Parental
Involvement in Children’s Sports Activities: How Much is Too Much?
Where does the line
between parental involvement and over-involvement lie? Parents need to be
able to recognize how their behavior affects their children in order to keep
from crossing this line.
Mentor: Virginia Mosser,
BIS
ePortfolios: A Formative Assessment Tool for Fostering Creativity
I suggest that formative
assessment can be used in K-12 education to support students’ engagement in
creative endeavors. I consider in what ways traditional assessment practices
produce barriers to creativity. I propose that a shift from traditional to formative
assessment practices, supported by the online tool of ePortfolios, offers an
environment that is conducive for fostering creativity.
Mentor: Glenn Kessler, BIS
The
Development of Virginian Slave Culture Through the Colonial Period
A study of the degree to which African customs and cultures become a part of
Virginia's culture from the introduction of enslaved Africans through the
colonial period, to include study of tangible and intangible cultural
remnants, focusing on population statistics and the varying African
ethnicities that were displaced to Virginia.
Mentor: Stephen Levine, BIS
Political TV Advertising Targeting Hispanics
in 2004
A critical review of political TV advertising created by the parties
in the effort to influence the Hispanic voting behavior during the 2004
Presidential election.
Mentor: Pete Ronayne,
BIS
Consumer-Driven Marketing in the Web World Today
This capstone focuses on consumers as
active participants in the Internet marketing process and the factors of
influence surrounding their role.
Mentor: John T. Casteen IV, BIS
Bias
Confirmation: How U.S. Interrogation Methods Impacted the War Of Ideas
In an
insurgent war, accurate, actionable intelligence can be a pivotal component
in determining the outcome of the conflict. How that intelligence is
gathered and used can be just a pivotal. How much of an impact did Abu
Ghraib have on the United States ability to effectively confront a growing
insurgency?
Mentor: John T. Casteen IV, BIS
Magisterium Lost – A Case Study of the Modern Reaction to The Gospel of
Judas
This
project examines the modern reaction to non-canonical biblical texts to
explore the nature of the modern religious teaching authority, or
magisterium. To accomplish this, I analyzed the reaction to The Gospel
of Judas through examination of the debate and discussion of this
recently discovered text in the realm of weblogs, or blogs. Through a
qualitative data analysis of blog entries and comments, I hope to discover
whether the modern magisterium comes from modern religious scholars, the
clergy, the laity, or some other source.
Mentor:
Kate Wood, BIS
Examining The Exam: The New Citizenship Test
from an Historical Perspective.
The first goal of this capstone is to
describe in detail the major similarities between
the literacy and citizenship tests: origins;
administration; and content; in
addition to highlighting the debates
surrounding them. The second goal is
to make the following argument: the new
citizenship test, while fair on its
surface, can be used as a means to
discriminate against immigrants in the
United States.
Mentor: Lynn Sanders, Department of Politics, CLAS
Comparing Efforts to fight Childhood Obesity in Charlottesville City
and Albemarle County Schools
My project will focus on the efforts of both local school districts in
dealing with childhood obesity. Are they really doing enough in our
schools to combat this epidemic?
Mentor: Eleanor Wilson, Curry School of
Education
The Role of 'Ordinary Germans' in the Social
Death of the German
Jews: 1935-1939.
Focusing on the years after the passage of
the Nuremberg Laws and
before the outbreak of World War II, this
Capstone discusses how the
attitudes and behaviors of ordinary Germans
effectively contributed to the social death of the Jews living in Germany.
Mentor: Ann Marie Plunkett, BIS
Grand Strategy for
Global Insurgency
During the cold war the
unifying strategic concept used by the United States and its allies was
containment. Now with the rise of global insurgencies and non-state actors
we must consider new strategies to meet the challenges and dangers this new
threat presents.
Mentor: Pete Ronayne, BIS
How Different States’ Definition of River
Navigability Affect Recreational River Users and Private Landowners
This research looked at court cases and state
codes in VA, WV, NC and MT to
assess the impact that differing state laws
and court precedents have on the
public's ability to legally navigate rivers.
My hypothesis was that states with
a more liberal definition of navigability
(i.e. easier access) enjoyed a greater economic benefit.
Mentor: Andy Wilson, BIS
Fighting Fire with Fire: The Law Enforcement
Response to School Shooters
Columbine-style incidents have prompted police agencies to
adopt "seek and destroy" tactics to eliminate suspects and curtail casualties. This project seeks to examine the effectiveness of such aggressive strategies to determine this as an unavoidable necessity or escalating an already
volatile situation.
Mentor: Alan Rasmussen, BIS
Can Adopting a National Retail Sales Tax Alleviate the American Saving
Crisis? An Evaluation of the Effects of Consumption Taxes on National Saving and
Investment.
This project represents
an economic evaluation of the claims made regarding the advantages of a
consumption tax base, and more specifically the Fair Tax Act of 2007
(H.R.25) on saving rates and investment in the United States.
Mentor: Andy Wilson, BIS
Global Warming and the Cool City Designation:
What Cities are Doing to Combat Global Warming
This capstone is an examination of a
grassroots effort and consideration of its effect on environmental
conservation.
Mentor: Andy Wilson, BIS
Economic Implications
of European Union Expansion: Expanding Borders or Strengthening the Union?
This Capstone examines the impact of European Union expansion has had on
the existing members as new, less developed countries are granted access to
the Union. Using Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic as case studies,
this project seeks to determine if continued expansion will ultimately
strengthen or weaken the Union.
Mentor: William Wilkerson, McIntire School
of Commerce, BIS
Electronic Waste
Recycling Point of Sales Fees, or Producer Responsibility?
There are two dominant recycling models for electronic waste in the United
States: Enhanced Producer Responsibility (EPR), and Advanced Recycling Fees
(ARF). This project will assess which of these two approaches best improves
future shareholder value for Hewlett-Packard, focusing on the U.S.
marketplace.
Mentor: Andy Wilson,
BIS
Aid to the Rape Victims of Darfur
It has been estimated
that more than 10,000 women and young girls have been raped
since the war in Darfur
began in 2003. Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) and the
United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), and other NGO's are
providing
medical, social, and psychological assistance to these victims.
Mentor: Ann Marie
Plunkett, BIS The Effects of Oil
Wealth on Angola's Prosperity
Oil wealth has had a
profound impact on Angola's peace and stability. The oil wealth
impacted the civil war, the corruption of the government
and the poverty of the
Angolan people.
Mentor: Ann Marie
Plunkett, BIS
Law Enforcement Leadership's Impact on Police Brutality.
A law enforcement leader's integrity, professionalism, and effectiveness
strongly influence the way police officers conduct themselves as
professionals, which, in turn, influences the occurrence of police
brutality. This capstone compares the leadership of former Los Angeles Chief
of Police Daryl Gates to current Miami Chief of Police John Timoney, and
finds distinct differences in their leadership.
Mentor: Alan C. Rasmussen, BIS
Family Life Education in Virginia Public Schools and Teen Pregnancy
My Capstone researches the relationship between the Family Life
Education Curricula in the public schools in Norfolk and Virginia Beach and
the teen pregnancy rates in these cities, and argues that age-appropriate
comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-based sex education is
necessary for young people.
Mentor: Pete Miller, BIS
Social Effects on the Prohibition of Female Circumcision in Kenya
This capstone explores
the social and cultural problems associated with ending female circumcision
as a rite of passage.
Mentor: Kate Wood, BIS
Death by Chocolate:
The United Nations Takes on Child Slavery
Confronted by massive
dislocation, plummeting economics, and orphaned by the AIDS
epidemic, many children
have fallen victim to the worst form of child labor, slavery.
Under the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has made numerous attempts
to discourage not only this type of slavery, but all forms. This paper
will address some
of the efforts made by the United Nations and question their
effectiveness.
Mentor: Mark Fowler, BIS
The Shroud of Turin
This Capstone
investigates the relationship between faith and science with regard to the
Shroud of Turin-the alleged burial cloth of Jesus.
Mentor: Pete Miller, BIS
Learning Styles for the 21st
Century: A Synergistic Approach
This capstone considers how Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple
Intelligences and David Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory could be
combined to improve student learning.
Mentor: John Corlett, BIS
Sierra Leone:
A Diamond in the Rough. Promoting a Continuing Dialogue on the
Issue of the Illicit Diamond Trade and the Repercussions for Sierra
Leone and the International Community
Sierra Leone endured a ten year civil war
that centered around control of their vast alluvial diamond resources. While
government and rebel forces fought over the mines and control of the
country, civilians were caught in the cross fire. The term "Blood Diamond"
derives from this war. The purpose of this capstone is to promote the
continued discussion of human rights and
the diamond trade by looking at Sierra Leone as a microcosm of the pertinent
issues.
Mentor: David Corlett, BIS
The Effects and
Contribution of Celebrity Activism in Raising Aid for Relief in Africa
The explosion of celebrity activism in Africa
has pushed critical topics into
mainstream American media and humanitarian consciousness.. This capstone
evaluates the role of celebrities in the Red Campaign
which supports the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Mentor: Ann Marie Plunkett, BIS
Humanitarian Aid To
Haiti
The island nation of
Haiti is suffering extreme poverty including an inadequate healthcare
system resulting in high infant mortality and
low life expectancy. The United States can
help alleviate this crisis by providing
money and aid packages.
Mentor: Ann Marie
Plunkett, BIS
The Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families Program and Post-Secondary Education
This Capstone
evaluates TANF policy on post-secondary education in three states, and
argues that changes could be very beneficial to the recipients, primarily
single women, their families, and society as a whole.
Mentor: Kate Wood, BIS
Shelter from the
Storm: The Effort of Social Organizations in New Orleans to Preserve their
Neighborhoods and Community Culture
Brass bands and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs are providing a support system
for neighborhoods destroyed by Hurricane Katrina as well as carrying on the
unique culture of their communities.
Mentor: Stephen
Levine, BIS
A
Need For Communication: Emergency Communications Solutions in Times of
Crisis
During times of crisis
the need for communication becomes apparent when the infrastructure people
have come to depend upon is destroyed or incapacitated. Upon
evaluation of current communications technology it
becomes clear that no single solution works best to fill this void, instead
a suite of available options to best cover the necessary
modes of communication
depending upon the generalized needs of those affected is
identified.
Mentor: Peter Norton,
BIS
The Impact of Childhood Disabilities on Family Relationships
This Capstone Project focuses on the effects on the
family raising a child with a disability or special needs. The research
focuses on three significant areas of impact: financial implications,
marital relations, and how siblings of disabled children are affected by
disabilities. The information was used to determine if raising a child with
disabilities results in an overall negative effect on the family.
Mentor: Kate Wood, BIS
Reading Instruction
Programs for English Language Leaners: A
Comparison of the
Effectiveness of ESL Programs in California and Mississippi
My findings suggest that
literacy programs founded on scientifically- based research are the key to
success in reducing the achievement gap between ELL’s and their
English-speaking counterparts.
Mentor: Eleanor Wilson,
Curry School of Education
The House of Cards: Issues
That Sway Young Southerners in the 1996-2004 Presidential Elections
In future campaigns, young
Southern voters could become necessary components of winning electoral
coalitions. This project investigates wedge issues and how candidates can
effectively use them to persuade younger voters.
Mentor: Robert P. Saldin,
BIS, John Hopkins University
An Analysis of the United States 'Trafficking In Persons Report” : A
Tool of Progress or Denial?
To address the international problem of human trafficking, the State
Department publishes an annual report that catalogs and grades countries
according to their efforts to stop the practice. Though an admirable
undertaking, there are problems within the report. My project examines data,
methodology, definitions, and the semantics in and around the TIP report.
Mentor: Bill Welty, BIS
The Importance of a
Support System in Dealing with Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a major public health problem that has a
substantial economic impact on society. This mental illness is the sixth
leading cause of medical disability worldwide with direct and indirect costs
of over $50 billion in the United States alone. My Capstone project examines
the importance of a strong support system in assisting individuals with
bipolar disorder in managing their illness.
Mentor: Jennifer Cruz, Department of Psychology, CLAS
The Relationship between
Food Technology and the Family Meal
What is your family doing
for dinner? How is it different from the dinner you shared with your
parents? Did technology influence that change, or do family needs and
desires influence technology?
Mentor: Peter Norton,
School of Engineering and Applied Science, BIS
Why Do Mexicans Take Risks to Cross the Border with the United
States Illegally?
This capstone explores
the reasons why Mexicans continue to enter the United States illegally
despite the risks and public protests, and concludes that economic factors
drive their choices.
Mentor: Ann Marie
Plunkett, BIS
Abraham: Father of
Three Faiths
The writers of the
sacred texts belonging to each of the three Abrahamic faiths-- Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam-- all purposely strive to identify their respective
religions as especially connected to Abraham. To believers of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam, having a legitimate claim to Abraham means having a
legitimate right to claim God.
Mentor: Luke Wright, BIS
The Birth of Jazz in
America and the Forces That Helped Its Creation
When we talk about the
“birth of jazz” in America, we cannot overlook the influence of Africans, but other essential forces also contributed to the
creation of jazz.. How did cultural, historical, political, and
socioeconomic forces along with the influence of African Americans in nineteenth-century New Orleans help tocreate jazz?
Mentor: David Corlett,
BIS
Heaven's Gate, Raelians and Their Apocalyptic Beliefs
This capstone paper considers how the
distinct apocalyptic views of the Heaven’s Gate and the Raelian Communities
have influenced their teachings about the world and the role of
the individual.
Mentor: Matthew White, BIS, University of
Richmond
The Jews and Survival in America in the Ten
Years After the Holocaust
There were many contributing factors to the
survival of the Jews after the Holocaust but, is it possible that there is
something unique to the Jewish culture that creates a special resiliency
that inspires the Jews to, not just survive, but thrive?
Mentor: Ann Marie
Plunkett, BIS
The Role of Prayer in
the Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients
Prayer is a powerful and useful resource in
many peoples’ lives. This capstone will consider how three groups of
health practitioners-- medicine only, both prayer and medicine, and prayer
only-- view the role of prayer in the treatment of the terminally ill.
Mentor: Kate Wood, BIS
Civil Gideon and Title
VII
This Capstone project
examines whether or not Title VII Civil Rights and anti-discrimination
claims should be considered a basic human need in the context of Civil
Gideon.
Mentor: Tom Ball, BIS
Leadership Challenges
in Public versus Private Sector Organizations
This Capstone
project explores the differing challenges faced by public sector and private
sector leaders.
Mentor: John Corlett,
BIS
Slavery As A
Profitable Labor System In The Antebellum South
This Capstone project
examines antebellum slavery based on economic factors only. It determines
if slavery was a viable profitable labor system and what its role was in the
economic development of the South.
Mentor: Ann Marie
Plunkett, BIS
The Inspiration for
American Citizenship Found in the Mythology of Comic Book
Superheroes
This Capstone project
examines the American comic book mythos to find whether it discourages
American values and democratic behavior, as some have suggested, or inspires
them. It attempts to prove the latter by defining those values and that
behavior.
Mentor: Leo Daugherty, BIS
Crossing the Roads of Change: FEMA’s Reorganization from a Change
Management Perspective
The
misapplication of change management resultant from a one-dimensional
approach to all things associated with 9/11 left our nation ill prepared to
deal with natural disasters, and exacerbated the negative outcomes of
Hurricane Katrina. Using a case study of FEMA’s restructuring after 9/11 and
the agency’s handling of Hurricane Katrina, this paper shall document the
propensity of emergency service leaders to apply unplanned change theories
regardless of the situation, and identify a chasm that exists in change
management theory.
Mentor:
John Corlett, BIS
The Ethics of Stem Cell
Research
In my Capstone project,
I studied the ethical controversy of Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR).
Mentor: Ken Beals, BIS
The Legal
Implications of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States
This Capstone project
examines legal expert's attitudes towards lawful recognition of same-sex
marriage in the United States, using the Constitutional framework of civil
rights, in order to determine if gay men and lesbians in the United States
have civil right to marry based upon four main themes: liberty, privacy,
equal protection, and due process.
Mentor: Virginia Mosser, BIS
Crozet Infrastructure
and the Anticipated Population Growth
Description: This
capstone project studies the effects of population growth on the current
infrastructure in Crozet, Virginia. Crozet will be used as a case study to
show the effects of population growth on rural infrastructure throughout the
United States
Mentor: Xiaobing Shuai,
BIS
Evaluation of
Situational Leadership Theory: A Critical Review
This project indentifies
the principles underlying Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership
model and tests their validity and utility in an analysis of the histories
of two leading private sector leaders.
Mentor: John Corlett,
BIS
The Constitution of
Medina
This project is a
historical survey that discusses whether the Constitution of Medina should
be considered the world's first written constitution. It does this by
looking at the society that existed before and after the document was
written, and by trying to answer some of the questions that scholars have
raised about the document. It also briefly looks at modern day Islamic
nations and discusses whether the document has had any effect on their
governance.
Mentor: Luke Wright, BIS
Health Insurance: A
Change for the Better?
Description: This
project uses organizational change theories to provide insights into changes
within the health insurance industry by focusing on the Kaiser Permanente
corporation.
Mentor: John Corlett,
BIS
Then What Do I Do?
How Effective Are Tutor Checklists for Volunteer Tutors?
This Capstone examines whether a
tutor checklist helps volunteer reading tutors faithfully implement lessons and remember strategies from training. It also examines whether tutor checklists affect student outcomes.
Mentor: Paige C. Pullen,
Curry School of Education
Supplier Diversity: Creates Business Opportunities or Reverse
Discrimination?
The University of Virginia Supplier Diversity Program
This research explores the University of Virginia's forward movement in its
supplier diversity program during the fiscal years of 2005 through 2008.
Through the expanded utilization of Small, Women, and Minority Businesses (SWaM)
the University has been able to increase the annual percentage of dollars
spent with SWaM firms.
Mentor: Kate Wood, BIS
Nuclear Energy: Can
We Safely Deal With its Waste Bi-Products?
The purpose of this
capstone is to study the waste by-products pertaining to all ends of the
nuclear fuel cycle from mining to disposal in order to determine if the
by-products afford enough safety for the U.S. to consider expansion of
nuclear energy programs.
Mentor: Andy Wilson, BIS
