Throughout history, there has always been an idealized depiction of beauty. In each culture the ideal varies but the concept of exclusion is universal. The westernized portrayal of beauty is prevalent throughout and has become ingrained into the fabric of society. In adolescence, the development of an individual’s body influences their sense of self. With the growing prevalence of social media usage young adults are being introduced to a barrage of images celebrating westernized ideals of beauty. Currently, 3 out of every 4 young adults ages 18-24, use at least one social media platform (Perrin & Anderson, 2019). Recently, group of “influencers” noticed the single illustration of beauty, began to rally for change, and the body positivity movement was formed. The movement “hopes to remove the abundance of these images and replace them with images of real-life women of different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, ages, etc.” (Convertino, Rodgers, Franko, Jodoin, 2016).

Roughly 20% of cancerous tumors are induced by changes in proteins responsible for regular cell growth and proliferation. For example, mutations to the Ras oncogene can induce irreversible activation of the Ras protein leading to uncontrollable cell growth and division. This study focuses on the synthesis of a molecule which can be used for the selective identification and inactivation of cancer-causing proteins. Geranylgeranyltransferase (GGTase) is an enzyme that plays a significant role in regulating cell signaling. The primary function of GGTase is to attach a “membrane anchor” or a hydrophobic geranylgeranyl group to proteins like Ras proteins. This is significant as the cell membrane is a hydrophobic system that interacts well with other hydrophobic molecules This study focused on the synthesis of a molecule that is similar to the GGTase substrate geranylgeranyldiphosphate (GGPP) which can be used in conjugation with a tetrazine molecule for the selective inactivation of Ras proteins. The tetrazine molecule is significant for these reactions to occur in biological systems. The goal of this research was to successfully synthesize a molecule to target Ras proteins. Organic synthesis methods included protecting alcohol groups, oxidation reactions, and bromination. Reaction progress and characterization of each step was followed by methods including thin layer chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. Steps that required purification were done so through column chromatography. Next stages include testing the molecule to see if it can successfully react in biological settings in-vitro and then in-vivo. Of the 6-step proposed synthesis that could lead to the desired product, we were able to complete 4 of the steps. The significance of research on prenyltransferases such as this one is the dramatic affect their inhibition could have on cancer cell development.

Diversity. It is a topic that has consumed media outlets during the last decade. It is now pretty well established the benefits that diversity brings to any setting. Diversity settings can lead to higher productivity rates, reduce acts of discrimination, improve employee satisfaction, and allow for increased personal growth. Being exposed to different ideas, cultures, and experiences will help create more accepting and open-minded individuals. However, intellectual diversity in higher education remains a controversial matter. This honors project aims to define intellectual diversity more specifically and explore whether we can ensure the presence of intellectual diversity on college campuses and in classrooms.

A lack of access to effective health communication can be a threat to people’s health, especially during a pandemic. Effective health communication, as described by the World Health Organization’s Principles of Effective Health Communication, must be accessible, actionable, relevant, timely, and understandable (WHO, 2020). During the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic (COVID-19), accessing effective health messages in a timely manner has been of the utmost importance to ensure that people know how to protect themselves and others. As information regarding the new findings are updated each day on the Minnesota Department of Health website, it is crucial that everyone is informed about those changes. However, for the refugee and immigrant population living in Minnesota, for whom English is not their first language, there are many barriers related to language, health literacy levels, as well as the cultural competency of the people creating the messages. Ensuring that these populations are informed about the latest news related to the pandemic is essential.

Using in-depth interviews of public health professionals who are creating the messages and the immigrant and refugee populations that are receiving these messages, this project will attempt to answer the following questions to highlight the importance of effective health communication: Who is creating public health messages for the immigrant and refugee populations in Minnesota? Are these messages relevant and understandable? How are these populations accessing effective messages regarding the pandemic? Is there any misinformation of health messages in these communities? Who and what is the source of misinformation? Finally, How can we ensure that this important segment of our Minnesotan population continues to receive effective health information even after the pandemic?

The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity for individuals to examine the muscles of collegiate athletes through a variety of multidisciplinary lenses. Refining this topic more, the project aims to visualize the comparison of muscle development and contraction in the legs of sprinters vs. long-distance runners. This differentiation is seen through art, photography, and text. The text provides a more scientific description of the physiologic variability in contraction with other muscle development descriptions in distance runners and sprinters. Further visualization is seen through artwork, with drawings of a leg and other pieces to show these comparisons. These descriptions are extrapolated in the photography of St. Catherine University’s athletes mid-stride while performing one of their typical weekly workouts. Text in this project will also provide details of this workout and progressive training differences in runners through a training lens. The connections between training, visualization, and physiologic functioning are imperative to understanding a more comprehensive and enjoyable view of distance and sprinter runners' muscles. 

This honors project seeks to address and analyze the impact of COVID-19 on a county wide level within the Midwest region. In utilizing various forms of data analysis, statistically probable interpretations can be drawn about COVID-19 cases and deaths in relation to specific traits within a county. These traits include poverty level, type of health insurance coverage or lack thereof, race groups and age groups as defined by the United States Census, and others.

In this series titled, The Light Behind Chemistry, the idea that the invigorating laboratory work of a chemistry major is tedious and laborious was challenged. Often, people who are not pursuing work in the STEM field find the research behind laboratory work to be a chore and devoid of excitement and discovery. In this project, four pieces of art were created to challenge that idea. Each piece represents one of the four years as an undergraduate chemistry major and focuses on a specific subject from that year. The subjects include biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and chemistry seminar. Even though chemistry and art may seem like two very different subjects, they have many similarities that tie them together. Each requires research about the project at hand, along with working with different mediums, such as various instruments within the lab or varying types of paint on a canvas. To show these similarities, each piece was created with layers of texture, using different tools, to show the work put into both chemistry and art. With that, a multitude of colors were also used to convince the audience that experimentation within the lab is lively and thought-provoking.