Service Learning Commons^™

How Agriculture Could Uplift A Nation And Its People: Providing Analytical Data To Farmers In Belize, Thomas G. Stephenson

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Agriculture is the bedrock of the Belize economy, but is plagued by routine issues. These problems hurt not only the economy of Belize, but also the health and well being of its citizens. By working with the Ministry of Agriculture my team surveyed the Stann Creek district of Belize to address these issues and provide much needed information to local farmers.

Something Has To Change, Alex Dodge

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This project happened to be about the same time that I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. Lyme disease is acquired when you are bitten by an infected tick. If not treated in the acute stages this person will continue to get sicker with a multitude of unexplained health issues. I am an unlucky individual that was bitten by a diseased tick, and I had no idea. It took a year before any of my doctors figured it out. I was faced with a major lifestyle decision once I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme. If I wanted to live symptom-free …

Social Media An Effective Tool For Marketing, Ronee Chandler

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Increasing revenue using social media marketing.

Rock Creek Research Project, Michael Easterling

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Rock Creek is a tributary to the Snake River. It stretches across Twin Falls county as well as Cassia County and is around forty-four miles long. It is also home to many multiple different species of wildlife, mostly fish. With all of these fish comes the amazing sport of fishing which is what my friends, family, and self do consistently. Unfortunately, Rock Creek like other public bodies of water has become polluted over the years mainly with E. Coli. In this paper, one will be able to look over my perspective on the issue as well as an interview with …

Veterans. They Serve, They Get Out, Now What?, Bre Adams

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

My name is Bre Carden and i have been in the United States Air Force for 11 years. I myself, along with ma other Veterans have worked years under the command and guidance of our military. I have noticed when their service to our country is up, our veterans are put into civilian life to take on a new chapter with no clue how or where to start and build their new lives. This leads to homelessness, depression, mental health, anger, and more. With a program in place for Veterans and their families to transition from military living, to civilian …

Emotional Intelligence: Benefits Within The Classroom, Taylor M. Garber

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Since the pandemic arose in 2020, schools have lived in a world of unknown. From in school classes to online zoom meetings, teachers have had to adjust their teaching methods leaving them burnt out and frustrated. With hopes of breaking through this gray area, introducing the idea of Emotional Intelligence in schools surrounding Valley County, could greatly impact their path back to normalcy. I have created a prototype for schools surrounding my community. With the first launch happening in September, I am hopeful that this prototype can then be used in other schools as well. This project consists of a …

Gardening For The Future, Abby M. Edgar

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This paper discusses the importance of the capstone project working with the Boise Urban Garden School and the impact they may have on the community. We explore what the project is and how it will lead to greater knowledge for the future.

School Safety For Security Teams, Richard G. Nottingham

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This paper is an introduction to school safety intended on helping a new school security team member jump start their training. It includes some data and situations a security member may come across in the year. It is hoped that by reading this, the new member will be able to immediately begin their duties and have a strong foundation on the people, emergency situations and tasks that are assigned to the position.

The Yeti Tumbler Alliance, Emily Huber

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

For my Capstone Project I chose a topic that I am passionate about. I truly believe that outdoor recreation is critical to mental health. My family is passionate about rock climbing. I have found that many people find this sport to be inaccessible. Most climbing areas have very difficult climbs or very easy climbs for beginners. My goal was to develop and bolt a climb that is easy for beginners but next to harder climbs so people could take their friends and introduce them to the sport in an environment where everyone can have fun.

I am very happy with …

Is Religion Dividing America Beyond Repair?, Alec Wheeler

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

In 2022, the state of America is highly debated. Are we united? Are we divided? What unites us despite our differences? There have been times of great tribulation in American history, just as there have been times of great unity. Many Americans remember the day after the 9/11 attacks as a day to set our differences aside and help one another. At the beginning of the COVID-19 nationwide lock down there was celebration of healthcare workers and campaigns to help your neighbors out with groceries. During times of tremendous worry and pain, Americans come together through their differences and work …

How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected The Mental Health Of Healthcare Workers, Jessica M. Farner

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

In recent years, healthcare has changed drastically. The outlook healthcare workers have on the environment and the attitudes they carry in their day to day life have been severely affected due to many different reasons, the most recent COVID-19 pandemic being a catalyst. In this paper, I hope to explore and dive more in depth on why this has happened, what can be changed, and the toll it has taken on these front line workers using research found and conducted myself. I located many articles and research studies that discuss the psychological toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on healthcare …

Electrical Safety Program Loto Procedures, Justin D. Rose

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

For my project I am going to help create and implement new LOTO procedures for our substation. This will be part of a much larger project. The larger project will be implementing an Electrical Safety Program. Part of that program is creating lock out procedures. This project will help solve a gap in an established safety program. Either we continue as we have been and leave ourselves vulnerable to safety and reliability issues or we create an established safety program that will bring us more in-line with current industry standards. Through this project we will create procedures for safely isolating …

Water, Sunshine And Safety: Community Service At Its Best, Kimberly A. Hammond

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

To complete this capstone project, I engaged my personally owned and operated water sports recreation business in a community service event geared towards water safety education. In this project, community members were offered to sign up and/or participate in a day-long event that included a professional fitting for a personal floatation device (PFD), a water recreation safety seminar and a guided kayaking shoreline tour of Lake Walcott State Park and National Wildlife Preserve. The event, sponsored by Adrift Kayak Adventures LLC, was completely free to the public and centered around the ideals of community service, safety, and outdoor recreation …

The Leadership Tree: Growing Leadership Through Quality Conversations, Jayke Sterling

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

As the issue of trying to coach all the staff at the same time became too overwhelming for the management team at Biolife, a solution was born. After many brainstorming ideas the final decision was made to create a leadership tree to divide the work amongst the management team while keeping a consistent vision. The final product turned out to be beneficial to both parties and increased the frequency and quality of coaching.

The Power Of 20-Minute Naps To Zen Time, Lee Rockwell

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Naps are not just for National Nap Day on March 13^th (SHRM, 2019) and naps aren’t only for toddlers. Approximately 1 in 3 American adults nap, according to previous Pew Research Center data (Everyday Health, 2022). Research has shown that the workplace needs to offer separate time for their employees to take a 20-minute power nap or Zen time. Zen time can be defined as relaxed or feeling peaceful (Zen Definitions, 2022). ‌Some people would consider napping to be lazy. However, it is the opposite. A survey by Mattress Nerd of 2,000 adults showed nappers considered themselves more productive …

The Graduate’S Dilemma: Transitioning From Academic Life Into The Professional World, Colton L. Robinson

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Examines the issue of college students finding employment after graduation. Investigates the disconnect that exists between employers and job candidates, and why each have a different understanding of the situation. Provides job-seeking graduates and employers a big picture view of the situation and provides solutions to help bridge the gap between the two parties for more productive interactions.

Finding A Better Workplace Culture, Kimberly Parr

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

My name is Kimberly Parr. I currently work in Quality Management at a local hospital. Over the last year, our leadership team had developed a very negative work culture. It was only certain people, but it left the rest of us wondering what we could do. I decided to make this issue my capstone project and I made it my goal to create a positive, more welcoming environment for our employees.

Time Management Skills And How They Benefit Your Mental Health, Berkley E. Fredrick

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

As an undergraduate student at Boise State University I have experienced a significant amount of stress while trying to manage life in the classroom, at home, and in the workplace. This sparked my interest in trying to determine whether or not there was a relationship between possessing quality time management skills and having a healthy mind. Mental health is a complex idea that is unique to every person, but if a task as simple as utilizing a planner can improve a student or working professional’s state of mind, my goal was to share that. Throughout my research I found that …

Human-Centered Explainable Artificial Intelligence For Anomaly Detection In Quality Inspection: A Collaborative Approach To Bridge The Gap Between Humans And Ai, Srikanth Vemula

Theses & Dissertations

In the quality inspection industry, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to advance to produce safer and faster autonomous systems that can perceive, learn, decide, and act independently. As observed by the researcher interacting with the local energy company over a one-year period, these AI systems’ performance is limited by the machine’s current inability to explain its decisions and actions to human users. Especially in energy companies, eXplainable-AI (XAI) is critical to achieve speed, reliability, and trustworthiness with human inspection workers. Placing humans alongside AI will establish a sense of trust that augments the individual’s capabilities at the workplace. …

Monitoring The M-Dwarf Host Stars Of Tess Exoplanet Candidates: Stellar Flares And Habitability, Ashley Lieber

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the search for life beyond our solar system, the study of M-dwarfs has become increasingly important due to their unique characteristics including their small size, flaring capabilities, and long lifespans. Their small size allows for exoplanet detection due to observable gravitational interactions, and the stellar flares could potentially trigger prebiotic life on exoplanets in the system. Lastly, their long lifespans may provide the conditions necessary to foster prebiotic life and the development of more complex organisms over time. Flare rate is a critical factor in determining the habitability of the exoplanet due to its potential to damage or incubate …