McPherson College this past Sunday recognized one of the largest group of graduating students that it’s seen in recent years. This month 153 master’s and bachelor’s students earned their degrees at McPherson College, a 20 percent increase from last year alone.
McPherson College is unique in that it also requires undergraduates to complete a “senior capstone” in the form of senior projects, presentations, shows or other final assignments, before receiving their diplomas. These projects provide a great experience for undergraduates that will benefit them as they embark on their future graduate work or careers.
The final assignments of seniors graduating in the class of 2016 were as follows:
Art
Senior Exhibition
Bailley McKinley, Derby Kan. – Studio
Michael Ramos, Sachse, Texas – Art Education
Jasmine Regehr, McPherson, Kan. – Graphic Design & Studio
Melicia Foster-Evans, McPherson, Kan. – Graphic Design & Studio
Nathan Holthus, McPherson, Kan. – Graphic Design
Ste’fon Walker, Mendenhall, Miss. – Graphic Design
Automotive Restoration
Senior Presentations
Jake O’Gorman, Ennismore, Ontario, and Travis Gleich, Elkhorn, Wis. – 1940 Cadillac/LaSalle V8
Zach Oller, Newton, Kan. – 1929 Stutz Blackhawk
Eric Youvan, McPherson, Kan. – 1929 Model A Sedan Delivery Body
Robert Kliewer, Perry, Iowa – 1926 Dodge Engine
Collin Howard, Carlisle, Penn. – 1925 Rolls-Royce
Bob Hespen, McPherson, Kan. – Vehicle Driving Log Books
Michael Cosby, Rockwall, Texas – 1954 Ferrari Monza 750
Andy Lindstrom, Vulcan, Mich. – 1929 Model A Sedan Delivery Engine
Behavioral Sciences Senior Research Symposium
Nadine L Baquiran, Garden Grove, Calif. – Green-Eyed Monster
Kenneth Berry, Lee’s Summit, Mo. – “You Are So Immature”
Miranda Clark Ulrich, Russell, Kan. – Age at Marriage: Effects on Marital Satisfaction
Amanda Darrow, Jasper, Mo. – Eye of the Tiger: Differences between Genders, Athletes and Non-Athletes as Eyewitnesses
Simone Donaldson, Halstead, Kan. – Happy People: The Halo Effect and Emotion Perception
Cora Gouldner, Andover, Kan. – Sexual Assault and Personal Safety Perception
Shannon L Popp, Galva, Kan. – The Effects of Mental Illness on the Likelihood of Self-Medication
Rea Samuels, Williston, Fla. – Color Blind
MaKenzie S Smith, Augusta, Kan. – College Students and Overall Psychological Well-Being Based on Sexual Orientation
Kayla R Snead, Las Animas, Colo. – Academic Behaviors and Stress Among College Students
Elizabeth Anne Stein, Spearville, Kan. – America Divided
Amy M Stockton, Manhattan, Kan. – Who Needs a Mentor?
Corey Taylor, Iola, Kan. – How Much Can Change in a Year?
Sierra Lynn Ulrich, Salina, Kan. – “I Hate My Life”
Aaron Vaughan, Salinas, Calif. – Consumer Behavior: “Why we want, what we want”
Jennifer Zavala, McPherson, Kan. – I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Deviant Among Us
Business
Marketing Research Presentations
Samantha Harrity, Saint Paul, Minn. – Assessing McPherson College students pricing preferences for the purchase of alcohol to develop pricing strategies for local retailers
Georgia Smart, Ormond, Australia – Determining the suitable target market for the Bookshelf, the Hidden Closet: High school and college students or other?
Jmoi Penn, Road Town, British Virgin Islands – Evaluating the factors that influence retention and acquisition of new customers at a local gym
Louis K Ndongo, Mobile, Ala. – Analyzing the viability of a formal men clothing store in McPherson, Kansas.
Laura Puente, Scott City, Kan. – Evaluating the ideal target market and effective promotional tools for the Marigold restaurant
Brant Rhoades, Burlington, Colo. – Assessing the likelihood that local farmers will utilize drone technology in their operations
Darrian Moss, Lancaster, Texas – Analyzing the feasibility of satellite coffee shops at McPherson College: Students Desirability and Fresh Ideas Capability
Nikki Taylor Vorhees, Riverside, Calif. – A case study exploring the problem with members’ retention and satisfaction at Canyon Crest Country Club
Jacob Weigel, Berryton, Kan. – Analyzing customers’ desirability and the potential impact on market share for the new product line at Network Computing Solutions
Communication
Senior Oral History Project
Seniors in the communication major at McPherson College have spent the semester collecting the life stories of people in our community. They spent five weeks interviewing their subjects and then wrote stories learned during the interview process. These nine students will present parts of the legacy stories that they have written as a celebration of the work done for this project:
Adrian Carson, McPherson, Kan.
T.J. Grant, South Bend, Ind.
Aly Hennager, Elizabeth, Colo.
Alaina Johnson, McPherson, Kan.
Lora Kirmer, Holly, Colo.
Rissa McNichols, Olathe, Kan.
Marissa Patton, Tribune, Kan.
Austin Schad, Valley Center, Kan.
Seth Sterling, McPherson, Kan.
History
Thesis Presentations
Christian Johnston, Lyons, Kan. – End of Byzantium: A Look at the Primary Causes of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453
Curtis Mullins, Hutchinson, Kan. – The Marias Massacre of Piegan Indians in 1870
Michael Kokmeyer, McPherson, Kan. – The Story of the Checker Cab
James Covel, Wichita, Kan. – Coup Development: The Upsides of Thailand’s Constant Coups
Mathematics
Senior Presentations
Dixon Cooney, Loveland, Colo.: Monte Carlo Methods for Estimating Option Prices
Michael Barrett, La Mirada, Calif.: Trinomial Expansions and Pascal’s Tetrahedron
Modern Languages
Senior Presentations
Cecilia Cross, Hutchinson, Kan.
Lisa Goering, McPherson, Kan.
Rebekah James, Moundridge, Kan.
Natural Sciences
The 33rd Annual Science Research Forum
Kylan Bennett, Healy, Kan.: Crotalus atrox Venom Tolerance through Parental Envenomation in Mus musculus
Andrea Falk, Cheyenne, Wyo.: Cathepsin K Knockout Mice do not Exhibit Mechanical Hypersensitivity after Injection of an Inflammatory Insult
Levi Fleming, McPherson, Kan.: The Effects of Elevated Levels of Calcium and Turbidity on Freshwater Mussel Growth
Tiffany Fraser, Georgetown, Texas: Osmotic Stress Survival and Thermal Tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Alia Khalidi, Augusta, Kan.: The effect of light environment on the development of eye pigments in Drosophila melanogaster
Ashley Long, McPherson, Kan.: The Effect of Protective Agents on the Demineralization of Human Tooth Enamel
Geoff Pugh, Ventura, Calif.: Analysis of the Fungicidal Nature of ZnS on Sordaria fimicola
Sophie Simon, McPherson, Kan.: Effects of Female Mating Status on the Expression and Success of Male Mating Tactic in the Wolf Spider Rabidosa punctulata
Collin Wright, Montezuma, Kan.: Isolation and Characterization of Antimicrobial Microorganisms in McPherson County Soil
Whitney Zimmerman, Valley Center, Kan.: Cell Toxicity Studies to Understand Neurodegenerative Parkinson’s Disease
Kaley Kinnamon, McPherson, Kan.: Phenolic content and antioxidant activity in Kansas-grown Vitis vinifera and associated wines
Sabrina Washington, Salinas, Calif.: The Amount of Total Dissolved Solids in Coffee Made by 6 Different Brewing Methods
Teacher Education
Student Teaching placements:
Rachael Anderson, McPherson, Kan., 4th/ELED Eisenhower ES, USD 418
Kayla Burke, Derby, Kan., ESOL Colvin ES, USD 259; 2nd/ELED Allen ES, USD 259
Cecilia Cross, Hutchinson, Kan., Spanish Buhler HS, USD 313
Emily Davis, McPherson, Kan., 4th/ELED Roosevelt ES, USD 418
Cami Engelbert, Beloit, Kan., 4th/SPED Beloit ES, USD 273
Rebekah Gallegos-Romero, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3rd/ELED Lincoln ES, USD 418
Maci Grimes, Andale, Kan., K/ELED/SPED Andale ES, USD 267
Addie Johnson, McPherson, Kan., Speech/Theatre Salina South HS, USD 305
Leslie Kagle. McPherson, Kan., 4th/ELED Lincoln ES, USD 418
Gail Malaby, McPherson, Kan., 3rd/ELED Soderstrom ES, USD 400
Christopher Newell, Salem, Ore., SS Chicago
Michael Ramos, Sachse, Texas, Art Smoky Valley HS, USD 400; Art Lincoln ES, USD 418
Kelcie Scott, McPherson, Kan., 2nd/ELED Lincoln ES, USD 418
Sunny Smart, South Coffeyville, Okla.., SPED
Brooke Vorhees, Riverside, Calif., 1st/ELED/SPED Washington ES, USD 418
Mariah Wedel, McPherson, Kan., K/ELED McCandless ES, USD 308
Douglas Williamson, Long Beach, Calif., PE Inman ES & JR/SR HS, USD 448
Theatre
Addie Johnson, McPherson, Kan.– “The Taming of the Shrew,” senior project in performance, September 2015
Josh Hall, Tonganoxie, Kan – You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, senior project in musical theatre, October 2015
Crystal Osner, Conway Springs, Kan. – The Great Cross Country Race, senior project in costume design, November 2015
Whitney Jefferson, Houston, Texas – Hotel Paradiso, senior project in performance, April 2016
McPherson College, located in central Kansas, is a four-year private liberal arts college offering more than 20 bachelor’s and pre-professional programs, as well as an experiential master of education degree. Throughout the curriculum, students are encouraged to explore their ideas, to learn through doing and to make a difference in the world. McPherson College, affiliated with the Church of the Brethren, is committed to the ideals of scholarship, participation, and service – developing whole persons, prepared for fulfilling life vocations.
Visitwww.mcpherson.edufor more information about McPherson College.