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Celebration of Learning 2021 panel presentations by major, A-H

Here is a list of pre-recorded panel presentations from Celebration of Learning 2021 by major, A-H. See also a list of panels from majors I-Z.

Art History

Monica Thompson: "Ever Yours, Vincent": The Effects of Van Gogh's Mental Health on his Art and Self-Image

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Advisor: Dr. Catherine Goebel, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) had a career that spanned only a little over a decade. Yet, during that decade, he produced over 2,000 works of art ranging from drawings, to watercolors, to oil paintings. Along with being an avid artist he was also a devoted writer. It is said that he wrote over 2,000 letters during his lifetime but only 903 have survived. These letters provide insight into Van Gogh’s thoughts about life, self-identity and art. By analyzing these letters alongside the sketches and oil paintings he created, we can gain a deeper understanding of the mind of Van Gogh.

During my research, I focused on three periods in Van Gogh’s career when he was not receiving treatment for his mental illness(es), during/after he had gone through a mental breakdown, and finally when he was receiving treatment for his mental illness. By comparing these three periods from his life, I hoped to answer questions about how his sense of self changed during these times and how that change is reflected in his artworks. I also added to the literature about what types of mental illness(es) Van Gogh from which he may have suffered, and how these can be seen through his letters and the artworks he created simultaneously.

Van Gogh has been diagnosed with a variety of disorders ranging from epilepsy during his time, to schizophrenia in the 1920’s, to borderline personality disorder in the 1980’s. Using the shared similarities of these diagnoses and others' shared as well as identifying symptoms on my own, I came up with my own diagnosis which I analyzed through his letters and artwork.

Charles Nawara: A Painting's Worth a Thousand Words: Using Rhetoric as a Means to Analyze Art

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Advisor: Dr. Catherine Goebel, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: An evaluation of how we can merge the fields of art history and rhetoric to analyze the art of our time as a new methodology. This project considers the elitist nature of art connoisseurship and wishes to bring an easier more relatable means of understanding art to the public. Contemporary art can be difficult to understand, especially for those not educated on art and thus rhetoric is posed as a means of solving this problem.

Jordyn Strange: French Gothic Rose Windows

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Advisor: Dr. Catherine Goebel, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: Rose Windows are a feat of technological advancement and innovation and their splendor and cultural significance makes them important not only to France but also around the world.

Kaitlyn Normoyle: Rebels Among Revolutionaries: Women Impressionists

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Advisor: Dr. Catherine Goebel

Abstract: In this project, I argue that art historian Linda Nochlin’s argument that there have been no great female artists is incorrect because she dismisses Impressionist artists Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassat. I will use the feminist method of study for my analysis of this subject. This is because Impressionism was the first movement to allow for great women artists.

In this project, I give an in-depth examination of how the period itself, in life and art, helped Morisot and Cassatt build successful careers in art and more about their relationships with each other and their impressionist colleagues. The specific impressionists are Eduard Manet’s relationship with Morisot and Edger Degas’s relationship with Cassatt. I will also look at how the lives and art of Morisot and Cassat were affected by their status of mother and wife, or lack thereof. Lastly, I want to look at the critiques of Morisot and Cassat from newspaper articles and compare them to the critiques of the male Impressionists.

Jordan Delinski: Analyzing Fashion as Art and History

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Advisor: Catherine Goebel and Margaret Morse, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: My paper delves into the idea of how looking at fashion from any place or era can tell just as much about the societal as well as cultural happenings of the time; similar to how historians today analyze famous works of art and their historical symbolism. The main periods of history will be the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as they are the earliest examples of the modern definition of fashion.

Zoey Krawczyk: Advocating for the Amateur: Recognizing Amateur Photography as Art

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Advisor: Dr. Catherine Goebel

Abstract: This presentation will address why it is important to recognize amateur photographers as artists. Using images taken by my paternal great-grandfather, this presentation will discuss how Capitalism contributed to the formation of an elite class of art photographers. The absence of recognition for the amateur allowed for art photographers to benefit socially and financially, while devaluing the importance of family photographs, snapshots, and amateur work. By not omitting these photographs, the importance of the amateur photographer is recognized in both art history and the history of photography.

Sydney Ion: Neoclassical Influence on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

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Advisor: Dr. Catherine Goebel, Senior Inquiry project

Biology

Camila Davila: Case report: patient with a fifteen-year history of extensive psoriatic arthritis has a remarkable response to secukinumab

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Advisor: Dr. Kimberly Murphy, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: The case report highlights a patient with a history of a long-standing uncontrolled skin and joint disease, which failed multiple therapies. However, the patient had an extremely quick response to this specific medication (secukinumab), which opens up the dialogue of why this medication should be used as a first-line therapy.

Diangelo Gonzalez: Selection of Aptamers for the Dengue Virus NS1 Protein 

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Advisors: Dr. Jose Boquin, Dr. Marti Nilsen-Hamilton, Dr. Soma Banerjee 

Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of an undergraduate research conducted virtually through the IINSPIRE LSAMP Program at Iowa State University. The project was aimed at providing students with an opportunity to explore aptamers and their applications while exploring foundational knowledge in bioinformatic software and analysis. Bioinformatics were used in an attempt to identify an optimal aptamer which could be used to selectively identify the Dengue NS1 Virus and distinguish it from the Zika Virus. 

Morgan Rottinghaus: The Process of Medical Illustration

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Advisors: Dr. Kimberly Murphy and Dr. Heidi Storl; Dr. Scott Weldon (Texas Medical Center), Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: My presentation is about biomedical illustration, which combines my two majors of graphic design and biology in a seamless way. I worked under the instruction of a certified medical illustrator, Scott Weldon, this summer during the virtual SMART program. During that time I completed a digital illustration of a “normal“ aorta. During J-term, I did a follow-up experience and was able to do a patient-specific case in which I illustrated two surgical procedures in which an aortic dissection and aneurysm were repaired. In my presentation, I will walk through the process of how I created the illustrations as well as the patient specific surgeries and how I derive the information from different scans and sources.

My work was done through the Texas Medical Center at Baylor College of Medicine and this was also part of my Senior Inquiry.

Business administration

Ngoc Bui: Discovering Digital Marketing and the Effectiveness of Recruiting International Students

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Advisor: Dr. Choi Hyeong-Gyu and Dr. Lina Zhou, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: The sole purpose of this research is to discover the most effective digital marketing channels for higher-ed institutions’ niche market - a market of international students. How can a high-school student from Vietnam know about a college/university in the US when he/she is from the other side of the world? I received this question various times when I came to the US as an international student four years ago.

Thanks to the tremendous growth in internet technology and the trends in globalization, many high-school students have been going abroad to pursue higher education. This research focuses on analyzing the marketing strategies colleges and universities are using to recruit international students and explaining how digital marketing can be more effective when it comes to recruiting international students.

Freja Hager: An Exploration of Generational and Gender Preferences in Management in the Workplace

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Advisor: Dr. Joanna Davis and Dr. Lina Zhou, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: The topic of this study, generational differences in management preference, is important to examine so companies can further engage employees by improving management through generational and gender lenses. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore generational differences of preferred management styles and gender preferences of their managers.

Sixteen individuals were interviewed for this study, with four individuals represented from each of the following generations: Baby Boomer, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. Each generational group consisted of two males and two females as well. Each participant was interviewed over Google Meet, first receiving scenario questions, and then receiving questions to elaborate on management style preference, gender preference, their ideal manager’s management style, and their view on their current manager.

First, all generations displayed a preference for a Democratic Management style, with Generation X having a slight lean towards an Autocratic management style and Generation Y having a slight lean towards Laissez-faire management style. Second, all generations overall had no preference in gender for management besides Generation Z males, who had a preference for men in management.

Finally, gender was preferred when looking at specific management styles. While women were mostly preferred while engaging in a Laissez-faire management style, men were mostly preferred while engaging in an Autocratic and Democratic management style. Baby Boomer was the only generation that preferred women in a Democratic management style.

Classics

Vladislav Novikov: The Rhetoric of Sallust and the Fall of the Roman Republic

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Advisor: Dr. Emil Kramer

Abstract: An inquiry into the Rhetoric of Sallust's monographs, and it's relation to the use of the SCU during the decline and fall of the Roman Republic.

Communication sciences and disorders

Molly Marie Bastida: Listen up! Your ears are irreplaceable, it's up to YOU to protect them... now!

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Advisor: Dr. Cathy Webb, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: The World Health Organization (2021) estimates that 1.1 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices such as listening to personal listening devices too loudly.

Unsafe listening habits and excessive noise exposure can lead to irreversible damage called Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss can be prevented, and education is the first step in prevention. Consistently in previous studies, college students have reported a lack of knowledge on anatomy and physiology of the ear, unsafe noise levels, and proper hearing protection.

This project explored research on college students’ knowledge of safe listening practices and the hearing mechanism and theories behind effective hearing conservation programs for college students. This workshop builds on previous hearing conservation programs for college students and offers students and faculty the opportunity to learn more about ways to easily protect themselves from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. 

French

Kaley Kearns: The Role of Women in the Tragedies of Racine

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas

Abstract: This is an analysis of the various important roles that women play in the tragedies of Jean Racine, and how the actions of female characters determine the course of the plot. This will include discussion of the different archetypes of and similarities between Racine's female characters, their relationship with men, the important decisions they make, and their fates at the end of the plays.

Allison Kestler: Strange Gifts: Inheritance in Racine's Plays

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: An exploration of the role of inheritance in 17th century French playwright Jean Racine's tragedies.

Kathryn Boyle: The Ties that Bind: Parent-Child Edition

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: A close reading of the tragedies of Racine reveals an important theme: family and the ties that bind. A familial relationship that Racine changes the form in each play and gives an influential role in his tragedies is the relationship between parents and their children. In some of the tragedies, only one side of the relationship is present while the there is absent whereas in others, both sides of the relationship are present and interact. This analysis aims to identify the effects of each type of parent-child relationship on the plot, characters, and tragic ends in the tragedies of Racine.

Gillian Nevins: Depression Within the Theatrical Works of Racine

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: After a deep reading of the theatrical works of Racine, I have noticed a trend of depressive versus non-depressive plays. I have been able to group these different plays together based on the depressive or melancholic symptoms demonstrated throughout the play, even though depression did not quite have a name during the 17th century. Through interesting connections of modern psychology and 17th century French plays, we are able to learn about melancholic representations in theater and how they have developed over time.

Noah Damien: Senior Inquiry on Jean Racine

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Megan Hoppe: Royal Decrees: An Analysis of Soliloquies in Racine

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: What can we tell about the characterization of Racine's kings and queens using the moments when they are alone onstage? Are the royals treated differently between female and male characters? Using these soliloquies, different roles filled by each archetype become clear-alongside each character's true feelings about the events unfolding in front of them.

Jason Palmer: Indecision in Racinian Tragedy

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: Explore how uncertainty and indecision impacts the story Racinian tragedy. Are there similarities to be found in the development of indecisive characters and the choices, or lack of choices, they make?

Morgan Lynch: How Betrayal is Presented in the Works of Jean Racine

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: Through closely reading the tragedies of Jean Racine, one finds the theme of betrayal occurs often in many different ways. Each form of betrayal in the plays changes relationships between characters and is found to almost never succeed, or benefit the betrayer. The analysis aims to show how betrayal looks different in each or the pieces and show how they contribute to the plot and character development.

Shannon Rees: Characters of Racine and Their Myers-Briggs Personalities

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Advisor: Dr. Taddy Kalas, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: In the works of Racine, every character, just as every person, falls under one of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. Each type has their own strengths and weaknesses as a result of their unique ways of processing information. In this presentation, I will analyze the personality types of many characters throughout Racine's plays by identifying key behaviors and thought processes, as well as their relationships with other characters. In doing this, I will also examine the patterns of MBTI types that appear in Racine's work.

History

Jordyn Strange: The Polish Experience: How a Nation Fought the Nazis

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Advisor: Dr. Brian Leech, Senior Inquiry project

Abstract: A person’s identity is based on several things in his or her life. One of the most important is how he or she associates themself with their country and if they take pride in their nationality. So what happens when that nationality is called into question? It has the potential to destroy a person’s identity.

In 1939 the German army invaded Poland in search of the fabled Lebensraum, or living space, that Hitler promised his people. This idea is set on the belief that the Germans needed more space and territory to expand and grow into a new German empire. They believed that parts of Poland - specifically western Poland - actually belonged to Germany. By invading and forcing the Poles to become a part of the Reich, Hitler was actually liberating any ethnic Germans who lived there from the lesser peoples: the Poles. Approximately six million Polish citizens died during the Nazis tenure as “rulers” of the country. However, that is not the same view Poles had of the invasion and occupation of their nation.

The Polish people carry a great sense of pride about their nation and their heritage; they did not take kindly to foreign powers invading and dictating the way that they lived. The Germans in turn did not see the Poles as though they were fellow countrymen but rather as a lesser peoples. They were forced to live in terrible conditions; many were even forced to leave their homes in order for the German army to use them. These experiences enraged the Poles, and as a result, the Underground Resistance organization was formed with the task to help frustrate German interests within Poland and keep her national identity intact.

Maria Wood: Through Her Voice: Early Settler Women in the Quad Cities

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Advisor: Dr. Jane Simonsen, Honors Capstone project

Abstract: A public history project, Through Her Voice, explores what life was like for women in the Quad Cities. It uses semi-fictional audio narratives to explore different aspects of five women's lives and tell their stories. These accounts are hosted on a website. The presentation will be the unveiling of the finished website as well as a presentation about the creation process, the driving questions to the investigation, and the interdisciplinary approach to doing public history.

Megan Hoppe: Making History: The Research, Sewing, and Wearing of Reproduction Dresses, 1865, 1900, and 1915

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Advisor: Dr. Brian Leech, Honors Capstone project

Abstract: I spent last summer researching and sewing three historically accurate dresses and underpinnings- based on dresses from 1865, 1900, and 1915. Once classes resumed in the fall, I wore these dresses on campus and recorded my findings. I was interested in three main questions: would I be a competent enough seamstress to put together these pieces? What reactions-if any-would my peers have?

The last, and perhaps largest, question involved challenging the modern idea that women of the past were encumbered by their fashions. While I entered this project with the mindset that women wore what they wanted to, even at the turn of the 20th century, I wanted to prove that a modern-day woman, choosing to wear these garments (including a corset!) could exist and be perfectly happy doing so.