Brooke Silvernail

The Ins and Outs of Studying Abroad

Before I had gone to Granada, Spain, I had always dreamed of knowing what it would be like to travel to a different country and learn about its culture. Now that I have studied abroad, I know all of the ins and outs of how to study abroad: finding a program, preparing for departure, starting your experience, and enjoying your stay. Although it may seem like an arduous task, the hardest part to studying abroad is getting there. After listening to my story, you will learn about the study abroad process and get a glimpse of what it feels like to be an international student.

SPAN 499, Senior Capstone

Jenae Cazares

P103

11:30 AM – Noon

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Amanda Sisul & Luke Smith

Protection for Shears

Our project is creating a product for Haus and Garten. There were many options when deciding on what product to create. We decided to create a product that is protection for the shears. To give a visual example it is like what you put on scissors. We are doing this for safety reasons and so that the shears on the pruners remain sharp and don’t rust. This product would greatly benefit the Haus and Garten company.

MKTG 230, Intro to Marketing

Christy Silverthorne

Bucher Room

1 – 2:30 PM

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Hana Slayden, Jayden Soriano & John Stephens

Renewal L+L

We are presenting our business as mission idea of Renewal L+L, a laundry and landscape buisness that focuses on hiring homeless or people of low income to get them back into the work force.

BUS 240, Theology and Practice of Business as Mission

Pete Diffenderfer

Bucher Room

10 AM – Noon

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Zoe Tomlin

An Understanding of Jonah.

This capstone paper is about the Biblical book of Jonah. It is taking all the elements found in Jonah and tying in psychological theories and ideas to see if Jonah was truly a loser or if there is another element of the story people have been missing. Jonah is a prophet called by God to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach to them about repenting or else they would be destroyed. The city of Nineveh is hated by most and does many sinful acts, so it would be understandable that Jonah would want to avoid that area. According to Jonah, he would rather die then help the helpless. But Jonah is God’s prophet and he is called to deliver God’s Word.

IDS 499, Senior Capstone

James Berry

P114

1 – 1:30 PM

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Cole Vamos

Social Anxiety, Depression, and Peer Pressure Amongst College Life

In this evidence-based synthesis paper, I reviewed findings and discoveries across 15 empirical studies ranging from 2001 to 2023 to summarize current knowledge and new information about social anxiety, peer pressure, and depressive disorders within college students. I included different demographics and geographics, ethnicity, age, and gender. The main methods of research conducted through these studies were questionnaires to access and categorize the different levels of anxiety or depression, depending on the study. These methods allowed discoveries with emerging adults entering college life, and those who already attend college, therefore showing where these symptoms form or have originally formed prior to college life. Overall, there was an increase in prevalence of cases of college students dealing with different forms of social anxiety, as well as depressive symptoms. Symptoms varied depending on cases, the majority related to negative habits like drinking or drug addiction which led to negative self-esteem, even deliberate self-harm. Furthermore, future studies will only extend further knowledge or develop more evidence based facts about depressive symptoms and social anxiety amongst college life.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Erin Mueller

Womack 100

11:30 AM – Noon

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Taylor C. Van Rysselberghe

The Trauma Trident: Biopsychosocial-spiritual Framework for Identifying Impacts of Trauma

Trauma is quickly becoming recognized as a major component in the lives of nearly all who are suffer from mental health issues or disorders. The Trauma Trident is a conceptual framework for defining and identifying trauma through the use of the biopsychosocial model and the added component of spirituality. Furthermore, trauma is highlighted as a type of wounding that occurs from the power of harmful memories consisting of lost autonomy, lies we hear from others, and lies we end up telling ourselves. The Trauma Trident aims to expand upon current means of identifying trauma and promote mental wellness and clarity through the attainment of insight concerning symptoms which have significantly impacted important areas of an individual’s life.

CMHC 699, Capstone

Mindi Barta

Siefke 100

10 – 11 AM

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Byron Velazquez

Surviving the Waters

I will talk about a story presented in the History book called Traditions and Encounters.

The story is called The Flood Story: The Epic of Gilgamesh. The story will be presented in a storyboard that illustrates the important scenes of this story. The story talks about a flood that collapsed and destroyed the entire city, but a person had a warning from a divine entity that warned him about this disaster. This person had time to prepare and throw in what he believed would be vital to survive on a ship. After Surviving he had a reward which was immortality.

This story has a very notable similarity to Noah’s Ark since they are quite similar circumstances but have different outcomes.

I would like to talk about the differences and similarities that exist between both stories since as Christians we are very familiar with one of the two stories and comparing it with another story would help us expand our knowledge.

HIST 161, World History I

Stephen Andes

P103

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1 – 4 PM

Justin Walton

Finding Purpose in Creation

The Mayan people had a particular focus on agriculture in their lives. Maize was particularly important in everything that they did. Water was also the bloodline of the community as nothing grew without it. The story of the Popol Vuh is the Mayan creation story. After a failed attempt of creating humans, the Mayan gods were consoled by animals who advised them to use maize and water in their creation project. The first people were formed out of maize and water. The animals in this creation story are also significant as the lives of the Mayan people included all of nature, not just the crucial maize and water. While the Mayan gods couldn’t create humans out of nothing, God created the first human out of dust. In Mayan culture, the food and water give humans life, in Christianity it is God who gives us life. Just as agriculture was the focus point of the Mayan lifestyle, God is the focus point of the Christian’s life. In the Christian creation story, God created everything and needed no help. This contrasts the Mayan story in which the gods needed the help of the animals, plants, and water around them to create life.

HIST 161, World History I

Stephen Andes

P103

1 – 4 PM

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Ty Weiskind

The life of Anthony the great

I am going to talk about the Anthonys life specifically how he lived his day-to-day life a how he was very discipled in his pursuit to please and get closer to God.

HIST 331, History of Christianity I

Stephen Andes

P103

1 – 4 PM

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Abigail Weston

Discovering Confucius

The story I will be telling is about a man who pursued a higher place of authority than he could receive, and in the process, he ended up leaving a lasting legacy on all of China. This story is one of the birth of Confucian Philosophy and the rebirth of unification in China. I am hoping to leave the audience with a unique perspective on Confucianism and the man Confucius. “Confucius on food Government” features the lesson of Confucius on the ideal ruler. In the eyes of Confucius, a righteous ruler retains benevolence, humanity, propriety, and filial piety. Confucius calls these characteristics Ren, Li, and Xiao. Duke Ai and Ji Kang both sought Confucius’s advice on how to “secure the submission of the people,” (Bentley, Ziegler, and Streets Salter 2015, 104) the answer they receive highlights these attributes. I plan to provide my audience with an unfamiliar perspective on Confucius’s life, his lasting message on government, and his impact on China and the world today.

HIST 161, World History I

Stephen Andes

P103

1 – 4 PM

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Austin Wolfe

Gardening Starter Kit

I will be showcasing a product I want to show to Haus and Garten. The product is a a beginner gardening kit for new gardeners. The idea is to get more people into gardening. With this product we want to make it easy and beneficial for the consumers to use it and to gain a positive experience from it. I hope that the beginner gardening kit will bring pleasure and felicity to those who want to pursue gardening as a hobby or career.

MKTG 230, Intro to Marketing

Christy Silverthorne

Bucher Room

1 – 2:30 PM

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Ian Woodcock

Synthetic Generation of Genomic Datasets using Synthetic Data Vault

Many wonder what the mysterious world of coding can allow you to do. The first things that come to mind are software UI (User Interface) or UX (User Experience), maybe game development, and many other things out there. But there is one field that may seem to be hidden from the world. All are found in some virtual underground dungeon. No, I am not taking you to the dark web. I am talking about data analysis and machine learning. Python is the best programming language that allows you to manipulate Excel datasets. From containing personal information of customers to numbers of statistics of a store and their items. We can use those kinds of datasets and use one to program it to run through an algorithm to give us simply a score. In this, we will be dealing with DNA genomic datatsets and we will put it through an algorithm that creates synthetic genomic data. The score will specifically focus on the broadness to unuiqueness of the type of genomic data in the original dataset and the new dataset.

SFTE 499, Senior Capstone

Ernest Bonat

Richardson 100

10 – 10:30 AM

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Alexis Heenan 

The Body is Not a Machine: Understanding Addiction

In this evidence-based synthesis paper I incorporate research discovered in 22 peer-reviewed journals to propose an alternative approach to understanding addiction. I introduce the paper with an illustration of French philosopher, René Descartes’ metaphysical theory of substance dualism in efforts to introduce Western medicine’s biomedical system which views the human body as a working machine with individual parts. I include descriptions of addiction, substance, and addictive behavior as defined by the American Psychological Association. I dissect the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ description of addiction. Furthermore, I use scientific evidence to differentiate two opposing arguments defending the definition of addiction: the Brain Disease Model of Addiction and the Addiction Theory Network. I acknowledge and explain three prevalent addictions in the United States: (1) food, (2) technology, and (3) drugs. After careful ingestion of the data presented, the reader may come to understand that the biomedical approach in Western healthcare is counterproductive in understanding and treating those with addiction or addictive behavior. In opposition to substance dualism, and through the integration of various research, I offer that addiction can be most understood when the mind and the body are viewed to be one whole rather than two halves of the human being.

PSY499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Erin Mueller

1pm – P103

Andrew Lindley

Bushnell Cafeteria Offerings Survey and Analysis

This study seeks to improve the Bushnell dining experience by utilizing statistical methods. Using data gathered by a specific survey process, this project will uncover what meals students like, what meals students don’t like, and what can be done to better the cafeteria in light of these discoveries. The data collection design, data visualization, and statistical methods used in determining results will all be presented and explained. The end goal is an unbiased and accurate study that equips our staff to provide the best possible dining experience at Bushnell.

MATH499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Connie Wilmarth

10:30am – P003

Annika Poet

Dogs: A Species Unlike Any Other

This presentation will cover the uniqueness of domesticated dogs. I will cover artificial selection and a small history of the domestication of wolves into dogs. I will explain the American Kennel Club and the multitude of breeds of dogs with their purposes. Lastly, I will examine the differences in the different breeds throughout the years. 

BIOL205- General Biology

Dr. Paul Allee

10am – L204

Autumn Arcangel & Alexus Hernandez

Trouble in Paradise?

Abstract- The focus of this presentation is to highlight the troubles that tourism can bring to small tourist destinations. Sometimes tourists who travel to certain destinations fail to take proper precautions and do their research, which can often lead to dangerous or unfortunate situations for the locals and tourists. In this project, we will be looking at Oahu, Hawai’i and how tourism affected the land and the locals. After researching, we found that tourism for Hawai’i cause a lot of problems and dangerous situations. This project is not to bash on tourists but to bring awareness for small tourist destinations like Hawai’i. We will be focusing on economy, society/culture, and environment. 

BUS207- Travel and Tourism

Dr. Pete Diffenderfer

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Benjamin Randol 

Employee Right to Privacy vs. Employer’s Need to Know (Private Business)

In Desilets v. Walmart (1999), the district court decided that Walmart had violated its employees’ privacy rights by using hidden taping devices to record private conversations. While most privacy laws are loose when it comes to on-site camera recordings, this case decision redefines employee privacy rights in the workplace. 

BUS370- Legal & Ethical Issues in Business & Management

Dr. Latrissa Neiworth

11:30am – P103

Benjamin Randol

The Story of a Colonel and How the Artillery He Commanded Forever Changed American Military History

Of all the new military technologies used during the American Civil War, the one that had the most influence on American military history was light artillery as its lighter structure enabled more maneuverability, the accuracy of new rifled guns made artillery units more crucial in battle, and the resulting victory of the Union lead to the creation of other mobile artillery technologies, including the modern tank.

HIST499- History Capstone

Dr. Melisa Berry

Bushnell History Symposium (L203: 2:30-4:30pm)

Benjamin Randol

The French Revolution: social, political, or economic revolution?

The French Revolution was more of a social revolution than a political or economic revolution, as we see in the social constructs before the revolution (Three Estates), the peasantry revolts and the “Great Fear”, and the new social reforms enacted by the Directory and Napoleon after the revolution.

HIST152- History of Western Civilization ll

Dr. Melisa Berry

Bushnell History Symposium (2:30pm – 4:30pm)

Bethany Taylor

Crucial communication strategies between caregivers and children post-pandemic

Abstract- Studies suggest the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on youth ages 6 – 14 and their behaviors and skills, including communication skills. As a result of my passion for working with youth, I found this topic both intriguing and critically important to their future success. The objectives of my capstone is to inform parents and guardians of the various intervention methods and opportunities to utilize with young people to enhance their skills and confidence when communicating. Guided by research, I plan to recommend opportunities for parents and guardians to foster better communication at home by giving them easy tools to incorporate with the young people in their home on a daily basis. My capstone project includes a curriculum that will be shown to parents during a dedicated “Parents/Guardian Resource Night” as well as a take-home resource packet.

COMM499- Senior Capstone

Kelsey Rychener

1pm – P003

Bobby Byrd

A Financially Ideal Trip to Japan

This presentation will detail the ins and outs of finding a way to travel and tour different areas in Japan, while still being financially conservative in as many ways as possible. It can be hard to travel anywhere on a budget, but Japan has many options for traveling and touring for cheap that are overlooked. This will list the rates of travel companies, different hotels with varying qualities, specific tours, and destinations that are must-see tourist attractions, including their pricing and the length for those as well. 

BUS 207 – Travel and Tourism

Dr. Pete Diffenderfer

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Braden Abbott

Effective Pastoral Care for Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Multigenerational Communities

What is effective pastoral care for baby boomers, generation x, millennials, and multigenerational communities? This research question has been the focus of my capstone since the beginning of the semester. As a Christian ministries major with a focus in pastoral ministry, I know that most of my time throughout my career will be spent providing spiritual care to those around me. It is obvious that this is a topic that will help me prepare for this task, but what if I told you that this topic is relevant to every church-going Christian? Pastoral care is an overlooked area of mental health which has the potential to help anyone struggling with things like depression, anxiety, life transitions, meaning making, and more. Finding a working definition of this concept and applying it to different populations is essential for its effective practice. Once this is established, effective pastoral care can be applied to a broad sociological profile for each of the generations mentioned in the research question. Finally, all this research will be applied to a multigenerational community such as a church serving multiple age groups in relationship. The findings of this capstone will prepare me to be a more effective practitioner of pastoral care and allow anyone in the audience to better understand how pastoral care can help them, regardless of the generational cohort they belong to or the experiences they have had throughout their lives.

CM499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

3:30pm – Bucher Room

Bre’Azia Bourg

Poverty and School: It does make a difference!

In this presentation I will examine the effects of poverty on student learning, specifically at the high school level. I will discuss things like parental, support, mental health, graduation/college rates, and more! Lastly, I will present ways to address those challenges in the classroom.

EDUC321- Classroom Relations & Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Juding Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Bryana Yoshida

Mental Health Care for Pregnant Women

The mental health of pregnant women has been neglected in the American healthcare system. This is especially true in regard to pre and postpartum depression and suicide.  According to the article Suicides During and Shortly After Pregnancy Are an Urgent Concern, Farzana Akkas states, “A study recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that over the past decade, nearly 9% of females of childbearing age (15-44) who died by suicide were pregnant or recently postpartum.” I propose three methods to address these problems. The first is support groups. The second is education, and the third is financial assistance. Eligibility for mental health resources should not depend on a woman’s financial status, racial identity, or ability. Mental health care during pregnancy should be open for all female residents in the United States

IDS 499 – Senior Capstone

James Berry

1pm – Bucher Room

Celsie Smith

From Poverty to Respectability: How Boxer James J. Braddock’s Internal Wealth transformed Depression Era Boxing

Referred to as “The Cinderella Man” by newspapers, James J. Braddock was a washed-up boxer with a “fairytale” return to the spotlight who become the world heavyweight champion in 1935.  Impacted by the Depression, he experienced defeat and humility, and had to face the economic and social reality of his situation. Braddock’s commitment to make his children healthy, fed, and happy drove him to return to boxing, despite previous failures. Seeing Braddock face and triumph over not just his opponents, but his own economic, mental, physical, social, and spiritual challenges re-ignited hope for American citizens facing their own poverty.

HIST499- History Capstone

Dr. Melisa Berry

Bushnell History Symposium (L203 2:30pm – 4:30pm)

Christopher Rosebrook, Will Callahan

For Better or for Worse: Tourism in Chile

This paper will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the country of Chile. It will delve into the effects that tourism has on the natural environment as well as the local economies of Chile. The paper will show how tourism plays a role in conservation and how this outweighs the negative effects it has on the environment.

BUS307: Travel and Tourism

Dr. Pete Diffenderfer

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

David Schwartz

Apply Machine Learning Convolutional Neural Network for Classification Genomic Datasets

In my presentation I will show how we can apply a convolutional neural network to classify genomic data. I will discuss CNN’s and how they work along with showing the application to genomic datasets.

SFTE 445 – Introduction to Machine Learning and AI

Dr. Ernest Bonat

3:30pm – L204

Dylan Hough and Christian Benavides

Vail Resorts

We will be doing our presentation on Vail Resorts.We will be going over how the resort is the largest resort operator in North America with a record of 17.3 million skiers visiting and $2.5 billion in revenue for its fiscal in 2022. We will then go into talking about the Accommodations, History, Resorts within, Economics, Demand, Impacts, Transportation. We will also have bar graphs and pictures.

BUS207- Travel and Tourism

Dr. Pete Diffenderfer

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Elizabeth Mathis, Aaron von Bruck

Sports Tourism

We are going to compare and contrast the impacts of sports tourism on the host cities during the major U.S. sporting events (Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series).

BUS207- Travel and Tourism

Dr. Pete Diffenderfer

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Ellie Harrold

Scientific Abuse and Lack of Ethical Discussion

I will be giving a presentation on an argumentative paper titled “Scientific Abuse and its Affiliations with Lack of Ethical Discussion”. This paper is based on 10 different scientific articles that I researched prior to writing it. Within this paper scientific abuse is described, as well as the different forms that should be recognized. The different forms of scientific abuse discussed are: Scientific misconduct, unethical and immoral experiments, ideological sciences, and not honoring factual findings.

WR 123 – English Composition

Joshua Kulmac-Butler

11:30 – P003

Ency Soto Jacobo

Negative Factors Impact Female Athletes and Can Lead to the Development of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a serious mental health concern that can affect individuals of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, including female collegiate athletes. In this evidence-based synthesis paper, I examined the prevalence of eating disorders among female collegiate athletes and identified risk factors that are associated with the development of eating disorders. I explored interventions that may effectively prevent and treat eating disorders in female collegiate athletes. Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates among psychological disorders. It is important to understand why female athletes are at increased risk and what solutions can be implemented in a collegiate environment. Researchers have consistently found that female collegiate athletes are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders; as high as 45% of female college athletes engage in disordered eating behavior. Repeated risk factors associated with developing eating disorders in female collegiate athletes include social and cultural pressures, achieving an ideal body, sport-specific demands, competitive environment, stress, anxiety, and other psychological factors. This being said it is critical to increase awareness of this issue among coaches and athletes. Overall, the findings provide valuable insights into the risk factors of eating disorders in female collegiate athletes and highlight the importance of implementing intervention strategies to help prevent and treat these disorders. Future research must identify effective prevention and intervention programs in collegiate athletics.

PSY499- Senior Capstone

Dr. Erin Mueller

1:30 – P103

Hannah Love 

How does Color affect Student’s learning

Different colors can influence people’s moods and reactions. Different types of colors and shades can make people feel safe or afraid. Putting calming and welcoming colors in a classroom is more effective at creating a healthy learning environment than blank walls or bright colors. 

EDUC321- Classroom Relations & Management

Dr. Brian Kaelin

Poster Judging Contest (L203: 10am – Noon)

Hannah Shepard, Jennifer Banning, & Jaron Carter

Strategic Plan for One Hope

We have created a Strategic Plan for One Hope, a local non-profit. Elements of our plan include their vision and mission and plans for moving forward.

BUS499- Business Strategy and Policy

Christy Silverthorne

2pm – Bucher Room

Ian Woodcock

Using Machine Learning Autoencoders Neural Networks for Dimensional Reduction of Genomic Datasets

“Machine learning is a well-known field in today’s society when it comes to technology. The first thing that probably comes to your mind is AI, which is a fair assumption, and I do have to admit, yes, machine learning and AI are related in some ways. But this is not involved with robotics similar to what you see in movies or science fairs, or robotics classes. It’s done more so in programming and is ever more present in the world of coding and software engineering. If you had a noisy image, a machine could make it less noisy on the image! If you had a file that was quite big in data size and you wanted to compress it down, a machine could do that! But what if I told you, you could condense down large dataset files, and the files took up so much of your storage on a small thumb drive, and it took forever for a machine to learn and output results? Well, now you can! This is how we use a neural network called an autoencoder and use the dimensionality reduction method to condense our data in Genomics!”

SFTE 445 – Introduction to Machine Learning and AI

Dr. Ernest Bonat

4pm – L204

Isaac Johnston

Worship: The Key to Spiritual Formation and the Heart of Discipleship

This project shows how an individual’s view of worship impacts their spiritual maturity. This paper will define the terms “worship” and “liturgy,” walk through transforming uses of liturgy to direct our worship in a congregational setting, and show how liturgy can form and point our individual worship to God in day-to-day life. In these things we will find the key to becoming like Christ for our personal spiritual formation and our discipleship of others.

CM 499 – Senior Capstone

Dr. Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

4pm – Bucher Room

Isaiah Robles

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

In this presentation, I will define FASD, including its relevance to worldwide populations, describe practices for FASD diagnosis, describe practices for therapeutic interventions over the lifespan of the individual, and describe the impacts/challenges of FASD. My youngest brother was adopted and was born with FASD, specifically FAS. Therefore, diving deep into this disorder helps me better understand the abnormalities going on with my brother, and how I can better interact with him. Because this condition is also severely underdiagnosed, it will be beneficial for the audience to understand the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy and the proper steps to raise and treat a child with FASD.

BIOL 499 – Senior Capstone

Dr. Paul Allee

11am – L204