Education Portfolio

We examine the contributions of individual genes to the genetic determination of complex behavioral traits. Because brain serotonin pathways regulate many mammalian physiological and behavioral phenomena, our primary focus is on gene products that contribute to this signaling system. To shed light on the mechanisms through which serotonin regulates neurobehavioral processes such as anxiety/fear responses, ingestive behavior and reward, we use molecular genetic procedures to generate lines of mice with null mutations (constitutive, region-specific and inducible) of serotonin receptor genes. Detailed behavioral analyses of the impact of these mutations are pursued, revealing abnormalities that provide a focus for multidisciplinary studies of the neural mechanisms underlying the regulation of complex behaviors. In view of the widespread use of serotonergic drugs such as Prozac for the treatment of conditions such as anxiety and depression, we have an interest in examining the serotonergic...

The "SAD" (Sex, Alcohol, Drugs) piece demonstrates the intense imagery of destructive behavior led by these three life altering subjects. Sex, Alcohol and drugs can be used for many reasons for some are still clueless as to what that is, however in some fashion this trio will in someway have intent to escape the everyday rat race, Sex, Alcohol and drugs help you escape from reality for a momentary point in time that leads you to the ultimate consequences. When you return from your high, buzz, or bliss you're going to hit the ground pretty hard. This can lead to the eye opening affects that this trio can impact your body and life. However, these three can be the ever-lasting and be a devastating loop that will be a life long struggle to escape. People's desire to improve their interaction with peers and adults often leads them to experiment with sex, alcohol, and drugs (SAD). For many the reality about the SAD scene is a personal threat and they tend to impose thes...

Using a light-box is inspired by the media advertising to depict the separation of beauty and the beauty myth of women in today's generation. The huge interest generated from this work has encouraged me to continue exploring this medium and create further pieces. A truly captivating and striking piece with the use of negative and positive light with hopes to stand out from the rest of pieces. The photographic image has always interested me in terms of how the perspectives of an image changes how one can view the same object in different ways. The definition of an image never stays the same. Negative space is as important in my design as the visual elements. One of the reasons why I feel in love with photography is the way light and shade creates the forms, and also because it all happens very quickly. The play of depth of field, in and out of focus, creates other issues that are challenging. Each work is a combination of the relationship of at least two images with textures...

The story of sleeping as performance art is not entirely unique. It’s the message conveyed through the performance that truly makes it an original. I have always been fascinated by the notion of “home.” Is it a physical place, a building, a structure, a house? Is it a state of being, a sense of safety, of being provided for, of identity? These are questions myself and others ask regularly. What does it mean to be homeless: practically, spiritually, or emotionally? We see them huddled on the street corners, searching for cans in the garbage, holding signs aside the freeway, resting in the grass in a nearby park. In nearly all highly populated areas, homelessness is a fixture of life. The Reno Area Alliance for the Homeless estimates 3,000 people are living in a temporary situation around Reno, including in a motel, a shelter or on the street. For most of us, the homeless man, woman or family we see on the way to work every morning is nothing more than part of our daily routine. The a...

"The Drafting of a Man" This completely unoriginal piece of artwork uses the tradition of Dada, pop-art, and any number of art movements that have utilized collage, to develop a composition using only found imagery and objects. I started by exploring local thrift stores and garage sales to find the work of art that speaks to me. Then, using only found images from print sources, I recreated this art with new image layers, subsequently shifting the conceptual nature of the work. In this Dada inspired approach this piece lacks reason and logic, prizing irrationality and intuition, nonsense. For this art to be called nonsense, it should fulfill no legalistic criteria whatsoever. Each piece of random nonsense incorporated in this piece depends on another piece of totally unrelated, utterly nonsense which preceded it. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous. The concept of work in this random nonsense art technique is not obvi...

Artist & Technique Response Writing Assignments Vik Muniz - Wasteland In the documentary “Wasteland ,”  artist Vik Muniz showed his travel to his native homeland of Rio Brazil and to Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest landfill. He wanted to give back to a group of recycling pickers referred as “Catadores”.  Muniz achieved this by earning money from the paintings made of trash and gives it to the catadores. Muniz stated his intentions were to change the lives of people with the same materials that they deal with daily. Muniz thought his intention for going to Brazil would give back hope to the catadores but instead he just gave them false hope. On the other hand many of catadores are humble and proud of their work, not everyone was fine being a catadores. In the film a female catadores named Isis, described how she felt being a catadores.  Isis, explains how embarrassed of being a catadores is, and because working on landfills are not enjoyable but it is a job w...

“FINGERBANGING” For all of you who don't know about The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) it is a small virulently homophobic, anti-Semitic hate group that regularly stages protests around the country. They are more famously known for protesting the funerals of soldiers killed in action, terrorist victims or other noteworthy people to say that those deaths are God’s penance for rampant homosexuality. The members of punk band called Get Shot! decided to protest the ultra-conservative Westboro Baptist Church by filming a porn of their bass player (Laura Lush) masturbating naked on the organization's front lawn to protest their hatred and unhealthy attitudes towards sex. Laura said, "The Phelps family and Westboro Baptist Church are ridiculous and do nothing except spread hate and cause controversy…As a bisexual woman and the bass player of a ridiculous punk band, I wanted to spread my legs and cause controversy." I personally think it’s a creative, if t...