Biochemistry: A Short Course

Unleash the real-world potential of a biochemistry education Biochemistry: A Short Course connects the basic concepts of biochemistry to everyday life, in a presentation aimed at students planning careers in health care, pharmaceuticals, and other areas. You’ll explore how recent breakthroughs are reshaping our understanding of the fundamental principles in biochemistry and human health.https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfauth/1112/thumbnail.jp

Computationally Modeling Insect Swarms

Swarms of insects and similar species show signs of collective or emergent behaviors. We can analyze these behaviors thoroughly by looking at how the simulated properties are related to different formations of insect swarms. This work focuses on a newly developed computational model. Through incorporating random, but limited, perturbations in velocity direction, we can achieve a combination of stochastic and deterministic outputs. In addition to this new model, we look at the behaviors shown in older models including, but not limited to polarization, diffusion, rotational inertia, distribution of insects, etc. Furthermore, we examine how the use of random number generators can influence computational models, focusing on the spread of randomness in these models from a completely stochastic model, to a completely deterministic model

Forensics Debate Showcase

The Linfield Forensics team will present a demonstration debate on the motion, “Scientists should bring back the wooly mammoth.” Please join us for a lively debate about de-extinction that should be interesting enough to make a dire wolf howl

Christmas Tree Industry and Its Dependence on Immigrant Labor

This research paper covers the impact of foreign-born Mexican immigrants in the Christmas tree industry throughout the United States. The intention of the research topic is to highlight the importance of immigrant labor; in particular that of the Christmas tree industry. Oregon is the top producer of Christmas Trees within the United States, the state relies heavily on the industry. The research dataset is compiled from all 50 states from 2012 to 2021. Database contains a dollar unit measure of Christmas trees produced, acres in production by state, percentage of immigrant agricultural laborers and three dummy variables: changes in Christmas tree Promotion bill changes, drought (D2), and red or blue state. This database is then run through a Random-effects test on R to gather coefficients. The collection of data and its results produced follow the theory of immigrant labor being incredibly crucial to the number of trees produced. Results through testing demonstrate that for every percentage point of immigrating agricultural laborers, there is a large positive increase in number of Christmas trees produced (measured in dollars). Immigrant labor is fundamental to various industries nationwide, its research is vital to understand its role in the United States’ economy

Interview Report

While still in the midst of their study abroad experiences, students at Linfield University write reflective essays. Their essays address issues of cultural similarity and difference, compare lifestyles, mores, norms, and habits between their host countries and home, and examine changes in perceptions about their host countries and the United States. In this essay, Alexis Peck describes observations during their study abroad program at IAU College in Aix-en-Provence, France

Size Structure of a Threatened Population of M. falcata in the North Yamhill River

Western Pearlshell mussels (Margaritifera falcata) are an ecologically important freshwater species that currently has little data regarding population demographic rates and size distributions. Local populations in the Yamhill watershed are threatened by reduced water flow, which can cause dewatering. The goal of this survey was to document baseline size distribution and investigate size structure differences in order to see if mussel size influences dewatering mortality risk

College Life in Ireland and the United States

While still in the midst of their study abroad experiences, students at Linfield University write reflective essays. Their essays address issues of cultural similarity and difference, compare lifestyles, mores, norms, and habits between their host countries and home, and examine changes in perceptions about their host countries and the United States. In this essay, Zoey Ahl describes observations during their study abroad program at the University of Galway in Ireland

Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: Increased Incidence, Severity, and Contributing Factors

The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic, wide sweeping effects on global healthcare. In addition to the challenge of adapting care to an unfamiliar, rapidly spreading respiratory infection with unknown impacts on human health, healthcare officials and researchers noticed a worrisome uptick in both the incidence and severity of pediatric diabetes (Prosperi & Chiarelli, 2022). This review explores the relationship between COVID-19 and the significant increase in the rate and severity of pediatric type 1 diabetes during the pandemic, focusing on the impact of delayed treatment and the potential direct effects of the COVID-19 virus on pancreatic function and glucose homeostasis

Magic 8-Ball Mayhem

Magic 8-Ball Mayhem is a supernatural coming-of-age comedy created by Sydney Monroe for her JAMS senior capstone. The film follows Cass, a college freshman, who stumbles upon a mysterious Magic 8-Ball in a dustry campus storage room that doesn’t just predict the future, but alters it. With her bold, no-nonsense roommate, Mara, along for the ride, Cass experiments with the 8-Ball’s abilities, leading to surprise pizza deliveries, professors in clown costumes and increasingly unpredictable consequences. The film explores how the search for certainty can spiral into obsession, highlighting the importance of trusting oneself. Through quirky, situational, and absurdist humor, the film blends supernatural elements with the lighthearted energy of a PG-13 sitcom. The run time is approximately 15 minutes, and it has a PG rating

An Economic Analysis on the Base Salaries of NCAA Division I Football Head Coaches

The goal of this research is to develop a working model that successfully describes current base pay of NCAA Division I College Football head coaches and can be used to predict the base salary of future head coaches. The compensation for head football coaches across the NCAA’s Division I programs was determined using data collected following the 2024-25 season. Coaching compensation is regressed on variables capturing a coach’s personal characteristics, productivity, and institutional characteristics. The results yield four important explanatory variables. Two are coach specific: years on contract, and career win percentage. The remaining are institutional: NIL collectives, and the conference dummy variable. While previous studies regarding head coaching salaries have been conducted, there has been no estimate of a compensation function provided after the implementation of NIL Collectives, and somewhat recent restructuring of the various, competing conferences. Pending the results of this regression analysis, future research could continue for such studies towards subsequent divisions/levels of competition