Horizons Student Presenters

Honor Beeler '14

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai Thailand, Photography Documentary Majors: Studio Art and Educational Studies Hometown: Lake Bluff, Illinois Through support from the Richter Program, Honor traveled to Thailand and volunteered at the Elephant Nature Park, a preserve for Asian elephants who have been neglected, abused, or orphaned. She took thousands of photographs that she is now organizing into a photographic documentary for the park to use in fundraising and awareness activities. Honor's photos have already been featured on the park's Facebook page, as well as the Save the Elephant Foundation website. She plans to pursue graduate studies in photography and graphic arts.

Nicholas Behymer '13

A Fluorescent Oscillating BZ Reaction Major: Chemistry Minor: Mathematics Hometown: Elgin, Illinois Nicholas is pursuing Honors in chemistry under the mentorship of Professor Mary Crawford. His project involves optimizing a procedure by which to observe the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction -- a classic example of oscillating chemical systems found throughout nature. He is also working on different methods of computationally modeling the BZ reaction using Mathematica. Nicholas is currently applying to Ph.D. programs in physical chemistry with the hopes of one day serving as a chemistry professor.

Megan Beney '13

Sound and Emotion: The Musical Qualities of Infant-Directed Speech Majors: Music and Anthropology and Sociology Hometown: Florissant, Missouri Megan's Honors project builds on fieldwork conducted while studying abroad in Pune, India, and investigates the correlation of music and language as they relate to the evolution of human sound communication. Her project studies the influence of sound on today's caregiver-infant interactions to better understand the emergence of music and language among our ancestors. Megan is currently applying to one-year internship opportunities in anthropology/ethnomusicology with a longer-term goal of earning her Ph.D. in anthropology.

Huong Bui '14

The Role of Social Class in the College Classroom Experience Majors: Environmental Studies and Anthropology and Sociology Hometown: Portland, Oregon As a McNair scholar, Huong worked under the mentorship of Professor Gabrielle Raley to explore how the role of social class influences students' college classroom experiences, primarily in terms of participation. Her research reveals perceptions of their own and other students' abilities. Huong is exploring internships in environmental studies and, ultimately, intends to pursue a Ph.D. and a career as a college-level educator.

Kyle Cruz '13

Third-Culture Kid: Study of the Concept Major: Integrated International Studies Minors: Journalism and Religious Studies Hometown: Phnom Penh, Cambodia Kyle is conducting an Honors project that explores the concept of a third-culture kid (or TCK) as someone who spent a significant portion of their formative years living outside their parent's home culture. As a self-identified TCK, he seeks to unpack why this concept has gained notoriety, particularly in the aftermath of the Second World War. Ultimately, his goal is to assess the integrity of the term to see if it has rightly identified a unique sub-group of individuals whose existence and perpetual sense of cultural national identity crisis bear testament to the decentering effects of globalization. Kyle is interested in freelance journalism as a hobby but hopes to pursue a career in linguistics and/or theology.

John Cusimano '13

Alpha-Hydroxy Phosphonic Acids via Lesquerella Oil Majors: Biochemistry and Music Hometown: Tinley Park, Illinois John has gained research experience through independent studies, the Ford Fellowship, the Richter Program, and a summer National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) appointment at the University of Chicago. His current Honors project under the mentorship of Professor Diana Cermak seeks to synthesize phosphonates and phosphonic acids from lesquerella oil as a starting material and as a potential alternative to castor oil (derived from a toxic plant that is no longer grown in the U.S.). John is a member of Mortar Board and is currently seeking employment as a researcher in industry before pursuing a Ph.D. in future years.

Erin Daugherty '13

Mining Town to River City: The Stories He Tells Majors: Creative Writing and Spanish Hometown: Olathe, Kansas Over the summer, Erin received support from the Richter Program to travel to Pennington Gap, Virginia, the town where her grandfather was born and raised for the first 11 years of his life before moving to Peoria, Illinois. Through an Honors project, she is constructing an e-book comprised of poetry, creative non-fiction, photographs, and audio clips to create a coherent and in-depth exploration of her grandfather's life with an emphasis on his childhood relocation and consequent cultural dualism. She is in the process of applying to MFA programs in creative writing.

Ajoura Gwinn '14

The Female Hero in Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Quartet: Rethinking Young Adult Fiction in the United States Major: Creative Writing Minor: Japanese Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania As a McNair Scholar, Ajoura examined how the Song of the Lioness novels by Tamora Pierce use the character Alana as a female hero to create new paradigms and narratives of selfhood that challenged the limitations of established gender roles for adolescent girls growing up in the 1980s and beyond. Ajoura's project introduced her to the larger discussion of the young adult literary genre and its ability to influence the intellectual growth of children. She plans to pursue graduate school immediately after Knox and hopes to become an author of children's and young adult fiction novels.

Jake Hawrylak '13

Compositions for Creative Musicians Major: Music Minor: Religious Studies Hometown: Santa Fe, New Mexico Jake's project was the logical extension of his experience as a composer and as a "creative" or jazz musician. Under the mentorship of Professor Nikki Malley, he sought to reconcile inevitable difficulties that come when writing music that has a strong improvisational emphasis, while maintaining his role as composer and author. Jake's work was composed in many ways for the Cherry Street Combo, as he has come to know the strengths and weaknesses of the individual members of the group. He is hoping to spend a year as a post-baccalaureate student to strengthen his instrumental skills and his portfolio of compositional work before pursuing graduate studies in jazz performance.

Kelli Huebner '13

Enhanced in vivo Imaging of Xenopus laevis Development Using an Ultra-Compact MRI with Contrast Agents Major: Neuroscience Minor: Chemistry Hometown: Hanover Park, Illinois Kelli is using an Ultra-Compact Magnetic Resonance Imaging system (UC-MRI) with contrast agents to enhance the quality of images that can be obtained. She is among the first to use UC-MRI as she is working under a National Institutes of Health (NIH) development grant with Professor Judith Thorn to test the instrument's capabilities and capacities. The device, techniques, and methodologies that Kelli is working on will allow researchers to obtain live images of cellular and fluid movement -- previously, specimens had to be sacrificed to obtain fixed images that don't always provide accurate results.

Jade Ivy '15

The Image of Shelter in Hojoki Majors: Asian Studies and Creative Writing Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Jade explored the idea of shelter in the essay An Account of My Ten Foot Hut by Kamo no Chomel, which depicts his journey into living the life of the hermit. Her analysis of the literary construction of the essay argues that the idea of shelter serves as the foundation and primary image of the essay as opposed to the use of nature and nature symbolism. Jade hopes someday to work in the translation of Japanese literature and will participate in a study abroad program in Japan, as well as take advantage of the many Japanese literature and language courses offered at Knox.

Jennifer Kaufman '13

Virtual Bodies, Immortal Flesh: Longevity and Corporeality in Transhumanism Major: Philosophy Minor: Religious Studies Hometown: Licking, Missouri For her Honors project, Jennifer is researching the transhumanist movement, which promotes human enhancement through technology. She's specifically focusing on a sub-movement within transhumanism that aims to extend human longevity through diverse methods, such as rejuvenation therapies, cyborgian replacement of body parts, and uploading of individual consciousnesses into computer programs. Her primary interest is whether and how such views promote an affirmative or renunciation (or neither) of the human body and embodiment.

Tanvi Madhusudanan '13

Comparative Analysis of Israel-Palestine with North and South Sudan Majors: International Relations and Psychology Hometown: Walnut Creek, California Tanvi's Honors project is a comparative analysis of two conflicts in which she hopes to discover why Israel-Palestine has not been resolved, whereas Sudan was successfully divided into north and south Sudan. Her inspiration came from a summer internship in Washington D.C. at the Department of Justice, where she was accepted to be a part of a very competitive seminar for interns hosted by the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace. After graduation, Tanvi hopes to secure a Scoville Fellowship (a nine-month fellowship in Washington D.C. with an international peace and security organization) or a position with Teach For America, followed by graduate studies in international relations.

Eva Marley '13

#Solidarity: Youth Identity and Participation in Social Movements Major: Anthropology and Sociology Minor: International Relations Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin Eva's senior research entails an exploration of the influence of social movement participation on youth identity through a comparative analysis of Occupy Wall Street and the 2011 Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill protests. She will present her findings at the Central States Anthropological Society conference in St. Louis in April. Eva is currently applying for a Fulbright research grant to travel back to New Zealand (where she participated in a study abroad program), after which she intends to pursue graduate studies and a career in the United Nations.

Forrest McClure '13

Improving Magnetic Susceptibility Data Analysis Majors: Physics and Math Hometown: Golden, Colorado Forrest has worked under the mentorship of Professor Mark Shroyer to improve the data analysis of magnetic susceptibility research. The prior process used Fortran algorithms that fit a theoretical model to experimental data, which proved time consuming and unintuitive. Forrest has created a graphic user interface that automates the process, making the Fortran algorithms quicker and easier to use. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering and a career in fusion research or next generation fission reactor design.

Anna Meier '13

Societal Ideology as an Input for the Development of Terrorism: A Cross-Country Comparison Majors: International Relations and Modern Languages Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Anna's Honors project examines diaspora communities in France, Germany, and the U.S. that provide interesting case studies of how identity formation is impacted by changes in societal environment. She specifically became interested in studying terrorism after studying abroad in Berlin, Germany, and having a close encounter with a prevented terrorist attack. She will present her research at the Midwest Political Science Association this spring. After working for a year in the non-profit/"think tank" sector in Washington D.C., Anna plans to pursue graduate studies and a career as a scholar and academic.

Katherine Miller '13

NATO et al: The Role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partner Nations in the Coming Years Majors: International Relations and French Hometown: Toledo, Ohio Through the Honors Program, Katherine is examining the role that NATO's partner nations play in various NATO operations to better understand the kinds of contributions these states make to different missions, as well as the significance of these contributions relative to member-state participation. Through the Richter Program, Katherine was able to travel to Brussels and attend a conference on NATO's role in the coming years, and she has also benefited from an internship with Tri-Mission to France at the U.S. Consulate in Strasbourg, France, over the summer. She plans to pursue graduate studies in international affairs, followed by a career as a civil servant for the U.S. government.

Hatim Mustaly '13

Study of the Ventral Nerve Cord in Sipunculans Major: Neuroscience Minor: Economics Hometown: Mumbai, India Hatim's Honors project involves an investigation of the marine peanut worms (Sipuncula), which are shown to regenerate the anterior end after amputation, as well as after damage in their natural environment. The intent is to establish the specimens as good models for studying the process of nerve regeneration. After graduation, Hatim intends to pursue medical school and a career as a physician.

Jamal Nelson '14 and Alejandro Varela '13

Anna Novikova '13

Inferring Public Opinion in 140 Characters or Less Major: Political Science Minor: Computer Science Hometown: Palatine, Illinois and St. Petersburg, Russia For her Honors project, Anna is investigating the use of social media for studying public opinions. She is using machine learning (the process of enabling a computer to "learn" from data without being explicitly programmed) to translate raw text data collected from Twitter into a numerical presentation of positive or negative political attitudes. Her work helps mature our understanding of how public opinion is expressed in social media and ways by which we can analyze that data. After graduation, Anna intends to work for a few years in a field of computer science before pursuing graduate studies in computer science and statistics.

Katie Ohlrich '13

Establishing a Historiographical Timeline: The Religion of the Taiping Rebellion Major: History Minor: Chinese Hometown: Palatine, Illinois By gathering around 20 books and a plethora of online resources by historians on the Taiping Rebellion, Katie has established a historiographic context for exploring the religious underpinnings of the event. Her interest was motivated by the four years she spent in China as a child as the family followed her father's business. After graduation, Katie hopes to enter the Peace Corps or a similar international humanitarian organization, followed by graduate studies in Asian history.

Andrei Papancea '13

Studying Novice Programmer Development Behavior Major: Computer Science Minor: Economics Hometown: Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania In sixth grade, Andrei created his first website and has since developed sites and graphics for businesses, colleges, and individuals both in the United States and Romania. His current Honors project involves the development of software that collects data from introductory level computer science students to permit analysis and identification of the common difficulties or roadblocks encountered. Andrei is currently applying to graduate programs in computer science and, ultimately, hopes to open a web development and corporate identity design business.

Matthew Pinkelton '13

Creation of Novel Heteroleptic Copper (II) Carboxylates Majors: Chemistry and Physics Hometown: Mokena, Illinois Through the Honors Program, Matthew is using a new chemical approach to modify a commonly known liquid crystal compound and drastically change its properties. The resulting characterization of these new compounds and collaborations with other researchers may provide a gateway into great understanding, manipulation, and use of liquid crystals. Matthew is hoping to continue his work as a post-baccalaureate student next year before pursuing graduate studies in chemistry.

Forrest Rackham '13

Burning and Fire Effect Studies at Green Oaks Major: Environmental Studies Minors: Earth Science and History Hometown: Pagosa Springs, Colorado For his senior research, Forrest is working with Professor Stuart Allison to standardize, expand, and make safer the burning program for the Green Oaks Field Station. In a separate but related study, Forrest is working with Professor Katie Adelsberger to investigate the effects of episodic fire events on the prairie soil and to establish a pre-fire soil profile for the experimental woodland unit. After graduation, Forrest intends to return to Colorado to continue his career as a wildland firefighter.

Avinab Rajbhandary '13

Fairness in Scheduling Algorithms Majors: Computer Science and Economics Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal Avinab's Honors project involves scheduling algorithms for supercomputers that deal with the allocation of system resources to different jobs over time (for example, weather simulations or financial market expectations). After graduation, Avinab plans to work as a software developer for a few years before pursuing a graduate degree in computer science.

Kasandara Sullivan '13

Pretransitional Optical Rotation in Liquid Crystals Major: Physics Minors: Mathematics and Latin Hometown: New Lenox, Illinois By investigating virtual phase transitions in liquid crystals, Kasandara has been able to measure evidence of pretransitional optical rotation. Her work has entailed the analysis of results she contributed to, tested, and problem solved in the experimental set up. Through her work, she has found that after optimizing temperature control one can easily observe the pretransitional effect during cooling. Kasandara is hoping to continue her work as a post-baccalaureate student before pursuing graduate studies in physics.

Rana Ayoub Javaid Tahir '13

Poetry and Paintings Based on Life Under Occupied Kuwait Majors: Creative Writing and Political Science Hometown: Mishref, Kuwait Rana's Honors project is an artistic representation in the form of poetry and paintings of real stories from people -- including her own family members -- under Iraqi occupation in Kuwait in the year of 1990. Her motivation is to both grapple with an important period in her family's history, as well as to raise awareness in the Western world of the conflicts in the Middle East, particularly as they affect the people who live there. After graduation, Rana will pursue graduate studies and a career as an author.

Joshua Tatro '13

Are You Having Fun?: An In-depth Look at the Life of the College Partygoer Major: Anthropology and Sociology Minor: Religious Studies Hometown: Galion, Ohio Joshua's senior research is aimed at deconstructing how and why students perceive parties as inherently fun and worthwhile via an ethnomethodological approach that utilizes participant observation and interviews. His goal is to inform college administrators, who have little chance of offering alternatives to parties that satisfy the social needs of students, if they do not have a firm grasp of the constructed mentality that motivates student participation in party culture as it stands. After graduation, Joshua will pursue graduate studies in sociology and hopes to pursue a career in academia.

Kyla Tully '13

Dance in London Major: Dance Studies (Self-Designed) Minor: Spanish Hometown: Viroqua, Wisconsin Kyla just completed a study abroad program through Rhode Island's Roger Williams University that engaged her in an intensive study of theatre and dance while living in central London. During her time, she completed more than 60 hours of dance technique and conditioning training and attended 47 theatre and dance performances. Kyla is now training for an audition with an East London circus school, which will prepare her for a career in aerial dance or even as a member of a contemporary circus.

Alejandro Varela '13 and Jamal Nelson '14

Kelsey Witzling '14

Concert Production for Back & to the Left Productions Major: Dance/Movement Therapy (Self-Designed) Minor: Philosophy Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Through an independent study under Professor Jennifer Smith, Kelsey served as production manager for Back & to the Left Productions during the company's fall season and featured a production at the New Orleans Fringe Festival this past November. Kelsey created the rehearsal schedule, maintained and coordinated travel plans, handled all advertising in New Orleans, created a Kickstarter account and promotional video for fundraising, among many other duties. Her liberal arts education has come full circle, as a paper written for a philosophy course motivated the choreography of a piece by Professor Jennifer Smith that became a part of the company's production. Kelsey will be performing her solo piece again at the Body-Mind Centering® Association conference in Boulder, Colorado, this summer.