ALMA – Students presented the results of their research and projects in art, performance and science at the 29th annual Kapp Honors Day, a celebration of the liberal arts.
Over 100 Alma College students participated in 74 different presentations in Alma College’s 29th annual Kapp Honors Day program on Thursday, April 3, 2024. This day provides a forum when traditional classes are canceled and students share their original research, creativity and talents with an audience of their peers.
In sessions spanning nearly eight hours, students perform in dance productions, give oral presentations of scholarly research, and lead poster discussions. With a multitude of the student body participating, other students are encouraged to attend as many presentations as possible both to support their fellow students and to learn from them.
Outstanding projects in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are awarded the Ronald O. Kapp Honors Day Prize, named for the late Ronald O. Kapp, an Alma College biology professor for 32 years and vice president of academic affairs for 20 years. This year’s winners were Abigail Haag (humanities), Jenna Holzinger (natural sciences) and Kay Keller (social sciences).
Students are listed below along with the title(s) of their presentation(s):
Lydia Back; Freeland, Mich.
Presentation: “Systemic Markers of Bone Health in Aging Kidney Disease”
Amanda Baker; Sparta, Mich.
Presentation: “The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm”
Krysta M. Bennett; Howard City, Mich.
Presentation: “Who’s to Blame: An Examination of Environmental Inequality”
Andrew J. Benton; Oscoda, Mich.
Presentation: “Real-Time Monitoring and Control of Colloidal Crystal Growth Using AuNPs and DNA”
Evdokia Blysniuk; Royal Oak, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Lauren Brawt; Sanford, Mich.
Presentation: “Examining The Relationship Between Bone Reoxygenation and Bone Mineral Density Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry”
Morgan P. Brow; Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Presentation: “How Does Temperature Affect Nest Success of Eastern Bluebirds?”
Grace Buckingham; Saginaw, Mich.
Presentation: “Factors Associated with Adjustment to College for Bereaved Students”
Michael Campione; Rochester, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Jenna Cantu; Ithaca, Mich.
Presentation: “FYS Wicked Problems”
Khalil Allah Chalouati; Tunis, Tunisia
Presentation: “Enzyme Inhibition Assay”
Sophia M. Cooney; Ludington, Mich.
Presentation: “Factors Associated with Adjustment to College for Bereaved Students”
Ella A. Corson; Tecumseh, Mich.
Presentation: “Game Over For GamerGate”
Joseph A. Cosentino; Plainfield, Ill.
Presentation: “Mental Health of College-Aged Performing Arts Students”
Dani S. Crews; Ypsilanti, Mich.
Presentation: “Aristotle on a Good Human Life”
Mariella M. Cusack; Ada, Mich.
Presentation: “Examining The Relationship Between Bone Reoxygenation and Bone Mineral Density Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry”
Elsa L. Dupon; Shelby Township, Mich.
Presentation: “The Ethical Landscape of Nuclear Power Development in the USA”
Jackson S. Eelbode; Macomb, Mich.
Presentations: “Annotation and Analysis of Trump’s Executive Orders and Policies: What Do They Say, and What Do They Mean?”
“Foolsville (how is it that I m standing here myself?) | poetry collection”
“Optics of Occupation: Pinkwashing, Greenwashing, and Bluewashing in Israel’s Self-Representation Strategy”
Hailey M. Elwarner; Roseville, Mich.
Presentation: “From Broken to Villian”
Shelly Fisk; Fenwick, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Ava R. Gilbert; Rockford, Mich.
Presentations: “Sitcom Representations of Women Eating”
“Body Composition and Anaerobic Fitness of Division 3 Collegiate Cheer and STUNT Athletes”
Owen G. Gornicki; Midland, Mich.
Presentation: “From Count Dracula to El Conde: A Brief History of the Vampire Cinema of Latin America”
Grace M. Gottschalk; Granville, Ohio
Presentations: “HNR 300 – 5-Year Anniversary”
“Density Functional Theory QSAR Model for CDK6 Breast Cancer Inhibitors”
Ryan J. Gray; Chandler, Mich.
Presentation: “The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Circadian Rhythms and Sleep”
Katie M. Gregones; Westland, Mich.
Presentation: “Crises and Challenges: One Hundred Years at Alma College”
Elaina L. Gross; Kalamazoo, Mich.
Presentation: “Pre-Service Teachers Understanding of Agency in the Classroom”
Abigail Haag; Midland, Mich.
Presentation: “The Gendered Echo Chamber: Partisan Media and the Perpetuation of Misogyny”
Holly Hall; Armada, Mich.
Presentation: “HNR 300 – 5-Year Anniversary”
Kylie M. Halverson; Grand Rapids, Mich.
Presentation: “Correlation Between Grip Strength and Exit Velocity of DIII Collegiate Softball Players”
Audrey E. Hester; Grand Rapids, Mich.
Presentation: “The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm”
Brooke A. Hetherington; Edmore, Mich.
Presentation: “Does God Exist?”
Jenna L. Holzinger; Sanford, Mich.
Presentation: “Softball Performance and Men. Cycle”
Calvin P. Huggler; Otisville, Mich.
Presentation: “Investigating the Effect of Mayapple Extract on Glucose Uptake in Skeletal Muscle Cells”
Alice A. Hutchins; Rockford, Mich.
Presentation: “Racial Bias within Pre-Health Structures: How Students and Faculty at PWIs Can Address Bias”
Katelyn Jacot; Flint, Mich.
Presentation: “Investigating the Effect of Mayapple Extract on Glucose Uptake in Skeletal Muscle Cells”
Reyna Jayson; Livonia, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Kennedy L. Kalish; Rockford, Mich.
Presentation: “The Intersection between Education, Poverty, and Mental Health in Sierra Leone”
Michael L. Kasperek; Sterling Heights, Mich.
Presentation: “Effect of Foam Roller Texture on Recovery”
Kay R. Keller; Owosso, Mich.
Presentation: “Survival of the Fair Folk: How Land Memory and Christian Missionary Work Kept Pre-Christian Ireland Alive”
Colton Kennedy; Hopkins, Mich.
Presentation: “FYS Wicked Problems”
Matthew M. Kinney; Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Presentation: “Behavioral and Biochemical Characterization of Neuroinflammation in Aged GFAP-IL6 Transgenic Mice”
Maxim F. Kraniak; Royal Oak, Mich.
Presentation: “Synthesis of a Schiff Base and Its Reactivity with Metal Complexes”
Rebecca R. Kobylas; Milford, Mich.
Presentation: “Collegiate Dance Teams: A Model for Cohesion, Performance, Satisfaction, and Decreased Burnout”
Emily Kraenzlein; Midland, Mich.
Presentation: “The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm”
Helena M. Kucera; White Lake Township, Mich.
Presentation: “International Law and the Russio-Ukraine War”
Toby A. Layson; Washington Township, Mich.
Presentation: “Tiers and Tears: A Philosophical Exploration of a Hierarchy of International Human Rights”
Victoria E. Lecureux: Breckenridge, Mich.
Presentation: “Adverse Childhood Experiences and Drug and Alcohol Use in a Sample of U.S. College Students”
Leia R. Lehrer; Milford, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Kylie A. Lewis; Grand Blanc, Mich.
Presentation: “Effectiveness of Blood Flow Restriction While Training in College Students with Past Ankle Injury”
Will T. Maginity; Boyne City, Mich.
Presentation: “Sparky and Steel: Renegades”
Grace E. Main; West Bloomfield, Mich.
Presentation: “The Mining and Lumber Industries of 19th Century Michigan; Their Impacts on the Anishinaabe People, Untouched Land, and Role in Immigration”
Rileigh M. McGeorge; Grand Ledge, Mich.
Presentation: “Evaluation of Landing Mechanisms Post Injury to the Foot or Ankle”
Nicole Milligan; Holland, Mich.
Presentation: “Effectiveness of Blood Flow Restriction While Training in College Students with Past Ankle Injury”
Regan Mockerman; Wyoming, Mich.
Presentation: “How Does Temperature Affect Nest Success of Eastern Bluebirds?”
Elizabeth T. Mukurazita; Harare, Zimbabwe
Presentation: “Dissecting Why Media Is Not the Sole Cause of Body Dissatisfaction Among Female College Students In Collectivistic Cultures vs America”
Atticus Mulder; Sidney, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Megan R. Neeley; West Bloomfield Township, Mich.
Presentation: “From Pre-Pandemic to Post-Pandemic: Examining Motives and Trends in 21st-Century Accounting Fraud”
Archey G. Neumann; Gaylord, Mich.
Presentation: “Academic Anxiety and Social Coping”
Charlayne-Aye Olegario; Brownstown Charter Township, Mich.
Presentations: “Cloud Formations: Cumulus & Cirrus”
“The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Rachel Olivieri; Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Presentation: “The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm”
Andrew J. Omans; Alma, Mich.
Presentation: “Environmental Ethical Dilemma”
David O’Rourke; Crystal, Mich.
Presentation: “HNR 300 – 5-Year Anniversary”
Chloe M. Pace; Dearborn Heights, Mich.
Presentation: “Literature: The Greatest Political Movement of All Time”
Joseph Paulin; Muir, Mich.
Presentation: “Factors Associated with Adjustment to College for Bereaved Students”
Elena Psetas; Saginaw, Mich.
Presentation: “Investigating the Effect of Mayapple Extract on Glucose Uptake in Skeletal Muscle Cells”
Matthew T. Przepiora; Bay City, Mich.
Presentations: “HNR 300 – 5-Year Anniversary”
“AI in the Accounting Industry”
Lea Rauh; Leonard, Mich.
Presentation: “FYS Wicked Problems”
Mike Ravn; Fredericia, Denmark
Presentation: “The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Circadian Rhythms and Sleep”
Kenley A. Riley; Atlantic Beach, N.C.
Presentation: “How the Global Climate Change Crisis Impacts Ports”
Emma Risinger; Belmont, Mich.
Presentation: “The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm”
Paulina M. Rivet; Laingsburg, Mich.
Presentation: “The Evolution of American Social Dance”
August C. Sack; Glen Arbor, Mich.
Presentation: “A Cold Peace: Thirty Years in the Making”
Reneigh Sandmann; Baroda, Mich.
Presentation: “Correlation Between Grip Strength and Exit Velocity of DIII Collegiate Softball Players”
Kyle C. Scheck; Highland, Mich.
Presentation: “The Ethical Dilemma of Factory Farming”
Joanna X. Scorziello; Grand Rapids Township, Mich.
Presentation: “Systemic Markers of Bone Health in Aging Kidney Disease”
Elizabeth E. Scott; Jackson, Mich.
Presentation: “The Violence of ‘Gentlemen’s Children’: How John Reed’s Abuse Reflects Real-World Hatred”
Aubrey Seger; Morenci, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Samuel K. Sircely; Gaylord, Mich.
Presentation: “Synthesis of a Sulfur-Bridged Platinum(II) Dimer”
Dylan Smith; Arnold, Mo.
Presentation: “Maskless Lithography with a DLP 3D Printer: A Low-Cost Approach to Microfabrication”
Lily E. Smith; Davison, Mich.
Presentation: “Loneliness in Literature and Its Historical Context and What We Learn From It”
Freya Soffredine; Traverse City, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Emily Spear; St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Presentation: “How Does Temperature Affect Nest Success of Eastern Bluebirds?”
Toby J. Stauffer; Midland, Mich.
Presentation: “Remote Work: Is it Beneficial or Harmful?”
Chelsea J. Swartzle; Okemos, Mich.
Presentation: “Rank and Extracurriculars: Impacts on Social Integration, Motivation, Confidence, and Dedication”
Lexie B. Thayer; St. Louis, Mich.
Presentation: “High Teacher Turnover and Educator Stress in America”
Jack Townsend; Freeland, Mich.
Presentation: “The Stories We Carry: 2025 Art and Design Senior Show”
Emerson M. Trainor; Freeland, Mich.
Presentation: “Regulating the Unregulated: Challenges and Solutions for AI in the Legal System”
Chris A. Ulysse; Miramar, Fla.
Presentation: “Buddhism”
Megan T. Walch; Lake Orion, Mich.
Presentation: “The Collapse of the AMOC”
Austin W. Walker; Grand Rapids, Mich.
Presentation: “Synthesis of Group-1 Neuraminidase Enzyme Inhibitors”
Ali J. Wanink; Montrose, Mich.
Presentation: “Pleasure and Power: The Ethical Dilemmas of the Pornography Industry and an Analysis of Porn”
Mick Webb; Kingsley, Mich.
Presentation: “The Pine River Anthology 2024-25: Weather the Storm”
Melanie Werner; Westphalia, Mich.
Presentation: “FYS Wicked Problems”
Maizey B. Wheeler; Olivet, Mich.
Presentation: “Belongingness in Queer and Straight Students at Alma College”
Abigail J. Williams; Toledo, Ohio
Presentation: “Bullying Prevention in the Classroom: Is What We Offer Our Teachers Good Enough?”
Grant M. Wiliford; Traverse City, Mich.
Presentation: “Love Embodied Through Music”
Petra A. Wilson; Traverse City, Mich.
Presentation: “The Origin of Trumpism: The Strategies Trump Used to Rise From a Businessman to the President of the United States”
Caleigh Winters; Charlotte, Mich.
Presentation: “HNR 300 – 5-Year Anniversary”
Sarah Wortley; Midland, Mich.
Presentation: “How Does Temperature Affect Nest Success of Eastern Bluebirds?”
Regan L. Yates; Laingsburg, Mich.
Presentation: “The Taste of America: How American Cuisine Shapes and Reflects Culture and Identity”