University Honors Program Student Theses and Projects
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The University Honors Program (UHP) provides students a path for pursuing an elevated educational experience that includes honors courses, complementary resume-building, and a culminating Honors Project.
Honors projects are undertaken to showcase and enhance academic skills, reflect intellectual interests, and support future goals; and creative intellectual products and/or interdisciplinary inquiry are welcome. Students are also encouraged to publish or present their work in appropriate settings, including the option to archive their projects here in K-REx.
The UHP invites you to explore the projects collected below; they offer a great sampling of the kinds of work that Honors students undertake at K-State.
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Item Open Access F.I.T. Closet Translation Tool and Written Reflection(2023-05-01) Bauman, TaylorMy Honors Project focused on creating a translation tool for the volunteers at the F.I.T. Closet in Manhattan to utilize when helping Spanish-speaking shoppers. Using my semester's experience volunteering as a Spanish interpreter at the F.I.T. Closet (during Fall 2022), collaborating with the coordinator, the English-speaking volunteers, and Spanish-speaking shoppers at the F.I.T. Closet, and researching and comparing similar materials, I created translations of Spanish words and phrases that would facilitate communication for these different linguistic groups. In a written response, I give background information about the project, detail what I learned while volunteering at the F.I.T. Closet, reflect on how my experience at the F.I.T. Closet shaped my decisions in the production of the translation tool, explain how my research on other materials influenced the design of the tool, consider some of the difficulties during the process, and share what I have discovered during the community-based learning experience.Item Open Access Bloom Nutrition Influencer Marketing Analysis(2023-03-01) Jackson, KirstenThis project is a marketing analysis of Bloom Nutrition's use of influencers to sell products to Gen Z consumers interested in wellness. Bloom’s marketing team works with a diverse group of influencers to reach potential customers. Upon initial review, each influencer seems to have a vastly different approach to creating content and engaging audiences around Bloom products. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify which influencers and their associated strategies work best for this brand and within the industry. Within this study I will analyze Bloom’s influencer marketing strategy through a content analysis on TikTok that includes identifying influencer tactics of four key influencers that the brand has used. Information gathered about these influencers will be their audience, follower counts, credibility, and the type of content that they share. I will also look at the consumer responses to influencer content to identify the interaction and engagement that each post received and how well the content performed through sentiment analysis. At the conclusion of this study, I will ultimately produce an ideal influencer profile for the fitness/wellness industry and for the brand Bloom.Item Open Access Goals of Project Shop Well(2023-03-01) Thomas, RhiannaHello! My name is Rhianna Thomas and I am the founder of Project Shop Well, which is aimed at helping Americans start regularly buying from sources that truly promote human dignity. Because our market is saturated with companies who outsource their employment to sweatshops across the globe, there is a long way to go before we will be able to freely buy goods without worrying about where they were made. But a good way to start encouraging businesses to employ more ethical practices is to quit buying from the ones that do not. One of the first things that we can do is stop buying goods made in China.Item Open Access A Kinome RNAi Screen Reveals Genes Required for Muscle Tissue Maintenance(2023-03-01) Mekuria, Ruth; Ridder, Jared; Geisbrecht, ErikaNUAK is an AMPK-related kinase which controls autophagy (cellular recycling) of an important linker protein in muscle called Filamin1. The absence of NUAK prevents the turnover of Filamin, presents an accumulation of autophagic markers such as p62 and ATG8 and leads to muscle degeneration. The goal of our research was to determine which other kinase genes might be required to regulate autophagy by turning them off with RNA interference (RNAi) and looking for abnormal muscle structure and attachment. 25 candidate kinase genes were selected and turned off in the muscle of Drosophila melanogaster larvae using RNAi. The larvae were then dissected and imaged under a laser confocal microscope to observe muscle structure. Knockdown of seven kinase genes yata, nippedA, CDK9, for, RIOK1, lic, and Vps15 showed abnormal muscle structure such a detachment and muscle thinning. These kinase genes will be further analyzed for their requirement in the proper autophagy of Filamin.Item Open Access Fischer’sFur Babies Veterinary Clinic(2023-03-01) Fischer, LucyI have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. I was accepted into veterinary school as a senior in high school through Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Early Admittance Program. Throughout my college journey, I’ve focused on Animal Science, Spanish, and Risk Management. For my Honors Project, I decided to combine my future entrepreneurial plans with my desire to help animals by designing my own veterinary practice. Since I am passionate about both private practice and shelter medicine, this plan combines the unique aspects of both. The idea for Fischer’s Fur Babies Veterinary Clinic came from my experience with the Animal Rescue Foundation in Chicago, IL. Seeing the impact that these foster organizations have on the lives of thousands of homeless animals fueled my desire to help make a difference. That is why our clinic is so focused on helping shelters and foster organizations. We are paying homage to the volunteers who dedicate their lives to this neverending work. This report details the key attributes of a veterinary clinic that bridges the gap between private practice and shelter medicine. It will explore different aspects of vertical integration and various activities the veterinary clinic will participate in to help better the lives of animals.Item Open Access The Influence of CAT and Self-Disclosure on the Classroom(2023-05-01) Turk, Caroline I.Classroom relational dynamics influence the ability to teach and learn effectively, making positive, meaningful relationships in the classroom crucial. Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) explores how communicative adjustments, or accommodations, “reflect and affect personal and social relationships” (Soliz et al., 2021, p. 130). Thus, implementing CAT in the classroom could result in greater effectiveness of teaching and learning. Because CAT is used tomanage identity and relationships, it is also important to understand the results of communicating identity in the classroom. Communicating identity by self-disclosing can foster a connected classroom dynamic (Johnson & LaBelle, 2015), resulting in greater satisfaction with and appreciation of classroom relationships (Hosek, 2015). Because CAT, specifically accommodation behaviors and self-disclosure, influences academic performance and relational satisfaction, their usage in classrooms would bolster instructional communication. To understand the influence of CAT and self-disclosure on the classroom, a thorough literature review examining research on CAT’s classroom influence will be conducted first.Then, the implementation of self-disclosure in the classroom will be analyzed. Together, these two parts will explain the importance of CAT and self-disclosure’s usage in classrooms to increase instructional effectiveness and build positive relationships.Item Open Access PipeDoll: A Motion Capture Addon for the Godot Game Engine(2023-03-20) Tucker, EthanCharacter animation is a key challenge in game development and other fields and is often created using motion capture. However, traditional motion capture requires specialized hardware and can be inaccessible for small teams. For this project, I have developed a 2D motion capture addon for the Godot game engine. The addon uses a machine learning model to perform motion capture using a standard webcam, avoiding the need for hardware. It meets all the key functional requirements identified for the project and is published as open-source software at https://github.com/ectucker1/pipedoll.Item Open Access Telepresence in Ecuador(2023-05-01) Schoonover, Hannah; Thomas, MiaThe Telepresence in Ecuador project served to analyze and gain an understanding of virtual education with an emphasis in building relationships with students and English language acquisition. The project was completed through a partnership with Kansas State University and ULEAM in Manta, Ecuador. An honors section of Educational Technology (EDCI 318) took on the project, using Double 2 robots to access the Ecuadorian classrooms. The K-State students in the class were split into pairs and assigned a school. The K-State students focused on improving the English pronunciation and vocabulary of the Ecuadorian students through the use of literature circles, games, and conversation. The project found that conversation with the students not only helped to improve their pronunciation as they listened to native English speakers, but it also rapidly built relationships and trust with the students. This project focuses on the qualitative experiences of the authors rather than the quantitative data, as the project was still in its early stages when the authors were involved. https://youtu.be/QRrAnActlsIItem Open Access Effects of multiple herbivore guilds on population dynamics are subadditive in a model forb species(2023-03-01) Leihsing, Thomas; Louthan, Allison M.We have a good understanding of how individual herbivore guilds affect herbaceous communities. Invertebrate herbivores reduce grassland biomass and change species composition dramatically. Bison reduce grass biomass and increase forb cover. Small mammals have weak effects. Few studies quantify how multiple co-occurring herbivore guilds jointly impact populations and communities. Potential for super- or subadditive effects. Many ecosystems house multiple herbivores. Critical to predicting impacts of herbivore declines, extirpations, or reintroductions. Here, we use Kuhnia eupatorioides at Konza LTER to ask whether effects of herbivores tend to be additive, super-, or subadditive. We measure individual vital rates (survival, growth, recruitment) to dissect mechanisms driving sub- or super-additivityItem Open Access To Power, a Dictator: An Evaluation of Midwestern Religious and Secular News About Early Nazi Germany(2023-03-20) Edwards, AustinNews media has the unique ability to shape the perceptions of a mass audience. Writing or relaying messages directly influences the collective consciousness of the audience by painting a portrait of events. The pre-war coverage of Nazi Germany is no exception to this rule. This paper aims to evaluate the coverage of midwestern newspapers and the perceptions that their respective audience would have had of Nazi Germany. This includes two religious newspapers, The Jewish Press of Nebraska and the Catholic Advance of Kansas, and two secular newspapers, The Lincoln Journal-Star of Nebraska and The Kansas City Star of Missouri. In reading these papers, one finds that they each present very different interpretations and perceptions of what exactly the Nazi state was. The Kansas City Star saw Germany as an unstable nation whose leader was scarcely competent but who eventually evolved into a tyrannical and iron-fisted dictator. Lincoln Journal Star was concerned with the concept of reasonability that caused it to question any and all actions taken. The religious papers both concerned themselves with their faiths within Germany, with The Catholic Advance focusing on persecution of Catholics and the thoughts of the Vatican and The Jewish Press opting to focus on Nazi aggression against Jews as well as protests and events within the United States hoping to raise awareness of Nazi atrocities.Item Open Access Arte de España y México(2023-05-01) Fairbanks, TessThroughout the Spring 2023 semester, I took Dr. Bender’s graduate-level course “SPAN 779: Art of Spain & Mexico in the L2 Classroom.” By taking this course I gained a better understanding of using Content Based Instruction and of utilizing authentic artwork from Spain and Mexico within the classroom. I implemented this knowledge in the classroom, through student teaching, and reflected on its value for future teaching. This project consists of three sections. The first section is a thematic, virtual gallery-map of relevant artwork which will serve as a resource for my current and future practice. The next is the creation a thematic lesson planning unit which centers around the art within the gallery-map. Finally, is the implementation ofthis unit within my student teaching placement and the evaluation of the efficacy of the strategies utilized. The goal of this project is to investigate and implement strategies which will inform my future teaching.Item Open Access The Kansas State Honor Flute Choir(2015-01-14) White, Chelsea M.The Kansas State Honor Flute Choir is an ensemble of flute players in grades 5- 12. The ensemble was auditioned and led by Dr. Karen Large and myself. The purpose of creating this ensemble was to engage flute players in the Manhattan area an the surrounding communities and challenge these students to explore aspects of the flute that are outside the regular 5-12 band programs in the state of Kansas. These flute players were challenged to play music of a higher level in an ensemble where they play a different role in the ensemble than in a traditional band. Students also received the opportunity to play other flutes such as the Alto flute and Bass flute. This experience was culminated by a final concert. This project took place in the spring semesters of 2014 and 2015. We worked to market the ensemble and well as adjust our expectations for the ensemble throughout the course of these two years. We began each year by picking repertoire that was at a level achievable by students of a grade level that we had determined would make up most of the choir. We planned rehearsals and the concert based on what the students had achieved. This program was also a learning experience for me. I was the Assistant Director to this program and this experience was structured to give me an opportunity to conduct a flute choir, lead rehearsals to teach music in a timely manner and to aid my teaching. During this project we also planned to have me perform a solo with the flute choir and perform an arrangement of a Disney song for the younger students. Additional performances included a performance at the Kansas State University Flute Day.Item Open Access Simulating green house gas emissions of constructed wetland treatment systems saturated with coal-fired powerplant effluent(2015-03-31) Wellemeyer, Thomas B.Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems (CWTS) are demonstrated to effectively trap carbon and methane emissions (Mitsch et. al, 2012). However, limited research has been conducted on the use of CWTS to remediate flue gas desulphurization (FGD) effluent. Based upon the high sulfur content of coal-fired powerplant effluent, it is likely that sulfate-reducing bacteria will be prevalent and reduce methanogenisis. In this project, six bioretention cells were built to model the CWTS at Jeffery Energy Center, and they will eventually be saturated with effluent so that the biological activity can be assessed by means of gas chromatography. Gas samples will be drawn through ports throughout the height of the cell to determine variability of greenhouse has production. Methane and carbon dioxide will be measured in initial trials to analyze the carbon sink potential of CWTS for FGD effluent.Item Open Access Understanding Optical Coupling in Collapsed Hollow-Core Optical Fiber(2014-11-18) Tillotson, MattithyahFrequency references based on saturated absorption spectroscopy that are stable, portable, and accurate can be constructed using photonic bandgap (PBG) fibers filled with acetylene.[1][2][3][4][5][6] A method for sealing acetylene inside the PBG fiber with minimal contamination involves collapsing the core of the PBG fiber, which causes high loss in the final splice. We investigate the light coming out of the PBG fiber and methods for coupling it back into fiber. Results show that the light exiting the fiber does not have a Gaussian shape and can be coupled back into fiber using a two-lens set-up, with 26% being the highest coupling achieved.Item Open Access Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Reliability of Concussion Testing and Effects of Multiple Concussions in Athletes(2015-05-08) Spencer, Jessica P.An estimated 3.8 million concussions happen every year in youth, adolescent, collegiate and professional athletes. 1 In recent years, concussions have come into the spotlight due to local and national stories about athletes collapsing after sustaining a second concussion while still suffering from a previous one and other athletes committing suicide, which seem to be linked to concussions. Concussion testing throughout the country has become a regular procedure and baseline testing is becoming more popular in high school settings. For collegiate athletics, NCAA policy requires a pre-participation assessment for all athletes that include: A brain injury/concussion history, symptom evaluation, cognitive assessment, and balance evaluation.Item Open Access Cafishin'(2022-05-01) Purcell, BradenCatfishin' is an interactive fishing game developed in the Unity Engine with C# from Microsoft Visual Studio. In the game, there are over 100 different unique fish that the player can collect and display in their inventory. The game evokes a relaxing feeling from the background music and the art style that pairs very well with the rhythm-based catching mechanic. When the player casts their line, a fish bites on and the catching sequence begins. In tandem with the music playing in the background, the player must respond to notes on the screen to catch the fish. Once the fish is caught, the player can review that fish in their inventory and can continue fishing to complete various tasks. Since what we have done of Catfishin' is largely a sophisticated and bug-free prototype, there is a lot of room for growth and improvement. We plan to make more detailed tasks and an achievement system. We plan to make the environment in which the player can fish more interactive with new characters. Additionally, we plan to add more variety to the catching sequence, with various new melodies and rhythm components to correspond to the wide variety of fish that we already have in the game. Lastly, we plan for there to be a currency component in place to reward players for selling the fish that they catch, completing daily tasks, and completing long achievement rewards. With this currency system in place, we will be able give the player visual upgrades to their character so the best Catfishermen can show it off in a great way. With new environments and new features, we believe Catfishin' will be a one-of-a-kind. relaxing, and fun game that everyone can enjoy.Item Open Access A Comparative Analysis of the American and Chinese Pharmaceutical Industries(2022-05-01) McConnell, Liam H.Following the growth of the Chinese pharmaceutical consumer market and innovative capability, comparisons between the American and the Chinese pharmaceutical industries have become commonplace due to two very divergent governmental, competitive, financial, and knowledge environments, as scholars and businesspeople alike attempt to predict shifts in power dynamics. Previous pharmaceutical industry research has focused on a single country, broad industry analysis (Ni, et al., 2017), or has conducted specific cross-border comparisons which fail to consider the respective macro-environments (Jiang & Luan, 2018; Zhao M. , 2021). This literary review examines four environments relevant to pharmaceutical innovation to achieve a broad and comparable understanding of the two industries, ultimately finding that the American industry is a well-established player focused on highly innovative activities, while the Chinese industry is a relative newcomer that is quickly developing innovative capabilities relevant to global competition dynamics.Item Open Access Platinum Vacation Rentals(2022-05-01) Jones, CameronI choose to create my honors project simultaneously with the business I started while in college. My business is called Platinum Vacation Rentals and I am a property manager at the Lake of the Ozarks. I currently manage seven rental properties for my clients. Throughout this project I will explain the steps I took to get to where I am today, the materials I have created and maintained, as well as how Covid impacted my business and my future plans for Platinum Vacation Rentals.Item Open Access Effects of a Selective D⁴ Antagonist on Repetitive Behaviors in a Genetic Model of ADHD in Rats(2022-05-01) Parks, LinaThis study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the selective D4 antagonist, A-412997, on repetitive behaviors of a rodent model of ADHD. We hypothesized that the drug would have no significant effect on repetitive behavior compared to the control groups. This would indicate that the D4 antagonist is comparable to and more effective than other treatments of ADHD, such as methylphenidate. Our study found significant strain effects for all three behaviors (digging, inactivity, and marble interaction) between the Long Evens control group and the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) experiment group. We found that there were no significant impacts of drug exposure on marble interaction time and bouts, time spent inactive, bouts inactive, or digging time. Overall, this indicated that A-412997 could be an effective treatment for ADHD when looking at the possible side effects. Future directions should investigate other possible repetitive behaviors, in order to be sure that there is no confounding behavior that is impacted by this drug.Item Open Access Fischer’s Fur Babies Veterinary Clinic(2022-05-01) Fischer, LucyI have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. I was accepted into veterinary school as a senior in high school through Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Early Admittance Program. Throughout my college journey, I’ve focused on Animal Science, Spanish, and Risk Management. For my Honors Project, I decided to combine my future entrepreneurial plans with my desire to help animals by designing my own veterinary practice. Since I am passionate about both private practice and shelter medicine, this plan combines the unique aspects of both. The idea for Fischer’s Fur Babies Veterinary Clinic came from my experience with the Animal Rescue Foundation in Chicago, IL. Seeing the impact that these foster organizations have on the lives of thousands of homeless animals fueled my desire to help make a difference. That is why our clinic is so focused on helping shelters and foster organizations. We are paying homage to the volunteers who dedicate their lives to this neverending work. This report details the key attributes of a veterinary clinic that bridges the gap between private practice and shelter medicine. It will explore different aspects of vertical integration and various activities the veterinary clinic will participate in to help better the lives of animals.
