Category: Spring 2017

Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 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:

  • Calvin Anderson, Christian Ministry
  • Austin Dame, Business
  • Ben Drach, Biology
  • Colby Hanson, Communication
  • Zoe Herron, English
  • Delaney McMahon, Music & Worship Arts
  • Sam Nervino, Exercise Science
  • Chelsea Taylor, Psychology

L203

Noon – 1 PM

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Taylour Backus

Study Abroad in Costa Rica

In the summer of 2016, I had the privilege of studying abroad in Costa Rica for six weeks.  I stayed with a wonderful host family in Heredia, which is fifteen minutes away from the capital, San Jose.  I studied Spanish at a local university through a program called, Sol Study Abroad.  On the weekends, my friends and I went on excursions to explore the beautiful country.  I went river rafting and zip-lining through the rain forest, watched a surf competition on a black sanded beach, played soccer and volleyball, and saw many sloths.  Although it was only for six weeks, it was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

GLST 295, Study Abroad

Lauren Riley

L203

1 – 1:30

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Madeline Bartholomew, Hanna Mack, Joseph Piper

Team Chester Capstone Presentation

Chester’s Mission Statement

“Premium products for mainstream customers. Our brands withstand the test of time. Our stakeholders are customers, stockholders, management and employees.”

Company Strategy

We will be approaching the simulation using the “Differentiator with Product Lifecycle Focus” company strategy. Entering the market with all competitors including ourselves starting fresh we hope to gain an early advantage through high sales from a high tech product. With the introduction of our first high tech product, essentially no time has surpassed allowing for that product to become “old.” This planned successful first quarter will determine our continuing approach. By introducing new products and lowering the manufacturing quantity and price of previous products we plan to capture both the new market, as well as, be a cost leader in the old market. Ultimately, we hope to stop production of old products and sell off our inventory. By keeping a low inventory of old product we minimize the risk of having large inventories that do not sell or sell for the cost of production.

Research & Development: We will have multiple product lines in both segments. Our goal is to offer customers products that match their ideal criteria for positioning, age, and reliability.

Marketing: We will spend aggressively in promotion and sales. We want every customer to know about us, and we want to make our products easy for customers to find. We will price at a premium.

Production: We will grow capacity to meet the demand that we generate. After our products are well positioned, we will investigate modest increases in automation levels to improve margins.

Finance: We will finance our investments primarily through stock issues and cash from operations, supplementing with bond offerings on an as needed basis. When our cash position allows, we will establish a dividend policy and begin to retire stock. We are somewhat adverse to debt, and prefer to avoid interest payments. We expect to keep assets/equity (leverage) between 1.5 and 2.0.

BUS 499, Business Strategy and Policy

Dave Quirk

P103

1 – 3 PM

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Daniel Brock, Marina Irish, Nick Rubino

Capsim Simulation Presentation – Digby

Mission Statement

Low-priced products for the industry: Our brands offer solid value. Our stakeholders are bondholders, customers, stockholders and management.

Tactics

Research & Development: We will keep our existing product line and introduce at least one new line, maintaining a presence in both segments. We’ll work to keep our products up to date in each segment despite high automation levels, without sacrificing our cost/price advantage.

Marketing: Our Company will spend modestly on promoting and selling products in our industry. Our prices will be lower than average. After we establish our cost leadership position, we will revisit our situation to explore options to improve awareness and accessibility.

Production: We will significantly increase automation levels on all products. However, because automation sets limits upon our ability to reposition products with R&D, we automate more in the slower moving Low End segments than in the fast moving High End. We will prefer second shift/overtime to capacity expansions.

Finance: We will finance our investments primarily through long-term bond issues, supplementing with stock offerings on an as needed basis. When our cash position allows, we will establish a dividend policy and begin to retire stock. We are not adverse to leverage, and expect to keep assets/equity between 2.0 and 3.0.

BUS 499, Business Strategy and Policy

Dave Quirk

P103

1 – 3 PM

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Sierra Brown, Sergio Maldonado, Barton Peterson

Mission Statement for Ferris

Here at Ferris, Our mission is to provide the newest and the most advanced sensors with the highest level of durability. Not only do we seek to provide high quality in our product but also in our customer service to ensure your satisfaction.

Tactics

Research and Development:

we seek to provide our customers with the newest and most relevant products that will do more than satisfy.

Marketing:

Here at Ferris our goal is to promote our product in a way that makes it accessible and easy to find.

Production:

Our team will grow its production volume to meet the needs that we will continue to create. As the needs increase we will continue to meet those needs in a modest way to ensure that we keep up with the demands of high tech products.

Finances:

Our goal is to finance our investments mostly through the issuing of stock and our earnings and bond offerings only if necessary.  As we become an established company we will create a dividend policy and retire stock. We seek to avoid debt in order to allow for greater gains. We will attempt to maintain an assets/equity between 1.5 and 2.0.

BUS 499, Business Strategy and Policy

Dave Quirk

P103

1 – 3 PM

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Michael Buss

Effective Forgiveness

Given the inevitability of conflict and relational transgressions in interpersonal relationships, forgiveness plays an essential role in the maintenance of relationships. Factors, such as offense severity and blameworthiness effect the type of forgiveness, either direct, indirect, or conditional, and even if someone will choose to forgive at all. If the act of forgiveness is not sincere, the forgiving party’s negative affect will not be reduced. Sincere forgiveness is strongly correlated with a sincere apology.

COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, poster #1

10 AM – Noon

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David Carrasco

Christ’s Ascension

My capstone project will inspire individuals to reflection based on the understanding of the relevance of Christ’s ascension to today’s world. I will focus on three main events that make up the ascension as a whole: The Word blesses us, we, as disciples, worship Him, we recognize the great joy in Christ and praise Him. Knowledge of these events, while the event itself remains a mystery because of its indescribable characteristics, will be expounded upon by the study of biblical, historical and theological references. Special attention will be paid to the actions of the disciples directly after Christ’s ascension into heaven.

MUS 499, Capstone

Karen De Young

Banquet Room, poster #2

10 AM – Noon

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Chloe Combs & Joseph Laurendeau

Redefining Communication and Education Through Storytelling and the Arts.

The majority of the world’s population identify as oral learners, meaning they more effectively understand and exchange information by means other than reading and writing. Despite this fact, oral communication has become a lost art over the years. Education systems and daily human interaction have come to rely on technology and print communication almost exclusively. This presentation focuses on the power and importance of orality-based communication, and addresses the benefits and validity of storytelling and the arts in education.

CM 499, Capstone

Terry O’Casey

P114

10 – 10:30 AM

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Austin Dame

DameGood Innovation

This presentation will address the following: innovation, creation, evolution, and future direction of a student-created product. The opening priority is to address what innovation is, and how this concept was applied towards discovering a solution to a problem within the outdoors industry. The next approach in this presentation is to expand on the benefits the product offers and the variety of ways it can be utilized. In this segment, the product will be examined and compared. The following section is to explain the evolution of the product and break down the research and development process. In this stage, the variety of materials, suppliers worked with, and environmental necessities that have been applied to the product will be addressed. The final step is to break down the personal learning process, while expressing the personal future objectives with this product. Essentially, this presentation will take an in-depth look at what happens when a student is developing a product.

MKTG 434, Consumer Behavior

Pete Diffenderfer

Banquet Room, poster #3

10 AM – Noon

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Lesly Eran

Exploring: The Positive Outcomes After Breaking Up

The affirmation of romantic relationships is very important for individuals because this can reinforce the sense of identity and self-esteem in people. Researchers have found that positive emotions can occur following a breakup, particularly when different personal growths happen after the dissolution. Moreover, researchers also advise various methods to overcome the ending of a romantic relationship.

COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, poster #4

10 AM – Noon

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Michelle Fletcher

Dental Caries: A review of pathogenesis and genetically linked predispositions

Bacteria are small unicellular organisms that can cause an array of human diseases. They can take on a variety of shapes and sizes and can infect through many different modes of transfer. Streptococcus mutans is a spherical, Gram-positive bacterium that is responsible for causing dental caries. This disease is characterized by the breakdown of calcified tooth tissue, and is known more commonly as “cavities”. Studying and understanding the pathogenesis of a disease such as dental caries is helpful for medical professionals to recognize and treat the disease.

Besides understanding the exact mechanisms through which S. mutans invades and infects, it is also worth exploring any genetic predispositions for dental caries. The completion of the Human Genome Project has allowed researchers to sequence complete human gene extracts. With this information, researchers have been able to determine which genes and proteins are responsible for resistance or susceptibility to caries. Alterations to protein expression can lead to modifications in enamel structure, immune response, and sugar metabolism. Any of these modifications make one increasingly susceptible to disease.

Understanding pathogenesis and knowing genetic risk factors for diseases are two powerful weapons in combatting against them. Preventative measures should be taken when fighting against dental caries. Vaccines have been developed with some success, but perhaps the greatest method of prevention rests in low sugar diets and the daily practice of brushing.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P103

10 – 10:30 AM

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Marya Gogoleva, Jack Hackman, Lisa Ham

Capstone/Team Andrews

We strive to be a Cost Leader within our industry with a focus on Product Lifecycle and to create reliable products for mainstream customers. Our, Product Lifecycle Focus will allow for a healthy balance between high tech and low tech products. Our goal is to provide our customers with reliable and reasonably priced electronic sensors.

BUS 499, Business Strategy and Policy

Dave Quirk

P103

1 – 3 PM

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Colby Hanson

The Complexity of Being a Good Comforter

Knowing how to comfort effectively can make a significant difference in how people close to you are able to deal with difficult situations. There are many different suggested approaches to comforting, but few are backed by research. Results from studies have demonstrated that effective comforting doesn’t come from an effective trait or technique, but rather a “person- centered” approach that takes into account the distressed person and elements of the situation.

COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, poster #5

10 AM – Noon

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Colby Hanson

Crossing the Finish Line the Wrong Way

Physical appearance is often the first source of information that people gain when seeing/meeting others for the first time. This study observed what happened when this wasn’t the case. Participants were shown a story about someone before seeing a picture of that person. Results found that showing a negative story about someone attractive, and then showing a picture of that person, significantly decreased the perceived attractiveness of the person compared to uninformed ratings. When an unattractive person was paired with a positive story, and an average looking person was paired with a neutral story, there were positive, but insignificant changes in the perception of attractiveness.

COMM 499, Capstone

Doyle Srader

P003

1 – 1:30 PM

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Lori Hawley

Music Industry

My capstone is a recording project that highlights the process of a sound engineer and all steps involved in creating a professionally produced song. After the planning process is conducted the recording and collaboration then takes place in the studio followed by editing the vocals. Using my knowledge of music theory, along with my piano lessons I plan to create a soundscape of sounds in addition to the vocals. I will then play and record a variety of live and virtual instruments into the project. The next step involves editing the recordings, followed by mixing and mastering the song.

MUS 499, Capstone

Karen De Young

P114

11 – 11:30 AM

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Bill Helmer, Tanner Nelson, Alexis Wilks

Team Baldwin Mission Statement

Premium products for the industry: our brands withstand the test of time. Our stakeholders are customers, stockholders, management, and employees. We are unique because we will not limit ourselves to one type of product. We will broaden our possibilities by offering products in both the high and low tech fields. Our goal is to maintain and grow our client base by offering quality products at a reasonable price to as many people as possible. Our Strategy is to be a Broad Differentiator.

Tactics

Research & Development: We will keep our existing product line, and introduce at least one more line, maintaining a presence in both segments. Our goal is to offer customers products that match their ideal criteria for positioning, age, and reliability.

Marketing: Our company will spend aggressively in promotion and sales in both segments. We want every customer to know about our superb designs, and we want to make our products easy for customers to find. We will price at a premium.

Production: We will grow capacity to meet the demand that we generate. After our products are well positioned, we will investigate modest increases in automation levels to improve margins, but never at the expense of our ability to reposition products and keep up with segments as they move across the perceptual map.

Finance: We will finance our investments primarily through stock issues and cash from operations, supplementing with bond offerings on an as needed basis. When our cash position allows, we will establish a dividend policy and begin to retire stock. We are somewhat adverse to debt, and prefer to avoid interest payments. We expect to keep assets/equity (leverage) between 1.5 and 2.0.

BUS 499, Business Strategy and Policy

Dave Quirk

P103

1 – 3 PM

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McKenzie Hinson

Talk Clean to Me: Removing the Taboo Surrounding Sex-Communication with Children

One particularly tricky communication situation occurs when people communicate with their children about the concept of sex. In communicating, parents have the opportunity to convey ideas, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and expectations to their children, and consequently, parents play an important role in the formation of their children as they move into adolescence and adulthood. Despite an understanding of this, parents often feel uncomfortable when discussing sexual matters with their children, and research suggests that there are unique challenges and concerns in discussing things of a sexual nature with young children and with adolescents. In light of the research presently discussed, parents should strive to have open sex-communication with their children. While there are legitimate concerns and anxiety regarding sex-communication with children, general parent-child communication was found to be a significant predictor of adolescent sexual behavior. Though these conversations are not necessarily easy to have, it’s arguable that parent-child sex-communication is important at any age, and thus, should not be avoided.

COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, poster #6

10 AM – Noon

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Allison Keeney

Maundy Thursday: A New Commandment of Love

The season of Lent ends with the Triduum, a period of three days that represent the journey Jesus took into his crucifixion and resurrection.  These three days include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  Most church populations know what Good Friday and Easter Sunday are, but in today’s churches most of the population does not know what Maundy Thursday is.  Maundy Thursday is a day for us to remember the new commandment of love that Jesus gave to his disciples as he washed their feet in John 13, and therefore a new commandment of love that he gives to each of us.  How can we take this new commandment of love and represent it in our daily walk with God?

MUS 375, History of Worship in the Church

Karen De Young

Banquet Room, poster #7

10 AM – Noon

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Kenny Kessler

Beacon Bolt Highlights

A presentation of four different pieces I wrote for the Beacon Bolt during the 2015 school year. Brief summary of my major (English) and career goals. Account of time spent writing for the Beacon Bolt. Pieces bear significance not only as individual products but also as collective whole. Collectively, the body of work encompasses the topics which I have the most passion for writing on, namely current events, history, community, politics, sports, entertainment, and religion, all from an opinion position. As individual works, each piece embodies different specific parts from the aforementioned list. The UCC article is religious, community, and current events focused . The Cross Country article is centers on sports and entertainment. The article about historical figures and opinions is both historical and community oriented. The dialogue and taboo article is primarily political. Purpose and function of each article will be elaborated on individually. Any questions following the presentation will be answered.

ENG 499, Capstone

James Watson

P114

10:30 – 11 AM

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Katarina Maciel

Societal Perceptions of Intimate Partner Rape

Within our society, rape has not been viewed as a prominent concern. Despite the statistics on the prevalence of rape, societal beliefs have until recent years allowed marital rape to persist legally across the United States. The rape culture that exists across the nation has influenced the treatment of both rape victims and offenders. Victims of intimate partner rape are unlikely to report an attempted or completed rape due to societal beliefs surrounding this topic. The post-traumatic experiences of victims and perpetrators of intimate partner rape are heavily influenced by the erroneous beliefs which society holds, known as rape myths. These include minimizing the severity of a rape and placing blame on rape victims. Rape myths distort legal and societal judgments regarding both victims and perpetrators of intimate partner rape. An individual’s endorsement of hostile and benevolent sexist beliefs influence the way in which he or she perceived instances of rape. Those who held sexist beliefs endorsed rape myths more than those who did not. In terms of the criminalization of perpetrators, intimate partner rape perpetrators were given less severe sentences than perpetrators of stranger rape. Conversely, victims of intimate partner rape experienced more shame and guilt than victims of stranger rape. Victims of intimate partner rape are negatively affected by societal perceptions of rape. Crimes labeled, “intimate partner rape,” were seen as less traumatic than experiences of stranger rape. The decision of a victim to disclose a rape event to a support provider is determined by the victim’s perception of how this individual may react to hearing about the rape. Researchers reported that societal beliefs must be changed by means of educating the public and increasing awareness of intimate partner rape. Future directions for research include investigating the viewpoint of perpetrators of intimate partner rape.

IDS 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

P003

2:30 – 3 PM

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Madi Novelli

Attraction & Lasting Relationships

Attraction plays a big role in relationships and can determine just how long some relationships last. People get into relationships to better enhance their self. Research shows that similarities play a big part when someone is attracted to someone. However, not having much in common is great as well because different personalities and interests can make someone else experience new things and make their self even greater. Bad attraction also happens a lot within the process of getting into relationships. Bad attraction is often found with online dating or relationships that are pretty much all on a screen. Those relationships lack face to face conversations and human touch that can really affect relationships in the long run.

COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, poster #8

10 AM – Noon

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Emily Sanders

Engaging Students at the Junior High Level: How to Overcome Biological Hindrances to Learning and Foster a Prosperous Classroom Environment for a Student’s Ultimate Success

In the teenage years, as one undergoes puberty, many biological changes are occurring. In order, to understand how to teach students at this level, teachers should be aware of how their brain works and the ways in which they learn. Taking a look at the process of myelination and examining different hormones, grasping the effects of poverty on the brain, and seeing how those with disabilities differ in the learning process provides insight into the effects on learning. In schools today there are various types of learners. Some learn through visual means, some auditory, and some kinesthetic. Through understanding these types of learners, a teacher can construct a classroom that accommodates students and pushes them to their highest potential. With the background knowledge of brain structures and functions, it becomes easier to limit distractions in the classroom, build lesson plans which collaborate and invent, and enforce classroom structure and discipline. This also informs how technology is used in the classroom and what type of relationship a teacher should have with students. All of these components construct a complete view of how a classroom can cater towards students and assist them to reach success, no matter the biological hindrances.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P103

10:30 – 11 AM

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Chelsea Stone

Substance Abuse and Intimate Relationships

Substance abuse disorder is a mental health issue, which has a significant impact on an individual and their intimate partner. If one or both intimate partners abuse substances, relationship quality and functioning are negatively affected. Further, studies reveal that couples in which one or both intimate partners are abusing drugs or alcohol are at a higher risk for intimate partner violence than couples who do not abuse drugs or alcohol. Effective treatment options for the individual with a substance abuse disorder need to equip the individual with effective tools and resources to increase relationship quality and functioning with their intimate partner.

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

1 – 1:30 PM

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Emily Sutherland

The Benefits of Breastfeeding

In past years, breastfeeding was not seen as an important practice for new mothers, but researchers have found that it may have many positive effects on a child later in life. Wet nursing, feeding, and the use of formula were all feeding practices of the past some are still practiced today, but a mother’s breast milk may be ideal food for infants. This presentation addresses four researcher themes on the benefits of breastfeeding, including how it may positively affect a child’s cognitive and language development, prevent obesity, reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and strengthen an infant’s immune system. Researchers have found that babies who were exclusively breastfed were more likely to achieve higher levels of language capacity as well as language fluency at a young age. Babies who were breastfed were also more likely to remain at a healthy weight as they grew, as opposed to babies who were not breastfed. SIDS is also a concern for parents, but researchers have found that if a baby is breastfed, a mother’s breast milk gives the baby nutrients that may prevent illnesses that can cause SIDS in infants. One important factor of breastfeeding is the duration of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding duration may positively affect the overall health of the infant. Future directions for research include investigating the psychological development of breastfed infants in comparison to infants who are not breastfed.

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

P003

1:30 – 2 PM

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Nathan Sutherland

Todah as Communion

Communion is likely one of the most important things that many churches in the world today simply view as a quick practice that is more of an afterthought than something that is central to the life of the believer and the church. However, recapturing the authentic vision that Jesus had for the Eucharist is vital in understanding more fully the life that he wants us to participate in with him. In the church today, it is difficult to pin down exactly what communion is. While most people would agree that communion is the partaking of bread and the drinking of wine to remember what Jesus has done for us on the cross, the practical way that is played out in churches across the world looks drastically different everywhere.

How can we recapture the authentic vision for communion that Jesus undoubtedly had in mind when he instituted it as a practice in the upper room with the disciples in Matthew 26? In order to answer this question, we must look at three aspects of communion. First, we must look at the history of communion, not only in the church, but also in what Hebrew traditions Jesus implemented communion around. Secondly, we must look to the theology of what happened in the upper room when Jesus instituted communion to understand what Jesus intended for communion to look like in practice for his followers. Thirdly, we must take what we learned from the history and theology of communion to know how to successfully integrate it into the practice of church today.

BTM 499, Capstone

Dennis Lindsay

2:30 – 3 PM

P114

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Chelsea Taylor

Recidivism of Sex Offenders

Many believe sex crimes to be one of the most despicable and brutal crimes an individual can both commit and experience. Sexual offenses violate the most intimate part of a person, violating physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually. It is often falsely believed that the rate of recidivism for sex offenders is higher than the average crime, due to its oftentimes violent and invasive nature. Due to this belief, sex offenders are often stigmatized by the public, even upon releasement. In order to understand the recidivism of sex offenders, this presentation will gather information from researchers who explored elements which show promise in reducing their rate of recidivism. This will then prevent future sex crimes, thus reducing the number of victims and leading citizens to become more productive. Despite the stigma and other obstacles which increase the likelihood of recidivism, researchers pinpointed possible elements which indicated reduced recidivism rates. Those elements include purposeful sentencing, rehabilitation and therapy, and reintegration techniques. Understanding what perpetuates sex offender recidivism as well as developing tools in order to prevent recidivism, the anticipation is fewer sex crimes, thus, fewer brutal violations of innocent men, women, and children.  Future directions for research and victim impact will also be addressed.

PSY 499

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

P003

2 – 2:30 PM

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Cassidy Winters

Food and People: a Review of the Western Diet and Implications for Human Health

The need for food is something that all humans have in common and is something that has not changed since we have started walking the Earth. What has shifted, however, is the way that we obtain food. Immense change has occurred at various levels of the food chain, from the crops grown, to raising meat, all the way to how we eat. Known as the “western diet” our way of eating today looks far different from our hunter-gatherer days, with highly processed foods full of refined sugar, fat, and grains comprising over half of our energy intake. With the emergence of the western diet phenomenon, so have “western diseases”, which are understood to be noninfectious chronic diseases common to developed societies, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and various types of cancer, not to mention obesity.  Wherever people have shifted towards a westernized way of eating, western diseases have seemed to follow. As eating and food becomes more simplified, it seems that our health continues to get more complicated.

BIOL 499, Capstone

Paul Allee

P103

11 – 11:30 AM

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