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Senior Independent Study Theses from 2024
Hero, Villain, Victim Policy Narratives on Automatic Voter Registration: Which Narrative is the Most Persuasive?, John Varley
Department: Political Science
Quantifying Pollen Carryover by Tracking Individual Pollen Grains: An Exploration Of The Quantum Dot Application, Ann Venditti
Department: Biology
Beyond Assumptions: Friendship Maintenance in Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Transgender/Gender Diverse People, Samuel Veon
Department: Psychology
Exploring the Increased Utilization of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Celebrities in Commercial Brand Strategy, Zion Vital
Department: Global Media and Digital Studies
To Be Young, Gifted and Black: The Contributions of Racial Centrality, Parental Social Support and Academic Motivation on the Academic Engagement of Black Undergraduate Students., Alex Walker
Department: Psychology
The Enduring Connection: Redlining, Race, and the Ongoing Disparities in Breast Cancer Mortality Rates Among Black Women, Liam Adrian Walker
Department: Business Economics
Grief in Prison: How Incarceration Shapes Inmates Experiences with Loss, Anna Walsh
Department: History; Sociology and Anthropology
One Yarn Below, Zhongting Wang
Department: English
Baes of a Feather Flock Together: Comparing Preferences of Personality and Value Similarity in Romantic Relationships, Takuma Warren
Department: Psychology
Investigating the Interplay Between RNR, Tsa1, and the Thioredoxin System and Their Effect on Cell Cycle Regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Malaika Webb
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
How Gender Framing Affects the Success of Women’s Rights Movements, Ella E. Weber
Department: Political Science
Short- and Long-term Impacts of the Birthing Process on Infants and Mothers: an Investigation into Local and Global Trends, Eleanor Weiker
Department: Biology
Holocaust Memory through Operatic Performance: An Examination of the Evolving Representation of the Holocaust in Operas through the 20th and 21st Centuries, Lilah Weiss
Department: Music
How the Ban of the Shift Affected Pitchers in the MLB, Elijah Westrick
Department: Mathematics
Public Health and Propaganda: How the PRC Mobilized the Masses for Preventative Healthcare During the Maoist Period, 1949-1976, Alexander W. White
Department: History
The Thinking Machine: An Exploration of Consciousness and its Application to Artificial Intelligence, Simon White
Department: Philosophy
Redeeming Disability Representation in the Horror Genre: Can Horror Be Saved From Itself?, M. Whitlock
Department: English
An Analysis of Stratigraphic, Paleoecologic, and Geochemical Variability in the "Squaw Bay Formation," Michigan Basin, Ainsley Wiesner
Department: Earth Sciences; Geology
The Oral Tradition as a Literary Device through the Indigenous Feminist Perspective, Isabella Claire Wild
Department: English
Are We Not Men? We Are Dada: Devo and the Intersection of Music and Performance Art, Ursula Williams
Department: English
Anisotropic and Relativistic Diffusion with Partial Differential Equations, Luke Wilson
Department: Mathematics; Physics
Boolean Modeling and Microglial Matters: Replicating Microglial Behavior in Inflammation and Testing Model Validity, Nina Sahita Reddy Yeduguri Sandinti
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Toward a More Efficient and Selective Synthesis of Exclusively 7-Substituted Coumarins, Aileen Yeo
Department: Chemistry
Hello Cold World: Comparing Levels of Self-Defined versus Self-Reported Empathy, Maggie G. Young
Department: Psychology
Gesture-Based Interactive Nature Simulation, Taemour S. Zaidi
Department: Mathematics; Computer Science
Short-Term vs Long-Term Effects of DREADDs in the Mouse Motor Cortex, Christa Zianni
Department: Neuroscience
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2023
Exploring the Binding Multiplicity, Mode of Inhibition and Communication Between NADH Binding Sites on 6- Hydroxynicotinate 3-monooxygenase (NicC), Eric Senanu Adadevoh Mr.
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Sanctuary, Katherine Adams-Fisher
Department: English
Ecology and Genetic Variation of the Invasive Aedes japonicus Mosquito in Wooster, OH: An Addition to Existing Cultural, Literary, and Artistic Symbolism of Insects Around the World, Tomoka Shannon-Rose Adams
Department: Biology; Spanish
“More Money More Problems?”: A Study on the Impact of Increases in Minimum Wage Rates on Economic Growth, Nana Abena Biamah Adu-Boahen
Department: Business Economics
Coloring Away the Blues: Exploring the Therapeutic Effects of Art Activities on Well-Being, Lucy Agurkis
Department: Psychology
Molding a New You: Exploring the Therapeutic and Healing Properties of Clay, Lucy Agurkis
Department: Art and Art History
Building an 8-Bit Computer: From Design to Implementation, Craig Akiri
Department: Computer Science
Porphyrin Based Photosensitizing Agents: Comparative Study On The Effects Of TPP-sesamol and TPP-zingerone On Yeast Cells, Edwina Akonor
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Black and Red Markers on White Boards: Applying John Ogbu's Cultural-Ecological Theory of Minority Student Experiences to Higher Education, Geoffrey Allen
Department: Chinese Studies; Sociology and Anthropology
Hair, Food, and Relationships, Inethia M. Allen
Department: Art and Art History
Coinfection of Culex Flavivirus and Wolbachia spp in Culex Mosquitoes and Implication for Arbovirus Control, Cristian Amesbury
Department: Biology
Measurement & Analysis of Pesticide Biotransformation Products in Ohio Precipitation Samples, Lily Anderson
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Reality of Child Slave Labor Today: An Analysis of Tony's Chocolonely News Messages Through the Lens of Identificational Appeals, Marina Anderson
Department: Communication Studies
Investigating the Suggested Inhibition of Pho4 by P. sojae RxLR Effector PsAvh110 Utilizing SDL Assays, Nathaniel Andrews
Department: Biology
Brownfield Meets the Bees' Needs: The William J. Robertson Nature Preserve Provides a Safe Haven for Solitary Native Bees, Ash Arons
Department: Environmental Studies
The Importance of Mixed-Race Mestiza Representation On and Off Stage: An Autoethnographic Approach, Teresa Isabel Ascencio
Department: Theatre and Dance; Communication Studies
Reality Television’s Vision of Class: A Deep Dive into Class Performance in Windy City Rehab, Gillian Rhiannon Ashley
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Axon Pathfinding in Drosophila melanogaster Wing Sensory Neurons, Jade Baek
Department: Neuroscience
La Violencia en Las Sombras: Epistemic Violence in The United States Immigration System and Its Implications, Hannah Rosemary Baker
Department: Political Science; Spanish
Seeds of Liberation or Spheres of Domination: Role-Playing Games and Alternative Social Formation, Peter Barker
Department: History; Philosophy
Evaluation of the Use of Raphinus Sativus and Neem as Pest Management Strategies for Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardii in the Crop Species Cucurbita Pepo Subspecies Pepo, Owen C. Barnard
Department: Environmental Studies
The Effects of Interparental Conflict on an Individual’s Expectations Towards Their Romantic Relationships: Attitudes Towards Romantic Relationships, Demetrius Devon Barnett
Department: Psychology
Melanism in Abert's Squirrel: Investigating the Genetic Cause and Frequency of Melanism in Northern Populations, Lake Barrett
Department: Biology
Exploring Small State Foreign Policy Through Shelter: A Case Study on Mongolian Foreign Policy, Bilegsanaa Battulga
Department: Political Science
Memories of Tomorrow, Lillian S. Beach
Department: English
Establishing Mixedness: Exploring the Role School Plays in Multiracial Identity Formation, Langston Bealum
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Creating a Caring Community: An Examination of Mutual Aid Networks, Abigail Beard
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Bacteriophage Therapy Against Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria, Bethel B. Bedelu
Department: Interdepartmental
Legalization v. Decriminalization: An Analysis on the Impacts of Marijuana Policy Reform on State’s Crime Rates, Owen Belfiore
Department: Political Science
Do You Get Déjà Vu? Examining the Effects of Context and Time on Contextual Generalization in a Mouse Model of PTSD, Natalie Ibrahim Belle
Department: Neuroscience
Interrogation of a Conserved Overlap Between Cofactor and Substrate Binding Domains to Facilitate Crosstalk-Induced Conformational Changes in Class A Flavin Monooxygenases: A Case Study of 6-Hydroxynicotinate-3-Monooxygenase, Sam L. Belsky
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Push it to the Limit: Exploring the Activity Threshold of the Myxococcus xanthus Arginine Kinase and Its Effects on Socially-Motivated Phenotypes, Macey Bennett
Department: Biology
Into the Mythopoeia of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: Exploring Memories of War through Fantasy Literature, Claire Berlin
Department: History
What Constitutes an Inflated Self-Esteem? Investigating the Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Social Desirability and Personality, Teddy Berner
Department: Psychology
Stages of Change: Investigating the Supply of Different Emotional-Themes Concert Dance Production in Economics Recession, Dantong Bi
Department: Economics; Theatre and Dance
A Tale of Two Morphs: Understanding the Influence of Temperature on Eastern Red-Backed Salamander Color Morphs, Mary Blair
Department: Biology
Hey Baby You Up? A Solution to Early Online Sexual Predator Detection, Haley R. Bloom
Department: Computer Science
Analysis of P. aeruginosa Antibiotic Resistance Development at Variable Ciprofloxacin Growth Concentrations In Vitro and In Vivo Using C. elegans Host, Daniel William Bohl
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Two's a Crowd: Creating a Double Plasmid Expression System in E. coli for Biotinylated KLK3 PSA Protein, Collin J. Boissoneault
Department: Biology
The Effect of M&A on Acquirer Shareholder Wealth, Marquis Malone Boley Jr
Department: Business Economics
An Assessment of the Conservation Status and Morphology of the Golden Tree Frog, Phytotriades auratus, Daniel Borowsky
Department: Biology
Towards a New Political Sovereignty: A Case Study of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Citizen-Science Project, Sam C. Boudreau
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
A CoxG Homologue Subunit is Necessary for the Function of Bacillus niacini Nicotinate Dehydrogenase, Kira Brianne Boyce
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Utilizing Selective Seed Breeding to Optimize Carbon Sequestration in Winter Wheat in Wooster, Ohio, Grace A. Braver
Department: Earth Sciences; Geology
Not Such a "Fun-Guy": Infection Patterns of the Fungal Pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), on Northern Two-Lined Salamander Populations at Wooster Memorial Park, Caileigh Alexandra Briggs
Department: Biology
“I See Me in You”: A Focus Group Study on How Polarizing Social Media Influencers Gather and Retain Support, Harvey Briscoe
Department: Communication Studies
“I See Me in You”: A Focus Group Study on How Polarizing Social Media Influencers Gather and Retain Support, Harvey Briscoe
Department: Communication Studies
Improving the Accuracy of GALFIT in Measuring the Morphological Properties of Multi-Component Disk Galaxies, Whitford Dean Brown
Department: Physics
The Social Construct of Disability: Comparative Research Between Preschool Children and College Students, Aly M. Brugh
Department: Psychology
Asian by Birth, American by Circumstance: How Transcultural East-Asian Adoptees in the U.S. Create Multi-Cultural Identities & the Toll of the Covid-19 Anti-Asian Hate Crisis in Altering Identity Conception, Maud Bulman
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
It’s Not Therapy: An Investigation of Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions of Effective Accent Modification Services for Adult Speakers and College Students' Perceptions of Accents Contingent Upon Their Exposure to Diverse Speakers, Samantha Burke
Department: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Understanding Integrative Rhetorical Complexity’s Effect on Public Opinion of Ballot Initiatives in Conjunction with a Contingent Valuation of a Ballot Initiative to Improve Water Quality Trading Systems., Tanner C. Burt
Department: Economics; Political Science
“Forever On My Mind:” Blues Songwriting in the 1960s, Shane Byrne
Department: History
Through The Lens: Shattering Stereotypes About African American Women In Sports Through Photography, Rondon Caesar Jr.
Department: Communication Studies
So That We Might Share in the Act of Creation: An Exploration of the Experiences of Transgender Theater Artists, Sam Caley
Department: Communication Studies; Theatre and Dance
It's the Little Things in (a Grasshopper's) Life: How the Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) Visually Signals to Conspecifics While Minimizing Predation Risk, Claire Campbell
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Automation Testing: The Savior of The QA Team, Dane Camphausen
Department: Computer Science
Discourse and Discovery: A Study of Communication and the Formation of Group Identity Within Common Grounds, Jacob Cannon
Department: Communication Studies
Emboldening the Insolent: How Governmental Treatment of Refugees Affects Far-Right Support, Alexa Carlozzi
Department: French and Francophone Studies; Global and International Studies
Post-Disaster Urban Reconstruction’s Effect on Mental Health: A Case Study of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans Residents, Hope Mari Samal Carmody
Department: Urban Studies
Women’s Place in the House (of Representatives): A study of Gender or Ideology on Congressional Voting Behavior, Morgan Carson
Department: Political Science
Are Your Water Systems Safe? A Study on CYP1A Expression in Brown Bullhead and Channel Catfish in Response to Sediment Exposure from Killbuck Creek Wooster, Ohio, Madison Carter
Department: Biology
Dawn of Darkness, Pookar Chand
Department: English
The Effects of Parenting Styles and Parental Conflict on Child Development, Cloud Chang
Department: Psychology
“Coeds and the City” A gendered analysis of the College of Wooster’s town-gown relations in the 1950s., Katie Grace Chapman
Department: History
Detection and Quantification of Glyphosate in Precipitation Using LC-MS and ELISA, Young Cho
Department: Chemistry
Probability Analysis of Time Intervals Surrounding Large Avalanches on a Conical Bead Pile, Harrison Clayman
Department: Physics
A Review of the Sexual Assault Kit Backlog and the Methods of Biological Analysis in Crime Laboratories, Chloe F. Clear
Department: Biology
Simulating Reaction-Diffusion Waves to Model Gravitational Lensing, Daniel Cohen-Cobos
Department: Computer Science; Physics
U.S. Military Intervention in Ukraine: Modern Warfare, Postcolonial Conflict, and The Russo-Ukrainian War, Patrick Colwell
Department: History
Face the Music: The History of Women’s Music within Cultural and Intersectional Feminism, Megan E. Conklin
Department: History
It’s Raining PFAS! Targeted and Non-Targeted Identification and Quantitation and Semi-Quantitation of Legacy and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Rainwater and Groundwater of Wooster, OH, Donald M. Conley III
Department: Chemistry
Senior Independent Study in Music Composition, Imzadia Conrad
Department: Music
Why Not to Be Anywhere But Here? A Journey Through Exile, Rickey D. Cooper
Department: Theatre and Dance