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Our next fall deadline is October 15, 2023 11:59pm PT. Apply today to lock in your spot!

10-session deep dive into a research topic of your choice

6-week research project with an expert and peers who share your passion

A career discovery experience with 3 expert mentors in your chosen fields

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Previous studies have shown us the effects that background music has while learning new material. Background music can help one while studying as it can improve mood and overall performance when doing work, but it can also be distracting. Although studies have looked at the effects of music genre on studying, no studies have examined how participants’ familiarity with background music affects their performance. In this study, we will be looking into the effects of listening to familiar and unfamiliar music on performance on a reading comprehension task. We will also examine how this effect is moderated by the participant’s test anxiety. In the future, I plan to submit this research paper to The Young Scientists Journal.

Psychology, social psychology, neuroscience, political psychology

The intersection of test anxiety and listening to familiar or unfamiliar music affecting one's overall performance on a task.

Yurdanur will be conducting research comparing students' stress levels about the college entrance process in Turkey and Finland. She will be interviewing students and teachers. While interviewing, she will be gathering information about the different supports available and stressors associated with college entrance. Additionally. she will be drawing on prior research on this topic.

Education, Educational leadership, Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Organizational Policy and Procedure

Students' Stress Levels About College Entrance in Finland and Turkey 

Jennah has designed, and taken a precocious lead in the execution of, an ambitious project cataloguing television commercials from the U.S. and South Korea. The earliest examples are from the 1930s. The main category of analysis is the portrayal of gender roles in these commercials. Jennah plans to present findings in an interactive website, featuring a timeline of commercials and original commentary. Translations of Korean commercials into English are also currently planned.

Literature, English, philosophy, music, German, queer studies, classics (Latin and Greek), linguistics, interdisciplinary humanities, critical pedagogy

Comparative History of the Representation of Gender in U.S. and South Korean Television Commercials

In this paper, I discuss Theory X and Theory Y, applying that paradigm to analyze best HR practices for working from home, and how those practices may have changed in the age of COVID-19. The pros and cons of both theories will be discussed, thereby illuminating how changing circumstances decide which theory is best. This review lays the groundwork for future research, both in HR in this changing era, and in the effects that COVID-19 may have on business practices of all types.

Marketing, Consumer Psychology, Social Psychology, Prosocial Behavior, Respect and Consumer Dignity, Emotions, Identity, Branding

Theory X and Theory Y: MacGregor’s Theories of Motivation Applied to Working from Home in the Era of COVID-19

This project will be focused around a paper exploring and synthesizing the field’s current understanding of anosognosia. First, Kristen will define what anosognosia is and what it is not, why it is important that more people understand it. Next, she will move into a summary of etiology and causes, the relevant comorbidities, symptoms, and trajectory of the condition. Further, Kristen will explain how anosognosia is diagnosed and treated, as well as shortcomings of current diagnostic and treatment approaches. Finally, she will explore ways that community members and loved ones of those with anosognosia can increase empathy and understanding, as well as suggest ways in which to concretely support these patients. A secondary aim of the current project is to create an outreach program, either by podcast or YouTube video series, in which Kristen will provide psychoeducation and support for individuals with loved ones with anosognosia. Kristen will aim to forge connections with local physicians to garner expert interviews, and potentially land interviews with patients and/or loved ones with anosognosia.

Clinical psychology, clinical science, mental health

What is Anosognosia: How we can use what we know and what we don’t know to help loved ones with this condition of imperceptibility

This paper will cover the effects of COVID-19 on the operations of West Valley Community Services including how the nonprofit attracts funding, accesses its client base, and distributes resources. It will also analyze how the services provided by the nonprofit including financial counseling and the food pantry have been altered to adapt to quarantine measures. The research will also take into account how inflation and living costs in the Bay Area fluctuate demand for WVCS’s amenities. 

 Because WVCS has a high traffic food pantry as part of its operations, the research will encompass the partnership between the local farmers market and the food pantry supply. In addition, this paper will provide recommendations for California to modify tax legislation to encourage a larger volume of quality donations such as fresh produce. We will also examine the success of the food pantry based on statistics of clients served, amount of produce distributed, volume of food waste, and variety of food offered. 

Additional Questions To be Explored (To be Narrowed After Nonprofit Interview)
How has COVID-19 affected WVCS funding? Client Base? Volunteers?  Amount of food distributed? 
What’s the most efficient way for food pantries to distribute fresh food to the end consumer, vs. canned? Have fresh food donations increased? How do clients feel about fresh vs. canned food availability?. Are there any policies affecting farmer donations in place at state/federal level? What are the specific partners of the nonprofit - farmer’s market, government, other nonprofit agencies? What kind of ecosystem does the nonprofit operate in?


Nonprofit Sector & Finance, Philanthropy Sector, projects that entail mission-driven work in the public sector

How West Valley Community Services Evolved During COVID-19

This children’s book follows three protagonists whose families left them behind in the airport. The story takes place in the New York City Airport (JFK), as all of the protagonists are there for vacation. At first, they are not worried that they are lost and enjoy eachothers company while exploring fun parts of the airport. Then, as day turns into night, a massive blizzard empties the airport and the protagonists start panicking. The airport’s phone lines are out, so it is up to the three kids to find a way to get back to their families. They go through obstacles and adventures to attempt to fix the situation, and they make some rash decisions, then progress to making wise decisions that they all agree upon. Bella, who is the daughter of two politicians and resides in Washington D.C, is very knowledgeable, whitty, extroverted, and enjoys teaching her friends about political topics. She tackles obstacles with precision and her character shares lessons with the reader and the other protagonists. These lessons include equal representation (agreeing equally and disagreeing equally), debate/deliberation, and taking an actual vote to decide what to do in the end. The second protagonist, Maya, who is from Helena, Montana has Nigerian parents and is an introvert who does not always speak her mind. Yet as the story progresses, she learns how to share her opinion in order to make sure that the group makes wise decisions that they all agree upon. The last protagonist is a Pakistani boy from New Orleans, Ali. He rushes to make decisions and at first he doesn’t believe that he should “deliberate” with the other two characters, and thinks he can solve problems on his own. As the story progresses, he comes to the understanding that discussion is key to finding a solution. The goal of this children’s book is to educate students on a topic they are not taught in school, deliberative democracy, and help students realize that discussing and collaborating with people who may not always have the same beliefs as you is crucial in making choices and solving problems effectively. The end of the story uses a “flash-forward” where the one of the protagonists, Bella, is a politician and is in a room with world leaders and government officials who all have differing perspectives attempting to solve an issue. She will come to the realization that when she was younger and lost in an airport talking through decisions, that she was utilizing deliberative democracy, and what she is doing now to help change the world is deliberative democracy.

European history, history of emotions, Spanish, literary analysis

Lost at the Airport: The Ins and Outs of Deliberative Democracy

Over many decades the consumption of sugar, especially in the form of soda, has sufficiently increased among many Americans. Soda often contains high levels of acid which eventually leads to tooth erosion. Several research papers have been dedicated to solving this issue, but all have come up with one conclusion: lower your consumption of soda or stop it altogether. However, this is not a practical solution to the problem because for many individuals drinking soda often has become a habit that would be difficult to improve. In order to solve this issue I have developed an experiment that will determine which soda has the greatest effect on the rate of tooth erosion and what soda could substitute that particular brand without causing humans to adapt to a major diet/lifestyle change. In this experiment, we submerged teeth in solutions of varying PH while collecting the mass change among the different solutions. The data is collected daily over a period of six days. During that time, the teeth were evaluated based on qualitative measures in order to analyze not only the differences in mass but also the differences in appearance. The results of the experiment showed that soda with the highest acidity will not always cause the greatest change in mass.

Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Biotechnology, Dentistry, MedicineEntrepreneurialism, Dentistry, Medicine, Human Development, Organizational Behavior

The Effect of Acidity on Tooth Erosion

I am going to explain the process of how
drones operate and how using specific software makes it possible to code a
pre-programed route for the drone to follow so it can fly autonomously. For
example, I am going to attempt to code a pre-programed route for the CrazyFlie
2.1 drone to fly around the whole inside of my house. The main goal is to use
the camera to detect if the multiple house plants are healthy or not depending
on what colour they look. The pre-programed route will be specifically designed
for my house as I can code for the drone to hover above each plant for where
they are in the house. This will allow the camera underneath the drone capture
an image of the house plant. For this to be possible, an additional hardware
deck needs to be added to the drone itself. For example, the flow deck which
has a sensor that can measure the distance between the drone and the ground
with high precision. This one of the necessary sensors required so the drone
can fly autonomously. Another important piece of hardware is the Crazyradio
antenna, which will allow the computer to constantly be connected and send
instructions to the drone as it hovers and flies around. I will be explaining
my thought process of how I was able to make to make this project work
successfully.

Physics, Robotics, Nuclear Physics Fission/Fusion Energy, Clean Energy, Environmental Science, Nuclear Security, Global Security Questions in Artificial Intelligence/Policy, Nuclear Weapons, Fintech / Finance

Fun with the CrazyFlie 2.1 drone

*Abstract* - In this research paper I am going to describe the process by which I was able to program and use an Arduino UNO microcontroller and a potentiometer to control my powered sled, as a replacement to a transmitter and receiver, which is an essential component to control the motor speed. Since I live in Switzerland, where there is an abundant amount of snow, I decided to construct a sled with a relatively big wooden propeller mounted on the back which would result in the person sitting on the sled to be pushed forward. However, multiple electronic components are required, such as a brushless motor, batteries, an emergency stop button, and a motor driver.  Typically, this last component is implemented using an ESC (electronic speed controller), a transmitter (fig. 1) and a receiver (fig. 2) which allows the person operating the sled to control the speed of the motor by applying more or less power to the transmitter gimbal which sends signals to the receiver connected to the ESC. Given the high cost of the overall price of a transmitter and reviver, which is about $450, I was prompted to look for a cheaper substitute. Hence, I decided to investigate the feasibility of an Arduino microcontroller for this purpose. In fact, the Arduino, combined with a potentiometer, costs about $40, which is distinctly cheaper compared to the original price of $450. This paper will describe the process of implementing the powered sled using an Arduino microcontroller to successfully drive the vehicle’s motor.

Electrical/mechanical engineering, robotics, neuroscience of memory and sensation, control systems, and locomotion

Powered Sled

The topic of the project is generally about a young man, Dorian, from high society who strongly dislikes being within that society. He travels with his overbearing mother to New York to begin a new life after escaping a scandal. Once in New York, he finds himself at a jazz club and meets various characters who help him see that he can live a different life than what he's used to, and that he can be whoever he wants to be. Ultimately, he has to decide if he will submit to high society life as his mother intends, or if he will be his own man and live for himself, whatever that may entail. The story explores themes of the class system, mental health, coming-of-age, and so on. The script will be a minimum of 85 pages and will contain 3 acts.

Screenwriting, creative writing, screenplay formatting

There Are Boys In These Men

According to the World Health Organization, one in every five people in the U.S. live with a mental disorder,

yet more than half of this group feels they have unmet needs. The American Psychiatric Association reported

that unresolved depression accounts for a 35% reduction in productivity, costing the economy $210.5 billion

annually. Continuing to neglect these conditions will have a devastating impact on these individuals’ quality

of life.

This research will identify whether government intervention through mental health expenditure is a potential

solution to improving labor productivity. By running a multiple linear regression, this study investigates

the relationship between federal mental health expenditures worldwide and subsequent countries’ GDP per

capita as a proxy for productivity. We expect as mental health expenditure increases, individual productivity,

and labor output will increase.

intersections of mathematics, applied economics, econometrics, computer science

Spending for the Better: A Regression Analysis on how Mental Health Expenditures Can Improve GDP per capita

Inequity in education as a result of improper funding has a negative effect on disadvantaged students’ futures. Education equity is when schools and local and state governments provide resources unique to each individual to ensure everyone receives what they need to thrive in a learning environment. Preliminary research shows that schools in low-income communities aren’t receiving enough funding, which is often because property taxes are a large factor in quality of education. Due to lack of funding, many disadvantaged students fall behind at a young age. It is then very difficult to make up for the learning loss. It’s crucial to research interventions that target inequity in education because there is evidence of widening socioeconomic gaps in achievement as children get older. I examine different possible interventions, weigh the advantages and disadvantages, and determine whether it is a suitable action plan for governments. In this paper, I discuss increasing teacher pay, providing additional tutoring services, classroom size reduction, and equity funding, with level of intervention in mind. I found that although equity funding is uncommon, it does the best job of addressing the root cause: funding. I recognize the potential counterarguments but underscore the importance of equity funding because it addresses the root problem of inequity in education. The data compiled can be used to propose policies that advocate equity funding. I then propose ideas for future research and future legislation — ways that my findings can be used or taken as inspiration to expand the diversity of educational equity literature or can influence the legislation of certain interventions.

Ethics and Public Policy; Political Theory; American Politics; Law

Educational Equity and Potential Interventions for Primary Schools

The topic is to train a deep learning sequence model to predict outcome of NBA Playoff games. Specifically, the student is to build a recurrent neural network (RNN) model that takes in sequence input from both the regular season games as well as playoff games, in order to predict the outcome of playoff games. This model can then be used to make predictions for the current year's playoff games. 

AI, machine learning, deep learning, data science, natural language processing, signal processing, image processing, computational modeling, biophysical modeling, statistics, biomedical engineering, medical devices, neuromodulation, movement disorders

Sequence modeling to predict outcome of NBA Playoff games

The worsening economic situation in third world countries has contributed to rising wealth inequality, a decelerating infrastructure development, and aggravating political instability, stranding individuals in a poverty trap. A novel solution proposes developing cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and block chain technology which inherently could provide significant benefits by aiding economic growth and boosting financial access for individuals. However, the efficacy of cryptocurrencies is placed in question due to its volatile and stigmatized nature. This research paper will synthesize a conclusion from a variety of sources such as newspaper articles, academic journals, and governmental publications. A case study will be conducted on El Salvador, the first developing country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Contrary to adversaries, we found that cryptocurrencies as a technological injection would in theory be effective in supporting economic growth and increasing financial access for individuals within third world countries. But when put into practice, its impact is uncertain.

Data Projects of any type, Business creation/development, Financial Modeling, Writing Project (Book/Article), Strategy (Political or Business).

Impact of Cryptocurrency and Blockchain in Developing Countries: A Case Study of El Salvador

With the 21st century comes the age of technology, wherein the Internet has become a perpetual, pervasive presence. Youth in particular are heavily influenced by the constant exposure to digital technology, evidenced especially by their relationship with social media, which in turn seeps into their mental health. The effect on mental health is not purely black-and-white good or bad; rather, it is a wide expanse of grey area. Social media use has been found to parallel increases in depression, anxiety, and suicide rates, but it can also be utilized to combat these very things by allowing teens to consume entertainment, indulge in escapism, inspire healthy lifestyles, and forge new friendships.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the rate of social media interaction; quarantined in isolation, people find a lifeline to the outside world through their online relationships and activities.

This project will aim to explore and describe these nuanced dynamics and relationships between social media and adolescents, taking the form of a zine comprised of textual research and graphic illustrations. Through conducting comprehensive literature review, this paper will aim to describe and synthesize physical, emotional, behavioral, and neurobiological patterns at a population level.

Some key questions this paper will explore are: How can online interactions result in either fortuitous friendships or toxic relationships? How can information be shared or misinterpreted? How can social media promote healthy or unhealthy lifestyles? How can media creation and consumption both inspire and demotivate people? Should social media in its entirety be fully embraced or discarded?

[For optimal viewing, access this from computer.]

How does social media impact the mental health of adolescents?

Epistemology, feminist philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of science

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are heavily doped semiconductors that play a major role in allowing for devices such as solar panels and display screens to work. Usually when you think about materials that conduct electricity, they all lack transparency, i.e., light is not able to pass through them. However, with TCOs, we are able to achieve a state where the semiconductor may become transparent due to their unique material properties. TCOs will enable many new forms of smart technologies such as smart glasses, smart windows, due to the idea of invisible transistors or computers. Additionally, TCOs will also help optimize many current day devices. However, present day TCOs come with many drawbacks: the most commonly used TCO, Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), utilizes atomic elements that are scarce in nature, while other TCOs just aren’t practical enough to be successfully incorporated into devices. Therefore, a new TCO material platform is needed in order to provide the benefits that these materials offer. In this paper, we intend to explore the conductive and transparent nature of these new materials and consider their applications in next generation transparent transistor technology.

Circuit board designs, optics, applied physics, quantum optics, electrical engineering

What do heavily doped semiconductors, i.e. transparent conducting oxides, hold for us in the future of transistor technology?

Gentrification occurs when the average family income is in the bottom 20% of all urban neighborhoods nationwide and when there has been an increase of at least $10,000 in the neighborhood’s average family income in the last decade, according to the McKinnish, et al Model. Inglewood is a neighborhood in Los Angeles that has undergone gentrification in the last 40 years. The purpose of this study on Inglewood is to determine what changes in racial demographics, gender, median household income, and unemployment rates can be seen throughout 1980-2020. In this study, I will also look at Inglewood’s surrounding neighborhoods to see if they also underwent gentrification, and if there are any patterns. I will address the research question: As the Inglewood neighborhood in Los Angeles undergoes gentrification, what changes in race, gender, median household income, and unemployment rate can be seen in it and its surrounding neighborhoods? by conducting a quantitative data analysis on Inglewood’s demographics, and using Python language, I will visualize the data using bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts.

Education, Public Policy, Racial Inequality

Gentrification in Inglewood

Travis will be researching the relationship between Buddhism and Thai society, and it's positive and negative influence.  As Thailand opens itself to modernity, a great variety of religions come into Thailand and affect Thai culture in many ways. H will  explore how those other religions challenge the position of buddhism in Thai society and how the modern ways of life in Thailand challenge Buddhism. He'll look at these concepts through the lens of film, politics, pop culture, and social media.  From this research, he'll come up with a conclusion about Buddhism's influence on Thailand and its people. 

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