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Session I: 9:10 am – 10:10 am
BAIRD CHAPEL
From Cumberland University to City Hall: The Transition of Professor to Mayor and the Relationship Between Cumberland University and the City of Lebanon
Presenter: Mayor Rick Bell
The presenter will discuss his transition from history professor at Cumberland University to Mayor of Lebanon. He will also talk about the relationship between Cumberland University and Lebanon.
HEYDEL AUDITORIUM
Cold-Hearted: Ted Bundy from Four Perspectives
Presenters: Dr. Jessica Bilbrey-Worthington, Ms. Suzann Lafferty, Dr. Tara Mitchell Mielnik, and Dr. Rachael Bible
A look at the motivations behind Ted Bundy’s crimes from psychological, criminological, historical, and anthropological perspectives.
LIBRARY READING ROOM
Colorful Chemistry: Paints and Pigments
Presenter: Dr. Sarah Pierce
The presenter will discuss the science behind color, paints, and pigments
“Colonial” Science: John Brian Christopherson and Sudanese Knowledge in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Presenter: Dr. Miguel Angel Chavez
The presenter will give an overview of the career of the British epidemiologist John Brian Christopherson and his career in early-20th century Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. He will show that Christopherson was committed to an ideological program of colonial paternalism which led him to ignore the status of Sudanese medical practices as “scientific.” The presenter will further argue that the relationship between Christopherson and his non-Western informants destabilized the dichotomy of “indigenous” and “colonial” forms of knowledge.
MEMORIAL HALL 203
Fast & Furious Fiction: A Reading by Advanced Fiction Students
Presenters: Creative Writing 405: Advanced Fiction students with Ms. Kerry Ann Moore
Students from Creative Writing 405: Advanced Fiction will perform a fast and furious, round robin reading from their short stories.
MEMORIAL HALL 205
Bystander Intervention: Empowering Individuals to Act
Presenters: Ms. Lizzie Rice with the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence
This presentation reviews consent, the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses, the bystander effect, and the causes of the bystander effect. This training aims to equip participants with the skills necessary to see red flags of sexual violence and effectively intervene in situations of potential violence.
LABRY HALL 209
Star Wars the Ups and Downs of Collecting
Presenter: Mr. Milton Sager
The presenter will discuss the ups and downs of collecting Star Wars memorabilia.
Harry Potter and the LEGO Bricks: Twenty Years of Magical Sets
Presenter: Dr. Rory Sellgren
The presenter will discuss the history of the Harry Potter LEGO theme, collections and maintenance, evolution of LEGO (from systems, and building techniques, to franchise partnerships), differences between play and display sets, LEGO as investment opportunities, and LEGO sets as play therapy, cognitive therapy, and physical therapy.
LABRY HALL 211
Building AI for Big Data Biology: Computational Models for High-throughput Sequencing Data
Presenter: Mr. David Ludwig
High-throughput DNA sequencing (HDS) data is now becoming widely available and analysis of this data requires new computational methods. Deep learning methods have been successfully applied to other biological data, but the unstructured elements of HDS require new deep learning approaches. In this talk, we will investigate the suitability of new deep learning approaches adapted for unstructured domains on HDS data obtained from prairie soil samples to uncover relationships between different soil microbial communities.
Pushing the Limits: Helping Computers Learn from Potentially Unlimited, Unstructured Data Sets
Presenter: Ms. Kendra Givens
Much data in our world consists of unstructured sets of structured objects (sets of documents, sets of images, sets DNA sequences, etc.). Deep learning approaches have been used in the past to analyze large -structured- data, even of potentially arbitrarily length. However, novel modifications to such methods are needed to process an arbitrary number of structured items (not just a single item at a time). In this talk, we describe the creation of a new deep learning architecture which extends approaches for processing structured data to the unstructured domain, allowing for potentially arbitrary sized sets of data to be processed. We investigate the current strengths and limitations of our approach on an important unstructured data analysis problem in computational biology: categorization of high-throughput DNA sequencing data obtained from prairie soil samples.
LABRY HALL 210
When Your Body Attacks Itself: Autoimmune Disorders
Presenter: Dr. Laura Bechard
In this talk, the presenter will describe several autoimmune disorders and how they affect the body. She will also discuss how autoimmune disorders originate.
MEMORIAL HALL 306
See the World with CU
Presenters: Ms. Summer Vertrees and Dr. Sean McDaniel
Come learn more about the amazing benefits of world travel, as well as how you can take a trip to London and Paris with others from Cumberland.
LABRY HALL 117
Preparing Effective Educators
Presenter: Dr. Sandy H. Smith
What does it take to be an effective teacher? Graduates of the Cumberland University Educator Preparation Program have proven themselves to be effective teachers! Come find out what CU graduates do that make them so effective!
Old School Fool
Presenter: Mr. Gabriel C. Brune
The presenter will discuss a weird, but extremely interesting hobby of his, converting DVDs to VHS Tapes. He converts new 2010-2022s movies onto blank VHS Tapes.
MEMORIAL HALL 202
The Forgotten Legends of Soccer
Presenter: Dr. Max Melnikov
The presenter will discuss stories the and the drama behind the careers of 10 legendary soccer players.
SHAPE of Tennessee
Presenter: Dr. George Walker
This presentation encompasses the lack of physical activity in Tennessee’s school age children as well as adults. Included in this presentation will be the negative effects sedentary lifestyles and long-term health effects.
MEMORIAL HALL 208
Suicide Prevention Training-QPR
Presenter: Ms. Brenda Harper with TN Suicide Prevention Network
The QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) program will provide training for an individual to recognize the signs, symptoms, and ways to try and help prevent Suicide among individuals. The QPR mission is to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training.
LABRY HALL 207
Cognitive Dissonance and Change of Mind
Presenters: Dr. Mike Ripski
Stories and experiences will be presented that unsettle, disturb, and create inner conflict. Question: What to do now?
MEMORIAL HALL 204
Engaging Gen Z on Intergenerational Workplace Teams
Presenter: Dr. Karah Sprouse
Over the past two years Gen Z has been leading what companies call “The Great Resignation,” switching jobs 134% more than in 2019 (Carney, 2022). This presentation will cover the highlights of the research study Dr. Sprouse conducted on how Gen Z engages with older generations in the workplace and is often misunderstood.
MEMORIAL HALL 207
Contact Combat: How Krav Maga Empowers Users to “Get Home Safe”
Presenters: Dr. Sara Hays and Mr. Eric Cook
A brief presentation about the origins, philosophy, and benefits of the martial art Krav Maga, followed by a live demo of some common defenses against things like chokes, grapples, guns, and knives by a certified Krav Maga black belt.
LABRY HALL 118
Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training: From Physiology to Application
Presenter: Dr. Bradley Jordan
This presentation will provide a brief background of the physiology of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training, potential risks, and the current research evidence to support its efficacy in both clinical and athletic populations.
LABRY HALL 115
Cannabis/Marijuana 101: Weeding Thru Opinions
Presenter: Ms. Stephanie Davis
This presentation will provide a broad understanding of cannabis/marijuana. This includes terminology, reasons young people do or do not use, the endocannabinoid system, short-term and long-term effects of cannabis/marijuana use, and the potential impacts on the adolescent brain.
Pink Noise for Studying and De-Stressing
Presenter: Ms. Shaquillra Taylor and Ms. Leighanne Buchanan
Listen to how pink and brown noise can help you with anxiety, depression, studying, relaxing, and unwinding after a tough day. Join TAL for a little bit of mindfulness to destress using playlists and apps to move your nervous system from stress response to relaxation response to improve focus and memory.
LABRY HALL 122
Questions and Answers with the President and Provost
Presenters: Dr. Paul Stumb and Dr. Bill McKee
Do you have a burning question for CU’s President Dr. Paul Stumb or CU’s Provost Dr. Bill McKee? Come to this session to have those questions answered.
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Session II: 10:25 am – 11:25 am
BAIRD CHAPEL
Transcultural Nursing
Presenter: Ms. Michelle Zuercher
The presenter will discuss a transcultural nursing experience in Honduras as both a student of Cumberland and a professional nurse.
Living, LEARNING, and Fun: Why the 4th Floor of South Hall is Right For You
Presenters: Mrs. Abby Pitts and Dr. Mary Bess Griffith
Learn what a Living Learning Community is and discover how CU’s newly created one in South Hall is designed to help you succeed in your Pre-Nursing AND Nursing classes at CU.
HEYDEL AUDITORIUM
January 6, 2021: US Capitol Attack
Presenters: Dr. Dan Rousseau and USCP Guest
This presentation will discuss what happened on January 6, 2022, and the lessons learned following the attack on the US Capitol.
LIBRARY READING ROOM
“Finding Your Roots:” Exploring Genealogy for the Beginner
Presenters: Dr. Tara Mitchell Mielnik and Dr. Rachael C. Bible
Tracing genealogy enables you to find out interesting and surprising things about your family’s background! Join Drs. Bible and Mielnik to learn out to begin to trace your family’s history and see where their explorations have taken them!
MEMORIAL HALL 203
Poets in Progress: Celebrating the Poetry of Students
Presenter: Ms. Sandee Gertz
Join us as budding poets from our Creative Writing Intro Class and students in Poetry 1 read from their works in progress and talk about how poetry has inspired them. Find out about student publications for publishing, such as Novus and Lyre of the Phoenix as well.
MEMORIAL HALL 205
ACE’s – Adverse Childhood Experiences
Presenter: Dr. Cyndy Stone Allen
This presentation will discuss how adverse childhood experiences affect brain architecture and what supports can be learned to help build resilience.
LABRY HALL 209
Starting a Business with No Marketable Skills
Presenter: Dr. Noa D. Stroop
Anyone can start a business – even if you don’t seem to have any skills. Join the presenter for a presentation on how an Average Joe can turn an Average Talent into an extraordinary business.
LABRY HALL 211
What Does x Equal? Famous Math Problems
Presenters: Mr. AJ Akpan, Mr. Felipe Ferreira, Mr. James Nichols, Mr. Frangil Ramirez, and Dr. Will Tune
Ever wonder what keeps mathematicians awake at night? Come and learn about some famous mathematical problems, both solved and unsolved. The presenters will explain what the problems are, some of the history behind them, and what efforts have been made to solve them.
LABRY HALL 210
My Personal and Scientific Journey: Across the Scales of Biology
Presenter: Dr. Alyssa Carrell
Dr. Alyssa Carrell, a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will share her personal and professional journey in the biological sciences. She will share her journey working as an industry scientist, experiences working a National Laboratory, and some results from her research.
MEMORIAL HALL 306
Haiti in the Present
Presenter: Dr. Natalie Inman
Haiti, an island nation just a 90-minute flight from Miami, has experienced mass protests, wars between gangs and police, a presidential assassination, and a massive earthquake and hurricane just within the last year. This talk will address where these challenges came from and how the Haitian people are working toward a more stable future.
LABRY HALL 117
The Serial Podcast and Wrongful Conviction
Presenter: Ms. Suzann Lafferty
The presenter will discuss the Serial podcast in the context of a possible wrongful conviction.
You Belong
Presenter: Mr. Will Romero
The presenter will discuss different types of microaggression comments as well as promote inclusion and diversity.
MEMORIAL HALL 202
The Four-Year Balancing Act: How Students Manage Employment
Presenters: Ms. Madison Mazzanti and Dr. Jenny Mason
The presenter will discuss a pilot study conducted by herself in the spring of 2022 on Cumberland University’s campus. This research was done to determine the difference in anxiety levels of employed students versus unemployed students.
Athletes and Their Connections with Rationalism and Superstition
Presenters: Ms. Jessica Maynard and Dr. Jenny Mason
The presenter conducted a pilot study during spring 2022 and will share the results of the study. The study focused on athletes and their connections with rationalism and superstition.
LABRY HALL 207
How We Interpret Our Experience: Paradigms, Hermeneutics, Heuristics, And Worldviews
Presenter: Dr. Mike Ripski
Participants will take a survey designed to bring their interpretative lenses to consciousness.
MEMORIAL HALL 204
Black Health, Wellness, & Stigmas
Presenter: Ms. Shaquillra Taylor, Afro Student Organization, and Ms. Kerry Ann Moore
Afro’s focus this semester is on advancing black health and wellness. Our presentation will discuss black college students’ risk, resiliency, and protective factors.
MEMORIAL HALL 207
Zine-age Dreams
Presenters: Honors English Seminar Students and Mr. Wyatt Keener
Students from Honors English Seminar will present the zines they’ve been working on this semester.
LABRY HALL 118
What the Fringes can Teach Us About Personalized Medicine
Presenter: Dr. Kiersten Espaillat
This talk will pull ideas from non-medical industries and outliers to bring light into the world of personalized medicine. Hint it could be more personalized.
LABRY HALL 115
Facts About Fentanyl & Harm Reduction
Presenters: Mrs. Tammy Grow and Mr. Michael Bare
Tammy Grow, Executive Director of DrugFree WilCo will share what the prevention coalition is doing to prevent and reduce substance misuse and addiction in Wilson County. Michael Bare, Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist, will follow up with a brief talk about the dangers of fentanyl poisoning in many illicit drugs in TN and how to reduce the harm done in our community due to the overdose epidemic.
LABRY HALL 122
And the Award Goes To:
Presenter: Mr. Rusty Richardson
Did you ever wonder how the Oscar winners are really chosen? If you like movies, you will enjoy this presentation on the history of the Oscars and the winners.
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Session III: 11:40 am – 12:40 pm
BAIRD CHAPEL
Southern Culture on the Skids
Presenter: Mr. John Archibald
John Archibald has been a journalist in Birmingham for more than 35 years. He is a Pulitzer-winning columnist and a national Murrow Award-winning podcaster. Archibald is the author of “Shaking the Gates of Hell: A Search for Family and Truth in the Wake of the Civil Rights Revolution,” included as one of NPR’s favorite books of 2021. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 2020-2021, where he taught column writing in the summer school.
HEYDEL AUDITORIUM
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Surviving a Rattlesnake Bite
Presenter: Dr. Danny Bryan
Timber rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes are quite docile and are slow to deliver a bite. The venom of a snake is an expensive commodity and the snakes are reluctant to deliver a bite to something they cannot consume. Snakes will bite when they have no other option, but death from one of these bites is rare with proper medical treatment. This presentation describes the account of an actual snake bite.
LIBRARY READING ROOM
Invasions of Eden: The Science of Medical Fiction
Presenter: Dr. Will Whetsell
With the emergence of a baffling and deadly neurological illness in a hospital in Atlanta, 39-year-old Cassandra Garriman, a brilliant, ambitious, and strong-willed medical doctor, traces the mysterious disease back to a deserted island off the coast of South Carolina. She uncovers its alarming potential, though neither infectious nor contagious, to spark a regional or even a national health threat as well as bioterrorism, international espionage, and geopolitical turmoil. About the Author: Will Whetsell, a native of South Carolina, is a neurologist and neuropathologist living in Nashville, Tennessee.
MEMORIAL HALL 203
The Importance of Being Wordy: Careers in Creative & Professional Writing
Presenter: Ms. Sandee Gertz
More than ever before, a Creative & Professional Writing degree can lead to a wonderful job in words. With the explosion of internet “content,” and other workplace factors, creative writing skills are in high demand. You might be surprised what all you can do!
MEMORIAL HALL 205
Navigating Adversity: Developing Resilience
Presenter: Dr. Eddie Christian
This program speaks to how, despite life often being difficult and unfair, managing these times successfully depends upon our perspective and healthy choices.
LABRY HALL 209
Senior Artist Talks
Presenters: Ms. Gracie Dungy, Ms. Mariela Padilla, Ms. Kristin Sheffield, and Ms. Alena Mehic
Graduating seniors will be giving artist talks related to their portfolio work, process, final exhibition, and future goals.
The Brand of YOU
Presenter: Dr. Valerie King
In this session, attendees will gain knowledge and insight on the importance of establishing their personal brand. Key information that will be shared includes what is branding, how it relates to an individual, how you manage your brand, the importance of establishing your personal brand, and how your brand maintains its life.
LABRY HALL 211
The Intersectionality of Ethnicity and Sexual Double Standards
Presenters: Ms. Sara Sawyer and Dr. Jenny Mason
The presenter will give literature review outlining how ethnic culture influences sexual double standards. This review will include how it impacts sexual behavior and ideas of gender roles within society.
Mental Health in Athletes
Presenters: Ms. Montanna Ray, Ms. Kenzie France, and Dr. Jenny Mason
The presenters will discuss how age differences affect athletes’ mental health status. We will be comparing freshmen to upper classmen.
LABRY HALL 210
Research in History: History Majors Senior Seminar
Presenters: Mr. Zackary McAteer, Mr. Joshua Barba Perez, Mr. Conner Hatley, and Dr. Tara Mitchell Mielnik
Cumberland History majors Zackary McAteer, Joshua Barba Perez, and Conner Hatley will present their Senior Seminar independent research.
MEMORIAL HALL 306
When the Duke’s Daughter Runs Off with Her Sister’s Husband: 18th Century Novel Influences on TikTok Satire Serials?
Presenter: Dr. Michael Rex
This presentation postulates that the act of creating a TikTok serial is analogous to the way many authors, especially women, turned to novel publishing in the long 18th century. Given the number of women novelists and the overlap of satire, histories “ripped from the headlines,” the pits and perils of work, and the use of the domestic/romance tropes, the presenter will argue that the cultural influence of novels like Pamela/Shamela, Tristram Shandy, Love Letters Between a Nobleman and his Sister, and The Female Quixote is obvious on serial satires like Hells’ Belles, Death and Her Mortal Companion, Stupid Customer Chronicles, and Life in the Salon.
LABRY HALL 117
Game Theory Optimal (GTO) Holdem Poker
Presenter: Dr. Stuart Harris
This presentation will cover the fundamentals of Game Theory Optimal theory as it pertains to No Limit Holdem Poker. Participants should not be afraid of math.
MEMORIAL HALL 202
Physical Activity as a Vital Sign: A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare
Presenter: Dr. Richard Storie
The presenter will discuss why physical activity is being implemented as a vital sign and the implications for solving the healthcare crisis.
MEMORIAL HALL 208
Psychosocial Implications of Post-Pandemic Normalcy
Presenter: Dr. Richard Garvin, Jr.
During the pandemic, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders rates have increased. In this presentation Dr. Garvin will discuss the implications of the pandemic and how we can move forward.
LABRY HALL 207
How to Make Friends in College: Overcoming Social Anxieties
Presenter: Ms. Andrea Davis
Ever wonder how to make friends in college? Do you feel socially anxious around new people? Come learn some strategies for getting outside your comfort zone and meeting new friends.
MEMORIAL HALL 204
Embracing Diversity On and Off Campus
Presenter: Dr. Roshanda Odom
The journey to equity and equality cannot be embarked upon unless you first embrace diversity. Come get some tips on how to embark on your journey!
MEMORIAL HALL 207
Centering Prayer a Christian Meditation Practice
Presenter: Ms. Leighanne Buchanan
Interested in starting a regular meditation practice? Learn and practice a method that is Christ centered to care for and nourish your mind, heart, and soul amidst your busy life.
LABRY HALL 122
Yarn with a Purpose
Presenter: Ms. Shari Brown
Shari Brown, owner of Yarn That, Momma, will share her personal story of how crochet provided a sense of purpose in a world of chaos. She will be bringing hooks and yarn so everyone can give crochet a try.