Digital Commons Network^™

United Families Through Interior Design, Marissa Heintz

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the current problems and support systems within the foster care system and how it could be improved upon. It studies the removal process of children from a hurtful home, the common reasons for placement within foster care, what some of the major problems within foster care are based surveys and existing research. Furthermore, this study seeks to understand the different perspectives of those involved in foster care including; biological parents, foster parents, children and social care workers. In order to better understand what would be best for all of the people involved, research also explores the effects …

The Meaning Of Song Type: Exploring Behavioral Responses Of Field Sparrows To Three Simple Song Types, Eliza Foli

Honors Theses

The frequency, rate, and overall quality of a male’s song may indicate the singer’s physical quality, either as a threat or as a potential mate, and are used for species recognition. However, the degree to which a song must differ acoustically to communicate different information about the singer remains unclear. Analysis of male field sparrow simple song recorded in southwest Michigan revealed three structurally distinct clusters of simple song that differ in frequency characteristics. We hypothesize that songs in each cluster convey information about the singer and that receivers respond more strongly to songs more similar to their own song. …

Femicide In The News: How Newspaper Articles Represent The Killing Of Women & Girls In Detroit And Ciudad Juárez, Danielle Branch

Honors Theses

In the year 2017 alone, 87,000 women were intentionally murdered across the globe, while 58% of these victims were murdered by someone they knew — family members or intimate partners (Global Study on Homicide: Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls, 2018). The intentional killing of women and girls, typically by men and motivated by gender, is classified as a crime called “femicide.” Broader definitions of femicide simply state that it is the murder of women and girls, by someone of any gender, regardless of their motive. In some regions of the world, this phenomenon is more prevalent than in others. …

The Correlation Between The Microbiome And Neurodegenerative Disorders Such As Alzheimer Disease, Aurora Mokris

Honors Theses

Recent studies suggest that there are 1.3 times as many microbial cells as human cells in the body (Abbot, 2016). Another study claims that the combined genomes of this microbiota is 150 times that of the human genome (Zhuang & Shen, 2018). If you have ever had the feeling that you are not alone in an empty room you are most certainly correct. Your body is teeming with millions of organisms living in mutualistic symbiosis with you and surrounding microbes, but at times, this seemingly harmonious relationship can be disturbed, resulting in serious physical and psychological changes to the human …

Relationship Of Grip Strength And Quality Of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Melissa Van Omen

Honors Theses

Loss of muscle strength is one of the key features of aging. Quality of life is a factor that affects productive aging and loss of muscle strength. A literature review was completed to assess the possible relationship between grip strength and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults, as measured through physical health in terms of independence with ADLs/IADLs, physical disability, and mobility. Articles were collected from various peer-reviewed, publish journals using the available databases of Western Michigan University libraries. Databases used include PubMed, Clinical Keys, the National Institute of Health (NIH), Springer Link, Scopus, BioMed Central, Wiley, and Oxford …

An Exploration Of Resources Available To Deaf Children Attending Public And Deaf Community Schools, Katelyn Reid

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explore current literature surrounding the similarities, differences, advantages and disadvantages that Deaf children experience while attending mainstream schools compared to the experiences of Deaf children attending all-Deaf and signing schools. A literature review was conducted using the terms: “mainstream schools” , “signing schools” , “resources” , and “Deaf children” were used. Areas of specific interest included social skills, academic performance, overall mood, and the availability of classroom and communication resources. A review of the literature in these four specific areas revealed mixed findings about which academic environment is more beneficial for Deaf children. …

Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Accessibility At Drive-Through Restaurants, Regina Mcleod

Honors Theses

People who are deaf or hard of hearing deserve fair and accessible accommodations, which include drive-through restaurants. It is not a fair solution to force this population to go inside an establishment to order, especially due to the fact that many restaurants close the inside of their restaurants at night but will leave their drive-throughs open. According to legal cases and surveys conducted, accessibility at drive-through restaurants is a prodigious issue for members of the deaf and hard of hearing communities in the United States. Based upon these findings, there is a major lack of accessibility, in addition to discrimination, …

Increasing Political Behaviors In Local Communities, Bionca Stewart

Honors Theses

The present project aimed to apply principles of behavioral science, specifically prompting, to increase voter turnout in a low voter community. The study used a mixed-model group experimental design in which voting in an experimental and control group was measured across two occasions. The sample population consisted of one off-campus community, which was District 4 of the City of Kalamazoo. This district was chosen because it was the district within the city with the lowest voter turnout in the 2016 election. The participants were randomly selected from within the district and randomly assigned to an experimental (N=68) and control (N=67) …

Communication In Stormwater Utility Fees Across Michigan, Hailey Olson

Honors Theses

Stormwater Utilities (SWU) ordinances are gaining wide popularity in municipalities throughout the Great Lakes region of the United States. A SWU creates a fund to maintain and update stormwater infrastructure, which in turn helps to reduce destructive flooding, and also results in higher quality waterways. This study examines two SWUFs in the State of Michigan: one in the City of Jackson (COJ), which implemented a SWUF in 2011; and the second in the City of Ann Arbor (COAA), which implemented its SWUF in 1984. These two case studies offer important contrasts and lessons. For instance, as a result of resident …

Implementation Considerations For The Digital Bronco Id, Bryan Gilginas

Honors Theses

This paper aims to discuss the conditions and preferences of students that Western Michigan University should take if they ever implement a Digital Bronco ID. These conditions are found via an anonymous survey given to random students. These students were prompted to answer questions based on their preference and possible uses of the Digital Bronco ID. It was found that the respondents were significantly diverse in their answers. However, things such as gender, major, and age range played a significant role in patterns in which students chose their preferences. Within the paper, these patterns are interpreted and discussed for the …

Generational Differences In Remote Work, Lauren Nowakowski

Honors Theses

In business, a remote worker consists of an individual that does their day to day work from an environment that is out of the office. Some employees work remotely 1-2 days a week; other times, it is remote work all the time. Different generations may view remote work differently. Some may find it to be a blessing, others a curse. This report will discover what generations are best suited for remote work, and which are better off in the office. The organization begins with defining who a remote worker is. Next, there are the benefits of having a remote worker …

Marketing Plan For The Foundation Scholarship Program, Marissa Chupp

Honors Theses

The Foundation Scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship for incoming freshman who meet the scholarship’s criteria at Western Michigan University (WMU). Along with the scholarship funds, the Foundation Scholar program aids students by providing a solid community of peers and mentors. Since the program’s debut in 2015, there has been no marketing plan set in place. This thesis is devoted to the creation of a marketing plan that can be used as a guideline to promote the Foundation Scholarship. The goal of this marketing plan is to persuade donors to give to the program and incoming WMU students to apply for …

The Standards Project, Dustin Robbins

Honors Theses

The Standards Project is a web app that is intended to assist United States K-12 students in meeting the academic standards each state has set out for their students. The app is intended to allow instructors to see how proficient incoming students are in standards set for the prior grade (e.g. 6th grade students’ 5th grade math skills would be shown) and launch “interventions”—be these online modules with educational content and quiz questions, after school activities, or some other form of instruction—in order to help students in problem areas while spending a minimum of class time on old material.

It …

Communication Barriers Faced By Female College Students (18-24) During Business Internships, Gail Foldenauer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to gain insight on the young, female intern experience specifically within the business industry. In order to be interviewed, all participants had to identify as female and have had a business internship while they were between the ages of 18 and 24. Potential participants were invited to be interviewed for this project via word of mouth or social media. Once they agreed to the terms of the study, they took part in a 30 to 45 minute interview and were asked to share experiences about their internship and how their coworkers shaped their intern …

Cross Cultural Volunteering: A Best Practices Guide For Aspiras Usa, Lindsey King

Honors Theses

This thesis project explores the topic of cross-cultural volunteering in the context of volunteer opportunities facilitated by Aspiras USA, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on youth and community development efforts in the Dominican Republic. Aspiras partners with various college student organizations in the US and offers them opportunities for international volunteering in the Dominican Republic. Knowing how popular international volunteering is, and that it can result in negative outcomes, I was interested in the experiences of these Aspiras volunteers and the community hosts, and how to improve said experiences. I completed a thorough review of literature surrounding volunteer tourism …

Strategic Continuity Plan, Margaret Scannell

Honors Theses

To earn a Minor in Nonprofit Leadership with Certificate at Western Michigan University (WMU), all students must enroll in PADM 3210 and 3220, which are one-credit courses two different semesters. The difference between earning a nonprofit minor with certificate versus without certificate is a 300-hour internship, enrolling in PADM 3210 and 3220, and attending the Alliance Management Institute Conference (AMI). At AMI, which happens for three days every January, the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) will give graduating students their credentials of Certified Nonprofit Professionals (CNPs).

This course, PADM 3210/3220 is direct involvement in the Nonprofit Leadership Student Association (NLSA). I …

Speech-Language Pathologist Preferences For Treatment Types For Childhood Apraxia Of Speech, Meeghan Hoose

Honors Theses

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), also known as developmental apraxia is, “a motor speech disorder that makes it hard for children to speak” (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association). While the child knows what he/she wants to say, the signals going from the brain to the mouth are not delivered correctly, resulting in the mouth not moving appropriately to produce the desired sounds. There are several methods used by speech-language pathologists to treat CAS including moto-programming, a linguistic approach, a combination of motor-programming and linguistic methods, sensory cuing and rhythmic approaches. Through surveying local practicing school speech-language pathologists, I will learn their preferred …

Exploring A Child’S History For Optimal Treatment Of Food Selectivity., Briana Lear

Honors Theses

Food selectivity is defined as “food refusal based on type, texture, temperature, or appearance of food, leading to a self-restricted diet” (Suarez, 2015). Food selectivity affects children of all ages. Food selectivity refers to when a child is eating as few as 5-10 different foods and demonstrates food refusal behaviors, which can make mealtime a challenge for children and their families (Suarez, 2015). Occupational therapy addresses activities of daily living (ADLS), therefore feeding, including food selectivity is included within the OT scope of practice. There is a need to create a comprehensive and thorough document to collect a client’s history …

Western Michigan University Stallions Club Hockey Business Plan, Zachary Roberts

Honors Theses

This project discusses the different areas in which the Western Michigan University Stallions hockey club can improve their organizational structure. Being a part of the club from 2015 – 2019, I saw the tremendous amount of growth that the club had throughout Western Michigan University and the hockey world, but also understood that there was much room for improvement. By addressing these issues and offering solutions of improvement, the club will have a strategic direction to move forward with and implement.

The objectives of this plan are: (1) improving internal operations (2) increase involvement with the Kalamazoo community (3) increase …

64th Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 64th Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference was held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

Communication Debugging Platform, Husam Beitello

Honors Theses

More and more products are becoming “connected” devices, integrating multiple communications subsystems into their design. These subsystems increase the complexity of a design, and require extensive testing and debugging before they reach an end user. The purpose of the project was to create a prototype for a peripheral device that enables bidirectional communication between a typical smartphone and another target device communicating using the infrared, Bluetooth, and/or CAN communication protocols. Such a device could then be used to debug the behavior of a product relying on these forms of communication, by running test procedures referred to as scripts from the …

The Effects Of Different Types Of Virtual Reality Display On Perception Of A Virtual Presenter, Ferran Poage

Honors Theses

Virtual reality (VR) displays present an immersive 3D virtual world that convey a sense of presence. These displays are rapidly increasing in fidelity, from traditional 2d desk monitors to head-mounted displays (HMD’s) like the Oculus Rift. Research must investigate the relationship between this growing level of fidelity in displays and the virtual experiences they produce, especially as high-fidelity devices become more widespread. Evidence shows that the fidelity of VR displays can affect a variety of factors such as spatial awareness, communication, engagement, arousal, enjoyment, and presence. The current study investigated the potential relationship between the fidelity of VR displays and …

The Presence Of Photoreceptor Sensilla In The Posterior Sucker Of Medicinal Leeches Inferred Through Functional Visual Response., Claire Spivey

Honors Theses

Medicinal leeches gather visual input from both its eyecups and photoreceptors across its body surface; each of its 21 midbody segments possesses 14 photoreceptive sensilla. It has been previously established that the posterior sucker is composed of seven body segments that are fused during embryogenesis. Similarly, four body segments fuse to create the anterior brain. There are five bilateral pairs of eyes located on the dorsal surface of the leech’s head and seven bilateral pairs of sensilla distributed over the surface of each midbody segment (Kretz et al., 1975). If no sensilla were lost during the fusion of the seven …

Globally Engaged April 15, 2019, Haenicke Institute

Global News

Global Engagement Opportunities for Monday, April 15th to Monday, April 22nd, 2019.

The Effects Of Qr Code Prompts Posted To A Solar Charging Bench On Website Visibility, Sage Campbell

Honors Theses

This study will investigate the effects of graphic prompts with integrated quick response (QR) codes posted to a solar charging bench. The hypothesis is that posted prompts and the bench itself will increase website traffic and visibility of sustainable actions at Western Michigan University. Website traffic will be monitored using Google Analytics software which will allow for tracking of website visits specifically from scanning the QR code. Thus, data from bench installation and from bench installation with prompts will be compared with baseline data from before installation of the bench and before installation graphic prompts. Data that supports the hypothesis, …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Collegiate Aviation Safety Reporting System (Casrs) At Western Michigan University's College Of Aviation, Logan Brown

Honors Theses

Aviation is a safety focused industry that intends to continually improve safety. Many safety models have been created, but right now the most prominent model is the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Safety Management System (SMS). It has four components: safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion. NASA’s nationwide reporting system, the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) incorporates these four components, as does the program created by Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation. Termed the Collegiate Aviation Safety Reporting System (CASRS), it was created to bring NASA’s program to a local scale. This paper examines international safety …

Comparing Prompting Methods For Teaching Receptive Identification, Laurel Jungblut

Honors Theses

Receptive language is the occurrence of an appropriate response to the spoken language of another individual. This is a key element of development, especially in regard to the acquisition of spoken language (Grow & LeBlanc, 2013). While this appropriate responding is a skill generally acquired by typically developing children via interactions with their caregivers, in most situations it must be explicitly taught to children with developmental delays (Charlotte L. Carp, Sean P. Peterson, Amber J. Arkel, & Anna I. Petursdottir, 2012). An absence or delay of this skill will result in a child missing many important learning opportunities, leading to …

Screaming, Humming: A Look Into Student Theatrical Direction And The Importance Of Queer Narratives On Stage And In The Rehearsal Room, Kropveld Danielle

Honors Theses

There is a large lack of discussion and writing concerning the intersections of queer theory, theatre as an art form, and student direction. My thesis attempts to add to this small amount of work. Using historical evidence, I define radical queer theory and its implications for art. I contextualize my own work in the rehearsal room with the piece Screaming, Humming by Hannah Manikowski with this framework, and speak to my experience of casting and rehearsal.

As a student director whose acting collaborators are also students, there are additional considerations to be taken into account. This experience also serves as …

Cloud Tectonics: A Footlight 2 Production, Cal Kreiner

Honors Theses

The purpose of “Cloud Tectonics: A Footlight 2 Production,” was to produce a full length, professional production of Jose Rivera’s one-act play, Cloud Tectonics, part of which includes the creation of a professional grade directorial book detailing the process and thought that went into the staging of the show. Because of copyright and other legalities, the directorial book without the annotated script is all that can be included in Scholarworks; however, in the book you’ll find a thorough analytical examination of the playwright’s dramaturgical choices, their intended impact, and how the director interpreted and expressed those concepts in the …

Determining The Depositional Environment Of Amherstburg Formation, Elizabeth Gaines

Honors Theses

The Amherstburg Formation is a unit that stretches from Ontario to Michigan and was deposited during the Devonian Period. The goal of this project was to determine the depositional environment of the Amherstburg Formation. Facies associations were defined based on observations from three cores in northern and southeastern Michigan and later grouped into facies associations. The four facies associations were reef rubble, lagoonal, lagoonal and reef-rubble, and lagoonal and peritidal environments. These environments were deposited as laterally adjacent environments along a ramp shelf in a humid tropical climate. Sea level was relatively high during the deposition of the Amherstburg Formation. …