2018 Abstracts

Allison White, Dixie State University

Whittni Ananin, Southern Utah University

Madalyn Johnson; Megan Anderson, Utah Valley University

Jhana Aristondo, Utah Valley University

Christine Rumsey; Andrew Piskadlo; Adele Reynolds; Ryan Rowland; Shu Yang; Bill Johnson; Anna Robert; Gaurav Pandey, Westminster

Jason Klimek, Brigham Young University

Matthew Thompson, Utah State University

Jackson Podis, Westminster College In the Guna Yala archipelago, PanamÌÁ, the removal of coral species for construction of coral walls has been a common practice for the Guna Yala indigenous group. This practice has the potential to drastically alter the community structure of offshore reefs. This study analyzed three reefs offshore of islands with varying coral wall volumes to quantify macroalgae and scleractinian coral cover, diversity of scleractinian coral species, and correlation between macroalgae and scleractinian coral cover. All three study sites exhibited significant differences in scleractinian coral coverage; a significant negative correlation was shown between scleractinian coral cover and macroalgal cover, and the site with the largest coral wall volume showed the lowest rates of coral species commonly used for mining. These results are telling of the potential effects coral mining can have on coral reefs in the Guna Yala archipelago, and aim to inform the development of marine resource management plans in the future.

Thomas Shober; Jaxon Roller; Ashley Kennedy, University of Utah

Joseph Rich, Brigham Young University

Mary Rosbach, Brigham Young University

Ariel Green; Taylor Schroedter, Brigham Young University

Austin Bettridge, Utah Valley University

Anastasiia Matkovska; Austin Bettridge; Blake Allred; Jeff Keller, Utah Valley University

TaylorAnn Christensen, Dixie State University

Hayden Brady; Alex Jafek; Sean Harbertson; Raheel Samuel, University of Utah

Rhianna Wolsleger, Dixie State University

Brooklyn Barton, Dixie State University

Francesca DeMartino, Utah Valley University

Jenica Heaton, Southern Utah University

Zachary Webb, Dixie State University Beast is a marimba solo written by American composer and guitarist Steven Mackey. In recent years Mackey has been commissioned by groups such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic,the Kennedy Center, Sydney Symphony and New World Symphony. The central premise and intent behind creating a performance guide for Beast is that, as Mackey is an important American composer, understanding the processes and principles of his music is beneficial. Also, the value of studying marimba techniques employed in performance of the piece is important. The process and methodology of the research included a harmonic and rhythmic analysis of Beast in addition to preparing a performance. The process of identifying each element and comparing and contrasting it throughout the entire piece of music is paramount in research of the nature. Mackey uses compositional elements and utilizes performance techniques i a way that it introduces it well to the intermediate marimbist. With this knowledge, a musically mature and coherent performance is possible. Performance guides are effective and significant in the music field and this guide to Beast is no exception. As Mackey’s music continues to be performed by the leading symphonies and percussion students have a desire to learn, Beast will increase in stature in the canon. And as Beast was written with the intermediate marimbist in mind, the amount of in depth performance guides for that niche market are not readily available.

Joseph Millar, Utah Valley University

Autumn Wyatt, Dixie State University

Chase Omana, University of Utah

Kyle Hakes; Heather Erickson, Brigham Young University

Konstantinos Karpos; Koren Roach, University of Utah

Nathanael Nelson, Brigham Young University

Dustin Mattei, Dixie State University

Ryan Clark; Taylor Dickinson; Johnfredy Loaiza; Kari Beardsley; Dan Geiger, Brigham Young University

Sara Schlagel, Southern Utah University

Zac Van Pelt, Southern Utah University

Sean Harbertson, University of Utah

Kimberly Tarnasky, Kelli Egan, Brigham Young University The Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award recognizes authors, illustrators, and publishers of high quality fictional and biographical children, intermediate, and young adult books that authentically portray individuals with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disabilities, and Down syndrome. The Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award was created to make an impact toward the general public’s recognition of the positive societal contributions of individuals with developmental disabilities, greater understanding and acceptance of teachers and school-aged peers of students with developmental disabilities, and encouragement of authors and illustrators to publish quality literature including characters with developmental disabilities. Eleven picture books and 27 youth and adolescent chapter books were found to be eligible for the award, and were analyzed. Preliminary results indicate a high proportion of characters with ASD compared to other developmental disabilities, almost twice as many males as females, and almost all characters who are Caucasian. Additional content analyses will be conducted and completed by January, 2018. Investigations will include: how the character with the developmental disability interacts with others, develops family relationships, and how exemplary practices are portrayed. Considering the eligible books for the 2018 award helps us come closer to conclusions regarding the trends of developmental disabilities throughout children’s literature. We will provide suggestions for using these books in K-16 classrooms.

Dagan Pielstick, Brigham Young University

Ashlyn Judd, Southern Utah University

Trenton Colton; David Fullwood, Brigham Young University

Jayson Foster, Dixie State University

David Fullwood; Madeline Foote; Akash Amalaraj, Brigham Young University

Sutherland Wyatt; Connor Meyerhoeffer, Dixie State University

Miriam Sweeney, Brigham Young University

Ben Thrift, Southern Utah University

Gabriel Poulson, Brigham Young University

Brett Reeder, University of Utah

Jennifer Spong, Dixie State University

How do creative writers use research? I spent the summer of 2017 conducting personal research, a combination of imagination and hands-on exploration, on the Wasatch Mountain Range. I used works by Utah’s Terry Tempest Williams and Amy Irvine, who write about their love for and challenges with the region, as a backdrop for my own research. With funding from the Institute of Mountain Research, I chose to write about my own relationship with the Utah mountains. What do these mountains tell me about my life, family, history, and more importantly, how do they help me process trauma? My research included hiking along the Wasatch range, reading Williams and Irvine, taking pictures, and interviewing people. Sometimes I was alone, and other times I was accompanied by my fiancé, using the landscape to reflect on the death of his father. I turned a compilation of memories, reflections, and experiences into a long-form work of creative nonfiction, with multiple stories presented in vignettes. These are stories about people and nature, about trauma and healing, about loss and discovery. I hope to be given an opportunity to share these stories with an audience. You can view snippets of my writing here. The final product will be published on this website later this year: https://medium.com/the-mountain-commons/summer-2017-research-project-report-7a49e882f9e3

Jennifer Marsh, Dixie State University

Jazmine Hurley, University of Utah

Erin Kaseda, Brigham Young University Background: It is estimated that between 5-10% of children and adolescents in the United States have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For adolescents with ADHD, parent-child relationships experience increased conflict and poorer parenting practices. Interpersonal difficulties among both peers and family members put children with ADHD at risk for comorbid disorders, including depression and anxiety. Very little research has been done on children’s own perception of parental support or on the strength of parent’s marital quality as mediating factors on the negative symptomology of ADHD. The project will bridge this gap in the current literature. Methods: 10 adolescents aged 14-19 (M=17, N= 7 female, 3 male) with an official diagnosis of ADHD completed surveys and participated in a semi-structured interview. Participants were asked questions about self-control in school and in home settings, how their relationship with their parents influence their self-control, and their overall perceptions of their parent-child relationships. The interviews were transcribed and coded for factors that improve or hinder adolescents’ comfort in confiding in or sharing their feelings with their parents. Results: Participants were mostly white (50%) or Latino/a (40%) and from middle to high income families (100%). When asked how comfortable they felt sharing their feelings with or confiding in their parents, 33% of subjects reported feeling very comfortable, 40% somewhat comfortable, and 27% as not comfortable. When asked who they tend to go to for advice or support, 30% of subjects reported that there is no one that they are likely to go to. Participants also reported on specific actions their parents take that make it more difficult for them to confide in them. Responses included, ‰ÛÏI can’t tell them the things I feel guilty about‰Û_it’s scary;‰Û ‰ÛÏIf they give me advice that I think [was] a little bit too judgmental, I’ll probably not come back to them;‰Û and ‰ÛÏThere’s just kind of a difference in perspective.‰Û Conclusions: Understanding adolescents’ own perception of parental support and factors that make it difficult for them to confide in their parents has significant potential for clinicians in creating family-based interventions and therapies for adolescents with ADHD. Additionally, the finding that a third of subjects do not have peers or other adults that they feel comfortable going to for support is significant for school-based interventions. Further research needs to be done on the differences in social network size between adolescents with ADHD and their typically developing peers.

Hailey Sommerfeld, Utah Valley University

Caroline Palmer, Brigham Young University