This edition of The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal is dedicated to an outstanding individual. Dr. Donald D. Hoffman, Professor of Cognitive Science has served on the UROP Faculty Advisory Board from 1995 to 2007 as the representative from the School of Social Sciences. He is an accomplished scholar who is committed to excellence in faculty-mentored undergraduate research at UCI, and we are grateful for his guidance, dedication, and the many hours he spent evaluating proposals, abstracts and manuscripts. It is with gratitude for his support that we dedicate Volume IX of The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal to Professor Hoffman.