Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Social Expansion: An Analysis of the FCA Brand Architecture

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit ministry organization that began in Oklahoma in 1954 with 15 members, and has now grown to 2,000+ staff and reaches 100+ countries worldwide (FCA Timeline, 2024). Its mission is, “To lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church,” (Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 2012). Before social media, though, 56 years passed, and the organization still grew through its strategic marketing tactics. How did such a small organization with a specific niche, grow financially and geographically to be a global ministry? For this thesis, I will be researching how the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) non-profit organization built its brand to be worldwide pre and post-digital media through marketing and communications. To investigate my topic, I plan to research the organization\u27s history (FCA), and its methods of gaining awareness for its brand before social media (flyers, holding events, etc). I then plan to research its presence on Instagram, and the analytics behind how the brand grew exponentially after social media. After gathering this research, my work in the field will involve interviewing FCA staff members who work with social media and oversee its current tactics for gaining financial support and engagement. At the end of my research, I hope to discover how social media has brought brand recognition to the organization, and I will end the thesis with a playbook for organizations like this one, with information on specific tactics proven to work to expand their brand awareness and involvement. The overall significance of this project is to assist nonprofit organizations in marketing themselves effectively through social media platforms such as Instagram, by using proven tactics that worked based on studies done through FCA’s growth pre and post-social media

Biol114: The Effect of varying salt concentrations on Arabidopsis thaliana growth and development

Arabidopsis thaliana plants have little to no resistance to high salinity environments, exhibiting a lack of growth at concentrations higher than 150mM. Although Arabidopsis thaliana is considered a salt-intolerant plant, there are specimens found along the coast and closer to oceans and bodies of saltwater. We treated wild-type and unknown mutant (25026) forms of Arabidopsis thaliana with 3M salt water for 15 minute periods spread out over five weeks and measured leaf diameter to determine plant growth. We found a negative correlation between salt concentration and plant growth in the mutant plants, demonstrating possible phenotypic effects on resistance to salinity

So Much More Than Summer Camp: The Importance of Environmental Education at Nature Centers

Education in the U.S. currently faces a deficit in the promotion and proper teaching of climate change curriculum. Oftentimes caused by a lack of clear teaching standards for environmental education, the American political machine stirring up controversy, or teacher preferences, there are obvious gaps in the teaching of climate change curriculum. As climate change is considered one of the greatest threats facing humanity today, there is a need to educate people, especially younger generations, in order to navigate future challenges and make informed decisions. Nature centers offer the ideal location for the promotion of climate change education based on their direct connection to nature and informal curriculum model. This study began with a literature review of current climate education which identified themes in student perceptions and understanding of climate change. A case study of the current environmental education curriculum offered at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center was also conducted. It revealed a lack of specific climate-focused activities overall, though there are opportunities to build upon programming and begin to lay the groundwork for further expansion. The need for activities that aid in the development of systems thinking skills was recognized, and therefore lessons were compiled and edited to focus on making connections within a climate system. Educational kits were created for each activity and are highlighted in a separate poster session for this research

“To Boldly Go”: Exploring Depictions of Queerness in The Orville and Star Trek: The Next Generation

Science fiction creates dialogue about social issues by depicting potential futures and reflecting on the present as if it were the past. The genre’s use of alien species gives writers control over cultures, allowing them to craft allegories that encourage audiences to reconsider their own beliefs. By presenting sociopolitical issues in unfamiliar settings, science fiction enables viewers to detach from preconceptions and form new associations. The Orville, inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation, employs this technique through its portrayal of the Moclans, a single-gender species designed to parallel human cultural debates. Star Trek has long challenged societal norms, exemplified by characters like Chekhov and Uhura, though it was slower to incorporate queer representation. When queerness is explored, it is often through an inversion of oppression rather than direct representation. This project explores allegory and the inversion of oppression in Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Orville, particularly regarding queerness. Historically, queer representation in media has been devalued, erased, or censored. As society moves toward greater inclusion, it is crucial to analyze how queerness is depicted in science fiction and how the genre shapes cultural perceptions of identity and oppression

Direct Functional Comparison of Murine Macrophages: BMDM, RAW 264.7 and J774A.1

This study conducts a comprehensive functional comparison between the widely used RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line, J774A.1 macrophage cell line and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Macrophages play essential roles in innate immunity, inflammation regulation, antigen presentation, and tissue homeostasis, making them critical subjects in immunological research. While RAW 264.7 cells offer experimental advantages in accessibility and reproducibility, previous research has identified significant differences between immortalized lines and primary cells in cytokine production profiles and inflammatory responses. This investigation addresses a fundamental methodological question in immunology research by directly comparing canonical macrophage functions—including nitric oxide production, TNF-α secretion, and iNOS expression—following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Our experimental design included a RAW 264.7 LPS dose-response assay measuring nitric oxide production at various LPS concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL). Macrophage function is evaluated by nitric oxide production using the Greiss reaction. For total nitrite RAW 264.7 and J774A.1 cells respond at equivalent levels, while BMDM appears to respond less vigorously. When response is adjusted to nitrite levels per 10,000 cells the RAW 264.7 cells have a greater response than either J774A.1 or BMDM. These differences could be due to two factors. Variability in generating accurate cell counts following experimental treatment with LPS is one problem. Additionally, metabolic activity in these different cell types could account for differences in response depending upon how that response is quantified. More accurate measures of cell counts are necessary to determine if the differences we observed are real or just a remnant of cell counting variability

Blood Flow Restriction Training: A Critically Appraised Topic

Clinical Scenario: In a clinical setting an Achilles Tendon rupture is amongst one of the most detrimental sports injuries an athlete may suffer during practice or competition. Therefore, clinicians are constantly experimenting with new methods to approach the rehabilitation protocols following a surgical intervention. Blood flow restriction (BFR) is a well researched training aid to assist in muscular growth through the uses of mechanical tension and metabolic stress. Summary of Key Findings: Three relevant randomized controlled trial studies were found and categorized based on the Hierarchy of Research Design in Evidence Based Sports Medicine. Based on the research, BFR has been reported to promote anabolic hormones, such as HGH and IGF-1. In essence, muscular hypertrophy is at a greater likelihood of occurrence when BFR is used during training than when it is not used. Therefore, in a clinical setting, BFR has a positive impact on patients following an Achilles Tendon repair in decreasing recovery time, signaling neural communication to the brain, redevelopment of movement patterns, and assisting in the alignment of tissue following surgical intervention. Overall, BFR allows the patient to experience the same effects of resistance training, but a lighter load, and a reduced chance of reinjury. Clinical Question: Will blood flow restriction training assist a patient in gaining muscle hypertrophy, while reducing the amount of time immobilized following reconstructive surgery after an Achilles tendon repair? Clinical Bottom Line: The importance of the study is to provide clinicians the baseline knowledge and understanding if BFR is beneficial to use when designing the rehabilitation protocol for an athlete following the occurrence of an achilles tendon rupture/repair. Through determining the muscular strength and hypertrophy adaptations gained or lost through data collection and data analysis we will be able to determine the reasoning behind the implication of blood flow restriction

CARs and TRUCKs: Driving a Paradigm Shift in Hematologic Malignancies

Hematologic malignancies account for a significant number of annual cancer diagnoses and deaths across the globe. Historically, the prognosis for relapsed and/or refractory disease after standard therapies, such as chemotherapy and/or radiation, was poor. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy offers an additional treatment option. While promising, this type of immunotherapy also comes with potentially severe side effects, toxicities, and limitations. A better understanding of the development, administration, and management of patients undergoing treatment can provide the general clinician with the knowledge to assist within a multidisciplinary team to ultimately improve patient outcomes

Political Polarization and Voter Turnout: A New Political Paradigm?

Political polarization has characterized most recent U.S. elections through further widening the gap between the two parties to the point that many people fear a second U.S. Civil war is approaching. This begs the larger question of how polarization impacts the electorate? Does it turn voters off or push them to vote? Does it have a negative impact on American elections, or is it merely a next step in the grand experiment we define as American democracy? This paper uses Logistic regression (via SPSS Statistics) with data from American National Election Studies (ANES) to address these questions by analyzing the motivations of voter turnout for the Presidential elections of 1992, 2008, and 2020, and whether certain factors including polarization either encourages or discourages voter turnout. Evaluated factors are polarization, race, family income, gender, education, partisan ID, and age. Previous scholarship is unclear with some arguing that polarization increases voter turnout while others believe that factors such as income or education have the most influence on voter. This study found that polarized citizens are more likely to vote than non-polarized citizens in all three elections, with progressively decreasing p values of \u3c.1 to \u3c.001 from 1992 to 2008 to 2020. Also, this study found a direct correlation (p values ranging from \u3c .1 to \u3c.001) between family income and education as related to a person’s likelihood to vote. Overall, this study confirms past scholarship supporting political polarization being a driving factor for voter turnout