ALMA — Students presented the results of their research and creative work across the arts, sciences and humanities during the 30th annual Kapp Honors Day, a celebration of the liberal arts at Alma College.

More than 130 students participated in 89 presentations during this year’s program on Thursday, April 2. The annual event fosters campus engagement by providing a platform for students to share their original research, creativity and talents while traditional classes are paused.

Throughout the eight-hour event, students delivered a wide range of presentations, including dance performances, scholarly talks and poster sessions. With a large portion of the student body involved, attendees were encouraged to support their peers and engage with new ideas across disciplines. Rooted in the values of a liberal arts education, the event also highlighted students’ ability to think critically, draw connections across fields, and approach complex questions from multiple perspectives.

Outstanding projects across academic disciplines were honored with the Ronald O. Kapp Honors Day Prize, named for longtime professor and administrator Ronald O. Kapp. This year’s recipients were Dani Crews (humanities), Trevor Grandy (natural sciences) and Stephanie Rauch (social sciences).

A key component of Honors Day is its emphasis on community-engaged work, which reflects Alma College’s commitment to connecting academic learning with real-world impact. These projects build partnerships beyond campus, address pressing social issues and contribute to the public good — core values of a liberal arts education at Alma.

The Golden Scot Award recognizes the strongest of these efforts. This year, the award was presented to Widad Hajji and MaryAlice Lynch for their project, “Community Perceptions and Engagement: Understanding Public Attitudes Toward the Pine River in Alma.”

2026 Kapp Honors Day Presenters and Presentation Titles

Paulina Rivet, Laingsburg, Mich.
Presentation: Community Engagement

Kalib Jackson, Lansing, Mich.
Presentation: Community Engagement

Julia Weihs, Clinton Township, Mich.
Presentation: Community Engagement

Mariella Cusack, Ada, Mich.
Presentation: Community Engagement

Dante Snook, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Community Engagement

Jackson Eelbode, Macomb, Mich.
Presentation: No Write Way: Connection, Research, and Possibility in the Writing Center

Lili Catrell, Shepherd, Mich.
Presentation: No Write Way: Connection, Research, and Possibility in the Writing Center

Madeline Gustincic, Merrill, Mich.
Presentation: No Write Way: Connection, Research, and Possibility in the Writing Center

Jake Lasceski, St. Johns, Mich.
Presentation: When Competition and Innovation Lead to Litigation: The Critical Role of Risk Management

Nayonikaa Singhaal, Delhi, India
Presentation: Beyond the Debt Trap: Analysis of Chinese Investment and Elite Incentives in Kenya

Karol Pucek, Wittstock, Germany
Presentation: Exploring the Rise of Right-Wing Ideologies in Eastern Germany

Amanda Baker, Sparta, Mich.
Presentation: The State of LGBTQ+ Rights in Michigan: A Quantitative Assessment

Raven Gregory, Newtown, Conn.
Presentation: Yume Connect: Escaping Reality and Finding a Reason to Return

Alexis Norko, Chesapeake, Va.
Presentation: Hollow Eyes Film Production

Trevor Grandy, Saginaw, Mich.
Presentation: Impacts of Salinization on Leaflitter Decomposition by Hyalella azteca

Jack Yodzevicis, Gaylord, Mich.
Presentation: Temperatbure-based Nest Partition between Bluebirds and Tree Swallows

Trevor Grandy, Hemlock, Mich.
Presentation: Effect of Road Salt Formulation on Lemna minor Toxicity

Ally Harvey, Freeland, Mich.
Presentation: Wireless Base for Beep Baseball

Julia Weihs, Clinton Township, Mich.
Presentation: Social Media and Autonomic Nervous System Function

Alleigh TenHarmsel, Holland, Mich.
Presentation: Social Media and Autonomic Nervous System Function

Elise Volz, North Branch, Mich.
Presentation: Exploring the Effects of a Plyometric Warmup on GRF

Mara Tiernan, Marshall, Mich.
Presentation: Exploring the Effects of a Plyometric Warmup on GRF

Alexis Fitch, Marshall, Mich.
Presentation: Cold Bath Immersion Effects on Resting Metabolic Rate

Natalie Harning, Huntertown, Ind.
Presentation: The Attractiveness of True Crime Media and Its Effects

Dante Snook, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Echo Chambers, Algorithms, and How to Recognize the Perfect Storm They Create

Becca Dean, Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Presentation: Mass Incarceration

Emma Risinger, Belmont, Mich.
Presentation: Pine River Anthology 2025-2026 Presentation

Cami Mitchell, Lake City, Mich.
Presentation: Machiavelli on Power

Helen Pendleton, Midland, Mich.
Presentation: The Case Against Medical Assistance in Dying

Adriana Oliva, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Beyond the Oath: Racial Disparities within Healthcare that Erode Bioethical Principles

Amanda Baker, Sparta, Mich.
Presentation: “Not Honored with a Human Shape”: Language and the Construction of Shakespeare’s Monstrous Bodies

Sally Shrake, Brownstown, Mich.
Presentation: Exploring Gendered Lives of Artificial Intelligence

Lily Thompson
Presentation: Unspoken Pain: Silence and Disconnection in Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Year’s End” and “Going Ashore”

Sophie Lynch
Presentation: Building Resilience through Early Intervention: Identifying and Preventing Female Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa

Emily Dimock, Shelbyville, Mich.
Presentation: The Impact of Nighttime Mouth Taping on Sleep Quality

Nicole Yacks, Bay City, Mich.
Presentation: Does the Use of Compression Boots and Foam Rolling Impact Next Day Performance?

Tatenda Mukudu, Mutare, Zimbabwe
Presentation: Self-Driving Remote Control Car

Yassine Kraiem, Tunis, Tunisia
Presentation: Interactive Pathfinding Visualization for Smart Urban Navigation

Chloe Anderson, Washington, Mich.
Presentation: The New Frontier: How Remote Work is Redefining Disability Accommodations

Sierra Scott, Iron Mountain, Mich.
Presentation: Assessing Japan’s Use of Mega-Events to Drive Cultural Tourism

Marco Vega, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Donald Trump’s Campaign Strategy and If It Affected the Public Outlook on Immigration

Alex Detterman, Manchester, Mich.
Presentation: Significance Surrounding Egypt’s Asylum Law No. 164 of 2024

Kennedy Mullens, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: The Impact of Racism on Black Well-Being in Audre Lorde’s ‘Eulogy for Alvin Frost’ and Kamilah Aisha Moon’s ‘Fannie Lou Hamer’

Aidan Shapiro, Clawson, Mich.
Presentation: From Controversy to Canon: The Changing Critical Reception of Jane Eyre

Karol Pucek, Wittstock, Germany
Presentation: Moot Court

Fayth Sanom, Gaylord, Mich.
Presentation: Moot Court

Natalie Krause, South Lyon, Mich.
Presentation: Moot Court

Becca Dean, Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Presentation: Moot Court

Jackson Eelbode, Macomb, Mich.
Presentation: Moot Court

Stella Lampert, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Presentation: Moot Court

Holly Hall, Armada, Mich.
Presentation: The Evolution of Women’s Sports: How Female Leadership is Shaping the Industry

Nayonikaa Singhaal, Delhi, India
Presentation: State-Directed Investment and Path Dependency: Analysing the Determinants of Chinese FDI in Africa in the BRI Era

Wassim Guerfali, Ariana, Tunisia
Presentation: State-Directed Investment and Path Dependency: Analysing the Determinants of Chinese FDI in Africa in the BRI Era

Aubreigh Caskey, Birch Run, Mich.
Presentation: Unequal Play: An Economic Analysis of Pay Disparities Between NBA and WNBA Players

Jackson Pollard, Detroit, Mich.
Presentation: Medical Ethics

Kyle Scheck, Milford, Mich.
Presentation: The Integrated Reality of Science and Religion

Andrew Barrett, Howell, Mich.
Presentation: Genetic Enhancement vs Gene Therapy

Makaila Boatman, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Model UN

Khalil Chalouti, Tunis, Tunisia
Presentation: Model UN

Chloe Anderson, Washington, Mich.
Presentation: Model UN

Nayonikaa Singhaal, Delhi, India
Presentation: Model UN

Dani Crews, Ypsilanti, Mich.
Presentation: The Role of Christianity in Native American Cultural Resilience

Logan Wenz, Romeo, Mich.
Presentation: Demosynthesis: A Video Game about Planning through Unpredictability

Paulina Rivet, Laingsburg, Mich.
Presentation: Exploring Feminine Leadership in the Ballet Industry

Stephanie Rauch, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Looting: The Pattern Behind the Failure of the Edenville and Sanford Dams

Kay Keller, Owosso, Mich.
Presentation: Psychopaths, Fruits, and Deviants: Anti-Queer Immigration Law in the United States in the Twentieth Century

Jackson Eelbode, Macomb, Mich.
Presentation: The Call is Coming from Inside the White House: The Disinformative Democracy’s Guide to Rhetorical Threat Construction and Policymaking

Sophia Dech, Coopersville, Mich.
Presentation: Using Allele-Specific PCR to Genotype Beefalo

Kadence McKenzie, Frankenmuth, Mich.
Presentation: Body Functionality, Sports Self-Efficacy, and Sport Confidence as Predictors of Sports Performance Perception in Collegiate Athletes

Natalia Rodriguez, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Presentation: Body Functionality, Sports Self-Efficacy, and Sport Confidence as Predictors of Sports Performance Perception in Collegiate Athletes

Andrew Benton, Oscoda, Mich.
Presentation: Real-Time Monitoring and Control of Colloidal Crystal Growth Using AuNPs and DNA

Kianna Carpenter, Traverse City, Mich.
Presentation: Learning to See Power: Teaching Privilege Through Feminist Pedagogy

Cassandra McGaugh, Midland, Mich.
Presentation: Let’s Talk About Sex…ual Education: The Impact of Sexual Health Education Sources and Quality on Queer and Straight College Students’ Sexual Behavior

Regan Elliott, Olivet, Mich.
Presentation: Educating With Intersectionality: A Push for Queer Literature in the High School Classroom

Emily Kraenzlein, Midland, Mich.
Presentation: Faith, Feminism, and Reproductive Rights

Amanda Baker, Sparta, Mich.
Presentation: Bodies, Pain, Gender: Trans Pain and Creation: Video Essay

Widad Hajji, Casablanca, Morocco
Presentation: Community Perceptions and Engagement: Understanding Public Attitudes Toward the Pine River in Alma, Michigan

MaryAlice Lynch, Belleville, Mich.
Presentation: Community Perceptions and Engagement: Understanding Public Attitudes Toward the Pine River in Alma, Michigan

Isa Bryans, Buchanan, Mich.
Presentation: Com-bat-ing White Nose Syndrome

Mina Buchkowski, Gobles, Mich.
Presentation: Com-bat-ing White Nose Syndrome

Chloe Leaman, Auburn, Mich.
Presentation: Com-bat-ing White Nose Syndrome

Monique Diehl, Jackson, Mich.
Presentation: Com-bat-ing White Nose Syndrome

Dani Crews, Ypsilanti, Mich.
Presentation: Mill on Feminism

Amanda Baker, Sparta, Mich.
Presentation: Bodies, Pain, Gender: Trans Pain and Creation

Jamie Diedrich, DeWitt, Mich.
Presentation: The Road through Communications

Madison Neu, Traverse City, Mich.
Presentation: Physiological Recovery Response Comparison between College Endurance Athletes and College Power Sport Athletes after High-Intensity Interval Training

Elena Psetas, Saginaw, Mich.
Presentation: Supplements and Glucose Uptake

Katelyn Jacot, Flint, Mich.
Presentation: Supplements and Glucose Uptake

Salma Laraichi, Meknes, Morocco
Presentation: Supplements and Glucose Uptake

Salma Laraichi, Meknes, Morocco
Presentation: Investigating the effects of Vitamin D on Circadian Rhythms

Jhonny Cedillos, Villanova University
Presentation: Investigating the effects of Vitamin D on Circadian Rhythms

Joscelyn Marriott, Lincoln University of Missouri
Presentation: Investigating the effects of Vitamin D on Circadian Rhythms

Elana Potie, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Presentation: From Scroll to Sale: How Celebrity and Influencer Endorsements Encourage and Discourage Consumer Purchases

Shai Curtiss, Winn, Mich.
Presentation: External Intervention, the Compromise of Sovereignty

Kenley Riley, Atlantic Beach, N.C.
Presentation: How Cutting Off Financial Networks Can End The Global Terrorism Crisis

Nick Malish, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Ethnocide Through Education: Native American Boarding Schools

Nicole Yacks, Bay City, Mich.
Presentation: Live Cello Accompaniment as a Therapeutic Modality in Dance: Does it aid in Physical and Mental Well-Being in College Students?

Mara Tiernan, Marshall, Mich.
Presentation: Live Cello Accompaniment as a Therapeutic Modality in Dance: Does it aid in Physical and Mental Well-Being in College Students?

Gage Mitchell, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: The Development of Modern American Politics Through Three Lenses

Fayth Sanom, Gaylord, Mich.
Presentation: The Development of Modern American Politics Through Three Lenses

Mariella Cusack, Ada, Mich.
Presentation: Examining The Relationship Between Bone Reoxygenation and Bone Mineral Density Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry

Lauren Brawt, Sanford, Mich.
Presentation: Examining The Relationship Between Bone Reoxygenation and Bone Mineral Density Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry

Kaitelyn Walker, Munith, Mich.
Presentation: The Effect of Amyloid-Beta (A𝛽) on Cell Viability and Levels of MAP2 and mTOR in Neuro-2a Cells, Both Undifferentiated and Differentiated.

Kennedy Weston, Hudsonville, Mich.
Presentation: Evaluating Solutions to Childcare in The United States

Lindsey Zarka, Lansing, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Faith Buckingham, Saginaw, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Cael Dempsey, Lincoln, Neb.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Hannah Grewe, DeWitt, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Walter Hancock, Southgate, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Tess Lord, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Alexis Marquardt, Highland, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Emma Smillie, Oxford, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Hannah Whitley, Chesterfield, Mich.
Presentation: Art and Design Senior Show

Michael Fox, Alma, Mich.
Presentation: Flying Through Microsatellite Primer Redesign of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher

Ashton Trnka, Whitehall, Mich.
Presentation: Harvesting Photosynthetic Electrons with Exotic Cytochromes

Grace Buckingham, Saginaw, Mich.
Presentation: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Addictive Behavior

Alyssa Dickieson, Dearborn, Mich.
Presentation: The Effect of Self Concept Clarity on Choosing a Dating Partner

Elijah Festerling, Allegan, Mich.
Presentation: Operation: Sky Seed

Wil Strickler, Paris, Mich.
Presentation: Operation: Sky Seed

Colin Coffey, Midland, Mich.
Presentation: Operation: Sky Seed

Andrew Bradley, Walker, Mich.
Presentation: Operation: Sky Seed

Dani Crews, Ypsilanti, Mich.
Presentation: The Effects of Race on Implicit Perceptions of the Police

Alex Detterman, Manchester, Mich.
Presentation: Social Media and the Effect on Mental Health

Carson Wyrybkowski, Canton, Mich.
Presentation: Social Media and the Effect on Mental Health

Elliot Buchan, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Presentation: Social Media and the Effect on Mental Health

Thaliana Jean Thomas, Burton, Mich.
Presentation: Social Media and the Effect on Mental Health

Ananya Prabhuram, Bangalore, India
Presentation: Women in Apartheid

Melanie Werner, Westphalia, Mich.
Presentation: Las Leyendas de la Hermosa Jarifa

Cassandra McGaugh, Midland, Mich.
Presentation: The Value of the Voice: The Alma College Choral Programs History of Sexism and Transgender Exclusion

Nayeli Santana-Venegas, Hastings, Mich.
Presentation: Deconvoluting the Effects of Surfactant Identity and Concentration on Nanoparticle Purification By Depletion Flocculation

Annie Singh, New Delhi, India
Presentation: Examining the Regulation of TLR2 in Undifferentiated and Differentiated Neuro2a Cells Following Stimulation with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

Emily Perkins, Fife Lake, Mich.
Presentation: Happy as I Am?

Addison Palumbo, Midland, Mich.
Presentation: Gun Violence: Laws, Regulations, and How they Can Benefit Our Community

Lauren Gilbert, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Presentation: Gun Violence: Laws, Regulations, and How they Can Benefit Our Community

Addison Cooley, Elwell, Mich.
Presentation: Gun Violence: Laws, Regulations, and How they Can Benefit Our Community