Lower Grant Creek (LGC) flooding during the 1997 water year prompted the installation of groundwater and surface water monitoring sites to identify the factors leading to residential basement flooding. The Missoula Water Quality District is seeking an updated analysis as rapid land-use change and development is expected in the coming years. I compiled and analyzed groundwater elevation data from 2020-2025 to investigate whether relationships with rainfall and snowmelt are evident in the LGC alluvial aquifer and to characterize whether different locations in the groundwater system gain or lose water from the up-valley surface water system. I compared groundwater elevations and static water levels from monitoring wells (MMW4, MMW8, MMW12, WQD3, and WQD44) located in the LGC to high elevation SNOTEL snowmelt, precipitation, and Grant Creek stream discharge and stage height. Linear regression and Pearson’s correlation analyses indicated that snowmelt and Grant Creek streamflow and stage height drive changes in groundwater elevations across the wells in the area. My analysis supports Grant Creek's role as a losing stream to the aquifer and as a dominant control on groundwater dynamics, especially during peak runoff from snowmelt. Variability in response time highlights the influence of geology and distance on hydraulic connectivity in the area. Wells MMW8 and WQD3 show signs of recharging more quickly (3-4 days) to the increased stage height of Grant Creek and snowmelt. This project underscores the need to reassess groundwater elevation throughout the realignment and development process. Comparing recharge variables with groundwater response across varying water years provides early warning to the timing of potential flooding for developers and agencies.

Slurm is a workload manager widely used in university research clusters and High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments to allocate computational resources in multi-user systems. Its primary function is to schedule submitted jobs efficiently while ensuring equitable access to shared infrastructure. To achieve this, Slurm assigns each job a priority score, which is influenced by several factors, including a “Fairshare” score. Fairshare is designed to balance resource usage over time by prioritizing users or groups who have consumed fewer computational resources relative to their allocated share. There are two algorithms that make up Fairshare, there is the classic algorithm that was previously used as the base algorithm of Fairshare, but is still used in some clusters. There is the Tree Level algorithm that is currently used that was made with extra factors in the version Slurm 19.05. These are used together in order to calculate the Fairshare score and then assigned to the user and then apply it into the Multifactor Priority plugin. This paper will go through the steps of these algorithms to see how a Fairshare score is assigned. Other works (See Yaslim, Rodrigo et. al.) focus primarily on HPC administrators, and the advanced calculations behind these algorithms. This paper will focus on the end user perspective, and what can be understood for a researcher on a research cluster to most effectively submit jobs to not interrupt their own, and other users ability to use the cluster.

This project explores how the human brain exhibits complex patterns of neural activity that interact through oscillatory dynamics controlling cognition and emotion. The main question is whether awe can be understood as a change in how neural oscillators interact, and if so, whether this framework can be applied to other emotions. This project was inspired after taking the Awe and Curiosity course at the Davidson Honors College, where awe was explored as a universal but under-researched emotion that can alter how the brain perceives and interprets the world. To examine this, case studies and experiments were reviewed on the psychological and neurological effects of awe, then cross-analyzed with research on neural oscillations. Using these insights, neural oscillatory patterns were coded corresponding to different types of awe and were compared to baseline and stress-induced oscillations. While these models are theoretical and not tested on live subjects, they illustrate measurable shifts in neural activity. These findings suggest that awe produces changes in brain oscillations that align with a more regulated, relaxed, and stress-free state, reflecting increased synchronization among neural oscillators. By conceptualizing awe as a shift in oscillatory states, this work bridges physics and cognitive neuroscience, modeling emotional states through coupled oscillators and moving toward quantifying subjective experiences in physical terms. This project has potential implications for future research on emotional regulation, stress reduction, and mental health, providing computational neuroscience researchers with a framework to understand how emotions regulate neural dynamics.

Bark is one of the primary tree traits associated with fire resistance. Current research has focused on bark thickness as the dominant structural trait contributing to resistance, yet bark rugosity (e.g. roughness) has also been shown to influence the transfer of heat from fire into the living tissues of trees. Bark rugosity is a challenging trait to quantify, often requiring destructive measuring techniques. We applied the equation developed by Shearman and Varner (2021), which defines rugosity as the ratio of the actual cross-section compared to the area of a convex hull; higher values indicate higher rugosity. We compared contemporary, destructive sampling techniques to emerging iPad-based LiDAR. This comparison was conducted on over 200 samples from varying tree species spanning 2.5–24.9 cm in diameter. Samples were first measured via an automated processing workflow in ImageJ, flowing contemporary measurement techniques. These samples were then scanned using an iPad Pro equipped with the LiDAR application Scaniverse, to generate point clouds, which were cleaned in Cloud Compare and analyzed using an automated  workflow in R (lidR package). We compared the precision of both workflows, and preliminary results suggest the LiDAR based workflow is a promising non-invasive method for quantifying bark rugosity.

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly adopted in STEM education, yet research often conflates immersion (VR vs. desktop) with learner agency (interactive vs. passive engagement), making it difficult to determine which design features actually drive learning outcomes. This study attempts to systematically disentangles these factors to understand how immersion and agency independently influence chemistry learning and student motivation.

Students enrolled in CHMY 121N were randomly assigned to one of four instructional conditions that varied in immersion and agency: Interactive VR, Passive VR, Guided Desktop, or Passive Desktop. Participants completed pre- and post-assessments measuring chemistry content knowledge and spatial ability. Post-intervention surveys measured intrinsic motivation (Intrinsic Motivation Inventory) and perceived workload (NASA Task Load Index). We analyzed learning gains using mixed-design ANOVAs and motivational outcomes using one-way ANOVAs.

Chemistry knowledge improved significantly across all conditions (F(1,24)=15.06, p< .001), with no advantage seen between intervention types. However, agency seems to have significantly influenced motivation. Conditions with higher agency generated higher reported effort (F(3,24)=3.02, p=.0497), and perceived pressure (F(3,24)=4.28, p=.018), with Guided Desktop eliciting greater perceived pressure than Passive Desktop (p=.014).

Unlike previous VR chemistry studies that compare immersive versus non-immersive conditions without isolating interactivity, this research systematically separates immersion from agency to reveal that these factors influence different aspects of the learning experience. While existing literature has demonstrated mixed results regarding VR's impact on chemistry learning outcomes, few studies have disentangled the distinct contributions of technological immersion versus learner control.

These findings align with emerging evidence that immersion alone does not guarantee improved learning outcomes in VR chemistry education. Instead, the study suggests that agency may play a critical and distinct role in shaping engagement and motivation. This work contributes to a more nuanced understanding of VR as an educational tool and hopes to provide design-relevant guidance for developing effective virtual chemistry learning environments.

Coregulator proteins bind to nuclear receptors, thereby modulating transcription activity. Coregulators are required by these nuclear receptors for efficient transcriptional regulation. [2] The equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of coregulator proteins to nuclear receptors can be measured in solution using techniques such as isothermal calorimetry (ITC) and fluorescence anisotropy (FA). Coregulators' ability to self associate is relevant in how nuclear receptors are activated. Furthermore, self-association of coregulators comprises the modeling reliability of ITC and FA data, thus introducing errors into ITC and FA data. [3].

The Hughes Lab has purified various coregulator proteins to be used for in vitro experimentation.

Using sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation, we aim to characterize coregulator self-association and obtain relative KD values. This information will validate other ligand modulated coregulator binding experimentation, and aid in better understanding how these ligand-regulated nuclear receptors become activated within the cell. The ability for these proteins to oligomerize will guide future studies regarding the phase-separation of coregulators and their respective transcription complexes. In this poster, we use coregulator CBP 1-127 as an example of our experimental process.

Collegiate volleyball demands high-intensity physical and mental work, however athletes often struggle to maintain the recovery processes necessary to sustain a high level performance throughout a season. This project investigates how consistent recovery practices, specifically sleep, nutritional habits, and mobility, influence the ability of college volleyball players to maintain high level performance. The central problem I’ve examined is the trap, where the dual pressures of academic responsibilities and athletic commitments lead to sleep loss and nutritional deficits according to literature.

The ultimate question for this research is whether a consistent recovery routine can mitigate the typical mid-season performance decline often seen in competitive sports according to literature. To explore this, I am conducting a survey based study that asks volleyball athletes to document their daily recovery routines, including their typical post game recovery steps and energy levels. By comparing these real world practices against established sports science standards in literature, the project identifies specific "recovery deficits".

While data collection is currently in progress, I predict that athletes who prioritize consistent sleep and refueling strategies will respond with lower fatigue and more stable performance throughout a season than those with inconsistent habits. This work is significant because it showcases the line between professional recovery in research and the constraints of student athletes. Ultimately, these findings aim to provide coaches and players with an insight to how important regular recovery steps are, and how these steps correlate directly with a greater level of play.

Community resilience has been identified as a protective factor against the negative psychological effects of minority stress among LGBTQ+ individuals (Meyer, 2015; Ilac, 2025; McConnell et al., 2018). Less research has examined how community resilience factors contribute to positive psychological functioning. Rather than solely focusing on buffering distress, the present study explores whether engagement in activism and identification of one’s self as a role model may help transform faced adversity into a sense of life purpose.

This analysis used survey data originally collected to examine multiple community resilience factors in LGBTQ+ adults (N=420). Participants ranged from age 18 to 75 (M=27.23). Two questions are addressed in this study: 1) Are activism participation and identification as a role model associated with greater purpose in life among LGBTQ+ adults?, and 2) Does age moderate these relationships? It is hypothesized that greater engagement in LGBTQ+ activism and stronger identification as a role model will be positively associated with life purpose. Informed by Erikson’s lifespan development theory (Erikson & Erikson, 1998), activism is expected to be more strongly associated with purpose among younger adults, whereas role modeling is expected to be more strongly associated with purpose among older adults.

By shifting focus from harm reduction to meaning-making, this study aims to expand understanding of how community engagement may foster growth and well-being. Findings may inform strengths-based clinical approaches that emphasize not only coping with adversity, but also cultivating purpose through contribution and connection.

The average modern enterprise uses hundreds of disconnected Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, leading to a problem known as SaaS sprawl. SaaS sprawl leads to the fragmentation of data, which makes it difficult to locate files, increases the potential to use outdated versions of files, and causes an overall loss in productivity and workplace inefficiencies. To combat this, platforms like Dropbox, Microsoft, Google, and Glean are developing AI-powered unified search engines. These tools utilize natural language processing to index cross-platform files, allowing employees to instantly retrieve context-aware answers from a centralized hub.

However, this project argues that unified search engines currently present unacceptable security liabilities. By effectively eliminating security by obscurity, these tools magnify the risks of existing, poorly managed file permissions, allowing both unauthorized internal users and compromised accounts to instantly surface highly confidential data. Furthermore, the underlying retrieval-augmented generation architecture introduces severe risks regarding data tampering and corporate sabotage. While initially conceived as an extension of a degree-specific strategic analysis of Dropbox, this independent honors increment pivoted to assess the broader threat landscape of enterprise AI search. It concludes by making a definitive case for delayed adoption, arguing that organizations must halt deployment until comprehensive data audits and automated zero trust guardrails are fully implemented.

Montana’s Public Service Commission (PSC) constitutionally is required to regulate monopoly utilities for the public interest; however, recent decisions involving NorthWestern Energy raise questions about whether this mandate is being fully met. My project examines how the PSC’s regulatory practices and political structure shape NWE’s long-term resource planning, particularly in decisions regarding fossil fuel investments and customer rate increases. As Montana faces growing energy demand, and increasing urgency to transition toward renewable resources, the effectiveness and transparency of utility oversight become especially important. Shaped by the question, “how has the Montana Public Service Commission’s regulatory oversight influenced NorthWestern Energy’s resource planning and ratemaking decisions?” this research uses policy analysis, historical review, and qualitative interviews with Montana energy and public service professionals. I am examining Montana’s history of energy regulation/de-regulation, analyzing statutory and constitutional obligations that govern the PSC, reviewing recent energy decisions, and stakeholders in Montana’s energy landscape. I argue that structural and political dynamics within the PSC have limited its ability to meaningfully constrain capital-intensive fossil fuel investments, allowing NWE to prioritize infrastructure expansion and shareholder returns over constitutional obligations for utility regulation and a right to a clean and healthful environment. By evaluating whether the PSC’s current practices align with its constitutional obligation, this project contributes to broader conversations about regulatory accountability, energy affordability, and the public interest in a changing energy economy.

Calvin Orser1, Emily Gagliano, Sarah J Certel2

Research on the gut-brain axis is a major focus in biology because the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system communicate continuously. This bidirectional signaling helps organisms maintain homeostasis by relaying information from the gut to the brain and shaping innate behaviors such as feeding and reproduction. The adrenergic, “fight or flight”, system has emerged as a key component of this signaling. Adrenergic receptors are expressed in multiple gut epithelial cell types, including enteroendocrine cells (EEs), the main secretory cells of the gut, which synthesize and release the neuropeptides that can communicate with the brain. For these reasons, it is essential to define how adrenergic receptor signaling in the gut epithelium regulates enteroendocrine neuropeptide release and, in turn, reshapes gut brain communication to impact behavior.

Octopamine (OA) is the invertebrate analog of the adrenergic neurotransmitter norepinephrine. OA receptors are categorized based on their structural and pharmacological similarities to mammalian adrenergic receptors. Recent work in mammals indicates that β2 adrenergic receptors in the intestinal epithelium can act as nutrient sensors, linking luminal sugars to rapid changes in glucose uptake and broader gut signaling. Because reproductive output is tightly coupled to nutritional state, these findings motivate the hypothesis that OAβ2R activity in enteroendocrine cells (EEs) helps translate gut derived cues into hormone signals that support reproductive success and healthy offspring. Here, we investigate the role of the adrenergic receptors in EEs and how their activity in the gut epithelium affects reproductive behavior using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we investigate the role of the OAβ2R receptor in EEs and how their activity in the gut epithelium affects reproductive behavior using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. To test this, we used the Gal4/UAS system to knock down OAβ2R in a subset of EEs and measured embryo production.

Our preliminary data suggests that this knockdown results in a decrease in fecundity. The most likely reason for this is a decrease in stimulatory OAβ2R-mediated neuropeptide release from EEs, which are known to affect embryo production. Another explanation could be the sugar sensing aspect of OAβ2R which, when knocked down, could alter nutrient status in gut cells and change the subsequent relay of this information to the brain. Upon completion of this project, we hope by gaining an understanding of the behavioral impacts of knocking down OAβ2R in EEs, we then can delve into the biomechanics behind OAβ2R signaling.

Gynodioecious plants have female and hermaphroditic individuals, but reproductive success varies between the sexes due to differences in reproductive traits. Females allocate more resources to seed production, whereas hermaphrodites allocate resources to both pollen and seed production. Female flowers may also have longer styles and longer stigma papillae, providing a larger surface for pollen receipt compared to hermaphrodites. Although females in gynodioecious systems may have reproductive advantages, it remains unclear whether this advantage is reflected in patterns of pollen deposition. Pollen deposition is also affected by the amount of flowering overlap, or synchrony, with co-flowering neighbors. Increased synchrony with conspecific neighbors should increase conspecific pollen deposition. In contrast, increased synchrony with heterospecific neighbors may attract more pollinators via larger, diverse floral displays, potentially increasing overall pollen deposition but also the transfer of heterospecific pollen. We examine how flowering synchrony with both con- and heterospecific neighbors affects confamilial pollen deposition in female and hermaphroditic individuals of two gynodioecious alpine cushion plants, Silene acaulis and Minuarita obtusiloba. We quantified confamilial and heterospecific pollen grains on stigmas collected from the Niwot Ridge LTER, CO. We hypothesize that females will receive more total pollen than hermaphrodites, but hermaphrodites will receive more confamilal pollen. We predict that conspecific pollen deposition will increase with increasing conspecific flowering synchrony and decrease with increasing heterospecific flowering synchrony, but that the strength of these relationships will differ between the two sexes. Evaluating potential differences consequences of flowering synchrony for pollen deposition in both sexes will further our understanding of mating dynamics in gynodioecious plant systems.

Title: Ear Differences and Working Memory

Introduction: Previous research has demonstrated performance differences between the right and left ears on auditory perception tasks, suggesting a right ear advantage in auditory processing and speech perception. The present study investigated whether such ear-related differences extend beyond perception into the cognitive domain of working memory, specifically during tasks that require the manipulation and recall of verbal information.

Methods: Twenty-four right-handed adults (ages 18–30) with normal hearing completed backward digit span tasks under three listening conditions: right ear, left ear, and binaural presentation. Stimuli consisted of digit sequences ranging from three to eight numbers. Working memory scores for each condition were calculated as the total number of digits correctly recalled in their exact serial positions, as well as calculating the normalized working memory efficiency (total correct/total digits), providing a measure of accuracy across listening conditions.

Results: Repeated measures ANOVA with ear of stimulation (right, left, binaural) as the within-subject factor showed no statistically significant differences in WM performances between the three ears. This trend was observed for both the total correct digit scores as well as the normalized WM efficiency score.

Discussion: Results showed that, unlike auditory perception, auditory cognition (as measured by WM tasks) does not display ear differences. This result is likely due to auditory cognition being a higher-level process compared to auditory perception, which is largely completed in the primary auditory cortex.

Invasive species can often reduce native species’ performance. Competition for pollinators between native and invasive species can decrease pollination and reproduction of native plants. However, the effects of invasive species on competition for pollination may be complex. Invasive species that form large, dense populations with high numbers of flowers and copious rewards may attract more pollinators. In this case, invaders can either draw pollinators away from native plants or can increase pollinator visitation to native plants by attracting pollinators that otherwise would not have visited. Few studies examine how invasive species compete vs. facilitate pollinator services for native species. We investigated the impact of the abundance of a prolific invasive species, Centaurea stoebe (spotted knapweed), on plant diversity, pollinator diversity, and plant-pollinator network structure in an invaded grassland in Two Dog Flats, Glacier National Park. We recorded visitors across a gradient of spotted knapweed abundance at early and peak knapweed flowering, resulting in spatial and temporal variation in open knapweed flowers. Increasing knapweed flowers decreased plant and pollinator diversity. Increasing knapweed flower decreased pollinator visits and affected which pollinators visit. Hoverflies, including the invasive common drone fly, comprised most visits under high knapweed floral abundance while visits from common native pollinators like the Nearctic bumblebee declined. When knapweed floral abundance was low, solitary bees, wasps, and click beetles were more likely to visit. Pollinator networks became less complex at higher knapweed abundance, with decreased evenness and linkage density between plants and pollinators as knapweed dominated the interactions. These findings emphasize the importance of spotted knapweed management in maintaining native plant-pollinator networks.

Background: Research indicates that adolescents frequently exhibit overconfidence in their knowledge and abilities, often overestimating their actual competence. This overconfidence poses significant risks in legal contexts, where misunderstanding one's civil rights can lead to inadvertent waiver of legal protections and increased legal jeopardy. Miranda warnings, constitutional rights recited during arrest, conclude with officers asking suspects to confirm their understanding. Overconfident adolescents may affirm comprehension despite lacking genuine understanding of these critical protections.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between adolescents' self-rated confidence in understanding Miranda rights and their actual comprehension of Miranda warnings.

Methods: Thirty high school students completed a battery of assessments including standardized cognitive tests, a self-rating scale indicating how confident they felt that they understood the Miranda warning, and multiple measures evaluating comprehension of Miranda warning language and content.

Results: All participants scored within developmental norms on cognitive assessments and rated themselves as highly confident. However, performance on Miranda comprehension measures varied considerably across participants, revealing discrepancies between self-assessed and actual understanding.

Conclusions: These findings highlight a critical gap between adolescent confidence and competence regarding Miranda rights. To optimize legal outcomes for youth, comprehensive education on constitutional rights and their practical implications is essential.

ECG-integrated cardiac screenings serve as valuable tools, ensuring that athletes are healthy prior to the start of their competitive season. For sports that do not require these screenings or a standard physical, underlying cardiac conditions and abnormalities can often go unnoticed, leading to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during athletic activity. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify its feasibility, identify the potential risk factors for SCA, clear athletes for athletic participation that did not exhibit risk factors, and refer athletes with abnormalities to a medical professional. This study included 30 high school hockey athletes who participated in cardiac screenings containing cardiac history, vitals, resting ECG, and a physical exam conducted by a physician. Participating athletes had various ages (mean: 14.5 ± 1.3), sexes (26 Male, 4 female), races (96.7% White), and ethnicities (28 not Hispanic, 2 Hispanic/Latino). A majority of these athletes participated in multiple sports (73.3%) and were physically active for greater than 5 hours per week (83.4%). The majority of athletes (70%) reported having a standard physical in the past 12 months, while the minority (30%) stated they had not. Cardiac history findings showed that a majority of these athletes were relatively healthy, exhibiting no signs of underlying cardiac conditions. However, study findings showed that a minority of athletes experienced exertional chest discomfort (26.7%), palpations with activity (13.3%), had a known personal cardiac diagnosis (3.3%), had prior cardiac testing requests (13.3%), had family history of a sudden/unexplained death (13.3%) or family history of a pacemaker/defibrillator installation (3.3%). When looking at physical exams and ECG findings within all 30 athletes, vital signs and physical exams were normal on average. ECG tracings were normal in 96.7% of the study participants, and 86.7% of athletes were cleared with no follow up. Of athletes who received referrals, 13.3% had family history risks, sinus arrhythmia, or blood pressure abnormalities. Based on our findings, the majority of the population seemed to be healthy when observing cardiovascular functionality. However, a small minority showed signs of cardiac abnormalities that could potentially cause SCA. The study demonstrates that it is essential to screen all athletes, due to the potential underlying conditions that could be present without being found.

Oral health is a very important part of everyone's health. But regular dental care is often overlooked among college students. This project explores how frequently college students visit the dentist and identifies the barriers that prevent them from receiving routine dental care. Young adulthood and coming into college is a transitional period that explores new independence, and financial responsibility. These things may influence health related behaviors, including dental care utilization. The research question of this study is: How frequently do college students visit the dentist, and what barriers contribute to irregular dental visits?

To address this question, a cross sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to undergraduate and graduate students on our college campus. The survey collected self reported data on dental visit frequency, dental insurance status, access to dental providers, perceived barriers such as cost, time constraints, and dental anxiety.  Statistical methods will be used to analyze trends and associations within the data. Preliminary expectations from articles, suggest that many students do not visit the dentist at the recommended frequency and that cost, lack of dental insurance, limited time, and low perceived need are among the most common barriers to care. Understanding these barriers is essential for identifying the gaps in access to preventive dental services on college campuses. This project contributes to the field of public health and dental hygiene by highlighting the unique challenges college students face in maintaining oral health. The findings may help inform campus health (curry), improve access to preventive care, and support strategies that can help promote long term oral health behaviors among college students.

In lizards, sexual dimorphism in head shape has commonly been studied from a male perspective, with larger heads being associated with greater fighting ability during male-on-male combat or for displaying colored throats. However, reductions in overall head size and length are also associated with adaptation to a fossorial lifestyle. Consequently we hypothesize that reduced female head size in sub-surface nesting lizards may also confer greater digging ability and provide greater freedom when selecting suitable nest sites. We collected western skinks (Plestiodon skilontianus) by turning rocks on dry-pine slopes in the Bitterroot National Forest (Montana, USA). For each lizard, we recorded snout-vent length and head length, width and height. We also recorded the embedded depth of rocks we found observed lizards under. After correcting for differences in body size, the head width, length and height of female lizards were smaller than that of males. Female head length and width, but not height, also grew at a slower rate relative to body size compared to males. Finally, although the average embedded depth for both sexes was similar, female embedded depth measurements were more variable and had a larger maximum depth than that of the males. These findings support reduced head size in female lizards beneficial for accessing a wide range of nesting depths and suggest that selective pressures acting on lizard head shape differ between sexes.

Cells use ion transport pathways for osmosis, electrochemical gradients, signaling, and programed cell death. When natural ion channels fail, synthetic alternatives are needed. This project explores the ability of synthetic “transporter” molecules to bind anions (negatively charged atoms) and carry them across lipid bilayers. Preliminary results have shown Hydrogen Bond enhanced Halogen Bonding (HBeXBing) molecules can facilitate anion transport more efficiently than known XBing anion transporter pentafluoroiodobenzene (PFIB). The hydrophobic functional groups clearly increase transport rates of these molecules. We expect that EC50 and Hill coefficients will indicate highly active transporters. Currently the liposome procedure is being optimized to achieve stable vesicles (less than 10% leakage over 200 seconds), which is required for accurate rate analysis. The most recent protocol shows 13% leakage of the liposomes.

To model cellular membranes, large unilamellar vesicles (liposomes) are formed using POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) which is the main lipid component in mammalian cells. The liposomes are loaded with a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye (HPTS). G2XB, G3XB, and 9mer are halogen bonding molecules that were synthesized at UM. The ability of these transporters is directly measured via pH-based fluorescent changes. Since these molecules are not capable of also carrying a proton (H+), extremely efficient proton shuttling channel gramicidin is added to address this rate-limiting step. The HBeXBing motif in these molecules can be used to study or design new synthetic therapeutics that target Cystic Fibrosis and other channelopathies.

As the physician assistant/associate (PA) profession has broadened in scope throughout the United States from the mid-1960s to the 21^st century, rural communities have received the greatest systemic effects. The expansion of health insurance through Medicare and Medicaid, combined with increasing physician specialization, created a greater need for general providers. Physician shortages in remote areas have contributed to patients experiencing decreased access to routine checkups, longer wait times, and constrained emergency resources. This has led to delayed diagnoses and preventable complications. In response, the PA profession has exploded in popularity to fill the gap in providing all-around care. Rural counties often face greater difficulty in attracting physicians, leading to a physician deficit. Statistical analyses in rural counties present a positive association between an increased physician-to-PA ratio and a decreased mortality rate. This study investigates the impact of physician assistant/associate integration in several aspects of healthcare.  It applies statistical methods to evaluate the positive relationship between the measurable benefits of PA staffing levels and rural healthcare delivery. The analysis compares a variety of health metrics in rural populations before and after the expansion of the physician assistant/associate profession.

Air pollution, especially from wildfire smoke, has become an increasing threat to human health as drier, hotter conditions drive more frequent and larger wildfires across the United States. To reduce personal health risks, guidelines suggest staying indoors and limiting physical exertion during days with poor air quality. However, limiting physical exertion can also cause negative health outcomes, especially as the number of poor air quality days continues to increase. Quantifying when action is and isn’t taken to limit exposure is an important prerequisite for interventions designed to mitigate the negative health consequences of air pollution from wildfires, and the economic costs of these actions can inform fire management decisions. Building on prior work focused on the Northwestern United States, we estimate the extent to which the use of parks and indoor and outdoor fitness areas change with air quality across the contiguous United States. We expand the project scope by identifying sites used only for physical activity such as sports pitches and by including polygons for indoor fitness and sports centers, all obtained from ParkServe and Open Street Maps. We estimate changes in daily unique visitors to these locations over a period of four years using cellphone location data from Azira, examining heterogeneity in changes to visits using location characteristics and visitor demographics.

Many species exhibit intraspecific trait variation in response to climactic factors. When those traits mediate species interactions, the outcome of the interaction may change as a result.  For example, floral color and size have been demonstrated to change in response to temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture. Additionally, floral color and size are important influences on pollinator foraging behavior, which can in turn directly impact plant reproductive fitness. As western Montana’s climate patterns trend towards increased seasonal highs and fewer frost/freeze days, it is important to understand how floral traits may shift under changing conditions, and how those shifts may impact pollinator behavior. In the North Hills outside of Missoula, MT, there is an endemic plant, Phlox missoulensis, whose flowers exhibit variation in size and color. Observed variance in P. missoulensis floral size and color may be influenced by local temperature and precipitation patterns and may affect pollinator foraging patterns. In spring 2025, we collected data on floral size and color and pollinator visits to P. missoulensis populations on Waterworks Hill and Bluebird Preserve. We examine (1) whether floral color and size are influenced by local temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture and (2) whether floral traits affect pollinator visitation rates. We expect that floral size will increase with increased precipitation and soil moisture, while floral pigmentation will decrease under drier, hotter conditions. We also expect that pollinator visitation will increase with increasing size and pigmentation levels. Our findings will provide important insight into how the pollination of this endemic species may be impacted by a warmer and drier climate.

The effect of progenitor masses and spins on the inspiral phase of a gravitational wave signal from a binary black hole merger is relatively well understood for the case where spins are aligned with the orbital angular momentum. Less is known about how progenitor properties -- especially misaligned spins -- impact the ringdown. The accuracy and precision with which inspiral parameters (component masses and spins) can be inferred from the ringdown alone remains an open question. As several high-mass (most ringdown-dominated) systems observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) have misaligned spins, the ability to predict inspiral properties from the ringdown would improve existing measurements, and potentially give new insight into this portion of the binary black hole population. We introduce a sampling method for inverting ringdown surrogate models, allowing us to map from a ringdown waveform back to inspiral parameters. The surrogate used for parameter estimation in this project reasonably converges for systems with near-equal masses and smaller spin magnitudes, but provides less accurate estimates in more extreme regions of the parameter space.

Utah is a valuable breeding and nesting ground for a number of waterfowl species, largely because of the Great Salt Lake, which supports over 400,000 acres of wetland habitat (Ducks Unlimited, n.d.). The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources manages 24 wildlife management areas (WMAs) with the purpose of creating high quality waterfowl habitat in these wetlands that can be enjoyed by hunters, recreators, and birds alike (Wildlife/Waterfowl Management Areas (WMAs), 2025). Effective management is supported with an understanding of the movement and demographic patterns of the waterfowl species the WMAs are designed to support. Bird banding is one tool managers use to collect some of this information. Once birds are banded, or later encountered, that data gets compiled in a database like the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab where it can be used for future research. Cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera) are regularly banded in Utah, but are still largely understudied. This project used long term banding and encounter data of the cinnamon teal banded in Utah (1960-2025) to better understand their demographic and movement patterns. RStudio was used to create proportional summaries of banded and encountered cinnamon teal characteristics, analyze the number and sex of banded and encountered cinnamon teal over time, and visualize seasonal and survival patterns of encountered cinnamon teal. ArcGIS Pro was used to map encounter locations, visualizing movement patterns. Ultimately, this project provides Utah with species specific knowledge that can be used as a baseline for future monitoring efforts.

Bacterial viruses, called bacteriophages, constitute a major threat to bacteria, driving a vast evolutionary arms race three billion years in the making. Out of this arms race bacteria have developed numerous types of bacterial immune systems varying in levels of complexity. The most notable bacterial immune system, CRISPR-Cas, is a suite of bacterial proteins which have enabled life-saving technologies through gene-editing and revolutionized biological research. CRISPR is only one of hundreds of anti-phage immune systems, most of which remain undiscovered. Since antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens is rising, one solution to the crisis is using phages to kill pathogenic bacteria. However, these efforts will require a nuanced understanding of how bacteria can fight their viruses. My project uses a genetic method to mine microbial genomes for previously undiscovered anti-bacteriophage immune systems We have already found multiple novel anti-phage systems with this method and continue to find more. We hypothesize that many of these unique anti-phage immune systems could have valuable applications in research, medicine, and industry

Synechococcus A/B (SynAB) cyanobacteria are found only in North America and include the most thermotolerant photosynthetic organisms on Earth.  As thermophiles, SynAB have intriguing implications for understanding the process of thermal adaptation with potential insights for how organisms may respond to our steadily warming climate. This study aims to compare the genomes and thermotolerance of three newly isolated strains of SynAB from previously unstudied Idaho hot springs. I will first place the isolated strains into an existing phylogenetic tree of SynAB comprised of samples from Oregon and Yellowstone National Park. Next, I will use growth experiments to characterize the thermotolerance limit of each strain. This project fills a geographic gap in our current knowledge of SynAB diversity between where we have samples from (Oregon and Wyoming) and will therefore help us understand how SynAB has diversified as the North American Tectonic Plate moved across the hotspot that has created these spots of thermal activity. Together, this study will increase our scientific understanding of the evolution of thermotolerance limits of these amazing extremophiles.

C Logan Pierpont, Jacob J Baroch, Matthew J Church, Scott R Miller, Idiosyncratic genome evolution of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus at the limits of phototrophy, The ISME Journal, Volume 18, Issue 1, January 2024, wrae184, https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrae184

This capstone is a qualitative analysis of a fundraising campaign I am conducting to purchase equipment for Mlali Rehabilitation Centre in Tanzania. The Centre serves 75 children with severe physical disabilities. After volunteering twice, Director Br. Gaudence Aikaruwa asked me to help find external funding. They operate on little support, and their 23-year-old tractor is failing, posing a serious food security threat.

I have since encountered significant obstacles. I found grantmakers were mostly invite-only and generally hesitant to support a large capital investment. I pivoted to crowdfunding, which was more promising but a logistical nightmare. I could neither receive money personally nor send it directly to Tanzania. After trying multiple approaches, I finally established a fiscal sponsorship partnership with a nonprofit in Missoula. This partnership provides credibility and enables tax-deductible donations.

The campaign strategy has evolved from a single large goal (the tractor) to a tiered approach. Immediate needs like walking frames and wheelchairs will create momentum. The tractor is the priority, but will remain a long-term goal. I’ve developed a crowdfunding campaign, which launches in early March targeting 150+ potential donors. This work addresses urgent needs at a center in rural Africa operating with almost no external support. If it succeeds, 75 children will have food security and access to mobility equipment.

My main findings thus far are that international student-led fundraising is difficult, unpredictable, and relies heavily on personal networks. At the time of my presentation, I will share campaign results, current strategy, and a reflection on the process.

This project examines how relationships among brain regions can be characterized through two complementary perspectives of connectivity: structural connectivity measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional connectivity measured with resting-state fMRI.

The central question is how signals recorded at electrodes in one region may relate to signals at electrodes in other regions through the combined influence of anatomical pathways and coordinated neural activity. Understanding these relationships is important for improving interpretation of electrophysiological recordings and for clarifying how different definitions of “connectivity” capture distinct aspects of brain organization.

To address this question, the project compares electrode-by-electrode correlation (or similarity) matrices derived from each modality. DTI provides a structural view by estimating white matter pathways that support anatomical communication between regions. Resting-state fMRI provides a functional view by quantifying correlated activity patterns across regions during rest. Comparing these matrices allows us to evaluate where these connectivity perspectives converge and where they differ.

This work is intended to provide a conceptual framework for interpreting electrophysiological signals in the context of both brain structure and large-scale functional organization. In the long term, understanding overlap and divergence across these connectivity models may help support more accurate interpretation of EEG/ECoG data and improve neuroscience research related to brain network function and dysfunction, including disorders such as epilepsy.

The objective of this survey is to collect data to inform the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) about college student perspectives on passenger rail. BSPRA is the main organization in Montana advocating for the reinstatement of the Big Sky North Coast Corridor (formerly called the North Coast Hiawatha) passenger rail line, which would span from Chicago to Seattle and/or Portland with 10 to 12 stops in southern Montana and an additional 30 to 40 stops in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Through our research, we determined that Montana university students are an under-informed demographic about the potential future of passenger rail. The goal of our exploratory survey is to gain specific feedback from university students to create informed community education and outreach that targets the areas highlighted by the students themselves through the survey.

Through a Qualtrics online survey, we aim to gauge the current opinions and knowledge of passenger rail among university students. This anonymous, 10-15-minute-long online survey will be available to students from March 1, 2026, to March 31, 2026. The survey is directed at Montana university students at the University of Montana, UM Western, Montana Tech, Missoula College, and Helena College. Our survey asks questions to determine potential uses and benefits of passenger rail. Additionally, we seek to determine if students find passenger rail to be more attractive, safe, and economical than other common modes of transportation.

We expect to find, through our exploratory study, a gap in knowledge and awareness of passenger rail in the college student demographic. As a result, our research project will provide important data to measure that knowledge and provide key areas where BSPRA can focus its attention.

For my Honors Capstone Project, I am choosing to conduct a spatial analysis of elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Ya Ha Tinda region. The primary objective of this project is to apply occupancy modeling techniques to evaluate spatial patterns of site usage in order to determine which habitat qualities are preferentially selected for by elk. The project utilizes camera trap data (courtesy of the University of Montana’s Hebblewhite Lab), from which 65 distinct sites have been selected for analysis. Sites comprise a gradient of canopy cover ranging from low to high, as well as levels of predation risk. These two covariates (% canopy cover and probability of landscape use by wolves) are the foundation for my two hypotheses, which are as follows. Hypothesis 1: Elk prefer open-canopy spaces. I predict that elk occupancy will decrease as percent canopy cover increases. Hypothesis 2: Elk prefer spaces with low wolf density. I predict that elk occupancy will decrease as the probability of landscape use by wolves increases, indicating spatial avoidance of areas with high predation risk. Utilizing the elk occupancy data provided to me by the Hebblewhite Lab, I will model elk habitat selectivity in response to the two aforementioned covariates in R Studio and map my findings with ArcGIS Pro. This project will contribute to the existing database on the elk population in the Ya Ha Tinda region.

The underrepresentation of bilingual students and students from diverse cultural backgrounds in gifted education programs remains a persistent equity concern in the United States. As of 2021, 10% of public school students were emerging bilinguals, yet they comprise only 3% of gifted education classrooms (Serrano, 2019). This disparity highlights systemic barriers in identification and placement practices.

This presentation will provide a comprehensive review of research on gifted identification practices and their impact on emerging bilinguals, with the goal of promoting increased equity in education and improving understanding of how better practices can be implemented.

Sources include peer-reviewed journal articles from 2016-2026 addressing gifted education identification, bilingual assessment, and culturally responsive practices.

Findings across studies indicated that current testing procedures of emerging bilinguals limit the number of students identified for gifted programs (Shen, Sankofa, & Mun, 2025). Scholars argued that implementing testing procedures designed for bilingual students, such as the use of portfolios, testing in native language, and parent and administrator interviews (Vasquez, 2021). Research also explores practitioner preparation and cultural competence, including bilingual training experiences in school psychology (Vega & Plotts, 2020), district-level identification strategies (Jackson, 2026), and disparities affecting Hispanic English learners (Trejo, 2023).

Overall, the literature suggests systemic assessment bias contributes to inequitable gifted identification. Understanding the current systems in place is essential to promoting equity in gifted education and further strengthening effective placement and education strategies.

Over the past century, wildfires have become more frequent and severe across North America's conifer forests. Although high-severity fire is ecologically integral to subalpine lodgepole pine ecosystems, shortened fire return intervals, compared to historical variability, have altered vegetation structure and composition.  This has been well documented, as have many other aboveground ecological processes, including those related to carbon pools.  However, the effect of shortening intervals on belowground processes and pools, such as pyrogenic carbon (PyC), is poorly understood.  While repeated fire is generally associated with declines in soil organic C, responses of pyrogenic carbon (PyC)—a thermally transformed and decomposition-resistant C form—have received limited field investigation. PyC is important for long-term C storage and influences microbial activity and nutrient cycling, yet it remains unclear whether recurrent fire promotes its production or consumption. To evaluate PyC’s response to changing wildfire frequency, we quantified surface mineral soil PyC in burned and unburned plots spanning fire return intervals of 11, 21, and >100 years, and time since last fire of 3 and 15 years, in the Sapphire Mountains of Montana. Our findings revealed that surface PyC pools were lowest in the shortest-interval sites. However, we observed a significant interaction between fire frequency and time since fire. Three years post-fire, PyC did not differ among treatments, whereas after 15 years, all intervals except for the short-interval accumulated PyC. These results suggest PyC is relatively resistant to combustion losses, but also sensitive to post-fire redistribution processes, such as erosion or lateral transport, following repeated burning.

I will be studying myasthenia gravis (MG) and its relation to stress, answering the question: Is there a correlation between highly stressful life events and the initial onset of myasthenia gravis by which acute emotional or physical stress triggers myasthenic crisis or exacerbation of symptoms? I am doing this project because my mother has MG and her diagnosis has shaped my outlook on the medical field in which I hope to enter. To carry out this project, I will be using cross-sectional analysis through stress assessment with MG disease severity assessment. This will include trier inventory for assessment of chronic stress and the perceived stress scale. For MG disease severity, I will use the MG-ADL test and the MGII test. These tests will assess the impact of MG to daily functions and is used widely by physicians to score a patient's MG severity.  My project is currently still in progress; however, I predict that MG and stress have a relation. This project is significant to my field of study as knowing the relationship that stress has to myasthenia gravis can give information that can be applied to other autoimmune diseases, all of which will be valuable for my future in the medical field.

Queer and feminist theory explore the concept of the “male gaze”, referencing the social expectations placed on women’s bodies to conform to the socially constructed expectations of how women should look and act to be more “appealing” to men. Queer theory discusses the way that Lesbian and Bisexual women “de-center” men in their lives and move away from this expectation to conform to the male gaze. In turn, this distance from the male gaze allows for more diverse representation of appearance in body size, clothing, and age as they reject the concept of needing to appeal to men.

This qualitative study examines and compares diversity of body image and appearance in the top 25 most followed Lesbian/Bisexual women and the top 25 most followed Heterosexual women on Instagram. Using Visual Content Analysis, we will identify and code themes and patterns of diverse representation in the gathered images from the subjects’ social media. This coding structure will be tested in an original subset of the images and evaluated for inter-rated reliability.

The project serves to gather further information related to the assumptions made in queer theory about the increased representation and acceptance of people of all appearances within women-loving-women culture and analyze images for evidence for or against this widely accepted theory.

Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger (Nhe) proteins are essential regulators of intracellular pH in the brain. The importance of these exchangers in brain development is evidenced by the fact that their dysfunction is associated with neural development disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy. Our lab studies the role of Nhe proteins in brain development using the model system Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). Flies have only 3 Nhe proteins (Nhe1-3) compared to 9 in humans, making them a more straightforward model to investigate Nhe functions. Previously, we investigated Nhe2, which maintains cytosolic pH. We found that nhe2 knockout flies exhibited smaller brains with proliferation defects. We next wanted to determine whether the other two Nhe proteins influenced brain development. Nhe3 is predicted to maintain endolysosomal pH, while Nhe1 is predicted to maintain Golgi pH. This project sought to determine whether knocking out nhe3 would affect brain size and neural progenitor proliferation. The results of this experiment proved to be similar to the nhe2 knockout study. nhe3 knockout animals displayed smaller brain sizes that were accompanied by proliferation defects, which resulted in fewer brain cells. These results indicate that the regulation of pH within the endolysosomal pathway plays a crucial role in brain development by regulating the proliferation of neural progenitors. Understanding how subcellular pH regulation influences brain development will offer valuable insight into the underlying contribution of pH disruption in generating developmental disorders.

The debate over whether children should be introduced to hunting is centered on ethical concerns regarding desensitized aggression. However, using the Hunter-Gatherer neurotype associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, this paper argues that early-onset hunting has significant neurocognitive benefits when conducted with proper education and a mentored framework.

Drawing on evolutionary psychiatry and neurobiology, this theoretical analysis first reviews relevant literature in both fields and then distinguishes between affective aggression (rage-based violence) and predatory aggression (a goal-oriented, cold-blooded cognitive state). I suggest that traits condemned as maladaptive in the four walls of the modern classroom (i.e. distractibility and hyperfocus) are actually the precise evolutionary weaponry of the Hunter-Gather neurotype and are perfectly suited for the context of the hunt. Furthermore, the current analysis explores how the mentorship aspect in hunting education provides a foundation for emotional regulation and prefrontal cortex development. By awakening primal neural circuits designed for survival, regulated hunting acts as a neuro-developmental catalyst, rewiring behavioral deficits into cognitive assets. This process acts as a powerful intervention for attention allocation and impulse control. Now, while critics link early exposure to animal killing with future antisocial pathology, this analysis demonstrates that the structural and social context of regulated hunting actually prevents desensitization. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that hunting education does not foster violence but rather enhances executive function and resilience by aligning adolescent neurology with its evolutionary purpose.

Spaying and neutering dogs is one of the first decisions pet owners make after acquiring a dog. It is a large component of what is understood to be responsible pet ownership in the US over the past 60 years, due to its great elimination of unwanted animals, reducing how many are euthanized each year in shelters from overcrowding. However, there has been research, mostly in the past 20 years, re-evaluating the benefits and bringing to light the costs dogs can pay from being spayed or neutered. This paper examines the health and behavioral effects of spaying and neutering dogs. The analysis is based mostly on peer-reviewed research published in the 2000s or later, with some older studies included. Overall, the literature indicates that spaying and neutering carries both numerous benefits and risks. However, orthopedic health, cancer incidence and certain behavioral changes have been shown to occur at a higher rate than many owners commonly assume, but may also have benefits that were also not known.

Analysis of the research done has made it clear that there is no black and white answer to whether or not spaying and neutering is the completely right choice. In shelters, it is done on all dogs (and cats) to prevent those already there from adding to the population issue. With the over-crowding that shelters already face, getting all animals sterilized greatly reduces the amount that are euthanized from lack of space. There are numerous risks and benefits found, many of which vary from breed, sex, age and even lifestyle of both the owner and the dog. This paper is a tool that owners can use to evaluate whether spaying or neutering their dog is the right decision based on the research gathered, the breed of their dog and what kind of lifestyle they lead.

Using Herbarium Specimens to Morphologically Delineate Three Western Phlox Species

Jack Hager, Meredith Zettlemoyer

Western Phlox are incredibly ecologically diverse, found in a variety of habitats spanning deserts, sagebrush, and mountains. The genus contains around 65 unique species, often with overlapping trait variation that makes morphological delineation difficult. Phlox missoulensis is an endemic cushion plant species found only in the Missoula Valley; it occupies lower-elevation, windy, arid ridgelines that mimic alpine conditions. Two other Phlox species found nearby,  Phlox kelseyi and Phlox pulvinata, occupy overlapping ecological niches. P. kelseyi is found in wetlands spanning from valleys to montane environments at similar elevations to P. missoulensis. P. pulvinata is found in subalpine environments more similar to the habitat where P. missoulensis persists. P. missoulensis appears to exhibit intermediate traits relative to these two potential sister species. For example, P. missoulensis has a more sprawling growth form than P. pulvinata, which exhibits the dome shape and dense canopy characteristic of alpine cushion plants, but P. missoulensis is more cushion-shaped than P. kelseyi. We use herbarium specimens and ImageJ software to quantify morphological trait variation of P. missoulensis and its sister species, including leaf width, leaf length, sepal length, and flowering time. I hypothesize that P. missoulensis will have intermediate leaf traits between the two sister species, including shorter, narrower leaves than P. kelseyi, yet longer, wider leaves and longer sepals than P. pulvinata. Additionally, I predict that P. missoulensis will have the earliest flowering time of the three species. This study will inform population sampling for a future genomic study and a conservation plan protecting P. missoulensis as a state species of concern. This study will be a stepping stone in uncovering the evolutionary relationships and history of Western Phlox.

The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) stabilizes vision during head movements through a coordinated interaction between the vestibular apparatus’s ability to sense position and acceleration and the ocular muscles that move the eye. Vestibular hypofunction can cause dizziness, blurred vision, create the perception of movement in stationary objects, dizziness, and nystagmus, a condition where the eye moves involuntarily. The presence and extent of dysfunction are typically assessed by evaluating the movement of the eye during tracking and target acquisition tasks. In addition to dedicated clinical equipment specifically designed to track eye movements, currently available mixed reality headsets are also able to perform these tasks. Although designed for non-scientific functions, the available headsets readily allow developers to record and extract the eye-tracking results.

This study aims to evaluate whether the eye tracking capabilities of commercially available mixed reality headsets(HTC Vive Focus, Meta Quest Pro), can generate clinically acceptable measurements during standardized vestibular-ocular testing.

We replicated the testing sequence of a well-validated laboratory-grade system(Interacoustics Visual Eyes), for administration in the immersive virtual reality systems. Participants (n= 20) completed identical vestibular-ocular testing on the three systems. The tests assessed the point of gaze, accuracy to target, saccade duration and latency, and visual gain during the following tasks: stationary gaze, smooth pursuit, random saccade, and dark-room nystagmus. Participants completed the testing in a randomized order for devices. Time-series eye-position data were exported from the respective systems and analyzed in custom-developed software.