Sample Capstone Projects

These Capstone Projects represent a variety of styles, approaches, and content. They were all successful in two senses: nominally, each received a grade of B or better; more importantly, each exemplifies a set of characteristics that constitute the Capstone "framework." This framework asks the Capstone student to achieve a deep personal understanding of a focused research problem.

Business

• Barker, Marketing in a Dynamic Environment: A Critical Examination of the Scotch Industry (Kehoe)
• Barlow, Storytelling and Episodic Memory: The Construction of Self (Kessler)
• Ferneyhough, Lynch & Morris, A Cross-National Examination of Heath Systems With a Focus on Prescription Drug Coverage (Kehoe)
• Harrison, The Impact of Employer Bias When Hiring an Ex-Felon (Corlett)
• O'Connor, Tighe & Wood, Reinventing the Franchise (Corlett)
• Romenesko, A Critical Examination of Public Policy: Land Use and Affordable Housing in Albemarle County (Kehoe)
• Owens, Grade and Seniority: Their Relationship to Employee Absenteeism (Corlett)
• Williams, Access at an Excess: The Perils of Unregulated US Prescroption Drug Pricing (Kehoe)
• Van Sant, Applyng the Cradle-To-Cradle Philosophy to the UVA Food Services (Brownlee)
   

Education

• Blikslager, Using the Environment to Improve Learning (Tai)
• Connolly, Marketing Unhealthy Food Products in Schools (Burbach)
• Gibson, Implications of the ABA Approach to Teaching Autistic Children in an Inclusive Education Environment (Trent)
• Keller, Best Leadership Practices in Turning Around Low Performing Schools (Burbach)
• Thomas, A Close Look at Recent Research on Co-Teaching (Brigham)
   

Humanities

• Budiansky, Portrayals in Young Adult Literature (Smolkin)
• Carr, Mesoamerican Influence on Chaco Canyon (Most)
• Guilbaud, Experience & Identity in the African American Community (Nelson)
• Herring, Ideals of Feminine Purity in Charlottesville During the 1930's-A Newspaper Analysis (Daugherty)
• Miller, Looking Beyond Cognitive Development for School Readiness (Brighton)
• Schroeder, Finding Their Way: Exploring Feminine Gender Roles in Shakespeare's Comedies (Daugherty)
• Wolff, A Story of Self (Kessler)
• Zimnick, Effects of the Alternative Press on the American Wars in Indochina (Daugherty)

Individualized Concentration

• Graham, Can You Be a Pragmatic Anarchist? (Plunkett)
• Kram, Localizing Solutions to Global Problems (Wieder)
   

Information Technology

• Atkins, A-Vue (Miller)
• Hartung, Learning Organizations: Answers for Successfully Implementing IT Tools? (Kessler)
   

Social Science

• Anderson, Gender-Specific Programs for Incarcerated Females (Loper)
• Black, Humanitarianism vs. Politics: Differential Treatment in U.S. Foreign Disaster Aid (Plunkett)
• Centini, Parental Growth and Transformation: In the Aftermath of a Child's Death (Kessler)
• Cheatham, Standing Out By Standing In-Youth Volunteering (Wilcox)
• Fisher, Propaganda Model (Davidson)
• Hanger, The Effect of the Ordination of Bishop V. Gene Robinson on the Episcopal Church (Miller)
• Harvey, Civic Participation in the United States
• Hineline, Ethnic Cleaning in Europe and American Foreign Policy (Plunkett)
• Jackson, Social Activism in the 21st Century African American Church (Walker)
• Moore, Rwanda-When Good Men Do Nothing (Ronayne)
• Morris, Impact of Education on Mental Models: Are Organizations Prepared? & IRB Protocol (Corlett)
• Ruffner, The Darker Side of NAFTA (Plunkett)
• Taylor, A Bonding Experience: The Therapeutic Relationship between Dogs and Chronically Maltreated Children (Plunkett)
• Thompson, The Value of Technology in Reducing Needlestick Injuries (Felder)