Celebrate Shorter Event Showcases Student Research
Four Shorter University students took the stage during the university’s Celebrate Shorter event to present their research to an audience of peers and professors.
The symposium-style event was organized by Shorter’s Honors Committee to “recognize and celebrate the excellent work that students do here at Shorter, as well as to honor God as we are called to live a life for him,” according to the event’s mission statement.
Senior Communication Arts major Caleb Britt, of Newnan, Ga., presented a documentary he created as part of his senior thesis requirement. The documentary was titled “How Different is Your World? A Look into the Impact of Black Televised Narratives to Three African-American College Students.” The video presentation showcased the voices of three Shorter students reflecting on their college experience and comparing it to the narratives presented through the popular sitcom “A Different World,” which aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Communication Arts major Ashtin Hyde, a senior from Rome, Ga., presented her senior research on the topic, “The Color of Love: College Students Cultural Exposure and Views Toward Romantic Interracial Relationships.” The study tested her hypothesis that seniors’ perceptions of and acceptance of interracial relationships would be greater than that of freshmen students.
Accounting major Hannah Lambert, a junior from Lilburn, Ga., presented a research study titled “Evaluating the Impact of Incentive-Based Management Theory in the Wells Fargo Phony Accounts Scheme.” Her study examined how the Fraud Triangle Theory, which combines the forces of pressure (financial or emotional force pushing toward fraud), opportunity (ability to execute plan without being caught) and rationalization (personal justification of dishonest actions), was clearly evident in the Wells Fargo scheme. She ended her remarks by quoting C.S. Lewis’ words in “The Abolition of Man”: “We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
Summerville, Ga., resident Jordan Walker, a senior piano performance and piano pedagogy major, presented a lecture that featured illustrations played on the piano. Her presentation was titled “Playing the Piano Inside and Out: Seymour Bernstein’s Birds Book 2” and showcased several of Bernstein’s compositions that illustrated 20th-century techniques.
“We wanted to showcase our Shorter students and their God-given talents,” said Dr. Kathi Vosevich, associate provost and chair of Shorter’s Honors Committee. “The presentations were top-notch, and the crowd was so big that we happily ran out of programs. We hope to make this an annual event—maybe even bigger next year!”
To close the Celebrate Shorter program, Mary Shotwell Smith, Shorter’s director of health services and a Shorter alumna, represented Shorter’s Alumni Governing Board in presenting its 2017 Scholarships to the following students:
The Alumni Leadership Scholarship was awarded to Jesse Wheeler, a criminal justice major from Madison, Ala., and Madalene Brackett, an early childhood education major from Warm Springs, Ga. This scholarship is given to students who exhibit proven leadership skills through on-campus activities and who demonstrate the desire and potential to use these skills as members of the Shorter University Alumni Association.
The Carol Williams Kirby Service Scholarship was awarded to Rachael Minard, a communication arts/organizational communications and leadership major from Rome, and Colby Fisher, a communication arts/advertising and public relations major from Calhoun, Ga. This scholarship is designed to recognize and reward Shorter students who have a demonstrated desire to serve on behalf of Shorter, both on campus and in the community.
The Dr. Wayne W. Dempsey Memorial Legacy Award was awarded to Taylor Slade, a communication arts/sport communication major from Rome, and Emily Tyler, a mathematics education major from Rome. This scholarship is presented to a student who has a parent or sibling who holds a degree from Shorter University.
Following the Celebrate Shorter ceremony, the following students presented posters highlighting their research projects:
Students selected to participate in the poster session include:
- Junior Communication Arts major Jessica Darnell
- Sophomore Communication Arts major Gabriela Mendez
- Senior Communication Arts major Maggie Pruitt
- Junior Communication Arts major Colby Fisher
- Junior Youth Ministry major Abbey Jacks
- Junior Youth Ministry major Brandon Toro
See a gallery of photos from the event.
The Celebrate Shorter event was planned by Shorter’s Honors Committee, which includes Dr. Kathi Vosevich, chair, associate provost; Dr. Angie O’Neal, vice chair, and interim director of the Honors Academy; Ms. Julia Houston, vice chair, and adviser to the Kappa Delta Pi education honor society; Dr. Barsha Pickell, adviser to the Alpha Chi national honor society; Dr. Aisha Williams, adviser to Tau Upsilon Alpha human services honor society; Keith Brooks, adviser to the Brady School of Nursing honor society; Dr. Jerico Vasquez, adviser to the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society; Dr. Alan Hix, adviser to the Theta Alpha Kappa Christian studies honor society; Dr. Jill Borchert, adviser to the Pi Gamma Mu social sciences honor society; Dr. Mark Hamilton, adviser to Sigma Tau Delta English honor society; Dr. Bill Mullen, adviser to Lambda Pi Eta communication arts honor society; Dr. Greg Richardson, adviser to Sigma Beta Delta business honor society; and Dr. Susan Monteleone, adviser to Beta Beta Beta biology honor society.
Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter University on its list of Best Southeastern Colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, and master’s programs. Learn more about Shorter at www.shorter.edu.
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