UPPER MIDWEST REGIONAL HONORS CONFERENCE
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021
8:30-9:00 AM Morning Social and Conference Welcome
Meet other conference attendees, hear about what to expect throughout the day, and break the ice with some trivia! Stick around in the same Zoom room for the keynote speaker
9:00-9:50 AM Keynote Speaker: Stephanie Salasek
With energy and humor, Stephanie Salasek is all about measurable outcomes. She challenges her audiences to see it’s not practice that makes perfect, but practice that makes permanent. She is a trained expert in emotional intelligence, presentation/professional presence, and the customer experience. With nearly 30 years of work in education, private industry, and health care, she will keep the content practical and applicable. When she’s not speaking, you can find her measuring ingredients for her famous brownies or the incline on her treadmill. Stephanie did both her undergraduate and graduate work at Iowa State University.
10:00-10:50 AM Session 1
Zoom Room 1: Panel
“Purposeful Connections: Reflections from Honors Alumni” – Rebecca C. Bott-Knutson, South Dakota State University
Join us for a panel featuring four alumni from the Fishback Honors College at South Dakota State University as they reflect upon the role of honors in purposeful connections. Through this panel we explore myriad connections and glean advice from those who have launched into life beyond graduation.
Zoom Room 2: Roundtable
“Expanding and Strengthening Diversity in Honors” – Amy Brostrom, Xanthi Gerasimo, & Tom Pearson, University of Wisconsin - Stout
This roundtable discussion will focus on three things. Recruiting a diverse student body including minority students. Retaining minority students and students from diverse backgrounds. Looking at how we can educate our entire student body when it comes to diversity. Please come ready to exchange ideas and perspectives.
Zoom Room 3: Workshop
“Building Connections and Community in an Honors Classroom” – Chris Larson, South Dakota State University
This session will describe several techniques that I have used to build such an environment. One of the keys to successful learning is getting students to ask and answer tough questions. Participants will experience several of the activities that I have used to build these critical relationships. These include opportunities students have to develop a rapport with their colleagues and the instructor. At the end of the session, participants will have time to share techniques for building community and developing relationships in their courses.
Zoom Room 4: Workshop
“The Importance of Student-to-Student Interaction on College Campuses” – Kailee Schultz and Alyssa Gentile, South Dakota State University
College students often crave student-to-student interaction but are unsure how to find it. This workshop seeks to determine how colleges can best give their students opportunities for interaction and collaboration. We will explore techniques that have succeeded in the past before having participants determine new ways to offer student interaction.
11:00-11:50 AM Session 2
Zoom Room 1: Panel
“Connecting with Honors Students During a Pandemic: One Community College's Experience” – Laurie Linhart, Matthew Sprengeler, Mohsina Mandil, T Lane Williams, Des Moines Area Community College
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Des Moines Area Community College to go remote following spring break beginning on March 18, 2020. Significant changes were implemented within the Honors program including course delivery, advising, recruiting and communicating with students. This session will share our experience both #success and #fail.
Zoom Room 2: Panel
“To Grade or Not to Grade: Envisioning a New Approach to an Honors Colloquium” – Hanna Holmquist and Shelly Bayer, South Dakota State University
An Honors Colloquium on leadership utilized a new approach to grading, implementing a plus/minus system that emphasized feedback. Instructors will outline the grading system they created and provide student feedback regarding the experience.
“The Face-to-Face Honors First-Year Experience During Covid-19: Lessons from a Peer-Taught Course” – Heather Fielding and Alyssa Huelsbeck, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
This presentation shares strategies from a peer-taught, face-to-face honors first-year experience course from fall 2020. We'll focus on how we facilitated discussion and built relationships in the context of masks, social distancing, and quarantine. We’ll also discuss the challenges faced by peer mentors in this leadership role during the pandemic.
“The Importance of Interdisciplinary Studies in Honors Teaching” – Robert Bell, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Using an example from an American Indian Studies-focused honors colloquium, this presentation explores a flexible, open approach to honors course design that encourages interdisciplinarity, emphasizes student choice, and promotes research.
Zoom Room 3: Roundtable
“Lessons Learned from Demographic Goals” – Eric Fort, University of St. Thomas
The strategies that work to meet demographic goals often differ from the expected. This is when you need to lean on your network and find novel solutions for your institution in an ever-changing honors landscape in higher education.
Zoom Room 4: Workshop
“Connecting with Yourself ” –Cadi Kadlecek & Amanda Husted, South Dakota State University
This wellness workshop is designed to engage, educate, and motivate participants to care for their wellbeing. While we make sense of the world around us, we also need to care for what is happening inside of us. This workshop will help students feel grounded and more connected with themselves.
12:00-12:30 PM Break for Lunch
12:30-1:00 PM State Caucuses
Join other schools from your state to vote for faculty/staff and student representatives to the UMHC board, as well as discuss state and business and opportunities for collaboration. Feel free to bring your lunch!
1:00-1:50 PM Session 3
Zoom Room 1: Panel
“Resistible: How the SDSU Common Read Encouraged More Conscientious Use of Technology” – Tyler Miller, Meagan Irvine-Miller, & Rebecca Bott-Knutson, South Dakota State University
SDSU’s Common Read engaged Irresistible by Adam Alter to nudge the campus community into a more conscientious relationship with technology. Evaluation efforts using a pre/post research design and a control group revealed increased comfort in mobile-phone abstinence and reduced social media activity which are attributed to Common Read participation.
Zoom Room 2: Roundtable
“Connectivity and Connecting: First-Year Council Community Efforts” – Lucy Morrison, Katie Cooley, Jared Dingman, & Eryn Busenbark University of Nebraska Omaha
We will share our experiences building a First-Year student council designed to engage first-year students in Honors events and activities at our University Honors Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. We will invite conversation about remote event planning and engagement.
Zoom Room 3: Roundtable
“Jack's Cupboard - The Need for Campus Food Assistance During COVID-19” – Keri Pappas & Nicole Grove, South Dakota State University
Jack’s Cupboard, South Dakota State University’s campus food pantry, has grown in popularity. Studies show that food insecurity on college campuses has increased due to COVID-19. Whether you are trying to improve or even start your own campus food pantry, we would love to be a resource for you!
Zoom Room 4: Roundtable
“Pan(dem)ic! at the Honors Program: Lessons Learned from 2020” – Michael Joy, Anna Zimmer, & Sam Marier, Northern Michigan University
In this roundtable, the staff of the Northern Michigan University Honors Program will briefly discuss their program's responses to the Coronavirus pandemic--from the first days of the crisis through the following academic year. The majority of the roundtable will be dedicated to discussion with session attendees.
Zoom Room 5: Workshop
“Communicating for Connection” – Cadi Kadlecek, South Dakota State University
This communication workshop is designed to get participants to connect. Interpersonal communication has been adversely impacted by COVID-19, and we are more awkward now than ever before. This workshop will help participants communicate and is jam packed with games and activities, sure to make you giggle and connect.
2:00-2:50 PM Session 4
Zoom Room 1: Panel
“Advocacy in Action: Connecting the Honors Experience to Speech and Debate Activities” – Andrea Carlile, Loren Visser, Lars Wagener, & Benjamin Connor South Dakota State University
This panel will address ways in which students who compete for the university speech and debate team have taken their honors experience into their time as competitors in collegiate speech and debate.
Zoom Room 2: Roundtable
“Editing the Event Experience: a roundtable discussion on hosting events virtually” – Megan Gosian, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
An event about events? Seems meta- but is actually a great opportunity to share opinions and learn from others! Dive into topics such as planning, advertising, and most importantly- how to do it all virtually. Dialogue will be based on what has worked and not worked in our previous experience.
Zoom Room 3: Workshop
“Honors & the Responsibility to Racial Justice: Connecting the Classroom, Campus, & Community” – Amy Foley, Monifah Ponton, Izzi Fenner, Allyssa Dawson, Eunice Okaiwele-Oboh, Darnell Hodges, & Mikayla Bagdonas, Scott Community College
Scott Community College Honors students will share their ongoing projects, emerging from a current seminar on race and privilege in America. Breakout rooms will ask participants to brainstorm and document specific, actionable steps to better bridge the gap between classroom conversations about race and creating change in campuses and communities.
Zoom Room 4: Workshop
“The Quiet One: Writing a Self Love Letter” – CV Peterson, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
As we experience life it’s natural for us to have high and low points. Often our accomplishments outweigh our failures, however we seem to dwell on the negative. This workshop explores exercises that center around self-acceptance using the slowly dying art of letter writing.
3:00-3:50 PM Student Research Panels
Click the following link to view student presenters' visual poster: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iq3O6ufdaG33wFP_QNxI3tm9KpV0Y95q?usp=sharing
Zoom Room 1: TEACHING & LEARNING, DIVERSITY STUDIES & SOCIAL JUSTICE
“How does proficiency change in a bilingual Spanish-English child in an English only education?” – Megan Bargiel , University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
The present study investigates the effects on language proficiency when a bilingual student is primarily surrounded by their second language (L2). With minimal support and opportunity to practice the primary language (L1), it is predicted that the student may experience more development of the second language (L2, and a loss of proficiency in the primary language (L1).
“Individualized Support and Family Involvement in Special Education” – Megan Gleisner, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
My presentation focuses on the support that a student with Down Syndrome may receive throughout their education. Through this presentation, I will identify and answer potential questions that could arise from my student’s family regarding the collaborative team members and their roles, assistive technology, and healthcare in the educational setting.
“The Importance of Encouraging Reading From a Young Age to Cultivate Empathy and Critical Thinking” – Victoria (Tori) Simpson, Graceland University
My research centers on reading as a cultivator of empathy and critical thinking. Encouraging reading from a young age is beneficial to individual children and to society as a whole. I claim that fostering empathy and critical thinking through reading can make the world more livable for all identities.
On Sacred Land – Kathryn Childs, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
On Sacred Land is a three-part podcast created with the intent of bringing awareness to disrespect for American Indian land and spirituality. Two "guests" and myself hold conversations about Indigenous artistic responses to environmental destruction.
Classy, Bougie, Rachet: Megan Thee Stallion and the Reclamation of Black Womanhood – Marie Migidza Owino, Graceland University
Despite racist historical constructions that frame Black women's bodies as vectors for others' enjoyment, female rappers such as Megan Thee Stallion transgress these past images in new and empowering ways. This presentation explores the use of transgression in the reclamation of Black womanhood.
Zoom Room 2: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS
Statistics in Minnesota Baseball – Molly Walter, Northern State University
Weather plays a big role in offensive performance for baseball, especially in the Midwest. This study explores various aspects of weather and offensive statistics to see how much weather truly changes performance.
COVID-19 Dashboard - Built in R – Brandon Bloebaum, Wartburg College, Dr. Mariah Birgen, Wartburg College, Ahmed Hassan, Iowa State University
In the heart of a pandemic, this STEM project has the goal of being an additional resource to the public in decision making. This dashboard was built using the programming language R to gather, clean, and visualize COVID-19 data from databases across the country to create interactive maps, charts, and statistical summaries.
Development of a 3D microfluidic device for COVID-19 drug screening; epithelial cell tri-co-culture – Peyton Hamel, Iowa State University
We are currently investigating how to develop a 3D high-throughput microflidic device to biomimic the immune responses that occur between COVID-19 and the respiratory system. At this point in time, we are triple co-culturing various human primary epithelial cells to determine co-culture efficacy, cell proliferation, and cell viability.
Understanding how notum promotes glypican-3 shedding in hepatocellular carcinoma – Meaghan Keohane, Minnesota State University - Mankato
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered one of the primary causes of cancer mortality. A secreted factor belonging to the proteoglycan family known as glypican-3 (GPC-3) is overexpressed. We aim to study what role the enzyme notum plays in the cutting of GPC-3 from the cell surface of HCC cells.
An analysis of cisplatin and carboplatin effects on glioblastoma cells with proteoglycan knockouts – Rachel VanKeulene, Minnesota State University - Mankato
This project investigates the effectiveness of FDA approved drugs, carboplatin and cisplatin, on glioblastoma cells with a knock-out of specific HSPGs that are thought to aid in GBM proliferation. We investigate the specific effects of these drugs and intend to further compare these results to novel drugs.
Societal vs Medical Ethics: The Origin of Unethical Research – Lori Breece, Graceland University
Public distrust of medical research has been heavily influenced by notorious stories of bad practice such as WWII and Tuskegee. Such incidents are cited as reasons to restrict medical research, but there exists a deeper issue. This presentation purposes that the origin of many examples of unethical research is contradicting social ethics.
Zoom Room 3: HUMANITIES
Leveling the Playing Field: A Study of Support for Affirmative Action Policies – Hattie Seten, South Dakota State University
Using data from the General Social Survey (N=573), this study assessed how race, education, political ideology, and how close an individual is to Blacks/African Americans, influence the predicted probability that an individual will support affirmative action policies for a specific subgroup, Blacks/African Americans in hiring and promotion.
The Emergence of Neurology During the American Civil War: The Delafield Commission's Impact on Military Medicine – Michaela Ahrenholtz, University of South Dakota
The Civil War prompted a medical revolution that propelled medicine into the modern era and facilitated the emergence of neurology as a unique discipline. This medical revolution began a decade before the conclusion of war with the travels of the Delafield Commission to observe military operations during the Crimean War.
The Dust Bowl: Narrative Variety and the Concept of Property – Michael Carlson, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
I will summarize and break down a 50-minute lecture that explores the historical importance of consuming narrative variety and its relationship with the concept of property. I provide a brief overview of The Dust Bowl and analyze its geographic, social, and economic implications through close readings of works of Fiction (John Steinbeck), Historical Nonfiction (Donald Worster), and Memoir (Ann Marie Low).
The Grand Inquisitor was right – I do just want bread: An Analysis of Possibility in Shestov and Heidegger – Jesse Smoot, Graceland University
We often intuitively describe possibility as most desirable and in turn, exalt possibility itself to great valuative heights. Despite this tendency, we often find in our lives the existential :sorting out” of possibility a deeply troubling task. This presentation attempts an understanding through the philosophy of Heidegger, Lev Shestov, and Dostoyevsky’s of these particular moods wherein we find ourselves most nauseatingly averse to possibility and most fervently avoidant of it.
Zoom Room 4: NATURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Natural History Bycatch: Large scale scan database reveals – Alexis Slack, University of South Dakota
I am using uCT scans to analyze and isolate the offspring/eggs of viviparous and oviparous chameleon species to gain insight on the developmental patterns of skeletal structures. Additionally, I am studying the inclusion of vertebrates in the diet of Calumma parsonii parsonii.
Tick Surveillance and Pathogen Detection in Eastern South – Holly Black, University of South Dakota
Tick-borne diseases threaten the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. Throughout the summers of 2019 and 2020, surveillance efforts were aimed at determining the status of the three tick species in Eastern South Dakota in order to track population establishment, inform public health efforts, and conduct genomic analyses.
Electronic, structural, and magnetic properties of TiCoSn – Abdullah Al Maruf, South Dakota State University
We investigated a novel quantum material that shows half-metallic properties with 100% spin-polarization. This exotic property is very much sought after for their potential application in next-generation electronic devices (i.e., Spintronics). Upon theoretical investigation, we synthesized and tested this material experimentally, which matched with theoretical results. This will add a new knowledge in search of half-metallic/spin-gapless material.
Wartburg College Tiny Earth Pilot Program: Soil Bacteria and Antibiotic Discovery – Hanna Schmitt & Jenna Smuszkiewicz, Wartburg College
Antibiotic resistance is a mounting problem in microbiology. There are many antibiotics and bacterial species left to discover. Our goal is to discover antibiotic-producing bacteria from compost samples. We are also developing lesson plans using resources from the Tiny Earth network lesson plans that will implement our methods into future Microbiology courses at Wartburg College.
Climate Change and Corporations – Kennedy Warner, Graceland University
We rely on the fossil fuel industry and other large corporations for a lot of things we use in our daily lives. However, the fossil fuel industry and these other large corporations are creating an economic disparity, a health crisis and aiding in the climate crisis by targeting low income and BIPOC communities for the sole purpose of profit. This presentation analyzes the ways that the greed of large corporations has created negative effects on humanity and our environment.
Zoom Room 5: SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & BUSINESS
Going for the Goal: Identifying Relationships among SDSU Student Leaders' Goals and Successes – Madison Dulas, South Dakota State University
Understanding the relationships between South Dakota State University student leadership traits, time management abilities, abilities to say and resulting impacts on goal attainment are critical to further developing student leaders. Gain suggestions for future curriculum development of student leadership programs and how to aid in increased student goal attainment.
Shapeshifters and Gender Roles – Marius Vold, Minnesota State University - Mankato
The Skinwalker is an evil shape-shifting sorcerer, traditionally mostly associated with the Indigenous North American Navaho tribes. In this paper I explore the effect the Skinwalker's presented gender plays on the story and how the story changes as the Skinwalker's gender portrays changes, consequently changing the fears and function associated with this monster.
Street Sign Namescapes: An Analysis of Eau Claire, WI Street Names – Peyton Tohulka, Cadie Ash, & Laurel Aleson, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
This study explores trends in Eau Claire’s street names and examines how they reflect the identity of their residents. Using Deirdre Mask’s The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power (2020) as guidance, our analysis suggests that the street namescape reflects past perspectives and values.
Paranoia. Is Your Smartphone Eavesdropping on You? – Emily Reiten, Northern State University
The purpose of this study is to determine whether our smartphones are listening to us. This research will utilize a mini experiment and survey to explore experiences related to our phones eavesdropping on our private conversations. It is proposed that college students will experience targeted advertisements through their smartphone.
Adolescent Adjustment: How Social Withdrawal and Number of Friends Affect Peer Victimization – Afrah Rasheed, University of Nebraska Omaha
The present study will look at how social withdrawal and the total number of friends affects peer victimization in children and adolescents. This study found that these factors were closely linked, and future implications regarding this data will be discussed.
How the Change in Presidency Affected the Venezuelan Economic Crisis -- Alexandria Schweikle, College of DuPage
My presentation explores how the change in presidency from Hugo Chávez to Nicolás Maduro affected the economic crisis that Venezuela is facing. After a brief explanation of Venezuela's economic background, my project examines what happened before the crisis, the corruption within the government, and the current economic problems in Venezuela.
Zoom Room 6: INTERDISCIPLINARY/OTHER
Analysis of Apple Stores Worldwide – Abby Eckert, Minnesota State University - Mankato
My presentation is about analyzing Apple stores worldwide. I wanted to use my knowledge about international business and incorporate a global perspective. The goal of this project was to answer the question about where Apple stores are located and why they are located there. I pinpointed all Apple retail stores worldwide, analyzed store frequency, and discovered demographic answers.
Stereotyped Images of Wisconsin Indians – Dana Covey, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
The past and present stereotyped images of Native Americans have had a huge impact on the culture, traditions, and identity of Wisconsin Indian Nations. Early tourism and Hollywood characters were large influences that shaped these beliefs and demands of the dominant white culture and, ultimately, caused Wisconsin Indians to conform.
Science and Religion – Caitlin Buchholz, Graceland University
The discussion of the relationship between science and religion has almost always been identified in conflict, however they can and do work alongside each other just as the integration model of interaction describes.
Navigating Healthcare as a Woman of Color – Eryn Tinsman, Graceland University
This project identifies systemic issues that cause disadvantages for women of color in healthcare. Using a holistic approach, this presentation discusses how historical and present inequalities affect the quality of care women of color receive. This project discusses the effects of racial bias in healthcare and offers solutions to these injustices.
4:00-4:30 PM UMHC Business Meeting and Conference Closing
Join us for the annual business meeting, which will include dues and membership reports and discussion of future engagement opportunities for members of the region.