Journal of Student Research 2013

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Forward “Research.” “Innovate.” “Lead.” As the 2013 Journal of Student Research arrives in your hand—or appears on your smartphone!—we suggest that you keep these catchwords in mind. The JSR serves as a vehicle to showcase these values for the University and for our student contributors as they take their place in their disciplinary and professional communities. As has been true for a number of years, the 2013 JSR is published online (this time in e-book form), featuring research and design work from the past year; in addition, a print version of the JSR is being produced featuring work from the 2012 as well as the 2013 JSR submissions. Research —that is certainly at the heart of this journal, where the published work of undergraduate and graduate students demonstrates their commitment to extending knowledge in their fields of study. This desire to know and grow is evident across the Stout community, as we see examples of sound research from disciplines as varied as Environmental Science, Retail Marketing, Human Development, and Nutritional Science. Each of these articles was carefully reviewed by qualified UW-Stout faculty members before it reached publication. Innovate —UW-Stout has a tradition of partnering with professional and business communities, ensuring that our programs are responsive to their needs. Inourtechnologicallyadvancedworldthoseneedscanchangewithbewildering speed. This calls for a creativity and suppleness of mind that allows for new perspectives and technologies. The reader will find in this issue examples of innovative student work such as the project that investigates properties of nano-sized magnetic substances, while another work explores age-old theories of credibility in the ultra-modern context of smartphones and I-pads. Lead —a successful institution of learning must prepare its students to be leaders as they move on from the arena of the theoretical. We believe once again that such leadership is showcased and fostered in this publication. The research carried on here demonstrates our students’ willingness to move into thoughtful positions of service and leadership in a complex and ever shifting society. Serious big-picture questions are raised and addressed as research is conducted in prairie restoration, telomeric chromosomal structures, and technology used to improve the quality of life of our seniors. Moreover, the JSR itself is an exercise in leadership and integration of disciplines, as students collaborate to gather, edit, and publish both the online and print journals. The JSR staff and Research Services heartily thank our contributors, advisors, and faculty reviewers for their efforts to bring this volume to publication; we trust that our readers will find its contents stimulating and beneficial.

Peter E. Reim Editor-in-Chief