Student Showcase

Jenna Hamburger, Jacie Crawford, Destiny Crommie

Oil extraction activities often introduce heavy metals to surface water and soils. We identified runoff paths at the USAO Habitat and collected soil samples from those paths which drain the oil well on the property. We found greater Pb concentrations in soil impacted by runoff from the well site.

Sydney Wilkins

Plant pressing has existed for thousands of years as a form of art, communication, or scientific record. It is still practiced today to catalog plant diversity of ecosystems. In this project, plant samples were collected from Comanche and Grady counties in Oklahoma, pressed, and mounted for display. 

Chandler Leamon-Webb

The effectiveness of the Greensboro sit-ins can be attributed to the strategic organization of student-led protests, their use of non-violent coercion, and their infectious nature that influenced the nation.

Caleb Smith

Lactic acid builds up muscle tissue during strenuous anaerobic activity. This build-up can lead to muscle soreness that reduces an athletes ability to train at their peak. This study evaluates the build up and metabolism of lactic acid production in blood pre, during, and post workout across strength, endurance, and cross training athletes.

Davis Perri

Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide on commercially grown crops in the US. Some research has shown negative health impacts on animal and humans. This study evaluated the impact of crops grown using glyphosate versus those grown without on the life stage development of mealworms.

Halli Humphrey

I am examining the time use of students at USAO to discover how students allocate their time use between labor (working), leisure (free time), and learning (education).

Hayla Wilson

Native American beadwork is a vibrant cultural expression deeply rooted in Native traditions. It serves as a decorative medium for storytelling, spiritual healing and identity. These traditions follow through today in contemporary beadwork as shown in Hayla’s beadwork and presentation. 

Bea Bourland

The presence of spine sails in dinosaurs has been proposed as potentially being for the purpose of predatory defense, however, other researchers have suggested that the presence of these broad features may have been primarily used for thermoregulation. In this study, we will conduct a synthesis review of the literature available and interview leading experts to evaluate the evidence for all hypotheses of these structures.

Andrea Alvarez

This research investigates the relationships between parental involvement and academic self-efficacy among first-generation students. We hypothesize that parental involvement will be positively correlated with academic success and academic self-efficacy. We also predict that first-generation students will report lower levels of parental involvement than non-first-generation students.

Marshall Ingram

A physical representation of harm of separation. Studies show that most adolescent children are at risk for issues like school problems, adjustment issues, behavioral problems and depression. While divorce, family issues and immigration today still separate children from their parents it proves to still be an issue. Separation does nothing but a beginning climb to a lifelong hurt.

Ethan Korn

Abbie McNabb

Studies show grip strength as predictive of certain health outcomes. Variables such as age, gender, genetics, handedness, and activities can cause deviations from grip strength trends. USAO student grip strengths were measured with each participant’s gender, handedness, and hobbies to assess lifestyle, gender, and handedness impact.