Department of Art
The office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Activity (URSA) is ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½'s resource for the development and promotion of experiential learning activities that engage undergraduate students to support ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½'s goal to become a leading student-focused research university.
Tehya McLeodMentor: Dr. Mary Beth Leigh
Exploring Shifting Landscapes follows work of ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ scientists and documents impacts of permafrost thaw and wildfire cycles thorough artwork.
Shaylise SylvesterMentor: Dr. Jen Peterson
This study aimed to address the questions: Is there a benefit to using ceramic clay, which contains natural earth elements, compared to synthetic clay? Is there a correlation between the medium used and the lowering of cortisol hormone levels after the process of art-making? There were 36 university students who participated in this study. Participants were asked to attend one 2-hour clay workshop to learn how to make a pinch pot. Participants provided pretest and posttests during the clay workshop to assess stress levels before and after working with clay. The pretests and posttests included saliva samples to measure cortisol, heart rate, and a Perceived Stress Scale. Preliminary results indicate that working with clay for 60 minutes significantly reduced stress but there is no significant difference between the ceramic clay and the syntheticclay.
Mina Carroll
