Hastings College students will share research and projects, and the College will honor the high achievements of students and faculty during its annual Celebration of Excellence on Wednesday, April 24. All events are free and open to the public. Additional details can be found at hastings.edu/as. Classes are canceled for the day so students and employees can participate in the events.
Celebration of Excellence opens with Academic Showcase, which includes 27 research, academic and other presentations. Presentations are about 25 minutes in length and most are located in Morrison-Reeves Science Center, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 3:10 p.m. In addition, more than 40 research posters will be available in the Morrison-Reeves atrium from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Specific presentation titles, times and locations are listed below, while abstracts are available online.
Academic Showcase is sponsored, organized and managed by Hastings College Alpha Chi, a national college honor society.
The Celebration of Excellence Convocation, the second portion of the day, will be held at French Memorial Chapel at 3:30 p.m. During the Convocation, students and faculty are recognized for their accomplishments from the academic year. Honors Convocation will be streamed on the College’s YouTube channel — youtube.com/HastingsCollege.
Honors Convocation is also when the Who’s Who and Bronco Award recipients are announced. Established in 1924, the Bronco Award is the College’s highest non-academic award granted to students. Recipients of the award and the accompanying Who’s Who list are determined through a vote of their peers and a joint student-faculty committee.
Academic Showcase Presentations
Note: The schedule and a link to abstracts can be found at hastings.edu/as.
9:00-9:25 a.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center (717 N. Ash Avenue)
- Room 219 – “Revving Through Turbulence: American Muscle Cars as Icons of Power, Resilience, and Identity in the 1970s” by Brandon Hamel of Hastings, Nebraska
- Room 148 – “Saturated Absorption Spectroscopy and Laser Locking for Rubidium 87” by Brody Ortmeier of Elkhorn, Nebraska, and Aiden Foreman of Arlington, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “15-Minute Cities: Ideals and Inequality” by Matthew Houlihan of Omaha, Nebraska
- Room 131 – “A Rhetorical Analysis of Missing White Woman Syndrome” by Ally Goad of Gothenburg, Nebraska
9:35-10:00 a.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “The Future-oriented Craft Imaginary of the Crochet Coral Reef” by Hailey Gifford of Eagle, Colorado
- Room 148 – “Goddesses and Mortal Women: An Exploration of the Connection between Mythology and the Ancient World” by Maggie Price of Bellevue, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “Academic performance and inclusion among transfer students: The role of mentoring at a four-year college” by Citlaly Quiroz of Fort Morgan, Colorado
- Room 131 – “Wetland Conservation: A Soil-Up Approach” by Alison Karnes of Hartington, Nebraska
10:10-10:35 a.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “The development of a psychometric measure to assess intentions of healthy eating behaviors in college students: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework” by Riley Lanning of Glendale, Arizona
- Room 148 – “A Rhetorical Analysis of the Sing Sing Prison Museum’s Triumph Narrative” by Meg Dedic of Auburn, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “Edward Dando: Crime, Punishment, and Oysters in Victorian England” by Jake Levinson of Breckenridge, Colorado
- Room 131 – “A World of Play: An Adventurous Look at Multicultural Children’s Games” by Savana Kascak of Thornton, Colorado; Cici Velarde of Loveland, Colorado; and Myah Brown of Grand Island, Nebraska
10:45-11:30 a.m. – Creative Thoughts in Action in Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “Poetry as Identity: Purpose, Process, and Poems” by Tiena Chu of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and “The Death of Cato Hale: An Excerpt From a Student Novela” by Cody Wilson of Strasburg, Colorado
- Room 148 – “Ghana’s Way: A guide into herbal medicine, waterfalls, and an excessive amount of Jollof” by student who went on a Ghana trip earlier this year, including Victoria Vondra of Crete, Nebraska; Abigail Beeck of Fremont, Nebraska; Ikeah Cuff of Surprise, Arizona; Isaiah Strachan of Nassau, The Bahamas; Jaida Rowe of Lincoln, Nebraska; Josephine Parker of Omaha, Nebraska; Julia Vilanova of Vulpellac, Spain; Maria Garcia of Alliance, Nebraska; Mireia del Val Fernandez of Madrid, Spain; Myah Brown of Grand Island, Nebraska; Nisa Thomas of Omaha, Nebraska; Sofie Pedersen of Roskilde, Denmark; Tymia Thompson of Nassau, The Bahamas; Zailee Poulson of Castleford, Idaho; and Tori Vondra of Crete, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “A Haunting: Black Womanhood” by Ally Banks of Shawnee, Kansas
- Room 131 – “Elevated by Resilience: The Undying Strength of Immigrant Mothers” by Citlaly Quiroz of Fort Morgan, Colorado, and Bri Narick of Bellevue, Nebraska, and “Reclaiming the Stage: Empowering Women in Performance” by Bri Narick of Bellevue, Nebraska
11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. – Poster Session, Morrison-Reeves Science Center Atrium
- “The Impact of Long COVID on the Quality of Life of Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Mixed Methods Study of a Rural Community in the Midwestern United States” — Maria Garcia of Alliance, Nebraska
- “The Deception Files: Uncovering the Long-Term Consequences of Disinformation in Democracy” — Citlaly Quiroz of Fort Morgan, Colorado
- “Transposition of the Great Arteries” — Sophie Stevens of Omaha, Nebraska
- “Differences Between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ Students in Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies” — Sasha Richards of Hastings, Nebraska
- “A Natural Battle: a comparison between war and nature through literature” — Abby Harveson of Scottsbluff, Nebraska
- “Adult Onset Leukemia – Chronic Myeloid Leukemia” — Jessica Strock of Lakewood, Colorado
- “The neurobiology of eating behaviors: Exploring neurological and environmental factors underlying maladaptive eating” — Riley Lanning of Glendale, Arizona
- “A Correlational Study of the Coach-Athlete Relationship, Deviant Overconformity to the Sport Ethic, and Athletic Perfectionism” — Madison Grove of North Platte, Nebraska
- “Agricultural Soil Analysis for Detection of Metal Concentration” — Taylor Empfield of North Platte, Nebraska
- “Quorum Sensing and the policing mechanism” — Dekota Schubert of Castle Rock, Colorado
- “Kairomones: Nature’s Secret Universal Language” — Evelyn Holmstedt of Omaha, Nebraska
- “Dissimilatory Reduction in S. oneidensis” — Lauren Hauser of Grand Island, Nebraska
- “Addiction: a Disease” — Hannah Stromer of Boys Town, Nebraska
- “Tuberculosis: Information and Prevention” — Bemnet Tesfa of Denver, Colorado
- “Asthma Unpacked: Insights and Solutions” — Miriam Miller of Walton, Nebraska
- “Toxic shock syndrome: A form of septic shock caused by the toxins of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes” — Sara Pedroza of Hastings, Nebraska
- “Crohn’s Disease: A Comprehensive Look at Symptoms, Treatments, and Research” — Hannah Wenske of Fairfield, Nebraska
- “Ancient Baggage: The Impact of Prehistoric Admixture on Modern European Genetic Diversity” — Kierra Spurgeon of Omaha, Nebraska
- “Prebiotics are a Therapeutic Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder” — Andi Collins of Deshler, Nebraska
- “Investigating 1,3-Diethylimidazolium Iodide Ionic Liquid on Nucleic Acid Melting Temperatures” — Katie Heller of Lincoln, Nebraska
- “Amyloid Precursor Protein Regulates c-fos Expression in Zika Virus Mediated Paralysis” — Tori Vondra of Crete, Nebraska
- “Glaucoma: A Traditional Approach to Assist Westernized Medicine” — Nisa Thomas of Omaha, Nebraska
- “Brittle Bones: Postmenopausal, Senile, and Diabetic Osteoporosis” — Cadence Stenger of Louisville, Nebraska
- “Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus” — Kailee Lunzer of Longmont, Colorado
- “Effects of global warming on the carbon cycle” — Gunnar Ogle of Blair, Nebraska
- “Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls on Immune Systems of Aquatic Animals” — Dulce Lopez of Hastings, Nebraska
- “Comparative Analysis of Angling Strategies and Post-Catch Treatment for Black Bass and Walleye” — Bryce Ryker of Gothenburg, Nebraska
- “Ascorbic Acid in Vitamin Supplements” — Sienna Torres of Cozad, Nebraska
- “Monogamy and Extra Pair Paternity In Animals” — Turner Griffin of Grand Island, Nebraska
- “Is PRIME Hydration More Efficacious for Rehydration than Plain Water for the General Population?” — Alyse Anderson of Minden, Nebraska, and Rylee Reid of Canon City, Colorado
- “A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Foam Rolling versus Stretching on Muscle Soreness and Recovery” — Makenna Asher of Hastings, Nebraska, and Majesta Valasek of Broken Bow, Nebraska
- “The Impact of Music on the Reaction Time of Elite NAIA Male and Female Sprinters from a Sprint Block” — Ayriel Brown-Love of Omaha, Nebraska, and Ikeah Cuff of Surprise, Arizona
- “Dehydration and Its Impact on the Anaerobic Threshold” — Jayden Gonzalez of Ogallala, Nebraska, and Joe Vokins of Toronto, Ontario
- “Assessing the Validity of the Apple Watch Series 9 on Energy Expenditure During Aerobic Exercise” — Maddie Grove of North Platte, Nebraska, and Sofia Gomez-Garcia of Columbus, Nebraska
- “Reaction Time in Front Row Versus Back Row Volleyball Players” — Laura Hyde of Omaha, Nebraska, and Morgan Carver of Hastings, Nebraska
- “Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Incurable Disease” — Lindsi Loos of Litchfield, Nebraska
- “Post-Activation Potentiation: Squat Load Impact on Vertical Countermovement Jump Height” — Eli Nappe of Warrensburg, Missouri, and DJ Schroeder of Colfax, Illinois
- “1-RM OR 3-5-RM, Which Do College Coaches Prefer More: A Survey” — Trystan Soby of Omaha, Nebraska, and Benjamin Garrett of Brush, Colorado
- “Preserving Kemp’s Ridley: Best Management Practices for the Conservation of a Critically Endangered Species” — Lacy Bonifas of Blue Hill, Nebraska
- “Dual Inoculation with B. subtilis and B. megaterium vs Single Inoculation” — Madyson Ludwig of Doniphan, Nebraska
- “Botulism” — MaraMay Stone of Arvada, Colorado
- “Diabetes: Exploring the Two Types” — Jermaine Francis of Nassau, The Bahamas
- “What is Osteomyelitis?” — Olivia Gilbert of Tucson, Arizona
- “Synthesis and Characterization of Imidazolium-Based Thiones” — Emma Severson of Hickman, Nebraska, and Christopher Sedmak of Fort Collins, Colorado
- “Circular mRNA in Vaccine Research” — Kailey Bruha of Ord, Nebraska
- “A Deeper Look Into Psoriasis” — Baylee Evarts of North Platte, Nebraska
- “Oral Cancer” — Diana Kollars of Alliance, Nebraska
2:10-2:35 p.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “John Lewis’ March: The Future Under Attack” by Stephanie Bloyer of Winfield, Kansas
- Room 148 – “Uncovering New Truths: An Ethnographic Project to Learn More About My Dad” by Megan Lampe of Tolbert, Netherlands
- Room 213 – “Visual Learning in Action – A New Twist on a Microbiology Lab Manual” by Alena John of Glendale, Arizona
- Room 131 – “Laughing Through the War: The Use of Comedy Films in World War II” by Emma Morelli of Thornton, Colorado
2:45-3:10 p.m. – Morrison Reeves Science Center
- Room 219 – “The Experiences of College Athletes in One-on-One Off-the-Field Conversations with their Coaches” by Vincent Byrne of Highlands Ranch, Colorado
- Room 148 – “Does Type of Information Presentation Influence POTS Knowledge?” by Alyssa Kimmer-Steffen of Hastings, Nebraska
- Room 213 – “Green Shadows Seventy Years Later: My experiences following Ray Bradbury’s footsteps in Ireland” by Emily Nevins of Littleton, Colorado
- Room 131 – “Consistent Calibration of Compasses, and the Importance of Hard Iron” by Owen DeBoer of Bennington, Nebraska
3:30 p.m. – Celebration of Excellence Convocation, French Memorial Chapel (800 N. Turner Avenue)
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
