Category: College of Arts & Sciences
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Presidential Influence on the Bureaucracy: The Curious Case of Lina Khan
By Nickolas Remish Faculty Mentor: Jared McDonald Abstract How effective can a president be in promoting his or her policies through the bureaucracy? Most theories postulate the president has influence – via appointees, budgeting, and executive orders. This paper unpacks the president’s influence on the bureaucracy by analyzing President Biden’s effect on antitrust, particularly with…
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Between Empowerment and Objectification: John Singer Sargent’s ‘Madame X’
By Gabriella Alexander Faculty Mentor: Dr. Julia DeLancey Abstract In a prestigious annual art exhibition flooded with entries, American expatriate John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) attempted to garner attention with a painting that pushed the boundaries of traditional nineteenth-century portraiture. After a lengthy painting process throughout the summer of 1883, Sargent’s submission, entitled Madame X, was…
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A Computational Analysis of the Thermodynamic Synthesis of Ammonia Utilizing Transition State Theory
By Vallarie Burge, Rowan Neall Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract The synthesis of ammonia (NH3) is an important step in the production of fertilizers that increase the level of nitrogen in soil, bettering plant structure and metabolism. The kinetics of NH3 synthesis was examined and analyzed utilizing transition state theory (TST) in order to understand…
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The Effect of Gender Bias on the Confirmation Hearings of Federal District and Circuit Court Appointees
By Hannah Walker Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jared McDonald Abstract I explore the presence of gender bias in the judicial confirmation process by turning to the number of judicial philosophy questions asked of lower federal court nominees. Prior research on the subject has found that the Senate uses judicial philosophy, an ideologically-based idea of justices’ interpretations…
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Determining the Relationship Between Bond Energy and Bond Length Using Computational Chemistry
By Ksenia Mangino, Catherine Nguyen Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract Computational chemistry is used to simulate experiments that cannot be performed in a lab setting. In the case of bond energy, one could simply assume an average/optimal bond length; however, the length of the bond realistically oscillates and affects bond energy as shown theoretically by…
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Multi-wavelenght Astronomy
By Ryan Lawrence Faculty Mentor: Matthew Fleenor Abstract Imaging the sky in radio, IR, and visible light.
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Determination of the Dihydrogen Potential Energy Curve using Computational Chemistry
By Willow Candage, Charlea Kimbleton, Owen White Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract The bond length and bond dissociation energy for a molecule play an important role in the thermodynamic properties of that molecule. Both the equilibrium bond length and the bond dissociation energy of a molecule can be determined from its potential energy curve. One…
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Mapping Racial Covenants in Fredericksburg
By Lucas Anderson, Aidan Smagh Faculty Mentor: Dr. Moon, Dr. Hanna, Dr. Henry Abstract The purpose of this project is to increase understanding of racially covenanted properties in Fredericksburg, Virginia, during the early twentieth century. This is done by creating an on-line interactive map showing what land had racial covenants placed on deeds before the…
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Quantification of Copper and Zinc from Anti-Fouling Paint
By Alex Bindon, Grayson Camp, Elise Henry, Zie Schimpp Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith Abstract Anti-fouling paint applied to the hulls of vessels is known to release heavy metals in seawater. The Concentration of copper and zinc released by anti-fouling paint will be determined when subjected to varying temperatures. This variation on anti-fouling paint helps prevent…
