Aspirations Spring 2017 | Issue 3 | Volume 1

Aspirations is the newsletter of the Columbus State Univer-sity Honors College, which provides updates, features, and information for alumni, faculty, students, and friends. The content of Aspirations is written by current Honors students and staff.

Honors College VisionThe Honors College will make Columbus State University a

first choice institution for students who strive to succeed by championing innovative instruction, undergraduate research,

and interdisciplinary studies.

Honors College MissionOur dual mission provides an innovatively delivered

curriculum for high achieving students and advances the intellectual growth and recognition of the university. Our college challenges a diverse community of students to individualize their academic experiences, while serv-ing as an institutional champion for undergraduate re-

search, interdisciplinary studies, and creative instruction.

Table of ContentsOverview

pg. 3

Honors Congratulatespg. 4

Honors Graduatespg. 5

Hons3000pg. 7

Reaching for the Starspg. 8

Contracts of 2017pg. 9

Student Spotlightpg. 11

Faculty Spotlightpg. 12

Study Abroad: Costa Ricapg. 13

Our Futurepg. 14

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Our Semesterby Honors Staffhonors@columbusstate.edu

Spring of 2017 has brought a few changes to the Honors College as well as our largest graduating class on re-cord. This semester the Honors College had a new curriculum approved by the University Curriculum committee, as well as 17 students who walked across the stage wearing their Honors cords. Students learned many things in their enrichment courses this semester, they cooked with Jamie Keating at Epic, toured the W.C. Bradley museum with Garry Pound, and conquered Personal Finance with business professor Brett Cotten. The Honors College also had the joy of hosting the Georgia Colle-giate Honors Council Conference where many of our students placed for their excellent research.

Honoris Causa, our student-led orga-nization, took on new challenges this semester as well. They hosted the first ever Winter Formal which they are hop-ing will become a long standing tradi-tion. The Formal was hosted in January and had a Great Gatsy theme. They also success-fully hosted a group biking trip and a Family Feud themed meeting in addition to all our regularly scheduled meetings. This semester facilitated the ushering out of old officers, many of whom graduated and new Honoris Causa Officers were formally inducted at the annual Officers Camping Trip in FDR State Park where old officer share their regrets and triumphs with the new recruits.

This issue of Aspirations will give you a look into what our students accomplished in Spring of 2017 and what is to come in Fall as we roll out our new curriculum. As always, there are many changes in the Honors College as we growth with the help of our alum, students and staff.

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Amy Melton For receiving 1st place in Hu-

manities at the Georgia Collegiate Honors Council

Emilee Lesliefor receiving Airman of the Year

for her Operations Group at Max-well AFB

Michael Rohly for receiving an Honorable Men-tion on his Goldwater Scholar-

ship

Candice Tatefor receiving an Honorable Men-tion on her Goldwater Scholar-

ship

John Hetzelfor receiving an Internship: Bio-informatic and Genetics Auburn

University

Katie Holmesfor acceptance to the University

of Hull in England

Julianna Wells For acceptance to Laguna College of Art and Design-Laguna Beach,

CA

Julianna Wells For acceptance to New York

Academy of Art-New York City, New York

Julianna Wells For acceptance to Pennsylvania

Academy of Art

Juilanna Wells For acceptance to Sam Fox Grad-uate School of Art, Washington

University

Nicole Sikes for acceptance to a PhD program

at Duke University

Nicole Sikes for acceptance to a PhD program

at University of Michigan

Nicole Sikes for acceptance to a PhD program

at Emory University

Nicole Sikes for acceptance to a PhD program

at Boston University

Nicole Sikes for acceptance to a PhD program at The University of Tennessee at

Knoxville

Nicole SikesFor acceptance to a PhD program at University of California-Santa

Barbara

Nicole SikesFor acceptance to a PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania

Mary Kathryn Wrightfor receiving the Best Research

Presentation Award at Tower Day

Michelle Chavarria for receiving the Best Research

Presentation Award at Tower Day

Andrea Dorbuon her publication of her book

Chaos

Jonathan Burnsfor being awarded Best Poster at

Tower Day

Darby High for being awarded Best Poster at

Tower Day

Jared Biesfor being awarded Best Poster at

Tower Day

Rowan Pittsfor being awarded Best Poster at

Tower Day

Julianna WellsFor receiving the Phi Kappa Phi Senior Award at Scholastic Hon-

ors Convocation

Katherine HolmesFor receiving Interdisciplinary

Studies Award from the Honors College at Scholastic Honors Con-

vocation

Julianna Wells For receiving the Scholarly Activ-ities in Fine and Performing Arts Awards from the Honors College at Scholastic Honors Convocation

Cailee DavisFor receiving the Scholarly Activ-ities in Humanities Award from the Honors College at the Scho-

lastic Honors Convocation

Amy MeltonFor receiving the Scholarly Ac-tivities in Professional Studies

Award from the Honors College at the Scholastic Honors Convo-

cation

Lauren RosenblattFor acceptance to Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University

Bloomington

Honors Congratulates

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Michael RohlyFor receiving the Scholarly Activi-

ties in Science Award from the Honors College at the Scholastic

Honors Convocation

Ameila BartonFor receiving the Scholarly Activ-ities in Social Science Award from

the Honors College at the Scho-lastic Honors Convocation

Julianna WellsFor receiving the Studio Art

Award from the Department of Art

Julianna WellsFor receiving the Student of Ex-

cellence Award from the Depart-ment of Art

Aliyah AnglinFor receiving the Communication Student of the Year Award from the Department of Communica-

tion

Amy MeltonFor receiving the Music Award

from the Schwob School of Music

Jessica GriggsFor receiving the Music Award

from the Schwob School of Music

Madison UllmanFor receiving the Student of Ex-

cellence Award from the Depart-ment of Communication

Jacob TaylorFor receiving the Games Pro-gramming Computer Science

Award from the TSYS School of Computer Science

Kevin Ferreira

For receiving the Information Technology Award from the TSYS

School of Computer Science

Marko MarksmovicFor receiving the Student of

Excellence Award from the TSYS School of Computer Science

Cailee DavisFor receiving the English Litera-

ture Award from the Department of English

Cailee DavisFor receiving the Student of Ex-

cellence Award from the Depart-ment of English

Jane MaderFor receiving the Student of Ex-

cellence Award from the Depart-ment of History and Geography

Nicole SikesFor receiving the A.C.S. Organ-ic Chemistry (Undergraduate) Award from the Department of

Chemistry

Nicole Sikes For receiving the Outstanding

Chemistry Major Award from the Department of Chemistry

Nicole SikesFor receiving the Student of Ex-

cellence Award from the Depart-ment of Chemistry

Ameila BartonFor receiving the Psychology

Award from the Department of Psychology

Ameila BartonFor receiving the Student of Ex-

cellence Award from the Depart-ment of Psychology

Amy MeltonFor receiving the USG Academ-ic Recongition Award from the

University

Lauren RosenblattFor acceptance to a Masters

Program of Digital Humanities at King’s College in London

Aliyah AnglinBachelor of Arts in Communication-Integrated Media

A Narrative in One SceneMentored by: Professor Chris Robinson

Amelia BartonBachelor of Science in Psychology

Understanding the Relations Between Discipline, Dehumanization, and Violence Beliefs

Mentored by: Dr. Diana Riser

Samantha ChaseBachelor of Music in Music Education-Instrumental

Finding Home: Creating a Video Game SoundtrackMentored by: Dr. James Ogburn

Amber ColbergBachelor of Music in Music Education-Instrumental

Music Education for Future “Mathews”: Down syn-drome in General Music Education

Mentored by: Dr. Michelle Herring-Folta

Honors Graduates

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Cailee DavisBachelor of Arts in English Language-LiteratureLaurent Binet’s Hirn heisst Heydrich: Historio-graphic Metafiction in Contemporary French

Literature about World War IIMentored by: Professor Scott Wilkerson

Brandi FineBachelor of Arts in Biology

The Effects of Alternative Sweetners on Oral Pathogens

Mentored by: Dr. Lauren King

Jessica GriggsBachelor of Arts in Music

The use of radio music as propaganda in Nazi Germany

Mentored by: Dr. Kevin Whalen

Katherine HolmesBachelor of Music Performance-Instrumental

The Return of the OrdinaryMentored by: Dr. Kristen Hansen

andHow Queer the Delight of ManMentored by: Dr. Becky Becker

Janell JamesBachelor of Arts in Chemistry-BiochemistryCellular uptake of curcumin in yeast cells

Mentored by: Dr. Jonathan Meyers

Emilee LeslieBachelor of Science in Health Science

Exploration of the Impact of Childhood Obesity and the Correlation with Parents

Mentored by: Dr. Paula Walker-King

Amy MeltonBachelor of Music in Music Educational-InstrumentalExperience in Action: Incorporating Somatic Edu-

cation in the General Music ClassroomMentored by: Dr. Andree Martin

Dakota ReyesBachelor of Science in Computer Science-Games

ProgrammingComposition of a Melody Utilizing an Evolutionary

AlgorithmMentored by: Dr. Alfredo Perez

Lauren RosenblattBachelor of Arts in Music

Painted Faces & Printed Music: Women and music in the paintings of Bartolomeo Veneto and Sebas-

tiano FlorigerioMenotred by: Dr. Andree Martin

Shaunquelle SappBachelor of Science in Psychology

The Role of Religious & Spiritual Beliefs in Aca-demic Success of College Students

Mentored by: Dr. Brandt Smith

Nicole SikesBachelor of Science in Chemistry-ACS Professional

TrackInterfacial Dynamics of Silicia/P2VP Nanocompos-

ites: Absorption vs. GraftingMentored by: Dr. Wade Holley

Julianna WellsBachelor of Fine Arts in Art

Patterns of Existence: An Analysis of Personal In-spirations, Historical Influences and Motivations

Mentored by: Professor Orion Wertz

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by Gabbie Chanchan_gabriella@columbusstate.edu

About Honors 3000

Each student within the Honors cur-riculum at Colum-

bus State University is required to take three Honors 3000 Enrich-ment classes. These classes are designed to connect disciplines across the college and help enrich students’ ac-ademic careers through historical, cultural, and social perspectives. They are zero credit hour classes and vary each semester to provide unique learning oppor-tunities to students. Honors 3000 classes are a great way to meet other Honor students with different majors and learn about various different topics.

Top ChefStudents from the Top Chef class visited sev-eral restaurants in the Columbus Area and learned about all the makings of a restaurant. Janell James, President of Honors in the 2016-2017 school year stat-ed, “It was incredible to listen to how much thought and energy is put into every aspect of the restaurant down to the color of the accent wall.” Most importantly, the students got to learn how to cook and exper-iment with ingredients from the top chefs of Columbus. The Honors students got to go to Epic, one of the most prestigious restaurants in town, and learn from their chefs. Additional-ly, the students created amazing memories and

friendships that will car-ry them through college and beyond. “I really enjoyed our group and how we laughed together and experimented with cooking together. I really enjoyed going to Epic because we each got to learn how to make a specific dish and at the end we came together and ate everything and talked about how de-licious it all was. I love how you can bond with people food!! One of my favorite HONS 3000!!” -Amelia Barton

Experience Columbus Experience Columbus was a class that allowed students to explore all the historical and cultur-al aspects of Columbus. They traveled to well-known sites of Colum-bus such as the Infantry

Museum and Oxbow Meadows. Numerous students stated that they were surprised at how much Columbus has to offer and that this class showed them how en-riched Columbus truly is. “I thoroughly enjoyed this class because it provided me with the means to explore other disciplines in a variety of settings. I had a blast learning about U.S. military history, the Civil War, art, amphibians and reptiles, and much more!!” -Cortland Ellis, freshmenAlex Jones, the upcom-ing Vice President of Honors for the 2017-2018 school year, stated, “Having lived in Colum-bus for the vast majority of my life, I have been to most of these places before. This experience has been really cool,

Adventures in HONS3000

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though, because you get to see like-minded peo-ple experiencing these places for the first time and see it through their perspective,”Abby Grace Moore told us that her favorite part of the class was “being immersed in the history of Columbus and Ameri-ca at the National Infan-try Museum because of the realistic exhibits,” She also enjoyed meet-ing new faces at Honors and forming friendships along the way.

In the spring semester of 2017, students of the Georgia Collegiate

Honors met at our very own Columbus State University for the annual conference. From Friday night social fun, where students got the op-portunity to meet each other and experience the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, to Saturday’s research presentations and awards, this “Reach-ing for the Stars” themed event truly let each stu-dent shine.Friday evening’s events

included various social activities, all held at the Coca-Cola Space Science Center in downtown Co-lumbus. The night began with a dessert reception, as students arrived and mingled. Following that, CSU Honor’s College arranged for a keynote speaker, Dr. Andrew Puckett, the Physics & Astronomy professor in the Earth and Space Sciences department at CSU, to come and speak. Students experienced the Omnisphere Theater as they listened to Dr. Puckett; then, students were free to explore the different interdisciplin-

ary activities set up by our Honor’s College, as well as the planetarium shows and telescope in the domes of the Space Science Center. Honors students from all across Georgia freely mixed and had a blast meeting new people, and exploring new things.The next day began bright and early, as students convened in the Center for Com-merce and Technology for breakfast. Following a bit of early morning socialization, paper and poster presentation ses-sions took place. From science, to music, to his-

tory, students presented excellent research and results, not only dis-playing their hard work, but also inspiring oth-er students to explore more. The poster pre-sentations took place in the Cunningham Center. After that, a beautiful lunch buffet was pro-vided with the business meeting, which allowed everyone a further opportunity to socialize. CSU’s Honors College also arranged a fun student problem solving activity to encourage creative thinking; let’s just say, this included building a structure

Reaching for the Stars: GCHC 2017by Ekta Parabparab_akta@columbusstate.edu

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with very limited items, and with half the group blindfolded, and half the group not allowed to touch the materials. The two-day event ended with awards. All in all, over the course of two days, Honors students from all over Georgia met at this conference to present their endeavors and contribute to the vast field of knowledge – and at the same time, had an amazing time ex-ploring new experiences and friendships – every-one truly reached for the stars!

Exploration of the views towards Hospice and Palliative Care in the

United StatesEmilee Leslie

Mentored by Professor Paula Walk-er-King

Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science

ChapbookHaley Karabasz

Mentored by Dr. Robert N NorwoodEnglish

The Social & Emotional Development of Children

Shaunquelle SappMentored by Dr. Diana K Riser

Psychology

Exposure and DisplaySteven Bardon

Mentored by Professor Hannah L IsraelArt

Supplementary Comic-Making: Wolf & Witch Issue #1

Steven BardonMentored by Professor Orion A Wertz

Art

Exploring Presentation and BrandingTaylor Bardon

Mentored by Professor Hannah L IsraelArt

The Sun King’s Manufactories and ExtravaganceTaylor Bardon

Mentored by Dr. Barbara J JohnstonArt

Evolutionary PsychologyAmelia Barton

Mentored by Dr. Brandt SmithPsychology

Spanish Cinema: Politics and Subsi-dies in Spanish Cinema

Claire BelayMentored by Dr. Bobby D Nixon

Spanish

DNA FingerprintingCamila Cardenas

Mentored by Dr. Jonathan M MeyersChemistry

An Examination of Eating Disorder Risks

Erin ChalmersMentored by Dr. Diana K Riser

Psychology

The Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing versus Traditional Mar-

ketingGabrielle Chan

Mentored by Dr. Edward A O’DonnellMarketing

The Mouse Aims to Please: An Analy-sis of Hong Kong Disneyland Services

Kaylyn Cockrell & Alexander JonesMentored by Dr. Edward A O’Donnell

Marketing

Human Demography: Columbus vs Snellville

Jodi FraserMentored by Dr. Jennifer Newbrey

Biology

European HistoriographyAbby Gibbons

Mentored by Dr. Gary SprayberryHistory

Cohabitation in the Early Islamic Empire

Abby GibbonsMentored by Dr. Ryan Lynch

History

Contracts of Spring 2017

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The Most Dangerous Case: A Look into Criminal Investigative Techniques

Jasmine GreenMentored by Mr. William D Mixon

Command College

Survey of invasive and non-invasive ant densities of varying proximity to buildings

Tracee GuthrieMentored by Dr. Jennifer Newbrey

Biology

The Biochemical Methodology behind Paternity Testing

Tracee GuthrieMentored by Dr. Jonathan M Meyers

Chemistry

Effectiveness of RNAi gene silencing on different developmental phases of C. elegans

John HetzelMentored by Dr. Brian W Schwartz

Biology

Pedophiles vs. Child MolestersMegan Higgins

Mentored by Dr. Diana K RiserPsychology

Sensory-Friendly Theatre PerformancesDarby High

Mentored by Professor Molly E ClaassenTheatre

Literature Review on Human Genetic DiseaseJesse Hunt

Mentored by Dr. Kevin S BurgessBiology

Exploration of Prevalence of Oral Cancer in Rural Areas in Georgia due to Chewing Tobacco

Emilee LeslieMentored by Dr. Tara L Underwood

Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science

A Forensic Anthropological Crime Scene Analysis of Fetal PigsJane Mader

Mentored by Professor Danielle CookEarth and Space Sciences

Displaying History: A Look into Everyday Life during Reconstruction

Jane MaderMentored by Professor Sarah K Bowman

History

Contracts are a quintessiential part of the Hnors Core curriculum. They serve as a very necessary step-ping stone on the way to an Honors Senior Thesis. Many students will develop their thesis proposals from a contract done in their Junior year. Contracts give students the opportunity to dive deeper into their course and work closely with their professor to ensure that they are grasping all the concepts taught in class, as well as any the student might come across in their independent research.

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Amy Melton is a graduating Senior of the Honors

College. She is to be awarded a Bachelors in Music Education on May 13. Amy was selected as a representative to the Board of Regent’s 2017 Academic Recognition Day. She had a wonder-ful time learning about the inner workings of the University System of Georgia and network-ing with some of the brightest minds in the state. Her favorite thing to do is spend her time off with her friends on the porch and watching fireflies. She loves to cook and reads con-stantly. When she’s got extended free time, such as summer, she takes the

time to do sewing proj-ects. Sometimes these have a sustainability spin such as the reusable sandwich bags she made herself to cut back on her use of Ziplocs.Her thesis incorporates

principals of somatic education into the gen-eral music classroom. She started noticing that many of her friends were forced to quit play-ing professionally due to performance injuries. Amy found this to be a very unfortunate and heartbreaking reality. She has been a student of somatic education for three years. Somatic education utilizes an understanding of the human body to promote free movement, move-ment devoid of excess tension.

Musicians do not regu-larly receive training on how to use their bodies in a way that prevent injury while practic-ing. If they receive this training, it’s usually because they are already injured. Much like when you have weak muscles in your joints, the doctor usually only sends you to physical therapy after you’ve already injured the joint.As a budding elementa-

ry teaching, Amy decid-ed to research ways to prepare her students to use their bodies well while playing instru-ments and as they do other daily activities. She wants her students to be equipped for the long, sustainable careers of professional musicians. Her thesis takes one

pre-existing lesson plan from each of the four main elementary music pedagogies and adapts it to include somatic education. The goal is to provide accessible changes to educators who are already teach-ing music. She pre-sented her thesis at the Georgia Collegiate Hon-ors Council Conference this year where she was award first place in the Humanities. Amy is also hoping to present two presentations at the next Georgia Music Educators Association’s Annual Convention. One on her research, and another on her curriculum with her Thesis Mentor, Dr. Michelle Herring-Folta.Amy intends to seek a graduate degree in a few years, potentially a PhilD at Oxford where she has studied before. How-ever, she first wants to develop her thesis into a year-long curriculum and organization that certifies teachers in so-matic music education. Amy discovered her love of research while study-ing abroad in Oxford. She was chosen to study abroad for two semes-ters at Oxford, an oppor-tunity not given to many students. Amy says her love of dusty libraries and research came out of Oxford and the essay writing and reading that comes along with that passion keeps her soul

Student Spotlight

Amy Meltonby Darby Highhigh_darby@columbusstate.edu

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alive.I am really thankful that the honors program puts such an emphasis on re-search. I feel that being exposed to research and research methods from a young age has not only opened my eyes to the possibilities of research, but has prepared me for it. I remember being in an ITDS class with Dr.

Ticknor where profes-sors from all the depart-ments came to discuss their research. I never though musicians re-searched; I thought that was only for scientists! But Dr. Ticknor showed me some of the possibil-ities of music research and assured me that they were valid. “

Dr. Aisha Adams is a psychology professor here

at Columbus State. Her journey with honors began in the fall of 2016. She says, “I was drawn to work with honors because of the opportu-nity to work with some of the most motivated

students Columbus State has to offer.” Her favorite part of honors is the flexibility she has to able to teach using different methods. She believes the abil-ity to create hands on activities for students versus strictly reading or lecturing material truly allows students to view psychology from unique perspectives. She

also states, “My favorite experience with honors so far has been witness-ing the creativity and ambition the students have when they are assigned projects. Their ability to think outside the box when they are challenged makes teach-ing them exciting.” One of her main goals is developing upper level courses for students

that challenge them to look at real world and psychological issues from different perspec-tives. Besides her work with honors, Dr. Adams also participates in her own research based on human perception and memory. The focus of this research is about boundary extension. Boundary extension is when a memory of an

by Andrea Dorbudorbu_andrea@columbusstate.edu

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Aisha Adams

Have a student or faculty member you’d like to see in the

spotlight?

e-mail honors@columbusstate.edu with your suggestions and

keep an eye out for the next issue of Aspirations, Fall 2017.

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image has either more or less information depending on the edge width of a photograph. What we perceive and interact with influences our memory because of previous experiences. How something influ-ences our perception affects how we are able to identify it. Perception also effects memory because of the human ability to create false memories. She states, “Through this project I am able to work with honors students in my previous psychology 1101 course. I am very passionate and interest-ed in positively impact-ing memories because they can be easily flawed and misinterpreted in our society”.

Studying abroad is a big step over the edge, as I found out firsthand. Getting on the air-

plane to go out of the country for the first time was not only terrifying, but also exciting and inviting in its own way. Preparing for the study abroad was definitely more nerve wracking than anything else, but once we were at the airport that all started to dissi-pate. While in Costa Rica, my program

worked with GVI, or Global Visions International. They have programs all over that aim towards sustainability goals. It was awesome to be able to be a part of something bigger than I am. It is almost the aim of the Honors College, to do something bigger than you are.The community was the most sur-

prising aspect of all. They were a close-knit community. You could tell that they leaned on each other to sur-

vive. They worked together. It did not feel as though they were struggling. They were happy with what they had. It really reminded me of what is important in life. It is not about what you have or want; it is about the peo-ple you share your world with. This definitely made an impact on me.While the program was there, we

were able to paint the entire com-munity center, paint a huge mural for the community, build part of a playground, and build three shades for the locals to hide from the sun. Working with limited resources, we built the shades out of three resourc-es, bamboo, string, and palms, and we build a playground partially out of tires. The community was very grate-ful for what we did as well as we felt very accomplished.Overall, studying abroad has

changed my perspective on a few things and given me a cultural experi-ence I will never forget. As the Costa Rican Natives say, “Pura Vida (pure life)!”

Spring break abroad:

Costa Ricaby Jenna Gaskinsgaskins_jenna@columbusstate.edu

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The Spring of 2017 has been an excellent one in the Honors College. Our

move to Illges has been finalized and we are expectd to move be-fore the start of the fall semester. Additionally, we are excited to announce that the Honors Edu-cation Committee has approved a new point system which will replace the existing Honors Col-lege 26-credit curriculum. This new point system will require students to earn ten points in each of three categories: Per-sonal Enrichment, Academic Enrichment, and Research and Inquiry. This will allow students to be recognized for accom-plishments such as publications, scholarly work, presentations, dual majors, certificates, and more. These are achievements that our students are already accumulating but our previous system did not allow for formal acknowledgement of them. Our

new Points System is designed to allow transfers, non-tradition-al students, pre-existing under-graduates and high-achieving traditional students to get the most out of their education in the time they have with us. It is articulated in a way to expand and deepen the education of our students here at Columbus State University in a way that will highlight their excellence whether they intend on going to graduate school, the work force or beyond. Our mission is to ensure that students on the Columbus State campus do not view the Honors College as more or harder work but instead as a way to expand their education in the direction that their career decisions command. Our curric-ulum is here for you, and so are we.

From the staff of the Honors Col-lege at Columbus State Universi-ty, enjoy your summer and we’ll see you next Fall.

Honors College Updatesby Honors College StaffHonors@ColumbusState.edu

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