Annie Hardin

Writing a Children’s Book about Food Insecurity

For my project, I will incorporate graphic design and social change into a children’s book about food insecurities. I will research food insecurities in the U.S. and learn how to convey this topic in the format of a children’s book. The book will teach children about the importance of food insecurities and encourage discussion about this topic. (Faculty mentor:  Professor Amy Pirkle)

 

Delaney Lynn

AAT’s Future in Medicine: A Prescription for a Furry Friend

My project focuses on Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and the health benefits discussed in academic literature. My goal is to discover the ways AAT is being implemented in homes, hospitals, clinics, and elsewhere and to learn how AAT is advancing and improving. To reach this goal, I will not only gather information but also observe people who have firsthand experience with service animals. This approach should allow one to determine the efficacy of AAT for the purpose of informing others about potential alternative approaches to current treatments. (Faculty mentor: Dr. Amanda Espy-Brown)

 

Michael Rowe

Obesity in America: Who’s to Blame and Where Do We Go from Here?

Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke are some of the leading causes of death in the United States. They also all have something in common: nutrition. In the last 30 years the percentage of Americans over the age of 20 who are overweight or obese has risen from 58.8% to 82.3%. The aim of this study is to examine who and what is responsible for this, who is being affected by this, and what needs to happen to reverse these trends. (Faculty mentor: Dr. Seung Jung)

 

Sydney Simmons

Generating A Pathway to Universal Trauma Informed Education 

A multitude of children in the American public education system undergo traumatic experiences in their daily lives that affects their ability to learn. Educational disparities involving that trauma can be compensated for with trauma informed education. The aim of this research is to review current data on trauma informed education and propose solutions for public school educators to implement a universal trauma informed education classroom model. (Faculty mentor: Dr. Laura Hopson)

 

Warren Wright

Promise

I plan to create a story about a Native American superhero. The story revolves around the main character, Monday, becoming a superhero and balancing college life and reconnecting with his estranged family in the fictional “Rocquenaw” tribe. I plan to research southeastern Native American tribes and cultures so that I can effectively create a fictional tribe that could realistically coexist among already established tribes in the real world. (Faculty mentor:  Professor John Miller)