complex behaviors and preferences for habitats and their structures. The goal of this research was to determine trends in habitat preference for a selection of birds at Foster Lake, located in Alfred, NY. "Item Open Access SYNTHESIS AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCESSING OF ALGINATE COMPOSITES FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING(2023) "Strekalov, Aleksey P. "; "Keenan, Timothy J."; "Wren, Anthony W."; "Gordon, Jennifer L.""Alginate is an abundant material that is biocompatible and hydrophilic, which makes it a promising material for hydrogels and cell scaffolds in tissue engineering. Its biodegradability improves with oxidation, which serves as a ring-opening mechanism via the functionalization of hydroxyls to aldehydes. Dissolution of 5 wt% alginate in different solvents and oxidation at different molar concentrations of periodate were examined, with DI water allowing for simplest synthesis. Freeze-drying alginate solution was used to make alginate in different form factors. Composition with Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) generally makes alginate softer and easier to compress, whereas acids (Adipic Acid Dihydrazide or Citric Acid) create a brittle, flaky material. Atomization into a CaCl2 coagulation bath creates a size distribution of micelles, whereas different syringes create both spherical and toroidal macroparticles. To preserve geometry, freeze drying in a mold appears easier. High molecular weight polyethylene glycol may be able to reduce Cu(II)O to Cu+2 without the use of acids, which, when composited with Alginate and CMC, yields a material showing E. Coli inhibition, formability, and conductivity."Item Open Access Crave Play Direction(2023) "Adams, Ronan"; "Weiss, Maureen"; "Regino, Robert"; "Kautzman, Kerry""Crave is British playwright Sarah Kane’s fourth play. It was a departure from her previous plays in language and content. Crave is a one act play with unnamed characters that plays with poetic language and a lack of plot. Adams describes his experience directing the play and learning from the difficult and rewarding times. "Item Open Access Determining Potential Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Athletes at Alfred University(2023) "Nadolne, Jon"; "Englert, Connor"; "Keenan, Timothy"; "Honeck, Jason"; "Hibbard, Letti""The company GOATA (Greatest Of All Time Athletes) has a philosophy regarding gait patterns in athletes. Their mantra is essentially focusing on the best of the best athletes and how they walk and replicate those patterns. Athletes that utilize this philosophy have been seen to have a massive decrease in injuries, especially anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. After discovering there was no scientific or published research on the effects of GOATA training on athletes, Nadolne conducted a small research project of his own."Item Open Access Retired College Student Athletes and their Identities Post College Athletics(2023) "Jewet, Rebecca"; "Buton-Ervin, Amy"; "Gagne, Danielle"; "Johnson, Beth""Research was conducted to evaluate the degree to which alumni student athletes from a small, rural university in Western New York still considered themselves to be athletes. This is important as athletics typically plays a large part in a college athletes’ life considering how long the average collegiate athlete has been involved in their sport, as well as the potential mental health consequences possible after losing athletic participation when they graduate."Item Open Access Bricolage(2023) "Yancey, Salyn"; "Sikora, Linda"; "Montgomery, Lindsay"; "Kelleher, Matt""Yancy’s research and art focuses on plaster turning, mold making, and slip casting. Through this research, Yancy references industrial methods of production but differentiated their work to speak as an individual maker, not only through the common irregulars of the slip but through the active energy the vessels release. Blending the methods of the plaster mold processes and slip-cast techniques with intricate systems of installation provides layers of discovery for the viewer to unearth, directing the viewer to new ways the vessels and objects can be perceived. "Item Open Access Key Factors in Self-Diagnosis via TikTok: Identification Through Social Media(2023) "Kayes, Corrine"; "Johnson, Beth"; "Button-Ervin, Amy"; "Porter, Karen""Self-diagnosis of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions has had a sharp increase in recent years, especially on the social media app TikTok. Kayes explores how people identify with what they view on TikTok, theorizing that visual identification could lead to increased identification with other characteristics of the model, such as a mental disorder, over reading corresponding text messages with the same information."Item Open Access Everything I Know(2023) "Radigan, Liz"; "Contino, William"; "Sucena, Kelsey"; "Vajda, Kathryn""Film photography and printmaking allowed Radigan to explore questions of what is ‘faithful reproduction’? What does it mean to truly represent a time, moment, space, that has long since passed? A space that may never have existed at all. The irony of this curiosity is that simultaneous truths arise. How does one understand and represent themself and their place in the world as accurately as possible? "Item Open Access "Stories Sung, Stories Written: The Gaucho and the Creation of a Nation"(2023) "Fanning, Eleanor"; "Kautzman, Kerry"; "Szymanksi, Mallory"; "Singer, Sandra""The gaucho came to be a symbolic figure of Argentina towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Many depictions of the gaucho exist in both literary works, written by the educated elite, and in the songs of the payadors, popular musicians of the time. While the presence of the figure in both kinds of works contributed to the creation of the gaucho as a national symbol, the gaucho is portrayed differently in the different mediums. By comparing the songs of Argentine payadors to the text of Martín Fierro by José Hernández, this paper demonstrates that the modern payadors portrayed gauchos as having more agency—more ability to make choices and perform actions that impact the course of their own lives and stories—than did the authors of the gauchesque literary genre, and that that difference in portrayal is due to the fundamentally different relationships the payadors and the authors of the gauchesque genre had to the gauchos and the gaucho tradition. This difference in portrayal and relation to the gaucho figure and tradition complicates the national symbol of the gaucho and reveals a complexity of the national identity of Argentina that shouldn’t be overlooked. "Item Open Access Biophilia(2023) "Gamble, Ellie"; "Contino, William"; "Sikora, Linda"; "Emmons, Cheryld""Despite studies proving benefits of green spaces in our daily lives, capitalist giants continue to poison the earth, tear down forests, and ignore easy mitigation techniques. However, it has also been seen that when left to rest and heal, seen in abandoned towns such as Chernobyl, Ukraine and Houtouwan, China, plants, animals, and the rest of the natural world reclaim what was theirs in the first place. This anti-capitalist and somewhat nihilistic attitude is incorporated by Gamble into their practice, not so much a rebellion at the institution but a reaction to the dissatisfaction of a hustle culture and a personal longing for something slower and more foundational, seeking to lose their command, listen to material, and to be reclaimed in the process. Through materials such as earthenware ceramics, rust, salt, and plant life combined with processes like weathering and evaporation Gamble aims to better understand the autonomy of the Earth in a collaboration between hand, material, and surroundings. "