Accepted Posters (Abstracts)

Academics > Research Symposium > Research Symposium 2011 > Accepted Posters (Abstracts)

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND LANGUAGES

1. THE INFLUENCES OF NEW MEDIA AND THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

Lindsay Benjamin*, Philip Autry

Music Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The music industry is a multifaceted organism and consists of several functioning bodies. The music industry is facing major issues and changes due to the prominent digitalization of media. As a result, the increased distribution of free music specific to the Hip Hop/R&B genre will become widespread across the music industry. Consequently, the focus of the business is shifting from album sales to performances. This shift will also result in contracts with more attention to tours, appearances, merchandise, and other supplementary aspects garnered by an artist. This study sought to investigate the current state of the music industry and provide insight to its future direction. This study was conducted through a research and analysis of the today’s music business. The analysis revealed that both the record labels and artist themselves have responded to the digital era in two distinct ways. As a result of the decline in album sales and profit, major labels have begun to alter artists’ contracts. These contemporary contracts seek to pull resources from every monetary avenue generated from artists’ exposure. One the other hand, artists have resulted in becoming more self sufficient in response to the digital era. They are moving towards independent status, while utilizing the concept of free music to garner their fan base to generate revenue without the assistance of a record label. Record labels should embrace the digital era and work together with artists to generate revenue in other arenas than just album sales. Thus, major labels will remain relevant while providing the desired musical product to worldwide consumers.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Philip Autry

2. MEXICAN WOMEN DURING THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION IN LITERATURE AND FILM.

Toni Cummings*, Grazyna Walczak

Modern Foreign Languages Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Mexican literature and film showed different facets of women during the Revolution (1910-1917); they were not respected or seen as equal to men. There are many films where women are portrayed poorly, if at all. For example, in “Los de Abajo,” (1939) a film about Mexican government taking advantage of citizens, the presence of women is apparent, but they are neither seen nor heard. Prostitutes, who are always portrayed as loose and expressive, are also present. In the film “¡Vámanos con Pancho Villa!,” (1935), the main focus is the cruelty of the Mexican Revolution, and the heroism of Pancho Villa; there are no women present. The film “Enamorada,” a tale of love amidst the Mexican Revolution, shows the power of men, and beginning of the woman’s voice, however eventually this voice can only be heard when in agreement with what the man says. According to my research, the role of Mexican women during the Revolution was much more relevant than the one shown by literature and film sponsored by the government. They rendered enormous services to both of the fighting sides, but they were not rewarded for it. My findings about the discrepancy between literature and film, and the historical truth lead to the conclusion that there was an underlying purpose for poor portrayal of women’s roles. That purpose can only be explained as the subjugation of women by patriarchal institutions in order to compensate the lack of power among men despite the revolutionary changes.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Grazyna Walczak

3. LITERACY EFFECT ON AMERICAN LIVES.

Angela Denmark*, Leantin Bracks

English Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The present study provides broad perspectives effects of illiteracy on the economic and social lifestyle of the average American. This study provide a retrospective time span details of this epidemic from the initial response to illiteracy in the 1992 created by the National Survey of Adult Literacy to the present . The results of this research are based on the National Adult literacy survey of 1992, 2005-09. This study demonstrated how political changes and globalization enhanced the problem of illiteracy. Provide evidence that it is a domestic issue and has generational consequences.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Leantin Bracks

4. SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER: NAOMI LONG MADGETT, TEACHER- ARTIST.

Gwendolyn C. Denwiddie*, Adenike Davidson

English Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Naomi Long Madgett’s papers reside in Fisk University’s Special Collections, yet most people do not know who she is. Madgett’s role as a poet, teacher, and editor of Lotus Press speaks to the influence she has had on the American Literary scene, especially as a participant in the Black Arts Movement. This paper examines Naomi Long Madgett’s contributions to the celebration and continuance of the African-American literary cannon as a poet who successfully negotiated her teaching and artistic capabilities.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Adenike Davidson

5. REVOLUTION IN EGYPT: MODERN DAY UNREST IN COMPARISON TO PAST REVOLTS IN EGYPT.

Megan A. Perry*, Jill Clark

English Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The research paper that I would like to present at the research symposium is a twenty-page paper on how revolution in modern day Egypt has been affected by wars and revolts of the past. I will be covering Egyptian history starting from the Egyptian revolution and rise of Mohammad Ali as Pasha in Egypt in 1803, and ending on February 11th 2011, the day President Hosni Mubarak’s thirty year reign ended. Since this is a very recent news topic I feel that a more in-depth summary will be beneficial as well as an interesting addition to the symposium. For my research I have used books, such as Muhammad Ali Modernizer of Egypt, personal accounts from the past such as The Egyptian Problem by Sir Valentine Chirol, recent articles from the New York Times, journal entries and even twitter tweets from Egyptian protesters such as internationally known activist Wael Ghonim. With my use of recently taking photos of men women and children protesting in Tahir square will help my project observers get a feel for the desire and zeal the people of Egypt have for freedom and democracy.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jill Clark

DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES AND EDUCATION

6. CONCEPTUALIZING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE FORMATION OF AN IDEAL TYPE.

Angela E. Addae*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Social entrepreneurs find innovative ways to address social needs while also generating financial profit. The focus of this research is two-pronged. First, an ideal type for social entrepreneurship is established. The ideal type is formulated through a comparative analysis of 30 definitions of ‘social entrepreneurship’ to a frequently cited definition containing six dimensions of social entrepreneurship. Of these, innovation appears most frequently in the sample of definitions. Interestingly, this widely cited definition does not address the financial profits and market strategies of social enterprises, factors used to distinguish between social enterprises and nonprofit organizations. Each dimension is rated high or low based on the number of times it appears in the sample definitions. The high rated definitions are used to develop the typology and formulate the social entrepreneurship ideal type: Social entrepreneurship is the innovative provision of products and/or services through the use of market based strategies to provoke large-scale changes in society; it is intended to create sustainable social value while addressing unmet societal needs and may originate in any organizational sector. In the second component of the study, the validity of the ideal type of social entrepreneurship is examined through a case study of two organizations, one local and the other international. Nine of the 11 elements identified in the ideal type of social entrepreneurship are found. Ironically, the two missing elements, innovation and risk, are the highest and lowest ranked dimensions, respectively. Even so, the newly formulated ideal type appears valid when applied to the two organizations.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

7. AMERICANS’ VIEWS ON ABORTION.

Hillary Bright*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Although the U.S. has a reputation for egalitarian principles, disparities may exist which sway the opinions of Americans on issues such as abortion. In this particular project, the focus is the view of Americans on abortion and the societal forces that impact those opinions. Secondary analysis of the 2008 General Social Survey is conducted to examine attitudes toward abortion. The 2,023 survey participants are asked if they approve of abortion for any reason and for six specific situations, such as the child has a birth defect, the mother’s health is in danger, a married woman does not desire more children, the inability to afford more children, the pregnancy is the result of rape, or if the mother is unmarried. Sex, race, and region are used as control variables. The independent variables are political ideology, religious preference, religiosity, education, income, employment status, and social class. For both males and females, middle and upper class individuals are more likely to approve of abortion for any reason than lower or working class individuals. The same is true for whites. No significant relationship between class and attitude toward abortion for any reason exists for Blacks or other races. The only regional difference exists in the East North Central and South Atlantic regions; in the South Atlantic region, lower and middle class persons are equally likely to approve of abortion for any reason. The pattern for the East North Central region resembles that of whites and of both males and females.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

8. A GOWN AND A CROWN FOR TIANA? A COMPARISON OF THE DISNEY PRINCESSES.

Ashley S. Brown*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

When Disney announced the release of the film, “The Princess and the Frog,” it immediately gained attention because it featured Disney’s first African American princess. Since its release, “The Princess and the Frog” has received the same negative feedback as previous minority princesses from Disney. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the gender images presented in the Disney princess movies. In particular, the images of the white princesses are compared to those of the minority princesses. A content analysis of the nine Disney princess films, starting with “Snow White (1937)” to “The Princess and the Frog” (2009), is conducted. The results show that males outnumber females in all areas of creative control, and the minority princess films feature the fewest elements of a fairy tale. Since only four of the Disney princesses are minority characters, it is important to examine gender traits to see if they vary from the white princesses. Physical characteristics and a list of feminine and masculine gender role behaviors are identified for each princess. The analysis uses the Bem Sex-Role Inventory to differentiate the gender traits displayed by each princess. The number of times references to the physical appearance of each character is also counted. Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog” is the only princess to be classified as lower class and she is also the only princess with a job. The princesses with the most masculine traits were Tiana, Pocahontas, Ariel, Mulan, and Jasmine; these include all four minority princesses.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

9. “IF IT NEEDS TO BE DONE, THEN DO IT”…SHOULD ROLES BE DEPENDENT UPON SEX/GENDER?

Vickie Bufford*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Historically, roles of adult family members have been gender-specific. Traditionally, some tasks have been considered “woman’s work” and others as “man’s work.” The “man’s work” is bringing home a paycheck, paying bills, and keeping the lawn trimmed. The "woman’s work" involves primarily household tasks—cooking and cleaning—and childcare. Today, many question this division of household labor and believe that “if it needs to be done, do it,” with no regard for gender appropriateness. The purpose of this study is to examine the family distribution of labor by gender. A secondary analysis of the National Survey of Families and Households, which includes a cross-sectional sample of 9,643 households from 1987 through 1988, is conducted. A Housework Index is created using the variables measuring time spent preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning house, shopping, washing and ironing, paying bills, and performing outdoor tasks and auto maintenance. Several childcare tasks such as time spent helping with homework, working together on a project within the household, doing an activity outside of the house, and having private talks are examined. Wage and salary income is also evaluated. The comparison includes participants’ responses and their responses regarding their spouses. The findings show that females spend approximately 20 hours more per week on household tasks. Females also spend more time with children than males. Males, however, earn about $10,000 more than females. Although the division of labor is unequal, both sexes contribute to household and childcare tasks and finances.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

10. PROSTITUTION IN THE WORLD OF FILM.

Brittney J. Burton*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Researchers in Chicago have estimated that 2,000-4,000 girls and women are involved in off- and on-street prostitution activities. The present study seeks to describe the media’s portrayal of prostitutes. Specifically, the circumstances surrounding entry into prostitution, type of prostitution, involvement of a pimp, family status, and drug and alcohol usage are coded for 20 films on prostitution. Additional variables are entry age, who introduced to prostitution, age if exited prostitution, and how exited from prostitution. More of the films depict prostitutes who live alone or with a pimp, have no children, enter after their teen years, are introduced to prostitution by a friend, enter prostitution to care for themselves and family members, and are escorts or streetwalkers. Most of the films portray the exit from the profession, which typically involves arrest and jail or a change in profession. Alcohol is used by most of the prostitutes. More prostitutes living with their mother have a pimp. Prostitutes living with parents or with a pimp enter prostitution earlier than those who live with a spouse or a friend. Those living alone or with a spouse or friend are introduced to the profession by a friend. Those prostitutes living with a mother or both parents or with a pimp enter the profession to care for themselves or their families. Streetwalkers live with two parents or a pimp. Escorts live with a spouse or a friend, if not alone. Those prostitutes with pimps are less likely to use alcohol.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

11. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH BODY IMAGE AND SATISFACTION.

Jessica K. McDowell*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

American society emphasizes beauty. Each year in the U.S., over $7 billion is spent on beauty products, $10 billion on plastic surgery, and an estimated $46 billion on dieting and self-help books. The research question addressed in this study is: What factors are associated with body image and satisfaction? Qualitative interviews of 30 college students are used to determine the factors that contribute to body satisfaction. Participants are presented with a set of body image outlines specific to their sex and asked to select the image which most represents their body image and the ideal body image. Then they are asked to explain why they find the “ideal body shape” appealing. More males select the athletic body shape because it seems “normal” or “healthy”; more females select the well-proportioned body shape because of its attractiveness to the opposite sex. More than half of the participants, regardless of sex, express satisfaction with their own bodies. The participants are content with their body shapes, believe they are healthy, and state that no one criticizes their body shapes. Few have low self-esteem. Most express confidence in themselves, in spite of any flaws in body shape. Most of the students believe that both body image and body satisfaction positively affect each other. Participants express that only the opinions of their parents and close friends and their own perceptions of body shape are important; other opinions are irrelevant. Weight does not play a significant role in body satisfaction.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

12. DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF ADHD.

Pierre J. Moton*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Because this disorder is mainly characterized as “acting out,” the diagnosis relies on specific behavioral rating scales based on national samples with little emphasis on ethnic differences. Researchers have suggested there is a possible overdiagnosis of the disease in African-American and Hispanic populations. This secondary analysis evaluates the demographic characteristics of participants diagnosed with ADHD in the combined child and family samples of the 2009 National Health Survey Interview. Over 9,000 children and parents are interviewed; a little over 700 have ever been diagnosed with ADHD. The specific characteristics examined are combined family income, age, race and ethnicity, parental education, and region. Sex is used as a control variable. Children diagnosed with ADHD were almost two years older than the other children in the sample. More males than females have been diagnosed with ADHD. Fewer males in the western region of the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD. There is no regional difference for females. More non-Hispanic males and females have been diagnosed with ADHD. The results show no significant difference between white and African/American males and females diagnosed with ADHD. There are also no differences for parental education or family income. These data appear to refute findings of other researchers of racial differences in the diagnosis of ADHD.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

13. EVALUATING DECISIONAL CONFLICT IN PROSTATE CANCER EDUCATION AND SCREENING PROGRAM FOR LOW INCOME AFRICAN AMERICANS.

Pierre J. Moton1, Curtis Fields2, Flora A. M. Ukoli3, Patel Kushal1, Alphonse Pasipanodya1, Rodney Davis1, Derrick Beech*1, Shirley Brown1

1Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN, 37208; 2Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN, 37208; 3Department of Surgery, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, 37208

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects African Americans with earlier onset and higher mortality than whites. Due to controversy regarding benefits and risks of early detection, providers are required to explain the nature of the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening before offering it. This study assesses the impact of an education intervention on self-reported decisional conflict regarding prostate cancer screening in a low-income African American population. The sample includes 514 African American men, ages 42 to 81, who had not screened for prostate cancer in the past year. Each participant completed a 6-page survey including demographic, cancer history, knowledge about prostate cancer, and decisional conflict items. A private education session also occurred. The two-page follow-up survey includes questions about prostate cancer screening since intervention, prostate cancer knowledge and decisional conflict. About one-third of the participants has less than a high school education and is unemployed; two-thirds have annual incomes of less than $25,000. Baseline data show poor prostate cancer knowledge. The results show an increase in prostate cancer knowledge between the baseline and follow-up surveys. Screening barriers include health insurance, digital rectum exam discomfort, and fear of diagnosis. The majority of the males report no decisional conflict when the baseline data are collected. Even less decisional conflict is reported in the follow-up survey. High prostate cancer knowledge improvement is inversely associated with decisional conflict. While decisional conflict is low regardless of age or income, low education and poor knowledge scores at the follow-up survey are associated with decisional conflict.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Shirley Brown

14. SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON ADOLESCENT ASPIRATIONS.

Tamika Vaughn*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Children are socialized into gender roles from birth, which may impact their future aspirations. The socialization of children potentially limits their occupational interests. Masculine and feminine roles, along with other factors, can potentially lead children into traditional jobs. Women are placed in the 90th percentile range in occupations such as preschool workers, kindergarten teachers, cosmetologists, nurses, receptionists, information clerks, secretaries and administrative assistants, and other pink-collar occupations. The present study investigates the role of parents, peers, media, and socioeconomic status in determining adolescent aspirations. The study also seeks to understand the link between gender socialization and the choice of occupation. The results are based on one-on-one interviews with students participating in an after-school program. Thirteen students ranging in age from 13 to 17 are included in this study. The findings show that family structure is a primary factor in determining adolescent aspirations. Children from two-parent households with educated and employed parents aspire to attend college and obtain professional but gendered occupations. Females aspire to teaching, nursing, and acting; males aspire to be architects and business owners. The adolescents state that parents chose toys for them that are considered gender appropriate: Barbies and dolls for girls, Legos and action figures for boys. Favorite subjects are also distinguished by gender with the boys choosing primarily math and the girls choosing music and languages. The findings also show that the media have some effect on teenagers, but not on their occupational aspirations.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

15. POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION: LINKING THEORY TO PRACTICE.

Candace A. Warren*, Dani A. Smith

Sociology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Almost two million juveniles are arrested each year. Efforts have been made to reduce youth’s initial and continued involvement with the justice system; however, the high recidivism rates cause the success of these efforts to be questioned. Growing in popularity as an effective practice and field of developmental research, positive youth development combines prevention methods and desired developmental outcomes for youth as they transition into adulthood. The present study examines the principles of positive youth development that are explained by theories of crime. This study begins by identifying the central tenets of three criminological theories: Akers’ Social Learning Theory, Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory, and Agnew’s General Strain Theory. These tenets are then compared to principles of positive youth development specified by five youth serving organizations. The 38 principles of positive youth development for the convenience sample of five organizations are found by reviewing journals, databases, and internet resources, and speaking with staff at youth serving organizations. The social bond theory, particularly the tenets of commitment and involvement, is the theory most supported by the 38 principles of positive youth development. Although the percentages of principles describing attachment are seemingly low, every organization provides a principle that relates to this tenet. For Agnew’s strain theory, both the failure to achieve and the presentation of negative stimuli are addressed by all five organizations. The least supported tenet is imitation, from the social learning theory.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dani A. Smith

School of Natural Science, Mathematics and Business

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

16. HARLEY DAVIDSON INC. 2008: THRIVING THROUGH A RECESSION

Priscilla Carroll*, Ackeil Facey, Bernard Holmes, Tarsha Johnson, Keinelia Toussaint, Nicholas Umontuen

Department of Business Administration, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Harley Davidson has beat the odds once, will it be able to do it again? This case analysis deals with past as well as the future of this successful American company. William Harley and his friend Arthur R. Davidson began brainstorming business ideas in 1901. Their ideas and concepts lead to the birth of The Harley-Davidson Company in 1903. Harley Davidson is an Elite motorcycle company that in the past appealed to many but with the changing times, they are coming close to appealing to none. The traditional Harley-Davidson heavy structured motorcycles originally appealed to the baby boomers. With the growing concerns that the baby boomers are aging management introduces a newer version of their motorcycle called the V-Rod in an attempt to appeal to the much younger market. 104 years after the initial start of the Harley-Davidson Corporation, they hit a financial decline and had to revamp the market strategy in order to successfully compete in the 21st Century market. Harley Davidson is failing financially because of the lack of diversity in their marketing strategies, slow response or no solutions to the challenges facing the company due to the recession, and negligence from the local and foreign companies’ true production levels. The questions many may ask, is how will the current recession affect the operations of Harley Davidson? Will the company be able to grow at the historical rates that made Harley Davidson Market leaders? Will expansion help or hinder the company’s resources? To begin to answer these questions we studied the company’s marketing strategies, the statistics from the sales, and the production levels. Recommendations for the companies are to cut back on non-profitable foreign subsidiaries, focus on more energy efficient motorcycles, expand to other products such as Choppas, and implement effective compensation management strategies.

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Nicholas Umontuen

17. CARNIVAL CORPORATION & PLC (2006): TWELVE DISTINCT BRANDS SERVING SEVEN CONTINENTS.

MarQo Patton*, Reginee Caesar, Desmond Lane, Ari Johnson, Adrian Smith, Inna Smith, Nicholas Umontuen

Department of Business Administration, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

This paper is a strategic case analysis of Carnival Corporation. The purpose is to assess how effective the company has been in dealing with the dramatic changes in its competitive environment and to make recommendations on how Carnival could position itself for the future. The Carnival Corporation is an international cruise company and one of the largest vacation companies in the world. Since its creation in 1972, it has grown from having 1 ship, to having 12 distinctive cruise lines with 79 ships that serve all 7 continents. Their corporate missions is to “deliver exceptional vacation experiences through the world’s best known cruise brands that cater to a variety of different lifestyles and budgets, all at an outstanding value unrivaled on land or at sea.” With their mission in mind, Carnival has been able to acquire 48.9% of the global cruise industry’s total number of passengers as of 2005. Revenue has steadily increased for Carnival throughout the years. In 2005, Carnival received $8.38 billion in revenue and has been able to maintain financial stability within recent years. With the challenges that have affected our global economy and with the heightened fear of terrorism, Carnival has been able to sustain itself thus far. However we have identified potential challenges with current sate of the economy and increased fuel prices that could hinder the future success of this firm. In our research, we have identified ways to combat these external factors that Carnival faces. As the result of our analysis, we advise that Carnival seeks to cater to its target markets such as young college graduates, newlyweds, and new retirees, by providing ways to increase marketing efforts and offering budget sensitive packages that will ensure consumer interest, thus providing sustainability for this cruise line entertainment firm.

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Nicholas Umontuen

18. THE ACQUISITION OF MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Sydnee Rice*, Yvonna Merriwether, Champagne Robinson, Chris Shackelford, Ifiok Umontuen, Nicholas Umontuen

Department of Business Administration, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Is the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment by Walt Disney the break Marvel was looking for in order to survive the turbulence of today’s entertainment industry? This paper utilizes strategic management tools to analyze Marvel Entertainment current situation in order to make recommendations for its future strategic endeavors. Recently Marvel Entertainment Inc. faced hardships in the comic industry. How does its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company in 2009 eliminate challenges and capitalize on assets? The challenges facing Marvel are licensing and access to capital. Selected indicators were used to evaluate the 2009 acquisition by The Walt Disney Company. The indicators include company research, industry analysis, strategic analysis of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), financial ratio analysis, and competitor comparison. Company research reveals Marvel’s strong young male consumer segment, which complements Disney’s female consumer base. An additional complement to Disney would be Marvel’s excellent brand recognition. The SWOT analysis indicates that Disney does not need to designate time trying to improve Marvel’s brand name. Inversely, The Walt Disney Company offers consolidated licensing agreements which decreases cost. The ratio analysis suggests that Disney’s wealth addresses Marvel’s need for capital. The evaluation of Marvel was limited to its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company.

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Nicholas Umontuen

19. THE SURVIVAL OF TIVO INC.

Kamil Smith*, Jessica McDowell, Jermaine Johnson, Adrian Coleman, Lauren Lee, Nicholas Umontuen

Department of Business Administration, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

How does a product with ratings up to the sky and amazing features fail to produce a profit? This paper is a case analysis designed to assess TiVo’s strategic posture, and make recommendations for future improvements. Being that TiVo had established one of the most rapid adoption rates in the history of consumer electronics, one may or may not have guessed that this same company has suffered some major losses in consumer history as well. TiVo has made multiple partnerships with many different cable companies, internet companies, and television networks. In spite of all the partnerships and amazing reviews TiVo has accumulated losses of over $741.8 million and major fluctuation of stock prices over the course of its existence. Through research and analysis it is fair to say that TiVo spends a lot of money for little results. Through our research we have identified steps TiVo should take to decrease its losses and potentially earn a profit. We recommend that (1) TiVo reevaluate their overall business plan and marketing strategy. If TiVo is spending so much money on advertising, where is the proof? They need a strategy that is going to SELL their product to the consumer market. (2) TiVo needs to cut costs. (3) Discontinue relationships with unprofitable partnerships and work towards creating a partnership with a company that strictly uses their product. In Conclusion, following these recommendations TiVo can hope to earn positive revenue. It will however, take some time to fully recover from such extreme losses.

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Nicholas Umontuen

20. CHANGING THE FACE OF GAP, INC.

Ayo Thomas*, Nicholas Umontuen

Department of Business Administration, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

This is a study of Gap Inc., an international specialty retail store comprised of Old Navy, Gap, and the Banana Republic as of 2006. The firm had experienced a decrease in revenues (by 1.5%), operating profit (by 4.2%), and net profit (by 3.2%) as compared to 2005. Strengths of Gap Inc. include low long term debt, and brand recognition. Weaknesses include over dependence on North American stores and declining operating cash flows. Opportunities include growth in online retail spending, and markets in India & China. Threats include a slowdown in consumer spending and the exodus of top managers. We recommend that Gap Inc. initiate several key objectives. 1) Repurchase $500 stocks and than reissue them at a later date; 2) Consider installing a new President/CEO in replacement of Paul Pressler, along with a new management team; 3) downsize the stores in North America; 4) Move toward online sales rather than an a dependence on physical stores; 5) Market traffic toward the website of their recently launched women's store in order to increase online sales traffic; 6) open more stores in Asia and Europe and study consumer spending behavior in those areas to better market their products. In doing this Gap Inc. will increase its profitability and efficiency while improving its position in the global market.

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Nicholas Umontuen

DEPARTMENT OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

21. THE EFFECT OF THIAZOLIDINEDIONES ON PROSTATE CANCER CELL INVASION.

Valexia Edwards*, Patrice Moss, LaMonica V. Stewart, Phyllis Freeman

Biology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) is a ligand-activated nuclear receptor that is expressed in normal and malignant prostate tissue. Our laboratory and others have shown that PPAR gamma ligands reduce growth and invasion of human prostate cancer cells. However, the mechanisms by which PPAR gamma ligands reduce prostate cancer cell invasion have yet to be defined. The goal of this study was to determine how one group of synthetic PPAR gamma ligands, the thiazolidinediones (TZDs), reduces invasion of human prostate cancer cells. As tumor cells become invasive, epithelial features are lost and mesenchymal properties are gained, a process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The EMT process is promoted by the transcription factor SNAIL. In this project, we tested the hypothesis that TZDs regulate expression of SNAIL and other proteins involved in the EMT process. In this study, the PC-3 cell line served as our model of invasive human prostate cancer cells. Western blot analysis was used to detect alterations in SNAIL protein levels following TZD exposure. The TZD rosiglitazone reduced SNAIL protein levels in PC-3 cells. Since SNAIL plays a key role in promoting tumor cell invasion, our data would suggest that rosiglitazone inhibits prostate cancer cell invasion by reducing expression of SNAIL and possibly other proteins critical for EMT.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Phyllis Freeman

22. IMPACT AND RESPONSE TO DMS IN THE ALGA ULVA LACTUCA.

Jennifer Middleton*1, Kathy V. Alstyne2

1Biology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University, Anacortes, WA 98221

Ulva lactuca, a green alga, produces the volatile compound dimethylsulfide (DMS), a breakdown product of dimethylsulfionopropionate (DMSP), as a chemical defense to protect itself from physiological stress or herbivore grazing. Terrestrial plants can use volatile chemicals that are released by neighboring plants when they are grazed as a signal to produce increased levels of defenses. I hypothesized that algae producing DMSP would respond similarly to airborne DMS; therefore, higher levels of DMSP and lower growth rates would occur in U. lactuca exposed to DMS than in control U. lactuca not exposed to DMS. To test this hypothesis, I exposed U. lactuca to DMS for 6 hours in black gas sealed buckets and measured algal size and DMSP concentration over 2 weeks. The results of my experiment showed that U. lactuca exposed to DMS initially had higher concentrations of DMSP, but then had reduced DMSP concentrations 12 to 15 days following exposure. At the end of the experiment, algae exposed to DMS were significantly larger than the unexposed control algae.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Justus Ike

23. STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF NITRIDED SIC-SIO2 INTERFACES.

Tolani Olonisakin*1, Roland L. Barbosa2, Warren E. Collins2, Patricia McCarroll1

1Biology Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Silicon Carbide has a large potential for high-temperature and high-power applications due to its wide range of advantageous properties. The SiC-SiO2 interface, however, has limited the performance and commercializing of SiC-based transistors. The purpose of this research is to study the structural environment of nitrided SiC-SiO2 interfaces in an effort to explain how nitridation improves the interface quality of the material. SiC-SiO2 structures annealed in nitric oxide (NO) and forming gas (N2/H2) were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). XPS analysis revealed the presence of C-N, C-C, C-O, Si-N, Si-O-N, Si-O and Si-C at the NO-annealed SiC-SiO2 interface and N2/H2-annealed SiC-SiO2 interface with the exception of Si-O-N at the interface of SiC-SiO2 annealed in N2/H2. IR analysis showed intense peaks at 1468.06 and 1460.08 in the NO-annealed SiC-SiO2 and N2/H2-annealed SiC-SiO2 samples respectively.

Keywords: nitridation, SiC-SiO2 interface.

Faculty Advisors: Prof.. Patricia McCarroll

24. TESTING THE INHIBITORS RAPAMYCIN AND DASATINIB ON THE VIABILITY OF BREAST CANCER CELLS.

Chisom Odoh*1, Brad T. Casali2, Ruth Keri2

1Chemistry Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Case Western Reserve University, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease as demonstrated by gene expression profiling. There are a number of subtypes: luminal, normal-like, basal, and ErbB2-positive (ErbB2+). Additionally, these subtypes carry distinct prognoses. For example, the ErbB2+ positive subset of breast cancer is an aggressive form with poor patient prognosis. In contrast, luminal breast cancers usually have a good prognosis as they respond to anti- hormone therapies. Novel therapeutic strategies for targeting ErbB2+ breast cancer remain critical. The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Src is both expressed and activated has been observed in a variety of breast cancer subtypes. Many cancers, including breast, also display signaling through the P13K/Akt/mTOR pathway. The mammalian target for rapamycin (mTOR) mediates cancer cell growth through increased synthesis of proteins needed for cell survival. Increased activity of Src and mTOR in ErbB2+ breast cancer makes them attractive therapeutic targets. We therefore utilized the drugs dasatinib (an inhibitor of Src) and rapamycin (an inhibitor of mTOR) at escalating dosages to test cellular viability of the ErbB2+ cell line SKBr3. We found that SKBr3 cells responded to both drugs with decreases in cellular viability at increasing dosage of inhibitors. With this knowledge, it is our hope that usage of dasatinib and rapamycin may be efficacious at inhibiting the viability of other ErbB2+ tumors in women.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Princilla Evans Morris

25. SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL DISULFONATED BIPHENOL BASED POLY(ARYLENE ETHER SULFONE) HEXACHLOROCYCLOTRIPHOSPHAZENE BLENDS WITH IMPROVED EXTRUSION PROPERTIES AND SUPERIOR WATER PERFORMANCE.

Jazmine Wafer*, Natalie Arnett

Chemistry Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 38208

The purpose of this proposed research is to prepare blends of disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (PAESs) with hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) monomers to achieve suitable extrusion temperatures for multi-layering extrusion to occur. Previous research out of the University of Texas at Austin demonstrated that blends of biphenol based disulfonated PAES (BPS-20) with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were possible and melt extrudable. However large amounts of PEG were required to lower the Tg to a acceptable processing temperature, resulted in poor polymer mechanical properties. This research will investigate HCCP monomer as a potential alternative to PEG through controlled blending of disulfonated biphenol based PAES (BPS-20) with HCCP. Blends of BPS-20 with HCCP monomers will be prepared via solution blends. Successful blending of BPS-20 with HCCP have the potential of being melt extruded into multilayered thin films due to the HCCP acting as plasticizers that can lower the Tg of BPS-20 by at least 60 to 100 ºC. In presence of significant amounts of water, HCCP will also undergo hydrolysis to yield an oxophosphazene. The hydrolysis continues once the ring structure is disrupted ultimately yielding ammonia, phosphoric acid, ad hydrochloric acid. Thus HCCP monomer will be extracted from the blends membranes by simple water extraction at room or elevated temperatures.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Natalie Arnett

26. CHARACTERIZATION OF CADMIUM ZINC TELLURIDE CRYSTALS (CZT - CG50 AND CG83) FOR RADITION DETECTION APPLICATIONS.

Daniel Lee*, Arnold Burger, Michael Groza

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

We characterized two Cd1-xZnxTe (CZT) crystals grown at Washington State University (WSU), CG50 and CG83 through a series of physical tests. Various methods were used in order to determine important characteristics of the CZT crystals which include: IR transmission imaging, Zn distribution using Photoluminescence (PL) Mapping and Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), internal electric field uniformity using the Pockels electro-optic effect, resistivity using current-voltage measurements, and lastly detection response. This information is reported to WSU and our other research partners in hopes of improving their methods of growing CZT, therefore more readily producing commercial grade CZT detectors. Commercial grade CZT crystals can be used as a radiation detecting medium for homeland and national security applications.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Arnold Burger

Lab Mentor: Micheal Groza

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE

27. SCRATCH: YOUNG DEVELOPERS.

Oluwasola Adebomi*, Sajid Hussain

Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Scratch is a programming language for every one of all ages, backgrounds, and interests, to program their own interactive stories, games, animations, and simulations – and to share their creations with one another. With source code freely available for sharing and remixing, the collection of projects is wildly diverse: video games, interactive newsletters, science simulations, virtual tours, birthday cards, animated dance contests, interactive tutorials, and many others, all programmed in Scratch. Primary goal of Scratch is not to prepare people for careers as professional programmers, but rather to nurture the development of a new generation of creative, systematic thinkers who are comfortable using programming to express their ideas. Most people have access to powerful computers, in the form of desktops, laptops, and embedded systems. It is time to give these users more control over their computers through education and supporting software-Scratch. If users have a general understanding of computers at the level of software design and implementation, this will cause a massive surge in productivity and creativity, with a far-ranging impact that can barely be anticipated or imagined. In this paper, we create animated stories with anime characters that are interactive to change the perception of young generation being digital naïve. Furthermore, we create different types of events invitation cards.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sajid Hussain

28. A PHARMACODYNAMIC MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR DRUG PRESCRIPTIONS.

Jenise R. Burks*, Linda Cornett, Sanjukta Hota

Mathematics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

This research project develops a simple mathematical model to address a fundamental pharmacodynamic problem of determining a drug prescription taking into account the minimum effective level and maximum safe level of concentration of the drug in blood serum. The main objective is to assess quantitatively how doses and time between doses can be adjusted to maintain a safe and effective concentration of the drug in the blood. The model develops a dynamic formula to compute the concentration of the drug in the blood and the residual amount during a particular dose period. Mathematica is used for computation and graphical representation.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sanjukta Hota

29. USING WORKFLOWS TO INTEGRATE WEATHER DATA SERVERS INTO A WEB SERVICE.

Alok Hota*1, Lei Qian1, Yaohang Li2, Albert Esterline2, William Wright2

1Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Department of Computer Science, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411

This Earth Information Systems pilot project aims to demonstrate the power of web services; specifically, they allow software and services from different platforms and locations to be combined easily to provide an integrated service. Weather stations were planted at both Fisk University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT). The stations are capable of collecting and transmitting data ever minute to a receiver, which in turn would store the data at five minute intervals to a database in a server at each university. Both servers were built as web service servers. Upon request, they will retrieve data from the databases and send the data to a client. WSDL files work as the interface necessary for applications utilizing the web service. A workflow was created to use the web services from different locations.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lei Qian

30. JOYSTICK LOCKING MECHANISM USING ARDUINO

Taurean Major*, Sajid Hussain

Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The Arduino board is an open-source platform for controlling and creating interactive objects and environments. The project consists of working with an Arduino Uno board with an ATmega328 microcontroller and the Arduino development environment to create a small machine. The machine comprises a joystick and two potentiometers, which control a small servo motor. The machine is used to control a door lock mechanism. The project can be used for people who do not have the dexterity to operate a locking mechanism but can easily use a joystick controller. In the future, the project will expand to incorporate an android application.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sajid Hussain

31. USING A WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO PROCESS BIOINFORMATICS DATA.

Bolutife J. Ogunjobi*, Lei Qian

Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville TN 37208

Advances in modern day medical research make it easier to collect large quantities of biological data which may prove difficult to manage and analyze. To ensure proper data analysis and control of data, several Workflow Management Systems (WMSs) have been proposed. In this project, we use Kepler, a free WMS, to retrieve and analyze data from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEPP). KEPP is a bioinformatics resource that aims to enable computational prediction of higher-level complexity of cellular processes and organism behaviors from genomic and molecular information. For optimal results, the genome sequence data generated from the KEGG project is organized into workflows and then analyzed. Kepler was chosen because of its ease of use and support of hierarchy in workflows. Kepler also allows for workflows to be shared via a web portal and web service interface. Using Kepler, we can utilize web services of the KEGG project to make its data easier to study and analyze. This project presents the implementation of a workflow system that can process data gotten from bioinformatics research and it shows how this analysis method makes a large volume of data easier to analyze.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lei Qian

32. AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOT NAVIGATION AND OBJECT TRACKING USING LEARN: A CAMERA-BASED APPROACH.

Bolutife J. Ogunjobi*1, Kiju Lee2

1Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208, 2Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106

LEARN (the Light-weight, Expandable, and Autonomous Robot for Navigation) is designed to avoid obstacles while navigating autonomously in indoor and outdoor environments. Originally designed by Mike Malguarnera and John Horton, its functionality has been further expanded to include object detection and tracking using a camera (CMUcam3).This project focuses on the extraction of specific information from the environment to reduce uncertainty in LEARN's navigation tasks. The objective is to incorporate vision-based object detection and tracking algorithm with the already existing sonar-based obstacle avoidance algorithm to enable LEARN to detect obstacles while autonomously tracking an object. In order to obtain an integrated robot obstacle avoidance and navigation, three MAX E-Z1 Ultrasonic Sensors are used with the camera to detect and avoid obstacles. The CMUcam3 is mounted on a pan-tilt servo assembly to aid maneuverability and increase LEARN’s field of view. This model will hopefully serve as an excellent mobile platform that can be used in various research and educational projects.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lei Qian

33. CREATING A SIMPLE INTUITIVE GAME BY MAKING USE OF BASIC WEB TECHNOLOGIES.

Ejebagom J. Ojogbo*, Lei Qian

Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The project involved making use of basic web technologies to design an interactive website with a game. The website made use of standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, including popular JavaScript library jQuery. The layout and color scheme of the website were designed using pure HTML and CSS, while the animations and transitions employed on the page were done by making use of jQuery. The game itself is a simple guessing game. The computer generates a random 4 digit number and the user is supposed to guess the number the computer generated. The user is made aware of how good/close his guess is by indicators left by the webpage. When a bull is awarded (denoted by a red helmet), this means that a digit is both correct and in its right position in the number. When a cow is awarded (denoted by a silver helmet), this means that a digit is correct but it is in the wrong position in the number. Using these, the user is supposed to eventually come to a good guess of the generated number. The game’s source code, along with transitions and animations in the webpage, was written purely in JavaScript; no Flash software was employed in animating the site. jQuery was heavily used to provide simple and smooth animations to make the webpage more intuitive and interactive. Server-side scripting, necessary for user accounts, was done in PHP. XAMPP was employed to run the PHP code on the server/host computer during tests. Current work involves increasing game difficulty (for example by increasing number of digits to be guessed) and supporting more than one user profile for playing the game through databases and PHP.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lei Qian

34. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPEECH CAPABILITIES OF A TOUR GUIDE ROBOT.

Fabian Okeke*, Jesse Fish

Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lei Qian

35. DEPLOYING MULTIPLE OPERATING SYSTEMS ON VMWARE VSHERE VIRTUALIZATION SYSTEM.

Anjolaoluwa Olayemi*, Temitope Obanla, Olatomiwa Lasebikan, Lei Qian

Computer Science Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Today’s computers were designed to run a single operating system at a time. However, most of these computers are so powerful that only a small portion of their resources is used to run the operating system. Virtualization is a modern trend in computer technology that allows software to exercise the traits of real hardware. Real operating systems can be installed and run on virtual machines. The virtualization technology reduces the cost of hardware investment and maintenance. It also makes backup and migration much easier. VMware vSphere is VMware’s first cloud operating system. It is able to manage large pools of virtualized computing infrastructure, including software and hardware. In this project, we created a vSphere ESXi host. Windows 2008, Linux and windows XP systems were installed on the server. An experimental SAN storage device was created for use by the operating systems. The system performance was benchmarked and compared with physical systems and traditional Host-Client virtual machine systems, including VMware workstation, Oracle Vitualbox and MS Virtual PC. We found that vSphere outperformed the other virtual machine systems.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lei Qian

36. DETERMINING PRESCRIPTION DOSAGE & INTERVALS.

Nneka Richards, Herman Pittman II, Sanjukta Hota

Mathematics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Over the counter drugs as well as prescription drugs contain a set of instructions to direct the individual on the number of doses to consume and the interval by which each dose should be taken. In this project, we develop a pharmacodynamic mathematical model to determine how the dosage and interval of doses can be adjusted in such a way that the drug would be effective and there would be a safe concentration of the drug in the blood. Mathematical equations are developed to compute the drug concentration and drug residual at any time during the prescription period. The model is verified through the available data for various everyday drugs.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sanjukta Hota

37. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT FOR EQUIPMENT AT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (ITS)

Maxwell Tsatsu*1, Joseph Curtis2, Sajid Hussain1

1Computer Science, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Department of Information Technology and Services (ITS), Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The department of Information Technology Services (ITS) uses manual documentation of the equipment for inventory management. The current process was time consuming and inefficient. In this project, I designed and implemented an efficient web-based inventory management for the related equipment. The web-based forms are created using .NET platform and C# programming language to collect and store the data in the back-end database (Microsoft SQL Server). The proposed system manages all the features of the process: data entry, queries, check-in, check-out, and other related tasks. The proposed system was tested for scalability and robustness.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sajid Hussain

DIVISION OF GENERAL EDUCATION AND GRADUATE STUDIES

38. PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYAMIDE- POLYETHERAMIDE (PAPEA) COPOLYMERS MEMBRANES FOR REVERSE OSMOSIS AND NANOFILTRATION.

Maurice Gayle*, Natalie Arnett

Chemistry Discipline Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The objective of this research is to prepare novel polyamide-polyetheramide (PAPEA) copolymers (See Figure 1.) by interfacial polymerization. Polyamide membranes (PA) are the most common membranes used in desalination of seawater with excellent salt rejection over 99.9%. However, the susceptibility of commercially available PA membranes to chlorine attack in the presence of more than 1 ppm of free chlorine is the primary drawback during desalination of seawater. The use of secondary diamines such as JEFFAMINEs® will be investigated in this research to prevent the possible chlorine attack on amidic nitrogen. Removing the site of degradation from the PAPEA backbone will result in desalination membranes with better resistance to chlorine attacks at higher concentration (10 ppm) of free chlorine that has been observed in secondary amines. Figure 1. Structure of Polyamide-Polyetheramide (PAPEA) Copolymers The PAPEA copolymers in this investigation will be prepared by varying the ratios of an amine terminated polyethylene glycol polymer to different diamines dissolved in the aqueous phase and reacting with a diacid chlorides in the organic phase. Ultimately compared to current PA desalination membranes, the PAPEA membranes prepared in this research will demonstrate better chemical stability, decreased membrane fouling, and improved desalination performance (water flux and salt rejection).

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Natalie Arnett, Fisk University

39. SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DISULFONATED POLY(ARYLENE ETHER SULFONE - TETRACHLOROCYCLOTRIPHOSPHAZENE) HYBRID COPOLYMERS.

Susan Ramos-Hunter*, Natalie Arnett

Chemistry Discipline Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

The objective of this research is to synthesize disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone-tetrachlorocyclotriphosphazene) (PAES-TCCP) hybrid copolymers as proton exchange membranes (PEM) for fuel cells. This proposal will combine the unique properties of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) monomer with disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PAES) copolymer to prepare novel hybrid polymers with increased hydrophilicity, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. In the past, polymers comprised of HCCP and various aryl bisphenols have led to low molecular weight oligomers that were not proton conductive. Sulfonation via either post-sulfonation or direct copolymerization increases hydrophilicity and other membrane properties. Most research has utilized harsh post sulfonation reactions to modify HCCP preformed polymers resulting in not only irreproducible but also cross linked products. Scheme 1. Synthesis of PAES-TCCP Hybrid Copolymers by Direct Copolymerization To overcome these limitations, a two-step method (Scheme 1) for preparing disulfonated linear PAES-TCCP hybrid copolymers will be investigated. In the first step, hybrid monomers based on hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and bisphenols monomers will be prepared. It is anticipated that the phenolic endgroups of the bisphenol monomers will serve as the reactive site for polymerization to overcome the steric hindrance associated with the HCCP monomer, thus increasing molecular weight. Next, linear PAES-TCCP hybrid copolymers will be synthesized by direct copolymerization of the hybrid monomers in a 1:1 stoichiometry with disulfonated 4, 4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone (SDCDPS) and unsulfonated 4, 4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone (DCDPS) monomers. No substitution of the chlorides on HCCP with bulky groups prior to polymerization will allow post-modifications to be carried out along the polymer backbone, providing further reactive sites to subsequently incorporate various functional groups that could improve proton conductivity at relative low humidity or provide sites for controlled cross-linking to reduce swelling.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Natalie Arnett

40. DIMENSIONAL CHANGES OF CARBON NANOSTRUCTURES IN SIC DECOMPOSITION.

Adrienne Williams*1,2, Weijie Lu1

1Chemistry Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Wright-Patterson Airforce Base, Dayton, OH 45433

Carbon nanotubes and graphene exhibit extraordinary and unique electrical properties that make them potentially useful in many applications in nanotechnology, electronics, optics, and other fields of material science. Silicon carbide decomposition at different pressure regimes produces both carbon nanostructures. Graphene and SWCNTs were produced by annealing the SiC samples at various extreme temperatures under 5.0 x 10ˉ8 Torr and 5.0 x 10ˉ6 Torr, respectively. During the heating process, the partial pressure of oxygen was monitored using a mass spectrometer. Analyses of the samples were performed using Mass Spectrometry, Raman Spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy. Annealing at 10ˉ8 Torr produced graphene layers while at 10ˉ6 Torr produced single-walled carbon nanotubes. Minute oxygen is seen as a catalyst as it is introduced into the anneal chamber in the growth mechanism of the carbon nanostructures. Consequently, oxygen of total partial pressure of 10ˉ¹0 Torr present in the anneal chamber causes defects and impurities. Implications for future study include performing Transmission Electron Microscopy to better analyze the growth mechanisms of carbon nanotubes and graphene.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Weijie Lu

41. GROWTH AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SRI2 SINGLE CRYSTAL GROWN BY BRIDGEMAN TECHNIQUE.

Linda Cornett*, Yevgeniy Tupitsyn, Yunlong Cui, Pijush Bhattacharya, Arnold Burger

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208.

A single crystal SrI2 was grown using Vertical Bridgeman Technique. The crystal growth was carried out in a two zone semi-transparent furnace kept at 600 and 400 °C with a pulling rate of 1 cm per day and a thermal gradient of 15 °C/cm. The grown crystal was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. The DSC analyses showed the melting point of the crystal to be 536 °C. The melting point of Ba doped (100 ppm) SrI2 was found to be similar to that of SrI2 without Barium dopant. The Raman spectroscopy of crystal was measured and will be discussed.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Arnold Burger

42. PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT OF MULTILAYERED FERROELECTRIC FILMS VIA SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION.

Jennifer Jones*1, Richard Mu1, Heungman Park2, Norman Tolk2, Lei Zhu3; Eric Baer3

1Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208, 2Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37240; 3Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106

Multilayered piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and copolymer systems are fabricated using enabling technology at Case Western Reserve University and have potential applications in energy harvesting, energy storage and sensing. We are developing an in situ and non-destructive characterization technique for multilayered polymeric systems using second harmonic generation (SHG) laser spectroscopy. SHG occurs when an intense beam of light of frequency ω impinges on a material inducing a non-linear optical process such that a beam of light of frequency 2ω is generated. In this experiment we measure the SHG intensity of a single layer of PVDF as a function of the incident and output light polarizations and the azimuthal angle. The results show that SHG can be used to provide information on the structure of PVDF. Further we have also demonstrated that SHG laser spectroscopy has the potential to probe physical properties within the individual layers of a multilayered system and interface as well.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Richard Mu

43. NI-CATALYZED CARBON NANOTUBES SYNTHESIS BY DIFFUSION OF AMORPHOUS CORBAN.

Willie Matthews*, Warren E. Collins

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a common method to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene. The carbon source is from the gas phase in CVD technique. In this study, we are presenting a novel method to produce CNTs structures by diffusion controlled metal catalytic graphitization. A thin layer of carbon is placed on oxidized Si wafer, and a metal catalyst then is deposited on top of the carbon then annealed at high temperatures and low pressures. Depending on the conditions, carbon structures are diffused through the Ni layer and formed on the surface. When the multi-layered Ni/C/SiO2/Si samples are annealed at 600° C under 10-8 Torr and aligned CNTs are produced. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis has shown a significant increase in the sp2 carbon component. Raman analysis showed prominent CNT peaks corresponding to G, D and 2D bands with ID/IG equal to 0.53. A peak at 194 cm-1 is also present indicating the formation of single-walled nanotubes. The effect of oxygen on the sample was also investigated by annealing under different O2 partial pressures (10-9, 10-7 and 10-5 mbar). AFM images displayed similar morphologies but with larger diameter tubes and formation of agglomerates with higher oxygen pressure. Raman spectra showed upward shift of G peak as a function of increasing O2 concentration in the chamber suggesting bond expansion and other structural changes which will be examined further with XPS.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Warren E. Collins

44. SURFACE-PLASMON-ENHANCED EMISSION FROM FUNCTIONALIZED ZNO NANOWIRES.

Daniel Mayo*, Anthony Mayo, Akira Ueda, Zhengda Pan, Richard Mu

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Due to a wide band gap (3.37 eV) and high thermal stability, ZnO has increasingly been the focus for optical emission studies. To address this focus, vertically oriented ZnO nanowires (NWs) are grown upon silicon substrates using a modified vapor-solid method within a vertical furnace. Electron-beam evaporation is then used with glancing angle deposition (GLAD) to functionalize the sides of the ZnO NWs with both Ag and MgO:Ag. Comparative studies are then performed using photoluminescence (PL) and spectrophotometer measurements. Varying angle PL measurements are also performed to examine surface plasmon effects upon emission intensities. This research may serve as the foundation for applications which range from high-efficiency LEDs to optoelectronic plasmon waveguides.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Richard Mu

45. STUDIES OF LUMINESCENT PROPERTIES INFLUENCED BY ENERGY TRANSFER AND CO-DOPING OF YB3+ IN A TB3+ AND AG CO-DOPED GLASS MATRIX.

Ashley Piasecki*, Patryk Piasecki, Zhengda Pan, Steven Morgan, Richard Mu

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208.

Yb3+ / Tb3+ / Ag co-doped Li2O-LaF3-Al2O3-SiO2 (LLAS) glasses were synthesized via melt-quenching technique. Heat treatment was used to control Ag nanoparticle (NP) size. The interactions among the Yb3+ ions, Tb3+ ions and Ag NPs were studied and compared to Tb3+ and Ag co-doped samples without Yb3+. Energy transfer and NP growth in samples with and without Yb3+ doping are compared.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Steven Morgan

46. OPTICAL STUDIES OF TB3+ EMISSION ENHANCEMENT BY AG NANOPARTICLE SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE (SPR.).

Patryk Piasecki*, Ashley Piasecki, Zhengda Pan, Steven Morgan, Richard Mu

Physics Discipline Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Optical studies of Tb3+ photoluminescence have been studied while under local field effects from Ag nanoparticle surface plasmon resonance. A glass host was used to hold Tb ions and Ag nanoparticles from which they could be studied. Samples of different Ag and Tb concentrations were studied. Samples containing Ag nanoparticles showed a higher Tb3+ luminescence than those without silver. Ag nanoparticle size was controlled using heat treatments and confirmed using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and TEM imaging.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Steven Morgan

47. INFECTIOUS DISEASES ON ISOLATED ISLAND.

Shona M. Paul*1, Omari V. Paul1, Sanjukta Hota2

1Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208; 2Mathematics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

In this research project, a mathematical model is developed to determine the transmission dynamics of infectious disease on an isolated island. A logistic model was used to examine the processes and parameters that are critical in determining the spread of disease as a function of time. The model shows the disease spreading exponentially. Using a collected set of data, the log of the ratio of the number of infected individuals to those who are not infected are computed and graphical analysis was performed to estimate the constants in the model. This allowed for a quantitative method to predict the number of people who will be infected at a particular time.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sanjukta Hota

48. A MATHEMATICAL MODEL TO ANALYZE THE SURVIVAL RATES OF WHALES.

Korressa Williams*, Sanjuta Hota

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

A mathematical model is developed to analyze the survival rate of whale populations. A logistic population equation is used with the assumption of the existence of the minimum survival level and the maximum carrying capacity of the environment. Several parameters affecting the whale’s approximate rate of survival are manipulated to give a thorough analysis and discussion relating the data to actual environmental findings. Based on this model being efficient in estimating the whale population; controls to preserve this population will be offered.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sanjuta Hota

49. SCHOTTKY BARRIER HEIGHT EXTRACTION OF CZT GAMMA-RAY DETECTORS.

Michael J. Williams*, Adam M. Conway, Patrick R. Beck, Lars F. Voss, Robert T. Graff, Rebecca J. Nikolic, Art J. Nelson, Stephen A. Payne, Arnold Burger

Physics Discipline, Fisk University, Nashville, TN 37208

Gamma-ray detectors are essential in locating sources of gamma-ray photons for either astrophysics research or national security. Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) is an excellent material for gamma-ray absorption, however when biased the thermally generated carriers make it difficult to distinguish the detected photons from electrical noise. By understanding how an electric barrier (called the Schottky Barrier) between metal contacts and the CZT compound is formed, we can possibly increase the barrier to decrease leakage current and detector noise. We attached electrical probes to each of 5 Au-CZT-Au detectors on the same wafer used and applied a high voltage sweep across the detector from the cathode contacts. We recorded current-voltage measurements from 20oC to 80oC, and plotted the current vs. voltage data at each temperature. Using the reverse bias data, we plotted the natural log of current over temperature squared versus inverse temperature to obtain a linear relation; and then we used what is called the Schottky diode current equation to extract the barrier height. Based on what we saw in the data, each of the calculated barrier heights of all five detectors at various voltage readings illustrated the high reproducibility of the Schottky barrier contact with minimum variance and the insensitivity of the barrier height to increasing voltage. In further analysis, we will try to see if using other metals with a higher work function will indeed increase the barrier at the CZT contact.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Arnold Burger

Contact: webmaster@fisk.edu