SXU Holds 20th Annual Honors Program Senior Symposium
Saint Xavier University (SXU) recently hosted its 20th annual Honors Program Senior Symposium. Each year, the symposium showcases independent research conducted by Honors senior for their capstone projects. Students research under the direction of a faculty mentor and the senior project coordinators, Kathleen Alaimo, Ph.D., and Mary Beth Tegan, Ph.D.
Students participating in the symposium have an opportunity to execute a research or creative project of significant scope related to their major or program, which culminates in a substantial written paper and public presentation. Projects addressed research across a variety of academic disciplines, including natural sciences, nursing, communication, business, education, criminal justice, art and philosophy.
"The senior project promotes intellectual and creative growth, a sense of personal accomplishment gained through rigorous and independent work. The experience also provides rigorous preparation for challenges of graduate or professional school and for the demands of future careers. We are so proud of the students and the work they did throughout the year. What started as a small seed of ideas grew and blossomed into well-developed, rigorous scholarly projects," said Julia Wiester, Ph.D., Honors Program director.
"I am so proud of the Honors seniors who presented the results of their yearlong research and creative projects at the annual Honors Symposium. This year's projects ranged across the disciplines and tackled issues in health care, ethics and philosophy, criminal justice, art, communication, education, and the sciences. Starting with sometimes vague ideas mixed with a lot of passion, these Honors students engaged in laboratory research, survey research, analytical research and creative artistry. They found their disciplinary voices and effectively communicated the significance of their projects to a broad audience. This is what excellence in learning looks like!" added Alaimo.
Check out the list of Honors scholars and their incredible projects!
Studies in the Natural Sciences
Honors Scholar: Huguette I. Clemente
Project: Biochemical Studies of 4,4-Dimethoxychalcone on Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase-1ß: Implications for Prostate Cancer
Honors Scholar: John T. Draper
Project: Medicinal Oils: Do Natural Oils Inhibit the Growth of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Honors Scholar: Bridget J. Giblin
Project: Wine Drinkers, Caffeine Lovers, and Nicotine Addicts: Your Odds of Getting Alzheimer’s Disease
Honors Scholar: Holly Ramos
Project: Science-Driven Art: Manipulating Transmitted Light and Color for Application in the Fine Arts
Honors Scholar: Yasmeen O. Sawalha
Project: The Genetic Response of Arabidopsis Thaliana to Environmental Stress: The Function of Unknown Genes
Honors Scholar: London C. Wimberly
Project: Symbiosis between Aiptasia and Symbiodinium: Exploring Genetic Level Effects of Environmental Changes on Coral Reefs
Honors Scholar: Tamryn Jordan
Project: How Much is Too Much? Calcium Oxalate Exposure in Small Animals
Studies in Nursing
Honors Scholar: Elizabeth Martinez
Project: Why are you so stressed? Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Stress Factors and Stress Management
Honors Scholar: Sarah Nori
Project: Analyzing Nursing Students’ Psychosocial Effects and Coping Mechanisms During the Pandemic
Honors Scholar: Justin Keefe Arcenal
Project: Fostering Improved Health Literacy for Student Nurses Regarding Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Through the Use of Visual Aids
Honors Scholar: Alexa Diaz
Project: What Procedures of Intervention are Used in Hospitals to Prevent CAUTI and What Barriers Exist to Perfect Compliance?
Honors Scholar: Brianna Rodriguez
Project: The Role of Nurses in Intimate Partner Violence Screening: Barriers and Interventions
Honors Scholar: Caitlyn J. Solomon
Project: Exploring the Preparedness of Nurses in their Role as Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse
Honors Scholar: Ewelina Bryja
Project: Healthcare Disparities in Obstetrics: Preparing Undergraduate Nursing Students to Care for Vulnerable Mothers
Honors Scholar: Enrique Muñoz
Project: Disparities in Accessing Quality Healthcare: What Bridges and Barriers do Hispanic Undocumented Immigrants Face in Chicago?
Studies in Communication, Business and Education
Honors Scholar: Natalie Rose Davidson
Project: Professional Sports Teams’ Instagram Branding Towards Gen Z
Honors Scholar: Peter Naber
Project: Corporate Culture and Internal Auditors: A “Gray Zone” of Accounting
Honors Scholar: Marci J. Mills
Project: Challenging Kindergarten Pedagogy: E-Learning Arrives, But Is It Here to Stay?
Studies in Criminal Justice, Art and Philosophy
Honors Scholar: Anissa C. Figaro
Project: The Art of a Flawed System: An Examination of Criminal Justice Issues Through the Creative Lens of Cartooning
Honors Scholar: Angela A. Marquez
Project: The Art of Mental Health: De-stigmatization and Normalization of Mental Illness
Honors Scholar: Brendan J. Siemiawski
Project: The Distinction between Knowledge and Wisdom: How Philosophy Can Act as a Safeguard against the Primacy of the Sciences