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Haworthnews (05/2014), Western Michigan University

Haworth College of Business News

• Keystone Community Bank Breakfast Speaker Series
• Crafting a Plan for Bell's Brewery
• From Japan to WMU
• Students Take Home Honors in Regional Competitions
• Laura Muth, B.B.A.'14—Embracing Change
• Value Investing

Prism #80, May 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Video Games: Beyond The Violence, Bradley M. Gardner

Best Midwestern High School Writing 2014 Winners

This piece does a very good job of providing the people's voice instead of simply just placing fact after fact, which helped to increase the impact the piece had upon the student body. The evidence and demonstrations used within the piece also help to make this piece. For example the use of references to the Supreme Court decision as well as the process of how a video game is actually made.

The Effects Of An Academic Values Clarification Exercise On Academic Performance Of College Students, Dana Goetz

Honors Theses

Values exploration exercises, in which individuals are typically asked to rank order their values and describe values that are most important to them, have been used for many purposes including reducing the racial achievement gap in academic performance (Cohen, Garcia, Apfel, Maseter, 2006), increasing acceptance of health related issues (Harris & Napper, 2005), and increasing academic success (Chase, Houmanfar, Hayes, Ward, Vilardaga, & Follette, 2013). However, little research has addressed the mechanism or mechanisms through which values clarification exercises impact outcomes, particularly academic achievement. This paper analyzes values clarification exercises used in educational settings during the 1970s and the roles …

A Cross-Cultural Study Exploring Structural Factors Of Men's Sheds, Kaitlyn Mcgrail

Honors Theses

The Men’s Shed program was developed in Australia in 2006 with the explicit goal of establishing a place for men to socially interact and to help maintain their health and well-being. The Men’s Shed program has grown tremendously and has continued their growth in many other countries. There is limited research conducted about the organizational and structural features of the Men’s Shed program. There has been no research to date conducted cross-culturally on the program. The aim of this study is to conduct a descriptive, cross-cultural study on Men’s Shed organizations and the characteristics of the Men’s Shed participants. By …

Art And Aphasia: A Literary Review And Exhibition, Jessica Parrish

Honors Theses

My honors thesis explores aphasia, my primary topic of interest, through procedures spanning both of my degrees. Communication makes interaction possible for exchanging ideas, feelings, concepts, and events. Aphasia, an acquired disorder, impacts language areas that are responsible for expression, comprehension, literacy, and symbolic understanding. Aphasia interrupts the mental process responsible for converting thought to language. Literature involving both traditional speech and art therapy is discussed. Once the aphasia disorder type is assessed, a speech language pathologist designs a therapy plan. Art, which has been used in therapy and research for rehabilitation, shares a connection with language and symbolic thought. …

Is A Mutation In The Homolog Of Cdc20 Causing The Zombie Mutant Phenotype In Zebrafish, Damir Musaev

Honors Theses

The cell cycle is essential for proper growth and development in all organisms. Many diseases, including cancer result from defects in control of the cell cycle. Here we characterize the zebrafish recessive cell cycle mutant zombie (zom).The chromosomes of zombie mutants arrest in the metaphase-anaphase transition of mitosis, suggesting a mutation in the cell cycle machinery of the embryo. Zom was mapped to a small interval in lineage group 2, which included CDC20 locus. CDC20 is an activator of the Anaphase Promoting Complex, and the role of this complex is to separate chromosomes during the metaphase-anaphase transition. Sequencing the …

The Effect Of Regional And Seasonal Variability In Wastewater Microbial Community Structure On The Biodegradability Of Room Temperature Ionic Liquids, Steven Aiello

Honors Theses

Biodegradability is an important consideration in the design of novel chemicals. At the end of their function, chemicals should break down into harmless degradation products to avoid toxic effects as a result of environmental persistence. To test the biodegradability potential of novel chemicals, a protocol designed by the Organisation for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) is used. This protocol states that in a mixture of the chemical of interest, a microbial inoculate, and mineral media, 70% of the chemical must degrade within a 10-day window of a 28-day experiment in order to be considered readily biodegradable. The protocol states that …

Wmu Career And Student Employment Services – Present Practices And Future Recommendations For Employer Relations, Amanda Jeppesen

Honors Theses

Career services offices currently find themselves in a rapidly changing environment. Due to economic hardship, students and employers are expecting more effective and fruitful engagement, and offices must create innovative solutions to provide such engagement on shrinking budgets. Career services staff charged with conducting employer relations activities are charged with brokering these relationships between employers, students, faculty and staff, and the offerings of their departments. The purpose of this study is to determine current practices for the career services offices at Western Michigan University, Oakland University, and Central Michigan University. Then, best practices identified by industry experts will be explored …

Leni Sinclair & Lessons From The 60s/70s Era, Chelsie Noble

Honors Theses

Leni Sinclair is a photographer who came to the United States in 1959 from communist East Germany. Sinclair is recognized for being a prominent photographer of artists ranging from Sun Ra to the MC5. Though most that study the era and the revolutionary groups surrounding Detroit and Ann Arbor focus on her [then] husband’s work (John Sinclair,) Leni has provided an equally important documentation of the ‘60s and ‘70s. As the Minister of Education in the White Panthers Party, Sinclair’s job was to educate anyone who wished to know about their values, goals, and ways of life. This paper relays …

Influences And Perspectives: Studying Abroad In Germany, Alexandra Nelson

Honors Theses

A group of Western Michigan University students who studied abroad in Germany within the past two years were surveyed to better understand what influences opinions and stereotypes of another culture. In this thesis the country and culture that was specifically observed was Germany. This thesis focuses on three factors that influence an individual’s opinions of another culture: (1) the influences from the individual’s family, friends and culture/society of his/her home country, (2) the influences from the host country’s culture/society of his/her study abroad, and (3) the influences of his/her experiences while studying abroad. In the survey, the students were asked …

The Consequence Of Freedom: A Sociological Analysis Of The Suicide Epidemic In Luthuania, Kyle Kaminski

Honors Theses

Lithuania has the highest global suicide rate at 40.2/100,000, according to the international suicide statistics provided by WHO (2004). Lithuania's suicide rate is over 2.5 times more than the global average. The top five countries in terms of suicide rate are Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Hungary (Ibid). All of these countries were previously under the Soviet Union's control from the end of World War II to the end of the Cold War in 1989. Lithuania has not always been at the top of the rankings for global suicide rates. Lithuania's suicide rate spiked almost 20 percent during the years …

The Relevance Of Fraternity New Member Education Programs, Christopher Miller

Honors Theses

College can be a difficult time of transition for young men, and done properly a fraternity can provide a strong tool for initial and continued success. My thesis will center on a curriculum I developed for the new members of my fraternity, the Michigan Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp). Under the auspices of SigEp’s nationally implemented Balanced Man Program, my program is aimed to help new members of college and SigEp understand collegiate life, fraternity, and how living a life centered around the principles of SigEp can help ensure success in college and in life after college. The …

Stimulating The Brain With Creative Movement In The Classroom, Theresa Lytwyn

Honors Theses

This paper explores and discusses the use of creative movement in the normal classroom setting as a means of stimulating the brain to be active in learning and eliciting emotional responses in children. Creative methods of pedagogy are explored through research about the involvement of the Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner, right and left brain functions while learning, 21st Century skills, and movement as a mode of learning. The benefits of arts integration in the classroom are examined as they relate to pedagogy and ways to include all learners regardless of mental, physical or emotional capabilities is discussed. The research …

Position Tracking Using Wifi, Tyler Bayne

Honors Theses

Position tracking using WiFi is needed as a more accurate method of intra-building tracking due to Global Positioning System's (GPS) lack of accuracy in buildings. The main application of this project is to provide a safety system, which may be either tracking employees within a building and allowing them to send an emergency message through a device, or to track objects throughout a building. The devices can send simple messages to a central location. These messages will include position information and which emergency has been selected. The devices consist of two buttons and two LEDs, and with a button press, …

Position Tracking Using Wifi, Nathan Conrad

Honors Theses

Position tracking using WiFi is needed as a more accurate method of intra-building tracking due to Global Positioning System’s (GPS) lack of accuracy in buildings. The main application of this project is to provide a safety system, which may be either tracking employees within a building and allowing them to send an emergency message through a device, or to track objects throughout a building. The devices can send simple messages to a central location. These messages will include position information and which emergency has been selected. The devices consist of two buttons and two LEDs, and with a button press, …

Asymmetric Reactions Of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes Using Green Chemistry Principles, James J. J. Kiddle

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

No abstract provided.

Probing Stability And Unfolding Of The N-Terminal Domains 5-6 Of Wilson Protein, Ibtesam Y. Alja'afreh, Ramakrishna Guda, David L. Huffman

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

The Wilson protein (ATP7B) is a copper transporting P1b type ATPase found in the liver, brain, and other organs. The N-terminal end consists of six copper binding domains which have a ferrodoxin βαββαβ fold with a CxxC motif. Despite similarities in copper binding affinities they interact differently with the HAH1 metallochaperone. Studying the stability of these domains will help understanding the differences in their functions. The stability of WLN5-6 was probed using several different methods: Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Circular dichroism (CD) and Fluorescence spectroscopy methods.

Previous studies show that WLN5-6 has a spherical shape and CD chemical unfolding studies …

Removing Interference From Above Ground Reflectors In Ground Penetrating Radar Data, Vincent Krause

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

This poster considers the background and approach to removing interference from above ground reflectors in ground penetrating radar data.

Don’T Blame The Messenger! Political Advertising, Voter Attributions, And The 2012 Presidential Election, Karen M. Lancendorfer

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Over the last twenty years, political advertising has surpassed news and other traditional political sources as the most important source of voting information. Its role has been increasingly critical to election outcomes, as party-based campaigns have been transformed into media-based ones. Political ads work to set the public agenda for a campaign and help candidates shape the impressions voters have of them. Given the effect on public policies and elected officials that voting decisions have, it is important to understand how campaign advertising influences voter attitudes and behaviors.

As political advertising has grown, a substantial body of research has considered …

Evaluation Of Thin Film Nanotube-Antibody Matrix Materials For Potential Integration Into Immunodiagnostic Biosensors, Brian Young

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Most quantitative immunodiagnostic assay products require large laboratory equipment, controlled lab environments, and highly skilled technicians, making them expensive and impractical for use in other environments such as physician offices, the home and field clinics of developing countries. The long-range goal of this work is to attempt to develop an inexpensive quantitative hand-held immunobiosensor-based technology that can easily be applied to any antibody:antigen combination and used in any setting. A new approach to measure antibody:antigen binding in the presence of nanotubes has been described in several recent studies. Using conductive polymer/nanotube/antibody solution-impregnated filter paper, these researchers showed a change in …

Environmental Systems And Patterns Applied To Design, Aaron Cooper

Honors Theses

Looking at the variety of organic form in a natural setting is always an eye opening experience. Seeing how those forms are based on a common system in the environment is even more amazing. Applying the concept of form driven by ratios in the environment to design layout seems like a common sense approach to functional design, yet this is not a common solution in modern design.

Organic form looks organic because it is a product of the environment it is from. If a page is the originating environment for content with a specific function, the content should look like …

Stacy Busch Senior Honors Recital: Composer, Stacy Busch

Honors Theses

The works that I selected to be performed on my senior recital are pieces that I’ve written over the course of the past year. Most of my work is predicated on the exploration of the human condition. Rather than focusing on technical and cerebral complexities that abstract music aims to explore, my work is grounded in the emotional realm. This foundation, I hope, provokes the listener to experience and question the characteristics of their own self. The largest piece on my program, “Creature”, is a 20 minute multi-­‐media production that includes video, electronic music and live performance. The piece is …

Investigating Adolescent Bullying Programs: Bridging The Gap Between Theory And Practice, Amanda Waligora

Honors Theses

Recently, substantial research has been conducted towards the widespread concern of adolescent bullying. Definitions and qualifications of bullying incidents have changed as studies and factors relating to bullying have evolved. Extensive amounts of resources can be found and made available for schools, parents, and adolescents in relation to bullying, but the question stands if these theories and resources are being used in the schools, and if so, how. This study focuses to examine current bullying program implementations within school districts of the Southwest Michigan area. Qualitative analyses on interpretive interviews were conducted to determine what school districts are actually doing …

Neuroplasticity And Mindfulness Meditation, Richard Widdett

Honors Theses

My thesis topic of choice was how mindfulness meditation is linked to neuroplasticity in the brain. The brain is an incredibly complex and powerful organ. Each area of the brain serves a specific purpose and is interconnected. Neuroplasticity is the term used to describe the molding and shaping of the brain based on our experiences from the moment we are born. Mindfulness is defined as the “ability to pay total attention to the present moment with a nonjudgmental awareness of the inner and/or outer experiences.” Many studies have been conducted researching the brain and meditation. The findings from these studies …

Technology-Supported Art As A "Way To Participation", Molly Bathje

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Brianna Vitale provided the painting featured on the cover of the Spring 2014 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. Brianna completed the painting, titled “Flamingo,” using a mouth joystick (joust) to draw the image on her computer and an assistive device to translate her computer artwork into the watercolor painting. At 12 years old, Brianna has been living for the past 9 years with tetraplegia, the result of a spinal cord injury (SCI). Through technology and with the support of family, friends, and health care professionals, Brianna energetically engages in a variety of creative, social, and philanthropic activities.

Student Advocacy And Research Regarding Employability With Women In An Addiction Recovery Center, Christine Privott

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This article presents a course project that allowed senior undergraduate occupational science students the opportunity to experience advocacy and leadership roles as they prepared to transition to entry-level occupational therapy programs. The students coordinated an on-site employment fair for women residents of one Alcoholics Anonymous-based substance abuse recovery center in Kentucky. This ultimately led to a preliminary qualitative program evaluation study of the participants’ perceptions of employability after participating in the fair. Following a semi-structured interview protocol, nine participants were interviewed by student investigators immediately following the fair. The resulting data were compared within and across transcripts, and coded for …

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 12: April 2014, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• CAS News
• WMU sustainability video finalist in national competition
• CAS holds faculty and staff achievement award ceremony
• Part-time instructors awarded for excellence in teaching
• Faculty Feature
• Researcher signs letter delivered to President Barack Obama
• Alumni Profiles
• Psychology alumni win Geary Rummier Award
• Film, video and media studies graduates help make viral video
• Student Stories
• All-University Graduate Research and Creative Scholar Award goes to physics student
• Five Broncos, one family

Prism #79, April 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Emeriti News, Spring 2014, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

Contents from Volume XX Number I:

• Emeriti Council
• Message from the Chair
• Upcoming Events
• Summary of Past Events
• Emeriti Council Book Scholarships
• Emeriti Medallion Scholarships
• Scholarship
• Announcements
• Kudos and Farewell
• Annual Emeriti Break-Fest