Fall 2024 Student Exhibit
University Libraries is honored to feature creative and research works by Western Michigan University students during the fall of 2024. This student exhibit can be found on the second floor of Waldo Library in the rotunda.
Bailey Ruby
Third year, Aerospace Engineering
Perspective
The beauty of the world truly shines when we open our minds to seeing things from other points of view. It's like looking through a multifaceted gem, each angle revealing a new facet of beauty and insight. By embracing diverse perspectives, we uncover the richness of human experience, finding common ground, celebrating differences, and weaving a tapestry of understanding that transcends borders and boundaries. In seeing the world through the eyes of others, we discover the interconnectedness of all living beings and the endless possibilities for collaboration, compassion, and collective progress.
Two photographs were captured using distinct technologies: one by a digital camera manufactured in 2011, and the other by a film camera dating back to 1934. Even with the same subject, each camera interprets and processes the scene uniquely, resulting in two completely different images. These two photographs demonstrate how seeing the world from different perspectives can provide unique insights and evoke distinct emotional responses. Ultimately, both mediums invite us to see the world anew, reminding us that beauty and meaning can be found in the nuances and contrasts of our perceptions.
Kayla Lambert
Fourth year, English and Political Science
Lost & Undone
I am a photographer inspired by life, beauty, and human connection to nature. I shoot primarily with a wide aperture (primarily f/1.8) to emphasize the sharpness of the subject in comparison to the world around them, and a 50mm or 85mm lens. My specialty is portraiture—making people realize their beauty is the number one goal in all my work.
This photograph was taken with the intention of emulating the eerie nature of the human belief in spirits and otherworldly presences, while also capturing the feeling of not knowing where the living individual exists in this world. It is meant to make the viewer question what they are doing in their life, while also allowing them to ponder the existence of life after death.
This image was shot on a Canon Rebel 2000 with an 85mm lens and a neutral density filter at an ISO of 400, an aperture of f/2, and an exposure of half a second. This work was created for ART 2160: Black and White Photography.
Sawyer Osborn
Graduate student, Mathematics
A Whole Deal of Math
The history of mathematics is lively, chaotic, and full of intrigue. People from all over the world have studied mathematics, each with their own unique goals and narratives. Despite this, we often only hear about a select few historic individuals. The goal of my project was to identify mathematicians that some might not have heard of from many different places in the world. Know that there are far more than 18 meaningful mathematicians, each with a story worth listening to.
I chose to display these deeply influential mathematicians on playing cards since my senior research project in undergrad was studying Blackjack and card counting. I used Monte Carlo simulations to show the advantage one gets from counting cards, displaying that it is possible to win money from the house (though it takes many hours of practice and perfection). Furthermore, I printed my artwork onto an actual deck of playing cards as a gift for my undergraduate professor, mentor, and friend Dr. Stephen Deveraux. He encouraged me to pursue a career in mathematics. While I might not nearly be as critical to the story of mathematics as these 18 individuals, Dr. Devereaux made me believe that I could become a mathematician.
Garald (Gary) Barton IV
Graduate student, Educational and Instructional Technology
Pixel Cat Fish Vendor
As an Artist/Designer and a technology versatilist, I enjoy bringing creative, playful solutions to life digitally and physically. While my digital work is not tangible this piece has allowed me to explore taking my creative process from screen, to print, to sculpture. This piece was conceptualized in pencil sketches, drawn digitally using pixel drawing techniques, printed, cut out, and displayed in layers within a shadow box. While there is not a lot of meaning in this piece I hope the viewing of the work and explanation of the process inspires my fellow students and artists to create something.
This piece was created as part of a triptych and donated to a local gallery last year as a fundraiser for their 75th anniversary and was displayed as part of 75 artists doing artwork in a 7"x5" format. This version is a limited edition reprint of the original.
Ruvini Jayamaha
Collaborators: Dr. Hyun Bin Kang
Graduate student, Statistics
Quasi-Monte Carlo Estimation For Functional Generalized Linear Mixed Models
This poster presents a Functional Generalized Linear Mixed Model (FGLMM) designed to analyze complex data, such as brainwave patterns, by incorporating functional predictors. Traditional methods struggle with such data due to their smooth, highly correlated nature. Our model extends the Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) framework to handle non-Gaussian responses, functional predictors, and random effects, estimating link and variance functions nonparametrically from the data. This approach is well-suited for high-dimensional datasets often seen in modern research. We apply our model to study brainwave activity during video viewing and explore how these patterns relate to cognitive states like confusion. This work demonstrates how FGLMM can provide deeper insights into cognitive processes by analyzing detailed, complex data.
This is created for WMU 17th Annual Research, Innovation and Creative Scholarship Graduate Student Poster Presentations. These results were presented at the 16th International conference of the ERCIM WG on Computational and Methodological Statistics (CMStatistics 2023) organized by University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, Germany (16 - 18, December 2023) as a virtual presenter.
Baraah Qawasmeh
Collaborators: Jun-Seok Oh, Valerian Kwigizile
Graduate student, Civil and Construction Engineering
Analyzing Daytime/Nighttime Pedestrian Crash Patterns in Michigan using Unsupervised Machine Learning Techniques and Their Potential as a Decision Support Tool
This study examines pedestrian fatalities and injuries resulting from crashes in Michigan, distinguishing between daytime and nighttime road lighting conditions. It employs unsupervised machine learning techniques to identify patterns in pedestrian crashes based on various multidimensional factors. The Association Rules Learning technique (ARL) is utilized to discern general association scenarios of patterns leading to pedestrian crashes, while the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) is employed to analyze pedestrian crash attribute patterns for two prominent scenarios: elderly pedestrian crashes during daytime lighting condition and high-speed midblock locations during nighttime lighting condition. These integrated methods effectively unveil critical patterns associated with pedestrian crash contributing factors under daytime and nighttime lighting conditions. The research findings, with their practical implications, are anticipated to enhance understanding of pedestrian crash patterns in Michigan and recommend safety strategies and countermeasures to practitioners for mitigation. According to the results, the proposed framework offers a coherent approach to analyzing crash data and understanding crash characteristics. Traffic safety administrators stand to benefit from this methodology as a decision-support tool.
This research was presented at the 2024 Safe Mobility Conference at UNC Chapel Hill where it won third place.
Mel Romero
Fourth year, Art
Infantilize
This self-portrait, like much of my recent work, was inspired by my personal experience as an adult with autism. Despite being a fully autonomous individual, being labeled as autistic can come with a slew of stereotypes. In this case, I have a pacifier placed in my mouth and a brightly colored crocheted blanket pattern in the background to represent being viewed as childlike and helpless regardless of my outward appearance.
This work was created for my Painting 2 class to learn how to implement interesting patterns into a piece. It was shown in both the 2024 Painting Area Exhibition and the 2024 Student Show.
Anika Arya
Second year, Biomedical Sciences
Impact of the Covid Pandemic on Behaviors of WMU Undergraduate Students Four Years Later
This research study was designed and conducted by me as the culmination of my English writing and research class. My topic of inspiration comes from the recent four year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown. As part of a population of students significantly affected by the lockdown, my aim was to understand how those experiences may have conditioned certain behaviors displayed by students here at WMU. With the surveying method of research, this study looked at long term effects seen in 2024.
This poster was created for ENGL 1060: Writing, Research, and Inquiry. The final project consists of conducting your own research, writing a research paper, and crafting a research poster.
Alicia Schneider
Aviation Flight Science
Charlie Takes Flight! at Western Michigan University
This is an advertisement poster for my honors thesis which is a children’s picture book.
I made this piece to tell the world and advertise my children’s book which in itself advertises both WMU and aviation. Through this book, I hope to inspire children to learn about and hopefully involve them more in the world of aviation.
Erica DesJardins
Third year, Social Work
Walk of Life: Wealthy or Poor
Walk of Life: Wealthy or Poverty is meant to show the difference between those in the top of society and those at the bottom in an obvious black and white way. There is no way around the fact that wealth can make or break a person’s life outcome, something I am hoping to combat through a higher education. Although art can be interpreted in many different ways the idea behind this can not especially when many people refuse to see the suffering that me and many others face being low-income.
Lucinda Foreman
Second year, Painting, RT
Rosie
This piece to me is about love and trust, and the anxiety that comes with that. However, I like to keep the specificities up for individual interpretation. If I could say one thing to the viewer to give them a peak inside my mind, I'd tell them that horses don't know what guns are. Some people are horses, and some people have guns. I tend to be more horses.
This was my final project for my object drawing class.