Honors Thesis Poster Presentations
P-01 The Art of French Mélodie: A Manual for Recital Preparation
Kristen Abraham (Charles Reid, Music)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
I document my journey through the research, development and execution of a recital focused on French mélodie, a genre of art song classified by its intense lyricism and precision. Moving through three phases: thinking, doing and reflecting, I highlight the important processes required to transition seamlessly through each. While going through the project each step is documented in a journal to maintain the integrity of the process. My end goal is to present a “How To” manual with information on planning, preparing and ultimately presenting a recital to the public.
P-02 Children in Armed Conflict: A Human Rights Dilemma
Afia Asamoah (Gary Wood, Political Science)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Despite the efforts of the United Nations and other international organizations, more than 300,000 children worldwide are currently forced into active combat roles and encouraged to commit crimes against humanity. This paper explores principles of natural justice, human rights, and human dignity through classical political rationalism as it relates to the issue of children in armed conflict. In doing so, this paper aims to provide a rational and objective standard to counter the practice of destroying childhood innocence through forced participation in war crimes and thus encourage the world to no longer turn a blind eye to this human rights dilemma.
P-03 Multicultural Experiences and Diverse Friend Networks
Tiffany Bailey (Melissa Ponce-Rodas, Psychology)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
The current study examined the relationship between an individual’s desire for multicultural experiences (MD), lived multicultural experiences (ME) and the diversity of one’s friend networks (DFN). I hypothesized that the more diverse experiences a participant had or desired, the more diverse their friend network would be. 187 undergraduate students participated in this study. Both ME and MD were positively correlated with DFN (r = 0.25, r = 0.32). ME and MD were also significantly correlated with each other (0.43). Because all variables are positively correlated a mediational relationship will also be tested and the results discussed.
P-04 Measuring Student Satisfaction in the Andrews University School of Business
Khelsea Bauer (Jacquelyn Warwick, Management, Marketing & Information Systems)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
The goal of my research is to analyze the students in the Andrews University School of Business Administration (SBA) to determine which factors are most closely correlated with satisfaction and perceived quality. I will study satisfaction as a dependent variable measured in relation to different service factors provided by the SBA, including advising, teaching quality and religion and faith components. Using a survey tool I created based on the Student Satisfaction Inventory™, the Undergraduate Business Exit Assessment, and the AU Senior Survey and Course Survey, I will evaluate the data by combining step-wise statistical analysis and weighted gap score analysis.
P-05 A Study in Red: The Codification and Practical Application of a Copyediting Procedure
Nathan Berglund (Beverly Matiko, English)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Editing is an integral part of publishing professional-level writing, but editing—specifically copyediting—can be very subjective, relying on the copyeditor’s best judgment. For novice editors such as myself, this responsibility can be intimidating. For this research project, I formulated and tested a step-by-step copyediting procedure aimed at alleviating these jitters. By reading copyediting guides and interviewing four active copyeditors, I developed a procedure. I then tested that procedure on Timothy Huck’s 115-page manuscript, The Lights of the Arno: A Novel. I conclude that even with a standardized editing methodology, editors will always need to rely on their subjective judgment.
P-06 The Transgenerational Effect of Substance Use Between Students, Parents & Grandparents
Subira Brown (Duane McBride, Behavioral Sciences)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
Using a survey conducted among college students at Andrews University, this study focused on substance use and sexual behaviors of students and the presence of familial substance use problems. Analysis indicated a significant association between substance use problems of fathers and their children’s substance use. There was a stronger statistical association between father’s substance use problems and male children’s alcohol use. In addition there was a significant relationship between grandparents substance use and youth sexual behavior for both genders. There is a need for further analysis of the study.
P-07 Exposure to Narratives and Social Reasoning
Cassandra Chlevin (Karl Bailey, Behavioral Sciences)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar, Undergraduate Research Scholar, and Earhart Emerging Scholar
The primary goal of this study is to replicate the work of Mar, Oatley, Hirsh, dela Paz, and Peterson (2006) on the relationships of narrative and non-narrative texts with empathy and social reasoning in a Seventh-day Adventist Christian sample. The second goal is to examine how different types of Biblical texts correlate with the development of social reasoning in Adventists. Results are expected to mirror those of the original study regardless of religious affiliation. An implication of this study is that for an Adventist population, exposure to religious narratives may play a role in how empathy and social reasoning develops.
P-08 Paper-based Biosensor for Colorimetric Detection of PSA Biomarker
Alyson E. Drew (Hyun Kwon, Engineering & Computer Science)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
Prostate cancer is detected by excess PSA in the bloodstream, a protein the prostate overproduces when tumors are present. In this paper, we designed an origami paper analytical device, specific to PSA using gold nanoparticles which provide a colorimetric, qualitative, inexpensive, disposable design to detect PSA. Our device separates the sample laterally to prevent back-mixing and vertically to enable addition of novel particles. The design was optimized for channel thickness, size, proper heating, type of paper involved, and amount of sample solution needed. We are currently concept-testing of PSA qualitative detection via sandwich assay to target detection levels < 100ng/mL.
P-09 Imagery, Prayer, and Mind Wandering: Kataphatic Prayer
Martha M. O. Duah (Karl Bailey, Behavioral Science)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Mind wandering—reduced attention to external events—during prayer could pose a problem for Christians. However, different types of prayer make different cognitive demands. Kataphatic prayer, a common type of evangelical Christian prayer, makes use of mental imagery in hopes of experiencing God in a richer sense. Because both mind wandering and kataphatic prayer require imagery, tying up imagery resources in kataphatic prayer should block mind wandering thereby improving focus. Participants in this study will either pray as they normally do, view a visual task, or engage in kataphatic prayer while self-monitoring for mind wandering.
P-10 The relationship between equine temperament and behavior as affected over time by the skill level of the riders
Taylor Huffman (Katherine Koudele, Agriculture)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
The goal in this study is to observe the incidence of undesirable behaviors by horses at summer camp and determine if it could possibly be explained by the stress of being ridden by riders with varying ability during the course of a camp season. It is hypothesized that incidence and severity of undesirable behavior will be related to the temperament of the horse. Each horse was evaluated for temperament at the beginning of the summer camp season, every rider received an evaluation for riding skill level, and all incidents and lengths of trail were recorded. Results analysis is in progress.
P-11 Determining Social Preference of Holstein Cows Based on Stall Selection
Yoona Kang (Katherine Koudele, Agriculture and Jerome Thayer, Institutional Effectiveness)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Cows, like other animals, have dominance hierarchies but there is anecdotal evidence that cows also have preferred herd mates with whom they spend more time. This research project sought to gain more detail about cow social groups at the Andrews University Dairy by determining the relative social ranking of cows within two different lots and the social groupings within each lot. The dominance ranking was inferred by observing which cows occupy the more desirable stalls. The social groupings were then determined by which cows lie near each other more often over the course of the observations.
P-12 The Role of the Gift-Giving Spirit in Numbers 11
Jeanmark Kessler (Rahel Schafer, Religion & Biblical Languages)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Current scholarship analyzes spiritual gifts predominantly from Acts 2, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. With the assumption that the Holy Spirit belongs to the Godhead and His actions are constant and persistent throughout Scripture, this study develops an Old Testament perspective on the Holy Spirit’s role as gift-giver. This exegetical research investigates Numbers 11:16-29 as the key passage, where the Holy Spirit bestows His gifts upon Israel’s leaders. In addition, the valid connections between Numbers 11 and 2 Kings 2 provide a broader and more consistent contextual interpretation of spiritual gifts within the Old Testament.
P-13 The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Concentration of Myo-Inositol
Patrick D. Knighton Jr. (Marlene Murray, Biology)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Bipolar affective disorder is a mental illness that affects 1-2% of the population. One hypothesis for the effectiveness of current treatments of bipolar disorder is the reduction of cellular myo-inositol. Lithium and valproate are known to reduce cellular inositol levels, however these treatments often have notable side effects. Currently, there is a need to find a treatment for bipolar disorder that reduces the adverse side effects of these drugs. Previous studies, have found success in using omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder. The long-term purpose of this study is to determine what effect omega-3 fatty acids have on myo-inositol concentration. This study has worked toward this purpose by comparing the growth effects of 0.8mM DHA to 2.5mM VPA. We have found that similar to VPA, cell growth is reduced at 0.8mM.
P-14 Discourse and Narrative: Creating Gender Control in Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Charles Lee (Vanessa Corredera, English)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Junot Diaz’s Pulitzer-Prize-Winning 2007 novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao explores Dominican masculinity through narrator Yunior de Las Casas’s portrayal of protagonist Oscar de León’s family history. Yunior’s perceived virility shapes his understanding of masculinity, which he stresses through the novel’s plot and structure. This analysis considers how Yunior constructs Dominican masculinity through his narrative by marginalizing and emasculating passive characters such as Oscar. I argue that Yunior’s narrative closely links definitions of masculinity and power as he strives to dominate passive characters in order to assert his virility as the “best” method for being a Dominican man.
P-15 The Design of a Thermoplastic Enclosure for an OBD-II Reader
James Magbanua (Boon-Chai Ng, Engineering & Computer Science)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
An enclosure is required for the complete design of an OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) system, to be mounted on the dashboard of a car. To meet design specifications, this enclosure must house the electronic components of the system, as well as pass safety requirements. Such a design was created through design software, SOLIDWORKS, and tested by Finite Element Analysis for critical points of deflection using an estimated load that simulates a car accident. The design was then prototyped through 3D printing and physically tested on the deflection points by a load impact test. This design can therefore be passed for assembly.
P-16 Extracting Gravitational Waves from Noisy Data Using a Maximum Entropy Method Approach
Michael McMearty (Tiffany Summerscales, Physics)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Gravitational waves are virtually undetectable ripples in the fabric of space and time. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration aims to achieve the first direct detection of these waves with the LIGO detectors. LIGO is currently being updated to Advanced LIGO, which will be ten times more sensitive than previous levels. To prepare for this next generation in gravitational wave detection, we develop and test methods for extracting gravitational wave signals and their parameters. We test the MaxEnt method’s extraction ability by injecting fake signals into noise and extracting a signal. We then estimate the extracted signal’s parameters and evaluate MaxEnt’s effectiveness by comparing said parameters with the parameters of the original injected signal.
P-17 My Plea: A Musical Portrait of a Japanese Internment Poem by Mary T. Matsuzawa
Michael M. Momohara (Kenneth Logan, Music)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II caused the suffering and fragmentation of many families. One internee, Mary T. Matsuzawa, authored a prayerful poem entitled “My Plea” that I see as expressing her thoughts on freedom, equality, and servitude as a “cross-bearer” for the Japanese-American people. Musical imagery, text painting, and historical context are used to craft a choral setting of Matsuzawa’s poem, scored for SATB mixed choir and cello. The purpose of this work is both to deumbrate the Japanese-American internment and to portray Matsuzawa’s suffering and longing while displaying the hope and comfort she had as a result of her faith in God.
P-18 Narcissism and the Selfie: Investigating Millennial Narcissism on Instagram
Megan Reed (Bruce Wrenn, Management, Marketing & Information Systems)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Recent research shows a correlation between self-promoting images on social media and higher levels of narcissism. This research will further demonstrate the positive correlation between the proportion of selfies an individual posts on Instagram and Millennial narcissism. The proportion of pictures that are selfies is measured in two ways: in the subject’s past 4-weeks of picture posting and in the last 30 pictures the subject posted. The standard Narcissistic Personality Inventory is used to measure the subject’s level of narcissism. The subject’s proportion of selfies and narcissistic score is then analyzed for any possible correlation.
P-19 The Behavior of Glaucous-winged Gull Egg Cannibals
Ashley A. Reichert (James Hayward, Biology and Shandelle Henson, Mathematics)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Cannibalism leads to a variety of behavioral and demographic consequences among numerous taxa. Although multiple studies have linked cannibalism to egg and chick failure in gull populations, few characterizations of gull cannibal behavior exist. During the 2014 breeding season, we observed territories of 16 Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) egg cannibal specialists on Protection Island, Washington, USA. We also monitored cannibal foraging behavior, reproductive success, and colony-wide egg loss. Cannibals employed a variety of foraging behaviors and exhibited significantly lower reproductive success than non-cannibals. Future study of the Protection Island gull colony will monitor trends in cannibalism relative to environmental change.
P-20 “The story which he never stops telling himself”: Autobiography, Narrative Community, and the Deconstruction of Selfhood in Virginia Woolf’s The Waves
Melodie Roschman (Beverly Matiko, English)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar, Undergraduate Research Scholar, and Earhart Emerging Scholar
This paper examines narrative, biography, and selfhood in Virginia Woolf’s The Waves (1931). The novel, a “play-poem,” follows six friends’ monologues from childhood to death. I analyze aspiring writer Bernard from his childhood of telling stories about companions to his inability to narrate his autobiography, arguing that he fails because he has no self to narrate. Referencing Jacques Derrida’s Of Grammatology’s (1974) theory of the deconstructed self identifiable only in conversation, I argue that Bernard destroys his identity by silencing his friends and becoming the sole speaker; Woolf’s biographical theory thereby establishes the communal self, prefiguring tenets of postmodern philosophy.
P-21 C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce: An Adaptation for Reader’s Theater
Olivia Ruiz-Knott (Beverly Matiko, Communication and Ante Jeroncic, Religion & Biblical Languages)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
This project—a Reader’s Theater production of C. S. Lewis’s short allegorical novel The Great Divorce (1946)—pursues the values of truth and beauty by relating the rich theological realities of Lewis’s work through drama and voice. Reader’s Theater differs from traditional theater in that the voice, rather than blocking and costuming, carries the drama. The script is read rather than memorized, resulting in a directed, well-rehearsed dramatic presentation of a script. This project requires the creation of an abridged script with a substantial introduction detailing the process of production, and all elements of production from inception to a final stage performance of approximately 90 minutes.
P-22 Hydroxyl Functional Group Number Determination of PAMAM Dendrimers with NIR-spectroscopy
Seth Stacey (Ryan Hayes, Chemistry & Biochemistry)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
The goal of this project is to investigate the use of NIR-spectroscopy to quantify the number of OH functional groups attached to poly (amido amine) or PAMAM dendrimers in a manner that is quick, cost effective and easily reproducible. Obtaining the approximate number of hydroxyl functional groups (OH#) in a dendrimer is crucial in determining what role it can play in bonding and reactivity to other molecules. NIR-spectroscopy has the potential to allow for the recovery of the sample or at least to minimize the amount needed for analysis while providing an accurate determination of the OH# of a dendrimer.
P-23 Variations in Microbiota of Culex (Melanoconion) ocossa and Culex (Culex) declarator Across Periurban and Rural Environments
M. Nelson Starkey (Kanya Long, Biology)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Mosquitoes serve as the primary mode of transmission for many tropical infections such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, dengue virus, and malaria. Therefore, mosquitoes are an important area of study for disease control. This study examined the differences in gut microbiota of Culex melanoconion species across two different habitats: periurban and rural. Mosquitoes were collected from locations around Iquitos, Peru and their gut bacterial DNA was extracted and analyzed. Based on previous studies it is believed that the bacterial flora will differ among mosquitoes reared in different locations.
P-24 Synthesis of Arginine-Based Heterocyclic Amines
Andrew Stewart (Ryan Hayes, Chemistry & Biochemistry)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) are a group of mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals found in muscle meat after grilling, frying, or broiling. Research studies show that very low amounts of HCAs are created from creatinine reacting with another amino acid at temperatures greater than 200 °C. Other studies show that plant-based arginine can substitute for creatine forming a new class of mutagenic HCAs, but also in low yields. We sought to develop a direct, higher yielding method of producing these arginine-HCAs based on a procedure previously used to synthesize creatine-HCAs. Greater amounts of arginine-HCA speeds analysis, chemical characterization, and toxicity assessment.
P-25 Synthesis of Isoxazoline Derivatives as Potential Anti-Cancer Agents
Rosanne Thornhill (Lisa Ahlberg, Chemistry & Biochemistry)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
Isoxazolines are organic molecules known for their diverse functionality in medicinal chemistry, including their anti-cancer activity. In a study on dibenzoazepine tethered isoxazoline (DBI) derivatives as possible anti-cancer agents, combining the potential DNA-damaging effects of dibenzoazepines and isoxazolines, results showed increased inhibition of invasion, migration and proliferation of some cancer cells. PK11195, a benzodiazepine derivative, also has known anti-cancer activity through alternative mechanisms still actively studied. My research aims to design and synthesize an organic molecule exhibiting key structural qualities of both DBI and PK11195, hopefully combining the individual functionalities of both, to form a molecule with greater anti-cancer activity.
P-26 Taphanomic Degradation of Chicken Feathers by Bacteria and Fungus in Varying Sediments
Douglas Van Putten (Denise Smith, Biology)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between the early taphanomic degradation of chicken feathers and the environmental/biological variables that affect the feather’s physical characteristics. The variables tested include sediment type, length of burial, bacteria, and fungi and their interaction on Rooster Chinchilla Rounds from the bird species Gallus gallus. The results of this analysis can be used to determine what variables correlate with specific feather properties such as barb count, color and size. The anticipated outcome of this lab is the identification of which environmental/biological variables cause the most degradation. The findings may be useful for further paleontology research and waste removal.
P-27 Changing Attitudes Towards Sexual Orientation and the Effect of Documentary Film
Michael VanderWaal (Harvey Burnett, Behavioral Sciences )
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Research Scholar
Attitudes towards LGBT are shifting, with over half (51%) of the US population now favoring same-sex marriage. LGBT issues are also being hotly debated in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church. The purpose of this research is to examine how the film, ‘Seventh-Gay Adventist’ (SGA) influences SDA college students’ attitudes regarding homosexuality. My study will compare attitude scores of students using an experimental design with random assignment. Both the experimental group and the control group will complete a commonly used Homosexuality Attitude Scale and modified version of Fulton’s Adventists and LGB’s survey (2013) at pre-test and post-test. The control and primary experimental subjects will be randomly assigned to watch either SGA or The Adventist (a documentary film about SDA health practices). Analyses will include within-group and between-group t-tests as well as cross-tabulations and chi-square analyses.
P-28 Musical borrowing in Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas: Piazzolla, Desyatnikov, Vivaldi
WayAnne Watson (Trina Thompson, Music)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar, Undergraduate Research Scholar, and Earhart Emerging Scholar
Leonid Desyatnikov arranged Astor Piazzolla’s Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas for violin and string orchestra, interspersing quotations from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons throughout the new work. My score-based analysis of the arrangement investigates Desyatnikov’s borrowing techniques by locating the Vivaldi quotations, examining Desyatnikov’s alterations to their original content and context, and determining whether the quotations’ identities are maintained or transformed. My research shows that, generally, Desyatnikov minimizes drastic alterations to content, but usually makes changes to context. Overall, this leads to transformation of the quotations’ identities. By examining these compositional procedures, my analysis provides a more nuanced exploration of musical dominance and irony.
P-29 Ovulation Synchrony as an Adaptive Response to Egg Cannibalism in a Seabird Colony
Sumiko Weir (James Hayward, Biology and Shandelle Henson, Mathematics)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Every-other-day egg-laying synchrony has been demonstrated in the Glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) colony at Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge ,where cannibalism is the predominant cause of egg loss. Here we show that (1) eggs are most likely to be cannibalized within the first 24 hours after they are laid, and (2) the odds that an egg is cannibalized within the first 24 hours decreases with an increase in the number of eggs laid on that day. This suggests that egg-laying synchrony functions as an adaptive response to cannibalism by maximizing an egg’s chance of survival during its most vulnerable period.
P-30 Edward Snowden, Criminal or Patriot: Media coverage of National Security Agency document leaks
Joyce M. Yoon (Desrene Vernon-Brebnor, Communication)
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad was used to analyze Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency (NSA) document leaks from June 5, 2013 through October 1, 2013 as published in the New York Times (NYT) and the Guardian. The articles were coded by newspaper, headline, reporting journalist, page prominence, word count, publication date, and tone of stories. Content analysis revealed that the Guardian utilized the word “whistleblower” extensively in a positive way while the NYT most often used the term “leaker” in a negative way. Both papers overlap in their identification of Snowden’s actions as one of the most significant intelligence disclosures since the Pentagon Papers.