Oral presentations, session IV

Featured presentation

Olin Auditorium (Session A)

"Complete Streets? Mapping Bikeability and Safety in Moline, IL"
Presented by Carter Thompson '25 and Dr. Chris Strunk 

→ Return to top

Philosophy and Religion

Old Main 117 (Session B)

"How feminism ruined society: explained through the works of Nietzsche"
Philosophy
Presented by Josephine Ramirez
Project advisor: Dr. Roman Bonzon

In this presentation, I critically analyze feminism as a social construct and argue that it has ultimately failed to achieve its intended mission of addressing women's issues. Using Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical framework, I examine three core concepts—equality, autonomy, and justice—unpacking how they are understood within feminist discourse, applied in society, and where they fall short in truly serving women. By drawing from Nietzsche’s critiques of morality,  the will to power, and societal structures, I illustrate how modern feminism, rather than liberating women, often reinforces restrictive paradigms that hinder genuine empowerment. Finally, I propose a reconstructed approach to feminism—one that moves beyond conventional constraints and aligns more closely with Nietzschean thought—to better serve women's needs and aspirations in contemporary society. This discussion challenges prevailing assumptions and invites a reevaluation of feminist ideology through a philosophical lens. 

"How does Nietzsche Love?"
Philosophy
Presented by Carter White
Project advisor: Dr. Roman Bonzon

I will be presenting an argument for Nietzsche’s opinion on love and why I believe it is an expression of his will to power. It will summarize what I have learned myself about Nietzsche, shine a light on a part of Nietzsche that isn’t commonly discussed, and also take a further position of my own making.

"Little Women in 2 Timothy: Intersectional Approaches to Ethnic, Gendered Encounters in the Early Christian World"
Religion
Presented by Dr. Eric Stewart

2 Timothy 3:6-7 describes unvirtuous men who "make their way into the households" of "little women" who are "overwhelmed by their sins and sway by all kinds of desires." The text goes on to compare these unvirtuous men to the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses. Using intersectional approaches, we will examine the use of gendered and ethnicized descriptions of these characters to understand the rhetorical intentions of the author in employing them. 

→ Return to top

Sociology and Anthropology

Olin 209 (Session C)

"Who's Afraid of Gen Alpha: Exploring Family Life in the Digital Age"
Sociology and Anthropology
Presented by Megan Yarusso
Project advisor: Dr. Adam Kaul

The prevalence of social media and touch-screen technology in contemporary American culture has led to an explosion of conversation about the specific impact of digital media on American children. This study seeks not to investigate the particulars of said impact, as the literature surrounding the health outcomes associated with high screen time is ever-expanding, but to interrogate how the technology use of American children and their parents is depicted in recent popular culture. Furthermore, the aim of this study is to analyze how this cultural depiction lines up with the material socio-economic relationship between technology use and American families. To achieve this, this study uses a mixed-method approach, combining content analysis of different popular media–such as news articles, opinion pieces, and YouTube videos–with survey data about the experiences of parents concerning the role of technology in the home. This study takes into consideration both the symbolic meanings and narratives associated with digital media, as well as the material distribution of socio-economic indicators such as income level, race, and gender. Ultimately, this study's goal is to examine how popular cultural archetypes relate to the material complexities of social position, and encourage empathy for American children and parents navigating the role of digital media in family life. 

"This Exhibit is Processing... AI and the Future of Museums"
Sociology and Anthropology
Presented by Cami Flores
Project advisor: Dr. Adam Kaul

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in museums is reshaping curatorial practices, audience engagement, and digital preservation. As cultural institutions increasingly adopt AI-driven technologies—ranging from generative AI-powered curation to interactive visitor experiences—questions arise about ethical implications, algorithmic bias, and the role of human expertise. This paper examines the intersection of museum studies, AI, and digital heritage, analyzing both the opportunities and risks posed by emerging technologies. Through a review of literature and case studies, the research highlights how AI enhances accessibility, personalization, and preservation efforts while also raising concerns regarding intellectual property, data bias, and ethical transparency. This paper argues that a balanced approach—one that integrates human-centered AI frameworks and ethical considerations—is essential for the responsible implementation of AI in museum settings.

"Being Queer and Trans is F-ing Class: LGBTQ+ Communities and Organizations in Belfast, Northern Ireland"
Sociology and Anthropology
Presented by Paige Meyer
Project advisor: Dr. Adam Kaul

The purpose of this paper is to highlight existing queer community organizations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and to explore how both they and others support queer community members in a post-conflict environment, while refraining from focusing directly on the effects of conflict directly. Instead, feminist and queer theory is used to center experiences of queer joy and collaboration in the area. Despite a rich history of the queer community creating safe spaces within a conflict-torn society, research on Northern Ireland has remained centered around the Troubles rather than other affected communities. This paper draws on original qualitative, ethnographic research and participant observation carried out in June-July of 2024 in Belfast. The results show that many queer community members themselves do not focus on the Troubles, choosing instead to focus on celebrating queer identities and advocating for the broader inclusion of and accessibility to queer culture. Given these results, it is clear that more attention must be paid to the queer communities and organizations working to provide a positive experience for all community members, regardless of their backgrounds or political affiliations. Leaning into this expression of queer joy as a valid anthropological framework will allow for greater inclusion and intersectionality within the discipline.

"If you're reading this message, have a nice day!:  Characterizing online kindness in a virtual lofi hip hop community"
Sociology and Anthropology
Presented by Samuel Vasich
Project advisor: Dr. Adam Kaul

Lofi hip hop is a musical genre formed by mellow, noninvasive loops of chilled-out drums, guitars, pianos, and assorted background textures. Interestingly, lofi hip hop (often shortened to ‘lofi’) listeners are overwhelmingly situated in online networking platforms such as YouTube and Discord, allowing for global connection. These online lofi community spaces carry a reputation for the seemingly endless positivity towards other users. To characterize how users interact within the most populated lofi hip hop Discord server, a mixed-methods approach was used to survey N = 30 users about their engagement and perspectives on the community and conduct in-depth interviews with n = 12 survey respondents. Through content and quantitative analysis, previous findings on the community can be affirmed and further characterized by nuanced prosociality, a cosmopolitan orientation towards intercultural communication, applications of community theories to a digital space, attitudes of growth and learning, and the recognition of kindness as a necessity in everyday life.

→ Return to top

Honors

Hanson 102 (Session D)

"Honors 102 Changes Your Mind"
Honors program
Presented by Honors students from FYH 102
Project advisors: Dr. Brian Leech, Dr. Dell Jensen, Dr. Wendy Hilton-Morrow, Dr. Andrea Talentino

The students of Honors 102 will try to change your mind! Students in Honors 102: What Changes Minds have selected social issues that affect people on campus and in the Quad Cities. Their goal is to convince people, including you, to care about these issues and to take action. At this series of presentations students will pitch both a community panel of external evaluators and our campus community with their plans to change minds. Come get convinced!

→ Return to top

Art History

Old Main 028 (Session E)

"Lost Art of the Female: Overlooked Female-Identifying Artists of Twentieth Century Abstract Expressionism"
Art History
Presented by Emily O'Brien
Project advisor: Dr. Margaret Morse

Abstract Expressionism is an artistic movement that was inventive and groundbreaking when it first emerged. However, what is not widely acknowledged about Abstract Expressionism is that it exemplifies the misogyny that was present in American culture during this time and the exclusive nature of twentieth century American artistic culture. During the second World War, a time which makes up a substantial portion of the time period that is considered to be part of the Abstract Expressionist movement, many male artists were overseas fighting in war, while their female counterparts remained in their cities, creating and responding to the hardships that they were witnessing around them. Female artists and artists of color have been excluded from this category altogether by the white male artists who became the dominant voices of this movement. These male artists overshadowed marginalized artists, even those whose artwork sufficiently exemplifies Abstract Expressionist elements. Thus, later scholars would exclude those overshadowed artists altogether, instead including only white male artists in the category of Abstract Expressionism. Using examples of several of these excluded artists’ biographies as well as their artwork, more recent museum exhibits, and pertinent feminist texts, this research exemplifies the need to correct the systemic bias against women and artists of color within this artistic era and thus in the greater field of Art History. 

"From Grave to Display: The Ethics of Displaying Funerary Art"
Art History
Presented by Emma Hogren
Project advisor: Dr. Margaret Morse

In the lower level of the Art Institute of Chicago stands a shelf holding four jars from 1400 B.C. Egypt. These finely crafted vessels, called canopic jars, once held the internal organs of Amenhotep as a part of a significant burial practice. Originally intended to remain in Amenhotep’s tomb, these canopic jars now sit on display for public view. While discourse surrounding the display of human remains has been prominent among historians for several decades, little literature has been written about the display of the objects associated with these remains. In this presentation, I will discuss the ethics surrounding the display of funerary objects in museums by linking existing literature about the ethics of displaying human remains with my personal experience working in funeral service. Additionally, through the lens of museum curation, I will discuss ways that museums can display funerary art to make viewers more conscious of its original contexts. 

"Midwestern Landscapes, Immigrant Hands: Swedish Artists and the Regionalist Movement"
Art History
Presented by Grace Finney
Project advisor: Dr. Margaret Morse

The Regionalist movement in American art attempted to define an authentic national identity through depictions of the American landscape, rural life, and working-class values and communities. From the mid-19th to early 20th century, over a million Swedes immigrated to the United States, many of whom settled in the Midwest, a region frequently depicted by Regionalist artists. Swedish immigrant artists captured the beauty of the same landscapes, portrayed similar rural values, and even created public art, all of which are defining elements of the Regionalist movement. Their artistic expressions align with the themes of Regionalism, yet they remain absent from the mainstream narrative of American art history. Created during the same period and in the same regions, the art of Swedish immigrants and American Regionalists shares an essence that has been overlooked. The immigrant experience is inherently American, and thus immigrant artists should be included in discussions of Regionalism, which originally sought to define an authentic American identity. This presentation investigates the thematic and artistic intersections between Swedish immigrant artists and Regionalists, analyzes their exclusion from mainstream art historical discourse, and redefines Regionalism in order to recognize the role of immigrants in shaping America’s identity.

→ Return to top

Film

Old Main 132 (Session G)

"Film Club 48-Hour Film Festival Encore Screening"
Film
Presented by Ella Randolph, Jordyn Van Santen, Paige Withey, Laura Makari, Delgermaa Erdenedelger Emma Watts, Nat Hansen, Rylon Hall, Joseph Burck, Aaron Randolph  Matt Chezum, Ludovica Chiovini , Aubrey Groff, Finnean O'Higgins, Ethan Chezum Atticus Georgas, Trevor Mattesson, Aron Stewart, Wren, Ulan Okai, Natalie Whitney
Project advisor: Dr. Stacy Barton

Four 3-5 minute short films that were produced over one weekend October 18-20, 2024 in the Putnam Museum's 48-hour film festival by Augustana Film Club teams, sponsored by the Film Program, will be re-screened in an encore presentation in the Film Program Production Studio, Sorensen 1.

→ Return to top

Augustana Prison Education Program

Olin 305 (Session J)

"Proposing Communication Research from a Closed System:  Presentations from Augustana Prison Education Program's Graduating Seniors"
APEP
Presented by APEP's first graduating cohort
Project advisors: Amy Blommer and Sharon Varallo

Via Zoom, the Augustana Prison Education Program's first graduating cohort will share a representative sample of the research proposals created in the Senior Inquiry course. Students will explain the research process undertaken by the class of 12 students, provide several proposals, and take questions from the Augie audience on the research process in a non-internet enabled environment.  

→ Return to top