Student Research

31st Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Conference on Saturday, April 22, 2023

The Penn State Behrend-Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Conference allows students to present their research in various categories in a public setting. Our Hilbert students competed in Biology and Psychology poster presentations. Students can use this opportunity to practice presenting orally or using posters before moving on nationally or globally. The conference is a conglomeration of regional colleges.

View Flickr Album Conference Details

Biology Presentations

Dr. Habibul Bakht poses with three Hilbert students who presented their Biology poster presentations.

Dr. Habibl Bakht poses with Hilbert Biology research presentation students at the 31st Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Conference held at the Penn State Behrend campus. Pictured from left to right: Ciara Cudney '23, Stephen Wetherell '23, Dr. Habibul Bakht, and Matthew Domagala '23.

Stephen Wetherell '23 2nd Place Microbiology Poster

Poster Presentation: Microbiological Analysis of Hilbert College Water
Where He's Headed: Lab Technician at the BioBehavioral Research Lab at the University of Connecticut, Storrs

Read Stephen's Abstract

As water travels from its natural sources over the land surface or through the ground, it picks up microorganisms and other substances resulting from animal, human, or environmental wastes. At municipal water treatment plants, water is treated to reduce microbial loads and other contaminants to a minimum level safe for human consumption and other uses as regulated by the State Department and the EPA. Despite all the regulations and control measures, accidental water contamination within private structures at the consumer’s end is not uncommon. This study aims to conduct a microbiological analysis of Hilbert College’s waters.

Water from 16 different locations on campus, including the residence halls, dining halls, academic buildings, and sports and recreational complexes, have been collected to ensure a full-scope analysis of different water sources within the campus. The samples were analyzed for total heterotrophic bacteria and the detection of coliform and fecal coliform bacteria. In addition, pH and water temperature were also recorded for each sample. For the heterotrophic growth of bacteria, LB agar plates were used. Following an aseptic technique, a 300 ml water sample was passed through a 0.22-micron membrane filter using a Millipore membrane filtration unit. The 0.22-micron membrane filter was then placed on LB agar, and the plate was incubated at room temperature (22°C) overnight. If no colonies were observed, the plates were incubated for an additional 18-24 hr. at 37°C. Colonies grown on the LB agar plate were subcultured on MacConkey agar Eosine-Methylene Blue agar for microscopic analysis to determine their Gram reaction.

Our preliminary results based on microbiological analyses of all 16 samples suggest that Hilbert College’s overall water quality is very good. Of the 16 samples, 13 were determined to be bacterial growth positive, and 3 bacterial growth negative until conducting additional room temperature incubation. Subcultures from colonies expressing different morphologies have so far yielded 9 Gram negative and 15 Gram positive bacterial species. This study further ensures that Hilbert College’s water is safe for human use and meets New York State and EPA standards.

Matthew Domagala '23

Poster Presentation: Evaluation of Some Selected Sunscreens on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains

Read Matthew's Abstract

Exposure to excessive UV rays (such as UV-A) from the sun or artificial sources, like tanning beds, can cause severe sunburn in humans. Although the most damaging of all three UV rays, UV-C, is filtered out by the ozone layer, UV-B can still penetrate and reach the earth’s surface and cause significant DNA damage to skin cells, risking development of skin cancer or melanoma. Sunscreens and sunblocks have been developed and commercialized by many pharmaceutical companies to protect the skin from sunburns. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of several sunscreens using Baker’s Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a model. Reference S. cerevisiae strains, HAO, and UV-sensitive, from Carolina Biological, are used for this purpose. Overnight grown cultures of the yeast strains in YPD broth were diluted using fresh broth and cultures from appropriate dilutions (not exceeding 300 CFU per plate) were plated onto the YEAD agar plates with ampicillin (100 µg/mL). Immediately after that the plates (without the lid) were covered with a saran wrap that had already been smeared with a test sunscreen on one side. Plates seeded with the cells and covered with a sunscreen wrap were exposed to UV-C light using a germicidal lamp for a specific period (0, 5, 12, 30, 60 sec). After appropriate incubation at 30 degrees Celsius, the plate counts (CFU) were plotted against time of exposure to UV-C to determine a surviving curve of the yeast strain for each sunscreen tested. The data was analyzed using appropriate statistical method for comparison. This study will help understand the roles of commercial sunscreens in protecting the cells from the damaging effects of the UV rays and thus shed light on their efficacy as a sunscreen or sunblock to prevent sunburn or other forms of UV-related damages to the skin.

Ciara Cudney '23

Poster Presentation: Antibacterial Activity Assessment of Some Selected Essential Oils

Read Ciara's Abstract

In recent years, many individuals are beginning to suffer from antibiotic resistance or adverse reactions to several antibiotics. This has increased the interest in discovering new ways to fight against infections. Researching the antimicrobial activity of essential oils has grown in popularity over recent years. Several frequently used essential oils have been studied to determine their antimicrobial activity against many human pathogenic bacteria. This study aims to explore the antibacterial activity of some commercially available essential oils, such as Patchouli, Black pepper, Geranium, and Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus oil has shown positive results in inhibiting growth or killing several strains of pathogenic bacteria, including MRSA. For this study, Eucalyptus will be tested and used as a basis for comparison with the other oils. The macrodilution broth method will be used to test these oils' minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against a wide range of bacterial species belonging to both gram-positive and gram-negative groups. A standard known antimicrobial compound will be used as a control in all assays. To determine the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the broth cultures from the MIC dilutions will be subsequently plated onto LB agar for growth. Based on the MIC response, a modified disk diffusion method will be used to determine the zone of inhibition for each essential oil.

The results of this study indicated that there was no active antibacterial compounds present in any of the selected essential oils. The MBC were unable to be determined due to the results of the MIC of each oil. Several factors could have contributed to this result and will be discussed later. This study leaves room for future students to study these essential oils further. This study will further shed light on the research of essential oils as potential antimicrobial therapeutic options for fighting multidrug-resistant-related infections.

Psychology Presentations

Psychology students presenting at the Sigma XI Conference

Dr. Erica Edwards poses with Hilbert Psychology research presentation students at the 31st Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Conference held at the Penn State Erie campus. Pictured from left to right: Dr. Erica Edwards, Jenna Shaver '23, Mckenna Staruch '23, Tori Wipperman '23, and Alanna Shipley '23.

Tori Wipperman '23 2nd Place Psychology Poster

Poster Presentation: Influences of Feminine Based Stereotypes on Hireability

Read Tori's Abstract

Gender stereotypes appear in all areas of society and can especially impact those who are more feminine presenting. The current study assessed biases associated with feminine qualities, using pseudo job applicants. Most past literature has viewed stereotypes in the scope of male vs. female, instead of masculine vs. feminine. The current study aimed to find what characteristics impact women, besides their gender itself. Participants were asked to review an application as if they are a hiring manager for a company. The participants assessed the perceived fit of the applicant, along with how hirable they found the applicant using the Workplace Fit and Hireability questionnaires. There were three different applicants; a feminine presenting woman, an androgynous presenting woman, and a masculine presenting woman. Each participant received only one application. Scores on the Workplace Fit and Hireability questionnaires were hypothesized to be affected by which resume the participant assessed. If the resume portrayed more feminine qualities, the Workplace Fit and Hireability ratings were expected to be lower than less feminine applicants, and therefore applicants deemed as less hirable. Results may suggest that non-feminine traits are more desired by employers, and such feminine traits could be associated with reduced perceived capabilities in the workplace. Studying these characteristics may further the literature in defining what specific qualities are stereotyped against feminine presenting women, and how these may impact their opportunities in the real world.

Jenna Shaver '23

Poster Presentation: Benefits of Stress Management Among College Students

Read Jenna's Abstract

Stress is a constant struggle for college aged students and can influence their academic performance and well-being. The current study examined the potential benefits a stress management intervention at Hilbert College might have for students in psychology courses. Hilbert College does not currently have any stress management resources for students. This study aimed to illustrate the positive benefits stress management has for students and emphasizes the importance of future research conducted campus wide. The intervention teaches students stress management techniques to reduce stress among college students. Previous research has shown that college students benefit from stress management tools such as, time management skills, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and reduced phone usage. Students who were enrolled in psychology courses at Hilbert College completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure their stress levels before and then again two weeks after participating in an information presentation. One group received a presentation on stress management techniques, and the second group received information regarding nutritional facts. The nutrition group was designed to have no influence on stress levels. It was hypothesized that students who were a part of the stress management group would score lower on the second PSS measure than the students in the nutrition group. Future studies should monitor participants over a longer period of time to assess the full effectiveness of each technique provided. Future studies should also include a wider variety of participants among the campus, including faculty and staff members.

Alanna Shipley '23

Poster Presentation: Bullying and Mental Health

Read Alanna's Abstract

In 2015, nearly 6,000 youths ages 10-24 died from suicide because of previous bullying. Ages 15-19 has been on the rise in the past decade (Li & Shi, 2018). There are 3 main types of bullying physical, mental and cyber. Bullying and cyber bullying can play a negative role in our daily lives. Bullying is treating someone cruelly, insultingly, threateningly, or aggressively or forcing someone to do something through compulsion or force that was being intimidated into accepting their offer (merriam-webster.com). Cyber bullying is bullying someone through social media or electronically. Bystanders often also receive consequences of bullying. The mental health issues that can cause a person to become a bully include substance abuse, poor general health, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression, and increased thoughts of suicide. These factors can also be the consequences of bullying, being a victim can cause the same effects that can make somebody a bully. Bullying plays a role in our mental health, I believe that bullying does have a large impact on mental health. This study was conducted with 90 participants ages 18 and older. The participants are from the buffalo area and were asked to complete 4 different surveys based on past bullying experiences and victimization along with their mental health. The surveys that they had to complete were the Bullying Survey for Students, Measuring bullying, victimization, Perpetration, and bystander experiences, Depression and anxiety self-assessment quiz, and the Mental health screening. I predict that my study will show a positive correlation between both bullying and mental health. As bullying increases so does negative mental health, lower amounts of bullying mean lower amounts of mental health because of bullying.

Mckenna Staruch '23

Poster Presentation: Extroversion and Wellness in Students

Read Mckenna's Abstract

The present study will investigate the relationship between introverted and extroverted personality types, overall wellness, and grade point average (GPA) in college students. It was hypothesized that extroverted college students had higher wellness and quality of life, and higher GPAs.

Participants (N = 50) will be self-selected from Hilbert College in Hamburg, New York. Participants will be required to complete an extensive Google Forms Survey to easily obtain information such as age, gender, GPA, personality type, and all of the following questionnaires. Participants will be asked to complete an adaptation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test (MBTI) from the website 16 Personalities to determine if they are extroverted or introverted personality types. Participants will then complete the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Self-Care Inventory to assess self-care practices associated with wellness, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL-7D) to assess overall quality of life.

A Pearson’s correlation analysis will determine that extroversion is positively associated with wellness. Introversion will be found to be negatively associated with wellness. It will also be found that extroverts have higher GPAs than introverts.

The study will find that college life is more favorable for extroverted individuals than introverted individuals. The constant rigor and socialization are ideal for extroverted students, but leaves introverted students feeling overwhelmed, unhappy, and less academically successful than their counterparts. Research suggests that colleges and universities should take more consideration of their introverted population in areas such as on-campus living, student activities, or the classroom environment. Moving toward more introvert-friendly conditions on college campuses would lead to higher levels of wellness and academic success in introverted college students, benefitting both the students themselves as well as the institutions.