Author: Mitchell Davis

Kilano Loyd

Mental health struggles faced throughout childhood

Abstract In this evidence-based synthesis paper, I focus on the topics of depression and anxiety. By examining several stages of a person’s life beginning with prenatal development. I examine the many factors that a mother may endure while she is pregnant, and then I focus on childhood maltreatment. Childhood maltreatment includes abuse and neglect. I explain how childhood maltreatment may affect a child’s growth and contribute to developing depression and anxiety. Next, I examine individuals who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how they may deal with depression and anxiety. Finally, I investigate the effects of peer influence, including issues such as social norms, social status, cyber bullying, and social phobias. By reviewing 17 empirical articles, I offer a synthesis of the research in order to provide a better understanding of the complexities of depression and anxiety.

PSY499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Erin Mueller

3:30pm – P103

Kyle Casperson

Best Classroom Discipline strategies that stay IN the class

The question at hand is, “what are the most efficient ways to discipline students in the classroom?” During my 2nd semester of observing my cooperating teacher this year, I noticed that her go-to discipline action was to send students either to the “office” or the “reset room”. This is in the PE setting, and I believe that students need a daily period of PE, so this seems harsh and lazy on the teacher’s POV. Her reasoning for not wanting to deal with the students is that “I’ve given them too many choices”, or “they don’t deserve another chance”. These are excuses, and I believe that my CT is being on the lazy side and doesn’t want to interact with these troubling students. Some methods that I have seen work are: having a conversation with the troubled student, putting them in a temporary “timeout”, give them a choice between different discipline actions, and last, positive discipline. Some findings that I have found include; Students lose retention, skills, and social opportunities when they are sent out of the classroom. This is an old-fashioned discipline action, and often this is what students are looking for. Also, Giving PE students physical engaging punishments as discipline works at a higher clip than sending students to the office or reset room, when measuring retention rates and overall participation. Lastly, Tinto’s model of student attrition and Knowle’s theory of adulting both support in-class discipline, and having student leave class does not benefit anyone.

EDUC321- Classroom Relations & Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Madeleine O’Brien 

Looking at the whole Picture

“Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture, which helps them identify solutions, whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems” (Barbara Fredrickson). Fredrickson is a social psychologist who conducts research in emotions and positive psychology. (Barbara Fredrickson, 2020)  

Not included

11am – Bucher Room

Madisen Trueblood

Benefits of Effective Classroom Management Techniques

Abstract – Effective classroom management is crucial in establishing a positive learning environment where the basic needs of all students are met. The modern education system requires aspiring and veteran educators to enforce effective and efficient classroom management strategies to enhance overall student behavior, social-emotional development, and academic achievement. If implemented successfully, classroom management techniques allow educators to provide quality instruction while simultaneously creating a space that promotes student success, development, and learning. As the structure of traditional American classrooms is ever-changing, teacher preparation programs have a responsibility to integrate course requirements that will adequately prepare aspiring educators for the harsh reality of behavior management challenges.

IDS499 – Senior Capstone 

James Berry

10:30am – Bucher Room

Madison Steelman

How to get students more engaged in Physical Education?

This presentation serves to answer the research question, “How to get students more engaged in physical education?” I have experienced students within my high school practicum where students do not participate in physical education because they are not interested in the activity, its boring, they are scared they aren’t good enough, and they fear being judged. The methods used for this study were examining existing literature for research on engagement strategies for students in physical education and what causes students to not be as engaged. In this presentation, three studies were proved to answer the research question of how to get more students engaged in physical education. A study that was used for the research was a survey done by students based on their perceived physical competence of physical activity. Another study that was used for the research was a study of factors that influence participation in physical activity. Overall, the purpose of this presentation serves to provide practical strategies for high school teachers to use to get more students engaged in physical education. The limitation of this study was that the presenters did not have the opportunity to test each of these strategies within their own classroom. 

EDUC321- Classroom Relations and Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Mandy Fetters

Effective Ways to Handle Behavioral Students

How do we address behavioral students who are non compliant in the classroom and how do we motivate them? This research question is based on a student who was struggling behaviorally in my practicum classroom. Often she doesn’t want to do her work, throws extreme tantrums if she doesn’t get her way, etc. What I have found through the research, it’s best to incentivize this student particularly or work closely one on one with this student to succeed. What I’ve found to work, is working one on one with her closely, not giving in to the meltdowns she has, and using incentives. The most effective for me was personally sitting down with her and doing the worksheet together. She was more engaged, focused, and not throwing tantrums.

EDUC321- Education Classroom Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Mason Delamarter

A deep dive of major communication trends throughout the last 15 years

Communication is foundational to what makes us human, and yet, communication has evolved and changed drastically throughout time. My research looks specifically at communication trends throughout the last 15 years (2008-2023), focusing on the emergence of smartphones as a primary tool of communication, the rise of social media and its global impact on communication, as well as the more recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on present communication. My presentation will include a comparison of these impacts, both those perceived as positive and others as negative.

COMM499- Senior Capstone

Kelsay Rychener

2pm – P003

Matthew Knotts

How can teachers effectively get through a transitional period in the classroom?

When transitioning from one subject to another, or when students come in from break, there can be large disruptions that eat away at class time. Students are being too loud or not on task, to them it almost seems like its all over when they transition in the classroom. The question that I focused my research around is “How can teachers effectively get through a transitional period in the classroom?” There are three types of transitions: entering class and taking a seat, switching from one activity to another, and exiting class. Just like with any academic procedure, these transitions require clear expectations, rehearsal, and review. In this project, I looked at how students act during transitional periods, how teachers get through a transition, and what could get teachers through the transitional period easier.

EDUC321- Classroom Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Mayah Pappas

Communication in the Classroom

For a Classroom Management class, I observed a problem in my field placement. A student in my classroom, after beginning to answer a question that connected to prior knowledge, had a panic attack which caused her to emotionally shut down for the rest of the period. With silent tears streaming down her face, she had an experience that is common to many students.

EDUC321- Classroom Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am-Noon)

Michael Frank

How Can Church Based Youth Groups Address the Social Impacts of the Pandemic on Young People (6th-12th Grade)

Abstract- This essay will be exploring how church based youth groups can address the social impacts of the pandemic on young people (6th-12th grade). COVID-19 undoubtedly had lasting affects on everyone, but young people specifically suffered in major ways. Young people’s lives were drastically changed forever. With that said, there must be a way that church based youth groups can come alongside young people, and better meet them where they are at with their struggles.

BTM499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

2pm – L203

Nathania Ortega

Engaging strategies for advanced learners 

A second grade student is not classified as a TAG student, but he is an advanced learner. Specifically, he gets done with his math assignments faster than anybody else, he can do the addition and subtraction problems in his head in less than a minute, he can already solve some double digit multiplication and is starting to understand division. He often sits at his desk waiting for everyone to finish their work. My plan is to research strategies to help him stay busy and expand his mathematical knowledge. 

EDUC321- Classroom Relations & Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Juding Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Olivia Bailon

Tree Death From America to Oregon

Throughout our nation, there are many different reasons behind why our forests and orchards are dying. In the United States, our trees are dying because of drought, various diseases, pests, and invasive species and plants. With the loss of large amounts of trees due to these variables, this has brought attention to the idea of losing valuable carbon sinks. Within the state of Oregon, forests are dying due to drought, but also bark beetles and various root diseases like laminated root rot and black stain root rot. Locally here at Dorris Ranch in Springfield, Oregon, was an outbreak of the fungus Eastern Filbert Blight in 2016. This has had a huge impact on the hazelnut industry due to the fact that our nations’ supply comes from the Willamette Valley here in Oregon.

BIOL499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Paul Allee

10:30am – L204

Rebecca Kuskie

Cognitive Differences Between Bilingual and Monolingual Children

In this evidence-based synthesis paper, I reviewed findings across 15 empirical studies from 2008 to 2021 to summarize what is currently known about cognitive differences between bilingual and monolingual children. The differences between bilingual and monolingual children have been studied since the early 20th century. There was much debate as to whether there was an advantage or disadvantage in executive function and memory flexibility for bilingual children. Most researchers have found that there is a bilingual advantage in the inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility of executive function, as well as memory flexibility. There does not appear to be a clear advantage or disadvantage to the working memory process of executive function. Furthermore, researchers utilized that information to explore what effect that advantage has on language acquisition and survival processing. Some limitations to the research conducted was that there is not one cohesive definition of a bilingual child, and the requirement for the participants utilized varied in each study depending upon the definition used. Additionally, most studies are not replicable due to the strict nature of the groups studied and the variation that occurs between the different languages that each study tested.

PSY499- Psychology Capstone

Dr. Erin Mueller

3pm – P103

Robbie McGowen

Film Industry as Tourism

In part one of this project, I will examine Hollywood tourism which is traditionally defined as the iconic filming locations associated with films and television shows we all know and love. The tourism industry in Hollywood also includes but is not limited to destinations such as Comic-Con, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and film studio tours. I will examine the sizable role nerd culture has played in the rise of conventions both domestically and abroad. I will also examine the moral and ethical issues regarding Hollywood cemeteries, tours to celebrities’ houses, and other similar issues.

In part two, I will examine the film industry as tourism. Film and television productions do not film often in Los Angeles like in the old days. The most common places are Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, as well as Atlanta, Georgia, and many summer blockbusters film in places like England, Australia, and Bulgaria for tax credits. In addition to these perks, a production brings in hundreds, if not thousands of cast and crew members to these local destinations. These crew members build sets, support and pay local business, and hire locals as crew members and sometimes even as extras. Many of these sets have gone on to become tourist destinations like the Hobbit houses in New Zealand, the sand huts in Tunisia from Star Wars: A New Hope, and many more. A town like Bozeman, Montana gets a lot of Star Trek related tourism because of its association with the iconic show and likewise the show Yellowstone. I will examine the potential economic impacts to these cities, specifically smaller places such as Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. I will also explore the ethical, moral, and political impacts to the film industry regrading places like China and Saudi Arabia. This is an industry that generates between $88 and $100B globally.
In part three, I will examine sports entertainment events like the Super Bowl, and WWE WrestleMania. These are global events that are both sports, but are presented and produced like any other Hollywood production. These events also bring in people from all over the world who contribute to the local economy, as well as the athletes and crew involved being tourists themselves.

BUS 507 – Entrepreneurship

Dr. Pete Diffenderfer

11am – P003

Samuel Hayter

The Application of Business Concepts to Help Start a Church. 

Abstract: Business ideas can be applied to help a church have a smooth and successful start. With ideas like the marketing mix, product what is it you are telling the target audience they need, promotion by getting the word out to people, place and location is a serious choice, price, what does it cost the consumer. Another idea is having a strong network of pastors who give help,  give a wise council, and advise. Next is choosing what denomination and characteristics does your church immolate. The management of the church is very and having an order to authority, so communication is clear. Finally having a proper leadership style, there are many forms to leadership but assessing what style is best to take depending on the situation. 

IDS 499 – Senior Capstone

James Berry

3:30pm – P003

Sarah Phillips

The Influence of Intrinsic Motivation in Elementary School Children

In this evidence-based synthesis paper, I compiled 15 current primary research articles dating from 1993 to 2023. The focus of this review is to show the influence and effects of intrinsic motivation relating to elementary-school children’s academic success. I defined and described different types of motivation, various factors that drive motivation, learning theories, consequences of teacher-expectancy effects, and goal-setting techniques for children. A similar finding in close to all articles was intrinsic motivation is the highest predictor for children’s academic success, well-being, and positive learning experiences. This is an important finding because it has been shown that children can thrive academically and succeed when given the right environment to be motivated internally versus externally.

PSY499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Erin Mueller

2:30pm – P103

Shijo John

Creating Synthetic DNA Sequences to improve Deep Learning Network’s accuracy of prediction

Advances in DNA sequencing technologies have led to the generation of vast amounts of genomic data that scientists could use to create specialized drugs and even predict disease with minimally invasive techniques. However, processing this data is still a challenging task due to its high dimensionality, complexity, and noise. In order to achieve high accuracy, deep learning models require well-preprocessed and normalized data. In many cases, there won’t be enough training and validation data, lack of data cleaning and encoding requirements, and the presence of imbalanced labeled data – these specifically make it difficult for us to apply ML for DNA sequence datasets.

These problems can be fixed by generating synthetic DNA sequence data. This presentation proposes an Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) data pipeline process to solve the above problems. It applies DNA sequence string cleaning and validation, label encoding, and the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique algorithm (SMOTE). Our results show that the proposed preprocessing method significantly improves the accuracy of the deep learning models. This study highlights the importance of preprocessing DNA sequences to achieve accurate predictions and provides a valuable resource for researchers working with genomic data and deep learning networks.

SFTE 445 – Introduction to Machine Learning and AI

Dr. Ernest Bonat

3pm – L204

Sierra Janikowski

Technology and Behavior Management

 For a relations and management classroom class, I performed a six-week case study research project in order to identify successful ways to help maintain classroom order. The goal is to improve the development of classroom behavior issues with the use of visual technology noise level tools in a fourth-grade class. I got the opportunity to observe and assess the behavioral issues with 3 main tools and a few additional methods too. After seeing students continuously interrupt classroom time due to behavioral issues throughout my practicum, I realized how big of a theme this is in classrooms all around. After doing research on behavioral issues like blurting out, getting distracted, being loud and disrupting I found some instructional tools that I could use. The method I attempted for data collection was incorporated into my practicum with this fourth-grade class. The tools I used in this experiment include visual noise level meters like bouncy balls.org, classroom noise-o-meter, class craft volume meter, and additional methods like a classroom doorbell and verbal attention getters. Although there were some bumps in the experiment, according to my data overall these technology tools were a great method when attacking the classroom behavioral issues I was experiencing, and the majority of the class reacted in a positive way. This was an important experiment to me because my entire life I have seen this issue across all classrooms of all grade levels, and I plan for it to not be a problem in my future classroom. 

EDUC321- Classroom Relations & Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am-Noon)

SPAN 315 (Intro to Spanish Literature Posters)

Spanish Short Story/Poetry Analysis

Bilingual analysis of a short story or poem from Spanish literature including the historical, religious and sociocultural context of the work, biographical information of the author, themes, literary techniques used and brief overview of its meaning.

Students: Leah Anderson, Taylor Copenhaver, Mackenzie Hunton, Bethany LaFon, Kalani Miller, Taylor Morgan, Sarah Phillips, Peyton Ritchie, Brook Silvernail, Amanda Torres-Sanchez

SPAN 315 – Intro to Spanish Literature

Jenee Cazares

Poster Contest (L203: 10am-Noon)

Taylor Bryant

Mindfulness and the Modern Dilemma: Exploring the Use of Mindfulness as a Means of Individual and Interpersonal Well-being

Research has suggested many benefits of mindfulness on individual and interpersonal health. My presentation will include an introduction that explains the modern dilemma of mental illness and social dysfunction, a review of literature that investigates the effects of mindfulness on health, and a personal account of my self-experiment that included implementing mindfulness practices into my daily life and conducting interviews with individuals who specialize in mindfulness practices. The purpose of this presentation is to make the case that humanity is in desperate need of a wellness revolution, and mindfulness is a powerful tool in that pursuit. Furthermore, my intention is to provide personal experience to encourage others firsthand that practicing mindfulness is not only beneficial, but transformative.

COMM499- Senior Capstone

Kelsay Rychener

1pm – P103

Tyler King

Remember and the Bible

Remembering is a major theme of the Hebrew Bible from altars to Israelites forgetting, and this theme persists into the New Testament. What can we learn about God through seeing how the word remember is used in the New Testament and how does that affect our walk with God? The words remember remind and forget come up eighty different times in the New Testament making them a central piece of these letters therefore christians should pay attention to how they are used. Some lessons that can be learned from examining how these themes are used are, praying for the persecuted church, dwelling on scripture, using physical reminders, having mentors/mentees, and more.

CM 499 – Senior Capstone

Dr. Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

3pm – Bucher Room

Bergquist Laureate Lunch

Come to the Bucher Room at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five-minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Madison Clark – Accounting
  • Jessica Woods – Business Administration
  • Shijo John – Computer Science: Software Engineering
  • Devon Halleman – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Bucher Room

Noon – 1pm

Tayler Copenhaver, Julia Kassing, Matthew Shepherd & Bethany LaFon

Perspectives in Mexico, 2022

The students that traveled abroad to Querétaro, México this past summer will share how their perspectives have changed and the impact the trip had on each of them. For five weeks they were able to experience life outside of their home culture and immerse themselves into a new culture. The differing purposes for going on the trip of studying Spanish, expanding their knowledge, and simply wanting to travel to a different country didn’t matter when there was a mutual experience of culture shock and perspective change that brought the students together.

GLST 295

Ron Palmer

11:00am – 12:00pm L203 (Poster Contest)

Justin Ault

Minoru Yasui’s Self Sacrificial Attitude and Japanese Internment Camps

While many of us know of the horrors that surround the Japanese Internment Camps, not many know of the individuals that fought against the U.S. government that brought the situation to light and caused the general public to change their minds. Introducing Minoru Yasui, a man whose innate leadership quality as well as his self-sacrificial attitude paved the way for reparations, as well as showcasing that the good fight is always worth fighting for.

HIST 317 American Government

James Berry

Bucher Room

Bushnell History Symposium (1pm-4pm)

Alessia Righi

Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity

This thesis examines the topic of Einstein’s special relativity. Starting from Aristotle’s ‘locus naturalis’ through Newton’s laws of dynamics all the way to Maxwell’s equations, the paper looks at the historical progress made in the human understanding of space and time, with a particular focus on the contradiction that brought Einstein to develop the relativity theory.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

11:30am-Noon Bucher Room

Amanda Torres-Sanchez, Gabriel Fatooh, Melody Garcia, Jacob Lilley, and Kyle Aure

NEO Project

This team is creating an organization that investigates near earth objects (NEOs) and formulates an organizational plan to neutralize the threat that NEOs pose to earth. NEOs are comets and asteroids which have orbits that come in proximity to earth. Our five team members are developing separate departments within the organization. In our hierarchical organizational structure, Amanda serves as the Chief Executive Officer, Jacob as the Chief Technology Officer in charge of logistics and strategy, Kyle as the Chief Financial Officer in charge of finances and technology, Gabe as the Chief People Officer in charge of communications and ethics, and Melody as the Chief Sustainability Officer in charge of crisis management. Our research leads us to use the kinetic impactor technique to neutralize NEO threats. To determine this as the appropriate technique, we consider factors such as deflection effectiveness, probability of success, risk of failure, logistical factors, time to execute, and total strategy costs. This team not only formulates a strategy to combat NEO’s, but more importantly develops an organization that sustains the strategy.

BUS 415 – Group and Organizational Behavior

Pete Diffenderfer

11:00am – 12:00pm L203 (Poster Contest)

Annalee McIntosh

What Moses Can Teach Leaders About Grief in Ministry

Moses had a deep desire to enter the Promised Land with the Israelites, but the fulfillment of this desire was taken away from him by God. Moses had to continue doing ministry, knowing that his desires were never to be fulfilled. Many ministry leaders’ dreams and hopes for their church are being crushed during this post-pandemic time. They are in the time of decreased church attendance, deaths from the pandemic, increased political division, and more. They are in a state of grief and when that grief is ignored it results in consequences that are detrimental to a leader. These consequences can result in pastors burning out or can even result in pastors having to leave their churches. The story of Moses shows that these leaders are in good company, for Moses experienced these same pains of lost desire and deep grief. His response to this grief was to continue being faithful to his calling and to the people he was serving. Showing that ministry is hard and painful work but calls for awareness of the pain, and commitment to the calling ones received.

CM 499 – Senior Capstone

Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

4:00pm – 4:30pm L203

Annika Poet

The Subject of Carrots, Eggs, and Waistcoats

The European rabbit or Oryctolagus cuniculus is a mammal that has been spread across the globe. They can be found wild on every continent except Antarctica, where they can only be found domesticated with humans. A group of rabbits is called a fluffle. In the media, rabbits are popular creatures. They are known for their ability to multiply in a short amount of time. They are connected with colorful eggs full of candy or money around Easter time. They wear waistcoats and worry about the time of their pocket watch. They comically evade hunters while munching on only carrots. In reality, rabbits have nothing to do with laying eggs, teatime, or Elmer Fudd. In fact, carrots are not the best for rabbits due to the large sugar content and the possibility of addiction. Rabbits are seen as cuddly, quiet, numerous, and simple. But rabbits are anything but simple. They create complex tunnels and social groups that connect and protect wild rabbits. To show they are happy, rabbits fling themselves into the air. As the third most popular pet, domesticated rabbits are about as common as dogs or cats. It is important to understand the origins of domestic and wild rabbits and the significant role they play in the global ecosystem. Rabbits are lagomorph mammals that have spread around the whole globe. They have unique qualities such as their ears, eyes, and dewlap. By synchronizing their hind legs, rabbits jump at high speeds with precise directional control. Rabbits are herbivores, preferring tender and new growth over stems. The ideal environment for wild rabbits consists of an abundant food source, cover from predators, and decent dirt. However, rabbits can adapt to whatever environment. They have five different life stages and reproduce quickly. Rabbits are territorial creatures who will fight if needed, but their best chance of survival is escape. There are many natural predators of rabbits in the wild: mammals, reptiles, and raptors. This presentation will cover different aspects of wild and domestic rabbits and the complexity of this overlooked animal.

BIOL 200 – General Biology

Paul Allee

2:00pm – 2:30pm P103

Benjamin Randol

Mercedes Deiz and Civil Rights in Oregon

While most people think of Civil Rights activists as street protestors and passionate speakers, Mercedes Deiz shows us that effective Civil Rights workers were also enacting change directly in the justice system, which we see through how she broke barriers in the Oregon BAR, defended the rights of African Americans and women as Oregon’s first woman of color circuit court judge, and opened up new opportunities for minority law students and lawyers.

HIST 210 – Historical Methods and Research

Bushnell History Symposium 1pm – 4pm Bucher Room

Christopher Rosebrook

An Examination of Vocation Through the Experience of Others

In this paper there will be a discussion on the need for Christian’s to fulfill their calling, and how they can discern that calling through the experience of others. This will be achieved through the examination of three interviews of Christian leaders and how they have lived their lives to serve God. By looking at the vocations of the subjects of this paper, the reader will obtain a deeper understanding of vocation and how they can fulfill their vocation in their own lives.

BTM 250 – Building Wisdom for Vocational Living

Lynn Jacobson

11:00am – 11:30am Bucher Room

Courtney Weinberger

Actuarial P-Test

Actuaries need to be masters of probability. Hence the reason why the very first exam Actuaries will take is primarily on the mastery of probability. To master the different forms of probability, you must do several problems until you have the equations memorized. For the very first test, people interested in Actuarial work must master the conditional, discrete, continuous, and multivariable forms of probability. These forms of probability each have some unique difficult problems which will be shown and thoroughly explained. Additionally, all of these forms of probability have their own set of equations as well as requirements that must be fulfilled. Knowing when and where to use each form is crucial because of this reason.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

10:00am – 10:30am P103

David Schwartz

The Introduction of Statcast to Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball has been a driving force in American sports and statistical developments with the introduction of Statcast. Statcast uses the combination of doppler radar and video to obtain advanced statistics that are utilized for the development of baseball players. Prior to Statcast the general focus when it came to statistics in baseball were simple stats like Earned Run Average, Hits, Runs Batted In, etc. With the introduction of Statcast, we can focus more on predictive statistics that helps coaches scout players from a different perspective. For example, statistics like Expected Batting Average, Expected Weighted On Base Percentage, and many other recently introduced advanced stats that are discussed to show the benefit of using Statcast data for creating the most successful team possible. The introduction of Statcast, along with many other technological advances Major League Baseball has made created a window of growth for the baseball community as a whole by introducing new ways to analyze players and their development.

MATH 499 – Senior Capstone

Brian Carrigan

10:30am – 11:00am P103

Devon Halleman

Soul Wounds: The Impact of Moral Injury in First Responders and Implications for Counseling

First responders (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency dispatchers) operate in conditions where responsibility to act, empathy, and moral influence converge with human tragedy. More than 80% of first responders have endorsed experiencing traumatic events. First responders are disproportionately subjected to events and experiences that may conflict with their deeply rooted moral values. These events increase their risk of facing stress-related issues outside of those experiences, as outlined in established fear-based stress disorders. As such, first responders are at an increased risk of depression, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide. This paper addresses the complex diagnostic distinctions between PTSD and moral injury (MI). An event leading to posttraumatic stress disorder does not necessarily mean a moral injury has occurred; however, moral injury is always traumatic. MI has been defined as “a response to trauma when a person or group’s core moral foundations cannot identify, justify, process, and integrate the trauma experience into a meaningful system that sustains relationships and human flourishing.” Commonly accepted characteristics of MI include shame, guilt, spiritual or existential crisis, and loss of trust in oneself or others. When MI goes untreated, secondary diagnostic characteristics can include anxiety, depression, anger, reexperiencing, self-harm, and social issues. This paper discusses the importance of moral repair, personal renewal, and self-forgiveness in one’s journey of healing and restoring one’s moral identity. Culturally competent clinicians must listen attentively, devoid of judgment or individual agenda, and be proficient at recognizing and treating a moral injury.

Keywords: ​moral injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma, first responder, counseling

CMHC 699 – Capstone

Mindi Barta

3:00pm – 4:00pm L203