Westminster College senior honors students are presenting and defending their capstone research projects this spring, culminating nearly two years of intensive academic work.

Through sustained, hands-on inquiry, each student collaborates with a team of three faculty mentors—two within their primary field and one offering an interdisciplinary perspective—while working closely with a lead honors adviser. The result is a body of original research that reflects both depth of study and intellectual independence.

As part of the honors program’s final milestone, students submit a formal thesis and participate in a public defense, presenting their findings and responding to questions from faculty members and attendees.

This year’s honors scholars and their presentations include:

Kevin Walker, a biochemistry and molecular biology major of Radcliff, Ky., presented “Unwinding the Tail: The Fate of Histone mRNA” on Wednesday, April 8. Faculty mentors include Dr. Patrick Lackey lead adviser and associate professor of chemistry; Dr. Karen Resendes, professor of biology; and Dr. Pete Smith, professor of chemistry.

Anthony Cicchino, a biology major from McKees Rocks, Pa., presented “Comparing the Effectiveness of Oral Care Treatments in Inhibiting the Cariogenic Properties of Streptococcus mutans” on Thursday, April 9. Faculty mentors include Dr. Joseph Balczon, lead adviser and associate professor of biology; Dr. Joshua Corrette-Bennett, associate professor of biology; and Dr. Kristianne Kalata, professor of English.

Chloe Smith, an English major from Brookville, Pa., presented “The Laws of Romance: Analyzing Contemporary Romance Quality” on Friday, April 10. Faculty mentors include Dr. Robert Craven, lead adviser and assistant professor of English; Dr. Kalata; and Dr. Jeffrey Bersett, professor of Spanish.

Catherine Clark, a neuroscience major from Allison Park, Pa., presented “Nicotine and GLP-1 Effects on Learned Anxiety in a Rodent Model” on Tuesday, April 14, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Deanne Buffalari, lead adviser and associate professor of psychology; Dr. Jessica Rhodes, associate professor of psychology; and Dr. Mark Wilson, academic professional in chemistry.

Olivia Plummer, an English major from Seneca, Pa., will present “Gender in the Dystopia: How Women Are Retelling the Story” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Faculty mentors include Dr. Craven, lead adviser; Dr. Trisha Cowen, associate professor of English; and Dr. Katherine Ellis, visiting assistant professor of French.

Morgan Murphy, a finance and marketing/professional sales major of Yardley, Pa., will present “Technology-Driven Investor Behavior: An Empirical Analysis of Robo-Advisory Adoption Through the Lens of Bounded Rationality” at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Jennifer Waldo, lead adviser and assistant professor of finance; Brian Petrus, associate professor of business administration; and Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, associate professor of mathematics.

McKenna Spotts, a biology major from Elizabeth, Pa., will present “Assessment of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Liver Histology in Channel Catfish Exposed to Butyl Paraben” at 5 p.m. Friday, April 17, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Balczon, lead adviser; Dr. John Robertson, associate professor of biology; and Dr. Angela Lahr, associate professor of history.

Sarah Anil Cherian, a political science major from Conroe, Texas, will present “Voting Post-Shelby County v. Holder: Restrictive Voting Legislation and Minority Voter Participation” at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 20, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Shannon Smithey, lead adviser and professor of political science; Dr. James Rhoads, professor of political science; and Dr. Sherri Pataki, professor of psychology.

Camberlee Perkowski, a biology major of Bolivar, Ohio, will present “Exploring Ethanol’s Impact on Zebrafish Development as a Model for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 20, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Marosh Furimsky, lead adviser and associate professor of biology; Dr. Balczon; and Dr. Kalata.

Dunil Karunaratne, a molecular biology major of Johnstown, Pa., will present “Dose-Dependent Effects of Lead Exposure on Zebrafish: Implications for Survival, Development and Behavior” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 20, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Furimsky, lead adviser; Dr. Smith; and Dr. Joel Postema, associate professor of Spanish.

Lanna Dellick, a neuroscience major of Girard, Ohio, will present “Investigating How Estrogen and Progesterone Replacement Impacts the Memory of Ovariectomized, Scopolamine-Treated Rats” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Buffalari, lead adviser; Dr. Adam Blumenthal, assistant professor of computer science and mathematics; and Dr. Furimsky.

Rachel LaSalvia, a biology major from Columbus, Pa., will present “Investigating the Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms by Thyme Essential Oil and Its Constituent Molecules” from 12:40 to 1:40 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in Hoyt Science Center, Room 101. Faculty mentors include Dr. Corrette-Bennett, lead adviser; Dr. Furimsky; and Dr. Bersett.

For more information about Westminster College’s Honors Program, visit www.westminster.edu/honors.

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