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Senior Capstone

science student Keisha England

Overview

The senior capstone is a rite of passage at McPherson College. Whether through a thesis or presentation, exhibit or performance, our seniors showcase their knowledge and talents as the culmination of their experiences at MC.

2023 Senior Projects

Senior names, projects and presentation dates will be added to this page as soon as they are confirmed.

 

Art & Design

Senior Art & Design Exhibitions
May 1-7 Friendship Hall, Gallery reception May 5, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Gershom Epp
Hannah Butler
John Wells
Nick Wilson
Graedon Green
Tate Clem 

May 15-20 Friendship Hall, Gallery reception May 19, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Senior Auto Restoration Photography Exhibition
May 6, 1:00 p.m., Hess Fine Arts Center
Matt Mahan

 

Auto Restoration

April 25, 27, and May 2 in Templeton Hall Room 5B
Project teams and presentation dates:

Tuesday, April 25
Cam Luther – 1961 Ford Ranchero
Ken Storer – 1929 Model A and other trim work
Tyler Natkin – 1929 Model A Woodie
Michael Halgren – 1931 Chevy Fender

Thursday, April 27
Emma Parker – Isetta
Nick Acierno – Kurtis Kraft Track Nose
Trenton Szydlowski – Isetta
Israel Acosta & Scott Hayford – 1971 Corvette Paint Prep

Tuesday, May 2
Colby Marshall – 1950 Mercury Custom
David Alvarado & Travis Schultz – 1963 Avanti
Tyler Menard – 1929 Model A and other mechanical work
Bryson Hase & Zach Kantor – 1932 Packard
Victoria Bruno & Tomas Eichelberger – ‘60s 283 cid Rebuild

 

Behavioral Science

Senior Research Symposium
Thursday, April 27 from 12:00-3:00 pm, Melhorn Lecture Hall. Watch on Livestream

Briana Ruth – Anxiety, Sleep Paralysis, and Nightmares
Peyton Lindsey – Two-Faced: Mugshots and Stereotypes
Kennedy Johnson – Mental Health of Student Athletes Compared to Non-Athlete Students
Nichole Martinez – The Parent-Child Relationship Between Adopted vs. Non-Adopted Children
Caleb Feuerstake – Early Life Experiences and Behavior
Brianna Shaw – Why Does School Make Me Nervous?
Emma Speer – Adverse Childhood Experiences, Foster Care, and Self-Esteem
Killian McDonald – Relationship of Narcissism to Depression and Self-Esteem
Justin Borden – Social Control Theory and Serial Killers
Liam Spaw – Depression in College Athletes vs. Non-Athletes

 

English & Spanish

Senior Presentations
Thursday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. in Mohler 231

Chase Brous: City of Thieves: A Historically Accurate Novel to Teach Bildungsroman
Alexis Grattan Elkins: “I got you to look after me”: Interpersonal Dependence in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
Janet Sanner: Factores que determinan la búsqueda de atención médica por la comunidad de habla hispana
(Factors that Determine the Search for Medical Attention for the Spanish-Speaking Community)

History & Politics

Thesis Presentations
Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 pm in Mohler Hall 212. Watch on Livestream

Zachary Bredfield
Kurtis Ebling

Sarah Ewing
Kurt Golubski
Kento Saito
Benjamin Wiebe

 

Math

Senior Research Symposium
Tuesday, May 9 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Melhorn 111. Watch on Livestream

3:00  Laheerah Joseph: Catalan Numbers
3:25  Lauren Skinner: Can You Statistically Pick a Perfect NCAA Tournament Bracket?
3:50  Eliphas-Levi Balekombwa-Ndelepame: Analyzing Student Responses Using Data Collected From 2020 at McPherson College.
4:15  Michel Mwengwe: Factors Affecting a Prospective Student’s Decision to Attend McPherson College in 2021: An Exploration and Modeling Study.
4:40  Paul Mwengwe: Predictive Modeling for Student Admissions at McPherson College in 2022: An Analysis Using Machine Learning Algorithms.

 

Natural Sciences

40th Annual Research Forum
Monday, April 17 from noon to 5:00 pm, Mingenback Theatre. Watch on Livestream

12:05 – 12:20  Austin Apple: Usability of Vitis viniferaChambourcin grape extract as a pH indicator
12:20 – 12:35  Heidi Beckham: Do mutations on the HNF4-Alpha gene correlate with expression of blood glucose levels? A Family Study
12:35 – 12:50  Gabriel Boese: Bioremediation of Lead in Water using Kansas Algae
12:50 – 1:05  Jacob Esch: Surfactant Efficiency of Retail Laundry Detergent Brands by Determination of Critical Micelle Concentration
1:05 – 1:20  Ethan Huston: Wildlife Population Survey: Reptiles and Amphibians in Restored Tallgrass Prairie
1:20 – 1:35  Bethany Ice: Light Exposure, Yeast Metabolism, and Undergraduate Research
1:50 – 2:05  Jennyfer Kemper: What is the Next Step in Cancer Research?
2:05 – 2:20  Alex Keyes: A Review of Quorum Sensing, Interkingdom Signaling, and Quorum Quenching
2:20 – 2:35  Richard Mbuyamba: Impacts of COVID-19 in African countries
2:35 – 2:50  Martin Millos: Antibacterial activity of Piper Nigrum against Salmonella, Escherichia Coli, and Staphylococcus Aureus
2:50 – 3:20  Nathan Saffer & Ann Marie Weesner: Using Infectious Disease SIR Models to Analyze COVID-19 in Two Neighboring US States
3:35 – 3:50  Kaitlyn Sedlack: Physiological Effects of Energy Drink Supplements on Daphnia Magna
3:50 – 4:05  Olivia Smith: Genomic exploration of the role of lipid metabolism in intrapersonal changes in the human skin microbiome
4:05 – 4:20  Maria Smoot: Biological sorbents as an alternative for oil spill cleanup
4:20 – 4:35  Lucas Williams Fernandez: SARS-CoV-2: How important are Spike Proteins in Infection and emergence of New Variants?

 

Teacher Education

Cheneal Benne Elementary Art, Morgan ES, USD 308, Hutchinson, KS; Secondary Art, McPherson MS, USD 418, McPherson, KS
Chase Brous English, Buhler HS, USD 313, Buhler, KS
Georgia Hitchcock 5th/ELED, Eisenhower ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS; SPED, Eisenhower ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS
Emily Leeson 3rd/ELED, Eisenhower ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS;
Kendra Maples Elementary PE, Morgan ES, USD 308, Hutchinson, KS; Secondary PE, McPherson MS, USD 418, McPherson, KS
Savannah McHugh 4th/ELED, Lincoln ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS; SPED, Washington ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS
Kalli Olivar Math, McPherson HS, USD 418, McPherson, KS
Broc Selstrom Elementary PE, Roosevelt ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS; Secondary PE, McPherson HS, USD 418, McPherson, KS
Colby Swift Elementary PE, Roosevelt ES, USD 418, McPherson, KS; Secondary PE, McPherson MS, USD 418, McPherson, KS