This study focuses on the digital migration of American TikTok users to a Chinese local social media RedNote, following the 2025 U.S. TikTok ban and its impact on intercultural communication between American and Chinese users. Through a qualitative analysis of 50 selected bloggers, their posts, comments, and constructed a timeline using public data, the research identifies three key areas: (1) primary interaction themes, (2) opportunities and challenges in cultural exchange, and (3) the sustainability of RedNote for the U.S. users. The findings reveal that lifestyle and language-learning content dominate cross-cultural exchanges, enabling users to develop mutual curiosity, informal cultural learning, and opportunities for clarification of misunderstandings. Regarding the timeline, the sustainability of RedNote for American users may be limited. This study demonstrates how platform design, linguistic accessibility, and sociopolitical conditions could collectively shape the sustainability of intercultural interactions online. Although digital migration can facilitate initial cultural engagement, long-term participation depends on the development of shared community norms and meaningful cultural resonance.
The geomorphic history of coastal plains can be shown through their formation and unique subsurface layering, which can indicate natural disaster occurrences and lasting environmental impacts. Determined to connect ground penetrating radar (GPR) reflections throughout the Filipino Gamay coastal plain sequence, (GPR) data were collected using Sensors and Software pulseEKKO Pro® with 100 MHz antennae at two coastal sites. For data collection, the antennae separation was one meter, and the step size was a quarter meter. The project scope is limited to the second coastal site to reveal the scale of Gamay’s coastal events, with the second site situated a kilometer northeast of the first site. Four GPR profiles were collected along three transects perpendicular to the modern coastline and one transect parallel to the coastline, linking the other three transects. Low-frequency noise was removed from all profiles with the dewow process. Radar facies with similar electromagnetic characteristics were then identified and used for interpretation. Profiles at the second site correlated to the subsurface activity experienced at the first, effectively connecting GPR reflections throughout Gamay Bay. High-energy events observed at the first site were detected a kilometer away, indicating a continuation of each event along the shoreline.
This project, supported by a UWEC International Fellows Blugold Commitment Funding, examined long-term care (LTC) services in Spain to inform cross-national comparisons with the United States and contribute to a larger mixed-methods study on aging- and dementia-related attitudes among healthcare professionals. The team toured LTC facilities, met with administrators and staff, and conducted qualitative interviews of health care workers on their self perceptions of aging. Qualitative analysis (n=15) focused on how working with older adults and people living with dementia shapes professionals’ perceptions of aging. Findings showed that most respondents reported shifts in how they view older adults, particularly greater recognition of autonomy, cognitive abilities, and emotional capacity. Participants highlighted the influence of exposure through family, workplace experiences, and broader social norms. When asked about their own aging, responses varied: not all professionals described personal change, but many reflected on aging through the lens of locus of control-distinguishing between modifiable factors (e.g., physical health through diet and exercise) and less controllable social or environmental influences. These insights illustrate how professional contact with aging and dementia can reshape attitudes and may inform strategies to reduce stigma and support high-quality dementia care.
This study explores how the TikTok ban in 2025 triggers the migration of American users to RedNote (Xiaohongshu) and analyzes how this digital shift shapes cross-cultural communication and interaction between Chinese and American netizens. Based on existing research on social media and cross-cultural interaction, this paper regards platform migration as a new field for cultural contact and identity negotiation. The research sampled posts from 50 Chinese and American bloggers on RedNote to identify the main discussion topics, interaction patterns, and potential risks of misunderstanding. Also, it evaluated user retention and platform sustainability by combining platform traffic data and migration timelines. Findings show that RedNote functioned as a short-term bridge for intercultural exchange, with dominant topics including lifestyle sharing, language learning, and cultural comparison. However, while the platform stimulates curiosity, empathy and informal learning opportunities, political discourse, stereotypes and algorithmic differences also give rise to misunderstanding and tension. Overall, this migration is more driven by the political context and shows phased and temporary characteristics rather than stable resettlement. The research highlights both the opportunities and structural limits of cross-platform cultural exchange in a digital environment.
This study investigates why language barriers impact communication quality differently across individuals in global virtual teams. While previous research has established that language barriers impair team communication, the individual-level mechanisms explaining this variability remain underexplored. We examined whether two motivational dispositions—Learning Goal Orientation (L-GO) and Performance Goal Orientation (P-GO)—moderate this relationship. We analyzed data from 1,520 students in 324 teams participating in an 8-week global business competition using a multilevel moderation model. Language barriers were distinguished as internal (self-perceived expressive difficulties) and external (team-level communication challenges). Results revealed a "tale of two motivations." L-GO did not significantly moderate the barrier-communication relationship, suggesting stable communication behavior regardless of contextual barriers. Conversely, P-GO demonstrated a "double-edged sword" effect: it amplified the negative impact of internal barriers, as high-P-GO individuals appeared susceptible to fear of appearing incompetent, causing communication quality to deteriorate sharply. However, P-GO positively moderated external barriers, with high-P-GO individuals framing team challenges as legitimate opportunities for improvement. These findings demonstrate that language barriers' impact depends on individuals' motivational frameworks, suggesting targeted interventions based on goal orientation profiles.
This study investigates the longitudinal associations between perceived language barriers and leadership-communication dynamics in global virtual teams. Despite extensive research on language barriers' detrimental effects, how individuals navigate these challenges over time and whether barriers might paradoxically motivate leadership emergence remains unclear. We analyzed multi-wave data from 1,520 students in 324 teams participating in an 8-week global business competition using a Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to distinguish stable individual traits from dynamic weekly fluctuations. Results revealed distinct patterns at two levels. At the between-person level, internal language barriers (self-perceived expressive difficulties) negatively predicted stable leadership and communication traits. Conversely, external barriers (perceiving others' communication difficulties) positively predicted leadership traits, suggesting individuals "step up" to fill leadership vacuums created by team communication challenges. At the within-person level, an evolutionary pattern emerged: communication initially drove leadership emergence mid-project, with this influence sustained throughout. The reverse path—leadership predicting communication—was initially absent but emerged strongly in later stages, shifting the relationship from unidirectional to reciprocal. These findings reveal that while external barriers may motivate stable leadership emergence, active communication serves as the initial catalyst for leadership dynamics, later evolving into a mutually reinforcing cycle.
Gamay Bay is located on the northeastern coast of Samar Island, which directly faces the Pacific Ocean and is regularly impacted by large storms and typhoons, leading to coastal erosion. Knowing more about the formation of Gamay Bay’s coastal plain can provide a better understanding of what factors were involved in the changing landscape as the bay was forming, and little ground penetrating radar (GPR) research has been done along Gamay Bay. To better understand the subsurface stratigraphy, GPR sends electromagnetic pulses into the near subsurface while a receiver measures the reflecting waves. Sensors and Software® pulseEKKO GPR System with 100 MHz antennae 1m apart was used with a 25cm step size along a 425m topographically corrected transect. Data was processed using EKKO Project software. Reflections are accurate to ~6.5m, show 5 erosional truncations with ~8o dip angles roughly 3m below the surface interpreted as large storm events, and subparallel complex sigmoid-oblique deposition patterns which are interpreted as beach progradation. The GPR data results will be used in future research to confirm sites of interest and numerically date the sands to construct a timeline of when the erosional events may have occurred.
The reconstruction a portion of the geomorphic past of Gamay Bay’s coastal plain in Northeast Samar, Philippines advances the understanding of past depositional and erosional events. Three separate sites in Gamay Bay were analyzed with ground penetrating radar (GPR). This study focalized on site two which displayed fluvial patterns. GPR reveals subsurface reflections interpreted as sediment layering. It sends electromagnetic (EM) radio wave pulses into the earth’s surface displaying subsurface images. GPR surveys were collected using a Sensors and Software® pulseEKKO GPR Pro with 100 MHz antennae. The transmitter and receiver antennae were placed 1m apart sending EM pulses at 0.25m intervals along a 400m transect. EM velocities calculated from GPR data ranged from 0.08-0.1m/ns which indicated moist sands. GPR data revealed a series of channel-like reflection patterns. Sediment cores reaching about 1m in depth were analyzed at areas noted from GPR data. Core analyses described subangular and well sorted sediments, a common indicator of a fluvial deposit. GPR and sediment core data in tandem provided support for the hypothesis that site two was a fluvial environment. The integration of GPR and sediment coring were successfully used in the identification of a buried fluvial channel system within Gamay Bay.
This study investigates the motivations, expectations, and self-assessed preparedness of Chinese undergraduate students preparing to study in the United States through the CHEPD 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program. It addresses a gap in the literature by focusing on pre-departure perspectives, which are often overlooked in research on international student adjustment. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected via surveys (N=36) and semi-structured interviews (N=19) with students at Suzhou University of Technology prior to their departure for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Findings reveal that students are motivated by academic and personal growth opportunities but experience significant anxiety regarding language barriers, social integration, and safety concerns—largely shaped by social media. The study recommends that pre-departure orientations expand beyond logistical information to include proactive socio-emotional support, realistic cultural previews, and peer-mentoring programs to bridge the gap between students’ academic confidence and their socio-cultural apprehensions.
In the summer of 2025, UW – Eau Claire sent four students to the Galápagos Islands to participate in research internships at the Charles Darwin Research Station. The Galápagos Islands are a highly significant archipelago in the Pacific, renowned for their incredible diversity of wildlife, as well as their contributions to Darwin’s theory of evolution. Presently a hub for scientific research and conservation, students were assigned to various projects at the station, where they worked directly with international scientists to aid in cutting-edge research projects mainly focused on habitat and wildlife conservation. Our poster will feature a discussion of what each of us worked on during our 3 months there, with additional information about how students can get involved.
