November 20, 2025 at 4 pm
Clark Memorial Library 207
Audra Smith
“Montessori vs. Reggio Emilia: Comparing Teaching Methods”
Understanding the comparisons of the Montessori and Reggio Emilia teaching methods is important because teaching methods shape how students learn, process information, and interact with others. This project analyzes the differences to be able to better understand how each approach affects students' learning and development. This comparison will help determine which approach aligns best with my teaching philosophy and future classroom goals. Ultimately, the project will provide insights to guide effective, student-centered instruction and enhance learning opportunities for future students.
Current major or area of academic interest: Primary Education
Mentor: Shannon Mills
Haley Magee
“Crossing the Technical Art Bridge with Houdini”
There are many people in the gaming industry who teeter-totter between programming and art but can't quite figure out where they really want to be. An option for such people is becoming a technical artist - a job that wears many hats and solves the more complicated visual-related issues. One way this is accomplished is by learning the procedural generation machine called Houdini. See what kind of things can be learnt and created in this program over the course of just one semester.
Current major or area of academic interest: Game Engineering & Digital Simulation
Mentor: Greg Lyons
Alex Loudenslager
“The Chaos Process: Discovering the Role of Chaos in Resolving Artistic Perfectionism”
While the focus of this project was on science fiction worldbuilding through a series of digital illustrations and graphic design projects, the realization that it was becoming more about a struggle with perfectionism and artistic process has shifted the focus of this presentation. This presentation documents that journey from a perfectionistic process to one that embraces chaos and mistakes as necessary facets of creation. At the beginning of the semester, grinding technical exercises, reliance on digital 3D tools, and over-planning displayed a perfectionistic approach motivated by fear of failure. As the semester progressed, acknowledgment of this process's instability emerged, leading to discovery of a new approach. Rather than fighting against mistakes and chaos, it became more realistic to incorporate them as artistic constraints and steer the chaos intentionally. This journey toward discovering a sustainable creative process, explored through an artistic worldbuilding project, reveals how embracing disorder can resolve creative paralysis.
Current major or area of academic interest: Fine Arts and Illustration
Mentor: Charles Davis
Annie Ucci
“Midland and Southern Dialects: Two Case Studies”
This conference presents the analysis of socio-linguistic data obtained from two speakers from both sides of the Ohio River. It expands on the linguistic data obtained from an interview with a resident of Portsmouth by comparing it to that of a resident of Greenup, Kentucky. The two people interviewed demonstrate different speech patterns, indicative of the differences between the Midland and the Southern dialects of American English, respectively. These patterns particularly include different vowel production and grammatical features.
Current major or area of academic interest: English
Mentor: Leila Lomashvili
November 25, 2025 at 4 pm
Morris University Center 214
Leo Barnhart
“Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Its effects on development and the state of the science in Appalachia”
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, also called Neonatal Withdrawal, is a condition affecting newborns of previously addicted or currently addicted mothers who used substances during the gestation of their child. These infants are born exhibiting symptoms of withdrawal to varying degrees depending on the substance used and the length of use. The Appalachian region has been identified as an area of interest regarding substance abuse. NAS is a symptom of that larger, systemic problem. This project aims to identify the issues faced in Appalachia regarding this subject.
Current major or area of academic interest: Nursing BSN
Mentor: Crystal Sherman
Logan Brown
“Self-Hosting a Git Server and how it compares to Perforce”
An exploration of the steps required to self-host a Git server and make it accessible to others over a network. Additionally, how this approach compares to Perforce in the context of a distributed workflow using Unreal Engine.
Current major or area of academic interest: Game Programming
Mentor: Jason Witherell
Jadelyn Lawson
“Dentistry from A-Z”
The intent of my Fall 2025 Honors Project is to reach preschool through sixth-grade students of our area with information about fluoride, the brushing and flossing process, healthy snack choices, and more with learning materials that I developed over the previous semester. I hope to expand on this project by reaching more students, improving in areas where I see it is necessary, and explaining the process of developing my project to my peers to hopefully inspire others to take similar action in areas that they are passionate about.
Current major or area of academic interest: Dental Hygiene
Mentor: Georgeann Kamer
Marlee Flowers
“Hashimoto’s: The Difference in Medication”
A presentation over the thyroid disease Hashimoto's and how two different medications affect patients. The discussion will cover the thyroid, its placement and importance in the body system, Hashimoto's affect on the body, and how Levothyroxine and its natural counterpart, Natural Desiccated Thyroid, affect patients differently.
Current major or area of academic interest: Nursing BSN
Mentor: Dan Chaffin