The 28th Annual Kapp Honors Day
Thursday, April 3, 2025 — Schedule
Each year, Honors Day gives those students the opportunity to share the fruits of that work with their friends and colleagues. Even more, it is a chance for the campus community to celebrate the liberal arts as reflected in these student achievements. Whether you live on campus or are a guest here for the day, we invite you to explore the remarkable range of research, performance, and creative work on display as part of Honors Day 2025.
Concurrent Sessions
The day’s program is listed in chronological order, by session. The information provided includes title, presenter(s), and faculty sponsor. Presentations are scheduled to last 20 minutes, including time for questions.
Sequence of Events
Concurrent Session I : 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Concurrent Session II : 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Concurrent Session III : 11:00a.m. – Noon
Lunch : Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Concurrent Session IV : 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Concurrent Session V : 2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions VI: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Session I
Session I
Session I
Session 1A – Andison Center
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Dani S. Crews | Aristotle on a Good Human Life | Doug Campbell |
| Chris A. Ulysse | Buddhism | Doug Campbell |
| Brooke A. Hetherington | Does God Exist? | Doug Campbell |
| Moderator(s): Ryan Gray and Megan Neeley |
Session 1B – SAC 109
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Archey G. Neumann | Academic Anxiety and Social Coping | Janelle Blazek |
| Grace Buckingham, Joseph Paulin, Sophia M. Cooney |
Factors Associated with Adjustment to College for Bereaved Students | Jacob Sawyer |
| Rebecca R. Kobylas | Collegiate Dance Teams: A model for cohesion, performance, satisfaction, and decreased burnout | Jacob Sawyer |
| Moderator(s): Lilianna Smith and David O’Rourke |
Session 1C – SAC 110
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Paulina M. Rivet | The Evolution of American Social Dance | Brianna Harfman |
| Kennedy L. Kalish | The Intersection between Education, Poverty, and Mental Health in Sierra Leone | Brianna Harfman |
| Moderator(s): Paige Kitts and Matthew Przepiora |
Session 1D – Dow L2
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Abigail J. Williams | Bullying Prevention in the Classroom: Is What We Offer Our Teachers Good Enough? | Derick Hulme |
| Helena M. Kucera | International Law and the Russio-Ukraine war | Derick Hulme |
| August C. Sack | A Cold Peace: Thirty Years in the Making | Derick Hulme |
| Moderator(s): MaryAlice Lynch |
Session II
Session II
Session II
Session 2A – Andison Center
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Owen G. Gornicki | From Count Dracula to El conde: A Brief History of the Vampire Cinema of Latin America | Stephany Slaughter |
| Charlayne-Aye Olegario | Cloud Formations: Cumulus & Cirrus | Robert Vivian |
| Chloe M. Pace | Literature: The Greatest Political Movement of All Time | Robert Vivian |
| Moderator(s): | Sarah Wortley |
Session 2B – SAC 109
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson S. Eelbode | Optics of Occupation: Pinkwashing, Greenwashing, and Bluewashing in Israel’s Self-Representation Strategy | Derick Hulme |
| Kay R. Keller | Survival of the Fair Folk: How Land Memory and Christian Missionary Work Kept pre-Christian Ireland Alive | Adam Matthews |
| Krysta M. Bennett | Who’s to Blame: An Examination of Environmental Inequality | Emma Bosley-Smith |
| Moderators: Nate Watson and Grace Gottschalk |
Session 2C – SAC 110
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Kylie M. Halverson, Reneigh Sandmann |
Correlation between Grip Strength and Exit Velocity of DIII Collegiate Softball Players | Brianna Harfman |
| Kylie A. Lewis, Nicole Milligan |
Effectiveness of blood flow restriction while training in college students with past ankle injury | Brianna Harfman |
| Rileigh M. McGeorge | Evaluation of Landing Mechanisms Post Injury to the Foot or Ankle | Brianna Harfman |
| Moderator(s): Sarah Bollinger and Mikaylyn Kenney |
Session 2D – Dow L2
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Ava R. Gilbert | Sitcom Representations of Women Eating | Prathim Dora-Laskey |
| Regan L. Yates | The Taste of America: How American Cuisine Shapes and Reflects Culture and Identity | Matthew Doggett |
| Grant M. Wiliford | Love Embodied Through Music | Anthony Collamati |
| Moderator(s): Dani Crews and Regan Elliot |
Session 2H – Presbyterian Hall
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Hailey M. Elwarner | From Broken to Villian | Kelli Crump |
| Moderator(s): Elana Potie |
Session III
Session III
Session III
Session 3A – Andison Center
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Michael L. Kasperek | Effect of Foam Roller Texture on Recovery | Brianna Harfmann |
| Mike Ravn, Ryan J. Gray |
The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Circadian Rhythms and Sleep | Brianna Harfmann |
| Joanna X. Scorziello, Lydia Back |
Systemic Markers of Bone Health in Aging Kidney Disease | Karen Ball |
| Moderator(s): Chloe Anderson and Mallory Fenske |
Session 3B – SAC 109
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew M. Kinney | Behavioral and Biochemical Characterization of Neuroinflammation in Aged GFAP-IL6 Transgenic Mice | Zackary Bowers |
| Joseph A. Cosentino | Mental Health of College-Aged Performing Arts Students | Jacob Sawyer |
| Moderator(s): Hiba Belhaj and Cael Dempsey |
Session 3C – SAC 110
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Megan R. Neeley | From Pre-Pandemic to Post-Pandemic: Examining Motives and Trends in 21st-Century Accounting Fraud | Tina Rolling |
| Jackson S. Eelbode | Annotation and Analysis of Trump’s Executive Orders and Policies: What do they say, and what do they mean? | Benjamin Taylor |
| Kyle C. Scheck | The Ethical Dilemma of Factory Farming | Douglas Campbell |
| Moderator(s): Simon Francisco and Isabel Lyshol |
Session 3D – Dow L2
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Lexie B. Thayer | High Teacher Turnover and Educator Stress in America | Derick Hulme |
| Kenley A. Riley | How the Global Climate Change Crisis Impacts Ports | Derick Hulme |
| Megan T. Walch | The collapse of the AMOC | Derick Hulme |
| Moderator(s): Charlayne-Aye Olegario and Caleigh Winters |
Session 3G – SAC 113
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Baker, Audrey E. Hester, Emily Kraenzlein, Emma Risinger, Mick Webb, Rachel Olivieri |
The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm | Lee Vander Kooi |
| Moderator: Anna Fein |
Session IV
Session IV
Session IV
Session 4A – Andison Center
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Khalil Allah Chalouati | Enzyme Inhibition Assay | Jeffrey Turke |
| Maxim F. Kraniak | Synthesis of a Schiff Base and Its Reactivity with Metal Complexes | Nancy Dopke |
| Austin W. Walker | Synthesis of Group-1 Neuraminidase Enzyme Inhibitors | Jeffrey Turke |
| Moderator(s): Ryan Gray and Matthew Kinney |
Session 4B – SAC 109
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Ella A. Corson | Game Over For GamerGate | Prathim Dora-Laskey |
| Abigail Haag | The Gendered Echo Chamber: Partisan Media and the Perpetuation of Misogyny | Matthew Doggett |
| Will T. Maginity | Sparky and Steel: Renegades | Anthony Collamati |
| Moderator(s): Mady Weber and Cadence Kaminske |
Session 4C – SAC 110
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Elsa L. Dupon | The ethical landscape of nuclear power development in the USA | Doug Campbell |
| Robert Preni | The Making of a State: Why Kosova did not fail | Kristin Olbertson |
| Andrew J. Omans | Environmental Ethical Dilemma | Douglas Campbell |
| Moderator(s): Reagan Gleason and Kendelle Aprati |
Session 4D – Dow L2
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Calvin P. Huggler, Elena Psetas, Katelyn Jacot |
Investigating the Effect of Mayapple Extract on Glucose Uptake in Skeletal Muscle Cells | Brianna Harfman |
| Grace E. Main | The Mining and Lumber Industries of 19th Century Michigan; Their Impacts on the Anishinaabe People, Untouched Land, and Role in Immigration | Brianna Harfman |
| Petra A. Wilson | The Origin of Trumpism: The Strategies Trump Used to Rise From a Businessman to the President of the United States | Derick Hulme |
| Moderator(s): Emma Millard |
Session 4G – SAC 113
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Caleigh Winters, David O’Rourke, Grace M. Gottschalk, Holly Hall, Matthew T. Przepiora |
HNR 300 – 5 year anniversary | Benjamin Peterson |
| Moderator(s): Hunter Jaffray |
Session V
Session V
Session V
Session 5A – Andison Center
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Lily E. Smith | Loneliness in Literature and Its Historical Context and What We Learn From It | Prathim Dora-Laskey |
| Toby A. Layson | Tiers and Tears: A Philosophical Exploration of a Hierarchy of International Human Rights | Doug Campbell |
| Elizabeth T. Mukurazita | Dissecting Why Media Is Not the Sole Cause of Body Dissatisfaction Among Female College Students In Collectivistic Cultures vs America | Matthew Cicci |
| Moderator(s): |
Session 5B – SAC 109
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria E. Lecureux | Adverse Childhood Experiences and Drug and Alcohol Use in a Sample of U.S. College Students | Jacob Sawyer |
| Matthew T. Przepiora | AI in the Accounting Industry | Tina Rolling |
| Toby J. Stauffer | Remote Work: Is it Beneficial or Harmful? | Tina Rolling |
| Moderator(s): Grace Doherty and Nevea Bush |
Session 5C – SAC 110
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Ava R. Gilbert | Body Composition and Anaerobic Fitness of Division 3 Collegiate Cheer & STUNT Athletes | Alex Montoye |
| Grace M. Gottschalk | Density Functional Theory QSAR Model for CDK6 Breast Cancer Inhibitors | James Mazzuca |
| Jenna L. Holzinger | Softball Performance & Men. Cycle | Brianna Harfmann |
| Moderator(s): Holly Hall and Kylie Lewis |
Session 5E – Clack Gallery
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Atticus Mulder, Aubrey Seger, Charlayne-Aye Olegario, Evdokia Blysniuk, Freya Soffredine, Jack Townsend, Leia R. Lehrer, Michael Campione, Reyna Jayson, Shelly Fisk |
The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art & Design Senior Show | Lee Vander Kooi |
| Moderator(s): Elinor Hnizda |
Session 5K – Heritage Center Lobby
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Katie M. Gregones | Crises and Challenges: One Hundred Years at Alma College | Benjamin Peterson |
| Moderator(s): |
Session VI
Session VI
Session VI
Session 6A – Andison Center
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Maizey B. Wheeler | Belongingness in Queer and Straight Students at Alma College | Janelle Blazek |
| Lauren Brawt, Mariella M. Cusack |
Examining The Relationship Between Bone Reoxygenation and Bone Mineral Density Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry | Karen Ball |
| Emily Spear, Morgan P. Brow, Regan Mockerman, Sarah Wortley |
How Does Temperature Affect Nest Success of Eastern Bluebirds? | Katie Stumpf |
| Andrew J. Benton | Real-Time Monitoring and Control of Colloidal Crystal Growth Using AuNPs and DNA | Kyle Gibson |
| Samuel K. Sircely | Synthesis of a Sulfur-Bridged Platinum(II) Dimer | Nancy Dopke |
| Dylan Smith | Maskless Lithography with a DLP 3D Printer: A Low-Cost Approach to Microfabrication | Victor Argueta-Diaz |
| Moderator(s): |
Session 6K – Andison Chapel
| Presenter(s) | Title of Presentation | Faculty Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Ali J. Wanink | Pleasure and Power: The Ethical Dilemmas of the Pornography Industry and an Analysis of Porn by Alice Walker | Prathim Dora-Laskey |
| Elaina L. Gross | Pre Service Teachers Understanding of Agency in the Classroom | Emma Bosley-Smith |
| Alice A. Hutchins | Racial Bias within Pre-Health Structures: How Students and Faculty at PWIs Can Address Bias | Emma Bosley-Smith |
| Chelsea J. Swartzle | Rank and Extracurriculars: Impacts on Social Integration, Motivation, Confidence, and Dedication | Emma Bosley-Smith |
| Elizabeth E. Scott | The Violence of “Gentlemen’s Children”: How John Reed’s Abuse Reflects Real-World Hatred | Prathim Dora-Laskey |
| Jackson S. Eelbode | Foolsville (how is it that I m standing here myself?) | poetry collection | Robert Vivian |
| Emerson M. Trainor | Regulating the Unregulated: Challenges and Solutions for AI in the Legal System | Elizabeth Cameron |
| Moderator(s): |